RACE REVIEW:WINTER CLASSIC 5K

Back on December 3rd, Kirsten and I (aka Team Bacon) tackled the Winter Classic 5K.  Kirsten has done a ridiculous number of marathons over the past 12 months; 5 or maybe 6, I've lost count.  I, myself, did four in 2017.  So, basically neither of us has trained for or even thought of a doing a 5K, unless we were using it as a marathon workout, in a really long time.  Thus, we were both heading into this with no expectations and only two goals...run hard and have fun.  Well, as much as you can have when you are racing a 5K, which in my case is minimal.  I'll just say right up front that it is incredibly freeing, both physically and mentally, to head into a race with absolutely zero pressure from a performance standpoint.  It's been a while since I've raced for fun (again, fun being a relative term here) and it was a good reminder that I should be doing it more often.  It was a beautiful, crisp, clear morning when I got up and despite the fact that it was pretty chilly, I still made my way out to the front porch for a cup of coffee and a moment of reflection with Clover, forever on squirrel patrol, by my side.

The race wasn't set to go off until 9:30am which, given that I tend to get up around 5:30, gave me a whole lot of time to stretch, roll and just chill out.  Kirsten and I have done this race a few times and we tend to see everything from elite runners to jokesters dressed in reindeer costumes.  I didn't have it in me to sport a pair of elf ears or an ugly sweater, but I did try to get in the holiday spirit with a red and green outfit.  At one point I thought I might sport a race singlet but when I felt the temperature I quickly put the kibosh on that plan.  I ended up going with red pants and a green shirt, which you'll see later on.  Despite my lack of stress, I did try to get in the zone just a bit by laying out my gear out and playing some good tunes.

Around 8:00am, I scooped Kirsten up and we made our way over to Cambridge which, on Sunday morning, tends to be a quick and easy ride.  Added bonus?  It's also pretty easy to find a parking spot and we slid right in across from Flour, our post-race brunch spot with coffee and egg sandwiches already on the brain.  Mmmm.....coffee.  Sorry.  Focus, Rebecca.  We walked over to the race start, grabbed our bibs and shirts, dropped everything back in the car and headed out for a warm-up, which we definitely needed given the temp.  We chatted strategy as we cruised along, agreeing that it made sense to start off easy, then to see what the legs had in them in the second mile and finally to go for it at the end.  We share the same coach and he had reminded both of us that this would just be a rust buster and a good test for the legs but that we'd both be pretty wiped from marathon training and that was okay.  It's hard to get on the line of a race and not set the bar too high, even when it's not your goal race, so we needed this reminder.  After shedding some layers, we ran over to the start and tried to keep moving to stay warm as we waited.  This race series is a popular one and the organizers are super dialed in, so without incident, they were ready to rock right on time at 9:30.  Kirsten and I hugged, took our team pic and then we were off.

TEAM BACON

THE RACE

Mile 1:6:13

Given that my marathon pace tends to hover around 6:45, I felt that starting off at 6:20 pace was reasonable and aimed for that as I settled into the first mile.  Well, I guess you don't really 'settle in' to a 5K, but you get my drift.  A lot of fasties run this race and many of them flew by me.  I worked hard to reign it in and told myself not to follow them.  As a marathoner, I don't have a lot of speed in my legs and, as you can sense by now, the 5K is basically torture for me.  I've been known to crash and burn by mile 2 often, so given that I was trying to "have fun" I really wanted to keep my cool if possible.  I rolled through the first mile in 6:13, which was a bit fast, but my breathing was controlled and my body felt good so I didn't panic.

Mile 2:6:09

The beauty of this race is that the course is flat and fast.  If you're going for a PR, this is the place to do it.  Not that I had a personal best on the brain, but you know, I'm just saying.  I was still feeling pretty solid at this point and decided to crank it up just a hair to see if my legs would respond.  As you can see, I didn't push too much, just enough to reach the next group of runners and then I worked to settle back in and get my heart rate back down.  Don't get me wrong, I was starting to feel the inevitable 5K pain.  My breathing was getting louder and because it was cold out I started to feel it in my lungs.  But, that said, I had less than 2 miles left and found myself saying, Come on, Rebecca.  It's two freaking miles.  Suck it up.  I might have said it out loud.  

Mile 3:6:03

Okay, so now I'm on the pain train.  Everything hurt from head to toe.  I was no longer looking at my watch as I didn't want to add that pressure in during this last mile.  I just did my best to focus on the runners ahead of me.  I thought for sure I was slowing down as it was taking so much effort to hold on.  But then I saw the 3 mile marker and looked at my watch which said 18:18.  HOLY SHITE.  My 5K PR up until this point was 19:02 and I was sharp enough at that moment to realize that a new one, even if only by a second or two, was within reach.  Pressure back on.  I was hurting so bad but when I turned the corner and saw how little I had left to go, I just went into overdrive and let her rip.  When I crossed and stopped my watch I knew I was close to 19 minutes flat but wasn't 100% sure and didn't want to get too excited until I saw official results.  In the end, I got it, sliding in just under 19 minutes, but I went a long time before realizing this, so I'll keep telling my story.

Okay, so back to the pain train.  Thankfully the ride was over but, man, was it rough.  I stood and caught my breath for a few minutes; legs throbbing and lungs burning.  I'm pretty sure I said that I would never do another 5K again unless I was forced.  I say this a lot.  I grabbed water and continued to walk it off.  Very shortly thereafter, I saw both Kirsten along with several of my Oiselle teammates rolling in and ran over to congratulate them as I knew they'd rocked it.  As usual, it was an instant love fest because runners in general are ridiculously supportive of each other.  Add the team element and the positive energy is almost tangible.  We chatted and hung out for a bit before breaking off for a cool down, agreeing to meet up again at Flour for our hard-earned breakfast.

#sistersinsport

Kirsten and I slowly made our way down the street, continuing to discuss our races and noting the fact that we really didn't want to be cooling down at all as our friends who were already enjoying their coffee.  Fortunately, as I mentioned, we both have the same coach and with the whole accountability thing we couldn't, or I should say, didn't bail.  Kudos to us.  Finally, we got over to Flour and ordered coffee and breakfast, which, to be honest, was the main reason I went to this rodeo in the first place.  I should note that I still didn't know my official time at this point.  My watch had said 19:03 when I'd stopped it, but I knew I hadn't gotten it right on the nose at the finish.  As we waited in line our race results were texted to us from Racewire.  I looked.  Then I looked again.  I may have even looked a third time.  Why?  Because the results said 18:59 and I didn't believe it.  I've been working to come in under 19 minutes for at least 5 years.  I haven't been able to focus on it too much because of my marathon training.  But I have been chipping away at it as I've been trying to get faster in the longer distances.  So, every time I've lined up for the 5K, I've had that sub-19 on the brain.  And there it was.  After running 2 fall marathons and having done more mileage leading up to those races than ever before, at the ripe old age of 42, I ran my 5K PR.  If there was a better way to close out this year from a running standpoint,  I don't know what it is.  I've made 5 attempts, 3 of them in this year alone, to break the 3 hour barrier in the marathon.  Twice I've ran 3:00:XX.  I mean, talk about madness.  While my time for this race was only a 3 second PR, breaking that 19 minute barrier was still pretty exciting for me and good sign that, while I don't always feel it, I am getting a little faster.  Icing on the cake, really; a cake that I'm still baking as I train for my next marathon.  But, still, it's nice to have a taste of the sweet stuff ahead of time.  

For the most part, I love running and racing.  Some days are hard.  Actually, most days are hard.  But, we runners tend take pleasure in the challenge.  It's a weird kind of high, but when things go right, it never fails to lift us up and ultimately keeps us going after it.  The beauty, though, is that regardless of the outcome on race day, hanging with friends post-race...processing, unwinding, celebrating or maybe even forgetting....just being together; there's nothing better.  That is a key part of the package and keeps me coming back for more.  There is an individual component to running, but the community and the love and support that we get from and give to friends and teammates, it's priceless.  We do what we love.  For me, this is it.

Listen to this:

Live In The Moment - Portugal the Man

*** NOTE: WINNER OF THE  RWM 2017 HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY is JESS MILIUS.

BACON RUN

DATE: 1/19/16

TIME: 8:30AM

TEMP: 14℉

'FEELS LIKE' TEMP: 1℉

WIND: 20MPH (w/ 30mph gusts)

WORKOUT: 22 miles

HILLS: LOTS

ICE: EVEN MORE

SIDEWALKS: NONE

ANGRY DRIVERS: Avg rate of 3/mile

HONKS from ANGRY DRIVERS: 4

FROZEN (DEAD) SQUIRRELS: 1

NUMBER OF TIMES I USED THE 'F' WORD: at least 30 (probably more)

BRUSHES W/ DEATH: 1 (almost run off the road by an angry driver)

FROSTBITE: Highly probable

So, today I ran for BACON.  Well, actually, I ran because I'm training for the LA Marathon in February.  But, after stepping outside to walk the dog this morning and feeling the temp (painfully frigid) along with the wind (beyond brutal), I decided that I would be running all 22 miles specifically for the Baconator of the Week (BAW) Award.  What's that you ask?  The BAW is a prestigious award given out by friend and fellow LOOPSTER, Dave Schultz, to the runner who heads out to battle the worst winter conditions imaginable and makes it through to tell their story.  Well, damned if I didn't make it through.  It was touch and go.  And it wasn't pretty.  But, it's done.  And that is all that matters.  Quick play by play for you.  I started out at 8:30am on my own.  The shock of the first few steps was like nothing I've experienced in quite some time.  My face stung.  I couldn't feel my ass.  And my legs were on autopilot.  Typically I run my first mile at an easy 9 mile pace to warm up.  Today, I clocked my first mile at 7:55.  Not because I was going for speed.  Oh no.  I was so GD cold that I had to move faster simply to function.  Yes, it was that bad.  At one point I ran by a dead, frozen squirrel and I heard myself saying (out loud), "Tough break, buddy.  But, trust me, you're better off."  This made me wonder if I am certifiably nuts.  Don't answer that.  After about 6 miles, I stopped at my friend Kirsten's house to grab her for the next 15 miles or so.  She's training for a May marathon, so she's currently my running partner in crime.  THANK THE LORD.  When she saw my face, she asked me if everything was ok.  I just nodded and told her we should go before I thawed and had second thoughts.  So, off we went.  The sidewalks are really bad here in Winchester, so we had to run single file on the road for most of our journey.  As you can see from my stats above, we had a very high rate of angry drivers per mile.  They just don't like sharing the road with us.  Next time I might put a sign on my chest that says "I would rather be on the sidewalk".  But, I digress.  We chugged along at a steady clip, fighting the wind like nobody's business, often feeling like we were running in place which must have looked hilarious.  We also had a nice long stretch where the road was both icy AND sandy and the wind blew both steadily into our faces.  That was awesome.  After cluing her in on the BAW and my goal of winning it, she began to chime in every time we braved an element that would get us more points.  We both agreed that the aforementioned stretch should count for double points.  Of course, Dave will have to make the final call on that. Around mile 11, unbeknownst to us, my watch died.   Broken?  Frozen?  Who knows.  But, the next time we looked we had no idea how far we'd gone since our last checkpoint.  We almost cried.  I swore a lot.  We put our heads together and landed on a number of miles that we felt good about and kept going.  As we neared the end (miles 18, 19, 20), I stopped talking all together.  Kirsten could tell I was struggling and coached me in to the finish, giving me several much needed pep talks.  As we rounded the corner on mile 21 (15 for her), I told her that I probably would have died without her.  "Me, too." she responded.  And we laughed, because it was kind of true...."dying" being a relative term in running.  

1 mile to go.  Yay.

Kirsten took a quick photo before I left...for BAW proof.  Yes, I was as miserable as I look.  I said goodbye and headed home.  I live exactly one mile from her.  And here's the best part...to get from my house to hers is a straight shot on BACON STREET.  No joke.  BAW aside, we have called ourselves TEAM BACON since we started running together 6 years ago.  How crazy is that??  Seriously, if I win this award, I will be sharing it with Kirsten as she deserves it as much as I do.  And if we don't win, it's all good.  This run was a huge feather in my cap.  And it will only make me stronger.  Get ready LA.  I'm coming.  But first....coffee.  Mmmmmm.

BEST. COFFEE. EVER.

LISTEN TO THIS:

CONQUEROR - AURORA

RACE REVIEW:PHILADELPHIA MARATHON

"Believing in others is easy.  It's believing in yourself that's the real challenge."
~ Giuseppe Bianco

Fair warning, this is a lengthy one.  You might want to grab another cup of coffee before you sit down with it.  I'll start by reminding you that I had intended to run the Wineglass Marathon on October 2nd.  I won't rehash the story but, as you may already know, I was not able to race due to a freak accident involving my foot and a metal door.  I cried a lot and felt sorry for myself for a day or two afterwords and then I moved on because that's what we do.  A few days after that, I assessed my situation, re-set my goal and started over.  Because, that's also what we do, especially runners.  Six weeks later, I was gearing up for the Philadelphia Marathon.  I was not as ready as I'd been for Wineglass but, given that I wasn't even sure a fall marathon would be happening after my injury, I was fine with it.  I just wanted to race.  First and foremost, however, I would be focusing on my high school girls XC team as they would be running at the MA State Championship meet the day before Philly.  Do I realize how ridiculous it seems to work a marathon in around the biggest meet of the season for my team?  Yes, yes I do.  I was going to have to get creative to make it work.  Instead of riding the bus, I would need to drive to the meet, which would be starting at 12:30pm.  The girls would race, we'd wait for the results and then instead of sticking around for the boys' race and the awards, I'd have to head straight to the airport to catch my flight to Philly which was at 4:20pm.  It was not ideal.  But, the girls were totally on board with my plan as they knew how important this race was to me after having gone through the whole Wineglass debacle.  I'm a very lucky coach.  The LHS girls team hadn't won a State title since 2001.  This particular crew, however, had been running incredibly strong all season, especially during the weeks leading up to this meet and we had a very good shot and placing somewhere at the top.  It would take me a totally separate post to describe the race but basically the girls threw it all down, ran their hearts out and took the win (watch the post-race interview here).  It was beyond awesome and I can't even attempt to put into words how proud I was of them.  Not surprisingly, we went totally nuts when we found out, celebrating for a solid thirty minutes afterwords - screaming, jumping, hugging, crying, laughing, dancing - all of it.  When it was time, it was really hard for me to pull myself away from the celebration and say goodbye but I had a plane to catch and my own goals to chase the next day.

LHS GIRLS XC 2016 MA STATE CHAMPS

I made it back to Winchester easily and scooped up my good bud/running partner Kirsten who would be coming to Philly with me and running the marathon "for fun".  Yes, that sounds weird.  But it's true.  She wanted to get another marathon after Wineglass, which she'd raced while I cheered, and was ready and willing to be my wingman again.  Go TEAM BACON!  After a relatively painless flight, we landed in Philly and grabbed a cab to our hotel.  As we'd been doing regularly for the past few days, we checked the forecast to see what we'd be dealing with the next morning.  To our dismay, though not to our surprise, the forecast for Sunday had not changed and it was looking grim.  No rain, which was good.  But wind starting early and picking up throughout the day.  For the race start at 7:00am, the winds would be steady at about 15-20 mph.  Then around 9:00am, conditions were predicted to get much worse with gusts between 40-50 mph.  Maybe they'd be wrong, Kirsten and I hoped.  They weren't wrong.  When we got out of the cab, as if on cue, the wind picked up and hit us dead on.  Note Kirsten's hair below.  The wind machine effect is great for a photo.  For a marathon?  Not so much.

Super model wind hair

We were trying hard to stay positive but it wasn't going well.  We went to two different restaurants before we finally found a place to eat.  Everyone around us was talking about the weather to anyone who would listen.  Are you worried?  How bad do you think it's going to be?  Are you as nervous as I am?  I'd been almost stupidly excited to come do this race after all that I'd been through.  I was not as excited anymore.  After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for bed.  We'd arrived so late that we hadn't had time to get our bibs from the expo.  Fortunately, my dear friend and Oiselle teammate, Sue, had picked them up for us the day before and dropped them off at the hotel.  She rules.  We laid out our gear for the morning, taking a minute every once in a while to glance out the window and see the flags whipping madly.  We couldn't help it.  We went to bed nervous and full of dread, not the ideal mindset for the night before a big race but kind of unavoidable.  Our alarm was set for 5:30am and I popped out of bed a little early because the guy at the front desk had told us there would be coffee ready at 5:00 sharp.  I crept out of the room and beelined it for the breakfast buffet.  I'm sure you can imagine my devastation when I learned that the coffee was not, in fact, ready as they had promised. 

My conversation with hotel the staff member who was standing by the breakfast table:

Me: Good morning, Sir.  Where's the coffee?
Him: Oh, let me check on that for you.
Me: But, wait...I....they told us.....(my confused mumbling continued as he walked away)
Him: Ma'am, the kitchen said it would be ready at 6:00am
Me: No, no.  That won't work.  The race is at 7:00 and we need to leave by then.
(for the record, I was not the only one stressing and crying out in disbelief over the situation)
Him: (smiling) I'm sorry.  It's just what they told me.  I wish I could help you.

I didn't cry, but I came close.  Back up to the room I went.  Kirsten was in the process of waking up and I asked if I could turn the light on so I could use the Keurig.  We made some weak, nutty flavored coffee and sucked it down as we got ready to leave.  At 6:00, I let her know that I was going to go back downstairs for coffee and she could just meet me there when she was all set.  When I got to the lobby the coffee was set up and I ran over and and poured myself a cup, finally able to sit and relax a bit.  For like five minutes, actually.  Because, as I sipped, I noticed that there was only one bus out in front of the hotel which I thought was odd because there had been a long line of them only minutes before.  I went outside and asked the driver when the next bus was coming.  His response?  There are no more buses, Ma'am.  This is it.  And we have to go.  WHAT??!!  I told him I needed to grab my friend and my stuff and I'd be right back.  He was shaking his head NO as I spoke to him.  Sorry.  We can't wait for you.  Then we'd have to wait for everyone.  We've gotta leave now.  OH SHIT.  I called Kirsten and told her she needed to book it down or we wouldn't be getting a ride to the start which was over a mile away.  Just as she made her way through the lobby, I watched as the bus pulled out.  We bolted through the doors and made a run for it, hoping to catch it at the light.  I sprinted with my coffee in hand, which was spilling all over me though I refused to ditch it.  It was a ridiculous scene which we laughed about only minutes later.  I wish I had a photo for you though if Kirsten had taken one at the time I probably would have killed her.  We didn't get the bus, so we hopped in a cab and told him to follow it and we finally caught it at the next hotel.  Again, the bus driver told us to hurry up; that he wouldn't wait for us.  Good grief! I was searching madly in my bag for money to pay for the cab and was coming up dry.  Finally, I just looked at him in desperation and said something like  I'm sorry.  I can't find my cash.  PLEASE!!  We have to go or we're going to miss our race.  He rolled his eyes and said Ok, JUST GO!  We jumped on the bus and sat, both of us in utter disbelief about the events that had just unfolded.  I guess we got our warm up, I said to Kirsten.  Funny, kind of.

GOTHAM CITY

Minutes later we arrived at the start.  Sadly, the meteorologists had nailed it with the forecast.  It was windy and cold.  It was also dark and spooky out.  Kirsten and I agreed it felt a lot like doomsday in Gotham city and decided it was worth pausing for a photo before we moved on.  I had an elite bib for this race, which was a treat as they gave us a special tent with a heater in it so we could wait comfortably.  Not that I really needed it as by the time Kirsten and I hugged and said goodbye it was about 6:45 and already time to head to the start.  I found Sue when I lined up and reached over the rope for a hug which was an instant lift to my spirits.  She wished me luck and told me to get after it.  Okay, I thought, it's now or never.  Let's do this.

READY, SET....

(photo by Sue)

THE RACE
Miles 1-6 (6:47, 6:41, 6:38, 6:49, 6:54, 6:38)
I was so eager to get going that when they finally sent us off I was almost giddy.  I was also nervous about the wind so I made a conscious decision to bank some faster miles up front while it wasn't as bad as it was predicted to get.  It's a huge marathon, about 30,000 runners.  We ran through the city for the first couple miles and the crowd was thick so the wind wasn't a major factor yet.  I was cautiously optimistic that things might go okay so I tried to settle in at my goal pace (6:50) or a little faster and just glide along.  After all the stress of the travel and the crazy morning that we'd had, it was nice to just zone out and run.  My body was happy.  I was happy.  I felt good.  I enjoyed these miles a lot.

The hills

Miles 7-14 (6:36, 6:53, 6:34, 7:00, 6:53, 6:47, 6:54, 7:00)
Mile 6 was uphill but Sue and some other Oiselle gals were at the top and their cheers and smiles got me super fired up.  Mile 8 was up again and this one was long and steady but I was still riding high and feeling good so I just dug in and kept at it.  Somewhere in this section I had linked up with a gentleman who was running a similar pace to mine.  We ran step by step and hit a steady groove for a while so I just stopped looking at my watch.  Bad idea.  He was a really cool dude, offering me water after he got his own, checking in on how I was feeling, even looking to make sure I was still with him if I was out of his line of sight.  After a couple miles, I asked my new partner what his pace goal time was.  I'm going for a 2:55, he told me.  Uh oh.  This isn't good, I thought.  I truly believed I had a shot at a decent time, maybe even a PR, but given the weather, I was 100% sure that a sub-3 hour marathon was not in the cards for me and that I should definitely not be running with this guy anymore.  So, I backed off and let him go.  I told myself three things at this point: run your own race, reset your head and try not to panic.  My average pace was still hovering around 6:50 but the damage was done and I would pay for it later.

Cool running guy

Miles 15 - 19 (6:56, 6:57, 6:56, 7:05, 7:25)

Miles 15-19 were along Main Street and as I headed toward the hairpin turn at mile 20 I watched as the elite athletes passed us on the other side of the street.  I was both inspired and envious and really, really tired.  The wind, which had been steady but bearable, was now a much bigger factor.  It had picked up and was coming at us from all directions.  Each big gust was a major mental and physical blow.  

Pain train in the wind

Miles 20-22 (7:45, 7:38, 7:33)

My legs were now feeling heavy and my energy starting to deplete rapidly.  At mile 20 my battle to the finish began.  I was giving myself lots of pep talks now.  Come ON, Rebecca.  You've run on tired legs.  You've got to stay strong.  You want this.  Let's GO!!!  And while I still had some fight left in me, my legs were making some other, very different, decisions of their own.  At mile 22 I saw Kirsten.  At this point I knew my PR goal (sub 3:04) was long gone.  I was struggling big time.  And everything hurt.  But, still, I smiled because I thought it would help.  And between her encouragement and the change in my mental state, I managed to power on.

Mile 23-26.2 (7:36, 8:11, 8:09, 7:55)

The wind was at full force now.  As I ran, I specifically thought of my daughter when she was learning to ice skate at age 2.  She was using a crate for support and while her little legs were moving as fast as they could go she wasn't actually getting anywhere.  This is exactly how I felt when the wind bore down on me.  I had used up almost all my energy during the first 2 hours and had run several miles at a pace that was just too fast for me to hold so I had absolutely nothing in reserve.  This was it.  But, as I shuffled along, I knew, at the very least, that I would be able to finish.  All my training, getting through my injury and then ramping back up again; all the mental and physical hurdles that I'd gotten myself over to get to this day.  Those were pulling me through.  I was able to cross the line with a smile on my face.  And while I wasn't thrilled with my time I was really proud of my effort.

Final time: 3:08:29

I headed straight for the tent to grab my bag.  It was so cold that my teeth were chattering and all my limbs were shaking.  I found my bus and settled into a seat happily soaking up the warmth.  Kirsten texted to let me know she was about to cross the line and that she'd meet me at the hotel.  For the record, she rocked her 9th marathon and truly enjoyed herself from start to finish.  So awesome.  I sent a note to my coach with my results, letting him know that I had been worried about the wind and taken a risk early on and that it hadn't played out as well as I'd hoped.  I told him that I was bummed with my time but happy that I had been able to fight it out until the end.  His response was this:

"You went for it and if the wind was down early, I don't have any issue with you going for it as long as you could.  I don't think you had a realistic chance of a PR let alone sub 3 in that weather.  You should feel good about the effort and that you had the courage to go for it."

As I'd told my own athletes to do just the day before, I, too, had stepped up to the line with no fear.  I'd trusted my training, as broken and weird as it had been after Wineglass, and I truly believed in myself.  And because of that, I finished.  The marathon throws out all kinds of challenges beyond the race itself.  We can do everything perfectly leading up to race day but we can never be 100% prepared.  It's the nature of the beast and why, as my coach always reminds me, more people don't do marathons.  It's also why, I'm now fully convinced, I keep coming back for more.  In the end, the challenge is the reward.  No matter how it plays out, good or bad, there will always be another battle waiting to be fought.  And I'm nowhere near ready to put down my sword.  EN GARDE.

Listen to this:

Escape - Tongues.

The Battle

As I've previously mentioned, hills and I, well, we don't tend to get along.  My running teammate and I have been battling them out together for over two years.  I can not deny the fact that before I met her, I rarely tackled them unless it was absolutely necessary.  I have learned, however, that if one is planning to run the Boston marathon, or any hilly race for that matter, it is definitely good to get some hills in during training so as not to go into shell shock when they hit.  Through the years, I've started calling them "the beasts".  "How many beasts are in our workout today?", I often ask my teammate.  Our team name happens to be TEAM BACON, named after Bacon Street in Winchester, a very slight but long and steady incline that we tend to finish our runs with because we don't have a choice.  Such a sneaky little beast it is.  Today, my trusty teammate happened to be on vacation and I had to tackle a nasty hill workout on my own.  I had told her I was dreading it and she reminded me that it is those situations where we don't always have what we need that tend to make us stronger.  Ok, ok, I get it.  This morning I set off wearing full armor.  My watch, because despite how slow my pace is going up the hills, it's always fun to see my pace as I'm flying down as it helps to boost my confidence.  My new 'running' sunglasses; which I recently purchased because I read that it's good to wear them when it's bright out so that you're not squinting which helps your face to relax and, as a result, the rest of your body.  At this point in my life, I'll try anything if it's going to help me relax while I'm running.  And my iPod, which was acting as my much needed teammate.  I was ready for battle.  And today, I actually won -  I fought those beasts head on and I took them down.  And when it was over, I celebrated my victory, as winners like to do, with an enormous coffee that cost more than a new pair of shoes.  These battles, they are worth fighting as they do make us stronger.  Onward!

Listen to this:
Burn It Down - AWOLNATION* 
and
Osaka Loop Line - Discovery**

*Heads up: there is some inappropriate language in this song.  But, man, did it get me up those hills!
**This one has a steady build, much like the hills.  Ideal for the long ones.

Thank You

RUNNING...

The theme for an art exhibit at the Arlington Center for the Arts - 
perfectly sums up the marathon experience for me.

Next week, barring any treacherous weather situations, I'm running my 6th marathon.  Every marathon I've done has been a totally different experience, from the training all the way through to the race itself.  This time around, my experience has felt more like a team effort than a solo mission.  Perhaps it's because I've been coaching high school cross country and track to an energetic group of girls who love running.  Or, it might be because I'm blogging about running on a regular basis.  Or maybe it's because my network of fellow runners has grown exponentially since I started running marathons six years ago.  Regardless of the reason, this particular journey has been different and in some ways, more fulfilling.  I have felt incredibly supported by a variety of people including my family, friends, and coaches as well as by some specific companies, their products and the people behind them.  Before I even get to the finish line, I feel like I need to throw out some words of gratitude to a lot of these people for all they have done for me and/or given me over the past four months.  This marathon thing...it's, well, it's a beast.  And there are only a few people out there who both understand why we take them on and can appreciate what they do for us.  To all of you out there who rode this crazy wave with me, thanks.  What an 'marvelous journey' and 'unexpected adventure' it's been.  Cheers to the next one; wherever that may be.  Feel free to come along.

THANK YOU....

~ To my husband, for his unconditional support and understanding of my crazy running habits.

~ To KH (aka Team Bacon) - for running with me, talking about running with me, bitching about running with me, being an amazing running partner and and being an incredible friend.

KH & I after the Providence Marathon last May.
We were most likely planning our next one in our
 heads while this pic was being taken.

~ To Oiselle, for including me as a member of such an amazing group of women who share my passion for the sport.  And for helping me keep my running wardrobe fresh and ridiculously stylish.

~ To Coach Ladd for providing advice, support and humor and helping to keep my feelings of doubt and worry at bay.

~ To Greater Boston Running Co. in Lexington for providing great running gear, emotional support, good humor, a fun place to hang out and most importantly my PR shoes (fingers crossed).

PR Shoes - John hasn't
let me down yet!

~ To John Lui - for running with me.  I know it hasn't happened yet, but I might as well thank him now.  And if for some reason he isn't able to make it, then for being with me in spirit bc I know he will.

They all hugged us after
this 20 miler.

~ To Patty and her team at the Winchester Starbucks for supporting my insane coffee drinking habit.

~ To dailymile, for keeping track of the 450 miles I've run over the past 4 months and linking me up with other runners who are doing the same thing.

~ To Trampas and Pedro at New Balance for aiding me with the transformation of my running form which has helped me become a more efficient runner and most likely kept me injury-free (knock on wood).

~ To Apple's iTunes for supporting my music exploring, sharing and purchasing habits.

~ To my daughters, Rosie & Grace, for both understanding & not giving me a hard time when I have to run instead of skiing/playing/hanging etc. with them.

This is a cute shot but if you ask them, they'll   
tell you that watching the race is boring, "especially
the long ones".  They are REALLY good sports.

~ To Pediatric Dental Associates of Winchester for letting me use their bathroom on my long runs.

~ To Coach Greg McMillan for creating a plan specific to me and my goals that was both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

~ To my friends, family and all the RWM readers who listen and respond to my stories, complaints and issues without questioning why I continue to put myself through it over and over again.

~ To my legs and feet for carrying me and my head for helping me keep it all together (sort of).

Regardless of the outcome of this race, thanks to all of you for being who you are and doing what you do.

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this: 
Let It Go - Dragonette

2015:A YEAR IN REVIEW

Dear RWM Readers,

As I look back on 2015 I'm realizing two things.  First, it was yet another amazing year.  And  second, I am so insanely lucky.  For me, it was a wild and crazy ride; as runner, a mom, a coach and a new and very proud 40 year old (also known as a "Master" in the running world - I love that).  It's funny, each year seems to get just a bit nuttier and hell of a lot more fun as I get older.  I love that, too.   Many thanks to all of you for sharing the adventure with me.  Here's a quick look back at some of my most memorable moments as well as the music that inspired me along the way.  I'll look forward to reconnecting with you in 2016.  Until then, rock and run on.

All the best,

RWM 2015

JANUARY

Blizzard #1 (of 4) in MA

ALBUM:Candy - BØRNS

SONG:Hanging Around - Charli XCX

FEBRUARY

Rosie (age 10) ripping it up at Cannon Mountain

Franconia, NH

ALBUM:Control - Milo Greene

SONG:Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf) - AWOLNATION

MARCH

LHS spring track begins.  And it's still snowing.

ALBUM:Our Own House - Misterwives

SONG:Get Behind This - FLOR

APRIL

BOSTON MARATHON

Oiselle Pre-race Meet up & Dinner

ALBUM:RUN - AWOLNATION

SONG:Let It Happen - Tame Impala

MAY

Glen Doherty 5K with Grace (age 8)

Winchester, MA

ALBUM:Froot - Marina & the Diamonds

SONG:Colors - VÉRITÉ

JUNE

WALKWAY MARATHON
Poughkeepsie, NY

ALBUM:The Helio Sequence (self-titled)

SONG:The Shade - Metric

JULY

LAKE WINNEPESAUKEE
Meredith, NH

ALBUM:Dancing at the Blue Lagoon - Cayucas

SONG:Animal - HAERTS

AUGUST

OISELLE BIRD CAMP
w/ my #birdsisters, Ashley & Nicole

ALBUM:My Love Is Cool - Wolf Alice

SONG:Dreams - Beck

SEPTEMEBER

NH Reach the Beach
NH State Parks

ALBUM:XOXO - Family and Friends

SONG:The Emotion - BORNS

OCTOBER

MOHAWK HUDSON MARATHON
TEAM BACON

ALBUM:JR JR (self-titled)

SONG:Alive - Sia

NOVEMEBER

LHS STATE TEAM

4th Place MIAA All State Finals, D1

ALBUM:Second Site - Hey Rosetta!

SONG:Cannonball - Skylar Grey

DECEMBER

CAMBRIDGE WINTER CLASSIC 5.45M

& Oiselle Meetup

ALBUM:Light Me Up - Bronze Radio Return

SONG:Water - Ra Ra Riot, Rostam

RWM DAILY SONGS 2015

When In Doubt, Do

In October, my teammate and I ran a 5K in Plymouth, MA.  It was hot, humid, and the course was hilly.  Let's just say conditions were not ideal for a personal record.  At the end of the race we were both a bit frustrated with the outcome.  We were determined to run one more 5K before the end of the year with hopes of getting better weather, a flatter course, and ideally, with those factors working in our favor, a faster time.  So, we went ahead and signed up for a race on a Sunday morning in December not thinking, at the time, about the fact that this would be during the holiday season which typically goes hand in hand with late night festivities.  This past Saturday afternoon, my teammate saw my husband and told him that she was likely to bail on our race, which was the following Sunday, because she was so tired and wasn't feeling up for it.  I talked to her later that evening and we decided that, despite the fact that we were both low on energy and going out again that night, we would go ahead and run and just treat the race like a regular workout.  We decided we would attempt to have fun and try not to worry about the results.  When I got home at midnight, I looked to see if she had texted me with a change of heart, which we both said we might do, but there was no message, so we were still on.  I picked her up on Sunday morning and though we were both fully committed by now, we were both pretty wiped out and neither of us had high expectations.  At the starting line, we smiled, high-fived, laughed a bit and off we went.  I'm guessing that something about our approach to this race released some of the pressure that we tend to put on ourselves and set us free to run just for the hell of it.  We both finished with faster times than we've had all season, feeling totally elated and stronger than ever.  It was truly amazing.  Chances of this happening for even one of us that morning were slim to none, but you just never know.  It's normal to question whether it's worth doing something when there are so many variables that lead us to believe it might not fall into place that way we want it to.  My new philosophy in this case - when in doubt, do.

As a side note to this story, my teammate decided to listen to her iPod during the race, something she doesn't normally do.  Afterwords, she mentioned that the music helped her out and that it will likely be something she adds to her routine from now on.  She specifically said, "I loved listening to the cheesy, pop songs when I was running because they made me smile and that made me go faster."  Amen to that.


Listen to this:
Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun  


and in honor of Team Bacon:
Ain't Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph & the Family Band 

It's Friday - Reader's Pick

From Kirsten H.  Go Team Bacon.  Thanks for sharing!

Listen to this:
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings  

I like You So Much Better When You're Naked - Ida Maria  

It's Friday - Reader's Pick

Today's pick is from Kirsten H.  She is both a dear friend and loyal teammate and I often look to her for inspiration and advice.  She definitely keeps it real which I find incredibly refreshing.  She likes this song because it's got so many different elements to it - groovy horns, unique solos, complex rhythms - and this keeps her mind entertained while she's on the road.  Especially when she's running a 5K in oppressive heat and humidity at 6:00 at night as we did yesterday.  Go team Bacon!  She also likes it because it's funky, fun and fresh without all the foul language and inappropriate subject matter that so many rap/pop songs have today.  Just basic good stuff.  Thanks for sharing, Kirst!

Listen to this:
Pump It - The Black Eyed Peas