Category: health & wellness

Hi! How are you? Me, I’m great. I ran CIM this year for a third time this weekend. It was great! When I was chosen to be an ambassador for this race back in early 2019, I told myself I was going to lose weight and get super fast for my marathon. That didn’t happen! But despite not being where I thought I would be for the race, I still did it and am excited to recap.

For the last few weeks

For the last few weeks I’ve been debating if I wanted to toe the line for the marathon. In fact, I told a bunch of friends at Berkeley half I was debating it and they totally understood. My mind was so tired of training and I was burnt out. I’ve also been in weird head space for the last few months amongst receiving my sisters cancer diagnosis (she’s doing great by the way!), and though I was putting the work in on early mornings, late nights, and weekends and basically had a part time job training for 26.2, I was not mentally present for marathon training. The last four half marathons I had run were totally garbage paces which made me worried about how Marathon day would go. But fear not – it was awesome.

Saturday

Friday night I was NOT in good head space. Long story short, I have to have some dental work done (I lost a filling eating a cold chew on my long run the week before) and decided I wanted to try a dentist closer to where I live. My old dentist is a pretty hefty trek from where I live and work. The experience at the new dentist was overwhelming and I was frustrated with what they were charging me AND they told me they couldn’t get me in for two weeks for my filling! I felt defeated over something that’s so simple on Friday night so I called my old dental office and told them I missed them and even though it’s a drive I wanted to keep going there, which felt like a sense of relief. She got me in to the first open appointment the day after the marathon, and I felt like I could go into race weekend knowing resolve was coming. So I woke up Saturday, did a quick shakeout, and we headed to the expo but not without a pit stop for pancakes!

We were scheduled to work the expo as volunteers from 11-1:30. I enjoyed working the info booth and talking to so many people who I know or follow me on social media!

The expo was at a new location, the Sleep Train Arena, because the convention center is under construction. The expo felt much smaller than normal, which made me miss a few booths I usually see there.

(I was featured in the program as an ambassador!)

Eventually we did a quick lap, got our stuff and picked up some items. We got ponchos because rain was predicted for the race, and I also got some Gu’s because I didn’t want to use chews during my race and headed out to get some pizza for a late lunch.

We checked into our hotel after lunch and enjoyed that it was the closest hotel to the finish. The last two years I have been jealous of people staying at the Hyatt because it’s closer to the finish line than the Sheraton (where I usually stay) so we indulged at the Hyatt!

I laid my clothes out and then we went to the pasta buffet that the hotel had for dinner. It was perfect and low stress! So nice to just walk downstairs, eat as much as we wanted and then go back to our room so we didn’t have to drive around town.

I was specific in my outfit choices because it was going to be humid and lots of rain was predicted. I was nervous.

I promptly tucked myself into bed at 7pm and slept like a newborn all night. It was the best sleep.

Sunday

The alarm went off at 3:30, but then I snoozed for a little while. I threw on some body glide and got dressed.

Then we got on the bus at 5:15. The bus ride took 59 minutes. The bus takes you from the finish to the start. If you think 59 minutes was a long ride… the run was gonna be even longer 😂

I was rushing like crazy at the start. I drank my UCan, two potty breaks and dropped my gear bag just in time for the race to start. I was in the last wave which took I think 8 minutes to go through the start after the first corral, but it all whirled by.

My first few miles were good – I mean really good. I mean, I was like who the hell has inhabited my body good. I had a small hope that based off those times I would PR my marathon time but I knew it was unlikely because I would slow down at the end.

I chose to fuel with one Gu every 40 minutes and it was perfect to keep my energy topped off.

I hit the halfway mark at 3:10:xx and I really expected to hit it at 3:20, so that was awesome.

The sweeper reached me about 14.75 miles in to the race to let me know that things were going to be broken down as he passed them and I might have to move to the sidewalk if streets opened up. He was a really nice guy and told me I was doing great after I joked with him that I needed a compliment from him. Luckily for me no roads opened up after that and the only things broken down when I got to them were mile markers, which was okay since I had my Garmin.

At 17.75 miles though I had the most horrible running experience. I felt a giant squish in my right shoe. I had grown a blister on my pinky toe and it popped during my run 😖 and it was the MOST painful thing ever. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep going but I was fine after a little while. Then it happened on my left foot about 21 miles in. GROSS AND SO PAINFUL.

I slowed down significantly towards the end of the race. It started to rain, my feet were a wreck from the blister debacle and my quads and hips were so sore and tight. I kept moving forward because stopping wasn’t an option. Some rain kicked in near the 21/22 mile mark and that was not easy either, so I briefly put on the poncho I packed but decided it was too warm for it and tossed it.

Eventually I hit the stretch where I knew I was coming in to the finish line and I tried to give more but I was done at that point, so I chose to stay consistent and finish as best I could. Luckily for me that was great and I ran my 2nd fastest marathon today!

Throughout the race I had the urges to text my friends or message them for motivation but I chose only to message two of my friends each two times to give them updates. I wanted to learn to fight with my own mind this time around. Last year I put out a Facebook call to action for friends to send me messages to help get me through but this year I wanted to be the one doing it for myself. I’m really proud of that.

Finishing was so amazing and I was so proud I stuck with it to finish marathon number 5!

It was also Mr. Ftof’s 5th marathon and my friends Mike and Kerri’s first marathon!

The walk back to the hotel was literally the longest walk ever. Thank goodness I stayed at the close hotel 🤪. The hotel staff wouldn’t wheel me to my room on a luggage rack when my friends asked 😂 but gave me hearty congratulations.

Back at the hotel Mr. FtoF got us burgers and fries and that was amazing. That’s my favorite post race meal! I don’t eat much red meat but immediately after a marathon (and my one ultra) a bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries has always been my go to.

Today was amazing and I’m so glad I showed up. Though I’m not ready to 26.2 again anytime soon, I put my name in for the Chicago Marathon lottery ages ago and hope I get picked when they announce on Thursday!

Thanks for all of your love and support through my journey. This was a great day and I’m grateful to all who said hi to me at the expo or on the course, or virtually cheered for me. You guys rock!

Did anyone else run CIM 2019?

Cheers runners!

Vanessa

I have participated in The Santa Rosa Marathon every year for the last five years. When the race is so close to home, how could you not participate in it? My first year, 2015, I did the 5k (before they split it up to the day before the longer races), then in 2016 I did the marathon as my first marathon. Both years were when the course began and ended in Juilliard Park. In 2017 I did the half, last year I did the marathon and this year I did the half, and now the race begins and ends in Courthouse Square just up the street from where it used to start. I knew what to expect going into this race having run it multiple times.

To be honest, I was kind of dreading the race the two weeks leading up to it. I had been working really long days at my job and we had a weird heat wave so I was hardly running because even running in the gym at 5:00 am was hot. Ever since my 50k back in the first weekend of July, I have had something on my calendar every weekend such as a race, wedding, friends in town or a group run out of town, and by the time this weekend rolled around it was the 8th weekend I had a commitment. Toss into that that in July was when I received news about my sister’s recent cancer diagnosis, and a few days later a car accident where someone rear ended me and then I rear ended the person in front of me. I dealt with that for weeks and we are still dealing with it! Before the race I was struggling to find energy and motivation. I slept 10-11 hours multiple nights the week of the race because I think everything caught up to me. But I also knew it was an idiotic move to pass on a race I already paid for and was down the road from me, so I was gonna do it. That wasn’t a question at all. My focus is CIM right now and since I don’t really have any other focuses related to racing or time, I was happy to take it easy this weekend.

Friday

I picked up my packet Friday night after work so I could be on my own schedule for Saturday. It was crazy! There were so many people there because you had to get your bib for the 5k/10k that day. I ran into some people I knew and had a great time at Sports Basement. Then I went to pizza with Mr. FtoF, which was funny because when I later looked at my Facebook memories it said I had eaten the exact same meal at the same pizza place one year before!

Saturday

I woke up early and got in a little shakeout run. I got in two easy miles.

I saw some goats along the way. I love the goats!

Then I went downtown to cheer for friends running the 5k/10k. I stopped to get a donut for me and Mr. FtoF because I always get a donut from this one donut shop in town the day before a big race, and after that went home and lounged.

That evening, after I had spent all day on my butt doing nothing, I had friends in town the night before the race and so we enjoyed a lovely dinner together. I have been eating lots of bento boxes as my pre-race dinner. I’ve been stomaching them well.

I tucked myself in nice and early, around 9:30 and was soooooo glad I didn’t have to wake up too early!

Sleeping in that late is awesome.

Sunday

I got up around 5:15, took a pre-race shower, got ready and drank my UCan. My husband dropped me off at the start so I didn’t have to deal with parking. I got to the race start around 6:10 just in time to visit with Coach Patrick who was there being a rockstar running coach and cheering for people, and for me to cheer for the marathon runners who were starting! I had a coworker who was running her first marathon (and by the way, she crushed it coming in sub-3!!!) so I saw her and I saw some other friends running the marathon too, gave them a cheer and then after the marathon started, went to the restroom and looked for other friends running the half.

My friend Kerri (who I had dinner the night before) told me at dinner she wasn’t going to run for time like she originally planned so we decided to run the half together (which we also just ran San Francisco together!). I knew that would make today more fun to have someone to talk with! I charged my headphones because I didn’t know if she would want to run with me but luckily didn’t need them! I didn’t have a bag to check though, so I just wore them.

I found her, and for a while we chatted with other friends we found and eventually we were off at 7:15.

Now, today’s race was pretty uneventful. I wasn’t running for any goal except to have fun, so I felt no pressure to perform any particular way. Kerri and I ran and ran and talked about all kinds of great things in our lives. The miles went by pretty fast as a result. Since I know the trail the course goes on like the back of my hand, the race felt easy to break into small chunks because I knew what to expect and how many miles each leg of the trail was. There were some cows out which was the best.

I saw a coworker of mine coming back on the return from the half. He was crushing it with the pace group he stuck with and it was great to see someone I knew crushing their time goal! There’s nothing I love more than cheering for other people who are achieving great personal goals!

Kerri and I made our way to the finish a little over 3 hours after we started. Was good to finish because it was so hot. I am a salty sweater in general but with today’s temperatures it was worse than normal and my face and my arms were caked in salt. It was gross. I was glad to be done and cooling off. A few weeks ago when I ran San Francisco 2nd half I overheated so badly I ended up going to the medical tent for ice and I felt like I was going to throw up. Today was hot but I am glad I didn’t have that same experience. Today was my 19th lifetime half!

Last year, because I ran the marathon, I did not participate in any of the post race festivities. I was tired and wanted to just go home right away, so I didn’t even get my free race pancakes! This year however…

And the race also has a beer tasting festival in the finishers area. Normally that’s not something I do, since I really rarely drink, but I really wanted to let loose a little so had a few samples. Eventually I found myself with a group of other runners doing the Cha Cha Slide and my drink! It was fun!

Eventually I headed home and was ready to shower since I felt like a salt block but I would have enjoyed staying longer if I had a change of shoes and if my husband was able to enjoy the beer festival with me.

The race was great, but I also want to confess that the last two months will all the stressors I’ve had have come with some extra pounds and I can feel them. I wasn’t exactly all that skinny to begin with, but carrying these extra pounds is really uncomfortable. While I had a nice race and a great time, I really need to figure out what my mental struggle is right now and what I can do to be successful. Today reminded me of that. I need to really focus on going from fat to fit!

Aside from that though, it was blast this weekend. I don’t have a race until October 6th and I don’t have anything on my personal life calendar until then either. Thank goodness! I’m looking forward to some fun runs and calm times again. But I’m so happy to have done today’s race and will be back next year! Do I keep the every other year marathon vs half pattern though? That’s the big question… 😏

Cheers friends!

Vanessa

Hi! How are you? I’m great and had a lovely weekend at The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon weekend. I’m excited to recap such a lovely weekend.

The race offered a Saturday 5k, a Sunday marathon, two half marathons (the first half of the marathon course or the second half), a 5k and an ultra which starts at 11pm Saturday night. For the ultra, you run the marathon course backwards at 11pm and then you run it with the marathon runners at 5:30 when the race starts.

I was registered for the Saturday 5k and the Sunday 2nd half. I’ve previously run both half marathons.

Saturday, July 27

On Saturday, I woke up at o’dark thirty and made my way down to San Francisco to participate in the inaugural pier to pier 5k! The race started at 7:00 am but I had to be there at 6:30 because they invited me to sing the national anthem! When I got there, I was very excited to see and meet the Ambassador team which I was on this year. They’re all wonderful people and I’m very grateful to have been on the team. I had applied a few years ago and didn’t make it on then, but the timing was perfect to join this year. Very grateful for that.

At 7:00 we were off and I logged a delightful 3 miles solo. I love running in San Francisco so much. I wish I could do it more.

I also ran into my fellow Mermaid Series Ambassadors Dawn Marie and Michelle!

After that I drove down to get some breakfast and meet up with a friend for lunch. We had a picnic at a park so she could bring her puppy 🥳

After that I checked into my hotel, laid out my clothes and waited for two of my friends to come to the hotel so we could go out to dinner!

I chose to wear my Wonder Woman goodrs because my sister, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, told me I had to push through this race I had been feeling ill prepared for. She is going through so much right now and I wanted to make her proud.

After a while my friends came by and it was time for dinner… sushi!

I love sushi. What do you like to eat before a race?

Then we decided to share some ice cream at one of those places where they make it in front of you and roll it up. I’m glad we shared because even the few bites I had were overwhelmingly rich!

Then since the alarm was set for 3:50 AM, we went back to the hotel and went straight to sleep!

Sunday

I had no real goal for race day except to tackle the hills, run even splits and have fun. I estimated I would finish around 3:10 if I ran easy pace.

The alarm went of SO. EARLY. I love big races but hate the logistics of getting to a start line of a big race. Next year I plan to run the marathon at this event and will splurge on a start line hotel!

Another friend met us at the hotel and we hopped in the car. The plan was that we had a parking spot booked at the finish and we would take a shuttle to the start of our race, the 2nd half marathon. We had to be at the shuttle stop no later than 5:45 in order to be shuttled to our starting line. By the skin of our teeth we made it.

I was again invited to sing the national anthem at the start which was amazing. Very grateful for that. I sang at 6:40, and 10 minutes later the race was off.

From the moment I woke up my stomach was feeling off. I think the early alarm and eating much later than I usually eat dinner really affected me. I was feeling unsettled for a while. I realized on the way to the race I had forgotten to take my Ucan. I usually drink it before races since I can never stomach food. I don’t know if that would have made me feel better or worse, but I went in to the race with nothing in my stomach for breakfast.

Finally after my stomach pains went away after a few miles but for some reason then some hamstring tightness began. I’ve literally never had that during a race or a run!

My friend Kerri very graciously offered to run the whole race with me. I know I slowed her down and appreciate so much that she sacrificed her own race to run with me. About mile 3 we decided to choose a friend of ours and run each mile for them. It was a fun way to pass the time!

The bulk of the climbing is in the six miles of the course in Golden Gate Park. Once you come out it’s pretty flat with some rollers. By the time we got out of Golden Gate park around mile 6 or so, I knew I was going to be able to coast through the 2nd half since the hills were over. I was wrong.

As soon as we got into the Haight Ashbury and ran past the McDonald’s that isn’t there anymore (that I used to go to as a kid!), I felt it. THE HEAT! San Francisco isn’t a particularly warm place thanks to Karl the Fog, but it was an exceptional day. I knew once I hit the road I was screwed because there was no covering for the rest of the race. I was right.

I immediately started feeling sick and hot. I was wearing shorts and a tank top and drinking water but I could not stay cool. I stopped at every aid station to dump water on my head, and some SF resident sprayed us with her hose. My pace got slower and slower and I was feeling horrible. I was so ready to be done and cooled down.

It was a lot of fun though to talk to people along the course. We were mixed with half marathon runners and marathon runners and chatted with many of them along the way. At one point I let myself have a quick dance break at an aid station, and sang along at every place anyone was blaring music. It was so fun! Life is better with dance parties.

Eventually I saw the Bay Bridge which meant we were closing in on the finish! Thank goodness! As we rounded past Oracle Park where the SF Giants play, they had a DJ playing some tunes so I stopped for a quick dance break (life is better with dance breaks!). Finally near the very end, there was a drum line. Let me tell you. I LOVE DRUM LINES ON RACE COURSES. I love it SO MUCH. Eugene marathon has it, Santa Rosa marathon has it and it makes my LIFE! Since my time goal was basically out the window, I decided to stop and dance with them. Remember? Life’s bette with dance parties.

Finally was closed in on the finish. I was so glad to be done! As soon as I crossed the finish though I felt sick again, bent over to catch my breath and the medic came over and gave me some ice. She could tell I felt icky. The ice and a bottle of water really saved me at the finish from getting sick.

I got my medal and of course needed a finish picture.

Then we headed back to the hotel where our cars were and showered. That was the best shower I had ever taken.

As for my 3:10 finish, that was horribly wrong. With how sick I was feeling and the extra walking I did as a result, I finished in 3:26. I was really disappointed to see that finish time, but I am glad I had a slower finish rather than DNFing from pushing too hard and getting sick.

Next year I plan to run the marathon and can’t wait! Maybe the ultra in 2021!!

I’ll get my fix though with all the great people from this weekend because the same crew puts on Berkeley half in November! They are letting me stay on for that ambassador program too 🥰. Join us with discount code AmboVanessaW15 for fun.

Cheers runners and happy San Francisco Marathon weekend!

Hi! How are you? Me I’m great. Warm weather has been picking up which means it is time for many people’s least favorite time of year… shorts, tank top and swim suit season.

Last year I had to buy a new swim suit and although it wasn’t my favorite thing to shop for, it did not end up being the worst thing I had to do. I’m patiently awaiting a day it’s warm enough for a pool party or when the beach is warmer than 62° so I can bust it out of my drawer again.

I’m also a big fan of wearing shorts and tank tops and am not necessarily hesitant to do so. In fact sometimes perhaps my length of shorts are questionably short 🤷🏽‍♀️ but I’m like hey, for all the miles I run I’ll wear shorts however short I want.

I realize though that I’m unique in this. So long as my stuff is the right size and comfortable, it doesn’t phase me to wear something showing off my arms or my legs, even if it means cellulite, bingo wings and all, because I focus more on the strength I see in my body rather than my flaws.

If you’re hoping to find the courage to rock some items and show some skin this summer, this is what has helped me.

• Look in the mirror, a lot! It may be frustrating to look in the mirror when you aren’t loving what you see back. But your body is amazing and does amazing things for you and deserves to be celebrated. Spend a few minutes a few times a week looking in the mirror and pointing out things you really appreciate about yourself and your body. You’ll find it easier when putting your swimsuit on the first time to enjoy what you see if you’ve spent some time looking at your kick ass body before that moment arrives
• Go into your warm weather season with a positive mindset! Do you go into Macy’s to buy shorts saying to yourself “I hate wearing shorts, my legs are so fat and I look horrible”? Well guess what, then when you go in, you’ve already got that narrative in your head! Go in open minded and you’ll have a much more fun time.
• Consider all of the great things you’ll get to do if you get over your fear! I love to run but running in the summer in anything more than a tank top and shorts would be miserable. Some days it’s so hot I shed the shirt too! When I realized that if I don’t get comfortable wearing those items I won’t have the ability to run outdoors when it’s warm out, I’ll miss some amazing running days! When I first had to get over my fear of taking off my shirt and rocking the sports bra for running, I realized I would get to enjoy the thing I love, running, if I became confident to wear less clothing. Who cares with what I looked like? I wanted to enjoy my running! Similarly, I won’t get to swim if I don’t get comfortable wearing a swimsuit so it was well worth it to get over myself!
• Invest in warm weather items you love. If you buy a swimsuit or pair of shorts because it’s cheap but you hate it- you’ll never wear it! Invest. Love what you’re wearing and you’ll feel more comfortable in it. I promise.

If I waited until my body was “perfect” to wear my swimsuit, my shorts or my sports bra I would never get there. So, I’ve got my beach body ready for this summer because the beach is gonna get whatever body I give it!

Body positivity for the win. I’m rooting for you!

Cheers to warm weather clothing!

-Vanessa

Back in the Fall I saw that She.Is.Beautiful was opening registration for their Santa Cruz 5k/10k for a very low fee. I had never run the race but had heard of it. It’s along the ocean, based around women empowering women, and I didn’t have any races scheduled for March 23rd, and so when my best running friend said she was gonna sign up, I knew that meant I had to too!

Some logistics about the race that I flushed out were that I knew I would have to rent a hotel room since the race was two hours from me, and so my gal pals and I rented a room and the shenanigans began from there…

So what was my race plan? Approximately four weeks before the race Coach Patrick texted me and told me he wanted me to consider running the 10k for time to see where I was at as a baseline for Eugene Marathon, half, which is five weeks after the 10k. I of course agreed and then went into a world of panic because I had no idea how to handle that.

After I had one of my many meltdowns to Coach Patrick I confessed I had no idea how to even pace myself at the 10k. I’ve been running nothing but halfs and marathons for the last year that I had literally no idea what to even aim for on race day for a 10k goal. After all, that is 20 miles less than a marathon! Coach Patrick told me to go out on a day I felt like it and warm up and then run a mile for time and he would give me a target race pace based on that. So about two weeks before the race on a Thursday afternoon I did just that. I came out with an 11:18 mile. He told me to aim for a 13:00 min/mile pace for the race. That time seemed too fast for me. My long runs have not been that fast, though my long runs are often much, much longer than 6.2 miles. But I kept 13:00 min/mile in my head every day and debated how to tackle the race regularly. Daily I thought about it. And daily I freaked out inside. And daily I never made any plan except to show up and give it my all.

Friday, March 22

I wasn’t going to take a full day off of work the day before, Friday, but the previous week I had had a boatload of meetings and my brain was still like jello, so I was grateful when I sheepishly asked my coworkers and boss it was okay if I took 8 hours off instead of 6 and they said yes of course. That gave me some head space to prepare for the race.

I slept in, and woke up and did my two mile shakeout run. It was raining but I was glad it was raining the day before the race and not race day!

Then I drove down to meet my friend Melissa halfway to Santa Cruz so we could carpool to the race! We made it to Santa Cruz and met our other friend at the hotel. We laid out our clothes and planned race logistics for the next day.

Then we headed out to dinner for sushi goodness!

And after dinner and shenanigans, we played a bunch of games of jenga til our eyes were crossed and got ready for bed. Luckily race day didn’t have to start too early. We didn’t have to wake up until 6! For reference, when I do CIM I wake up at 3:50! It was awesome knowing I could sleep in!

Saturday, March 23

Alarm went off at 6, and we all got ready, ate our pre race meals and headed out to the parking lot to take the shuttles!

The pre race event was fun and filled with a women empowering women rally. The event was huge. There were people everywhere. Finally, at 8:35 we started. That’s a late start for a race for me so it was already warm but I felt okay. I was going to run with NO run walk alerts on my Garmin and go by feel. I was glad I made that choice. Coach Patrick texted me before the race (which I so needed and appreciated because I was a little bit anxious), and told me to maintain my pace early in the race and then let loose in the last mile.

I had this reminder on my arm:

Meaning leave nothing out there. Finish the race knowing you gave it your all.

Mile one: I weaved through a lot of people. (Friendly reminder, if you’re walking a race, please start at the back of the pack so as to open up space for runners. It’s hard to weave in and out of large groups of runners). I felt really good. Like, REALLY good. So when my watch read mile split: 12:05 I went into a full fledged panic. I was one mile in and already one minute faster than my target pace. I knew I needed to dial it back so I didn’t burn out fast. I had 5.2 miles to go after all.

Mile two: okay. I was done weaving in and out of people and told myself to pull it back. I felt good. I felt solid. I heard my watch beep… mile split: 12:16. Um ok I guess I pulled it back a little but not what I had in mind. I told myself, pull it back, you’re going for 13:00 average. DO NOT burn out.

Mile 3: I reminded myself DO NOT GO OUT TOO HARD. Pull it BACK. My watch beeped. Mile split: 12:43, and while I was glad I finally pulled myself back a little so I didn’t burn out, I began to think, “maybe there’s something in me that’s got more than a 13:00. I need to trust my body.”

Mile 4: Part way into mile 4 I know I lost time because I told myself at the 5k marker to take my gu in. I don’t normally use gu, but I like that gu hits me faster than chews and with it being a short distance, I needed that instant available fuel. Then my watch beeped, mile split: 13:06. I was glad I banked some time early to have available during this mile where I lost some time.

Mile 5: There were some climbs in this mile and I allowed myself to save energy during those to save for the last mile. Mile split: 13:06. Isn’t it weird my mile splits for 4&5 were the same??

Mile 6: with one mile left I knew I needed to let it go and release all energy I had in my tank. At the final half mile there was a Hoka One One Arch and a sign saying you were a half mile from the finish. I kicked it into gear and then as I drew close to the finish and saw it, I released EVERYTHING I had left. Absolutely everything. I was panting. My chest was burning. My legs were turning over at an unbelievable speed. One thought popped into my head, “she believed she could so she did”, and I raised my arm for the reminder “Empty the tank”. There was no reason to play it safe now. I recalled a few years ago at a 5k I raced and I was going hard and suddenly stopped just moments from the finish and walked. I couldn’t let myself get uncomfortable. I couldn’t go there. This wasn’t going to be that. So I ran harder. I leaned in more, I trusted my body more. I pushed.

My watch said mile 6 split: mile split: 12:05 and then suddenly I was under the race arch and I was done.

When I crossed the finish line I stopped my Garmin. I honestly thought I might barf. I raised my hands over my head, tried to breathe and then when I could finally stop to see how I did, I was pleasantly surprised.

Race finish: 1:16:28. 12:30 pace. 4 minutes under goal.

Racing a short distance is so different than anything I have experienced with half or marathons. Half and marathons for me are about pacing yourself and endurance. 5k and 10ks are quite the opposite. It’s short. I push. I get uncomfortable. I breathe hard. I let the sweat drip because I’m going all out. It is a different place to go to mentally, and one today I realized I am not 100% in tune with, but an area of myself I would like to explore more.

Today was not a PR. In fact it’s far from my 10k PR of 1:06. However, today was really important for me. I’ve failed so many times at multiple attempts of things. But all those failures filled my tool belt to be successful now.

This race was a huge win for me. I celebrated with frozen yogurt and an Epsom salt bath. I’m very excited for what will be in store at Eugene Marathon in just 5 weeks now. I got this.

Cheers to winning!

Vanessa

One of the questions I get asked more than anything is how do you stay so motivated? The answer I usually attribute my motivation to is my drive. I’m overwhelmingly driven (to a fault), and always have been, which makes it easy for me to keep going. However, after some recent reading and thoughts on my motivation, I realize there are many other factors too. Here are my tips on how you can stay motivated too!

1. Find an activity you like and don’t force yourself to do something you hate.

We all know I love to run, that’s a given, and that I also greatly enjoy my strength training routine as well. But before I got to this perfect rotation of things I’m in, I circled through a bunch of activities I really despised or weren’t for me. I needed to work on my core strength so I tried Pilates. Guess what? I hated it so much my husband had to drive me to the gym because I wouldn’t drive myself. Yoga? It was okay but it wasn’t my favorite and I couldn’t make a routine out of it. I tried some full body workout and boot camp classes but because those classes we half running, I didn’t feel they were the right fit for me because I already spent so much time running. Find what works for you.

2. If you find something that works for you, don’t be afraid to commit to it, stick with it and pay money for it.

I am very fortunate that I’ve worked hard enough to be able to have some spare bucks for spending on this, but I will be the first to admit that one of the heftiest chunks of change I spend each month is the combo of my Running Coach and my Strength Training Gym but guess what? I love both and they make me feel Whole and complete. They get me out the door in the morning or on the road after work. I have support systems built in both communities that are well worth the value I pay. I know if I told some people what I paid for that, they would then their noses up at me, however investing in my fitness is what I want to spend my money on and keeps me motivated.

3. Find a community who will help keep you motivated when you’re feeling your motivation dip.

I have a huge community of support that I draw from. My community keeps me motivated when I would otherwise want to give up. Some days I am the one cheering for others and some days I need others to cheer for me. Facebook groups have become one of the biggest places I find support and stay motivated. I am in multiple Facebook fitness groups and love the friendships I’ve made through them if other supportive runners and athletes who inspire me and motivate me to work hard.

4. I always have at least one goal in the queue.

I know I’m unique with this one but I always have a goal in the queue. Mostly that means I always have a race on the calendar to train for, but I also have other goals to work for too. I am always curious to see how much more weight I’ll lift the next week at the gym, or if I’ll get higher on the hill in my next hill repeats workout. I set big goals but I also look at smaller, daily or weekly, ones too to keep me going.

5. If my motivation is starting to fade, it might be time for a different goal or routine

On the same note of goal setting, sometimes too much routine or too many attempts at the same goal make me lose my motivation. Sometimes running the same trail feels boring and I’m unmotivated to get a run in. But when I dig deeper, it isn’t the run I don’t want to do, it is seeing the same five miles of trail that I don’t want to do. Mix it up! Sick of the elliptical? Try riding the bike at the gym. Need a break from your kickboxing class? Try a Zumba class. Your motivation to get to it after a little separation from the same thing will do you some good.

On that same note, sometimes attempting the same goal over and over will make you lose your motivation – not spark it. I took a long break from trying to PR my half time. I didn’t even attempt it once in 2018, because I was so burnt out on that goal. I still wanted it – yes, but I needed time away from racing the half marathon to find my motivation to go for it again. I spent last year on other goals and now feel motivated to try again on that one. Staying motivated can mean a little headspace from the thing you’re motivated to work towards, even if that sounds counter productive.

6. Last but not least, sometimes you just gotta suck it up and go.

Sometimes the only way I find my motivation is to force myself out there. Sometimes I don’t find the motivation, it finds me. Don’t let your excuses win. Think to yourself, “I can at least get out there and try today and if it sucks after 15 minutes I’ll go home.” Some days I don’t even wanna run half a mile but those end up being the best runs I have. Some days you just gotta fake it til you make it, but eventually the motivation comes!

Cheers to staying motivated!

Vanessa