Boston with Team Buddy

Saturday in Boston was a good time, though rainy. We finally got to sleep in, and of course, we went straight back to the expo again for another 4-ish hour stint looking at running gear!

Outside of the Boston Public Library

I also took this opportunity on Saturday to sign the "1 MORE MILE" banner sponsored by JetBlue.

Note my poor choice of wording (and now you get to play Where's Waldo). The "Go Steph!!" at the bottom is just a coincidence I didn't notice until now!

BAA Marathon logo on the JetBlue banner I never noticed during the race. Can you find my scrawling?

Also at the expo, Ben made it his job to casually mention that he manages and owns a running store. Do you know what happens when you do this? People want to give you free stuff! Not Brooks, Asics, Mizuno, New Balance, or the big names, but the smaller companies who are on the verge of making it. Expos and shows are a great way to get the word out about new products, and since we've never gone to Outdoor Retailer (tradeshow), we have very limited opportunities to see stuff like this.

Case in point: Our pal Craig, the self-proclaimed shoe geek (a title appropriate for him and then some), got some sweet new shoes the other day. No one really knows how he got them, but he made sure to show 'em off to the world on Facebook. They certainly had a table at the expo, but to put it in perspective, it was probably a 8' x 8' square area set up for a table, chairs, and all the product they wanted to bring. Because of Craig, we gave them a spin. Ben's timing was perfect. Just as I was getting ready to take the shoes off, the guy who was helping me - who just so happens to be the company designer and owner (?) - asked if I "would please accept these shoes as a trial pair" to determine if I like them and offer my feedback. Heck yes I will!

Apparently at the time I got these shoes, Altra shoes had only been available to purchase for 3.5 weeks. In other words, this company is brand new and Craig was one of the very very very first people to own 'em. I never realized how much of a trendsetter he is until this point!  And we just couldn't resist re-posting a similar photo to Craig's on the Book.

If you're wondering why they look so "ducky," (wide in the forefoot), Altra shoes are zero drop, natural running footwear. It's like wearing the Five Fingers without the blisters! Hallelujah!

As if the day wasn't already awesome from getting a free pair of shoes (Sorry Ben, there was too much demand on the men's side for you to nab a free pair), we then stopped by Zensah. They make all sorts of cool stuff, like calf sleeves, compression socks, tanks, and sports bras. Ben scored some calf sleeves for himself and a sportsbra for me-- which we've both been meaning and wanting to try out anyway. Despite the obvious Photoshop color replacement on the photo, it looks something like:

I might be in the slim minority, but I like the "rubber band" sportsbras. They're so unpopular that they're somewhat hard to come by (good ones, at least)! This one has major potential because you can get it in about 12 different - fun - colors. The sizing's weird, since you can only select 2 sizes: Small-medium and large-XL. The band on the small-medium she gave me is inches larger than my current ones. Once they figure out their sizing, I'll be a fan. Right now, I'm confining mine for yoga, lifting, and cycling. I'll have to stick to the boring grey NB ones for now... See? If it wasn't for this experience at the expo, Ben might've placed an order for 500 yellow sports bras that were too loose!

Fast forward a little bit and lots of walking and train-riding, and we met up with Thom, his girlfriend Alicia, and Shiva and Jenny at a Cambodian restaurant in Cambridge called Elephant Walk. Dinner was great -- My appetizer was some kind of bread that you dip in meat sauce the resembles beef stew. I now am only just starting to understand what it's like now to be a vegetarian... Ben and I were the only meat eaters in the group! Everything there was really good, highly recommend.

Earlier, Ben noticed an ad link at the bottom of the screen on Google Maps when we went to figure out how to catch a train there. It ended being an add for  restaurant.com, a deal site where you can purchase gift certificates/vouchers for half off. Example: We bought a $50 voucher for $25 paid upfront to the website. I've seen and heard of people using it before, and it was pretty cool that the place where we ate was a part of the program. What's better, I know that they discount the voucher cost even further, so with a coupon code we Googled, we got a $50 for TEN BUCKS. The catch: there's a minimum purchase requirement, usually double the voucher amount. In this case, the min purchase was $100. No problem with 6 people. Actually, by the time all was said and done, our meals together cost $70. So... $70 - $50 cert = $20 + $15 tip = $35. and we walked out the door paying $35. Thanks to the rest of the gang for helping us get the bill to a hundo!! I'm pretty sure we got an $85 dinner for 45 bucks - win! Yeah, sometimes saving money makes me giddy. ;)

After we got back to Cambridge, we decided to hit up the Cambridge Brewing Company (very much like Upland) for some drinks while we waited for Ted to get in. It was a good find! And we would end up there again anyway... Ted never showed, so when it got late enough, the six of us headed back to the hotel.

We hustled from the restaurant to the T, from the T to our hotel. It rained hard and it rained cold, and none of us were smart enough to bring an umbrella. Ted didn't get into Boston until REALLY late, because of all the nasty weather in and around Newark. When he rolled in around midnight, he shared some of his airplane stories with us... the kind that make you really freaked out about flying. Enough on that. 

Now, with Ted, Shiva, Ben, and Thom all in one place, Team Buddy was finally back together!

ps- Andrea pointed out that I didn't tell you which shirt I chose at the expo! I got the purple one with the names of the towns on it. Like??

ps part deux - The Boston Marathon is an Adidas branded event, but New Balance is based in Boston. A NB employee we know says that the company does so much for the city that they get a free pass each year to advertise nearly everywhere (like in the train stations, ON the trains, billboards, the outsides of trains, bus stops, ON the buses, you name it), for any 6 days out of the year. Which days do they choose? The days before, of, and after Boston! If you didn't know any better, you'd have thought NB had a hand in the marathon itself too--- Genius. Pssh, they walk around like they own this place. 

The view while waiting for the New Balance -wrapped train

to pull up and take us to the expo

Family Photo - Spring 2011

I was dead set on writing more about our Boston trip, but this was too good to pass up.

For my mom's birthday my sister and I went halfsies on a really awesome gift (which I will not mention here until after her birthday). Rather than a typical Hallmark card, we decided it'd be more fun to take a family photo and send instead. When we're home in Cleveland for Christmas or to visit, we usually spend our days scrubbing around in sweatpants and sweatshirts, so this should go to prove that we "clean up good"! This was taken right before we left for Easter dinner. Todd was surprisingly very well-behaved! It only took us 5 or 6 shots to get this together. The play-by-play:

1) Are we centered?   ...Good boy, Todd...

2) Then Ben chopped off his head with super-zoom.

3) "Is our house crooked? Our house is crooked!" (It actually is somewhat crooked to Ben's chagrin)

4) "Ok, now I wanna hold him!"

5) Now, I want to hold you! ...Todd, quit squirming!

Here is the final product, with a little Photoshop magic to remove the ceiling fan reflection -- and fix our crooked house!

Everyone throws out the cards people send 'em. Maybe this year our "card" will motivate my mom not to pitch me. ;)

Boston With Ben

The entire theme for Boston Marathon 2011 was "Boston With" -- using Boston as a verb. Example: "Boston With Pride," or "Boston With Love," or "Boston with Chris and Steve." So this series of Boston trip posts will also be Boston With. We've been waiting for a few years to visit and enjoy Boston together, and it finally came!
If we didn't mention it, we timed the Little Fifty on Thursday night, and probably didn't get to sleep until 1am, when all was packed up and final results were sent in. It was already a long week by the time we even got to our vacation!

Friday
We peeled ourselves out of our bed, fresh off of our 3.5-hour "nap," and headed up to the Indy airport for our 6:45am flight. Whew! Despite an hour-long delay in Baltimore, we were in Boston, at our hotel by 1pm. The hotel was pretty awesome -- the front desk employee not only upgraded our room to a 1BR for $20/night, but also got us a slightly better view and a rollaway bed, eliminating the need for two expensive Boston hotel rooms. We did it college style and crammed all 5 of us in a 1-bedroom suite. Shiva, Jenny, and Ted didn't arrive until Saturday, so we had all day Friday to hang out. [About glasses -- I probably scratched my cornea, so it was very uncomfortable to wear contacts! Note to self: don't do that again.]

Tired, but excited to finally be in Boston!

Ben and I met up with Thom near the T station and headed to the marathon expo after getting some lunch. We walked through the Boston Common to get to the Hynes Convention Center for the expo, and everything was in bloom! The temperature was still pretty cool and slightly chilly, making us both wish we'd packed a little warmer. It was still beautiful.

The expo was AWESOME as usual! The bib and packet pick-up process was organized down to a science, and this is where we found that our official race shirt (the free one you get for registering) is yellow. Like an obnoxious yellow! On the other hand, Adidas makes their own Boston gear each year with different colors. This year, the 2011 Boston Marathon colors were black and green. On Friday we spent about $185 in Boston gear. I got my jacket and a cool New Balance shirt, while Ben got a nice pint glass with the marathon logo on it. Most of the big companies -- Brooks, Asics, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Saucony, North Face, Mizuno, etc. etc. design and print their own graphic tees and gear for the event. I must've labored over the decision between these two t-shirts (below) for at least a 20 minutes, while Ben waited patiently. The Brooks fitting rooms were actually pretty creative - when you try on apparel, their expo fitting room is a gutted port-a-potty!

The expo itself is too large for words. Picture the marathon expo in Chicago or in Indy and multiply it by ten. Things you can get at the expo: Free Pom juice (full size!) & coupons; Larabars; Bolthouse farms and Naked juice samples; organic cookies; Minute Rice samples; unlimited and various sample flavors of Clif Shot Bloks, Powerbars, Gatorade; Kinesiotape (and they would tape you); a New Balance video analysis of your gait (including tips for natural running); Boston posters (hung one up at the store); and all sorts of pain relievers and wraps. It was amazing. I didn't eat lunch some days because I knew I could fill up at the expo.

Photos from the expo... As easy as you'd think it would be to take a picture in front of a fixture, it was NOT! Friday wasn't AS bad, but during the rest of the weekend there were so many people it was nearly impossible to walk in some areas, let alone wait for the walkway to clear and nab a photo. We were extremely glad we went to scope out the expo on Friday, when it was mostly locals. Unlike Saturday/Sunday, we never felt rushed or like we were caught in a crowd the entire 5 hours we were there.



Here's another: "Boston with Tradition."

Even after 5 hours, we didn't feel like we'd seen everything we wanted at the expo! Hence the Saturday madness.

During the evening, Ben and I had dinner with Nick Shah and Rick Fineman, two of the managers I work with. The company's home office is in Boston, and when I ran into Rick in Chicago a few weeks ago, we thought it'd be nice to grab dinner at a nice local joint he could show us. We had Thai at a restaurant called House of Siam, in the South End. What a cute area! If it wasn't so cold (32 degrees), it would've been fun to take our time and wander around to see all of the boutique shops, eateries, and restaurants in this high-end neighborhood. Thai food was good - we had some soup that was very lime-flavored, and it was great (wish I could remember the name)! Even picky-eater Ben went home feeling full. It was cool to get to know Nick and Rick outside of work, because it's easy to forget we're not all working stiffs! They had some good stories.  :)

That was the end of Friday.
Happy and fed, we nestled snug in our hotel bed, as visions of Boston and running gear danced through our heads...

People Know Me (Part 1)

"...I'm kind of a big deal."  -Ron Burgundy, Anchorman

Before I post the Boston trip recap, check out one of the publications that came out right before our little vacation. It's an article in the Running Times, a magazine by Rodale (publisher of Runner's World), which focuses more on the athletes, elites, real training, and apparently more serious-runner stuff. Not for the faint of heart or super beginner, says Ben. It's not always an easy read - definitely aimed at the running geek junkie audience that RW just can't satisfy.

A few months ago, I gave a few interviews to Laura Allen, a journalism student at Ball State. She was able to pitch a piece for RT about NIRCA and collegiate club competition! She asked me how NIRCA started, what competition used to be like, what challenges we face, etc. Right before our Boston trip, I started getting facebook messages and emails about how they saw the NIRCA article. While I'm completely embarrassed at the only quote I have in there (I gave her a lot of background/non-quote info. Whew), how great is it that a) NIRCA and I made it into the mag and b) NIRCA gets some big-time press?? I've already seen some emails roll in after people read the article... they're college runners who want to start a club now, or ones who want to know more about how they can get involved. This is huge!

I still remember being on the small OSU team we could scrounge up for the roadtrip, enjoying the warm day at the Muncie course after the race [How'd I do? I led for 2 miles and then finished 5th after I took a few people the wrong way on the course. Go me]. I remember Bryan Beightol standing on the back of his old truck giving out awards at the first-ever intercollegiate meet, before NIRCA even existed. Look how far we've come! Good thing she didn't mention all of the other acronyms NIRCA could've been... NCCCA? NCRCA? Yep, that almost happened!

I hadn't been able to get my hands on a copy of the May issue until we got to Boston. It was actually pretty cool to be at the Boston Marathon expo, flipping through a magazine at one of the booths to find an article about us! (or, to find my name in their magazine!)

So if you can't get to a RT, check out the scanned article here. (sorry for the poor photo quality). Click on the photos for a larger/zoomed/downloadable view.

Enjoy!

ps: You might've noticed that this is Part 1 (technically 2 if you count the earlier HT feature of Boston Marathoners).... 'cause there is more Steph Bartley in the news!

Holy Heartbreak!

You guys, it's almost time for Boston!

Besides accidentally cancelling our hotel rooms, it's all been been smooth sailing. All of the Boston Qualifiers were featured in the Herald Times last week! If you didn't see it, here's the spread:

Yay Mag 7! Thanks!!


And as more of a sidenote, below is my "vintage" post-battle photo from Boston 2008. My dad took this obligatory photo at the hotel right after I'd finished and gotten cleaned up (for some reason now I'm thankful he did). That year was pretty warm and sunny, and I got sunburned on the right side of my body during the race, 'cause it's a point-to-point route! To this day, also, I still have no idea where Heartbreak Hill is. (And if you run with me in Btown, I don't care to see or know any more about it!)

Boston 2008 was my second marathon, the second one in a single season. For several reasons, finishing the marathon was the end of a really awful week - the type that is so draining and horrible that your brain just blocks the whole thing out. [Eek, I still get a knot in my stomach just thinking about it.] Don't I look.... exhausted?! But here I am, relieved to see my parents, and proudly wearing my finisher's medal & new Boston Marathon shirt, which eventually became my new favorite t-shirt.

I'm really looking forward to spending Boston time with Ben, Ted, Shiva, Jenny, and Thom... It's already going to be loads better than the first!

ps: You can track us on race day. Ben is bib #558 and I'm #6880. And go here to sign up for the Athlete Alert so you can get texts as we cross each checkpoint.

ps again: Just dug this one up too! 

2011 IU Mini Race Report

IU Mini Race Recap

The IU Mini was a crazy week all around. Ben and I were event managers as well as NIRCA Event Directors, and we also ran. Ben did the 5k and I ran the mini. Talk about triple duty!!

The IU Mini was mostly a last-minute thing. In fact, Ben signed me up (without my knowing) on Thursday evening, with the intention that I'd run more to get in a long pace run for Boston. It kinda worked, but we had  NIRCA stuff to take care of too. I was bib 998, and fortunately, Ben made sure I got my even number.

On race morning, Shiva, Rick, Chris, and I ran a short half mile warmup, and then stepped up to the line. It didn't take long to cross the start line, and the first two miles were a battle - as always! I loved the way the NIRCA start line and crowd got slowly absorbed into the general public race... it was awesome!! You could see the line of NIRCA college club runners slowly making their way toward our path. I ran with three club runners, two Loyola and a Central Michigan, up until the 5k mark. After that I slowed down somewhat, but kept pace with another pack nearby, who ended up being the Ohio State club. (I knew I'd recognized them from somewhere... Ben and I ran with them on the OSU campus in January.) After a while, I let them go around the Winslow hell-hill and eased it back in to the finish. I might've been able to run faster if I was racing racing, but I think I remember talking and holding conversations with people around me the entire race. 

These are Emily G's photos below. She is hilarious! Here's attempt #1 at getting a shot of me:

Left to Right: Michelle, other Loyola runner, (me), and Scott

And finally attempt #2:

And speaking of, I know a lot of people hated the hills on the course, but it was kind of cool knowing that Ben designed the course and that over 1,000 people were running on this path that he'd created. It's the same thing for NIRCA XC -- it's so weird that 1,000 people traveled to Btown this past Fall because of an event that I planned. Awesome feeling! In my case though, unlike Ben, I don't have several training group people shaking their fists while ascending the hill, angrily yelling, "Bartley!!!" as they realize who is ultimately responsible for their pain. :)

Moving on, I finally caught up with Alex around the YMCA, and we ran together for a while in his manic-paced running! He'd go fast then slow then fast then slow, and finally I couldn't take it anymore and dropped back, ha. At that point, I caught up with the CMU runner I had let go at the 5k mark, Scott, and tried to pull him along to the finish as we ran out of Wylie Farms. It worked for probably 1.5 miles, but when we crossed Indiana and Kirkwood he told me to keep going as he stopped to stretch. This was his first half marathon ever!!! [Hopefully Ben's course didn't ruin him of this distance for life.] As I crossed 10th Street, there was literally an old man in an electric chair, riding down the middle of the road, just as if he'd been "running" in this race all along. And the sad part was, I was having trouble catching him! Anyway, I muttered something to the cop at 10th about "How is this chair going so fast??" and got a little chuckle. Fast forward a few more blocks and a little more climb, and I finally got to the last turn back onto 17th. How cruel was it that the finish line was only right after yet another uphill? All of my race photos from Brightroom feature me with a completed pained and strained look on my face, the one that has been compared to more of a constipated expression. Observe below...

I was glad to have finished in 1:36ish without an excessive amount of leg pain, given all of the hills, but then was a little disappointed with my time (hey, I'm only just being honest) when I realized that the difference between a flat and this course was probably only 5 minutes. So once again, I didn't break 1:30, even though I know I've got it in me. Ben yelled at me a little for being disappointed because I wasn't even focused. And talked. So maybe that's true, which is why I love him. He totally keeps me in check!

The first-ever NIRCA Half Marathon National Championship race went extremely well, and we gave out some awesome-looking awards. A total of ~120 NIRCA runners competed. Then, we enjoyed some Chipotle burritos, sweet tea, and Jimmy John's sandwiches during the race clean-up. All in all, a great day!!

The Apocalypse

Today we ran 16 on the Rail Trail with Ted, Magnus, Ben, and Chris, with the intention of going 18. The extra 2 didn't quite happen because it rained SO hard we all felt like we had peed our pants. Actually, we discussed that we probably could have peed our pants and no one would have noticed.  :) In all seriousness though, we ran through a thunderstorm with lightning bolts all around us - it was kind of scary/cool! We probably should've been listening for tornado sirens or something, because it got scary dark. When the guys said that they imagined the apocalypse to be like what we experienced this morning, all I could think about for the next 2 miles was the SNL Aflockalypse Apocafish skit:

But I digress. This run was our last-ditch effort to try to feel ready for Boston. Boston. Goal: finish. Today's run gets me completely frustrated. How have I never completed a marathon - of 7 so far - without being injured? After all of the doctor's visits I've had in the past few months, they've come full circle; the injuries I went in for initially are now back (with some other bonus injuries) and nothing's really improved. Ugh!!! I'm pretty much at wit's end.

On the other hand, I was able to get a good number of miles in this week (not without pain). Since I was traveling, the hotel treadmill seems to be pretty friendly on the leg, possibly because it forced me to run a certain way. I haven't noticed much difference on a soft vs. hard surface. And, in all of these runs, despite all of the junk, beer, and Chipotle I've consumed this week, every run felt good! Sure, my legs were tired, but even on workout days, I somehow managed to pull it out. For that, I'm proud of myself! And point number 2: because of the time difference in Chicago, it was easier to trick myself into waking up early, like at 5am, to hit the gym. However, you'll never find me willingly waking up even at 6am in Eastern time. It just doesn't work!

April so far:



The other good thing about this week was that I got to run with one of the managers at the Midwest Region meeting on Tuesday morning.  Let's see... he would be my manager's manager, except for he presides over a different operating group---- i.e., no reason to brown-nose, even if I was that type, ha!! Besides that, he might be my hero because he has finished 4 Ironmans and he travels pretty much all the time. If you think I travel a lot, he lives in New Jersey and his office is technically in Chicago. We talked about how he had time to train and stay in shape, especially with hotel constraints, workout equipment, and just being on the road. Remember? That was my huge dilemma with this job - and he's got the same one times a million! He shared a book with me, called "Be Iron Fit" (author: Don Fink) that emphasizes time-efficient training for busy people, which includes lots of training plans, depending on your distance and goal. Rich is also awesome because his wife does Ironmans too! Apparently she's a 3:10 marathoner and trains with some pro triathlete women... not bad for a couple from the Jersey Shore. Here's the book:

So, it's good to be back home after a solid work week away, and the next time I travel, it's going to be to battle at Beantown.

Chocolate Cupcakes

A nice 'lil healthy dessert recipe from Rachel N.  -- as healthy as dessert can be. Enjoy!

BERRY GOOD CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES.doc

26.2 Days

I opened my email last night to this:

...Which resulted in a response like this:

So, um, this is going to be interesting. Ben and I are going to post in the next few days what we're up against... name an injury, we've got it! Run/walk, anyone?


ps: Props to Btown Boston qualifiers/runners. Here's everyone's bib. I'm proud of Ben for being under 1,000! (bib/wave assignments in order of qual time, fastest first)

Race Shirt #5,239

Ok, just kidding. But don't you have tons of race shirts? Some are just more notable than others! Some for personal reasons, some are just cool designs.

Anyway, I found this at Urban Outfitters -- the tee shirt frame! Frame your best races. :)

Racing Stripes

Earlier this week, thanks to Dr. Mandy Smith at Bloomington Sports and Wellness, I got my racing stripes!!

She taped me pret-ty good with RockTape, better known as KinesioTape (actually, KinesioTape is to elastic therapeutic tape as Kleenex is to tissue. Make sense? It's a brand name). It comes in a bunch of different colors, but on that day, I only had my choice of pink or pink. It's ok.  :)

Mandy tells me she's the only "Rock Doc" in all of Indiana, meaning she's taken a bunch of courses and tested/certified to apply it correctly. You don't have to be a medical specialist to apply or buy the stuff yourself, and there's even instructions included on how to tape yourself. Obviously, it's most effective when done correctly. Think of it like putting a band-aid on your finger when it's extended straight. It pulls when you bend your finger, right? Sort of the same idea here-- the tape pulls when I stand up straight or bend my knees.

The purpose of this is to lift the fascia, the thin layer that covers your muscles. By lifting the fascia, we might be able to take some of the stress off of the muscles where I'm having pulling or tendinitis issues. While this isn't intended as a permanent solution, it should help us figure out what's working/not working so we can concoct a good treatment plan.

Compared to Kinesio Tape, according to Mandy, Rock Tape is so much better -- much more adhesive and flexible. I can at least tell you that I've had this on since Monday afternoon and have only had to cut and trim a few inches off when it came undone. I've showered  (ha! Aren't you glad?) and run just about every day, and she even says that this tape will usually stay on swimmers for up to 5 days. It's Saturday and still sticky!

I am covered with this tape from a few loops around my foot to completely up to my hip (3 stripes on the left leg). With all of these left foot-calf-knee-hamstring-hip problems, we went all the way. On my right side, as you can see, I am sporting a below-the-knee tape job where my lower leg muscles have been feeling like they were pulling off of the bone -- painful and sharp!! It got so bad in the last few weeks I was walking normally, but it was not pleasant.

Despite the fact that Lance Armstrong was one of the first to make this stuff trendy, I like it not because it's what the cool kids are doing but because it's actually worked. While I didn't have a painful enough baseline to compare to, I haven't felt any pain in my right leg since the tape went on on Monday! On the left, I felt a twinge at Thursday night's run. And now, after the 13 mile run, I can definitely feel a little pulling in the lower right leg, but I suspect it's because the tape's gotten more elastic over the past few days. I'm still MUCH better off than I was before, so I think we're on to something...

Ps: [Disclaimer-- Shameless plug ahead.]

If you want to try RockTape, Mandy's going to be at most of the Mag 7 races taping people before the run. You don't have to be injured to get taped. It obviously won't be as in depth as what I have going on, but you'll get the general idea! Go to the first race, the Magnificent 7k and find out! (I think that's the first one she's at -- will verify!)

Bedford 10k Race Report

Rain, rain, and rain! After one of the longest, hardest work weeks I've had since ACN, I woke up on this rainy Saturday morning to run the 10k in Bedford.

To set the scene, here's the week recap:
Monday - easy 4 miler with the group (my right knee was killing me from the 14 aquajog on Sunday)
Tuesday - track night with Andrea
Wednesday - nada
Thursday - mile repeats with the group (4 of 'em)
Friday - nada
Saturday - Race Day!

I'm definitely doing only a few miles each week, mostly because I want to take it easy on my hip/knees/leg/foot until we can figure out what the problem(s) are. Talk about quality over quantity... man am I totally paying for it!!

We got to Bedford and were situated with about 15 minutes to go before the race. Rachel, Kari, Craig K. and I did a short warm-up with the 10 minutes we had, and after a stride or two on the track, I could tell my legs weren't feeling quite 100%. But, that's the beauty of these Bedford runs! They're more casual and laid-back, but still forces a good race-pace effort. In true Steph form, I barely made it to the start line before the gun.

I wish I could confidently say I purposely changed up my normal race m.o. and went out fast, but that's a lie. I haven't raced in a while, so I fell victim to the "Jon Lee Effect" and was swept away with the faster guys at the gun. Faster than I'd like. My tried and true method usually involves going out very conservatively and picking up the pace. Today was not one of those days!

I ran with Chris for a little while, and we hit Mile 1 at 6:40. That would've been completely awesome if I'd felt better! Anyway, I think Mile 2 came at 6:59 (?), and Mile 3 at 6:55. As we went around the cul-de-sac, Chris took off and I lost my split-calling buddy. Every mile after that was a fight!! The rest of the run was an awful blur of trying to catch my breath, saying "thanks!" to the volunteers, and giving each runner a thumbs up or a "good job" when we crossed paths. Late into mile 4, I saw Ben, who had finished the race, walked back, and was cheering for me on the side of the road. Sweet- I was close to the end! (My body must funnel all the blood and oxygen from my brain to my legs when I run... I barely remembered any landmarks on this out-and-back course to realize my mistake) At this point, I was so tired!! I was paying the consequences for going out too fast in the beginning. As I approached Mile 5, the volunteer said, "Only a mile to go!" .... but unfortunately, I thought I was already well into mile 5. If you know me at all, I have a very distinct on/off switch, and this was mentally damaging! My heart sank even more when I realized that there was no possible way, where and when I'd seen Ben, that he could've finished so quickly and jogged back to the point where I'd seen him a hundred yards earlier. He had to have dropped out.

I negotiated with myself up the last hill (I'll take it easy up this hill, but then must continue at race pace to the finish) and finally saw downhill straightaway to the finish. I had less in the tank than I hoped in the last mile. But, fast forward to the finish, and finally it was over. On the injury front, I never had any issues! I ended up feeling sharp pain in my right leg during the cooldown, but that's it. The injuries still exist, yes, but didn't flare up during this run... they mostly show themselves when I approach higher mileage (40+) on the week. A temporary win, but a win none the less!

Upon finishing, the rest of the guys told me Ben was feeling sick again during the race and stopped running. He's been fighting a cold all week. While running, he was having some productive coughing fits and walked it back from the turnaround point at the cul-de-sac. Three hours later he started to having some knee/leg issues that caused his leg to swell at the knee and calf. He can barely walk and bear weigh on it today (Sunday), but is popping ibuprofen, icing, and resting like a champ.

Overall, I'm satisfied with my time, especially since I rarely race the 10k. Now I have a better idea of my fitness level. The time was good enough for me, and I know I can run that (or faster) while also feeling stronger. So, the two goals I have walking out of this are a) to start lifting again and b) add more miles.

A few funny moments happened when people kept running past the actual finish because the line could be identified only by a small ground marking and about 5 people standing around. Rachel N. was hilarious! As she unknowingly sprinted across the finish - and then kept going - we yelled at her, "You're done! You are  finished!  Rachel, you're done!" She still kept running like she was racing! Honestly, the Bedford Let's Go training group always does such a great job on their races, despite the usually small field. McDonald's orange drink and oreos at the end of the race, awards given out as you cross the finish line, directional arrows spray-painted on the ground, and volunteers at EVERY turn -- it doesn't get better than that. All in all, this was a good and hard race, a completely appropriate and consistent end for this incredibly exhausting week!

Here's me with my medal!

(Yeah, I'm scrubbin' today... but I earned it!)

Finally, Ben's first post: A look towards 2011

Its not for a shortage of things to say, but I always put blogging low on the priority list... so I end up never posting. Today is my (Ben) turn to do some catching up.

My 2011 'athletic' goals differ from years past. I used to be obsessed with trying to run faster (or recovering from injury) and proving to myself that I am capable of times that I have in my head. 2010 started out very modest, not really getting over nagging injuries to consistent running until May. But, I found myself in what I would consider a top 3 "best shape of my life" and with much less mileage than before (50ish compared to 70+ over the other top 3).

I was finally able to make it to a marathon starting line and put together a solid even split 2:46 marathon. Now there will be people that are blown away by this time and others that will congratulate me on a solid run... but personally I was just happy to have made it to the starting line and run what I felt I was capable of on the day (and in my training). Certainly I think I can go faster, but I also can sigh a relief to have an effort (and time) that makes me proud even if my running ended today.

Where does this leave me? With a chance to put my running demons aside for awhile so I can set out to achieve one of my 3 lifetime athletic goals; finish an iron distance triathlon (2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, and 26.2mi run). So, this year will be about exploring the world of endurance cycling and running (with a little swimming in there, ughhh). I would be lying if I said I didn't have a time goal for the race, but I feel no pressure to hit it. It'll be more in the experience for me.

I have already committed to the September 11, 2011 Cedar Point Rev 3 Iron Distance Triathlon... so time to get ready?

This world of triathlon is responsible for four of my goals for the year:

1. Ride with Rick Hullinger's group from Muncie down to the Indy Mini (running the race of course)

2. The ultimate weekend: Ride-Run-Sleep-Run-Ride. We'll ride 50mi south to Delaney Park where we can run the Knobstone Trails, campout, run the trails again, then ride back!

3. Ride my first Century (100mi) -- my "place where all the burritos go" hurts just thinking about it.

4. Finish the Cedar Point Rev 3 Full (mentioned above)

My other set of goals for this "year of fun" sprouted from getting to know Scott Breeden over the last year. Before him, I never would have considered an ultra marathon... but between him, annual trips to Colorado, and Tony Kupricka, I know think it is possible. But, that's for another year.

Three of my 2011 goals do stem from this future ambition though:

1. Run a two-day, stage run (4 legs) of the full Tecumseh Trail (~55mi). I envision this a bit like the R-R-S-R-R from #2 in the triathlon goals, but here all of the Rs stand for Run.

2. Run 4-man teams of the Red Eye Relay (100mi in 21 legs), giving a runner about ~25mi through some nasty backwoods Bloomington hills over the course of 5-6 runs in about 11 hours.

3. Possibly pace (or at least crew) part of the Leadville 100mi with Scott in August.

Conveniently, the Leadville 100mi run is about the same time as Steph and I make our annual trip out to Colorado, so hopefully this can work out... but, I don't plan on coming away from Colorado with just a Leadville experience.

Two other Colorado goals exist in the ~2 weeks we'll spend there:

1. Ride up to the top of Mt. Evans (14mi from Echo Lake, 10,600ft, to the peak, 14,250ft). This delusion started last year when we drove to the top and saw people biking it... there's also a 27mi starting point, but I'll start off with a small goal ;)

2. Hike up at least one more 14er (14,000ft peak). Last year, Steph drove Mt. Evans and hiked Greys and Torreys Peaks for three 14ers. It is a wonderfully amazing view and a lot of fun, not to mention difficult.

Whew! That's about it... I should note that we (Steph and I) will be running the Boston and NYC Marathon as well, though not to try and run a PR... more for the experience.

Hopefully, the recounting of these adventures will be the more entertaining of posts in our blog (as compared to a rambling of goals), but at least it is known what to expect...

This was exhausting just to type!

Maybe I should call this the year of the experience (or experiments)...

My "Growing Personal Following"

I went to Dr. Jon Grant at St. Vincent Sports Performance last Friday in Indy. The man is AMAZING! He works on the Indiana Elite guys, and also pretty closely with some of the IndyCar drivers and Pacers players. While I was there, the U.S. womens synchronized swimming Olympic team was there, too, just hanging out.

During my 2-hour session, he offered some insight and solutions, along with some drills to do twice daily. Then, he told me I probably wouldn't need to come in to see him again. Totally worth my hundred bucks. Finally! A doctor who tackles the root cause and doesn't want you to come back!

Ben visited him a few weeks before. Coincidentally, we have the exact same issues which are causing us injury when running. We each walked into the place with our injury resumes (yes, we made 'em)... mine detailed the last few years of pain I've had with my lower left leg, left hip, and left and right cuboid (foot).

Outcome:

• My legs are the same length, despite the CT scan results. I walked in with my left leg about 5-7 mm longer than the right.
• My pelvis is in torsion, making the left leg longer, and causing it to place all the stress on the left hip/hamstring/calf/foot/everything else in between.
• The foot issue is probably related to my hip and the lower leg tendinitis -- something I'd never even considered!
• A few adjustments and exercises later, my legs were the same length.
• To prevent torquing my pelvis, I can't cross my legs in any way (not even shins!) for at least 2 weeks.
• I don't use my glutes when I run - just hamstrings. This could be causing fatigue to the hamstrings, hence the pain.

He gave me some drills to do, especially one that trains my brain to "fire the glutes!" when I'm running.

So, in honor of the all-important glutes, I present to you the lyrics to the closing song at the Blue Man Group show last week (courtesy of Rick, who listened closely and wrote all out!). Honestly, I don't even know the song title. It's just about butts. And if you haven't figured it out already, the title of this post is another one of those ways to refer to your butt. I challenge YOU to come up with one that's not already on here!

Your heiney

Your keister

Your tush

Your buns

Your bumcakes

Your junk in the trunk

Your badonkadonk

Your squash tart

Your fanny

Your double slug

Your wiggle bags

Your mud flaps

Your rump rocket

Your fleshpot

Your second face

Your bounce house

Your jiggle twins

Your jar jar binks

Your bubble pop

Your medicine ball

Your sonic boom

Your booty

Your money maker

Your sit biscuit

Your mumbler

Your chocolate cluster

Your rock tumbler

Your fun cooker

Your subwoofer

Your horn section

Your Frodo

Your John Madden

Your launch pad

Your Mothra

The outback

Your routunda

The closer

Your crock-pot

Your jumbotron

Your airbags

--

Shake that freckle muffin

Bake that turkey stuffin’

Let your ?? bulldog lose

Put some juice in your caboose

Wiggle that rump hump

Jiggle that jump bump

––

Your happy walrus with no tusks

Your two bulbous friends

Your George Foreman grill

Your Dinner With Andre

The place where all the burritos go

Minneapolis and St. Paul

Your giant fluffy bears

Ali vs. Frazier

Elvis Aaron Presley

Your butter cup

Your monster truck

Your mag wheels

Your life’s work

Your waffle iron

Your skin smurf

Your wiggle clowns

Your flab cabbage

Your bum puppets

Your Gigantor

Your two mounds of mischief

Your wiggle monkey

Your gripper

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb

Your hamster

Your diablo

Your Canada

Your gelatinous avatar

Your flubber chunks

Your pants pillows

Your growing personal following

Your firecracker

Your reporter at large…or in this case Very Large

Your flounder that’s rounder than a giant

    Quarter Pounder

That thang

Enjoy. It's time for me to get my wiggle clowns out of here and get running!

You know you're a runner when...

Does this sound like you?  If so, you're in GOOD COMPANY!!

You know you're a runner when...

• your first thought when you look at the weekly weather forecast is, "When can I fit in my runs?"
• you have more running clothes than regular clothes in your laundry pile.
• you've lost a toenail. And you tell people, "It's not that bad."
• you smirk when non-runners ask you, "So how long is this marathon?"
• you have a drawer full of medals and other race souvenirs that you're not sure what to do with.
• you go into Starbucks more often to use the bathroom than to actually buy coffee.
• you no longer make fun of fanny packs because your running belt looks very similar (although cooler) to one.
• you've used an old race T-shirt to wash your car, dust furniture, or clean something else.
• your treadmill has more miles on it than your car.
• you get an invitation to a wedding and you automatically think about what race the date will conflict with.
• you have dreams about showing up to a race late or not wearing any clothes.
• you're not embarrassed to wear spandex.
• the salespeople at your local running store know you by name.
• you're always hungry.
• you know how to take a cup of water from a water stop without choking on it or spilling it all over yourself.
• at least one of your web site usernames or email addresses has the word "run" or "runner" in it.
• you know where your illiotibial band is located.
• you no longer hate port-a-johns. In fact, there have been times when you've been very happy to see one.

Foodie Friday

After getting Rachel's blessing last night that it is ok eat leftovers as breakfast (within reason), I feel better about gorging myself every morning with sweet potato casserole. Sick?  Well, the thought of eating eggs, cereal, oatmeal, or any other predictable breakfast food in the morning is enough to trigger my gag reflex.  Don't judge.

Don't Miss This:

If you're interested in nutrition, you need to visit nutiritiondata.com. On this website, you can look up any food  imaginable, and the website gives you its full nutrition profile. Best of all, it's free! I registered for an account and input my recipe (below) into the website, where it analyzed the ingredients and gave me a nutrition label for my custom recipe, which you'll see below.  Cool, huh?

At Thanksgiving, my mom made this amazing sweet potato casserole. It was low in sugar, had heart-healthy walnuts in it, and contained only a few tablespoons of butter -- compare that to the buttery, marshmallow-y kinds you normally see during the holidays. Confession: I've eaten through at least 4 of these in the past 2 weeks - all on my own. I hate sweet potatoes too! But this is so good, you just have to make it to experience it!!

Why are sweet potatoes healthy? They're high in fiber, rich in vitamins A & C, and good source of potassium. Sweet potatoes are good for you because they're low on the glycemic index, which means that by eating them, you won't suffer a blood sugar soar and crash. They're great for mashing or snacking - try sweet potato fries (with cinnamon greek yogurt dipping sauce!) or a casserole like the one below.

RECIPE:
Sweet Potato Casserole
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups sweet potato, cubed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, 3 tbsp brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Here's the nutritional breakdown for my current breakfast obsession.  Of course, if you're concerned about the sugar, you could tweak the recipes, but overall this isn't a bad way to start the day. One serving is about 90% of your daily recommended value for Vitamin A!

Rewrite Your Grocery List

We're in a total food slump. We eat the same things week after week, and it's gotten really old. I am to the point where I skip breakfast over eating because it's so boring!  I either need a new ceral obsession or have to get over my distaste for eggs.

This afternoon I was emailing back and forth with Rachel N. in our training group. I asked if she would write a quick 5-6 line advice bit for the Herald Times InStride running advice section, and I got much more than I expected! This stuff is like gold. It's too good to go read only by my eyes, so take this and use it!



Here's what Rachel (pictured at left) had to say...

Don’t let nutrition be your missing link! Food has the power to boost immunity, strengthen bones, repair muscle, and prevent disease. Plan ahead! Fuel before and after workouts. Focus on whole grains, fresh fruits/veggies, and lean proteins. Healthy fats offer important fuel that can increase endurance (enjoy natural peanut-butter on your bagel, olive oil on your salad, nuts for snacks, and salmon for dinner).

Then I asked her for the ultimate runner's grocery list and why these foods are so great.  Enjoy!

• berries - high in antioxidants
• oranges - packed with vitamin-C and beta-carotene
• plain Greek yogurt - use in place of sour cream...no fat and DOUBLE the protein
• oats - excellent source of fiber; add cinnamon for a hearty breakfast
• light popcorn - a whole-grain!
• walnuts - high in plant sterols which lower cholesterol
• canola oil - lowest in saturated fat of any common cooking oil
• canned black-beans/kidney beans - high in B-vitamins/iron...stir in soup or salad for a nutrient boost
• broccoli - chop fresh broccoli into store-bought soup
• carrots - for beta-carotene…sneak shredded carrots into spaghetti sauce or muffin batter
• ground flaxseed - hides easily in yogurt, cereal, or muffins
• canned tuna - high in heart-healthy omega fats…here’s lunch: salad greens, fruit, tuna, whole-wheat pita
• sweet potatoes - vitamins A, C, & E…microwave in a zip-lock bag for lunch; eat the skin for added fiber
• dark chocolate - high in resveratrol and cocoa flavonoids…choose 70% or higher cocoa content!

2011 Goals

Ok, 2011. You're mine!!

Here's what going to happen.

Running/Fitness Goals
1) Break 3:15 in the marathon. No plans for any particular marathon, but see how in #2 and #3.
My best times were run in races where I felt under-prepared or just didn't care too much about my time (go figure). So rather than training to focus on a single marathon, the aim is going to be for overall fitness, and I'm going to run a few big races along the way. On the same note, this will be my second Boston. I don't plan to race it, but just run and enjoy the New England scenery and amazing crowds.

Steph's 2011 Big Race Docket:

• Boston Marathon - April
• ? Indy Mini Half Marathon - May
• Go Girl Indy Spring Triathlon - July
• Cedar Point Half Ironman Triathlon - September
• NYC Marathon - Octoberish
• ? Tecumseh Trail Marathon - December

2) Run a PR marathon time by cross training more. This includes more time lifting weights, swimming, and logging miles on the bike. Hopefully more cross training will help prevent the different overuse injuries I've had in the past few years.

3) The motivation I have for doing #2 is my other goal, to complete the Rev3 Half Ironman. It'll be my third triathlon and longest tri by far (I have only ever completed sprints), but why not? I'm going to shoot for 50th percentile or better among the female athletes.

4) Run sub 19:45 in the 5k. Emphasis on a legit, measured-course 5k. Eh, we'll see. Definitely want to do this by racing more Mag7 races.

5) 7 Pull-ups, continuous, by the end of June. I started by putting the "Door Gym" in a guest bedroom door; we do one pull-up (or more) every single time we pass.  We've gotten pretty efficient in making trips upstairs!

6) BARA, BARA, and BARA.  Let's get this club going!!! I can't wait to be involved in everything Operations.  CHECK OUT THE LOGO!  Carman put this baby together for fun... Let me just post the Boston Athletic Association logo, so you can appreciate the humor:

    

Voila -- there are my 2011 goals!