It’s official. I’m on the injured list.

Don’t be a tough guy . . . take care of your running injuries. Thankfully I do not have a ruptured achilles.

But not for too long.

Earlier this week I had an MRI on my foot to figure out if the pain in the outer edge of my left foot originating from under my ankle bone was a stress fracture or peroneal tendonitis. I started having pain in this area of my foot on and off following my 3:34 finish at the Boston Marathon. I felt during the marathon but in the days after the marathon I began having an unusual pain in my foot. The pain would subside during a run but would worsen in the hours after the run and especially in the morning just after waking up.  I knew something was wrong and probably ran more than I should have after the marathon. As an athlete it is often hard to deal with this news and can be tempting to just “run through it.” I decided that that would be a horrible plan and was thankful to immediately get an appointment.

I have not been injured in a very long time. My last “real” injury was in college and well let’s just say that was awhile ago. In college my life was on the water. I spent countless hours rowing with my awesome Colby Rowing Team. In the off-season we spent our days doing dry-land training which included a lot of running and I ended up with a stress fracture in my right leg. Wow, was that a painful injury! In order to rehab I was not allowed to run and spent a ton of time in the trainer’s room bathing my legs in the bone chilling water in the ice bath. Thankfully I could still row and so was at peace with spending extra time on the rowing machine (Concept II Ergometer aka evil torture machine) until we could get back on the water in our rowing shell.

After getting my MRI this week I was nervous about getting my results because the recovery from my last running related stress fracture was long and with the trees budding all around and the trails prime for fantastic running adventures I did not want to have a stress fracture again.  Thankfully the news was slightly more positive. Dr. Kauffman informed me that I have PERONEAL TENDONITIS which showed up as inflammation on the MRI.

TWO WEEKS in a boot. 4 to 6 weeks of no running. Ugh . . .

The latest craze in running footwear.

Well, I guess my body is in need of a break from running . . . but I will be back at it soon and stronger than ever when I hit the trails again. For now it’s time to get my rowing shell down to the river . . . Pictures to come SOON!

Since I am injured that does not mean you should take a break from running too. I’s love to hear all about your new running adventures and to see pictures too! 

HAPPY RUNNING!

Muddy Trail Running at its best!

When was the last time you ran a race just to have fun? After the Boston Marathon I wasn’t planning on racing for a little while. However when my two amazing friends asked me to run the Muddy Moose 14 miler I decided it would be the a fun adventure and good medicine for my soul. Being with my friends provided the healthy laughter that I needed and running the gorgeous trails in the fresh air brought me peace.

The original Pete & Gerry’s Organic Chicks ready for some muddy trail running.

I proudly wore my Boston Marathon colors and got ready for a muddy adventure. I had no expectations but wasn’t sure if my legs would carry me. Bridget, Joanna and I warmed up and checked out the start of the course. The ground seemed fairly dry which I would later discover was not true.

Muddy Moose 14 Miler: Organic Runner Mom is #BostonSTRONG

The race director gave us all hints of the mud that was to come on the Muddy Moose trail racing adventure. The pace was fast off the line and as we turned onto the trail the mud greeted us. At first I tried to maneuver nimbly around the ever growing mud pits left in the wake of strong strides. But after a bit I decided to just go forth and have fun and get dirty. A few moments after this decision I ran into the quicksand mud and my left shoe was promptly sucked off of my foot. Rather than discouraged this made me laugh. I pried my shoe out of the gooey mud and tried to find a solid pace again.

After about two miles the trail evened to a nice dirt road by a lake (it was hot at the race and very tempting to bail out and jump in the icy waters). Then there was some climbing up to a beautiful vista. It was so peaceful in the woods, calming and healing.Just me and the trail and the occasional other racer. Amazingly my legs felt strong and I was able to focus on my strengths. I absolutely love the technicality of trail running. Nimble footsteps hopping over rocks and roots, and weaving around trees. The sweet smell of the earth and the giant canopy brightened by patches of cerulean blue. The other runners too were quiet and focused on the terrain.

Eventually I began to see racers returning on the out and back course as we headed towards a “choose your own adventure” pathway. My friend Bridget came flying by, a flash on the trail racing to stay ahead of the pack. The course had a lollipop loop and you could run either direction. I chose to go left and was surprised by a water crossing that was “skirt high,” reaching the lower edge of my Skirt Sports. The icy water felt refreshing but shocked my legs. My pace coming out was slowed by frozen muscles (nothing like a quick ice bath mid-race). But I quickly got back in the groove for seven miles back. The course was an out and back which is great if you are feeling good because you have already seen the terrain. On the way back I actually felt pretty amazing. Perhaps it was the endorphins. The other racers on the course were friendly and there were lots of big smiles (because who doesn’t like playing in the mud!).
The toughest part about the race was that I was hungry and needed more water as it was hotter than expected. I usually come well equipped with plenty of Ignite Naturals Reload Energy gels but for some reason didn’t bring enough. For the last two miles all I could think about was food and rehydration. My finish time was 2:24.16, 7th female, a strong finish post Boston. The hose at the finish was definitely needed!

The Aftermath of a Muddy Trail Race

I would definitely do The Muddy Moose 14 miler again next year. It was a challenging course but a blast in the mud and the trail running was gorgeous!

Have you ever run a super muddy trail running race?

My friend Joanna rocking the muddy trail at the Muddy Moose 14 Miler.

Muddy but having a blast at the Muddy Moose 14 Miler

The Women’s Winner at the Muddy Moose 14 Miler showing off her Moose Prize.

Defy your fears and set some new goals!

Goals! Goals! Goals! Don’t let fear be an obstacle!

Now that the Boston Marathon 2013 has come and gone (Actual race recap coming sometime soon, when I feel I am ready to share) it is time to set some new goals for the spring! Life can be fleeting. Make your dreams a reality and bring others along your journey.

I may be crazy but at some point during the winter I signed up for my first 50K trail race and now I’ve got to recover from the Boston Marathon, add in some miles and hit the trails. I can’t wait!

I run with the most amazing group of women. All strong and determined. When not running they work very hard in their everyday lives and when they are running their work ethic is the same . . .absolutely incredible! When my friends choose goals they don’t let anything stand in their way and they just go after it.

I am always so amazed when I see my friend Bridget at races. As soon as the starter says go she is off the line like a rocket. I have dreams of catching her. As soon as the race starts she is focused and she puts it all on the line, charging ahead with no fear . . . failure is not an option, there is no such thing as “I can’t.” When I run she is often someone who I think about. I am determined to “attack” my goals like Bridget, with strength and determination. I want to learn how to leave it all on the race course. 

When you run do you experience fear . . . fear of being too slow, fear of the pain you might feel when you run faster, fear of being passed, fear of not achieving your goals?

I think these are some of the most common fears that I have had as a runner on race day. It is such a mental game and it is so easy to talk yourself out of being successful. You are in control of the path to reaching your goals.

Don’t fear the obstacles in your life . . . Muddy Moose Trail Run 14 Miler

I am determined to not let fear stand in the way of achieving my goals!

Here are my spring GOALS:

1. Train for and race my First 50K Trail race at the Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival.
2. Do a core workout routine at least 3 times a week.
3. Try Mountain Biking (Real Mountain Biking without being afraid).
4. Do more yoga!
5. Ride my road bike (I haven’t ridden my road bike on the road in about 3 years).
6. Take my rowing shell out on the water for a row (I haven’t done this since beofre my daughter was born. I think it’s time to dust off my oars!).
7. Go to bed earlier.
8. Wake up earlier.
9. Start Meatless Monday at our house #MeatlessMonday
10. Go for more hikes with my kids.

What are your spring goals?

In London, Runners yearn for 2014 Boston Marathon : the Boston Globe

I am crying as I write this. My emotions are so raw these days. I am going to share pieces of my Boston Marathon experience as the weeks go by. It is hard to share it all at once.

This evening I learned that my friend Lynn who started the race with me drove down to pick up her Boston Marathon Medal today. Today was the day they would reopen Boylston Street to the Public. Today was the day that Lynn would run to finish the marathon, the day that she would run for the 170 victims at the finish line.

To give you a little history, Lynn and I first met when I was teaching first grade. I was her sons first grade teacher, a sweet blond haired boy with the whole world ahead of him.  A boy somewhere around the age of the youngest victim of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Full of vivid imagination and endless ideas. Full of energy and a wide smile that would light up when he would read me his stories and show me his discoveries on the playground. I lost touch with Lynn for awhile but am forever bonded for being her sons teacher for showing him how to gain confidence as a reader, as a student. Every child has a vivid bright light and fresh energy. The world waiting . . . the whole world ahead of them. It is not fair that a boy (Martin Richard)  who was just like my student, like my friend’s son, should have this light taken away too soon during the terrible tragedy at The Boston Marathon.

Lynn and I have reconnected through running and it is a bond that we share. Lynn has run the Boston Marathon for many years so I was happy to be able to meet up with her before the race to head to our starting corral. We spent the morning sharing running stories and she gave me helpful tips for conquering the marathon course. We also talked about the Gilford, NH Schools For Schools 26.4.26 race to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook School Shooting. Not being able to be there, Lynn wanted to support the race and had decided to wear the 26.4.26 race shirt at the Boston Marathon. We observed 26 seconds of silence prior to the race and I knew I would be crying at mile marker 26 knowing one of my close friends was directly affected by the loss of her stepmother in this horrific tragedy. Another runner, Jaime, who we met up with before the race was nervous being at the race while her husband was not able to attend due to being on a trip. She expressed how she was worried before coming to Boston for the marathon and had even talked with a friend prior to the race about the possibility of tragedy (terrorism) happening at something such as the Boston Marathon. Our discussion prior to the race gives me chills now . . . was it a premonition . . . a foreshadowing of things to come?

Lynn and I made our way to the starting line. I was jittery, race day nerves had definitely taken hold. Eager to get to the start we gathered our belongings into our yellow Boston Marathon Bags and put on the last few finishing touches of our race day outfits. I felt ready to run a strong race and was happy to have Lynn cheering me on all the way to the starting line (and I know she was cheering me on as I crossed the line too.) Just prior to heading to the starting line I helped Lynn by pinning a pair of pink and silver wings onto her back. The wings from the Flying Pig Marathon are something that she has worn now for many miles at many races encouraging race spectators to cheer her on with cries of, “Angel” as she would speed along any race course. Her energy and smile are contagious, lifting you up and inspiring you to be strong and to take on any challenge.

Somehow as we made our way to the starting line time evaporated . . . somehow we missed our starting corral and ended up having to start in the Third Wave, Corral Number 2. A slight shift in our own personal timelines for the race. Perhaps fate. In the end of the race I crossed the line with 14 minutes to spare and Lynn was stopped with .4 miles to go. We were lucky. Who knows what would have happened. I am thankful because perhaps for me on this day I was running with a true Angel. I am a believer in fate . . .

Here is a picture I took of Lynn and I just moments before the gun went off at the start of the marathon . . .

Boston Strong 2013

She has angel wings.

She holds up a sign of PEACE.

Today Lynn drove down to Boston after hearing that race medals would be handed out to the people who had not reached the finish of the marathon. Today Lynn finished her race. Today Lynn finished for all of the people who did not finish. Today she finished to remember the victims. Today Lynn finished to show the world that Boston is Strong.

Here is her story as told by her significant other Hal (who was sitting in the bleachers) . . .

“Angel”

“Just got this photo from Lynn. She heard they were distributing medals to those unable to finish the Boston Marathon due to the bombing. In a spur of the moment decision she grabbed her race number and drove to Boston to pick up the medal. Once there she was inspired to finish her run. Completely unprepared to do this, she went to Nike-town and was fitted with a tank top, shorts, peds and sneakers. She stapled her number to her singlet and made her way over to Commonwealth Avenue and found the fence she was leaning against when stopped just over a week ago. After some stretching she ran the last 4/10 of a mile of the race course. While running down Boylston street a woman saw Lynn finishing her race and cheered. Lynn strong.”

And when I read these words my tears began to fall . . .

PEACE

Processing  the events of the Boston Marathon. . .

I ran Boston. I ran a strong race. I finished strong. When tragedy struck I was shocked. I didn’t understand. I feel helpless. I feel heartbroken. I wish there was more that I could do. That could have been me. It could have been my husband.  All of the people who are suffering and who have been lost are just like you and me and our children and our families and our friends. We must do what we can to unite in this time of grief and time of working to understand and to heal.

Remember Boston 2013

Don’t get caught up in the small everyday challenges. Be thankful. Celebrate your loved ones and friends. Experience life. Take everything in and hold your loved ones close. Be friendly to the people that you don’t know. Share a smile, a laugh or a hug.  Pay it forward. Share your strength with others and pray for the people who are suffering this horrific series of events.

Be #BostonStrong. #ChooseLOVEnotFEAR. 

The One Fund-Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino have announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, Inc. to help the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, 2013.

 Ways to Help the Victims of the #BostonTragedy

Ten Ways to Support Boston-Another Mother Runner

Post Boston Ways To Help and Get Help-Mommy Run Fast

Tragedy in Boston: How to Help-CNN

From the RUN for BOSTON Facebook community . . .

#RUNFORBOSTON

“Friends – Please read carefully . . . 

1) You can run anytime today. Morning, lunch, afternoon, or night.
2) You can by yourself, with a few friends, or with a whole group of people.
3) Wear yellow or blue, the colors of the Boston Marathon
4) Before or after your run, take a picture with a sign that says “Run For Boston” and includes 4/17 and your city/state.
5) POST THAT PICTURE ON THIS FACEBOOK PAGE sometime tomorrow.
6) Keep being people who change the world!

#RUNFORBOSTON today.

#RUNforBOSTON

No words. I ran the Boston Marathon yesterday. In shock. I was one block away . . . Hold your loved ones close and send prayers to the families deeply affected by this terrible tragedy.

#runforboston #prayforboston #chooselove

Boston Marathon Race Outfit Preview

What to wear to a marathon:

It’s the final countdown. As Boston Marathon Monday closes in I am packing my bags for the big day. Part of final race preparation is choosing the race day outfit. On race day I want to be comfortable. During a 26.2 Mile race (yes, this marathon is 26.2 miles . . . haha!) there is nothing worse than dealing with “wardrobe malfunctions” such as nasty chafing or having shorts that ride up.  During training leading up to the race I have perfected my race day “look.” to one that is comfortable and will stand up to the rigors of running a long distance.

In addition to standing up to the miles, I am also staying true to myself and wearing fun bright colors and of course a fast “Gym Girl Ultra” Skirt from Skirt Sports (Skirt Sports was kind enough to provide me with this outfit–Gym Girl Ultra Skirt, Wonder Girl Tank, Long Sleeve Shirt, and Arm Warmers– for me to wear during the Boston Marathon).  My other marathon outfit staples are SLS3 Women’s Butterfly Compression Socks and a Sparkly Soul 5/8 Inch Silver Headband along with My Brooks Adrenaline GTS (#runhappy)

What is your favorite Marathon Race Outfit? Do you have any pieces of clothing that you must wear during a marathon?

If you are running the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day good luck and hopefully I’ll see you out on the course! 

Marathon TAPER TIME!

I am in full on marathon taper for the Boston Marathon. My legs are achy. I feel as though I have arthritis when I get up and move. I am starting to have race day stress dreams. Marathon Taper is tough because all I want to do is get out and run especially now that the weather is warming up!

This cartoon totally shows what a typical stress dream might be for me leading up to a race  during marathon taper  What a nightmare! A marathon with no finish!!!!!

I have ants in my pants. I just want to race already!!!!!!

Beware of Tapering Runner (Thanks Races 2 Remember for the picture!)

Thankfully I was able to get in some amazing running last week during our Florida vacation to help calm the nerves as well as to stretch my legs on some gorgeous trails right in the Ocala Forest. .I even had a nice confidence booster when I took my husband out for an 8 mile trail run (his longest run ever!). He ran behind me and said he couldn’t imagine running a whole marathon at a pace faster than the easy pace we kept on our run. He said I looked strong and relaxed. PHEW! Thankfully I did not forget how to run while we were on vacation.

Don’t be fooled. This trail run may have taken place during the taper for the Boston Marathon but I am strong, confident and ready to run and kick some a$$!

If you want to keep track of my progress on Boston Marathon Monday you can follow me using this cool app:

Boston Marathon Runner Tracker

My BIB Number is : 15056

Boston Marathon BIB Number 15056–I’m “All in for Boston!”

IN Refresh – Ignite Naturals 100% plant-based electrolyte drink

Climbing! I faced my fear and found new inner strength

Face your fear head on and you will find strength and determination!

2 weeks to go until the Boston Marathon! I’m ready to put my training to the test! With 2 weeks to go of taper training I am working on mental toughness. Part of marathon success is the ability to work through the hard parts of the race. We’ve all been there whether during a workout or a race, those moments where you just want to stop, when you feel that you can’t push any further, when fear of the pain of a hard effort begins to convince you that failure is imminent.

Don’t let the bad attitude or fear creep in!

Last week I decided it was time to face one of my fears. I am afraid of heights. All of my friends climb and several have access to an incredible indoor climbing wall at The White Mountain School. I haven’t tried climbing since college which let’s just say was a while ago. I only tried once but was too afraid to do it again.

Why do we sometimes let our fears control what we do?

I have decided it’s time to face my fears head on.

Last week I went climbing and I loved it! The first time I was a little hesitant but being with friends I felt safe because my trust of them is so strong. I started up the wall not wanting to look down. I felt nervous, not sure of my footing or the holds. My friends encouraged me and I began to feel more at ease. My adrenaline was high. I made it halfway up the wall the first time. When I came down I was shaking but proud because I had faxed my fear. After taking ten minutes to chill out and to calm my nerves I was ready for more.

The next route was a bit easier. My friend Joanna told me not to overthink it. I am physically strong. The goal is to believe it and to trust yourself. When I went up the climbing wall the 2nd and 3rd times I went all the way to the top! I ended the evening with some “playtime” on the wall doing some traversing.

It was empowering! It was exhilarating! Mission accomplished! I faced my fear and found new inner strength.

What have you done recently to go outside your comfort zone? Do you have any fears that you want to face?