No Excuses!

The end of March has crept up on us way too fast!  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were dealing with sub zero temperatures, snow storms and making final preparations for out Spring Training Vacation.

Now it is the end of March, vacation is over and we are finally having warmer days!  Granted it will probably be July before we see green grass and can head to the beach - but it's a start!!

As I sit here and look back on the last month, it was definitely a roller coaster of a month.  I had some great runs, so not so great runs, shared a fabulous vacation with my
husband and some great friends... and had to face the fact that I needed to slow down and deal with an injury.

The statement above has really helped to keep me focused this month.  There were days that I had serious doubts about what I could do, questioned why I ever decided to sign up for a full marathon and was ready to just give up.  Then a statement like the one above would show up on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed and remind me why set out on this journey.

For those of you that follow me on Facebook an/or twitter, you have seen me post about having to deal with this injury.  Any runner is prone to injury (and usually all deal with one at some time or another) and we all dread the words, "no running"... and hearing IT band is never a good thing to combine with that statement.  This was not a new injury to me.  I actually had IT band issues after the Fox Cities Half Marathon in 2012. With this race, my IT band issues were probably a direct result of trying to do too much, too fast.  I tried increasing my miles faster than I should have and thought could finish a half marathon without a lot of training - after all, I was planning on just walking most of it!  Wrong answer!  It actually took me over 7 months to feel comfortable running again. 

For those of you that are nor familiar with the IT band, yes you have one too!  In simple terms, it is a band that runs basically from your hip to your knee. It is key to helping stabilize the knee when running, biking, hiking and even weight lifting.  There are many factors that can contribute to IT band syndrome and at some point many runners end up dealing with either pain or injury that is IT band related.  

Icing my knee after my 17k in AZ

Now, 2 1/2 years later I started facing similar pain.  At first it just some minor pain after I would hit after running 8-10 miles.  I didn't think anything of it at first and just contributed it to the slow increase in miles during my marathon training schedule.  However, when the pain would creep up on my at the gym (some days squats got the best of me) I started looking at options.  I have some awesome trainers at the gym that started doing what they could to help me with additional strength training and modifying some things to try and keep me from aggravating it even more.  After doing a few long runs and spending time with ice packs all afternoon following a long run, and having to cut a 12 mile training run short because I started feeling the pain within the first few miles (I still pushed thru and finished 6 miles) I knew I need to do something.  

Thanks to the recommendation from a trusted fellow runner and his connections, I was connected with a fabulous Physical Therapist (who is also a runner!) to help me with a treatment plan and we are starting on the road to a better me, and a future will still see me as a runner.  Over the last few weeks I have learned that my pain this time is a result of not having all of my muscles working together like they should be.  All of my muscles in my legs are strong, except my glutes.  In the words of my Physical Therapist, all of the muscles in my legs are doing all the work and my glutes are just going along for the ride.  We need to wake them up and invite them to the party!  They need to start contributing to the effort!  We have a plan and with some hard work and dedication to this training plan, I know that I can come out on the other side, pain free and a stronger runner than I am today.

In the mean time, I have had to make some modifications to my training.  One of the hardest things that I have had to do in a long time was back out of running the Dick Lytie Half Marathon last weekend out at UWGB and only run the 5k.  Yes, I was bummed that I would not run the "big" miles, but I decided that I was going to go out there and make the best of the day. No Excuses!  It ended up being a mild and sunny day.  After the long cold winter that we dealt with, it was a fabulous day to get out and run. The 5k course was a fairly flat course so the elevation change (or lack thereof) was going to be refreshing!  I knew that I didn't want to push it too hard but still wanted to see what I could do.  I started out at a nice pace and fell into a refreshing rhythm.  When I hit the 1 mile marker I was feeling good.  It turned into a great feeling when I realized I just ran a 9 minute mile.  I kept up with the comfortable pace that I found and just rolled with it!  Before I knew it, the finish line was just ahead and it was on!  I kicked it in for that final push for the finish.

Official time = 28:37

In the end, I missed my 5k PR by only 8 seconds!  I could not believe I just did that!  It was an amazing feeling to know that I just ran one of my best 5k's EVER!  This amazing morning has truly given me the confidence that I can get through this injury and come out stronger in the end!  It will be some hard work, but I can do it!  I have a fabulous support team of my  amazing family,  fabulous trainers at the gym, my new Physical Therapist, plus many awesome friends that continue to help me grow as a runner, keep my in check so that I don't push myself too hard or too far and continue to encourage me to be the best that I can be.

Here is to a great 2014 and all of the adventures that will continue to come my way!  Be strong my friends!

Recharged, Rejuvenated and now back to Reality

View from Piestewa Peak summit, Phoenix AZ

All good things must come to an end... and now it's back to reality.

Spring Break/Vacation 2014 was here and now is a wonderful memory!  After spending a week in sunny, WARM Phoenix, with great friends, I have spent the better part of the last week trying to get back into my "normal" routine!  I am really not liking the fact that it has snowed not once, but twice since we got home last Thursday!  

It was an amazing week filled with adventure and fun.  There is no way that I can give everything that we did proper detail here so here's a "quick" summary:

1.  Running:  We wanted to get in a bunch of outside miles while were had the chance, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Saturday morning, however, we hit the streets of Glendale for the Kiss Me I'm Irish Run.  I can officially say that I completed my first ever 17k race!  Yes, 17k - in honor of St Patrick's day!  It was so nice to be able to throw on my running skirt and a tank top to go for a run instead of putting on multitudes of layers just to stay warm!  Plus there was free beer at the end!!  Official course time = 1:52:24  Yay!  Granted, my knee ended up paying for it over the next few days, but it was worth it!

Start line of the Kiss Me I'm Irish Run 17K

2. NHL Hockey! Nothing brings back the college days like watching some good hockey!  While we were in the area, the Phoenix Coyotes just happened to be playing at home vs the Calgary Flames so we had to fit a game into our schedule!  What a day!  Running in the morning, relaxing by the pool all afternoon and a hockey game at night!  That makes a good day in my book!

3.  Brewers Baseball!!  We were able to get to 2 games to watch the Crew in action!  Unfortunately we missed meeting Hank by a few days as he had already made the trip to his new home in Milwaukee.  Nothing can make you forget about the long, cold, snowy, cold, harsh (and did I say cold) winter that we have experienced in Wisconsin this year, than some Brewers Baseball in Maryvale AZ! 

4. Hiking!!  We made two morning adventures out to Piesetwa Peak and both hikes were worth the climb!  Once you get past the half way point distance-wise on the hike to the summit, you are actually only about 1/3 of the way elevation-wise to the summit!  Over the second half of the climb, those switchbacks get tighter and steeper!  You have to really work for it, but your efforts are definitely rewarded once you reach the summit!

Molly, Matt and I, on the way back down the mountain

Piestewa Peak Summit!

5.  The Food!  I was determined to find a way to enjoy the foods of the area without completely falling off the wagon.  Yes, there were many times when we went out to eat that I did just order a salad, but these salads were amazing!  Who can complain about a huge bistro steak salad like this with tons of spice and flavor and a honey balsamic vinaigrette?  Don't get my wrong, I did splurge and enjoy many things that I normally try to stay away from, but I just made sure that I didn't do all my splurging in one day!

Southwest Bistro Steak Salad from Oregano's in Tucson

 6. Relaxing!  This was the one thing that we made sure happened!  We knew there was a bunch of stuff that we wanted to do, but we also wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the time away from home, work and life in general!

 7.  Fun in the sun! When in Arizona, why not rent a convertible?  Especially when you find the deal that we found!  For less than the cost of a compact car, we enjoyed the Phoenix sun in a 2014 Mustang Convertible!  John said that we will never own one for several reasons... WI weather really does not make one practical (so my solution... we move somewhere warmer!) and with how tall he is, he said he always felt squished (hence why I put the top down whenever we were driving somewhere!).  Regardless, it was a fun car to drive when we had the perfect weather for it!

My 2014 Mustang Convertible for the week

All in all, it was a fabulous week spent hanging out with friends, reconnecting with others that we have not seen in years, relaxing and just enjoying each others company. Getting away from the every day stresses of life is always a good thing to do from time to time.  It was nice to get away, but all vacations must come to an end and reality must be faced!

Before we knew it, it was back to the cold and snow.  Back to the gym.  Back to running in near freezing temperatures.  Back to work.  Routine is good to get back to.  Maybe one day we will be able to say that reality is in some sunny warm location, but until then, we just will have to settle for enjoying it in short spurts on vacation!  Time to start planning the next trip!

enjoying out last full day in Arizona!

Sunday night, fireside chats

Sunday nights...

Time to relax after a busy weekend, unwind before the crazy work week starts up again.  Cone on in and enjoy the fire, grab a glass of your favorite beverage and relax!  It's time to chat and reflect on the last week, learn and grow from it and prepare mentally for the next round!  If you were here, what would we chat about?

I would tell you:
...That I found a new chiropractor!  Now please understand that I can not say anything bad about my old one, just found a new one that fits better with my lifestyle.  With all of the strength training at the gym, miles I am running and crazy days, having a chiropractor that practices Active Release is a great ace to have up my sleeve!  After just one visit, I could tell a huge difference!   I also found out that my shoulder pain was probably from my fall at the ice caves at the beginning  of February.  I have a huge knot in my shoulder that we will be working on next week.  The best part of my appointment this week, NO shoulder pain when I did my long run yesterday!

...Thursday night was an amazing night!  It was double date night!  John and I had the opportunity to join some of our friends for night out on the town in Appleton.  Dinner out at Victoria's for a fabulous Italian feast (ok Italian pasta feast for them, amazing salad for me, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything!) and then it was off to the PAC for Wicked!  This was the 3rd time the show was in Appleton and the first chance that we had to go.  What an awesome show!  Now, I keep asking myself why we didn't go sooner!

...This cold winter has been enough!  We officially broke a few records this week and can say that we just survived the coldest winter that Green Bay as seen in 110 years.  Ok, now that we have broken that record, this extreme cold can end!  I don't know about you, but I am getting tired of having to get dressed in 15 layers just to go out for a run!  My toes can't take much more of this!

...My biggest accomplishment... ran just shy of 21 miles in less than 30 hours.  Great way to start off the month of March!  Yesterday was the toughest training run yet for the Cellcom Marathon.  Between the cold and wind, it was a long 12 miles.  The fact that it snowed on Friday night, leaving a blanket snow (5 inches) across the entire city, didn't make it any easier. A few miles of the route were actually unplowed streets!  But we survived.  Then today was the CP Telethon Walk/Run and I pulled out just shy of 9 miles.  It was an amazing morning with a group of amazing people.  No matter how cold it was or how tired we got, we kept going!  I will have more on that in another post - too many amazing things going on to put into words here!

So what do you have to add to our fireside chat tonight?!?!  Fill me in!  What did you accomplish this week?  What are you proud of?  What did you get to experience?  Be proud of what you did and feel free to share!

Plans never go through without change!

Another Sunday night, crackling fire and, relaxing, Watching a movie with my family.

I don't know about you, but some days I really wish time would slow down so that I could feel like I really enjoy these days.  No matter how well you think you have things planned out, we have to be ready for the unexpected.  There will always be changes that need to be made to the plan.  Having viable options in a pinch is always important.  This is true for workouts, family dinners, shuttling kids to and from events, or even rest days.

This week was no different.  Thankfully it was a "normal" week (and I only worked minimal overtime hours), but when it starts out with a snowstorm on Monday that closed schools early, I should have known that the week was going to be another crazy one. I headed home from work a early to get Darrin from school and was really glad that I did!  I had to deal with some snow on the roads, but from stories I heard from others that were traveling later in the day, I consider myself lucky that I was home as early as I was!

Unfortunately, the weather also brought the cancellation of all classes at the gym for Monday night.  So much for my Double Up Monday!    My son had a meeting scheduled downtown from 5-8, so my workout plan for the week was going to start out with a bang!  A regular Renegade Mission at 5:30, followed by a Cardio Circuit class at 6:30, allowing me to get downtown to pick him up by 8pm.  However, Snowstorm Carol had other ideas.  Everything was cancelled for Monday night... no driving downtown for Darrin's meeting, no going to the gym for me and nothing planned for dinner!  So, after rearranging the evening menu, getting dinner finished and driveways cleared, this was one tired chick!  I really should have spend the evening in the basement on the treadmill or getting in a few Renegade workout videos but that didn't happen.  By the time we finished dinner, I was ready for bed!

Even though I didn't get in my planned workout on Monday, I didn't let it ruin the rest of the week.  I knew that I didn't have any "free" time to get in an extra workout or run, but I made sure that each and every one of the workouts that I did get to was completed with maximum effort.

In the end, I can say that the week was a success.  Everyone got where they needed to be.  I was at the gym for each and every workout that I signed up for, I survived another cold, icy marathon training run (gotta love glare ice streets in Wisconsin, which will probably be here until May at this rate!).  Plus, still made time for dinner out on Saturday with some friends.  It all took some shuffling around and revised planning, but we did it!

Oh yeah!  My new running shoes finally arrived on Friday!  After what seemed like forever (in reality it was only a week) they finally got to meet my feet!  For the first time in 2 years, I bought somethign besides Sauconey's, so we will see how this goes!   Now, time to decide which are going to be taking the trip to Arizona with me in a few weeks...  decisions, decisions, decisions!

So when life throws a wrinkle in your plan, just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward!

Yes You Can

Wow!

Really, that is all I can say right now.

My son and I had the unbelievable opportunity tonight to hear Dick Hoyt of Team Hoyt speak at the Bellin Run kick off celebration.  What a humble, amazing individual!

Dick Hoyt, true inspiration to many!

For anyone not familiar with Team Hoyt and what they have accomplished, you can find their entire store here at Team Hoyt.  Rick was born a spastic quadriplegic and would never be able to walk or talk.  Equipped with a special computer, Rick was able to attend public school and continue to learn and thrive, despite his disability. When he was 15, Rick asked his father (Dick) if they could run a 5 mile race that was being organized to help raise funds for a classmate who was injured in an accident.  Dick pushed Rick in a stroller through the entire 5 miles, despite the fact that everyone thought they would just run down to the corner and turn around.  They finished next to last, but they finished!  That night, Rick told his father that when he runs, he felt like his disability disappeared.  That was the start of something amazing.

From that day in 1977, they started competing together and have participated in over 1000 events including marathons, triathlons and and Iron Man competitions.  I sit here and think about my training runs and races that I have done over the last year.  Many days, I sometimes struggles just to get one foot in front of the other, getting myself across the finish line.  I could not imagine completing some of these endurance events on my own, let alone getting someone else across the finish line!  Swim over 2 miles pulling someone in an inflatable raft? Bike 100+ miles with someone else riding on the front of the bike? Run 26.2 miles pushing someone in a stroller?  Doing any one of these activities would be more than most people would be able to do.  Dick did just that on a regular basis with Rick.  That is true inspiration, and an unbelievable bond between a father and son.

Tonight Dick was in Green Bay to share their amazing story.  And in reality, amazing does not even begin to describe what Team Hoyt has done.  Here is a man who runs for his son, so that his son can experience everything that life has to offer. One of the many accomplishments that Dick spoke about tonight was their cross country adventure, 3,700+ miles from California to Boston - in 45 days.  Not only did they complete what everyone told them was impossible, they ended their journey at Fenway Park where there Red Sox were playing at home, stayed for the game and then got up the next morning and completed a triathlon! I got tired just thinking about it - but they completed it! Through their many challenges that they had to face to even participate in some of these endurance events has paved the way for challenged athletes today.  

 Hearing their story first hand really shows you that, although you may only be one person, you can make a difference.  It might be for one person or it might be for many, but you can make a difference.

After seeing myTEAM TRIUMPH in action of the the last few years, this year will be the first year that I will be running as an Angel for mTT and I was a very proud mom when I found out that Darrin also decided that he is going to join the mTT Angel team and run the Bellin 10k and Packers 5k, helping to make someone else dreams a reality.  Sometimes it's not about doing it for you.

Meeting Dick Hoyt at the Bellin Run kick off Celebration

So, no matter why you think you can't do something, just remember, 

Yes you can!

Thank you Bellin and myTEAM TRIUMPH for bringing Dick Hoyt to Green Bay!  Thank you Dick for everything that you have done and continue to do!  This will be an experience that I know we will remember for a long time to come!

What I Ate Wednesday vol2

Time again for WIAW (What I ate Wednesday)!

Like I said last week, with all the miles and Renegade workouts, I really do eat a lot. Which is good for me, because I do like food!  Over the last few months, after I really made the big changes in what I eat, I have eliminated many things, but I have also found quite a few new foods and/or recipes that have become staples in my diet.  Over the next few weeks I will start sharing a few of these each week with you.

Today, it will only be one recipe, as I forgot to take the necessary picture for the other recipes that I wanted to share with you... oops!

The first recipe that I felt I needed to share is one of my new favorite "un"sandwiches...  who said you NEED bread for a sandwich?  Ok, most people will say that you do, but something does not have to have bread to make is a sandwich!  In reality, the bread is just a way to keep everything together so that you can get the "filling" to your mouth!  This summer summer chicken salad utilizes a lettuce leaf to transport the fillings from plate to mouth!  Genius!

Paleo Chicken Salad Summer Wrap

I found this recipe here at EasyPaleoMeals.org and after trying this one, you can be sure that I will be going back to try more of the recipes posted there!  "Boring" plain chicken is transformed into a fun, flavorful chicken salad that brings you back to feelings of warm summer days - and after the extreme cold temperatures that we have dealt with this winter, I will do anything to think warm!

*1/2 cup chopped chicken
*3 tbsp chopped Fuji apples
*2 tbsp chopped red grapes
*2 tsp honey
*2 tbsp almond butter

Mix ingredients together and wrap into a Romaine leaf

I have made this so many times that I honestly don't even measure anything anymore! I just chop up as much chicken as I have available, then eyeball the amount of everything so that I have a nice colorful mix.

You do have to be patient when mixing everything together as it does take a while for the almond butter and honey to soften, or "melt" enough to adequately coat everything else.  But trust me, it's worth the wait!

I also usually don't even bother with "wrapping" it in a lettuce leaf - I use the romaine leaf to make a boat for all of this chicken yumminess! for that matter, sometimes I don't even bother with the lettuce wrap and just eat it straight from the bowl!

ENJOY!

Marathon training, 6 weeks down, 13 to go!l

No one ever said that training to run a marathon would be easy... but it will be worth it!

So far, the first half of that statement rings very true!  Training for the Cellcom Marathon has taken some getting used to for me. Miles, Miles Miles!  I live my life these days by the number of miles I have run!  Getting in the long runs, has not been the hard part for me.  It's the short, mid-week runs that  usually get me.  However, I have run more miles so far in 2014 than I did in the first 4 months of 2013 and have a gold of at least 750 miles by the end of the year.

 Between work and family schedules, sometimes it is hard to crank out a 4 mile run on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening.  Getting up early to run before work?  Been there, tried it.  It's tough, especially when I am usually in the office by 6am, and I really dislike treadmill running!  To get in a 4 mile run before work would mean that the alarm is going off before 4am every day, and this time of year means a date with the dreadmill.  Doing it once it a while is ok, but is not practical for every day. However, anything more than 4 miles would require getting up even earlier and I do admit - I like my sleep!

Now, please don't think that I my week days are void of activity.  Part of the reason that it is difficult for me to find time for my evening runs is that I don't want to miss my (almost) daily workouts at the gym!  Fitness Renegades as become such a part of my life that when I do have to skip a class, my day just seems "off".  These workouts are by no stretch "easy" and are definitely a key component in my conditioning. Each and every day is something a little bit different so I am never bored - which is a huge plus in my book! So, giving them up, or skipping them is NOT an option.  Plus, the crew there is pretty much like a second family and we are all out to help each other accomplish any goals that we have set.  Between the support from my family at home and at the gym, I know that I can conquer this adventure!

Last Thursday's Renegade workout

 On many occasions, I will head home after I leave the gym and knock out 3-4 miles on the TM or 10-15 miles on the bike, so the miles are still there, just in smaller quantities.

I also have found that I really look forward to the long Saturday morning training runs.  They have really shown me that I can do this.  Not only have I been able to increase the miles successfully each week, but I have also been able to keep my pace.  This past weekend, I finished the 10 mile training run faster than my average pace for the Brewers Mini Marathon last fall, so we still moving forward. I may not be the fasted one out there, but I am getting it done!

Anyone who is a runner, is used to having people tell them they are crazy (yes, this is actually a compliment to many of us!) and I heard that this weekend!  Not only did I complete my 10 mile training run, right after I finished, I drove around the corner to the gym (I drove, only because I had to move my car - next time, maybe I should just park AT the gym), warmed up, grabbed a foam roller, did some stretching and then joined the 10am Cardio Circuit class for 45 minutes of "fun".  Yes, I probably am on the edge of insane, but if I can pull off a 45 minute cardio circuit, I just proved to myself that there are more miles that I could have run!

Oh yeah.... I got up Sunday morning to catch another 45 minute fitness Renegade Cardio Circuit with Ty!

So, no matter what your running goals are for this year, they are going to push you to run further, run longer and probably make you wonder why you decided to do it, but don't give up!

It will be worth it in the end (at least that is what they say!)