St. Jude Memphis Marathon

I got all of my ducks in a row the night before.  (I say ducks because we’re staying at the Peabody…I quack myself up!)

Saucony Kinvara 5’s, Fleet Feet Racing Kit, Swiftwick Zero Socks, Oiselle Strappy Bra, and Garmin 620

Amphipod Handheld, Picky Bar, Gu, and Cocogo

Woke up at 5:30 for coffee and banana bread.  I’m superstitious about this pre-race breakfast.

Met up with my Run 4 Others friends at 7:30!  It’s so fun to do a destination race and still have so many friends.

Temps were in the low 50’s with a cold 15mph wind!

The race started at 8am.

After running the Flying Monkey Marathon two weeks ago, I wanted to go out easy.  I started with the 3:55 pace group.  I stuck with them for around 6 miles and realized I wanted to pick up the pace.  I really tried to run this race by feel.  I stayed talkative and gave lots of high-fives!

Here are my splits:

9:10, 8:46, 8:46, 8:27, 8:20, 8:50, 8:44, 8:43, 8:45, 8:35, 8:40, 8:39, 8:33, 8:23, 8:25, 8:26, 8:15, 8:08, 8:12, 8:16, 8:04, 7:58, 7:51, 7:52, 7:37, 7:34

You get to run through the St. Jude campus at miles 5 and 24.  I teared up both times feeling such gratitude for my health.

Finish Time: 3:41:42

I got really cold immediately after the race…probably from the strong wind.  I took a hot shower and ate pretzels in bed.

I loved getting to wear some of my race swag afterwards:)

I always crave chips and dip after a race (must be a salt thing) so I inhaled this spinach dip…

over a glass of wine!

Nutrition:

Gu 15 minutes before the race and then at miles 8, 15, and 21.

Cocogo in my handheld and sports drink at the water stops on the course.

Muscle Milk immediately after the race for recovery.  It’s not my usual, but it got the job done.

**I walked every water stop…still haven’t mastered the pinch the cup running technique.

Can you drink and run at the water stops?

What’s your favorite recovery/protein food and drink?

Do you have a reward food after you race?

#choosejoy

100% Chance of Run

Here’s my monthly and annual mileage update with one of my favorite race pics from the Flying Monkey Marathon🙂  It feels good to have another month in the books!

Track Tuesday.

Prep the night before…

Woke up to cold rain.

I put my stuff in ziploc baggies and hit the track.

I arrived early to get in some extra miles and felt a little nuts running alone in the dark, in the rain, in circles.  Luckily my friends joined me!

Here’s my before shot.  I may have been delaying the rainy run by taking a selfie.  Scroll down to see my after…

The workout:

4.5 mile warm-up

4 x 1200m (400 recovery jog)

(with the first 800m at tempo pace and the last 400m at 5k pace)

1 mile cool down

It wasn’t my greatest workout.  At one point we just started laughing at ourselves, because we were so wet.  It’s hard to run fast when you have squishy shoes.

Here’s my after shot…

My husband must love me…even though I look like that, because I came home to another awesome post-it.  Obviously, I married him for his artist abilities.

The rain never let up.  Luckily I put Body Glide everywhere.

Whenever I’m putting Body Glide on everything, I think of the Frank’s Red Hot Commercial!  Has anyone else seen these?  Body Glide—–>hot sauce.  It makes sense in my mind!

And it was the ultimate test for my favorite Asics Storm Shelter Jacket.  If it’s possible, I love it even more after today’s workout.  My tank that I wore under the jacket stayed dry.  Amazing!

Obviously I got distracted while working on this post…

And this is completely unrelated, but my friend Corrie gave me the most aweome mug to celebrate the Flying Monkey Marathon!!!

Do you ever do your speed workouts on the treadmill or do you prefer the track?  I avoid the treadmill at all costs.

Do you wear any special rain gear?

Do you keep track of your mileage?  How was your November?

Any tips for warming up after a cold, wet run?  My goosebumps wouldn’t go away even in a hot shower.  Shaving on top of goosebumps is not fun.

#choosejoy

Monkey Marathon Recovery

I had a blast running the Flying Monkey Marathon last weekend!  Can you tell?!

 

Because it was a long training run, I had to get my butt back into gear quickly this week.  Here’s what my “recovery” looked like…

Monday:

5 Miles

PiYo Hardcore On The Floor

The cutest shirts arrived at Fleet Feet!

I made this awesome Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad for dinner.

Tuesday:

6 miles with The Breakfast Club

They brought me my favorite cookies to celebrate the Monkey!

I ran a few more miles and did PiYo Drench.  This is my new favorite PiYo workout!

I received this email and had a little dance party for one in my kitchen!

I pulled some of my Vegetarian Quinoa Chili out of the freezer for dinner.  I think it’s even better reheated!

Wednesday:

Started the day with breakfast at the Perch with the hubs.

And had a solid 10 mile run.  I felt great especially considering it was 3 days post-marathon!

I made White Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars to take to Thanksgiving!  Big THANKS to my friend Corrie for sharing her recipe!!!  They’re so good and actually pretty healthy. I’ll post the recipe shortly:)

Thanksgiving Thursday:

I ran 11 miles.  5 of those were with this group for the Boulevard Bolt (my fave Thanksgiving tradition)!

Friday:

7 miles with my husband.  We both had heavy legs from lots of running and took it nice and easy:)

And now I’m prepped for Saturday’s long run.  My plan calls for 18-20 miles.

 

How was your Thanksgiving race?

What was the best thing you ate on Thanksgiving?  Mashed Sweet Potatoes

What’s your favorite workout DVD?  PiYo is the first time I’ve tried workout videos.

#choosejoy

 

Flying Monkey Marathon

I was really nervous for this race!  The Flying Monkey Marathon takes place on the road through Percy Warner Park.  It’s really hilly and the race forecast called for 100% chance of storms.  Here’s how it played out…

I didn’t taper for the race.  My coach (Mark Hadley at Maximum Performance Running) used it as a training run for an upcoming ultra.

Saturday:

I ran 8 easy paced miles.
Packet pickup (love the Hatch Show Print race poster!)

Pasta dinner

Sunday Race Day:

5am wakeup, banana bread and coffee,

And got ready for the race

I hid in the car to stay dry until the start.

Off and on rain for the entire race and an 8am start time.

I never really looked at my pace.  This was a training run for me and I just tried my best to stay conversational and run by effort.  That was easier said than done on these hills…

7200 feet of elevation change with lots of fun signs along the way

The water stops were run by local running stores and clubs.  It was wonderful to see friends at each stop!  THANK YOU to every volunteer that braved the bad weather!!!!

Here are some of Jobie Williams’ pictures from the Fleet Feet water stop.

I was also blessed to have some company during the race.  My husband joined me from miles 11-14 and my friends Corrie and Christi Beth helped me get my butt up the big mile 18 hill.

The hubs snapped these pics during his run with me 🙂

Because I had been running conservatively, I felt really strong.  Around mile 20, I decided to step it up a little and had a strong kick to the finish.  I was soaked, but didn’t care.  I was so happy to finish!

Results: 2nd Overall Female (3:54)  

You can tell I was shocked when I went up to receive my award 🙂  I surprised myself!

Nutrition:

Gu 15 minutes before the start, mile 7, 14, 21

Cocogo in my handheld and Gatorade on course.  Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) for 10% off at Cocogo.com!

Chocolate protein shake immediately after finishing.

And, some Monkey Cake!!!  The post-race was AMAZING!  Obviously, I was too excited about the cake and forgot to take a picture.

The whole race was really well organized with plenty of water stops and support.  Percy Warner Park is a gorgeous place to run.  Thanks to Monkey Trent for all of his hard work!!!  The whole day went smoothly.

When Jason asked me what I wanted to eat after the race, the answer was easy.  I had been dreaming of chips and queso the whole time!

My prize monkey had a front row seat for the car ride.  BEST RACE AWARD EVER!

And at dinner we celebrated….cheers!!

Did you race or long run this weekend?  Share!

Do you use races as training runs?  If so, do you start back with your training immediately after the race?  I’m supposed to get back at it tomorrow…fingers crossed.

What’s your favorite post-race food?  I always want Mexican food…it must be a salt thing.

My monkey needs a name!!!!  Do you have any ideas?

#choosejoy

Track Tundra

Monday:

We got our first “snow” during my morning run!!  8 miles.  (I know to a lot of you this is humorous, but I still get excited!)

After my run I took an Orange Theory Fitness class.  It’s such a fun way to cross train!

While I was out running errands, I discovered Toe Warmers!  How have I never seen these?  I haven’t tried them yet.  I wonder if they work while running or if they just get in the way?

For dinner, I heated some Tortilla Soup that I froze a few weeks ago.

Before bed, I did my first PiYO Core workout.  If I diligently do these dvd’s, will my abs look like hers?

And prepped for Tuesday Track…

Track Tuesday:

I knew it would be cold and it was!

I know it’s a cold one when I bust out the Wrightsock Double Layer Socks!  I wrote about them on my 10 Cold Weather Running Tips and Fave Gear List.

I wondered if anyone would show up, and thankfully Michael, Corrie, Shyla, and Alex were crazy enough to do speed work with me!!!

5 mile warm-up

8 x 600m (200 recovery jog)

Goal: 2:32  Actual: 2:34, 2:33, 2:33, 2:32, 2:32, 2:30

1 mile cool down

It was such a tough workout for me today.  I was working really hard and my legs just didn’t want to turnover.  Maybe it was from the cold weather.  At least I got out there, but it definitely didn’t help my confidence.

Last week, I wrote about my new favorite Hot Apple Cider Tea.

Well now, I’ve stepped it up and added some Mulling Spices.  IT IS SOOOO GOOD!

I was called out by @live.laugh.love.run to #stopdropandselfie on Instagram.  I still haven’t mastered this selfie thing.

For dinner, I made a kitchen sink salad…

pumpkin ravioli…

and a chocolate Shakeology shake! (I made it with dark chocolate almond milk and ice.  It’s SO good!)  Also, I’ve gone over a full week without my beloved vegan chocolate chip cookies!!

Must Read from Zelle:  Jenn Thompson, an ultra-runner, was bitten twice by a prairie rattlesnake while running leaving her fighting for her life.  I’ve been following her story for a while now and I am in awe of her determination to run again.

Have you done the PiYO workouts?  Thoughts? 

What’s your healthy alternative for your sweet tooth?

What’s your favorite cold weather dinner?  Right now, I’m craving grilled cheese and tomato soup!

#choosejoy

Miles and Music

Long Run Prep:

Whenever I’m running over 20 miles, I use it as an excuse to have a big bowl of Friday night pasta!

My brain doesn’t work early Saturday morning, so I make sure to have my ducks in a row the night before.

The all important coffee…I could write an entire post about how much I love my Nespresso Vertuoline.

Saturday:

I joined the Run 4 Others group again this week for 21 (very COLD) miles.

Great company made the miles fly by!

Without these Hot Hands tucked into my gloves, I’m convinced I would have lost a few digits.

When I got home, my very sweet husband had made steel-cut oats with my Gran’s peaches…so good!

We ran errands, bummed around the house, and watched the Cats lose:(  Thank goodness it’s basketball season!

Saturday night, we went to a St. Jude Songwriter Night Fundraiser.  I even put on real clothes…crazy!

One of the best things about living in Nashville is the musical talent!  Jenn Schott (one of my favorite run friends) is also a very talented singer songwriter.  She worked with the Run 4 Others group to organize a songwriters night to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Not only did we enjoy dinner and great music, but they raised a lot of money for the hospital!!  Sorry it’s a cruddy picture, but I loved seeing so many runners support a great cause!!!

My hot date!

Also, don’t forget that I’m running St. Jude Memphis on December 6 to raise money for the Children’s Hospital.  It’s not too late to make a donation.  No amount is too small!!!!  Just click the link:)  It’s for the kids:) You know you want to:)

Click HERE to donate!

Sunday:

The rain was supposed to hold off, but we woke up to a very wet and cold Sunday morning.  So…outdoor USMC Bootcamp sounded like a great idea!  Hills, pushup, situps, etc…

These folks made it fun!  Bonus: I finally got to meet a social media run friend, Julie Ulery.  She’s an awesome runner and has a new blog UleryRuns!

We decided that this is the appropriate outfit for cold and wet hill sprints.

It took me forever to thaw out.  Even Caroline was parked beside the heat vent.

The weather stayed nasty all day, so we put in some gym time.

I did a lot of TRX work.

And abs…

Needless to say, I feel like jelly after a day full of cross training.

Earlier this week, Dorothy Beal from Mile Posts posted this quote.  It has stuck with me, so I wanted to share it!

Did you race or long run this weekend?

How are you braving the cold weather?  

What’s your favorite dinner before a long run?

#choosejoy

The Russian Returns & Leading A Group Run

Monday:

6 Miles with girlfriends

Followed by an Orange Theory Fitness Class.  It was strength day…my favorite!

I baked a batch of Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies as a thank you gift for my physical therapist…I’ll type up the recipe this week!

I met my husband for dinner at J’s.  We shared the grilled artichokes,

and a flatbread,

before heading to the Trail Running Film Festival by Rainshadow Running.

It was a sold out show here in Nashville.  Check the link above to see if it’s coming to your city!  The films, the courses they cover, and the runners, left me wanting to push the limits of my distance running.  Truly awe inspiring!

I loved seeing all of the Ultra Dirtbag Swag!

Tuesday:

This week’s track workout was The Russian!  When I searched for images before sending the workout to our group, this crazy guy in the bottom left appeared and cracked me up/ scared me a little.  Perfect for The Russian!  Rayna even brought her own hat to the track…my friends rock!

My workout:

4.5 mile warm-up/ strides

3 x 300m (1:07 goal) with 60 second recovery between (My actual splits: 1:08, 1:08, 1:07, 1:07, 1:06, 1:07, 1:07, 1:07, 1:03)

800m recovery jog between each set

Repeat 3 times

1 mile cool down

After track, I headed over to The Juice Bar for my favorite green smoothie.

The Flying Monkey Marathon poster preview came out.  Fear is setting in.

I delivered the thank you cookies:)

These are a few of my favorite things…

And made a new recipe for dinner: Autumn Wild Rice with Kale and Caramelized Sweet Potato.   We loved it!  If y’all want the recipe, I’ll type it up:)

Lastly, here in Nashville we’re getting ready for Spring Marathon Training…can you believe it?!  Fleet Feet has a huge training group and they’ve been organizing pace leaders.

Here are some Guidelines For Leading A Group Run:

1.  Know the route using a GPS or mapping tool

2.  Outline the distance for the run and make sure it aligns with the goal of the group.  If your group has runners doing several distances, know good points for runners to break off to hit their desired mileage.

3.  Have current CPR and First Aid Certifications

4.  If you have a large group, determine whether you need a permit to run.  Try staggering the group start times to possibly avoid the need for a permit.

5.  For a large group, recruit key pace leaders and help runners identify their appropriate group.

6.  Setup water stations along the route.  Make sure to have enough water to support the size of the group.

7.  Designate a back of the pack runner/ sweeper who will carry a cellphone.  They can insure that all runners finish the training run and can call if they come upon an emergency.

8.  Make sure you have a name and emergency contact information for each runner.

9.  Have a sign in/out sheet for each group run.

10.  Make sure that the group follows the “rules of the road.”  Use sidewalks, run on the left side of the road, obey all traffic laws, etc…

11. Encourage the group to wear reflective clothing, especially if running in the dark.

12.  Never leave behind an injured runner.  Allow the group continue with their workout while you stay with the runner and call for help.

13.  Consider organizing a post-run social event: coffee, breakfast, etc… Most runner’s join a group for the social component!

These rules are paraphrased from the RRCA Guidelines.  Click HERE to see the full list.

Have you ever been a pacer during a race or training group?  It’s my favorite way to run!

Favorite cookie?  Mine is a molasses cookie that I bake during Christmas.

#choosejoy

Ladder Workout and Rad New Tights

Track Tuesday….Ladder Workout!

Monday night prep…

Up and down the ladder…

4 mile warm-up

Run at 5K pace:

400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 (400 recovery job between each level)

1 mile cool down

After our hard work, some of our track group went out for coffee. #mytribe

My iphone 5 finally kicked the bucket, so I had to buy a new one.  Amazingly, the transition has been pretty smooth.  I’m always terrified that I will lose my information.   I distrust the cloud!

I received my RunnerMarx shirt in the mail.  He has an awesome Instagram account and he sells these shirt to raise money for KaBOOM (a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all kids get a childhood filled with the balanced and active play needed to thrive). Very cool!  You can order a shirt HERE!

I made a big pot of homemade vegetable soup.  This is my husband’s favorite soup…recipe coming soon!!

I voted! (In my Ultra Dirtbag jacket of course!)

I bought this pineapple painting by Jen Ramos for my music room, because it’s pink and it’s a pineapple.  Do more of what makes you happy, yes?!!

I keep picking up acorns from my front yard and stashing them around the house…I LOVE fall!

Pretty flower by the kitchen sink:)

And lastly, I bought these kick-arse reflective tights from Fleet Feet Nashville this afternoon….swoon!  They’re Nike Flash Women’s Running Tights.

 

And a reminder to be kind to yourself:)

Do you have trouble when you switch from your old phone to a new one? I feel like I always lose notes or pictures, or contacts…

Are you doing speed work this week?  Share!

What’s your favorite kind of soup?

#choosejoy

What’s Next

So…I’m still nursing some Chicago soreness.  Icing my knee seemed like a great time to write this post.

I even took a rest day yesterday…crazy!  Who am I?!

I’m so glad I did because I was able to run again today. I met my friends on the track. I wasn’t able to do the speed work, but I did log 9 miles jogging around the track. I’ll take it!!

Tomorrow, I’m going to PT for the first time. Even though I’m starting to feel better, I want to be proactive and learn how to stengthen my knee for future races.

This down time has been good to focus on what’s next. Here’s my race schedule through January.

November 23. The Flying Monkey Marathon.  The course is crazy hard.  Hello hills! I’m not doing it with a goal time…just fun (if that’s possible)!

November 27. Boulevard Bolt. It’s our Thanksgiving 5 miler. My husband and I run it together every year and it’s one of my favorite traditions!

December 6. St Jude Memphis (half or full). I still haven’t decided which distance I want to run.  It just depends on how my body is holding up:)

BUT, I am running it as a ST JUDE HERO.  No family or child pays for their medical care, travel, housing…incredible!! The race actually runs through the St Jude campus. It is THE BEST reminder of why we run.  Any donation would be greatly appreciated….just click HERE.  No gift is too small.

January 3. The Pistol Ultra. I’m running the 50k. This will be my first paved ultra!

What’s up next for you?

Do you run races for fun or are you always racing?

#choosejoy

Chicago Marathon Day

I woke up excited to run!! I’ve never tapered properly until this race and I really missed running…a lot.

Temps were perfect for race day!

I bring my banana bread with me for destination races. It’s tried and true, and I enjoyed it in bed with a cappuccino.

Here’s the rest of my race prep. THANK YOU Fleet Feet for the throw away gloves!

Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) at Cocogo.com to save 10% off your order!

Don’t forget the all important Body Glide!

We bought passes for the hospitality tent. A little pricey but so worth it. We stayed a block away from the tent.

It was a nice warm place to sit down and drink some water before the race. I didn’t get to enjoy their yummy breakfast spread.

But it gave my husband a nice spot to hang out with TVs to watch the race.

The crowds were crazy walking to my corral but I found my 3:50 pacers and we started at 7:36.
It felt like we were running in slow motion. In hindsight I was probably a little too conservative, but I desperately wanted to have a negative split and finish strong.
As promised, the course was flat and the spectators were incredible.
I started my garmin and changed the screen to the clock view. It’s the first time I’ve run by feel. I trusted the pacers for the first half and picked up my pace around the mile 13. I didn’t look at my watch until mile 25.

Splits:
8:40, 8:26, 8:57, 8:28, 8:37, 8:35, 8:30, 8:58, 8:51, 8:50, 8:20, 8:31, 8:11, 8:30, 8:27, 8:25, 8:20, 8:23, 8:11, 8:21, 8:20, 8:08, 8:03, 8:08, 7:52, 7:42

Gu 15 mins before race, 1 hr, 2hr, 20 mile marker.
This was the most fun I’ve ever had running a road marathon!  Can you tell? 🙂

1st Half: 8:45

2nd Half: 8:15

After meeting up at the hospitality tent after the race, I came back to the room, took an ice bath and shower and I ate pretzels in bed. Guess I needed salt.

After some rest we had celebratory bubbles!

And dinner at Osteria Via Stato

Gnocchi and butternut squash ravioli

And brought a slice of fudgy chocolate cake back at the room!

Did you race this weekend? I’d love to hear about it!!
Have you run the Chicago Marathon?
How do you celebrate after a race?

#choosejoy