The Midlife Reframe

Category: runnershigh

  • Lessons Learned from a Less Than Ideal Race – Canada Day ‘EPIC Canadian’ Edition

    My 10km Epic Canadian Race on Canada Day was Hot and Humid!

    Post Race Me 🙂
    We went into the long weekend here on the East Coast of Canada (Nova Scotia) with some hot and humid weather.  This was my first summer race.  Ever.  My previous 10km races were a while ago.  A Bluenose 10km and a Valley Harvest 10km.  I was a sub 1 hour 10km girl then.  Three years ago for the last one, lol.
    Lesson #1:  Keep on hydrating the night before, even if you think you are adequately hydrated and keep an eye on the weather.
    I woke up a little late on Friday, had my usual coffee and oatmeal and got dressed.  The meal was a little later than I would have liked, but I needed food.
    Lesson #2:  Stick to your alarm and get up on time to make sure you eat long enough beforehand.  Also, drink more water.
    I met up with some friends after hanging around the post party area for awhile.  We chatted and then it was time to head up to the start line.  I was feeling the heat and my body was sore from increasing my weights at the gym.  We hopped in close to the front and soon we were off!
    Lesson #3:  No matter how excited and pumped you may feel.  STOP STARTING FAST!  For some reason, at at least one race, I forget this lesson and start out faster than I should.
    I ran with a RunAtCan Twitter bud and did 10 and 1s with her up until 4kms.  Then I was not feeling so great.  With the heat, the late breakfast, and going out fast, it was a recipe for nauseous stomach.

    Lesson #4:  Always have 3 “goal times”.  One for an ideal day.  One for an okay day.  One for a “Oh My God I May Not Make It Through This Day Alive” day. 

    At 4kms with my stomach wanting to empty its contents, I knew I was not going to pull out a good time.  It became an “Oh My God I May Not Make It Through This Day Alive”  goal time day.  I took water at every water stop after that.  Some for me, some over my neck.  I had electrolytes in my water belt (Nuun).
    Lesson #5:  All races teach us a lesson.  Good and bad.  Embrace the run and if you can, finish strong.
    I got a little of my mojo back in Shubie Park and felt okay.  Hit the turnaround (with some tunes being played on the race route) and started back downhill.
    Cruising along and hit 7kms.
    Bottom of the hill.
    PAIN IN MY CALF.  Similar to the pain during my training run for the Bluenose Half.    I was pretty close to crying.  For real.
    I stopped for a minute.  Walked.  Ran a bit.  Walked.  Ran a bit.
    Chugged along in the gross hot and humid conditions.  Water and Nuun when I needed it.
    I sucked it up after my freezie fix about 500m (give or take) out from the finish and ran to the Finish Line.
    My chip time was 1:08.  Two minutes less than my last goal time.  And really, not a bad finish at all considering the conditions.  But I will admit, in that moment, I was so upset that I did not finish in under an hour.
    Final Lesson:  STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP.  (For me:  Remember that your surgeon told you to run and enjoy it.  You are NOT going to pull out a fast pace like you used to do with the OCD in the knee.)  Run because you love to run.
    So,  I am back to my physio exercises for my calf.  Will continue to do my gym workouts.   Back to yoga classes at the gym (I need a teacher to guide my form).  Keep my weight training going and ease up on myself.  Do some nice easy runs once the calf is happy and enjoy the ride until the next race in September 🙂
    What lessons have you taken away from your bad race??
     

  • BlueNose Marathon 2016 – Half Marathon Playback!!!

    I DID IT!!

    I am totally dying here.

    It was a greyish cool day for running.  Perfect weather.

    I played it safe with my usual coffee and oatmeal combo.  My nerves were ON FIRE.  It was super hard to eat.  I thought I was going to barf.  For real.

    I had everything laid out, so gearing up and heading out was super easy.

    I hopped on the public limo, along with a few other runners, and listened to my “Race Day Jams” playlist to psych myself up for the race.

    Once I was down there, my nerves eased up.  The atmosphere on Race Day is wicked amazing.  I ran into one of the Clayton Park Runners on my way in and we had a quick chat before we both went up into the Scotiabank Centre.

    I hung out and waited for my BRF so we could check our bags and gear up.  I fuelled with Cherry Lime Nuun and Chocolate Chip Clif Bar.  I had my trusty Brooks Glycerin 13s on my feet 🙂

    Every single volunteer associated with an event as this are WONDERFUL.  They make everything run like a well-oiled machine.

    Because my nerves were shot, I forgot my Garmin in my bag!  Good thing I had my phone with Strava ready to rock and roll.


    My BRF and I decided a while before the race that we would get with the 2:15 Pace Bunny.

    I am glad we did, she was awesome.  We did go out fast, but her plan was to bank us time for Point Pleasant Park and the HILL OF DEATH.  (Yes, there are a few hills along this race route, but PPP has the sloggiest one!)

    Blurry me! Just after we started.

    My Twitter friend Sarah caught me around the 5km mark.  I saw her on the sidelines and yelled at her, lol.  She got this picture of me.

    SARAAAAAAAAAAAAH!



    We had a great group running with the 2:15 Pace Bunny.  We laughed and talked and had a great time.  We actually caught up to the 2:10 Pace Bunny on Devonshire. Our group can be seen in the BlueNose Video on YouTube around 9:57 underneath the MacDonald Bridge.

    I was very lucky to see so many Twitter friends and other people I knew along the race route.  It made such a big difference.  I am also grateful for every single person that stood/sat along the race route cheering us all on.  It really makes a difference to those of us running, especially when we start to tire.

    I made it through Point Pleasant Park relatively unscathed.  We were able to walk up the hills and save up what energy we could.  I felt strong coming out of the Park.  I knew I was getting a little tired, but with most of the race behind me, I knew I could keep going.

    I fuelled a little too late in the race and had some nausea around 19ish kms.  I told my BRF to go and took a walk break until it subsided (a deal we struck previously – if something happened to one of us, the other would keep going).  I picked it back up at the 20km mark and ran like I was on fire.  Every step hurt.  My lungs cried and I thought I was going to throw up.

    Running down Brunswick Street is a surreal experience.  Every single person is cheering you on.  They are calling out your name, pushing you forward.  I put my head down and ran.

    It was not a PR, but pretty damn close (2:12:20).  Two minutes over my last half time two years ago.  Not too shabby for an old broad 😉


    I wanted my first half after surgery and recovery to be here, at home, in Halifax.  I am glad I did.  It felt great to pull this out with people I knew and a city that loves BlueNose Marathon Weekend 🙂

    As I recover today, I am now trying to choose my next race!  I think I will keep to shorter distances for the rest of this race season.


    Thanks for coming along on this journey with me.  Can’t wait to share my next race with you!!

    @crazymamaruns



  • The Chronicles of Half Marathon Training – Week 1

    And so, it begins…Run #1

    My training weeks go from Sunday to Saturday.
    I was down for 10kms broken down between Thursday and Saturday.  I ended up doing close to 9km.
    Thursday was a GREAT run!  It was cold as all get out, but I was layered sufficiently and had a route planned out.
    It was my very first run outside, post December,…EVER.
    I was hella tight on Friday, using muscles I haven’t used and not used to running in the snow….with some dodge and weave action, lol.  Running with snow….interesting.  Note:  More stretching required.

    No, I was NOT robbing any stores…

    Also, first run with my Garmin!

    It was snowing – so pretty

    Saturday: Run #2

    Well, today wasn’t as awesome as I wanted, close to 4kms.
    I was too fast out of the gate. Ran hunched over.  That made my lower back sore.  Just not my best run.
    But, I ran.  Better than no run.  (There was a break just before I ran up the trail to stretch out my back.)
    The difference between now and from years past was that I knew when I was done.
    I didn’t push it.
    Got home and had a good stretching session.
    Then came coffee and a hot shower. 
    Sweat Frost!  Woop!

    I love my Garmin!

    Clear sidewalks make awesome runs 🙂

    All in all, I am pleased with the first “week” (aka: two days, lol).
    Tomorrow starts a full, action packed week of running awesomeness.
    C’mon back next Saturday for a play by play of how a full week of training may or may not have killed me 😉

    @crazymamaruns

  • Look Out 2016!! I AM COMING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

    Last Weekend I Put a Training Plan in my Calendar…

    I decided that the remainder of 2015 would be used to get back into a regular workout/running schedule.  So much to do between now and the Christmas Holidays that I didn’t want to commit to anything that I may not be able to follow through on.
    I then set my sights on 2016.

    What did I want to do?  Lots of races?  Some halfs and then lots of smaller distances?
    A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so I hunkered down and decided the Scotiabank BlueNose Marathon (Half) would be my first BIG race of 2016.
    I have always been half-assed about a training plan and kind of did a “pick and choose” approach, so I decided that this time I needed to follow an actual PLAN.  I had purchased the Hansons Half Marathon Method while I was gimped up and really got into the read.  The approach seems totally doable for me and I will be getting some good mileage in.  I have sat down and converted the miles to kilometres to make my life easier, lol.  
    Will be buckling down soon to plan out my eating for this time period as well.  Proper fuel is required if I am to be successful!

    I will be reuniting with my BRF this weekend as we get some recreation/catch up kilometres in.  And we have SO MUCH to catch up on!  This makes me super happy.
    The BlueNose is later in May (Victoria Day Long Weekend here).
    Yes, I start training mid-January.
    Yes, I will try to run outside as much as I can.
    Yes, I will be running on a treadmill (This does not bother me as much as it does with other people.  I will run where and when I need to, because it is my sanity).
    Yes, you will see lots of “Prepping for the BlueNose” blog posts.  (These will be coupled with “WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING” blog posts through the lovely season known as winter.)
    This also means I need to start utilizing my technology on a regular basis.  So I will be utilizing Strava for this specific purpose.  I’ve been a slacker with recording my workouts, so I will be planning some time each evening to get this done 🙂
    I AM SO EXICTED!!!!
    You’re excited too, I know you are 😉
    So, let’s hang out some more for the remainder of 2015 and then prepare for an awesome and bumpy ride in 2016!
     

     

     

  • Crazy Mama RAN!!!!!!!!!! The First Race in 2 YEARS!

    Yes, you read right.  I RAN on October 24th!

    A while back I signed up for the BLT 5km Fun Run/Walk out in Timberlea, Nova Scotia.  I needed to sign up for something to keep me going, and decided 5km was a good start.
    This run is an out and back from the BLT Elementary School and most of the run is on a gravel trail.  This trail is super familiar to me because I have done many runs on this trail prepping for races in the past.
    I did my mini carb load the night before (hello PIZZA!) and carried myself off to bed after midnight (oops).
    I had no problem waking up.  None.  Excitement/Adrenaline had me awake well before my alarm went off!
    Got myself some oatmeal, coffee and sat down to plan the race outfit de jour 🙂
    It was chilly, so layers were in order.  Not too many though.  Pants for sure.
    I dressed right away so I had no time to overthink anything.
    I arrived early enough to pick up my race kit and ran into some of my friends, including Peter, who was volunteering 🙂  I also ran into my PT from knee surgery recovery, lol.  What are the odds??

    Peter was excited to see me running again!**

    I stayed inside the school and waited with some of the other runners until it was close to “go time” because it was chilly.

    Then, out I went.

    And stood mid pack.

    Talked to my Twitter FitFam friend Myles and his lovely wife for a minute, just to shake the growing anxiety and remind myself that I AM A RUNNER, lol.
    Then, the voice from the loudspeaker made the announcements, I was surrounded by runners, heard the word “GO” and off we went!
    There I am – Top Far Right!  GO AMY GO!!!!!!!!!!
    Now, previous races, I would have shot out of there like a cheetah.  But, having learned from this lesson (during the Valley Harvest 10km where I went out like a cheetah and wanted to barf my guts out halfway), I just kept a nice slowish pace to get myself warm.
    I caught up to Myles’ lovely wife just after 1km and we ran for a bit until her walk break.
    Then, I was SOLO.
    I picked up my pace a bit and passed a few people.  Stopped for a minute because I picked it up a little more than I should, lol.  Then I decided to find someone that had a decent pace (by feel) and stayed a bit behind them for the next couple of kms.
    I reached the turnaround point feeling good.
    Then I saw the 3km marker and lost it.

    Tears.

    I had the moment I though I would have at the end.  The “HOLY CRAP I AM RUNNING IN AN EVENT” moment.
    3km.
    But crying and running don’t really mix, mostly because you can’t see, so I stopped for a minute, wiped my eyes and kept going.
    The last km has a hill.  BLECH.
    I walked up that hill.
    Because ME.
    And then, the last 500m I put the pedal to medal and came in like a FREAKING GAZELLE:


    SEE HOW HAPPY I AM?!?!?!??!

    Super happy.

    I was lucky to get a photo with my peeps afterward who were there to see my first race in forever!



    Time:  30mins 47secs.

    CRUSHED IT.

    Now, I am attempting to plan out what my 2016 Race Calendar will look like.

    And how to get that 30 mins to 25 or under, lol.

    Look out world.  I’M BACK!!!!


    **Thanks to Paul Wesson Photography for taking the wicked awesome Race pics!

  • I RUN MY FIRST 5K NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    My First 5K….

    Man that sounds weird.

    I think my last race was in 2013.

    2013.

    I gimped up in 2014.

    Surgery and recovery for most of 2015.

    Am I ready?

    More than likely.

    Am I confident?

    No.  LOL.

    I wanted my first “race” to be a shorter distance, a fun run.  Something with NO CHIP TIME, lol.  So the BLT 5km Fun Run was the winner 🙂


    I will be in this pod of peeps next Saturday!!



    Will I want to make a good time?  

    Uh, DUH.

    Will it matter?

    Nope, because I will be crying.  Before, possibly during, and most definitely after.

    What matters most?

    The experience.  My first race back in 2 years.

    @crazymamaruns

     

  • The Post of Awkward Feet and Back to Running!

    Yes, BACK TO RUNNING!

    My Feet were VERY EXCITED to lace up 🙂  Happy Heart, Happy Soul!

    My first run took me around the Marsh.

    And by one of the ponds!



    I started running on Monday of this week, setting up a schedule to run M/W/F mornings and strength train on my off days.  Hauling my behind out of bed at 5:45 am to get dressed, feed the cats and haul ass out the door.

    Boy did it ever feel weird…..actually RUNNING.

    I mean, it’s been over a year now since I seriously logged some kms.

    I did run this time last year, but it was only for a couple of runs.  I was told NO RUNNING shortly after.  In hindsight, this was best as I was running with a piece of femur in my knee.  I mean, I knew it was there, but I had no idea how big it was at the time…..like 2cms big…..gah!

    I am wobbly as all get out.  Have no idea how to pace myself anymore (insert BIG sad face here).  I take walking breaks to try and keep a good pace because I speed up and sound like I am dying….huffing and puffing.  Sheesh.  Trying to find my feet again is like a baby learning to walk.  I remind myself to look UP and straight (I tend to look down at my leg…..worrying about my knee, it’s fine…..I am so paranoid right now!  lol).  I remind myself to keep my stride shorter so I don’t heel strike. 
    (And here I am telling people I run to clear my head…..that seems to be the last .7 kms of my run this week.)
    Probably quite the sight in my neck of the woods as the sun rises.  
    It’s good that I am running early in the morning where there is only me, the road/trail, some cyclists, dog walkers and the odd early morning runner. It keeps me motivated to keep going if there are not many people around my “running time” right now…hahaha.
    (It’s good for me AND for others, as ‘Flailing Amy’ is best kept to a low spectator count until she starts running with her BRF and finally gets a GPS watch 😉  )

    On Monday, I start all over again.  Maybe I will run the route in the opposite direction next week.  Strength training and yoga will be the fillers, maybe a Tuesday spin class.  Shake it up.  Keep it fun.
    If you want to keep track of my new flailing running adventures, I am on Strava (and with the Another Mother Runner Group – #BAMR!) and will follow you back.  I love this Kudos thing!
    The take away from this post is this:  I feel great.  My knee feels great.  I. AM. HAPPY.
    Stay tuned for further #RunningWithAmy awesomeness/random blogginess coming soon!!
    #crazymamaruns




     



  • The Post That is Brought to You by The Letter R

    Because Today……I RAN!!!!

    Yes.

    I ran.

    It is surreal.

    Best. Feeling. Ever.

    1.47kms at a 7:13km/hr pace in 10mins 38s

    It was a slow one.  Some walking was done.  But I DID IT.

    My body needed it.  My mind needed it.

    I signed up for the Terry Fox Run in September, BLT 5k Fun Run/Walk in October!

    Welcome back me.  Welcome back.

    #craxymamaruns

  • Runalicious Contest EXTENDED!!!

    RUNALICIOUS CONTEST EXTENDED!!!  

     

    HI FIVE!!  WOOOOOOO!

     

    In partnership with Runalicious we are extending this awesome contest. How exciting is that? Now those of you who are not familiar with Runalicious they are a boutique company specializing in running inspired women’s apparel. Their website is www.runalicious.ca, their facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Runalicious

    its a hill get over it Long Sleeve
    They make cool, super awesome shirts like this!

    Runalicious recently held a contest to find a new phrase to adorn their shirts. That contest was hosted by http://girlgoesrunning.blogspot.ca The phrase that won was “the road is my gym”. 

    the road is my gym
    You too could be shirt famous!!!

    Now I thought we could do even better. So after speaking with the Runalicious crew. Here we are. But our contest will be a little different. So whats the deal? Runalicious are looking for a unique phrase or slogan that’s not already used or branded by anyone else. (google is your friend when checking this). In return runalicious will send you the VERY first shirt off their presses in your size!! Yes they will ensure that the first shirt is in your size. How cool is that. They will also send to this blog a series of photos actually showing the creation of YOUR shirt. Uber cool.

    So our phrase with be very slightly different, and a first for Runalicious, ours will be “mom-centric”. “Are you a mom? Do you love to run? Would you love a shirt with the unique phrase “YOU” came up with to be on other Mom runners’ bods?” Who wouldn’t, lol.

    Ok this is how it works easy peasy.
    1, LIKE the Runalicious fb page https://www.facebook.com/Runalicious 
    2, In the comments below this leave your name, your “unique phrase” pertaining to being a mom and running.
    3, Include your shirt size in your comment.

    The contest will conclude Sunday the 7th of September. The winner will be announced both here and on Runalicious facebook page.

    Good luck to you all!

  • 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 🙂