Archive | July, 2013

NYC Marathon: My Plan for Success

23 Jul

Two weeks ago, I wasn’t sure I was going to run NYC. In fact, I was thinking about every way I could get out of it. My last blog post even centered around all the reasons why I didn’t want to run it. To say I was freaking out would be an understatement. I was in full blown anxiety mode.

But this post will be different. And much of why it will be different is because of you.

A HUGE Thank You to everyone for all your amazing words and encouragement following the last post. I was in awe over the positive messages you sent me and I can say that you all helped me to completely change my mindset on this race.

While two weeks ago I was stressed to the max, I am now excited for the months to come and the race waiting for me on November 3rd.

Here are my top reasons why I am now EXCITED and READY to train/run NYC!

  1. I missed my running routine. Two days back at the early morning runs and I feel like a new person. I have more energy, I feel happier and I love the satisfaction and high right after the run is done.
  2. I will run for FUN. Many of you suggested I take a new PR out of my mind for NYC training, and I think this was the best thing for me to do. I will not run to PR on November 3rd. I will run to finish and have fun. With the pressure of a PR off the table, it feels like a 20 pound weight was lifted.
  3. The opportunity to make new friends. As I mentioned previously, my new neighborhood is pretty far away from my old hood, which means I am far away from my running buddies. That aspect totally sucks, but I have already been in contact with quite a few girls that live by me and would be awesome running buddies. I have also been talking to some other girls about joining their Saturday morning running club, which would introduce me to a whole other group of runners in the area.
  4. I will finally get my money’s worth for this race. In total, I have paid $532 in entry fees to run NYC….and I have yet to run this freaking race (we had to pay again if we decided to run it in 2013, 2014 or 2015). It would be a shame to throw that hard earned cash down the toilet!

So there ya go. I am excited to run NYC and know it will be an awesome experience. It will also be a healing experience.

Thanks again for all the support!!!

xo,

Ali

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What races do you have on the horizon?

How do you motivate yourself to start training?

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I need a pep talk.

12 Jul

In ten days, I start training for my 5th marathon.

The New York City Marathon has been on my list of dream marathons since I knew it existed. Last year I trained for this race like a maniac and was beyond determined to PR it. I put in the crazy miles, ran the repeats, did the cross training and was more than prepared to break 3:30. Obviously we know what happened with the race last year, and I didn’t think twice when it was time to sign up 2013. I knew I would be there no matter what.

At the 2012 expo. I am totally wearing this number at the 2013 race!

At the 2012 expo. I am totally wearing this number at the 2013 race!

Well, the time has come to start training for this thing, and I am not excited or prepared to start running like a maniac again. In fact, I am pretty much dreading it. And I really need some of your love to get me back with it and excited for the next 16 weeks.

There are a few reasons why this training is proving a little more difficult for me to get excited about. So let’s all listen to me whine, complain and cry while I go through each one of ‘em!

  1. I am tired of training. I love to run, but I don’t always love to train. The strict schedules, the stress on my body, the fatigue – it just isn’t always fun. And if you aren’t in the right frame of mind, convincing yourself to get up at the crack of dawn 5-6 days a week to run isn’t so awesome.
  2. I live in a new neighborhood. And I have no idea where the eff I am going when I go out on runs. Last night I went for a 4 mile run, and ended up running on grass for a mile because I couldn’t find a sidewalk. (side note – I have a fear when I run on grass that I will take a tumble, fall into the street and then get hit by a car. If you don’t think I was visualizing that scenario for a mile on my run, you are kind but 100% WRONG!) I used to live in the burbs, and now I am in more of a metropolitan area. While I LOVE my new area, and my new house, and my awesome commute to work, I don’t really love the running path options. I’m not used to any traffic, and now I have to be super aware of traffic. This aspect will take some getting used to.
  3. My running buddies are far away. This is the hardest one to deal with. My girls I could always count on to meet me now live 30 minutes away. These girls are my accountability partners AND my therapists. What am I going to do without them?!?!
  4. Boston scared me. And I am not sure I am mentally prepared to run another big race after what happened there. In the days after Boston, I would’ve told you there was no way I would run NYC in the fall. But then I realized I couldn’t let Boston keep me from running a dream. Hopefully time will heal that fear, and I can put it aside in my mind a little bit, but I am not 100% certain of that right now.

So there are my 4 reasons why I am not so excited to start training for my race.

And now I need some advice, words of encouragement, and love to get me going!!!!! I beg, I plead…make me feel better and motivated 🙂

And in the next 10 days, I will be living up my training freedom with a trip to Vegas, staying up too late, multiple happy hours and wine. Lots and lots of wine.

Xo,

Ali

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Run to the Finish Follow-up!

5 Jul

Hello to all my friends – new and old! I hope you had such a great fourth of July, and are continuing to enjoy some time off. If you are at work right now – I hope my post on Amanda’s blog will offer you a reason to avoid your work duties.

When Amanda asked me to do a Runner Spotlight on her blog, I was BEYOND honored and excited!!! Amanda and I actually worked at the same company once upon a time, and I have crazy amounts of respect (and jealousy) of her blog. She is the real deal fo sho!

At the end of Amanda’s blog, I was about to tell you my top style tips. Well, here they are and I hope you enjoy and can apply!!

Amanda’s Question:

You are Miles with Style so I would be remiss if I didn’t get some tips here too!! For the same busy ladies who are getting ready for work after those long runs what are 5 Tips to pull themselves together and look styled quickly.

1. Always try to have these 4 elements in each outfit: Texture, Pattern, Shine and Pop. Example – a skirt/pant with texture, a top with a pattern, some jewelry to sparkle and a bright colored shoe, handbag or belt. When I have the 4 elements in my outfit, I always think I look better. I have to credit ‘What Not to Wear’ for this style tip!

2. Plan the outfit the night before. It will save you time in the morning and also result in a much more put together look that incorporate the elements above!

3. Invest in staple pieces that will transition. I love solid dresses or skirts that I can wear in a number of different ways and in different seasons. I have many dresses that I will wear in the winter layered with jackets or sweaters, and can wear in the summer with flip flops and fun jewelry. My favorite places to go for these pieces are Ann Taylor, LOFT, Banana Republic, Gap and J.Crew. These places always have some kind of sale too.

4. Buy some nice jeans that FIT. Being a runner has caused my thighs to grow in size but the rest of my body to get smaller, and many jeans don’t cater to that. Last summer I went on a day long shopping excursion to find the jeans that fit me right. I finally found them at J.Crew and they are the only jeans I wear now! I have pretty much gotten rid of all my other pairs and stick with these because I feel so much better when I wear them.

5. A good hairstyle is very important. When we get up super early to run or have to fit in a 10 miler before work, we don’t have time to spend 45 minutes styling our hair! Try to get a hairstyle that you can manage and doesn’t take a lot of maintenance. Any extra minute we can get in the morning is extremely valuable. And when I have extra time in the morning, I would much rather use it stretching after my run than styling a complicated hairstyle 😉

Texture in the tank, pattern in the sweater, shine with some jewelry (I always use my jewelry as the shine!), and pop with the sweater as well! (this photo was in Napa last year and takes me back to a very happy (and tipsy) place!

Texture in the tank, pattern in the sweater, shine with some jewelry (I always use my jewelry as the shine!), and pop with the sweater as well! (this photo was in Napa last year and takes me back to a very happy (and tipsy) place!

Happy Friday!!!

xo,

Ali

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