Marathon Day is 18 days away! Coursing through my body is a mixture of excited and nervous energy anytime I think about it.
Last Friday, Nick and I were talking about our plan for our long run on Saturday. I wanted to get a 21 mile run in. I was feeling nervous about it and asked him if he was nervous too and he said no. I was shocked that he didn’t feel nervous– maybe because he’s already run a marathon so 21 miles didn’t seem too bad. Every Friday is a little torturous for me because I know my long run is coming up. I’m always anxious about attempting to do something I’ve never done before. I think that’s pretty common to feel that way. But I try to focus on the feeling of accomplishment rather than the voice in my head that says you can’t run 21 miles. And then once it’s done, I feel so damn good about myself. And the next time I set out to run 21 miles it’s waaaaay less daunting because I know I’ve done it already!
Anyway, last week I rounded out the week with 40 miles which is the most miles I’ve ever run in a week! Wednesday- 7.2; Friday- 4.6; Saturday- 21 and Sunday- 7.2. I felt good on most of the runs; however, the 21 miler was rough. Every part of my body was hurting that day for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s just all the miles I’m putting in, the water backpack which adds weight and pressure to my back, or if my running sneakers are on their last legs. It was a mind over matter run. I wanted to run 21 miles and there was no way I wasn’t going to do it. Our mile splits were pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean we were consistently running 9:10-9:30 for most of the miles. And at mile 17, we busted out a mile in 8:38 (probably because we were on a track). We finished in 3 hours and 17 minutes. And you know what that means? That means that if I run exactly the same way on race day I’ll have 73 minutes to run the last 5.2 miles… which would be about 14 min/miles. Basically, what I’m saying is that I think I’ll be able to reach my goal of completing the marathon in 4 hours and 30 minutes!
21 mile run with splits
This week I’m starting to taper my miles off a bit. I plan to run about 32 miles this week with my long run being 15 miles. I need to let my body rest and recover with lots of foam rolling and stretching.
Less than seven weeks until Marathon Day!! I’m really glad I decided to document everything I’m doing. It’ll be fun to look back at all these blog posts one day– maybe 10 years from now when I’m crushing my 10th marathon. Even though I am planning out each step of my training, there’s been changes and pivots along the way.
this is obviously what I think of every time I say the word pivot
The next five weeks I’m focusing on increasing my total mileage per week. Last week I got 30 miles in over a four-day period. I don’t know if I’ll get to 35-40 miles per week on four days, but I’ll try. Here’s the breakdown of last week’s runs:
Wednesday- 5.3 miles on the treadmill; Friday- 3.2 miles outside (did some speed intervals); Saturday- 12.5 miles on the treadmill; and Sunday- 9.1 miles on the treadmill. I am really happy with my progress of being able to do back-to-back longer runs. Doing 12.5 and then 9.1 the following day is something I never even would’ve dreamed of attempting two months ago. It just goes to show that consistency pays off… but also, when you’re not given much of a choice of when you can do your mid-long runs, you make it work regardless. My body may try to tell me I can’t, but my mind is saying, “but you have to!!” And, of all the runs last week, my favorite was the 9.1 miles on the treadmill. I got in the zone, I was playing with the speed and I got through 9.1 feeling like I could’ve done another mile or two easily.
The next few weeks are going to be a little different because I am pivoting off my original plan of strength training 3 days and running 3 days. I’ve been dealing with a shoulder issues for many months that I keep ignoring. I figure if there’s ever a time to ease up on lifting weights, now is the time since I’m training for a marathon. That doesn’t mean I won’t do a full-body weight workout once a week until marathon day. It’s just not going to be a major part of my training right now. I’m focusing on running, stretching, and core work. Another thing I’m working on is starting slower. My runs have been a little faster than they probably should be- if I can slow it down to 9:30 pace for my long runs, that will help. I notice that my runs are always better when I give myself time to get into it. I’ve always been that way. I like to start slow, let my body warm up and then I’ll fall into a good pace. The goal is to finish- I’m not winning the marathon so the time is irrelevant. (However, if you’re a runner, you can’t help but have a goal in mind. And, if you’re wondering, mine hasn’t changed since my training started- I want to finish in 4:30:00- four hours and thirty minutes).
My goal for this week is 32-33 miles with a 16-17 mile run on Saturday. I am getting a little nervous because I only have four to five more long runs left before the big day. I’d like to do 16-17 miles once; 18-19 once and then 20-21 once. If I can make that happen over the course of the next four to five weeks I will feel really good going into race day. I’m hoping that giving myself more active rest days (i.e. stretching and ab work) it’ll give my legs a break and I’ll feel good on all my runs.
Other things I’m thinking about… 1) what am I wearing on race day? I think I know which leggings but I have to decide on my upper half. I will probably work out a couple of different options based on the weather. 2) How am I going to handle eating before the race? I usually don’t eat before I run but I’m typically not up for more than 45-60 minutes before I run. On race day, I will probably be waking up a good 2-3 hours before the race starts. I’m thinking a banana on the drive over and my pre-workout about 20-30 minutes prior to race time. That’s what I’ve done when I’ve run half marathons and it’s worked out OK. I’ll also be using the water backpack and the chews that I got on race day. I know there’s water stops along the way but I want to limit my stopping at least through the first 15 miles or so.
I’d be lying if I said I wanted to be writing this right now. It’s nothing against running. In fact, it’s one of the few things giving me peace at the moment. I’m just stressed and overwhelmed with life. There’s just so much shit going on right now and I’m pretty sure I’m reaching my breaking point. I know my shit isn’t any crazier, or more difficult, or dare I say smellier than anyone else’s shit. (Sorry, I had to!). And I am super grateful for all the good things that are going on. But still, I’m absolutely, 100% maxed out right now and it’s exhausting, it’s stressful and it’s putting me into full anxiety mode.
But you’re not here to hear me bitch and moan. So I’ll stop. But before I move on, I think it’s worth mentioning that even though now would be a really great time to throw in the towel on the marathon training, I will not sacrifice my goals and desires for someone else’s. And I mean that in the best possible way. I can’t be my best for anyone else if I’m not happy. And I won’t put myself on the back burner for anyone, or any job, or really… anything. My number one priority is making sure I can the best version of myself. And I sure as hell can’t be a great mom, a great employee or a great leader if I’m maxed out and drowning in anxiety.
And while my anxiety won’t disappear over night, it helps to workout and run. 🙃 So back to training …
I ended up treating last week as a recovery week. I backed off my mileage, I took an active rest day to stretch and foam roll, and I took a full rest day. My strength training workouts were the same but I logged the following miles on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 4.2, 10.1, and 4.2. It’s pretty common to plan recovery weeks into training programs. Although they’re not always popular, they’re really good for muscle recovery. Your body cannot be pushed to its limits every single day. It needs time to recover.
But now this week we’re back to increasing mileage!! The goal: 4-5 on Wednesday, 14-15 on Saturday and then 6.2 on Sunday. The plan is to do the Wednesday and Saturday run outside and finish up the week on Sunday with a treadmill run.
I’m excited to report how my long run goes this week. And hopefully by this time next week I’ll be in better spirits.
Until then, I’ll metaphorically run away from my problems. 🏃🏽♀️💨
Week 4 kinda blew. It happens. As I mentioned in my very first post about the marathon, I have a plan. And I’m super Type A so that means I really really really like to try to stick to my plan. However, life happens. Sometimes you just need to pivot and make the best of the situation.
My strength training went off without a hitch. Rarely do I have hiccups when it comes to my at-home workouts because I have control over that. The only issues I run into are when my kids wake up halfway through it and whine for the last 15 minutes about being hungry. Other than that, the only way I’ll miss a workout is if I oversleep. And that rarely happens because my body is so used to waking up early. (The power of habits!)
As for my runs, I only ran twice last week and they were shorter runs– 4.2 miles and 5.1 miles. Those used to be middle distance runs for me but when you’re training for a marathon, those are short. Thursday’s run was in 12 degree weather so to say it was a good one would be a lie. I don’t think I’ll ever love running in the cold. But on the bright side, if I can run in 12 degree weather, you certainly won’t hear me bitching about the weather when it’s 30 degrees. Friday’s run was a bit better- I don’t remember the temperature but it was warmer than 12 degrees. Then we had a blizzard on Saturday which led to a snowed-in weekend and therefore, no run. But 2 runs is better than 0 runs. And with that, we move on.
I’ve established a “starting loop” now. It’s the first leg of my runs where I go about 2 miles out and then branch off depending on the number of miles I plan to run. 95% of my runs start off with my starting loop. I like it. It’s my little thing.
We’re down to 17 weeks until the marathon. I’ve built out my training schedule for the next 6 weeks. I know that things won’t go exactly as planned, but I’m going to try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. I’ve scheduled in 3 runs per week but if I can get at least 2 in each week, 1 being a long run, I think I’ll be OK. My long run is scheduled for Saturday morning and I plan to run 11 miles. I am going to force myself to run slower than I am used to- about 9:30-10:00/mile pace. The one thing about running outside is that it’s hard to gauge how fast (or slow) you’re going. I appreciate running on a treadmill for the simple fact that you can force yourself to run slower by adjusting the speed of the machine. Running outside is different- having a the Apple Watch helps but it’s not the same as a treadmill.
Wish me luck as I embark on my longest run in about 2 months… (-:
I did a lot of reading in 2021! This was the first year in a long time that I read both fiction and non-fiction. Today I want to share my favorite non-fiction reads of the year. They range from memoirs to business to personal development.
10% Happier by Dan Harris– This was the first book I read in 2021. Dan Harris, ABC News correspondent, wrote this book about how he found meditation after having a panic attack on television. While I’ve never been a meditator, I do know people that swear by it. Part of the reason I like this book is that Dan doesn’t try to tell you that meditation is going to change your life drastically or that it fixes all your problems. He’s quite real about, saying that meditation makes him 10% happier. Even though I didn’t become a lifelong meditator after reading this book, my takeaway was finding time to get quiet with myself. Instead of constantly being connected to something- on the phone, scrolling social media, reading emails, having a conversation, listening to music– it’s important to get quiet and listen to my thoughts (as scary or uncomfortable as they are at times). I also enjoyed Dan’s writing style as well as his candidness.
Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima– I had no idea who Jamie Kern Lima was before someone recommended (and gave me) this book. I enjoy memoirs of successful entrepreneurs because it’s inspiring and motivating. Jamie Kern Lima is a regular person, who had a dream and extreme grit, and made something happen for herself. She committed to utilizing QVC to sell her IT Cosmetics and worked tirelessly to make it happen. She eventually sold IT Cosmetics to L’Oreal for $1.2 billion. Definitely a worthwhile read for an aspiring entrepreneur.
Lessons by Gisele Bundchen– Another great read from someone I knew nothing about prior to picking up this book. Obviously I knew who Gisele was but I didn’t know her story. I saw that this book was on a list of recommended memoirs and decided to read it. I really enjoyed learning about her childhood, her modeling career, and now her work as a philanthropist and mother.
Now we’re getting to the really good stuff…
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg– Habits, habit building, habit stacking- this is a topic I can talk about all day. It’s something I’m truly passionate about. I’ve read a bunch of books on how to build habits, how to break habits, and the science between why we can stick with some habits more easily than others. I absolutely LOVE BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model because once you see it, it makes so much sense. Ready for it? Ok, here it is:
B (behavior) = M (motivation) + A (ability) + P (prompt)
In order for the B (behavior) to happen, all three elements- M + A + P must happen at the same time. Fogg gives so many great examples of behaviors that are easy for us to do. For instance – stopping at McDonalds on our way home from work. Motivation- I’m hungry; Ability- I’m passing three McDonalds drive thrus; Prompt- my stomach rumbled. Those three things happening at the same time will lead us to the Behavior of stopping at the drive-thru. Fogg goes into how to change our Motivation, Ability, and Prompts to make it easier for us to adopt habits (or break habits). It’s truly fascinating stuff. He even helps you create a My Recipe card for habits. I would highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to build new habits or break old ones, or if you just like to nerd out on stuff like this like me!
Limitless by Jim Kwik– Known as the boy with a broken brain, Jim Kwik, who suffered brain injuries as a child had major difficulties learning and trouble retaining information as he went through school. As Jim got older he was encouraged to start reading a book a week, from there he delve into the topic of learning. He went from being the boy with the broken brain to someone he believes is limitless in his ability to do whatever it is he wants. Over the course of the years, he developed a model, call The Limitless Model. There are three sections: mindset, motivation, and methods. If you’re running up against a roadblock in trying to reach a goal it is because you’re experiencing in one or more of these areas.
He describes mindset, motivation and methods as follows:
Mindset (the WHAT): deeply held beliefs, attitudes and assumptions we create about who we are, how the world works and what we are capable and deserve, and what is possible
Motivation (the WHY): the purpose one has for taking action. The energy required for someone to behave in a particular way.
Method (the HOW): a specific process for accomplishing something, especially an orderly, logical or systematic way of instruction.
Think about that for a minute. What’s something you say you want to do? Are you lacking the right mindset? The motivation? Or the tools you need to accomplish your goal? This book goes into how to rid yourself of limiting beliefs, how to light your motivation on motivation and processes that will help you systematically accomplish your goals. Basically, Kwik helps you find the place where your mindset, motivation and methods all align so you can become limitless too! Such a great read!
Tractiong by Gino Wickman– I can’t say enough about how great this book was. For anyone that works in a small business or is thinking about starting your own business, this book is a must-read. Being a business school nerd, it brought me back to my days in MBA classes where we talked about topics that were abstract considering I had minimal business experience at the time. Now, 15 years into working (most in a small business environment) I see how important the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is. Wickman identifies six components that make up the EOS- vision, people, data, issues, process and traction.
Some of the key takeaways I got from this book are:
Start with the vision. What is the 10-year goal of the company and then work backward to the 5 year, 3 year, and 1 year.
Develop your company’s language (or culture). Do we all use the same lingo, shorthand, phrases, etc. Do we have goals for the year? Or objectives? Are we a company or a firm?
Leadership team meetings should have an agenda and the agenda should be adhered to.
“The ability to create accountability and discipline, and then execute is the are of greatest weakness in most organizations.” Yes, yes, yes!
As the leader of the organization, you need to stop working in the business 100% of the time and work on the business at times. Me, taking it a step further- You will never be successful if you are too busy with day to day minutiae. You have to set aside time each week to review the week, look at the P&L, prioritize issues, etc.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins– If you want to read a book about someone who had the odds stacked against him but overcame struggles time and time again, this is the book for you. David Goggins is as strong physically as he is mentally (if not more so). I had this book on my shelf for about 9 months before I picked it up to read the week before my first running race of 2021. Perfect timing, considering Goggins is not only a Navy SEAL but also an ultra-marathon and triathlon runner- someone who has put his body through hell and back more times than anyone can track. If he can run 100 mile races, I definitely could run a 15k. (-:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown- As someone who struggles with perfectionism and being enough I found this book to be inspiring. It offered me a different perspective, and gave me tools and ideas on how to deal with these feelings that will sometimes overwhelm me. A very common theme in many books I’ve read is to let go of what others think about you. While it’s easy to say, it’s not so easy to do. We all struggle with it to varying degrees. Other themes, in that same vain, are: to get comfortable with who you are, trust yourself more, and don’t be afraid to let your freak flag fly.
The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins– I’m a big fan of Mel Robbins. Something about her high vibe, get it done, no excuse energy just gets me going. Mel is a lawyer, speaker, author, entrepreneur, coach, wife, and mother of three. And she’s pretty kick-ass. This book is about giving yourself a high 5 every single morning when you wake up. Which may sound a little silly and awkward but in the book she talks about how this positive little action every morning can change the trajectory of your entire day. Imagine if your first thought every day was “YES!!! I get to wake up and workout and go to work today!” rather than “Ugh, I don’t want to get up yet. Today is going to suck!” Well, the high 5 habit is Mel’s way of starting your day with a little jolt of “Go me!” energy. And it works– if you’re consistent and you go into it with the right energy.
The book isn’t just 200 pages worth of her selling her high 5 strategy to you. My two favorite chapters were the ones on jealousy and the one on, what I’ll refer to as, the universe conspiring. First, the one on jealousy. Mel says we shouldn’t ignore our feelings of jealousy, that instead we should lean into that feeling and ask why. Why are we feeling the way we do? If so-and- so has something we want, instead of assuming we can’t have it too, ask questions- get curious. If you are feeling jealous, there’s a reason. It doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, to me, it’s a hint that there’s something out there for you to work towards. As Mel puts it, if you’re feeling jealousy or cattiness towards something someone else has, it means you want it but that you’re blocked by self doubt. #truthbomb
Next, the chapter on “everything happens for a reason.” I know that is probably one of the most cliche things you can possibly say in the world but it’s true. Mel describes an elaborate story of a painting that she saw at restaurant and decided that she wanted. It was way too expensive for her taste at the time but she never held out hope that she’d one day have that one of a kind painting. I’m not going to spoil whole story, but I’ll leave you with the paragraph that I loved from this chapter:
“You can always connect the dots in your life if you are looking back. The true art is believing that this moment right now is a dot that is connecting you to something amazing that’s coming in the future. Trust is a major component of that– trusting in yourself, your abilities and the divine nature of things. That everything in your life is preparing you for something that hasn’t happened yet. You may not be able to see how all the dots connect on the map of your life, but they do indeed connect.”
As you can see, I have a lot to say about these books. I started with a top 10 list but I realized this was getting a little long. A couple other recommendations I have are: Discover Your Dharma by Sahara Rose and Built Through Courage by Dave Hollis.
Would love to hear if anyone else has read any of these books and what you’ve thought about them. And please feel free to share your recommendations with me too!
Welcome to my blog reboot. It’s the morning of December 26th and I decided, rather abruptly, to reboot my blog. Well, if I’m being honest, I’ve been thinking about coming back to my blog for a while now. I just wasn’t sure how or when I wanted to dive in.
Welp! Today is the day. So for those of you that are new here, welcome! And those that used to read my blog, welcome back. I’m excited to restart this journey. When I stopped it was because I was, just like a lot of people, going through stuff (my last post was May 2020). And even though I’m still going through stuff (that’s life), I am in a slightly better place than I was 18 months ago.
My blog posts will be different this time around. I’m not going to just focus on the two things that I think most people know me as– a mother and/or someone that loves fitness. While those are still the biggest parts of my life, those are only a couple sides of Lauren. There’s a lot that you probably don’t know about me. Like the fact that I get twitchy when my routine gets disrupted (ok, maybe you did know that). Or the fact that I am a complete book nerd (my dream house has a room covered wall to wall in books). Or that my favorite channels are Food Network (hate to cook) and HGTV (my walls are completely bare). Or that I listen to the sweet serenading sounds of Louis C.K or Chad Daniels or Tom Segura to fall asleep at night. Or that the flame I’ve held for running was reignited in 2021 and that I will add more fuel to that fire in 2022. Or that I lose my shit when people write the word lose as loose because they don’t understand the English language but it’s cool when walk around saying the word frustrating as fustrating because I too, don’t understand the English language.
Basically what I’m saying is that we’re all complex. We have different sides of ourselves. And weird idiosyncrasies that make us who we are. But (hopefully) we’re always learning and growing and becoming a better version of ourselves than we were yesterday. So my blog is going to be about anything and everything that I feel like sharing- what I had for dinner last night, or things I’ve learned, projects I’m working on, books I’m reading.. who knows! Because it’s my blog and I can do what I want with it.
lauren goodman 