marathon | Outrunning Doubt

Day Seven

Posted on November 3, 2014 by kalynsara

Who watched the NYC Marathon today? I did! It is my absolute favorite sporting event to watch (other than the Summer Olympics every four years). It amazes me how fast the elite marathoners are and how effortless they make marathon running look. It is also incredibly inspiring as a runner to watch them and learn from their form and fueling. I read this article the other day and wanted to share because Meb is pretty awesome. And he came in 4th place today! Not too bad considering the conditions (although I was really hoping he would win it for the Americans).

I had a great day in terms of fitness and nutrition. For fitness I took it outdoors with my husband and pup.

I did a 1.6 mile walk around this beautiful lake and then jogged for a half of a mile. My pace was five minutes and it felt really good. I am thinking later this week I will tackle a one mile run. It is so hard to not keep running when I feel so great (like today), but I know that I really need to focus on getting my IT band loose and getting my knee better. It didn’t help that I had beautiful scenery! After our walk/run, I stretched, rolled and did 50 full sit-ups.

For breakfast I had one cup of cooked old fashion oats made with a teaspoon of Nutella and two handfuls of blueberries. For lunch I had an organic bean and cheese burrito with carrots on the side. Snacks included a string cheese, a greek yogurt and a slice of homemade banana bread. For dinner I had grilled chicken, rice and steamed spinach. I have resisted the urge to eat Halloween candy all day and I am pretty proud of myself!

I am excited for this next week to see how much I can push myself in terms of training and nutrition. I am off to cuddle up on the couch and enjoy the rest of my Sunday night.

Day Four

Posted on October 31, 2014 by kalynsara

My Grandpop is pretty badass. He is a Retired Sergeant Major United States Marine Corps. He has been a runner since his 30s and a marathoner since his 50s (I may be a little off on his ages). He has run marathons all over the country including the Boston! He has run the Marine Corps Marathon almost every single year excluding a few times when he was deployed and this past weekend when he had the flu. Did I mention he is 88 years old? Yea…he is quite the inspiration. I would kill to have a running career like his. Here he is running the Olympic Torch. Yes…that is a real picture.

Well he called me today. He told me how proud he is of me. He told me that it takes courage, hard work and determination to be a runner and that what happened this past weekend is just one race in my running career. He made me promise him that I will never, ever give up at running. He made me promise that I will continue to train and work hard and run marathons. I promised him. I intend to keep that promise.

I took today as my rest day. I have been congested for over a week and last night I was having chest pain and had to take NyQuil to get to sleep. So I thought it was best to take this morning off from any training and just get some house work done. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday it will be on. Body…be prepared.

My nutrition was a little good and a little bad. I had cereal for breakfast. I know, again. For lunch I had an incredible salad with spring mix, carrots, red onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. I put a little bit of ranch dressing on it and then had two freshly baked rolls on the side. For dinner I had tortellini lightly tossed in organic butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese. For snacks I had a greek yogurt, hummus with thin pretzels and two Starburst. I regret eating the Starburst. I really did not need them as bad as I wanted them.

I am getting so excited to watch the NYC Marathon this weekend!

Day Three

Posted on October 30, 2014 by kalynsara

Today was a good day. I ran into my friend that ran the Marine Corps Marathon this past weekend. It was her first full marathon and she trained like a beast. Her training paid off and although she was nervous, she ended up beating her goal time and getting negative splits throughout a lot of the race. Who does that?! I am so proud of her and so inspired by her. Talking with her today gave me so much motivation to really work hard at what I want this next year.

This morning I walked my pup then went to the gym and walked one fast mile around the indoor track. After my walk I took a toning class followed by 15 minutes of stretching. It was amazing. Exactly what I needed. I may even attempt to run a half mile tomorrow on top of my walk. Hopefully my knee is ready for it.

My nutrition was not the best. I had cereal for breakfast (again). I was too busy to pack my lunch before work so I went to Moe’s. I had a taco salad with rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, a pinch of cheese, guacamole and cucumbers. I also had some chips and salsa and was proud of myself that I skipped the queso.

For dinner I ate a small sandwich of spicy mustard, turkey, muenster cheese, oregano and it was all on freshly baked bread. My only snack today was a banana with no peanut butter. I probably should have had a few more vegetables and a tad bit more protein. All in all it wasn’t too bad.

I am excited to attempt a short run tomorrow!

Day One

Posted on October 28, 2014 by kalynsara

Yesterday was D-day. For me at least. It was my third attempt at running the Marine Corps Marathon. My first attempt I finished. Barely. I mean barely. It took me well over six hours. The second year I was diagnosed with asthma. I had a major asthma attack around mile 17 and ended the marathon in the back of an ambulance. This year I started having a nose bleed and knee pain at mile three. I pushed myself to at least complete the 10K. Then I quit. I quit because I knew that my training was not good enough to get me through. I knew that I had slacked off and my body didn’t deserve to take a beating for what my mind did. So I woke up this morning and decided to never make another excuse. I am excited to journal my year of training for the 40th Marine Corps Marathon in 2015. To reflect every week and push myself harder every day. To get in to the best shape of my life so that I can destroy any doubt in my mind that I am not a marathoner. To prove it to myself and to make my Grandpop proud. Needless to say, I took today off from any physical activity. So, for now…pictures from this past weekend.