ALWAYS LEARNING

"I am still learning."

~ Michelangelo

at age 87

Next week, barring any issues, I'll be running my 12th marathon.  In many ways, I have this whole training thing down to a science.  It's typically a four month cycle and while I do make small tweaks here and there, I rarely deviate from my standard routine.  You know the saying....if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  My workouts are basically the same (long runs, intervals, hills, track), I tend to use the same fuel (Picky Bars, NUUN, chocolate milk, coffee), and I always wear the same clothes and shoes (Oiselle, Skechers, Feetures).  This week, however, I've been reflecting on my past race experiences and I'm realizing that while much of my training typically does stay the same, there have been quite a few changes over the years, too.  I started running marathons in 2007 when I was 32.  Back then, I was running just for the hell of it; because I thought the marathon was a bucket list item that I wanted to cross off and be done with.  Today, despite the fact that I'm 40 or maybe because of it, my passion for running and racing has increased tenfold.  My goals are a bit loftier and my commitment to the sport is stronger than ever.  At the same time, over the past 8 years my body and it's response to running has changed quite a bit, my kids have gotten older and so much busier and my life, in general, is significantly less predictable and more chaotic.  So, I continue to do what works.  And I do my best to recognize what doesn't and embrace whatever changes need to be made so that hopefully it can.  In the end, we learn from experience and every single one of my marathons has presented something new.  As long as I continue to do them, I'm guessing this will always be the case.  Thank goodness.

MARATHON #12: KNOWLEDGE GAINED & LESSONS LEARNED

~ I need sleep. Lots of it.  And a hell of a lot more than I used to.  My 32 year old self could run, work, parent and then head out with friends for a night on the town.  My 40 year old self, not so much.  I can't train, much less function as a mom or coach when I'm running on fumes.  It's a recipe for disaster and a sure fire way to get sick.  

~ Recovery is critical.  I can no longer run 20 miles, jump in the shower and then throw some food in my mouth as I drive to work.  I need to allow time to cool down, stretch, roll, re-fuel and then do all the other stuff required of me.  If I don't, I pay.  Big time.

~ Food is my friend.  I absolutely have to eat breakfast and often a second breakfast before heading out for a hard workout or long run.  Coffee and a GU no longer does the trick.  If I don't get fuel in me, my body will literally shut down mid-run.  And that sucks.

~ It's okay to try new things while I'm training.  Case in point, I used to use vanilla GU only during my training and on the race course itself.  And if I didn't have it or couldn't get it, I would freak out.  This time around, I've tested at least 10 types of mid-run fuel.  GU, RunGum, Chews, Chomps, candy, all of it.  The beauty of this is that my stomach can now handle almost anything.  Thus, if I'm out of something at home (which happens a lot lately) or out for a run in a new location, I don't have to panic.  I can literally grab almost anything and I know it will work.

~ My kids are starting to get it.  At ages 10 and 8, they now understand, to some degree, why running is important to me.  Instead of giving me a hard time about leaving or not being able to make it to something because of a race, they send me off with good wishes, hugs and high fives.  When I come back, they ask how it went.  They're not always there in person.  I don't ask that of them or my husband these days.  But, they are there in spirit, as I am for them.  And that makes such a difference for me.

~ A long run is just a long run.  I used to dread the long run.  I built it up to this monumental hurdle that I couldn't possibly get over.  By the time it was time to head out, I'd be miserable before I even started.  In my last few training cycles, I've done multiple 20+ milers.  I wouldn't say I love them now, but I do get so much more out of them.  Because, really, when you break it down, the long run is just another run.  Sure, there are more miles to tackle, but the joy of running is still a big part of the run.  And when I look at it this way, I find myself looking forward to them which makes them a hell of a lot easier.  Sort of.

~ Just run the mile I'm in.   In the past, I would head out for a 10 mile tempo run and find myself thinking about miles 8,9, and 10 while I was running miles 1, 2 and 3.  As a result, some part of the workout would always suffer because of my lack of focus on the present.  This time around, I've learned to take each workout, break it up in pieces, and focus on the mile I'm in.  Because of this I've noticed the quality of work and my general enjoyment of each workout has increased dramatically.

And finally, I also learned that when my iPhone's camera lens is dirty because it has fallen on the ground and I have failed to take good care of it, it takes really cool photos. (see top photo of my glowing sneaks)  Who knew??  

Listen to this:
3AM - RAC (feat. Katie Herzig) or listen w/ 

JUST THE BEGINNING

Edgehill Running Club

Last year I started a running club for the girls in my neighborhood and their friends.  We meet down at the middle school track every Sunday during the fall and do a quick and easy workout together.  The girls range in age from 8 to 12, so their levels of ability and stamina are all over the map.  And this is totally fine.  Ultimately, what I'm trying to do is teach them to love the sport and all it has to offer physically, socially and emotionally.  I don't want them worried about their pace or what place they are in.  The goal is to build their strength over time while boosting their confidence along the way.  And, of course, to do it while having as much fun as possible.  As these girls start to enter into the middle and high school years, I know from experience that life starts to get significantly more intense and often overwhelming.  Running can be such a positive outlet for them during this time.  It definitely was for me and it's a big reason behind why I wanted to start the club.  My daughter, Grace, who is 8, is one of the younger girls in the group.  Last year, she kind of giggled and shuffled her way through practice each week, not really caring or paying attention.  Unless she was causing a distraction, I just let her do her own thing.  The fact that she was down there with us was enough.  This year is a bit different.  She's a little older, a little more into sports and a little more aware of her ability as an athlete.  She's still silly, often asking to do things like run her final lap karaoke style, but she's finishing the workouts and doing them right, even focusing a little, which is really nice to see.  But, while I know she loves being there with her friends, I can safely say she's not very into the whole running thing.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I signed the whole family up for the Glen Doherty Memorial 5K.  Doherty grew up in Winchester and, among many other things, served in the military as Navy SEAL.  Sadly, he was one of four Americans killed in a terror attack in Benghazi, Libya.  The charity was created to aid in providing current and former special operations professionals, from all branches of the government, the means necessary to transition and succeed in civilian life.  We explained it to our girls and told them it was something we felt good about being a part and that we wanted to do the race together as a family.  Grace grumbled and mumbled about it, telling us she didn't want to do it, that she couldn't run more than a mile, that she didn't even like running.  We nodded and told her we understood and that she was going to do it anyway.  True to our word, Sunday morning, we all headed downtown to the race....together.  Originally, the plan had been for me to run with Rosie and Jeff to walk/run with Grace.  When we got down there and started putting on our bibs, Grace decided she was going to run with me instead.  Really Grace?  You sure you want to do that?  Because if you're going with me, we're going to do the whole thing, no complaining.  Are you game for that?  Yeah, yeah. I'm sure, she claimed.  I didn't believe her, but I decided to roll with it, at least for the beginning.  We lined up at the start, listened to announcements and a very endearing version of the national anthem and then we took off.  Grace grabbed my hand, overwhelmed by the crowd, and started running.  It's definitely a bit tricky to hold hands and run, but shortly after the start, she let go and cruised ahead.  And then she kept cruising.  I didn't have my watch on, but I knew she was going too fast.  She was trying to keep up with Rosie and her friend Carly and they, too, had started off pretty fast.  Girls, I yelled, do you think you can hold this pace for the whole thing?  You might want to ease back a bit.  Not surprisingly, they ignored me and kept running.  Grace started to ask me when we would get to the first water stop.  She probably asked me about 10 times and I continuously told her it was "just up ahead".  I had a feeling that once we stopped for water, we'd be walking.  I was quietly hoping the complaining wouldn't start up at that point, too.   Just after mile 1, she grabbed some water, had a sip and poured the rest on her head and then she raced off again.  I was floored.  Wow, Grace.  You are rocking this.  I think you can run the whole thing.  Maybe you can even place in your age group.  I told her.  Now, I know this goes against what I said above about learning to simply love the sport and not focusing on whether you win or lose.  But this is a kid who admittedly doesn't like running and didn't want to race, so I thought it might be just the motivator she needed to push on to the finish.  She looked up at me with big eyes REALLY?? And then we had the following conversation for the next half mile or so:
Grace: Wait, Mom, have you seen a lot of other 8 yr olds running?
Me: I really haven't, Grace.  You are definitely one of the younger ones in the group.  You might even get a prize.  
Grace: If I win my AG will you buy me a toy giraffe?  
Me: No.  
Grace: Why not?  
Me: Because that is ridiculous.  
But a kid is a kid and I didn't want to completely burst her bubble so I offered her ice cream instead and she was happy with the compromise.  At this point we're almost to mile 2.  We grabbed more water, she took a sip and poured more on her head and then we were off again.  Meanwhile, I was thinking, holy crap, Grace has run 2 miles without stopping except for water.  And I'm trying very hard not to show how stupidly excited I am for her.  This is the home stretch, Grace.  We just have to run around the green and back to the town hall and we're golden.  You ready to finish strong?  To which she replied.  I can't be stronger.  My legs are too tired.  I chuckled.  Ok, Grace.  Let's just finish.  We can do it.  Finally, we rounded the corner and we could see the glittery pom poms of the Winchestser cheerleaders at the finish line.  Grace picked it up and bee lined it in, crossing the line in just under 30 minutes.  It was amazing.  I hugged her and told her, again, how fantastic she'd done and how proud I was of her.  She was tired, but she was smiling and I could tell she was really excited.   Rosie and her friend Carly rolled in shortly after Grace and me and we all grabbed snacks and drinks and then sat and relaxed in the shade, the post-race bagels and granola bars being almost as good as the race itself.  The girls were talking all about the race, how hot it had been and how their feet "felt like they were burning at the end".  My favorite line of the day came from Carly who claimed,  It was so cool.  At the end  of the race I felt like I was flying.  That gave me chills.  We eventually learned that Grace took 2nd in her age group which she was very pleased about.  We stayed until the end so she could grab her award which happened to be a pint glass.  It's a bit of an odd choice for a kid's prize but she didn't care.  She'd earned it.  Later that evening, during dinner, I asked her whether she was psyched to try racing again.  Her response?  No, mom.  It's way too tiring.  That made me smile.  But, as she drank her water from her prize winning pint glass, touching it every once in a while just because, I couldn't help but think that this was just the beginning.

Grace, age 8

Final time: 29:25

Listen to this:

Up Up Up - Waters or listen w/ 

RACE REVIEW: NH REACH THE BEACH RELAY

“Teamwork is the secret that make common people achieve uncommon result.”

~ Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha 

Ok, so, assuming you're a regular reader, you've got a sense of what goes into preparing for the Reach the Beach Relay.  If not, you can check it out here.  Now, I will now do my best to explain how this outrageous event unfolds; at least, from my perspective.  If you are just tuning in, the New Hampshire New Balance Reach The Beach (RTB) Relay is a 200 mile race, typically done in teams of 12 runners (though, there are some ultra teams) that starts in the beautiful White mountains and ends at Hampton Beach and takes places over 24 hours.  In the winter, I work up at Cannon Mountain, a ski area located in Franconia Notch State Park, which is how I connected with the New Hampshire State Parks team.  This is my 3rd (and their 4th) year running together.  Since I live down in MA and most of my teammates live up in NH, this event actually starts a day earlier for me as I have to get myself up to NH with enough time to check in with the team at the race start on Friday morning.  It's not a big deal, it just means spending the night with friends on Thursday night to avoid potential issues.  Fortunately, everyone on my team welcomes me with open arms, so it's never an issue to find a bed.  This year, I stayed with the Klenes who live in Manchester.  Grant has run with the team each year and Mary has either run with us (while pregnant) or skipped out on account of her babies being born, so she's made 2 out of the 4.  We'll see what happens next year.  Not only was it fun to catch up with Grant and Mary, but I also had the good fortune of getting to chill with her two little ones, McKenna (age 2) and Jack (age 5 mos) which I was thrilled about.  McKenna and I got into a serious game with Polly Pockets and I may have kept her up a little later than usual because I just love Pollys.

Ok, that's a lie.  In truth I couldn't get enough of McKenna, who is so damn cute and hilarious.  I loved that she continuously reminded me to brush my teeth throughout the entire evening.  I think we ended up going to bed at the same time, around 9:00pm, though I'm pretty sure neither of us wanted the party to shut down.  The next morning, Grant and I got going at 6:00am sharp.  Along with eating breakfast, we had some final packing to do and wanted to make sure we weren't rushed.  Plus, I needed time to stop for coffee so that was also factored in.  Around 7:00, we headed off to Concord where we were going to meet up with part of our team in one of the vans and drive up to the race start together.

In Concord, Grant (hands up) and I met up with Mike (red shirt), Michele (big smile), our driver, RJ (reindeer costume), Ben (green sunnies) and Adam (white tee).   From this alone, you can get a sense how seriously we take this race.  We then headed out to grab Stacey, who is not in the photo above and was not happy about it.  For the record, I thought we should wait and Grant told me to just post it because there would be so many more.  So, it's Grant's fault.  To make up for it, I'm throwing in this very bizarre shot of Stacey and me feeding a banana to Adam who happens to be wearing a horse mask.  Again, you see how things are unfolding here.  We haven't even made it to the start of the race yet.

We arrived at the Bretton Woods ski area around 9:30am and met up with the rest of our crew.  We all went to the required information session given by one of the race directors, then re-grouped and gathered up all of our team gear (blinky lights, headlamps, reflective vests, etc.), decorated our vans (paint, magnets, posters, stickers), 

passed out bib numbers, packed up all our gear, got into our uniforms or, in RJ's case, the yeti costume,

and finally headed back up to see Mike, our first runner, off at the start.  The RTB crew has official photographers and kindly took multiple shots of our team.  I'm sure they are all lovely.  We then proceeded to take our own team photo which is a bit more reflective of our team's mindset and energy level at the time.

At 11:15am, Mike took off with all the other first runners from the groups who were seeded around our pace.  We watched him run up a mountain, literally, and then got ready to hit the road.  Since my group was in Van 2, we wouldn't be running for a few hours, so we just cruised along, making stops during various legs to cheer on our runners in Van 1 and take pictures.  Our team represents all of the NH State Parks so we made an effort to get pics at each one that happened to be along the route.  Like this one at Crawford Notch State Park.  

LEG 7 : ECHO LAKE 
10:30AM, 7.3 miles, HARD
Finally, it was time for my first leg.  I was runner 7, the first in the Van 2, so I would be doing legs 7, 19 and 31.  It was now about 85 degrees out; a perfect temp to bust out a 7+ miler on mountain roads.  Or not.  Actually, after seeing all my teammates from Van 1 run their legs, I was more than fired up to get started at this point.  Our first year we were not allowed to listen to music but this year it was just strongly discouraged.  Translation, if you want to listen to music, go for it.  If I had to guess, I'd say about 80% of the thousands of runners on the course were rocking out.  

I grabbed the bracelet from Michele, pumped up the jams, and took off.  Despite the heat, I felt awesome.  My van stopped twice along the way to give me cheers and high fives which lifted my spirits and kept me rolling.  I flew into the next transition area and made a smooth pass to Grant, who would be running the next leg.  Not to brag or anything, but we nailed it.

The logistics were too tricky for Van 2 to get to me by my finish, so my friends in Van 1 scooped me up after this one.  One of the few drawbacks to this race, other than the lack of sleep, is not being able to spend time in both Vans along the way, so I was pumped to get to hang with my peeps from the other van, aka Tan Van.  They also had AC and Van 2 didn't, so that was an added bonus.  Once Grant was done with his first run, I switched back to Van 2.  Now, I would get to sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery as I waited for my next run which wouldn't be until the middle of the night.  One of the best things about running this race is all of the incredible places we get to stop along the way.  The White Mountains and its surrounding areas are stunning and getting to take that all in is such a treat.

Sunset at White Lake State Park

Around 9:00pm, we made a quick pit stop at Scott's condo in Moultonborough which is conveniently located right off the course.  This was a chance for us to shower, eat some food (though most of us didn't eat a full dinner because we'd be running again in 4 hours) and grab a few hours of sleep, which was really just a mean tease.  About 7 seconds after I started to drift into dreamland, Will, our driver, knocked on my door and told me to get a move on because I would be running in less than an hour.  OMG.  Thankfully, Scott has a Keurig and Grant brewed me up a cup of Folgers Vanilla, which was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.  Despite the caffeine jolt, this was how I felt post-nap.

Did I feel like I could run 7-9 miles up a mountain at this point?  Nope.  Did I have a choice?  Again, no.  Off we went to catch up with our teammates from Van 1 who would be passing off the bracelet and then doing exactly what we had done.  Was I jealous that they were about to get a few hours of rest and we were just starting?  You have no idea.  From 6:30pm until the next morning, all the runners were required to wear reflective vests, flashing lights on the front and the back, and a headlamp.  It feels a little weird, but at the same time, it's really cool to look out and see a sea of lights everywhere.

Taking directions from Will about my next leg.

LEG 19 : SOMEWHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS (Wild Card)
12:30AM, 7-9 miles, VERY DIFFICULT
My second leg was the hardest for several reasons.  First, I would be running it after midnight.  Second, I had slept for only 2 hours since I had woken up at 6:00 that morning.  Third, it was pitch black out.  And last, it was up a mountain.  I decided I wouldn't blast my music for this one because I wanted to just take it all in and enjoy the serenity.  But, as I got closer to my start, I decided I needed a little distraction to get me through the climb, so I put on Regina Spektor very softly and then headed out into the night.  At about 5 miles in, I hooked up with a gentleman named Tim.  We started chatting and realized that we had a friend, my teammate Scott, in common.  So, we cruised along together for a while, trading bits of information, such as where we were from and how many kids we had.  Around mile 6.5, Tim asked me if I was familiar with the route.  Even though I'd run it the year before, I told him that I didn't really remember the specifics.  Then he proceeded to let me know that a sharp turn would be coming up and after that I would facing a brutal climb to the finish.  So nice of him to keep me informed, right?  In truth, it was really nice to have him alongside me for a while as it made the run go much faster.  True to his word, I took the turn and headed up a steep slope.  Slow and steady.  Grant was finally in sight and I passed off the bracelet as he continued to head up the mountain.  Once I finished, I tucked into the back of the van for a few hours of shuteye.  We did make a few more stops along the way to cheer on our crew and take some pics such as this one at Bear Brook State Park.

But, aside from some conversations with Jewels and Grant about our Gatorade chews and candy and how freaking awesome they tasted, I honestly don't remember most of what happened between the hours of 1:30am and 5:30am.  With everyone's second leg compete, we now headed over to Adam's house for another reset session.  Again, we showered, we ate, and some of us slept or, in my case, passed out.  And again, 7 seconds or 2 short hours later, I was woken up by Will who told me I need to put wings on it because we needed to stop for coffee.  Well, I couldn't argue with that.  I got it all together as best as I could, threw some food in a tupperware and jumped in the van.  We stopped at a gas station where I proceeded to purchase and then consume the second best cup of coffee I have ever had.  I can safely say I was not alone in this.  

The combination of caffeine, the fact that we were almost done and the fact that I was beyond tired and thus a bit loco had me amped up and ready to bust out my last run which was going to be short and sweet.  

LEG 31 : KINGSTON, NH
10:30AM, 2.4 miles, EASY

Much to our dismay, it was already hot as blazes at 10:30 in the morning.  But, most of us had a short and relatively easy final leg so we weren't sweating it too much.  I say relatively because regardless of the shorter distances and lower levels of difficulty, all of these final legs were tough as none of us had slept and all of us had tired and sore legs.  Despite this, we were all ready to get to the beach and celebrate so the energy in the van was high.  I grabbed the bracelet from Michele and took off.  With only 2.5 flat miles to tackle, I went for it.  I had nothing to lose and I was so ready to be finished.  I passed off the bracelet to Grant with a huge smile spread across my face.  Hallelujah.  My work was done.  Now we just needed to drive to the beach to wait for Jewels who would be running our anchor leg.

I have to give Jewels, who's coming in to the finish shoot in the photo above, a huge shout out because she was the only one in our group who had to run her last few miles on sand.  Not hard packed sand.  Soft, mushy, hot sand.  BAD.  ASS.  We scooped her up and shuffled across the line together as a team.  Then we headed over to the ocean to get some final photos.  It's not typically this warm in late September, so we are not usually dodging beach goers at the finish.  It must have been really strange (annoying? hilarious?)  to see all these teams taking over, particularly ours with RJ in full Yeti costume.  Not that we cared.  We had successfully made it to the beach and we had survived.  It had been a wild and crazy ride and now our adventure was complete.  Another RTB Relay officially in the books.  There are no words to describe the feelings that were passing through me at the end of this road.  Elation, exhaustion, a little bit of sadness, and a sprinkling of madness all mixed together and lifting me up on a high that can be compared to very few others I've experienced in my life.  There is a reason we only do this once a year.  And while I'm still dog tired and incredibly sore, I'm already excited about our next one.  #GOPARKSGO

NH STATE PARKS TEAM

23rd place overall (out of 499)

4th place in the Mixed Open Division

Many thanks to the official RTB race crew, the volunteers, the police force and all the other people who put on this incredible event.  Huge props to our drivers, RJ and Will, who kept us on task and dealt with total chaos for 24 hours.  With gratitude to those at NH State Parks headquarters who support our team every year.  We couldn't do it without them.  And finally, to my teammates - Corey, Mike, Adam, Scott, Ben, Grant, Jewels, Kate, Stacey, Michele & Lily - you guys are f***ing amazing.  I love you all.  There are 75 state parks in NH.  I highly recommend that you get out and explore!  

Listen to this:

Here for You - Kygo, Ella Henderson or listen w/  

REACH THE BEACH PREP

Tomorrow, for the 3rd time, I'll be running the Ragnar Reach the Beach Relay with my NH State Parks team.  Twelve of us will be running 200 miles (3 legs each) over 24 hours.  Our first runner will start at the Bretton Woods ski area and our last runner will end at Hampton Beach.  It's always a wild and crazy adventure and I plan to tell you all about it when we're done.  In the meantime, I thought you might like to know what one packs for at event such as this one.  The amount of thought and preparation, both on an individual basis and as a team, is borderline insane.  You have to plan for every scenario including clothes for all weather conditions and food for all meals and make sure that you organize it in such a way that you can squeeze it into the back of van along with the gear that belongs to all your other teammates.  It's not easy.  It has, however, gotten a bit more systematic through the years.  Here's what I tend to end up with on race day.

NH RTB PACKING LIST

3 tanks

3 pairs of shorts

1 pair of sweats

1 pair of tights

4 pairs of socks

2 pairs of running shoes

1 pair of flops

1-2 hoodies (depending on current temps)

2 towels (one big, one small)

3 gallon size Ziplocks (for sweaty clothes after each leg)

1 trash bag

1 reflective vest

3 blinking lights (for night leg, typically around 2AM

1 visor

1 pair of sunnies

1 pair of arm warmers (in case it's cold during night leg)

2 tubes of NUUN

1 loaf of bread

1 jar of peanut butter

3 oranges

2 bananas

1 bag of pretzels

1 cooler (for water and chocolate milk)

1 box of cereal

1 roll of deodorant (this is critical)

1 toothbrush

1 bag of sweet treats (M&Ms and jellybeans)

4-5 Picky Bars

1 power outlet for car (for phone and computer)

1 iPod (not to run with...GASP...bc we're not allowed.  But to listen to music in between legs)

And I think that just about covers it.  At least, to start.  GO TEAM! (stay tuned....)

Listen to this:

Cut Me Loose - Royal Tongues or listen w/