Friday, March 1, 2024

RWR:MEET LAURA GREEN-RUNNER, MOM, COMEDIAN

"I’m a fairly unemotional person day to day. Even keeled. Stoic.  But once music is involved, that facade fades pretty fast and puts me straight into the song."
~ Laura Green


So her name is Laura Green.  I'm guessing many of you are familiar with her.  And if you're not, you should be.  She's kind of big deal.  But in a super unique way.  Basically, she makes fun of running, runners (herself and others) and most things running related on a regular basis.  And her posts, which incorporate this humor, are not only hilarious but, more often than not, are completely relatable.  Meaning, you are the person she's making fun of (yes, this is me) or you know that person she's laughing at or you've met that person but and you really hope you never have to hang out with them again but then maybe you do because it's freaking great content.  Green is former middle distance runner for Northeastern and an avid runner herself.  A couple years ago she began creating her funny skits and sharing them with friends who then encouraged her to share them with others.  At the same time she realized there was a notable space for humor in our otherwise very serious run world, so she kept going.  I discovered her around February of 2023.  She already had a sizable following by then so I was a bit late on the uptake.  I was in the thick of training for the Boston marathon and one of my training partners sent me this post which I freaking loved for obvious reasons.  And then proceeded to share with everyone else in my running circle because I knew they'd both get it and appreciate it.  Soon I found myself making a point to check her Instagram page daily for a quick laugh before heading out to start my own day.  In her own words she's a " a comedic content creator who aims to get runners and run industry folk to have a good laugh at themselves."  Check and check.  Because we all need more of this in our lives.  Or, at the very least, I do.  She does other things.  She's a mom of two with a third on the way.  She's a physical therapist.  She's probably wearing many other hats but she really doesn't talk about herself much beyond the comedic world that she shares with us.  Which is more than enough.  Okay, that's enough from my end.  Let's learn more about the fabulous Laura Green, a RUNNER WHO ROCKS.

RWR: LAURA MCGREEN 

Name: Laura Green 
Where you're from: Hopewell Jct, NY
Where you reside now: Cambridge, MA
Age (if you're ok sharing): 37
Occupation: Content Creator/Physical Therapist 
Blog/website: lauramcgreen.com

*src:Northeastern Global News

ON RUNNING & MUSIC:
What do you love most about running? 
The way you just start gliding when you get into a good rhythm of training. 
What do you love most about music? 
I’m a fairly unemotional person day to day. Even keeled. Stoic. But once music is involved, that facade fades pretty fast and puts me straight into the song. 

LAURA'S FAVORITES:
Band (current, all time or both):
Third Eye Blind (All time) 
Album (current, all time or both): Florence and the machine - Ceremonials
Race venue: Marin, CA- fire roads and rolling single track for trail races that just make you feel like you’re floating above the clouds
Music venue: SPAC - Certainly not the nicest venue, but it’s where a lot of my high school live music memories take place so it has sentimental value. 
Race distance: 10K
Show you've seen live: Guster - It was the first live show I ever saw and so it holds a special place in my heart 
Ice cream flavor: Cookie Dough




THIS OR THAT?
Sweet or salty? Sweet
Live or recorded? Live 
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Summer or winter? For running - Winter
 




MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Florence and the Machine
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could? Whitney Houston
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? The National
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? The Killers 

Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine (src: NPR)

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like...(fill in the blank):
the most productive human alive. 



Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both?

Free - Florence and the Machine 
Motorcycle Driveby - Third Eye Blind
HandClap - Fitz and the tantrums
Dial Drunk- Noah Kahan
Alaska - Maggie Rogers 




Last 5 Songs you listened to today?
Frozen- Frozen Heart
Frozen- Do you want to build a snowman? 
Frozen- For the first time in forever 
Spooky Scary Skeletons
Moana- we Know The Way 
(Can you tell I have kids?)






Listen to this:
Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

RACE REVIEW:SUPER SUNDAY 4 MILER

"We got the dream team
We're feelin' wide awake
We got the dream team
We're goin' all the way"
~ 'Dreamteam', Galantis

It's been a minute since my last race review.  Three months to be exact.  I took some solid time off after my last big race, regrouped, spent some quality time with my family not worrying at all about training, and then I got back on the horse in January in preparation for Boston which is a mere nine weeks away.  And that alone is kind of blowing my mind.  But that's not for today.  Sunday morning I headed up to Bedford, NH for the Super Sunday 4 Miler which I was doing with my team.  This is the first in a series that we do together throughout the year and given that I've been cranking out most of my mileage solo these past few weeks, I was excited to get up there and see everyone.  As far as the race itself?  Mmmm. Yea. No.  Not as thrilled about that.  For a few different reasons.  But good to get uncomfortable, though.  Makes us stronger.  Or something.  Ok, here we go.
  

Sunday morning I rolled out of bed around 5:30 to meet up with Clover for a coffee.  That's right, my dog.  When the coffee machine turns on, she knows breakfast is coming shortly afterwards so her company is pretty much a sure thing.  We had a nice bonding session as we waited for the day to lighten up a bit before heading out for our walk.  Yes, I do have another dog.  He prefers to sleep late on the weekends.  


It was a lovely morning with temps in the low 40s; 41 to be exact. This was a gift given that it is February in New England.  Clover sniffed and ate sticks.  I enjoyed my second cup and made a playlist for the race.  Time well spent for both of us.  We got back around 7:00 and I had to turn it around pretty quickly because the trip to Bedford is about an hour and the race start was at 9:30.  


I'm not gonna lie, it's been so long since I've raced that I had a little moment of panic when trying to decide which shoes to bring.  So, I brought them all.  I know.  What can I say?  You've done it, too.  I know you have.  


It was an easy trip up which is always nice.  I parked in what felt like two towns over and then ran down to find my teammates.  My girl, Amy C., had already gotten my bib so pre-race was low stress situation for a change.  We all put our gear in Lauren's car and headed out for our warmup.  Some of us needed to make a pit stop at the bathrooms so Lauren, Morgan and I did about 10 out and backs on the main road as we waited for our crew to deal and join back up with us.  We hadn't seen each other in so long so the fact that we were basically running in place did not bother me as I was just enjoying catching up with them and being in their company.


I promised Dave, our team manager, that I would try and get a lot of photos for our new Instagram account which you can find here.  Shameless plug.  Sorry not sorry.  Seriously, though, I was having a blast jumping around to find all the different groups of people from our team.  I might have also been in denial that I did, in fact, have to race.  Oh, riiiiight.  The race.  Okay, so yes, I've been training for Boston.  But I've had a lot going on in my life since January.  More than usual.  Some of it very stressful.  And as a result, my training has been average, at best.  Let's just say I've had more bad days than good.  Particularly this past week leading up to this specific race.  It was legit hot garbage.  I get nervous all the time before races.  It's healthy and I think it ultimately makes me run better.  But for this one, the fear had seeped in much deeper than usual.  I just did not feel ready for this type of effort.  Like, at all.  I'd decided, with my coach, that I'd start off in control at about 70% effort for the first couple miles and then try to progress down the rest of the race.  But, in the truth, I didn't even know what "in control" was going to feel like and this was daunting.  


THE RACE
After about 10 warmup strides, because desperate times and all, I made my way over to the start.  We were packed in tight like sardines and it was ridiculously uncomfortable.  Granted, it's usually like this in a start corral, but still.  For some reason, I couldn't deal with it and was having to take some deep breaths as I waited to go.  My teammate, Morgan, can attest that things were significantly more chaotic than usual.  One woman next to us was facing the wrong direction and screaming loudly for her friend for what seemed like a very long time.  It was odd.  Finally, at 9:30, they blew the horn.  I eased in and tried to stay calm as the rest of the crowd took off around me.  Literally, flying by.  I checked my watch and it said 6:10.  Nope, I thought to myself.  I'm not doing this.  I had no business starting at this pace given my fitness and state of mind these past couple weeks so I backed off and repositioned myself.  I crossed the first mile in 6:20 which felt manageable.  Okay, I said, this is okay.  I think I can do this.  I had borrowed my daughter's shirt to wear under my singlet and it was a wee bit small so my watch was now sitting snuggly under the very tight left sleeve and there was no way to see it without making a legitimate effort to move the shirt back so I let it be.  The rest of the race would be run by feel and I was good with that.  For mile 2, I focused on my breathing, staying calm and trying to hold onto my pace. No big moves.  For 3 and 4, I worked to pick it up a bit.  I wanted to see if I could find another gear.  Nothing major.  Just a little more.  I focused on passing people who had started out too fast.  And we both know there are always plenty of those, myself included more times than not.  But not for this one.  Rather than think about how hard I was working and how much it hurt, which it did, I just focused on everyone in front of me and trying to gain a better position for the finish so I could score for my team.


I managed to find Leslie, our team photographer, in the second half of the race and made an effort to smile as I've heard that smiling releases serotonin which signals to the brain that all is great and ultimately makes things easier, if only for a brief moment.  “Easier” being a relative term here.  At mile 3, I knew I was going to be okay.  So I just held on to this last hard effort and kicked it in for my finish.  


I was tucked in behind a bunch of people so there are no finish line pics of me.  The above is the best I've got.  But it's all I needed.  I can see that I was locked in, my form was good and I had my game face on.  I'd raced smart and I knew it.  It was a good feeling.  As I said, I'd been a little scared to line up.  This effort reminded me that there is always more in the proverbial well than you think.  And that if you make a plan and trust it, things will likely work out the way you hope.  I tell my Lex athletes this all the time.  It's good to remind myself every once in a while, too.


As we always do, my teammates and I gathered together post-race for our cool down.  And this is what I love about running with this crew.  You can have an absolutely shit race or the best of your life.  Doesn't matter.  We show up for each other.  We pick each other up when we're down, we carry each other when we're off and we cheer for each other when we're on, plus everything in between.  It's truly like a second family.  I love running and racing.  But this is what motivates me to keep showing up at this point in my life.  And I am so grateful to have it.  Plus, most of them drink coffee so it's a guaranteed coffee date post-race which you know I love.  Next up, New Bedford Half Marathon.  Maybe I'll be a little more ready.  Maybe not.  But, there's a really good coffee shop in New Bedford, so I'm good either way.  


Listen to this:
Dreamteam by Galantis feat. Neon Trees

Thursday, December 28, 2023

2023:A YEAR IN REVIEW

"What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet."
~ Anne Frank

Dear RWM Readers,

I'm always floored when I get to this post every year. When we're in the throws of it all some of the days, weeks, months even; they feel so damn long.  And, yet here we are again at the end of another 365 day cycle.  As always, some big things have unfolded for me, my family, my team, my friends; for most of us, probably.  Which is what it's all about, right?  Celebrating the big events but also appreciating the slow and simple phases in between when things just are as they are and that feels good, too.  As far as running goes, for me it was a bit of a shit show.  I had a couple good races in the winter, trained my ass off for Boston, took a spill the week before the marathon and ran it with a broken rib.  So, clearly it didn't really go as planned.  After that, I got mono.  Which I didn't realize I had so I kept working and training right through it and suffering from exhaustion like nobody's business.  Super fun.  I injured my foot in the summer and that took forever to heal, not that I took time off to deal with it.  Because who has time?  And, yes, because I'm stubborn.  Then in early October I lined up for my fall marathon having just gotten over Covid and slogged through it with just enough energy to finish for my team and ultimately seal our tie for the win in the New England Grand Prix Series.  I'm really proud of this one.  Although I don't recommend trying it yourself.  It was probably not the smartest decision.  So, yea.  No personal bests.  No great marathon stories.  Just your standard ups and downs; mostly downs.  Not that I don't appreciate the fact that I am out there running.  I do.  Every.  Single.  Day.  As far as my family goes, my older daughter graduated high school, had the summer of her life and then flew off to college in Colorado in August.  Which has been both thrilling and slightly devastating for me.  I just miss having her around.  My younger daughter is a junior and beginning the college process herself.  I can't even think about her leaving and our house being empty.   Jeff and I cruised through the year as we always do.  Both of us working a lot and navigating parenthood - interesting and very tricky when they're teenagers - while also trying to have fun together and just appreciate all the good.  Which sounds easy but often takes more effort than it should.  In the end, I have zero complaints.  I'm healthy. My family is healthy and happy.  I'm running and coaching which is ultimately what I love to do.  So, I'm very lucky and incredibly grateful.  As far as RWM goes, in addition to my standard posts, I partnered up with the guys over at Six Minute Mile as a guest deejay, if you will.  I'll also be writing reviews for them throughout the year on various running related products.  I'm super excited about working with them.  And that pretty much wraps it all up.  Thank you, again, for following along this year through all my craziness.  My stories aren't always that exciting but perhaps they resonate or make you laugh and I suppose that's reason enough for me to stick with it.  And with that, I'll sign off.  Have a wonderful holiday.  Soak up every second.  Relax when you can.  And get ready to do it all over again in 2024.  

All the best,



RUNNING WITH MUSIC 2023

JANUARY
Rosie's final year as a high school and club gymnast.  
16 years of gymnastics.  Just...wow.

SONG:DRESS - SOFTCULT
ALBUM:ALREADY FORGOTTEN - HIBOU

FEBRUARY
LHS Boys & Girls clenched the Middlesex League Title for the 2022/23 indoor track season. #LEXGO

SONG:ALL THE FEELS - SCAVENGER HUNT
ALBUM:MATA - M.I.A.

MARCH
Rosie got into college! #skobuffs

SONG:DESERT OF THE HEAT - SMALL BLACK
ALBUM:QUIET THE ROOM - SKULLCRUSHER

APRIL
Ran my 31st marathon (9th Boston) with a broken rib. Do not recommend.

SONG:MOTORCYCLE - COLEMEN HELL, LA+CH
ALBUM:THE RECORD - BOYGENIUS

MAY
LHS Boys & Girls clenched the Middlesex League Title for the 2023 outdoor track season. #LEXGO

SONG:DREAMS - SJOWGREN
ALBUM:GIVING THE WORLD AWAY - HATCHIE

JUNE
Rosie graduated from Winchester high School. I cried a lot.

SONG:COVERED IN CHROME - GORDI
ALBUM:HEATHERHEAD - GENERATIONALS

JULY
Grace and I ran a 5K together. Second time it's ever happened. Hopefully not the last.

SONG:SIDEWAYS - MISTERWIVES
ALBUM:DE SELBY (PT 2) - HOZIER

AUGUST
Worked as a summer volunteer for CapeAbilities Farm, an incredible organization.

SONG:THIS - OK GO
ALBUM:I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA BC I DIDN'T WRITE IT DOWN. SORRY.

SEPTEMBER
Lex girls slayed their season opener, Clipper Relays.

SONG:FIRE OF MERCY - HOT CHIP
ALBUM:SOFT LANDING - ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND

OCTOBER
Cape Cod marathon with Covid.  Also, do not recommend.

SONG:YOU'RE HIRED - NEIKED feat. Ayra Starr
ALBUM:SIT DOWN FOR DINNER - BLONDE REDHEAD

NOVEMBER
Grace ran a person best at Coach's Invitational.

SONG:DO THE RIGHT THING - HAARM
ALBUM:THE SECRET TO LIFE - FIZZ

DECEMBER
Reunited with family for the holiday.  Nothing better.

SONG:NEWRULES - SJOWGREN
ALBUM:COUSINS - WILCO


LISTEN TO THESE:RWM SONGS OF 2023

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

2023 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE & WINTER GIVEAWAY

 "The joy of brightening other lives becomes for us the magic of the holidays."
~ W.C. Jones


'Tis the damn season.  Again.  Sorry.  Had to.  Because, whether you're a fan or not, it really was Taylor's year and we were all just along for the ride.  Seriously, though, here we are.  If you've been reading this blog for a while you know I am a huge fan of the holiday season.  The lights, the decorations, the gingerbread houses, the candy to decorate those gingerbread houses that you eat while you're making them; all of it.  I just can't get enough.  And this year, my older daughter, who is a freshman in college out in Colorado, will be home for an extended period of time.  Which I am giddy about.  Because she's legitimately that much fun.  And we're all more fun when she's around.  Okay, so let's get down to business here.  The list.  Below are the gifts that I feel are worth sharing.  Yes, there's a running theme, but they might also appeal to anyone with an active lifestyle plus readers, coffee lovers, people who like to be warm when it's cold out (tell me who doesn't want this?) and so on.  So, take a look with your friends and family in mind or, heck, even yourself.  Because you've worked hard this year and should absolutely have a list.  Click on the links for more details.  Share them. Learn more about them.  Purchase them.  Enjoy them.  I really dig every one of them and think you will, too.  Now, get going.  You have a lot to do and the clock is a tickin'.  Oh, and don't forget to scroll down and check out our annual WINTER GIVEAWAY, another epic mix of awesome products for you and your bff.  Details and how to enter are below.  Don't miss this one.  Merry, merry! 


********** RWM HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE **********


Retail price:$99*
*Use code rtrax20 to save %20

I won't tell you how many items I own by this company.  It's a lot.  But, hey, at least you know they are tried and true.  Between running, coaching, and skiing, I am never without my Ororo heated vest or jacket.  This puffer scarf is one of their newer items and is also on my list.  Yes, I have a problem.  But imagine standing outside with this warm, puffy deliciousness wrapped around your neck.  Winter is hard.  This makes it so much better.  

Retail Price: £75.00

I have been a Like the Wind subscriber for many years.  It is such a unique publication; chock full of running related stories, poems and stunning photography.  I love to take my time with it, really soaking in the pictures that go along with the writing that, more often than not, is incredibly moving and poignant.  This year, they have created a special package that includes Issue #38 which will launch this month, a full year subscription to the magazine, a limited edition tote bag and a fun card for the recipient.  This one is a no-brainer for the runner in your life.


Retail Price: $99.95 (currently on sale)

As you may know, I am currently on a quest for the perfect headphones.  As someone who runs with music, the fit, sound, quality and battery life of my headphones must all be good in order for me to give them a thumbs up.  I have tried many.  And truthfully none have blown me away.  The Shokz OpenRun were just recommended to me by multiple people so I got myself a pair and gave them a try.  And I am not disappointed.  They are different for me as I usually have earbuds inside my ears and these sit on the outside.  But, this doesn't impact sound at all.  In fact, it helps me hear other stuff going on while I'm running which is super important for a plethora of reasons.  They are easy to use and so far the battery life has been stellar.  So, at the moment, these are at the top of my list.  And I'm a tough critic.  So, trust me, they're good.

Retail Price: $36.99

Okay, truth.  My husband and I are kind of obssessed with Slate milk.  He goes for chocolate but I'm a vanilla fan.  We both reach for them immediately after we run or workout for a quick boost of protein (20 grams) without all the sugar that tastes delicious.  Throw it in a blender with a banana and some peanut butter and your world will be rocked.  Can't recommend these highly enough for the active, health conscious person who's on the go.

Retail Price:$119 (currently on sale)

If you're like me, you don't want to spend money on underwear.  But, if you are also like me, there is nothing worse than a crappy pair of undies when you're running, hiking, skiing... let's be honest...ever.  Paradis Sport has created a sustainable, performance-oriented product that I feel good about wearing and feel good in.  Once you try them you will forever change your mind about how important the under layer is.  Buy the 5 pack for your running partner or break up the pack and put a pair in each stocking for the active women in your family.

Retail price: $44

Yep, the Runnerbox holiday box is on my list again.  It's so perfect I can't not include it.  Who doesn't want a box of joy filled with running related goodies?  All the products have been pre-tested by the crew at Runnerbox so they are guaranteed awesome.  And the amount of things they are able to stuff into this little box will blow your mind.  It's like a stocking in and of itself.

 ************* STOCKING STUFFERS ************



The items above are some of my favorite little treats that can be thrown in the stockings or all together in one big basket of amazingness.

NUUN Spiced Cider - It's apple cider.  It can served be hot or cold.  It's delicious.  And it NUUN. So it's awesome.  It's also a limited flavor so buy a bunch.
Trapstix Lip Balm - They're unique flavors of lip balm cleverly named after musicians like Gucci Mango, Post Melone & Wu Tangerine.  How can you not love these?
David's Tea - Buy the sampler, which has a variety of flavors like Candy Cane Crush and Jack Frosted Mocha, and put a different flavor in each stocking.  Or, buy a box of the Sweet Potato Pie, which is my favorite and give it to....yourself?
Landgrove Coffee Gift Card - Because it's Landgrove.  And, in my humble opinion, it's the best coffee.  And there are lots of choices.  Including a ton of flavors and fun merch.  So why not let them pick it out for themselves this year?

❄️❄️❄️❄️ RWM WINTER GIVEAWAY ❄️❄️❄️❄️



And last, but definitely not least, the annual RWM HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!  During this special season, there are so many amazing things for you to enjoy and/or to share with someone you love.  And sharing is caring, right?  As I did last year, I'm going to hold this giveaway over at RWM on Instagram as it's easier to have all the entries in one place.  All you have to do to enter is "like" the post and tag the person you'd like to share all these goodies with in the comments.  Yep, that's it.  I'd love it if you'd follow all of these companies, too, as I think they're amazing and worth your time to get to know, but I'm trying to keep my rules to a minimum as we all have enough going on right now.  If you're not on Instagram, that's ok.  Just shoot me an email and I'll add you to the drawing manually.  Huge thanks to all of the companies that contributed to this giveaway.  The vest will be shipped directly from Ororo.  The milk will be shipped directly from Slate.  The Six Minute Mile gear will be shipped directly from SMM.  Everything else comes from me.  Retail value of this prize package is over $500.00. US residents only for this one.  Good luck!

1 ORORO HEATED VEST (winner gets to pick color & style)
1 Holiday RUNNERBOX
2 Issues of LIKE THE WIND Magazine
1 Five Pack of PARADIS undies
2 tubes of Spiced Cider NUUN
2 NUUN Water Bottles
2 SIX MINUTE MILE Mugs
2 SIX MINUTE MILE t-shirts (winner gets to pick color & size)
1 12 Pack of SLATE MILK (winner picks the flavor of their choice)
1 lb Landgrove Coffee
2 Landgrove Coffee visors
1 Landgrove Coffee t-shirt
4 tubes of Trapstick lip balm

Listen to this:
newrules by Sjowgren