Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities

Is it Monday again already? Where did the weekend go? Time flies when you’re having fun!

Saturday morning, I met up with my running group for my first run post-marathon! Kelli and I planned on 4 miles and we bundled up for the journey…it was a COLD Saturday! It also felt REALLY odd to run so “late”…errr I mean 6:30 a.m….you know, the the sun was already up.…

After our 4 miles were complete (which felt really good, by the way!), we hit up our usual Saturday morning breakfast joint.

I thoroughly enjoyed ham and cheese omelet and Melissa was officially inducted into the pancake hall of fame…

This is the biggest pancake ever made, I promise.

We finished eating, then drove over to the local running store to check out the Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities that was rolling through town.

The Brooks truck hadn’t quite made it by the time we arrived, so we shopped around TriRunning for a while and made a few purchases (I bought two new pairs of running socks)! Yay!

Before long, the Brooks truck arrived and we all headed out to see their display. Similar to the Rock n Roll Expos, each person filled out a card and the barcode was scanned for prizes!

Kelli and Melissa each won an t-shirt!

I won a bandana! Why is that look on my face, you might ask? Well, it’s because I won the same exact bandana the previous weekend at the Rock n Roll NOLA Expo while every single member of my family won a t-shirt. Did you see who won t-shirts this past Saturday? Yep…every single member of my party. I must have the Brooks bandana curse!

We didn’t get to see much else because the guys were just setting up, so we all said our goodbyes and parted ways.

After visiting with my grandpaw, enjoying lunch with my husband, and taking a short nap on the couch, Jason and I decided to go back into town to run a few errands.

Guess what?

The Brooks truck was still at the running store! Yay! Shall we try this again?

This time, we made out like bandits! I received a t-shirt (finally) and Jason won a beanie! Whoop whoop!

I also had an official gait analysis performed by a Brooks professional. After filling out a waiver on an ipad, I had to take off my shoes, roll up my both legs of my jeans, then walk for 10 seconds when given the go-ahead.

I’ve never had my gait analyzed quite like this before!

I’m glad I did! The Brooks specialist evaluated the angle of my foot strike and told me that I don’t over pronate as much as I thought…actually, I only mildly over pronate. He also gave a few pointers on shoes to try. After it was all said and done, he took my email address to email the results to me.

I really enjoyed taking part and loved having my gait analyzed again (I had it analyzed once before, but not quite in this way)! Now that all of the wordage makes sense to me (vs when I was a brand new runner fitted for the first time), I feel as if I can use it to make better shoe choices in the future (he did encourage me to stick with what I’ve been using if it’s working for me). I heard a nasty rumor that Mizuno is no longer making the Wave Nirvana (my current shoe)…so, it looks as if I’ll be on the hunt for a new shoe once again! At least now I have a better idea of what to look for! :0)

Thanks, Brooks! I loved being able to take part in your Cavalcade of Curiosities! See you again soon! :0)

Have you ever had your gait analyzed? Were any fancy gadgets used while doing so?

No Negative Thoughts

Is it really Friday already? Seems like this week flew by! I’m definitely not complaining, that’s for sure.  I’ve been taking it easy this week and trying to recover slowly after running the Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon on Sunday. I’m looking forward to a laid back weekend, hoping to get a few things accomplished around the house.

Even though I’m in recovery mode (and feeling kind of lazy), I decided to take my dog out for a run/bike ride on Tuesday.



She loved running as fast as possible while I pedaled….I think we found our new “thing”!  I only rode 2 miles on Tuesday because I just wanted to loosen things up a bit…and it was such a beautiful day, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!



Last night, I took the bike out again for a 5 mile spin followed by a 1 mile walk with both dogs. Two dogs…one me….let’s just say we had quite an adventure.

As I was riding my bike, I began thinking back to the Marathon and various thoughts that went through my mind while running the race.

I remembered having to combat thoughts of doubt several times during the race. I realized that I also had to do the same thing during the Louisiana Half Marathon just one month prior.

Each time thought “I’m not going to reach my goal” or each time “I can’t” arose in my mind, my running coach’s pre-marathon mantra floated through my mind – NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS.
Sometimes that’s easier said than done, coach!

We’ve all heard the phrase “Running is 90% mental” and if you’ve ever run a Marathon (Half or Full), you know this to be true. I have devised a plan to combat negative thoughts so I’m not caught off guard next time they arise:

• Have a positive phrase you can rely on when those thoughts arise. 
  I wear a Team 413 bracelet on my wrist during every Half/Full I run. It simply says “I can do ALL things” (taken from Philippians 4:13).  I like having a reminder in such a visible area – it really helps when the race begins to wear on me and my mind starts to wander.      
  
• Keep your playlist full of positive and upbeat songs.
  If you run with music, having songs that are uplifting will help keep you going strong. My newest favorite is “Keep Your Eyes Open” by Need to Breathe. It began to play on my iPod at the perfect moment during the Rock n Roll NOLA Marathon and gave just the boost I needed! Love it when that happens! :0)
  
• Look to the crowd for support! Depending on the size of the race, spectators will be around to cheer runners on. I like to read their signs as I pass by – really helps take my mind off the race
  
• Focus on your surroundings.
  If you are running a race in a new area, take the opportunity to enjoy the view. Look at it as a quick sightseeing tour, minus the “official” guide!
  
• Make new friends!
  If you’ve been running near/behind/beside someone for a while, strike up a conversation. You never know who you might meet….it’s a possible Facebook friend/twitter follower in the making!
  
• Break the race up into smaller parts in your mind.
  Telling yourself “I’m halfway finished” or “Just a 5K to go” helps the race not seem as overwhelming.
  
• Possibly the most important of them all….Don’t forget to have FUN!
  If the race isn’t going the way you want it to go, don’t let it get you down. Instead, slow down and enjoy it! Take pictures, make new friends, don’t pressure yourself – a wise person once told me “There will always be another race”. Don’t beat yourself up….if you don’t reach your goal or perform to the best of your ability, remember….there will always another race. Besides, signing up for another race gives you another opportunity to earn a medal. Isn’t it all about the bling, anyway?
  

Now it’s your turn! I want to know what you do when negative thoughts or thoughts of doubt begin to arise during a race! Do you have a favorite saying? How about a tip I didn’t list? Share your thoughts!