tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82692378063128375412024-02-18T22:54:43.581-08:00A journey of 1000 miles.......begins with a single step.
Confessions of a long distance running addict and former Fatty McFatterson.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-27671932283553040532018-04-18T05:50:00.000-07:002018-04-18T05:50:10.714-07:00A TALE OF TWO RACES (Boston 2018 race recap)<br />
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<b>Short version</b> - First it was awful and then it was
awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Long version </b>- The day started out with a 5:30am walk to the
Boston Common to board the school buses for the hour ride to Hopkinton. It was
already pouring rain and ridiculously windy. Lucky for me, Dana Farber has a
refuge for the runners in Hopkinton at a small church so we could stay warm and
dry and even get some food and hot coffee. We took a team photo and waited for
the announcement to head to the start line.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the way to the start line the energy and excitement and
disbelief of the incredible insane weather buzzed in the crowd of runners. Wave
4 was allowed to start early because of the harsh conditions. Instead of a
pulse start broken into mini-waves within each corral, they did a rolling start
basically as soon as you got there you could start and we were off and running.</div>
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Hopkinton and Ashland flew by. Framingham and Natick…..not
so much. I really started to doubt myself and question whether I could continue
for 15 more miles. As bad as you think the weather looked, it was WORSE. The
rain came down in sheets so hard it kind of hurt. The winds gusted in our face
the entire time and it was COLD. My absolute nightmare conditions for running;
Cold + rain + headwinds. I seriously considered dropping out. I wanted to cry.
It would be my first ever DNF (Did Not Finish) and I wondered if they still
give you a medal if you drop out and what I would do with it knowing I didn’t
really earn it. I continued on even though my pace started to slow and I had to
walk when the winds picked up because it was literally pushing us back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A little before the halfway point, right where the
Natick/Wellesley line is, something clicked inside me. The last long training
run of the DFMC team goes from BC to that point and back again. The roads were
now familiar to me. I know them like the back of my hand. I have run them
before many times with my teammates. I suddenly remembered the faces of all my
friends and the reason we all run this race. I broke down the remaining
distance into sections – 2.5 miles from Marathon Sports in Wellesley to the
Fire Station in Newton, 4 miles from the Fire Station to the top of Heartbreak
Hill, 4 miles from the top of Heartbreak hill to Mile 25 were the DFMC cheer
station is and then just 1.2 miles to the finish.</div>
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From that point on it was a whole new race. A fire lit
inside me and no amount of rain or wind could put it out. I laughed as I passed
storm drains that were overflowing from the stupid amount of water falling from
the skies. I powered up the hills, you could say I OWNED them. I even stopped
for a beer on Heartbreak hill and told the crowds there “the marathon is like a
mullet, the party is in the back!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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My least favorite section of the course, the long flat
stretch on Beacon street after all the hills of Newton went by in a blur and
before I knew it I could see off in the distance just below the Citgo sign the
DFMC cheer section (and the worst hill on the course no matter what anyone says
about Heartbreak, the hill over the mass pike at mile 25 is worse). I made it
to my people and after some huge soaking wet hugs and high fives, I continued
on down Commonwealth Ave towards the finish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As I approached the dip that goes under Mass Ave I spotted a
group of BPD officers and ran over to them asking for a hug because they were
standing in the exact location I was in when the bombs went off in 2013. If you
know me, you know, I’m not really a hugger and rarely initiate a hug, but this
one was so meaningful and warmed my heart in a way I cannot express in words.</div>
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All that was left was two turns – Right on Hereford and Left
on Boylston. Hereford was an obstacle course of discarded ponchos (I learned
later that several people wiped out on them and one of my DFMC teammates even
required stitches after he finished because he hit the ground so hard). Unlike
the majority of people that wanted to ditch their ponchos for the finish photo,
I proudly held onto mine like a badge of honor and proof that I conquered the
most ridiculous race conditions ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Boylston, for anyone that has not run it, is really LONG. It
is still several blocks to the finish line after the turn. But I know a little
fun fact that the cross streets are alphabetical from the common so – Hereford,
Gloucester, Fairfield, and Exeter and DONE. I followed the three blue lines
painted on the course for the elites and hopped over ponchos and puddles and
made it to the finish with a ginormous smile on my face.</div>
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Checking my results after I changed into dry clothes and got
some hot chicken broth, I learned a few things. I negative split the race – ran
the second half faster than the first half. A difficult task in normal
conditions on a flat course, an almost impossible task on the Boston course in
the conditions we had and I did it by almost 10 minutes. AND my time, although
slow by most standards, was MY fastest finish in about 2 years. I trained hard
and raced smart and it paid off.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I cannot thank you all enough for all the support and
encouragement and cheers along the way. The marathon is over, but the race to
fund a cure for cancer is not done yet. At the pasta party the night before the
marathon they announced the team has raised $5.3 million dollars so far towards
the goal of $5.5 million and a total of over $90 million in the 29 years that
the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge has been partnered with the Boston Marathon.
My current total is just shy of $23K and donations are still trickling in. If
you’d like to say congrats or wish me an early Happy Birthday (I turn 40 one
month from today), it would be amazing and make the runners high last a little
longer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have run in rain, I have run in crazy headwinds, I have
run in extreme cold; but until Monday I had never run in all three in one
perfect storm of a race. It was challenging, but it was AWESOME and I wouldn’t
change a thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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THANK YOU AGAIN!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial" target="_blank">www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial </a></div>
<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-45435953474957812912018-01-29T04:44:00.001-08:002018-01-29T04:44:24.757-08:00Busy, busy, busy....Holy cow, I cannot believe sometimes how fast time flies by (and I have seriously slacked on posting updates). So much to say since last update.<br />
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Holidays came and went, end of the year scrambled to get things done and cram in some training for the Dopey Challenge. Was on vacation for the last two weeks of the year and then flew to Disney just as the new year kicked off. </div>
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Dopey was super stressful and not as fun as previous years. I just wanted to get the 5th consecutive year done and collect my "perfect" Dopey ribbon at the finish. I'm kind of over Disney races, they are so expensive and not as awesome as they used to be. Disney sells "VIP" access to things that used to be just part of the races. Everything comes at a cost and it's just not as 'magical' as it was the first few years I ran it.</div>
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On top of not really wanting to be there, the weather was perfect for running in Florida - freezing cold - but not great for a winter get away. Plus, back home there was a crazy blizzard of historic proportions with coastal flooding in the exact area where I had left my car for the week followed by ridiculously cold temperatures. I was worried the whole time about my car and my house and my kittens. Work was sort of crazy at the time and it was not a great time to be away from work. So, all that made the trip not very enjoyable. I just wanted to run the races, collect my medals and go home.</div>
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I got it done and got home, car was fine, house was fine, kittens were fine. Got back to work and struggled to catch up and get right back into the action. Definitely not going back to Disney again next year. The timing is just not great anymore with things that come due at the end of one year and the beginning of the next year.</div>
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Almost the end of January already and I am back to my routine and getting things done. My focus now is on Boston in April. 77 days away to be exact. I am running with Dana Farber again and could not be happier to be a part of such an amazing family and supporting a cause that has unfortunately touch too many lives close to me and all of my friends. I am making incredible progress so far. Just over $12,000 raised already - aiming for at least $20,000!</div>
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My training is going really great too. I feel really strong. I have lost about 20 pounds since re-focusing in the fall and I hope to lose 20 more by April. I didn't get to train really well for Dopey, but after I got back, I jumped right into the training for Boston with a 9 mile run the Saturday after completing the Disney Marathon (it was a little rough, but felt good). The following weekend I did 12 miles with the Dana Farber Team and felt really good. I averaged probably 30 seconds per mile faster than I have been running lately. This past weekend I ran 14 miles on the marathon course - heartbreak hill twice. I felt strong for the first 11 miles then I turned to go down the hills back to my car and had to fight against 25mph headwinds. </div>
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Next weekend is the Boston Stair Climb, it snuck up on me again and this year I am really not ready and not looking forward to it. I'm sort of thinking of bailing on the stair climb and doing the Dana Farber group run instead, but I'll probably go and do the stairs and have a lot of fun, then bang out my long run on Sunday and earn a few beers during the Superbowl. It's just hard to believe it is February. January went by in a flash.</div>
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It's only Monday and I am already exhausted just thinking about everything I need to do in the coming weekend and weeks following. 77 days til Boston and 108 days until my 40th Birthday! So many things to accomplish in such a short period of time. BUT I AM DETERMINED and I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. Just mentioned this to someone over the weekend so here it is - my goal is to lose another 20 pounds by April 16th AND to raise $20,000 for innovative cancer research AND hopefully finish Boston in under 6 hours.</div>
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Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-58215303460802019352017-11-30T06:23:00.002-08:002017-11-30T06:23:30.565-08:00Route 66 Marathon recap and more to be thankful for<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, the Sunday before Thanksgiving I earned this "Goddess of Speed" medal. I traveled to my 14th state and completed the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa Oklahoma. I was nervous but optimistic going into the race weekend. I had a lot going on at work and at home and the thought of preparing a Thanksgiving feast when I got back was stressing me out. My training had gone OK, which now that I type that seems kind of funny considering I was running in 'OK'(lahoma). I did a half marathon two weeks prior to the marathon and felt really confident about my potential for the marathon.<br />
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So, Tulsa.......not a whole lot to say about it. It sort of felt like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Big city buildings and modern amenities, but there seem to be a lack of people and cars the entire weekend like a virus swept through the week before and wiped everyone out. I could literally stand in the middle of Route 66 for several minutes waiting for tumbleweed to blow by and not see a single other person or vehicle go by. It was very strange.<br />
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The race....weather was perfect, low 40s to start warming up to 60 throughout the day, no wind, mostly sunny. The first half of the course was well supported by cheering crowds and a lot of free booze offered. Once the course split and the half marathoners continued to the finish and the full marathoners made their way to the second half of the course, the crowds thinned, the course quieted, even the volunteers seemed a little less enthusiastic. I ran a really strong first half and felt pretty good. Then it was like I had been running on a treadmill set to zero incline and someone just slowly added 0.5. It wasn't 'hilly' per se but there were noticeable long gradual false flats as I like to call them. The roads looked flat, but had every so slight inclines that over the last 13.1 miles of the marathon slowly defeated me.<br />
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The race was advertised as walker friendly and course open for 7.5 hrs so I thought I was pretty safe even if I had an off day. Well, they really closed the course at 6.5 hrs gun time and kept the finish line open for 7.5, but cleaned up and opened roads after about 6 hours. I wasn't too concerned until I got within maybe 3 miles of the finish and there were NO cones and NO course markings and all the volunteers gone too. So I foolishly followed the person in front of me thinking they knew the way. Turns out they did not. We both got lost in the last 2 miles and meandered helplessly through an industrial park type area until we found a police car and got back onto the course. After that, the girl I was following opted for the additional detour they offer for the world's shortest Ultra marathon and I opted to just finish. Still no course markers so I pulled up a map of the finish area on my phone and did my best to navigate there. I am pretty sure I missed a few turns on the official course, but my Garmin said 26.3 when I finished so I'm calling it completed.<br />
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Anyway, all things considered, I was faster than Little Rock and felt relatively good afterwards. Normal soreness and lack of energy, but nothing excruciating. I flew back to Boston and met a lovely woman on the plane who even donated to my Dana Farber fundraising page. Got home and snuggled my kittens and then had an awesome Thanksgiving with a pot roast instead of a turkey (because turkey and all the fixins is a pain in the ass). I recovered nicely after a post race acupuncture treatment and started my Dopey training the next weekend with a 4 mile run and a 7 mile run and both felt amazing!<br />
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Now that I am home and have a few things checked off my to-do list, I can refocus again and start thinking about Dopey and Boston. My fundraising is still going really well. I hope that I can keep up this pace and reach my goal to raise $20,000 by April. Right now I am just over $9000.00 and my company just started a matching program so as soon as that kicks in I should be close to $13.1K. If you're reading this and you have not donated yet, please consider giving a little or a lot, 100% of every dollar raised goes to innovative cancer research. It really does make a difference.<br />
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Someone asked me recently "why $20K, why not just $10K, isn't that enough?" My initial response was "why not?" and then upon further discussion with the person I explained that this is a cause I am passionate about and it has touched my life in multiple ways. I have lost loved ones and gained extended family through the Dana Farber team. And unlike other charitable organisations that give only a small portion of the money that is raised to the cause, the Barr Program for the Dana Farber Marathon team was specifically set up to make sure 100% goes to the cause. AND because of the unique location of Dana Farber in the heart of Boston's medical community they can treat and study the disease in the same location. AND they have proven success at doing both!<br />
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So, I'm not just running a marathon or asking people for money, I genuinely feel like I am making a difference in the fight against this disease. Yes, a big part of that is asking people for money, but I try to be creative about it and find different ways to say thank you and different ways to make it fun. One of those ways is through Mile Dedications. For donations of $100 or more I offer mile dedications and so far all but 4 miles are dedicated to friends and family members that are fighting cancer or cheering from heaven.<br />
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Here's my link <a href="http://www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial" target="_blank">www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial</a> Please help me reach my goal and let's make a difference together!Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-56855010393321976252017-10-31T04:31:00.000-07:002017-10-31T04:31:12.697-07:00The journey continues......It's been 11 years since I went to a Halloween party that changed my life. I saw an image of myself that didn't match the mental image I had of my body. I knew that throughout my 20s since I graduated college and started working my clothing sizes gradually increased, but I still thought I looked good and was healthy. Until I saw these photos:<br />
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I vividly remember getting ready for that party and doing my hair and make-up and lacing up the fake leather corset and looking in the mirror thinking to myself "DAMN, I look good!"<br />
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I made the decision the day I saw the photos to start working out and eating better and a year later I had lost 100lbs. A year after that, I ran my first marathon - Marine Corps Marathon 2008.<br />
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I have since completed 27 marathons and more half marathons than I can count, but in the last 4 yrs I have gotten slower and running has gotten more difficult and it is because of something I never ever thought would happen. I gained back most of the weight I had lost. I know exactly how it happened. It was a gradual process like the slowly increasing clothing sizes in my 20s, it did sort of sneak up on me, but I was aware the entire time. First my jeans got a bit tight, then they didn't fit at all. Running got more and more difficult and didn't feel effortless anymore. The more difficult it got, the less I enjoyed it.<br />
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There was a series of events that nudged me in the wrong direction and down the path I have taken. First was the bombings and the nightmares that followed. I started drinking A LOT to try and shut off my brain and cope with anxiety and fear that I couldn't shake. Then a year after that I got laid off from my job and was unemployed for several months. A year after that, one of my cats died suddenly. All of these things just added up over time pushing me into a very unhealthy head space that I am all too familiar with - depression. I continued running the whole time, trying to maintain my weight and sanity, but slowly slipped little by little.<br />
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Through all this the journey never stopped, I am still moving forward and still running (even if some people can walk faster than my current pace), I am struggling, but I am still fighting through that struggle.<br />
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Reflecting back on my journey thus far, has helped me refocus and restart down a better, more positive path. I have made a conscious effort to stop drinking in excess. Which means not consuming an entire bottle of wine for dinner every night or a 6-pack of beers. In the past month I have only had maybe 2 beers and 3 glasses of wine total on 4 separate occasions. I admit, some nights are more challenging than others and I really really want to have a glass (or bottle) of wine and fall asleep, but I resist the urge and get a glass of water instead.<br />
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I have started keeping a food journal again to keep myself accountable for the calories I consume and avoid mindless eating. That also helps me avoid the empty calories of alcohol. I am making it my goal to get to the gym at least twice a week. I just need to make it a habit again. Just doing long runs on the weekend is not enough. So far in the month of October, I have lost 14lbs. I had gained back about 75 of the 100lbs I lost 10 years ago so I still have a ways to go, but it is a great start. If I can lose 10lbs per month between now and next April when I run Boston again that will be a huge accomplishment and I may actually be able to run it faster than recent marathons and feeling better about the race and myself.<br />
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So, the journey continues. As a friend recently told me, "it is always a journey, a lot of days are tough but we power through and always give love to ourselves no matter what stage of life we are going through." No truer words have ever been said. Some days are extremely tough, but I power through. That is what makes me who I am. That mental toughness is what gets me to the finish line more often than not. I may not always give myself the love I deserve, but I am trying and I will not give up.<br />
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This year's Halloween costume, still think I looked amazing, but also see some room for improvement. It's not as shocking as the "not-so-little" red riding hood costume photos. I definitely know looking at these that I am bigger than I'd like to be and look forward to next year in a smaller costume.<br />
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<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-59973960791467068572017-10-13T04:11:00.000-07:002017-10-13T04:11:37.359-07:00Off to an amazing start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just one month into my 2018 Dana Farber Marathon Challenge fundraising and I am one third of the way to my goal to raise $20,000 for innovative cancer research! I have been busy, busy, busy - training for the Route 66 marathon, thinking of creative fundraising ideas on my long runs, sending out emails, and social media posts, and letters, ordering photo cards with my link and my message on them, and I ordered DFMC mittens to sell as a fundraiser. HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that has donated already!!!! I cannot do this without the amazing support of my friends and family and coworkers.<br />
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I have been blasting my social media accounts with facts about the disease and including my link. I've also seen other fundraisers going on for the month for other charities. BIG difference between all those other charities and DFMC - Dana Farber's Marathon team raises money specifically for the Claudia Adams Barr Program and that program requires that 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to researching innovative treatments and cures. No administrative fees, no money for advertisement or promotional materials, no money for salaries of executives, no travel and expense money for program staff. If you look into the details of all the 'other' charities out there a very small percent of the money you give them actually goes to the cause you are supporting. One example I saw yesterday after a little digging on their website, gave only $800,000 out of almost $3 million to grants for breast cancer screenings.<br />
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Here is a direct example of how your donation to my DFMC page can make a difference:<br />
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<b>Discovering New Treatments</b> - <i>Explaining how drugs like Tamoxifen have improved breast cancer survival rates by 33% in significant numbers of women, leading to the possible discovery of additional treatments with even better outcomes for people with breast cancer.</i><br />
Myles Brown, MD, used Barr funding in 2002-‘03 to make the first genome-wide map of all genes that estrogen controls. This has enabled scientists for the first time to understand why certain drugs have been so effective in treating breast cancer, including the marked improvement in survival for women whose breast cancers respond to tamoxifen and other drugs that block estrogen. Dr. Brown’s work is now expected to lead to new drugs and treatments for cancers that target critical pathways in breast cancer. His team has used this information to discover new ways to treat breast cancers that don’t respond to Tamoxifen.<br />
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Tomorrow morning I am planning on going out for a 16 mile training run. I have 5 weeks left to train for my next marathon. 185 days until I line up in Hopkinton with 36,000 other runners to make the 26.2 mile journey to Boylston St. It will be 5 years since the bombs went off and I plan on crossing that finish line triumphant not only in completing the race, but doing so for a cause much bigger than personal achievement. I want to make a difference. Together with the support (and yes, donations) of everyone I know and even people I don't know, we all CAN make a difference. Please consider giving whatever you can, share my link with your friends, whether it's $5 or $50 - EVERY dollar can make a difference! <a href="http://www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial" target="_blank">DONATE TODAY!</a><br />
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<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-91347761281661081662017-10-06T08:14:00.001-07:002017-10-06T08:14:20.339-07:00I'm running Boston AGAIN! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hard to believe it has been another 4 years already and it's time for me to lace up for my favorite charity team (aka my extended family) - Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. Raising money for innovative cancer research that might not otherwise get funded and kicking cancer's ass one dollar at a time.<br />
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It's also hard for me to believe logging in to post this that my last update was my race re-cap for the Little Rock Marathon. Geez, I have really been slacking off. Well to be fair, after Little Rock I did feel a <i>little </i>burnt out and needed a break. But enough about that and back to my original reason for posting......<br />
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192 days from today I will be in Hopkinton again getting ready to make the 26.2 mile journey through 8 towns and over a few famous hills, around a few really fun turns, onto the most amazing finishing stretch of any marathon in the World. But as I like to say, "the race is the reward for the training". April 16th 2018 WILL be an awesome day, but it will be even more awesome and special because of WHY I run and the team I run with.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I began running almost 10 years ago. I lost 100lbs in 2007, ran my
first marathon in 2008. I went to the 2009 Boston Marathon to cheer for friends
and was so inspired I decided that day to apply to run with a charity team the
following year. I ran my first Boston marathon with Dana Farber in 2010 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">not knowing it would change
my life. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Long story short - through
my fundraising efforts with Dana Farber, I repaired a fractured relationship
with my mom who had only recently recovered from her own battle with breast
cancer. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I ran that year in memory of my mom's father, my grandfather, Howard Burdwood. He
died from acute leukemia when I was in college. I made so many friends
through the DFMC team that I now consider them my extended family. I vowed that
year to continue supporting the team’s efforts however I could and to run again
with them every 4 years (as a nod to my mom's political career, even though she
reminds me her terms were 3 years and I really should be running every 3 years).
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 2013 I was a block away from the finish tracking and cheering
for many of my DFMC family and waiting for a friend to run her in the last 2
turns. That day for me, like any runner, any Bostonian, and anyone that was
there, had a profound effect on me. Fireworks still startle me. I still
occasionally have nightmares. I get nervous in large crowds or public events.
But none of that has stopped me from running. I'm slower and have gained back some of the weight I lost, but I AM NOT STOPPING. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As planned, I ran in 2014, with new meaning and determination to
make a difference and I raised just over $16,000 for Dana Farber. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Last year, my
mom's best friend and someone who was like a second mom to me, Gloria Miranda,
lost her battle with lung cancer. I'm running in memory of her and in support
of my mom and too many other people to list that have been impacted by this
disease. My hope for 2018 is to make it a really big deal. It will be my
30th marathon, about a month before my 40th birthday, and I hope to raise at
least $20,000 for Dana Farber. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So far I am off to a great start, almost a third
of the way to my goal of $20K. I’m currently training for the Route 66 marathon
in November and already logging lots of miles. I will follow that up with another Dopey Challenge at Disney World in January before turning my training focus on the Newton Hills and the Boston marathon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Please consider making a donation to help me reach the ultimate finish line - A World Without Cancer! <a href="http://www.rundfmc.org/2018/alicial" target="_blank">My personal fundraising page</a> THANK YOU!!!!!!! 100% of the dollars raised support innovative cancer research (and are tax deductible). </span><br />
<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-86402762877249550172017-03-08T04:50:00.000-08:002017-03-08T04:50:23.640-08:00Marathon #27 - Runalicious Little Rock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2ktf5iqlejvhTqYgQrw1YmkFXxOn0t0urNYqywESqwYWXooODpW2hn-t4lg6YsWOif2EUp6VxZKIrPCLs9jzOlpdsQlXMjAoMpdyQVq4i65Vhgf1CllC5cDAGZmxxobz-RvwGDGImPM/s1600/little+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2ktf5iqlejvhTqYgQrw1YmkFXxOn0t0urNYqywESqwYWXooODpW2hn-t4lg6YsWOif2EUp6VxZKIrPCLs9jzOlpdsQlXMjAoMpdyQVq4i65Vhgf1CllC5cDAGZmxxobz-RvwGDGImPM/s400/little+rock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Well....it was a new record for me....my slowest marathon ever, but I still managed to drag my ass across the finish line after 26.2 challenging miles. I had pretty low expectations going into the race because I really only had about 4 weeks of training because I got really sick after Disney and lost half of an already shortened training schedule to the most ridiculous lingering couch/cold I think I have ever had. In the 4 weeks I had to train, I only managed to get in a few 10 mile runs. One of them was in soft squishy snow so it felt like I ran 20 miles, but really I just didn't get to a good place where I felt confident about the marathon I had to run.<br />
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In the week before the race I was seriously considering just not going. I was not prepared physically or mentally to tackle the 26.2 mile journey and I knew it. My cat was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and she has a bad heart so surgery and many of the medicinal treatments are not an option. I'm basically trying to keep her comfortable and monitor her for any signs of distress. She has days or weeks of life left and I am doing my best to make those days the best days they can be, spoiling her with treats and as much food as I can get her to eat. It's incredibly difficult and emotionally draining to watch a pet fade away and try to determine the most humane time to let her go. I do not want to rob her of good days, but I do not want to make her suffer through any bad days either. Worrying about how she would be and if she would eat while I was away weighed very heavily on me and almost made me stay home and skip the trip all together. I would only be gone 2 and a half days and I had a good friend checking on her and feeding her so I decided to go.<br />
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I tried to do some research and find things to see and do in Little Rock for the day and a half I was there and not running and came up with nothing. There is not a whole lot to do in Arkansas. There is a presidential library, but I really don't care about seeing a bunch of books. Little Rock is the state capital but their state house looks pretty much the same as any I've seen - big dumb building with a dome in the middle and maybe some gold ornament thingy at the top of that dome. Pretty boring. There were some parks and local hikes and trails nearby, but I didn't want to do a whole lot of walking the day before I was going to do a whole lot of walking (let's be honest, I knew I couldn't really 'run' the whole marathon with little to no training).<br />
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They did have a bunch of local breweries and a passport program that if you visit X number of breweries and collect stickers in your passport you get 'free' stuff. The minimum was 10 breweries and that got you a soapstone coaster. I figured why not. Friday when I arrived in Little Rock I needed to get lunch and then later would need dinner so I started to collect some stickers. I wanted to get most of the 10 done on Friday so that I didn't have to do much on Saturday. I succeeded in collecting 7 stickers Friday and my head Saturday morning felt like it was not so much a 'success', but whatever. Saturday I went to the packet pick up and expo then to a Walmart Super Center for some Gatorade and water (because Walmart was founded in Arkansas and it seemed like a mecca I should visit). Then I got a late lunch and my last 3 stickers for my passport and called it a night.<br />
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Sunday morning I got up wicked early because I learned the day before that the 'continuous shuttle' from the hotel to the start/finish area was not really very reliable and even less consistent about where it stopped and how frequently they came, so I decided to drive to the start and park. Problem was the rental 'car' I got was a Ford F-150 and all the parking near the finish was on street parallel parking or garages with wicked low clearance. I wanted to get there early enough to be able to pull straight into a spot on the street. I managed to find a space a block away from the finish and was able to stay warm in the truck for a while before heading to the start, which was nice because as luck would have it, it was pouring rain and really windy.<br />
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The race started at 7:00am. It was still raining despite the fact that accuweather said it was supposed to stop. The first half of the race felt pretty good, then there were hills and more hills and never-ending hills, oh and also some really brutal headwinds too. I'd say by about mile 18 I was done. I wanted to bail. Everything hurt, it seemed like there were not enough water stops, the miles did not go by fast, I tried to shuffle for a little bit and walk for a little bit. I would look at my Garmin and try to do math and figure out if I could at least maintain XYZ pace, I might cross the finish line in a certain amount of time plus or minus a half hour. There was an 8 hour time limit so I figured I was pretty safe to assume I could finish. I had in mind a time I wanted to see at the finish but accepted the reality that my finish time might be a lot longer than that.<br />
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As different pacers passed me with their projected finish times on poles my ideal time faded away in the distance with them. Each mile I fought the internal battle of quit now or keep going. At what point is the amount of pain ahead of you too much to continue? And when have you gone too far to even think about stopping? One foot in front of the other, keep making forward progress, even slow progress is progress. No matter how long it takes your feet are still carrying you the distance of a marathon and you may consider it a failure because it doesn't meet certain time goals you had in mind, but it is still an accomplishment that few can say they have completed. It's almost more impressive to complete the distance despite incredible pain and pushing through mental barriers when every ounce of you wants to stop. So.....I continued on and I finished!<br />
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I learned some things - Little Rock is wicked boring, Arkansas is NOT flat, and I am one tough and determined badass that cannot and will not quit no matter what. Although it was my slowest race ever and it was pretty much the combination of all of my worst races in one - rain, wind, hills, plantar fasciitis, back spasms, not enough water stops - I still managed to make it to the finish line and collect my medal. And what a "sweet" medal it is......pun intended.<br />
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I could not have been more happy to be done with that race and headed home. No offense Arkansas, but I'm not a big fan and will probably never go back. I made it home and my cat is doing ok. For now she is stable, not eating as much as I'd like and her most recent x-ray shows the lung cancer is a large defined mass in one lung that is causing her some difficulty breathing, but no pain. I brought her to the vet and we started her on a low dose of steroids to try and help her breath easier and feel a little better, hopefully even eat a little more. I'll keep an eye on her and hopefully give her a few more weeks of quality time, lots of treats and brushing and love. I worry about her and struggle with when is the right time to say goodbye. For now, my vet assures me that she has some pep in her step and still has some good days ahead. I'll stay close to home until she's gone. The next marathon I am registered for is Disney 2018. I want to do a fall marathon, but haven't decided on which one and I really need to get back on track with training and nutrition so that I am ready for another 26.2 miles. I have a bunch of half marathons over the summer hopefully those will keep me motivated and help me get back into shape.</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-43563331179532394762017-01-20T05:42:00.002-08:002017-01-20T05:42:17.295-08:00Wow, 2017 already, how did that happen?I was looking yesterday and realized I hadn't posted any update since my Portland marathon re-cap. That was in OCTOBER! November and December kind of flew by in a blur and I didn't even really do a whole lot. I tried to train for my 4th Dopey Challenge and hit a few bumps and snags. My Plantar Fasciitis came back and slowed my training to a crawl. My longest run before Disney was 14 miles and my back to back runs were almost all complete failures. The first run would go great and then I would bonk about 8 miles into the second run.<br />
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Anyway, even though my training was less than ideal, I went to Florida and ran my 4th Dopey Challenge and the Gods were smiling on me because as luck would have it, severe thunderstorms threatened the half marathon causing Disney to cancel it. That gave me an entire day to rest between the 5K-10K and the full marathon. So, I didn't technically complete the entire Dopey Challenge, but it didn't really matter to me because I DID finish the marathon and I wasn't sure that would happen if I had done the half the day before.<br />
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As usual, I had a lot of fun running all those magical miles. Unfortunately, this year I didn't make it to Animal Kingdom early enough to jump on Everest mid-race, but I had noticed last year that the end of the marathon wraps around the World Showcase in Epcot and the last country you go through is Mexico. Lots of people were finishing with margaritas in their hands and I thought what a brilliant idea. It's not like I'm fast and I'm looking to break any records. I just want to finish feeling good about it and smiling. So........this year as I approached the finish and was about half a mile out run-walking through the world showcase, I stopped with a little cash in my pocket and bought myself the strongest most magical margarita ever! Cheers Disney!<br />
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Damn, it was really good, but also really strong. I had to sip it.<br />
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As you can see, I succeeded. Had fun - check. Finished feeling pretty good - check. And smiling - check.<br />
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As soon as I got home from Disney I caught the plague that has been going around and have been ridiculously sick. I have been resting and sleeping A LOT. I am hoping that maybe after this weekend, if I rest a little bit more and let my body fight this horrible cold I will be better and ready to start training for the next event. I NEED to start training. Only about 2 weeks until the stair climb and only 44 days until my next marathon. With an already shortened training schedule and missing two weeks of it, Little Rock could be a bit of a challenge, but I'm up for it.<br />
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In the meantime, I have been getting better at pottery and I did glass blowing again over the holidays. I'm looking for some more non-running things to keep me busy, but I've been completely useless with this cold and not doing much of anything. Hoping that I can start filling my jar of awesome for 2017 and checking some things off my list again soon. The grand total for 2016 was 52 things including some pretty awesome things - Try blacksmithing, attend opening day at Fenway, Ride in a glider, Go to Iceland, Fly a helicopter, go white water rafting, eat a Voodoo donut.<br />
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Can't wait to see what awesome things I do in 2017!<br />
<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-7294758024124358482016-10-13T05:14:00.002-07:002016-10-13T05:14:54.775-07:00The OTHER Portland Race recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, marathon #25 is in the books. Portland (Oregon) - DONE! My 11th state. As one would expect (although I hoped it wouldn't happen) it rained, for the ENTIRE race. My training was less than ideal so it sort of made sense that the race conditions were also less than ideal. I went along with it though. Cool, cloudy and a little (or a lot) wet for 26.2 miles.....oh wait that's right it was closer to 26.8 miles because the volunteers in the first mile failed to block an intersection and direct runners to the first right hand turn on the course leading thousands of confused runners through a maze of winding streets that were NOT part of the course.<br />
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Overall, all things considered and now a few days post-race with the pain and soreness fading, I think I can say it was a pretty good race. I mean, I knew from my Garmin that each mile marker was about half a mile off the distance I had traveled, but I figured it was due to the variability and error of the GPS and it usually normalizes over the course of 26 miles, but this was different. It was consistently off by about the same amount each mile. Oh and there was that part right after the first mile where we saw a bunch of runners apparently cutting the course, but later learned that they were directed correctly at the right turn we missed. And yes, the rain was relentless and add in a little wind here and there and it was a recipe for a pretty miserable day.<br />
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BUT other than some nasty chaffing and general aches and pains and a slower than I wanted pace, I felt good. I finished really strong. I looked at my watch a little after 20 miles and did some fuzzy math and figured out a realistic goal for a time and I went for it. It was maybe 30-45 minutes slower than I wanted to be when I started the race, but considering the extra distance and the awful weather, I was ok with it. In the last 2 miles I pushed through a lot of pain in my feet and ankles and picked up my pace as much as I could with my time goal in mind and looking at my watch every few minutes to make sure it was do-able. I made the last turn towards the finish line and 'sprinted' in slow motion past some hobbling 'runners' to cross the line with literally just seconds to spare. <b>6:59:52</b> Slow AF, I know. Not at all what I wanted to do or where I want to be with my running, but I wanted to be under 7 hours and I did it.<br />
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Before the race, I had a blast in Portland. I really want to go back sometime just to eat and drink my way through the city and not have to run 26 miles while I'm there. Got a Voodoo Donut, did a BrewCycle pub crawl tour, saw the World's smallest park, went to a haunted pizza place (totally saw a ghost) and saw the famous penny used in the coin flip that named the city after my hometown, Portland Maine.<br />
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Feels a little weird actually after such an amazing trip and super busy summer doing all sorts of fun and crazy things, I have nothing 'on deck' on my to-do list. For the next 10 weeks or so, my calendar is completely empty. Not sure why, but it makes me sort of anxious and antsy. I feel the need to find something fun to do. 87 days until my next marathon......Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-46120841467791592072016-08-31T04:51:00.002-07:002016-08-31T04:51:39.481-07:00Amazed by my own awesomeness lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, my running has been suffering lately, I am really slow and struggling to get in the miles I need for training, but on the bright side I am crushing my "to-do list" this summer. I've always been pretty adventurous and up for anything and willing to try new things. I've had people ask me if I am in fact dying or recently diagnosed with a terminal illness and my answer is always the same maybe not in the same exact words, but the same general message. I am not dying (that I know of), I AM LIVING! That's why I don't call my list a "bucket list" because I prefer to think of it as things to do to feel alive, not things to do before I die.<br />
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I think I've mentioned it before but my approach is something like this - Opportunity + Ability + Means = Infinite Possibility. If I have the opportunity and the ability to do something and it is within my budget to do it, why wait for sometime or another time or next year or when someone else wants to do it too, if I have a chance I WILL take it. It just so happens that this summer I have had a lot of amazing opportunities to do some really awesome things.<br />
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Beginning in May - ran two marathons back to back (although in hindsight that was dumb). Went for a ride in a glider, that was unreal and something I definitely want to do again. June - Did the Best Buddies challenge 50 mile bike ride. Gave a stranger a $100 bill. Ran up Mount Washington. Saw the famous sign post in Maine with all the different countries on it. Went to Iceland. Licked an iceberg. Ran the midnight sun half marathon. July - Hit balls at a driving range for the first time ever. Bought my first brand new car. August - Flew a helicopter. Ran the Falmouth Road Race. Went to Martha's Vineyard. Went zip lining. Rode the Alpine roller coaster at Gunstock mountain.<br />
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My September calendar was looking pretty boring in comparison, but to be fair I am at the end of my marathon training and need to do some pretty long runs in the next 4 weeks. Ideally, if the weather cooperates and I don't die from heat stroke, the plan is for 16-18-20-18-TAPER. With those kind of miles planned that will likely take me 3-4 hours to complete, then refueling and resting afterwards, my weekends are likely to be toast as a result. This coming weekend is Labor day and so I have an extra day to play. The plan was to do my long run Saturday morning and then have the rest of the weekend for adventures. I searched Groupon for ideas and at first didn't come up with much. There was a white water rafting trip deal, but I had very low confidence that they would have availability so last minute and I was right. But they put me on the wait list.....and yesterday they called and I'm in. Opportunity + Ability + Means = Oh heck yeah I'm doing it!<br />
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Booked my white water rafting trip, then I looked up when the most recent high water release date was because New England is in an extreme drought right now and I was wondering if the water levels would be really low. Well, wouldn't you know it the next high water release date.......Sunday. The day I am going. I could not be more excited, nervous, amped, maybe a little scared. I tried to think and this might be the most dangerous thing I have done. Skydiving is a close tie. But white water rafting on one of the highest water release dates of the summer in the biggest river in Maine, which happens to be called the Dead River. Yeah, it's going to be awesome!<br />
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The rest of the month is wide open, but if an opportunity comes up, I WILL take it.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-11801570430926712662016-08-24T04:57:00.000-07:002016-08-24T04:57:03.767-07:00Random thought brought me to tearsI was driving into work this morning and just listening to random songs from my iTunes on shuffle. A song from a movie I had seen with my mom and my brother a few years ago on Christmas came on and at first it reminded me of that movie and that Christmas and it was a good memory of good times. Then my mind started to wander to this Christmas and what movie we might go to see. I know the movie about a marathon bombings and the manhunt that followed is scheduled to be released this December and I got an overwhelming rush of anxiety that my mom and my brother will want to go see it and will not understand why I cannot. Images flashed in my brain of that day and the possibility of reliving it through Hollywood's eyes and I started crying.<br />
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I immediately started trying to come up with the words to explain why I cannot go watch a big screen re-enactment of a horrific event I witnessed first hand. Not only for my own emotional well being, but also the deep feelings I have about someone profiting from the recreation of the events. On the first part - to some, including my mom and brother, it may be simple to want to go see a movie about an event that happened recently with famous people in it acting out the roles of real people they saw on the news when it happened.<br />
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To me it is not that simple. I really, really wish it was, believe me, more than anything I WISH I could somehow compartmentalize the feelings I had that day and that week and disconnect them from my daily life. But for me, even the idea of seeing a recreation immediately brings me back to that moment and that intense fear and isolation I felt in the moment as if it is happening all over again. I know in my rational brain that 3 years have gone by, things have changed, I ran the marathon safely and triumphantly the following year, I watched daily as news vans reported from the Federal Courthouse next to my office on the trial of the bomber, I quietly cried when I heard the verdict, I go on doing different marathons and going on adventures and accomplishing goals, but every once in a while completely unexpected and randomly something happens or a thought enters my brain and I am right back in Boston on April 15th, 2013.<br />
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As far as the second part of why I cannot see the movie, I know that it is a dramatic story that must be told. I bought all the books that came out in the year after the bombings, not out of fascination, but more out of comfort in hearing that people are ok and learning about the stories of average people that became heroes that day and in a way it helped me to process the information and the events and cope with the emotions I felt and also support the many other people that lived through it because most if not all of the books published donated proceeds to the victims of the bombings. That is where the movie takes a different approach and it is exactly why I cannot go see it, it doesn't seem as though it was filmed for the reasons the books were written and on the contrary it IS for entertainment and to feed that strange fascination that people have and it is FOR PROFIT. I know the OneFund no longer exists and that money has been given to the people that deserved to receive it for the traumas they endured, but there are other charities that were established and other ways the film could support the community impacted by the events, but instead the famous people acting out the roles of the real people in this story will collect a fat paycheck and probably not think twice about the people they played and the lasting effect that day had on them.<br />
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Anyway, this is all just the randomness that entered my brain this morning along my 35 minute commute to work. I changed the song and shuffled to the next song and wiped away the tears and thought there are still several months until Christmas and there will be plenty of other movies to pick from. In the meantime, I have a marathon to train for and adventures to plan. Focusing on those things and living my life to the fullest possible amount of awesomeness I can manage keeps me going and forward and prevents me from going back to that place mentally. So one foot in front of the other, I will keep moving forward.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-16849701552152472332016-08-19T05:34:00.000-07:002016-08-19T05:34:03.273-07:00How did that happen?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another month gone by. It's been the hottest and driest summer on record for parts of New England. Which equals the worst ever marathon training conditions for me. Only 7 weeks left to train for Portland Oregon and I have yet to complete more than 14 miles. The past two attempts at 16 miles I cut short at 10 because it got dangerously hot with the heat index over 100 degrees. I am seriously hoping that in the next few weeks at least I can get to 16 or 18 miles before I start to taper.<br />
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My longest run of the summer, also ridiculously slow, but I'll take it considering the day before I tried to do my run and only made it a little over a mile from my house before walking home because it was too hot and too humid. I tried so hard and just couldn't breath and couldn't lift one foot in front of the other. It was definitely one of those days when running felt impossible. The next morning I got up determined and the weather cooperated, sort of. It was a little cooler and a lot less humid so I left early and got my run done.<br />
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Although not a long run, I did complete the Beach to Beacon 10K again this year. It was cooler temperature wise, but the humidity made it feel like a swim not a run. I still managed to have fun with it though. I met some great people on the course and in the start corral. I made it just about 4 miles before the guy in the lighthouse passed me. (yes, there's a guy that runs the race IN a lighthouse).<br />
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After the race I met up with a friend and we did a brewery tour of the Greater Portland area - Bissell Brothers, Foundation, Austin Street, Allagash, and Geary's. Then spent some time chilling in my mom's pool. Maine really is "the way life should be."</div>
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On the non-running side of life, I am having a lot of fun checking some really cool things off my list. I hit balls at a driving range for the first time. That was exciting. And it might have been a little cruel, but I bet all the guys I was with $20 if they could hit the kid driving the cart that sucks up the balls on the green. It made things a little more challenging. </div>
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I also said goodbye to my Subaru. It was a great and reliable car for 10yrs and 183,000+ miles, but it was time and I wanted to shop for a new car before the Subaru 'shit the bed' (as Mainer's say). So, I checked off another item on my list. For the first time in my life I bought a brand NEW car. I have always had used cars ever since I got my license. First was the Subaru my brother and I shared in high school, then I had a Jetta in college, then when the Jetta died I got a Ford Focus because it was all I could afford at the time and I hated it. Then I totaled the Focus and bought my Subaru. Now I am the proud owner of a 2016 MINI Cooper that only had 12 miles on it when I picked it up.</div>
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I tried to get up early last week and see the Perseid Meteor shower and failed. It was 2am and definitely dark enough out, but the lights in the courtyard of my condo were much too bright for me to see any shooting stars. But that was a small thing on my list compared to what I did next. I learned to fly a helicopter! Technically it was just an introductory lesson and there's no chance I could actually fly one solo, but I did a 30 minute ground instruction and a 30 minute flight where I did the take off AND landing and NAILED IT. It was amazing and I actually thought it was easier than flying a plane. I don't think I will be getting a helicopter pilot's license or anything crazy, but it was a lot of fun. I might have to add to my list revisit the idea of continuing flight lessons. I wouldn't mind getting a pilot's license to fly small planes like Cessnas or something. Those are really fun!</div>
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I have a few things 'on deck' but will be brainstorming some more fun things to squeeze in too. I am getting really close to completing my 200th item on the list. Flying a helicopter was #193. Stay tuned for new adventures and more on my marathon training.</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-6253454896960823912016-07-15T10:58:00.001-07:002016-08-19T04:09:26.825-07:00Really struggling lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After I initially lost just over 100lbs., I was able to maintain my weight for about 7 years. I fluctuated +/- 5-10lbs on a monthly average weight depending on my training (and overtraining), but I stayed within my ideal weight range for a while. In the last 3 years that has not been the case and it is really upsetting me.<br />
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I KNOW some of this is purely excuses, everyone has them and I KNOW there are solutions and things I can do to change things up, but I guess what I am getting at is IT'S HARD. REALLY HARD.<br />
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A series of unfortunate events has caused some of my unhealthy behaviors to return and my fitness and nutrition habits have suffered. First, I was laid off from my job in 2011, which actually wasn't a bad thing, but I lost access to my gym and all my gym friends. I stopped doing strength training completely and focused only on running and biking and occasionally swimming if I had a triathlon to do. I have no doubt this caused me to lose muscle mass and metabolize food differently.<br />
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The biggest event with the biggest impact was the bombings in 2013. I was not injured, but I was definitely scarred for life and have some very real symptoms of PTSD. For weeks and months after the bombings I had awful nightmares (and I still do occasionally). I worry about things I never used to worry about. I take notice of things I probably never thought about before when in public or large crowds. Fireworks and loud noises still startle me and sometimes make me cry. As a result of these things I began drinking more frequently. (from 2010-2012 I didn't drink at all) After the bombings, I would have 3-4 beers just to get to bed at night and when neighbors set off fireworks I'd sit awake in bed shaking and crying unable to get back to sleep.<br />
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I slowly got back to somewhat of a normal routine and tried eating vegetarian in an effort to switch things up and put better fuel in my engine, but got exhausted easily and gave up after about a year of no meat. In 2014, I was laid off again and stressed out because I had very little severance pay and finding a new job took a lot longer than it did in 2011. I got a new job and I love it, but the location makes it difficult to run near work and even more difficult to meet friends to run after work, and when things are not convenient and easy, they just don't happen. There is a fitness center onsite and I am a member but the managers, the atmosphere, and members are just not as fun as the gym where I initially lost weight and started this journey.<br />
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As a result of the weight I have gained back, I am A LOT slower and running is A LOT harder. This makes me not want to run. It makes me embarrassed to run with friends that are faster than me. It makes me ashamed of my race results, I finish, yes, but dead last definitely takes the wind out of the sails, so to speak, and doesn't feel like a great accomplishment anymore. It makes me try to find reasons NOT to sign up for races I used to love because I don't want people to see me there and see me fail.<br />
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All of this breaks my heart and I am really struggling to climb my way out of this hole but keep falling deeper and deeper into the abyss. I am hoping that in sharing this struggle and getting it out there, I can find the strength and determination I had almost 10 years ago now when I first stepped on a scale horrified by my own body and how big I had become. I need that back. I need to start over. I KNOW I can do this. I've done it before. It's frustrating to find myself creeping back to where I started but I want to stop and reverse this course and get back to my healthy weight and happier self.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-69370486840288054182016-07-06T07:51:00.002-07:002016-07-06T07:51:45.921-07:00Another month gone by....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wait, what?!?! It's July? How did that happen? The short version of June is 50 mile bike ride, 10 mile training run, Mount Washington Road race, Midnight Sun half marathon in Iceland, followed by spending the weekend of the 4th of July completely off the grid in northern Maine for 4 days.<br />
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Looking at the last 4 weeks (including this week) I have been or will only be home for a total of 7 days. And every other weekend for the next two months is already booked with something fun and the "free" weekends have 16 mile training runs penciled in.<br />
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Now for a little more in depth look back. First the 50 mile bike ride: Best Buddies Challenge from Carver to Hyannisport. It was hot and hilly and the first long bike ride I have done in probably 2-3 years. I felt it, but it was still fun for sure. Lobster bake at the end and a free Beach Boys concert with Tom Brady and Jullian Edelman, not too shabby.<br />
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Then the Mount Washington Road race, 7.6 miles up the tallest mountain on the east coast. It was a lot harder than I remembered it being three years ago, but I am older, heavier, and a lot slower. It took me exactly an hour longer than it took me in 2013. I finished in 3:16. The weather was perfect, maybe even a little too hot. Still had a great time and checked off a few more items on my list while in the area. Gave a $100 bill to a stranger and saw the famous road sign in Maine that points to Mexico, Poland, Moscow, Paris, etc.<br />
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The $100 bill was something I had in my wallet since 2013 after the bombings, intending to give it to a stranger on or near Boylston, but the moment never felt right so I held onto it waiting for the right moment. We had a waitress at a small pub in Jackson, NH that was clearly working harder than any of the other waitresses there and she took great care of us making sure we got our food fast and even a snack before because I was HANGRY and ready to kill and eat a small child. She checked back with me to make sure I was doing ok and not ravenous anymore and offered chicken noodle soup to help out too. All the tables near us with different waitresses were still waiting for their food when we paid our bill. She was incredible.<br />
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The week after Mount Washington I went to Iceland. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. Volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, icebergs, deserts, lush green countryside, sheep, Icelandic horses, sunlight for almost 24 hours a day, elves and trolls, lagoons, monster trucks, pits and bits (figure it out)...... and the Big Lebowski bar. I can't wait to go back again.<br />
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Got home from Iceland and packed for the holiday weekend in Maine. My family owns a camp 3 hours north of Portland and about 15 minutes from the Canadian border. It is so remote that you can only get to it by boat or by logging roads and hiking through the woods. Once you get past Skowhegan there isn't really a lot up there except moose and white water rafting companies, but that's what makes it so awesome. There is no electricity, no running water, no TV, barely any cell reception, nearest major town is over an hour away, nearest small town is 15 minutes away and on the Canadian border. It is the most peaceful place, full of fond memories, with nothing to do there but relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. It was really hard to leave and come back to reality and civilization.<br />
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Anyway, I am back to reality, even if only for a few days before going back to Maine for a half marathon this weekend. I doubt I will even have time to do my laundry before I leave again. My favorite hoodie smells like campfire and I kind of love it.</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-14541463995476918582016-06-03T05:35:00.003-07:002016-06-03T05:35:52.947-07:00Time seems to be slipping away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Days are flying by. It feels like it was only last week that I went to Wisconsin and Michigan, but that was almost a month ago already. It's been a struggle to get motivated to start running again after that painful challenge. In fact, since the mittens I have only run once. I am in a serious funk and need a kick in the butt to just get re-started. I have a few really fun events coming up in the end of June and if I don't get back out there I will not be ready even for a short race. Granted the shorter of the two races I have coming up is a little over 7 miles up Mount Washington so that will probably be harder than the half marathon the following week.<br />
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The month of May just sort of left me physically and mentally exhausted and unable to snap out of it yet. My mom scheduled surgery at a hospital near my house and came down for a pre-op appointment on my birthday so we went out for dinner the night before. Then on my actual birthday I didn't have any plans which felt a little disappointing, but also kind of ok. I didn't want to do anything really. The weekend after my birthday I did check off another item from my "to-do" list and it was pretty cool. I rode in a glider above the Franconia ridge trail that I hiked solo last summer. I think I thought it would give me more of an adrenaline rush than it did. It was really awesome, but not as awesome as skydiving or flying a plane and doing a zero G parabola.<br />
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The week after that, mom had her surgery and my brother came down with his dog and stayed while my mom was in the hospital. Then my mom recovered for a few days at my house before returning home. While I am extremely happy that everything went well and my mom is ok, it was a bit of a disruption to my house and my routine in general and I have not had the time since then to put everything back where it belongs and clean my house. I have piles of mail I need to go through and throw out. Bills for the condo association that need to be paid. I have laundry that needs to be done and a sink full of dishes. The lawn needs to be mowed and I realized when leaving my house this morning it is supposed to rain today and I might not be able to mow it tonight as planned.<br />
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Tomorrow I am doing a 50 mile bike ride for the Best Buddies Challenge, a fundraiser that Tom Brady does on the cape. It ends in Hyannisport and there is a huge party and lobster bake and the Beach Boys are doing a concert. I will likely be gone all day and still won't get to any of the things in my house that need to be done. AND I haven't been on my bike since August of last year. I'm not even sure where my bike shorts are or if they even fit me anymore. Sunday I would like to get out and do a 6-8 miles run, then tackle a few of the chores on my ever growing list.<br />
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In two weeks, I get to run up Mount Washington again. I am thinking of doing it in a fun costume or something to get some cool photos along the way. Maybe while I am up in New Hampshire that weekend I can find a few more fun things to check off my list. Then the following week I am going to Iceland to run a half marathon in the middle of the night, with the sun still out because it is just after summer solstice. I am really excited for that. I've only ever stopped over in Iceland on my way to Denmark for work. I cannot wait to see more of it than just the airport. Looking forward to checking off "bath in a geothermal spa" and maybe "climb an active volcano" and "stand on a glacier".<br />
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I also purchased a book to learn dollar bill origami and I've already figured out a few of them. So I think I can check "Learn Origami" off my list too.<br />
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Hopefully I can get out of my rut soon and back into a better routine. Maybe even get back on my bike more regularly and do some more triathlons this summer or next summer. I miss it, I'm just scared to get hit again. It was 5 years ago this week that I got hit last time. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago. Time really does fly by......</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-41048826286221395372016-05-13T04:46:00.002-07:002016-05-13T04:46:51.531-07:00Mittens....EARNED!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, last weekend I went to Wisconsin and Michigan to run two marathons in two days, probably my dumbest idea ever, but it seemed like a great idea a few months ago.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Although it was the most challenging thing I have ever done and I
pushed my body to new limits, I think I can say now after the fact that I still
had a great experience earning my mittens. Sunday I finished after the clocks
were taken down and the timing company had stopped recording results.
Disappointing and not the race I had visualized going into the weekend. My
training went well, but no one was prepared for 30mph headwinds in Wisconsin the day before.
That race completely drained me and set me up for failure in Kalamazoo, but I
was determined to finish what I started (despite my body disagreeing and
fighting me every step of the way). The volunteers along the course in Kalamazoo and at the
finish area made me feel amazing and cheered louder than the little voice in my
head telling me I did awful and should be embarrassed to finish dead last,
instead I felt like I won. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But I am getting ahead of myself, first there was the Wisconsin Marathon (#23 for me). I flew into Chicago and drove to Kenosha, WI. Which by the way, aside from the race, may not have any reason to visit it, ever (sorry Wisconsin). The weather forecast looked ideal, high in the low 60s by afternoon and overcast/partly cloudy skies. What I missed in that forecast was the wind. 28mph sustained winds coming from the north = headwind, with 40+ mph gusts. The effort it took to 'run' into that kind of wind for so long literally drained me of every ounce of energy I had in my body. I went into the race feeling great and started out really strong, but when the winds picked up and didn't quit my hopes of finishing in maybe 5:30 at an easy pace were destroyed and I finished in 6:42:36 in a lot of pain with tears in my eyes and doubt in my mind about running another 26.2 in less than 24hrs.</span></div>
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Immediately after crossing the finish line in Wisconsin I had to hobble back to my car for a 3 hour drive to Kalamazoo, MI. I thought I had parked really close to the finish area, but walking to my car seemed to take forever and felt like another friggin marathon in itself. I was hangry and uncomfortable and freezing cold and couldn't feel my fingers. I definitely swore at some kids running around and crossing my path as I tried to navigate my way. It was not pretty. I talked to a friend on the phone and admitted that I might not even start the marathon in Kalamazoo. I was in a lot of pain and did not see any way possible for me to do it all over again.</div>
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I made it to Kalamazoo and met up with a friend from Boston originally from Michigan who came out to cheer for me and show me around. We went to one of her friend's houses for a beer and some food. Slowly I felt a little better and remembered several training runs that went horrible on Saturday and awesome on Sunday so I hoped for the same experience in the race. Worst case scenario I figured I would start the race and bail if it got to be too painful.</div>
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Sunday morning I got up, my legs felt ok but my feet were destroyed; blisters, swollen, painful. My friends encouraged me and said "you can do this". I was not so sure. It was going to be hot and sunny, but no winds at least. I went through all the different scenarios in my head of how to decide whether or not to keep going or quit. If anything hurt really bad like it did the day before, if my pace wasn't a certain number for the first 5 miles, if I didn't reach the halfway point by a certain time. But somewhere deep inside me I knew, if I started the race there was not a whole lot that could make me not cross the finish line even if it meant I was crawling.</div>
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That's pretty much what happened. The first 5 miles were a lot slower than I wanted them to be, but I felt ok. My legs were strong, but my feet were throbbing in pain. I thought I was not last. I saw a few people at the start that were near me at the finish the day before and they were not ahead of me so they had to be behind me. Somewhere around mile 11 or 12 I started running with two other women and we noticed a police car trailing behind us. We WERE the last runners. And we thought we might be getting swept, the cop assured us he was only there to watch the roads and keep us safe. I accepted the reality that we might get swept and thought as long as we make it to the halfway point I think I could be proud of that accomplishment.</div>
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All I have to say is thank God for those other two women. I was ready to throw in the towel, hitch a ride back to the finish, and call it a day. They kept me going. We all decided to stick together and did a run walk interval that worked for all of us. We were right at the pace to just barely make the time cut off for the race and determined to push through all the pain and get it done. As the miles went by I started to feel worse and worse. The other ladies were so strong, I couldn't keep up, I was falling behind and struggling to stay with them, but they didn't drop me. We stuck together. In the last 5 or 6 miles I was really hurting. My vision was a little blurred, I was swaying a bit, I felt nauseated and puked a little of the water I tried to take at one of the water stops. I was overheating and dehydrated. It was not good.</div>
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I pressed on. One of the two ladies decided to pick up her pace and try for an official time. I had given up on that miles ago and just wanted to not die. The other woman could have left me, but she didn't, she paced me at just barely crawl, shuffling for 3 minutes and walking for 1 minute. The police car left us at mile 23 and the roads opened back up. I was crying not just because I was in pain, but because I was scared that now there would be no one to help me if I went down. I just put one foot in front of the other and refused to stop. Every single step more painful than the previous one and tears rolling down my face because I had come so far and didn't want to fail. With one mile left to go, my new friend Jill said her boyfriend was coming to meet us and walk us into the finish and I heard someone yelling my name. It was my friend Dionna (mind you she has a busted foot and STILL walked a mile out to meet us and guide us to the finish). Slowly but surely we did it together we crossed the finish line and then hugged each other as I tried not to collapse.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was by far the most painful marathon physically and emotionally for me. I am disappointed. I did not want to be DFL (Dead F*cking Last). I did not want to cross the line after the clocks were taken down. I am a lot slower than I have been in years past. I have put on weight that makes it a lot harder to run. I am not in the shape I want to be in. I am not the runner I want to be. I can't even go for fun runs with some of my friends anymore because I am so slow. BUT ..... and it's a big one (and I also have a big one) I AM STILL MOVING FORWARD. No matter what my Garmin says for time, My two feet and all of the extra pounds of flesh and bones on my body covered that distance. I may not have 'run' by standard definition, but I FINISHED two marathons in two days and as far as I am concerned I worked just as hard if not harder to EARN my mittens.</span></div>
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Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-1539146939501773362016-04-06T06:34:00.000-07:002016-04-06T06:34:06.613-07:00Feeling bleh...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, about a month to go until I run two marathons in two days and hopefully 'earn my mittens'. My training is going as well as can be expected although a little slower than I'd like. I haven't been doing any mid-week workouts so I think that is why I am slow on my long runs. I need to get back into a routine of shorter mid-week runs and some strength training too. I am also kind of looking forward to tapering and having some time on weekends to see friends and do something other than running, eating, and sleeping. The back to back long runs are really wiping me out. I opted for 20+10 instead of double 20s, erring on the side of caution and running strong rather than pushing it and risking injury. This past weekend I was planning on double 18s and skipped the second one because of a freak spring snow squall and 65mph winds.<br />
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Despite all this running I have managed to do some pretty awesome stuff recently. I am continuing on with my pottery class and have made some pretty cool things. I love it. It's such an escape from everything in life and I have some really cool bowls and mugs to show for it. I took a glass mosaic class last week and made a coaster that came out pretty sweet. And Sunday night I went to a Learn to Curl class. Yeah, Curling, like in the winter Olympics. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be and a LOT OF FUN. I learned all the lingo and rules, it's sort of like shuffleboard on ice and it originated in Scotland. Who knew?<br />
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Even with these fun classes and all the running, plus having lots of fun races coming up, I am itching to explore something else or discover some sort of new adventure. I have made a little progress on my "to-do" list this year, but nothing like last year. I've checked off 10 items so far this year and have 10 more items lined up or scheduled for the near future. I will have to consult the list and see if there is anything else I can check off. Something local that doesn't require traveling. Something that can be done in a day or two at the most. Something that doesn't cost more than a couple hundred dollars. AND does NOT include running, but also has little risk of injury that would prevent me from running. I LOVE running, like a lot, or else I wouldn't still do it, but I want to live a life filled with a wide variety of adventures. I love to tell people when they ask what I've done lately, I'll try anything once, twice if it's fun. So, what should I do next???????Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-71765256494442008582016-02-22T05:58:00.001-08:002016-02-22T05:58:27.438-08:00Awesome is exhausting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it is already the end of February. So much has happened since my last update. I am tired just thinking about it all. January was kind of a mess and chaotic. I was trying to refinance my condo all around the Dopey Challenge trip and things totally fell apart. It was complicated for several reasons, the biggest one being that I was working with a friend as my broker. My appraisal came in a lot lower than expected and I didn't have enough equity in my place to make it work. My friend convinced me that I could just pay a big chunk of the mortgage off to bring the numbers up to snuff. So, that was another complication because I just didn't have the funds available to do that. My friend pressured me to continue despite very tight finances and I felt obligated to continue because I didn't want to let my friend down. I scraped together the money needed and then the lender kept dragging it out and not giving me a closing date. With my February mortgage due and approaching being late, I took the personal relationship out of the equation and re-evaluated the decision and backed out. I would have loved a lower interest rate, but it meant I was neglecting other bills and completely emptying my savings account. It just wasn't worth it. My friend couldn't separate the business from the personal relationship and hasn't spoken to me since. I am still hopeful that things will change.<br />
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Anyway, it was a huge relief deciding not to go forward with it and it allowed me to get back to living my awesome life. I took a blacksmithing class and made a really cool bracelet out of an iron bar. It was a little scary at first playing with fire and extremely hot metal, but once you figure out that you feel the heat and you are smart enough not to touch the hot things, it got easier and was actually really fun.<br />
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The following weekend I did the stair climb for American Lung Association. I climbed 3 times again. It is still one of my favorite events. I just love it. It's so challenging but it's over with so quickly. And of course there's all the fire fighters that show up for the event too. That's easy on the eyes. Plus, my hometown boys from Portland Fire won the fastest fire fighter team again. I think they have won it maybe 6 or 7 times since the event started. They make me proud to be from Maine.<br />
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Valentine's weekend the north east got a ridiculous cold snap dropping temperatures below zero and wind chills around -35 degrees. I was supposed to do back to back 12 milers and I managed to do the Saturday run, but decide against the Sunday run because the weather forecast was "life threatening" cold. Plus Saturday night I did my first (and last) snowshoe race. I thought it sounded like fun. Run through the woods in the dark with a headlamp in snowshoes. Yeah, it wasn't fun. It was awful. I know I am not fast and I expected to be at the back of the pack. I was the slowest person and the pack was way ahead of me. I was ALONE, in the dark, in the woods, with a little light shinning from my headlamp and a lot of wind and scary noises. It was terrifying. I did it, I checked it off my list, but I can honestly say I will NEVER do it again.<br />
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This past weekend I did back to back 14 milers and tonight I am going to a floral arrangement class. I really hope I can stay awake, because right now I just want to go back to bed. I also have my annual condo association meeting later this week and that is always entertaining. I just hope it's uneventful and over with quickly.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-41566401487623242672016-01-26T06:33:00.000-08:002016-01-26T06:33:05.033-08:00Small negotiations <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After 2 weeks of recovery from Dopey and the nasty cold I got when I arrived home, I finally went for a run this weekend. Two runs actually, back to back. Because I need to start training for my back to back marathons coming up in May.<br />
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Saturday while some of the east coast was being buried by a blizzard, Lowell was protected by a lovely bubble of high pressure, but it also brought with it ridiculously cold air. The temps were in the teens with a "real feel" in the single digits. I convinced my friend Lisa to get out there and do a quick easy 3 miles with me. Well, actually we convinced each other. It was a text conversation back and forth that went a little like "we should go for a run" "it's really stupid cold out though" "just a short one" "we will be done before we even realize it's cold" "I have a lot to do today" "it won't take us long" "it's not going to get much warmer, if we go we should go soon" "I could do 3 miles right now" "ok let's do it" "I'll get dressed" "me too"<br />
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My legs definitely felt a little heavy and it took about half a mile for them to remember what this running thing is and how to do it. And right about half a mile in was when the wind kicked up and we realized how friggin cold it was. It was ok though, we were already out there and running, nothing left to do but get it done and we did. Afterwards I felt a lot better. I had been feeling antsy and kind of lazy because I rested SO much after Dopey, but clearly my body needed it. The run was a success and I was back at it again. Officially training for my next marathon.<br />
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Sunday morning I was very pleased to wake up and see the sun AND no snow (sorry rest of the east coast, but Lowell got enough last year). I headed out for a slightly longer run. Aiming for 4-5 miles, 4 if my legs and body didn't feel good and 5 if everything was ok. As I was running and reaching the decision point of my route, it occurred to me that every run is in a way a series of small negotiations between the brain and the body. This could not be more true in a marathon.<br />
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On this particular run I was debating between, easing into my training and not over doing it but going a little bit further if I felt like it, but not too far. I play these weird mind games with myself. Like if my iPod shuffle plays a motown song next instead of rock or pop I will turn around now and call it a day. Or maybe I'll just run to the next mailbox and THEN turn around, that might be far enough for the day. Then this other voice in my head chimes in and says, stop it you feel great and you can go a little further. Then the OCD side of my brain kicks in and thinks if I do 7 miles today that makes a nice even 10 for the week with yesterday's 3 miles. And the type A planner in me starts thinking long term, if I do 3 and 7 this week, what should I run next week? I ended up pushing through the negative Nelly that tried to make me cut the run short and did the full 7 mile loop.<br />
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The same sort of small negotiations happen during a marathon only there is no turning back. It is either keep moving forward or stop. When I start to suffer towards the end of a race I think to myself "just get to the next water stop or mile marker". I forget where I read it and which marathon training book it was in, but one of the best mantras I've learned is no matter how far you have gone or how far you still have to go, <b>just run the mile you are in</b>. I use that one a lot in the last 10K of a marathon. I sometimes try to do math (depending on how delirious I am sometimes I succeed sometimes not so much) - how many miles left? If I can at least maintain my current pace for the next X miles I can still finish under X:XX time.<br />
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No matter how much it hurts and how much I suffer I somehow always manage to negotiate just a little more out of myself. I have even thought before, "as long as I slow down a little I'm not going to die". "This might take me a lot longer than I wanted it to, but I will finish." "I can go straight to the medical tent AFTER I cross the finish line." "Just stay upright" "Don't close your eyes" "Don't pass out." "The faster you move your feet, the sooner this will all be over." "Run for just one minute more or 30 seconds more." All of these little conversations I have with myself somehow eventually lead to the glory at the finish line that I have been chasing ever since my first marathon. Then I start the debate of I'm never doing this again vs. what race should I sign up for next.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-42194565513329801792016-01-14T05:06:00.000-08:002016-01-14T05:06:06.062-08:00New Year, New AWESOME!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's going to be really tough to top last year, but that won't stop me from trying. Here's a quick 2015 recap: Dopey Challenge #2, Ice Climbing, Flying Pig Marathon (#20), flew a plane, went sailing, hiked Franconia ridge solo, completed the New England Mountain Goat Series, played Polo, rappelled down an 80ft. waterfall, did a high ropes obstacle course, went to Hollywood, took a pottery class, went to Niagara Falls, ran marathon #21, played BINGO, went dog sledding, and a whole lot of other awesome things.<br />
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My total mileage for the year was pretty low, but I went into the year with the goal of doing more non-running things so it makes sense. I think I checked off something like 50 items on my "to-do" list and reached a total of 150 things checked off (out of the growing list of currently 475 things). Looking back, it was in a word - EPIC. I know people tend to overuse that word, but I think it really applies to 2015 for me. I accomplished A LOT for one year and had A LOT of fun.<br />
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So far 2016 has had a decent start. I rang in the New Year at a Gatsby style red carpet gala. Then got up the next day with a bit of a champagne headache and ran a 10K. It wasn't fast, but I felt good so I didn't care.<br />
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This past weekend I completed my 3rd Dopey Challenge in Disney World. As usual, the weather was my biggest challenge, not the 48.6 miles. The 5K and 10K went well, although thinking about it now, I might have raced them a little too fast in preparation for the half and the full. I finished the 5K in about 40 minutes (stopping for a picture with Chip and Dale about a mile into the race). I finished the 10K in about 75 minutes. It was pouring rain and a little cold, but overall not too bad.</div>
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For the half marathon, I dressed as Tinkerbell again and tried to get as many fun photos as I could, saving my legs for the full marathon. It was hazy and humid. Not as bad as 2015, but still muggy. I was drenched within the first mile. I stopped at almost every character to get a photo and I think I finished in a little over 3 and a half hours. Afterwards I refueled and relaxed the rest of the day at our hotel and even got to spend some time floating around in the lazy river. </div>
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The morning of the full marathon I felt pretty good. It was really humid again, but the temperature was cool so I wasn't too worried. The forecast was 68-70 degrees and partly cloudy for the whole day. As soon as I started running though my legs felt heavy and my quads were not happy. I made it to the castle and through Magic Kingdom feeling pretty good. The sun started to peek through the clouds around mile 10 right before Animal Kingdom. Lucky for me it stayed behind the clouds and didn't really come out.</div>
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Running into Animal Kingdom I remembered that the past few years of the race Disney allowed runners to ride the roller coaster Expedition Everest mid-race. I've always skipped it, but I had a feeling it was going to be a long day and I decided to take the opportunity and have a little fun before the really tough miles. It was right at the half way point and I was 3 hours into the race and fully expecting a 6 hour marathon so, why not? IT WAS AWESOME!!! Totally worth it. I will do it again next year and every year I run Disney as long as my legs will let me.</div>
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I had such a boost of adrenaline and energy after that, the next few miles flew by. It wasn't until I got to the ESPN Wide World of Sports around mile 17 that I started feeling not quite right. I actually swayed and stumbled a bit and almost went down. I took a quick status check and realized I was crusty and covered in salt, I couldn't remember when I took my gels and how many I had left, I couldn't do simple math to figure out from one walk break to the next what time my watch should read, I was starting to get nauseous, and despite the relatively low temps I felt like my head was on fire.</div>
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I had to stop for bandaids on my toes twice in the next 3-4 miles and also covered myself in biofreeze to attempt to stay cool and pain free. I did my best to stick to the run 6 minutes - walk 1 minute alarms I set on my watch, but found myself walking a little more and running a little less. Each time I started running I felt like I was going really fast and pushing really hard, but my Garmin told a different story and my body just wouldn't allow me to do what my brain wanted to do - RUN. I started heaving somewhere in the last 10K. Couldn't drink anything even though I knew my body was completely depleted. I ran out of Gels and didn't have any salt tablets.</div>
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I was texting mile updates with friends to let them know I was still moving forward and to have something to mentally focus on. One foot in front of the other, one mile at a time. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, only 2 more miles, I can do it. 25.....last mile, come on body just keep moving. Back spasms and stomach cramps. Dizziness. Nausea. This is not fun. Then I rounded the last corner past the big golf ball of Epcot, with the gospel chorus singing and dancing and cheering me on, I pushed through the pain and crossed the finish line. STILL STANDING! Not fast, but I finished. Then I sat down and was handed a puke bag by a very nice medical volunteer. I had to sit for about 15 minutes before I felt like I could move and even then I did not feel well, but I didn't want to go to the medical tent so I got up and got my medals and found my friends.</div>
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On the way to the car we found a wheel chair, so naturally I took a little ride. Back at the hotel, it took me a few hours to be able to get any fluids or food down. But I managed to shower and eat a slice of toast and force down some Gatorade and slowly came back to life.</div>
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It's a strange sensation to finish another marathon and another Dopey Challenge. During the race it's a struggle and an intense physical effort, but not long after it seems like a dream (or nightmare) that didn't really happen. My body still has faint memories, aches and pains, and fatigue but my brain has already blocked it out or forgotten that just a few days ago I traveled 48.6 miles on my own two feet four days in a row. I have to remind myself I DID IT because it is too easy for me to focus on the perceived failure. It didn't go as expected and I was slower than I wanted to be and I felt awful at the end, but I DID IT!</div>
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Already thinking about fall marathons and which one might be fun to run....stay tuned.</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-32607110217592124962015-11-02T04:30:00.000-08:002015-11-02T04:30:46.724-08:00Niagara Falls Race Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's tough to decide where to begin with this one. I think a few weeks before the race is actually the best starting point. After completing the Mountain Goat series I didn't slow down or take any breaks. The following weekend I had the BAA Half marathon. Physically I was ready and able to run, but mentally I was as checked out as one can be. Only days before I had to put one of my cats to sleep unexpectedly. To say I was devastated would be a huge understatement. I hadn't really eaten anything in about 3 days and hadn't slept much either, but I was determined to get out of the house and do the best I could. I'm so glad I went.<br />
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Just like last year, I met up with my friend Marcy and we ran together for the first 10 miles (then she took off like a rocket and finished a few minutes before me). We chatted and the miles went by ridiculously fast and I felt really good. I finished exactly where I wanted to be 2 weeks out from the marathon and figured I could expect to do a 5:15 if the weather was good and no issues came up.<br />
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The next weekend was the Boston Firefighters 10K, one of my all time favorite races all year, because obviously....firefighters, duh. Oh and they have unlimited free beer at the finish. Again I ran really solid and felt amazing. My friends Lisa and Antonio ran together and a little ahead of me, but I settled into my own groove and just focused on my pace and trying to run negative splits. I nailed it. And in the last half mile I passed Lisa (she has a tendency to go out a little too fast). Another awesome run before the marathon and I was ready.<br />
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The week went by really fast and before I knew it, my mom and I were driving to Boston to fly to Buffalo, NY and then drive across the border to Niagara Falls. As far as stressful trips can go this one was pretty high anxiety with all the little pieces that needed to fit together perfectly to get us to our destination. AND an international border crossing too. Right from the start I was on edge and uneasy, worrying about every possible hiccup and a little worried too about sleeping in the same hotel room with my mom, we hadn't done that since Big Sur and that did not go well. I packed my ear plugs and was trying my hardest to stay calm knowing it was only a few days and I could get through it.<br />
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Anyway, we made it to Buffalo and after a little confusion about the rental car we finally got it and drove across the border and about 45 minutes north to Niagara Falls Ontario. Our hotel was directly across from the falls and it was the race sponsored hotel where the shuttles would be picking runners up on race morning so at least that part was taken care of. We checked in and then decided to do a little exploring. I had pre-purchased "adventure passes" for both of us to do all of the touristy things like the boat ride and the platform behind the falls. Upon walking across the street and seeing the falls for the first time, my mom said "That's it!?!" (looking at the American Falls). I couldn't stop laughing, it still makes me laugh. She wasn't impressed. "It's just a big waterfall" she said. Yeah, not sure what she thought it would be.<br />
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Friday, I booked us a wine tasting tour of the Niagara region. Four different vineyards/wineries and a chacuterie plate and lunch at Niagara on the Lake. It was a small van maybe 14 people total. We had a blast. It was a long day, but at the end of the tour the guide even dropped us off at the expo so I could get my bib number so it was perfect! The race is really small, only 1500 runners in the marathon, so the expo was also pretty small. Not a lot of vendors or free stuff. The coolest part was getting my bib because I had to go through a customs and border patrol person first. After the expo we headed back to the hotel and got some dinner and called it a night.<br />
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Saturday it was sort of rainy and overcast and we had already done most of the touristy things so we kind of took it easy. There were two more attractions we wanted to check out so we ventured out and hopped on the 'WEGO' bus and did the Whirlpool aerocar and Butterfly conservatory, plus the white water walk along the river. We did an early dinner at our hotel and got back to the room nice and early. I was asleep by about 8:00.<br />
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Race morning, I got up and got ready. Buses left our hotel at 7:30am for a 10:00am start (sort of similar to Boston). The ride itself wasn't very long, it was the stop at the border and unloading the buses and everyone going through customs and getting back onto the buses that took some time. Oh and I learned that you cannot take a selfie inside the Customs and Border Patrol terminal. Outside is ok, inside is not. We arrived at the start area around 9:00am. It was sunny and cool. Kind of perfect conditions. I was a little nervous, but mostly excited.<br />
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The race organizers made a few announcements, they played the Canadian National Anthem, and then we were off. No waves or corrals, just a small group of runners, ready-set-GO! The first 4 miles were weaved through the streets of Buffalo, NY and then we made our way across the Peace Bridge into Canada.<br />
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The next 10 miles felt amazing. It was cool and overcast and I was right on pace to finish somewhere around 5:15. I actually crossed the halfway point at 2:32ish so I was feeling very confident and comfortable. Then somewhere around mile 15 or so the winds picked up and of course they were in your face relentless headwinds. My pace slowed, but I still felt good. The last 10K was rough. I felt like I was running through wet cement. I wanted to go faster, but the winds made it so difficult. I ended up finishing in 5:50 and the finish area was just as cool as advertised. It is right at the Canadian Falls and the sun had come out so there was a huge rainbow. The medal is really cool too.</div>
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Aside from finishing a little slower than I wanted to I felt really good and since the race was really small they even announced me coming into the finish line, "From Lowell, Massachusetts.....ALICIA LEEMAN!" It would have been really cool for my mom to see and hear, and there was a super easy shuttle from our hotel to the finish area and she knew the window of time I would be finishing, BUT she decided to stay in the hotel and watch the Patriots football game instead. Kind of disappointing, but not totally surprising. </div>
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Marathon #21 in the books, not fast, but not painful and a lot of fun plus checked off Niagara Falls from my 'To-do' list. I've seen it, probably won't go back, but it was cool and I'm glad I went.</div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-41923738059173132442015-10-05T05:53:00.001-07:002015-10-05T05:53:05.829-07:00I'm officially a mountain goat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And I have decided based on my experience doing the USATF Mountain Goat Series that I HATE trail running and they should not call it trail "running" because it is impossible to "run" up a mountain. They should call it "Extreme Hiking". You basically do your best to move quickly up a hill on loose gravel, squishy uneven grass, muddy wash out ruts, and big rocks. Then sometimes, if the race really sucks, you have to try and navigate your way back down the hill without taking a wicked bad digger and destroying your hopes and dreams of ever running again. Oh and all of this takes twice as long as the same distance would take you to complete in a regular road race on pavement.<br />
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You might ask, if it was so awful and I hated it so much WHY would I do it? This is the really crazy stupid part. The reward for running up and sometimes back down 6 really horrible not fun mountains is......wait for it......wait for it....... I get to run up ANOTHER really really big mountain (Mount Washington) next year. On the bright side, Mount Washington is a road race and it is run on pavement and you only have to run up, not down. It IS however 7.6 miles up the highest mountain on the East Coast with the most ridiculous weather in the world possible at the top. I've done it before in 2013 and I had a blast, but back then I just entered through the lottery. This year I thought it would be "fun" to try earning a bypass and completing the Mountain Goat series. It was NOT fun.<br />
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The first race I did was in Vermont in May. It was my birthday weekend and I figured it's only a 10K it should be easy. I was wrong. I mean out of the 6 races I did, this one wasn't the worst one, but it wasn't my favorite either. It was really difficult and the 3rd mile took my almost a half an hour to "run" up. <br />
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The second race I did was the following weekend. No rest or recovery for me. At least this one was closer to home in Massachusetts AND part of the course was on paved roads. I felt great and loved it. It was another 10K up and back down Wachusett Mountain. It was difficult and there was a HUGE elevation gain, but there was more down than up and that made me happy (until the next day when I had to run a half marathon and my quads didn't want to).</div>
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I had two weeks to recover before my next race, Pack Monadnock 10 miler. This one was my favorite. It was the longest of all the races, but the entire thing was on paved roads (well, a little section was dirt roads, but they were well maintained dirt roads and not trails). I might have been one of the slowest finishers in the race but I felt really good and ran strong by my standards. It was a really warm day and I didn't realize until after the race that they had offered an early start for slower runners. The last mile or so of the course was ridiculously steep, but I was smiling and dancing the whole way up the hill.</div>
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Race #4 was Loon Mountain and I had heard many of the runners talk about it in the weeks leading up to it and I looked at the elevation profile and knew it would be awful, but I did a really stupid thing that made it even more awful for myself. Two days before the race I decided it would be fun to go on a 9 mile hike over the Franconia Ridge basically up one 4000+ft mountain over another one and then down a third 4000+ft mountain. I could barely walk the morning of the Loon Mountain race, never mind 'run' up a 40% grade hill. It hurt A LOT. </div>
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Race #5 looked like it would be easy in comparison to Loon Mountain, but NO, it was NOT. Cranmore Hill Climb Challenge was indeed a challenge. Unlike Loon where you run up a really steep section of the mountain towards the end of the race, Cranmore was a two loop course up a very steep hill TWICE. And to make things worse, I ran a half marathon the day before in 90 degree heat AND there was a swarm of bees attacking me the entire time I tried to "run" up the damn hill. I wasted so much energy trying to swat the bees away and I was so tired and sore to begin with I wanted to cry or punch someone.</div>
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There was a huge break between that race and my 6th and final race, but only because I had other non-goat races already planned for the days they had other options available. This past weekend was the last race, the Bretton Woods Fell race. And I learned that "fell racing" is a thing and it basically means choose your own adventure. They do not mark the course, they only define certain checkpoints that you have to go through and the order in which you must reach those checkpoints. They had a long and short course, I had signed up for the long course before I realized I hate trail running, then switched to the short course the week before the race. Thank GOD I did. The short course was 4 miles and it took me over an hour to complete it. BUT I DID IT! I am now considered a "mountain goat" and I have earned entry into next year's Mount Washington Road Race. </div>
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Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-10748153273752007392015-10-02T04:53:00.001-07:002015-10-02T04:53:22.960-07:00If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not sure how I got to be so lucky, and I am really not trying to brag, but I have to pinch myself sometimes because I cannot believe how amazing my life is, it really is a dream. I don't know when I realized it or when the turning point was in my life. Somewhere along the way I learned or decided that no matter what the situation is, if you focus on the positive things and all the good in your life vs. what you think you are missing or the things that don't work out the way you planned, it leads to a ridiculously happy life and that positive energy you send out to the World comes right back at you ten fold.<br />
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People often ask me "why do you do so many crazy things?" or they mention "I wish I could do all the fun stuff you do" or they ask "how do you find so many fun things to do?" The answer is always the same. I have a list. When I see something or think of something I'd like to try, I write it down on the list. That second part is key. WRITE IT DOWN. So many times people think or say, "I'd love to do 'X' or try 'Y' or go to 'Z'" but then life goes on and they forget about it and get into the routine of daily living and no one ever does X,Y,Z. Well, when you have a list that is written down and you are bored or stuck in a rut or just have a day off, you look at the list and think what can I do today? Easy as that.<br />
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Not everything has to be exotic or far away or really difficult or time consuming. It can be as simple as changing the paint color in a room in your house or donating to charity or signing up for your first road race or going to a local museum that you always wanted to go to but just never do because it's so close and you can go anytime (but let's be honest we never do). I have decided there is a simple equation for adding adventure to your life - If you have the MEANS (money) + The ABILITY (physically capable) + the OPPORTUNITY (the time is right and the thing you want to do can be done at that time) = DO IT! Do not wait for another day or someday or sometime. Just do the things you want to do (within reason and legal boundaries of course).<br />
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Following this simple equation and constantly updating my list (which now has 448 things on it that I want to do, and 133 of them already done), I am having the time of my life and truly LIVING. So don't call it a bucket list, I am not dying, I am not kicking the bucket, I am living my life to the absolute fullest full possible and squeezing every ounce of awesome out of every single moment and opportunity that comes along. Life is like those choose your own adventure books we all read as kids, you can choose to turn the page and continue on with your daily routine or you can jump ahead to a new chapter and discover a whole new world is out there waiting for you.<br />
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Just a few of the most recent adventures I have gone on:<br />
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<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-42468197813999677152015-08-13T04:13:00.000-07:002015-08-13T04:13:21.907-07:00Summer of non-running fun continuesI was just catching up with a friend yesterday and reviewing all the things I have been up to this summer and it occurred to me that this has been the "Summer of non-running fun". Don't get me wrong there still has been a few races and running, but it's been kind of crazy. Almost every single weekend from May thru mid-September has had or does have something scheduled.<br />
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It started out with some running in May, just another little 26.2 mile run through Cincinnati, followed by a pub run, and the first of many mountain goat series races, then the Run to Remember half marathon. The first non-running fun was on my birthday weekend, I went to check out the 'Lawn on D' an open space in the city with live music, food trucks, art installations, and rotating other events.<br />
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June was also jam-packed with fun. I went to my very first Scooper Bowl, a local fundraiser for cancer research that serves up all you can eat ice cream for a $10 donation. I ran another mountain race up Pack Monadnock. Went on a little adventure to Vermont and scored some Heady Topper (IPA beer) and stopped at the Ben and Jerry's factory for a tour and a mini Vermonster. Finally got around to running the Freedom Trail in Boston. Then I flew a plane! Still can't believe that happened. Ran another half marathon. Went to a good friend's wedding up in NH. Saw the Barenaked Ladies play on the Maine State Pier in Portland and then celebrated my brother's 40th birthday.<br />
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July, with an extra week to work with and a holiday thrown in, I managed to do even more fun stuff. I went sailing in Boston harbor. I hiked the Franconia Ridge trail in NH. Ran 2 more mountain goat races and a half marathon. I went to the Lawn on D for a special exhibit of giant inflated bunny rabbits. I took a Stand Up Paddle board lesson. Went to a minor league baseball game in Lowell and partied at Folkfest. And I went to the Boston Tea Party museum.<br />
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August is not even half way over and I feel like I have accomplished a lot. I ran the Beach to Beacon 10K, a very popular race in Maine that sold out in a matter of minutes. I rode on the green way carousel in Boston as part of 'free fun Fridays' in the city. I learned how to play polo (yes, like on horses). Went out for Ethiopian food with a friend that had never tried it. Then most recently, I rappelled down an 80ft waterfall in NH in the pouring rain. I have to keep looking at the pictures and video because it was so unreal and so much fun I seriously can't believe I did it and I kind of want to do it again.<br />
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I thought skydiving was pretty awesome and would be tough to top, but I think the combo of all the crazy things I have done this summer might come close. Summer is almost over (only 25 days until Labor Day) and I am trying to squish just a few more adventures in. I have a triathlon this weekend that I am totally not ready for, haven't been on my bike since the same race last year. Then I am doing a wine tasting on a sail boat next week. Either this weekend or next I need to use a Groupon for a high ropes obstacle course at a local ski mountain. Then I am going up to Portland for a weekend of fun. Then Labor Day weekend I fly to California for the Dumbo Double challenge and my Coast to Coast medal from Disney. Somehow mixed in with all of this I need to train for Niagara Falls. I've done a few 10 milers, but need to be getting up into the 16-18 mile range soon.</div>
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<br />Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269237806312837541.post-84498054621704147452015-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:002015-07-27T10:36:08.032-07:00Invasion of the funsuckers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1332x-Gw70Munxgp0Gcg6yhKgqpwy3tZ1O98wOtsSbsXp0mSIe7_cwK58dfsczEnZxlitNBcUb4eZBlMTuKB8CgyIsYhMOoSjnoX8GjuihzvTAgnUmjrRVJFTbyiNAkr_rbqksnicf0/s1600/71966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1332x-Gw70Munxgp0Gcg6yhKgqpwy3tZ1O98wOtsSbsXp0mSIe7_cwK58dfsczEnZxlitNBcUb4eZBlMTuKB8CgyIsYhMOoSjnoX8GjuihzvTAgnUmjrRVJFTbyiNAkr_rbqksnicf0/s1600/71966.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the past few years I have noticed a change in my
environment and my interactions with many of my running friends. It is getting
difficult if not impossible to find time to see my friends that I used to see
quite regularly. Some friends moved out of the neighborhood to larger homes far
away, some friends have become very busy and/or unavailable. No one can book
fun race vacations anymore. In 2014, I actually went to Disney World by myself
because all the people that used to go and said they wanted to go bailed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There is one common denominator to all of these issues – my friends
all had babies (which I now call “funsuckers” because they instantly suck the
fun out of a person’s life, and by association they suck a little fun out of my
life). Friends can’t do that race unless they allow strollers, can’t run that
day because they don’t have a babysitter, can’t have an adult conversation at
dinner because the funsucker is cranky/tired/hungry/needs a diaper change, can’t
even meet for drinks to talk about how much fun it used to be to run together
because they have to put the funsucker to bed promptly at
too-effing-early-o-clock. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t even feel like I have anything in common with my
friends that have had funsuckers. I don’t care about breast feeding or formula
or rice cereal or day care drama or potty training or how many words they know
or the cutest little outfits and activities they have. I want to talk about
restaurants and recipes and books and movies and adventures and races in far
off places and even common running topics like “going” or “not going” pre-race
or God forbid having to “go” in the middle of a race.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I get it that I am at the age where that is the normal thing
for people to do. I am happy for my friends and their adorable families. I DO
love that all my friends are awesome, smart, healthy, active types that will
raise awesome, smart, healthy, active kids. And I know it is extremely selfish
and maybe a little rude, but I WANT MY FRIENDS BACK (without funsuckers). I’ve
realized that I have no interest in taking care of a helpless little human copy
of half my DNA and the little funsuckers my friends have while they were cute
at first kind of really annoy me now. Not because they individually are bad
kids or do anything particularly annoying, only for the single fact that they
rob me of time with my friends. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZ2z6UaFcBbyZMxsYP3tiKRdsMfebd8gFuVQAl35G-15U2f0i75b1QkiTbiNespAp0klaoDxcZP32E-is_YMikLRNmSQPSLtS2AQ_iMoe6FdKeFWJ_kiNV-X3HDPOCtyumyOChtZc-Bc/s1600/ScreenShot0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZ2z6UaFcBbyZMxsYP3tiKRdsMfebd8gFuVQAl35G-15U2f0i75b1QkiTbiNespAp0klaoDxcZP32E-is_YMikLRNmSQPSLtS2AQ_iMoe6FdKeFWJ_kiNV-X3HDPOCtyumyOChtZc-Bc/s320/ScreenShot0013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’ve tried to branch out and meet some new running friends,
but the only runners without funsuckers are 20-somethings without my
30-something metabolism that can eat and drink whatever they want, maintain a
lean body and clock in an 8 minute mile easily and say “ugh, I feel so slow.”
Meanwhile I’m over here swearing at my scale and giving it the middle finger
trying to remember what the eff did I eat this week that made me gain 2 more
pounds and why do all my runs feel like I am sprinting up a hill with a sled
full of sand bags tied to my waist. When I think I actually ran pretty fast and
I look down at my Garmin and it says the last mile was 12:09, I just stare in
disbelief. It has to be broken.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m in a
funk lately and I think that makes me even more irritated by the funsuckers and
absence of my old routine with my running friends. It’s not their fault. Several
things contributed to it. Getting hit by a car on my bike made me stop riding
and running more which I think kind of burnt me out and made me not want to run
as much, then I got laid off from my job last summer, took a while to find a
new job, and the new job is not as close to good running routes, and we had the
worst winter ever which made it all too easy to slip back into my couch potato
Fatty McFatterson habits. I know these are all just excuses and I have no one
to blame but myself. I am struggling to find my groove again and I need to find
the motivation I initially had to do it all on my own and get back to a place
and a pace where I feel comfortable. I need to get back on my bike and I need
to increase my mid-week mileage and I need to cut back on beers and burgers and
get back on track. I know what needs to happen and I know I CAN do it because I
did it before, but it has been really hard lately. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06429078477853255141noreply@blogger.com0