Gotta Have Goals

It's a new month, so what better way to challenge yourself and be held accountable than to make your goals public?!

Jennifer's Goals

1. Run 5 days a week. I'd like to give myself a mileage goal, but I think I'll start out small for our first month of goals.
2. Do speed work once a week.  Ultimately, my goal is to get faster.  From all the issues of Runner's World I've read over the past 5 years, speed work is the key.  And while I might not be able to hit the track on a weekly basis, I have a treadmill, so it's possible to complete this goal.
3. Go to bed by 10:30 every night!  This one is tough.  I have a 1-year old, so when she goes to bed, I usually hop on the computer, or watch some TV and before I know it, midnight is upon me.  Getting adequate sleep is another key to recovery.
4. Learn about fueling/nutrition for before/during longer runs.  I live on a diet of pasta and candy.  Unfortunately, this is not good running food according to the experts.  So during the month of November, I'll do some research about how to properly fuel my body to enhance my running (rather than running just so I can eat crap).
5. Eat sweets no more than three times a week.  Some would say this isn't really a goal.  Those people obviously have no idea what kind of sweets addiction I'm dealing with.

Jessica's Goals


1. Complete speed work once a week.  Jennifer stole this goal from me.  See explanation for goal above.
2. Add two yoga workouts per week.  I am quite possibly the most un-flexible person out there!  I know that flexibility adds speed for runners, and yoga is supposed to keep my body and mind in tune, right?
3. 35 miles per week. Setting a weekly mileage goal will force me to actually plan my training!  Most days I just go out and do whatever I feel like, or whatever my friend Leonie plans for us.  I think that in the long run, a training plan will help me be stronger and faster.
4. Eliminate Monster energy drinks from my daily intake.  By far one of my biggest vices is the energy drink addiction that I have!  I'm constantly needing the caffeine fix just to function.  I've increased my intake of water, but I still drink those energy drinks.  With a list of ingredients that I cannot even pronounce, there's NO WAY these are even remotely good for me!
5. Find one new trail to run every week. During the recent Dirt Devil Racing series, I was introduced to four new trails in the San Diego area.  I'm surrounded by amazing places to run and it just takes a little research.  Finding somewhere new to run each week will keep me motivated (and distracted) during long runs!


Share your goals with us and leave us your email/blog/twitter.  We'll check in on you this month to see if you're sticking to the plan.  Help keep us and yourselves accountable!

If I had the $$$...

If I had the money and time, there are three races in particular that I would LOVE to do.





1) Dublin Marathon - Ireland - Who wouldn't want to run through that beautiful country?





Where else can you find a can of Guinness RUNNING a marathon???







2) Athens Classic Marathon - Greece - I know that this one needs NO explanation for anyone.

                     More awesome costumes!!!

3) 4 Deserts Run - Africa (This one needs some explanation, so I borrowed it from their website - http://www.4deserts.com/whatis4deserts).

The 4 Deserts is the world's leading rough-country endurance footrace series. A unique collection of world-class events that take place over 7 days and 250 kilometres in the largest and most forbidding deserts on the planet. 

Competitors are challenged to go beyond the limits of their physical and mental endurance. Racing self-supported in the most inhospitable climates and formidable landscapes, they must carry all their own equipment and food and are only provided with drinking water and a place in a tent each night to rest. 

The series, named again by TIME magazine in 2010 as one of the world's Top 10 endurance competitions, comprises the Atacama Crossing in Chile, the Gobi March in China, the Sahara Race in Egypt and The Last Desert in Antarctica. 

 And if you feel this good at the end, you've done well!!!

Inspiring Words

As we head into the weekend, what better to leave you with than some motivational quotes about running! If you are tired from a long work week and just feel like sitting on the couch in front of the TV (this happens to me all the time!), then read through these and get ready to lace up your running shoes!

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
- Steve Prefontaine

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
- Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

"Many people shy away from hills. They make it easy on themselves, but that limits their improvement. The more you repeat something, the stronger you get." - Joe Catalano

I've saved my favorite quote for the end!!! Some days I get down on myself for not being super fast or not having achieved all my running goals, but in the end, this is what it boils down to...

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

- John Bingham

What's your favorite motivational quote that gets you out the door rain or shine?

Ugh...I need new Feet!!!

Most of you have probably experienced plantar fasciitis in your years of running.  I've had it before, but it is back with a vengeance!  It started about 3 months ago and I went to the doctor.  The only reason I decided to even get it checked out is that it only started hurting after I completed 55 miles of an ultra race (I DNF'd because I knew something was wrong with my foot).  So, I went to see the doc just to rule out a possible stress fracture.

      For those who don't know me personally, I'm an active duty Marine.  While this means "free medical", you get what you pay for!  I had them take a look at my foot, pointed to where it hurt and explained how it felt.  The doc's advice to me, "just run until it hurts too much"!  (Yes, I could have come up with that diagnosis without any help.)

Me and a running buddy that I met during the ultra!

     And being a fiend for information, I hopped online to look for the immediate cure to my problem.  I started icing my foot, wearing the Strassburg sock, and rolling my foot on some small wooden balls.  However, I absolutely did not stop running (nor do I plan to).  All this being said, it's getting a little bit easier to tolerate, and it's mostly just my right foot.

So, anyone have some good recommendations for how to keep training while allowing my foot to get better?

Wordless Wednesday

Photo from http://www.dravesarchery.com/vibram-five-fingers/vibram-five-fingers-men.html 

Bad Mother Runners

I am lucky enough to have found the most amazing group of military moms to run with twice a week (plus long runs, bike rides, playdates, etc). This group is called Stroller Warriors, and if you've met me since I joined the club, you've probably thought to yourself, "Geez, does this girl EVER talk about anything other than this running club?!".

Running with these women and their children has not only made me a faster, more confident runner; it has made me a better mother and a more sane individual! We share a common bond as military wives and mothers and runners. The group ranges from beginners to blazing fast chicks pushing 100+ pounds in a double stroller. On any given Tuesday or Friday, the people of Camp Lejeune (or Jacksonville, NC) are assaulted by an onslaught of 30-50 strollers running down one of our usual routes. It's truly a sight to behold. During these runs, I've asked about a thousand questions about how to feed/clothe/entertain/fly with Reagan. These ladies have all the answers because they've done it all.

I seriously cannot say enough good things about Stroller Warriors. If you're not part of a running group, I strongly recommend finding one. You'll discover that you are faster and stronger than you ever imagined. Plus, they usually have cool t-shirts.

Some of the SW's after running the Stephen Siller Tunnel 2 Towers 5k

Check them out in this article from the Jacksonville's newspaper, The Globe.

***Congratulations to the winners of the RazzyRoo Giveaway Lisa (Mom to Marathon blog author) and Lynsey (The Moores: Capturing our Adventures One Day at a Time blog author)

With or Without an iPod

There is a great debate among runners as to whether you should or should not run with an iPod.  Let’s look at the argument from both sides:

Pros

• A good beat gets you motivated.
• Music can be a welcomed distraction from negative thoughts that tell you it’s time to quit.
• Great tunes make the time pass by faster for long runs that seem to never end. 
• Your running partner has an especially irritating breathing pattern or loud footfall, you can block it out with tunes (if I run with any of you readers...I promise, I'm NOT talking about you).

Cons

• If you have headphones on, you cannot hear what is going on around you, which presents a safety  issue (there are a lot of distracted drivers out there and people who wish to do innocent people harm).
• If your favorite song is distracting you, there is potential for your good, strong running form to turn into slumped shoulders and cross body arm swinging.
• A lot of races ban runners from wearing headphones during the race.  If you train with headphones and then find out you can’t run with music on race day, it can do a number on your PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)!!!
• Sometimes the music moves you to break out your latest sweet moves from Dance Dance Revolution, and let's be honest, that's not going to get you a PR in your next race.

I would say that on at least 25% of my runs, I definitely have my iPod with me.  After reading several articles about running with music though, I’ve had a change of heart.  I try to hit the road/trail with just my thoughts and the scenery around me for entertainment. 

Which side are you on?