Today is OK

There once was a time when missing a run would be the end of the world. I would be bitchy, irritable, and just plain pissed. The plan is the plan, you have to stick to it or else. Or else what? Are you going to spontaneously combust? Are your legs going to fall off? No.
If you are a seasoned runner you have had that feeling when you miss your run, generally this happened at the beginning of your running life. But, as we all know: life happens. You get stuck at work, all the kids are sick at the same time, the dog got bit by another dog, or it just didn't happen. Accepting that you missed a run is hard. I can now proudly say that I am at that point. Today was that day, finally I was ok with missing a run. Of course it is my biggest goal year with thousands of miles in the queue but today, i was ok.

My daughter has had chest pain for months and sometimes with a 12 year old girl the level of pain fluctuates with who is talking to who. It has been getting worse and no longer could i ignore it. I took her out of school and to the doctor. An irregular heart beat and referred to a pediatric cardiologist, whew. it could be nothing, but it could be something.

These things put the whole deal in perspective. I have huge races on the calendar this year but i will drop it all in a heartbeat to be there for her. If I miss one run this week, even though i ran on my scheduled rest day so technically i'm not behind, to spend the day taking care of her, it will be ok.

There is tomorrow and I will make the best of it, I will let go of today and not let it hold me down. I will focus on the other million things that will also help me achieve my goals. I will stretch, I will foam roll, i will ice, and i will kill my core workout!

Today it's ok.

Who wants to #getcut?

Jan. 5, 2016

Whew, it's been 2 days since the GetCut Program at Pat's Gym has ended. I am at a loss, something is missing. I had grown accustomed to getting up and meeting my workout buddies 6 days a week early in the morning before work. I had created a pretty seamless routine in preparing my meals for the day and planning my eating schedule.

     Now, if you have been intrigued by my journey through this program and have started the Jan group or are thinking of trying it out. I feel that there are a few things that you must know about the program that are not in the plan. These things may not be true for everyone, but at least the 4 of us in my group, we seemed to share a lot of them.

1. Water. Pat tells you that if you can't drink 100 oz of water a day then how can you be fully committed to be the best you can be. This may seem like a lot of water to some, but its only a little over 3-32oz nalgenes. While in this program you should get yourself a water bottle that can hold 32oz, it will help you keep track of your water intake. I injested 5-6 nalgenes a day. Thats almost 200oz! If you want to test this little water theory out while in this program be prepared to be slow, more fatigued, and overall lacking energy. I had only 100oz of water one day, and i learned my lesson.

2. Constipation. Yes you heard me correctly. Nobody tells you about this. When you are weighing yourself everyday at the exact same time, cutting calories, and fasting for 19 hours and the numbers go up on the scale. You almost lose your mind. You know that you are following the rules, but you haven't had a bowel movement in 4 days. So you know what the cause of your "gain" is, the question is how do i take a shit?!  Don't worry, i am hear to give you some suggestions and i hope by sharing this you can get on top of the issue before it starts to mess with your head.
       Spinach- it's low in calories and when you put it in your blender with some protein powder as a drink or a part of your smoothie, you can get in 6-8 cups. This however will not work very long, a week maybe.
       Smooth Move tea- has a pleasant taste and you drink it at night which helps because you will be hungry and this will suppress those cravings. The main ingredient in the tea is Senna leaf-which is a natural laxative. Like most things you cannot take this daily as you will become tolerant to it. So once a week should work.
       Psyllium Husk Powder- used as a tea. I personally did not use this but another woman in our group did and it worked great. I imagine it worked the same way the Senna Leaf does in the Smooth Move.
       Acacia Fiber-this is a fine powder that you mix in water. it is not the most pleasing to the eye as it is looks like muddy water when all mixed, but it has no taste. This a milder form of fiber and can be used 3x a day to provide a more regular schedule.
       In the evenings you have your 60-90 min cardio, i suggest to do some running. The movement will help jostle things around.

Going into this program my intent wasn't to lose much weight, I wanted to look lean and "getcut". I wanted to build a better strength base and test my mental toughness. Removing alcohol from my diet wasn't hard because I don't drink in the first place. But removing carbs was difficult. I am an endurance athlete and much of my energy source to fuel my long runs come from carbs 4:1 ratio to protein. So to go to a mostly protein diet was probably the hardest for me personally.
You will notice that all the pain you are putting your body through in the workouts that you expect to be sore, but when you wake up the next day you aren't really. Since you are fueling with high protein within a short window of working out you are repairing your muscles faster and more efficiently.

I think there is alot to be said about training with a group. i know that my teammates relied on me and i needed them to push me as well. If i had chosen to do the program but on my own i don't think i would have had the results that i did. This may be better for some due to time schedule or prior commitments. But you really get to know these people and you see them suffer and grow in possibly more ways than their other friends have. I think this is true about the gym as a whole. you share something with these people who understand what you are going through and will be there to push you further.

Last words: you will be tired, you will be hungry. You will get stronger physically and mentally. They say it takes 3 days to get past a craving and its true. You have it easy this time. We had to do this during Christmas and New Years! So have a plan.
When you get off of work for the day, go home and pack your lunch and snacks in containers for the next day. Weigh your food for accurate calorie count. Keep a food journal. If you don't have a scale, go buy one. Towards the end of the program you will be able to eyeball portion sizes because they will be ingrained in your mind.

Find portable snacks. Hard boiled eggs are low in calories(70) with 7g of protein. They are easy to throw in a bag. The Free range smoked turkey deli meat from the Co-op was a life saver!(90cal for 6oz and 20g protein) Remember when choosing dairy, choose full fat! Cottage cheese and whole fat greek yogurt plain are great breakfast choices if you can't go home to make breakfast after your workout. Meat bars. This sounds gross, but they indeed are not. Created with a Paleo diet in mind they are packed with protein and little carbs. they are portable and not loaded with calories.

Many of the bars, teas, and specialty items can be found at the Willy St Co-op and Whole Foods. The Cave Man bar you can find at the Suppz store by Trek East. As in any program you should be eating clean. Focused on organic and try to get the most protein/carb ratio while still low in calories.

I lost 6 lbs total in 35. Good Luck from the December GetCut participants!

FALL 50 RECAP

Sunday October 25, 2015

8:17:50 was my official time for the Door County Fall 50 National Championship solo race. Technically I am the 7th fastest woman in the country in the 50 mile road race. Did I meet my goal? No. Did I do what I thought was possible? No. Did I do my best? yes.


Those No's aren't meaning that much to me this time around. I am choosing to focus on the positive. I trained hard (yes I could have trained harder) and I took the time that I thought was necessary to accomplish my goal. I came into this race positive, without stress, and with a mantra.

"I am strong, I am confident, I can, and I will"

That is what I told myself when I started to doubt myself, or when the second bout of rain that came sideways threatened to derail me.

I feel like I need to back up a bit. Like I mentioned, I took a whole new approach to this years race and I have to thank the experience of the weekend before for that.

As soon as I DNF'ed last years race I knew that I would be back and that I would never let that happen to me again. I vowed to train harder, train smarter, and recover better. I got a running coach, I became a part of a weekly speed group, I got a personal trainer, I got a running journal, and I tried to immerse myself into all of it.  I found out early in the year that I was being offered free entry into this years race because of my DNF last year. Like there was any doubt that I was going to do it again!

I started to become more familiar with the clothing brand Oiselle, and of course started following everyone on social media. I became aware of the Oiselle Volee and I wanted in, but how? To my surprise they opened it up to anyone for a short time. I got on that fast, because at this point I was already starting to own much of the clothing and wanted to race with them. Around that same time there was a camp announced that would be held in Duluth, and with none other than Kara Goucher! They mentioned some other accomplished athletes, but truthfully I had never heard of them. What was even better was that this camp was being held the weekend before my big race, of course I had to go.
In my opinion If you aren't prepared mentally for a race then you shouldn't be racing. I feel I had given up mentally last year way before my body gave out. So this seemed to be the last piece of the puzzle.

How could you not feel refreshed with a view on a run like this?

I could go on and on about the retreat but this post is about the race so you get the cliff notes version.

By joining the Oiselle team I had gained so many friends that I didn't know I had. In my running life back home I lack the network essential for my running to flourish in the way I want. To meet these women was so much more than I could have hoped for. I gained a massive community and friends who understand. Understand the injury, the pain, the hope, the mental defeat, the training, the sacrifice, and the joy. Walking into this retreat with literally knowing no one I quickly became friends with other Oiselle teammates and knew that these ladies will be life long friends.

Those "other" coaches that I didn't know existed turned out to be very important indeed.  The Kleckers. If you don't know who they are, you should look them up. They are both amazing athletes and pillars in the running world. But beyond that, they are amazing people. Barney holds the American record in the 50 mile road distance of 4:51. 4:51!!!!  Janis was a part of the first Olympic marathon trials for women in 1984. Both have had beyond amazing running careers while raising 6 kids.

Janis has an effect on people. She has a calm demeanor and pretty much makes you cry when she opens her mouth. I was gravitating toward her. Needless to say we had a conversation and I cried (like always) she changed my life in 10 minutes. I felt lighter than I have in along time and I knew that the next weekend was nothing to worry about.

Fast forward to race day. My anxiety was pretty much non-existent and I was ready to tackle this race. As a runner you know that you cannot control the weather so you race in the conditions that you are given even if they are not ideal. Rain. Wind. Cold. Those three nasty words when combined together make for an interesting race.



That feeling of weightlessness followed me into race day and throughout the race. I felt strong and I had the unwavering support of my husband and daughter, what else did I really need?

I had set an aggressive goal for myself and about 30 miles in after changing shoes and socks and getting poured on again I realized I was going to miss that goal. I could still knock out a stellar performance so I pushed on. At around mile 40 I had a woman come up behind me asking if I was Nora. Surprised and wondering how this stranger knew my name I said yes. She showed me her Oiselle tank under her raincoat and said how proud she was of me and said I was her hero. She told me I looked strong and to keep going. This woman has no idea that I had to fight back the tears as she passed me (she was a part of the relay). Its hard to run and cry. I had passed the point where I had to drop out last year and was emotional already.( I had to choke down tears many times by this point). To me, I had a score to settle within myself and to be considered a hero to someone else was inconceivable.

From around that same time my right calf began to tighten. It felt like it was fully constricted and no matter how hard I pushed I could not go much faster.

When you are doing a race of that length the last miles are so welcoming. Trying to explain that to someone who has never ran that far is thinking "10 miles, that is so far," but when you have already ran 40, 10 is a piece of cake. As I was approaching the finish a group of women ran in with me. I have never seen these women before and still have no idea who they were. Because of this my husband and daughter didn't see me coming in and therefore did not get to see me crossing the finish line.  Maybe that was for the best. Remember when I said I had to choke back the tears during the race, well this time I let them flow. All the emotions overtook me. I was so happy to have finished, to prove to myself that I can do it and that last year was a fluke. I was exhausted, cold, and mentally spent.
I cannot give a detailed account of the race because as I finished I gave Roger a hug and accidentally my race got deleted. Yes the whole race! Being so emotionally fragile at that moment I flipped out on him when he was just trying to comfort me. But I don't NEED a watch to tell me that I ran 50 miles, I don't NEED a watch to tell me how I felt during that race. What I NEEDED was right there in front of me.

I ended up placing 7th overall woman and got another big medal.

This time around there was no disappointment in myself, there wasn't a bunch of "if I only did this," I was simply content. I gave all that I was capable of giving that day. I only walked two hills that I knew going in I was going to walk. I felt stronger than ever on the other hills and my overall fitness was better than ever. My recovery and strength training proved its worth in the days after. I am marginally sore and not in the areas that I have previously been.

It is safe to say that my running turned a corner this year and climbed the hill in the past two weeks. I will be back next year to chase the goal.

life isn't fair

There are things in life that just aren't fair. That is a fact. I was reminded of that yesterday as I tried to help some people in need.
My husband and I saw three clearly homeless people and a dog asking for help at a popular intersection. We turned to one another and knew that we must help them. We were headed to Starbucks and I grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water for each person, explaining to the barista where they were going. She kindly did her part in discounting the items and wished all of us luck. Upon returning to deliver the items the police pulled up alongside them. We were determined to help in any way that we could, so we proceeded. I walked up to the group who were now getting hassled and written tickets that most likely will not be able to be paid, and with kind words handed them the bag " it looks like you could use this". The look of appreciation on the man's face was evident and shock on the others that I came upon them while the police were there. One of the police officers pulled me aside as I was turning to walk away explaining there is a policy in place against panhandlers in intersections and people giving to panhandlers. I had no idea and was just trying to help some people who clearly needed it. He explained that giving money especially was prohibited because they just use it to buy drugs, but the food and water we gave them should be ok.
At this point my husband got out of the car thinking that I was being accosted. Our dog also jumped out of the car window as I was walking back to the car.
I couldn't explain what the officer said to me because I was so emotional. Thinking about it now brings it back. How much courage do you think it took for those people to advertise that they were so in need? What chain of events caused the situation they were in? Then to be treated like they don't matter and written tickets that they can't pay. Assuming they are drug seekers.
Was any of that necessary? Could the police have just asked them to move along? Life isn't fair.
Maybe the emotion hit me because in another life that could have been me. I've been pretty low before and there were times I didn't know if I would have a roof to cover myself and my daughter.

My husband and I share the dream of opening a homeless shelter in the Madison area. We will call it the Birdhouse. Even that is just a business plan, to help the people in need in just our community takes an enormous amount of money and assistance. So for now we do our small part day to day and remember that our problems are small in the grand scheme of things.

Boston Strong

The Boston marathon is today. Today an American male won for the first time in almost 30 years. Records were broken all over the womens field. An amazing day for the race and the town itself.
This year i was not there.
I did not see this live.
I headed out on my own marathon this morning at 8:40 am central time. The elite women were already on their way.
To give me strength I had my Boston hat and my Fellow Flowers shirt "you can not destroy the will of a runner" on and ready to go.

The first 5 miles were humid and i was feeling good. It started to rain, no not rain, pour. It was a warm rain though and i wasn't going to turn back. My body felt strong and I knew i was going slow but to finish was the goal for today. So for the next 15 miles it rained.

There were times during this run where I cried and instead of choking them back i let them flow. I cried for the race i didnt have, I cried for the fear i felt, I cried for the lives lost, I cried for the pain that still remains everywhere. Still i had a smile.

When i run i dont bring my phone, today i did. When i reached 26.2 and saved my route i looked at my phone. My husband wrote an amazing post about our journey on facebook. Upon reading that with the emotion of what i had just done was truly overwhelming.

When i got in the door i heard that an American had won! Meb had accomplished something that he had been so close to before. i watched the live feed from the race and it was not through clear eyes.

For a year I have not been able to read, look at, or hear about Boston without choking up. I avoided the papers and the tv on the anniversary, i couldnt handle it just yet. The pain was still so raw, it still is honestly. To see my friends give the race a go or another go is amazing.
I knew i had to try to deal with this raw reaction in my way and to run the distance again was all i could do. today i ran with a purpose thinking about the bad race i had and how i was feeling at certain mile markers. today added to the miles i have been building since saturdays' half marathon. 54 for three days.

My Boston time was 4:24:47. My time today 4:16:38

It is true that you can not destroy the will of a runner. it can be broken or lost, but not destroyed. It may take years to revive itself but it will be back.

Winter has been long

Sunday March 23, 2014

When the sun shines and the weather is warm after an impossible winter you can only help but to smile.  A kind of smile that not only lights up your face but your whole being.  That, is how I feel about running.  The winter was long and cold and so had been my running attitude.  I would like to say that it happened after Boston, but I know it happened the winter before.  I had lost my love for the sport. How can a person who had lived, breathed, and talked running just stop?  I ran the 50 miler and after that the honeymoon was over.

I should have been elated that I had qualified for Boston without trying, or that I placed 2nd in my first ever ultra, but all i could think was: what now, what's next?  it had never been my style to do something mediocre and then try to do better next time.  Do your best the first time and move on to the next bigger/harder thing, that was my style.

I decided to run the 50 miler again and trained, well sort of and had the best race ever.  I ran some after that and it was nothing substantial. I also needed a runner partner to get me out the door.  I always made up a reason not to go if i was by myself.  This was also unlike my previous running persona. Alone.  Always run alone.
Then winter came and it was hard to get out the door when temps were consistently below zero.

My dog Roubaix has been the best running partner anyone can ask for and provided some much needed alone time without being alone.  most of those unmotivated runs were done with him on a trail. unknowingly he slowly lead me back to my dear friend.

Within the last 3 weeks my love for running has returned, I am a giddy child once again.  i can't wait to run after work, I can't wait to commute to work, I can't wait to spend 5 hours on a run.  i give credit to the sun and the warmer temps.  today I had planned a 17 miler with a friend whom I have never run with.  i told everyone about it and I was excited for many reasons.  17 miles would be the farthest i have run since the 50 miler in October and it was going to be on one of my favorite courses.  My running courses are something that I hold near and dear to my heart, they are like my little treasure box that you only look at alone in your bedroom late at night and show only your close friends. So to expose that to someone new was exhilarating!

The weather forecast was not looking in our favor, cold again with the wind.  She expressed some hesitation about the length of time we would be out in the cold early in the morning.  It was ME who told her not to worry, that it would be great and we would thank ourselves afterward.  She ended up getting sick anyway and couldn't join me in the end.

i had 2 choices: 1. sleep as long as i could and sip my coffee while surfing Facebook.  Take a nap with the dog and not venture outside into the sunny but cold day. 2. Sleep in some, eat breakfast and start dressing for my run.  go anyway. Besides I was so pumped to be running this course and the sun was out.  2 won hands down.
it was not hard, i did not struggle, I wasn't even cold.  it was truly like seeing a friend you haven't seen in years and not skipping a beat. I am back and I cannot wait to see what happens!

It's amazing what a smile can do.

Door County Fall 50.

This is a race that I have had mix feelings about.  Excited, terrified, unsure, confident, and confused.  Knowing the struggle that I endured last year, I was not looking forward to that kind of suffering again.  Running in general for me, as of late has lost its luster, that magic quality that pulls you in to a place of tranquility.  It has been a challenge to even get out the door, to even think about going for a run.  Always being a solo runner, if I didn't have a running partner I simply didn't go.

There are many reasons that I will tell you why I haven't been running/training.  Work, school, kids, spouse, new dog, etc. The list goes on.  One reason is to blame though deep down and I know it. Boston.  I had not recovered from that.  Physically I suppose I did, although my training was nil.  Mentally and emotionally not even a chance.  My will had been broken, that mental toughness that got me through tough training runs had disappeared.  How was I going to run 50 miles with out toughness?!  Last year that is all that got me through those last 10 miles.

Doubting myself and my ability I had to make a decision.  Run or don't.  If i was ever going to get my love back for running this should be the ultimate test.  With hundreds of miles less in training and my stubborn attitude gone, this sounded impossible.  Even to my partner, he had no confidence in the feat that i was about to encounter.  He will be the first to admit that he would have bet money on me that i would not finish.  But he agreed to go with me against his better judgment.

I made the decision.  Instead of try to beat my previous years time(the plan when i signed up before Boston), I was going to run my race, I was going to finish, I wasn't going to care where i was in rank, I was going to have the "come to Jesus" meeting with myself and find my love for running again.  This race will be a new start, the pain from Boston will always be there, but it doesn't need to be at the surface and determine who I will become.  Time to let it go.

Roger and Roubaix make the trip with me the day before, we got my packet ate dinner and prepared for the day to come.  In true Nora race fashion we are there early, and I am pushing the nervousness back down my throat.  The dog is overstimulated and we are all cold.  Race morning brings us low 40's with 30 mph winds along the coast. I am supposed to have fun?

The gun goes off and we start, I am in the middle of the pack instead of on the start line.  I start slow, I would like to negative split for once.  my nice "slow" pace turns out to be the same pace I started out at last year, oops.

1-10 miles were fine, steady pace ran through the first race stop and got to see my boys. I started the race with a smile on my face and a whatever attitude. I was going to finish that way.

A little chit chat with fellow runners along the way makes the miles go by way faster.  After the pit stop at 11 I was charged up. i was determined to run smart, walk the hills, take time at the rest stops, kiss the boys, and don't rush. I was slowing a bit the wind ended up being mostly a tail wind(whew), but sometimes made for a nasty cross wind.

The colors were amazing and that's the part I needed, the solitude to appreciate the smells of nature.  Be in awe of the change in something so alive all around me.   Those next few miles were just that, running through a state park along the water was indeed serene.  For the first time i am running a race with a smile on my face.

i am greeted at each stop from my support crew, roger keeps asking if I want to know how I am doing, my answer is always no. I just want to finish, that is my goal, finish before 6 pm.
i get to mile 30 and more than half way there, looks like i could finish in 9 hours, but i walk when i need to and don't feel bad about it.  Mile 40 and still feeling good, still with a smile.

I reach the 41 mile rest stop.  This is where it really fell apart last year, the goal then was just make it one more mile.  i knew this year if i could come into the stop feeling good, I could finish strong. I came in without a problem.

Only 9 to go. I ran, I walked.  I wanted to conserve a bit so I could push the last two miles in faster. Last year they were so hard, I was crying in pain.  This year my body was fine, my mind was clear.  I was happy. I get to 48 and it's go time.  I wasn't going fast per se, but faster than the 10:20 i was doing.  Man did it feel good to have something left to give.  I look at my watch and i know i can get in before 9 hours.

I finish with a smile and in 8:55, only 55 minutes slower than last year but this one was better.  I still managed a 6th age group placing and 14th overall female.  My man is speechless, never in his wildest dreams could i have accomplished this.  Boy did i prove him wrong.

It remains to be seen if my will has resurfaced and if the love is back, right now i believe it is.  I am sore from head to toe, but i embrace all of it knowing that i did something that will change me forever and bring me back.  it's that good kind of hurt.

Anytime I had a doubt or I focused on the humongous blister between my toes.  I forced that smile and it all went away.  who knew running 50 miles could be FUN!