Are You Getting Excited for the IMT DMM!?!?

I'm getting excited to earn my new IMT DMM swag this year. 

I love my pullover from last year and as the 2015 race approaches 

I find myself reaching to pull this shirt out from my closet more and more often.

It's hard to believe we are running the IMT DMM next month! I registered so long ago and started training for this race so early this summer that I feel like it has been a long time coming. Finally, race day is getting closer and closer.

I am so excited to participate in the events again. I have even recruited my younger brother to run the half with me this year. This is particularly special because he attended the IMT DMM last year as a spectator, enlisted to cheer me on as I completed my first full marathon. He was so inspired by the strength he saw in runners and the sense of accomplishment he saw in me as I finished that he will be running his first half marathon when he runs it with me this year. He has never run a race of any distance before- ever- so this is kind of a big deal!

How is your training going? Mine is still on track overall and this past weekend I ran another round of back-to-back practice runs in preparation for the I-35 Challenge next month. Last week I posted about my Runner's Toe problems, and after taking it easier than I wanted these past few weeks, my feet feel much better. I ran 10.14 miles last Saturday and then 10.00 more miles on Sunday. Overall, I was happy with my performances and mostly had negative splits. This is a good sign because it means that I had a little gas left even as my miles accrued. I have scheduled one more practice weekend before the I-35 Challenge where I will run two 11 milers in two days to help me build physical and mental endurance.

Although it makes me a little sad that I'm only running the half this year, the one thing that I am enjoying about not training for the full marathon is the long runs I had to do every other week last year around this time. I use MapMyRun and the app developers like to email users little "memories" of impressive runs they had "crushed" a year ago on certain dates. Lately several runs in the low 20s have made it to my inbox and I must say that I don't really miss how hard it was to carve out time for those 3-4 hour practice runs. I do, however, have to admit that I miss the sense of personal accomplishment and mental encouragement I felt after completing those longer runs, and I look forward to running them again when I train for a couple full marathons that I'd like to complete next year. It's fun to say to myself "Good job on that 10-miler Traci!" but it was even more fun to be able to say "Good job on that 22-miler Traci" last year.

My respectable splits from the two 10-milers I ran last Saturday and Sunday.

My goal is to PR on the Saturday of the I-35 Challenge during the Waddell & Reed KC Marathon, and then finish under or near 2 hours in the IMT DMM on the next day, Sunday. I will need to run 15 seconds or less faster per mile than I did during my 2nd 10 mile practice run to do this, but I am not too concerned. Race adrenaline always kicks in before race events and I always seem to run faster in half marathons than training and leisure runs.

How is your training going? I'd love to hear about it. Comment below!

1st woman to run Boston Marathon - Witness - BBC News

Spirit of the Marathon II - Trailer

Spirit of the Marathon - Trailer

Who Needs Pretty Toes Anyway?

I remember it like it was yesterday, with the same nostalgia of recollecting when my child lost his first tooth. It was the day I lost my first toenail. 

The first toenail I lost to running was a little over a year ago when I was training for the IMT DMM and I felt like it was a rite of passage; like I had reached some running milestone that officially made me part of the culture. I have since lost three toenails and it looks like I will soon lose another. Who needs pretty toes anyway? My toes are always too sore to get pedicures so as long as I'm running, my feet must endure a little loss of pride.

I know some runners who don't really have toenail issues, and for me, I am only bothered when I run more than 15 miles per week. I have researched it some and since my second toe is just slightly longer than my big toe when fully extended, my poor second toe has to take the brunt of my body weight with each step I take. This is actually called Morton's Toe which causes Runner's Toe and thank goodness I only have a mild case because some of the pictures of this condition look quite irregular. I am somewhat concerned because this the 3rd time I will lose the nail from this specific toe, and I just keep wondering if there is a point where it won't grow back. 

Part of the reason my toes have been tested is because not only have I been running over 30 miles per week this summer, but I have been trying hard to work on pace. I really want to PR in the KC Half, and then just finish respectfully in the IMT DMM. Notice my beautiful negative splits above!

Although I am still working on those longer-ish runs with quicker splits, my sore toes have interrupted my completing all of the longer runs from my training plan this past week. In fact, just walking around the house recently has been hard; if one of my children accidentally step on my unprotected toes, tears immediately come to my eyes and it takes everything in me to hold back a yelp of pain. I did take a few extra rest days this week and finally woke up these last few days with less pain, less swelling and more bruising (which means healing). This is a very good sign that I can get back on track with those long runs very soon. Even taking off a few days this week, I still ran 110 miles this month, so I was content with that.

How is your training going? Do your toes ever trip you up, or have they prevented you from running when you wanted to? What tips do you have for runners with toe problems? Comment below!

And Training Continues

Training is still going strong. We are about 8 weeks out from the big day (or days if you are doing the I-35 Challenge like me) and it is important to buckle down and keep moving forward with longer practice runs blended with shorter, faster paced runs. Both types are important when training for a half or full marathon.

I have stayed steadily on my training plan, and any runs I planned, I have completed. I have had to adjust a few days, trading a training day for a rest day here or there, but I am happy to say that I have been able to get every planned run in so far. In fact, I am nearing 70 miles this month and August is only half over.

I was able to run in Iowa again a few weeks ago, at McIntosh Woods in Ventura, IA. 

Sisters Prairie Trail in Ventura, IA never disappoints. I found a new running buddy

that same day. 

I'm averaging about 30 miles a week these past few months.

How is your training going? Tips for overcoming the boredom of long runs? Ideas for getting up early and staying motivated to get in workouts? I'd love to hear how things are going for you. Comment below!

Why Runners are Nice People

1. We pour drips of water on earthworms unknowingly trying to cross a burning sidewalk on a hot day.
2. We close open mailboxes as we run by them.
3. We greet each other as we pass, say hello to people mowing their lawns, and wave at bikers.
4. We move sticks and small branches out of the way for those coming up behind us.
5. We love making friends with and connecting with other runners.
6. Rather than argue, we just shrug and nod when non-runners say we are crazy for running half and full marathons.
7. We try our hardest to run when it doesn't disrupt the pattern of everyone else in our family, ie, early in the morning or late at night.
8. We yield to cars even when we have the right of way (okay this one might be more of a lifesaving technique than a form of kindness).
9. No matter how tired we are, we find the energy to smile at babies and puppies as we meet or pass them.

10. We encourage each other whether we are faster or slower than one another, because we truly just love the sport.