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 :)

 



My Magnificent Weekend/Mag Mile 1/2 marathon recap

The moment I heard that Lauren Fleshman was pacing the 1:45 group at the Women's Mag Mile 1/2 marathon in Chicago, it was a done deal...

I was going to run a local 1/2 marathon right in town that same day, but there was NO way I was going to pass an opportunity like this up. For those of you that don't know who Lauren Fleshman is, she's a pro runner for Oiselle(the same company I run for) except that she's way faster than I am and holds records such as a 14:58 5K and 2:37 marathon. She really caught my attention with the "keep it real" movement that encouraged women to be proud of our bodies and imperfections. Basically an all-around, real and inspiring woman runner that I and soooo many other women look up to.

The weekend started with packet pickup in downtown Chicago at Fleet Feet. Lauren was going to be there along with Coach Jenny Hadfield(another amazing and inspiring woman). I drove myself there and of course got there way too early and sat around the store waiting for the 3 mile shake out run that they were going to host. I heard a voice say, "hi" and I turned around and saw Lauren walking toward the store. I was able to mutter "hey!" back and just watched in amazement as she walked by. I looked at the girl sitting next to me and I could tell she felt the same way I did...total fangirls! We were both like, "oh my God, that was her!"

 

 

Coach Jenny and Lauren giving us a pep talk before our shake-out run

I felt like a creep taking pictures of her, but she was so amazingly nice and humble and was more that happy to get into photos with all of her fans. I met up with Sarah(@mahaney2) and we did our 3 mile shake out run together. We basically talked about our upcoming marathons and how we were feeling. After the run, I saw an opportunity to get a pic with Lauren. So I grabbed it! Meeting her was the highlight of my entire summer for sure.

 

 

 

 

The next morning was race day and I was up at 4am getting ready. I threw on my Oiselle singlet and never felt more proud to wear it, knowing I'd have other teammates wearing theirs too. My husband was kind enough to drive me out to Chicago and support me before he went into work that afternoon and my mom had my daughter for the night. I totally was getting flashbacks of the Chicago Marathon I ran last year, except there was way less runners at this event. Between the 1/2 marathon and 5k, there were about 5,000 runners instead of the 40,000 I ran with at the marathon. So parking and walking to Grant Park was easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It didn't take long before I saw other women wearing their Oiselle singlets and immediately we acknowledged each other and offered words of support and encouragement. Even though we had never met each other, there was definitely a sense of empowerment and friendship between the Oiselle runners. That singlet is powerful. I met up with Sarah and Jessy(@momonthe_run) and did a warm-up with Lauren Fleshman as she offered more words of support. Then before we knew it, we were lining up in our assigned corrals.

 

 

All 3 of us were starting in Corral A, so we were about 10 feet away from toeing the start line. A few minutes later, we were off and running. I ran alongside Lauren who was pacing the 1:45 group for almost 2 miles. It was like a dream to me to have an opportunity like this to run with her. My legs actually felt amazing, even in the middle of marathon training with the Hanson's Plan(which is brutal) so I ran ahead of the 1:45 group and ran my own pace.

 

 

 

 

 

Around mile 4

 

 

 



The beginning of the race was of course down the historic Magnificent Mile in Chicago. From there the course ran along the Lakefront bike path and was an out and back course. I found my husband, Doug, at mile 4 standing alongside the course ready to cheer me on which was a huge mental boost for me. I was running crazy strong until about mile 10 then I could feel myself fading a bit. Chicago had 100% humidity that day and running along the lakefront there was hardly any shade, so the sun was taking a beating on me. I could feel the sweat dripping down my legs and flying off my fingertips as I ran. I just kept telling myself, "I can handle anything for 3 more miles, I've got this"

 

 

 

 As I entered Grant Park toward the finish line, I finished strong with an official time of 1:42:21. My Garmin showed I had ran 13.25 miles, so I'll go with that, ha!  It was no PR for me, but considering the heat and humidity and being in the middle of a brutal marathon training plan, I feel like I'm on the right path for a great marathon this November. I kind of walked in a daze to get my medal(I was so tired)chugged down 2 bottles of water, and turned around to see my husband walking up to me to give me a big hug. Perfect ending to an amazing weekend! I laughed and told him, "Man, it's going to be tough to do that for another 13.1 miles in a couple months." He replied by telling me that I've done it before and I'll do it again...but a lot faster!

 

 



 

The love of my life and biggest supporter :)





I was pretty happy to see my official results online later that day. I finished 63rd overall out of 2,571 total half marathoners and 17th in my age group out of 507. Congrats to all who finished and what an honor to be able to run with thousands of strong, inspiring women. Here's to finishing the rest of fall marathon training successfully and bring on the 50 degree temps! :) 

Training Update-1/2 way through!

I can't believe I'm already half way done with marathon training for my upcoming race in November, The Monumental Marathon in Indy. When I purchased and read the Hanson's Marathon Method book, I'm not going to lie, I was a little intimidated. The high mile weeks, intense speed workouts, and the whole idea of cumulative fatigue was so different from how I trained for my previous marathons. I figured that I've been a runner for 14 years now and had a great base going into training. I had already completed 2 full marathons and an ultra marathon, so I was willing to give this training plan a try. I'm so glad I took this leap, because I've never felt so strong physically and mentally as I do now.

It's no secret that my goal with this marathon is to Boston Qualify(BQ) I'm well aware that in order to qualify for my age, I need to run a 3:35 or better marathon...or an 8:12/mile pace for 26.2 miles. I knew that in order to make that happen, I would need my ass kicked into shape. I can honestly say half way through the advanced training plan, I have got my ass kicked...but in a great way.  Even though I'm not a "newbie" marathoner anymore, I have still learned a few new things about myself everyday I'm out there running.


1. I've learned that I can run A LOT longer and faster than I had ever imagined before. So many times in the past when I was training, I'd give into that voice in my head that tells me to stop or slow down. Not this time. That little voice is still there, but all I have to do is ask myself, "Am I going to stop or slow down in the marathon? NO! Push through it and come out stronger in the end!" I've had some amazing tempo runs because of this and will still strive to push through as my tempo distance increases over the upcoming weeks.

2. Speaking of "pushing through"...pain, fatigue and I have grown well acquainted over the last 9 weeks.  The whole idea of Hanson's is to go into my long runs with fatigued, tired legs as to simulate the last miles of the marathon and not the first. I've noticed my tolerance to pain has gotten so much better and I'm feeling stronger physically and mentally because of it.  I did have a moment of weakness during a 12 mile run where I stopped at mile 8 feeling exhausted and defeated from that weeks training. I was pretty much crying by myself in the middle of nowhere, looking up at the sky and asking God why was I doing this every day? Why was I putting myself through all this when I could be at home with my family? What if I'm doing all of this for nothing? Qualifying for Boston is out of my league, I'm not that kind of runner. After a few minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I got my act together quickly and remembered how blessed I was to even have an opportunity to train like this. To breathe and see the world like no one else can. I finished that 12 mile run and haven't questioned myself since.

3. I have learned to LOVE the track. The workouts are hard as hell but seeing my times improve and my overall strength increase have started my love affair with the oval office. Like the saying goes, "Runners know that running in circles doesn't always mean finishing where we started."

As I look forward to the final 9 weeks of training and as my marathon approaches closer and closer, I'm going to continue to give it my all and push myself to levels I never knew existed.  Yes, it sucks getting up at 4-5AM, lacing up my shoes and leaving my husband and daughter as they sleep in their beds, but I know in my heart it will be worth it. No one has to understand it as long as I do. I return home a stronger woman, a better mother and wife for my family.

I want to also add that I am ready to forgive myself if I fall short of my goal. I'm not going to focus on that too much right now because I'm going to remain positive, but the reality is something out of my control could happen in the upcoming weeks or on race day. The desire to be the best runner that I can possibly be will always be there and that alone will be enough for me to never stop trying, no matter how long it takes me to BQ. Like I've said before, running is engrained into every fiber of my being. I was born to do this and I'll never give up.

 

Apera Bag Review!

Totally can not lie, I absolutely LOVE my Apera Bag! They are not just normal gym bags...they are healthier(and way cute too) Here's my review of the Performance Duffel Bag.

Apera launched in June of 2012 wanting to sell a bag that was more geared toward athletes and give them an alternative to just your normal, everyday gym bag. They wanted to give athletes organized, pure bags and protect athletes from odor and bacteria that can grow and linger inside a standard gym bag. Apera bags have ventilated compartments, wipeable linings, and washable inserts to ensure that your bag stays clean, odor free, and healthy. The inside and outside of the bags are treated with anti-microbial protection which works around the clock to help prevent the growth of bacterial odors which is good for the lifetime of the bag. Not only do they have amazing bags for social athletes, they donate one bag to a Special Olympics athlete for every 3 bags they sell. Who doesn't love putting their money towards a fantastic cause?!

Like I said, I absolutely LOVE the Performance Duffel Bag. I can not even begin to talk about all the POCKETS in this bag! There's a pocket for everything. A pocket on both sides of the bag to carry shoes, a pocket on the front and back to carry a tablet or IPad, several ventilated pockets on the inside of the bag to neatly organize anything and everything and keep your items nice and dry. There's also smaller sized pockets on the very top of the bag for quick access to a cell phone. I love the concept of having a water-proof, washable insert inside of the bag, to pack away any wet or sweaty clothing and keep it separate from any clean clothes. The whole idea is allowing the bag to breathe and wash easily while staying super organized. It's a great bag for on the go, especially when you have small kids and need to pack A LOT of stuff. 

washable insert

so many pockets!

If this amazingly healthy, stylish bag is something you're interested in, now is the time to buy! Check out all the Apera Bags on their website, www.aperabags.com 

They are having a great anniversary sale right now just until July 31st. ALL bags are 20% off! They also have a 40% off sale on their entire line of Blue bags. Any style of Blue bags, including this awesome Performance Duffel, and all of the Duffel Packs are 40% off plus FREE SHIPPING! You can't pass that up!

Detour Smart Bar Review

The following post is sponsored by FifFluential LLC on behalf of Detour Bar.

I had an awesome opportunity as part of a FitFluential campaign to try these delicious Detour Smart Bars. A lot of us are on the go and sometimes it's hard to find healthy, wholesome snacks.  Here's a great choice if you're looking for natural ingredients and a boost of energy.

Detour Smart Bars are made with organic whole oats that are certified gluten free and contain whey protein to fuel your body and feed those muscles. 

*All natural and sweetened with Stevia

*130 calories and 10g of whey protein

*gluten free

*only 3-4 grams of sugar

*good source of fiber

*DELICIOUS and kid approved!

My 3 year old daughter loves them!

They come in 4 yummy flavors:  Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cranberry Flax, and Peanut Butter Chocolate.  I've sampled the Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry flavors and both were great! I'm definitely trying the other 2 flavors too. They're chewy, not too sweet, bursting with tons of flavor, and have Greek style yogurt drizzled on the top of the bars....just plain SMART!

See how they compare 

Nutrition is SO important especially during heavy training cycles and I'll definitely be using these bars to fuel my body and keep me going.  Check out the Detour Bars website and try these bars out!  

www.detourbar.com

Facebook.com/detourbars

Twitter.com/detourbar

Instagram.com/detourbar

Sunburst Marathon Recap

2am wake-up call with the alarm

I didn't mind though as I shot out of bed, excited for what was to come. Marathon #3 and I was so ready.  I was running the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, IN and the race started at 5am central time(the race was held in Eastern Standard Time)

My sister, Beth, and her boyfriend, Matt spent the night at my house and were both running the 5k race at Sunburst. They were already up when I opened my bedroom door. I brushed my teeth, threw in my contacts, put my hair up in a bun, got my racing clothes on and was out the door. We got there with an hour to kill, so I couldn't help but walk to the very place I did 2 years ago, to see the starting line of the race...when I was a 1/2 marathon runner admiring the marathon runners. Now today, I'm the marathon runner. I felt so humbled. I worked so hard for this.

The final minutes before the race started, I couldn't keep the smile off my face.  I high-fived Beth and Matt and kissed my husband and gave him the biggest hug. Before I knew it, I was off and beginning my journey of 26.2 miles. 

 It was still dark outside and the temps were in the lower 60's. I had my Nathan hand held water bottle all filled with Cocogo and a few GU Roctanes I'd take every 6 miles. I kept my pace in the 8:30-40 range and ran safe.  Right away there were a few hills and I remember thinking, "I hope this isn't the whole race." At mile 11, there was a huge hill and as I approached it, I just put my head down and pushed. Around mile 12, I ran past a street sign that said Madison St.  I smiled as I thought about my daughter, Madison who was at home with my mom at that moment. Apparently at the same time, my husband was along the side of the road trying to get my attention, but I missed him completely. He did manage to get a pic of me gulping down my gel.

At the half way point, I decided to start picking up the pace a bit. I wanted to run a negative split.  The sun had started to make things warm and it was rough running directly into it for several miles. I kept my pace steady but around mile 17, my legs started to feel the hills.  I didn't have any cramps, but it was like they just didn't want to move anymore. So I accepted the fact a negative split wasn't happening and just tried to enjoy the rest of the race. I still had a sub 4 hour on my mind and I was right on track for it.  

The course was absolutely beautiful running along the St. Joseph river.  The volunteers and spectators were just as awesome.  I had such a different mind-set than I did when I ran the Chicago Marathon. I never once thought that I could not finish the race.  I knew I could. I just didn't know what my finish time would be.  At mile 20, my legs were practically dead.  I started walking through the water stations but quickly recovered and pushed through with that sub 4 hour finish stabbing my mind.  At mile 26, I was in front of the Notre Dame stadium and gunned it for the finish line.  As I was running ready to turn the corner to the finish, I spotted my husband, sister, and her boyfriend on the side of the road waving and cheering for me. My heart almost burst as I pushed back the tears...then as I turned the corner, there it was, the finish line. 

 I looked for the clock which read 4 hours and my heart then did sink. I was SECONDS off finishing under 4 hours.  I crossed the finish line, arms extended out and head up. My disappointment did not last long. The medal was placed around my neck and I turned around to see my family walking toward me with big smiles on their faces.  I had just finished marathon number 3, when this time last year, I wasn't sure I could finish even one.  There are other marathons out there with my name on it.  I will run marathons until I can't run anymore.  I will get my sub 4.  I will get my BQ.  It may take many, many tries, many failures, but I won't give up.  I was born for this.

Marathons are not for the faint of heart. They hurt and tear you down. They're unpredictable. I had an amazing 20 mile training run just 2 weeks prior to the race and tapered appropriately, but there are so many things not in your control when you're out there running 26.2 miles.  I learned a lot about myself out there and know what my weaknesses are and what to work on this summer as I train for my upcoming fall marathon in Indianapolis.  Special thanks to everyone for all the support I've received before and after the race. It's been overwhelming and I'm so blessed to have that kind of love.  Thanks to Cocogo for such an amazing product. I had no cramps and no GI issues out there and it really kept me going in the heat.  Now BRING ON THE SUMMER MARATHON TRAINING! :)