Product Review - Buddy Pouch

Holy cannoli.  Ever think, "Damn.  I should've come up with that..."? Well, that's exactly how I feel about a product I was asked to review for National Running Center recently.  The Buddy Pouch Mini is freaking amazing- and I don't use the word 'freaking' lightly. 
The basic idea is that it is a little half IPhone sized pocket that you flip over the top of your shorts to store stuff like keys, a gel, or debit card for those inevitable Gatorade stops on long runs.  There's a super-strong magnet attached to the non-pocket side that keeps everything in place. 
I was very skeptical going into this experiment for a few reasons.  First, I hate extra stuff.  I would definitely call myself a minimalist in the way of gear, mostly based on many, many years of not having to give a crap about all of the extras like fuel and hydration (stupidly, I should add). Secondly, I am a miniature person. At a whopping 5'2" (and I lie for the most part and make myself far taller, like 5'3"), NOTHING fits like it should.  Extra smalls are laughable- I either look like a sausage stuffed into some random garment or belt, or they fall off.  At least I know I can still fit into a small, dorm-sized refrigerator, but please don't ask how I actually have these facts in my wheel house.  Needless to say, between genetics and my own stupidity, I hate stuff...but I love this product.  My first run with the Buddy Pouch was on my treadmill.  I was planning on shooting for a 5 miler with the pouch filled with my ID, a gel, and a few miscellaneous keys.  At the 5 mile mark, I actually forgot why I was stopping and just continued for another 5 miles and totally forgot I was wearing it.  Treadmill trial 2 did not go as well, but I was wearing my 'fat shorts' and they started to fall down a bit.  Definitely not the best idea on my part, so please rule out the 'fat shorts' (or basically your loose cotton-esque styles).  Trial 3 was at a 5k. My basic uniform is the classic super short biker-style shorts that never have the extra inside 'little pocket' so I end up tying my key to the drawstring, which is super annoying and looks strange- use your imagination here.  I put my key into the pocket and actually attacked it to my back near my back bone indent and again, totally forgot about it until I needed to get into my car. That's super amazing, since a stray hair usually makes me freak out like a tarantula is crawling across my skin. 
Essentially, this little product freaking rocks, and they can 'shut up and take my money' any day of the week.  Run, don't walk to http://www.nationalrunningcenter.com/  and buy one ASAP.

Global Running Day

Global running day...sounds like one of two things, a pseudo holiday made up by running shoe manufacturers to sell stuff or THE GREATEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!
Yes, I love running, but I love it for transcends just being fast.  This year has been quite the year of trial and error and potentially missed opportunities, setbacks, and readjustment of goals. 

Last year, on the first weekend in June, I ran one of the best Red Rose Runs that I have ever been able to pull off.  A just over 32:00 5 mile run is certainly good, but not quite incredible, however, it was not completely miserable and I was just coming off a very heavy season of racing.  About 2 weeks later I ran my first ever trail 5 mile run (outside of cross country races of course), and it was a total disaster and the perfect set up for a year long injury.  One more 5k in the end of June, and I was down for the count with a massive hamstring tear.  Not like, wow, this hurts, like I went to the PT and they were amazed I was still walking and trying to hobble through a few miles.  It was devastating.  It wasn't like there was a snowball's chance in Hell I was going to quit running, so I stupidly kept at it through horrible pain and very little actual movement.  Months and months passed, and my disappointment in my big comeback was totally overtaking every aspect of my life.  I was so used to pounding out miles, placing at races, and getting out my frustrations, that to have such a setback was very difficult to handle. 

Late September finally rolled around, and I signed up for the Boston Marathon, with huge amounts of apprehension.  I could barely make it through an hour run, how the heck was I going to pull this one off? Not so sure. 

Months later, I would line up in Hopkinton, walk run the last few miles...but finish anyway. 

Last weekend, I took to the streets of Lancaster once again for another Red Rose.  I was very apprehensive going into the run.  Would it be another disappointment? Would I feel like junk? Thankfully, I decided to completely change up my routine.  Different race kit (which I have not changed in years), different nutrition, and new race plan.  I found some friends at the start, and decided that instead of going out like a crazy person and taking advantage of the few down hills, I would hold back and save it for the inevitable gigantic finishing hills. I stuck to the plan, and shockingly, it was not terrible! I finished in a hair under 34:00, BUT I had a good time, didn't feel like death, and even won my age group.  I know there's a lot to work on, but it feels like I am finally getting back to racing shape and moreover, getting back to my love of running.  Here's to a great summer. 

Track's not easy

Yesterday, I read an article in my local newspaper (link below) that somehow was aiming to indicate that track and field is somehow an 'easy' sport in which athletes just run around or throw things.  Let me tell you, this made me lose my mind. 

From the athlete perspective, track is one of the most technically difficult sports you can 'play'.  There's a certain strategy to running a race, throwing an object, or jumping over something.  You simply can't just decide this is something you want to do one day and be successful.  It take years of practice just to get the simple techniques mastered.  For example, let's talk cadence.  The most efficient runners' feet will hit the ground 180 times per minute.  Not 179, not 181; 180.  Go out and try  this for a 400 meter run.  It's excessively difficult to time your steps, length of stride, arm swing, torso angle, etc.  Also, try running full speed for 800 meters without knowing anything about strategy.  See how that works out for you. 

Training is an entire different story as well.  Does anyone think a high school kid WANTS to miss out on a Friday night with their friends because they have to pile on to a bus at 6 am to go to an all-day Invitational? Or not be able to eat because they are so nervous about their track meet that starts after school? From my observation, most football players and soccer players never had this issue. 

Injuries are also a factor.  I have been known (as well as many other track athletes) to suffer through catastrophic injuries and long rehabilitation periods, while still showing up to practices to sit on the side lines and cheer for their teammates through their tears because they know they worked for months in the pre-season. 

As a coach, my athletes inspired me every single day.  I was one of the faster kids at my high school and was able to insulate myself into my self-indulgent 'super-star status', so noticing the struggles of some of the other kids was not really an observation until I had the opportunity to coach.  One of my favorite kids, Don (he won't care that I used his name, he knows he's one of my favorites), showed up on his first day not being able to run for more than a few minutes, but every freaking day that kids showed up, never complained, and frankly, added so much to our team that we dragged him along to the meets that he didn't even qualify for.  Kids like this enrich the fabric of the team and everyone is a little better because of them. 

Lastly, as a parent, I find it perfectly offensive that one person would essentially de-value an activity that kids were participating in.  I don't care if my own children are running track, in the band, or on the debate team.  As long as they are not sitting around the house, or getting in trouble, whatever they want to do is fine with me.  Who is to say that one sport or activity is superior to another? Certainly not me, and certainly not some hack writer.  Shame on anyone that puts kids down for wanting to participate in something with their friends.  Shame on Lancaster News Papers for perpetuating our football culture and re-emphasizing gender role stereotypes.  We need to work together to make all of our kids feel included, appreciated, and encouraged or we will keep repeating the cycle of feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and lashing out. 

Change the story. Go for a run.

Read the article here: http://tinyurl.com/lt7896f

That was something....

Well, the Boston Marathon kicked my ass.  Not just like, it was a hard race (which it was) but like it set me on fire, kicked me off a cliff, then ran over me with a truck.  I have never had a harder race in my entire life, and never felt as though it was a miracle that I finished.  Here's a brief re-cap.

Sunday, the 'rents and I leave for Boston.  Dad drives 6 hours with a few food stops along the way.  What can I say? The dude likes to eat.  We get to the expo, and I think all of us were overwhelmed by the amount of people, which turned out to be absolutely nothing compared to the actual race.  We get my  stuff, take the customary pictures, and head off to the hotel.  The rest of the night is pretty mundane, but of course none of us sleep all that great in anticipation of the day ahead.

Monday morning 5:30.  I finally let myself get out of bed after a pretty restless night.  I throw on my racing clothes and throw away shirt, and inhale a bagel and coffee.  A few hours later, I am standing in a corral with my BRF (best running friend) and the field of 5,000 plus people goes absolutely silent.  And not silent like when you just shut out sound in your own head, but silent like we all know this is going to be a long 4 hours ahead of us and we are all a bit apprehensive, but excited about what is going to happen.  Marathons are a strange animal and anything can happen.  The 26.2 gods laugh in your face when you think you have a plan.  Good luck with that one....

Fast forward to the 5k mark.  I am in great position.  Pushing the pace a bit, but at this point, we have spent the last few miles on basically a decline or flat.  I've already lost my friend, so I am just going with it.  10k still in great shape.  Banging out 7:05-7:15 pace and still feeling ok.  10 miles and shit hits the fan.  I feel my body temperature spike and my skin feels like it is burning.  I drop the pace to 7:35-7:45.  I am drinking Gatorade every aid station and also dumping water on myself.  13 miles in kinda shitty shape.  It is just freaking hot.  16 miles and we start a significant climb.  My watch has stopped and I am supposed to be looking for my family somewhere around this area.  I have no idea what my pace is, and I start to panic.  My quads feel like they are just tearing apart, my skin is burning, and I am starting to have tunnel vision from looking for my Sherpa team.  I finally hear my family (before I see them of course, our volume control problem is finally coming in handy) and almost in tears, I hand off my belt pack because it is chafing my skin off under my wet tank top.

20 - 21 miles is Heartbreak Hill.  Well, that wasn't such a big issue, since I was already half running/half walking.  I am at the point where I am trying not to collapse and the medical tents are looking very attractive.  However, I also hear my mother's voice berating me for running marathons if I stop, so I say f- it and continue my walk run.  Mile 24 I see the Citgo sign.  I may have flipped it off.  Now I am pissed.  Not mad because I am not in shape, but pissed that I made some major rookie mistakes.  Going out too fast on a hot day, not breaking in my shoes enough, getting caught in the crowd, I mean really it couldn't have been much worse. 

Mile 25-26 finally turns the corner and heads down Boyleston Street.  I had dreams for weeks of this moment being absolutely life changing and magical, but it wasn't.  It felt like I was absolutely crawling and I couldn't even bring myself to put my hands over my head for the customary Boston celebration picture.  Nope.  Nothing.  I felt nothing.  Even walking over to the medal area and seeing my family, I was glad to see them, but I didn't feel the gut-wrenching pride that I prepared myself for.  Then, we left.  That was it.  Just done.

The marathon is a different animal than any other race, and that day it bit me in the ass.  BUT, there's always next year and now its time to start on the next training cycle, so next time, I bite back.

Are you ready for that race on Monday?

If you have to ask what 'that race on Monday is' you might as well throw out your runner card.  Or burn it.  That race on Monday is the Boston Marathon. Yep.  The big kahuna of races.  Am I ready? Considering it is 4 days away, I better freaking be.  Here are my thoughts about marathon readiness.

1. I have run.  And run a butt-load.  I run when I don't want to, I do laps around the city for 20 mile runs.  I binge on Netflix during my long runs and quality time with my treadmill.  I get up at the ass-crack of dawn or run right after lunch and try not to barf.  Yes.  I have hit the roads and 'mill a lot.  For the running part, yes.  I am ready.

2. I got a handle on my mid-run nutrition.  I learned how to eat on the run.  I have experimented with gels, whole foods, Larabars, dates, drinks, you name it.  I have also done a ton of research, experimented and found out what works for me.  I know that every long race that I hit the wall was because I did not hydrate or fuel properly, so I have come up with a plan (thanks Julie Sparks and @theathletespalate1) to fuel every 3-ish miles or even more frequently.  I also start the race much later in the day (10:30) so I will have plenty of time to front load on some caloric and carb goodness.  I have changed some of my longer runs to reflect the later start time. 

3. Supplements.  I have never EVER really been one to take much in the way of medication, so I was always convinced that taking supplements would somehow break this trend.  Man, I was totally incorrect.  After some suggestions from Julie, my athletic nutrition guru, I realized that not only is my diet B vitamin deficient, I also could use a magnesium supplement, and an inflammation management supplement was not a terrible idea either.  I am still awful at taking pills, but I have really tried to make a concerted effort, and it seems like it's paying off.  Less pain, stiffness, and general feeling of 'funk', so, I guess I am a convert. 

4. Overall nutrition.  My nutrition has never sucked, per say, but it definitely needed some tweaking. I still have the occasional evening binge session of spicy Cheez-its, but I have done my best to cut out the processed foods that were left in my diet. 

5. Gear.  I always act like I don't care about gear, and for the most part, look like a homeless person with a sweet pair of running shoes, so I upped my gear game.  I mean, for God's sake, at least look like you give a crap and try to match.  It's also a great way to show off some of the awesome people and organizations that support my running. 

6. Family.  I am here with my parents, which may get a massive eye roll about 743 times in the next few days, BUT I have given these people a ton of shit.  And like real-deal shit, and for whatever reason, they still speak to me.  My kids and the hubs are staying behind, which is a blessing since I will be freaking the f out and don't want to worry about wiping butts or finding lost matchbox cars.  I am very thankful to have them as my marathon Sherpa crew. 

So, all of the above being said.  Thank you.  To all of you.  I would not ever dream that one day I would have this incredible opportunity. 

Swiftwick socks product review #chaseadventure

** Disclaimer- I was in no way compensated or received free product for this review**

I am a self-proclaimed 'cheap runner'. I always buy shoes on discount, wear non-tech fabrics (unless it's a shirt from a race or a gift), I have a pre-used GPS watch that was passed down from a friend, and my nutritionals are laughable for the most part.  It's not that I am not willing to throw down some cash for a race, however, I all but pride myself on my purest views of running.  And I also get really excited about saving money on stuff because I tend to be a serial shopper and a full believer in retail therapy. 

One thing I have fought tooth and nail with myself about is buying good running socks.  I have read the testimonials, seen the technology, and even oogled at the pretty colors, but I have never EVER purchased a high tech pair of socks.  I never really had an issue with the good old packs of 8 pairs of cotton socks from Marshall's and if it ain't broke, why try to fix it?  Well, I am a changed woman.

A few weeks ago, I was working on a blog post for my job and taking some pictures at a local running store.  As I interviewed the manager about new products he let me know about a store discount that we receive as a participating event.  As to not look like a jerk, I knew the best thing was to make a purchase that day.  At the moment, there was not too much else I needed in the way of running gear, and the holidays were quickly approaching so I didn't want to buy something I had already requested as a gift.  I grabbed a pair of Swiftwick Aspire no-show socks that would match my race kit and off I went.  A few days later I hopped on my treadmill and banged out a 10 mile run and couldn't believe how amazing something as simple as a pair of socks changed my run.  No longer were my shoes soaked with sweat and the two toenails that had bitten the dust at my last marathon a few weeks prior didn't even hurt or bleed.  It wasn't like I was prepared to be a foot model or anything, but the results were amazing.  The little bit of compression in the arch of my foot also made a huge difference and even helped to ward off some of the impending arch pain that I typically experience after long dates with the 'mill. 

It's a bad bet to say 'never' for anything, but there's a pretty good chance that I am a convert.  My closing message to Swiftwick is this....shut up and take my money. 

Bean town 2017

Marathons are a different little animal from anything else.  There's the initial joy when you click the 'register' button, pain when the fee comes out of your bank account, self actualization when you realize how bad long runs can suck, and then the WTF feeling when you cross the finish line and get handed a medal.  Most of my marathon training has been a combination of relying on others for advice, reading articles, long runs, short runs, and eating.  A lot of eating.

In November of 2015 I ran my marathon PR of 3:12 (I tend to call it 3:10 since the course was more of 26.45 than 26.2) with just the basics of training.  At that time, I was doing long runs with some friends and other than that just running during the week on a treadmill.  No real plan other than the long runs, but still running decently long distances.  With a finishing time of 3:12, it seemed to work out fairly well, but this year, I have decided to actually do a full training plan (Hal Higdon's advanced marathon plan), up my nutritional game, and (gasp!!!) weight train.  I know that sounds like crazy talk, but it's time to break things up. 

As of today, January 1, 2017, there are 106 days until the Boston Marathon.  3 and a half months.  Hot Damn. 
After my last marathon in early December, the first thing I did during my week off was to write out my plans for each run on a variety of calendars- the huge desk calendar, my day planner, and calendar at home.  This way, at any given moment I can obsess about where my training is at.  Nothing is really all that crazy as far as training is concerned, but there is a purpose to each workout.

My training plan also requires that I scale back on some running during the week, which I am totally cool with since I mostly have to squeeze it in on the treadmill between washing dishes and washing children.  Weekends are going to be a little hectic with long runs on Sunday with pace runs on Saturday, but still totally do-able.

Nutritionally, I am well aware of what I need to accomplish.  A little less sugar and carbs and a little more planning for fuel and performance.  I am not a sweet eater for the most part, but bagels and other bread-ish foods are my total down fall.  A little better planning, a little more water, a little more veggies and I should be good to go here. 

The puzzle pieces are all flipped over and the corners in place, now let's just hope everything starts to come together.  Here's to 2017...cheers :)