V4, V3, and a twisted knee!

To finish off the week Kevin and I took a much needed trip to the climbing gym. It was supposed to just be a burn it out sesh for me. Basically just hammer on the weak spots and go for climbs that I normally wouldn't do at all. I continued working on a V3 that'd been snagging me up and started on a V4 that has a couple places where footwork is tricky. 

The V3 has two tricky sections: a barn-door move and a double sloper move. I can go smoothly through the barn-door section and up to the first sloper, but the next move gets me. I'm heel hooking with my right and my left foot is under me, and I have to do a big reach up to the second sloper with my right hand, and every time I slip right off. I'm going to keep working at it, but progress is slow.

The V4 starts simply enough, it's a low sit leaned to the right with the first move being a reach behind with your right hand. I can get through the first 4-5 moves, but there is a pinch that right after you have to switch feet in order to finish the climb. The only time I securely got the pinch and could switch my feet I slipped off. 

Long story short: in both cases my footwork was lacking horribly.

I really love both climbs and I wish I could have worked on them more, BUT when I was goofing off on a little V0 with a reachy overhang I slipped off the wall and ended up twisting my knee. I tried one more climb after that, but it was pretty clear I was out of commission.

So right now I'm typing this from my bed as I ice my super swollen knee...

Cheers!

M

Review! Frederick Run Fest - Half Marathon!

On May 4th I ran the Frederick Half-Marathon (one week after I ran the half in DC) and it was one crazy weekend. I was running the Frederick Half-Marathon as the first of three races I have to run to complete the King Crab Challenge in MD!

I planned on leaving my college on Saturday, driving the the expo (getting my packet) and then driving to my house. However I got a little turned around and ended up driving toward my house! So instead of wasting tons of gas money and time, I decided (with the help of a phone call to my boyfriend) to just drive home and pick up my race packet on race day.

So race day comes (the following morning) and I wake up at 3am to drive an hour and a half to Frederick so that I am there in time for packet pick up (which starts at 5am). I wanted to get there early because I hadn't signed up for race day pick up and it was limited to 200 runners (I didn't make the cut). I was just hoping to run.

There was no traffic at 3am so I ended up making to the race at 4am, and in a race of 7,000 runners I was the first runner at the race start. Yeah... that was strange. I got my race packet at 4:30 and took a selfie for my twitter because I couldn't believe everything actually worked out!!

So I slept in my car until the race start at 7am. I ate some fruit snacks as breakfast, drank lots of water, but mostly napped. 

The whole run was pretty nice and fairly scenic. Of course I made some friends along the way, mostly men who were shocked at the 5'3", 115lb girl that was matching them stride for stride. Eventually I ended up running up behind a familiar blonde girl, my old running buddy from freshman year of college!! For old times sake we ran a mile together, but she told me to take off as some of the hills started to get to her. 

I felt great the entire race! Even in the last mile when I was 100% sure that I was working on a stress fracture in my foot. The last mile of the race was uphill and only a horse race track! Possibly the coolest race finish I've ever had the pleasure of running. I ended up finishing the race in 1:56:52 (faster than the race I had run a week before!!)

By the time I had finished I knew I had a stress fracture, but I still when to the med tent for an eval, and they confirmed: stress fracture.

So for now I'm bandaged up and working on 3 weeks minimum of recovery, most likely it'll be more like 6-8 weeks. Not an exciting thought at all, but it's better than a break! And don't worry ladies, my boyfriend has been there for me every painful step since then. And he's not allowing me to walk very much either, so lots of driving across campus :(

My official race results!!

Review!! Nike Women's Half Marathon!

On Sunday April 27, 2014 myself and 15,000 amazing women (and a few men) ran through the streets of D.C. on a half marathon course that began at 7am. It was an amazing weekend and I loved the whole thing! I didn't have high personal expectations going into the race, because I was in the middle of an upper respiratory infection at the time of the race, but I was still so excited!

My weekend actually started early Saturday morning (the day before the race) when my boyfriend and I drove a little over an hour to the metro stop that we took into D.C. It was only my second time riding the metro and, yes, even though I'm 20 I was scared. Thank goodness I'm dating a boy from D.C. who helped me make sure I was going on all the correct trains and getting off at all the correct stops the entire weekend. I have no idea how other people maneuver the metro without a personal tour guide.

When we finally got into D.C. we checked out the expo, where I got my packet, race shirt, and saw my name along with all the other runners placed into a huge mural on the side of the Nike Georgetown store! (I didn't take a picture of the entire wall, my mistake!)

It was so cool! I loved how they made us all into one unifying display! I didn't take many pictures when I was at the race expo or race because I was doing a lot of just taking in the atmosphere! BUT something I did see that was completely amazing was Joan Benoit Samuelson and Shalane Flanagan! If you know me at all you know that these women are in my top 5 for favorite all time runners (Flanagan being #1!). Here's the picture!!

All in all the expo was really nice to be at! I would have liked to see more accessible free goodies. I mean they knew it was 15,000 women, they should have had more than 15 people working at the free fun things if they are going to so boldly advertise it. I did some shopping at the Nike store and grabbed an awesome neon tank and black spandex! I love them both (yes I'm wearing them right now). The cool thing about shopping at the Nike store was that you didn't have to wait in line to check out! You could just find an employee and they could check you out with you just standing there!! 

I also volunteered at the Nike T-shirt distribution later in the afternoon!

Then Kevin, the boyfriend, took me out to dinner which was definitely nice. I was a little out of place at the restaurant seeing as I was in running clothes, but it was still great prep for the race! (Of course, I had pasta).

I ran the whole race with my GU Energy Chews (watermelon (: my fave!!) and SaltStick tabs! I felt solid the entire race and I really think that's because I was fueling my body perfectly the whole run.

I loved running around D.C. and all the little treats Nike had for us along the way. We got the typical water and Gatorade, but there was also a whole mile where they handed out little chocolates!! Yum! The entertainment on the course was pretty good, but I wish they had compared song lists (I heard Happy 5 times and it was horrible). My favorite band was scream-o one! It was a marching band... PLAYING SCREAM-O! It was such a great pump up (: The entire race was amazing, but I think the best part was crossing the finish line under 2:00:00 and hearing my boyfriend yell for me at the same time. Made the whole thing worth it.

Oh and of course my finisher's medal:

OH YES IT'S A TIFFANY'S NECKLACE.

SO GOOD.

SO SO GOOD.

I was so excited to have my first piece of Tiffany's, but after I finished all I wanted was to find Kevin and head back to our hotel and a shower. In fact I barely relished in the finish the way I usually do (I think Kev was more excited than I was!). We walked through the Finisher's village and one awesome thing that Nike did was have a line of clothes that you can only buy if you ran the race! I got a red long sleeve zip with FINISHER across the back. The way I figure it: If you're going to run for 2hrs and feel terrible you might as well get a shirt that brags for you out of it!

All in all it was brilliant race, and I highly suggest it to all the women out there (The San Francisco half is opening registration soon!!)

My official race results:

Saturday's Run Pictures! (4/5/2014)

Rocks in my Nikes -_- bane of my existance

Beautiful little run around the trails by my campus! Every run there feels like the first time (: I was rocking the Nathan Vaporshape and my Nuun visor! Both made the run infinitely better!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR A REPEAT (:

(And of course I was running on SaltStick and GU!)

UPDATE!! (Disney, Upcoming races, and SPONSORSHIPS! Yay!)

HI EVERYONE!

I've been away far too long and I'm offering my deepest sympathies! (College has been crazy, but that's hardly an excuse for all you lovelies.)

Personally it was a bit rough around two months ago, but after one break-up (Bye Zach!), three hour long talks with my best friend (Hi Mae!) and about seventeen long runs (Sup Nikes?), I feel amazing! Don't let speed bumps turn into road blocks!

However right after the break up I went on an AMAZING trip to Disney World! And met some amazing people:

I also got to help out a little around the park (YES I'M A DORK)!

I finished the week with some time (and yoga) on the beach!

All in all it was a great week and I got to meet some really great people! But the best part of the trip was that I spent a lot of it getting to know a guy from back home, Kevin, over the phone. Our whole romance was a little unexpected, but after a month of dating it's getting pretty serious. This is our first picture together... it screams romance:

Okay so maybe we're both extremely dorky, but who cares? I really like it, and he seems to really care about my running which is a little unheard of for a non-runner! Overall he's just great and he's coming to my next race! WHICH IS IN 9 DAYS Y'ALL!!!!!

CHECK OUT MY RACE SCHEDULE HERE!

BUT THE BIGGEST NEWS!!!!

I'M NOW OFFICIALLY A SPONSORED ATHLETE!

YASSSSSS I am currently sponsored by GU Energy Labs until the end of 2014 (: I'm so excited! This is such an amazing experience and I can't wait to try new products and represent one of my favorite brands !!

Review! SaltStick Caps Plus (Courtesy of SaltStick Co.)

After much too long of a wait... HERE IT IS!

I have been training on my twice-a-week long runs with SaltStick® Caps for the past month and a half and I really like them! I tried out two types: SaltStick® Caps and SaltStick® Caps Plus, and definitely preferred the Plus, which you can get here!

SaltStick® was nice enough to send me samples, and was extremely patient while I logged my 100 miles on their product. It was easy to find someone to personally talk to, opposed to talking with a computer (which you all know is my pet peeve). 

Price wise you are paying high for a high quality product. However I've learned that skimping, money-wise, when it comes to what you are fueling your body with during a long run is just stupid. While SaltStick® is $29.99/100ct it's about 30 cents a capsule and 100% worth it. However, despite being justified, it is a steep price.

I have a tough time with salt when I'm running, but the Plus were just fine with my stomach! (So long that I didn't take them on a completely empty stomach). They are easy on your stomach because SaltStick® has added sodium citrate to this capsule and it helps to soothe you. Another thing I really liked about the Plus was the small amount of added caffeine, it was a nice little & subtle boost during my run! And I actually didn't take them with a gel, instead just an electrolyte tab!

Overall these are really great! And I highly highly recommend them (: They are definitely my salt of choice now! (sponsorship in the future? *wink wink*)

Company:	5/5
Affordability:	3/5
Quality:	5/5
Usage:	5/5
Overall:	A

Key Features! (from SaltStick.com)

• The ONLY electrolyte capsule formulated to closely resemble the electrolyte profile lost during activity: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
• Only 1 capsule per serving. Suggested use: 1 capsule per 20-60 minutes during activity
• Buffered salt composition that helps digestion and absorption
• Sodium citrate soothes the stomach
• Each capsule contains 190 mg sodium, 53 mg potassium, 14 mg calcium, 7 mg magnesium, and 100 IU Vitamin D plus 30 mg caffeine
• Caffeine is a legal ergogenic ingredient that increases alertness and reduces fatigue
• Vegetable-based non-GMO capsule composition; Bio-available active ingredients. GMP production in a facility registered NSF Certified for Sport®.
• Fully soluble ingredients allows option of easy preparation of a custom caffeinated electrolyte beverage with a pleasantly mild salty taste
• Contains only WHAT YOU NEED. No: herbal, trace, questionable components added. Vegetarian and Gluten free.
• No sweeteners- no high fructose corn syrup, no sweeteners of any kind
• Does not contain any World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) or International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned substances
• Unique formulation is patent pending; Engineered by a Ph.D. chemist who is also a pro triathlete
• Saltstick® Caps uniquely includes vitamin D that helps the body absorb and utilize calcium.
• Great for effective rehydration during international travel, hiking and effects of alcohol and unfamiliar foods.

Review! NWHM Training Club Kick-Off Event!

Hey everyone! I'm finally getting around to writing a post about last Thursday and the Nike event I went to in Georgetown-DC, MD! The title of the event is a mouthful so here goes: 

The Nike Women's Half Marathon Training Club Kick-Off Event!

I went to support a friend of mine who's a brand ambassador, even though I'm not registered for the race (I missed the entrance time by one day! Drat!). We ended up metroing in from our college and arriving just as the event was starting (so I missed the scenic run which was definitely a bummer). Instead of going out for the runs (that varied in length and speed) we were on water and Luna duty. We handed out tons of little Luna bar samplers - Chocolate Peppermint! Mmmmm! - and little mini waters as the runners returned.

There was a little raffle going on and if you entered you would possibly win entry to the race, so I threw my name in (not expecting much), well would you believe that when the drawing time came the said that EVERYONE who put their name in the basket would get race entry!!! My friend didn't even know this and she works for the company!!!

I am so excited to run this race!!!!!!

It's amazing! You get a shirt, and a week of massages and facials leading up to the race, and then at the end of the 13.1 you get a Tiffany's necklace handed to you by a service man! The necklaces are specially engraved for the event and ONE OF A KIND! I love it!

A HUGE HUGE HUGE THANK YOU TO NIKE FOR MAKING THIS GIRL INSANELY HAPPY AND EXCITED!

Minimal Running Shoes: My Experience

My favorite Disney princess is Pocahontas. Why? She runs around barefoot. I'm serious! That is why I love her, and why I hated running in what I now refer to as my moon boots. When I first started running I was told I over-pronated, and I never questioned it again, however my feet have changed since I was 11. While I do have some pronation I also have the ability to control how my feet hit the ground because I have a strong lower leg.

When I ran in my moon boots it felt like I had slabs of cement on the underside of my feet. I slapped the ground everywhere I ran, and it hurt. I had runners knee, plantar fasciitis, ITB syndrome, and my muscles were actually pulling away from my bone up and down my leg (there was significant bruising). After she examined me, I was told by a sports trainer, that it was coming from "how your body naturally is". How my body naturally is? My body naturally hated me? I bought her little schpeal and I also bought orthopedic insoles. 

As if the problems could get worse.

I was limping instead of walking.

I was then told "try running to warm up your muscles and get them to relax". So yes. I then limp-ran on my injuries.

Eventually the pain was so bad I had to stop running. Getting out of bed wasn't painful, it was excruciating. I have run and competed on injuries, and I have toughed out a lot of pain, but there is nothing like bone pain. 

I figured that my body hated the sport, and that despite my passion for it, my running career was over at 18. Over before it began.

Months later, when I could walk normally, I had a bad day. As most runners know, a bad day can be a perfect running day. I didn't have my moon boots at school, but I had some Nike Frees that I had bought because they were pretty, and I figured, why not? A 2 miler won't kill me. 

The first thing I noticed was the silence. I didn't slap at all, the soft Frees molded to my little lady feet that were too weak to bend the sole of my moon boots. It was freeing, I felt amazing. It didn't matter than my cardio was weak compared to how it used to be or that my legs were tired before I made it to the end of the block, I was running and I was thrilled. So then...

A two miler turned into a 7 miler. When I got home I felt great, but I figured it was the calm before the storm and decided to RICE anyway. Aside from muscle soreness I was aces the next day. I thought it was a fluke, but curiosity got the better of me, and I went for another run. Just 3 miles. Just to see.

Again I was completely fine.

I continued running in minimals for the remainder of the semester, never once experiencing anything that a day of rest or frozen peas couldn't fix. 

The day I returned from break I put on the moon boots, to see how it would be (I'm a sucker for experiments). By the end of my road I knew something was up. It wasn't pain, it was just like I was having a harder impact with the road...and something was way off. Dull aches were coming back and I didn't want to push it any further, so I turned around, and walked home.

I refuse to run in a shoe that is not minimal from now on, I don't need the extra support, my body is done forming itself! I don't need the extra support and stability and orthopedics -- I'm no longer a growing 11 year old! The moral of this story is to get your feet rechecked frequently, especially if you've been running in the same model for a long time.

I ran in the same model for over 8 years, and changing that was scary, and I still have a lot of nostalgia for those shoes, I mean, I ran my first race in them, I won my first medal in them. But at the end of the day, they didn't love me as much as I loved them.

If you want to learn more about transitioning to minimal running and all the benefits it can yield click here!

Review! RoadID Slim Band

I never used to think about my safety when I was running. I live in the middle of nowhere and on my runs I'll see maybe four cars the entire time, however, this also means that I rarely have a shoulder to run on. It took one time of turning a corner and having a car nearly clip me to wake me up (damn hybrids being all eco-friendly and super quiet). Actually, as much as I would like to blame that car and that driver the fault was mine, cars are supposed to be on the road, sweaty, 20-somethings, who look dead after their 9 mile run, do not. 

I tried carrying my license and I hated it, and honestly it wouldn't have given a first responder much more than my name. I was looking for something that was small, slightly discrete, but recognizable (so a first responder would actually look at it). I've been running with a paper on the underside of my shoe sole that has information, but let's be real, people who get hit by cars can lose their shoes, and if I'm unconscious how many people are going to check there right away?

Then I heard about the RoadID (this is where my rambling stops and the review begins!) and I immediately had to have one. RoadIDs come in every shape and size: from dog tags for you to dog collars for Fido.  There are also several wristbands, I chose the Slim Band which is the same size as a cause bracelet and which contains a little plack (removeable so you can change your band color) with information vital to first responders if there is an accident.

I blanked out the phone numbers, but you get the idea of it. RoadID also has helpful tutorials that show you what is important to put on your band, as well as what abbreviations first responders will understand. Without their guidance I would not have put NKDA (No Known Drug Allergies) or DOB 1993, two important pieces of information.

The plack itself is laser engraved and RoadID stands behind it 100%. 

The band comes in a variety of colors:

These are the classics, as you can see I chose a newer color! Teal!

The band is super soft and stretchy! It's more comfortable to wear than my hair ties that seem to live on my wrist... 

You can also accessorize your RoadID. And of course I had to flaunt the biggest achievement of mine!

All of this was under $20! Which is incredibly affordable, and important. This little piece of equipment could save my life one day, which is why I not only bought one for myself, but I also bought one for my little sister.

RoadID is not a company full of money-grubbing rich guys looking to make a buck. They are runners, the company started in a basement, and the owners still answer e-mails personally. It's a company that keeps you, the runner, at the forefront of its mind. Their customer service is unparalleled (none of that Don't Respond to this Automated Email crap)! I personally had a 6 or 7 email conversation with one of their staff members who was extremely helpful and made sure that I was happy, even though that meant tons of work on her end.

In conclusion: smart and safe product, amazing company, and outstanding customer service. Everyone should have a RoadID.

Company:	5/5
Affordability:	5/5
Quality:	5/5
Usage:	5/5
Overall:	A+

My Next Goal: Ultra-marathon

I ran my first marathon a few months ago and found that what many people in the running people are complaining of is true, marathons are becoming too saturated. When I was running that race I passed people drinking Maryland's trademark Natty Boh on the course, and that's not the kind of race I was excited for.

I want a race full of other people that are trying to find their limits. And I believe that 4Deserts is that race, or should I say those races? But I don't want my first ultra to be out in the middle of the desert, so I'm hoping that I can race a practice one in 2014!