The coronavirus is on the loose! While there are much more serious things than having a race cancelled, it is something that runners around the world have been anxious about as events they have trained months for drew nearer. This is usually the first big month of the spring race season but major events have been cancelled all over and it seems I hear of a new one every day! First off these are certainly the right decisions and I was not surprised when my race joined the ever growing list of cancellations. That does not mean I was not tremendously disappointed and yes, I cried!
I cried because I am exhausted and just had the rug swept out from under me! Runners train for typically around 3 month for one single day - ONE. SINGLE, DAY! All the training miles, all the early mornings, all the mentally preparation, all the decisions not go out or not have the french fries or beer take their toll on the body and mind. Runners believe it is all worth it so you could say we have tunnel vision but when that light at the end is gone, then what?! For me, I cried! I felt a little selfish but I let myself boohoo. It helped me move on and after attending my own pity party for a bit I felt better.
Lots of races have set new dates for this fall and I hope participants will still be able to enjoy their victory lap. I am getting deferrels for Wilmington Marathon and Craft Beer Half for 2021 so don't see a road race in my near future. I will continue to run but think will switch gears and head to the trails as soon as possible to hopefully get lost {in thought} in the woods or on a mountain side.
Friday, March 13, 2020
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Positivity is a Super Power
Studies show that positive self talk can actually IMPROVE your overall health and performance! Think about how you talk to someone you love. How you describe, encourage, cheer for, brag on and celebrate those people. Now speak to yourself like that!If you're a running nerd like me, I want to recommend Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor. I am about half way through the book and while it is nothing profound I am enjoying it. I picked it up from my local library because was looking for ways to "up my running game" and mentality (i.e. battling self doubt) is super-high on the list. So many factors are out of your control, (that awful Boston weather in 2018!) but this is entirely up to me.
Running a marathon is an accomplishment, even for a talented Olympian like Deena. But it takes more than training and good nutrition. It take support and what she discusses is the mental aspect of achieving difficult goals. I have found myself attempting to adopt her mental shifts in all aspects of life though. Instead of "I have to..." a simple word swap changes the mood entirely. Try "I get to...". You are now entering the activity with a lighter heart.
Pictured left to right is the order of my running related reads from my current read, the book already awaiting me on the nightstand and then next on my radar. (I've also got to fit in time to finish reading the latest Land of Stories which is a favorite series of Addie's she has read more then once. She was insistent I read them and it has been fun to support her love of reading in this way.)
What are you reading? Please share your recommendations!
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Fellowship of the Idiots
Yesterday I officially became an Idiot and yes I am proudly shouting it from the mountain top! If you are not a distance runner you quickly categorize plenty of the things I consider fun, dumb! This will not be an exception.
The most insane part of this event was the ridiculously early wake up call. My alarm went off earlier then it did for WC-50. "Dumb" things are always more fun with friends so a group of Urban Runners met in NoDa to drive the hour together to the small town of Albemarle. 14 of us groggily piled into a van and were on the road before 4:00AM. We all had the same idea of fun that morning... run up a mountain to chase the sunrise! This is the Fellowship of the Idiots run.
The Fellowship began in 2003 when a few friends got together for their last long training run before the Myrtle Beach Marathon. They started at the YMCA in Albemarle and ran to the top of Morrow Mountain and back (19.7 miles). Every year since then, "idiots" have gotten together for this awesome long run. This year there were 359 runners - 196 of us first time idiots and the rest returning ones.
There is no charge for this (extremely well organized) run however donations are accepted to help offset the cost of putting on the run. Those that complete their first Fellowship of the Idiot Run earn a Fellowship of the Idiot t-shirt and a suitable for framing certificate. In addition, you get your name added to the Fellowship of the Idiot wall at Vac & Dash.
The event kicked off at 5:30AM. Peter, the owner of Vac & Dash, welcomed us all with a few words and then it was a simple - Ready, Set, GO! Well the run began but one of my run buddies had ducked into the Y for one last trip to the bathroom. It is the only race I have ever shrugged "no rush". We were the final participants to start and even paused to have our picture taken before heading out into the dark.
Since it was so early there wasn’t really anyone on the streets except us. Runners wore their reflective gear, headlamps and had blinker lights on for safety. By the way, I am taking recommendations for a headlamp. I absolutely love my Amphipod Cap Clip Light! I cannot imagine there is anything out there less noticeable. It is so lightweight and clips directly onto the bill of a hat/visor which I rarely run without. However know a more powerful headlamp would be better for the trails. Back to being idiots though! It was fun meeting other folks out for this unique run, cheering them on and bantering with the awesome aid station volunteers.
As we started to make the final ascent, the sun started to wake up. Since it is a race, I'll say I did "beat" the sun to the top. The views are very pretty but this morning it was cloudy so was not the beautiful orange I hoped for. People hung at the top taking pictures (& of course posting to social media) before making the return trip. Even though it is a out-and-back course, since the first half was in the dark it was an entirely difference scene coming down in the day light. The aid stations were still just as lively and volunteers still just as happy even though they had to be chilly. As I runner the weather was pretty close to perfect though - 40s with no rain or headwind.
Run often. Run long. Just never outrun the joy of running. With that is mind here was Hannah and I's "jump for joy" attempt at the end. We still had some ups left in our legs after 19 miles but just could not coordinate. Hope it makes you giggle!
The most insane part of this event was the ridiculously early wake up call. My alarm went off earlier then it did for WC-50. "Dumb" things are always more fun with friends so a group of Urban Runners met in NoDa to drive the hour together to the small town of Albemarle. 14 of us groggily piled into a van and were on the road before 4:00AM. We all had the same idea of fun that morning... run up a mountain to chase the sunrise! This is the Fellowship of the Idiots run.
The Fellowship began in 2003 when a few friends got together for their last long training run before the Myrtle Beach Marathon. They started at the YMCA in Albemarle and ran to the top of Morrow Mountain and back (19.7 miles). Every year since then, "idiots" have gotten together for this awesome long run. This year there were 359 runners - 196 of us first time idiots and the rest returning ones.
There is no charge for this (extremely well organized) run however donations are accepted to help offset the cost of putting on the run. Those that complete their first Fellowship of the Idiot Run earn a Fellowship of the Idiot t-shirt and a suitable for framing certificate. In addition, you get your name added to the Fellowship of the Idiot wall at Vac & Dash.
The event kicked off at 5:30AM. Peter, the owner of Vac & Dash, welcomed us all with a few words and then it was a simple - Ready, Set, GO! Well the run began but one of my run buddies had ducked into the Y for one last trip to the bathroom. It is the only race I have ever shrugged "no rush". We were the final participants to start and even paused to have our picture taken before heading out into the dark.
Since it was so early there wasn’t really anyone on the streets except us. Runners wore their reflective gear, headlamps and had blinker lights on for safety. By the way, I am taking recommendations for a headlamp. I absolutely love my Amphipod Cap Clip Light! I cannot imagine there is anything out there less noticeable. It is so lightweight and clips directly onto the bill of a hat/visor which I rarely run without. However know a more powerful headlamp would be better for the trails. Back to being idiots though! It was fun meeting other folks out for this unique run, cheering them on and bantering with the awesome aid station volunteers.
As we started to make the final ascent, the sun started to wake up. Since it is a race, I'll say I did "beat" the sun to the top. The views are very pretty but this morning it was cloudy so was not the beautiful orange I hoped for. People hung at the top taking pictures (& of course posting to social media) before making the return trip. Even though it is a out-and-back course, since the first half was in the dark it was an entirely difference scene coming down in the day light. The aid stations were still just as lively and volunteers still just as happy even though they had to be chilly. As I runner the weather was pretty close to perfect though - 40s with no rain or headwind.
Run often. Run long. Just never outrun the joy of running. With that is mind here was Hannah and I's "jump for joy" attempt at the end. We still had some ups left in our legs after 19 miles but just could not coordinate. Hope it makes you giggle!
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Flexibility is Key to Survival
It is around 5:25AM and I am up, dressed and ready to head out the door to tackle a speed workout with my track group when my little one groggily shuffles into the bathroom. I wouldn't trade these "I just need you" snuggles for anything, honestly, but to be just as honest a "this is not what I had planned" sigh came too. I had written the following speed workout for our group: 16 x 200 - alternating mile and 5k paces | jog 100 | walk 100 | REPEAT. The idea being that even with varying speeds we would not have the opportunity to get too spread out and therefore nobody would be standing around in 20 degree temps. {brrrrr!} Got great feedback on the workout and knew I had to still get it in.
Motherhood has certainly taught me that you have to be able to roll with the punches if you have any chance of surviving. With that I pulled out my trusty paper day planner (yup I am old school like that!) and rearranged my week by pushing some tasks around. That is not always possible and I'd be painting a false picture if I didn't acknowledge the struggle it is to find any sort of balance, but I remain convinced that making my fitness a priority is important to EVERYONE'S happiness. This is why even when I’m dragging I still make time to get my workout in.
So after dropping the early morning snuggler at preschool I headed to the Dowd YMCA. Even though the sun was up, it was still really cold but their rooftop track has a great view of the city skyline. I jogged a warmup mile then headed back inside for leg swings, a motivation check and loaded the workout plan into my Garmin. Turns out this track would not be my first recommendation for a speed workout. The turns are tight making it difficult to maintain faster paces plus 13 laps = 1 mile which makes for uneven math. Bottom line, I got it done and that is also my advice to others. Just do it! There are a million reasons you can’t get to the gym or just don't want to. Yes there are more important things in life to worry about but I think we can also agree there is nothing better than feeling strong, fit & capable.
Motherhood has certainly taught me that you have to be able to roll with the punches if you have any chance of surviving. With that I pulled out my trusty paper day planner (yup I am old school like that!) and rearranged my week by pushing some tasks around. That is not always possible and I'd be painting a false picture if I didn't acknowledge the struggle it is to find any sort of balance, but I remain convinced that making my fitness a priority is important to EVERYONE'S happiness. This is why even when I’m dragging I still make time to get my workout in.
So after dropping the early morning snuggler at preschool I headed to the Dowd YMCA. Even though the sun was up, it was still really cold but their rooftop track has a great view of the city skyline. I jogged a warmup mile then headed back inside for leg swings, a motivation check and loaded the workout plan into my Garmin. Turns out this track would not be my first recommendation for a speed workout. The turns are tight making it difficult to maintain faster paces plus 13 laps = 1 mile which makes for uneven math. Bottom line, I got it done and that is also my advice to others. Just do it! There are a million reasons you can’t get to the gym or just don't want to. Yes there are more important things in life to worry about but I think we can also agree there is nothing better than feeling strong, fit & capable.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Mini Chefs
What was on my breakfast menu for this #mmmMonday?! Almond Flour Banana Muffins curtesy of my big girl and her buddy! I gave them the following recipe this weekend and tried to stay out of it. They were instructed to divide the recipe in half so they could each be in charge of their own bowl. Selfishly this was to head off any potential arguments and this conniving mom enjoyed sneaking in a math lesson.
Ingredients:
Addie used almond flour as suggested, mixed in 1/2 cup+ walnuts into the batter while her buddy opted for white flour and 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips. They both used Ripple Unsweetened Original Pea Protein Milk because that is what we use in this house. It is the best dairy alternative milk I have had.... zero sugar & more protein plus uses less water to grow pea plants then almonds!
Too bad she cannot take the muffins to school because they are not nut-free. It would have been fun to think about Addie proudly pulling a muffin out for snack time. I got to reap the benefits this morning though and one actually satisfied my large appetite. I agree with this one - two thumbs up!
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup stevia
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Mix bananas, eggs, sweetener, milk, oil, ground flax seeds & vanilla.
- Combine oats, flour, baking powder & salt - stir into banana mixture.
- Stir in any additions.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.
- Bake at 400 for 18-20min
Addie used almond flour as suggested, mixed in 1/2 cup+ walnuts into the batter while her buddy opted for white flour and 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips. They both used Ripple Unsweetened Original Pea Protein Milk because that is what we use in this house. It is the best dairy alternative milk I have had.... zero sugar & more protein plus uses less water to grow pea plants then almonds!
Too bad she cannot take the muffins to school because they are not nut-free. It would have been fun to think about Addie proudly pulling a muffin out for snack time. I got to reap the benefits this morning though and one actually satisfied my large appetite. I agree with this one - two thumbs up!
Monday, December 30, 2019
2019 Top Nine
Some good run, some bad runs, muddy runs, chased down new PRs, supported others in their run goals but all with the backing of my beautiful family. That's a wrap {Insta}2019! #itsarunderfullife #topnine #runcltrun #runclt #nuunlife #teamnuun #hshive #stingorbeestung #withoutlimitz #onhermarques
Ironically what I consider my biggest race accomplishment this year, (see WC50 race recap), was not included because realize I never posted it to my Instagram feed. I must have been more tired then I even realized. Looks like I now have worthy material for my first ever Throwback Thursday post.
L to R: shaving even more to set my current PR at The Boston Marathon, the finish line of the Boston Marathon, volunteering at Charlotte Marathon's expo, enjoing a beer post crashing during the OrthoCarolina 10k, flat runner before pacing Craft Beer Half Marathon, family picture, Steve's Trail, winning the Massacre Marathon and setting my first marathon PR, inaugural Around The Crown 10k and a new PR
Ironically what I consider my biggest race accomplishment this year, (see WC50 race recap), was not included because realize I never posted it to my Instagram feed. I must have been more tired then I even realized. Looks like I now have worthy material for my first ever Throwback Thursday post.
L to R: shaving even more to set my current PR at The Boston Marathon, the finish line of the Boston Marathon, volunteering at Charlotte Marathon's expo, enjoing a beer post crashing during the OrthoCarolina 10k, flat runner before pacing Craft Beer Half Marathon, family picture, Steve's Trail, winning the Massacre Marathon and setting my first marathon PR, inaugural Around The Crown 10k and a new PR
Sunday, October 27, 2019
WC-50... more like to 52!
I showered, got dressed, ate breakfast, loaded the car, got a groggy good luck smooch and headed out. I turned on Google Maps just to be safe but the last thing I thought would be an issue at 4AM was traffic. I was more concerned with zoning out and driving on auto pilot somewhere else. Well a sea of break lights quickly snapped me into focus! 277 was CLOSED! Don't panic Ashley, you've got time. I calmly left my parked car and walked towards the truck blocking the lanes and politely asked what was going on and about how long could I expect it to take. I'll save my imitation for anyone in person but needless to say they were not very helpful. After maybe 10 minutes, another gentleman addressed the workman taking a totally different approach causing a cop to join the conversation. Ok the panic officially started to sink in and I had to do something. I somehow managed to back myself down an onramp to a city street and then got back onto the highway two exits down.
Cutting it entire too close for comfort, I pulled into the USNWC parking lot around 4:35 AM. I sprinted the best I could while carrying a laundry basket of All. The. Things! The prerace meeting was in 10 minutes and I still had to get my bib, set up some sort of base camp, use the rest room and drop off nuun samples.
At 4:45AM the race director held a meeting giving us a rundown on logistics, reminders and notes a couple of changes to the route. Hardly a word he said was registering. All I cared was that I had made it, my hydration vest was fully stocked and while it was humid all the rain that was in the forecast earlier that week was gone. I go to pull on my head lamp and it wont turn on! What the hell?! I charged it fully last night and made sure it worked. You've got to be kidding me?!
Another racer immediately sheds his vest and pulls out a back up head lamp for me. I had no words and couldn't grab it! As he is explaining it I get mine to come on and in the next breath people were taking off - the race had begun! That selfless runner told me to just go & get up to the front and that was the last time I saw him.
It was only about 100 yards and then immediately dropped in the woods onto some technical single track. It took just a few minutes to be immersed in the sort of pitch black that can only be found totally away from civilization. Wow, so peaceful!
In a road race it would have bothered me to be "stuck behind slower runners". I knew there would be some egos in the front pack and I attempted to check my own. If I can claim a race plan it was to take the first lap slower then I wanted. With that in the back of my mind, I wasn't anxious and tried to just settle in behind a group and relax. That only lasted about 10 minutes before I decided the altered stride was worse then speeding up. Runners were happy to step aside and even cheered me on as I passed. I caught up to a small middle pack still going slower then I would have but weren't making me take choppy steps. I tucked in behind 2 guys and just quietly ran listening to them list off their career and physical resumes. Here are the cliff notes:
Runner 1 - 27, in the Navy, runs 24 hours races all the time.
Runner 2 - 28, D1 collegiate swimmer, ex-cross fitter and works in Treasury at the bank.
It comes to me... I'll be 40 next year, have 2 kids, stay at home mom and I teach a group ex class at The Y. That clearly only translated to old lady because the BOY directly in front of me responds "oh you must feel really good about yourself to be hanging with 2 young guys". Oh really?! We have a long way to go, (I mean the sun wasn't due to rise for another 2hrs!), and if anyone knows perseverance and how to handle pain it is a mother runner! So many things could have been said but I just rolled my eyes and held my tongue. I was going to feel real good about myself when I busted the mold that I had obviously just been placed in.
The first stop was around mile 4.5. You were required to check in at every aid station for safety so did that, took a quick swig of water and continued on planning to leave the boys. From this point on I did take control of my race but also gained a shadow, Runner 2. His chatter kept me entertained, trying to help advise him kept my mind busy while his hand held flashlight drove me nuts casting shadows I wasn't sure of. I just maintained a comfortable pace and focused on keeping myself upright - light feet, good posture and not falling! A goal I maintained for most of the day. I did not trip once in the pre dawn darkness or over tired feet at the end which is where I would have expected to. All my moments with the ground came in Lap 2 - mile 22, 26 and 32! ADVISE: If you look up or back on a trail you are going down, so don't.
I lost my naive buddy around mile 14, and was by myself until the start of Lap 3. Therefore I could argue all my falls were dainty since nobody actually was there to witness anything but I assure you they were not! The second fall was hard and I laid on the ground for a good breather until was able to walk it off.
The reason I wasn't alone during the final lap was because an amazing friend offered to pace me during it. I didn't want to ask for help or even know what would want during such an endurance event. I wasn't comfortable asking for such a time commitment from someone. Lisa, who had run this event previously wouldn't let me tell her no and I am so thankful for that! We chatted the entire final 3.5 hours like were on a casual training run. By keeping my mind busy the miles flew by and I didn't have time to think about how long had been out there or how tired I easily would have convinced myself my legs were. I would not say it was easy but I am still surprised how strong I felt the entire time! When I hit the final stretch, The Channel Loop had never felt so long! As I rounded the final turn and the finish area came into sight I lost all my senses for a second. I did start to recognize one noise... it was husband's whistle and I immediately got choked up. A cry being stuck in your throat is not a good when you are already out of breath. I just tucked my head, shut the world out, got my breathing under control and ran!!! (I JITFO'ed for my BRR friends!) I even denied my own kids high fives during that final 100 yards to the finish line. Can you say tunnel vison?!
I am not a loud celebrator but I have to say I was pretty damn happy with myself as ran towards that red banner crossing the finish line in 10 hours and 45 minutes! (It would be 2 hours before there were three females to fill a podium and there was no way I was leaving before I stoop atop it!) It took all that time for my performance to sink in. I had been transformed and I already wanted more.
This post is already long enough but here is a quick list of pros & cons about this event. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would recommend it!
Pros: Location and proximity to my house allowed for friends to come out and my family to see me finish. The volunteers and staff were great! Aid Stations were well stocked (even a full meal at the end). The course was well marked. Love the Icebreaker race shirt, the awards were cool and while I am not sure will ever wear it the finishers belt buckle is also fun.
Cons: I was not thrilled with having to deal with mountain bikers and their inability to announce their arrival. A simple coming up behind you and let me know if you are solo or if should expect 3 more of you would be great. I actually didn't mind running laps as it allowed me to return to a home base, go to the bathroom/wash my hands & face, and restock my vest but I do think I wasted time here because of chatty folks.
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