Tag Archives: inspirational runners

Boston Love

16 Apr boston-magazine-cover

Our thoughts, hearts & prayers go out to Boston as we try to make sense of these senseless acts. Unable to turn off the heartbreaking news, looking at pictures of the devastation, wondering why this would happen—we are just thankful that those we knew who were running, and their families who were there to share in a joyous milestone, are okay. We know not everyone was so lucky and so we do what we know best—we run, we endure, and we keep you all in our thoughts.

Much love to our running family out there, near, far, in Boston and beyond.

[UPDATE: I had to add the Boston Magazine cover to this post, because it is amazing. Read the magazine's story behind the cover. - Lara]

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How I Accidentally Ran in an Ultramarathon

19 Nov

What did you do on Saturday night? I ran in an ultramarathon.

This was not at all how I expected my evening to turn out.

As I explained yesterday, I was helping as a crew member for the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon. I was posted at two different aid stations – mile 17 and then 38 – and I was scheduled to be done at around 4pm. I had every intention of leaving after my duties to go drink heavily at my friend’s going away party.

And then first-time ultramarathon runner Amy sat down at mile 38 and pleaded, “Is there anyone who can run with me? I’m not going to make it.”

Looking around, I was the youngest crew member by a solid 30 years and no one else was jumping at the opportunity. I had worn running clothes that day because I planned on going for a run during my down time but had never gotten around to it. In retrospect, I guess that was for a reason.

So there I was at mile 38, lacing my shoes up tight and getting ready to run 12 miles with someone I had just met who was moments away from breaking down completely. I’m used to running against the clock to meet my goal time, but Amy was racing the clock in a completely different way: she was only 15 minutes ahead of the cutoff time (when they start pulling runners off the course and say better luck next year) and had to keep up her pace if she was going to cross the finish line before the 7PM cutoff.

I just couldn’t imagine coming this far and actually being told that you are not allowed to run anymore.

So we started running. Amy told me she doesn’t talk much when she runs, but somehow we struck up a pretty consistent conversation getting to know one another. With a mix of running and walking, we made it to the next cutoff point at the end of the C&O Canal with 15 minutes to spare. Even though technically I wasn’t supposed to be on the course, the volunteers gave me a reflective vest to wear on the road for safety (rule-bending when it helps a runner finish = okay in ultras).

We started up a very secluded, very hilly back road. We came across some interesting sights, including everything from cows to goats to sheep (I swear the sheep sounded like they were cheering, they were so noisy!). The 2-legged locals were also very supportive with free beer and hugs (though we didn’t have time to stop for either).

I think it was around this point when the temperature started dropping. In my rush I didn’t have the foresight to bring a sweatshirt or gloves, but I didn’t dare to say anything to Amy. We were walking more than we were running (like I said, this part was hilly!) and I was a little nervous about meeting the next cutoff. Unfortunately, Amy had ditched her GPS watch because it wasn’t working and all I had on me was a nearly-dead cell phone, so we didn’t really have a way to track our pace.

We walked through the next aid station at mile 44 (dubbed the “Oasis” and complete with Jimmy Buffett music) when someone driving by yelled out, “30 minutes to the next cutoff!” Normally running two 15-minute miles wouldn’t be an issue, but with 44 miles under Amy’s belt already this was going to be far from easy.

I can’t put into words how much Amy impressed me at this point. Talk about digging deep! As soon as we did the math and realized she wasn’t going to make it if we walked anymore, she was a woman on a mission. We made it to mile 46 – and the last cutoff point before the finish – with a few minutes to spare. My fellow crew member and carpool buddy Will (poor guy! He was supposed to be done at 4 too but had to wait for me!) met us here so I could put on some warmer clothes, but Amy kept trucking along and I caught back up with her. This time when she said she probably wasn’t going to want to talk much, I believed her.

The next couple miles were a blur. I was constantly doing math in my head trying to make sure we would be on pace, but mile markers were few and far between and I doubted their accuracy at some points so I was never exactly sure how much farther we had to run. Finally, we had one mile to go and I was pretty sure we were going to make it unless Amy’s body completely shut down.

Coming up the final stretch, we could hear the announcer calling out the names of finishers. He then told the crowd, “These are the final finishers everyone! They’re going to start pulling runners off the course.” I started swearing in my head, thinking I had messed up the math but apparently the announcer was referring to the runners a little farther down the stretch. Someone else at the finish must have realized the panic the announcement would cause, because the announcer quickly corrected himself: “If you’re coming up the final stretch and can see the finish, you’ve beat the cutoff and are going to make it!”

Even with the end in sight, I could tell Amy was still struggling but she kept moving forward (at one point she tried to walk and I said, “You don’t want to cross the finish line walking! Let’s go!”). Since I technically wasn’t in the race, I didn’t want to cross the finish line so when we were close enough, I peeled off to the side and started cheering like crazy for this woman I had just met 3 hours ago. Watching her cross the line was such a thrill for me… I cannot even imagine what she was feeling after running for nearly 14 hours!

Even though my afternoon (and evening – I never made it to the going away party) went slightly different than planned, I wouldn’t have changed it for anything. It was such a great experience helping Amy achieve her goal, and is just another testament to the camaraderie among runners that I love so much. Congratulations to all the JFK 50 Mile finishers!

[I found out the next morning that Amy was running the JFK 50 to raise money in honor of World Prematurity Day, making her finish even that much more important! Read her blog post to learn more about her cause.]

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Supporting Ultramarathon Runners

18 Nov I got stuck on the road because of the 7AM starters, so I pulled off to the side and blared my music to help send them off right! Just a glimpse of all the crazy people heading out to run 50 miles.

This is the second year in a row that I’ve participated in the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon – as a crew member.

The Reston Runners is a local running club that I run with, and they always put up a good showing at the JFK 50. There were over 40 runners this year and nearly as many crew members to support them. I’m a bit of an anomaly among the crew members because I a) have never run an ultra, and b) am not supporting a friend/relative/significant other who is running. Last year, they made an announcement at one of the weekend races that they were looking for crew members for this ultramarathon and I just thought it sounded pretty cool.

I got stuck on the road because of the 7AM starters, so I pulled off to the side and blared my music to help send them off right! Just a glimpse of all the crazy people heading out to run 50 miles.

Let me briefly explain the ultramarathon experience because it’s kind of hard to wrap your head around it. So pictures this: it’s 7am. You’re starting the JFK 50 Mile ultramarthon, which you estimate will take you between 10-14 hours. For this particular ultra, the first 17 miles are on the very rocky, extremely challenging Appalachian Trail, followed by about a marathon on a flat dirt trail and then the last few miles are on paved roads – and probably in the dark, by the time you get there.

Sounds crazy, right?

To help runners prepare for all these changes throughout the day, enter the Crew. The Reston Runners participating in the race packed different bags for each designated stop (mile 17, 27, 38, etc.) with things they will need for each one (clothes to layer, fresh shoes or socks, headlamps, nutrition and – of course – body glide). The Crew takes the bags to each station and waits for the runners to come. When they arrive, we find their bag and basically act as their personal assistant to help them get what they need so they can keep moving.

My first station was at mile 17. At this point, runners coming through were just happy to be done with “that damn trail” and were thrilled to see us. Some didn’t need anything at this point, and those that did need their bags were pretty self sufficient.

The aid station at mile 38 was ready to support runners with water, gatorade, soup, red velvet cake and more!

This is not the case (in my 2 years of crewing) at mile 38. At this point, runners are either moody or delirious.

  • Moody Runner knows that they still have 12 miles to go and are not thrilled about it. They are focused on finishing, and the few extra seconds it takes you to sort through their bag to find their headlamp drives them crazy because they just want to be done. The Moody Runner may snap at your or grab their bag from your hands because they want to do it themselves, and that’s fine. We crew members pat ourselves on the back knowing that deep down, they appreciate us.
  • Delirious Runner is happy to see you and utterly useless. They are thrilled that they’ve made it this far and don’t seem to be focusing on the next 12 miles – or anything, really. These runners are my favorite because it turns into a game of charades: the Delirious Runner grunts “shirt” so you sort through their bag to find not only a t-shirt but also a long sleeve, under-armour and a jacket. You hold them all up, the runner points at the correct one, and you help them figure out how to put their arms into it. It’s sort of like taking care of a toddler. A sweaty, spandex-wearing, 150-pound toddler.

It’s a really rewarding experience to help these runners during their journey. I especially like being at the later stops because you are not just their supporter; you become an extension of them at that point. They can no longer tie or untie shoes, so you become their fingers. They’re feeling good and forget that the temperature is going to start dropping, so you become their voice of reason and remind them that they may want another layer and gloves.

This guy was part of the “official” mile 38 aid station to help motivate runners but there was also a group with a gong as well as a man in a superhero outfit on a bike with a radio strapped to it.

If you ever have a chance to be help a runner during an ultramarathon, please do it. It’s amazing to see the runners and how supportive everyone is to one another – including the runners, crew, family and aid station support! While the marathoner is distinctly different from the casual 5K runner, ultramarathoners are in a league of their own. There is a camaraderie like I have never seen at any other distance, and the crew and fans can be just as crazy as the runners. Not to mention it’s extremely inspiring if you need an extra push to get motivated!

Now, will I ever do an ultramarathon? That’s still to be decided, but I actually did end up running about 12 miles of this ultra… more on that story to come tomorrow!

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What I Learned from My High School Coach

29 May Me and Mrs. Long at the end of cross country season my senior year.

Over the long weekend, I was fortunate to be able to meet up with my high school cross country coach, Mrs. Long, for a run. She coached Brandi, Amanda and I, and there is no doubt that she played a huge role in where I am today both in my running career and overall outlook on life. She has always inspired me, but with two young boys, many major changes in her personal life over the past year and a 3:14 marathon in April, I can’t help but be in awe of her strength and perseverance.

As I sat stretching after our 10 mile run (something I did NOT learn from the woman who was quite okay with not being able to touch her toes) , I started thinking about all the advice Mrs. Long gave me over the 4 years as my coach and 9 years as my friend.

You call that a hill?
Mrs. Long had a knack for nonchalantly leading us on the hilliest runs in town. As we grumbled about the terrain, she’d wave them away with her hand and say, “You call that a hill? That’s just a little speed bump.” On especially bad (or steep) days when we’d all be complaining at the bottom of a hill we were running repeats up and begging her to cut our workout down, she’d blatantly ignore us and cheerfully yell “Readyyy, go!” over the noise. Bottom line? Your legs aren’t really going to fall off, so just get it done.

Boys are bad.
This was one of Mrs. Long’s favorite sayings (mostly because our high school boys team was known to pull pranks like launching surprise water balloon attacks on the girls team or putting a snake in Mrs. Long’s car). There was nothing truly sexist about it; she was just being protective of her high school girls and wanted us to focus on school and running–what coach wouldn’t?! The thought has always been in the back of my mind though that if I’m going to be with someone, I better be darn sure that he’d pass Mrs. Long’s test and prove her theory wrong!

Have fun.
For the first time in school history, the cross country team made it to the regional meet as a team. It was a huge accomplishment, but I remember Mrs. Long relating it to a video game: “You know when you work really hard in Super Mario and beat a level and then you get a bonus round? That’s sort of what this is; like a super bonus round you weren’t expecting.” I think back to this when I reach and exceed a goal; it’s great to enjoy your accomplishments but don’t put them up on a pedestal because you’re going to have to work hard again to beat the next level.

Mrs. Long and I at the end of cross country season my senior year.

I love that no matter how many months pass, I can always call up Mrs. Long for a run when I’m in town and we pick up right where we left off. Even though she hasn’t coached me for over 5 years, there is no doubt that Mrs. Long will always be my coach.

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Eat Well, Run Well

19 May Farmer's Market Purchases

I normally enjoy running solo; I can run at my own pace, on my own schedule, and I don’t have to worry about carrying on a conversation and breathing at the same time. But this past week, I ran with a friend Thursday evening and joined the Reston Runners for their 5-mile Saturday morning run. After both runs, somehow the conversation turned to what we eat and how it makes us feel.

Don’t overdo it.
My friend Anna and I ran together in college. She was one of the first people I met at school and I’m happy to say she is still one of my good friends and, even though we’re not teammates anymore, she still motivates me to be a better runner. We both have a sweet tooth, so in college we always had the mentality of “I ran X miles in X minutes, so I need to eat more and, hey, a little ice cream never hurts.” Now, I haven’t completely abandoned this notion but I’ve certainly cut back on that eat-anything-I-want mentality (and no longer having an all-you-can-eat cafeteria with an ice cream bar helped, too). After our run on Thursday, Anna made use a delicious dinner of whole wheat wraps, quinoa, peppers and onions, avocado and organic salsa. On my drive home, I couldn’t help but think how differently we were eating compared to only a year or two ago at college…

Make better choices.
And then, this morning after a rolling 5 mile run, I got into a conversation with another runner about how much more important nutrition is to your health than exercise. Neither of us are doctors and I’d obviously still recommend that everyone get out and put a few miles in, but he said something that stuck with me: “You can run as many miles as you want, but if you’re fueling your body with junk then it really doesn’t matter.” He explained that he was in the habit at work of snacking on sweets throughout the day to get a little sugary pick-me-up. When he went to the doctor for his cholesterol check-up, the doctor noticed that his blood sugar was elevated as well. He traded in his sweets for an apple or other piece of fruit and the next time he went to the doctor, his blood sugar was back to normal and his cholesterol had lowered 20 points! It’s amazing what a big impact small changes can have on your body.

Eat fresh and local.
The two conversations in the course of a few days really made me think about what I’m eating. I generally eat pretty healthy (mostly vegetarian and as many whole foods as possible) but there’s always room for improvement. On my way home from the running club, I stopped at the farmer’s market and picked up this fresh, tasty, sustainable collection of fruit, vegetables and herbs. There’s something unexplainably satisfying about handing your money to the person who actually grew the food you’re buying.

I made a protein-packed egg and spinach wrap for my post-run breakfast and can’t wait to cook with the rest of it this weekend. Hope you have a wonderful and healthy weekend!

[P.S. Looking for more inspiration to eat healthy? My two favorites are the book In Defense of Food and the movie Food, Inc. Check 'em out at your local library!]

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#12x12Project, Goals, and My First Marathon

28 Feb My first marathon is also the CHEESIEST!

I never wanted to run a marathon. Even though I considered myself a runner, when people asked if I would run a marathon, I’d look at them like they were nuts. Of course I wouldn’t put my body through running 26.2 grueling miles. Are you crazy?

One running club and 6 months later, I made a goal to run my first marathon in 2012. Recently, I was lucky enough to hear Nita Kay LeMay speak. She is amazing! She has ran 123 marathons in all 50 States + D.C., all 13 Canadian Provinces + Territories, all of Australia’s States + Territories, and every CONTINENT (all 7 in 7 months, in fact)! She shared pictures of her trips, told stories, made recommendations of what her favorite marathons are, highly recommended Athens and Istanbul, and advised on which ones to avoid (Paris and the Egyptian Marathon if you’re a woman). Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention… she’s legally blind. Her message: always be setting goals, meeting new challenges, and run outside your comfort zone. Her goal right now is to run marathon 200 in Chicago at age 70. She needs to keep up at a pace of 5 marathons/year to achieve it. How can you not be inspired?

When I shared my own marathon goal on Twitter, Ultra Runner Sarah Stanley  asked which race I was planning on running. I told her I would be registering for the Chicago Marathon, but I’d like to get a marathon under my belt in the Spring

My first marathon is also the CHEESIEST!

That’s when she shared a project she was working on – the 12×12 Project. Sarah’s goal for 2012 is to help 12 people run 12 races for 12 causes. She pledged to register for the race (wherever it is), run from the start line to the finish line at whatever pace necessary, providing encouragement, high fives and stories along the way. In addition, she would share training tips, nutrition advice, race day tips and other helpful information.

I knew there had to be a catch. It was too good to be true… And, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out what it was: Each runner had to help someone else finish a race of a lesser distance AND support a cause they care deeply about. For me, that organization is Girls on the Run.

Friday, she featured me on her blog. I’m so excited - you can read more about the project here!

So what’s your latest running goal? I’ve revised mine a bit. This year, I run my first marathon AND my first state!
My first state - Wisconsin!

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Who’s Bart Yasso?

23 Feb My Life on the Run

I am learning more and more that I’m not as much of a planner as I once thought I was. In the weeks leading up to our Austin Half Marathon runcation, Amanda and Brandi had restaurants and attractions lined up while I couldn’t even remember where we booked our hotel room. But sometimes you realize that plans are being executed without you even knowing it. You look back on a series of events and see an invisible dotted line that connects them all together and lands you right where you were supposed to be, without ever knowing there was any plan at all.

For me, that invisible dotted line led me to hearing Bart Yasso speak at the Austin Marathon Expo.

A few months ago when I was shopping the going out of business sale at Borders, Bart Yasso’s book My Life on the Run caught my eye and I thought it would be a good resource down the line for marathon motivation. To be honest, I didnt really know who Bart Yasso was, like, at all. Sure the name was familiar and I knew he had done something important in the running community, but I’ve just never been very in touch with all the stories of the great runners and shakers of distance running.

The book has collected dust on my bookshelf since August. As I was bolting around my apartment doing my last-minute packing for my trip to Austin, I grabbed the book on a whim thinking it might be good airport material. On my four hour flight to Austin, I set a new PR that had nothing and everything to do with running: I started and finished a reading the book–all before I was even instructed to fasten my seatbelt and prepare for landing!

Brandi's photo of me in the cab... yes, that's probably what I really looked like with my nose in the book the entire flight!

The book was phenomenal. It was laid out chronologically in easy-to-read chapters that highlighted different races, events and milestones in Yasso’s life (including a very tempting and entertaining race at a nudist colony). There are plenty of great reviews online for the book so I won’t go into that but I will say that I would highly recommend the book for anyone who enjoys (or wants to enjoy) running for reasons beyond grueling training regimens and setting PRs. This book focuses on what you really gain from running when you stop thinking about it as a means to an end: the confidence, friendships, stories and life-altering moments.

When I got to the end of the book, I saw that Yasso had listed Austin as the Coolest Host City… this is the point where the dots started to connect themselves. I realized that this runner I had just read about for three straight hours was going to be at the race I was on my way to. How great would it be to actually shake hands with this inspiring man?!

He spoke several times at the confence but the only time we had a chance to hear him was during his last time slot on Saturday afternoon. We got to the expo, picked up our packets and walked around for a little while. I was constantly checking my watch for fear of missing him speak, and with ten minutes to go I convinced Brandi and Amanda to grab seats early so I was sure we wouldn’t miss him. Well, we certainly didn’t miss him… in fact, by showing up early we had plenty of time to say hello and chat with Bart himself!

P.S. He loved the shirts!

He was so friendly and easy to talk to! He shared a few anecdotes from his book and had great advice for us and everyone else in the crowd. Bart was truly inspiring to hear speak, especially when you read in his book all the things he has gone through in his life. I ran into him the next day after the race and made a point to thank him for the pre-race advice about the hilly first half of the race (who knew that Austin was so hilly?! Not me!). He immediately remembered me and my sisters’ story and congratulated me on my race.

I asked him to sign my book at the expo, and I love the quote he included: “Never limit where running can take you.”

What perfect words to live by for an adventurer like me!

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