So... Am I A Runner Now?

In the midst of training for my first half marathon, I've been thinking and reflecting on my running and fitness journey. Why do I do this? Why do I run? 

One thing I want to clear up is that this does not come easy to me. I've always had an appreciation for the beauty of athletics but I haven't always wanted to participate. I loved watching any sport from a young age - football, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. Also, I was interested in yoga at a very young age. I was the weirdo asking my mom to drop me off at the yoga studio because I was too young to drive myself. I made the volleyball team in middle school but decided I didn't want to play. I played on the tennis team for a couple years in high school. 

I haven't always been a runner. I quit track after one week of practice when I was in the 8th grade. I alllllways faked having cramps in high school in an attempt to get out of running the fitness mile in gym class. Running a mile seemed like an actual nightmare to 15 year old Maddie. 

When I got to college, I tried going to the gym once or twice a week... that didn't last long. During freshman year, I went just about once a month. Then something happened sophomore year... I got myself a gym buddy. Her name is Natalie and she is currently my best friend, my sorority sister, and my #1 homie. We went to the gym 4 or 5 times a week. We miraculously had a bunch of classes together so we had the same schedule. Plus, we had different strengths and weaknesses when it came to our fitness. She was wayyy better at cardio than I was and I preferred lifting weights and strength training more than she did. We made a great team. Suddenly, I was in really good shape. I became addicted to the feeling. 

I'm sure I've also mentioned once or twice that I am the youngest of 3 runners in my family. My brother is a maniac runner. I grew up watching him lace up his combat boots to go running on the trails with my brother-from-another-mother, Roger. He was doing triathlons and marathons left and right. My sister was the track star in the family and was always really fast. She started getting into distance running a few years after college and already has multiple half and full marathons under her belt. That girl racked up medals really quickly.

Then there's me. 

I really had to ease into running. I absolutely hated it. And I hated my siblings for being so good at it. Like... was I missing something? Then I did my first registered race - the Webster Turkey Trot... a measly two and a half miles. Hah! I could do that in my sleep now. It seemed really daunting at the time. And I was registered with my brother and sister. They did the 4.4 mile course and started earlier than I did. I had some serious anxiety waiting for the gun to go off. I remember crossing the finish line with them and they were so excited asking me, "What did you think?!" "How did you do?!" I simply said... "I HATED THIS... but I also kinda liked it."

Now I'm addicted.

So far these are the races I have completed...

Turkey Trot 2.5 Miler (November 2012)

Kappa Delta 5k @ University of Rochester (September 2013)

Color Run 5k (May 2014)

Corporate Challenge 5k (June 2014)

North Face Endurance Challenge Trail 10k (June 2014)

We Run Nashville 10k (August 2014)

I remember at this time last year, my whole family was at Disney World cheering my sister on during her marathon. I had always dreamed of running the Disney Princess Half Marathon. It was something to accomplish... someday. To be honest, I did not believe in myself. I thought I'd give myself more time. At the time, I had only done the Turkey Trot and a casual 5k on campus. How on earth was I going to run 13.1 miles? So I started chipping away at it... a few more 5Ks and a couple of 10Ks. 

 If I could, I would go back in time 7 or 8 years and tell myself that I would fall in love with running. I would tell my old self that, someday, I'll be asking for new running shoes and compression socks for Christmas. 

I don't know where this running journey of mine will take me but that's what I love about it. It is mysterious, never-ending, and all mine. No one else's. It takes time, patience, practice, blood, sweat, and tears (but actually). 

I guess that's why I am so passionate and enthusiastic about running and fitness and all that jazz. I can feel myself changing from the inside out.

Week 7 + Fueling

I started off Week 7 on Monday with cross-training on the stationary bike. I also did 2 rounds of an intense circuit training and finished off my workout with free weights. Today, I ran a little over 4 miles and did my fair share of leg work and free weights (again). I want to make sure that I finish my training with some upper-body strength. I'm hoping to get another run in by the end of this week. This weekend will most likely be my last long run! I have 11 miles scheduled and I'm going to start tapering until the race. 

I've been receiving emails from runDisney with race tips and the airline about my upcoming travel plans. I can't believe it is really happening so soon!

Onto my favorite subject... food.

One of the biggest misconceptions I had about training for a half marathon was that I could simply eat whatever I wanted. Boy was I wrong. The first week or two of training I was eating anything and everything. I wasn't used to running for so long and so often and I was ravenous. By week three, I got a little more organized and strategized about what I was going to eat to fuel my workouts.

I write down everything I eat every day. Also, I track my hydration with my FitBit app (I aim for 80+ ounces of water each day but it'll be closer to 100 ounces if I ran that day).

I've definitely increased my protein intake after my long runs to help with recovery. I'm constantly reading up on what to eat and what not to eat before and after workouts.  My goal is to make most meals a healthy combination of protein and carbs.

Breakfast: Coffee (duh) and Kashi Go Lean Toasted Berry Crumble cereal, or whole wheat toast with almond butter

Snack: Almonds and fruit (berries, clementines, or banana and a scoop of almond butter)

Lunch: Whole wheat toast with avocado smash, a scrambled egg, organic spinach blend lettuce, and a drizzle of EVOO

Snack: More fruit and trail mix (the nutty pistachio blend from Wegmans is my favorite)

Dinner: Baked haddock, Brussels sprouts, risotto, and salad

Snack: Dark chocolate square and a bowl of raspberries and strawberries with herbal tea

Now that I give more attention to the things I eat, I have seen a serious improvement in my overall training. I feel leaner and stronger. 

Weeks 5 + 6

The first month of training was really successful. I can really feel myself coming into my own as a runner. I joked with my sister earlier that I'm truly becoming a distance runner because I'm just about warmed up around mile 6. 

Week 5 Unfortunately, last week, I was hit with a pretty bad cold. Not just any cold, but a really dry cough. Let me tell ya, it is reeeeally hard to run with a dry cough. I tried every remedy I could think of to get rid of this thing. Finally, I started religiously taking DayQuil and NyQuil and finally started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I had a 4 miler and two cross-training sessions scheduled. I tried going to the gym for some cross-training and I was strugggggling. Soooo I only got in one cross-training session for the whole week and that was it.

To top it off, I had tickets to a bunch of events all last week so I didn't have much time for rest. I went to the Bonnies basketball game, Pippin, and Audra McDonald at Eastman. Busy week!

My 9-miler was rough, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I had really good time and paced myself well but I was hurting at the end of it. My hips were tight and I was just ready to be done. When I ran my 7 and 8-milers, I felt like a million bucks! Now I see the effects of not doing my short runs during the week.


Week 6
After getting over my week-long cold, I was ready to refocus. Thennnn my boss got jury duty. I had to work much longer hours than usual to help pick up the slack but that meant putting my workouts on the back-burner. This was a huge bummer because I was so motivated to get back into training. I was able to squeeze in one short run and one hour of circuit training and cross training throughout the week.

This morning, I headed out for my first double-digits run ever! The last couple of weeks have been bitter cold so I resorted to the treadmill. I decided this week that enough is enough, I'm lacing up to go outside. I have noticed that when I run on a treadmill, I baby myself a lot more: stopping for water, retying my shoes, stopping for a pee break, etc. When I'm outside, I feel much more confident in my form and there is nothing like fresh winter air to keep you pushing through the miles. (I ran through 3 different suburbs during my 10 miles! It was crazy!)

I had a very slow pace this morning because most of the path was covered in snow and ice. I brought tissues and a couple of pitted dates in a baggie if I needed some all-natural fuel. Luckily, I only needed the tissues to wipe down my face, no snack needed! 

Only 4 more weeks until Race Day!

Week 4: Almost Half Way!

Week 4 of training is coming to an end! I have an 8-miler scheduled for this Sunday and I'm actually pretty excited about it. I'm waiting until Sunday because it should be a bit warmer than the other days in the forecast (about 30 degrees) and I'm hoping to run outside to avoid the treadmill.

For simplicity's sake, I combined the runs and cross-training sessions this week. On Tuesday and Thursday, I ran 4 miles each day. I'm wrote out my post-run exercises in advance so I didn't show up to the gym unprepared. 

Tuesday:
1) 4 mile run
2) 15 minutes on stationary bike
3) Squats (weighted squats, stability ball squats, sumo squats, weighted single-leg squats with toe touch)
4) Romanian deadlifts (weighted 15 reps x3)

Lateral lunges (25 each leg)

5) Push ups on stability ball (10 reps x3)

6) Plank (1 minute on balance board)

Thursday:
1) 4 mile run
2) 2 or 3 vinyasa yoga sun salutations

I'm using today and Saturday as "rest days" to gear up for my long run on Sunday and give my hamstrings a rest. I have a feeling an ice bath will be in order after Sunday's run. I'll be layering up with two pairs of pants (ankle leggings and fleece-lined pants), three layers on top (dri-fit tee, long-sleeve Under Armour with face covering, and performance fleece jacket), Nike gloves, and performance headband to cover my ears.

Almost half-way done with training for my dream race!

Weeks 2 + 3

With the holidays being so hectic (and being away from my laptop to spend time with my friends and family), I haven't had much time to reflect and update y'all on my half marathon training! I keep track of upcoming runs in my calendar and make notes of my progress in a separate notebook.

For the last few weeks, I have revolved my calendar, habits, and rituals around my training. I am constantly researching running tips and strategies to stay in tip-top shape. One issue I had going into my second week of training was week hips. I quickly made friends with Icy Hot and started incorporating hip strengtheners into my post-run routine. 

My running schedule in the first three weeks consisted of frequent short runs (2-4 miles), cross-training, and a long run on Saturdays. Now that my mileage is increasing on the weekends, the schedule allows for more rest days. 

Merry Christmas to me! New running shoes, vegan cookbook, juice recipe book, compression socks, and a fitbit!

Yesterday, I ran the furthest I had ever run in my entire life. I was so happy and couldn't stop smiling (could have something to do with the endorphins but whatever). I had only run two 10k races (6.2 miles) before but I was scheduled to run 7 miles yesterday. I can't lie, I was a little bit nervous and had a lump in my throat. How was I going to pull this off?! Worst of all, it was freeeeeezing yesterday and I was NOT in the mood for an outdoor run. So I was forced to use the treadmill at the gym. 

One thing I told myself was not to use the personal TV in front of me while I ran. I actually find it too distracting. I'd rather get into music and focus on my breathing and form. Once in a while, I'd look up to the bigger TVs to watch a little Sports Center. There won't be a TV to watch while I'm racing in February so I have to be comfortable with just my music. One advantage to running at my gym is that I can use the mirror in front of me to watch my form and adjust the way my ankles turn in.

I'm really getting into my training because it is such a healthy way to be selfish with my activity, what I eat, what I drink, how I sleep, etc. 

Some things I've been doing a lot more of now that I'm training:
-Laundry
-Cold baths 
-B vitamin recovery drink mix
-Chocolate milk post-run
-Drinking at least 80 ounces of water each day (and peeing a lot... my friends were making fun of me!)
-Foam rolling
-Hip strengthening exercises and lots of stretching everyday
-Napping and/or going to bed early

So what's on the agenda for today? Full-body circuit and a lot of foam rolling! 

Now onto Week 4!

Week On Fleek

There is just no way I can write a blog post without reflecting on my trip to the city. I packed up the car on Monday morning and headed out to reunite with my best friends, Natalie and Farrell! It had been since 4th of July weekend that we were all together so we were pretty much counting down the hours. 

I arrived at Grand Central around 5ish and after fighting the crowds, I spotted Farrell! We walked over to their gorgeous apartment and Nat was there waiting for us. First thing we did was crack open a bottle of wine. The girls put together a lovely home-cooked meal. They are beyond sweet!

On Monday, I took myself to the streets for a quick run while the girls were working. Afterwards, Nat and I went to a delicious lunch (still dreaming about the kale and Brussels sprouts). 

We ventured out to Chelsea for dinner and I got the most delicious grilled cheese I've ever had in my entire life. Who know grilled cheese could be so impressive?!?

Could they BE any cuter?!

 

On New Year's Eve, Farrellina and I went out for a run in the city. It seemed like we saw everything and only scratched the surface!

We saw the library, Bryant Park (my personal favorite), the tree at Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel, etc. It was a beautiful day for a run and we really covered a lot of ground. It was nice to burn some calories before the festivities! Running in the city and the park reminded me so much of running in London with Natalie. I'm so lucky to have friends that are runners!

I had the besssst time at the party the girls hosted and it was a blast seeing friends from U of R. The whole night went by so quickly! I can genuinely say that this was hands down the best New Year's Eve celebration I've ever had. 

On New Year's Day, we found a way to peel ourselves off the couch for one last adventure. We went to Washington Square Park and had a casual dinner.

I love the arc with the Empire State Building in the background. Reminds me of "When Harry Met Sally," one of my favorite movies!

"I'm just an ordinary human. But I don't feel so ordinary today."

For such a busy and chaotic city, I came home yesterday feeling relaxed and refreshed. I can't wait to visit again soon, hopefully in March for a birthday and half-marathon celebration for the girls! Here's to 2015!