Still Beating Like a Hammer

I have been toying with this blog post for a while now.  Trying to decide how exactly I wanted to describe and express my Olympic experience… the journey before and the emotions after. 

The basic gist of my Olympics included having an amazing set up rooming with Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Melissa Bishop, Phylicia George, Angela Whyte, Nicole Sifuentes, Jess O’Connell & Maria Bernard.  Having the majority of my roommates come in with previous Olympic experience helped calm me. 

The Olympics were an opportunity for me to foster relationships… with my sport, my teammates, and the bears that I’ve poked.  It was a chance for me to fall in love… with the marathon again.

I wish I could say my Olympic prep went off without a hitch and training for it was the dream of all dreams.  The reality was far from that… it was ugly.  Sickness in April.  Junk Iron all Spring.  A jenky left leg that has been a growing pain in my “not so runner sized” ass since 2012.  Emotional stressors.  And finally, the #doubledouble debacle.  (What can I say? Sometimes I tend to rock the boat).

Those who know me well know that I do not download music.  Instead, I travel around through my gypsy life with a stack of old CDs in a beat up silver case held together by a rubber-band.  When I packed up my car… my life… my home and made my way out to Arizona in January I made sure to run back into the house and grab my music stack.  When I left AZ and spent two months in Vancouver, much to Natasha’s dislike, I came with my amazing music selection.  When life took an unexpected turn and I packed up and returned home to London, Ontario for my final Rio training block, the musical stylings of Lanni came with me.  My soundtrack to the Olympics.  We are talking nothing much newer than 2010… other than a Wiz Khalifa and Miley Cyrus CD my roommate burnt for me…  a lot of mixed CDs that my siblings were looking to toss that I rescued, a few I burnt back in high school. 

Throw in a disc and I am instantly 17 again driving with my sis Randi and friend Bethany to Port Stanley Beach.  A Tragically Hip CD that I titled “God’s Band” in the hopes of convincing my southern friends to like them. Pop in another and it’s driving to my late night law classes at Michigan State belting out some Kings of Leon.  There is one though that I can’t tie to a particular time… one that seems relevant to the last 4 years.  “Let’s break up”… a mix CD my older sister gave me and one that I am not embarrassed to say has been played a time or two-hundred during the end of a relationship (don’t worry… this isn’t a break-up blog… I already did one of those).    It has been the soundtrack to countless drives up and down I-75 between Chattanooga and London, Ontario.  The disc most regularly left in my car’s cd player.  The cause of a lot of bad car dancing… worse singing.  It’s scratched.  It skips. It’s perfectly imperfect.

It opens up with Metric’s “Help, I’m Alive” and leads into “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”. It also has gems like “Bulletproff” “Magnetic Baby” and Madonna’s “Revolver” and “I’m not Sorry”… I heart Madonna… and I’m so not sorry.

It’s the opening song that I have worn out… its chorus and verses often stuck in my head on training runs.  The song that was running through my mind on the start line of both races.

“If I stumble… they’re going to eat me alive”

Everyone wanted to weigh in on the double.  Everyone had their expectations and opinions.  If I pulled it off, would it be good enough?  If I failed?  “They’re going to eat me alive”.  Do not be upset or confused here.  I loved the support I received and will forever be amazed by the way the Canadian and running community at large stood up and took up for me… wanting to see me run both events in Rio. ‘preciate ya.  But with the attention came pressure.  Suddenly everyone was weighing in on my personal goals and aspirations.  My intentions and abilities celebrated by most, questioned by some. 

For some reason it was not until I stood on the start line of the Women’s 10,000m that I realized there was no turning back.  I trembled… time to find out if I would be eaten alive. 

“Help I’m alive. My heart keeps beating like a hammer”

Like most races, once the gun went off my mind turned to the task at hand and the nerves melted away.  Unlike the track races earlier in the season, I felt in control in this race.  The pace was on a runaway train. We had a few trip-ups… but I never gave up.  I fought for every step. That’s what I do.  If the concern was whether I would put in an “A” effort knowing there was something bigger and tougher to come in 46 hours, those thoughts were for the jaded… the faint of heart. I have never been attracted to easy.  I crossed the finish line with nothing more of myself to give.

“Hard to be soft. Tough to be Tender”

Being in professional sport… having a professional career outside of sport… being a woman doing both… it does not allow for much time to do much of anything other than present myself as tough… as hard.  Looks can be deceiving.  Miles and miles run have hardened my body… hours and hours of work have toughened my mind.  Both requirements to get to the Olympic level in sport. Necessities for parts of my life but not allowed to harden me to life.

“If you’re still alive… my regrets are few.  If my life is mine. What shouldn’t I do?”

My expectations and reality were quite different during those 46 hours.  I thought I was going to be emotionally and physically drained.  I thought I might feel dread.  I thought the fear of stumbling was going to hit.  Instead I was amped.  In the place of fear was confidence.  I was not bothered by the doubts of others… the inconsiderate thoughts of those who were too stubborn to truly try to know me.  I was going to work.  And I’m good at what I do.

Running that marathon was one of the best experiences in my life.  There were parts that were tough.  Patches here and there where my head trumped my heart… other parts where I was running with pure heart.  I can be analytical about most things.  Overly pragmatic apparently.  But when I think of that race it isn’t the splits or tactics I remember… I remember running with a calm I haven’t felt before.  I remember the excitement of knowing you were watching.

“I get wherever I’m going. I get whatever I need”

Relationships end.  It happens.  Usually you see it coming… other times you feel a little blindsided and confused. My relationship with the Olympics started out rocky back in 2012.  We got over our initial falling out, apologized and actually forgave. We faced a few more bumps and grew together the last four years.  I have come to view my road to Rio as a well-rounded and full relationship.  It was ugly at times. It was hard.  It was worth it. 

As I find myself in the final weeks prep for New York City marathon, I once again find myself with my busted CD case and stack of CDs.  I find myself listening to “let’s break up” slightly unsure of which ended relationship it’s helping me run through.

But I'm a Marathoner

I kept saying I would write about my races last season.  After each race I would make a mental note to put the experience into writing,  but then it would already be time for my next race and I would decide that it would be best to write a recap of a few races… an overview of the season so far… a mid-season update… and then my season was over.  Hurrah! I can write about the entire year!  And now I am mid-way through my 2016 season, and I have yet to write about any of my races.

So here we are.  Less than 90 days out from the Rio Olympics.  Before I can summarize my 2015 season of racing I have to first drop a “holy crap! I’m going to the Olympics”!  Flash back 4 years ago and I was likely a little drunk and crashing with some law school friends deciding what to do about my Olympic appeal and my sudden state of homelessness and unemployment.  Beer.  Dancing.  That’s what I did… mostly.  I also found myself sobering up doing 400s on the track and hammering out long runs with my buddy Jaime heckling me from his bike.  I was fortunate to have some really great friends at Michigan State who helped kick start an online campaign to get me to the Olympics, reminded me that I did in fact like being a lawyer, and offered to go for more than a few liquid lunches… all of which gave me the space and time I needed and I appreciate that they never once asked me why the hell I was still sleeping on their couch.  We all know the story.  The Olympic appeal campaign didn’t succeed, I broke my ankle soon after, I stabbed myself with a safety pin at World Champs 2013 and came back to break the Canadian Marathon Record that Fall. 

Since 2012 the goal has been Rio.  Specifically, the marathon.  Everything had been geared towards running an Olympic qualifier sometime in 2015 and to demonstrate fitness Spring 2016 to punch my ticket early and avoid any of the drama (read politics) of my 2012 season.  Then that fat foot thing happened and suddenly it seemed as though everything would be derailed.  And then “BOOM” (yep, I’ll jump on the “boom” bandwagon) everything suddenly was on a new track (excuse the pun).

2015 opened up with the NYC half marathon, the Modo 8k in Vancouver for fun and then the Stanford Invitational 10,000m.  NYC half went well, but was not anything I was overly thrilled about.  The 8k was a solid workout effort that I followed up with 3k, 2k, 1k with Dayna Pidhoresky.  I had hoped that the Stanford race would have a bunch of girls chasing the World standard of 32:00… what I got was Flannigan and an Ethiopian going low 31 min pace and me running a solo 32:11.  I was happy with the PB but was worried that I was not going to be able to put together an event to qualify for World Champs.  A week or so later I learned that my 32:11 might not be good enough for Worlds 2015 but it was good enough for the Olympics! Rio standard had been set at 32:15… I had done it! I had made the Olympics!!?? Wait… what? The 10,000m?  But I’m a marathoner.

Next up came the Toronto Yonge Street 10k, Payton Jordon Invite, Ottawa 10k/National Championships, and Calgary Half marathon/National Championships.  Flying into Toronto I had the confidence that I had broken 32 minutes on that course before (2013) and had the goal of doing it again.  Thanks to a fast pace set by Tarah Korir off the start, I came in with a 31:48.  Two weeks later I was toeing the line with my teammate Natasha Wodak to chase a sub 32. We both did it… Natasha a tid bit quicker than me ;P getting the Canadian record in 31:41 and I came across in 31:46.  Maybe it was because most of our Canadian distance crew was there cheering, maybe it was because I was able to share the experience with Natasha… but it wasn’t until that race that it really set in that I had an Olympic standard (and the World champs monkey off my back).  Don’t ask me why, but the original plan was to run World standard in the 10,000m then jump back up to the marathon for Pan Ams and then maybe try to run the 10,000m again at Worlds… Why I was signing up for such torture? Perhaps because I was still thinking “but I’m a marathoner”.  Then Ottawa 10k happened.  Damn, I like consistency… I ran 31:49.  Natasha and I lined up and stuck on the Kenyans as long as we could.  We raced like we belonged up there with those girls and my brain caught up with my body and I realized… “hey, but maaaaaybe I’m also a 10,000m runner”.  I met with my coach that week and we changed the plan to do Pan Ams 10,000m, Worlds 10,000m and then shoot for a Fall marathon to try and knock out standard there too (cuz to quote my coach “I just think doubling at Rio would be really cool”).  At the end of the week I was boarding a flight to Calgary for the Canadian half marathon champs and had a new game plan.

June was pretty much a training month with a small 5k on the roads in California (I will always regret being too afraid to head down to Portland to run that 5 on the track) and the Scotia Bank Vancouver Half at the end of the month. 

I entered the Canadian track champs to run the 5,000m mainly to get more experience racing on the track, but also to test out racing in spikes.  I finished second to Nicole Sifuentes’ awesome kick while wearing a pair of “spikes” that were basically flats with small pins… baby stepping that whole spike thing.

I spent most of July second guessing my decision to run the 10,000m at Pan Am Games in Toronto… everyone in the country knew me as a marathon runner and I couldn’t help but feel like I was letting some people down.  That identity crises was silenced when I stepped into the stadium to race.  Holy heck that atmosphere was amazing.  The air was charged with the excitement from the crowd as Natasha and I did our last few strides before the gun went off.  It was hard to contain my nerves and excitement during the first few laps of the race… I kept wanting to get caught up with the crowd, knowing my family was in the stands watching… cheering… seeing what it actually is that I “do”… but I managed to stay calm and stick to the race plan from my coach – DO NOT LEAD until you’re in the last 2k... which meant slowing the race down to a 90s lap because I refused to take the lead when one of the Mexicans tried to relinquish it.  With 1k to go I took the lead and finally allowed myself to feed off the crowd’s energy and just run.  That last kilometer was probably the most fun I have ever had with racing.  I finished with the bronze, a new found love of the track and having run my first ever 10,000m in spikes!

Then came World Champs in China.  Training leading up to it went decently well until I arrived at the prep camp in South Korea.  It was humid (as we expected) but it was more the availability of places to run (or lack there of) that was problematic.  Yes, I was now a 10,000m runner… but I am mileage based and a 500m gravel loop or a 2k out and back rubber path left me feeling stale and flat heading into China.  Walking into the Birds Nest in Beijing initially made me really nervous, but it was a different feeling than walking onto the track in front of the “home crowd” in Toronto.  I was able to calm myself thinking about lawyering of all things.  Unlike walking into court when I know everyone in there will be looking at me, watching me, waiting to hear what arguments I have ready to present (me waiting to know if words will actually come out of my mouth when I open it), walking out onto that track I had 24 other women there that the crowd was watching… all of us with our own goals, fears and expectations.  The race went out slow.  The middle stayed slow.  And the finish was who can run the fastest 2k… I might be a 10,000m runner now… but I’m not yet a kicker.  I finished 18^th and disappointed.  A few days later I looked at my splits and felt a bit better about the race… especially after I realized I was only 5-7 seconds out of my top 15 goal.  In my mind, that’s a lot better than the safety pin incident of Worlds 2013.

And finally, cuz why not? I tacked on an extra 7ish weeks of training to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (after a week of elephant riding, scuba diving, and loads of treadmill running in Thailand).  I decided that I would head back to Flagstaff for a brief training stint.  I figured it would be difficult to be motivated and excited to run by myself in Chattanooga.  Just before heading out to Flag I went down to Atlanta for Music Midtown… which meant I had to do a 15k time trial on a track in the middle of the day.  Ok, so I didn’t have to… but I wanted to see X-Ambassadors play, so I watched them and then went next door to the track for my workout.  It was hot and a bit monotonous, but I did have live music to listen to and I killed the workout.  

I lined up in Toronto with the A goal of Olympic Standard (2:29:50) and the B goal of breaking my own record (2:28:00).  I crossed with 2:28:09… ouch.  Coming around the final bend to see the clock click over my record time stung for a minute… but I knew about 5k out that my left calf, having started cramping between 25k and 30k, was not going to let me press the pace.  I know from experience (safety pin) that pressing my calf can lead to me losing chunks and chunks of time and I decided over the last few kilometers to stick to the A goal and worry about my record some other day.  Still though 9 seconds in a marathon is nothing and it sucked. Until I realized that now I’ll have something to chase after Rio… that breaking my own record with a 7 week build might make me feel less enchanted about running or trying to lower it again later… not breaking my record reminded me that marathons are hard. My record is hard… and I need to respect both if I ever want to call myself a marathoner again.

Putting Together the Pieces

Everything this year has been about building a program, training and recovery wise, that is sustainable and that I will be able to use next year as I prepare for the Olympics in Rio… iron out those kinks so-to-speak.  Changing events from the marathon to the 10,000m meant putting together a new puzzle and making sure each puzzle piece fits.

So here I am, training in South Korea before heading over to Beijing, China for the IAAF Track and Field World Championships.  I have continued my season jet-setting across Canada and the USA for training camps and races… lots of races… and am happy to say I sit here less than two weeks out from the Championships with a body that has held up and is ready to go.  I am happy to have found a recovery routine that keeps my body happy and put together (even when I am racing national championships on back to back weekends in cities located across the country from each other)... it has proven to be one of the most important pieces.

It has been a busy but successful season so far with two national titles (10k Road Race Championships & Half Marathon Championships) and a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games (10,000m), and I am not done yet. 

Recovery on the Road

 

The season is off and running (pun intended) and so begins my tour of training camps and race locations. I packed up my training gear, some street clothes, and my recovery pump at the start of January and have been on the road since. From Chattanooga, to Ottawa, to Kenya, to Montreal, to Ottawa, to New York, to Vancouver, to San Francisco, and now in Flagstaff... it’s been a busy last four months and it will not be letting up anytime soon.

I opened up my season in New York with the United New York Road Runner’s half marathon on a tough course and in some windy conditions. The following weekend I raced the Modo 8k in Vancouver and then had two very wet and cold weeks of training. I headed to California for the true test of my early season fitness at the Stanford Invitational where I raced the 10,000m on the track. The field wasn’t what I hoped for so I ended up running the entire race solo. I came away with an 18 second personal best, running 32:11, which puts me very close to the World Championship standard of 32:00. So here I am… back at altitude here in Flagstaff hoping to find 12 more seconds when I head back to California for the Payton Jordon track meet.

Packing for months of travel, training and racing is not fun… planning and locating massage and treatment options proved to be a bit of a hassle in some locations, so I found I was really reliant on my RecoveryBoots to keep me going through heavy training loads and hard workouts. I found them especially helpful when I needed my hands free to work from the comfort of the living room and to eat some fried chicken and waffles post-race.

Fitness Friday: Gettin' er Done

I have decided to try my hand at the Canadian Championship 10k next week held at the Toronto Zoo Run.  I was debating whether or not I wanted to race in anything big between now and the Scotia Bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon next month, but decided that I want to give the race a go.  I have had some pretty good experiences racing in this CRS event... last year my sister Shannon made the trip with me and warmed up with me and Natasha... and it gives me a chance to head back home to Canada.
I'm not quite sure how my fitness will compare with the rest of the field, but I am looking forward to testing the waters.
This week's FITNESS FRIDAY brought me back to the pool with Kim and Ryan for an early AM interval session.  Those of you that remember my university training will remember that I used to spend a lot of time in the pool cross-training and rehabbing.  Those workouts involved a lot of aqua jogging and a lot of holding my breath.  While those workouts definitely benefited me back then, I now believe that full-on swimming workouts fit better into my training plan.
I started swimming with Kim and Ryan in July and feel like I now have a pretty good handle on how to pace myself through the workout.  What I love about swimming is that I can get my heart rate up and feel a completely different fatigue than that which I feel during running intervals.
Kim is hardcore... she usually swims 3000m for her workouts, while Ryan and I stick to 2000m (Hey! We started out at a mile in July... so I'm happy with our progress).  This morning however, Kim, Ryan and I all did the 2000m workout... and though I'm sure neither Kim nor I would admit this to each other... we were totally racing!
We start all our swim workouts with 200m easy, 200m pull, and 100m flutter kicking.
Then we move into the actual session.
Our intervals usually include several sets of 100s, some 50s even harder, and then some 200s keeping the pace steady.  Today there were a lot of 100s.
Finally, the cool down is 200m easy... but Ryan and I usually end up pulling the first 100 to make it go by quicker.

For those of you who want to look into some swim workouts... here is a pretty easy website to start out:

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swim-cgi/

Nothing like that rubber feeling after a hard swim session!

Fitness Friday: Beach Ready

This week I am heading to the beach with "double down" and a few of his friends. To try and make my weekend a bit easier running wise I did a hard track session earlier this afternoon (3x(5x400m) and then heading back to the basement to do some stretching and strength work.  Now I'll just have an easy run tomorrow and a long run Sunday. I'm anticipating it being pretty hot when I get down there, but am looking forward to a few days to lay out in the sun!
My general running fitness seems like it is coming along fairly well... I'm sure I have Ryan and Kim, and the C.O.W.S to thank for keeping me fit while rehabbing my ankle all summer.

First I started out with some work on my foam roller:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoHBDim_fzk

Then I went back to work on my ab ball and made use of the laminated card that I was given and is now in the hands of other athletes in Chattanooga:

First I did some general planking balancing on my ab ball (3x 60s), then I switched to some arm and leg extensions while balancing on the ball (3x15s per side).

rom there I did a side plank then rotate to bring elbow under the shoulder of my supporting arm (12 per side).

Finally, starting in a push-up plank position with my feet balancing on the ab ball, I then engaged my core to pull the ball in towards me, bending at the knee (3x15 reps).

Not a crazy long core session, but enough to stretch out and engage my core after a pretty solid track session.

Now to pack for the Beach! 

Fitness Friday - err... pre-race recovery

Ok, so tomorrow I make my return to racing at the Crim 10 miler here in Flint, Michigan. I made the road trip up here yesterday and have been chilling in my hotel room with my Colorado running buddy Deanna Ardrey.
Yes, I opted to drive up to the race. Yes, there was a lot of car dancing. Yes, I still hate Ohio. No, I'm not crazy.
I'm actually going to jump up to Canada after the race tomorrow to visit the fam, and so that I can then cross back over the border to have my paperwork processed. Fun... eh? eh? Let's hope that border patrol do not find me "too hot to cross" again, and I get through in a timely manner.

So, since I am racing tomorrow my "fitness friday" hasn't been to "fit" feeling.  Dee and I went for a shake out run and will hit up the pasta dinner tonight... that's about the extent of today.
I'm not looking for much out of my race tomorrow... Just a solid effort to see how my body is coming back from this dang ankle injury.  I have been able to maintain some form of fitness swimming and rollerblading... but man, I now understand why people complain about running. It's hard! I didn't remember it hurting this much to get back in shape.
Anyways, enough sounding like a wimp for me.
Next week I'll be "fit" again, I promise!

Fitness Friday

Alright... I have found a new Ap for my iPhone and am in love with it! The Nike Training Club.  This thing is great... there are tons of workouts to pick from and you can hammer out a great core and strength workout in 15 min when you are pressed for time or choose one of the longer ones (30 -45 min) depending on what you are wanting to accomplish.
This week I did the "Core Crunch":

Each exercise lasts a minute:
1. V-ups
2. Full Extensions: Extend your legs out straight and arms above your head holding a med ball and then bring your legs in and the med ball to your feet. (I didn't have a med ball, but substituted using a weight)

3. Suitcases: Squeezing the ball with your inner thighs, bring knees and elbows toward each other until your shoulder blades are off the ground. (Again, I had to get creative and used my roller to hold between my knees).

4. Side Plank Crunches (30 seconds each side)
5. Frogger with Swivel: Start in pushup position with hands close together; Jump your feet to the outside of your hands; Jump back to start position; Twist through the hips to bring one knee up to the opposite elbow; Bring the knee back and swivel the opposite knee up.

Repeat 1 -5
Then:
6. Plank
7. Side plank (1 minute per side)
8. Opposite arm/leg supermans
9. Kick downs: Lie on your back with legs straight up int he air, 90 degrees from your body; Keeping your legs straight, lower them as far as you can.

Great little session to finish out my training day!

Fitness Friday: Fitness on the Go pt 2

Just when I thought I was going to start to settle down and have some routine to my life... girls weekend parked itself on my calendar and Ellen and I found ourselves road-tripping it up from White, Georgia through Knoxville to pick up Shannon, and then up to Johnson City.

Time to get creative again.

So, what does a girl do when she's staying with friends and needs to squeeze a workout in during a chatty girls weekend? She does WATTS:

First you start with 100 crunches
Then you roll over immediately and do 10 push-ups
Roll back over and do 10 crunches
Roll over again and do 11 push-ups

You repeat this adding 10 crunches and 1 push-up each set until you have worked your way back up to 100 crunches and finish off with 20 push-ups.

I generally like to switch up the crunches and do different variations to keep things interesting and to focus on different areas of my core muscles. I'm not gonna lie, by the end I struggle to get through 20 push-ups... but it does eventually get easier.

Not a bad quick fix for a workout... now time to visit with the gang and the new baby!

Fitness Friday: Fitness on the Go pt 1

It's Friday! Time to go to work!

This week, as some may know, I was house-sitting for a friend in Chattanooga. It definitely made my life a bit easier not having to commute from Georgia, but it also meant I had to get more creative with my core training this week... did I mention there was a 17 year old lil' dog involved in my house-sitting?

This week I totally stole my workout from my lil' big sis. She had just recently traveled for a convention and posted a workout about training in a hotel room. Granted I wasn't in a hotel, but working with a smaller space than usual and perhaps, lacking a little motivation sent me scanning my sister's blog for inspiration.

http://www.cupcakedujour.ca/2012/07/work-out-wednesday_19.html

Not a bad little work out at all eh?

Fitness Friday

Ok, so another week has come and gone and it is again time to focus on my core strength and flexibility. This week I took part of my workout outside on my sweet blades

and then finished it up inside with my trainer friend Dameian from STAT Fitness down here in Chattanooga.


Those of you who are from my figure skating past will remember the good old days of rollerblading around the parking lot at the arena doing one legged pulls and snowmen with our feet.  Since I am still in the process of upping my mileage I decided it would benefit me to start doing "interval work" on my blades.

First I rollerbladed a few miles down the river-walk, then I started into it:

First I did 1 min of sculling (also known as making snowman with your feet) with 30 sec normal rollerblading. I repeated this 5x.

Next, I did one legged pushes on each leg. 30 sec each leg x5 with a minute recovery blading in between.

I then returned to standard rollerblading for 5 minutes before repeating the above sets of intervals 2 more times.

After I was done my interval session I headed over to STAT Fitness to have Dameian help me work on my calf strength and get full mobility back in my hips and ankles.

Not a bad little Friday if you ask me ;D

Fitness Friday: Fitness on the Mend

http://www.cupcakedujour.ca/2012_06_01_archive.html
Ok, So I am officially back to training and... BACK WORKING! Yah me! I have been able to pick up some part-time work at Speek & Webb (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Speek-and-Webb-PLLC/263925700298864), a law firm based in Chattanooga, TN. As I continue to focus my attention on getting my ankle back to 100% and my body back ready to run a fast marathon in October, I decided I need to return to my roots and pay attention to cross-training. Yes folks, this means I'm back rollerblading, swimming/aqua-jogging, and hitting up the core, drills, and stretching. As you can imagine, the whirl-wind of a trip my life has been on for the last 12 or so weeks caused me to let things fall to the way-side, causing my body to remind me that it's doing the small things that keep me healthy... lesson learned the hard way. So, in my attempt to keep myself on track, I am going to start posting my cross-training/strength building workouts on here! This week, I did the Core Synergistics workout from P90x. I love doing this workout... though Tony Horton can be a bit much at times. It switches things up enough that I don't lose interest part way through, and it helps me focus on my hip strength and flexibility... my trouble spots. I last did this workout with my lil' big sis when I was in Vancouver, BC. I had to modify it then because of my foot, but was still able to get a lot of benefit from it. I've shared the link to her workout blog... as you can see, it took matching outfits to motivate us to get going ;D.

"Fitness on the Mend"
Sometimes, our bodies don't behave. Despite our best intentions, and most ardent care, we get tired, we break down, we get injured. This post is about working out through injury. Or more specifically what to do, when you can't do what you usually do. My sister was in town this week to race in a half marathon. On her first day here she ran 15 miles. On day 2 she did a 8/6 double. Day 3 brought 400 repeats. And then, something went wrong... She began noticing a tightness in her ankle. Hopeful it would settle down by race day, she tapered her training, did the old RICE standby, and bought some Advil. On race day, we were awaiting her triumphant appearance at the finish line, when my phone rang. She had pulled out at 4 km. The medical team suspected a sprained ankle, or perhaps worse.

How does a runner keep their fitness level up when they can't run? They get creative.

We put matching outfits. We threw on p90x. We improvised.

Low Lateral Skaters:

Bow to Boat:

Squat X-Press:

Reach High and Under Push-ups:

Fitness waits for no man.

Back to the Basics

http://www.cupcakedujour.ca/2012/07/work-out-wednesday.html
 

Now that I am back settled down here in the South it is time to plan what I am going to do for the near future, and well, the next few years as I put running on the front burner for the first time in my life. Let me just say that this would be a lot easier to do if I was not mending an injury, and carrying the weight of my legal education on my shoulders.
For now, it is simple... maintain my fitness and figure out the best plan of action... luckily I have just picked up a sponsor (www.marathonguide.com) and I am chatting with a law firm later this week.
Maintaining my fitness while I rehab my foot brought me back to my college days... the days of crutching to the pool and aqua-jogging in circles were not things of my past I ever wished to re-visit... but here I am.
When I was still in Vancouver, B.C., with my sis I was able to get in a few pool workouts and was able to have her join me for one... of course, she insisted on matching outfits ;D (I posted the link to her workout blog above).
Getting back to my cross-training roots has also linked me back up with the C.O.W.S (Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers), which I am not only excited about for fitness and training purposes but also because they are some of the most amazing people I have met!
 

                                                          First swim back with the COWS

I first started swimming with the COWS in 2010 when I was down in Chattanooga for an internship... I met up with them a few times last summer, but never really got into the routine of going every week as studying for the bar and then starting a new job proved to be too much to juggle.
Luckily, this year it seems like I can pick up where I left off in 2010 and start hitting the TN river for some swims... and plan on doing so even during my marathon build up.

My Zoolander Appearance

So I’m only a few weeks away from Chicago and things seem like they are going pretty well… training wise anyways.  Last weekend I raced in the Canadian 10k Road Race Championships and took fourth behind Megan, Dayna, and Malindi.  No complaints here!

I felt like it had been forever since I had raced, and it felt great to get the cobwebs out.  I had a bit of tummy turmoil to deal with the two weeks leading into the race, but was able to take care of it before lining up to race on Saturday.  Not quite the best prep for a race I have had mentally, but some things just end up being out of our control eh?

I was pretty happy with how the race went out, aside from having to dodge a pack of men who decided to position themselves between the lead three women and Natasha and myself.  We went through 5k fairly quick, and then things got a little bit more hilly and quite full of turns. Needless to say that I felt a lot like Zoolander in the second half of the race… “I can’t turn left.”  I do think my training these last few months has made me pretty strong but I am definitely lacking that pep in my legs to take off and go on a course that zig-zags through the zoo. 

I did have a lot of fun rooming with my Chiba roommate again, Natasha, and got to meet a lot of the B.C. team.  They were a great bunch to do my shake out run with.  Si Si was able to make it for my race, and warmed up with Natasha and me, mouth full of chocolate and all! What a riot!

After the race, Si Si and I headed back down to London to see the fam for a bit… Holy geeze is my nephew Madden getting big!  Then we headed on to Michigan so I could see some law school buddies and she could go hang out with the boy (side note… if you have to pick between the puppy and the boy… always pick the puppy).  It was nice to throw back some beers and be done with the stresses that were weighing on me these last few weeks.  Now to just keep pressing forward until Chicago! “Just keep swimming” … err… I mean running ;).

I think I am adjusting to my double life as a runner and lawyer.  To be perfectly frank, life here in Chattanooga isn't exactly how I pictured it during my last year of school, and it certainly isn't always how I want it.  But unlike some, I'm not going to dwell on it with stubborn anger.  Time to dig in and run!

As a side note, I received a lot of feedback on my last blog about my on again off again relationship with my boyfriend, Mr. Running.  I’m glad that so many of you understood where I was coming from! If we can’t laugh about our twisted relationship with running, then why even bother doing it?

The Perfect Imperfect Boyfriend

Ok, so this is my return to blogging after a long hiatus. I really did mean to blog after the Ottawa Marathon, and then again after the Bar exam, and well, there is not a good excuse. Yes, I have been pretty busy, and those of you who know me well know that I basically live out my car right now, so I will rely on the excuse of pure exhaustion. Perhaps exhaustion and the total upheaval of moving down here, paired with not having things go quite as expected on all fronts… Right, Lanni Lesson – things never turn out as expected.

Anyways, since my marathon debut and writing the Bar, I have started working full time at Davis & Hoss, and kicked up my training again for the Chicago Marathon in October… eek… The 4:30am wake up to drive into town for my interval workouts and long runs was pretty painful to start, but I think I am slowly adjusting.

This morning I set out on top of Signal Mountain for another long long run, and by mile 15 parts of my body started to remind me that it was not the biggest fan of today’s activities. This kinda got my mind wandering, and I questioned “what keeps bringing me back to running”? After all of the hurt, the frustrations, the questioning of whether I should start dating rollerblading, I keep coming back for more. Am I a masochist? Do I like playing the victim? NO! I have come to the conclusion that my relationship with running is not at all like casual dating… running and I are in a very committed long term relationship.

Many of you have heard me previously refer to running as my boyfriend (http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/05/29/marchant-off-and-running ), and like any relationship, it has had some ups and downs. There have been times where I am so frustrated with running that I feel like hot venom is running through my veins. I have cussed running out. I have told running to hit the road and never come back. But, he never really takes my anger and frustration to heart. He knows that deep down I really do love running, that I have put my heart and soul into making things work between us, and most importantly, he understands me.  Yes… there is definitely love in our relationship… and it works both ways.

Running does not judge me or my family for how we grew up, and he does not question my morals or values. He has never turned his nose up at me (hmm… maybe when I forget to air out my shoes).

Running did not give me silent treatment because I allowed myself to get angry with the World for a day. Instead, running sat back and let me vent. I got out all my frustrations without being questioned on them or being told that my feelings were invalid. After a good venting, running was still there, asking if I was up for another 8 mile date the next day. Running will not stand by and let me just sit there and lick my wounds either.

Running lets me burp.

Running has never disappeared on me or ignored me after I have called him out for hurting my feelings. He never forgets me or overbooks his schedule. Yes, we sometimes need our space from each other… but I never have to go hunting him down, and I am not always the first to extend an olive branch after we have a fight.

Running like most boys, does not always get it. We have our differences... I admit that I have my days where I am just a pill to deal with. And man, do I give running huge props for putting up with me during those “off” days.

Running has never given up on me. He accepts my apologies when I make a mistake and get frustrated over something small. By no means is running my “biotch”; He barks back at me when necessary. But never any hits below the belt. I pull my own weight in our relationship. I listen to running when he tells me that he’s frustrated or mad at me. I let him vent (aka, take out his frustration on my shins, my pelvis, and my hip) and then come back and see if he still wants to chill later.

 Running understands that I have a mad crush on dancing.

Do not get me wrong. Running is not always the perfect boyfriend. But none of us are perfect. And I’ll be damned… running accepts that. I pity the fool who doesn’t.

Powered by Mizuno

Look above! I have a sponsor - Mizuno Canada! I am so excited and happy that they have decided to pick me up and provide me with some gear! I will happily be wearing my Mizuno race gear this Sunday at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Montreal. Actually, I am sitting in my hotel room right now (Thank you Canada Running Series) and thought that updating my blog was a welcomed break from trying to do homework.

I am really excited to race tomorrow - of course I have some crazy nerves running through my body, but I am attributing most of it to excitement. I do not feel as sharp as I did in the Fall, but I do feel really strong! I am hoping the combo of strength, proper racing flats, and "cookie cutters" (small wool inserts under my arches), will help me to a fast time and keep my calves from cramping up in the last few miles of the race. Of course the travel to this trip was not without some bumps, as my initial flight out of Lansing was cancelled. Having an actual ticket and not flying on stand-by (hello Hawaii trip), made things still go smoothly, however I did not even leave Detroit until my original flight was landing in Montreal. It made for a later arrival than I had planned, but the race coordinators here are amazing and Anh was a trooper for making yet another trip to the airport to pick me up at 8pm.

These last few weeks have been interesting training wise. My calves were totally messed after the ATB 30k, and it took about a week for them to relax to where they were somewhat run-able. Thankfully, the weather was clear enough for me to rollerblade! They were still very angry with me about a week later, so I went to the Playmakers Injury Clinic and was seen by Sue. What a wonder-worker! She worked on my legs a bit and suggested the cookie cutters. Within a day my calves felt totally normal again, and I was able to get back to running and do some mile repeats! It was perfect timing, as I was starting to feel like it was going to be another Spring filled with rollerblading. It also let me do a 17 mile long run with the Farmington group and do my London 2 Feet and a Heartbeat run-a-thon!
 

As it was my birthday weekend, it was fun to be home in London and see my family and incorporate my fundraiser. It was really great of Brandon Laan to let me meet up with his run group before I took off to Dorchester. Next up is the Georgia to Tennessee Run-a-thon at the end of the month. I am so thankful for all of your support and donations. I am still working towards my end goal, so if you know anyone who would be interested in donating, please forward the link (www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com). Ok, that's enough of a plug =P

I really am still in shock over the amount of support and assistance I have received these last few weeks! After this weekend I go into crunch time for exams and then the whirlwind of this final semester will finally be over! It has been a blast, but man, I am so ready to be out of school and on to the next chapter!

I'm not sure if you can follow the race live tomorrow, but if I find something out, I'll post a link for everyone here and on my facebook page! Regardless, it is going to be a pretty amazing race with some awesome competition! Ohh, I'm excited! 

Wish me luck! I'll give you all a play-by-play when it's all over and done with!

2 Feet and a Heartbeat

Well, it is finally here! Tomorrow is the first leg of my "2 Feet and a Heartbeat" Run-a-thon! I must say that since my last post things have definitely turned around! You all have been so generous and I have once again been reminded that I have some truly amazing friends and people in my life. One thing that I will definitely take from this whole experience is that it is OK to ask for help. 
I am so grateful to have had Alan Brookes take interest in my fundraiser and help me get the word out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UNPh12_SOY&feature=related ) and am even more grateful to all of you who stepped up and helped a girl out! I was fortunate enough to be interviewed about 2 Feet by Canadian Running Magazine (http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/04/sections/news/around-the-bay-runner-up-raising-funds-for-law-school/), and was again totally surprised for my lil' run-a-thon to be receiving so much attention.
I am really excited to see if I can make this fundraiser take off and benefit other athletes like myself - grad-student-athletes or just those who are good, but do not quite qualify for funding assistance. 
I will be posting pics and video (hopefully) from the event tomorrow - so be sure to check back here or go tohttp://www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com/ to see my fundraiser updates!

Now onto my recent training/racing updates -

As some of you know, last week I competed in the Around the Bay 30k! Now lemme tell you, this race is amazing - a bit of a beast at times - but such a great event. I was so lucky to carpool from Michigan up to Hamilton with Dave, MB, and Mark - three runners I met this fall while doing some workouts with their group in Farmington (coached by former ATB winner Paul Aufdemberge) - who definitely made the trip entertaining and were full of little tips about how to get through the longer races. Huge props to Stefania for letting us all tag along with her for her dinner reservations the night before the race - amazing food!
Let's see, what did I learn while running 30k? That starting the race with a tight calf is going to make running up the hills in final kms of the race quite interesting - like trying to run without putting one's left foot on the ground interesting - and that I need to find a gu/gel to take that does not kill my insides. All in all, I really did enjoy running the race - I like the challenge of learning how to race the long stuff! Huge props to Dayna Pidhoresky - the women's winner - she went for it from the gun and is definitely making her mark on female running in Canada!!
This week after the race, I wish I could say I have enjoyed it - but man, I don't know if it was because my calf was so tight or what, but on Sunday and Monday night my left shin was purple and I could press my finger in it and have an indentation that lasted for a few minutes - thank god for ice cups, tennis balls, and compression socks =P My calf is still a little tight, but by Wednesday I could find my shin bone again - Yeah Me!
Needless to say, I took this week very easy and was able to run the Martian 10k today in Dearborn, Michigan. I will say that there was no "pep" in my step at all - but I ran consistent and felt like I could have kept my pace going for longer. After the 10k, my calves were pretty tight, but I went for a 40 min rollerblade this afternoon and that seems to have helped knock out the junk! Yes - my first official rollerblade of the year!! It was a little chilly - but geeze it felt great!
While in Dearborn I was able to knock off another burger joint from my list - despite what Relish.com says, I question how this burger ended up ranked in the top 25 in the USA - it was ok, but it will not be ranked in MY top 25!
Speaking of burgers and rollerblading, I have decided two things after the ATB 30k
#1 - I need to refocus my training and cross-training - I need some "pep" and the rollerblading today has made me well aware that my bum and hips are not nearly as strong as they were a few months ago
#2 - I am going to keep a food diary for a few weeks - no, not for weight or "diet" purposes - As I mentioned a few months ago, I cannot seem to get my insides to cooperate on my runs and I think writing down what and when I eat might help me figure out what is going on - u'd think that by this point of the semester I would have learned what to pack in my lunch - but something seems to come up every day and I never end up following any sort of schedule

My goals are:
- to get my muscles back in balance (BONUS - a cute bum in jeans!)
- figure out how many hours I need between meals and hard or easy training sessions!

Ok, I think that's all I had for ya today - please keep checking for updates about 2 Feet! If you are around Okemos or Bath Michigan, please come out and cheer!

Irish Luck

Alright, once again it has been a while since my last post - but I come bearing loads of news and updates! Let's see - first, I was lucky enough to make my way out to Hawaii for the Great Aloha Run! Now, just to clarify, I was only able to make the trip happen thanks to a very generous loan to pay for my tickets, my willingness to play the "game" of stand-by flights, the great connections Brandon and Chantelle have in Hawaii, and the great generosity of David Carlsson! It really was an amazing race and a great trip. Now I just have to wait for the race winnings to come in and sign them over to pay back the loan - oh sad face.

After my fun filled/free adventure in Hawaii (which you can read about here: http://www.lfpress.com/sports/columnists/morris_dalla_costa/2011/02/24/17400836.html ), I ventured back to Michigan (and the snow) just in time to drive to Canada to run the Really Chilly 10k in my hometown (London, Ontario). My legs felt pretty sluggish on the Friday and Saturday leading into the race, but I was able to run pretty relaxed and keep my finishing time under the embarrassment line - 35:17 - not a PR by any means, but heck, I'll take it. It really was a fun event - Steve hooked me up and my baby sister (well not so baby at all anymore) saved my bum by volunteering to help out on the race course. I was able to warm up with Brandon, and cool down with Leslie Sexton - it was nice to chat with someone else who is switching up their training (though she is focusing on some shorter stuff, and I am entering her world of higher mileage).

From the Really Chilly I went back to Michigan for a week of classes before heading to Chattanooga for my Spring break - to be spent running, searching for apartments, and testing the waters about my future employment. The week started out really well - with a 16 miler where I started out running up Ruby Falls on Lookout mountain, ran back down, and then continued to run all the way back to Red Bank (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71798128), a workout on my favourite loop by the golf course, and a meeting with the C.O.W.S. The week came to a bit of a slump as my legs (well my hips and pelvis really) started to become really bothersome and begging for some sort of physio, and the apartment search was kinda cruddy. Despite the low points, the trip was great and I definitely enjoyed being back in Chattanooga. While down there I was fortunate enough to be the first of Brandon's uncut interviews for his new website http://www.runnersfeed.com/ - check it out (and the interview http://runnersfeed.com/lanni-marchant-interview/)

And now we are caught up to this week! After taking Sunday and Monday off completely, I still felt really sore and just tired in general. I tried most every trick I know, but am thinking I might have to suck it up and try to move some funds around and find a place that gives discounted massages. I felt ok running Tues-Thurs, but then ended up taking Friday off again because of the lack of sleep I had on Thurs (not from St. Patty's day I assure) and the very busy day I had on Friday, that left me starving and irritable at 7pm. Despite the crud of the week I had, I was pre-registered to do the Irish Jig, and decided to go ahead and giver a try - Coach Dave tells me from time to time that sometimes it just takes a race to knock the junk out of your body - I certainly hope it did the trick! I ended up second with a 17:22, not nearly a time I wanted - but considering I raced horribly there last year (18 something) and the super chilly morning, I'll take it! I'm just hoping my body feels recovered for next week's 30k race in Hamilton.

Finally, I have decided it is finally time that I post a link to my fundraiser page - http://www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com/- I have been sending it out to small groups of people I know well (via facebook and email), and have raised a grand total of $1. I am hoping that maybe someone will click on the link and be willing to forfeit their $5 footlong and help a girl out. At first I was a little embarrassed to have this link viewable to those who don't really know me personally and who don't really know my entire background and how hard it is for me to ask for help, but I have decided that there really is nothing to be ashamed of - I've made it this far on my own and have pinched every penny I have and have exhausted every other option (including donating plasma (which might be part of the reason why my body feels like mud these days - did you know if your little like me, you only get $30 bucks a pop for your first five visits, and then it drops to $15?! don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn down 15 bucks). I am hoping for some last minute Irish Luck and hope that someone out there can provide a little help or at least send my link along to someone who can!

Anyways, that is all I want to say about that! I hope that this entry has caught you all up on my last month of craziness - next up - the 30k!

The Grass is Poking Through!

The grass is poking through!

So it has been another few weeks since my last post - I'm hoping that once the racing season takes off I will have more to update you all on. Right now, it is just the same ol' same ol'. 
Classes are going pretty well, though I still am struggling to plan my eating correctly so that I am not starving by the time I get to go run, or not still burping up my last meal. I thought that by this point in the semester I would have worked out all of the kinks, but I have not been so lucky. I had to cut my run short last night due to stomach issues - blerg. I am not too worried though, as my mileage seems to be slightly increasing each week and aside from the tummy turmoil, I am feeling pretty good.

This past weekend was pretty big for me in two aspects:
First, and most importantly, I got to see the newest addition to the Marchant clan - my nephew Madden Alexander Diaz. My sister Randi is doing great, and her daughter is adjusting to having the new baby around. Needless to say, we are all excited about the first nephew!

The second big event(s) for the weekend were my two long runs. On Saturday I did a 10mi steady state with a 1.5mi warm up and cool down. I completed the 10mi steady in just under 63 min (a little slower than what I was hoping for, but considering the footing was pretty terrible for a lot of the run I was satisfied). My legs were pretty cooked on the cool down run back to my Mudder's house and I was worried that I would be toast for my long run the next day. I was pretty surprised by how well my legs bounced back and I had a pretty successful 13 mi long run Sunday evening!

Dave has decided that with the warmer weather and my current fitness level, I can now start to lengthen my long runs each week - those of you who know my injury background don't need to be worried - each week I am only going to be adding a mile to my long runs and keep everything else the same (including my easy Fridays - 3-5mi or rest!).

As excited as I was to have two really good runs this weekend, I decided to bump around my hard workouts this week and give my legs minute to recover - which based on last night, it is my stomach that needs the extra attention right now.

If the tummy decides to be friendly this afternoon, I am going to do mile repeats ... OUTSIDE!!

Back at It

Ok, so classes are officially underway - I have been reading, making notes, been called on (most of the time I knew the answer... oops), tried to minimize the amount of time I spend surfing the web, and ... I already feel like I am ready for Spring Break.

Training has been going fairly well - if I ignore the freezing temperatures and poor footing that has forced me indoors onto the treadmill and that I have been sick this last week (the sickest I can remember being since before having my tonsils out). I know that it probably would do me well to take a day or two off and actually kick this thing, but it seems that the only time I can actually breathe is when I am running. That being said, I do think I am on the other end of it, and was able to get on the indoor track last night and have a fairly decent workout. 3x1200, 6x400 (though I cut down the 4s to 4x400 - for two reasons 1) the back of my left knee has been really tight and by the 3rd 400 most of my left leg was tingling; 2) There were tons of kids on the track for a community club workout, and I was tired of zig-zagging around them.)
Anyways, training.... it is going well. I am adjusting to doing long runs again (after almost a year of never going longer than 1hr) and am hoping that in a couple more weeks, my legs won't feel so tired for my Monday workouts.

I have finally set a race schedule - which I am hoping to stick to (and not add in a bunch of races like I did this Fall). I have agreed to run in the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in April! I am excited to run a half after actually focusing my training for the longer stuff. I am still just barely hitting more than 50 miles a week, but am hoping that my cross-training and quality over quantity training plan will serve me well in the next few months. I'm sure at some point Dave Mills will start adding on some more miles to my weekly training, but I am still focused on just remaining healthy until the end of May- marking a 1 year anniversary!

I'm guessing today would be a fail in terms of limiting my web surfing while at school - blerg... I like to think that I was still being productive =P