Uncategorized Archives - Back At Square Zero

Fall/Winter Racing Update

October 23, 2017 by abby 8 Comments

I had big goals for my fall/winter racing season coming off Chicago. I traditionally perform better in the half distance than I do the full. Plus, I do much better running in our fall/winter weather than our summer heat and humidity.

I had three races lined up and progressive goals for each one.
I knew the goals would be tough, but I felt that they were doable.
Sweat Tea Half – November = sub 2:25
Kiawah Half – December = sub 2:20
Charleston Half – January = sub 2:15

My last 3 half marathons were run in these same months were a 2:12, 2:10, and 2:08 in 2014/2015 right before my body shut down and started fighting against me. I was aware it had been a long time since I had run this well, but in July and August I started to see my paces improving and was feeling stronger for the first time in a long while.

Then, the poo hit the fan and I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle exactly 50 days ago. Since then it has been all about recovery. 2 weeks on crutches with no workouts at all, then 3 weeks in a boot where I was able to do only upper body and core workouts at Orange Theory. Week 6 I was able to add back in biking and week 7 brought the addition of rowing. My hope is that week 8, this week (doctor’s appointment is on Tuesday), will be the week I am allowed to start walking for fitness.

However, running probably is another 2 weeks out, so by that point I will be 10 weeks off running and coming back very slowly from an ankle break. What does that do to my race schedule?

Sweat Tea Half – November = deferral
Kiawah Half – December = If I can start run walking at 10 weeks I would have 5 weeks to train for this one – I will be walking it.
Charleston Half – January = I would then have 10 weeks to train for this one and my goal would be to go from mostly walking to mostly running. Hopefully something like a 7/1 interval by then.

This is not how I pictured my fall/winter racing season going, but isn’t life that way sometimes.

Fall/Winter Racing Update: How things have changed with my schedule.

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My First Ever DNF

February 21, 2017 by abby 30 Comments

Sorry it has been a while since I have written. I was sick for a few weeks with the Noro Virus and then headed straight out of town for the Run with Donna Marathon for Breast Cancer Research. When I got back things were instantly focused on a new medical diagnosis, more about that in a later post, so I didn’t have much time to process, or write about, what had happened at the marathon. Now, I am back – it is time to tell you about my first ever DNF.

I knew going into the race that it would not be a great one. I had a lot stacked against me:
1. I had been sick with the Noro Virus for the last two weeks and had not been able to do anything but lay in bed and get ill. I started to feel a bit better on Wednesday and finally felt like a human on Friday, two days before the race.
2. My fatigue issues are still very severe and they limit my training even when I am healthy, I just don’t have that push – I am always exhausted.
3. My training SUCKED – with all my medical drama I only worked out about 2 times a week instead of the 5/6 I used to do.
4. I had been struggling on and off with tendinitis issues in my left foot ever since the NYC marathon and was not sure how this would affect me come race day.

However, my last 18.5 mile long one was a really good one and I felt strong. I was sure that if I could do that I would be able to manage the full marathon with the inspiration I could draw from other runners and the race like atmosphere. Plus, I had no time goals for this race. I just planned on taking it nice and slow, listening to my body, and making it to the end. (All my training runs were right at a 12 minute per mile pace.) Plus, I had never not finished a race I started – my stubborn determination usually gets my through no matter what.

So what happened? How did I end up with my first ever DNF?
I knew that the Noro Virus had weakened my body a bit over the last two weeks, so before the race even started I gave myself permission to drop down to the half and make that turn if I needed to. However, when mile 7 came up and the half marathon crowd turned (a large percentage of the people) I was still feeling great so I kept on going.

About mile 12 I started to feel a bit weaker so I found a pace group and latched on to them for support and motivation. This strategy helped for a bit and I was able to stay with them until mile 16ish and then they started to get further and further away as I began to feel weaker and weaker, not just normal marathon fatigue, something different. At mile 17.5 the stuff hit the fan – suddenly it was like all the energy had been sucked out of me and I was so weak I couldn’t run any more. In addition to that I was also feeling light headed and dizzy which was very scary. I didn’t think I was dehydrated as I run with a 1.5L CamelBak full of Nuun Hydration and drink it throughout.

I managed to walk a slow mile until I came to an aid station at mile 18.5. The medical crew there talked to me and what they told me was that there is a big difference between being healthy enough to go to work and healthy enough to run a full marathon. Basically, after having the NoroVirus for an extended period I just started feeling better on Wednesday and just returned to what I would say was normal 2 days before the race, it wasn’t enough time for my body to recover and be strong enough for the marathon. They said I could walk the almost 8 more miles to the finish, but they highly suggested I take a ride back to my car instead and I listened.

I didn’t cross the finish line. I didn’t earn a medal. Instead I was left with my first ever DNF.

In hindsight it would have been much better to turn at mile 7 and complete the half marathon. To finish a race, receive my medal, and not push through 18.5 ugly miles, but at the time I didn’t know that and there is nothing I can do about that.

A DNF is a strange feeling – like an uncompleted goal. Something that should have been, but wasn’t. A race t-shirt stuffed in my closet I will never wear. A black mark on my list. The awareness that you do not, in fact, finish every race you start.

However, it is also a reality. Some say it is a rite of passage as a runner. Others tell me that in order to reach the peak you have to know what the bottom feels like. And from here, the only way is up.

Do I regret my decision? No, my body wasn’t healthy enough for a marathon. While I may not like how it all worked out I know I did the right thing which helps. So cheers to my first ever DNF – may you be my first, my last, my only.

My First Ever DNF: Teaching me that you DON’T always finish the race.

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Real Runners Virtual Summit

February 5, 2017 by abby 7 Comments

*Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links. Your summit pricing does not go up, but if you register through my link I get a bit for referring you.

I am really happy to announce that I am a speaker at the first ever Real Runners Virtual Summit. I was asked to speak on overcoming obstacles and setbacks and continuing on, as I am the queen of starting Back at Square Zero. If you are looking to grow as a runner, or as a running coach, the Real Runners Virtual Summit may be just the place for you.

What do you get as a participant?
– access to 26 master sessions
– mp4 downloads of each session
– a private Facebook community for our Real Runner Speakers and Real Runner Participants to engage and connect
– Bonus #1: Glenneth Reed’s Beginner Basics
– Bonus #2: Lauren Boldizar’s Time Management Tips
– Bonus #3: Jasmin Niemiec’s Fitness Business Checklist
– Bonus #4: Katie Heddleston’s Food/Mood Worksheet

How will it work?
– Beginning February 20th, you will receive a daily email for 10 days with links to 2-3 videos/mp4s to view or download.
– We will take a break over the weekend and enjoy a virtual run together.
– We will connect in our private Real Runners group with any questions and further discussion about each topic.

Be sure to register soon as the $97 early bird registration, payable all at once or in 3 installments, does not last long. After that the Real Runners Virtual Summit will cost $147, which is still a great deal for all the information you will be getting.

Let me know –
Looking at the list what talk would you most like to hear?

Join the Real Runners Virtual Summit today!

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Why Participate in the Kindness Campaign – My Medical Story

January 24, 2017 by abby 12 Comments

*This post is sponsored by the Environmental Litigation Group,P.C, but I am sharing it here as I completely agree with supporting cancer patients in need and think that spreading kindness is always wonderful.

After bouncing from specialist to specialist for two years I sit here typing this from the couch because I am once again sick. I missed work with a fever today and slept 12 hours Friday night, 12 hours Saturday night, plus a 2 hour post run nap, 12 hours Sunday night, and then took a two hour nap right after waking up.

I must admit I feel like all I do is sleep and get sick. It has been over two years since I first became ill and my medical journey began. Now, enough money in medical bills to buy a car late and six months post diagnosis and I can’t help thinking – Shouldn’t I be doing better now? When do I start improving? And the worst thought of all … What if they missed something and that is why I am not getting better?

Being sick has worn on my both physically and mentally. My body doesn’t feel like my own anymore – it feels weak, and tired, and I have gained about 40 pounds so I don’t even look like myself. However, even worse than that are the mental aspects of feeling sick and worried for two years – I’m sad, upset, at times frightened, and I just don’t feel like my usual happy self.

And to think in the end I was diagnosed with just severe Adrenal Fatigue and Leaky Gut, which caused my T3 to stop producing and left me with hypothyroidism. The Leaky Gut has also caused my immune system to attack all the stuff leaking in, which put my immune system in hyper drive and weakening it so I pretty much catch everything.

However, the truth is I am really lucky as over the course of the two years I was tested for so many diseases and conditions that could have been so much worse. While it has been 6 months and I really haven’t seen much improvement yet, the truth is that I should, and I will, improve. It will just take time. (The doctor warned up to 18 months.)

I am blessed, but all this medical drama got me thinking about those who are not as lucky as I am. Who many times go through the same process with years of specialist visits and searching for medical answers only to get a crushing diagnosis at the end. That is why I wanted to share information with you all on the Kindness Campaign benefiting cancer patients.

Through the kindness campaign normal people, like you and I, can build custom gift baskets to deliver to cancer patients. You can find fabulous ideas on what to include in the baskets on the Kindness Campaign website, items like: fresh foods, easy to make meals, and home supplies. Then, contact a hospital near you to see when the best time is to come in and visit/drop off your basket. Once you are there the hospital staff can help point you in the right direction. Or, you can even create the basket for an acquaintance, or friend of a friend, who could benefit from it.

Just think of how much this could brighten the day of someone going through something so horrible. An unexpected gift from a kind stranger could really cheer up their day. With as crazy as our world can be – why not spread a little kindness?
The Kindness Campaign is sponsored by the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma lawyers based out of Birmingham. To find out more about the Kindness Campaign please visit this website.

Let me know –
How do you spread kindness?
*If you are a blogger and you would like to participate in the Kindness Campaign, on a sponsored basis, to create and deliver gift baskets to local cancer patients please contact Hilda at hilda@elglaw.com and she can help you get everything set up so you too can spread the kindness and brighten a cancer patients day. (Feel free to email me if you have questions about this also – BackatSquareZero@gmail.com)

Loving Lately – December 2016

December 27, 2016 by abby 6 Comments

*Disclaimer – Thank you to POPSUGAR for sending stuff I loved so much I included it in my November roundup.

Running Longer –
While the tendinitis in my left foot, that developed at the NYC Marathon, is still bothering me it is slowly getting better and I am able to run more days a week and to even do some long runs. I celebrated Christmas Eve with a great friend who was willing to tag along for our own personal half marathon. My foot bugged me a bit, but not too much and it felt great to hit that distance again.

POPSUGAR Must Have Boxes –
POPSUGAR was once again nice enough to send me their #MustHaveBox to check out and they did a great job again this month! Just like the other boxes December came with 6/7 items and lots of surprised! The box retails at just $39.95, but always includes over $150 of awesome stuff! I love the nice little ceramic catch all trays, they are now on my bedroom dressing table for my jewelry. I cannot wait to see what shows up in the POPSUGAR Must Have Box next month. Click here to sign up – use code SHOP5 for $5 off your first box.

Holidays with Family-
I am not ready for December to end because it means the holidays are over. I had the most amazing time hanging out with my parents enjoying some of our favorite traditions. This is my dad and I helping their dog Grits open his stocking, Grits has the BEST Christmas!

Lots of Pictures–
I am so very blessed that my wonderful sister-in-law constantly sends pictures with updates about my nephew Jackson and my new niece Natalie. This helps me feel like I am close to them even though we are about 11-12 hours apart and I don’t get to see them very often. All the pictures and email updates mean the world to me and are probably the thing I love the most about each and every month.

Let me know –
What are you loving lately?

Noom Review: Find Your Healthy Weight With Noom Coach

December 23, 2016 by abby 4 Comments

*This post is sponsored by Noom, but I tried out and used the Noom Coach, and all information included in the post reflects my own personal thoughts on the experience.

It is no secret that I gained a lot of weight over the past 2 years as I got sick and struggled to find out what was going on with my body and get an accurate diagnosis. In fact I gained 38 pounds taking me from being at a pretty healthy weight to technically overweight. I know this isn’t healthy for my body – it messes with my physical health and even my running performance, but it also impacts my mental health. The truth is I am trying to lose the weight, but it is hard with all the medical stuff I have going on.

So, when Noom reached out to me I jumped at the chance to try out Noom Coach and see what it is all about. Noom Coach is an app that is available for download on your phone so it goes everywhere you go. Now if you are like me you are thinking, “I already have a free app on my phone that I use to track food and weight loss. What makes the Noom program different?”

First, the Noom Program does all the things those other free apps do, but it is so much more. It allows you to track your food meal by meal in a simple easy to use manner. I found that most of the foods I wanted to track were in Noom Coach already, but for those that were not it was really simple to add them.
In addition to tracking food Noom Coach allows you to track you weight. In fact it reminds you to do this on your dashboard so you don’t ever forget. Also, the Noom program makes tracking activity super simple. After a long run with a friend I just entered how far I had run, and how many minutes it had taken, and Noom Coach calculated the pace and how many calories had been burned.

So, with apps allowing you to track food intake, daily exercise, and weight also – What makes the Noom program so different? First, Noom Coach gives you your own personal coach who is there for your throughout the process. They want to help you get to your healthy weight and develop habits that will make this not just a diet, but a sustainable lifestyle change. Coach Nancy was my coach, and we started off by introducing ourselves to each other and then I jumped right in with my ever flowing string of questions.
I also loved the Noom program dashboard. I found it important to have a set time every day to check in with my dashboard, for me it was while I had my morning cup of coffee. The dashboard is your daily to-do list, which is another wonderful difference about the Noom program. With Noom Coach it is about more than just logging calories, exercise, and weight – it is about education (the teacher in me loved that). Noom’s big goal is to teach people how to live healthy and develop permanent habits so they can stay at their healthy weight because of the lifestyle changes that have been made. When you check into your dashboard you see all your daily tasks to accomplish.

The icons of a paper with glasses are articles for you to read. Once you read each article you mark it off and the icon will turn gray to show you completed the task. There were lots of good articles at the beginning on how the Noom program was set up and how it works. Then when I get through all the introductory articles I started to get great stuff. I really enjoyed one article I got on how to calculate caloric density. It was something brand new to me and I really enjoyed learning it.

In addition to all the fabulous articles you will also see trophy icons in your dashboard. These are for challenges that need to be completed. I would usually get one new challenge a day to try out and it was a good way to make me focus on something that was beneficial for my health. The challenge below came after reading how Noom classifies foods as green/go, yellow/in moderation, red/rarely. The goal was to make sure 50% of my plate was covered with foods that would be considered green foods.

Overall, I am really pleased with my experience with the Noom program. I love that it has the dashboard full of daily task to guide you (as someone who loves to-do lists), I think the focus on not just weight loss, but also education for healthy living is so crucial, and I love that you have your own personal coach there to ask questions of. Noom Coach is a winner in my book.

If you are interested in trying out the Noom Program it normally is $199 on time fee, plus $60 a month. However, the Noom program is currently offering a great down to $119 one time and just $39 monthly. Be sure to sign up for Noom Coach through this link to take advantage of the special pricing!

Find Your Healthy Weight With @NoomCoach #sponsored

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Essential Nutrients for Runners

December 20, 2016 by abby 8 Comments

*The post is sponsored by Intelligent Labs; however, as always all opinions expressed within the post are completely my own.

As a runner, or any type of athlete really, it is very important that you fuel your body correctly. You need to eat the right foods so you can perform at your best. However, it is important that you also be aware of what nutrients your foods contain because some are more important for runners than others. Here are a few essential nutrients for runners that you need to be sure you are getting enough of in your diet, or that you should be supplementing in some way.
Essential Nutrients for Runners –
– Iron –
Iron is essential for runners as it is one of the components of our red blood cells, which carry oxygen to our muscles. Therefore, if you are iron deficient your muscles won’t get the oxygen they need to perform properly. Women are at even great risk for iron deficiencies due to menstruation and need to be very aware of iron intake.
Some of the best sources for Iron in your diet are: red meats, beans, poultry, fish, tofu, quinoa, and spinach.

– Calcium –
Calcium not only builds strong bones, but it also contributes to nerve transmission, the constriction and dilation of blood vessels, and muscle contraction.
Some of the best sources for Calcium in your diet are: dairy products such as yogurts, cheeses, and milk, fortified cereals, and greens such as spinach, collards, or turnips.

– Vitamin C –
Vitamin C is a immunity boosting vitamin essential for runners who put their body through the stress of running and need a little extra to keep their immune system up and running properly.
Some of the best sources for Vitamin C in your diet are: citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and clementines (Cuties/Halos).

– Vitamin D –
Vitamin D deficiencies can cause muscle weakness, pain, and even fractures. While having enough Vitamin D in your system has been proven to help with exercise related inflammation.
Some of the best sources for Vitamin D in your diet are: salmon, tuna, orange juice, milk, eggs, and fortified cereals (check the label.).

– Omega3 –
Omega3 has been shown to increase muscle strength and physical performance, reduce muscle damage and soreness, strengthen bones, improve cardiovascular health, and also to boost the immune system helping to combat the negative effects of intense training.
Some of the best sources for Omega3 in your diet are: fish, nuts, and seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

I personally struggle to get enough Omega3 in my diet as the very best source is fish. While I live right on the coast I have just never been a fish fan no matter how many different way I have tried it cooked. Because, I never eat fish and Omega 3 isn’t in most standard multi-vitamins I knew that was the one essential nutrient I was really lacking in.

Because of that, I have been supplementing with Omega3 daily for a few years, but a little over a month ago I switch to Ultra Pure Omega3 from Intelligent Labs because it is both Gluten Free and non-GMO. In addition to that is is made in a FDA registered facility and goes through strict 3rd party testing to maintain the highest standards. All of this made me feel that Ultra Pure Omega 3 from Intelligent Labs was a great solution to the Omega3 my diet was lacking, and that I so desperately need as a runner.
Let me know –
Are you able to get all the essential nutrients from your diet?
Or, do you take supplements as well?
I take a multi-vitamin and then this Ultra Pure Omega3.

Essential Nutrients for Runners: Featuring @intelligentlab #sponsored

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Why Facebook Live is Essential

October 27, 2016 by abby 19 Comments

Whether you are a blogger, small business owner, social media influencer, or lots of the above I am sure you have been noticing the rise in Facebook Live videos lately. However, you may still be wondering why Facebook Live is essential and how exactly you can best use it to benefit you and your brand.

Why Facebook Live is Essential –
Statistics show that on average people will spend three times as much time watching a Facebook Live video as any other video content posted on the Facebook platform. 3 times a much! When we are all fighting to get eyes on our content why would you not take advantage of this massive statistic?

Also, one of the largest reasons to use Facebook Live video is that it gets preferential page ranking. This means that it is treated differently than other video posts, and non-video posts, and is ranked higher in newsfeeds. This is will get more eyes on your video, especially when it is live.

In addition to all that Facebook Live was brought on to make interaction more authentic and intimate. This is huge because we all know the way to grow, develop, and keep our followers is by finding genuine ways to interact with them and now there is a fabulous, FREE, platform for that.

A higher page ranking, people watching 3 times as long, and genuine interaction, all for free – no wonder I think Facebook Live is essential for any blogger, business owner, etc.

How Exactly Can You Use Facebook Live to Benefit You –
1. Post Videos in Multiple Places –
Facebook Live videos can be posted on your personal page, a business page you manage, or even in a group. Think about where you will post your video to get exactly the viewers you want. A run coaching tip I might do a Facebook Live video for on my blog’s Facebook page would not be the same thing I would share about in the social media/blogging group I manage.

2. Will you publicize it or will it be spur of the moment? –
If you are hosting a really detailed Facebook Live webinar you’ll want to think about picking a set time and date and then publicizing it for a week or so beforehand to get as many viewers to attend live as possible. If you are out and about and want to share something in the moment that is great too – there is lots of flexibility here.

3. Create an Engaging Title –
This is the first thing viewers see when they see your Facebook Live video. You need a title that has enough information to let your viewer know what is going on in the video, but it also needs to be compelling enough to make them want to watch. Think carefully about the wording you use.

4. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff –
Not everyone is going to be perfect on live video. You will notice mistakes in yourself that others will never notice. Don’t let being shy, nervous, or any of that be an excuse – just go for it!

Let me know –
Have you tried to record any Facebook Live videos yet?
Do you enjoy watching live videos?
Did you learn anything new about why Facebook Live is essential?

7 Training Plan Essentials

July 26, 2016 by abby 17 Comments

As half and full marathon training kicks into gear for fall races I thought I would take this time to share some free run coaching tips and information that will help you to build the perfect plan – your training plan essentials if you will. If you have already built your plan I would be sure to look it over and make sure you have incorporated these important training plan essentials. Don’t want to deal with setting up the plan and taking all these factors into account yourself? Then, I highly suggest looking into some run coaching services. I am personally using a coach as I take on the NYC marathon this year, and I am coaching others as they do the same.

Training Plan Essentials:
*Be sure to click on each image and/or link for the full article including detailed information on how to implement each practice into your plan and when it should be used.

1. Every runner should begin by planning each of their training weeks around the Easy/Hard Principle of Running. Utilizing this principle will help you to make better gains while avoiding the risk of injury.

2. Another training plan component that is crucial for all runners is the cutback or unloading week. Incorporating cutback weeks into your plan helps you to get to the start line happy and healthy.

3. The third part of your training plan is making sure that you have an adequate base building phase. Some people focus on base building before they start their actual plan, some include it as the first section of their plan, and for some the entire plan is base building. It is all about your current mileage and running experience.

4. Once your base building phase has been complete you can begin add in tempo runs in order to help a bit with your speed. Tempo runs are probably the best way to work on building speed for a half or full marathon because they correlate closest to the race pace goal and distance. However, tempo runs are not for everyone, beginner runners may choose to stay in the base building phase.

5. After you have spent a few weeks mastering tempo runs if you are still feeling strong and like you could challenge your body a bit more it is time for some interval work. Intervals will be more intense then tempo runs so they too are not for all runners. If you are coming off injury, are a beginner, are trying out a new distance, etc. you should probably save these for another time. However, if you feel healthy and strong they can take your running up a notch.
FYI – A Fartlek (not dirty like it sounds) is actually a type of unstructured interval run. These can be a great way to ease into interval running or to work a few intervals into other runs.

6. Building in fast finishes to your training plan can help teach your body to push hard on tired legs at the end of your run. This is beneficial because it can help keep you from crashing or hitting the wall late in a run. Also, fast finishes can help teach your body how to pick it up at the end in order to negative split your runs and races.

7. The final aspect of half/full training that every runner needs to include as one of their training plan essentials is the taper. A quality taper will leave your legs feeling fresh and ready to go, not heavy and tired from all the hard training you have put in.

Let me know-
Any training plan questions? Comment or email me.
Are you currently training for a race? If so which one?
Do you have your training plan scheduled around the Easy/Hard Principle and cutback weeks?
Does your plan have a base building phase and also a taper?
Do you do any type of tempo, interval, or fast finish work to improve speed? Remember not every plan needs these.

Abby is an RRCA Certified Running Coach who is blessed to be able to run for Mizuno Running. She is also lucky enough to be an ambassador for ProCompression, BAMRBands, and Nuun Hydration.

7 Training Plan Essentials: Tips and info for buiding your perfect half/full plan.

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Will NYC Be the One?: A Marathon Comparison

July 24, 2016 by abby 32 Comments

I know that the NYC marathon is not a PR course for so many reasons. I live in a completely flat city where I have to drive to a bridge to run hills, they aren’t something I am used to, and New York is a hilly course. On top of that it is a late start and goodness knows what sitting around for hours waiting on my wave to begin might do to my mental prep and my resulting time. Plus, the weather in NYC in November can be so unpredictable. There are so many reasons that people tell you to go to New York, take in the sights, enjoy the crowd, and to have fun at the marathon, but not to expect a PR – NYC wasn’t built for that.

However, with with the New York City Marathon, my fifth shot at this distance, approaching I cannot help to think back to the 4 marathons I did before. By the time New York rolls around it will have been 2 years and 8 months since my last marathon. The truth is that the half is my favorite distance and I really wanted to work on improving there for awhile, but something has drawn me back into the full. Full marathons bring a challenge to me that half marathons just don’t deliver and a sense of accomplishment that is unparalleled. As I embark on my journey to New York I cannot help but think of the 4 marathons that came before.

Marathon: 1 – Disney World
Course Profile: Flat and Fast
Weather Conditions: January in FL – 50s
My Condition: feeling strong after a recent sub 2 hour half and a great training cycle
Finish Time: 5:13:31
Thoughts: I was on perfect pace to finish at 4:30 and then something horrible happened in my right foot. It was a shooting, crazy pain every time I stepped and at about mile 19 I couldn’t take it any more. My face was in a permanent wince except when I would try real quick to fake a smile for the cameras. My pace dropped from 10:30ish to 12 to 15 min miles. Ouch! I was really disappointed in myself. However, I tried to look at the bright side I did finish my first marathon.

Marathon: 2 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville
Course Profile: Rolling Hills
Weather Conditions: April in TN – 50s/60s & pouring rain from start to finish
My Condition: strep throat hit just 3 days pre-marathon, plus a nagging leg issue
Finish Time: 4:57:34
Thoughts: I was really worried about how this one would turn out with some nagging leg issues (that I know know are related to my Joint Hypermobility Syndrome which I get treatment for) and a surprising case of strep throat. To top it off, I woke up on race morning and it was pouring, and it didn’t stop the whole time. I started off the first half of the race perfectly, even though I had to stop and stretch my injured leg twice I still ran a 2:20 half. I was so excited to be on track for my 4:45 goal. However, it wasn’t meant to be – the truth is that I don’t think I did enough hill training and only ran the super flat roads and trails around me, and even more than that, the strep throat just took it out of me more than I thought.

Marathon: 3 – Marine Corp Marathon
Course Profile: Rolling Hills
Weather Conditions: Oct in DC – 40s/50s
My Condition: still dealing with nagging leg issues that made this training cycle tough
Finish Time: 5:47:38
Thoughts: With MCM just 6 months after Nashville I had taken a 2 month break and jumped right back into training without yet discovering what was going on with my body or how to treat it. Nagging leg issued bothered me throughout my training and compromised the quality of my runs. I knew that 4;45 I had been chasing was out and was instead hoping for a decent finish. However, it was not the day for me to see what my body could do, I had convince a friend to run her first marathon and around mile 9 her body gave up and it became all about her. I walked the next 17ish miles with her, cheering her along, being bossy, trying to keep us from getting swept off the course, and supporting her how I could. While it may not have been the marathon I planned I wouldn’t change it for anything as helping her cross that finish line was an amazing experience.

Marathon: 4 – Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans
Course Profile: Flat and Fast
Weather Conditions: Feb in NoLa – 60s/70s & humid
My Condition: with only 3 months after MCM my legs had gotten worse and not better
Finish Time: 5:43:35
Thoughts: Without the ability to take time off between races, because I had book this trip almost 9 months before, I was now running New Orleans just about 3 months after MCM and the lack of rest time and continued training caused my legs to feel worse, not better. I went into this race without any huge goals. I wanted to have a fun girls weeks since there would be 7 of us there, and if my body wasn’t up for it I was totally okay dropping down to the half. I ran the first few miles with friends and around mile 5 one of them began to look very pale and feel faint. I could have left her, but it was her first marathon, and she didn’t look well, and truthfully – I will always be a people over PRs type of person. We were able to help her meet up with some of our friends who walked her into the half marathon. So after walking miles 5 – 11 with her I still felt pretty good and decided to continue on with the one other girl who was running the full so she wouldn’t have to go it alone. Miles 11 – 16 were perfect and then at mile 16/17 my leg really started bothering me. With just a 10K left I couldn’t do it any more. I stopped and stretched and realized I was running slower than I was could walk so I convinced my friend to go on without me. I hindsight, the half marathon would have been a better bet on this one as I walked all the way into the finish.

Marathon: 5 – New York City
Course Profile: Hills & Bridges
Weather Conditions: Nov. in NYC – ???
My Condition: I have now been diagnosed with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome which is a lot of what caused the nagging leg pain in my previous marathons. The further I run and more miles I train the worse it is. However, now that I know what it is I try my best to combat and prevent the pain by visiting a sports med chiropractor for ART every two weeks and being more consistent with my stretching.
Finish Time: ???
Thoughts: I currently have mono which will really impact my training in 2 weeks when school starts back up and I have to add 10 tiring hours of work and commuting to my day, and I also have an appointment (not until late October) to see a specialist for advanced thyroid testing. If I can persuade them, through desperation, to move the thyroid appointment up and also get over this crazy mono those two things could have a huge positive impact on my training. If I am suffering through training with mono and possible thyroid issues the whole time it will be ugly.

I cannot help but wonder if my body cooperates and I can take care of the mono and the thyroid stuff, now that I know what I know about my joint issues will NYC be the one? Could I actually PR on a course that is not made for PRs? My current PR was run in Nashville on a course full of rolling hills, in the pouring rain, with strep throat. I know New York is a tough course, everyone says don’t even think about a PR, but could it be tougher than that? Could my body cooperate? Could I run under a 4:57:38 and PR? Even better what about that 4:45 I dream of… (I guess it is time for weekly hill work.)

Let me know –
What do you think is there any possibility in New York?
Any insight to the course from those of you who have run it?
What has been your favorite race and why?

Will NYC be the One?: A Marathon Comparison + Coule I really PR in New York???

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Abby is an RRCA Certified Running Coach who is blessed to be able to run for Mizuno Running. She is also lucky enough to be an ambassador for ProCompression, BAMRBands, and Nuun Hydration.

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