RACE REVIEW:SUPER SUNDAY 5K

 "Time I listen
Time I restart
Time to live in every present
Time I switched up
Time take

Chase every second"

'Wait For It', Salute

Back on Sunday, February 12th I lined up for my first race of the year; the Super Sunday 5K.  I also happened to be turning 48 that same day so for my birthday I would be running my least favorite distance.  For fun.  Happy birthday to me.  Clearly not my first pick, but it was a Whirlaway team event and I like to be a team player when I can plus several of my friends were doing it and my coach basically told me I didn't have a choice.  So there's all of that, too.  I was up in NH the night before celebrating with some friends so I had to get up and jet back down to Cambridge at the crack of dawn to make it to the race on time.  We had a lovely evening with friends so this was absolutely worth it.  As always, I laid my gear out the night before and set multiple alarms for the early shift.  Note my bib number.  We were allowed to choose our numbers when we registered.  I freaking love this concept and wish we could do it more often.  I'm guessing many of us would happily take all the extra magic we can get when it is offered to us.  Obviously I went with 4141 for double the magic.  Side note, 41 is my favorite number and the story is too long to share here but I'm happy to tell it to anyone who's interested at any time.  Despite not loving the 5k because it is short and ridiculously painful I was super excited about the number and this defintiely cushioned the blow.

The race start was 10am but I was out the door at 6:30am because I'd been told that parking for this race was nuts and that it was wise to get there on the early side.  No need for the added stress of something controllable like parking.  It was quite chilly at this hour and my car was frozen over so I had to do some thawing and scraping before I took off.  Normally I would complain but I had my new handy, dandy glove scraper that Rosie and Grace gave me for Christmas so I was all good with it.  I'm super cool. 

Despite the cold it was a beautiful morning and once I hit the road and my coffee started to kick in I was feeling quite chipper.  The drive was a piece of cake and I rolled into Cambridge right around 8:30.  Parking was indeed a bit of a shit show and after doing several laps I ended up pulling into a garage which was less than ideal mainly because I wouldn't be able to bring most of my stuff with me and then drop it back at the car as I usually do.  Whatever.  I got up to the street and found the line to get my number which was very long.  I waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  Literally, no movement.  I was starting to get stressed as my teammates were heading out for their warmup and I could do nothing but continue to wait.

See the woman looking around my shoulder.  That was all of us.  We could not believe how long it was taking and there was absolutely nothing any of us could do about it.  Good times.  Finally, I got my bib and swiftly moved out to get a couple miles in.  The Whirlaway crew had already left but my friend and fellow Lex coach, Devon, was also racing and he, too, was in line so I told him I'd run close by so he could join me when he was ready.  Well, that happened to be never because I'd finished 2 miles running back and forth on the same two blocks by the time he was finally good to go.  The race is huge, over 6000 people.  But still, what the hell with the bib allocation.  There has got to be a better way.

The temperature was pretty mild, in the mid-40s.  But there was also a cold wind.  I struggled to figure out what to race in and finally landed on my singlet and shorts.  I'd brought a blanket from my car since I couldn't go back and forth as I knew I'd probably want the extra layer as I waited in the start chute.  So, I just went ahead and wrapped it around my legs as I did my pre-race strides because I was cold and could have cared less how dumb it looked.  Which turned out to be very dumb.  Hopefully I made some people laugh at my expense.  That's always a good thing.  I made my way over to the line just before 10am, found my teammates and snuck in next to them.  Lauren loves the 5k about as much as I do which you can see from her expression below.  It was nice to finally be surrounded by my buddies after a solo warmup.  It was also freezing and we were bouncing around like jumping beans ready to get the party started.  

THE RACE:

I've been in a marathon buildup since November and didn't have much speed work under my belt prior to this race so I didn't quite know what to expect.  I'd asked my coach, Ruben, whether he thought a 6:00 - 6:10 effort was realistic and he thought it was so that's the number I had in my head when we started.  But, as always with a 5k, the thought process went immediately out the window after about 10 steps because, holy shit, people take off so fast and it becomes just a "hold on for dear life" situation almost immediately.  What I've learned after a few of these is that looking at the watch isn't really helpful.  It's 3.1 miles.  You just run fast and then try to run faster.  Every mile hurts.  It's just a matter of leaning in and sending it.  

And that's basically what I did.  With my eyes closed, of course.  Which I have mastered.  You know the whole running with your eyes closed thing?  Yep.  Really good at it.  As my friend Steve says, race pics aren't really my thing and more often than not I look like I am dying or severely struggling.  Which I guess is pretty much true to the situation.  You gotta appreciate the fact that I keep it real, right?  There's honestly not much else to say about this one.  I did not check my splits.  I don't even remember mile markers.  I just ran my face off and hoped for the best.  And I was pleasantly surprised to finish in 18:29, which was just a tad faster than Ruben and I had predicted.  Always trust the Sensei.

Overall, I was very happy to run a time that was right around my personal best despite being a year older.  Take that, Father Time!  I was also very happy that it was over because it just hurt so much.  As it always does.  Again, happy birthday to me.  After I finished I found Ruben (above) and then waited for Devon (below) who was doing the 5 mile race.  I happen to be coaching Devon for Boston and this was part of his training.  He absolutely killed it running just under 30 minutes which exceeded our expectations.  We were both really freaking pumped.

We ran a couple more miles together and then did our cool down strides to flush the waste products in our legs, a critical piece of the puzzle for both of us.  Then we bundled up and went to get coffee at Starbucks; my choice because my birthday coffee was free and it had to be redeemed on the actual day.  And you know I was taking advantage of that offer.  We sat and sipped for a while neither of us having anywhere urgent to go and me loving the fact that the race was over and my coffee was on the house.

All in, it was a pretty good little day.  I'd run hard.  Spent time with friends.  Done better than I'd hoped.  Had fun.  Kind of.  And then enjoyed the fruits of my labor.  And then after all of that, I got to head back home to spend the rest of my birthday with Jeff and the girls.  Which I was very excited about; both to be with them and to eat cheeseburgers and ice cream with them.  Real talk.  I did complain about the distance.  I can't help it.  I probably always will.  But I truly love the whole process.  It brings me so much joy for so many reasons.  Racing, that is.  And coffee.  

Listen to this:

Wait For It by Salute

salute · Wait For It

THE PLACES WE....RUN

"You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose."

Oh, The Places You'll Go!,  Dr. Suess

As you may know, marathon training takes up a lot of time.  And regardless of what kind of runner you are, if you're training for a marathon, you're likely going to make an effort to get your miles in.  That said, you also have to live your life.  And most of us are really freaking busy.  Maybe you have a full-time job that requires travel.  Maybe you're a parent with multiple kids and a pet.  Maybe you're a student with two jobs.  Maybe, like myself, you are some combination of all of these things - mom, two jobs, two dogs and elite sock finder.  And I'm really good at the sock thing.  I'm also currently training for my thirtieth marathon.  And what I have learned over the years, sometimes the hard way, is that life, my non-running life that is, usually has to come first.  Because marathon training is a choice.  An "extra", if you will.  For me, at least, it's family first, job second, a few other things third, fourth and fifth and then the training.  And when I don't prioritize life, the critical day to day things very quickly start to fall through the cracks.  That said, if I'm able get all the important regular life stuff done and I still have time for the training, regardless of where I am, who I'm with or what we happen to be doing, I'm going to try and make it work.  Take last Monday, for example.  Jeff and I were out in Utah with some friends for a ski weekend.  This is our second year going and we're hoping to make it a tradition.  So, in this case, friends and family first.  Marathon training if possible.  On our last day, we got up very early in order to shovel out our car which was buried due to the over two feet of snow we'd gotten over the past 24 hours.  Well, Jeff and Chris shoveled.  Full credit to them.  Anyway, the roads to get out of our rental house and to the airport were wicked sketchy so we decided to just get up early and go to avoid any issues.  We arrived at the SLC airport around 7:45am and our flight wasn't until 10:30.  Now, normally I wouldn't have considered going for a run in an airport terminal.  But, I had not been able to run the day before because the roads were legitimately closed for avalanche blasting.  So, I was itching to move.  I asked one of the Delta employees at the gate if they thought it would be okay if I went running in the terminal.  He said, "Sure.  Why not?  People run for their flights all day.  And I power walk all the time.  Just stay out of the way if you can and you should be fine."  Done and done.  Off I went to the tunnel that connected Terminal A to terminal B, probably about a quarter mile long.  I put on my tunes and started my run.  I got lots of odd looks but more smiles and "good jobs" than I expected.  I managed to get six miles in.  And it was really fun.  Seriously.  Likely because it was something new and different and both I and the people around me were getting a good kick out of the scene.  For the record, when I finished I washed my face in the ladies room, changed my shirt, grabbed an iced coffee and made sure I was in acceptable shape to sit next to my husband and a stranger for the next four hours.  Because I'm crazy but I do respect other people's space.  So, yea.  This has to go down as the weirdest place I've ever trained.  Would I do it again?  No question.  That said, I am now officially on the hunt for a crazier place to lace up.  Stay tuned.  

TOP 5 WEIRDEST PLACES I'VE EVER RUN

1. Salt Lake City Airport.  You already know this story.  By far the best, though.

2. At the top of a hotel in South Africa.  Our family had been in Botswana and Zambia for Christmas. I hadn't run for 2 weeks for obvious reasons.  Mainly lions.  This was our last night.  I felt like garbage.  But I loved every minute of it.

3. In my basement during Covid.  Meg McDonald of the Amity Island Running Club based on Martha's Vineyard threw out the indoor mile challenge and I jumped right on it.  I did lots of dumb things during Covid.  This was definitely one of them.  I regret none of them.  

4. The driveway of our AirBnB in Eden, Utah.  That's right.  We were on the same ski trip a year ago and we stayed on the mountain.  Literally.  The only road available was along the mountain itself which really wasn't an option.  So, I ended do many, many laps in our driveway which was about .2 miles long.  Good times.  

5. And last, but as I said, definitely not least, Lot 2 in the town of Alta this past weekend.  Twice.  Lifts didn't start running until 9:15 and it really didn't get light out until about 8:30 so I had ample time to run circles in the dark.  I was out there with Alta security who was checking cars to make sure people hadn't camped overnight, which I guess happens often.  I was more than pleased to have someone out there with me.  Both runs were lovely.

Listen to this:

Oh My - Luude (feat. Moby & Issey Cross)

LUUDE · Oh My (feat. Moby)

2022 A YEAR IN REVIEW

 "The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all."
~ Josiyah Martin

Dear RWM Readers,

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who followed along on my journey again this year.  With Covid somewhat behind us, life got back to normal in many ways or perhaps we got into our groove of whatever the new normal is and found a rhythm there as well.  Not gonna lie, it was a heck of a year.  Rosie and Grace entered Senior and Sophomore year in high school which, as you can imagine, completely blows my mind.  We started and have officially ended the college process with Rosie who is now waiting to hear back from all of the schools she applied to.  That was a hell of a challenge for both of us, but mostly for her.  And she handled it beautifully.  Grace ran cross country this fall and successfully knocked two minutes off of her 5K time by the end of her season.  If you ask her today, she'll tell you she still hates running and does it purely for the social.  I know, however, there is a small part of her that enjoys the challenge even if it's not while she's running but when she's done and reflects on her effort and what she has accomplished.  Stay tuned on this one.  I think the passion is rising, albeit slowly, and I will obviously be reporting back.  That said, I will say nothing at all that puts pressure on Grace or to indicate how thrilled I am that she is running because that would be very not cool of me and I need really to be the chill mom on this one.  The Lex ladies absolutely slayed as usual both in track & field this past spring and in XC this fall and are continuing to build on that now as winter track begins.  Not a day goes by that I don't realize how lucky I am to be a coach for this incredible group of humans.  And, last but not least, I was able to squeeze 11 races in this year.  Two marathons, two halves, two 10ks, a 5k and a sprinkling of other random distances.  I had an absolute blast in both my training and my racing as I really just embraced each moment for what it was and gave everything I had for that particular day with the main goal across the board being to have fun and not take competing too seriously.  I ran personal bests in everything from the 5k to the marathon at the spritely age of 47 so I must have done something right.  I'm super grateful to my coach and teammates who have supported me along the way as I know I wouldn't have gotten to this next level on my own.  And, of course, to my family who never questions my crazy and always has my back.  I hope all of you had some experiences this year that brought you joy and perhaps changed you for the better.  Best wishes as you embark on this next year.  May we all have another wild, crazy and wonderful ride. 

All the best,

RUNNING WITH MUSIC 2022

JANUARY

Ran the Super Sunday 4 Miler. By far the coldest I've ever been while racing.

JANUARY ALBUM:OMG I MADE IT - PRONOUN

JANUARY SONG:STEPPED ON A BEE - MISTERWIVES

FEBRUARY

Grace turned 15 and remained sassy

FEBRUARY ALBUM:DEADPAN LOVE - CAUTIOUS CLAY

FEBRUARY SONG:SURVIVE VHS COLLECTION

MARCH

New Bedford 13.1 & new half PR & yes I look like I am going to puke.

MARCH ALBUM:LP3 - HIPPO CAMPUS

MARCH SONG:NEXT TO ME - JIM-E STACK

APRIL

Cheap Marathon & new marathon PR which I owe to a stranger with licorice.

APRIL ALBUM:PAINLESS - NILUFER YANYA

APRIL SONG:TIEBREAKER - THE HEAD AND THE HEART

MAY

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL Middlesex League Champs

MAY ALBUM:GIVING THE WORLD AWAY - HATCHIE

MAY SONG:BIGGER LOVE - MILKE & BONE

JULY

BAA10K & new 10K PR & came very close to puking

JUNE ALBUM:INSIDE OUT - TOURIST

JUNE SONG:TURNED UP - MIKE POSNER

JULY

Cape Cod & hottest summer on record which was super fun for marathon training

JULY ALBUM:SHAPE & FORM - TWO FEET

JULY SONG:THUNDER - JAGUAR SUN

AUGUST

Falmouth Road Race & no PR but, again, very close to puking

AUGUST ALBUM:ALL WE'VE EVER KNOWN - JAGUAR SUN

AUGUST SONG:EVERY NIGHT - FLOR

SEPTEMBER

First day of school #sniff

SEPTEMBER ALBUM:FORMENTERA - METRIC

SEPTMEBER SONG:LIFT OFF - LABRINTH

OCTOBER

Chicago Marathon w/ my girl CB

OCTOBER ALBUM:COOL IT DOWN - YEAH YEAH YEAHS

OCTOBER SONG:BEEP - M.I.A.

NOVEMBER

Rosie turns 18 and the girls agree to take a photo with me

NOVEMBER:CRYBABY - TEGAN & SARA

NOVEMBER SONG:WATCH HER GO - BIEN

DECEMBER

MILL CITIES RELAY - TEAM CHAMP & last race of the 2022

JANUARY ALBUM:NO RULES SANDY - SYLVAN ESSO

JANUARY SONG:GRATEFUL - MARTIN LUKE BROWN

Listen to these:

RWM SONGS OF THE MONTH 2022

2022 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE & WINTER GIVEAWAY

"It's not how much we give, but how much we put into giving."

~ Mother Teresa

If you've been following this blog for a while you probably know that the holiday season is far and away my favorite time of year.  I love everything about it.  The lights, the festivities and most importantly the giving of gifts.  I get ridiculously excited to dig deep and find goodies for my family and friends that I think they'll like. I also have a really, really hard time keeping them a secret.  It's something I've always struggled with since I was little.  My sister could always get me to crack and tell her what I got her no matter how hard I tried to keep it to myself.  But, I've gotten better.  A little.  Not really.  Just don't ask me, ok?  This year I am somewhat on the ball and have my annual RWM Gift Guide ready to share with you on the early side for a change.  So, as you're making your lists of things to give or that you might like to receive, which in my humble opinion is both acceptable and encouraged, perhaps these suggestions will help spark some ideas.  As always, I've tried to include a bunch of different treats that I think the runner, music lover, brother, aunt, sister's best friend's cousin....basically almost all of you will like.  I personally own, use and enjoy each item myself so I can pretty much guarantee that you or your recipient will be thrilled with any of these.  I've also put together another awesome WINTER GIVEAWAY that includes products from some of my favorite companies.  See all the details below and head over to RWM on Instagram to enter if you'd like.  Happy shopping.  And Merry Everything!

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

ORORO Quilted Heated Vest

Retail price:$189.99*

*Use code rtrax20 to save %20

Ok, so yes, an Ororo heated vest was on the list last year.  But this one is a little bit different.  It's quilted as opposed to puffy so it's softer and more fitted.  It also comes with a smaller battery that lasts longer and a charger that charges quicker.  So, it's basically last year's version but better.  I can't put into words how big of a game changer this is for all outdoor activities during winter.  It is a staple in my wardrobe and I never leave home without it.  The quilted vest comes in multiple colors and sizes and there is both a men's and women's fit.  Make sure to click on the above link & use code rtrax20 to save on 20% on your order.

RUNNERBOX 2022 Limited Edition Holiday Box

Retail price: $40

Runnerbox is best known for their subscription service in which one receives a monthly box that is chock full of products and accessories specifically geared toward runners.  The subscription in and of itself would be an awesome gift for the running enthusiast in your life who loves high quality gear.  They also offer several individual gift boxes and the 2022 Limited Edition Holiday Box is at the top of my list this year.  It comes with all the goodies you see above; basically all the stuff you want and nothing that you don't.  Click here for a full list and details on all of the specific items in the holiday box.

ATHLETIC BREWING Non-Alcoholic Beer

Retail Price:$14.99 for most six packs

*Use code RTRACHSEL20 to save 20% on your first order

If you love beer but you don't love messing with your sleep then your problems are solved.  Thanks to Athletic Brewing Co. you can drink good beer and then sleep like a baby.  These guys make insanely delicious, non-alcoholic beer that tastes as good, if not better, than most beers out there.  These are a daily treat for me when I'm marathon training and I want to have a beer with dinner but I don't want to compromise my health and recovery.  This is the perfect gift for the beer drinker, athlete or for anyone who enjoys treating themselves to a high quality beer. Make sure to use code RTRACHSEL20 to save 20% on your first order

LANDGROVE COFFEE

Retail Price:$16/pound

Coffee.  Because coffee.  And Landgrove Coffee has been and will always be on my list because in my humble opinion it is far and away the best.  It's also fairly traded, sustainably grown and purchased direct from the grower.  Basically, you know what you are getting and can trust that grower and his/her employees are receiving the benefit of all sales.  And the flavor of their beans is incomparable.  Who doesn't love coffee and won't want this as a gift? I can't think of one.

TIME LIFE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME: IN CONCERT
Retail Price:$119.96

So this is for the music fan in your life who wishes they could have gone to every Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony that's ever taken place.  Or who just appreciates good music from some of the most notable artists of our time.  This set combines the best performances of the past 34 ceremonies including performances that have never been heard before by artists including Stevie Nicks, The Cars and The Cure.  It also includes unique collaborations by artists such as U2, Fergie and will.i.am that will blow you away.  Or, at least, they blew me away.  I literally can't....stop.....listening.  You will win best gift giver with this one.  I promise.

NUUN Holiday Wellness Bundle

Retail Price: $22.50

Everyone needs this gift.  Athletes, music fans, moms, dads, teenagers; all of us.  This set has three tubes of NUUN specifically made to help you stay healthy and sleep well.  Need I say more?  I think not.

Raised On The 80s by Chris Clews

Retail Price: $19.95 on Amazon

I was so excited when I discovered this gem by Chris Clews.  I can't lie and say a lot of it isn't because I am a child of the 80s and have a special place in my heart for the music and movies that I grew up with. But for the young and old alike, there is so much funny, relatable wisdom in this book and I could not put it down.  I suggest you gift it along with a pen or highlighter as there was a lot of underlining for me as I went through it.  Fair warning, I laughed out loud.  A lot.  Like, embarrassed my daughter on the airplane, a lot.  Sorry.  Not sorry.

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

The items above are some of my favorite little treats that can be thrown in the stockings in addition to the things that Santa puts in there.  Obvs.

Landgrove Coffee coffee clips - keep your coffee fresh with these clips that seal your bag after you open it.  Then scoop our your beans with the spoon on top.  

Rumpl Beer Jacket - use it to keep your hands warm when you're enjoying a cold drink, beer perhaps, or in my case, iced coffee.  I use it every single day and keep it on my keychain so I don't lose it.

Squirrels Nut Butter - Because winter.  And chapped skin.  And chafing.  Which absolutely sucks.  And is not at all necessary.

Lexon Mino Speaker - tiny little speaker that doesn't sound like a tiny little speaker.  I keep mine in my travel kit and take it everywhere.

JellyBelly Sport Beans - quick, delicious energy on the go.

❄️❄️❄️❄️ RWM WINTER GIVEAWAY ❄️❄️❄️❄️

And last, but definitely not least, the RWM HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!  There are SO many great things for you to enjoy and/or to share with someone you love.  Because sharing is caring, right?  I'm going to hold this giveaway over at RWM on Instagram this year as it's easier to have all the entries in one place.  All you have to do to enter is "like" the post.  Then throw an emoji down in the comments that best represents your current state of mind to lock in your entry.  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 stuff on our plate at the moment.  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 beer will be shipped directly from Athletic Brewing Co.  If the winner lives in one of the states listed below they will ship a different product.  Retail value of this prize package is about $500.00. US Residents only for this one.  Good luck!

2 lbs of Landgrove Coffee

1 Landgrove Coffee T-Shirt

1 Landgrove Coffee Clip

2 Landgrove Coffee Visors

1 Ororo Heated Vest (M or W any size)

2 Tubs of Squirrel's Nut Butter 

1 Raise On the 80s Book

2 Athletic Brewing Co. Six Packs*

2 Packs Sport beans

1 NUUN Holiday Wellness Set

1 Rumpl drink blanket

1 Timelife Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:In Concert Set (see photo above)

1 Runnerbox Holiday Box (see photo above)

*cannot ship beer to Idaho, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas, or Michigan. 

Listen to this:

Grateful by Martin Luke Brown

Martin Luke Brown · grateful