94 and 95

Fargo marathon last Sunday. Perfect weather, 55 and cloudy. The race pickup was hectic but had lots of free stuff and snacks! 

The day I felt ok- my glute had been very sore the week prior and I had a massage- which helped. 

I changed my priorities to finishing healthy and having a strong time, but not pushing for a PR as planned. I can not have an injury ) 

I paced with one of my wonderful Manic Marathon friends to a 317 finish.

Not the time I could race, but satisfied with a top 10 and age group win .

State sub four 46 done .

Marathon number 95 and Sub four State 47 was the next Sunday in Northern Maine.

Sugarloaf resort. It was gorgeous 

Pine trees, waterfalls , hills. 

Turned to be one of my top 5 marathons as a favorite.

My glute and leg still ached so I was not sure of even finishing - 

Raced the first 14 easy. Then my Garmin stopped . Again . No time on the course do no idea my pace. My leg was hurting, but I sucked it up and paced the last 8 miles at a sub 700 pace. 

Not happy with the finish time but thrilled with a top 10 again and Age group award !

I saw a moose which made my trip and I met some cool new friends. 

Recover time for the next 2 weeks. June with bring a USATF-NE 5mile team race and a Mt. 7.6 race 

Goal for UT marathon will be speed ! 

7 Days to your Best Race

Taper time. After 93 marathons, I have really now love the taper week: more time to catch up with housework, friends, and primarily to rest! 

My next marathon is Fargo ND May 9th. It will be my hopefully 94th marathon and 46th Sub Four Hour Fifty State. Below I will share some tips for the week leading up to the race! 

1) Focus on rest; I cannot stress this enough. Do not run more- less! Try to go to bed an hour earlier each night pre race week. Your entire body will be happier and your muscles will be able to replenish during slumber. 

2) eat well: Nourish your body with natural filling foods. Carbs are good and as running people we use them daily. Try to to overload the night before. I always eat early on race night- 4pm. This makes me feel lighter on race day . Try to drink a lot if water and Electrolyte drink during the week, the key is moderation and whole foods. 

3) Positive: Staying positive during this week is needed for a prime race. All the training and hard work is done. You are ready to race and to PR. The mind may worry, but throw negative thoughts away.  You are in Beast Mode. 

Tips: have packed your racing clothes and shoes days out. Try to use race week to prepare and to relax! Pack extra safety pins and your snacks ! 

Next week I will post another blog of what to think about during the marathon to help you to PR!

Race Morning Zen

It is 4am and the race start is at 7! Freak out!! 

No. Stop. This blog will help you to remain in control to achieve the race experience that you want! 

I have ran 93 marathons and countless races and I have had my moments of anxiety and panic attacks over the years. With experience  I have learned to remain calm.

1) Know race start and finish points:

Easy enough, but make sure you know where to go in the morning and at the finish. Make sure to allow EXTRA time to get to the start! At least an hour before is my rule of thumb. Know this the night before.

2) Stash  extra TP for long lines- I have become great at finding bushes 10 minutes to race start - sure beats standing in line and less worry! 

3)Be prepared with gear! I keep a race duffle at my home. It has all my race needs ready and packed- I just have to rotate clean race clothes and new GU into it before each race. ( keep extra- safety pins, socks, a hat and gloves, bobby pins, and chap stick- this can double as anti-chaf, hair stick, and ointment in a pinch).

4) BE confident. You have trained . Miles ran. Go do it. One leg after another . This is the best piece of advice I could ever give. POSITIVE thoughts. 80% of winning the race is knowing you can. Throw negative thoughts away as soon as they enter your mind. I coach people in my job ( behavioral psychologist), and I use the same strategies with my racing.   

5) Use a mantra. This also helps to calm any worry! My favorites are "you got this", " just run", and " beast mode". Reciting these pre race and during  will help you  make it through rough patches of doubt - practice daily when you start to worry -take a deep breath, and recite your mantra. 

6) Eat the same food. I cannot stress this enough. Bring a small cooler and baggies full of normal snacks. Try to eat basically your same diet, while adding simple carbs 2 days leading up to the race . 

Bagels, toast, honey, GU Brew, pretzels, and peanut butter are great to add. Try to have the same GU ( my only brand I use is GU Energy) , with you on race day. Upset stomach worries are vanished with knowing your tummy will be calm. 

Try to eat also a few hours before the race and not too close to the start. 

My next blog will focus on specific race nutrition and great goods to fuel with. 

www.guenergy.com

www.seemeinthedark.com

www.karhurunning.com

www.swiftwick.com

www.swirlgear.com

www.healtheorganics.com

2014 Races and Goals

I have some wonderful races coming up this year that I am excited for! My 100th marathon goal and also my Sub 4Hour State 50 will be in January 2015 at the Maui Hawaii Marathon ! I hope to run this with my coach Justin Gillette! 

I thank all of my support and ambassadorships: 

www.karhurunning.com

www.guenergy.com

www.swiftwick.com

www.swirlgear.com

www.seemeinthedark.com

HealthE Organics - Eno P-Nutty Protein bars  help me to fuel properly 

I will be racing all of the USATF-NE Grand Prix Races with my CMS Team along with individual marathons

April 

1) James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA the 27th , 10k

www.ramble.org

May

1) Fargo Marathon May 10th

www.fargomarathon.com

2) Sugarloaf Marathon May 18th

Sugarloaf ME

www.sugarloaf.com/marathon

June

1) Ribfest 5miler

Merrimack, NH June 15th

2) Mt. Washington Road Race

June 21

www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com

Gotham, NH

July

1) Morgan Valley Marathon

Morgan Ut

July 25

www.morganvalleymarathon.com

August

1) Moose's Tooth Marathon

Anchorage Alaska 

August 17th

www.bigwildliferuns.org

2) Green MT. 15k

Burlington VT

www.gmaa.net

August 31

September 

1) Lone Gull 10k

Glouster MA 

September 14

www.lonegull10k.com

October

1) Atlantic City Marathon

October 19th

Atlantic City, NJ

www.acmarathon.org

November

1) Manchester City Marathon 

Manchester NH

November 2nd 

www.cityofmanchestermarathon.com

Cannot Wait

Wishing for health and strong mind for all races 

39.3 Race Miles

The weekend started with the RnR DC Marathon Saturday . Weather was perfect 45 and cloudy . I ran conserving energy and speed as I was also racing 13.1 Sunday. I had even splits of 138 for a finish of 3:16. Happy and that was my goal. AG placed third out of many and 13th of 1700 women pretty cool!! 

I then ran to the airport - compression socks on- to make it to Boston.

Sunday was my CMS Team race - USATF- NE 13.1 New Bedford MA. 

We car pooled to the start. The race was wonderful, on the coast by the ocean, rolling hills. I felt very tired, but my legs were fine. On point for a 130 till mile 8, then the weight of the races sat in! Finished strong, but could not push it .

I need to work on my nutrition and add a few pounds before Fargo Marathon in May. This will help me from fading as I did in both races. I am going to add protein powder and additional vegan foods!) strong and need to be much stronger to get my sub 3:05! 

Thanks to 

www.guenergy.com

www.karhu.com

www. Swirlgear.com

www.swiftwick.com

www.seemeinthedark.com

and www.healtheorganics.com

Race support I thank you