JP Morgan Chase Challenge - 7/12/12

(Me crossing the finish line)

I first attempted the Challenge in 2007 (see the post about it here).  I had been going to the gym, doing a cardio regime, but not running.  I walked the whole thing, and the experience was miserable.  I started at the end of the pack, so by the time I crossed the start line (there's about 10,000 entrants to this race), the winner was already turning the corner to finish.  Walkers gave up and would cut across the street (the course was up and back Comm Ave), or just give up completely.  By the time I got into Kenmore Square, I was dead last.  Water tables had packed up and left.  The ambulance followed me all the way to the finish line.  But, I made it across the finish line.  I was determined to run it the next time.

Then there were obstacles.  Miscarriages.  Pregnancies.  Babies.  Finally, five years later, I was ready to try again.

I would love to write I trained my ass off, and ran the whole 3.5 miles and fulfilled my promise.  Part of the Chasing Chubby experience is that not everything is what you want it to be, but you need to celebrate it anyway.

Trying to train with babies in your life is hard.  If you are planning on getting up at 5 AM to run, the baby doesn't know that when they wake up screaming at 2:30 and keep you up until 4.  There's more sickness with kids, too, so if you're sick there's no running.

Most of the time, I was lucky if I got out twice a week to run.  Even then, I wasn't running more than a mile solid.  The week before the race I was up in Maine, my runs weren't more than a mile, and with the heat and humidity I was walking as well as running.  I started to panic about the Challenge, and contemplated dropping out because I couldn't fulfill my goal of running the whole thing.

The Monday before the race, I realized that giving up because of that would be a piss-poor reason to drop out of the race.  That morning I decided to try and run three miles; the farthest I'd gone since having my son.  I got out there, and did a run/walk combo that I accomplished without difficulty.  I finished the three miles in under an hour.  That's how I would do the challenge: walking and running.

The day of the race, I worked out my plan.  I brought up a map of the race course, and plotted out half-mile intervals where I would switch from walking to running.  I would be running two miles, and walking one and a half.  I went through the course on Google Maps streetview so I wouldn't panic on the course on where to switch.  Finally, as I geared up for the race, I wrote the plan on my arm:

I was ready.

This time, I didn't line up at the back of the pack with the walkers; I learned my lesson last time.  Even so, when the gun went off it took a good five minutes to cross the start line on Charles Street, and that was walking.  It wasn't until we turned onto Beacon the pace picked up.  By the time we hit Arlington there was room to start jogging, FINALLY!

I did great up to my first checkpoint at Berkeley.  I dropped to a walk even though my race-brain wanted to GO! GO! GO!  I knew better from experience.  If I wanted to cross the finish line running, I needed to be consistent and stick with the plan.

I hit Fairfield, and started running again.  At the one-mile water table, my best friend Rebecca and her daughter were waiting to hand me refreshment.  Rebecca cheered me on as I kept going. I was still feeling good when I got to the overpass that goes under Mass Ave.  I ran down it, but decided to walk back up to conserve energy.  This brought me to Charlesgate, which was my walking part anyway.  At the 1.5 mile mark, there was water, but whole bottles.  I did not want to chug, so I was taking a mouthful and in the most un-ladylike way spitting it out.

After turning around in Kenmore Square (Hello, Fenway!), I picked up the pace again.  Now I was starting to feel some exhaustion.  Jogging to Exeter felt daunting, so I decided to now adopt a new plan: ran when I felt I could do it, walk when I needed to rest.  I was running when I passed Rebecca and her daughter again (the water station moved across to get the runners coming back), and I thankfully got more water and encouragement.  I kept going.

At Arlington, I knew it was the home stretch.  I moved back into a running mode.  I turned onto Boylston.  It was a little congested with  walkers and tourists, so I slowed back down.  Then I hit Charles Street.  This was it; I took a deep breath, and hit it.  I crossed the finish line running.  I was done!

I was extremely proud of myself. I went out with some coworkers, got home, and slept feeling like a rock star.

The next day, I got to work, hung my bib up (now my fourth in a growing collection), and looked up my stats from the race to see how I had improved in four years.

2007: 1:04:37
2012: 1:04:37

The exact same time. Down to the SECOND.


The pride inside deflated.  How did I perform exactly the same when I added running this time around?  I started looking for anomalies.  I checked the app I use on my iPhone to look at my stats.  Anything to prove to me I did better, that I'm improving.

At the end of the day, none of those numbers are going to do it.  I need to hold on to that sense of pride and accomplishment I felt on both the nights in '07 and '12.  I crossed a finish line.  It might not have been a PR-setting race, but it's been a race that is part of who I am as a runner.

I will do the race again, and I'll cross the finish line again, no matter how I get there.

The Chase Begins Again

This happy face was my passenger for the last of my running in 2011. Now, six months after he entered the world, I'm ready to get back out there and run for my life.

I stopped running around halfway through my pregnancy, mostly all my baby business was making breathing difficult (having a fetus on your lungs can do that). Even after the running stopped, I kept up exercising. I alternated walking and prenatal yoga during the week. I kept at it up until my beautiful boy entered the world.

And then...I needed to recover and rest. I had all ideals of being back on the road before the next Jingle Bell Run for December '11, but I didn't take into account things like middle of the night feedings, and trying to cram milk-full breasts into sports bras (answer:no). So I did what I'm sure doctors wouldn't reccommend: I gave myself time to adjust. I didn't beat myself up for not exercising. When I could, I would take the kids on walks during the day.

Right around when the baby was six months old, I felt the itch. The weather was unseasonably warm and on my commute home I saw the other runners out there. I'm ready, I thought to myself.

I had a few false starts. With children, you can't always guarantee that you'll get a full night's sleep, or a virus will attack the household. Then I found myself fighting the inner critic, finding any excuse not to go out (I couldn't find the right playlist; I couldn't find my equipment for the road). Finally in the middle of March, I was ready to go. I set my running clothes out the night before, and got to bed. Of course, the boy had other plans, and I did not get out that next morning. I sat at work that day, disappointed. I got home, and just as I was about to start dinner, I turned to my husband.

"Can you handle this," I asked. "I need to get out and run." Since he's also a runner, and been seeing me struggle with my return, he took my place in the kitchen without hesitation. I got dressed, grabbed my iPod, and out the door.

That's how I finished Week, 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K running program. I'm now on Week 3, after an interruption by colds and conjuncitivits. I'm still running.

Look at that face. How can I not run to stay healthy for that face?

The Chase Doesn't End Because of My Passenger

Last week I went for my 24 week checkup. And I got lectured. Apparently, I've gained too much weight so far in this pregnancy. Odd, when I did the research, I saw that I was right on track for the 1 lb. a week during the second and third trimester...

...and then I saw it, on my chart. MORBIDLY OBESE, just like that. And my OB was talking down to me. Was I watching my diet? Was I really watching what I was eating? Was I exercising? Did I not understand that gaining all this weight now will make it harder after the baby to lose it?

I didn't get it. My OB knows that before this, I was running three times a day, and I completed TWO 5Ks before MC². This was also the same doctor, with my last daughter, told me that studies change all the time, and the weight gain guidelines change all the time.

Right now, a pregnant woman within "average" weight range should gain between 25-35 lbs. during their pregnancy. This is where I fell in last time, and I am on track with during this pregnancy.

However, an "obese" pregnant woman is only supposed to gain 11-20 lbs, if that. There are articles out there now saying that fat mommies-to-be are being encourage to DIET during pregnancy. Are you kidding me?

I asked my OB about my exercise regime. I told her I had taken time off to recuperate from a cold (that was frowned upon). I mentioned my 20 minute walk twice a day, and my every other morning yoga. Should I add back my morning walks as well, or am I pushing myself too hard? "Do the walking in the morning as well," the doc tells me, "You cannot overdo it while exercising, your body won't let you."

Now I have to call bullsh*t. I HAVE overdone it exercising. Training for the 5ks left me with dry heaves on the side of the road. Over vigorous yoga sessions had me in pain for days.


The kicker? I haven't even hit my STARTING weight of when I was pregnant with my daughter! My maternity clothes, especially pants, have been too big. My rings have been falling off. The only thing I've really changed is that I've stopped running because I have a human being sitting on my lungs!

I'm getting the feeling I'm being stereotyped into the "fat lazy slob" label. Which, if anyone who has read this blog knows, I am not. Not only am I exercising as much as I can, I chase a toddler around the house, and get chased around by my husband (Sorry, Ma).

I hope I have to courage to tell this stuff to my OB the next time I see her. I don't want to feel like I'm being punished every time I walk in for my prenatal, and they put me on the scale. Let me grow my child, and then when I'm able, start running again and shed the baby weight.

Let me be pregnant and happy, not stressful and miserable.

Training while on the Baby Train

Walking. Jogging. Walking. Jogging. That's about how my cardio/outdoor exercises have been going. After one wheezing, out-of-breath morning of interval training, I thought I was done with my jogging life until after Baby MC².

Then came some down time of not getting outside at all. Part of it was weather, and I think part of it was not wanting to go out and walk. One of my last mornings out before the two week break, runners were going past me, and damned if I wasn't jealous. JEALOUS! Me, former fat kid who would weep at the thought of laps in gym class, now to the point of weeping with jealousy because she couldn't move faster down the path.

This morning, I got my butt up, and hit the VFW Parkway. As I turned onto the path, I said, "why not," and did a very slow jog to a point I picked in my head. I reached it, and went back to walking. I ended up doing about five intervals this morning. I felt like a ROCK STAR! I'm sure I was as slow as molasses, but I DID NOT CARE - I WAS JOGGING!

I am also aware this won't last forever. At 21 weeks pregnant, there's going to be a point where even the idea of moving beyond a brisk walk will be reserved for dashing to a bathroom ASAP. I just want to stay as active as possible for as long as I can. I know it's good for my energy levels during pregnancy, and hopefully will make labor and childbirth and recovery easier. I'm also looking at the other end, and the more active I stay now, the easier it will be to get back exercising after having MC².

On my other days, I've been doing prenatal yoga DVDs. I'll do another post reviewing the three I've been using.

This may not be training for a 5K, but it's a training of another kind, and actually almost as tough!

Baby on Board

It's the first run outdoors this year; a good a time as any to update this blog, in hibernation since the winter.

My winter training was noneventful, and almost nonexistent. When I could, I would go to the gym and get on the treadmill. I am still not a fan of running on a treadmill, but I would get 20 minutes in, so was doing a little over a mile when I could. Blizzards, back backs, and a knee sprain caused some interruption.

And then there's this:
That, is my new running companion. Around the house, the nickname is "Baby MC²." I found out we were expecting in the middle of January. Our newest family member will make an appearance sometime in early September.

When I did the math, I realized that I was pregnant when I ran the Jingle Bell. Okay, so not PREGNANT, like I waddled across the finish line, but still...pretty cool to me.

This morning's first outdoor run was not as cool. I did more intervals (run-walk-run) than anything. And I kept trying to not beat myself up for it. When I saw my pace was over 18 minutes, I was bummed. Then I looked at my breakdown of pace on RunKeeper. When I ran, I was back to my 16:00 mile, and even better in some parts. So not as bad as I thought, and I rewarded myself with a Decaf Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte for getting out there, and gettin' 'er done!

Then change in thinking is going to be the hardest through this. I have to remind myself that as I get slower, and eventually walk (and then waddle) my morning workout, it's not because I'm letting myself go, or not working on improvement. As a fat girl working it to lose it, it is difficult to watch the numbers on the scale go up with every doctor's visit. It's also not helpful to have an OB that watches your weight like a hawk, telling you after reviewing your last pregnancy weight gain (30 lbs), "let's not let it get that bad this time."

I will continue to exercise with this pregnancy. It will be interesting to see how running with a "hitchiker," (as my cousin called it) will change over the next 25 weeks. I'm also doing prenatal yoga on my off-running days, which I think might help keep me limber for my morning runs.

I'm wondering if i need one of those "Baby on Board" signs for my butt?

Jingle Bell Run 5K - Somerville, MA

This race had a mission. After my interaction with the race organizer and his definition of "real runners," I knew I had to rock this race.
And I had to get my message across as well. A trip to AC Moore and a half-hour, and I had this:

Sunday morning we got up, had a leisurely light breakfast, and then headed to Somerville. I mentioned to Erik that I wasn't as nervous for this race like I was for the Superhero 5K. Was this a bad thing? Was I getting cocky? Erik said no, it was a good thing, that I wouldn't be anxious.

We arrived and found one of the last parking spots. We took turns walking to the port-a-potties for those last pre-run potty runs, while keeping the little one in the car to stay warm as long as possible. I found fellow runners Amy and Scott, and we walked back towards the car. We also found another running friend (Jules). We gathered Erik and the girl, and went to drop her off with grandparents so we could line up.

I lost Erik as I walked to my spot (I found out later he neded yet another run to the portables); so Scott and I walked back towards the back. We decided to stay near the "12 minute" gate, looking at some of the folks there and assuming they were more our pace. I kept fiddling with my shoes, tying and re-tying, worried they were too tight, then too lose.

And then the crowd started moving. We did the jog-jog-stop for a bit. We crossed under the START balloon arch, and I was off!

Holland Avet towards Teele Square was a steady incline. I kept telling myself that I used to walk this street when I was a smoker, so running up it should NOT be a problem. I got to the top, turned onto Broadway, and felt the need to walk. I let myself walk a few hundered feet to a pedestrian sign, and picked up the pace again.

North Street was where I saw the MILE 1 sign, and let out a cheer! The picture of the Harpoon Bottle helped with motivation.

As I hit Powder House Blvd and the loping hills, my motivation came in the form of the other runners. Unlike the Superhero, I was never alone on this race. I was surrounded by other runners...and walkers, mostly walkers. I kept getting compliments on my jacket, and then when I explained why I was wearing it, I would get even more words of encouragement.

The hills of this race made me grateful that I trained on hills in Dedham. As we neared Tufts and the rotary turn onto Broadway, an announcer called out my name, asked if that was right. I gave a thumbs-up and a wave, and he said "Good job! Thanks for joining us today!"

My second walking bit was after mile 2. A steep climb and a water station equaled me taking a little bit of time to catch my breath and get some water in my dry mouth. I couldn't swallow, so I swirled around and spit it out on the road. I wasn't the only one to spill water and with the cold weather led to a bit of an icy patch. I walked past the station, and then started the downhill jog.

This gave me enough momentum to keep going when hitting another hill on Cedar Street. I started noticing runners walking the other way. I knew I must be close to finishing. I turned on to the bike path, where I had the smoothest pavement the whole race (gotta love New England streets). I picked up my pace. I knew I was close to finishing.

Then, I saw it: The finish line. Unconsciously I started running faster. I was having trouble catching my breath, so I forced myself to slow down for a little bit longer. Erk came off the sidelines and ran past me for a bit, cheering me on. "I'm trying!" I yelled.

I decided to pick up my pace and try and blow through the finish line. This was harder than expected because of the pedestrians clogging up the finishing path. I started yelling for folks to move out of my way, and I pushed it.
I checked my time on my RunKeeper app. My time was 49:21, average pace 16:06. I was so happy I finished under 50 minutes! When I checked the results, I saw my offical time was 49:18, with an average pace of 15:52. AWESOME! This is about five minutes faster than my last 5K.

Despite the organizer being a jerk, and getting one of the craptastic racing shirts, I had a blast in this race. I never felt alone, and I got a sweet medal (that doubles as a bottle opener) that makes up for the shirt.

Instead of celebrating in the Square (lines were loooooong), we went back to JP and had some Harpoon Winter Warmers and finished the celebratory meal with a mud pie cake I shared with my little girl.

Happy Winter Holidays, everyone!

Ho, Ho, *Burp*

I was up before dawn this morning, on a 16-minute mile pace run for 3 miles. It was cold. It was dark.

It is also the holiday season. With this time of year comes the food. That lovely cupcake is courtesy of the building my company is in. Today is "Design Your Own Cupcake Day" in the lobby. There was red velvet. I could not say no to red velvet cupcakes!

I also could not say no to the amazing food at my husband's work party this past weekend. From the appetizers (baked brie with raspberries!) to the buffet (roast beef with roasted potatoes), to the desserts (eggnog mousse-filled chocolate cups!), it was a very yummy event.

So I make sure to get those runs in. Not just for the race that's in 13 days, but to be able to enjoy the yumminess of the season and not pay for it in my waistline.