August 5th out on Highway 51 near Area 51, I will be entering my second ultra run.  It is a 51K that begins at midnight and goes through the evening hours.  About the same distance(about .5mile increase) and the time of day should help calm the heat by getting rid of the sun factor.  As for the terrain, not sure yet but that is how I operate.  I'll look at the course sooner or later.  I am going out to run a good race, possibly improve upon my time, be stronger towards the finish, and prepare for whatever is in store for the next race at hand.  It's going to be exciting and I'm so ready to get the training going again.  

Sunday April 22nd, will be my first ultrarun after my marathon debut in November.  Since then, I have been looking forward to this race and training HARD!  I managed to cut my weight by about 15lbs, manage to get my average pace down from about 10:30 to 9:45 or so, and can now run 3 hours without even blinking.  I have completed 98% of my runs with no music or assistance, which allows me to focus on my form, the environment, and my own thoughts of other things going on.  I find my runs to be an ideal time to plan and organize my thoughts, and my life.  

The run is the Labor of Love, in Lovell Canyon Las Vegas.  it consists of 95% hilly terrain, including a steep grade downhill on about mile 5 and then that same fabulous climb upward at mile 26 or so.  Seeing the course was a little daunting, but I now use the visual to motivate me and prepare for what is coming.  I am determined to finish under 6 hours and am highly optimistic that I may be able to place for this race!  

Wish me Luck! 

We began at 7am at the visitor's center of the park, so of course I got there WAY early.  Typical.  The race route was to run the entire loop of red rock canyon which takes you through some pretty tough rolling hills and steeper inclines.  Yes of course there are some declines in there as well, but we seem to forget those after we trudge up a 5 mile incline.  7am hits, timer counts down, and we're off!  The start was a fairly flat loop before we entered the red rock loop.  Then it was on, 5 miles of constant incline, through the red rock, calico basin, so pretty!  As I have learned, and I share with all my racing clients, I started off fairly slow for my normal pace.  I was not about to exhaust all my reserves in the beginning 5 miles and have nothing in the tank for the rest of the race.  As I passed people walking the hills, I kept my head ahead and kept my feet moving at a pretty modest pace.  

Then the first downhill, YES!  Well, not so much as yes as I'm just glad to get a break before the next stint of hills.  The past week has been time of laying off of the runs and letting my left knee recover from what is most likely a tendon or ligament strain/inflammation.  So needless to say, the downhills were not my favorite part of the race.  In any event, I kept moving and my pace had picked up to my normal racing pace(about 9:30-10:00 min miles).  Stopping at every aid station for a quick sip of water was the plan, and the occasional banana.  I HATE to carry anything during my races and I feel that too much "stuff" can take you away from the actual run and the calm serenity that comes along with it.  No music, no water, just me & my chapstick(a MUST HAVE as all my friends know). It was beautiful out, 60+ degrees, sun shining but not too hot.  It couldn't have been better.  The best part was listening to my fellow runners as they commented on their feelings about the hills, said hi to other runners, commented on the not so good taste of the well known "goo", and just kept themselves motivated by any means neccesary.  

As we passed the scenic lot, which is pretty much the halfway & high point of the loop, it was time to get the race on.  I picked up my pace a little, but still didn't go all out.  I was saving my push for the last few miles.  You will notice a lot of people going all out in the beginning because it's easy to do!  You're jazzed from the group of people, adrenaline is running strong, and you're ready to run!  BUZZ!!!!  Wrong mentality to have(as I have personally learned over the past few races) as it won't leave much in the tank for the end.  

Ok, I'm at about mile 10.5….it's time to go!  This is when I gave it all I had, got myself up to a 8:00 min mile pace at one point.  I was going pretty fast for my standards.  Wasn't sure if it would last til the end, but I sure as hell was going to do whatever I had to make it last.  I started noticing people I had seen along the race route, those I had passed and those who had passed me at other points.  I found a girl who I had been close to in the race, who had exchanged passes with me throughout the entire run, and I decided I was going to give it all I had to beat her to the finish.

 *disclaimer: I am not advocating conducting your races by competing with other racers, but I persoanlly get an extra push from seeing a familiar face who I know is close in ability to myself, and making every effort to finish first

Mile 11.5, we're close and I can hear her breathing heavily, I can tell she is going to be a tough one to overcome.  I put on the turbo boost and gave it all I had, I could see the finish, I knew it was only a slight incline to the finish and that I would make it first!  As I ran and listened to her breathes, I could hear them get fainter and farther away.  I knew I had done it.  It was just a little bit further and I had it!  My legs were putting out all the stops, no time to stop at the last aid station for water.  No time.  Must finish!  

DONE!  2hours 16 mins and 13.26(GPS watch count) later, I had done it and it felt fantastic!  I was tired for sure, but man that passed so quickly and the feeling of success and accomplishment set in.  Then it begins, "god, I could have saved a couple minutes at that aid station" or "if I just hadn't stopped, I would have beat my time".  It happens, every time, but the important thing is to know you gave it all you had and THAT is all you can ask from yourself.  

With this race in the bag, I am supper stoked about my next biggie, the 50K on April 22nd.  Having to take time off twice, once for the ankle and once for the knee, has just made me that much more sure of my ability to overcome and still prevail.  This will be my first ultrarun and I think the next month is going to be filled with some great training runs, as the excitement builds and I prepare to hit the road, hit those trails, tackle those not so small hills and get it done!  

What needs to be done will be done and the results will come.  Stay tuned for updates and keep running 

So the real focus of course, is on April's run.  The excitement is pushing myself to see if I can make it through an ultra distance and experience either the feeling of joy, accomplishment, anxiety OR the feeling of pain, exhaustion, and weakness.  All I know is after my marathon I felt pain alright, but also accomplishment and success!  It is an emotional experience you can never describe and that everyone should experience.  It is such a rush, one that can carry you to your next long run!  

I do have some advice.  Those tidbits that I have learned through this training that will keep you sane & progressing. 

1) Stretch(for real!): Yeah yeah yeah, that's what I always said when someone said you should stretch.  Now?  Well, without stretching comes unnecessary injuries that don't necessarily get better.  Even if it's yoga, 15 mins at home, or a full on active stretching session, do something for our own good! 

2) Try to relax: For the past month or two I have run my long runs and easy runs, without music.  That's right, 17 miles with no music, no distraction.  The most amazing part is that I am able to think about my week, my life, my plans.  I get to hear the city, focus on my form & body movement.  Since I have done this, along with the track workouts(thank you Jeremy!), my upper body form is SO much improved.  It has allowed me to become more efficient and relax on my runs.  I enjoy it instead of work so hard at it. 

3) Eat Clean 90% of the time: Notice I did not say 100%.  I am after all, human and realistic.  I myself cheat and go on spurts of "not so good" food.  If you workout according to your schedule and eat well most of the time, you will likely not pay a price. Just don't be dumb and try to dive into that ice cream sunday the night before a long run.  Time it smartly.  I track my food, as I have most of the time, and it really REALLY does make you more aware and smarter about your choices.  

My goal is to share information that will help current athletes and those who are just looking for some good insights when it comes to their fitness regimen.  I welcome any comments or sugestios from my readers, so let me know what you think!  

Thank You! 

I made my 2012 race plan a few months ago.  The goal is to prepare and complete a 50K race in April of this year.  In the interim there is to be two half marathons and a couple of 5K's.  With the first half marathon off to a great start, I am optimistic about my training.  I also enlisted a personal trainer, also a good friend of mine, to help prepare me.  He has much experience in racing and preparing for races, and I respect his input to help me progress.  

Saturday I completed my race in 2hours 11 minutes, almost an exact 10 min/mile pace.  I felt good the entire race, I felt confident, and I felt prepared.  The single best peice of advice, and probably the most simple and straightforward, was given to me by my trainer.  Start off slow!  Start off slow so it feels almost TOO slow.  So that is what I did, for the first three miles I was running at about a 10:30-11:00 min/mile pace and it felt SLOW.  But as I approaced mile 6-7, I saw the benefits I had gained.  Each hill felt easy to focus on and overcome.  Each rest stop felt like it was unnecessary.  I felt awesome!  it was probably my best feeling race thus far.  A great way to begin the new year and my training program.  

I have a goal to run a 50K in April of 2012 and to risk it all by pushing a marathon without being fully ready, seemed stupid and unecessary.  So in 2 weeks, I will be doing 13 miles.  A race meant for keeping me in training mode but also giving me a chance to set a new 1/2 marathon PR.  

The point of this post is that when you look at acheiving progress, you need to define progress in several ways.  Running the same race with a faster pace, running a longer distance, running on different terain, choosing a higher elevation race.  All of these represent ways of progressing in your running training.  I made he mistake of focusing on distance and using that as my benchmark, but I learned that you can only increase your distance so much before your body needs a break.  To work on speed and pacing is just as important and fulfilling.  Be smart when it comes to planning your season.  Don't feel like you need to puch your body each race, some races can be for practice for an upcoming race or to set a new time goal.  There is plenty of time in life to progress, don't force it. 

A weight loss goal is far different from competing in powerlifting events and way different from endurance sports.  With the first two under my belt, I decided to invest in someone with experience in the third area.  Even as a trainer, you never know all there is to know and when you think you do, you will no longer succeed as a trainer.  it's not about knowing everything or being able to do everything, it's about knowing what your strong points are and what your expertise is and building upon that base.  I am able to admit I don't have a whole lot of experience when it comes to training for endurance events.  I mean I trained for the marathon in October, yes, but in order to move forward and become more competitive and progress, I need another's expertise.  

It's not easy to find a trainer you work well with, or even one who will be best able to help you reach your goals.  Everyone has different styles, personalities, and expertise which is hard to gage at first.  I pride myself on building relationships with people and learning all I can to help every person reach their goals.  I have had several clients with new "situations" that I didn't necessarily have a lot of experience with, but I sure did some research and found out as much information as possible to provide the best possible training I could.  THAT is what is important, the willingness to go above and beyond the one hour sessions.  You have to really have a passion for what you do to take such interest and transfer that passion to your clients.  

So beginning this week, I have enlisted the help of a great trainer who also happens to be a good friend of mine, to help improve my runs.  With a plan to run 2 more marathons and one 50K this year, I figure I can definitely benefit from some good input and new ideas.  Remember, as a trainer or just someone working out to be healthy, if you think you know everything you are wrong.  If you are unwilling to accept outside input from those with experience, you will never succeed.  Even sole sports require training & learning from others with the experience.  Keep an open mind and you will reach your goals.  

1) Set a schedule and stick to it!  If you workout on Mondays through Fridays, then do it!  If you train 2X a week with a trainer, maybe think about increasing to 3X around the holidays.  If you are an endurance athlete, sign up for an event to keep you on track. 

2) Set a goal!  Signing up for an race or event in January or February can allow you to stay on track.  It can give you an end goal and therefore make setting a schedule even easier.  If you have no endpoint you are trying to reach, it can be hard to stay out of trouble when the temptations get bigger.  Knowing you have a race to complete will hopefully help keep away that second piece of pie. 

3) Do not allow yourself to overdo it!  I know there will be holiday parties, there will be gatherings, dinners, and lots of good eats. The worst thing you can do is give in to each temptation.  Allow yourself to enjoy the holidays festivities and splurge a little.  Just ensure you stay as much on track as you can with your nutrition and avoid letting the splurge carry into the next day or next week. 

Just setting small goals can help keep the end of year craziness from making your body crazy too.  Stay no track, be smart, reach your goal and you will come out in 2012 feeling great! 

At around 6:45am I ditch the sweatshirt, grab my camelbak and my headphones, and head on over to the start line.  I am feeling super excited, especially because I know I have prepared as much as I possibly could.  I feel like all my training is going to pay off and I am super excited for this one.  One last bathroom trip and it's time to line up.  3…2….1…GO!  I take off with my normal pace, trying not to get over anxious and peter out early.  It is pretty easy to keep my stride considering I have run this speed so many times.  Some people pass, some of those people I pass not too long after.  It is a beautiful course, the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the blue water & blue sky.  It was a gorgeous course and a very pleasant run.  Rolling hills, nothing too unmanageable.  Things were going great! 

Mile 17, here we go…..I can begin to feel my right lateral tendon near my knee starting to talk.  Not a big deal, I can push through this one.  I'm not one to give up at the first sight of some minor knee pain.  Then it starts, the right hip, the top of my foot.  All the stories I had read about the onsetting pain during a long run like this, all about to come true.  By the time I reached mile 19, I was really feeling it.  I walked for a minute and then thought, wait! There is no way I am going to let this keep me from the finish time I have been waiting for.  Screw it!  I began to run, in pain, but managed to figure out a way to modify my stride to shift my impact to other areas of my leg.  It felt like I was running with a peg leg, but I didn't care.  I was going to run to the finish and get a good time even if I had to pay for it the following day(which I surely did!).  I reached the final 1.2 miles, I could tell people were losing steam, some were walking just trying to finish the race all together.  Others were on a run/walk finish course.  I could see the final turn into the finish and I was thrilled!  Who is this girl running side by side with me?  That's it, I'm making a sprint for it if it kills me.  I will make it ahead of this person!  So I turned the corner and sprinted with everything I had left in the tank.  I ran so fast I was waiting for something to snap and for me to collapse on the ground.  Next thing I know, there it is, the finish line.  I crossed over, let out a huge smile, and collapsed on the curb. I did it!  I finished and it felt great! 

4 hours and 45 minutes complete! I beat my 5 hour expectation AND finished under an 11 minute mile average!  WooHoo! 

Nothing beats the feeling of your first marathon, of knowing that all the hard work you put in paid off.  After the pain set back in, I thought about tomorrow and how much I was going to struggle to function, I thought "Ok, now what's next!"  Not one better sign then finishing your first 26.2 mile run and already looking for the next big thing.  I was elated!

Now, I didn't want to focus on the pain of the run or the after effects of the distance, but I will mention for informational purposes.  Think about it this way, normal everyday activities like going to the bathroom, getting in and out of the car, walking, stairs, getting up and down, sitting, standing, lying.  They ALL hurt!  My right hip was screaming in pain, and I heard it loud & clear.  All I could do was ice, try to move as much as I could.  I will say this though, by the following evening, things were feeling pretty darn good.  It was like I had just done a good leg workout.  Fantastic!  If my body can recover like this and hold its own like this, I am SO doing this again!

THE PLAN:

Running with the Angel marathon (january 7th, 2012) www.calicoracing.com

Labor of Love 50K run (April 2012) www.calicoracing.com

Nothing says success like looking ahead to the next big run!  Happy running!

**If you are looking to get started with running or would like to discuss a running plan for an upcoming race, contact me at strengthenandconquer@gmail.com