you wanted to know, questions 31-35

When I had my 1,000 mile giveaway, a requirement for entry was to ask me a question. Any question. And I promised to answer them in a series of posts. Here are questions 31-35 ...

Casey asked, "What was the worst run you've ever had?"


Easy. The first 20 miler of my training cycle for the 2009 Richmond Marathon. It was a freakishly hot October day. G and I headed out early, but apparently not early enough. After the first eight miles, we passed my house and commented that the first part of the run was less than easy, but we ventured on.


When we got to mile 12, we pit-stopped at Dizzle's BFF's house because we had run out of water and needed a break. That stop should have helped, but it didn't. We walked/ran the remainder of the miles. Both G and I joked (OK, maybe we were being serious) that we could just lay down in the grass and wait for a ride or die, whichever came first. It was SO BAD. And a major ego crusher. Something I don't ever want to repeat.

shellyrm aka jogging stroller mama asked, "You said that you hit 1000 miles for the first time ever. What do you think changed in you that caused the desire to elevate your running to the level it is now?"


My perspective. During my first two years of running, I did enough to get by. To be able to finish the distances that I was racing. Nothing above and beyond. I was following whatever plan seemed to best fit my schedule without really understanding the science behind running.


And that is fine. Some people will be super successful with that method. I just wasn't getting the results I wanted. My times were getting better, but I knew I was capable of more (especially in the longer distances). I was just unsure of how to get there. Figuring it out changed my perspective on running and pushed me to elevate my running to the next level (and I'm still not training as much/as hard as I want to).


So, you probably want to know what I "figured out", right? It was when I learned about the importance of mileage base. A bigger base leads to increased endurance. And what do you need to hold your speed over a distance? Endurance. I wanted endurance so, I needed to build my base. It's that simple.

Lindsey asked, "You've mentioned before that you used to be overweight. Do you have any advice for folks (like me) trying to lose weight?"


I want to start by saying that I am not a dietitian. But I did lose 70 pounds, on my own, through diet and exercise. My methods might not work for you. I can only tell you what worked for me.


I feel the key to my weight loss was keeping a food journal and counting calories. During my initial weight loss, I averaged 1,600-1,800 calories per day and worked out for about 30 minutes to an hour, five days a week.


But, remember that calorie counting will only work if you count correctly and make adjustments. I think that many people who lose weight forget to adjust their calorie intake once they have started to drop weight and thus, plateau. Keep in mind that for every 10 pounds you lose, your body burns about 130 calories LESS per day.

~Andrea~ asked, "What do you think about ice baths? Do you do them?"

I think they are fantastic and wonderful. But, I've only taken one once. I just don't make the time to. Kind of like stretching.

Holly asked, "What's your #1 tip regarding getting back into shape post pregnancy?"


Honestly, it's my #1 tip for working out in general - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.


Your body will give you signs of what it needs and what it can handle. As long as you don't ignore those signs, you will be fine. Every woman is different and every pregnancy (even for the same woman) is different. After my first, I could barely walk a block six weeks after delivery. After my second, I returned to working out (not running) when she was eight days old. And with Dilly, I ran eight miles two days before delivery and raced my first post-baby 5K 23 days after her birth.


But as different as my postpartum periods were, one thing was consistent - The more active and in shape I was in DURING my pregnancy, the easier it was to get back into shape AFTER my pregnancy.


Don't believe me? I fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans 12 months after I had Dizzle (I didn't work out during that pregnancy). And I fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans 2 DAYS after I had Dilly (I ran during my entire pregnancy).

"Mama Goes Masters" Virtual 40K recap ...

A few weeks back, MCM Mama and I were having a conversation on Facebook (because isn't that where everyone has important conversations nowadays?). And she mentioned that she was thinking of hosting a virtual race. She had planned on offering a couple of distances, including a 40K for, and I quote, "crazy people like you."

I took it as a complement and instantly agreed to run the 40K. I mean, it made sense. I'm marathon training right now. And who doesn't love an extra 20+ miler tacked on to their schedule. Then there is the fact that it's virtual, so no pressure. Plus, MCM Mama was flexible about the race date. She allowed (is allowing) racers to fit the event in where it works with their training schedule, which for me was yesterday.

So, here's how it went down. Knowing that I would be deviating from my scheduled 18 miler, I skipped a shorter run this week, so that I could tack the mileage onto my long run and still keep my weekly mileage the same. (I may be crazy, but I am not stupid.)

Up next was planning my route. In order to finish running before the heat arrived, I planned on heading out at 5 a.m. This posed a problem when I was determining my course, since I don't like to leave my neighborhood when I am running alone, in the dark. So, I set up a 10K course that I would repeat four times. This also allowed for a water/fuel stop every 6.2 miles.

I woke up at 4:45, but I had a hard time getting motivated. When I finally got out of bed, I got dressed, (check out my new Back Pocket Sports tank - a review and giveaway are in the works) and grabbed a white chocolate macadamia nut Clif Bar for breakfast.

Then, of course, I had to check my email and Facebook. And before I knew it, my 5 a.m. start became more of a 5:40 a.m. start.

I'd like to say that the run was exciting and super eventful, but that would be a lie. Each loop was pretty much the same. Not shocking, since it was the same loop over and over. Here I am after each of the first three 10k loops.

After the third loop, I couldn't mentally handle the same route again, so since I have an in with the race director, I had the race moved to my treadmill for the last 10K.

And then, a mere 4:26:12 after I started, it was all over. I ran a 40K (or 24.8 miles), just for the fun of it. Yes, I realize I am completely crazy.

But the fun didn't stop there. My post race activities included my first ice bath ...

And a post-run meal consisting of water and a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake cupcake. Delicious ...

And I capped it all off with a trip to the Nike Outlet - which is reason enough for me to run that far.