Chicago Marathon 2016 Goal Chat

THE BIG RACE IS IN 3 DAYS, GUYS. Seriously can't believe at the end of this week I'll be running the Chicago Marathon for the third year in a row. This year feels a little different-like it snuck up on me somehow? I'm sure I'll be feeling more marathon excited once I get into Chicago tomorrow night. 

Honestly the whole idea of writing about my goals is scary. It's stupid because everyone I am friends with or who follows me on social media knows I'm running the Chicago Marathon. People who run who I've talked to more in depth know that I want a BQ. And that means a faster BQ not a BQ like last year where I will not get accepted to run the Boston Marathon. 

The weather is looking cooler this year which means I might feel better than last year. My training wasn't perfect. School and life get in the way. I didn't get my mileage as high as I ultimately wanted. It's easy to sit in taper and look at your training schedule and think you should have ran more, or done more speed workouts, or ran an extra 20 miler run.  But now the work is all done and the race on Sunday is the victory lap. 

I did run many hard workouts and ran some really great races so I am proud of this training cycle.   

It's just the idea of putting your goals out there and not achieving them that scares the crap out of me because it's embarrassing and a terrible feeling. There's nothing I can do but put my goals out there and hope that lots of love, support, and good vibes are with me on race day.  I believe in the power of positive thinking and mentally getting yourself prepared but not psyched out. 

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 14 & 15 Recap

IT'S RACE WEEK, GUYS. Seriously can't believe at the end of this week I'll be out running the Chicago Marathon for the third year in a row. Here's a recap of really my last two weeks of training. Don't worry a post on race goals and taper madness will come later.  Here's a recap of weeks 14 & 15 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

Marathon Training 2016 Week 14 (9/19-9/25)

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Charm City Run training group coaching, 3.1 miles  I wanted to squeeze in a workout but didn't make it there early enough due to traffic. BLAH. 
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore workout at the top of Fed Hill and run there/back , 5.0 miles 
Thursday:  Tempo Run with 4 miles at race pace, 8.4 miles 
cooler temps mean HOT DAMN feeling strong
Friday: Nuun Year Dash virtual run , 5.25 miles
Saturday:  Long run coaching and a couple miles to finish it out, 15.04 miles 

I FINALLY got the chance to meet Erica in person and she joined  me for 6ish miles around the Inner Harbor!

Bloggers always need a photo op

Sunday: Dogfish Dash 8K, 4.9 miles
Felt really strong and held a faster pace than I expected I was 8th female with a surprisingly speedy, beer-loving crowd. Full race recap to come!  

Total miles: 41.69 miles

Running into Fall with Lululemon {gear review}

Disclaimer: Lululemon Baltimore offered me a complimentary outfit for review purposes. As always all thoughts & opinions are my own. 

As much as I love lots of different running gear, there are always some pieces that end up being worn the most. The couple Lululemon tops and tanks I have are an example of that.  I have only splurged on pieces from Lululemon every so often, but have been impressed in the comfort and quality I've found. I've actually worn Lululemon capris or skirts for all of the 4 marathons I've run-no chafing at all!

Running the 2015 Chicago Marathon in a Lululemon Cool Racerback tank and PaceSetter Skirt 

I dare you to go try things on in that store and leave the store empty-handed! However I gained a lot of respect for the brand after running Lululemon's Seawheeze Half Marathon this summer and seeing what an amazing event they put on.  

post-Seawheeze Half Marathon 2016 in a (tagged) Lululemon Run Swiftly tee and Speedsport shorts

When I was asked to review a couple piece of running gear for my local Lululemon store, of course I jumped at the chance. By the way, the Lululemon in Baltimore, Harbor East is a great store with fabulous employees and local ambassadors, in case you were wondering. 

With the Baltimore Running Festival coming up and the weather still a little bit variable, it was tough to choose what outfit I wanted to review. I run 'hot' (#thesweatylife) and am still loving wearing tanks so I chose out a Run Swiftly tank (MRP $58) in one of the newer colors for Fall, a mixed black/sapphire blue shade . I always think warm colors for Fall but since blue is one of my favorite colors, I love adding this almost midnight blue shade as a Fall favorite. 

I love the Run Swiftly material because it feels soft, lightweight and comfortable as well as wicks sweat well. 

One of my favorite features is that it is prevents you from smelling bad due to the X-STATIC® which inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. The color is a deep blue that is perfect for Fall plus it has that Swiftly tech that I love. 

Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon 2016 Race Recap

Disclaimer: I received a free 3-pack Tourpass through my Rock ‘n’ Blog ambassadorship. As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own.

If you read my blog or follow me you know that I love Philadelphia and run multiple a races a year there! Thanks to school stress, I wasn't looking forward to trekking up to run the  Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon that I was able to run thanks to my Tourpass perks as Rock 'n' Blogger. Of course once I got into the city and visited the expo that all disappeared, and I was excited to run! 

Pre-Race

Like I mentioned, school gets in the way of my mini adventures and weekend plans this semester, so after a late afternoon class on Friday and then coaching my 10K group from Charm City Run on Saturday morning I finally packed up and hit the road to Philadelphia. After coaching I was feeling really nauseous and out of it, which aren't good signs when everyone seems to be getting sick at the first sign of Fall around the corner.

I ended up getting to Philadelphia Saturday afternoon to stop by the expo and grab my packet as well as have some fun taking photos. There were lots of nice vendors and the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia specific gear was especially nice this year. Going to the expo always gets me excited for the race! 

After the expo at the Convention Center we stopped at the nearby Reading Terminal Market to grab some lunch and some doughnuts from the Amish market. 

Yes, my boyfriend and I ended up eating those 6 doughnuts over the course of the afternoon. Whoops. 

Swag from the expo

Race Day

Last year I was running this race 3 weeks after the Chicago Marathon, and I was running 3 weeks before the Chicago Marathon so it was a very different race experience for me. 

It was also a really special race because the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon was my first half marathon ever.

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 12 & 13 Recap

Things are winding down for marathon training which is crazy. I can't believe the Chicago Marathon is 2 weeks away-let the anxiety start to set in (kidding, it already has!). Things have been chugging along in training as usual though.  Here's a recap of weeks 12 & 13 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

Marathon Training 2016 Week 12 (9/5-9/11)
Monday: breezy  morning miles in Charleston, 8.0 miles

I found a nice paved trail to run on called the West Ashley Greenway.  I love signs like this that always say where places can technically take you-apparently the greenway can take me from Maine to Florida! 

Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore workout and run there/back , 6.0 miles 
Thursday:  30 minutes of upper body lifting and planks
Friday: Treadmill tempo run, 7.0 miles
Saturday:  1 hour yoga sculpt class +CorePower Yoga - ended up feeling overheated and not great the rest of the day 
Sunday: Long run where I felt sluggish and it felt hard #strugglebus, 21.0 miles
I don't know if it was a touch of something this weekend that started up after yoga, but it sucks to have such a good 20 miler a couple weeks before and then have this 21 miler that felt pretty crappy. I got the miles in with friends so that's all I can be grateful for. 

Total miles: 42.0

Marathon Training 2016 Week 13 (9/12-9/19)
Monday: easy morning run by the harbor, 5.2 miles
Tuesday:  Treadmill progressive mile repeats and warm-up/cool down, 6.1 miles
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore  workout (8.0), 5.2 miles
Thursday:  Tempo Thursday run with 4 tempo miles-felt strong and mentally stayed positive, 8.0 miles
Friday: 20 minutes upper body strength training and easy treadmill run, 3.25 miles 
Saturday: Coaching a training group at CCR, 3.64 miles-felt kinda nauseous and tired afterwards
Sunday: Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon race plus 2 extra miles, 15.2 miles
I'll post the recap later this week, but I had a FABULOUS race and felt strong! 

Total miles: 46.59

Lows
Feeling a weird touch of illness or just worn down on Saturday for both weekends means I really need to take care of myself and try to get more sleep and recovery time in, especially as I enter taper. Sometimes I forget how much running and training can take a toll on your body, especially when I'm running around working, coaching, going to school full-time, and feeling stressed out. Also I've reached the peak of my training so all of that work and running can add up on how it is affecting your body. I do NOT want to get sick right now! 

Highs
I am really happy with my weekly mileages for these two weeks as well as that I got in some quality tempo runs.  It always feel good when I can run my race pace easily especially inthe middle of lots of busy weeks. The Philly RNR race was a huge confidence booster as I go into my taper part of the training.  

If Girls Ran the World {Free registration giveaway to run/walk challenge}

Through my partnership with Fit Approach and SweatPink, I was given the awesome opportunity to learn about and participate in the If Girls Ran the World program.  Their tag line is "Run Because you Care."  If you follow my blog or me on social media, you know that I am ALL about empowering women and girls to do whatever they want to do, dream big, and realize their full potential. 

I LOVE supporting women in athletics so I'm excited to share some information about this virtual running challenge for girls. This October, thousands of women like me, around the world will be logging miles and running virtually around the world to benefit charities that empower girls around the world.  I pledge to run 100 miles in October! 

When you register for $25 you not only receive access to the month-long challenge in which you can track your miles running or walking as well as your own personal fundraising page but also insipring emails with tips and recipes, access to in-person and online running groups, and the opportunity to take part in weekly fitness and fundraising challenges.  

When I registered for the event, I choose from a list of charities which one I wanted to support through my running and fundraising with a goal of raising $250. I choose the Women's Refugee Commission Inc because I think that empowering refugees especially in today's world, is so important.

Without getting too political, while there is gender discrimination in this country, women in other parts of the world and especially refugees aren't afforded the same basic necessities, freedoms, and opportunities as women are in the U.S.  $250 can provide a family with training and livestock so they can earn the necessary income to pay for their daughter's school fees and supplies, think about that impact.  

Baltimore Bred: Wild Kombucha {by Mobtown Fermentation}

I'm starting a new little feature I've wanted to start for a while on the blog called Baltimore Bred in which I highlight a local Baltimore brand, company, or product that I love and want to share. First up we have Mobtown Fermentation. 

Baltimore Bred #1: Wild Kombucha by Mobtown Fermentation 

As a fan of Baltimore small businesses and local brands, I was excited to visit Mobtown Fermentation’s new digs in Lutherville-Timonium just over a month ago. I love supporting local businesses, and it was a great opportunity to learn more about this awesome company and get a behind-the-scenes look at their company. 

{Source}

The three founders of the company, Adam, Sergio, and Sid, had recently moved their brewing operation from Hampden to this new, bigger space in order produce more of their delicious Wild Kombucha.  

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage made of green tea, distilled water, probiotic cultures (bacteria and yeast) and natural fruit juices or sugars.  I’ve been a huge fan of kombucha for a while because I love that it’s a bubbly and carbonated beverage yet packed with probiotics.  Since kombucha is made with probiotic bacteria like yogurt and is said to have healthy benefits such as aiding in digestion and boosting the immune system-both things I could benefit from. 

Adam and Sergio, who are stepbrothers, were familiar with kombucha and the brew process from their parents’ own kombucha creations growing up. Mobtown Fermentation was started in May 2014 by the three childhood friends after experimenting with brewing their own delicious kombucha. Currently Wild Kombucha is available in three flavors including elderberry, ginger-grapefruit, and mango-peach. I can’t choose a favorite flavor! Their brand of kombucha is a little sweeter and less sour than some brands I’ve tried which makes it more accessible to those wary of trying kombucha. 

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 10 &11 Recap

Things have been way more hectic in my training now that graduate school has started again for the semester. The weather has been bouncing around between cooler mornings and the usual hot & humid weather which has made how I feel on runs more variable than usual.  Here's a recap of weeks 10 & 11 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

Marathon Training 2016 Week 10 (8/22-8/28)
Monday: morning run with 3 tempo miles thrown in the middle, 6.0 miles
Tuesday: speedwork run with 4x 1 mile repeats, 5.4 miles
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore workout and some extra miles , 8.0 miles 
Thursday:  easy morning run, 4.25 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  long run in NJ that felt great and my 18 miles for the day eneded up being 20 with two tempo miles at the end 

This run was such a surprise! I met up with some people from the Run856 Facebook group and ran with some people who all had different distances. This guy ended up running the full 18 with me which was great, and with some water fountain stops and different little loops I ended up feeling like I could keep going and at the end finished the last couple of miles fast around my tempo pace just to see. After refueling with Wawa donut and coffee (which makes me SO happy) and then having a big breakfast when I got home, I napped! 

Sunday: recovery run on treadmill and some core, 3.1 miles

Total miles: 46.75