Boilermaker 15k

Another hot boilermaker! I asked myself, "why am I waking up at 3am to endure the hot and humid weather of a well known and popular 15k?" Because I love every minute of it! Even when I'm cursing the hills of such a tough race, I enjoy the fanfare, the music, the many water stations, ice and popsicles along the way. It's one of the few longer races that I don't need to carry water.

The first four miles are up hill. And, what goes up must come down before the course levels out. But, don't be fooled. There are a handful more hills on the way to the finish. The first 5k go by in 25:43. At the 10k mark, I'm 50:57 into the race. Only have 5k to go and the race becomes a mental fight to the finish. So I break the last 5k one mile at a time. Where oh where is the finish line?!? Finally, 1:16:33.

Another good race. This year, so far, has been simply amazing.
Anybody out there run the Boilermaker 15k today? What was your experience like? Please share!
Thank you, please stop by again soon ;)

Firecracker 4

What a wonderful day! I started it off with the Firecracker 4. A four mile run through historical Saratoga. The gun went off at 9am. Boy was it hot! Over three thousand people came out on independence day to run including myself, Elise, Gail, and Melissa (strong running mamas). There were many people sporting red, white, and blue. I even saw Elvis, in full costume. That person had to be hot. I past the first mile in 8 minutes, I reached my second mile in 16 minutes, but soon came the first of two hills. I slowed a bit and reached mile marker three in just under 25 minutes. I have to say that the sprinklers set up by many of the residence of Saratoga helped keep me a bit cool. So now I'm down to my last mile and I know there is another hill up ahead. I just don't know when it's coming. 3.5 miles in, now I see the hill with only half a mile left. I try to relax and keep my pace. In .5 miles I will be finished. Now I can hear the announcer with the english accent at the finish line. The banner that says finish is in view. I sprint, I'm done. What a great race! My official time was 32:20, average pace, 8:05. I did well enough to earn a 1st place medal and American flag in the female public safety category. How proud am I to be an American on this 4th of July.

Hitting The Reset Button

It's the beginning of 2012 and I have some work to do. First, I had to lose some weight. The weight that I gained during my injuries and training for the NYC Marathon. And, I did. I lost 13lbs. Thank you very much!
Official training began in March for the Boston's Run to Remember half marathon. I decided to go back to a three day a week running schedule with three days of cross training and one day rest. I like the less is more concept.
To build up my confidence, I decide I would run a few shorter races.
Nothing hurt, I lost weight, my workouts were going well, so I wanted to see how well I could race. I ran the Delmar Dash, a 5 miler, flat and fast. And, to my surprise I ran it better that I thought I would. 38:45 @ 7:45min miles!! Talk about confidence builder. I was back on track and loving it.
I would go on to run a 5k (23:36), and another 5 miler (40:16) all before the half marathon.
On May 27th I ran my half Marathon in 1:52:38. Not my best, but not bad. I didn't get sick and had a steady pace through the race.
A week later, I ran a 5k with a friend who was running her 1st race. I ran to encourage her to finish.
So, so far this year I have raced five times without injuries and I feel great.
Next on the calendar is the Firecracker 4, The Boilermaker 15k, and The Hudson Mohawk Marathon.
I've definitely hit the reset button this year!!! Yay!!!

Time to Heal and Move On Part 2

So, now it's time to focus on ING NYC Marathon. I have to forget about my last performance in Boston. Did I forget to mention in my last post that I also was having tightness in my right hamstring? The tightness was partly because of the Plica and mostly because I did not stretch often enough. Training for  the marathon was underway. I struggled with my right hamstring but manage to get through all my runs. Then about six weeks out, September 4th to be exact, I was involved in a car accident. Thankfully, I was not seriously hurt. I did suffer a sprained ankle. I jogged a lot in the pool during the week and managed to keep running my long runs on the weekend. I refused to let the Plica, the tight hamstring, and the sprained ankle get in the way of running my first, my dream marathon.

I made it to the start and finish line of my first, my dream marathon. What an experience! What a rush! Even my husband and children joined in on what is one of the biggest marathons of all marathons. Above, my husband sharing a beer with a marathoner at mile 21. A runner asked him for a beer because of the carbohydrates.... so, he thought if one runner wanted some, maybe more runners would like a carb boost. About 20 runners stopped and had beers with him! Maybe Corona will endorse me next time?

 Finally, I could let go of that breath that I was holding most of the year. I finished my first ever marathon. I struggled with running in 2011. And, despite finishing a half marathon in May and a full marathon in November, I felt... like crap. I started the year hurt and that hurt never really disappeared. It nagged me throughout training. My weight crept up on me. Time to learn and grow from my experience. Now with two years of running under my belt, I could compare what worked and what didn't. I vowed not to make the same mistakes again, and, I haven't!

Time to Heal and Move On Part 1

Well, it is 2011 and I now know that I have Plica Syndrome. I am aware that the only thing that will heal me is time. So, for the first three months of the year, I did not run! In March I began training for the Boston's Run to Remember half marathon. I struggled in the first few weeks; still feeling some discomfort. But, I got through twelve weeks of training and made it to the starting line in May. In the back of my mind, I still held onto the success I had in 2010 and was disappointed in myself when I finished in just over two hours. Yes, I know many of you will say, "that's great, you finished!" Well, considering that two miles into the race... I suffered stomach distress. It was the worst feeling ever. At mile three I hit the Porta-potty. I was never happier to see one of those things in my life. So I continued on what felt like the longest race ever. On the way to the finish line, everything imaginable bothered me. The gel from my hair running into my eyes stung so bad. The music in my ears became noise. This is my punishment for changing my routine the morning of my race. My legs felt so heavy. In two hours and three minutes it would all be over! I felt like crap at first but then the more I think about it, I could have quit at mile two but I didn't. I took care of business, adjusted my goal, and kept  running to the finish line. Not my best finish, but crossed the timing strip despite all the things that bothered me during the race. And, most importantly, it taught me not to change ANYTHING the morning of race day. It's over. Time to put it in the past and keep moving ahead. Now time to focus on the ING NYC Marathon 2011.

My Great Start Ends Bad

When I began my running in 2010, I never dreamed that it would lead to running a marathon. I started running to lose baby fat! Not to run anything over a 5k. So gradually in 2010 I went from a 5k to 15k to my first half marathon with ease. At the end of the fall running season I became a member of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club. I decide to run the clubs winter series to keep motivated through the cold season. So I ran the first winter series 15k in the freezing rain! What an awful experience! With that awful day came an injury to my right knee ;(. I was in a lot of pain. I thought for sure I tore something. After a month of waiting, I final had my day at the the orthopedic. He examine me and took an X-ray. He said in laymen's term that I had Knee Plica syndrome.
What is plica syndrome of the knee?
The plica on the inner side of the knee, called the "medial plica," is the synovial tissue most prone to irritation and injury. When the knee is bent, the plica is exposed to direct injury, and it may also be injured in overuse syndromes. When the plica becomes irritated and inflamed, the condition called "plica syndrome" results. Anti-inflammatory and ice for this girl. And, no running! Oh no! This how I ended my great year in 2010.
Stay tune...

Welcome To My Blog!

Hello, I am excited about starting this Blog. I hope to help others with any questions on running, physical fitness, and nutrition. No, I am not an expert on any of the subjects nor am I formally trained BUT I do have A LOT of experience. Here's a little glimpse into my fitness background.
I was a HS track star for Linton HS A.K.A Schenectady HS. After I graduated in 1989, I joined a local gym and started pumping weights. I was approached by one of the trainers about competing in a Powerlifting bench press meet. I benched 135lbs in my first meet ever! For the next three or so years, I competed in several Powerlifting competition. I have over two dozen trophies taking up space in my basement from my competitive years. I'm proud of each and every one of them. I gave up Powerlifting due to a change in careers but at my very best I bench pressed 225lbs, deadlifted 400lbs, and squatted 350lbs! From Powerlifting, I moved on to just lifting weights to stay in shape. In 2004/2005 I played Professional Women's Football for a Team named Albany Ambush. I was named rookie of the year in 2004 and in 2005 I was named Defensive All Pro Player by the Women's Professional Football League. I stopped playing football and had my first daughter Gabriella in 2006 and my second blessing, Brooke Lynn in 2009. In 2010, I decided I was going to run off the last of my baby fat! I lost the baby fat and then some, and at the same time I gradually went from running a 5k to the Boilermaker (15K), and finally to my first half marathon at The Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival. Which I proudly completed in 1hr 48min 43sec. Since then I have completed The Boston's Run to Remember twice. Last year in November I ran my first/dream marathon, The ING NYC Marathon! What an amazing experience! So far this year I've have raced two five milers, one 5k, one half marathon, and I'm signed up for the Boilermaker 15k, Firecracker 4, and the BIG ONE, the Hudson Mohawk Full Marathon.
In my next post I will talk about how my great start in 2010 ended in injury and then a struggle through 2011. Hope you enjoyed reading my first post! Thank you!