Gasparilla Marathon Recap

This was my slowest marathon (and the only I had to walk a considerable part of the race), but it will always be one of the best.

The night before the Gasparilla Marathon Meghann called me and volunteered to pace me through the race and get me to the finish line under my 4:45 goal. I was thrilled to have her and it definitely got me more hyped about the race.

I had been sick for the past few days and tried tons of natural remedies. On race morning I was feeling better, but definitely still under the weather.

Meghann, Derek, Melissa and I headed to the race start together. Melissa ran the 15k and 5k the day before with Meghann and spontaneously decided to run the first 7 miles of the marathon with us!

I was sad to see Melissa go!

Two years ago I ran the Gasparilla 5k (pre-blog) and last year I ran the Gasparilla half marathon. This year it was fun to take the marathon course!

The first 14 miles went really well. Meghann challenged me to keep a fast pace and she kept it fun! I lived in South Tampa for a year and worked there for three so it was neat to run in my old home. Those roads will always hold a special place in my heart!

At mile 14 the sickness I had been fighting hit me. My stomach went nauseas and I felt dizzy. I tried to fight it, but more and more often I was telling Meghann we needed walking breaks.

Meghann and I slowed down our pace to try to accommodate my body. Unfortunately my body had other plans and said no. I forced Meghann to go on in hopes that I could take a break, refocus and trek on to a decent finish time.

Meghann didn’t want to give up on me but I finally convinced her to run fast ahead ;) I visited the restroom and stretched out my body. My stomach was killing me and I felt like I was going to pass out.

Discouraged by my pain I reluctantly rejoined the runners with a slow jog.

Nope. My body didn’t like that either.

The next several minutes were filled with short jogs, walking and complete stops. I had never had my body rebel so much. It was tired and sick and telling me loud and clear it did not want to run another 10+ miles.

I cried. I wasn’t thrilled with my finish at the Disney Marathon and I was hoping this one would make up for it. Instead my body rebelled and a sickness I couldn’t get rid of was trying to take away this race. I felt helpless. I thought of quitting.

Stepping aside and being escorted to the finish line seemed like the only reasonable option. After all, my body was working against me and it was not even an option to endure walking more than 10 miles.

Then I thought of what I’d feel after doing that. Quitting just because the situation wasn’t going my way? No siree! I work so hard to spread a message of positivity through this blog. I needed to choose happiness in that situation, no matter how hard (or long) the choice was.

So I walked. I talked to two guys walking behind me. Turns out it was their first marathon and they had only run one time before- a 2.5 mile run! Those guys were fun. My belly didn’t hurt so much.

Then I started talking to Andrea, another first-timer who was walking near me. She and I became instant friends. We even keep in touch with Facebook now! We talked about dogs and running and her job as a nurse. We finished the rest of the race together!

I stopped at all aid stations and thanked the volunteers for making it possible for me to do the race. It turns out a lot of volunteers are runners themselves! Normally I run past them with little more than a quick “thanks!”

The last few miles were the best. So many runners get discouraged and tired and walk the last few miles. I’d been through it before so I encouraged many of them to join Andrea in me in jogging for a few minutes at a time. It was incredible having a small group of struggling runners all pushing one another closer to the finish line. Loved those new friends.

Before I knew it we were almost to the finish line! Walking 10 miles wasn’t bad at all when I was having so much fun! Then I spotted Melissa running toward us! It was incredible to see a familiar face! Melissa ran the last mile or so with me!

I finished the marathon with the biggest smile on my face at 5:38:44. I was sick and almost quit, but instead I had a fun and meaningful race. And I completed my 3rd marathon in 3 months! PR or not, choosing happiness at mile 15 of a tough 26.2 mile race is something to be proud of.

So next time you’re faced with something big, think of the worst thing that could happen. It’s probably not that bad and probably won’t happen. But, if it does happen, remember you can always choose happiness and make the best of the situation. And in the end that’s all that really matters anyway.Thank you Meghann and Melissa for all of your encouragement! And thanks Meghann for letting me steal all your photos!

Have any of your toughest moments turned out to be your greatest?

Marathon 3? Check!

What a marathon, what a marathon!!

I finished almost a full hour later than my goal time and 41 minutes later than my first marathon… but it was awesome!

Confusing?

Here’s how my emotions went down throughout the race:

Excited. Determined. Sick. Depressed. Contemplative. Positive. Encouraging. Proud.

I wanted so badly to finally recap the whole race and share how incredible shifting my mindset was… but I’m still sick and apparently too weak to put together a real post. So please excuse me as I wipe the snot from my keyboard, head to bed with two warm puppies and hope for a healthier healthy ashley tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for your support!!! Your comments on this blog and all the tweets that came in before, during and after the race were incredibly encouraging. I think about each one of them when the going gets tough! Thank you!

Natural Healing

Sure, I’m sick. But that doesn’t mean I want to swallow brightly-colored pills filled with who-knows-what. I’m determined to get better in time for Sunday’s marathon- and to do it naturally.

I tried to go to yoga this morning. That wasn’t a good idea. My body was so weak that I couldn’t even hang in ragdoll or do anything without feeling like I was going to pass out. It was rough but I’m glad I at least tried!

After yoga I headed to Ryan’s house where she prepared me an amazing smoothie and raw meal. It was to-die-for, really… but you’ll have to wait for the photos since I forgot my camera ;) The healthy food and good conversation made me feel tons better. Sometimes good friends can be like therapy… and I believe a positive attitude can change my health, too.

On the way home I stopped by Whole Foods for my own anti-sick kit.

- O.N.E. Coconut Water (hello, electrolytes!)

- Echinacea and Gypsy Cold Care Herbal Tea

- Quick Defense (I really hope this helps because it sounds amazing!)

- Lots and lots of water!!!

For good measure I also took two spoonfuls of  bee pollen. I eat mine with applesauce to dull the distinct flavor of bee pollen.

The last ten miles of my last marathon were extra challenging because I severely lacked a game plan. I was unprepared for the last miles. As a result I “checked out” and walked (when I could have run). I still regret that so I am making sure this weekend’s marathon is different.

I wrote out my goal and my game plan to get there. I will run the marathon in 4:45, essentially. My main focus is to push even when I’m tried. The last miles of a marathon are a mental battle and I need to be prepared. I wrote out the below to be testament. I’ll be sure to review it plenty before the race! After all, there’s no time like the present- I am going to push hard and be proud!

I expect to blog before the race. If not, you can track me here. My full name is Ashley Sickles. Happy running!

What natural methods do you use when you’re sick?

Do you play any mind tricks for your challenging events?

Life is Like a Bowl of Oatmeal

I was planning a big post about running, but my insides feel more like this:

than this:

Three days before my marathon I find myself sick. It’s in my throat and ears right now and I’m going to do everything I can to make it vanish asap. I also found out some downright frightening news in the family today. I don’t want to release the details since they’re not mine to disclose, but I will say cancer sucks (not me). So, I’m feeling pretty down.

Making my marathon play list and dancing in my chair definitely helped! Here’s the list! Thanks to everyone who recommended music!    This is 111 songs for about 6.7 hours of music. Hopefully I won’t need anywhere near that long! ;)

Here’s Jack aka Sexy Foot enjoying enjoying some snuggling with Sabrina aka Sausage aka #2. Apparently they’re dating now.

We hardly ever call our pets by their real names! Dixie is #1 (because she was our first dog) or Puppy. Sabrina is Sausage (she looks like a little sausage!) or #2. Jack is Sexy Foot (he always extends one back leg out) or Big Man (he’s the only boy in the house). Kitty (our 2nd cat) basically just goes by Kitty.

Good night!

   

What is your favorite song to workout to right now?

Mine is definitely Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”!!!

Let’s Have THE Talk

Oh yeah… I’m bringing IT up: weight gain (and why I blame it on the marathons).

One year ago I was about 10 pounds over my happy weight. I blame it on the transition from being a student running around working two jobs to being a 50-hour-week lazy that spent her whole day in front of a computer.

Then in July I left my job, moved to Orlando, went vegan, became dedicated to training for the marathon and biking and slowly lost my 10 extra pounds. I know I hardly mentioned it on the blog, but I felt great. I was more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. I was training hard, watching what I ate and my healthy (and leaner) body reflected that.

Then came marathon #1, Thanksgiving, Christmas and marathon #2. Welcome back, 10 pounds and the inability to fit into my favorite clothes.

Sure, marathon training means tons of exercise, which makes weight maintenance (or even loss) very attainable during training. It’s the two weeks before and the two weeks after the race that will get you! Your marathon appetite is still alive and well, but your exercise decreases considerably- more than running 26.2 miles in one day can make up for.

I’m ready to get back to that healthier, leaner version of me. It’s better for my clothes, my speed and my energy level.

I exercise plenty, so I know it all comes down to what and how much I eat.

The kicker of it all is that I am least motivated when I have weight to lose. When I’m at my happy weight I see and feel the motivation to eat healthy. Silly, right?

I need to eat cleaner- and less! I’m going to work on choosing fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and watching my portions at meal times. Now more than ever I’m going to shoot for including most or all of my meals on the blog.

Speaking of running… meet my new friends: Brooks Trance 9’s! I’ve had them for almost two weeks and they’re heavenly. My glass slippers :)

How do you deal with weight gain? How do you motivate yourself when you don’t feel so hot?

Reflections: Trail vs. Road Races

My first marathon was a trail race and the second was a road race. I thought I’d share my thoughts on the different terrains and how it affected my marathon experiences.

Mental Game

Running the trail race I was alone most of the time- with nobody at all in sight, much less a supporter cheering me on from the sidelines. I was able to zone out and concentrate, but I also struggled at the tough times when it was just me, myself and I. I did most of my running alone so I was prepared to be by myself.

Running on the road with thousands of other runners was exciting and pushed me the first half of the race. When the race got tough I was so distracted that it was hard to focus and pull from within. The crowds of cheering supporters definitely made the race more emotional and memorable.

 

Physical Challenge

Running the trails was harder on my muscles and running the road was harder on my joints.

When running over such a technical terrain I had to constantly change my stride and tense my muscles in anticipation. The trail race left my muscles S-O-R-E!! It was easier on my joints because most of the time I was running on softer (sometimes too soft!) grass or dirt.

It was easier to fall into a consistent stride when running on the road. Still, I felt the impact of the hard concrete in my knees.

 

Time

My time for the trail marathon was 4:57. It was my first marathon and I had decided to run and signed up 4 days before it. I was told by veterans of my race that I should plan on completing the trail race 15-30 minutes slower than I would a trail race.

…which doesn’t make sense since I ran my first road race (2nd marathon) in 5:13. Honestly, there were so many other factors with the road race (like freezing temps and bad shoes) that I don’t feel like I can decide the difference related to time just yet.

 

Fun

My confidence and strength as a runner grew more with the trail run. Everyone made a big deal of the road marathon but the trail marathon was for me :)

Really, is anything more fun than running with 24,000 of your closest friends through Disney?!

 

I have another road marathon (Gasparilla!) and a trail 50K (Croom!) coming up, so hopefully I’ll have more thoughts on the subject in the coming months.

Do you run just trail, just road or both? What are your thoughts in the two?

 

To conclude, the song I can’t (and don’t want to) get out of my mind. I could listen to this song on repeat for an entire long run.

Disney Blogger Lunch Recap!

You’ve read my marathon recap, but what you’ve missed is what happened before: the Disney Blogger Lunch!

First, the morning. I made these muffins to share with our company. David’s parents spent the weekend at our house since his dad was running the marathon with me Sunday.

Oh my gosh these muffins were amazing! This recipe is a definite make again. Make them!

After a quick 2nd stop at the expo I was off to the blogger lunch! I put out a little post planning a little lunch… never expecting the awesome group that showed up!

Here are the awesome guests:

Gina and her husband Todd

Jenn and Tish

Caitlin, her friend Lauren and their entourage 

  Sara and Amelia

Ryan and me

Sammi and Katy 

Michelle and Lori

 

Steve

Rachel

Melissa, Sabrina and her husband PB  Meghann and her boyfriend Derek

You know it’s a table of bloggers when the table looks like this:

Ryan and I ordered the same thing… some veggie wrap. It was bland. Luckily the company was saucy enough for me to notice too much!

I had the best time. It still amazes me how much fun other bloggers/runners- even when practically strangers at first- can have when they get together! Thanks everyone for coming out- and congratulations to all the Disney Marathon Weekend runners!!!

  

Roses from the Fresh Market next to the restaurant :)

In tomorrow’s post I’ll show you what the sweet Julie from Savvy Eats sent me. Here’s a hint: the package was tasty!!!! Thank you Julie!!!