Wife Mother Runner #Teamchocolatemilk Archives

Dopey Challenge 15 Mile Training Run

November 20, 2016

It’s time to get back on track. I am increasing my mileage towards the runDisney 2017 Dopey Challenge. I used to follow the Jeff Galloway plan very exactly in the past years. But in recent years I have decided to not do a full 26 mile run prior to the race.

I did a 15 mile run this weekend. I was sure to keep my mileage around 13 miles per minute because I wanted to get the miles under my feet more than I was concerned with pace.

For fuel I packed pretzel gold fish and left over skittles from Halloween. They are the perfect size packages to stuff in my fuel belt. I also had a bottle of water since I knew I needed hydration for that long of a run.

It was a beautiful day and a little warmer than usual for this time of year. It was 60 degrees with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. I was out on the road by 11:30 and got home around 3:00.

The first five miles were similar to my past long runs. They are the hard miles to get started. I took in some pretzels and skittles around mile 5.5 and was feeling good. Between miles 6-10. I was doing well but started to feel thirstier around mile 12. I stopped at the library and filled up my water bottle for the last 3 miles. I also had more skittles at this point as well.

I finished up around 15.2 miles with the last .3 miles up my hill. I felt strong after the run but my feet were hurting a little. I knew that this was the last run with these sneakers so I have to retire them and start wearing my next pair which will take me through Dopey.

I was happy with this training run and was able to enjoy time with the family and didn’t feel spent. I also didn’t have a lot of pain the following morning either. So I think the leg work I have been focusing on is helping me with recovery. I also found 40 cents on the run! Winning!

And nothing is better than a cold chocolate milk after a run!

Marine Corp Marathon Training – 14 miles

August 1, 2015

After my whining and complaining the other day on my blog, I followed through on my promise to myself and woke up when my alarm went off (6:30 on a weekend morning), made my oatmeal and tea, mapped out a route, and loaded up my ipod. I was on the road by 7:30. I hadn’t checked the temperature; but it wasn’t as humid as it was during the week. It was still warm though. I’d take a guess that it was still around 70 degrees at 7:30 this morning.

To help make this easier for me I reached out to my Mickey Miler friends and learned that I was not alone. My friend Kristie Green was heading out to do 18 miles at 1:30 in the morning in Texas! If she was doing that, then my little 14 miler was nothing. Others were also having a hard time with putting in some more miles lately and we are thinking the heat may be to blame.

To help me mentally prepare I began gathering up my running gear during the day and laying it out so I would see it and start to embrace the fact that I WAS going on this run and I AM picking up my training mileage. Summer is here, and yes it’s harder to get in the longer miles during the summer months, but I knew the worst that could happen would be that I may need to walk more of it. I also made sure to make my water bottles and freeze them as well as mix up some Nuun to make sure I am properly hydrating with electrolytes during the warm warming run.

I set my alarm for 6:30 and was very good about getting up as soon as it went off. I didn’t want to wake up my husband and I knew that I had to get up at that moment or else I could possibly back out or delay it even longer. I am very good at sticking to my plan; but with the way I have been thinking lately I didn’t want to leave any opportunity to fail.

It took me a few miles to get into the game. I walked the first 1/2 mile to warm up my mind and body (or stay cool) and then once I was in the shade I began my 30/30 intervals. After around mile 3 I was starting to get into a little groove; I was also on a shady road so it was helping me feel more comfortable and not overheated. The first 2 miles had a lot of sun on it and it was starting to concern me.

Miles 1-2

As I approached mile 4.5 I had to walk up some beastly hills. It was tough. Then I was in a lot of sun again. So as I finished around mile 6 I decided that I would stop at my house to get some ice and refresh my water bottles with ice and water. It was too hot and I didn’t want to take any chances of getting sick from the heat. My stomach was also growling so I grabbed a few pretzels. I think my pit stop was for about 15 minutes and then I was back out on the road to finish the last 6 miles. I decided to take a different route than originally planned and ran again on one of the shadier roads.

Mile 3

Mile 4.5

Picture never make hills look as bad as they are!

Mile 5

For the last 2 miles I did a lot more walking than running. But I wasn’t too hard on myself. I knew I was getting back into it again both mentally and physically and the fact that I was out there still in the heat and being smart about it made me feel ok about my pace. When increasing my mileage the last 3 newer miles I tack on since my previous long run are always the hardest. So since my last long run was Chicago 2 weeks ago I knew I’d be ok.

Mile 13

Now to keep up the positive momentum and continue onward toward the Marine Corp Marathon and the 2016 Dopey Challenge!

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Race Recap

July 26, 2015

The race morning was finally here! What I love about travelling to other states is when I travel through different time zones and the wake up time for the race isn’t as early as it feels! I woke up before 5:00 a.m. CT and had my tea and oatmeal and got ready. I was supposed to meet Susanna at the Bean but I had to walk from my hotel and when I arrived it was almost 6:00. I also had a funny situation happen to me… I couldn’t get out of my room! The hotel was very old and the paint on the doors made the door stick so I couldn’t pull it open! I started to get a little scared that I’d have to call someone to help me get out, but I finally got it open. (This stuff seems to only happen to me).

When I walked out of the hotel I immediately felt the rush of heat towards me. It was extremely hot and humid. There were heat warnings for the day that it was going to be up in the high 80s with high humidity. I planned ahead of time by making sure that I filled my fuel belt with Nuun. I met up with Susanna and Liz Driscoll but was too late to get my photos at the bean.

So when I am at the start line area Susanna and I headed over to the VIP area. I met up with fellow Team Chocolate Milk runners and got some pictures. I met Jean Draper, Peter Dettmer and Loren Rappaport Sanders there. It was great to finally meet some team members. The VIP tent was a great experience. There was food, a gear bag check area, couches, water and drinks, porta potties and lots of race support.

Jean Draper and I

Loren Rappaport Sanders, me and Jean Draper

Peter Dettmer and I

It was time to lineup for the start of the race and Susanna and I started in the same corral together.

At the start line

Our plan was to run four minutes and walk one minute for the beginning of the race and see how we felt during the race. I hadn’t done for and one in quite some time so I wasn’t sure how I would hold up but it worked out nicely for the first 4 miles. Then it was just too hot so we dropped it down to 30 seconds walk 30 seconds run. I was happy that I was able to maintain a 4/1 ratio but in conditions that warm I wouldn’t have been able to maintain it for the entire race.The race went through most of downtown Chicago and luckily the buildings provided shade. It was also great to find bags of ice at the medical tents. We put the ice on our necks and heads to help cool us down. We needed to do everything we could to keep cool. Around mile 6 I noticed that the runners were quieter. Everyone was digging deep to work through the heat and get through the miles. At that point in the course there wasn’t much entertainment.

At mile 7, we spotted Loren. Susanna and I went to gather her up and have her run with us to the end. Loren was struggling with bad calf cramps. She got some medical grade Gatorade at the med station and was walking when we saw her so I told her to join us doing the 30/30 intervals. She did and she said he was liking those intervals a lot. It helped loosen her up a little and you saw her spirits lifting. We told her that around mile 8.5 our Mickey Milers team supporter would be out with frozen water and oranges. I couldn’t wait to get some of those oranges! We found Charlie Gessner right around the point where Laura was and had a little visit with her while we refueled with some oranges and frozen water. It’s great to have supporters out on the course for us. Especially when they were a chicken hat despite the heat!

Loren, Charlie, Laura, Susanna and I with our great support Laura Smith Ozo!

After a little pick me up we headed back on the road to getting closer to the finish. We came up to the Mile of Music I believe around mile 11 which was a good pick me up for me. I wish ALL 13 miles had that type of entertainment! We also picked up another runner at mile 11 who was running her first half and was disappointed that her first half was so challenging. She stuck with us till the end and at the last .25 she made her push to the finish. We helped Loren keep it going despite the cramping still acting up. She wanted us to leave her; but as promised, we leave no one behind!

This race was one of the hardest. Any summer race is hard; but this is up there on my list of hot races. We were smart about it and didn’t push too hard. There were a lot of runners down on the side of the road or at the med tents. When we finished Loren and I got pictures at the Team Chocolate Milk tent and enjoyed a refreshing chocolate milk; and then I had to say goodbye to the girls and rush back to my room to shower and pack and catch the train to my flight home.

I made it to the airport with little time to spare. Security took a while to get through and then just as I went through, it was time to board the plane, and silly me, I was standing in the wrong boarding line! I was in the Raleigh, NC boarding line. Thankfully I realized it before it was too late and got on with just a middle seat as a choice. Poor guys sitting next to me had to listen to my snoring because the minute we were up in the air I passed out. I felt extremely exhausted. I think the heat just got the best of me. Fortunately I didn’t get heat sickness where I had a dehydration headache. I attribute that to using Nuun during the race to keep up with my electrolytes. But the heat did take a lot out of me. I also felt like that when I landed and my family picked me up at the airport. We went out to dinner and ice cream and I couldn’t wait to got to bed!

This was a great race and I plan on going back next year to run it. I am hoping to convince some of my other friends to join me! What an incredible city and I did enjoy the Rock ‘n’ Roll Race. Now that I see you can receive bling for running multiple Rock ‘n’ Roll Races, I am going to have to look into more of the R’n’R races!

Thank you Team Chocolate milk for the race entry and gear and for the experience to run in an incredible city!

Watch the video recap of my race day!

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Expo

July 24, 2015

As a member of Team Chocolate Milk, I went to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon last weekend. My first stop after landing in Midway and taking the train into the city was to go to the Expo to pick up my race bib and my VIP packet from Teach Chocolate Milk.

My first surprise when I landed was that there is a train that runs directly from Midway to the city. I had made a reservation for a rental car and when I saw there was a train, and it only costs $3 to ride it I cancelled my car reservation and got a ticket for the Orange line! That was so convenient. Especially since I have never been to Chicago before. I am so glad I took that train because once I saw the way people drive in that city I would have not been a happy camper, especially on the return trip to the airport when I had very little wiggle room to make my flight home (more on that in my race recap post).

I arrived to my hotel around 2:30, checked in and dropped off my luggage. I left the hotel to walk to the Expo and used my google maps to help me find my way. It estimated that it would take me 45 minutes to walk 2 miles! I found that hard to believe and now that I know that I could have just taken a right out of my hotel to get there rather than the left and right, and left and right, and left and right (see the pattern here?) that my google maps told me to take.

What a mess! I did get to see some beautiful sights of Chicago; but there were also some dark clouds starting to consume the buildings when I looked behind me. I checked my weather radar on my phone and there was a decent size thunderstorm coming right towards the city. I started walking faster, walked past the Chicago Aquarium, Soldier Field and then made it to “McCormick Place”. Just as I was about 15 minutes away from where I needed to be the skies opened up and a traffic director told me to get under a bridge overpass for safety because of the lightning. Great! It was now coming up on 3:00 and I was going to meet a fellow Mickey Milers team mate Susanna Cruz at the expo and she was already there. I stood there for about 5 minutes and then snuck out because the rain had stopped. By then I was a drowned rat. I continued on the route to the expo, but ended up in the basement of the Expo building which is a big old parking garage, but there weren’t cars in it!

I continued to walk through this deserted area and decided I should video the experience in case something happened to me! I was a little nervous. Here I was a little country girl from Connecticut wandering around in an empty parking garage in a city I have never been to before! Finally I had seem some people. I felt a little relief. I kept walking to the other end of the long and empty garage and found myself in a parking lot. Now the thunder and lightning was getting more intense. I was lost and I was scared. Susanna called me and asked me where I was. I had NO idea! She asked for some help and I did see 2 people and they told me how to get into that building… I had to go BACK into the garage! Once back in there I saw 2 more people who told me to go inside the doors and up 3 floors and then I’d find the expo. Phew! I made it! I found Susanna and hugged her and checked in for my race gear.

I checked in with Team Chocolate milk and picked up my VIP bracelet and then Susanna and I walked around the expo, played games in some of the booths to receive some free gifts and I purchased a Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon shirt. The expo was decent. We stayed there until it closed because it took me forever to arrive! But compared to other race expos I have attended it was a good expo.

After the expo we went out to dinner at the Cheesecake factory. The storms had passed and we were able to sit outside for dinner. It was a beautiful night and I was really enjoying my time with Susanna. This is what I love about racing. It’s not just the races, it’s the friendships you make at each event. After dinner she gave me a tour of the city and we walked around at Millennium Park. I was blown away by the beauty of the city, the cleanliness and how their park was such a welcoming atmosphere for families to come and walk around, play mini golf, enjoy a symphony at their outdoor theater while sitting on the large lawn with a blanket and a picnic dinner or perhaps some wine and snacks. It was so beautiful! Especially as the sun was setting. There was a splash pad area for children to enjoy the water and also lots of art. Chicago is now my new favorite city. I thought I loved NYC, but I’m sorry, there is something special about Chicago.

We said goodbye to each other around 9:00 after she dropped me off at my hotel and I went to my room to say goodnight to my family and start to lay out my gear for the race. It was a fun and exciting time, even if I was only just there for a few hours. I was loving every minute of it!

Stay tuned for the race recap in my next blog post!

As a member of Team Chocolate Milk I was given a free race entry to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon and running gear.

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon

July 19, 2015

I’m on my way to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half marathon. This race snuck up on my quickly. I hadn’t booked my room until I think July 1 and I was very lucky to still get a room at the Congress Plaza host hotel which is right near the finish line. I wanted to be close to the finish line so I can get back to my room and shower and maybe have a chance to get out and see a little more of Chicago before my flight home.

I am flying in and out of Midway which I had never flown into before. I have no idea hat that is like. Like my hotel, I didn’t book my flight until about 10 days before the race! I was waiting and watching prices; but now I see that they do rise 2 weeks prior to the departure date so I won’t wait as long anymore.

Thankfully this race is a race sponsored by Team Chocolate Milk. I am running for Team Chocolate milk and was told that there will be an area at the finish line for Team Chocolate Milk members to refuel and take photos and meet fellow team members. There will also be a booth at the expo. I am looking forward to seeing the Expo at this event. I have never done a Rock ‘n’ Roll Race before so I can’t wait to see what is there. I also haven’t been in the city of Chicago before. I have only flown into and out of O’Hare and from what I have seen from the air; the city looks amazing being right on the lake.

I have also seen pictures from fellow Mickey Milers Team Member Susana Cruz while she was out on some of her training runs. It looks like such an incredible city. I wish I could stay longer to really take in the sights but I know I’ll be back. I am determined to come back to run the Chicago Marathon one day once my name is chosen from the lottery.

I am hearing the weather is going to be HOT HOT HOT and humid. Even though the race starts at 6:30 a.m. we are going to feel it. I started hydrating with my Nuun tablets and water today and will continue to do that all day. I was going to rely on the race support for my water on the course; but at the last minute I put my fuel belt into my suitcase. I was sure to take my altitude sickness medication beginning yesterday so I won’t get my dreaded flying migraine. So far I have had success every time I used it.

My training is not where it should be for a half marathon and what I am training for now after this race needs to be stepped up as I work towards the Marine Corp Marathon. So this will be like a foundation for me. But the hard part is, my longest run in the last 2 weeks has been 6 miles. And my last 2 long runs were 5 miles. So I need to safely increase after this half to avoid any injury. I am running in the heat and sometimes at the hottest part of the day so that I can acclimate my body to running in heat; but that also means my speed is slow. But according to Jeff Galloway that is completely ok. You are supposed to slow down with the heat. I want to enjoy my race and especially the time after the race. There have been several instances where I had post race sickness headaches because of the heat and humidity and exertion during those conditions.

Stay tuned as I fill you in on the rest of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Race Weekend!

Tag: #Teamchocolatemilk

Dopey Challenge 15 Mile Training Run

Marine Corp Marathon Training – 14 miles

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Race Recap

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon Expo

Team Chocolate Milk Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon