Yes to Maurten!

Eliud Kipchoge runs a 2:00:25 marathon as part of the Nike Breaking 2 Project and fuels with Maurten

“In May 2017, the world watched Eliud Kipchoge making history in Monza – when he ran the fastest marathon ever. And there is one thing that Kipchoge has in common with the winners of the twelve latest major marathons – they all grabbed a Maurten bottle at the drink stations.”

Maurten.com

Have you ever wonder what elite runners fuel and hydrate on training and race day? We always see them grabbing their personalized bottles at the drink stations, but we have no idea what exactly they were drinking, much less, have the opportunity to try whatever that is ourselves. BUT FINALLY, we now know what most of elite runners fuel and hydrate AND it is available on the market to the blue-collar runners like myself. Ladies and gentlemen behold for the revolutionary hydrogel fuel for endurance athletes, Maurten 160 and 320.

YES, FINALLY!!!! And it’s the same fuel Eliud Kipchoge uses! And may I add, 2018 Boston Marathon Desi Linden!! But hey, don’t take my word for it! Check out Maurten and see why Maurten is the world’s fastest sports drink!

Here’s my intake about Maurten 160 and 320 and what I think it works best for me. I base my hydration/fuel systems based on three factors:

1)     Length of the run,

2)     Type (intensity) of the run, and,

3)     Weather condition

• The first time I used Maurten was for the 10-mile Clay Loop training run. It was an easy run; meaning not focused on paced, just relaxed and going by feel. However, I took into consideration that the route consists of rolling hills, the terrain is clay (soft sand patches), and the sun would be blasting by 6:30 a.m. with no shaded areas in sight. In addition, I was planning on going non-stop. The weather was around 73 degrees and 96% humidity. In that sense, I figured that I’d be getting a good workout of at least 1:36:00. I took the 160 mixture for this run and I sipped at every mile. I never felt a crash, energy was steady and  with a slight increase of pace throughout, with a good kick on the last 4 miles. The mixture blends really well and presents a a slight density to the water, but I really can’t pin-point an after taste.

Feeling strong and picking up the pace

My biggest fan – my hubby!

• Weeks later I had a LR (long run) workout. The weather was 75 degrees, 99% humidity and 75 dew point (between 5 & 7:00 a.m.) I had a 1 mile warm up, 9 miles at steady state (nonstop) pace between 8:45-8:30, and 1 mile cool down. This day the weather was ridiculous tough to run in it. Within 1.40 mile of my steady state interval I had to stop because my heart rate and breathing were getting out of control and I was overheating. I consumed the entire bottle of the 160 mixture before I finished the 9-mile interval. For this workout, I should have taken the 320 mixture. The 160 was not enough because the weather was so brutal and I felt running out of the energy at mile 7 of my interval – by then I had already ran 8 miles and still had 3 more to go. But thanks to Maurten, I was able to finish this run workout. Had I had used a different product, I don’t think that my body would be able to complete the entire 11 miles scheduled on this day. For an intense workout and intense weather, definitely got to fuel with Maurten 320. This was rough!

• But in contrast, a week later for a 12-miler run, the weather was 73 degrees, 97% humidity and 72 dew point. This was not a workout run; just a relaxed, easy pace, going by feel run. The importance of this run was to cover the distance. I only had a 4-minute worth of stopping due to traffic (total of 1h54min at 9:33 pace), the weather was manageable, and I actually hydrated and fueled on a 10 oz of Generation Ucan tropical orange drink mix. I felt well throughout the run, but I felt that anything more than 12, this serving of GenUcan would not be enough. In my opinion, for this run, I would be wasting a mixture of 160 for something that it did not demand so much out of me. Because let’s be honest, Maurten products are not that cheap to be using for just about every run, at least not for me.

• The following week my LR was a workout – an 10-miler out & back, pick up pace at the turn around point. The weather was 77 degrees, 93% humidity but 75 dew point. It really reminded me of my previous LR workout under those weather conditions. So this time was a little bit more prepared with extra hydration leading up the run, more carbs loading throughout the week and hours before LR, and of course, I fueled with Maurten 320. Yes, gimme all the carbs!!! The 320 contains nearly 14 per cent or 80 grams of carbohydrates when mixed. That’s about twice as much carbs as was previously thought possible for the body to tolerate – according to Maurten website. I mixed the 320 in the Maurten bottle with cold distilled water, shook it really well, and started to sip as I ate my pre LR mini-meal. All of the sudden I tasted a jolt of energy rush. Bam, that’s wicked! It really tasted super sweet and the density of the water a lot more potent.

However, my LR workout was success. As always, my goal is to run non-stop to build that endurance and running economy. I also take the weather and how my body feels into consideration so that I can adjust my expectations. In order words, I work with the weather, the route and with what my body can give me at a certain day and time. I sipped Maurten throughout the run, probably close to every .75 mile; ran relaxed, controlled, but strong in the first 5 miles – 9:57/9:26 – (mile 3 was at 10:05 because I joined some friends) 9:25/9:18. The last 5 miles were conservatively strong at 9:00/8:47/8:47/8:35/8:26. This type of hydrogel fuel is certainly strong and kicks ass, so I totally felt my body trying to adjust to it based on my effort on the run (faster pace, different digestion adaptation) and weather condition. Overall, Maurten has nailed it with this product!

Out & Back was a success despite the ridiculous heat and humidity!              Fuled like a Pro!

Keep in mind that for all my outdoor runs under this Florida heat and humidity, I take one electrolyte stamina pill by Trace Minerals before the run to help with minerals, avoid cramps and boost my hydration.

So far my experience with Maurten hydrogel fuel has been excellent. I am glad for the opportunity to fuel with the best product on the market as I will need all the help I can get my hands on for this year’s summer marathon training.

I hope you enjoy as much as I do, because, it works!

Cheers to a happy training cycle! #fuellikeapro

BayState Build Up on My Mark

“I believe in a philosophy that says to win is actually not important. To be successful is not even important. How to plan and prepare is critical and crucial.”

~Eliud Kipchoge

After I raced Best Damn Race half marathon I took an active two-week recovery to decompress both physically and mentally. I wanted to soak in the experience and results from BDR and to work on key points that will improve my running, my strength and my mental approach to marathon training.

Mentally I was getting burnt out just by thinking about it how I was going to tackle marathon training. The magnitude of the task really hit me then – the distance, the time I want to aim for, the amount of hours of training, how to balance out personal, professional and family time – it all seem so overwhelming. I started to feel a bit sick and off balance. My left quad/hammy were not too happy after my two-week active recovery post BDR; I guess I was not fully recovered from the race, so I spent another easy week making sure I could start Baystate marathon build up healthy enough.

 

The Strategy

After analyzing Baytate course, reading the reviews and trying to get a feel for the race, I realized that my strategy was to make Baystate as manageable as possible. The 10-mile Clay Loop in the middle of nowhere in Clermont is the ideal training route for my long runs. The elevation is a little more challenging than Baystate; at least based on the data I’ve obtained, the terrain is tough because there’s no shade nowhere in sight, obviously it’s a clay road, rolling hills, and the atmosphere feeds my mental stimulation as I pretend to be that I am in Eldoret, Kenya, being tough like Eliud Kipchoge and the rest of the #badassery Kenyan runnahs. Hey, gotta do what works for the brain and you! #noshame

Baystate Marathon Elevation Information

Minimum Elevation: 36 feet (10m)
Maximum Elevation: 136 feet (41m)

The Build Up

Based on my current fitness, on-going improvement and on what has been working for me, Coach Victoria decided that we should play around with a 30-35 mile per week as build up phase, some quality speed workouts, focus on recovery, and yes, my favorite thing to focus on – FOCUSING ON FEELING GOOD!

We ended up doing a eight-week marathon training build up, and with only three days left on the eigth week of build up, I was about having a mini-mental breakdown – which I detected it was due to heat and humidity. The weeks followed like this:

1. WEEK 1 – April 9-14 …..………………. 32 miles
2. WEEK 2 – April 16 – 21 ……………….. 31 miles
3. WEEK 3 – April 23-28 …………………. 30 miles
4. WEEK 4 – April 30 – May 5 …………… 30 miles
5. WEEK 5 – May 7 – 12 ………………….. 30 miles
6. WEEK 6 – May 14 – 19 ………………… 35 miles
7. WEEK 7 – May 21 – 25 ………………… 35 miles
8. WEEK 8 – May 28 – June 2 ……………. 35 miles

TOTAL MILES for build up cycle …………………………………….. 258 Miles

APRIL MILES………………………………………………………………….. 112 Miles

MAY MILES ……………………………………………………………………..152 Miles (PR MONTH)

So grateful for hubby’s support and for always capturing the best pics!

JUNE MILES ……………………………………………………………………………………125 Miles

10-Mile Clay Loop aka “my Eldoret, Kenya”

This is my first time ever executing weeks of consistent high mileage. Towards the last week of May, it was very tough. I set the goal based on how I felt that I could end the month with a 150 miles. Since I was feeling strong and recovering well, I pushed for a PR month – that  demanded a 4-day streak run and I totaled 21 miles just on the treadmill. By the fourth day, I had to take it outside for a 7 miler making it for a total of 27 miles in 4 consecutive days! Yes, I was having a little mental breakdown!

The Foundation

However, with higher mileage on a consistent basis, I was fully aware that I needed to be extremely diligent with strength training, physical therapy workouts and with my recovery methods routine. My body likes everything in moderation. It’s very receptive of everything I do; thus it prevails on quality versus quantity. Based on how I know how to take care of my body, I decided to experiment by doing strength training before all my runs. Over a four-week period, I noticed a remarkable difference in my runs. I felt my muscles being more engaged, relaxed and stronger to push paces. Yes, I noticed some soreness here and there but the strength and power I felt exceeded the soreness feeling. I also think that my runs were working in conjunction with recovery from strength training – more blood circulation on those area, speedier recovery time. This method has also helped me to be accountable for strength training sesh, even if it was for just 10-15 minute worth of strength training. My rule is: if I am going to run, I better do strength training, or I know exactly what means if I lack on it. Those runs has to happen, and so does strength training.

Nutrition

Let’s talk about nutrition. Eat. Eat. And eat. I am constantly snacking, don’t skip a meal and snack again. I feel hungry just about all the time. I mean it. All. The. Time. However, what I eat is quality food that has substance to assist my body with recovery and fuel for the next workout. I don’t eat junk food, unless it’s a Saturday night treat which basically is pizza and wine. For carb loading I tend to concentrate on clean carbs such as potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, oatmeal, gluten-free past, or brown jasmine or basmati rice. Meal prep happens every Sunday afternoon which I allocate time to make my protein smoothie, kale, beet or carrot smoothies and meals for the week. For breakfast, if I have time on a weekday, I will fry an egg and make an egg sandwich with cheese. Or I’ll set aside a small dinner left over portion the night before and that’s my breakfast. For a quick on-the-go, I will grab one of my shaker smoothie bottle and a banana until I get to work and fix my oatmeal.

 

Post LR breakfast

Post Run Kale smoothie

Hydration

Yes, marathon summer training calls for tons of hydration and that better includes electrolytes – not just plain water or you will not be doing your body any favor, I mean, some favor. It takes energy to hydrate and thank goodness I have restrooms accessible at all times throughout the day. Based on my body weight of 104 lbs, the recommended daily water intake is 67 oz of water. But if you’re activity level is high, then it’s recommended to add 12 oz of water to the daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out. In addition to my regular water intake, I set aside a 20 oz shaker bottle and either use Nunn or GenUcan Generation hydration system to helped me out with all the mineral and electrolytes lost. I also add some coconut water intake a couple times a week.

Bottom Line

I feel confident going into this summer marathon training. My primary basis is to rely on “feel” versus pushing for distance and pace. Of course there’s an importance as to mileage build up and faster/harder workouts, but going by feel and seeing what my body can take or not, it is the key element of my training and well-being. My emphasis this training is taking my workout outdoor. If my body allows it, that’s where I am getting it done, and use the treadmill for recovery runs. Again, going by feel is my indicator and if I must do treadmill workout, then so be it. Flexibility while being consistent will take me to where I want and need to be. I need to get there 100% healthy. And that’s the main goal.

I am coming for you Baystate!

My fav place to run – Clay Loop

Extremely happy, all the feels!

“When you plan very well, then success can come on your way.

Then winning can come on your way.”

~Eliud Kipchoge

 

And the Winner is….

“That thing we call intuition?

It’s your soul.

You can trust it.”

~Unknown

I thought hard and cautiously as to which marathon race I’d like to be my third, and one that will give me the best chance to come close to a BQ or possibly a BQ.

I was aiming to run Revel Series Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, AZ. It’s in mid-November, temperatures could be favorable and it’s gradually downhill. I’d have to focus on some hill/downhill training, which I could get some done here in Clermont, FL.

But then I started doing a little bit of more of research and I came to read a Runner’s World article which listed the top 10 great marathons that will help to BQ. Surprisingly, a runner I know, suggested the one I was more inclined to consider. At number 5 of the Runner’s World list, and out of gut instinct and intuition, I chose Baystate Marathon in Lowell, MA.

The more I read about it, the reviews, the course, the location, the scheduled time of the year, the average temperature; and yessssss, did I mention the location?? How could I not fall in love with a marathon raced in the state of Massachusetts! It’s my dear state and place. I cannot help but to think that the stars might be aligning just right that I actually earn a BQ (dreaming is allowed) in the state of MA to run Boston!

It’s a midsized marathon that features two loops along the Merrimack River. It is described as “mostly flat”, but with enough variation that will not overtax one muscle group. From some of the reviews I’ve read, it is not really a “flat” course. Also, from my analysis of the course elevation, it compares to an elevation similar to Clay Loop. Yes, the 10-mile of rolling hills loop that I’ve came to love since I first ran in Clermont. Actually, Clay Loop is slightly more challenging than the elevation displayed on the website. So here I am thinking, Clay Loop will be the bread-and-butter of my training!

So far, this is one of my favorite review of Baystate marathon from marathon Guide:

Great Race to Qualify for Boston (about: 2015)
Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 3
K. L. from Needham, MA (10/21/15)
11-50 previous marathons

This was my 37th marathon and 1st Baystate. If you want to qualify for Boston, this is the race for you. Course if flat but has enough rolling hills to mix it up a little and give certain muscle groups a break. Water/Gatorade stops were great with fantastic volunteers. I was worried about the traffic before the start so got there in the recommended 90 minutes before and was able to find plenty of parking super close. They even let you in the Tsongas Center which was great since the start was 30 degrees. All in all one of my top 5 favorite marathons!

I allowed all of this information sink-in for a few weeks before actually making the commitment. On Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 16, and Boston Marathon day, this was the day I registered for Baystate. The registration day was no coincidence. It was purposely orchestrated. I knew this had to be the day to register for Baystate. And how fun was that to have Desi Linden winning the Boston marathon!! All the feels, babe!

I will do my very best, as I always do, to make this my “beautiful race”.

#keepshowingup

“Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind.

~Albert Einstein

“When your intuition is roaring loud,

Follow it.”

~Unknown

 

Best Damn Race: Yes and No, but Yes

“When falling short on a race goal, peace is found knowing and feeling you never gave up, not matter what the odds, and by giving your all.”

~Celia Westbrook

February was a hard month of training and a hard month dealing with health issues. My mom was here visiting us from Brazil, and although I (we) made it work, it was hard to balance out family time and training. Had not been for health issues, I think I’d had done a better job at that.

Despite losing one week of training, I did the best I could to control what I could control. I’d say that for this race I nailed on nutrition because I was already prepping to race without my husband’s assistance carrying my fuel and meeting me at a certain mile marker. I also nailed mental toughness. Hours of mental strength training listening to audiobooks – my last one before this race was Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S. Grover, a MUST listen/read to anyone – watching marathons and Kenyans running documentaries, all paid off.

This race has taught me how to best deal with race technicalities and to really consider the challenges that the course brings. I knew there would be cobblestone/brick roads, I just didn’t think that while running it would feel THIS overwhelming. I ran OUC last year which includes a similar route to Best Damn Race, but this was the worse. OUC counts for 2 miles of cobblestone/brick roads, this one is probably 4 miles worth of it. I PR’ed at OUC (1:50:54) and I ran on the course the whole race. Hence, I was out of running for two weeks after the race due to a horrible case of tendinitis on my left foot that had signs of stress reaction. Yeah, that’s horrible. Whereas at BDR, I minimized this terrain, but it cost me time AND no injury!

It took me a while to see the good things about this race’s performance. Gratitude is everything to me and it enriches my perspective. I could not be happier than knowing that my mom was there waiting for me to cross the finish line and that she would be wearing my medal. That was the best gift of all and I will be forever grateful. Without further ado, let’s run with me in this recap!

MILE 1-5 = 8:57 / 8:50 / 8:37 / 8:41 / 8:43

The weather was a nice 53 degrees; my mom could not believe I was removing my jacket and singlet. I finished my GU mix of water, did a last-minute potty stop to empty the bladder (I’d only pee in my pants if a BQ was at stake), grabbed my mix of GenUcan 10oz disposable bottle, and an overcrowded starting got me in the back of the pack. Hence, dodging through runners and running on the sidewalk trying to minimize running on brick/cobblestone road for the first .50 mi of the race already! More bricks and more sidewalk to come plus getting stuck behind a pack at the entrance of Lake Underhill Park. I tried to keep my cool and a lot of the negative thoughts shut. It was a hard.

MILE 6-10 = 8:25 / 8:21 / 8:21 / 8:15 / 8:20

From mile 6 forward it felt like I saw green pasture. I tried my best to stay below 8:25 pace, but the tough route with more cobblestone road in sight made tough. By mile 10 I had already finished my mix of GenUcan and I felt a steady flow of energy but my legs were definitely about to get tired.

MILE 11-13.1 = 8:30 / 8:31 / 7:53 / .10 @  7:24

Yup, my legs were getting tired and for some reason it felt that I was running a 8:10 pace to only realize it was 8:30/8:31 ughh. From the get go of this race, it felt out of my control and playing catch up in doing the best I could to adjust to where I wanted to be and feel. I’m still trying to figure out why miles 10-12 are the hardest for me. I didn’t feel a crash; otherwise I’d not had ran a 7:53 for mile 13.  At mile 11 I knew my chances to PR was non-existent, but I guess denial or persistence won because I never gave up giving my all.

I am thrilled and grateful!

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not the attainment. Full effort is full victory.” 

Mahatma Gandhi

150 Miles Club

“The Road to Easy Street Goes Through the Sewer.”

~John Madden

Woot! Woot! I made in the #150mileclub It took me a day to digest that I actually ran 150 miles for the month of January. It amazes me that with the right training, right coach and proper recovery, the body can push just a little more each time.

Now I know exactly how my body feels what is like to run 150 miles for the month, and I’d say, it’s pretty exciting and exhausting. However, the runner’s high takes over.

The month of January started out a little rocky. Coming out of the runner’s high from closing the 2017 year with 1,028 miles, took me some time to get adjusted for it all was going to start again. The difference was: it was going to start harder and tougher than ever before. The grind of waking up early for runs, strength training, transcendental meditation, stretching – and all before work, was getting brutal on my body and mind. Trying to find balance was again a challenge.

I usually don’t bother much as to how many miles I can bank in a month. I usually go week by week, day by day. But when the half of the month starts to approach, then I start to take a glimpse of how many miles I’m about to close the month.

Based on January’s training plan, the weeks were leading me up to close the month at 143. I recalculated numerous times and the miles added up to 143. I just could not believe it! So of course that being so close to 150, my highest yet, I could not let this opportunity go by.

I started to add the additional 7 miles sporadically throughout the runs. Two miles were added in a LR with my friend Krista, and additional 1 mile cool down on a LR+tempo run and 4 miles on a family run with my husband and puppy, R2-D2. These 3 were my recovery run and a comeback road run for my husband, which was done on a 3:1 interval. The last mile, I ran at my recovery pace. It was 6 consecutive days of running to actually make to 150 miles for the month. The only extra day added was on a Sunday which was the 3:1 run; everything else was already scheduled on the calendar. I just needed to get it done.

So excited to have mom visiting for a few weeks!

The only drawback of running 150 miles for the month was managing my scheduled to include strength training. It was a lot to manage and I felt failing behind in including strength training and physical therapy workouts. On the plus side, I now have the feel of what will take to adjust to marathon training schedule. It is scary. But it is also exciting.

Cheers to a new month!

“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have”.

~Vince Lombardi 

A Thousand Miles Year

“Once you make the decision that you will not fail, the heart and the body will follow.”

~Kara Goucher

What a year 2017 was!!! It was a great year, it was a majestic year, it was a PR year – and if you had ever told me that I could run the massive miles I did, I’d have a hard time believing it. The good news is, I made the decision that I CAN run all the miles. I CAN and I WILL succeed!

There’s no short cut to BQ. I have to face the distance and time challenge, and I am doing it with love, grace, perseverance and with a wicked smaht attitude! Without further ado, let’s get to the point!!

• December 2016 – I made the smaht-a$$ decision to work with Run4Prs, Coach Victoria. The best decision evah!
• Trimmed down Race Schedule – Coach V knows what’s best! I had a bunch of races scheduled for 2017 and she recommended that I let go of many. In January, Shark Bite half marathon became a 5K; in March, Swamp House half marathon became another 5K, and the scheduled March’s Tomoka half marathon was still on the menu.
• Turns out that I totally forgot how difficult a 5K can be. I had never trained for a 5K before, and I noticed how excruciating and glorious a 5K can be. But I got it done in 26:20 and I took a bite of the third place AG award. Not too shabby!!

JANUARY MILES = 75.8

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• The training continued in February – building up mileage, working on speed and heading to a PR month on a short month!

FEBRUARY MILES = 90.1

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• After building up some mileage and speed work, I was gearing up for my second 5K of the year. My legs were feeling trashy, but I knew I could get Swamp House 5K done. Sure enough, 25:40, and I missed first place AG by 1 freaking second! Or should I say, by 1 freaking stride!
• And here comes the good stuff when a PR is crushed: THERE’S NO PAIN WITHOUT A PR! Got it??
• I pushed my body like never before, and unfortunately, I got to experience what most football players go through at some point in their career: GROIN injury. It is a pain in the butt. It is not to be taken lightly. It does not forgive! It took me a good 6 weeks to start to feel normal again. It was hard to do anything and don’t get me started trying to get weight workouts done – just not a good idea.

• I felt the pinch right after the race, but it didn’t really flared up until two weeks later when I was gearing up to race Tomoka half during a 7 miler run and it only got worst within hours. Tomoka was a no go.  Want to know what my rehab routine was? Check it out my blog entry.

MARCH MILES = 40

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• By end of April, I was starting to feel a lot better. Easy runs, low mileage and a lot of strength training going. I was heading on my way up even though the mileage does not seem to reflect so. And Christmas arrived in April for me as my husband surprised me with an awesome treadmill. YES!!!

APRIL MILES = 34.2

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• The month of May was all about building up again in a much healthier and smarter way. I started doing cryotherapy and chiropractor adjustments which later became a mandatory thing once a month. PT and strength training was part of the routine and the Roll Recovery, aka R8, was my life saver rolling on that groin area, glutes, hammies and quads.

MAY MILES = 60.4

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• With the month of June comes the hot and humid days and running in tough conditions required a more strategic approach – treadmill miles! It was the best purchase evah!!! I was able to increase mileage without beating up my body. Training for a BQ and running Boston had become more real than I could have ever imagined as I reach my first evah 100+ miles for the month!

JUNE MILES = 102.1

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• June Miles got me really high, and entering my birthday month, I really had to make a splash and celebrate all month long. July was hot and humid as hell. Cryotherapy never felt so good – and don’t get me started with the ice baths! From June forward, the build-up for half marathon training was on full gear.

JULY MILES = 107.39

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• Oh August…. such a long and hot month! I continued to do the work, strength training, mileage logged, and all shorts of recovery methods with special attention to meal-prep, anti-inflammatory diet and naps after runs over 10 miles. Say YES to Gluten free, ginger and turmeric people!! AND for a second sesh of Cryo for the month! BAM!!! AND for a 4-hour nap after a LR (6 miles) during my cut-back week! Yes, I was drained.

AUGUST MILES = 120 (58 MILES ON TREADMILL)

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• September was just as hot as June, July and August, but the work still needed to get done. By now, I was already starting to feel the drain of training for so long, even though cut-back weeks was a big part of my training scheduled. My debut half marathon with Coach Victoria was the Jacksonville Marine Corps half marathon on October 14. I knew there was a chance the weather would be very hot for me, so my expectation for a sub-2 was dependentable on the weather conditions.

SEPTEMBER MILES = 121.3

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• It’s finally October and time to race. I was a nervous wreck and I strategized every detail of this race to help increase my chances of a sub-2. I could not have done it without my loving husband’s support. JAX Marine Corps was pure grit and determination like no other! Time: 1:59:35 – down to the wire.

            OCTOBER MILES = 78.3

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• I was excited for November. First of all, there is hope that the weather will cool off down here in FL. Second, it’s Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season which I love! Thank goodness I have the OUC half marathon right after Thanksgiving to keep me trained by eating healthier. This month was simply a rollover from JAX Marine Corps training – just 6 weeks between these two races.

            NOVEMBER MILES = 118

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• Bring it on December! I love this month and I love running OUC half marathon. What I don’t love is the 2.5 miles of brick road. I was distracted with so many things that I totally forgot about it. I found the perfect shoes in Asics DS Trainer 22 for tempo, speed and race. I didn’t think or trained with it on brick roads. I just wanted to PR and PR big because OUC is my fav race and it is the last race of the year for me. The race was a success. I PR’d by 8:41 and crossed the finished line at 1:50:54. That’s exactly a 10:00 PR from previous year. As I told you, THERE’S NO PR WITHOUT PAIN! My left foot didn’t like the beating and it responded with the worst tendinitis I’ve ever felt. Anti-inflammatory, a MRI and two weeks of no running was my rehab. AND…. I was back in business to finish the year strong!

DECEMBER MILES = 81.1

And just like that…. 1,028 MILES for 2017!

The joy and gratitude I feel is immense. These numbers were hard to get and I could not have done it without my husband’s love and support. I’m grateful for the team behind my success in this journey: my coach, my podiatrist, my chiropractor, my massage therapist, my physical therapist, my run squad, my friends, my family and my IG friends. I feel so grateful for all of you.

I am so ready for 2018. It will be a big year!

“Be unrelenting. If you don’t believe, then who will”.

~Kara Goucher

There’s NO PR Without Pain

“Someone once told me not to bite off more than I can chew. I told them I would rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity”.

~Unknown

There’s no doubt I ran OUC half hard with grit and pleasure on pursuing a big-time PR. I ran strong and everything felt in sync, except that my foot got tired of the 2.5 miles of brick road and wearing race/tempo shoes. As they say, there is NO PR without pain. So here’s how it went.

20-minute Post Race:

Just about 20-minutes after the race as my body is starting to cool off but still running high on runner’s high, I felt a flare on the lateral of my left foot. I told my husband I felt something sharp on my foot and I thought that perhaps it was from the edge of my Superfeet insole. I stretched and putting on my flip flops. The pain went away and I proceeded with the post-race festivities, visiting vendors’ tents, meeting IG friends and searching for some running friends until it was time to go home.

At Home:

At home I got to stretch a little bit before it was time to take a shower and head out with my husband to an introductory sesh of Transcendental Meditation course we wanted to sign up. I feeling very good, nothing really bothered me at all. After the course, we headed back home and I was finally able to relax, wear my compression socks while sipping on ginger latte to diminish any inflammation I might had.

By the evening time, my foot was starting to ache. I massaged and iced. By the time I started to settle-in in bed, the pain was intense. It did not stop. I had to take pain medicine to be able to fall asleep. By morning, my foot was really swallowed up, the pain was still sharp and localized in one spot. I was scared. I limped to the homegym for a stretching sesh and I barely could wrap the stretch wrap on my foot, much less use R3. All I could do was to massage my foot.

I spent the entire day on the couch watching football while my foot was wrapped in a towel with ice packs. During that time, my foot seemed to feel better, but as soon as I needed to walk, the pain was right back. At night time, the pain usually got worse, especially when I laid down in bed. I just could not fall sleep as the pain tended to become intense. I had my foot elevated and wrapped with ice pack. It was another sleepless and painful night. By now I was petrified that perhaps I suffered a stress fracture; just because the way the pain was manifesting and intensifying without much relief.

I make my own Doctor’s Appointment:

Comes Monday morning and I was up at 6:00 a.m. with eyes wide open. I was on a mission to be seen by Dr. Mason, my podiatrist, and NO I did not had an appointment. I am an athlete and I just could not take a NO for an answer, so I went there, checked-in and waited to be seen. I said that I could wait for as long as I had to. I’m grateful that Dr. Mason is a kind doctor who is also a runner and cyclist. He knows me well, and if I was there, it was because it was a serious situation.

After a 90-minute wait, my name was called. I actually double-checked if Brian had called my name. I was thrilled. Dr. Mason entered the examination room surprised to see me, and for a moment, I was apologetic for showing up without an appointment. But he immediately started to take care of my foot and directed me straight to the X-Ray room. Thank you Heavens the X-Ray didn’t show anything, but because my pain was so unbearable, he ordered an MRI with a follow up appointment in 7-days. I was prescribed with anti-inflammatory meds but no cortisone shot because he wanted to make sure I was being treated for inflammation and not an actual stress fracture.

I left his office feeling a little more relieved. I was still worried because the pain was still present and strong, but at least I had something to take care of the inflammation. At home, I was still icing it and drinking ginger tea and tart cherry juice to help out with my healing. Mentally, I was trying to stay as positive and calm as possible. Three-days after the race, and I was still limping pretty bad but it was only Day-2 on anti-inflammatory meds, which Dr. Mason predicted that I should be feeling better my Day-4. Day-4 after the race I was starting to walk normal. The pain was dissipating and my hopes were blighting up. On this same day, I had my MRI scheduled and I was happy to get it done. The week progressed with great results, inflammation and pain was fading and healing was at full-force.

Dr. Mason’s Follow Up Visit:

It was great to go back to see Dr. Mason without any pain this time. As he went over my MRI results, he was glad to have it ordered because the report mentioned “suspicious stress reaction”. I was happy to hear no stress fracture, but at the same time, I realized how close it was from actually being one or a stress reaction. He recommended no-running for another four days. Of course I cried by telling I was feeling better and that I was already on no-running for the past 9 days. He then changed his mind and allowed me to run easy on the next day. However, I was still uncomfortable with the idea.

Reporting to the Coach:

Well after receiving some good news, I had to share with my coach to have some running back on the schedule. To my surprise, Coach Victoria’s reply wasn’t what I was expecting. She didn’t schedule or clear me to run just yet. She wanted me to give more time for healing. I was emotional and worried that going on a 15-day streak without running, I was going to have to start everything from scratch like I did before. After some pep-talk and uplifting feedback, I came to realize that it was for the best. It was best to give more time for healing. If I were to lose some fitness, it would not be by much because I know I am strong and I do have untapped speed in me.

Focus on Recovery:

Recovery. Recovery. Recovery. It was not different this time; keep doing what needs to be done. I am glad that I scheduled my monthly chiropractor appointment with Dr. Sabrina a day after seeing Dr. Mason. I reported to her what happened, Dr. Mason’s and MRI’s findings and my coach’s recommendations. Dr. Sabrina did her usual thing of adjusting my body and providing incredible guidance on body mechanics and strength methods to work properly with my body mechanics. She concluded that my injury simply was a “circumstantial injury”. There was nothing I could have done based on the circumstances of the race and how hard I ran. The only difference perhaps was not wearing a race/tempo shoe on brick road, but that was too late. Moving forward, I will be focusing on strength routine for my beautiful peroneus muscles. Having graston technique done on my feet was something to be remembered for sure!

Do What You can So You Can Do What You Want to Do:

There is not a boring moment if you are runner. Even if running is not an option, there was plenty of other things to do that will supplement running. Stretch and roll is a must do every day whether I’m actively running or not. So on the days I wasn’t running, I was working to get ready for running. I did some yoga, core work, some weight work, rowing, sauna and I walked for 10 miles on Disney Day. Kurt and I have our annual Disney Day and between visiting Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot, I’m pretty sure I logged 10 miles easily for the day. Too bad that my Garmin died at mile 6.65.

Get Back in Business 100% Healthy

I was so excited to get back into running again and very grateful that Krista didn’t mind going for a 3-mile run on Saturday. I felt good throughout my run, but at times, I noticed that my body was still trying to figure out what was happening after 15-days of no running. Krista acted as if I was on taper for 15-days and this run was my “race day” as she picked up the pace at mile 2 at 8:46 pace. It was a great run and I was still “on observation” as I was mindful on how my foot would feel after this run.

First Run Post OUC Half Marathon

The following week started to look like a normal training schedule and I was gradually picking up where I left off. My husband and I made sure that Transcendental Meditation is now part of our lives and routine with two 20-minute sesh daily. I am in love with Transcendental Meditation! It’s the simplest thing ever. I was never able to dig into meditation and follow through, but practicing TM technique it is possible to follow through. I feel centered, grounded, focused, positive and calm. My running is becoming more relaxed, focused and breathing is more settled which helps me with my performance.

This week’s fartlek was fun and emotional at the same time. I exceeded the recommended pace and I felt that my body was ready to give me these paces; otherwise, I wouldn’t never pushed this much. I was watching Breaking 2 Special (again), but this time it felt different. I felt more alert and more connected with Kipchoge. I felt his moment of distress as he was pushing his limit, and yet, he appeared so calm and relaxed. And so I cried, as I was finishing up my 6 miles for the day with so much gratitude and humbleness. It is a beautiful thing to watch and feel someone chasing their dreams; knowing and feeling how hard it is. All of the sudden, I didn’t feel so alone chasing mine because it is just a matter of time until it becomes real.

2 mile warm up; 6 minutes @ 9:00 pace; 4 minutes @ 8:30 pace; 2 minutes @ 8:00 pace
2 minute jog in between; Cool down to mileage

I am enthusiastic for the new year and to find out what my body and mind can do; where running will take me this time. But first, respecting the body and mind is a priority. Recover well, I must. That’s rule # 1 in chasing dreams.

Cheers!

“Hope is a waking dream.”

~Aristotle

2017 OUC Half Marathon: It’s All Going Down Hill From Here

“Running teaches us that we are capable of so much more than we ever imagined.

~PattiSue Plumer

As always, I was eager to run the OUC half marathon. It’s my favorite race and it is the last race of the year for me. The one thing I’m not a fan of it is the long and patchy stretch of brick road – that I really can’t stand but I deal with it. When I was with the Track Shack group, I was exposed to brick roads every weekend in the areas of Winter Park. I became accustomed to it and it was nothing new on race day. But since training on my own and with my #runsquad in Ocoee/Winter Garden area, I haven’t really run as much on brick road. I still do run on brick in the Ocoee downtown area, but it’s usually not more than 400 m at a time.

But let’s forget about the brick road for a moment, as I apparently had forgotten all about it when I finally found a tempo/race shoes in Asics DS Trainer 22. I fell in love with it and it loved me back. It was a mutual feeling. Weighting only 6.8 oz, I felt I could fly during my tempo and fartleks runs. I was sure that I was running OUC in my DS Trainer 22, or should I say, in Pre (yes I name all my running shoes!).

Asics DS Trainer 22

Even up to the start of the race, it was never even a thought that perhaps the DS Trainer 22 could be a problem for my feet. As I entered the first stretch of brick, then a lightbulb lit up. Too late! I was too focus on my race. I was driven and determined to reach my greedy goal or at least to come very close from reaching it. For the first time in a race, I was in the ZONE!

Here’s the race recap:

MILE 1 – 5= 8:21/8:27/8:38/8:23/8:19

Per Garmin, start of the race was at 64 degrees with 94% humidity, yikes! Started off with the 1:55 pacer group and carried a disposable bottle with my mix of Chocolate Explosion GU & Water. Yummy! Tasted like chocolate almond milk and SAVES ME A LOT OF MINUTES as my fuel is ready to be consumed at any time I need. Mile 1 at 8:21, I thought it was way too fast, but I stayed relaxed and with the group. Congested areas, brick road and water stop, helped slowed down the pace a bit. Closing mile 3 at 8:38 and feeling being held, I decided to leave the 1:55 group and kick in my greedy gear. I felt strong and confident in the early stage of the race.

MILE 6-10:= 8:15/8:18/8:15/8:22/8:23

I was on my own pace and feeling strong. My GU intake in sporadic sections of the race was paying off with steady energy. Kurt was on his bike and the plan was to meet me around Mile 4 with my UCan drink, but that didn’t happen. It was not until mile 7 that I saw Kurt. And guess what? My drink wasn’t in the backpack! Kurt thought I put in the backpack, but I left it in the cooler. Because I mentioned it was in the cooler, I thought he would check and put in the backpack. I said I needed it with a hint of panic but maintaining my cool, and if he could go back in the car and meet me even at mile 10, it would be of great help. So he went back to the car. I did my thing and stay focused on my race. But my GU mix had been gone since mile 7.

MILE 11-13.20= 8:35/8:45/8:28 / .20 @ 7:17

From mile 11 forward, in my opinion, it’s the most challenging part of the OUC course. I was starting to feel my energy going down, but I stay focused and pushed for the 8:xx pace range. Approximately 2.5 miles of the course is all on brick road. I remember at mile 11 thinking that my feet was taking a beating, and by mile 12,  I was getting really tired of the brick and needed my UCan more than ever. Exactly at mile 12 Kurt handed my UCan drink and I couldn’t’ drink it fast enough! Mile 12 at 8:45 was certainly the hardest as the sun was beating down hard. I really tried to push more but my legs were tired and didn’t have much energy to pull it from. But even then, I managed a 7:32 pace in the last 800 m to cross the finish line at 1:50:54. My goal was under 1:50, so that was pretty close 🙂

1:50:54

8:27 avg pace

Crossing the finish line again under 2, but this time  with enough buffer was amazing! My effort allowed for a 8:41 PR, that’s a lot of minutes shed. I never thought that one day I would be running a 8:27 AVG pace half marathon. It has been truly an enlightening experience and journey. For the first time, I felt being in the zone and experiencing a  transcend moment. The best way I can summarize what it meant to me is: a sense of gliding through space, being in control and confident.

 

As soon as I crossed the finish line, it felt that was snapped out of the moment I was in. It took me a minute or two to start breathing calmly, even though I thought my breathing was stable, and to be able to talk full sentences. My friend Krista, who works with the race management, came towards me with so much happiness asking if I was okay and about Kurt’s whereabouts. All I could do was to give her a hug, give a thumbs up and point my finger somewhere around the crow as a way of saying that Kurt was somewhere out there. I really just wanted to stop in the middle of the road, but she kept me guiding towards the exit of the corral until she had to go back to work.

I kept walking and looking for Kurt at the same, but I just have a hard time finding him in a crowd. After I had chat with some social media friends who had raced, Kurt finally came in towards me. You know the drill, Kurt wears the medal every time! I couldn’t ask for a better execution of this performance. I have grown so much, both physically and mentally. It was a strong race throughout and I’m very proud of my achievements. Having Kurt’s support means the world to me and I couldn’t ask for a better run coach than Coach Victoria Phillippi with Run4Prs. I have PR’ed in every race since becoming her athlete.

Bring it on 2018!

 

“It comes down to one simple thing: How Bad Do You Want It?”

 

P.S. If you want to know more about my feet, that’s for the next blog posting!