Saturday, September 21, 2013

Coming Back Stronger

I've been avoiding writing this post for a while. I've been discouraged and so I didn't know what to say without coming across slightly angry and bitter - even though I know I did what was right for me.

Let me explain. If you were following my (extremely rare) posts before, you know that I was training for my first marathon at the end of August. As you may have guessed by now, that did not happen.

In mid-July, I went on a long training mile - 16 miles to be specific. That was farther than I had gone before. Things started off good and then my hips tightened up. Now, that's not unusual, but my right hip in particular just got tighter. And tighter. And then it started locking up. I began altering my gait and I knew I had a problem. The dreaded ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome) had struck, as it does with so many runners. I ended up walking the last mile or so for a total run of 16.6 miles.



Now, before I go on, I will say that I am extremely proud of myself for going so far. It was - and will probably be for a while - my longest distance I have ever run. I never imagined I could run far at all, but I can! And I will continue on.

A few days after my long run, my hip was feeling better. I went out for a shorter run (just over 5 miles), but I could feel my hip starting to lock up again in the first mile or so. I knew then I would not be running a marathon this year. I was sad but as I was running I came to this conclusion and I knew it was for the best. Running can be quite therapeutic when it's you and your thoughts alone on the road.

The following weekend I ran a 10k (Run for Women in Calgary), and even though I again had tightness and pain in my hip, I actually got a PR! I ran the 10k in 1:11:56, beating my 10k time from May by over 5 minutes! Unfortunately, my hip was in rough shape after that, so I took some time off running. Six or so weeks, actually. There were some hard days, not really knowing what would happen, but I needed that break.

Instead of running a marathon at the end of August, I transferred my registration to a half marathon and then transferred it again to my husband. I volunteered as a course marshall instead (which was awesome - I highly recommend everyone volunteer once in a while, as it is a great experience).

Now, here we are, in mid-September and I'll be honest. I've been nervous to get back into running. I wanted to run, but I was scared I would be a mile into my first run back and my hip would hurt again. I was very lucky to win a free month of run coaching on Twitter (thanks to Coach Scott Fishman for the opportunity to work with him!). I am feeling confident that this is exactly what I need right now to come back to running, stronger than before. I can build up my mileage again, safely, and hopefully avoid injury.


After today's lactate threshold run, I will be one week back into running! So far I am feeling good (thanks to my foam roller and The Stick for helping keep my hip limber) and overall I'm really happy to be running again. I never thought I would say this - I love running. It makes me feel so good, physically and mentally. I may not be a super fast runner, but I am excited to see what lies ahead for me.

I have signed up for the Tinkerbell 10k (Saturday) and Tinkerbell Half Marathon (Sunday) in Disneyland mid-January, so I will be focusing on those races for now. I do still want to try a marathon one day, maybe next year, but I'm not worried. We'll see what happens! For now I am just happy to be running again.

Did you have an injury setback? How did you handle it and were you nervous coming back again? I'd love to hear your stories!

Until next time...

Megan

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Marathon Training - I'm a Slacker

I often don't know what to write, which is why I don't post much. I'm trying to think or more things to write about, so we'll see how that goes!

But for now, I want to talk about my marathon training to date. I'm looking at my mileage for June and I'm disappointed in myself. I was doing really good for the first part of June. Then excuses took over. I started a new job, so I didn't run that week. Then I was out of town for a stagette party that weekend.

I decided to try for my long run on the Monday night, since I obviously missed it when I was out of town. I made it just over 5 miles (I was going to try for a half, 13.1 miles), but it just wasn't happening for me. My allergies and asthma started acting up - there is so much pollen right now! - and my lungs just couldn't do it.

A couple days later I had a terrible cold, plugged head and cough. I'm still fighting this thing off almost two weeks later! I have this lingering cough from my asthma in my chest. Ugh. I'm going to try for another long run tomorrow - slow and steady - and see how it goes.

I guess I'm just a bit discouraged because I haven't run much lately (though I know it was in my best interest, since I was sick and couldn't breathe all that well). As runners, we all go through slumps, but I know it's time to pick it up again if I'm going to be ready for my full in 8 weeks.

I want to run. My body has been craving it. I'm just scared I won't be able to do it, but I guess you have to try, or you won't do it either way! So I'm going to get out there tomorrow morning and just run. Any run is better than no run, right?


Also - I'll be hosting the Energy Bits #PoweredByBits twitter chat on Tuesday, July 16 at 9pm EST.  Come join me for a great chat and some Energy Bits giveaways! Of course, if you just can't wait, you can always order your bits now. Use "IRONRING" at checkout on www.energybits.com for 30% off! Hope to chat with you in a few weeks!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

I'm a Slow Runner, but I'm Still a Runner!

Today, I wanted to talk about being a slow runner. That's me! I am slow - at least for now - but I am still a runner. When I say slow, I mean I trained for the Princess Half at a pace between 13:00 and 14:00 min/mile. I see so many people posting their workouts to Twitter, with such fast paces! I see paces of 7:00 min/mile! That is twice as fast as I am running! I'm honestly amazed that people can move so fast, but it can be a little discouraging at the same time.


Now, that's not to say seeing these fast runners makes me want to stop running. In fact, I find it's the opposite more often than not. These fast runners make me want to keep running - because if I keep running, then I can get faster too! I already look at how far I've come and I'm so happy with myself. I recently ran an entire 5k without a walk break. That's amazing to me. And now I know, if I just keep running, the speed that other runners have will come in time to me too.


I'm now on the my third week of marathon training. It's been good so far, but the long runs are about to get much longer! I'm both excited and scared for them. I know they will take a while to complete, but that's ok. So even if it takes me hours, I'm going to run. A mile is still a mile, whether you are fast or slow!


So what am I doing to try to pick up the pace? I'm doing longer run and shorter walk intervals for my long training runs (right now, I've bumped it up to 5 min run/1 min walk). On my shorter runs, I'm pushing myself a bit more - adding speed intervals and sometimes running a full mile before taking a short walk break. I can already see the improvement in my speed. In February, I was at 13:00-14:00 min/mile and now I'm 11:30-12:30 min/mile! I just need to keep at it and the speed will follow as my fitness and endurance improves.

I have a 10k Mother's Day race on Sunday, so we'll see how my past few weeks have helped my race time. I'm hoping to get under 1:15:00 for my 10k time (and first official 10k race), but we'll see. What matters is that I am out there running, slow or not!

Are you a slow runner? Do you have plans to improve your speed? If so, what are you changing about your training?

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Energy Bits Review

I've been reading a lot about Energy Bits on Twitter and on many blogs lately. I was interested because it seemed like every review I read praised these bits and highly recommended them. After a fun Twitter chat about a month ago, I was contacted by one of the Energy Bits team (Jonathan Levitt, who is absolutely fantastic at getting back to me ASAP and answering my many, many questions!). During our chat, he offered to send me a sample of Energy Bits to try out for myself! Awesome!

Source: Energy Bits

Now, you are probably wondering what exactly are Energy Bits. Energy Bits are small pill-shaped food made from 100% spirulina algae - and that's it! These bits are all natural (no caffeine and no additives!) and contain only 1 calorie per bit. A typical serving size is about 30 bits, so for 30 calories, you can't go wrong. Algae has some amazing health benefits, but I will let Energy Bits tell you more eloquently than I could:

Want more energy, more mental vitality, or a healthy high protein snack you can grab on the go? How about a quick way to boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out? If so, ENERGYbits® are for you. Made from 100% organicallly grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body.

Best used for:

  • Increasing Energy 
  • Increasing Endurance
  • Increasing Mental Vitality
  • High Protein Snack
  • Curbing Hunger 
  • Meal Replacement
  • Balancing Blood Sugar
  • Lowering Blood Pressure
  • Reducing Fatigue

Now that sounds pretty good! I received my sample last week with a bunch on information on algae. I actually find it so interesting how good algae is for you and yet, in the western world, it's relatively unknown - until now. Energy Bits is spreading the word on the health benefits of algae and I'm excited to get on board with it too.

All the goodies I received from Energy Bits!

I'll be honest. The first thing I did when I received my sample was smell the bits. Yes, I know that sounds weird, but everyone says they smell and taste "green" or like a fish tank. I can now tell you that this is 100% true. Since I was expecting the fish tank smell though, it didn't really bother me. And although it isn't the most appetizing smell, the health benefits of the bits far outweigh a little "green" smell.

I used my bits the other day for my 10k run. About 15-20 minutes before I went for my run, I ate 30 bits. Normally around this time right before a run, I need a snack (often I'll eat a banana or a energy bar or similar). This time I just took the bits, so I could really see how they work - otherwise, I would be quite hungry within the first mile or two. I decided to swallow the bits with water (I did all 30 bits in two mouthfuls), both because it seemed easier than chewing but also because algae is an acquired taste and I didn't want to turn myself off them before I got to reap the benefits! They went down easy and since you generally are taking about 30 bits per serving, I would probably recommend swallowing them anyways.

I went for my 10k run and felt great. I've been highly stressed out lately, so I was amazed at how clear my mind was and how great my body felt. I had no stomach problems with the bits.  I will say - sorry to be gross for a moment here - that I was concerned about burping or coughing and tasting the "green fish tank" in my mouth, but there was absolutely no unpleasant aftertaste whatsoever! I wasn't hungry for my first several miles and refuelled as usual around mile 3-4. Next time, I want to bring my bits with me, so I can use those as my mid-race fuel instead of the sugar and caffeine packed gels I have been using.

I had enough bits left for a second try, so this time I decided to use them before my tap class. I was feeling pretty tired on my way to class. Plus, we are just about to compete with our tap routine this coming weekend, so I needed all the brain power and energy I could get! I took the rest of my bits (approximately 30 bits with a mouthful of water) about 15 minutes before my class started. Again, I felt alert and energized, without the buzz or the shakes that often accompanies caffeine or higher sugar energy snacks. I felt full without feeling bloated, which is especially great when you are moving around so much. Overall, I had a great tap class with energy to last the full class and then some! Normally my legs feel a bit like deadweight after a full hour of tapping, but that didn't happen when I used the bits. 

There is a downside to these bits though, since they don't come too cheap. You can buy a bag of 1000 bits for $115 on their website. However, when you consider the cost of the bits compared to a gel or energy bar or similar, the cost per serving is actually very close! The bits are natural though, so you don't have all the additives and sugars that many of the gels and energy bars have, which is a definite plus.

I've ordered my own full bag of EnergyBits now (I hope they come soon!) and I'm excited to use them on a regular basis, not just before/during activity. There are so many benefits to algae, so I'm hoping I can both cut down on caffeine and get myself through the mid-afternoon slump at work by being #PoweredByBits. Energy Bits has a few other types of bits as well, including Recoverybits, Skinnybits and Vitalitybits, which are all great in their own way as well. Check out their website if you are interested in learning more about algae and the benefits of being #PoweredByBits!

If you are interested in trying out some bits for yourself, I have a sweet discount for all my readers! Use the code IRONRING at the checkout on EnergyBits.com for 30% off!


Personal Photo

Note: I was provided with a complimentary sample of Energy Bits to try. However, all the opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Spring/Summer Races


Those words seem fitting right now. I've been thinking a lot since I ran the Princess Half in Disney World and I realized that I am much stronger and much more capable than I thought. Let's be honest for a minute. My training for the half was pretty slack. I basically did one long run every weekend for two months, peaking twice at 8 miles. And I ran a half marathon! Would I recommend doing that to others? No, I think it is very important to train properly and I'm very thankful I was not injured. In fact, I didn't have any pain during my half until the sides of my thighs got super tight at mile 12 (which I think is amazing in itself).

If I can achieve a half with that sad "training" plan, just think of the possibilities if I commit myself to training!

I just completed a 5k run this past weekend (benefitting Strathcona County Victim Services). While it was no 26,000 person race - there were about 200 runners - it was a lot of fun and supported a great cause. I got a new PR for my 5k distance (35:00 exactly!) and I did the entire 5k without a walk break! I'm so proud of myself, since that's the farthest I've ever gone without a walk break!

I'm also signed up for a few other races this spring/summer:

May 12 - 10k Mother's Day Run
July 6 - Color Me Rad 5k
July 27 - Run for Women 10k
August 25 - Edmonton Marathon

Oh yeah...I signed up for my first FULL marathon! What?! Am I crazy? Yes. Yes, I am. But I know that if I train, I can do this. I'm not aiming for a particular finish time. I just want to finish. It's scary, but it's also really exciting. I don't know if this will be the first and last marathon I ever run, but I'm ready to challenge myself and prove to myself that I am so much more capable that I ever imagined.

Now, I'm off to run 10k in the beautiful spring weather #PoweredByBits! I'll have a review of Energy Bits posted soon!


Saturday, April 20, 2013

runDisney Princess Half Marathon 2013 - Part 2

If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here!

Away we went across the start line. There were lots of people, so it started off a bit slow. I hit the start button on my interval timer (set to 2 min run, 1 min walk intervals) and began my race. Less than a minute in, Aaron told me he was going to go for it, so I was on my own! I was happy to see him run off because I knew I was much slower than him, but also because I knew that I needed to run and finish this race on my own terms and at my own pace.

Before I knew it, we were 1 mile in! It was hot and muggy. I was already so sweaty. But I didn't care! I was running a half marathon in Disney World and I felt awesome! I was maybe 1.5 miles in and the elite runners appeared on the other side of the highway to head back to Epcot! Those ladies would have been around mile 10 at that point. Wow - that was both awesome to see and slightly disheartening since we just started - and there was still a long way to go!

Mile 1 Marker

I passed the pirate ship and princes/heroes, but the lines were already so long that I didn't stop. I was keeping steady with my 2/1 min intervals and before I knew it, we were coming up on the Magic Kingdom! Thanks to the single runner I met at this point who took a pic for me! Note how sweaty I am - and we haven't quite made it to Mile 3 yet!

Magic Kingdom Entrance

The thing about this entrance is that it is a bit deceiving. We had a ways to go before actually getting into the Magic Kingdom. I kept on going and soon passed the 5k marker. Shortly after, I came up to the villains! Now, if you know anything about me, you know I love the villains - particularly Maleficent (just look at my race outfit haha). And she was here! I've only ever seen her in a parade (once), so obviously I had to stop - long line or not! I figured I would make the most of my wait in the line and ate one of my Clif Gels while I was stopped.

Chillin' like a villain (sorry, I had to!) - taken by Marathonfoto

I lost over 10 minutes at the villains but I didn't care! After I left the villains, I decided to run more and ignore my interval timer for a bit. I knew it would be slow going through Magic Kingdom, so I tried to make up some time. I didn't realize that we would be funnelled through a few underpasses on the way to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). I did still run as best I could through this area, but there was a lot on congestion with so many people trying to get through.

 Heading towards the Transportation and Ticket Center

I kept on running and it was great to see so many people cheering us on as we ran through the TTC. We passed some of the big puppets that were out during the 20th Marathon Weekend. I rounded the bend just past the puppets and got my first glance at Space Mountain in the distance. I passed the Mile 5 marker and then glimpsed Cinderella's Castle for the first time!

Space Mountain

First Glimpse of Cinderella's Castle

We ran in a side entrance onto Main Street and it was packed! There were people everywhere - cheering, clapping, shouting, some with noisemakers, some with signs! It was amazing. But the part that really makes your heart jump is that first moment of seeing Cinderella's Castle at the end of Main Street. What a great feeling!

Running down Main Street

 In front of Cinderella's Castle

From here, we veered right into Tomorrowland and ran through Fantasyland. I was about to run through the castle! How exciting, or so I thought. It was cool that they had trumpeters above playing Rocky music as we went through. But it was so packed in the passageway that you could really only shuffle your way through. It was also super smelly and sweaty in there, so I have to say, it was all in all not the magical experience one imagines when running through the castle. I suppose had I been in an earlier, faster corral, I would have made it to the castle before it got so busy on the course. I'll have to get faster for my next race haha!

About to run through the castle

Sweaty but feeling good! - taken by Marathonfoto

We ran through to Liberty Square, where I stopped for a bathroom break. I wanted a real toilet, not a port-a-potty. The line in the women's bathroom was out the door (not surprising), but I ran into the mens washroom instead and there were lots of empty stalls! I wasn't the only girl in there either, so I didn't feel bad. Just past the bathrooms, I saw Jesse from Toy Story and she had only a few people in line! Score! After that photo, I passed the 6 mile marker and kept running past Splash Mountain and out the other side of Magic Kingdom where Cinderella and Prince Charming were taking pictures. There were tons of characters in the park, but there were so many lines and I had already lost so much time with my picture taking that I decided to keep going. I ran past the 10k marker and back onto the main road.

Soon after leaving the Magic Kingdom, I hit the halfway mark! Halfway already, and I was still feeling great. No aches or pains! There were firefighters and the song "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys was playing. Great song, but a little slow. I would have liked a faster song to get me going.


Then we were on the highway for the long road back to Epcot. It was pretty frustrating at this point, since the course was limited to one lane. People were running in the ditch and some even running outside of the pylons, against the calls of the cast members urging us to stay on the course. I heard one girl even got hit by a cab by running outside the pylons! (She wasn't hurt from what I read and did get up and keep running.) But for safety, you really should stay in the pylons! I saw Mary Poppins and some of the chimney sweeps around Mile 7, so I stopped for another picture because the line was again very short.

This is where the mental game really begins. The stretch of highway between miles 7 and 10 is long and pretty boring. There were a few character/entertainment spots, which was nice, and areas with cast members and volunteers cheering us along. But that is where you start to get tired. I walked more during this stretch and as I was approaching the food station, I started to get really hungry. We got Clif gels at Mile 8.6, which was much appreciated. The only downside was that the next water station was probably almost a mile ahead, so a bunch of us scarfed down our gels thinking the water station was going to be coming up right away. Needless to say, the sticky gel residue isn't all that awesome to have in your mouth without water for another mile.

I stopped for a pic with Princess Atta (A Bug's Life) because she didn't have much of a line either! After the Mile 10 marker, we began to loop around on the overpass that leads back into Epcot! We passed a Green Army Man from Toy Story who was cheering us up the hill. He told us at the top of the hill we will hit Mile 11 (true) and then it was all downhill from there (not so true)! Now, maybe he meant downhill as in the homestretch with only 2 miles to go, but there were still two more overpass hills that we had to get over before we were officially "downhill".

On the overpass just before Mile 11

Before I knew it, I was over the last hill and running by the Mile 12 marker - one mile to go! I was running through the pathway to get back into Epcot and heard my dad shout my name! I stopped for a moment to talk to them (of course, my dad almost made me cry with his "We're so proud of you!" haha) and I said something like "I'm so tired!" But with less than a mile to go, I was so close! So off I ran!

Under Spaceship Earth in Epcot! 

Running through Epcot - taken by Marathonfoto

I ran the hairpin turn at the front of Showcase Lagoon to turn back towards Spaceship Earth. A cast member cheering us on shouted "Only 0.3 miles to go!" I couldn't believe I was so close! I kept running - at this point my thighs were getting super tight and sore so I ran most of the way through Epcot (I think stopping to walk would have slowed me down completely!). I ran past the Gospel Choir at Mile 13 and there it was! The finish line!

The Finish Line

I did it! Crossing the finish line! - taken by Marathonfoto

My official time was 3:20:15, which I have to say, I am super proud of, given how many stops I made! I really enjoyed my experience with runDisney and would definitely run another runDisney event. While there were certainly some moments where there were just too many people on the course (i.e. one lane of traffic is not enough space for that many runners!), I think the purpose of these races (particularly the female-focused ones) is to have fun and just get out there and run! It just gives me incentive to get faster and qualify for an earlier corral so I can start sooner.

My official finisher photo! - taken by Marathonfoto

I loved the bling (who doesn't want an awesome tiara medal?!) and proudly wore it around Epcot with my "I Did It!" shirt later that day. Of course, I had a nice cold bath and shower first followed by pizza! Yum!



So what's next for me? I have a 5k race on April 21 and a few more races lined up for the summer! But I'll tell you about that a little later :)

Friday, April 12, 2013

runDisney Princess Half Marathon 2013 - Part 1

I know, it's taken me a long time to write this post. Yes, I've been busy, but I was also having a hard time deciding what to say. This was such a emotional day and journey for me that I worried as soon as I wrote my recap, it would be officially over. I guess technically this race is long over now, but that doesn't mean I'm done running. But we'll leave that for another post...

The Princess Half Marathon weekend at Disney was a whirlwind. We flew on a redeye flight to Orlando, landing early Saturday morning. I misjudged my ability to sleep on the flight (who was I kidding? I barely slept at all!), so it was a long, tiring day.

After checking into our hotel (All Star Music Resort), we headed over to the Expo at Coronado Springs. First, we picked up our bibs and then got in line for our race bags and t-shirts. I heard that Friday at the Expo was a madhouse, but everything went smoothly for us, even with a few lines. Then we headed over to wait in the runDisney merchandise line because I wanted an "I Did It!" shirt to wear after the race.


Bib Pick-up at the Expo

We wandered around the expo for a bit and tried a bunch of samples. I bought a couple Team Sparkle skirts for myself and one for Aaron, who was going to wear it for the run the next day. I bought The Stick, which I was so grateful to have in the couple days after the race! I also picked up a few tanks from the Raw Threads booth for myself - Evil Fairy Maleficent (that I wore for the half marathon) and Cheshire Cat.  There were so many things I wanted to buy, but I had to stop myself somewhere. This was day 1 of our trip!


A sign at the Expo - couldn't have been more true!

We went back to our hotel briefly before heading out to an early dinner. I honestly wanted to fall asleep in my Macaroni and Cheese I was so tired. Aaron and I had this moment where we both just looked at each other and said "I don't know if I can run this tomorrow, not if I feel like this." We had been hydrating plenty, but the exhaustion was catching up. We got all our our race gear lined up and ready for the morning, so we wouldn't forget anything. We went to bed at about 6pm on Saturday, preparing for our early start the next day.

My alarm rang at 2:30am on Sunday. That is a terrible time to be awake, but I was so grateful at that time to have been tired enough to go to bed at 6pm the night before. I actually got a good solid sleep! I jumped out of bed and started getting ready. I had a bagel with some peanut butter and a banana for breakfast. We were ready to catch a bus for 3:30am out front of our resort.


Just about ready to go catch the bus!

We walked outside our room and BAM. Hot, muggy, humid air. We were in for a hot race, but that wasn't going to stop me. I just came from the snow, so I embraced the heat and just told myself to keep hydrated.

We made it to the buses and were off to Epcot! There was a lot of traffic getting into Epcot at that time, but the bus ride only took about 20 minutes. I was excited. I was feeling good. Then we walked for about 0.5 to 0.75 miles just to get to the Family Reunion Area. There were people everywhere. The DJ was blasting music and people were milling about. There were some crazy costumes! The crowd was also 99% women (not surprising, since it is a women-focused race).


Aaron and I on our way to the Family Reunion Area!
(Photo by Marathonfoto)


Heading into the Family Reunion Area - so many people!

We went through a very smooth bag check (I checked the jacket I had brought to toss, since it was so hot and also a pair of flip flops - I was so happy I had them after the race!) and got in the long port-a-potty lines on the other side.


So many port-a-potties! The lines were huge!

We grabbed some more water, ate a banana and began the walk long hike to the start corrals. This walk was probably close to a mile by the time we made it, but in all honesty, it was a good warm-up for me. Along the way,  I ate some Sharkies and Aaron had a Clif bar. We also made one more bathroom break before getting to the corrals.

We made it to Corral E with about 15-20 minutes to spare before the race started. We found some space and did some stretching. We couldn't see much back from where we were, but we could hear it all.


Looking towards the start line from our place in Corral E (you couldn't even see it!)

The Fairy Godmother said her magic words, the fireworks went off and the race officially started! We slowly started shuffling forward towards the start line. The awesome thing about runDisney is that every corral gets its own firework send-off with a different song!


The race begins!

As we were moving forward, there was a great moment with everyone in the corrals singing along to "Don't Stop Believing". Finally, we were at the front. OMG - this was it! I was going to do this. The Fairy Godmother began our countdown...


...and away we went! Well, it was more of a walk shuffle across the starting line because there were so many people, but it was still exciting for me.


Ready to race? Me too! Part 2 to follow...

Monday, March 18, 2013

It's Training Time

Note: I wrote this post prior to leaving for the Princess Half, but things got crazy in those couple weeks before the race, so this didn't get posted! My apologies! My Princess Half Recap will be going up soon now that I have purchased the pro pics and downloaded my own pics onto my computer :)

I began my training following Jeff Galloway's recommended plan for the Princess Half, which started at the beginning of October. I could do three days a week! That seemed easy enough. I was using the run/walk/run method and feeling good!

Well, as you know, it can get a bit cold and snowy up here in Canada, so about 3 weeks into my training plan, Mother Nature decided it was time for Winter. Mix into that Daylight Savings and there was no light for me to do my midweek runs when I got home from work. As I mentioned before (in my intro post), living on an acreage is great! Until you have no light and have to run down secondary highways in the dark. Not the safest way to run, that's for sure.

Needless to say, life caught up with me and with winter and the dark as my excuse, I barely ran through the rest of October and November. Not exactly the best way to start training for your first ever half marathon, when prior to this, you had never run farther than about 3 miles. Hmmm.

My husband and I decided to invest in a treadmill. We knew it was not possible for us to run outside too much during this time of year, so we took the leap and purchased a treadmill. I started running again!

I also decided to invest in a new pair of running shoes and go to a running store, where they would know what type of shoe I required. I ended up purchasing the Asics GT-2000 in the black/pink/blue. I know, the purple is awesome, but for some reason I was drawn to the black pair. Anyways, I've been using these shoes now and my feet feel much better overall! I highly recommend investing in a proper pair of running shoes for your feet - it may cost a bit more, but it will make all the difference!


Photo Credit: ASICS America

I did my best to run twice during the week (for 30-45 minutes), but really, I was terrible at it. I'm a bit worried about that coming into these last couple weeks, but it's too late now! I was hoping that keeping active by dancing 3 times per week would help make up for this, but we will see!

One thing I made sure to do every week was to at least get out for my "long" run in order to increase my mileage. Starting at the end of December, I began at 5 miles, adding about 1 mile per week as I went along:

5 miles
6.13 miles
7 miles
8.07 miles
4.11 miles
8.06 miles
5.13 miles (*this was supposed to be 10 miles, but didn't go as planned - see below)
6.32 miles (taper week)

I did just over 8 miles on two separate runs, and both times felt great! I probably could have gone farther on both those days, but didn't want to increase my mileage too much more than that each week, especially since I was slacking on my mid-week runs. These 8 mile runs were also the ones where I tried out my tutu that I had ordered for the race. I needed to make sure I could run in it without any problems like chaffing! It was going to be perfect!

As you can see, I was hoping to make it to 10 miles two weeks before the race. Well, that did not exactly happen. In the weeks before the race, I had a lot going on. I was sick with a head/sinus cold that was wearing down on me after almost two weeks of being sick. I also was trying to get my Masters paper finished before we left for Florida. I was dancing four days a week at that point (subbing for my friend's classes in addition to my own two weeks in a row). I was exhausted and everything about my body was anti-run that day. But I needed to do 10 miles, so I made myself run that day.

Well, I made it just over 5 miles, which was a miracle in itself considering that I was less than 1 mile in and already struggling. I was so tired. My walk breaks were getting longer than my runs (I was trying to keep up a 2 min run/1 min walk interval). I was actually concerned the treadmill would throw me off at one point because I was having trouble keeping up. I stopped for a quick bathroom break, thinking that would help and got back on the treadmill. And then I started crying. Not just a tear or two but it was getting close to ugly cry territory.

I knew that was the time to stop. I was actually amazed I had even made it that far, quite honestly! I wasn't going to make it to 10 miles before the race. I was so worried and stressed out and was not even sure I would be able to run 13 miles, having only made it to 8 miles twice. I learned an important lesson that day though. Listen to you body! Sometimes it is more helpful to rest than run. Sometimes you have bad runs and that is ok. The key is in recognizing when to run and when to stop and try again another day.

My last run before the race was 6.33 miles the following week. I felt awesome. I knew I could have done more that day as well, but I had to get up early on Sunday, so I decided to stop there. It was that run when my "aha" moment came. I was going to run a half marathon in 1 week...and I was going to finish!   

Have you had any bad run days? What lessons did you learn?

Next up...Princess Half Marathon 2013 Recap!

Friday, February 8, 2013

A Half Marathon?!

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate running. I just don't run. I never have. I have activity triggered asthma, so running is a challenge for me. Even though I know if I kept at it, it would get easier and my body would adjust, I never got to the point where I liked running or even wanted to run. So I didn't do it.

That's not the case anymore.

Over the last few years, I have started the c25K (couch to 5k) plan several times. I didn't make it too far into the plan though - maybe week 4 or 5. I always had an excuse, whether it was my schedule or the weather. So why on Earth would I choose a half marathon?

Around Christmas 2011, my friend Katie told me about the Disney Princess Half Marathon. How amazing would that be?! We both love Disney, so it made sense. We talked about running the Princess Half in 2013. I haven't been to Disney World since I was 15 years old, and I was anxiously waiting for the day that I would get to go back.

I remember thinking at that time that there was no way I would be able to run a half marathon. Katie, who was also not much of a runner before (but also doesn't have the asthma issues that I have), said she just kept running. Every week, practicing. At that time, she could run for over half an hour straight, but it hadn't always been that way. It gets easier the more you run, she told me.

And so the little seed was planted.

Over the next couple weeks, I kept thinking about our conversation. A half marathon. That's 13.1 miles. I had never gone farther than 2 or 3 miles and even then, it was a struggle with a lot of walk breaks. Something changed in me at that point though. I suddenly pictured myself crossing the finish line after a half marathon. I saw it happening. I felt the emotions and saw the tears of joy on my face. And it was at that moment that I knew I could do it, if I tried.

I decided to set myself a New Years Resolution for 2012. I was going to train for a half marathon and if I was ready, my reward was going to be a trip to Disney World. I would run the Princess Half in 2013.

Now I never set resolutions at New Years. Sure, I talk about them, but honestly, how many people stick to their goals longer than a month or so? Something was different about this goal though. This time, I had the will to make it a reality.

In January 2012, I began the c25k program again. I made it to about week 4 and life got in the way, so I stopped. I ran on and off for the next several months. June arrived and I realized that if I wanted this half marathon to happen, I better get started again - and this time I needed to stick to it. I think it helped me that I had gained a bit of weight over the past year, so there was even more motivation to get healthy and stay healthy.

Running got a bit easier each time I went out. I was feeling better. I started to actually like running. I liked how it made me feel and how happy I was with myself that I was going to do this. The Princess Half 2013 registration would open in early July and I wanted to be confident I could do it.

At the end of June, in a freak lawn mowing accident (thanks, honey), I sprained my right ankle. Badly. I was on crutches for almost two weeks. I started physiotherapy because I knew I needed help to get my ankle back into shape again. (I should add at this point - I sprained this same ankle very badly in high school as well, so I knew it was going to be a tough road to recovery to strengthen it up again.)

The day the Princess Half 2013 registration opened was the day of my first PT appointment. I asked my PT if I would be able to run a half and she laughed at me. I kept thinking "NO! I have to do this! I have to be ready!" Then I realized she thought I meant a half marathon in the next month. She laughed again and told me that 7 months was plenty of time and I would be fine. I remember feeling so relieved even though I knew I would have to work hard to get back on my foot and back into training.

I went home that night and signed my husband and myself up for a Princess Half team. I was going back to Disney World! Suddenly, the half marathon was real. I paid my registration fees. I was actually going to do this!

I worked with my PT into the beginning of September and then I was on my own. I was running a bit again, starting off using 1 min run intervals with a bunch of walking in between. My ankle got stronger. At the end of September, I did the 5k Run for the Cure, finishing in about 40 minutes. I felt good!

Sometime during my PT, I discovered the Jeff Galloway training plans for the runDisney races. His method uses run/walk/run intervals and makes it possible for pretty much anyone to train and run for a half or even a full marathon. I knew this was the method I needed to use. Clearly the c25k method wasn't cutting it for me (given how many times I gave up on it!). In October, I began to train using The Galloway beginner plan for the Princess Half. It was happening and in 4 months, I was going to run a half marathon!


Photo: Courtesy of RunDisney

Next up: Training - easy in theory, not so easy when you were running outside and then Canadian winter strikes three weeks into your training plan.




Thursday, February 7, 2013

Why an iron ring?

I must warn you. This is my first attempt at blogging. So here goes nothing :)

Hello! I'm Megan. I wanted to start off by talking a little bit about me and why I decided "Once Upon An Iron Ring" was an appropriate title for my blog. I actually made this blog a couple of years ago, before I got married. My (now) husband and I both met at University, graduating from the same engineering program. In Canada, there is a ritual you can do at the end of your program called "The Calling of an Engineer" (more details here if you are curious). At the end of the Iron Ring ceremony, you receive an iron ring that is worn on the pinkie finger of your working hand. Both my husband and I wear these rings, so I thought it was a fitting fairy tale title to go with "Once Upon An Iron Ring". Yes, it's cheesy. But then, so am I. As I made this blog, I thought I wanted to talk about all the wedding things and decisions about flowers and colors and vendors. Well, as you can see, that didn't exactly happen.

So here we are, almost three years later and I have now decided to try again. Why? Because I feel like this is the start of something big in my life. You see, in just over two weeks, I will run my first half marathon. Not just any half marathon though - the 5th Anniversary of the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Now to some people that's not such a feat, but it is for me. It's been quite the journey to get to this point and I want to share that with you, but not just yet. First, you need to know a little but more about me.

Here are 10 things you should know about me:

1. I love books. I love reading. I have a Kindle that lives in my purse, so I always have a book handy if I need one!

2. I love Disney. I have been a fan of Disney all my life. At this time of this post, I have been to Disneyland 4 times and Disney World 3 times (my 4th will be in a few weeks!). My favorite Disney character is Maleficent (she is so BA).

3. I am a dancer. I also teach dance with a community program. I've taken everything from tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet to ballroom, belly dance and pole dancing. I am certainly not the greatest dancer in the world (I couldn't compete on So You Think You Can Dance, for example), but I do ok.

4. I have been a city girl all my life. My husband and I moved to an acreage last year, and I have to say, I love it. I love the peace and the space and the quiet. I'm also still close to the city, just in case!

5. Since graduating high school, my weight has been a bit of an issue for me - not to say that I was obese, but I was certainly overweight and not in the shape that I wanted to be in anymore. I am now happy to say that I am down 18 lbs since October 2012 (I've got less than 5 lbs to go!). I am below my wedding weight (from July 2011) and couldn't be happier. I will not go back!

6. I love wine. It's my go to drink on a good or bad day. I used to only drink sweet white/blush wine, but now I will drink just about any wine. I'm not too picky :)

7. My favorite color is purple. It was one of my wedding colors and also happens to be one of Maleficent's primary colors. I don't think that's a coincidence.

8. I am so close to finishing my Masters of Engineering. I am one paper away and I need to finish it before I leave for Disney.

9. I am a Gleek. I have traveled twice (to Los Angeles and Anaheim) for weekend trips to see Glee in Concert. Both trips included VIP ticket packages and, of course, a day at Disneyland!

10. I was the girl with asthma who hated running all my life. I can now proudly say that I am a runner. Some days are easier than others, but overall, I feel great when I run. (Disclaimer: I say run, but I actually use Jeff Galloway's run/walk method. It is the reason I can do this.)

Next up: A Half Marathon?! I thought it was crazy too, but in just over two weeks, I will have finished 13.1 miles!