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Runnerbox Part 2

4/26/2015

Two months ago I got my first runnerbox and it had some pretty great stuff in it. I loved the waterpak cleaner and I'm still holding out for my hair to get a little longer so I can use the beer shampoo. As good as the last one was, this one is much more relevant to my interests. From Strawberry Banana Super Drinks to some sport tape- almost everything in this box could be of immediate use!

What's in the box?
Clockwise from upper right

ICE3 (aka Ice Cubed): pre-moistened toweletts that provide long-lasting cooling. I'm constantly injured or overheating, so these went right in my camelbak for my next run.

BodyArmor: Natural sports drink. I got Strawberry Banana as my flavor and I can't wait to try it.

Fruigees: Organic Fruit Snack. I got 24 Carrot Orange as a flavor, and I'm not going to lie, this one scares me a bit. I'm not generally a huge fan of energy gels, but this one says it's thinner then the norm, so I'll give it a go.

Bumble Bar: delicious looking snack bars. I received 2 of these, in Almond and Peanut.

Rani's Yummy Buttered Oats Shooter: this was the first thing I tore open for a quick snack. It was delicious. I want more and I want them now.

Lasting Smiles chapstick- all organic and also raises money for the charity Use Your Lips; Smile for a Cause. I lose Chapsticks like it's my job, so it's always nice to have another one.

Udderly Smooth body cream: Chafing happens, the struggle is real and now I have pocket packs of lotion to help me out. This is obviously a win.

IPS (intelligent protein snack): I got BBQ Egg White Ch(ips). I'm not a fan of the flavor, but I am a huge fan of chips, so I immediately went online and discovered that they have Aged White Chedder as a flavor. I need those in my life as soon as possible.

E-hydrate Gel: Like I said earlier, gel's are not generally my thing, but the strawberry lemonade flavor has my interest piqued, so I may give it a try as I delve into marathon training. I also got Mocha flavor.

E-hydrate drink mix: I love using drink mixes. I normally use Nuun, but the flavors on these look delicious (Red berry and Lemon lime especially) and I'll be busting them out this week. I also got grape and orange.

Pocketfuel: All natural gel. I got Chocolate Espresso as a flavor and while this is not my normal cup of tea, I do have a few friend who LOVE that flavor in other gels, so I will probably pass it along.

Run Gum: zero calorie, sugar free gum that is designed to give you a boost. I'm not much of a gum chewer, but my running partner is, so I'll be handing these his way to see what he thinks.

Go Tape: I tape everything. ankles, achilles, knees, wrist, fascia. I'm a mess of long standing injuries and my arthritis flares at the worst time, so tape is basically my best friend when I run. I've tried Rock Tape and KT Tape and I'm really excited to give Go Tape a try to see how it stacks up.

That's the box for this month! I can't wait to try it all out and see what works for me.

Happy Running!

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My Ramblings on Marathon Training

4/18/2015

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So I signed up for a marathon. Which means I now must train for said marathon and that, my friends, is kind of terrifying. I'm signing up for Fleet Feet's program this summer so that I have people to run with, but I still need to figure out the nuts and bolts of when and where I'll be doing my short runs, and even some of my long runs. Plus I need to work around some races that I'm already registered for. I spent a few hours the other day scouring the internet. Am I a beginner? It is my first marathon, but I run a lot. I'm not fast, but I get there. A novice maybe? Maybe.... but what does that even mean, really, and why does one program have the novice running 3 days a week and another one say 4? Does it matter if I run 26 miles before the race, or will 20-23 miles suffice? Why are there so many programs out there??? The obvious answer is that we are all different, so the training we need to be successful with long distance running is going to be different for everyone. Figuring out what is right for me is where I got stuck... and then I realized something. I just needed to pick one that looked right and adjust as needed. Stop worrying about how many weeks the program was and find one that looked right at the end and work my way back from there. The task was still daunting... until....

I coach a beginner 5k program for adults for the local Fleet Feet and I decided to tie one training run a week to that day. It makes it nice because we run at one of my favorite spots, Green Lakes. It's a nice mix of road, trail and elevation gain. Nothing insane, but enough to make you feel like you are working. Now that the snow has finally melted you can actually run all the trails, especially if you don't mind a little mud!

Today I got there early and took off for an hour. However far that was and where ever it lead would be fine with me. I don't much like mapping out a run, I just like to know where I'm starting and where I'm ending and take any interesting turn I find and see where it goes. Today it took me up a hill and I came out at a golf course. Not exactly where I was aiming, but the views were beautiful and the weather was great, so I've got no complaints. I even found myself at the community center, so I ran 20 minutes of stairs just because. (It can't hurt, right?)

In the end I ran 4.2 on my own and 2.5 with my NoBo team- and I felt great after. It was a great way to kick off marathon training. I've got 2 more 30 minute runs penciled in this week, plus 1.5 hours of dance as cross training. All that's left is to really buckle down on the eating...which is easier said then done!

Now it's just putting one foot in front of the other and avoiding Cheeseburger:30 and I'll be ready to run MCM and support Team Running Strong!

My Team Running Strong race folder showed up. It contained my singlet, an informational packet about Running Strong, a flyer on nutrition and a flyer with all sorts of training programs based on where you are starting. Right in the middle was the right training plan for me. It's only 20 weeks long, so it doesn't start right now, but I'm going to start it right now and do a couple of the weeks 2x, especially as I bump up the distances. I'll probably add a 23 mile run in a few weeks after the 20 mile run and get myself a little closer to race distance. The whole time line aside- everything else worked for me. A few runs a week, a day of cross training and a gradual increase in distance with ample recovery time. With that out of the way it was time to actually train.

Happy Running!

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A Leap of Faith- Marine Corps Marathon

4/7/2015

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I've been toying with the idea of running a marathon since last summer when I ran/hiked 17 or so miles up Cascade Canyon in the Grand Tetons. Prior to that I had considered 13.1 my limit, but the next day, when I felt alright and was able to just get on with my day I started to reconsider. Suddenly the number 26.2 didn't seem all that far fetched. So I set about finding the perfect marathon to go for. I have a lot requirements- affordable, within driving distance, relatively flat, great scenery so I don't get bored, large field so I don't get left on my own, and a relatively generous pace requirement (because I'm slow). I looked at a lot of races and finally set on Marine Corps Marathon and I took a leap of faith and entered lottery. I told myself that I'd leave it up to chance, if I got in, great. If not, well I'd wait until another race came along. Then I didn't get in and I found myself way more disappointed then anticipated. I wanted to do this race, so instead of just shrugging it off I went and found a better way to run- I joined a charity team.

Finding a charity team that I wanted to run for was almost as difficult as picking the race. There are a lot of charities that offer bibs for Marine Corps, each has a different fundraising goal, and each does a lot of good work. A lot of the groups I've heard of, Team Sempre Fi, Team RWB, St. Jude and Red Cross. The question was which group did I want to run for and support? I looked at almost every partner and finally settled on one that I felt the biggest connection with. For various reasons Team Running Strong kept calling back to it's page and eventually I threw my hat in the ring and joined their team.

So now it's the real deal. I'm running a marathon and I'm raising money for a great group. Team Running Strong raises money and works to strengthen American Indian Communities across the US. Check out their website for more information about what they do and ways we can all help.

Now it's all about the training. I'll be joining Fleet Feet's summer training program and do the bulk of my training with them. They got me through my first 1/2 marathon, so I'm pretty confident that they'll get me to the marathon as well. I'm really excited to get started.

If you'd like to help me meet my fundraising goal for Team Running Strong, you can do so at my fundraising page.

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Fresh Ink
Edited by Lamar Giles

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Runnerbox Part 2

My Ramblings on Marathon Training

A Leap of Faith- Marine Corps Marathon

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