tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85758452062160211012024-03-13T10:52:22.169-07:00Happy Legs Happy HeartMegan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-78035349670191428812021-10-19T06:29:00.004-07:002021-10-19T06:34:09.853-07:00It's OK to be Normal<p>While out running, I often have thoughts that, from a coaching perspective, seem worth sharing. Then I get home and make a cup of coffee and run out of time. This one seemed important and I have the day mostly off, so here goes:</p><h1 style="text-align: center;">It's OK to be NORMAL</h1><div>Meaning that, in running, it's okay to run one marathon, or one half marathon, or one ultra, per training block. Not everyone can run back to back marathons in a week or two weeks, or five marathons in a month, or seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Some people can. But the science on recovery from long distance events is pretty clear, and the people who do these things well are outliers and often have a lot of years of running on their legs, along with some training specific to these goals. Also, unless they're sharing their full training logs with you over the course of several years, you have no idea how doing these things impacts their long term recovery and injury rates. Most importantly, if they're outliers, then this means that just because they can do it, it doesn't mean you should do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a week post-Boston. A race with 872' of elevation gain, quad-busting downhills, and what feels like no flats, in 78% humidity. I just ran my first run eight days later. This was my eighth marathon (plus an ultra). I've run consistently for a long time. I'm relatively injury-free. I'm healthy. And there's no way in hell I'm running another long distance race until next Spring, because I'd like to stay that way. My crabby quads and elevated heart rate on today's run reminded me that I trained for and ran a 50k last November, trained for a trail 50k this Spring, and then trained for and ran the Boston Marathon. It's time for my regularly scheduled down time. I'm still running. But I'm not running another marathon in two weeks.</div><div><br /></div><div>It can be hard to take that break. You finish a race that wasn't representative of your fitness and want redemption. I've been there. You run an awesome race and want to go set more PRs. You see other people doing another marathon and feel like you're missing out, or like you're not "good enough." Maybe it's okay to go out and do something. So check with someone who TRULY knows your training. A coach or a partner or a good friend. Someone who knows every run, injuries, recovery, your mental status, etc. Not just an internet group who only knows you, "Had a crappy race on Sunday and want redemption." And if they tell you it's time to rest, then remember, It's OK to be NORMAL. You ran a half marathon/marathon/ultra/something that majorly challenged your body, mind, and spirit. Honor your body and respect it with some well-earned rest.</div>Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-49608600366041477982021-04-26T09:18:00.001-07:002021-04-26T09:32:15.338-07:00The Return of Racing, but as Coach<p>This past weekend, two of my runners ran the Glass City Marathon half and full marathons. It's the first time any of my athletes have raced, in person, since the start of the pandemic over a year ago. I'm always proud of and excited for my athletes when they race, but these two were really special.</p><p>Stephen was supposed to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon in fall of 2019, but injuries kept him from that starting line. He set his sights on Glass City in April of 2020; we all know what happened to that. He deferred to Glass City 2021. We revised, we communicated. We kept training relevant. And, in the end, having more time to accumulate mileage and become a stronger runner, physically and mentally, likely left him better prepared than had he run that marathon in 2019. He had more time to practice fueling, more time to practice what happens when a run doesn't go the way you'd hoped it would, more time to learn what it feels like to be out there, running, for hours. And he continued to trust me and stick with the plan. Come race day, he executed every detail like a pro. I'm actually jealous of his execution! I wish I'd paced and fueled as well as he did in my first marathon! Negative splits. Final mile was the fastest. Pace was exactly where it should have been; no ridiculously fast first miles. Took his fuel. Hydrated. And finished his first marathon strong. I'm so proud of him. More proud than I ever realized I'd be, because I know every little detail that went into making this happen. Every injury, doubt, success, question. Every mile. Lows and highs. Really, we've been working on this since October of 2018. To have someone trust you enough to get you to the finish line of their first marathon is an honor, but to watch him continue to show dedication and discipline during a pandemic, when a lot of people weren't mentally or emotionally able to leave the house, let alone train for a marathon, was even more inspiring.</p><p>Stefanie isn't one of my runners in the traditional sense. She's actually an amazing running Coach, as well as a Physical Therapist who writes awesome strength workouts for runners. She's also a friend. When she asked me to write a training plan for her to get her ready for her upcoming trail 50k I was frankly honored. She usually writes her own training plans, but needed me to take this off her plate or her right now since she's so busy. The fact that someone I really respect trusted me with her training for such a big goal made me feel really great. It's really easy for me to fall victim to imposter syndrome. "Why would anyone want to work with me when they could work with (fill in the blank with someone who's resume is shinier than mine)?" So when Stef asked for my help she threw some really solid support my way. There have been a lot of conversations about the lack of women in distance run coaching roles lately. <a href="https://www.womensrunning.com/tag/women-in-coaching/" target="_blank">It's getting better</a>, but it's so easy feel like you're surrounded, primarily, by men. I mean, my own coach is a man! (And he's wonderful, but hello, irony.) So women, vocally support other women! Let them know you think they're badass. Let them know they inspire you. Many of us are so used to being quiet. Not taking up space. Less is more. More flies with honey. And that's me. I'm not loud. I'm not interested in attracting attention. And this means that sometimes I'm overlooked. The power of Stef's reaching out showed me that we need to do more to support and elevate each other.</p><p>Stef ran the half marathon at Glass City as a workout. No taper. She was in the middle of ultra marathon training. The most tapering she did was to cut back on strength work that week. She's in the middle of clinical rotations. And she ran her fastest time since an injury a few years ago! I was impressed with her finish time, but equally so with her positive attitude and focus on process and progress. All I ever want for any runner is for them to enjoy the process, work hard, and find joy in the sport.</p><p>I miss racing. I can't wait to toe the line. We've been extremely cautious throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and I feel optimistic that I'll feel comfortable for my June race. Maybe a little race-rusty, but it's a trail 50k, so I'll have plenty of time to shake off the cobwebs. In the meantime, I'm pretty happy to live vicariously through my athletes and their hard-earned successes.</p>Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-22726906792250112392018-03-27T14:56:00.002-07:002021-04-15T16:25:43.517-07:00After 10+ years, I quit teaching<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the summer of 2017, I quit my job as an elementary music teacher. I started singing in choirs in fourth grade. I taught music for 10.5 years. More, if you include subbing and directing musicals. I was a great elementary school music teacher and choir director. I have bachelor's and master's degrees from UofM in music education. I have three Grammy awards from my undergrad days. I've been a paid performer many times. I've sung under world famous conductors. I conducted original music ed. research and wrote a thesis. I published a portion of that thesis in a peer reviewed journal. I presented my findings at a state conference. Shit, I was even recruited to move back to Louisiana as part of LSU's doctoral program in music education (we didn't go). At no point can I tell you I was honestly proud of any of that with the exception of defending my thesis and publishing. I was happy when I'd win a competition or a solo, or make a state choir, and singing and performing was absolutely fun. But, in hindsight, when I compare all of it to the pride I feel regularly related to running, I wasn't proud of those accomplishments. I think this is largely because singing and music were never hard for me. To be honest, I hardly ever practiced. I certainly worked hard at school, but I wouldn't say it was difficult. Not like researching and writing and publishing, and not like running. I was proud of many of the relationships I formed with my students, loved many of them as if they were my own children, and was proud to be a positive adult figure in their lives, but, for me, it had nothing to do with my role as their music teacher. When someone asked me what I "did," (I can't tell you how much that question irritates me) I didn't feel a sense of pride when I responded. I actually felt a little dread, not wanting to play the part, once again, in the typical conversations about education and teaching and music. Teaching was hard in that it was a lot of work, but not the kind of work I ever felt great about doing. Curriculum maps and accreditation committees and getting yelled at by ignorant parents and increasing numbers of students whose behavior indicated they didn't respect their teachers further than they could throw us doesn't make you feel great about your measley salary compared to the hours you're working and qualifications. This is a whole other conversation and not the point of this post. Additionally, more and more, I didn't feel that great feeling you get when you share something important with someone. Again, I loved many of my students and I was happy they were happy because of music, but that's where it ended. When a runner thanks me for helping them dial in their nutrition, or get them to a starting line feeling confident, or knock time off their PR, I feel proud. Proud that I helped them feel a little more like a runner and hopeful they'll grow in their love of our sport. And if you're reading this, I imagine you already know how proud I am of my own running accomplishments, because RUNNING IS HARD, and I work my ass off to be even a little good at it. I don't know if I've put in my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book)" target="_blank">10,000 hours</a> yet as a runner and coach, but I certainly plan to. I hated practicing for voice lessons. Those 10,000 hours would have killed me. By comparison, my brother and sister in law perform in a professional reed quintet and practice several hours a day. To quote Kari when asking how I have time to run so much, "But when do you practice clarinet?" When it comes to running and coaching, I <i>want </i>to read <i>everything</i>, listen to every podcast, attend classes, work towards more certifications, talk to other runners and coaches, and run <i>all the workouts and races!</i></div>
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There have been several times since I graduated college that I thought it would be fun to work in fitness. But leaving a career in which I'd invested so much time and money seemed insane and scary. By the end of the 16-17 school year, <i>not</i> leaving seemed <i>more</i> insane and scary. But I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I've worked since I was 16. I started looking for full time admin jobs, but only had one interview out of who knows how many applications. I subbed, but I really just don't like teaching. And it finally hit me that I need to pursue coaching more actively. I've been coaching a few runners here and there, but I've never put myself out there before. Once I started working on this, everything clicked. I can't ever think of a time in my life I've felt so creative. Creating my <a href="http://www.brave-running.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, articulating my philosophy, choosing a name, talking to other coaches, designing a logo...I've been so excited working on this in a way I've never felt excited about other projects. I've wanted to draw and write and <i>create</i>. I started working with a new runner and, as usual, the process of learning her goals and creating her program from scratch is fun and exciting and gives me joy. And then, a week or so into the process, I was volunteering at packet pickup at our local running store, <a href="https://www.run-detroit.com/" target="_blank">RUNdetroit</a>. One of their staff was about to go on maternity leave, and it had occurred to me to offer to help out while she was gone. Turns out they had also been planning to ask me if I was interested! So now, when someone asks me what I "do," I tell them I work at a specialty running store and coach. And that makes me proud. And I look forward to working with more runners and sharing my knowledge and passion for our sport. I look forward to learning more every day as a runner and coach myself. It's scary putting this out there; as another coach and friend said, we're our own worst critics, always questioning whether we're good enough. But I love what I'm doing enough to take the leap and say, "I'm a running coach." And that gives me joy. <a href="http://www.brave-running.com/">www.brave-running.com</a><br />
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-13749925472343032002018-02-27T15:26:00.002-08:002018-02-27T15:26:18.498-08:00Spring 2018 Marathon Goals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time to get this out there. Put it out into the universe. Write it down in more detail, with heart. It's in my training log; Coach Amanda and Jason know my goals. But it's eight weeks until race day. I'm about to start some harder workouts, longer long runs, higher mileage, and it's time to dream and time to grind.<br />
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<a href="http://glasscitymarathon.org/" target="_blank">Glass City Marathon</a><br />
Toledo, Ohio<br />
Sunday, April 22, 2018, 7:00 am<br />
PR: Beat 3:32:15 (last April, same race)<br />
BQ: 3:40 for F35-40 (I'll age up before Boston 2019)<br />
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I'd love to run a 3:28. I'd be thrilled with anything faster than my PR. I'd be lying if I said I'd be happy with a 3:35. While that should be enough extra time to earn a Boston bib, I've had my heart broken in the past. Last year, I had a BQ+2:45. Historically, the most extra time needed was BQ+2:28 . This year, it was BQ+3:23. So I'd rather just run a PR and feel confident I've earned my bib. Registration isn't until September. That's a long time to wonder!<br />
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I think I can do it. Every time I've trained for and run a marathon, I've learned a lot. It took six half marathons for a breakthrough race and PR. This is only my fifth marathon, so I'll understand if I'm just not there yet. But I think I'm doing what I need to earn that PR.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Serious strength training 2x/week at Detroit Body Garage</li>
<li>Mini bands, home strength training, and core 3x/week</li>
<li>Stretching and rolling almost every day</li>
<li>A little more weekly mileage</li>
<li>Really improved diet, making sure I eat as much real food as possible and more protein/carbs</li>
<li>Better hydration</li>
<li>Resting like a champ</li>
<li>Addressing how my cycle affects my hormones, which really affects my running, with some help from Dr. Stacy Sims' book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ROAR-Fitness-Physiology-Optimum-Performance/dp/1623366860" target="_blank">Roar</a>.</li>
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I think my biggest fears are going out too fast and giving up when I get tired in the later miles and slowing down. Pretty common, right? I'm planning to run with a pace group for the first time and I've been practicing using my music to help me keep pace when I get tired. Even if I don't hit my time goals, I'll be happy if I run even or negative splits.</div>
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I'm starting to get excited about this race. As I said, this is my fifth marathon. I'm starting to feel like maybe, after the suffer-fest that was the <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2016/11/2016-detroit-free-presstalmer-bank.html" target="_blank">FREEP in 2016</a> and the medical pit stop at <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2017/12/2017-chicago-marathon.html" target="_blank">Chicago in 2017</a>, I've learned a lot, which you see reflected in the list above. I've also learned, from my good races, that I CAN do this. That my 1:34:30 half marathon wasn't just a lucky break. I DID THAT. My Boston Qualifiers were still BOSTON QUALIFIERS, even though I didn't earn bibs. We're so hard on ourselves as runners. We don't want to bluster. We don't want to sound boastful. But I'm finally able to acknowledge that I'm a little tougher than I give myself credit for, and I'm working hard. Marathons are tricky, and who knows what will happen on race day, but I think this just might be my best one yet, and I'm looking forward to finding out. And I'm putting these goals out there so that I can celebrate with my community, because one important piece of the puzzle for me is knowing Jason will be at the starting line with me, my parents will be there (first time spectating a marathon!), I'll see friends out there on the course, Amanda will be out in the dead zone like she is every year, and I'll see friends from our Detroit running community in those final miles when it's time to embrace the suck. And when the suck comes, I think I'll be just a little bit more ready to look it in the eye and prove how much I've grown since last time.</div>
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But until then, time to go to work.</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-48659212930050639172018-01-03T08:08:00.003-08:002018-01-03T08:08:51.672-08:00Reflections on 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two main experiences from 2017 stuck with me. When I say, "stuck with me," I mean they made the kind of impact where they keep coming back to me weeks and months later. I feel the emotional weight these two experiences carry. I'm grateful for these experiences. I finished the Chicago Marathon after the worst race I've ever had, and I had a lot of difficult dental work done. Might sound fairly benign, but hey, my life, my experiences, my blog post. I'll try to paint a picture.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2017/12/2017-chicago-marathon.html" target="_blank">2017 Chicago Marathon</a> was rough. It was the worst race I've ever run. It was hot, humid, and sunny. I didn't hydrate properly in the week leading up to the race. I was sick. In fact, I'm still sick as I write this. And I had bad PMS. Everything fell apart. I was pulled off the course into a med. area. I walked a lot. I ran my slowest time by a lot; no where even close to my April time or my goal time. But instead of getting pissed at myself, which up until that point would be my response, I just wanted to finish. I didn't want to quit the Chicago Marathon. Up until that point, my competitive, type A, perfectionist personality would only perceive achieving my time goals as "good enough." Somehow, on that day, something allowed me to just let go of all that and accept the reality of the situation. Maybe it was seeing people all around me in similar situations. Running sideways because their quads were destroyed. Walking. Stopping. Sitting. Crying. Refusing help. Accepting help. Medics running down the course with wheelchairs. But something clicked, and I was just so grateful to finish. Grateful to have the opportunity to be there. Grateful knowing I was doing something hard, something that made life worth living. I cried through that finish line, something I've never done before.<br />
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Sometimes the finish of the <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2017/04/" target="_blank">2017 Glass City Marathon</a> comes back to me. Arms out, flying across the finish line. Jumping on Jason and screaming, "I'm fucking going!" (I'm not). The feeling that it was (almost) easy. The feeling of being able to pick it up in the last mile. But Chicago comes back more often. When workouts get hard, when I want to quit, when something in life sucks, the knowledge that I made it through the carnage gives me hope I can endure.<br />
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I can line up at the starting line of a marathon, ready to endure 26.2 miles, with very little fear. The fear of dental work keeps me awake at night. This summer/fall, I had an extraction, two root canals, post/core, crowns, and fillings. I'm 34 years old. I must have gone to the dentist and endodontist 10 times in five months. The fear I felt leading into every visit woke me up at night. It simmered in the background at all times. I experienced constant, low-grade stress the entire summer and fall. It's not that my dentist isn't wonderful; he is. In the end, I think I was scared of the potential pain and of not being in control of the situation. Scared of what was coming next. And upset that my teeth are so bad, even though I did what you're supposed to do.<br />
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My sweet, dear friend Amanda came with me to a root canal attempt (visit two) and to a root canal with the endodontist (visit three). It definitely helped to have her there the first time. The second time, I was so high on gas I couldn't drive for a while after. We had a hilarious time going to Babies R Us. But the fear I experienced leading into the day I went for the root canal and extraction was the worst, and I knew I wouldn't make it through without Jason. And here's where the learning experience came in. I'm very self-reliant. I do not like thinking anyone else has to worry about me or do things for me or help me. It manifests and being very organized and detail-oriented. If I plan everything, map out every detail, and account for every variable, no one will have to worry about me or anything I'm involved in, right? Well, as noted above, dental work really isn't in my control. Hell for someone like me. So what's Jason going to do? Sit there and watch? It's not like he could do the damn extraction for me, and even if he could, he still had just as much potential to hurt me as the dentist. Then, because they had so much work to do, they had a lot of stuff set up in the room and he couldn't even come in with me anyway! Learning experience, personal growth: Just having him sit next to me in the waiting room, holding my hand, just knowing he was in the waiting room while I was having the work done, just having him with me in the car and at home afterwards, was all the peace I needed. It was magic. Again, irrational, I know. It's not like he could have actually do the dental work. But my self-reliant brain actually allowed for the fact that, sometimes, we just need someone to be there. More specifically, the people who love us most. And if you know us, you know Jason's always there. At marathons, at concerts, on the highway with a flat tire, and at the dentist's office. And he always will be. But some of us have hard heads and don't always fully internalize that we need help. I hope everyone's lucky enough to have people at their metaphorical dentist's office.<br />
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More marathons and more dental work in 2018. I can't say I'm looking forward to the dental work, but I'm looking forward to whatever these experiences present.</div>
Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-49815776909647701222017-12-11T05:56:00.000-08:002017-12-11T06:18:54.783-08:00Summer Reading<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For a teacher who's also a runner, the best part of summer break is being able to run whenever and wherever you want. The second best part is being able to read tons of books, and this summer was a good one!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Running books</li>
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<li><u>The Road to Sparta</u> (Dean Karnazes)</li>
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<li>I loved this book! Very different than <u>Run!</u> or <u>Ultramarathon Man</u>. Karnazes has a specific voice. Very confident, very vocal. His book conveyed his journey to trace Phidipedes steps, as well as his journey to connect with his ancestors, in way that was so poetic, so beautiful, that I felt connected. I wanted to be Greek. I wanted to there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><u>The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner</u> (Alan Sillitoe)</li>
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<li>Classic short story about running. As a runner, I'm glad I read it. As a reader, it didn't really do much for me. It's short, so I'd say read it, just so you know what it's about.</li>
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<li><u>Anatomy for Runners</u> (Jay Dicharry)</li>
<ul>
<li>If you're a runner you have to read this book. Anatomy and physiology. PT exercises. A functional movement assessment.</li>
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<li>Stephen King</li>
<ul>
<li><u>Pet Sematary</u></li>
<ul>
<li>I love every Stephen King book I've read. This was no exception. Suspenseful. Plot twists. Scary, but not too scary. Great story.</li>
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<li><u>Salem's Lot</u></li>
<ul>
<li>Another great novel. Scarier than <u>Pet Sematary</u>. Highly recommend.</li>
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<li><u>The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger</u></li>
<ul>
<li>This is the one King novel that I almost didn't finish. It was so slow for most of the novel. I almost fell asleep reading it several times. Got better towards the end, and I'll continue the series.</li>
</ul>
<li><u>Just After Sunset</u> (short story collection)</li>
<ul>
<li>King is a master! Each story felt like it could have been a novel, but he managed to contain it as a short.</li>
</ul>
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<li><u>The Chemist</u> (Stephanie Meyer, also wrote <u>Twilight</u> and <u>The Host)</u></li>
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<li>Loved this book! I also loved Meyer's other books. This one was refreshingly different. I almost forgot she wrote it.</li>
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<li><u>Into the Water</u> (Paula Hawkins, also wrote <u>Girl on the Train)</u></li>
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<li>I think I liked this better than <u>Girl on the Train</u>. It didn't get great reviews, but I really enjoyed it.</li>
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Now it's December and I'm immersed in Cassandra Clare's <u>The Mortal Instruments</u> series. I've read books one through three and I'm currently reading <u>City of Fallen Angels</u>. I read book three in <b>a day</b>. It's 541 pages. It's that good. It's a great YA series.</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-50255626535409000962017-12-06T09:31:00.002-08:002017-12-06T10:34:16.147-08:002017 Chicago Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Chicago Marathon wasn't the race I planned. I ran 50 minutes slower than my April marathon, and "ran" is being generous. I walked. I got pulled off course and checked by medical personnel. My final 3.5 miles were saved by copious, unsanctioned bananas and I was so grateful to be able to even jog. I had horrible PMS, I screwed up my electrolytes in the week leading up to the race, and I stopped sweating in the heat. But it was the race I needed. As much as I wanted a time PR, I want<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">ed a mental PR even more, and I had one. At no point did I get pissed and want to quit. I didn't beat myself up. I didn't worry about what people would think. I just wanted to finish. When I finally saw the 800 meter sign, the tears started. I've never cried finishing a marathon before. I think I finally learned the meaning of the word "endure," and I'm grateful for the experience. Even more grateful for a weekend with Jason, Amanda, and Brian. You never know when your words or actions will resonate with people. Jason and Amanda's certainly did while I was out there.</span></div>
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I'm a little sad I missed an opportunity to run fast. But I've got goals for next April, and I'm mentally so much better equipped to achieve them. That's worth more than a few minutes off a marathon time. <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/thankyourunning?source=feed_text&story_id=10214736472472349" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #4267b2; font-family: inherit; unicode-bidi: isolate;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="font-family: inherit;">thankyourunning</span></span></a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/bettertogether?source=feed_text&story_id=10214736472472349" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #4267b2; font-family: inherit; unicode-bidi: isolate;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="font-family: inherit;">bettertogether</span></span></a> <span class="_5afx" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wolskiandwarzechatakechitown?source=feed_text&story_id=10214736472472349" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #4267b2; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">wolskiandwarzechatakechitown</span></a> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolski and Warzecha Took ChiTown<br />
Photo Credit: Brian Wolski</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Brian Wolski</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">313 in 312<br />
Photo Credit: Brian Wolski</td></tr>
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Photo Credit: Jason Warzecha</td></tr>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-38713070076942579342017-06-28T09:19:00.001-07:002017-06-28T09:19:12.558-07:00Learning to Run the Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Learning to run 26.2 has been a true learning process. I say this as a runner, coach, teacher, and student with a BA and MA. I've done a lot of learning and teaching, and learning how to run a marathon has been the hardest thing I've done.<br />
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Part of the difficulty is always comparing present-and future-Megan with past-Megan. I ran a half marathon in 1:34:30, so I "should" be able to run a full marathon in 3:18:53 (see my <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2016/10/92016-why-transitioning-to-full.html" target="_blank">post from 9/2016</a> for more detail). I'd get frustrated when, no matter how hard I worked, I just couldn't "live up to my potential." I ran my first 26.2 in 3:34:54 and qualified for the Boston Marathon by 6 seconds, but it was ROUGH. I walked a lot. I was in a lot of pain. I went out too fast and slowed down a lot in the later miles. I ran my second marathon in 3:47:48, 12:54 slower than my first. I ran my third marathon in 3:32:15 and finally qualified for Boston with, hopefully, enough additional time to actually register for the race. To say the marathon is humbling and unpredictable is an understatement.<br />
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Anyone who's ever trained for and run both half and full marathons knows that training for and racing 13.1 miles is very, very different than training for and racing 26.2 miles. Running 26.2 miles demands so much from your body. Nutrition that fuels your muscles and your brain. Cardiovascular fitness to pump blood to your muscles. Respiratory fitness to get oxygen to your muscles. Muscular and skeletal fitness to move your body over 26.2 miles. Muscular strength. Flexibility. Mental and emotional toughness to keep going when it hurts and all you want to do is stop. No race has ever broken my heart the way the marathon has.<br />
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But that's what's so great about running. If you love to run, then you'll keep chasing that dream because you can't bear to let it go. And if you commit, and put in the time, and analyze your successes and failures, and learn and adapt, you WILL get better. You WILL see results. You might feel stronger. You might run faster. You might get to mile 25.5, realize you need to haul ass to qualify for Boston, pull your mental shit together, and run like hell, even though you're exhausted.<br />
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But it takes time. You can't fake a marathon. Nothing has demanded as much of me as training for and running 26.2 miles has. In retrospect, I ran five half marathons before I truly broke through in my sixth. I'm not sure why I thought my first full marathon, or even my third, would be "the one." I mean, math would dictate that, if I'm running twice the distance, it would take twice the number of races, and I should still be holding out for marathon number 12 for the real breakthrough. Luckily, I ran a unicorn race at the <a href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/2017/04/2017-glass-city-marathon-review.html" target="_blank">Glass City Marathon in April</a>. And I can feel myself getting stronger, physically and mentally. A 20-mile long run doesn't send me to the ice bath and bed for the rest of the day. I'm getting faster. I'm running smarter. And I'm so excited to see what happens at the Chicago Marathon on October 8. It might break my heart, but no race will ever take away my hard work, and no finishing time will ever negate how much I've learned about myself through this beautiful sport.<br />
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-59028779809692043782017-04-30T15:01:00.002-07:002017-04-30T15:01:30.167-07:002017 Glass City Marathon Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I got to the starting line of the 2017 Mercy Health Glass City Marathon with more than a few tears of gratitude in my eyes. This training cycle was filled with so much fear and self-doubt. My first two marathons weren't good races the way my half marathons have been good races. I questioned whether my body and mind were meant to run 26.2. I felt like I was slowing down. I had some really rough tempo runs. But this cycle was also filled with the love and support of so many people on my team. My coach and best friend, <a href="http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amanda</a>, who gave me tough love when I needed it and got me there ready to BQ. My massage therapist and friend, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/inthezonelife/" target="_blank">Erin</a>, without whom my body would have fallen apart and I would have lost my mental shit. My good friend, <a href="http://www.betterwoodman.com/" target="_blank">Geoff</a>, who helped me remember to keep it fun, but who has walked this road to the BQ with me for over a year. My own runners, Bethany and Leah, for making me feel so confident as their coach and sharing their own accomplishments with me. And, finally, my husband. Words can't express my appreciation for his belief in me, sacrifice, and embracing this running life as his own. When I got to the finish line last Sunday, I truly felt like I shared my success with our whole Detroit running community, especially the <a href="https://www.detroitbodygarage.com/" target="_blank">Be Bold Crew</a> and <a href="http://run-detroit.com/" target="_blank">RUNdetroit</a>.<br />
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It was a feeling of FINALLY doing everything right! I set several goals for this training cycle, and I crushed them. <b>Nutrition</b>? I finally ate enough and consumed enough carbs. I implemented a science-based <a href="https://runnersconnect.net/marathon-nutrition-welcome/" target="_blank">race fuel plan</a>. I took my iron supplements. I figured out that I can drink Tailwind through the race and get the nutrition I need without eating. <b>Strength Training</b>. Didn't get to classes as often as I wanted to, but got the work in at home. Finally drank more <b>water</b>. Religious <b>massage, stretching, and rolling</b>. Almost-daily <b>meditation</b> with the Headspace app. I've never felt more capable of soft-focus and presence. Better <b>sleep</b>. And listening to my body. If I was sick, I rested. When I had horrible ankle pain two weeks before the race, I biked. And I appreciated every <b>run</b>, even the ones that took some reflection to process, understand, and learn from.<br />
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This race was my unicorn. I've been chasing it since I decided to run a marathon in the summer of 2015. And I finally learned what the unicorn metaphor means in marathoning. I'm a very self-reliant person. If something goes wrong, I assume it's due to my own mistake or under preparedness. And so it went with my first two marathons. I assumed that I simply wasn't ready enough or good enough to reach the time goal my half marathons predicted. And that was really frustrating. I now realize I'd done everything I could. I was just chasing something so difficult to achieve, most people never bother. I wanted that GOOD marathon. And this was my unicorn day. Beautiful weather. Friends. My ankle/foot didn't bother me once. I was sick the day before; woke up feeling fine. My race nutrition worked. My legs weren't dead. I knew the course. The race itself was wonderful. Great course, great course support. I found someone to run with almost the entire time who I truly hope to remain friends with (thank you Lindsay). And what a race it was. I ran almost a straight 7:58 average until about mile 22. I had a few slower miles, but when I realized I could earn my ticket to Boston if I hauled ass, I managed to get my final mile in 8:00. I even sprinted it in AND airplaned it.<br />
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I can tell you I am SO FREAKING PROUD of myself. I worked my ass off, more than I've ever worked for ANYTHING. I got past the bad runs and races. And, with a smile that I still can't wipe off my face and tears that keep coming to my eyes a week later, I earned my unicorn. 3:32:15. A great marathon. And, as long as nothing changes too much, Boston 2018.<br />
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-39610347782491775922017-02-02T18:39:00.003-08:002017-02-02T18:39:54.422-08:00Running is HARD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Running is hard, yo! So is the sidewalk. Today's tempo run was tough. I mean, "this is stupid, why am I doing this?" tough. Last week, I experienced some serious self-doubt during my tempo run. "These paces are too fast; I can't do this. I'm not going to hit my goal time at Glass City." So I reflected in my log, talked to my coach, talked to a friend/runner I coach, rocked my long run, and approached today's run with, hopefully, a fresh perspective.<br />
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It was windy. I've been sick all week. It was 20 degrees, but it's been in the upper 30s until today and I under-dressed. Detroit is busy and I kept having to stop at lights. But I was doing okay. Then, during the recovery between tempo repetitions, I wiped out. <b>Again</b>, for the third time in the last three and a half months. I slipped on some ice and threw myself to the side to try to fall on snow instead of cement. I put a hole in my new Brooks tights, cut my knee that's already sporting a nasty scar from my fall in November, and landed on my face. I knew this, not because I could feel a cut or bruise on my face, but because my face was covered in snow. The longer I stood there trying to wipe the snow off and assess, the colder I got, so I started running again. I stopped and asked a man if my face was bleeding, because it was so cold I couldn't feel anything. He said no, but he looked really worried. I turned around to run home and I <b>totally</b> lost my ability to push through the self-doubt. "I can't hit these paces; I can't do this. I'm not going to hit my goal time at Glass City." For a while I was able to just have fun running "Spicy McHaggis" (Dropkick Murphys) miles, but then the wind really kicked in and I was freezing. I got back to my house and I'd only run just over 7 of my 9 miles. And I said screw it. This wasn't enjoyable in any way. And I went inside. I quit. This was NOT Happy Legs, Happy Heart.<br />
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Once I defrosted, I had a nasty bruise and swelling on my hip. Self-doubt, disappointment, discouragement. I talked to my coach/friend, talked to another friend, talked to my husband, and I felt a little better. I finally wrote it up in my log. I realized the first three tempo miles were at a good pace. My coach and I came up with a concrete solution to run next week's tempo run on the river walk, where there aren't any lights. Pizza. And now I'm writing about it, because that usually helps.<br />
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Listen. Running is hard. Sometimes it's easy, and that's awesome. But the way we handle the hard spots are what differentiate us.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">“You don't become a runner by winning a morning workout. The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many day, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.” (John Parker, Jr.)</span></blockquote>
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I'm embarrassed to say I quit today. But here's hoping I crush my long run on Saturday and come back stronger next Thursday, ready to run those tempo miles.</div>
Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-37451993905770900732017-01-28T14:43:00.000-08:002017-01-28T14:43:12.255-08:00All the Small Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All the Small Things</h2>
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I finalized the details for the 2017 Glass City Marathon and Chicago Marathon, and this year it's about All the Small Things.</div>
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1. Nutrition. Eat enough to fuel the runs. Carbs and calories to fuel, protein to recover and maintain strong muscles. Real food. Iron and vit. D supplements.</div>
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2. Strength training so my muscles are strong enough to run a strong 26.2.</div>
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3. Hydrate</div>
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4. Stretching, rolling, and massage</div>
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5. Meditation. Listen to the body. Tune in to the brain. Chill the you-know-what out.</div>
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6. Brain training. <a href="http://www.active.com/running/articles/book-review-brain-training-for-runners-873989" target="_blank"><u>Brain Training for Runners</u> (Matt Fitzgerald)</a>. I'm very much a science and data person. Teach my brain that I can run 26.2 miles in 3:30 or faster without disrupting homeostasis or causing harm. It's a real thing. I can reflect on times in my life where my brain consistently looked for the option that maintained comfort and avoided confrontation or discomfort. Time to retrain the brain.</div>
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7. Sleep. 7-8 hours. And this thing, because I'm tired of waking up to a screaming alarm clock: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0093162RM/?tag=bethenya-20" target="_blank">Philips Wakeup Light</a></div>
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And, of course, RUN! A great plan from my wonderful coach, Amanda, with a goal to increase my average weekly mileage a little from previous training cycles.</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-24145088137952124422016-11-06T16:10:00.001-08:002016-11-06T16:23:00.902-08:002016 Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon Race Recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just after the half and full marathons split.<br />
Photo credit Rob Long.</td></tr>
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I've needed some time to reflect before writing about the <a href="http://www.freepmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press Marathon</a>. A lot happened that weekend, from volunteering as a race Ambassador to spectating the Saturday 5k to running my second 26.2. I needed time to reflect, analyze, discuss, and process different assessments of my run before trying to write about it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRwTF8sMn8o/WBaMPf_kDrI/AAAAAAAAAg4/9E4IJRqjsYwNGhpiVrOugcyg3UlGDIsBgCK4B/s1600/IMG_3432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRwTF8sMn8o/WBaMPf_kDrI/AAAAAAAAAg4/9E4IJRqjsYwNGhpiVrOugcyg3UlGDIsBgCK4B/s200/IMG_3432.jpg" width="150" /></a>Tuesday, October 11</h3>
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That's right, #Freepmas started on Tuesday with my awesome mom bringing me 26 roses at school. She missed my first marathon in Toledo because she had something else important she had to attend. Then she realized she was going to have to miss the Freep because of her high school drama group's first ever reunion, after 40 years, in New Orleans! She felt SO BAD. I'm so okay with it, though, because there WILL be a third marathon for her to spectate, and that's a pretty awesome statement to be able to make.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Marathon Mizunos</td></tr>
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Also busted out the "first marathon shoes" on Tuesday. Wore these for <a href="http://glasscitymarathon.org/" target="_blank">Glass City</a> in April. I love this tradition. It was humbling and inspiring to be able to pull these out in preparation for the Freep. While holding them in my hands, I could literally feel the weight of over 1000 miles in training for both races. I could feel the exhaustion, but I could also feel the pride. Nothing says "first marathon" more than feeling the worn spots where you toe off, or seeing the soles worn down to the point where you can't wear them anymore. These shoes are a physical reminder of everything that being a marathoner is.</div>
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Thursday, October 13</h3>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otIccrFu8p0/WBYvC10Ai8I/AAAAAAAAAgc/3Auap3T9-7oM3X-E4e96duGF0IG2bizOQCK4B/s1600/jdrf_team_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otIccrFu8p0/WBYvC10Ai8I/AAAAAAAAAgc/3Auap3T9-7oM3X-E4e96duGF0IG2bizOQCK4B/s200/jdrf_team_logo.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/MeganWarzecha" target="_blank">Team JDRF</a> Pasta Dinner</h4>
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Let #Freepmas weekend commence!</h4>
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My husband, Jason, and I have run the Freep three times and we've fundraised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) every time. Jason's had T1D since he was 12 years old and raising money to fund research is a big deal for us. We're so grateful to our family and friends who supported us in our efforts. We ended up raising $835 and our team raised more than any previous metro Detroit Freep team! I was very honored to speak at the dinner. Most of the runners on the team run in honor of someone with diabetes and aren't diabetics themselves, aside from Jason and another runner, both of whom ran the 13.1. Since I was speaking to family and friends of diabetics, I spoke about Jason's and my journey through running with diabetes. I was so scared something would happen to him when we ran our first three half marathons. During the first one, I refused to leave his side until about mile 12. During the second race, I sped up around mile 10, but kept looking over my shoulder until we were reunited at the finish. During that third race, I finally ran my own race after the first couple of miles and let him run his. Sometimes his sugar dips during a race, but he's able to handle it, just like he does outside of running, and it seems like someone in our run family is always there for him. I also spoke about the standard to which we hold our diabetic family and friends. It's so important not to treat them like they're incapable of running a half marathon, or competing in triathlon, or whatever they want to do. Jason's parents didn't try to limit him; he wrestled through high school. I don't try to limit him; he runs half marathons. You have to be smart and careful, but they don't need to be told what they can't do. They hear that enough.</div>
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I get so much more back from fundraising than the money I raise. The next day, I got a message from another JDRF runner. She was running her first full marathon in honor of her T1D husband. She let me know she was touched and inspired by our story. The simple act of talking to another spouse of a person with T1D who understands the struggle, and having the opportunity to encourage a first-time marathoner, was a gift to me.</div>
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I get to coach two diabetic runners, Jason (my husband), and Kristyn. Kristyn and I ran for the same high school, but she's younger than me, so she was friends with my sister. Now I get to share not only my expertise as a coach, but all of the knowledge I've gained through coaching Jason for the last few years, with Kristyn. We all work together as a team to help navigate running with T1D. I'm honored, not just that they both trust me to coach them, but that they trust me to both push them to their limits and keep them safe. </div>
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You don't realize or you forget how much it means to your loved one with T1D when you take on fundraising and running in their honor. Through training together and racing together and fundraising together, Jason and I take back some of the power and control that diabetes takes away. We have a deeper relationship because I do this for him and we do this together. I wish I could raise an amount of money that represented how much I gain through fundraising for JDRF. If you've never fundraised in conjunction with training for a race, I hope you'll consider.</div>
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Friday, October 14</h3>
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MDCD Health and Fitness Expo</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 Freep Marathon Race Ambassadors</td></tr>
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I wanted to celebrate the entire weekend of #Freepmas, so I took Friday off of work. Leah, who works for the race and started the Ambassador program, took me up on my offer to help her throughout the day, so I met her at the Freep offices at 7:00 am. We packed up her car and then loaded in at Cobo. It was SO COOL to see the expo before other runners were there, and exciting to help with setup. I distributed vendor packets, assigned <a href="http://www.achillesinternational.org/" target="_blank">Achilles</a> and Kids Run bibs and shirts, organized volunteer shirts, and laid down Chevy stickers on the floor. Around 1:30, the other Ambassadors started showing up and we set up shop at the Ambassador/Information booth. Until about 5:00, we were super busy answering questions from runners, giving away Freep swag, and being the face of the race. It was truly an honor to represent the race with this group of people. I don't know how she did it, but Leah managed to pick a group of 11 runners, all with different reasons, races, and paces, who were all just genuinely kind, caring, happy representatives of their running communities. And we had a blast! We were pretty proud of how much we knew and we loved sharing our knowledge and personal insight with runners. It was especially fun talking to people who were running the race for the first time or running their first full and half marathons. I was grateful for the opportunity to pass along words of encouragement and excitement like people did for me when I was running my first half and full. It made my heart so happy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my runner, Kristyn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason volunteers at the expo</td></tr>
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What made this even better was that Jason, was right there with me, volunteering at packet pickup. I finally got to see my runner, Kristyn, who I've been coaching towards her second Freep 13.1, and I got to hug other runner friends coming through the expo. It was so great to be right in the midst of the excitement. If you love running and love the Freep, you really should consider volunteering. The race can't happen without volunteers, but you get back so much more than the time you give. You get to be a part of something BIG. You get to pass along the run-love to others. You get to start race weekend early! You learn more about what it takes to put on the race we love so much. And you get a cool volunteer shirt! This race has given me so much. It was my first half marathon. It was my springboard back into running. It gave my husband and I something to enjoy together. It's brought us health, new friends, challenges, setbacks, and successes. Volunteering is the least we can do to give back.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azPBXFYjJf4/WBYst_xZIdI/AAAAAAAAAgE/v5m_EyrSqyQ-K5loswe1dXufozO0-Sf5ACK4B/s1600/IMG_3448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azPBXFYjJf4/WBYst_xZIdI/AAAAAAAAAgE/v5m_EyrSqyQ-K5loswe1dXufozO0-Sf5ACK4B/s200/IMG_3448.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qukJWJT98w/WBaSSW4KWII/AAAAAAAAAhY/-gIeRKsevVMbMARVK28s_k5ASf9DfOZngCK4B/s1600/IMG_3451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qukJWJT98w/WBaSSW4KWII/AAAAAAAAAhY/-gIeRKsevVMbMARVK28s_k5ASf9DfOZngCK4B/s200/IMG_3451.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azPBXFYjJf4/WBYst_xZIdI/AAAAAAAAAgE/v5m_EyrSqyQ-K5loswe1dXufozO0-Sf5ACK4B/s1600/IMG_3448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img height="16" id="bmdrep1om41r" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" />I picked up my own packet while I was volunteering. BLUE BIB (26.2)! When we were finished volunteering, Jason bought me a 26.2 finisher sweatshirt. I wasn't going to buy anything since we got such sweet Ambassador shirts, but I really wanted something to commemorate my first Freep 26.2. Then we got some pictures. I still have no clue what made me sign up for that first Freep 13.1, but I'm so glad that guy let me talk him into running it with me. It wouldn't be the same without him.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tyADX9fYdsc/WBaSXIpS-QI/AAAAAAAAAhg/Ro6RFa3s90wG7scs-mOIE5m1JfYQUClhQCK4B/s1600/IMG_3450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tyADX9fYdsc/WBaSXIpS-QI/AAAAAAAAAhg/Ro6RFa3s90wG7scs-mOIE5m1JfYQUClhQCK4B/s200/IMG_3450.jpg" width="200" /></a>Also, major credit to the Freep team for their handling #ShirtGate2016. They got the information out there, gave runners an EXTRA shirt, and found the humor in a difficult situation.</div>
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<a href="http://www.beboldcrew.com/" target="_blank">Be Bold Crew</a> Pasta Party</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1n3Yl_H1jcU/WBaHKoTl1bI/AAAAAAAAAgs/csOqVmh_JcI_JforGfVDTAVT06B5mmyfQCK4B/s1600/IMG_3456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1n3Yl_H1jcU/WBaHKoTl1bI/AAAAAAAAAgs/csOqVmh_JcI_JforGfVDTAVT06B5mmyfQCK4B/s200/IMG_3456.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Bold Crew</td></tr>
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Between the 5k, both 13.1's, and the 26.2, our Crew had 19 runners run the Freep and we are SUPER PROUD of each and every one of them! Pasta party on Friday night was a great chance to relax, eat, laugh, and spend time together before the races began. Also, great chance to foam roll. Because you know that if you walk into another runner's house and immediately ask where their foam roller is and if you can use it, they'll have no problem with this and won't find it odd at all that you're foam rolling in their kitchen while chatting with them as they cook the pasta (thank you Geo).</div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Saturday, October 15</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://freepmarathon.com/events/5k/" target="_blank">American Home Fitness 5k</a></h4>
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I went to the 5k to spectate my best friend, Amanda, and our <a href="http://freepmarathon.com/getinvolved/meet-our-ambassadors/" target="_blank">Freep Ambassadors</a>, Heather, Aaron, and Jeff. I knew spectating would get me excited for my own race; I just didn't realize how much it would do for me. First, I'm really impressed with race operations that morning. We got there around 8:00 for the 9:00 race and had no trouble parking in the free parking lot. The sun was shining, the air was cool, music was playing, and people were excited. We quickly found our <a href="http://www.beboldcrew.com/" target="_blank">Be Bold Crew</a> and <a href="http://run-detroit.com/" target="_blank">RUNdetroit</a> friends who were volunteering and I gave Amanda a hug and wished her luck. Then I spotted Aaron and we quickly met up with Heather and Jeff. Even though I've only known these people for less than a year, they feel like old friends. That's the magic of the running community. We laughed, took pictures, and then they were off to the starting line.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda and Me</td></tr>
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The gun went off, and Jason and I ran down Atwater, away from the crowds. I wanted to cheer and lend support where spectators were thin. I know how lonely it can feel out there. I was so excited for each of my friends because I know their stories. I know their fight. <a href="http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amanda's</a> been battling injuries for months. She hardly got to run all summer. As teachers, we LOVE summer running because we can run when we want, where we want, for as long as we want. I was so sad that she missed summer running. Then she found out she could run, but not very far. By race day she was up to about 6 miles. She missed her fall marathon. She wants to train for Boston, but she doesn't know if she'll be able to run 26.2 without pain. But she ran a BOLD 5k a few weeks prior to this and shaved another two minutes off at this race! THAT made my heart happy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather, Aaron, and Jeff</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff, Me, Aaron, and Heather</td></tr>
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<a href="http://deerfoot95.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jeff</a> battled an achilles injury and crossed trained for the month leading up to this race. Aaron's been focused on strength training. <a href="https://findingherhappypace.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Heather</a>'s been fighting an old injury and the emotional roller coaster of life we all get on from time to time. I got to cheer for Jeff and then Aaron as they ran past. I got to cheer my heart out for each runner who passed me. Some nodded, some waved, some high-fived me, some kept their focus. I've been each of those runners out on the course, at different times. Being the spectator, who gave them that push they needed to finish and enjoy the struggle, made me feel so damn good. Then Jeff came back and cheered with us as we waited for Heather. When we saw her coming my heart was full. I wanted her to have a good race. I wanted her to enjoy the race we all love so much. I wanted her to be happy. And, from the smile on her face, she was. We joined her on the course and went almost to the finish line with her. And now my heart was ready for Sunday's race.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Aaron, and Heather</td></tr>
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But first, the shake out run.</h4>
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Running isn't inherently dangerous, but I am inherently a klutz. A BIG KLUTZ. I'm always afraid my dog's going to trip me while I'm going down the stairs the day before a race. Well, biggest fears imagined. Except that, instead of the dog tripping me, I tripped over my own feet. And instead of falling down the stairs, I fell on the concrete sidewalk at Woodward and Grand Boulevard. On my hip. Which is still, almost three weeks later, bruised with a huge bump. Laid on the sidewalk for about three minutes. Thank god Jason was with me. Walked back home and immediately iced, rested, used Aspercreme and Helychrisum (essential oil), took Aleve, and called my awesome massage therapist, Erin. She was out of town, but walked me through how to tape it with KT tape. My psoas is often tight, and I was worried this would aggravate it over 26.2. At least this gave me something to focus on in stead of just worrying about my race.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Pre-Race Customs - #Freepmas Eve</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat Megan</td></tr>
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I love looking back through my pictures and seeing Jason and my bibs from all the races we've run together. I also love sharing my Flat Megan picture in our Be Bold Crew Facebook group and seeing everyone else's race kit laid out. In the final, nervous, exciting hours before the race, we encourage each other, offer words of support and excitement, and remind each other of all the hard work and dedication that's brought us to this moment. ONE MORE SLEEP TO FREEP!</div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Sunday, October 16</h3>
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#Freepmas Day! <a href="http://freepmarathon.com/events/marathon/" target="_blank">The Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon</a></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Ambassadors</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Freep running buddy since 2014</td></tr>
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I mean, it really is just like Christmas. You wake up before the 5:00 am alarm goes off and can't fall back asleep. Except no one tries to send you back to bed! For us, the only tough part of marathon morning is Jason's blood sugar. Last year, he woke up with 49 mg/dl. Good would be 70-100. 49 means chug juice, eat chocolate, eat shot bloks, don't run. He ate, ran, and PRed. This year, it was better, but still not great. If he's going to run a race, he'd rather be closer to 200. He was around 65. Better than 49! Juice, breakfast, Snickers, Shot Bloks. Get dressed. Bathroom. Geo shows up. I go to the door to let him in and realize I'm going to be hot in shorts and a tank top, and it's only 5:45 am. Bye bye, arm warmers. We all drive down together, park, and walk towards the race with 45 minutes until the start. Jason and I quickly drop bags at gear check and head to Freep VIP while Geo heads to RUNdetroit VIP. Ambassador perk <3 Nice to be able to use the bathrooms, and nice that it was right across from our corral (B). Awesome to connect with the other Ambassadors before our races. Out to the starting line to enjoy the final minutes before the start of the race. The energy is electric. 6:58, and the Marathon Disability Division takes off. Whoops and cheers and hollers. Those guys are amazing. 2 minutes until waves A and B start. Finals hugs and kisses. 3....2...1...GO! Commence marathon number 2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-222_DOO7EJk/WB5V7gJJ9bI/AAAAAAAAAks/B1vdBhIk46EbK7tlTPQ6C_nSkZI8Rd-TQCK4B/s1600/IMG_3483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-222_DOO7EJk/WB5V7gJJ9bI/AAAAAAAAAks/B1vdBhIk46EbK7tlTPQ6C_nSkZI8Rd-TQCK4B/s200/IMG_3483.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-race picture with Kristyn</td></tr>
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The plan: Run negative splits. Don't go out too fast. Have fun. Aiming for a 3:32:00 (2:54 faster than in April). I ROCKED those goals in the first half! I kept my pace in check. I saw Kristyn a few times! I saw Terra! I crushed the Ambassador Bridge and the tunnel. I'm so grateful we run most of our long runs up north where we regularly run hills. I smiled, laughed, chatted with other runners, thanked volunteers, high-fived spectators, and enjoyed the first half. I saw Terra's Granny and Dad, Romeo, and other friends. I felt great.<br />
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<span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xVQtjD_MNs/WB5dIn8uabI/AAAAAAAAAlY/aY_gte9wgacMEkEPteyz2aJ99p0PuQkigCK4B/s1600/Jason%2B2016%2BFree%2BPress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xVQtjD_MNs/WB5dIn8uabI/AAAAAAAAAlY/aY_gte9wgacMEkEPteyz2aJ99p0PuQkigCK4B/s200/Jason%2B2016%2BFree%2BPress.jpg" width="200" /></a>I got really worried when I saw Romeo around mile 9 and he told me Jason was right in front of me. Jason ran the half and should have been way ahead of me. His sugar had tanked. I walked with him for a few seconds and made sure he was going to be okay. We've come so far since our first half marathons. I trusted him when he said he'd be okay, and I kept running. He later told me he finished his Shot Bloks, threw back 4 cups of Gatorade, slowed down, and just enjoyed the race. He stopped at the med tent at the end, just to be safe. His sugar was definitely low. The humidity makes him burn through sugar way faster. I'm so damn proud of him, though. He accepted the situation that was the weather and his low sugar, and slowed down and had fun.</span><span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></span><span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0BJsLh37n4/WB5ef47RnOI/AAAAAAAAAls/9ZgLGO-Kb4kCMEoHkIHumWmR9Xzs2r9yQCK4B/s1600/IMG_3485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0BJsLh37n4/WB5ef47RnOI/AAAAAAAAAls/9ZgLGO-Kb4kCMEoHkIHumWmR9Xzs2r9yQCK4B/s200/IMG_3485.jpg" width="150" /></a>I run in Detroit all the time, so I knew Lafayette might get lonely. I got lucky and ended up behind a runner in a <a href="https://www.teamrwb.org/chapter-locations" target="_blank">Team RWB</a> shirt, Daniel. I love what Team RWB does. They bring together veterans and civilians and foster relationships and healing through running. Romeo is the Athletic Director for the Detroit chapter, is a Marine veteran, and runs with them, and I know they're good people. I started talking with the guy, found out he knew Romeo, and ended up running a couple of miles with him. I love this part of my 2016 Freep story. We were running towards West Village, where Be Bold Crew has lived since May. I was running with some guy I'd just met, yet we had a mutual friend. We were suffering together. We were toughing it out together and encouraging each other. I finally ran ahead, but I ended up catching up with him and sharing a hug at the finish line. Later that night, Romeo told me he asked him to thank me for sticking with him. I hope I see him again.</span><span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YuYnD_hsEU4/WB--vmE6V-I/AAAAAAAAAmE/WZ3p-7P2xcwtHxtwHIPyzyOO-6SklZfDgCK4B/s1600/Freep%2BFinish%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YuYnD_hsEU4/WB--vmE6V-I/AAAAAAAAAmE/WZ3p-7P2xcwtHxtwHIPyzyOO-6SklZfDgCK4B/s200/Freep%2BFinish%2B2016.jpg" width="134" /></a>Around mile 18, I hit the wall and I hit it hard. Same as in Glass City. All that easy running in the first half made no difference. I felt fine aerobically, but my legs had no energy. Dead and heavy. Just not enough carbs left. Didn't fuel right before and during, even though I thought I was doing it right. Two weeks later and I'm working on that with my nutritionist, Bri. Still figuring out my iron as well. But this time, I was stronger mentally. I didn't let it get me down. I kept a smile on my face. I slowed down and didn't let myself feel disappointed or defeated. I stopped for a freaking beer on the Riverwalk. Or at least I thought it was the Riverwalk. I have no sense of direction and I was tired and I later found out the beer was NOT on the Riverwalk, it was on Atwater. And then Amanda appeared. God bless her. She ran with Brian, then she ran with Geo, and then she came and ran the last mile and a half with me. I have no idea what I said to her. I just know she talked to me and kept my mind off how slow I felt and helped me truly enjoy the final miles. She reminded me of what a true friend and coach is. Love this girl. </span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KR5U7o7Uxro/WB_GMt6chGI/AAAAAAAAAmU/8fboS6iaqp0o-rC1YIcl7Eg2MO4Uoo-IwCK4B/s1600/IMG_3494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KR5U7o7Uxro/WB_GMt6chGI/AAAAAAAAAmU/8fboS6iaqp0o-rC1YIcl7Eg2MO4Uoo-IwCK4B/s200/IMG_3494.jpg" width="150" /></a> In the end, I finished almost 13 minutes slower than Glass City in April. I felt slow all summer. I knew the weather wasn't in my favor. But I still had hope. I was disappointed with my race. But I knew I had a lot of qualitative success. I was mentally stronger. I didn't go out too fast. I felt awesome on the hills. And I enjoyed the heck out of the race. My legs weren't destroyed at the end and I recovered a lot faster. I spent a weekend with Jason and friends I love like family. I raised money for JDRF. My runners ran their hearts out. I achieved my 2016 goal of 26.2x2in2016withBQ. Still, I needed time to process, because these small victories weren't enough. And, through a lot of thought and writing and talking to people who know me, I've come up with a few takeaways. First, I'm a competitive person. I never thought of myself that way before. But, deep down, I want to win. I mean, I know I won't ever win my division in a race this big, but I at least wanted to come close to top 10 in my division (I was 17th in my division and 81st female OA), and I really, really, really wanted to get my 2018 BQ. I know not everyone has the same goals as me, and that's what makes running great. But I was disappointed in THIS aspect of the race. But this brings me to another observation. I've never looked at having a competitive nature as being a good thing. I'm a teacher. I want my students (my kids) to be happy. And, if someone wins, that means other people lose. And those people aren't happy. But you know, that's life. And it's okay if you don't win. And you don't have to be happy all the time. For me, it lights that fire to be even better the next time. And oh, <b><u>next time is coming</u></b>. As long as I'm doing everything I can do to be the best I can be, I'm satisfied. And that's where my joy happens. My joy is in the planning. My joy is in the training. All those hundreds and hundreds of miles getting ready for the next race. Running in snow and ice, after long days at work when I'd rather be sleeping. Working with my coach and my nutritionist. Training log entries as long as a book. Mechanics class. The Human Performance Clinic. Knowing that I'm giving my all to something I have a passion for. Grateful I have something I'm this passionate about that I can do for the rest of my life. Grateful I can share it with my number one guy, my running-buddy-hubby, Jason. And I'm GLAD I was disappointed by my performance. I'm glad I don't accept it. I'm glad I can enjoy some elements, and walk away ready to go to battle for the next one. Because, "When you stop fighting, you stop living. So find your fight. Then fight like hell 'till your battle has won." Thank you, running, for all you give me.</span></div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-25595892375519809722016-10-30T07:23:00.003-07:002016-10-30T07:46:39.481-07:009/2016 Why transitioning to the full marathon has been difficult for me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I started running half marathons, I told my friends and my coach I had no desire to run full marathons. It wasn't the distance, or that they required more training time, or that running 26.2 miles at once seemed impossible. It was just that I <strong>love</strong> running half marathons. I love the combination of speed and distance, and I loved that I could basically race one every other month (not that I did) without injury.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxXMgHvtLvQ/WBYHxwj6AOI/AAAAAAAAAeo/-Tn2P7jbAKkHR4ZtRk7LacE_SUea3l9mwCK4B/s1600/0086f34ff398ba388b06fdeb103c40c4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxXMgHvtLvQ/WBYHxwj6AOI/AAAAAAAAAeo/-Tn2P7jbAKkHR4ZtRk7LacE_SUea3l9mwCK4B/s320/0086f34ff398ba388b06fdeb103c40c4.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, we all know how it goes. 5ks are the "gateway drug." Then you're running 10ks. Then you're running 13.1. My best friend and coach, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923369925000&usg=AFQjCNE5Nf8rX2jZuBrXYDvpdGOykKvV9A" href="http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amanda</a>, qualified for Boston in her first marathon. My great friend and first coach, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.beboldcrew.com/coaches/&source=gmail&ust=1477923369925000&usg=AFQjCNG5QSwoF3fyRmYu_MgqQ06j0kAjRg" href="http://www.beboldcrew.com/coaches/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Terra</a>, is a former pro triathlete. She'd never run a full marathon outside of running them in the Ironman distance, and she qualified for Boston in her first full marathon. If it's true that you're a reflection of the people you spend the most time with, then I'm looking darn good.</div>
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I started to crave longer distances. 14 felt good. Then 15 felt good. And if I had two close friends who could not only run marathons, but qualify for Boston, then it didn't seem so impossible. The problem was that I was a pretty decent half marathoner and I kept getting faster.</div>
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I registered for my first 26.2 in September of 2015, while I was training for the Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon. I registered for the Glass City Marathon with the goal of qualifying for Boston (F18-34, 3:35:00). When you took my half marathon race times into consideration, this didn't sound like a crazy goal. A 1:36:36 half marathon (my 2015 Freep time) predicts a 3:23:18 (avg. 7:46) full marathon. My original plan was to run conservatively and average 8:00/mile. Training was going great, but I'd never run a full marathon before, so I didn't know how much I didn't know about pushing through when it got tough mentally, or when my legs were exhausted, or when I just wanted to stop.</div>
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The hardest part was learning to <strong>SLOW DOWN</strong>, and it only got harder when I ran a 1:34:30 half marathon a month before my first 26.2. I was now predicting a 3:18:53 full marathon, and I think I got greedy. It didn't matter how many times I read that you have to go out slow in the first half of a full marathon; I went out and ran the first half of Glass City averaging 7:30-7:40, because that was the pace my March half marathon predicted I could run. Needless to say, I crashed halfway through and ended up finishing in 3:34:54. I still qualified for Boston, but no where NEAR my original goal of 3:23:18, or even my B goal of 3:30:00. It was the most inconsistent race I've ever run, and I'm a negative split half marathoner through and through.</div>
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Even after that experience, I've still had a LOT of trouble slowing myself down. I went to the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/henry-ford-human-performance-clinic-2/&source=gmail&ust=1477923369925000&usg=AFQjCNEUrrxiikHfS-YTyVhud5gedgHIng" href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/henry-ford-human-performance-clinic-2/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Henry Ford Human Performance Clinic</a>, where, after testing, Eric prescribed me slower paces than what I'd been running while training for a half marathon. Even thought these paces felt right, I still kept pushing, because, in the back of my mind, I was worried I wasn't working hard enough, and because I still had half marathon training in my head. For example, a long run while training for the 2015 Freep half marathon might have included several 2 mile repeats at 7:20-7:30. Now, running 8:15 for 18-20 miles seems so slow, and makes me worried that I won't be able to achieve my goal of averaging 8:00 at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in October. However, I've crashed on some long runs and some speed work lately, and I KNOW the slower paces are right. I KNOW I'm pushing the faster end of the paces too hard.</div>
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Part of the reason I'm having trouble adjusting is also that I've been tossing around two conflicting schools of thought regarding the long run. On one hand, the goal is to practice race pace and become more economical and running race pace. On the other hand, YOUR LONG RUN ISN'T YOUR RACE! The <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/making-your-long-runs-count&source=gmail&ust=1477923369925000&usg=AFQjCNF7qkzTn29TFgiC8AZr6jU6mbXI-w" href="http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/making-your-long-runs-count" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">purpose of the long run</a> is to train the body to burn fat, increase aerobic capacity, train the body and mind to keep running past fatigue, etc. If you run race pace during your entire long run for 18-20 miles, you're going to burn out before race day.</div>
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I finally ran long run pace during my 18 last Saturday. My goal race pace is 8:00; I averaged 8:20. The result was that I felt GREAT. No stopping or walking, no pain, negative splits, and finished with gas in the tank. I'm looking forward to 20 this Saturday. Sure, I'm still a little worried I won't be able to hit my goal paces at the Freep, but I have to just run where my body is and trust the training and research. I'm back to running happy, and that's the most important part!</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-29643298079366990352016-10-30T07:22:00.004-07:002016-10-30T07:44:40.596-07:009/2016 Another part of my running story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I posted this on Facebook at the end of August while promoting my favorite race, the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.freepmarathon.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923369955000&usg=AFQjCNF_Kw4VXGdQ_5OiVId9rLOwlpTt1Q" href="http://www.freepmarathon.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press Marathon</a>. Every so often, a conversation, hard run, or something I read will help me tell another part of my running story. Thanks to Heather of <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/findingherhappypace&source=gmail&ust=1477923369955000&usg=AFQjCNGQLBPDLAiTuFeXiPkHD30sHtbbJQ" href="https://www.facebook.com/findingherhappypace" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Finding Her Happy Pace</a> for helping me tell this part.</div>
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"You're tough. So is Detroit."</div>
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So are you running the <a class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/detroitmarathon/&source=gmail&ust=1477923369955000&usg=AFQjCNHxxm3jMpAzyZ9qbvl-LceAW3R6vQ" href="https://www.facebook.com/detroitmarathon/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press Marathon</a> international 13.1 or 26.2 or what? Registration for international events ends tonight at 11:59 pm. HAPPYLEGS for 10% off registration for all events. In one last ditch attempt to convince you of how cool it is, I'll share another portion of my running story.</div>
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I ran in high school. I guess, in retrospect, I was pretty good, but mentally, I was weak. I let an injury turn into an excuse. I d<span class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-text_exposed_show">idn't run at ALL my senior year. I didn't run my first year of college until I had a serious breakup and felt like I was putting on too much weight and needed to run to get away from it all. I ran sporadically through college. Sometimes I'd take a year off or more at a time. Sometimes I'd train really hard. When I was working two jobs and doing my masters degree, I didn't run for almost three years. Finally, towards the end of the summer of 2013, I was at least 20 pounds overweight. Jason and I went on a cruise and I threw a major tantrum towards the end because I couldn't find a damn thing to wear to dinner. I literally threw shit and screamed.</span></div>
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That's when I FINALLY got it. It took 15 years from the time I first started running to actually feel like I was a REAL runner and like I was committed. For 5 months I did it on my own. Thankfully, I sort of new what I was doing because of my HS experience. Then, for some unknown reason, I signed up for my first Freep half marathon. I still have NO idea what made me think I could run a half marathon when the furthest I'd raced was a 5k. When I signed up for the Freep, I finally started using Run Coach. Best choice I ever made. It didn't matter that I was so much slower than when I was in HS. I finally felt like running was a PART of me and not something I was just doing to loose weight or get over a guy. I can't tell you why.</div>
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I share this with you because NOW I'm happy. Happy with my weight, happy in my relationships, happy with my running, and even FAST! But I wasn't always. Not by a long shot. It took a LOT of false starts. But I can easily say that the <a class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/detroitmarathon/&source=gmail&ust=1477923369955000&usg=AFQjCNHxxm3jMpAzyZ9qbvl-LceAW3R6vQ" href="https://www.facebook.com/detroitmarathon/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press Marathon</a> played a HUGE part in the story that is now my life as a runner. <span class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-_5afx"><span class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-_58cl m_3675730493279319108gmail-_5afz">#</span><span class="m_3675730493279319108gmail-_58cm">happylegshappyheart</span></span></div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-87419403621327819952016-10-30T07:21:00.004-07:002016-10-30T07:42:58.100-07:007/2016 Speed Work & Once a Runner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Part training manual, part religious tract, part love story, and all about running, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Once a Runner</span> is so inspiring it could be banned as a performance-enhancing drug" (Benjamin Cheever, Runner's World).</blockquote>
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I've laughed out loud, I've cried, and I've gone into more than one run with renewed love and inspiration.</div>
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Tuesdays are my speed work days. The other day, I read a passage from the book that perfectly described how I feel about speed work:</div>
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"An interval workout," Cassidy once explained to a sportswriter, "is the modern distance runner's equivalent of the once popular Iron Maiden, a device as you know used by ancient Truth Seekers." Although over distance laid the foundation, intervals made the runner racing mean. Quenton Cassidy liked them. Others preferred bamboo splinters under their nails. Cassidy figured that a natural affinity for interval work was the difference between those who liked to race and those who liked to train. And there is a difference. Racers express little enchantment with training for its own sake. (Parker, p. 216)</blockquote>
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When the intervals get tough, I just think to myself, "Racing mean, baby girl. Racing mean."</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-31550101712799808432016-10-30T07:20:00.002-07:002016-10-30T07:42:04.087-07:007/8/2016 Deeper Thoughts on Why I Love the Freep<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wXcf6CMyWo0/WBYGtMVZ_uI/AAAAAAAAAeM/s222itJBgicuVRzO50ckgn_mwPmOrTNaQCK4B/s1600/IMG_3419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wXcf6CMyWo0/WBYGtMVZ_uI/AAAAAAAAAeM/s222itJBgicuVRzO50ckgn_mwPmOrTNaQCK4B/s320/IMG_3419.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "noto serif" , serif; font-size: 17px;">Their is </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px;">nothing</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "noto serif" , serif; font-size: 17px;">, and I mean NOTHING, like the crowd support and atmosphere in this race. We've run a lot of races in both Detroit and New Orleans. I was born and raised in NOLA. You'd think that, given New Orleans' reputation for being a party town, a race in New Orleans would be one giant love fest. It wasn't. People there didn't seem to "get" what running a race at ass-o'clock on a Sunday morning was all about. Here's the reality: In Detroit, we know it's NOT all one big party. We know what it's like to be down and out and we know what it's like to fight our way back. When I run Detroit, I feel like I'm surrounded by people who are ready to go to work. Not one runner or one spectator is out there half-assing it. When it comes to crowd support, there's not one dead zone on the course, save the underwater mile. You never feel like you're alone and, when the proverbial shit hits the fan, there's always some guy on the sidelines ready to pull you out of your own misery. The Freep takes you through some areas where a lot of people wouldn't think twice about getting out of their cars on your average Sunday afternoon, but on October 16, it's the most beautiful 26.2 miles in the entire world.</span></div>
Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-51827533310904512862016-10-30T07:19:00.004-07:002016-10-30T07:40:18.758-07:004/27/2016 Glass City Marathon Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On Sunday, I ran my first full marathon, the <a class="m_8549127236286418261gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://glasscitymarathon.org&source=gmail&ust=1477923370038000&usg=AFQjCNEUlGpUXoBEuWZypDasnLMGq2QykQ" href="http://glasscitymarathon.org/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Glass City Marathon</a>. 26.2 miles and 3:34:54 is a lot to reflect on and decompress from. I'm extremely proud I finished. I'm proud that I qualified for <a class="m_8549127236286418261gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/qualifying.aspx&source=gmail&ust=1477923370039000&usg=AFQjCNG1ldoieVWT6007eFv4DSyukeBhYg" href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/qualifying.aspx" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Boston Marathon</a>. I'm proud for sticking it out when it got tough. When you're 13 miles in, and you're normally finished at 13.1, but you have another 13.1 to go, things can look bad. But I did it.</div>
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Time for some real talk. I'm grateful for the people who've said I've inspired them to start working out again or to sign up for their next race, and I want them to know, when things are tough, that this wasn't easy for me. I stuck to my training. I had the BEST coach (love you, Terrara ♥) you could wish for. But my legs weren't there on race morning. I could feel from the start that they were a little tired. I was so nervous I was shaking. My head wasn't right. And when I got to the point where the half marathoners went left and I went straight, I was so worried I wouldn't be able to finish. I kept my goal pace for 10 miles and then I had to slow down. I knew I could still qualify, but I didn't feel like I normally do when I race. I normally feel strong, confident, fierce, fast, and tough. I felt like a total newbie. I felt like everyone knew I was out there with an unrealistic goal. People were passing me. Jason texted me to let me know he had finished and PRed and had safe blood glucose. Then I was really on my own. While I wish Geo had finished his race, I was grateful to see him at mile 14. He told me I WAS finishing this race, and to go ahead of him, so I did. I needed that. Then, around mile 20, it all went to shit. I was running in the 9:00s. EVERYTHING hurt SO BAD. I walked water stations. I had given up on fueling. People were passing me. I gave up on qualifying. I just wanted to finish. Again, so thankful for my <a class="m_8549127236286418261gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.beboldcrew.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923370039000&usg=AFQjCNEDphr4Bf4tRoQPnUYCTXUNuSiaXQ" href="http://www.beboldcrew.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Be Bold Crew</a> family. Romeo, Amanda, and Julie's cheering gave me enough zip to not walk and to pick up the pace a little. Bridget got me through the finish chute. And I saw that I was just under 3:35, the qualifying time for my division. I knew Jason was at the end and I wouldn't have to worry about anything. Each one of you gave me the little extra boost I needed to pick it up just a little and get that BQ.</div>
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Med tent. Didn't think it was necessary; glad I went. My legs hurt so bad that I was in tears. Again, grateful for the Crew. Grateful to my runners, Leah and Jason, for sitting there with me the whole time. Grateful to Geoffrey for staying with me when he hadn't had the day he had planned. Grateful to Amanda for making sure I was okay.</div>
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I didn't have the run I wanted. I wanted to run my first full marathon strong, confident, and BOLD. Instead, I felt like I made it through with luck, grace, and sheer force of will. But I made it. And I'm totally okay with it. People kept telling me, "Enjoy it! You only run your first marathon once!" But that's not how I roll. This was my trial and error marathon. Now I get to run my favorite race, the <a class="m_8549127236286418261gmail-profileLink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.freepmarathon.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923370039000&usg=AFQjCNHWJ9CEfupF4wvUMrNxtYfgx4dmsw" href="http://www.freepmarathon.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press Marathon</a> with one under my belt, not a newbie, and mentally prepared, on my home turf. I'll just pretend I planned it this way, because in retrospect, this is awesome.</div>
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And I couldn't be more grateful for my sister, Lauren, and Jason, for continually telling me that I inspire them. To me, I'm just doing something I love, but if it inspires someone to do something positive, that's awesome. And my friend, Amanda, believed in me so much that she got me my first piece of Boston gear while she was racing there a week ago, long before I toed the starting line. Talk about a good friend.</div>
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In the end, I can't wait for Oct. 16. 26.2, here I come, and next time, we dance.</div>
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<em>Reposted from Facebook, April 27, 2016</em></div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-4538529657566475252016-10-30T07:19:00.000-07:002016-10-30T07:45:07.223-07:003/5/2016 Running. The Individual, Team Sport.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqeO9ruUaOw/WBYFZ5j3NlI/AAAAAAAAAeA/u7eZLzTv-AgnBtF7Ry5c_DkQhLojgnMfQCK4B/s1600/IMG_2203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqeO9ruUaOw/WBYFZ5j3NlI/AAAAAAAAAeA/u7eZLzTv-AgnBtF7Ry5c_DkQhLojgnMfQCK4B/s320/IMG_2203.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Bold Crew at Rock CF</td></tr>
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I don't care if you're an elite Kenyan marathoner or a run-walker training for your first 5k. Everyone needs a support system. And my team has recently grown. I have an AWESOME coach who plans my runs and monitors my progress and problems. I'm also lucky that my awesome coach also coaches my <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.beboldcrew.com/schedule&source=gmail&ust=1477923370067000&usg=AFQjCNEhlP_xt7zNOV4bZu20lgEdE53IRw" href="http://www.beboldcrew.com/schedule" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mechanics class</a> (strength training, balance, mobility, flexibility), so she oversees all of the physical elements. I get healthy meals for athletes from <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.betterwoodman.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923370067000&usg=AFQjCNGfSEDwREwlTjlWQ_1rr2fHT8D6gQ" href="http://www.betterwoodman.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Better Woodman LLC</a>. My new BFF is my sports dietitian. Because being a lazy ass who eats Easy Mac worked for 13.1, but it's NOT going to get me through a marathon or a BQ. The sports medicine doctor at the DMC pointed me to the dietitian when my regular doctor said my anemia wasn't bad enough to be causing my exhaustion. My local running store, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.run-detroit.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923370067000&usg=AFQjCNEUpOcmGozxYW6J-V5zyhEujoIF9Q" href="http://www.run-detroit.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">RUNdetroit</a>, gets me in the right shoes, gear, and nutrition. And my runner-friends and husband support me, encourage me, and hold me accountable. I'm not an elite Kenyan marathoner, but anyone who loves their sport deserves the support necessary to allow them to enjoy it for a lifetime.</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-7864932448535194172016-10-30T07:18:00.002-07:002016-10-30T07:32:42.916-07:002/29/2016 New Freep Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Check out <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/?page_id%3D2&source=gmail&ust=1477923370133000&usg=AFQjCNGomwxv6vfe7JeW5TullktmssLwAA" href="http://www.happylegshappyheart.com/?page_id=2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">reason 33 I love the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank marathon</a>. And if you want to enjoy the awesomeness that is the race, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://freepmarathon.com/register&source=gmail&ust=1477923370133000&usg=AFQjCNFwHpqJHlYFF78Rm2r6qwvKtBihFQ" href="http://freepmarathon.com/register" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">sign up</a> for the 5k, 13.1 (U.S.-only or international), or 26.2 and use code "happylegs" for 10% off.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh2iWQmTGRY/WBYEgjvCrGI/AAAAAAAAAd4/KOjnCfOkkp4N-ZTCIzaiU3OTylAmk4XzQCK4B/s1600/sisyphus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh2iWQmTGRY/WBYEgjvCrGI/AAAAAAAAAd4/KOjnCfOkkp4N-ZTCIzaiU3OTylAmk4XzQCK4B/s320/sisyphus.jpg" width="285" /></a>Saturday was an exciting and humbling run. 20 miles. On one hand, "the wall" finally found me. Except I'm pretty sure my wall was actually a gigantic hill. We're talking a Dante's fourth circle of hell kinda hill. The <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://glasscitymarathon.org&source=gmail&ust=1477923370133000&usg=AFQjCNGHxgCQWWFIoZ8sBm8MK_2S9oSPYQ" href="http://glasscitymarathon.org/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Glass City Marathon</a> is supposed to be "flat and fast." If it's even half as hilly as Higgins Lake, I'll run like a freaking gazelle. On a positive note, I RAN 20 MILES. And I'm not incapacitated. And there are still eight weeks until the race. I ran 12 of the 20 miles by myself, so I'm looking forward to crowd support. I'm also finally learning the serious value of mantras. I never used one when racing 13.1, but "It's mostly in your head" and "No matter how much you have to slow down, just don't stop" really helped yesterday.</div>
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Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575845206216021101.post-47959587569575506232016-10-30T07:17:00.001-07:002016-10-30T07:17:08.685-07:002/21/2016 Let's Get This Party Started<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px;">I've been wanting to start a blog about running for quite a while. I actually purchased this domain name back in the beginning of December. But I'm a little </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particular&source=gmail&ust=1477923370103000&usg=AFQjCNE_vKywv9VV8ih6rGtf-bs2sZTiuw" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particular" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">particular</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px;"> and, even after I deemed myself worthy of publishing my personal opinions, I couldn't determine a logical approach to blogging. Never mind that I know plenty of other runners who blog and do a fantastic job of it (</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1477923370103000&usg=AFQjCNG47RXOn2st0GGbqSjCpPD1Z57qGQ" href="http://veganroadrunner.blogspot.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Vegan Road Runner</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px;">, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://findingherhappypace.wordpress.com&source=gmail&ust=1477923370103000&usg=AFQjCNFohTreZ2VfF2TScw2920gmp9AS2Q" href="https://findingherhappypace.wordpress.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Finding Her Happy Pace</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'noto serif', serif; font-size: 17px;">). Then, after attending our first Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon Race Ambassador meeting, I had the idea to post about why I love the Freep so much. I FINALLY had the creative prompt I needed to start my blog! Once I wrote that page, the rest of the ideas started falling into place. Internet, I present to you yet another website dedicated to running, that mystically joyous and torturous sport beloved by so many in our humble tribe. If I'm happy in running, I'm generally able to get past the rest of the garbage life throws me. Happy legs, happy heart.</span></div>
Megan Warzechahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399113432167705725noreply@blogger.com