This morning I had my scheduled phone call with Lydia from Nikewomen. She told me about travel plans, a bit about the weekend and i can expect another package next week! woohoo!
I had to get that out because I just hung up and am dancing around my house with my dogs and they are excited too--even though they won't be going to san fran--I think they are excited for me!! :)
This past week was another busy one... It was our fourth Annual Night Owl Run!!! Kristen and I started this race and each year it has grown and grown and it is a blast.
This was taken from our first year at packet pick up. This year was our smoothest operating one. After the second year we smartened up and decided to use a timing company. Bozeman Running Company is AMAZING! They make it so simple. And this year Adam and Casey even helped us with packet pickup.
I also want to give a shout out to my hubbee, his pops, bill, jesse, Colleen, Kristen's sister heather, her hubbee, kristen's mom and her bf, and joel. Plus all the other volunteers and entrants. Everyone stepped up and helped out by either bbq-ing, manning corners, etc. We couldn't do this without our helpers!! And thanks to Judy Roy for keeping runners safe from the rattle snake!! :)
Also the sponsors--so many local businesses gave wonderful donations and made this possible. For a small town people really stepped up and made this a great family event.
We tried to keep the runners and walkers entertained on the course. Also we had a water and "night owl nectar" station (for adults)!! people that imbibed were entered into a drawing for a chance to win a lazy boy recliner from Florence Furniture. The run was a great success and the fifth year will be an even better one and surprises for those of you who have done all five years!! :)
Saturday was a 20 miler. I was pumped for this run. I knew my body was ready and my mind was on the same page. This does not always happen for me. It was not too hot saturday and the smoke seemed to have cleared. I did some with Wrigley, some alone and some on the treadmill at Sunny's watching the olympics (yes--I am aware they are over). I ran it in about 2:42. I did stop at mile ten to refuel and then again at mile 15. All in all it was a great run! i felt as though I could have done more. I like to end long runs on a happy note. track runs I leave it all out there, and tempos, but long runs help me build the mental strength for the marathon so i need to know I can go a bit more. Also saturday I earned my record amount of fuel! :) woohoo!
Sunday was a glorious rest day. Monday was yoga, and yesterday was NTC. I also did 45 min advanced yoga last night. Today is a track workout. i am excited to use the new track, however it is VERY smokey again. Maybe by tonight it will blow out? I am looking forward to the track workout since I have had 3 days off of running. I have not had this much time off running since the beginning of training. Today I think i will wear my new sneaks and tee that came last week! :) Anything to keep me pumped!
I am also always looking for song recommendations. I like all sorts of music--except i am not too into country... any suggestions?
Last week was so much better training wise than the week before. I did not set myself up for failure and woke at 4 am to prep breakfast, have a coffee then meet Britton at 6 for our 17 miler. We did not run fast (as we are not supposed to do so) but we had quite a successful long run! "aaaahhhaaaaa" angels singing. Had an awesome raft trip with Hubbee and some now new friends which made for great recovery and a great rest day sunday. I was so relieved when i woke on sunday that I had completed the long run because it was SOOOOOO smokey. It would have been miserable to run in that.
Monday I ran seven, yesterday NTC which was super fun--but my shoulders are tired from runs/rowing/ntc and today I have a 6 mile tempo. I am looking forward to it except that it will be on treadmill. it is still so smokey here and we can't even see mountains or neighbors houses. it is eerie, like we live in cloudy Kansas. blecht.
This Friday night is our FOURTH annual NIGHT OWL RUN. THis is a GOOOOOOOOOOD time! For one's entry they receive a great tee, a pint glass, candy, glow in the dark bling, a bbq post race and beer to put in the pint glass. Also chances for some AWESOME prizes. We don't just do 1/2/3. we do those, but then we do random: like 16, 22, etc., traveled the furthest, best owl costume, and first to register. Families can come and eat for free with their running member. And to top it off we give two scholarships and donate to a different charity every year. It is a scenic four mile course done at 7 at night :)
Saturday is my 20 miler... I am looking forward to it. I felt so much better post 17 and didn't need a nap like i did after the 15 miler so i know what to do for success!!
I am also very excited because I ordered some stuff off the Nike clearance site and it should be delivered today!! I ordered a tee with a foam finger!!! and some new sneaks to try. THose of you that know me, know I have an obse--er collection of foam fingers (and now foam claw from CUBS!) so i had to have this tee.
I have not had this much fun training for a marathon. I have to give my thanks to marie purvis (@NikeGetFit) and the @Nikewomen for a) this amazing opportunity and b) for connecting me with women that are doing what I am doing. My #SistersInNike (@TiaraBeth, @superwomankw, @nerissa_ann, @RenewedFitness and in spirit @marlyw) Normally I am plugging away at this alone. I don't have friends that want to run these distances, etc. So being able to motivate one another, seek advice, etc it has brought my training to a new level. And I feel as though i have training partners for life!! This is a lifestyle to all of us and that is why I think we will remain united. For that, I am so grateful.
On this note i have to give a shout out to @itsallaboutme00 . she is getting on this NTC and NikeFuel bus!!! she had an epoch first day with her band yesterday and I know it is the beginning of more remarkable feats to come!!
I was planning on running with Britton for our long run. I woke at 5:15 and left our cozy camp and drove down the mountain road wishing i had a cup of coffee in hand. When I reached the bottom, and cell service, there was a text that Britton wasn't going to make it. :( bummer. so i drove the half hour back up the mountain and crawled back into my down burrito of a bed in our camper and snuggled with my dogs.
Dumb dumb dumb.
hubbee said he would ride the bike while i ran so we packed up our camp stuff and headed home. We began the run around 11. it was already 81 degrees, and VERY windy. i had a four bottle fuel belt and he had a large camelbak filled with water. About .77 miles down the road (down two large hills mind you) i realized i forgot my fuelband. And it was #Gameonworld fuel challenge day. so we turned around and headed back to grab the band. Just to fill you in on Hubbee's bike riding, I was running faster than he was riding--especially up the hills. now my nickname may be turtlegirl, but I am also of the school "hurry up and wait". I wanted to scream at him, "you have wheels!! move them!" but was thankful for the company, eventhough I was constantly turning and waving him to me.
Do you see where this is going?
So now i have my fuelband, liquids, shotbloks, i'm set and ready to find my groove. We are plodding along a rolling hilly gravel road at the base of the Crazy mountains. it is hard to run into the wind, but it is way better than stagnant hot air. Hubbee is beginning to complain about his rearend on my bike seat (i don't know why he took my bike--another bone of contention--and now he is going to complain.) Again i find myself wanting to shout, "you have wheels. Shut up!!" But I still think i am enjoying the company. And hey, my butt is not sore!! I think I feel okay, I check the GPS: 5.56 miles.
One third done.
I suddenly feel a lump form in my throat.
my mind starts to crazy spin. Thoughts of not completing the run, falling in the ditch, thinking about how hot it may be race day in Chicago... yes. CRAZY spinning. And Hubbee (mind you the recently quit smoking, non-active, complaining with wheels) begins to try to talk me down. I am not going to lie--i had visions of kicking his bike to the gravel, only the last two "sane" brain cells said, "stop. he is on your bike." So i plodded along and the insanity passed. I kept my mouth shut and did not bite hubbee's head off. Then the rest of the run was okay. Not great, but not horrible and it was completed.
I have hit "the wall" one other time, several years ago. At mile 17.5, not 5.5 and i could see the roofline of my house once I crested one of the two big hills on my way home. Same thing, lump forms and suddenly even in the heat, i had goosebumps and tears and nothing left in the tank. I was waiting for a car to pass so I could lie down (yes, i was planning on lying on the side of the road). i wanted to curl up and die. And i remind you I could see the roof of my house!! The car is going ridiculously slow, even for our gravel road traffic, and miraculously, by the time the car passes I began jogging again and felt GREAT. Could have run several more miles.
My lesson learned is push through. Walk if you must but keep moving forward. This too shall pass. I know both of these times i didn't think of the ones that can't run and normally this helps me, too. And another lesson--stick to the treadmill if it is that hot. it was 87 when done--blecht. I know better than to set myself up for failure--but I thought i really liked the company. eh, company can be overrated!! I do appreciate hubbee's efforts (and that was his longest bike ride to date! ) but I know better than to run in that heat.
Have you ever hit "the wall"? Did you come out okay on the other side?
This past weekend in the training for Chicago full/NWM1/2 I had a 13 miler--went great--1:46:01. And it felt like an easy breezy pace. On Saturday am I had a four miler to do and the #TwitterRoadRace which is a virtual 5k that i ran in 23:19 for a woman's win!! 2nd time female winner--but this time was slower than last--i was running in awful weather last time and wanted it to be over. this saturday was GORGEOUS and the mountains looked beautiful with sun rising, moon still up, etc. Although my pup, Wrigley was letting some inner cujo out the first half mile, and we had to stop a lot during that stretch, we still made decent time. We had a wedding saturday, hence me changing the long run to friday. Wedding was fantastic, seeing distant relative's of hubbee's was great. And the couple were soooooo adorable--bride was stunning and seems so sweet. "Welcome to Team Rehmer, Sara!"
sunday was a rest day, which i loved!! :) we floated and had a bbq at hubbee's 'rents house. Monday I was to do a 4 mile tempo--however we are suffering some awful air conditions due to wildfires and I had a headache/sore throat so I did it yesterday. It was great! warm up mile 9:13, 1st tempo mile 7:57, 2nd 7:42, 3rd 7:30, 4th 7:19, cool down 8:57. it all felt great and I felt as though i could have eeked out one more tempo mile...
not as fast as the last tempo but there was an added mile. I also had a 45 min NTC to do yesterday, "fast and fierce" one of my faves so I did that in the am. And we lost another softball game. it will be over next week thank god!!! Today I have a 5 miler and thur is NTC and fri is yoga. I am thoroughly enjoying being in training and really seeing/feeling the results.
so the new running mantra came to me while running my tempo run last night:
Creating A New Comfort Level!!!
When I was running and thought maybe i should take the speed down a bit I realized what exactly was happening with my body. And I worked in some of the bikram yoga breathing--in and out through the nose--and I found a comfort zone at this new pace. It worked wonders! :)
This week has been VERY busy per the ushje... however i don't really have too much to say. We do not have cable, therefore we do not receive any channels on a regular basis. This has seriously impacted my viewing of the olympics. Sunny has been DVRing them for me and I have been running on her treadmill fast forwarding through commercials and selecting events to watch. It really helps with treadmill running to watch something like the olympics--i was so pumped watching some stuff I had goosebumps and was cheering, etc. Sunny was hysterical because she knew the end result.
I have been rooting for Conor Dwyer, a swimmer for the USA. He was on the 200 freestyle relay and they won GOLD!!! GO USA!!! That was exciting. His parents are friends with my parents, so I have been hearing about his grueling training etc for about a year now and was so happy for him that he made the team and stoked that he now has a MEDAL!!! :)
i also watched the beach volleyball match usa vs. aus. That was such a stressful match and then the match point was the longest volley--alas USA won.
Nike has a new campaign: "Find Your Greatness". It is an amazing, super inspiring campaign reminding us we all have the capability to be great and not just on a world recognizing platform. I am loving the way everyone is submitting there quotes on how they find their own greatness--it is truly inspiring. Nikewomen took one of my pics and it is on FB and twitter:
I was so shocked to see it on the twitter feed, then @nerissa_ann said it was on facebook too! :) cool! @nerissa_ann has an awesome pic too!! :)
Withthe way my weekends have been super packed I did my long run on friday rather than saturday. it was an 11 miler and it felt GREAT. I am trying to remember to run EASY on the long runs--not every run is a race. I am glad i chose to do the run on friday since saturday I was volunterring at the Red Ants Pants Festival and would be on my feet for 12 hours.
This saturday I am to do 13--we have a wedding so I may flip fri/sat again...
I am feeling really strong and running faster than i have in a while and enjoying every training workout. It is super motivating having my #SistersInNike. Today is a tempo run. I am feeling confident it will go as well as the first one! :) I am intimidated more by these than the long runs... anyone else?
