Chicago Lakefront Ultra-marathon 2015 recap

So I did say I wasn't going to do any long distance running this spring after an exhausting year of training in 2014. As soon as I heard that Meghan(Maxfitgirl29) was running it, I began to reconsider. I decided to run it with her, but promised myself I wouldn't train hard with the 24-26 mile training runs and back to back long runs. So that's what I did. I got a couple 20 milers under my belt and stayed consistent with 40-50 miles a week the entire winter. I felt great until I got sick with the stomach bug just 3 days before the race. I woke up in the middle of the night and it was just coming out of both ends(sorry tmi)

I couldn't keep water down and it didn't take long before I got so dehydrated I almost blacked out. I got muscle cramps and couldn't even open my hands. My husband took awesome care of me that night. I probably should've gone to the ER for some IV fluid replacement but I eventually started keeping Gatorade down and rested the entire day. It lasted about 24 hours, but I had zero appetite after the bug wore off and was forcing myself to eat and fuel up before the ultra. I ran a 3 mile shake out run and felt pretty decent so I decided to go through with the 31 mile run on Saturday. Unfortunately, Meghan got the same thing I had and couldn't run. Thankfully, I had Brenda running with me so I had some good company.

The morning of the ultra I drove myself out to the north side of lakeshore drive in Chicago where the race started. My stomach was just feeling weird. It was gurgling around and I was texting my husband worried about not being 100% for the race(I forced him to go to work that day, I'd feel too guilty having him wait around for me)

Love reppin my Oiselle singlet at events

 

I met up with Brenda and we were off at 8:30am to begin our journey of 31 miles. We kept it slow and steady between 9-10 min/mile pace. The only goals I had were to finish my second ultra and get back to running asap after. It was a 5 mile out and back course. The first 5 miles were amazing with the wind to our backs. But feeling that wind pushing us and watching the sand blow across the path we knew we were in for a hell of a headwind on the 5 miles back.  Sure enough, it was what we anticipated. The headwind was pretty brutal, almost breath taking. I kept my head down and just pressed on. My stomach seemed to be holding up ok until I took in my first gel. It was nothing new, the same GU Roctanes I always take, but my stomach didn't take a liking to it and starting having issues with cramping and bloating. I stayed away from my gels the rest of the race and really could only stomach a couple handfuls of peanut M&M's and water.

 

 

About half way through, my right hip got tight which was pretty irritating since it seems my legs like to play tricks on me during long distance races. My stomach eased up a bit close to the 20 mile mark, but my energy plummeted with the lack of fuel I had. So either way I was screwed. Take in fuel the right way and suffer stomach cramps, or don't do it and suffer muscle cramps. I'm used to running on tired legs thanks to my summer training last year, so I chose the muscle cramps.

 

 

Brenda was doing awesome and I felt bad for holding her back. With only 2.5 miles left, I stopped at the last water table to drink and insisted she go ahead of me and finish strong, which is what she did. I took off a couple minutes after her and the last couple miles were a lot of just trying to shut my brain off and get to the finish line. I was running on fumes and had nothing left. I managed to get to the finish line and re-unite with Brenda and her husband. I was so happy it was done and I felt proud of pushing through despite all the setbacks I had. Ultra #2 was done and I am already thinking about doing it again in the fall. So proud of Brenda for becoming an ultra runner and incredibly grateful I had her company. My official finish time was 5:33:01, 7th place in my age group and 86th place overall out of 185 runners.

 

 

 

 

 

Ultra marathons are probably my most favorite thing to run. They're laid back, fun, and it's absolutely mind blowing to see what your body can do. It's about enjoying the scenery, friends, and doing the impossible. No doubt they hurt like hell, but when it's over I feel so strong. I want to thank everyone who texted me or supported me especially through my Instagram account. Now I begin my Erie Marathon journey and after a long winter of easy running without my Garmin watch, I'm ready physically and mentally to train hard and get strong!



 



Fueling for the long run

I've been asked a lot about my eating habits and nutrition and how it plays into my training and distance running, so I thought I'd post a blog about it for those who are curious.

First of all, I've always been a skinny kid. I had a crazy high metabolism when I was young and I was full of energy. I started running when I was just 14 years old, but back then I didn't think anything about nutrition or training. I ate what I wanted and I ran whatever I felt like running that day. It wasn't really until I began racing back in 2006 that I started thinking about what I was putting in my mouth and how it would affect my running.

My very first race (Turkey Trot 5k)

 

 

Running distances like 5ks and 10ks is pretty much what I stuck to for years. I never pushed myself out of my comfort zone or did any kind of training plans. I just had a natural affinity toward the sport and it made me feel good about myself. I was placing in my age groups and I was content with that. I never was really into eating out at restaurants or eating fast food, but I definitely wasn't eating healthy. My idea back then was "fake healthy"...like Lean Cuisines, basically anything that was low fat, low calorie. I had the attitude that the lighter or thinner I was, the faster I could run. So I skipped breakfast, had a light snack for lunch, then I'd eat a Lean Cuisine for dinner and call it a day. I never got crazy about my weight or anything like obsessing over the scale. I never looked in the mirror and thought, "I need to be thinner, I'm too fat"  I never had issues like that. I think I just had the wrong idea of what fueling my body for performance meant. 

 

 



It wasn't until I suffered a major injury shortly after the race I did pictured above in the fall of 2012 that I starting questioning my nutrition habits. I was at the time, running the best times I had ever run. I had just finished my first half marathon a few months prior and finally considering a full marathon. I ran a 5k PR of 20:39 and was dominating the local short distance races in my area. This injury was devastating to me because I was doing so well and it was making me second guess becoming a distance runner. During my downtime from running, I took advantage of educating myself on running form, nutrition, and training. It was then I realized that my idea of "healthy" eating was SO far off. I was not eating enough calories and was not even close to fueling my body for what I'd need for long distance running. That was when I made a change.

I'm not perfect by any means. I love pizza, cake, candy, ice-cream just like the next person. And even now, I still indulge in those things every now and then. Not often, but I do a couple times a month. For the most part, I try to eat clean. I avoid processed foods, simple sugars, or man-made chemicals. I used to drink diet pop like there was no tomorrow, but I've replaced it now with water or Zevia (an aspartame free soda)

I eat now...A LOT...every few hours, I'm eating something. Some key foods in my everyday diet include, almonds, nuts, Greek yogurt, chicken breast, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, Vega nutrition shakes, peanut butter(typical, right lol) pretzels, fig newton bars, Quest Bars, and of course try to get some fruits and vegetables in there with a lot of water intake. I do not count calories. I do not count fat grams or carbs. I just try and aim for complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein with each meal or snack. When I run, especially after a hard workout, I immediately refuel with either a Core Power protein drink or Vega accelerator shake. I've noticed eating a good blend of carbs and protein after a hard run, improves muscle soreness and energy. Running definitely helps me make better food choices throughout the day. I eat to run. I fuel my body like you'd fuel a car. When I eat like crap, I feel like crap, and I run like crap. I don't care about a number on a scale, I care about how my body feels during mile 9 of a tempo run and how I recover after so that I can get up the next morning and do it again. It's taken many years, but I'm happy with what I've got. I don't have a perfect body and I'm still at times insecure with myself, but I'm proud of what I can do with my legs. We are all human. It's our imperfections that make us beautiful and unique. And I'd like to add, that I get my ass handed to me many times by runners that are "bigger" than me. Strong is beautiful. Strong inside and out, and everyone is strong in their own way. I'm not the greatest or fastest runner, but I'm out there everyday giving it MY personal best.  My ultimate goal when it comes to eating is to stay injury free, full of energy, and able to blast out some intense miles. Happy Running :)

 



13.1 to 50K-A Leap of Faith

2 years ago, if you would've told me I could run a 50K, I'd laugh at you....

Sure I'd been running for years and years up to that point, but I was getting injuries at a 10K distance so why even push it? I wasn't "built" for running marathons and such.

I'll never forget the evening though, sitting with my husband at the computer 2 years ago debating on whether or not to register for my first half marathon. 13.1 miles! The longest distance I had ever ran at that point.  Hey, I had given birth to another human being, I could run for more than 10 miles, right?  I remember feeling crazy nervous and anxious. My husband, Doug, just kept telling me "push the button" "you can do it, just try". 

What was stopping me?  Fear? Self doubt? Injuries?  Probably a combination of it all.  I had fallen on my face so many times in the past whenever I had tried something new.  It seems whenever I had tried to run more than 7-8 miles, something would hurt.  Well screw it, I'm going to take the plunge.  I pressed the button to register and the confirmation popped up on the screen.  Holy crap, I'm actually going to do this.

I didn't really train for the 1/2, but I did make it up to a 10 mile run before the race...and I did end up injured.  I was introduced to my IT band for the first time and what an ugly injury that is to have.  I did tons of research on it and decided to run the 1/2 with the injury wearing an IT band strap. I finished my first half marathon in 2:06 and the feeling crossing the finish line was incredible. I had just accomplished something I thought I could never do and with an injury!  So what was stopping me from trying to run farther? Nothing anymore...I'm going to run long distances. Including a 26.2!

1/2 marathon done-June 2012
Full marathon done-October 2013
Ultra marathon done-April 2014

So what is it that stops us from pushing ourselves more? Fear of failure? What exactly is failure to you? It's just a bump on the road of this crazy journey called life. It makes us stronger and wiser. It exposes our true selves in ways we couldn't see otherwise.  I'm not afraid of failure anymore. I'm running my 7th half marathon this month and my second full marathon in May.  I've gone from half marathoner to marathoner to ULTRA marathoner in less than 2 years.  If I can do it, anyone can.  It may not look pretty and I surely didn't "fly" across the finish line in my first 1/2 and full marathons(more like limped, haha)But I have grown so much as a runner and as a person in general.  I'm so happy I took that leap into the unknown and faced my fears. 

In the words of my daughter's favorite movie, Frozen:

"It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small and the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all."