Dry Martini: A New Running Goal
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the congrats on my Wineglass PR! A few weeks after the fact, I’m no longer on Cloud 9 about reaching my long-reached-for-but-never-achieved sub-2:30 goal. I’m still on an adjacent cloud, like Cloud 6. That race day was a very good day that I’ll continue to draw on when the going gets tough. Because the going always gets tough. That’s just the way going goes.
Tanja and I at the Pit Run start. She ran her first half this year like a champ.
Because Wineglass was a week earlier than usual this year, I was able to pin a number on for the Pit Run, my local 5/10K. Other 10Ks have their charms but the Pit Run course will always have my heart. It nearly pounds out of my chest on the big hill in the middle of the course. Even though it is the hill I live on (and have run up more times than I can count), tackling it as part of the Pit Run is always more exhausting because I don’t want to stop, walk, and swear in front of my neighbors.
Which is why I opted for the 5K this year. I didn’t have 6.2 in my legs and a nice little scamper through the park seemed like more fun. Despite the 90 percent humidity and occasional drizzle, it was. Any starting line I can walk to from my own bathroom guarantees a good race, no matter what my finishing time is.
The race ends with a grilled chicken lunch. The smell alone pulls you to the finish line. #EarnYourChicken
I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next. For now, the idea of trying to beat my PR (did you know I just set a new PR?) makes me want to throw up a little bit. I discovered during this weekend’s long run that I still have the speed and focus for one zippy mile but maintaining two zippy miles is a non-starter. That may change, mind you, but right now, I’m good with ambling along.
In a text chain, a BAMR friend floated the idea of running a half in every state. I poo-poo’d it at first, because I am a poo-poo’er by nature, but the idea is starting to grow on me. Running a couple of half marathons every year seems like it’s within my reach. I looove to travel and haven’t seen anywhere near enough of the U.S. yet. Mostly, though, a woman’s got to have a quest in this life and I can think of very few reasons why this shouldn’t be mine.
At first, I figured I’d already knocked out at least ten states, given all of the places I’ve run because of AMR. When I isolated races that started with pinning on a number and ended with a medal, there were six. While I’ve run a bunch of half-marathons total, many of them have been the same race over a series of years. I love the Pittsburgh and the Wineglass weekends, mind, but it’s time to see something new.
With 44 states left and, realistically, at best, 25 more prime running years, that’s less than two races per year. Plus, if my plans hold, I’ll knock Massachusetts off during the upcoming retreat. Plus, plus, the rest of New England should be fairly easy. Plus, plus, plus, I’ve decided that I don’t have to run any of these races with any great haste; I just have to get from the start to the finish on my own two feet. That seems reasonable, yes? I have myself about 80 percent convinced that it is.
Like a Bachelorette at the beginning of the season, I haven’t yet given any races a rose. The Anchorage half is on my “maybe” list, just because SBS seemed to dig it. I kind of want to do the Little Rock half simply so that I can stay in the Capital Hotel again. Other than that, I don’t have any strong feelings — but suspect you do.
Which 13.1’s do you love and why?
13 Truths about 13.1 Miles
Do you have a half-marathon on your calendar? On your bucket list? Maybe the Cape Cod Half, with the upcoming BAMR retreat?
Since you’re here, the answer is almost certainly YES.
The half-marathon is our “favorite” race distance, according to the 2017 National Runner Survey conducted by Running USA. Nearly 2 million finishers completed 13.1 miles in each of the past few years; 60% of them were women. Among survey respondents, 75% planned to run a half-marathon in the upcoming year.
And for good reason: Running 13.1 miles is a brag-worthy accomplishment—with all the attendant bling and swag—but the training doesn’t overwhelm your life and destroy your weekends (or your relationships with your non-running family and friends).
Molly Huddle set the U.S. women’s half-marathon record of 1:07:25 in Houston in January, breaking a 12-year-old record (set previously by Deena Kastor).
It wasn’t all that long ago that the half-marathon was what running historian Roger Robinson (husband to legendary pioneer Kathrine Switzer) called an “oddball distance.”
Whereas the “modern” marathon has been around for over 120 years, the first half-marathon wasn’t until 1964, and it still isn’t in the Olympics.
Wait, why isn’t the half-marathon in the Olympics? I dunno. (Something about diluting the elite field between the 10,000 meters and the marathon, the Letsrun guys explain.)
Whatevs, guys. We’re running the half!
Here are 13 truths and tips about our favorite distance.
Are you going to the Cape Cod BAMR retreat?
*1 Use this mile to warm up
Every world record from 1500 meters to the marathon has been run with “negative splits”—that is, the first half of the race slower than the second half. This is good news, especially since you are probably not there to set a world record. Don’t bother warming up before the race. Use the first mile to settle your nerves and into an easy pace, anywhere 15-30+ seconds slower than “goal” pace.
*2 Run this mile slowly too
If you conserve energy in the first few miles, I promise you’ll pass the people in the last 3 who didn’t listen and went out too fast. And you will draw energy from each person you pass—you’ll be an energy vampire, as Sage Rountree explains—which is REALLY FUN!
*3 What are you wearing?
Do you obsessively compulsively check weather-dot-com all week leading up to your race? Me too! I don’t like being too warm OR too cold, and if you’re anywhere near your peri/meno pause years, you probably understand. My trick has been to wear layers I can take off once I’ve warmed up and put back on when I get cold again, because that always happens: a long-sleeve T I can tie around my hips, gloves and/or a knit hat.
*4 Have a drink
Before race day, find out at which mile markers the organizers set up water/sports drink aid stations and HAVE A PLAN. Will you drink at every station, every other station? Will you take water or sports drink? Your needs are different from mine, and I know you practiced in your training runs, right, right?
*5 Garmin freakout!
When I ran the Philadelphia Love Half Marathon in March 2017, my Garmin bzzzz’d way before/after I passed the mile markers on the course. Why does that happen? Something about the way the satellites pinpoint you and whether you’re running the tangents (the shortest distance between two points). The point is: Your GPS is a more-or-less guide, not an absolute truth teller. It’s really a better practice to tune into how your body feels, not what your Garmin reports.
I ran a half-marathon in Brooklyn on Mother’s Day, which turned out to be a fun way to celebrate the day.
*6 It’s not “just” a half
The half-marathon is so popular that at many races that offer both 26. 2 and 13.1, the half-marathon has WAY more participants than the full. Yet when asked, many of us (me among them) say, “Oh, I’m doing ‘just’ the half.” Let’s all agree to stop that right now! Let’s own the distance! Oh, wait, we already do.
*7 Because it’s more than “just half” the training
The thing is, to run a strong half-marathon, you don’t really train half as much as you would for a full. It’s more than “just half” the training. You probably trained for 10-16 weeks, and built up long runs. 13.1 miles is a long way, people!
*8 Are you going to eat something?
Because you are a very smart (and BA) mother runner, you know all about the importance of snacks to keep up the energy and the happy moods. I trust you figured out in your training what kind of mid-run fueling works for you—whether that’s a gel or blocks or animal crackers (my current favorite).
*9 Fun fact!
There were only 303,000 half-marathon finishers in 1990, according to Running USA. While participation has dipped a little, this year will see close to 2 million finishers, and we have a remarkable 2,800 events to choose between. Wow!
*10 Now how do you feel?
Good? Good! Because you listened and went out at a nice conservative pace. Now’s the time to step on the gas, put down the hammer, choose your own metaphorically colorful phrase. (Unless you don’t want to, which is perfectly fine too!)
*11 Should we rename the distance so it isn’t HALF of something else?
A few years ago, a few runners tried to start a movement to rebrand the half-marathon as “Pikermi.” Why? That’s the name of a town half way between Athens and Marathon, Greece.
The Lincoln half passes President Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois, a fun fact that might distract you from the hills.
*12 Fun fact!
The Lincoln Presidential Half-Marathon, in Springfield, IL, is the oldest half-marathon in the U.S., first run in April 1964. Race organizers describe the course as “scenic and challenging” (which probably means HILLS); it takes runners past “the most significant Abraham Lincoln sites in the nation.” If you’ve got history buffs in your traveling crew, that’ll distract them while you’re running.
*13 You’re done—yay!
Smile through your whole last mile! There is actual science that shows that smiling can improve performance, even if you feel lousy. Plus, you never know who’s watching and/or taking a photo.
And truly, we are all so lucky to have lungs, legs, heart and mind to take us on these miles of great adventures. Thank your body for taking you to the finish line and CELEBRATE!
What half-marathon is on your calendar or bucket list?
#333: In-Person Convo w/ Gabriele Grunewald, Pro Runner (+ Rare-Cancer Survivor)
Sarah and Dimity chat with pro runner Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald in front of a room full of mother runners at the recent Twin Cities Marathon expo. Gabe is a nine-year cancer survivor and a local runner. Like any good Minnesotan (including recent guest Kara Goucher), Gabe mentions “hot dish” in her very first answer and explains why she adores the “dedicated and ambitious” Twin Cities running community. The middle-distance runner details her love of racing the mile and running on the track. “I love spiking up,” she says. Gabe takes listeners back to her 2009 diagnosis when she was a 22-year-old college track athlete. Gabe details the mission of her foundation, Brave Like Gabe, and shares about the genesis of the name. Acknowledging that every cancer journey is different, Gabe discusses the importance of having goals and continuing to move forward—and how she plans for races in three-month chunks of time. No fair-weather runner, Gabe imparts loads of cold-weather running tips, including apparel advice.
Mercury Mile fuses fashion and function for all runners: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at MercuryMile.com
Enjoy Chosen Foods oils, salad dressings, and ancient grains: Get 50% off orders of $10 or more by using promo code MOTHERRUNNER at chosenfoods.com/amr
#BAMR of the Month
April 2019: Meghan Vanasek, Durham, North Carolina
April 2019: Meghan Vanasek, Durham, North CarolinaMy Running Story: I’m a trained dancer who started lessons at age 6. My instructors had always advised us not to run as it tightens the muscles that a dancers needs to remain flexible. So…I never really ran for exercise.
Now that I’ve had 4 babies, my flexibility and alignment are not what they once were anyway. So I thought “Why not? I’m just going to start running.” I made friends with several women who run long distances. I loathed running that first mile. Even though I’ve always been in pretty good shape, running was HARD at first since I wasn’t used to it. My shins and calves would get so tight I’d have to stop every couple minutes to stretch. After a few 5ks, I decided to sign up for my first Half this March and became Another Mother Runner! The Half Marathon program is going great! I’m currently up to 7 miles this week and I feel great! 6 more weeks to go and I feel confident I’ll be ready for the Half Marathon!
My Training Plan: Half Marathon; my first Half was on March 17 (Spoiler: she crushed it! Read on…)
Best workout: I love the Circuit Run. It breaks up the run and it’s fun to figure out where to do the exercises (on a bench, steps, etc.).
Hardest workout: Hills…
Gear you can’t live without:Bluetooth headphones. I don’t know why I didn’t have them sooner. Game changer!
Goal for this Challenge: To complete the Half Marathon in under 2:15.
(Post-race update from Meghan: I trained for the 13.1 Run/Walk. In my training I was running 14:2. With the anticipation of adrenaline, I planned to run 3 miles and walk 2-3 minutes. But no one around me was stopping to walk! I felt great, so at 3 miles I kept going. At 5 miles, my knee started to ache and then burn, but I was afraid if I stopped to walk, I wouldn’t be able to run again. And it was the only thing bothering me. Lungs still felt great, legs felt fine otherwise…so I kept running…the entire half marathon! Finished in 2:02.)
When I run, I feel: Amazed…I never thought I would ever be running so far! .
February 2019: Heather Edmunds Reed, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
My Running Story: All of my childhood, I dreaded the Presidential Fitness Test week in gym because we had to run “The Mile.” I was always slow, hated the discomfort of it, and the whole experience only seemed to highlight my status as a non-Sporty Spice. (Where are my Spice Girls fans?! #90sgirl)
In my late and early 30s I gave birth to my three boys which provided me the transformational experience of seeing my body as strong and able. I was fortunate to achieve all natural births with two of my sons, one of which was a planned delivery at home with the assistance of a midwife, and succeeded in breastfeeding them all! This body was suddenly able to do hard, painful, and uncomfortable and succeed!
Because of my mindset shifting, when one of my mom friends casually asked if wanted to run a 10K with her I said YES, I can do that! We had 4 months to train and we succeeded at running all 6.2 miles at the Mankato, MN race in October 2016! After all that work, I vowed never to let myself lose the work I’d put in and I’ve been running ever since.
In the summer of 2017 I ran two half marathons and after all that training, a Facebook ad caught my eye…Stride in the School Year. It sounded fun, relaxed compared to a training cycle, and most importantly a way to keep me going. Another Mother Runner found me (YAY!) and it’s been the most supportive and motivating community in my running journey!! Wanting to honor my body and hoping to make running a part of my life for many decades to come, I tried out TLAM heart rate training plans and I’ve been following them ever since! Nearly 1.5 years into heart rate training, I’m convinced of its value and I’m eager to see where it can take me!
My Training Plan: RUNNING by HEART RATE HALF-MARATHON: Level 1. I chose this plan for a few reasons. Since I’ve loved the heart rate training plans so far, I was eager to learn more about heart rate training with our new coaches Liz and Jennifer. It will be great learn from their years of experience! Additionally, I wanted to stay involved in the new heart rate training approach to help fulfill my role as 2019 BAMRbassador!! It is such an honor it is to be chosen to help cultivate and cheer on new BAMRs to the AMR community. What better way to do that by meeting new BAMRs in a training group? Finally, I will be attending the AMR Eau Claire retreat in May and running the half there! This is the perfect plan to prepare me for that race.
Best workout: Drills! I love the amount of thinking you have to do during drills and how Coach Liz explains that they are important to building efficiency in movement, therefore helping us with speed!
Hardest workout: The Heart Rate Test!! AHH! I get anxious the day before and of the test AND it is HARD! But, after it’s done, I feel tough!.
Gear you can’t live without: Junk Big Bang Lite headbands. I use them in the summer to deal with sweat. I use them in the winter to deal with cold ears.
Goal for this Challenge: Eau Claire Half Marathon with the AMR Eau Claire Retreat!!
When I run, I feel: Challenged, in all the good ways. Challenged to be mindful of my body in the world. Challenged to push myself on harder days. Challenged to honor my work by truly running easy on easy days.
November 2018: Jackie Kanuha, San Diego, CA
Number of years you’ve been a runner: Six years. 2018 is my first year trying a Tri!
TLAM Club Challenge: TRI Like a Mother 70.3. (Half Ironman! –ed.)
Best workout: Week 15: a practice triathlon including a 30-minute swim, 90-minute ride, and a 30-minute run. Cool, crisp water in Mission Bay, ride around the bay and Fiesta Island, and easy 30-minute run. This workout felt like all the pieces are coming together. I think I have finally figured out how to drink on the bike, woohoo!
Hardest workout: Week 16: 4-hour ride. The goal of the day was to cover the full bike distance of the event, 56 miles. I picked a flat, long route that I have done many times but not for 4 hours or that distance. I started the day excited to see what distance I could cover but it turned into a very tough ride and I still don’t know why. I fueled well before and during the ride, started in a great mental state and felt prepared for the day. I worked my way through some dark mental places and physical aches and paid but got it done.
Gear you can’t live without: Silly, but my alarm clock. Mom of 2, wife, full-time employee – workouts are done before work or don’t get done. Did I mention my work schedule has me in the office at 6am?
Goal for this Challenge: Ironman 70.3 Indian Well La Quinta
When I run, I feel: I feel like I can do anything. There is no better feeling than getting a hard workout done while the rest of the world is sleeping.
October 2018: Catherine Brown, St. Louis, MO
Number of years you’ve been a runner: I can’t believe this … but it’s well over 20 years!
TLAM Club Challenge: I am currently training with the Heart Rate Disney Dopey Challenge…I know it’s cray cray to choose to do something likes this. but I am a new empty nester (I have two boys now in college) so when a friend asked if I was up for doing Dopey I thought, “Why Not?” This would sound totally normal if I had not declared back in the spring after running Boston that I was going to hang up the marathon distance. I am still trying to convince my husband that I am “not really” training for a marathon. 🤣🤣🤣
Best workout: I love the midweek runs (45 or 60 min) that have pick ups in them. Just being able to focus on time vs number of miles is very freeing.
Hardest workout: I find the Burn Engine Run (BER) to be the most challenging. I struggle physically and mentally to run at a pace to keep my heart rate under that pesky 130.
Gear you can’t live without: I prefer to run in capris or tights, especially styles that have side pockets on the thigh.
Goal for this Challenge: Disney Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon over 4 days)
When I run, I feel: Powerful, yes, but mostly grateful after losing two close friends to cancer in the past 12 months. I am grateful that at 47 years old I still have the ability to challenge myself physically and mentally. I hopefully will never take that for granted.
August/September 2018: Amy Wilson, Berlin, NH
My running story: I ran track in high school, and over the years I have run here and there just to stay fit. I have a love for being outside and and going for runs is one way I could enjoy being outside whether being on the trails or road. I entered my first road race 3 years ago and now I just can’t stop.
TLAM Club Challenge: I entered Heart Rate Bag of Speed to get ready for a fast 10k.
Best workout: My best workout is the Halfsies. I love being able to pick up the pace for a half-mile, take a one-minute break, and then go get after it again.
Hardest workout: The hardest workout is Go Time because the side planks with hip raises are so hard.
Gear you can’t live without: My favorite piece of gear is my Garmin watch. I am such a numbers junkie and it’s perfect for pre-programming my workouts.
Goal for this Challenge: To get a PR for the 10k. It’s my first 10k so all I have to do is cross the finish line and I’m winning. When I run, I feel: Strong and alive.
July 2018: Kirsten Jett, Amarillo, TX
July 2018: Kirsten Jett, Amarillo, TX My running story: I ran in high school and college and then continued to run 5k and 10k races for fun and health. After my first child, I stopped running because everything hurt too much. I also had postpartum depression. Depression was not new to me. I suffered pretty badly in high school and college, so I knew I needed help and medication. Thankfully, we got that under control for several years. When my firstborn was 10 I had gained weight and depression came back full force. I wanted to try to lose weight and I figured the kiddos were old enough to leave alone for about 20 minutes so I could try running again. It was so hard! But I kept at it, mostly because I am stubborn. I found a cute yellow covered book, Run Like A Mother, and it really helped me make running a lifestyle. What I came to realize over time was that the more I ran the better I felt. I ran a 5k, then a 10k, then a half-marathon, then I was getting faster. I was inspired to run a marathon. I ran my first and made pretty much all the rookie mistakes. For my second marathon I had a goal of a BQ. I used the Train Like A Mother “Own It” plan in the orange book. It worked! I got my BQ (though still not fast enough for the cut-off) and I was thrilled. Our family moved to Amarillo and I discovered trail running in Palo Duro Canyon. It was so much harder but so much more fulfilling! I love being on the trails and I feel so free and alive. I ran a 50K in Palo Duro Canyon in the fall of 2016, and a 50k in Monument Valley in March 2017. It was after that race that I wasn’t feeling myself. I thought I needed more recovery, but it was more than that. I was experiencing debilitating fatigue, weird rashes and achy joints. Lots of doctor visits and lab work revealed another autoimmune disease. I already had Hashimoto’s and now I discovered I have Lupus. It’s been a hard way back, but I have a great doctor and treatment plan. I still have to be really careful with how much I can push myself, but I am learning and back to running and training.
TLAM Club Challenge: I am in the Ultra Challenge 50 Mile Plan because I am stubborn, because I want to prove that I am more than Lupus, because I like to run a lot, and because running makes me a better version of myself. Also, I need to have a solid plan and guidance to meet the challenge of this new distance for me. Coach Stephanie has been a huge help already and her plan is working wonderfully so far.
Best workout: Hill Workout from week 4. It felt so hard while I was doing it but I felt like a true BAMR when I finished!
Hardest workout: Strength training. All of it. Because I never do strength training, it has been a mental struggle as well as physical struggle!! Now that I am in week 8, I am definitely noticing that it is helping and I am getting stronger. It is paying off. I still don’t like it.
Gear you can’t live without: Zensah compression sleeves and arm sleeves. I need the arm sleeves because with Lupus I am super sensitive to the sun. I love all the fun leg sleeves they make and the hugs they give my legs.
Goal for this Challenge: Palo Duro Trail Run 50 Mile in Texas. When I run, I feel: At peace. At home. Free.
June 2018: Tarah Hall, Cheyenne, WY
June 2018: Tarah Hall, Cheyenne, WY My running story: Growing up, I hated running unless I was kicking a soccer ball. Then I started dating a runner in college. He encouraged me to enter a 5k, and I finished dead last, so much so that they had taken the course markers down and I didn’t take the correct route back and no one could find me. Fast forward a couple of years to when I was a member of AmeriCorps NCCC and running was a part of our PT. I found a group of people to run with. Running became fun! I entered a couple of 5ks. I challenged myself to a half marathon, then a marathon. I met my husband through running. Now, 12 years later I have continued to run and use it as my method of exploring new places and of challenging myself. Running is my release and my me time.
TLAM Club Challenge: Stride into Summer. I am currently six weeks postpartum and I saw this challenge as a way to ease myself back into running.
Best workout: Fresh Lime and Legs Run – because it challenged me!
Hardest workout: Fresh Lime and Legs Run –again, because it was a challenge!
Gear you can’t live without: Bolder Bands.
Goal for this Challenge: To get back into a running routine. When I run, I feel: Free!
May 2018: Kristen Genet, Blaine, MN
May 2018: Kristen Genet, Blaine, MN My running story: I wanted to start running in 2007, after I lost my mom at a young age (she was 67 and I was 33). She had Type 2 diabetes and MS, and she never exercised – and I also picked up some pretty atrocious eating habits from her, which I’ve been working hard to unlearn. However, I had two small kids, had put on some weight as a result (it happens to the best of us), and my knees were bad: Running was not yet in the cards. I started with losing the weight and strengthening some important muscles (thank you biking, swimming, and elliptical!), then a roller coaster combination of losing my Dad to Alzheimer’s Disease and birthing kid number three set me back to square one. But I had reason and resolve – and I’m pathologically goal driven – so, with the help and company of my teenage niece, I trained for and finished my first race on my youngest daughter’s 6-month birthday in June 2009. (A sprint triathlon: Go big or go home, right?!) It was hard. I really kind of hated running at that point, but I loved the time I spent and connection I developed with my niece, and I got seriously hooked on those endorphins. I never looked back. Since then, I’ve run half marathons and marathons with my niece (and another niece, a nephew, and my brother), and gloriously entangled myself with the most amazing tribe of mother runners in our local Moms on the Run group (that I’ve also been coaching for since 2011). I definitely don’t hate running anymore; quite the opposite, actually. The rest is history. I’ve run several 5ks and 10ks – although not that many; I’m built for endurance, not speed. I’ve lost track of how many half marathons I’ve run, and I’ve got eight marathons under my belt and a couple more on my calendar this summer. I really enjoy pounding the pavement with running buddies, but I absolutely love the moving meditation of trail running. I’ve discovered that training and running brings out the best in me. I have met and surrounded myself with the most wonderful people and and have the absolute best BRFs. I’ve discovered strength and determination that I didn’t know I had a few years ago. I love a good challenge and lofty goal, and I love helping others see their inner strength and work towards achieving their goals, too. This is a lifestyle change that’s been more than 10 years in the making, and although there has been some pain, it has stuck and there’s also overwhelming joy in this journey of mine.
TLAM Club Challenge: 26.2 Crush It (and then transitioning into Ultra Challenge for the rest of the summer/fall). I’m training for my 3rd BQ attempt. I’m just going to keep after that goal until I get it, and I’m really hoping what they say about the 3rd time being the charm applies in my case. I’ve done a couple TLAM challenges before, and the training plans are solid – and the mother runner community is the bomb. I needed a plan and a support group. (The more strong and positive women I can surround myself with, the better, I figure!)
Best workout: My favorite workouts are the ones that put race pace miles in the middle of a warm up and cool down. I love the feeling of locking in the pace I need on race day and spending that time visualizing what it’s going to feel like on the course that day.
Hardest workout: The LOOOONG runs…20 miles is a long way, no matter how you slice it. However: It’s hard, yes, but, despite feeling like those longest runs make me feel so weak, they also make me feel strong and capable. Those 20s are the hardest workouts, but they’re also ones that I feel great about – especially when they’re done!
Gear you can’t live without: Sunglasses. Absolutely essential.
Goal for this Challenge: Grandma’s Marathon: Two Harbors to Duluth, MN on June 16, 2018. When I run, I feel: ALIVE.
April 2018: Rachel Vogel, Ponchatoula, LA
April 2018: Rachel Vogel, Ponchatoula, LA My running story: Back in 2012 I was killing time on Pinterest (possibly at work) and stumbled across a blog entry about the Princess Half Marathon. Running through Disney World dressed like a princess AND getting a sparkly tiara medal for finishing? SOLD. But I literally couldn’t run to the end of my block, so luckily I discovered the Galloway method and the C25k app. I finished C25k on my 30th birthday (2013) and ran Princess the following year (2014). I’ve completed several other half marathons and shorter distance races since then, and completed my first marathon last February.
TLAM Club Challenge: Heart Rate 101, yay! To be quite honest, training for and finishing that full last year totally crushed me. I was dealing with a lot of personal stuff at the time and pushing myself to complete training was tough, and finishing the race in the Louisiana heat was even tougher. After that, I just lost my desire to run and the longer I stayed away the more I wanted to stay away because I knew I was ‘losing’ my strength. I signed up for HR101 to build my base back and hopefully find my love of running again.
Best workout: LOOPS! I love feeling the burn in my hips and knowing that it’s making me a stronger runner.
Hardest workout: “Easy Effort” in general is a struggle for me. My instinct is to push myself to the limit on every run, so this is definitely a shift for me. Gear you can’t live without: Ooooooh this is a hard one because I’m a gear junky!! Being the practical (and boring!) person that I am, I’m going to say sturdy hair ties! I can’t imagine running without my Garmin or music, but I wouldn’t even step out the door if I couldn’t pull my hair up. Ya’ll, heat and humidity in southern Louisiana is no joke. Goal for this Challenge: To spark my love of running (again) and push myself for a PR. I haven’t seen one in awhile so I’ll take one in any distance. (Except for 26.2, I think I’ll be content with never seeing that distance again. Maybe…) When I run, I feel: Stronger than I thought. (It’s also the BAMR tee that I bought for myself after finishing my first half marathon.)
March 2018: Shelley Seymour, Erving, MA
My running story: I was the anti-runner growing up. My brother was super speedy, and I didn’t have any natural talent, so I believed it was a hopeless pursuit. I was a swimmer through middle school; we didn’t have a high school team, so I started keeping stats for different teams. My only participation in sports was from the sidelines with my nose in a book. I was always an active person, but I never considered myself an athlete.
In 2008, a good friend and I volunteered as swim angels for a Danskin triathlon, and I was amazed at all the women of different ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities. It was a truly life changing experience for me, and I decided I would complete the same Sprint Triathlon the next year as my 30th birthday present to myself. I had never run a continuous mile and hadn’t been on a bike in fifteen years, so it was a challenge to say the least. I fell in love with the sport, completing my first three sprint triathlons in 2009. Running was my weakest link, but I always made it through. I also ran my first 10k and then a Half Marathon in the fall of 2009, which prompted a friend and me to sign up for a Half Ironman in 2010.
I kept training for triathlons until my daughter was born in early 2014, when cycling and swimming became pretty difficult to schedule. After a long winter at home with a newborn, I felt as if I was losing a part of myself and my sanity without work or exercise. I had remembered seeing a sticker that read “Badass Mother Runner” at a triathlon when I was pregnant. Unfortunately, I remembered it because a friend had said she was going to get it for me, but I’d “never been much of a runner”. It was hurtful, but it also inspired me to prove that idea wrong and was memorable enough that AMR stuck in my brain. I googled AMR, probably while nursing in the middle of the night, and downloaded the first book to my iPad. I started following the blog and read the second book.
I started by walking hills with the jog stroller until our daughter was big enough for me to run (run, walk, stop change diaper, stop give bottle, stop etc…) pushing the stroller. In 2015, I saw the Stride into the Holidays program on the AMR blog and joined it (and…gulp…Facebook to participate). I started listening to the podcast–my first ever–soon after and signed up for the TLAM 13.1 program that winter. I loved the fun, inspiring, and empowering interactions on the FB page and of course really bought into the fancy pants.
During the spring of 2016, my husband and I came to the difficult decision that we would not try for a second baby. Planning to be pregnant that summer, I instead felt really lost and without a goal or purpose, so I took on the TLAM marathon challenge. I met an incredible group of BAMRs through the challenge, some of whom have stuck around in an alumni group and become a really important and powerful part of my life, running and otherwise. In 2017, I trained in TLAM groups for a Half Marathon in the spring, a Half Ironman in the summer, and the Philly Marathon in the fall. I am aiming for Half Marathon this spring, an Olympic Triathlon this summer, and a Marathon in the fall, and will be training with TLAM for all.
TLAM Club Challenge: I’m in the Traditional 13.1 Challenge and hoping to PR this spring.
Best workout: I have honestly come to love the long runs. I never thought I’d say that, but I love the time to be in my own head or listen to a good book or podcast. Just the idea of accepting running and easy in the same sentence is kind of amazing to me. Hardest workout: Pacing for tempo runs, especially as they get longer, is still tough for me. I don’t really do well by feel but also know I shouldn’t be staring at the GPS. Gear you can’t live without: Right now, it’s my jog stroller. There’s no way I’d get any of the shorter weekend runs or lots of summer runs in without it. When I finally accepted that I GET to run with my daughter instead of HAVE to push the stroller, I got a whole new appreciation for what we can accomplish together. She is my BRF and was the only person I ran with in all of 2017, so I feel as if that’s super special for us to share. Besides, once she’s no longer strapped in and eating snacks, she may never run with me again! Goal for this Challenge: I’m training for the Western Mass Mother’s Day Half Marathon. The race raises money to support local cancer patients, and this will be my third year running it in my dad’s memory. When I run, I feel: Empowered.
Training for My First Marathon: A Training(ish) Week in the Life of BAMR PAMR
All smiles after a stomach bug came and went.
[[Follow #motherrunner Pam as she trains for her first marathon in early February 2019.]]
Y’all: I was even more excited than usual about this week’s training (no, seriously, I LOVE everything about running and training as you’ll come to learn) because I had planned to share “a week in the life” and tell you all about what I do on a day-to-day basis as a mom of two little girls, a full-time law librarian at a large firm in Midtown Atlanta, and a #motherrunner hitting the road six days a week.
I have these bright, shiny, new books for documenting my progress, and I have one more month of intensive half marathon training before dialing down the pace work and dialing up the mileage in preparation to run the Florida Marathon.
Ready to roll through the week–if my stomach cooperates.
TUESDAY
While my work week begins on Monday, my running week begins on Tuesday.
Tuesdays are arguably my favorite day of the week, and they are certainly the most flexible because I get to work from home. I have the option to set the alarm for 4:30 and get my run in before the family (husband Erik, 4-year-old Amelie, and almost-2-year-old Bea) is up and moving; or I can “sleep in” until around 6:00, send the family off around 7:15, then hit the road and be back home to log on by 8:30. I get that it might sound a little strange that sometime I choose to get up extra early on a day I don’t have to, but the trade-off is a cooler run in the warmer months: these days, we’re talking somewhere in the 70’s rather than somewhere in the high 80’s to low 90’s.
At the moment, on Tuesdays I run one of my all-time favorite workouts: 60 minutes at an easy pace interspersed with one minute of 5k intervals at every mile. In BAMRPAMR-land, that means I run at a 12ish pace, then get to speed it up to the high 7’s/low 8’s for a minute each time my watch beeps at me, giving me permission to spread my wings and fly. While I recognize that the slow and easy miles are the bread and butter of endurance training, nothing beats those moments of legs-thumping-arms-pumping-heart-jumping hard effort.
It’s starting to cool down a bit, so this week I opted to sleep in. I got the family out the door with surprising ease and headed out for my run.
Tuesday training log: I had a glorious 60-minute run with BGPU (big girl pickups, in heart rate talk) this morning and may have had a little love-fest over my calf muscles as I ran by the fence with the weird mirror mosaic!
WEDNESDAY
Wednesdays are for recovery, which means 20-40 minutes of slow jogging, keeping my heart rate under 120, netting splits somewhere around 14:20.
Some Wednesdays I meet up for “runch” with my office BAMR buddy April, but I am officially DONE running in the midday heat, so I opted to get up at 5:00 and meet April (who also lives in my neighborhood) and our friend Leah at 5:15.
I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm with some acute gastric distress, popped a couple of Imodium, and hit the road. I completed the run without incident, which is the best that can be said about the day.
I walked in the door to the dulcet tones of nearly-two-year-old Bea: “Mah-mee! Mah-mee!” When I opened her door, she reached out her arms to me across the rail of the toddler bed, then immediately withdrew, wrinkling her nose. “Shirt off, Mommy,” she commanded. I obeyed, but removing the shirt was not enough. “Pant off, Mommy. Bra off.” Mommy has some limits, though, and I told her those were staying on until I took a shower.
Wednesday training log: 30-minute recovery run] with April and Leah. Happy with the pace.
Pro-tip: Maybe don’t run with a GI virus. Spent the entire day in bed cramping and aching rather than heading into the office. Couldn’t eat anything. Ugh.
THURSDAY
Thursdays in the heart rate monthly regime, which I’m using to train for the Cape Cod Half Marathon, are for manageably hard runs.
Because I do not work from home on Thursdays, and I do not have time for an hour-long run plus shower during the workday, I’m up at 4:30 and out the door before 5:00.
This past month my schedule calls for what I fondly call Death by Hills: 20 minutes of hill sprint + jump squats + jog back down the hill, sandwiched with 20 minutes of warm-up and cool-down, with a minute of high knees at the end to top it all off.
It is difficult to put into words just how much I adore this workout. It takes every ounce of physical and mental energy I have to keep sprinting up that hill and to maintain my form well enough in both the run and the jump squats.
At the end of those 20 minutes, I feel like the baddest of all asses. Last week, as soon as I finished the final rep, Carrie Underwood’s masterpiece “The Champion” rang out from my Trekz Air headphones, and I am not ashamed to admit that I ran through the neighborhood “with two hands in the air” at a faster-than-recovery pace, pumping my fists with a big, silly grin spread across my face. I was all ready to tell you all about my final, victorious Death by Hills this Thursday, but, alas, I spent most of the day in bed.
Thursday training log: Bea came in for snuggles this morning. I wish she would choose somewhere other than my tummy to lie down. Amelie chose to blow kisses from afar since, “I don’t want to get your germs, Mommy.” Smart girl. I ate a piece of toast and a few bites of PB&J. Got down several glasses of water. No run for me today, but luckily no runs, either!
FRIDAY
On Fridays, I typically get to choose my own adventure! Prior to signing up for the marathon, I chose to take a walk to the coffee shop down the street between daycare drop-off and work. I knew I needed to start beefing up my mileage, though, if I wanted to run a strong marathon, so early this summer I opted instead for a nice, slow 30ish minute run. That’s a short enough run that, depending on the day’s schedule, I can either fit it in during lunch with April or before the sun is up from my house. This week, however, I had to make the smart choice and take one more day to rest.
Friday training log: Kids buckled into their car seats? Check. Gym bag packed and ready to go? Nope. Not when I’ve had little to no sustenance over the past 48 hours. Will try and eat enough protein and carbs to make it through the weekend’s run sandwich.
WEEKEND
What’s a run sandwich? A shorter (60-75 minute) run followed the next day by the anchoring long run. This weekend I had a 60-minute easy run with strides in the middle on the books for Saturday, followed by 12 easy miles on Sunday. My husband Erik is a runner, too, and he gets first dibs on Saturday runs. As the only non-churchgoer in my household, I run long on Sundays. It’s a win-win: Erik takes the girls to church and maybe brunch, while I get some guilt-free hours to myself.
Saturday training log: Scrapped the 60-minute stride sandwich in favor of a slow and easy 3 miles. Decided to quit while I still felt good. Walked in the door. Amelie: “Shirt off, Mommy!”
Sunday training log: I finally feel human again! 12 strong miles, even though I’ve been sick. Ready to rock Cape Cod!
Hanging with April, who is allowed behind my office doors on Mondays.
MONDAY
As a full-time working #motherrunner, I find it beneficial to take my rest day on Monday. I spend most of the day sitting in my office (with four walls and a door!), doing research on the computer. There are no little people demanding my attention, and I don’t have to attend meetings very often.
For the most part, our attorneys and staff send in research requests by email, and my fellow librarians’ offices are in a different hallway, so I don’t even have to interact with people if I don’t feel like it.
And the next day?
As Crystal Gayle so aptly put it, “I’ll do it all over again” . This time, however, without the virus this time, please-and-thank-you!
What was the highlight of your past seven days of running?
10 Truths about the 10K
Way back in the Dark Ages of the First Running Boom in the 1970s and 1980s, the 10K was considered THE distance race for “regular” runners.
Only nuttzos did marathons—few women among them—and no one had even heard of a half-marathon.
Today, I feel like the 10K (or 6.2 miles) is the overlooked middle child of racing. It doesn’t get as much attention: Only 56% of runners who responded to Running USA’s 2017 National Runner Survey were interested in running a 10K in the upcoming year, in contrast with 75% eyeballing a half-marathon.
Shalane Flanagan, 2017 NYC marathon champ, set the U.S. women’s 10K record of 30:52 (!!!) in Boston in 2016.
(Interestingly, across the pond, the 10K is the most popular distance in the UK.)
And that’s a shame because I’d argue that the 10K is a worthy and humane distance challenge.
Many of us, me among them, say “you can train for and run a half-marathon and still have a (mother’s) life.” But probably we’d have more time for (a mother’s) life—and be less tired—with a 10K.
When I ran my first road race in the late 1980s, the women’s only New York Mini Marathon 10K, I practiced by running one loop of Central Park every Saturday morning joined sometimes by a co-worker or two. During the week, I’d do a couple of 3-milers.
And it was enough! It IS enough!
With that in mind, here are 10 fun facts and a few tips about the 10K.
My mother (center), sister Leslie (right) and I (in my Grete Waitz pigtails) did the New York Mini Marathon together in 1994 and 1996.
1. The 10K is the largest race in the U.S.!
Wait, didn’t I just say the 10K is overlooked? Yes, but a handful of legacy events continues to thrive. The Peachtree Road Race, held on the Fourth of July in Atlanta, is so big—nearly 57,000 runners do it every year—that the winner has collected his award, gone back to the hotel and showered before the last wave of runners has even started. It sells out in minutes. When I was growing up in Atlanta in the 1970s, you had to finish the race under a time of 55 minutes in order to get the T-shirt. That tradition lives on, sorta: today the Peachtree Road Race is as much party parade as competitive event, but the coveted T-shirts are still handed out at the finish.
2. It’ll be over soon enough.
The Peachtree Road Race’s 1970s requirement of sub-55 minutes is a pretty aggressive pace for a “regular” runner—that’s 8:52s—which explains why the first running boom was a bunch of skinny men in tiny shorts. To finish a 10K in an hour and change, you’d need 9:45s, which is still plenty fast. Even 12:00s gets you in around an hour and 15 minutes, which is really not too long for your family to hang out waiting for you, and let’s go to brunch already!
3. You could train 3 hours per week—or less!
If you can commit to three 30-45 minute sessions of running (or run/walking) a week plus work up to a weekend long run of around 60 minutes, you’re basically good for a 10K. More advanced runners will do well by going a bit farther than the distance once per week (up to 8 or 10 miles) and adding a session or two of intervals. If you’re already running at least 6 miles every weekend, you’re good to go this weekend!
Kathrine Switzer (being wrestled off the 1967 Boston Marathon course) helped organize the first women’s only “Crazylegs” Mini Marathon 10K (below right), where Grete Waitz (top right) would twice set the world record (1979 and 1980).
4. You could run the OG women’s only race!
The 1972 New York Mini Marathon (10K), one lap of Central Park, was the first women’s only race. Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to wear a bib in the Boston Marathon, helped organize it and was one of the 78 finishers. Fred Lebow, the Czech maestro then behind the NYC Marathon, hired a handful of Playboy Bunnies to attract publicity. Yep. They called it a “mini” marathon because of the era’s miniskirts and because, well, you know, many people thought women couldn’t run a WHOLE marathon. The race, held in June, is to this day one lap of Central Park and a chill-bump-inducing celebration of how women, old and young, have taken over the world of running. Yay!
5. … Or another legacy 10K
While we’re kicking it old school, there are a handful of legacy 10Ks in standout locations, some of which may be near you! Cooper River (Charleston, SC), Monument Avenue (Richmond, VA), Crescent City Classic (New Orleans), Beach to Beacon (Cape Elizabeth, ME).
6. You could do the 10K + [other race distance TK]
If you travel to a race destination, you might as well run more than one race and collect more medals and swag, right? That’s what people tell me, anyway, and it’s the idea behind events like the Bermuda Triangle Challenge (one mile, 10K, half-marathon), Runner’s World’s Hat Trick (5K, 10K, half-marathon) and Disney’s Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon).
Pro tip from a “pro” who has NEVER done a multi-race challenge: Start slow, back off, eat and rest in between events. Good luck with that!
7. You could run each mile (a little) faster than the one before
A 10K is the perfect distance for this—start out slow and run each mile a little faster, finishing strong. You will feel like a rock star, promise!
Pro tip: Know the course route beforehand—if you’re dealing with mid-race hills, you’ll need to start that much slower.
8. You should eat a little something …
A piece of toast, a small bagel, a banana (whatever works for you). You might be able to finish a 5K on coffee alone, but not a 10K. But you also don’t need to fuel up as you would for a half-marathon.
9. And have a strategy.
First-timers and other friendly folks out for a fun day are smart to start slow and run at a comfortable pace the whole way. Speedsters targeting specific race goals recommend hitting the first mile about 10 seconds slower than goal pace, doing the middle 4 miles at goal pace and running as hard as you can to the finish line. And then you puke. Fun!
My father “appropriated” (ahem) balloons from the start of the Mini Marathon (then sponsored by L’eggs), my first 10K.