Uphills: The View from the Top

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Uphills The View from the TopIf you read my previous post you know I learned a lot about the sport of running at the Blueridge Marathon last weekend, but I also learned some important life lessons on those mountains that day.

The Blueridge Marathon in Roanoke, VA is known as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon” because of it’s 7,430 foot elevation change as it winds up and down the mountains surrounding Roanoke.

If you’ve been around this blog very long, you know I hate running hills. But over the last year I’ve been learning to love the hills and learning a lot of life lessons in the process.

After the start, the first 8 miles or so were straight uphill. As we trudged up the mountain I wondered who the heck thought it would be a good idea to put a marathon in the mountains. I also wondered what had possessed my husband to register us for this race. Continue reading →

Race Day: Running Smart

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Race Day Running SmartButterflies lived in my belly most of last week. I was more nervous about our upcoming race than any other race I’d ever run. The Knoxville Marathon three weeks earlier had gotten the best of both my husband and me. We finished, but it was ugly. Read about it here if you really want to.

I knew the Blueridge Marathon Saturday was going to be far more difficult than the Knoxville Marathon had been. It’s known as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon” for it’s 7,430 foot elevation change through the mountains around Roanoke, VA.

David and I had talked and strategized since the Knoxville Marathon, and we vowed to follow smart race strategies and not make the same mistakes we did three weeks earlier. Continue reading →

Learning to Love the Hills

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Learning to love the hills...I hate hills.  I’m a lazy runner.  I avoid hills at all costs.  Until last summer that was pretty easy to do.  We lived in the suburbs of a major city where there were beautifully paved (and mostly flat) trails everywhere.  Oh yes, of course, there were same major hills here and there, but they were easy to avoid.  I even checked the elevation of races before I signed up just to make sure I wouldn’t have to deal with too many hills.

And then my husband announced that we were moving because of his work.  There was no question about whether we’d go.  It was a big promotion for him and an opportunity to further his career.  I knew I’d miss my favorite running trails.  They’d become like trusted confidants.  But I was excited about the prospect of discovering new trails and running routes in our new city. Continue reading →

9 Tips to Run Your Best Race

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Tips to run your best race ever 2The marathon I ran last weekend in Knoxville, TN was a pretty rough race.  Here’s the full race recap if you’re interested.  WARNING: it was an ugly, miserable race!  You might not want to read about it.  After the race I decided I had two choices.  I could either dwell on the negative, or I could move on and learn from the experience.  Below is a list of tips for running a long distance race.  I hope the lessons I learned from last weekend will help some other runners.  And I hope I’ll be smart enough to follow my own tips for the next race.

1. Hydrate well for a couple of days before a race.

I try to drink at least 100 oz of water a day for at least two days before a race.  I try to drink at least four of these water bottles a day.  That adds up to just under 100 oz.


2. Stop drinking water about 6 pm the night before the race.

It’s okay to have a sip or two in the morning before the start, but any more than that and you’ll be more likely to find yourself waiting in line at the first port-a-potty stop. Continue reading →

Race Day: Celebrate the Tough Run

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YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO GIVE UP... fbIt’s been nearly a week since race day.  I was too tired the first couple of days to even think about sitting down and writing about it.  And since then I’ve used every excuse in the book to avoid writing about it because, quite honestly, it stunk.  I really don’t even want to think about that race again….ever.  It was THAT bad.  But life isn’t all about the ups, and sometimes it’s the downs that help us grow and show us what we’re really made of.  So, here goes…

Race morning was much colder than I wanted….a chilly 24 degrees.  If you’ve been around me much, you know I don’t like cold weather running.  But since I haven’t figured out how to order up the perfect weather for each race, I decided to dress in layers and make the best of it.

My husband, our two teenage boys, and I made our way to the start line together.  It was great to have the boys with us. Continue reading →

Tough Runs, Life, and Moving On

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Run DeterminedYesterday’s run was “only” 12 miles, a nice break from the 16-22 mile long runs of the last several weeks.  David and I have officially entered the “taper” period of training.  We hit our maximum distance last week, and now we’ll gradually decrease the mileage until race day

Speaking of race day, it is exactly two weeks from today.  Yikes!  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t VERY nervous about this race.  This will be my fifth full marathon, and I should know what I’m doing by now.  But I’m more concerned about this race than any of the others including the two I ran while pregnant with our last baby.

While I’m not sure exactly why this one is so different, I know at least part of it is the training.   Continue reading →

22 Miles, Little Ones, and Life Lessons.

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2015-03-07 12.38.53Yesterday was our last long run before marathon day.  We knew our Saturday schedule was going to be crazy with kids going in different directions, so we had to get creative to carve out the time to get in such a long run.  The plan was to get up early and start running by 6 am and run close to David’s work.  Since it was cold we’d run the first 11 miles outside and finish the last 11 in the gym on the treadmills.  At the halfway point Rebekah (our oldest) would bring the kids to the gym where David’s work was sponsoring a health and fitness expo for kids.  When they arrived at the gym David would take Rebekah to the airport for a 12 pm flight while I started the treadmill part of our run.  He would then return and jump on a treadmill.  While we did the treadmills the older kids would help with the younger ones at the the health and fitness expo.  We’d be running in the workout room right next to the gym they’d be in.  We’d be right next door.  It was a perfect, well thought out plan.  What could possibly go wrong? Continue reading →

Some Days I Hate Running

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This is me after a particularly tough run. I might still be laying there if David hadn't convinced me to get up.

This is after a particularly tough run. I might still be laying there if David hadn’t convinced me to get up.

Let’s just keep it real, folks. If there’s one thing I want this blog to be…I want it to be real. So, here goes…..some days I hate running! Even though I’ve crossed the finish line of many races over the years, running doesn’t come easy for me. Heck, some days getting out of bed doesn’t come easy. My schedule is full, my responsibilities are many, and there is always something else to get done before I run. I don’t like lacing up my running shoes and heading out in the cold…or the rain…or the heat…or pretty much any other weather other than a perfect spring or fall day.

These last several months running has been tougher for me that any other time in the last 10 years. Our family recently moved to a new city that lacks the great running trails we had in our previous city. And, it’s been a cold, snowy, and icy winter. I’ve never liked cold weather running, so I’ve especially had a hard time staying motivated. I’m grateful for my husband and kids who encourage me to keep moving even when I don’t feel like it. Continue reading →