Wife Mother Runner Nuun Archives

I Am Now A Nuunbassador!

December 18, 2015

Wednesday night when I got home from a girls night out, I checked my phone and saw an email from Nuun congratulating me on becoming a Nuunbassador. I was so excited. I applied to the program in November and wasn’t sure when I would receive any type of notification. I love when I don’t check emails for several hours and then find an email with good news in it!

I used to train using Gator Ade and Power Ade; but once I was done with my run I would immediately have to run to the bathroom and had stomach problems for the rest of the day. I also didn’t like all of the extra sugars that were in the other sports drinks. I heard that Nuun is a much gentler electrolyte enhanced drink tablet from the Another Mother Runner Podcast so I tried it. There was an immediate improvement! So from now on I only use Nuun when I run my long training runs. Nuun does have a fizz to it when you first drop the tabs into water so if you want to have your water without the fizz on your run, then make the water the night before and leave the cap off. I also use Nuun before my runs to hydrate my body and prepare it for the longer training runs.

So be sure to check it out and if I receive special offers to pass to you as a Nuunbassador I will be sure to post it on my blog and via social media! So don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @pamjamer and Instagram @pamjammer and on Pinterest as pamjammer99

The Another Mother Runner Meet Up and Book Signing

March 24, 2015

Thursday, March 12 was an event on my calendar I was looking forward to. Dimity and Sarah were going to be at Fleet Feet in West Hartford and I was going to meet up with Kimberly Markey and her best friend Nicole, Kimberlee Dziezynski, and Anne Martin for dinner beforehand.

I had a blast! It was great to see the girls outside of a race or on a plane! We ate at Bricco in West Hartford. The food was delicious and it was good to catch up with everyone! Then, we walked to Fleet Feet.

There were a lot of women there and lots of activities to fill some time prior to the book readings. I enjoyed the activity to get the names of two women there and the latest race distance they ran. While doing this I got to meet two great women from CT One of them did the women’s triathlon last September that I was aiming to do last year but chose to sit out. We talked and she told me all about the race and that it is not intimidating. She opened my eyes to consider the idea of doing the tri again this year, but right now it’s not in my heart to do so. But it was great to network with other and to talk about things that scare us.

Our activities to complete while we mingled

Also while we mingled and waited for the readings we had to visit the merchandise table and the sponsor’s table and identify an item that we would like to own. At the Saucony table I saw a few items that caught my eye. The hipster pouch was something I was interested in, as well as the capri pants they had.

After mingling we sat down to listen to the readings from Dimity, Nicole Blades and Alison Overholt. I heard their essays before on previous episodes of Another Mother Runner podcasts; but it was nice to hear them reading their essays in person. In between readings, Sarah and Dimity did raffle prizes for the items on the Sponsor table. Unfortunately I was not a winner. But I had a great time! After the event was over, I had both Sarah and Dimity sign my book and I hung around to chat with them and the other essayists, Nicole and Alison. They are awesome and I hope to see them again at future events.

Alison reading her essay

Sarah (a two-time BQ qualifier) and me

me and Dimity (an Iron Woman)

If you haven’t checked out their books or podcast already, visit their website and listen now! They also gave us a swag bag at the end of the night filled with all of these great products! Thank you to Nuun, RedFox Wireless, SofSole, Gu, Hylands, Runner’s High, Action Wipes, Heart Strides, and Trigger Point for contributing the Sarah and Dimity’s swag bag.

Our swag bag goodies

After the event was over we mingled some more, took pictures and had Sarah and Dimity sign our books and I did some shopping at the Another Mother Runner merchandise table. One of my favorite sweatshrts is my Philly Mother Runner sweatshirt so I HAD to pick up their badass mother runner sweatshirt! They are so soft and comfy. I also picked up an Another Mother Runner soft baseball shirt.

It was such a great night and I know that it was a chance to see them for a book reading that may not happen again for a long time. The next chance I may get to see them is at Wine & Dine in Disney in November. They mentioned that they may attend that race, but if they are at a local race again like Philly then I will be sure to stop by their booth. I keep tabs on where they are from their web site and their pod casts. It was great to see them again and I had a great time hanging with the girls for the night! Thank you Sarah and Dimity!

First Dopey Consecutive Training Runs

September 25, 2014

This week Jeff Galloway had a 4 day consecutive training run on my schedule. I had to do a 3 mile, 4 mile, 6 mile and 20 mile run. Thankfully for me, I am off of work (between jobs) this week, so I had the time to get in these runs. I am also fortunate that my husband is home so I could do these runs early in the morning. I chose to do them early in the morning because I always feel better when I begin my day with a run. It makes me feel more energetic and I also don’t have to worry about trying to fit it in later in the day. I went out each day at around 6:40 a.m. The sun rises late now so I wait till after 6:30 to head out. The weather this week was so comfortable for running early in the day. The scenery was so beautiful as well! Here are a few pictures from my second run day (the 4 mile day).

My doggie friend who sometimes joins me for a little bit of the run. He wasn’t in the mood to run with me. He ran away instead.

The fog was slowly melting away as the sun was rising and warming the air.

I have been battling a problem with my shin due to my orthotics being 4 years old. When I first started running I thought I had severe shin splints. I stopped running for several weeks, tried calf sleeves and finally gave in and used my custom orthotics. Come to find out that was the answer to my problem. But recently that pain was coming back, so I went to my chiropractor and we decided it was time for a new pair to be made. I put a lot of miles on mine and I am hoping this will solve my problem. I also ordered new sneakers, so I am hoping I can make it all correct again. So during the week I have been careful to ice my leg often during the day. Tylenol made a big difference after my run and I wore KT tape and calf sleeves during my run. After taking Tylenol the pain was gone for several hours. I was told by my coach, Jeff Galloway, to walk all of my runs for this training assignment. I started my runs by walking to warm my body up and I would see how I felt and make my determination on whether or not I could handle the runs. Thankfully after I warmed up I was ok to run. I actually felt better the longer into my run and also when I ran longer intervals. Each day I started the run the same way, a long warm up walk and then gently ease into running. I used 30/30 intervals. After the first 3 miles the pain was pretty much gone. Seems like once the muscles warmed up the pain would go away. As the week went on I was looking forward to my morning shorter runs, but the 20 mile run was on my mind. I was beginning to dread it. I saw on the Mickey Milers page that people were talking about the latest episode from MIke and Michelle about running feeling like a job. I was looking forward to listening to that episode. I loaded it to my podcast and it was the first thing I listened to as I started my run today. I was feeling the exact same way as Michelle. I enjoy running, but preparing for Dopey was difficult for me. I could handle the short runs. I was nervous about the long run. I was mostly nervous because of my shin/arch problem. I gained confidence that I could do 4 consecutive runs with the last run being the marathon, but I am feeling scared about the Goofy portion of the Dopey Challenge. I did the 6 mile with the 20 mile run the following day and ran all 4 days. My body held up for it. So I know I can do it. During January the races will be with friends in Disney with photo ops and I won’t be running the races for time. I’ll be running them to finish and to enjoy myself. So this gives me confidence. I just need to get my leg back to normal and keep healthy for the rest of my training. For the 20 mile run I walked the first 2 miles to warm up. Then I began to add some running with 15/30 intervals. I did well for the next 8 miles. By mile 10 I didn’t feel anything with my left leg. I was also relieved that I only had 10 miles left. It was supposed to be a very rainy day (Nor’easter storm forecasted), but the rain held off for the first 7 miles into my run. When it did begin to rain it wasn’t bad. It was a gentle rain that was very peaceful. I continued with my 15/30 intervals through mile 13, then I started to walk some more. I decided to change part of my route so that my husband could meet up with me with water and pretzels. I met him at mile 15 and took a 10 minute break to have some water. I didn’t need a lot of water and fuel on this run. It wasn’t hot so I didn’t go through my fluid quickly. I also didn’t use Nuun on this run. I just used water, gummy bears and pretzels. By mile 17 I was walking a lot. Then at mile 18 I was able to put in some more running until I got to my street. I had to burn the last mile by running in my driveway and up my street a little bit so I could earn that last mile. I didn’t want to cut my run short. I am happy that I got it done. I had no expectations on the finish time that I wanted, and am feeling good. Just a little tired from being so busy all week and running 4 days in a row with a long run. In my mind I am accepting that I can do the Dopey challenge. It may not be pretty but I know that I can get it done. The key will be RESTING each day after the race and taking naps. Here are some pictures from my 6 mile run. It was another beautiful fall morning. I stopped to savor the peaceful morning and to embrace the alone time I had. How can you beat views like this to begin your day?!

Running When It Is Humid

June 17, 2014

This is the time of year now when I have to be smart when I am running. I have made mistakes that were costly and ended up requiring physical therapy because I got cramped up in the heat. I also learned about dehydration when I was a beginner and was pushing too hard in the heat to the point where I was seeing tunnel vision and stars in my eyes during my run (usually uphill). I saw a doctor for it and they told me I was dehydrated when I ran and pushing too hard for the conditions. I need to invest time at home for 30 minutes a day to do the simple exercises to prevent injuries and strengthen my core muscles and my glutes and hips. This is especially important during this time of year because it doesn’t matter how much I drink, I still lose a lot of water during the hot runs. However I prefer to spend 30 minutes getting on a good sweat instead, therefore I get injured.

Running in the heat is one thing. Running when it is very humid is another. The humidity is more taxing on the body because of the higher moisture content in the air, making it feel hotter. When you are running on a very humid day, the moisture that your body produces to help cool your body off doesn’t evaporate so the heat never leaves body. This is dangerous.

I noticed that after running the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon two weeks ago that I felt flush all throughout the afternoon and evening after the race. That is because body was heated up and couldn’t cool off with the hot and humid weather. I also had a headache that afternoon and I think that was because despite having water and Nuun with me and taking water on the race course, I was dehydrated.

So what do you do when you need to get in a run and you don’t want to use the treadmill? Find a shady course to run on. Try to run early in the morning. Run along the water where there is typically a breeze, and take walk breaks. You also shouldn’t try to get your best race pace during these conditions. Train to run in these conditions, but don’t expect to be at your peak performance. When the temps heat up, your heart beat also increases by 10 to 20 beats per minute. That’s going to cause you to work even harder.

Jeff Galloway says when it gets hot out to slow your pace down by 30 seconds/mile for every 5 degrees above 60F. That’s a lot to slow down. But he is totally right. If you don’t slow down in the beginning you are certain to be slower at the end because your body just won’t be able to cool off and you won’t be running at your best. He says:

For every second you run too fast during the first half of a race on a hot day, expect to run 10 seconds slower at the end.

How do you know if you are getting heat exhaustion? These are the signs to look out for:

Fatigue
Nausea
Dizziness
Headache
Tingly Skin
Confusion

If you feel any of these symptoms, end your run and/or walk home. It’s not worth the risk. If you do feel these symptoms coming on, get into the shade, pour cold water onto your head, and if possible put ice on your neck. Lay down and elevate your feet.

You can work towards the ability to run in this heat by taking it slow and in small increments. Being from the East Coast, I really only have these conditions to run in for about 4 months out of the year. I usually don’t do races in the summer and the last time I did it was my first injury that required PT. So I have learned what to look out for.

Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon

June 9, 2014

As I mentioned in my post on Saturday, I ran the Runner’s World Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon on Sunday, June 8th. Wow, that was a Hilly, HOT Race! There were over 4,000 runners from 47 states at the event on Sunday. The event raised money for the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston’s Children Hospital.

The reason why I decided to register for the race was because of the name. I was drawn to run the race that tackles the famous Heartbreak Hill. I never knew what gave the famous hill its name. It was actually named by a sports editor describing how Johnny Kelley was passed by Ellison Brown in the 1936 Boston Marathon. When Brown passed Kelley, it broke Kelley’s heart.

I set my phone alarm for 4:00 a.m. because I trusted that alarm to work. I got up, ate 3 pieces of cinnamon toast to get my stomach working and hit the road around 4:40. The sun was just starting to light up the sky as I headed North.

I had my tea and my favorite pod casts loaded up to listen to for the almost 2 hour drive. I think I got up there in a little under 2 hours. When I got to the Boston College parking garage it was 6:40 and there was a line of cars to get into the garage. I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and put on my sneakers while I waited. I was getting a little nervous and I knew I still had to go to the bathroom before the race and was afraid there would be long lines.

As I walked towards the starting are to meet up with Gail, Kim, Alison and Janice I saw the athletic building and went inside and was happy to find real bathrooms. I was able to go and then met up with the girls with about 8 minutes before the start!

The race began on the Boston College campus, which was so beautiful! I had never been there before. The sky was so blue and the buildings looked so beautiful against the blue sky. The temperatures at 7:30 a.m. was already 72 degrees with bright sunshine.

I went through a few struggles during the race. It was hot and it was hilly. I was pretty well trained for it. I did my last long training run as Jeff Galloway has instructed me to the previous Tuesday, but couldn’t do the 14 miles he had me do. I had to stop at 12 miles because a storm was coming and I was having intestinal issues. Having an evening long run instead of my usual morning long training runs may be something that I will consider for future long runs because it frees up my weekend days.

While running the race course, I had many different emotions. I was enjoying running parts of the course that many marathoners run on for the Boston Marathon. But I was also thinking to myself that I just don’t have what it takes to qualify to run the Boston marathon. I know I always says you can do what you want when you never give up. But I am also trying to be a realist. I still have to remind myself that I can’t give up. That is a hard race course, but I also remembered that you don’t qualify on that course. You qualify on courses that Jeff Galloway recommends.

It’s great for me to run with friends because they push me or pull me (I’m usually in the back of the pack). But I am able to get a faster time when running with them. We started out a little fast, and then with the heat, we slowed down our speed a bit. I was still a bit behind everyone but I was feeling ok. I was able to keep up. Then we hit the last part of the race and Gail kept reminding me of the Hills! It became a running joke throughout the race. The day before I sent them a message to see how the 5K and 10K were. Here’s where the conversation went:

So all throughout the race, Gail would turn around and say, “Hey Pam, did we tell you it was hot and hilly?” It was funny. I had no idea how hilly it was going to be. So yea, a PR wasn’t going to be possible for this race whatsoever. BUT, I did finish at 2:41, my last hilly half marathon that I did in 2002 was a 2:42 finish time and that’s when I was running my fastest.

This half marathon is my 4th state (CA, CT, FL, MA) and it was one of my hardest recently. I felt a lot more wiped out from it. More than when I got my PR at the Providence marathon. The dehydration really takes a lot out of me. I did have my Nuun with me on the race course and was drinking water at the water stops. I hydrated a lot the day before, but it was a hot race. That’s how they are sometimes. Because of that, I do feel more sore today and the hills didn’t help.

I did have a good time running this race. It is good to push myself and I always seem to do better when running with my friends. I’m looking forward to my future races and hopefully improving more and more! I also love the races because I can see other runDisney friends, too! We heard Rudy Novotny call out Michelle Scribner-MacLean’s name so we were able to see her cross the finish line and get a picture!

After the race I was able to shower at Gail’s hotel and then we went to lunch at a little Tapas restaurant in Waltham called Solea. The restaurant had windows that opened right up to the sidewalks and it was the perfect day for a lunch indoors/outdoors. The food was fantastic and it was fun to sit and eat, drink and chat!

We said our goodbyes and I hit the road with Kim to head back to CT and have a cookout at home with my parents. It was a busy weekend but a fun one! I enjoy getting in some local races in the states around CT in addition to the Disney races. It’s great that Gail’s work allows her to travel to Massachusetts and we can hook up with Kim for races in the area.

Tag: Nuun

I Am Now A Nuunbassador!

The Another Mother Runner Meet Up and Book Signing

First Dopey Consecutive Training Runs

Running When It Is Humid

Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon