Mud Part 3 + Summer Ends

As the summer comes to an end (long live the sunshine!), I find myself reflecting on all the activities, goals, and moments I've had during my favorite season of the year.

My summer kicked off with finishing up my Half Marathon training leading right into the race itself in early June. Then I took a break from the heavy running (my toenails are still bruised and cracked by the way...), and shifting my focus slightly more back to CrossFit and having a healthier balance of activities. The longest run I did all summer was 5-6 miles (that makes me smile now...with the added perspective of 13). 

At the end of July, I completed my third Tough Mudder with my team Ridin' Dirty. Earning those different color headbands each year has become addicting, and I can't imagine ever stopping! The course was 10 miles and 20 obstacles. At the same location as previous years, with some different adjustments to the course. Nonetheless a good benchmark to compare back year over year. What a difference! I ran most of the 10 miles (love the trail running parts) and only skipped a few obstacles. I attempted a few difficult obstacles and while I still failed (monkey bars!), I got further along this year. In the past I was broken and sore for days after. This time wasn't as bad besides the normal cuts and bruises. The teamwork within my team and those we encountered along the course reminded me of all those along the journey. Those who run ahead of me, those who run next to me, and those who run behind me. And how I'll continue to be at different stages throughout my life as well. It's not a straight line, but lots of twists and turns, some intentional and some unexpected. 

With fall around the corner, I began to pickup my running again with some new goals in September. I'll be running a 10k in early October. I'm currently doing a training plan to get me in better shape to run 6.2 miles again.

• 2x weekly short runs (3 miles)
• 1x weekly non-running, cross-training (CrossFit)
• 1x weekly "long run" (4, 5, progressing to 6 miles)
  

My last 10k (and my first) was last October with a time of 1:00:04. Originally my goal for this upcoming one was to beat the old time, but the more I thought about it, the courses are not comparable enough. Last year was a night run with headlamps, different terrains and elevations (pavement, grass, dirt), and plenty of space. The upcoming 10k is city streets, very crowded, and I have no idea about elevation levels. I may or may not beat my time. 

Lastly, before winter truly sets in. Rob and I are running the official 5k "practice" run the weekend of the NYC Marathon in early November. Actually on our 5th wedding anniversary day (5k + 5 years!) We'll be attending the full marathon the next day to cheer cousins Fred and Kara on! Likely while consuming obscene amounts of alcohol and food (definitely not running 26.2 anytime soon).

So What's Next?

I successfully ran the Half Marathon! It was an awesome experience and I'm shocked on how well I did. The weather was perfect, the company loving, and the scenery beautiful. 

A lot of numbers.
My bib was #387, I raised $1400 + my $300 contribution, and I ran 13.1 miles in 2:12:37. Under my goal of 2:20. 

I maintained close to a 10 minute pace throughout. The weather was around 60 degrees, it was neither too hot or too cold (strange for June), and sunny!

Mile 1-3: felt really hard (I was like oh crap!)
Mile 4-9: I was king of the world, in a groove
Mile 10: I hit a wall
Mile 11-12: was survival mode
Mile 13: don't die, don't get hit by cars, just finish 

I'm afraid to give you my total out of pocket cost for the whole Half and training experience, but it's probably close to $1,000.

So what's next? 

• Trying to get my weight down a little.
  Towards the end of my training, I was eating like crazy and put on some extra pounds. Even though I was highly active, my caloric intake was probably too high. It wasn't worth worrying about before, but I'd like to get back on track now. 

• New Training Plan. 
  I can be less strict now with what I'm doing and how often, but I have a general schedule outlined for the next two months.
  
  WEEKLY:
• 2 days rest / active recovery
• 2 days short runs (2-3 miles)
• 1 day long run (4-6 miles)
• 2 days CrossFit 

• Tough Mudder
  Will be doing my 3rd Annual Tough Mudder on Long Island on July 21 (want to join my team?) This is part of the reason why I put that specific activity mix together above (to be more well balanced and make sure I'm engaging all different parts of my body and mind). 

• Enjoy the Summer.
  While I have some goals, nothing compares to how strict and time consuming my running schedule was. Especially around family and work responsibilities, travel, and a screaming toddler. I'm going to enjoy being active this summer and spend as much time outdoors as possible!
  
• More Halfs?
  I thought for sure when I crossed the finish line, my first thought would be...I want to run a full marathon! Luckily, that wasn't the case. I think the Half is a good place to live for awhile. I would love to run more in the future, but likely not this year.
  

The best part of the Half Marathon was the awareness level that Little P had about running. When I would come home from runs in my gear, she would exclaim "Mamma ran!". When she saw me running, she would say "No running! Slow down!"  She now runs outside (with T-Rex jogger arms) and says "I'm running!"

And to see her at mile 5 and 7 during the Half to give me a high five and kiss was worth every second of pain. 

Almost at the Figurative Finish Line

I can't believe my first Half Marathon is only two weeks away!

Over the past 10 weeks, I have run 146 cumulative miles and have done CrossFit about once a week. By the end of week 12, I will have run approximately 187 miles total as part of my training. 

Plus the 13.1 miles of the actual race!  Bringing it to 200 miles from March 12 to June 3. That's a disgusting amount of running (Imagine full marathon training! No thanks!)

The most difficult part over the last few months has been making the time for these runs. The normal schedule is 3x short-runs (conditioning) ranging between 3-5 miles, 1x cross-training (non running activity, for me it was CrossFit), 2x rest days (when possible I tried to do "active recovery" like walking), and of course....1x long-run (this is the number that goes up every week). 

This week's long run will be 11 miles over the weekend. 

Last week I experienced "runner's toe" after my 10 mile long-run. Basically your toes feel bruised and broken from trauma. Likely my foot was swelling and crowding the toe box of the shoe. That particular course was also very hilly which meant my toes were jamming into the front even more. Hoping to remedy the problem by switching to some softer, lighter shoes for my short-runs this week and investing in some better socks. 

Leading to my next point. Running is NOT free. It actually gets quite expensive once you get into long distance or competitive running. 

• Running shoes 
• Two pairs: lighter (short-runs) and more "heavy duty" (long runs)
• Apparel 
• Through trial and error...for me it was all about finding a highly supportive sports bra that actually fits and high-waisted athletic tights
• Gummies 
• To replenish as you burn on longer runs and for race day
• Flip-belt 
• To hold all your shit and be hands-free
• Blue-tooth headphones 
• To be distraction free, wire-free, especially when you're running for hours...and to jam to my sick playlists
• Foam roller 
• For working out sore muscles, to help with recovery
• Therapy Sessions 
• For maintenance and unexpected injuries
• Special cushioned socks 
• TBD if these will help me or not
• Sunglasses 
• Still need to find a sporty pair that wrap around slightly!
• Race day fee / Lodging / Travel / Food

The best part about the training journey has been the running buddies I've picked up along the way. Sometimes human, sometimes not (dogs!). My husband joined me for a few runs (yay Rob!), coworkers, and friends Angela and Cuan in London. Running in Italy for two weeks was also cool because sometimes I was running past memories of my life, as well as discovering new allies, historical sites, and beautiful nature I wasn't expecting. 

LASTLY - shameless plug. I really really really want to make my fundraising goal. People have been extremely generous so far, but unfortunately I hit a block a few weeks ago. And haven't had any new donations since.  I'm going to match 20% of whatever I raise. If I reach my goal of $2,000...that means I add another $400 to that amount. 

Please take a look! And thanks for reading. 
https://www.gofundme.com/JackieBosco

Winning is addicting

The end of the year added two great running accomplishments under my belt, and sparked an even greater one yet to be had. After an abnormally prolonged summer into a lightly crisp fall (the perfect running temperature), my training for the 10k led to successful race in both finish line time, and more importantly, overall experience. I ran side by side with my running mentor who wouldn't let me stop or slow down my pace. I finished all 6.2 miles with a headlamp, in the dark, in exactly 60 minutes. Seconds after crossing the finish line, my thought immediately was "I need to do a half marathon". Winning is addicting.

Before my running career came to a pause in 2017, I managed to get one more "trot" under my belt (post turkey trot to be precise). A strange distance (4k) which seemed like an easy way to break a "really fast" record with no need to reserve energy. However the fall had rapidly and cruelly turned into winter that day with below freezing temperatures along the Long Island coast. My lungs were not operating at 100%, but I still managed to finish in under 20 minutes (with a PR first mile of 8:40). 

What I have been up to since these adventures? Eating cookies, enjoying the holidays with family and friends, gaining some weight.

I am SO excited for 2018...the year of events!

• 5k in March
• 10k in April
• Spartan Sprint in May
• Half Marathon (13.1) in June
• Tough Mudder in July

What am I doing to train? Good question.  I'm still figuring that out. For January and February (right now), I'm trying to hit CrossFit 3x a week to build strength (...and well build everything), and rotating those off days with short runs indoor on a treadmill (anywhere between 2-4 miles). The idea behind the running is to maintain a baseline so that when I start proper Half training, I'm not starting from zero.

Official Half marathon training will begin in March lasting 12-16 weeks (still figuring out my exact programming). Those weeks will be intense and disciplined, containing a mix of a few short runs, cross training, rest days, and one long run per week.  I'm hoping to incorporate better nutrition (my weakness) into this part to help fuel and optimize my chance of success. 

I could use some help with meal planning and ideas!

Also let me know if you're interested in participating in any of these events with me!

Crisp Fall Running

With some changes in my schedule lately, I've been focusing on running in these early fall months. While running has always been difficult for me (actually all exercise is difficult for me), it's also the easiest to make work with any schedule. No matter how hectic. 

All you need is your body and a good pair of shoes. You don't have to drive anywhere to run. You can utilize any time you can afford right into exercise. There's no minimum or maximum of time you need to commit. Only have 15 minutes? Great, run a mile. Running can be a filler in between other work-outs, or it can be the main show. Right now it's the main show for me and I sprinkle in CrossFit where I can. 

Running can be seasonal like the weather. I prefer to run outside over the treadmill. I can only count a dozen times I've used a treadmill (usually during business travel). Running is so mentally tied to environment for me. I need to feel the sun on my skin, the wind brushing past my body, and the sounds around me (both city and nature). I truly use all 5 senses when I run.

You can measure in distance or time. Pick you poison. 

Personally I don't' care too much about my time. It was exciting to beat my 5K time this year, but consistency and the miles were much more important to me. That's why I've set my new goal on a 10K the last weekend in October. It's a night run for charity with headlamps.

This will be my longest distance to date and I'm a little nervous! While Tough Mudder was 10 miles, you don't run the whole time. I don't count it as a "running focused" race because it's more about overall endurance of the body and mind. And teamwork. 

To train for the 10K, I'm doing an unofficial 5 week program. Starting at 2 miles and progressing to 6 miles (2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The 2-3 mile range comes easy to me now. But pushing past that will be challenging for sure. I've also been using the jogging stroller pushing Little P on my runs when I can (50lbs of resistance!) I figure the cross-training will make it easier to run without a stroller when the time comes.

Running is a solo activity. It's all on you. You can pick a stranger as a pacer or someone to beat, but for the most part, it's you against yourself. You can run with a team, but I never found that to work well for me. I worry more about what others are thinking about me rather than focusing on the run itself. 

A week after the 10K, I've also signed up for my very first Spartan Race. It's a Sprint (3-5 miles and ~20 obstacles). Highly concentrated compared to Tough Mudder, so I feel it will be more of an energy burst than an endurance test. 

Here's to a happy and healthy fall and winter to all my fitness friends. And to everyone else, you better get moving! :-)

Running the High Line @NYC with my husband

Running with some strangers as part of a hotel run club (business trip) @Los Angeles

Muddy Accomplishments

I've been a bit busy the second half of the summer! A mix of concerts, family events, and of course, fitness! I'll jump right into the big story: Tough Mudder 2017. As a reminder, I did it in 2015 for the first time and had to skip 2016 because I was 9 months pregnant! 

What was it?

10 miles, 20 obstacles, some mud 

Team of 5

How did I prepare?

My training schedule the weeks prior to the event was CrossFit 2x-3x weekly, Dance 1x weekly, and running about 5 miles total weekly. I was also more conscious of the food I was putting into my body the weeks prior, trying to enhance performance and stamina by sticking with proteins and vegetables, little carbs, no alcohol. Something I should be doing more often but life gets in the way (and I make excuses)!

How did it go?

FUN! I think the extra teammates made the event this year. We ran together, we sweated together, we laughed together, we strategized together. Let's be honest, we complained together. You do not need a team to run the event because other people help you along the way. But having one definitely pushed us all forward and made it more memorable because of the bonding aspect.

Compared to 2015 (team of 2), I felt that I personally performed much better. I felt more confident, I had little to no fear over obstacles (even if I failed them), and I ran dramatically more in-between each obstacle. This kept my heart rate up practically the whole time. We weren't counting to the minute, but time was about the same (about 3 1/2 hours).

Some other differences. At home later that night, I crashed hard. Whereas the first time around I went out and partied until late. I think this was more of a product of age than fitness level. On the flip side of that, the first time I was much more bruised, beaten, and sore for days. This time, I was feeling perfectly normal on Monday morning. It seems like "difficult" has changed slightly for me, and I'm able to bounce back quicker. 

Looking for the next event to work towards! I signed up for a 10k charity night run in NY the end of October. And maybe a Spartan Race in my near future....

Summer is for running

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate running? For starters, I'm terrible at it. Sure I've improved. A little more distance, a little faster. But some people go from couch to marathon in a few months. Here I am 2 years later barely hitting 4 miles at a 10 minute pace.

It makes my asthma flare up. The feeling of your lungs closing is no fun. 

And to be quite honest, I don't look good doing it. Sort of like a wobbly penguin. I swear the boobs throw my balance off.

So why do I run?

I enjoy feeling the sun beating down on my skin. Hearing my own breath. Feeling the beat of my music in sync with my step. Because you can run anywhere at anytime. All you need is your shoes (well, and a sports bra for me). And well, because running is hard for me. So I keep doing it.

The summer in New England is for running. 
The outdoor season is short, and I choose to cherish it.

I've definitely been incorporating more running into my summer routine, sometimes opting out of my other group activities in order to hit the pavement on my own. 

In early June I got another 5k under my belt in Boston. It was hard to navigate the large crowds and I purposely didn't wear a tracker, but I was proud I ran at a consistent pace. No stops.

I've also been striving for once a week lake runs (4 miles). The pretty scenery helps keep me motivated.

In San Francisco, I was fooled into a 4 mile hilly run through the city with friends. They are evil tall people who made me run 9 minute miles with their long lanky legs. 

My big event is coming up! Tough Mudder Long Island on July 22nd. 

12 miles, 20 obstacles. As of now, I have a team of four. Though running is not the focus, it's definitely a personal goal to get through the course quicker than two years ago. 

Fingers crossed for a sunny day and a great experience.