The Midlife Reframe

Category: halfmarathon

  • My 100th Post! WHOA!

    I’ve been sitting on this one for a while….

    What should I write about?

    Should I do something different?

    Should I talk about what’s ahead?

    WHAT SHOULD I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO????

    Well, we’ll keep it real for one thing.

    Life has been crazy over the past while.  Work has been flat out.  Home has been busy with Christmas prep and making it a homemade Christmas (for a large part).

    Life is just getting in the way.  Stress is at an all time high and my mental illness is poking me with a long stick every now and then.

    I have been doing yoga, a run when I CAN get it in.  But not posting these as I haven’t been worrying about tech during my physical activities.

    I’ve mapped out my training plan for January.  Signed up for another race in May (Benny Bulldog 5km) and tossing the idea of a Maritime Race Weekend registration.

    2016??

    Well, as always, I had major plans for 2016, but shit happens and plans change.

    I have a teenager that will be graduating High School in 2017, so 2016 will be about planning for the “Grad Year”.  I can’t believe my little passenger will be graduating!  You blink and they’re all grown up.

    YTT will be put on the back burner, it’s just not in the cards.

    Buuuuuut, my running starts back in full force in January and I cannot wait to get back to training!

    I am just going to play next year by ear.  Which will be hard for me, because I am a planner, lol.

    Medication Free (well, daily medication free)…

    Since late February!  It was a rough go for a while, stepping down off the depression/anxiety medication, getting used to feeling everything again.  

    Then there was finding balance.

    Reassuring family that my cranky days were just that, cranky days.

    I am so much more aware now of what it feels like to go down the rabbit hole.
     
    Having something on an “as needed” basis for my anxiety has been a big help. There are times that the switch won’t shut off with my coping skills.

    It’s rare, but it does happen.

    What has changed this year?

    A LOT!

    My surgery, my recovery, my private life, my work life.

    I spoke at a Conference for the first time EVER!

    I learned to “Give Zero Fucks” (thank you MotherFumbler, much love!).

    Most of all, I learned that I actually love myself.  

    And I am pretty FRICKIN awesome!!

    So, THANK YOU!

    For staying.

    For reading.

    For sharing.

    Let’s ride out the rest of 2015 together and SMASH into 2016!!!!

    @crazymamaruns





     

      

  • BlueNose Marathon Weekend 2015 Expo with #RunAtCan – #Giver!

    A Long Weekend Calls for a Race

    And here in Halifax, the “May 2-4” Weekend is the BlueNose Marathon Race Weekend!
    This was my very first race as a runner, so I am a little biased as to it’s awesomeness.

    I did this on a whim – and haven’t looked back.
    Halifax is hilly, so if you want a flat race, you won’t get that here!  Just check out #BNMarathon2015 or @BlueNoseMarathon to see pics 🙂
    I could not race this year, as I am only cleared to run in August, so I hopped on the Volunteer train and signed up to hand out the bling!

     

     

     

    Race Expo

    This year I was able to hang out with some of my super awesome Twitter fam at the Expo.  The Twitter Group @RunAtCan had a panel discussion on Social Media and Running.  The panel was great at sharing their experiences, their views on Social Media and what platform they found useful to connect with other runners.

    Left to Right: Andrew Paris, Anna Sherwood, Andrew Chak and Paul Merrigan
    Our Sunday Night #RunAtCan Twitter chats have grown from a small Atlantic Canadian group to folks from all over North America and beyond!  The #RunAtCan community is one I am proud to be a member of.  We have created a family, and I am very lucky to call these people my friends.

    Group Shot with John Stanton 🙂  With Charlotte Flewelling and Durwin Brennan peeking out in the back.

    Vancouver MARATHON Finisher Nicola!  Wheeeeeee!

    Photobombed by that Paul Merrigan while getting a shot with Renee!

    The awesome Krysten 🙂

    The running community is amazing.  When I first started to run, I had no idea that there was this giant family of runners out there.  No matter what level you are at, there are always runners there to give you encouragement, advice and accolades.

    Race Day

    I was up a 5:15am.  And there was SOME light.  Forecast was calling for 60% chance of showers.

    Layering up – it was a little chilly!

    Arrived at the Scotiabank Centre for my shift and took a few quick shots of the runners heading up to the Start Line.

    And….

    Here they come!

    Look – my hand!  lol  And a little bit of rain…that’s Team Myles going up Carmichael!


     

    You will definitely get an arm workout giving out the bling.  Some wicked bicep curls were going on for sure 😉  I worked with a fantastic group of people.  We cheered folks in and helped out some Marathoners walk down the hill into the Scotiabank Centre….yes, down the hill.  It rained a little bit at the start of the main races, but held off for the remainder!  Yay!

    I was able to give SO MANY of my friends their medals, and I was able to meet SO MANY Twitter peeps!


    Steph – YOU ROCK!
    I have said it before, and I will say it again, if you have the chance VOLUNTEER!  You get to see the “inner workings” of a race and you get to give back to the running community.
    Next year, I am running the BlueNose, and I am hoping to PB for the half (2:10 is my time to beat).  
    To everyone that ran today, you all did AMAZING!  Congrats 🙂

    #crazymamaruns

  • Lessons Learned as a Relatively Newb Runner

    I’ve always learned things the hard way.


    And that also applies itself to running.  I’m stubborn too, which just adds to the problem, lol.

    I first started running when I was working with a personal trainer at the gym.  

    It all started when one of the girls at my workplace started up a lunchtime run group.
    The first day we ran 5km.  I felt like I was running on a cloud….oh wait, those were my new sneakers. BONUS POINT:  I had running sneakers.  I went out and bought a good pair of Sauconys.  Go me 🙂

    I was hooked.  Running was awesome!

    Problem #1: I was not stretching.  Not warming up.  Not like I should have been. This lead to some really tight legs after my very first 10km race (I had done a Run for the Cure 5km prior).


    And then……about a year later

    Problem #2 – Stubborn: Since I was invincible, I began to train for my first Half Marathon.

    Training was going well (at least I thought it was, lol) After my 18km long run, I felt AWESOME.  Went for another run, pain.  A lot of pain.  Right outside my knee.  I thought, okay, rest up.  This was one week before the race.  I was tight all the way up to my hip.  So I foam rolled and bought a strap for the old IT band at the race expo.

    Day of the half…I ran, in pain, and finished at 2:30.  I walked a lot of the last few kms, but ran over the finish line.

    I could barely walk the next day.  Off to doc and off to physio.  My IT band was shot…tightest EVER.

    Was a long haul back and lesson learned.

    Problem #3: Not listening to my body.  This applies to Problem #1 and #2.  I was not stretching and applying any serious cross training.  I thought some of the pain was “just a runner thing”.  Yes, I should have known better.

    Another year later!  We are into year 3.

    Problem #4:  Eat better, fuel better.  This took some work, as I love to eat and the more I ran, the more I wanted to EAT!  This caused some upset belly moments and some dehydration.  This is a big lesson for newb runners.

    Half Marathon #2:  Trained smarter, pushed myself a little bit harder (sometimes a bit too much, felt kind of nauseous and had to stop a couple of times) and ran a 2:10.

    I was going to run another Half, but was very very sick not long beforehand and did a 10k at the Valley Harvest Marathon. Because I am a dork and was full of running excitement, I went out too fast and wanted to barf halfway through.  Finished in under an hour and finally said, okay, smarten up.

    I ran a 21k relay the next month, Lucky 7 Relay with a couple of people from work.  I ran my 7km in 38 minutes.  I felt like a ROCK STAR 🙂

    Heading into year 4…


    I was running right up until the “Punta Cana Incident”.  We ran just about every morning around the resort nice and early, with the other runners.  Then I went and fell in the washroom (Yes, the washroom, and yes, I was sober).  This is the “awe man” moment when I was pretty sure I tore my meniscus, but found out I really have a condition called Osteochondritis Dissecans and I am due for surgery in the near future.

    Once I am all “put back together” and travel down my road to recovery, I am getting back to the Half Marathon state and looking for a new PB.  With my new love of yoga and my wiser ways, I am starting my bucket list of races.  Need to kill that 2:10 Half!

    Look out Half Marathon…..cause I am comin’ to get ya…..soon.





  • Physio and the "Franken-Knee"

    Yesterday was my last maintenance visit…

    with my Physiotherapist and I was manipulated, I spinned (like spin class spinned to a hot sweaty mess) and was then poked.

    Behold, the Franken-Knee:

    We did acupuncture to bring down the swelling – it felt really weird (as usual) and part of me wanted to vomit when she manipulated them…..lol.  Good thing I had not eaten lunch yet!!!

    I see the Ortho Specialist one week from today.  By this time, I will know when my surgery is and can plan out recovery and eventually my return to RUNNING!!!  I cannot tell you how happy I am now that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.  I last ran exactly two months ago today, hours before my injury.

    IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER.

    But what I am still amazed at, how runners are in tune with their bodies.  I have always been aware of my body mechanics since my IT band injury which occurred before my first half.  Muscle activation, foot strike, knee position, core activation.  You can say what you want about us crazy runners – we KNOW our bodies.  It’s one of things that makes me focus inwards.

    Although, even though we are in tune with our bodies, we don’t always listen!!  It’s the stubborn “I can get it looked at after I finish running *insert distance/race here*”…or “I can run through it…it’s not that bad”.  Until we see someone…and it IS that bad.  Double edged sword.  Ha ha ha ha.

    I can’t wait to get back out there.  That being said I have gone through my gear and realized that I need a few things….like shorts, tops, My Soxy Feet and will be getting some BioSkin to support the ol’ knee when I return to running.

    So….what is your favourite running gear and why?  Feel free to comment below!  I love getting suggestions for new gear 🙂

  • Why do I run??

    A question I get asked often.

    As I mentioned in my first post, I did my first real run at lunchtime.  It was 5k and I smoked it!!  I remember going out beforehand and buying my first pair of actual running sneakers.  Saucony Pro Grid 4s.  I was in love, with running and with my Sauconys.
     
    About 3 years ago I was diagnosed with depression, and then later, anxiety. After my body came back to life (because like the ad says….depression really DOES hurt) I began running again.  My doctor encouraged me to continue my physical activity, as this would help me in managing my depression and anxiety.

    I ran my first half marathon (Blue Nose) in 2012, with an IT band injury.  I was in pain, but stubborn and determined!  I was just so happy to finish.  And it was HOT.

    For me, running is a way for me to clear out the cobwebs.  To not HAVE to think about anything in particular.  To free myself from stress.  You hear people talking about runner’s high.  I get it.  Endorphins.  You want to run farther, longer.   It’s like you connect with something deep inside of you. 

    I am a better mom, a better person in general, after I workout or run.  It’s my “me time”…and I deserve every minute 🙂