Vegan Road Runner

02/01/2021

Happy New Year! With no plans for in-person racing until the late summer or fall for me (fingers crossed!), I’m looking forward to building strength and endurance and doing something different with my running this winter and spring. Maybe a neighborhood 50k? My usual 5-mile as many time as I can handle? Something to challenge me both mentally and physically that I wouldn’t do if I had another spring marathon on tap.

What are your running goals for the year?

05/06/2019

This past weekend Brian and I headed to San Diego to race the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. It was our first Rock ‘n’ Roll race race and it didn’t disappoint! Everything about it was fantastic - organization (expo, gear check, corrals, porta potties I’ve only dreamed of), courses (scenery and hills), and post-race party.

I was worried about the weather before we got there. It was going to be low 60’s, which is about 10 degrees warmer than ideal. That temp without humidity, however, turned out to be really nice. It was downright cold for some native Californians. We saw many runners in long sleeves and pants!

For the first time since Chicago 2017 (4 marathons ago), I started conservatively. I paced a first-time marathoner through the first 12ish miles, which both kept me from running too fast and made the miles fly by. Also for the first time since Chicago, I didn’t walk once - something that has been a huge mental hurdle for me. In fact, by running strong in the second half and not quitting I was only 21 seconds slower than the first half - the closest to even I’ve come in years! Finally, my time was 3:25:57 - almost 4 minutes faster than this year’s Boston Marathon. I’m really proud of this race.

I’m also proud of Brian, who ran almost a 7-minute PR in his half! Besides his amazing race, Brian not only SAW Meb but RAN with him and finished ahead of him! (Meb was pacing his brother to a sub-2:00 finish.). Oh Meb. 🥰

I’d recommend this race to anyone and will make an effort to get back to do it again. But maaaaybe for the half so I don’t have to run the MONSTER hill from 22-23 (Heartbreak x2 - no joke).

30/04/2019

YES to everything in this! If only I had appreciated my fast times and PRs. Tina Muir nails it here.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “if I could just run xx time, I would be happy” or finish in xx position, I would have made it.

We know running is relative. One persons fast is another’s slow. One persons never gonna happen is another persons I could do this for hours. And we are fine with that. We all have our own goals that we work towards.

Yet why is it that once we reach those goals, run a pace or time we once thought was impossible, we are still not able to celebrate, still not able to see it as good enough. We want MORE.

I have run 16:08 in the 5k, 33:24 in the 10k, 1:13 in the half marathon, 2:36 in the marathon, and have represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland in a world championship and European championship.

But even running those times, I struggled to celebrate them as they happened. The 5k, from someone who was once excited to break 18:30, when I ran my PB all I wanted was under 16. When I ran my 2:36 marathon, it was “only” a one minute PB, I wanted four minutes.

When I look back, I never truly celebrated my PBs as I ran them. I was always looking ahead to the next one as soon as I crossed the finish line.

It’s not a bad thing to keep striving for more and never be satisfied, as humans we are designed to do this for survival. Our brains are inherently negative.

But when you have worked SO HARD towards something for a long time and you finally do it, we need to STOP and take the time to soak in that moment. Yes, running one time means you are capable of more, but if you are not careful, you will waste the most incredible highs we get in life, by daydreaming about the next one. Now I look back on those times, the paces seem SO FAST, so far away, speeds I couldn’t imagine now. I just wish I had appreciated them more in the moment. Rather than looking at the girls in front of me, where I wanted to be, I glanced back to see where I had come from, a long way.

So whether it’s a one second personal best or a one hour. Next time you run faster than you ever have before, take a day, a week, a MONTH to just revel in it. That is what makes us feel most ALIVE, and that is not a moment to waste ❤️

21/01/2019

I love Tina Muir. She’s amazing! I love her joy and perspective on life and running. If she can “find peace and joy with not running as fast as you may have run in the past”, maybe I can too. Most days I’m there but it’s still a journey.

🏃‍♀️RACE RECAP PART 4🏃‍♀️
I could feel myself slowing, I just hoped I wouldn’t hit that point all runners dread, where your legs totally blow up, and you can barely move.
I gritted my teeth. The lead cyclist had told me I had a 2 minute lead, so I could play it safe a little, after leading the entire race, I was not going to give up the high I knew was coming. I had seen the finish line photos at the races, and they are spectacular. This was about to be my moment.
The final mile has a lot of twists and turns, and it was hard to recover what little momentum I had left, but finally, I saw it, the finish line up ahead.
I was really going to do it. I, Tina Muir, was going to WIN the Disney World Half marathon less than one year after the birth of my daughter, less than two years since I thought I was saying goodbye to running for good.
I saw Mickey and Donald up ahead, facing away. for a moment I panicked, did they even know I was coming? Would the tape be ready or would I have to tap them on the shoulder and say, “excuse me, I just finished”.
Then I realized why...they were ready for the photo, for what I knew would be one of my favorite photos of my life!
I had the biggest smile as I crossed that line, I tried to take in every one of my senses, I wanted this memory etched in my mind forever. You know how it feels to cross the finish line, the most exhilarating rush, one of the best highs we as humans experience.
And what was even better, I was doing it for the journey, for the experience. Yes, this moment was incredible, but it was about so much more than the finish line. It was about what it represented. That it is possible to train hard while still putting your baby first. That is is possible to find your love of running if you have lost it. That it is possible to find peace and joy with not running as fast as you may have in the past.
Here I was, running 6 minutes slower than my best, but overjoyed.
I was showing that I am not a superhuman who can bounce back and smash my PR soon after having a baby. I was showing that I am just like everyone else out there who is trying to be the best they can be.

31/12/2018

New Year’s Eve is a good day for reflection and I’ve been seeing photos of everyone’s awesome running accomplishments from 2018. I’m beyond grateful for my miles this year and all the runs I was able to complete, especially after PRP treatment for my left hamstring in November 2017.

In 2018 I ran three marathons - the Boston Marathon (in a monsoon) Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, Inc. (AMAZING marathon), and Detroit Free Press Marathon (with my husband - his first). I ran my first 50k in gorgeous Marquette, MI. I also ran some smaller races with some of my fastest race times in three years. I did this with less overall mileage and fewer days of speed work than in the past. I didn’t overdo anything, ran for the love of it, and stayed healthy.

Boston training officially starts today and I’m calling it a rest day. It’s not because I’m too busy. It’s not because its raining. I’m a little tired but that hasn’t stopped me before. I’m listening to my body, something I haven’t always been great at. My hamstring is telling me to rest and I’m going to listen. I have a whole year ahead of me filled with races and training runs. A few miles today won’t help if I really need to rest. This decision isn’t always an easy one for me to make but it’s one that gets easier for me with time. I know tomorrow’s run will be better because of today’s rest.

What were your running highlights of 2018?

02/12/2018

Jingle Bell 10k this morning in Detroit. Grateful for happy hamstrings, cat socks, and a fun end to an awesome race season!

42:48, 2nd place female, 6th OA

20/10/2018

I may have already said this, but I’ve had an insanely non-traditional training cycle since running Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, Inc. in June. It’s turned out to be wonderful and has resulted in 5k times I haven’t run in 3 years.

In the past 4 weeks I ran three 5ks, with each time being faster than the one before. Today’s was my last of the season. I’m happy to have finished strong and healthier than I was a year ago.

Thanks to Detroit Free Press Marathon for another great 5k!

24/09/2018

This morning I ran Capital City River Run 13.1 for the first time. I’m not sure why I waited so long to run on such a beautiful course! Gorgeous shady river trails, MSU campus, bridges, and a finish on the Lansing Lugnuts baseball field - what’s not to love?

This season has been fairly non-traditional for me. Lower volume, easier runs, and more trails. I’ve kept only one day a week for track or tempo. I’m doing what’s best for my body so I don’t ruin my hamstring AGAIN.

It looks like I may have found the key. I ran my fastest half marathon today since 2015. I ran happy and I ran healthy - free from pain relievers and KT Tape.

I’m grateful and hopeful for what’s to come.

07/09/2018

If you haven’t listened to Tina Muir’s podcast, I highly recommend it! This episode is a great one. Dr W***y discusses repeated injury, cadence, running form, and other related topics.

Dr. Rich W***y is an expert in Biomechanics, he is known as one of the best for a reason. If you are interested in subjects such as the risk of injury, gait retraining (and can we even change gait longer term?), the helpfulness of wearables , strength training and the importance of recovery, this ep...

02/09/2018

Two weeks ago I finished my first 50k at the Marquette Trail 50. It was such an amazing running/hiking/climbing experience! I knew it would be a challenge but even the most “challenging” trails in Southeast Michigan can do little to prepare one for this course. Rocks, roots, stairs, and more rocks. Downhills. So many downhills! Pacing was impossible.

I loved every second of it.

My friend Dave and I trained for and ran the whole race together. It wasn’t about when we finished it was THAT we finished (not that there was a doubt). We stopped for pictures and views and conversations with other racers. We walked when we needed to walk (which was a LOT!) and enjoyed the cold water and delicious watermelon at the aid stations.

We crossed the finish line in about 7 hours and 36 minutes. I didn’t feel like I’d been on my feet for that long and it was a bittersweet feeling that it was over.

We already have plans to return next year to take on the course again. And after that? A 50k just might not be far enough.

05/08/2018

Look at my sweet award from today’s Trivium Racing Dearborn Homecoming 5k! This year’s theme was the 90’s so what better award than a hot pink f***y pack?! I love this event. Everything is well-organized and runs on time. Plus the course is great and staff/volunteers are friendly.

The weather was mid to upper 70’s with real feels in the 80s at race time. In other words, HOT AF. I’m in ultra training mode with my 50k in two weeks. My goal was to run strong and have fun. I didn’t set any time or pace goal and planned to run by effort, which is really your best strategy on a hot and/or humid day.

In the end this worked great. I eased into my first mile, ran faster in the subsequent miles, and finished strong across the line. I finished in 21:28 (6:55 pace). Proud of myself for pushing hard but not killing myself (I had long runs yesterday and today) and running by effort instead of worrying about pace.

Did you race or run long in the heat this weekend?

25/07/2018

29ish miles over 3 days with the 10 best running friends a girl could ask for. Sand, hills, trails, sun, rain. Perfect conditions for practicing mental toughness and pushing myself when I'm uncomfortable. This is GLR.