Inspiration

Don’t stop dreaming just because you think you have to. 

I started running long distance five years ago.  My cardio was next to nothing and my asthma affected me daily.   Once I made the decision to run, I dove head first into distance running in minimalist shoes.  I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and made my calves burn.  I added miles cautiously each week and after a few months, my body adapted to the new toe shoes.  

Running became my stress relief, my escape, my extra cup of morning coffee. (Ironically, two cups of coffee can help stop an asthma attack.). I have severe allergic/airborne asthma, same as Galen Rupp.  I quickly discovered that running helped open up my lungs, and after a run, breathing felt so much easier.  I began to have more energy throughout the day.  The better shape I was in, the better I could breath (for the most part).  Running quickly became a part of my daily routine. 

My only training plan was to run more.  I ran by myself either on the treadmill listening to music or from my house to no where in particular.  I had no training partner.  No coach.  

After a few months of running consistantly, I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon.  I built up my miles over the summer and ran the 2012 Allstate 13.1 in Vibram Five Finger minimalist shoes.  My finish time?  1:56:08.   

The day after the race, I saw Dawn Grunnagle’s picture in the Dallas Morning News.  She was the Overall Female Winner with a time of 1:17:10.  I didn’t understand.  With a winning time of WHAT?  I had no idea that was even possible.  Her time on top of the fact that she took several years off of running after college to focus on her career and the fact that she was 34 blew me away.  A winning time of WHAT?  

Before that moment, I believed that my shot at having a running career had died, because I didn’t run in high school or college and because I thought I was no longer at an age to consider running at an elite or professional level.  Before that moment, I had quit on my dream, because I thought I had too.  

Realizing I was wrong changed everything.  

2012-2016 Half Marathon Times 

2012 Allstate 13.1 – 1:56:08

2013 Allstate 13.1 – 1:46:17

2014 Michelob Ultra 13.1 – 1:33:29

2015 Dallas Half Marathon – 1:29:56

2016 Cowtown Half Marathon – 1:29:17

2017-  Still on my way!

Thank you, Dawn, for inspiring me!

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A Runner’s Satisfaction

This week’s Daily Post Topic on WordPress…Satisfaction.  Something that satisfies me…Satisfies me as a runner.  As a competitive runner, I constantly work towards my goals.  If I meet a goal, I raise the bar.

I Thought Every Day was Training Day

Silence.  More silence.  Does he believe me?  I look at my phone.  The call didn’t drop.  “Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes!  Is this your coach’s idea?”

“Yes.”

“A full week off?  No running?”

“Yes.”

“I knew I liked your coach!  Let him know I’d like to buy him dinner!”

This week is my first scheduled week off.  EVER.  I tried to get around it by agreeing to a Super Easy Week and then an Easy Week, but when I asked my coach, Jacob Phillips, if there was any benefit to no running at all for a week, his answer convinced me immediately.

In an email, he explained,”People who do not rest are usually not fast…You have to have recovery, and you have to have periods where the body absorbs the work you’ve done…Shalane Flanagan takes weeks off at a time at the end of a season or before a build up.  Same with Desi.  Same for any professional or elite level runner.”

For the first time, I had no reason to prove my point on the matter.  I knew he was right.  After reading the email once, I wrote back and agreed.

Today marks the first day of my week without running.  Wish me luck!

Some of you may be wondering why my coach suggested this week off.  Here it is.  My big news!

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Spring 2017 Race Plans

I have a week and a half left of a high mileage training block, and then it is time to race again.

Wednesday’s Questions and Answers Part 2

A lot is written regarding the “correct” running gait.  What do you do to work on your stride in terms of cadence, stride length, hip position, etc?

When I work on my running form during a run, I focus on relaxing my arms, driving my knees forward, staying light on my feet, and increasing turnover.  My stride naturally increases when I do this.  If my legs are fatigued and I focus on lengthening instead of increasing turnover, then my pace actually slows down.

To work on increasing cadence, I do speed work and speed drills.  The track workouts that I do help with both stride length and cadence.  An example would be 200 meter repeats with a short recovery.  I also use hill repeats for strength.  Adding a hilly run, or doing hill repeats once a week is a great way to improve your running form, increase strength, and improve race performance.

Wednesday’s Questions and Answers Part 1

Questions From Last Week’s Readers

What led you to start this blog?

Up until this year, I was training like a pro athlete, homeschooling two kids (ages 8 and 10),  managing the house and extra curricular activities, and becoming more sleep deprived every day.  With my husband working long hours as well, this was just too much.  Our kids had been showing an interest in going to a school, so we decided it was time to make the change.  This allowed  me to be more focused on my running career and whatever else came with it.