I Ate Too Much

by Carissa

These were tasty...

I ate too many Christmas sweets and now I have to face the consequences.  I knew while I was doing it that I was going to have to pay for my lack of self discipline with some extra discipline in the near future.  My pants were getting a bit tighter but still I continued to eat too many cookies and indulged in the delights of the season.  

And so were these...

Yesterday I stepped on the scale for a reality check and then hit the trail to ponder my next move.  As I ran the possibility of a running streak crossed my mind.  Jodi has been rocking one and is in the 500s!  I know that she loves it but it does not appeal to me.  It does however appeal to me as a short term focus to reach a weight loss goal.  So starting yesterday I plan to streak until I have lost seven pounds.  (Sidenote: A running streak is running every day a minimum of one mile.)

Whidbey Island Half Marathon: Chasing Down My Goal

By Tanya

I finally ran my first half marathon in almost two years and it felt great! I signed up for the Whidbey half marathon in October 2013 with the hope that I would be able to run it in 2014. As you know, I started out my running career way too fast and furious. As a result I have been plagued with on-going injuries for which I had to take all of 2013 off to recover.

When the new year came around I committed to training differently. I started seeing a new Physical Therapist.  Per her advice I worked to change up my stride to a faster cadence and foot turnover rate. I also focused on using my upper core muscles by pulling up and tightening my "inner corset" while I ran. This type of running certainly added a new cardio challenge, but overall it lessened my pain. I also was advised that although my hamstrings may feel tight, they actually are not, so stretching them would only further my problems. Therefore I should stretch my hamstrings as little and as gently as possible.

I eased back into running slow and steady and made sure I could maintain the correct form and stride for the entire run. I also kept up with my cross-training routine of swimming, core exercises, and Zumba. This meant that I only gave myself two running days per week.

Derailed by Dehydration - ORRC Vernonia Marathon 2014

by Jodi

Pre-race Starting Line Intimidation Pose

Don't mess with us - starting line

Marathon number four is in the books.  WHEW!  The Oregon Road Runner's Club (ORCC) Vernonia Marathon on April 13th, 2014, thoroughly kicked my butt.  I was completely humbled by dehydration and the distance, but I am refusing to be disappointed.  I have so much to celebrate and be thankful for.

SUMMARY
I love that the Lord gave me perspective and focus for this race before it even started.  I only trained specifically for a marathon for eight weeks.  In that time the phrase, "Hold everything loosely" kept coming back to me. I felt God reminding me continually during my training to hold my time and race execution goals loosely.  And then my friend Krysty threw down some truth when she said, "It's a marathon.  Refuse to be disappointed."  Both of these thoughts were at the forefront of my mind as I raced, and guided the decisions I made toward the end of the race.  As I've processed the race over the past two days, it's this theme that is helping me to let go of the tiny details I would love to perseverate on and beat myself up over.  In the grand scheme of life this race doesn't matter.  Refuse to be disappointed.

FINISH LINE!  With my Man Child waiting by the clock and Devon taking a picture as I finished.

When It All Comes Together - ORCC Champoeg 30K Race Review

by Jodi

On Saturday I ran my first ever 30k (18.6 miles).  We all know what that means...  automatic PR!  Hooray for first time events.

On every level this race felt different than the half marathon I ran a few weeks ago.  I went into the half marathon with very specific time-related goals and a ton of race-day nerves.  The way I raced, my finish time, and the way I felt after the race all reflected too much pressure, not enough fun.  I wanted to change that dynamic for this race.

A week after my half marathon my friend Ruth invited me to run the Champoeg Park Runs and Walks 10k and 30k with her.  The race was only three weeks away and included a distance I have never trained for or raced before.  It also was three loops of a 10k course instead of a bigger point-to-point or out-and-back course.  I was intrigued.

My Toolbox is Full; It's Time to Build

By Tanya

As you may remember my 2012 was filled with running injuries galore, the worst of which was a painful locking up of my back that would take days, sometimes weeks, to relieve.  In 2013 I decided to hang up my running shoes and fill up my toolbox. This meant taking a year off from my usual 10k race series as well as any other additional races I like to throw in and spend the year collecting tools to build strength and balance in the areas that seemed to be causing my problems. For me this meant spending two months with a personal trainer, ten months of cross training, and a year of learning to listen to my body.

In the beginning when I started working with the personal trainer I was not allowed to do much in the way of aerobic exercise.  To help me from packing on the pounds and to see if any thing I was eating was causing pain from inflammation, I decided to go on an elimination diet. I started by only eating fruits and veggies and then added in different types of foods one by one for a six weeks. Though my pain and inflammation did not go away, I did learn how much better my body feels when on a clean, whole foods diet.

During this time I also became better aware of how many of my activities of daily life created an unequal imbalance in my posture. This led to changes in how I sit, stand, sleep and bend.
When the time came for me to add in more exercise, I started swimming more and rekindled my forgotten love of dance through Zumba. Dancing really helped me to loosen up my back and after a couple of months I stopped having painful back lockups.

Learning to Be Flexible (In my Thinking)

by Jodi

Carissa's post about her fitness goals for 2014 got me thinking about my lack of goals for 2014.  I pulled out my list from 2013 and immediately laughed.  On my list of nine goals I accomplished exactly (embarrassed pause)... three.  Here's why.

I was on track to run a fast marathon, but fractured my foot ten weeks into training.  Instead of racing a marathon, I spent weeks learning to rest.  Believe me - it felt like I was training.  I don't naturally rest well,  but through this season I learned to listen to my body.  Now I know to rest when I'm tired instead of plowing recklessly ahead.

how I spent the spring: watching my family do cool stuff like play water polo

I registered to run a half marathon with Curt exactly one day before I fractured my foot. Instead of running with him I served as his Primary Cheerleader and Water Sherpa. I rode my bike beside him on his long training runs and set up cheering sections for him on the race course.  On race day a small crowd of family and friends took my place running with Curt, tagging out every couple of miles.  He only ran alone for the first three miles and I got to jog into the finish with him.  Not what we planned but with a little flexible thinking, it ended up being better than what we originally planned.

Year in Review

By Carissa

**Hello from your Sole Sisters.  It's been quiet here on the blog but not because we aren't having adventures in running and cross-training.  We have been busy with family and all the other wonderful things that vie for our time and attention.  Thank you for sticking with us.**

Did you have exercise goals for 2013?  

Do you remember what they were?  

Did you accomplish them?

At the beginning of 2013 I hoped to accomplish the following:

• Run Boston Marathon with a target goal of 3:20.
• Run a fall marathon and set another Personal Record (PR).
• Break 1:30 in the half marathon.
• Complete a summer triathlon.
• Most importantly... the purpose of my running is the joy of running fast, strong, and the pursuit of discovering my unique personal best within the time constraints of my top priority: my family.

Q&A: How Can I Know I'll Have Enough Stamina to Run 13.1 Miles?

by Jodi

Racing season is warming up.  Sole Sisters across the country have been training hard and are getting close to race day.  The deeper into race season we get, the more frequently we get questions from our readers and friends.  

You girls have GOOD questions!  They're so good we wanted to share them with everyone by doing an occasional Q&A blog post.  We are not EXPERTS or medical professionals.  But we are happy to pull from our collective running experiences and share with you the good and the bad.  Feel free to send your questions to solesistersrunning@gmail.com.

Today's question is from my friend Tina.  We've been friends for more than ten years and had the privilege of living close to each other when we were in the thick of raising babies.  She is a loyal friend, loving mom, adoring wife, and INCREDIBLY talented in gardening.  She can make anything grow and transform an ugly patch of dirt into a beautiful place of refuge.  She is training to run her first half marathon in early June.  It's on her bucket list and I'm so proud of her!

A Glimpse into My Journal

by Jodi

This week  I went on a 10k run that felt slow and hard.  My mind was in it but my muscles were fatigued and my breathing labored.  Even the baby hills felt like mountains.  When I got home, I grabbed my Fitness Journal out of the drawer in my kitchen and went to log my workout.  I gasped when I realized I was turning THE LAST page in the journal.  In a matter of days I'll have to start a new journal.  It was monumental.

I bought this journal at the Dollar Tree more than FIVE years ago.  My  kids were 6, 5, 3, and almost 2 years old.  I was still trying to figure out how to exercise consistently and do something more than just run.  My fitness journey was just getting started.  Quite frankly, I assumed I'd fill up a few pages, get tired of exercise and end up using the journal to make To Do lists.

Instead, that little book has become my story.  Every workout gets logged in the book.  Injured?  It goes in the book.  Physical therapy?  In the book.  Races?  Those go in the book and often get excited highlights.  Discouraged?  I highlight the good runs and give myself a little pep talk.  This little notebook holds the history of my journey to fitness and the life that followed maintaining it.  It tells of overcoming injury, triumphing over fear, and making dreams a reality.  It may be ugly, but it's valuable to me.

Not Wrong, Just Different - Sole Sister Goals for 2013

by Jodi

beautiful view from Parrett Mountain near Newberg, OR
Photo courtesy of Jodi Stilp Photography

 If you've read our blog even a little it's probably apparent that we approach running from very different perspectives.

Carissa is driven by numbers.  She loves research, training schedules, paces, speed, distances, and anything that can be tracked on her Garmin.  Carissa trains to race.  She always wants to run faster, stronger, and smarter and wouldn't be content with a race if it wasn't a personal record (PR).  Her drive and competitive edge continue to propel her deeper into the racing world and she is becoming very successful.

Tanya runs to stay healthy.  She is quietly competitive - primarily against herself - and processes her running more internally and privately.  She raced several 10k's this year that Carissa and I knew nothing about because she just doesn't tell anyone when she's racing.  Getting a finishing time out of her is like pulling teeth - even though she's very fast - especially at the 10k distance. Tanya does not own a Garmin, has never recorded her splits, and enjoys being surprised at her finishing times at a race. Tanya has battled several persistent injuries this year, but she is committed to staying active and finding joy in exercise even when she isn't able to run.

I (Jodi) fall somewhere in the middle.  I prefer to run for the simple pleasure of feeling the wind on my face and the sweat on my brow, but I am learning to appreciate the speed that comes with following a training schedule.  I love the thrill of racing, but don't like to be tied down to a specific time goal.  I don't like speed work or research, so I rely on Carissa to tell me everything she learns and how fast to run when we're on the same training schedule.   I will choose a tough, quiet climb up a mountain over a flat, fast run through the city nine out of ten times.

Happy Healthy New Year!

by Tanya

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
-Albert Camus
photo by Jodi Stilp Photography

It's almost here. The beginning of a brand new year. A time to remember the year past and make plans for the year ahead. 

Take a moment to reflect.  

What did 2012 mean to you?  

Now that it is almost in the rear view, how can you use the events of the past year - good or bad - to learn from?

Now think of a fresh new start. Take a moment to dream.