runfor – imperfectly courtney

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon Race Recap

May 9, 2013 Courtney

After a jam packed Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh, it was finally time for race day! I kept waking up thinking I was going to be late for the race, so my sleep wasn’t exactly sound. I finally decided to get up a few minutes before my 5:30am alarm. I stumbled around the hotel room getting ready.

I made sure I had my watch, my Honey Stingers, my fuel belt, my Nuun, and of course, my pace tattoo!

We headed down to the lobby around 6 and met up with the rest of the #runfor crew. I ate half a blueberry bagel with butter and drank some Cherry Limeade Nuun. Corrals were closing at 6:45 and I had a bit further of a walk than some of the other runners because I was in a later corral so we set off around 6:20 or so.

Sidenote- I’m pretty sure staying at a hotel near the start line of the race is a must do for me from now on. I loved not having to worry about driving/traffic/parking on race morning! Especially with nearly 30,000 runners in this race, I can’t even imagine the madness.

A last minute stop at the portapotty and it was time to enter the corrals. Security was obviously heightened. Some people asked me if I was nervous to run a race after everything that happened at Boston. I can honestly say I wasn’t. Meeting with some of the PR people that work with Dick’s and the race I knew they had it under control. They took a lot of precautions like No spectators allowed near the corrals and they had these signs up:

They actually checked our bibs as we went into our corrals. I was in the last corral, which was crazy full. We heard the star spangled banner off in the distance and sat there for awhile before we started moving. We had to have walked nearly a mile just to get to the start. It took close to 25 minutes for us to even get up to the starting line… see it up there?

As we approached the start the energy was electric! The crowd was loud and strong – there were SO many people there cheering us on. I mean, by the time we had got to the start people had been crossing the line for over 20 minutes! And the crowd was still going strong!

And just like that… we were off! I saw the hubs just a little ways down from the start. He was such a great spectator! Barely a half mile into the race they already had a band set up and playing. There was a cheering banana just after mile 2. SO many people were out everywhere cheering us on. I thought surely the crowd would die down after a while – especially being one of the slower runners- but they didn’t! The first few miles went quick. I was holding a decent pace and on track to PR big time. Mile 3 brought the first of 5 bridges we would cross.

I can honestly tell you that eating carbs pre-race made a HUGE difference for me. During the GO half in April I was already gassed by mile 4. This time around I was feeling strong. We crossed another bridge around mile 4 reminding us we were earning the title “Runner of Steel”

Just after this bridge I saw the hubs again. He walked briskly next to me while I pounded my feet out trying to run faster… haha. We then turned around and crossed another bridge… yay for bridges! Oh yea- this is also where I spotted the guy who was juggling his way through the whole race. Seriously!

Miles 5 & 6 were good, nothing exciting to report. I remember crossing the 10k mark and heading for yet another bridge. It truly was gorgeous out. The perfect race conditions, cool with clear skys. And honestly, I was surprised at how beautiful the city was!

At this point we were heading outside of the downtown area and I was certain the course would be empty about this time. Man, was I wrong. There were SO many people out cheering us on! At this point I was still pretty close to being on target for my 3 hour finish. I felt energized by the crowd and tried to pick it up a bit. Mile 8 had another water station… which, this course was absolutely amazing with! I never felt myself wishing for another water station. They were perfectly spaced out and well manned. Even being one of the “slower” runners I found that they still had plenty left and ready to hand out when I got to each one. As we passed through the water station there was a huge crowd of what looked to be Military. Turns out it was a local JROTC program cheering us on! This, of course, made me pick up my pace. I remember being in JROTC in high school and not being able to pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and how far I’d come since then. So I ran harder.

At this point my legs/hips were getting pretty tired. I was a few minutes behind my pace schedule but kept trying to catch back up. Miles 9 & 10 passed as we were nearing the split off from the Full Marathon. Mile 11 came as we crossed a bridge back into the downtown area. At this point I was pretty certain I could shave off those few minutes and still come in sub-3. Then I turned the corner near mile 12 and saw the hill. It wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined… but it really killed me. Then started the downhill… I was thankful for the extra momentum but it was not feeling good on my hips/legs that were already hurting. I just tried to keep a steady pace. I was going to go for it as soon as I saw the finish line. Right around mile 13 the full marathon rejoined our course. People were going crazy as the marathoners came in. I was imagining it was all for me. ha. I tried my best to sprint it out and then got a charlie horse in my right calf… and in my right hip (how does that even happen?)… and then in my left calf… so I did the ugliest sprint/waddle to finish.

It felt so good to cross that finish line and know I was done. I was hurting far more than I did on my last race because I know I pushed myself way harder. I was proud of myself. Even if I didn’t get my sub-3… I was close!

My previous PR was 3:23, so a nearly 20 minute PR! I’ll take it! I snagged my bag of goodies at the finish and my Runner of Steel Medal and hobbled toward the Dick’s Sporting Goods tent where I met up with the rest of the #runfor crew…. ate some snacks and got a massage. Man, VIP tents rock.

Overall I was seriously impressed with this race. The course is beautiful, the aid stations were well executed… but the thing that stuck out to me the most was how excited the people of Pittsburgh were to support the race. It is a BIG deal in this city. Some places can make you feel like the races they put are a hassle – but Pittsburgh honestly LOVED this race. And it showed. The crowd support on this course was unlike any I had experienced before. It was so motivating. I was brought to tears a few times as I struggled through my own pain/thought process and needed that encouragement to keep going. So, hats off to Pittsburgh. You rock.

The rest of the day was spent napping and relaxing with the hubs. Where I looked like this:

Post nap hair and compression sleeves. Oh yea.

and this happened too…

Apparently Primanti Bros is a Pittsburgh must-do… so we did.

What do you do after a big race? Nap? Eat?
What’s your latest PR?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dicks Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Running, Travel

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend – Part 2

May 8, 2013 Courtney

Forgive me for not having this up yesterday! I came home to a whirlwind of “real life” demanding my attention and didn’t have the time to finish writing it up! The good news is right after landing in STL and picking up my daughter I went grocery shopping and prepped breakfast casserole and portioned out meat for our meals for the week – so no excuses for not eating right this week!

Our first full day in Pittsburgh was filled with all kinds fun… Press Releases, Ribbon Cutting, Getting all dressed up for a cocktail dinner… It was awesome! Saturday we were scheduled to drive out of downtown to Dick’s Sporting Goods Store Support Center. We eventually made it there and let me say, I was immediately impressed! They call it the “Castle on the Hill” because it is such a big building with one of those long winding hills leading up to it.

So basically, we learned that you could totally live at the offices and never have to leave. They have a cafeteria, a sit down restaurant, dry cleaners, post office, Starbucks, a gym (including full basketball court!)… We joked all you needed was a place to sleep… until we happened upon a bunch of tents set up. Of course, you can sleep in the tents! The Gym has showers. Seriously, you don’t ever need to leave!

I learned that Dick’s Sporting Goods was actually started because Dick was working at an Army/Navy store and the owner asked him to set up a fishing supply area and then told him it was horrible and he didn’t know how to run a store. He went and borrowed $300 from his grandmother and started his own store. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t!

We got to see some super secret Product Development areas that we weren’t allowed to take pictures of… one of which was the Reebok design room (apparently Dick’s owns some part of Reebok’s clothing line? Not sure how that all works) But I can tell you that there are some FUN things coming… in Spring of 2014! Ha. Those guys plan ahead! They also have a “lab store” which is an actual store layout where they can try new marketing set ups and product placements. So neat!

Before we left we had to get a picture in front of the sign! (By the way- it was kinda chilly, so if we look weird thats why)

From here we headed back to downtown for lunch and another stop at the Expo. We had more time to walk around/shop around and had to exchange some of our gear. Mr Dreamer got in on the expo fun… Since this whole weekend was centered around the #runfor campaign he made a sign with the (only) reason he’d ever run…

haha. I love that guy. We then got to head out to an actual Dick’s Sporting Goods store with a generous gift card in hand. I walked out with a new pair of Reebok Nanos for both me and the Mr and some Under Armour shorts and sports bra. I had plans to use the gift card on some of the Reebok CrossFit line they sell online at DicksSportingGoods.com… I’ll show you more when it arrives!

After shopping we headed back to the hotel to chill out for a bit before dinner. I wanted to get my race gear together so I didn’t forget anything… like when I forgot my Garmin when we left for my last Half and made Mr Dreamer turn around 10 minutes after leaving…. haha, oops.

I also made sure I was hydrating for the race. I’m loving this new water bottle!

We walked to dinner with the rest of the #runfor crew, including Steve Bell (check out his new blog!) who was featured in the first video of the #runfor Series. Of course there was carb loading…. in the form of this amazing pizza.

I may or may not have ended up in Market Square with the hubs hanging out and indulging in some not so pre-race friendly beverages… we ended up back at the hotel and in bed by a semi-decent hour… and the pre-race jitters were kicking in!

Full race recap to come tomorrow!

What are your pre-race rituals?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Running, Travel

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend- Part 1

May 6, 2013 Courtney

Holy Moly. What a weekend! Thursday afternoon Chris and I flew out of STL for Pittsburgh to spend the weekend hanging out with the Dicks Sporting Goods #RunFor Campaign Social Media Influencers. I was so incredibly blessed and humbled to be a part of this amazing group of people! The weekend was jam packed with so much that I’m going to break up my recap into a few parts.

Me, Ryan, Danica, Calvy, Linzay

They flew us in on Thursday, we met up and had a nice dinner. Friday we got to go to the expo VIP style, an hour before it opened to the public.

We were able to walk around to some of the vendors, and we found the huge Dick’s Sporting Good area at the expo. They had a photo shoot area set up, so of course I took advantage of that…

They also had a huge wall set up with the names of all the runners, they were going to have it at the starting line also. I took about 10 minutes to find my name.

I love that the mini store area that they had set up had the #RunFor posters up everywhere, and even had the videos playing as well.

After looking around the expo for a bit we got to attend the press conference, where we learned that Dick’s had paid to fly out 37 Boston Runners who didn’t have the opportunity to finish the race in Boston. We also learned that Pittsburgh has a sister city in Mexico. Then it was time for the ribbon cutting and opening the expo to the public. The line for the expo was literally out around the building! It was craaaazy!

From there we went down to Market Square. Dick’s had set up a mock finish line festival to get the city in the celebrating spirit. You could run down a “finish line” and get a medal. They had the drum line that plays at the steelers game and it was just a fun event.

The kids were the cutest. They danced their little hearts out. Loved it!

We headed to Sonoma Grill for lunch, I ordered a Cuban. It had pulled pork instead of the usual roasted pork. It was really good. I’m usually not a huge fan of different takes on the Cuban sandwich since I grew up on the “real deal” but I was impressed.

While we were sitting outside eating one of my twitter followers came up and introduced herself to me. I love meeting readers and followers! That was one of my favorite moments of the weekend for sure. After lunch we had some down time and I was able to get some work done, and start getting ready for our cocktail dinner!

I don’t get to dress up often, so I was kinda excited. I found a dress on clearance at Target for $8 months ago. I didn’t know when I’d ever wear it, but it had pockets so I couldn’t pass it up. My shoes were also a target find, $15!

I loved getting to dress up and feel super girly… even though I was covered in bruises from CrossFit!

The VIP Cocktail Dinner was hosted by Fantasy Health & Fitness – an organization started by Coach Mike Tomlin from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Tomlin was one of the speakers for the evening.

Along with Coach Tomlin, we got to hear from Ryan Clark, one of the players from the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also got to hear from Steve Bell, who was featured in the very first #RunFor video.

It was a great time and the view from Le Mont was stunning. I’ll be totally honest, I did NOT expect Pittsburgh to be that “pretty” to look at. I mean, its the city of Steel… but the view did not disappoint!

All that was just Friday! I’ll be back throughout the week with recaps of our tour of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Headquarters, dinner with Steve Bell, and of course the Race Recap (Spoiler: I set a nearly 20 minute PR!!!)

Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Do you ever travel for races?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Coffee Date, Travel

Coffee Date: On The Road

May 3, 2013 Courtney

Good morning, Friends! How’s your week going? Mine has been busy! Are you ready for our coffee date?

If we were having coffee today I would offer to split the creamer with you. There’s only 2 packets in the hotel room! I would tell you I’m so excited for this weekend! We are in Pittsburgh for the Dicks Sporting Goods Marathon weekend.

I am one of their Social Influencers for the weekend. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and twitter (@courtnorm on both) for sneak peaks and happenings throughout the weekend. Check out this swag…

I’m off to the expo, VIP style.

Your turn, If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?

Running

Joggermom Virtual Marathon & New #RunFor video

April 25, 2013 Courtney

Hey Friends – Happy Thursday! How is your week going? Are you just dying for the weekend? Because I kinda am. Things have been kinda crazy lately, working from home full time, plus coaching CrossFit classes, keeping up with school, trying to run a semi organized household… it can be a lot. Then there is this whole running thing. You see, I love running. It makes me feel strong. But finding time to run in between all that I have going on is tough! I love signing up for races to help keep me motivated, but sometimes even the logistics of that can get hairy (especially with a kiddo!) That’s why I’m glad I found the Joggermom Virtual Marathon!

You have the entire month of May to run (or walk!) 26.2 miles. Totally doable, right?

From the website: Why a Virtual Marathon you may ask? Two reasons: 1) We are all Moms and finding time on the weekend to run in a race does not always happen. This way you can run with or without your children at your own leisure. It is a race but, it is not about who finished first or fastest. All who complete the race are winners. 2) I wanted to put on the Joggermom Marathon is to give back to other Moms. May is the month all of us Mothers are recognized, why not do something for ourselves this month with a promise to become more fit? This year 10% of your entry will go to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the #1 killer in women.

I love love love that they work with the American Heart Association as I have a long family history of heart disease. I’ll have to do a whole post, or maybe even a series, on that one. This is just a fun way to encourage you get out and get moving! Use it as time for yourself or as family time with the kiddos. Whatever you do – just get out there and do it! You can find all the details on how to sign up here. It is just $10 until May 1st and $15 if you join after that. The prizes are pretty amazing too. Check these out:

Diamond Prize:

Bumbleride Indie Stroller- All new for 2013

Ruby Prize:

B.O.B. Revolution SE Single Stroller

Saphire Prize:

Baby Jogger Summit X3- All new for 2013

Emerald Prize:

Garmin Forerunner 10- GPS running watch ($130 value)
$100 Amazon gift card
Another Mother Runner book and accessories ($30 value)
2 Handful fitness bras ($50 value)

They are also hosting a photo contest with prizes as well! So what are you waiting for? Go sign up! And let me know if you’re doing it so I can cheer you on!

Need some inspiration to get out there and run? Need something to #runfor – Check out this video about Julia Chase. She is one of the reasons all us ladies can actually enter races like this!

Be sure to check out the other videos in the #runfor series as well. So inspirational!

Have you done a virtual race? Are you in for this one? What do you #runfor ?

Disclosure: I was provided a race entry free of charge for the Joggermom Virtual Marathon. The #runfor video is a part of an ongoing campaign with Dicks Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Running

Thoughts on Boston

April 16, 2013 Courtney

I had a different post scheduled for today but I just couldn’t bring myself to go on with business as normal considering the events in Boston yesterday. I watched in shock yesterday as the news kept on coming of more devastation. Of all the horrors that have happened in our world recently this one hit so close to my heart. I’ve crossed the finish line of many races. That area is filled with so much hope, celebration, and encouragement. A place that is usually overflowing with tears of joy, pride, and accomplishment was defiled. After running 26.2 miles the finish line is supposed to be a place of safety. That was stolen from the runners at Boston yesterday, and that makes me angry. I don’t whoever was behind this horrid tragedy to win. My heart is sad for those lost, I pray for the recovery of those injured, but I will not live in fear. I will keep running. And I will remember why we run. The countless hours spent dreaming, planning, and training is unimaginable. The family that stands behind the runner is not to be forgotten either. They give up a lot so that their loved ones can achieve those dreams. Even if you aren’t a runner, it’s hard not to be caught up in the excitement of watching someone work so hard to reach those goals. I can’t even begin to fathom standing there at the finish line, waiting for your loved one to cross that finish line… and then be hurt or killed only because of your selfless desire to be there to support someone you love. Those people are to be honored for that.

Boston is such a prestigious race. Some people, like Roger Wright, spend a lifetime Dreaming about running in the Boston Marathon. It is literally live changing for so many people around the world. Let us not remember Boston because of terrorists. Let us remember Boston for the Runners who have made it the race it is today. We aren’t stopped by blisters, lost toenails, countless injuries and setbacks and we will not be stopped by this. Runners are strong. We are resilient When faced with a setback we typically come back with a stronger desire to conquer. And this is no different.

And so I will run. I will train. I will compete.

and when I toe the starting line of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon I will do it with a fervor in my heart to finish for all those who had that stolen from them. And I will show you, we are strong. Who knows why you did this or what you were trying to accomplish, but you picked the wrong group of people. Runners never stop.

If you have a few minutes to watch Roger’s story – please do. Dreaming of Boston literally saved his life.

Running, STL

GO St Louis Half Marathon 2013 Race Recap

April 9, 2013 Courtney

I signed up for the Go St Louis Half Marathon a long time ago. I figured since I wasn’t training for a Marathon all fall/winter that training for this would be easier than it was last year. I figured I would actually stick to a training plan and and see a massive PR from last year’s race. Then life happened. We traveled and it snowed and I just didn’t follow the plan. Then I invited one of my out of town friends to run it with me. She was rocking it out in her training until she hurt her knee. For the last month or so her longest run was 4 miles. I knocked out 10 miles on the treadmill 2 weeks before the race and felt confident I could finish and while I wasn’t going to set any course records I was fairly certain I could PR.

Friday morning I picked up Emily from the airport, it was SO good to see her. It has seriously been 6 years or something crazy. From there we headed downtown to the expo. We had to wait in line for about 10 minutes before the doors opened.

One we got in we picked up our bibs and headed down to the floor for the expo. I was in shopping mode, but wasn’t sure I was going to actually buy anything. Then I saw the Lift Your Sole booth and knew I’d walk out with something… I mean check out these tshirts!

I ended up buying the Suck It Up Buttercup shirt. I love that saying and liked the flowers and colors. It was a hard choice, I sat there debating between that one or the motherhood one for awhile but ended up picking the brighter color. They also sell jewelry, be sure to check them out.

I also got to stop by and check out the organicgirl booth – LOVED that they had a sample I could eat on the Whole30. And I got a tattoo, sweet right?

Emily and I both ended up doing a gait analysis with one of the local running stores. They recommended I run in the Brooks Glycerins… Already do! BAM.

Let me tell you- If you think you look bad running… trying watching yourself run in slow motion. Not attractive. Anyway- The expo was tons of fun! Mostly because my amazing husband kept the toddler at home so I didn’t have to push a stroller or chase a kid the whole time. Thanks Babe!

I wrote in my Whole30 week 1 recap about my fueling errors on Saturday… I really should have eaten more carbs than I did. I tried my best, but I just shouldn’t have changed up my diet so much the week before a race. They say to do what you know works, and I didn’t.

Sunday morning I was up at 4:15 to get dressed, get the kiddo ready, and head out the door. I got off schedule a bit- ended up putting my pace tattoo on upside down, shoved a banana/sunbutter/coconut flake conconction down the hatch and ran out the door only realize I left my garmin at home. So I made Chris turn around. Of course. I started to get the nervous stomach a few miles from the exit. I needed a Portapotty quick. We finally found them and the lines were outrageous.

There were a ton of runners and I knew the lines would be kinda long, but we were cutting it close to starting time and I got super frustrated that there were a ton of spectators in line for the bathroom. Couldn’t they wait until after we started? Anyway- we finally make it and get into our corral. This was it, it was GO! time (haha)

No matter how many times I tell myself NOT to go out too fast – I do. We held around a 12 minute pace for the first few miles. That is pretty fast for me. Then comes the first hill just before mile 3 heading through Soulard towards the brewery… I freaking hate hills. I just don’t do good with them. I feel like I can’t ever catch my breath. It’s like thrusters. Ugh. Anyway- we got to the hill and ran through Soulard. I love that those people come out blaring music and cheering in their PJs for us. Makes me laugh.

Then we headed through the brewery, and it smelled yeasty. After we got through there we had a long stretch before mile 4 and my legs were already feeling tired. I was feeling sluggish and knew right away my fueling was off so I popped some Honey Stingers chews. I’m pretty sure having those in my flipbelt saved my race. We kept a decent pace through mile 4, 5, & 6 and ended up with a 6 mile split of 1:21. We were on point to come in under 3 hours according to my pace tattoo (that was on upside down)

Then came miles 6-8. This part of the course was a race within a race, sponsored by the Yurbuds #BeyondtheWall campaign. It was called “Holy Hill” if that gives you any indication of how awesome this part of the race was going to be *sarcasm* So basically these several miles were never freaking ending hills. And I hate hills.

Instead of #BeyondTheWall it should say #WelcometoHell

Here is my fake smile. I was dying inside. Oh and it was HOT. Like the hottest day we’ve had in forever. 75ish. I have NO clue how Mel ran in a long sleeve zip up!

See that hill in the distance? that was the Second HUGE hill as a part of Holy Hill. Awesome. I knew our pace would slow down considerably during these several miles. We were about 5 minutes off from the 3 hour pace by the end of these hills – I thought if we pushed on the straightaways that we could make it up.

As we exited Holy Hill around mile 8 there was the Gu stop… and they were all out of Gu. As we turned the corner there was a lady who collapsed on the side of the road in tears sobbing. These were NOT encouraging events for how the rest of the race was going to go for us. We trotted on through a water stop and came upon the mile 9 marker (which Emily thought we had already passed) and turned on to the long out and back.

This was the turning point of the race for us. Here is the deal – I am NOT the funnest person to run with (which is probably why I run alone). I will always keep going – but I will ~~jokingly~~ complain a lot of the way. I will talk about all the things I’d rather be doing and how much I hurt. The whole first half of the race Emily kept trying to give me encouragement and tips and I would shoot off something sarcastic back. As we turned that corner at mile 9 things kinda switched. See Emily had a knee injury that took her out of training for awhile. She didn’t expect to make it more than 4 miles, but felt pretty good and kept going. Until mile 9. We did walk/run intervals for mile 9 and then after the turnaround at mile 10 she just couldn’t go anymore. This was somewhere around 2:00 or 2:20. We ended up walking the last 3 miles. She urged me to go on without her, but I couldn’t just leave her there! We were going to finish this together. So we walked. I got a charlie horse in my calf and she had to stop to stretch a few times but we mostly just kept walking.

We finished in 3:33. I didn’t PR, but we finished. Together.

*cue sappy song*

I figure if I was ONLY 10 Minutes slower than I was last year… and I walked the last 3 miles, I am certainly FAR faster and more fit than I was last year.

I now have one month to pick my training back up before the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon. I hear that is a challenging course because of all the bridges you run. Awesome. Any tips for training for another race so close to this one? Also, If you are looking for some motivation to get out there and run be sure to check out the newest #RunFor video! (and check out the other videos too – last week’s was my favorite so far!)

I’m so proud of Emily for pushing through and finishing her first half marathon! I had a blast and know that if I plan on running this race again I’m going to need some more hill training!

Did you run a race this weekend? SO many people were out at this race and I didn’t get to see them – dang crowds!

Nutrition, Running, STL, Whole30, workouts

So I’m Running a Half Marathon on Sunday…

April 4, 2013 Courtney

oh yea. That snuck up on me. So remember when I posted about my CrossFit Endurance Half Marathon Training Plan?

Well somewhere in between all our traveling, school, and horrible weather I just didn’t keep up with it. I know that I have gotten faster, but I needed to know that I could run the distance. So I just added in some long runs when I could… I know I CAN finish – I just don’t know how fast at this point. I am SO excited to have my friend Emily coming into town to run with me, but she has been out for awhile due to a knee injury. I’m deciding to just take this race as a fun run and hope to PR. I plan on getting some more speed training in before the Pittsburgh Half Marathon next month, but I hear the course is hilly. Regardless of how the clock says I do on Sunday, I know I’m WAY fitter than I was last year when I ran this race (Thanks, CrossFit!)

Obviously not the best comparison shot. But last year I was busting out of my Mens Size Large Jersey. That same jersey is baggy now! Having less weight to carry for 13.1 miles is going to make a huge difference. If I had to guess around that time last year I was probably hovering around 215lbs give or take – Today I weight 189 (yes, I weighed myself on the Whole30. If that’s the worst thing I do these 30 days I’m doing ok). That is 26lbs difference, but I know I’ve gotten a lot stronger and likely gained muscle.

Last year I my longest training run was 8 miles. This year I did a 10 mile training run 2 weeks out. On the treadmill. I’m pretty sure if I can do 10 on the treadmill I can do anything.

This past week I’ve been eating super clean being on the Whole30 – and hydrating like crazy. My only concern is my fueling, since I haven’t tried any natural things like Dates/Rasins I may just stick with my Honey Stingers (at least they are organic!) and Nuun. I’m still not sure though.

All that to say I really am looking forward to this race, it’s going to be fun.. I love the racing environment. It’s electric. Pushing yourself to the limits and then going further is exhilarating. Not to mention watching the Dick’s Sporting Goods #RunFor videos has got me super pumped up to run. Check out this one from last week, I think it is my favorite yet.

If Team Hoyt can run 1000+ races including several IRON MAN races, I certainly can go out there and knock out 13.1 miles.

What do you #runfor? Any races coming up? Hows your training going?

Running

#RunFor Family – Asmeret’s Story

March 26, 2013 Courtney

I have been honored to work with Dick’s Sporting Goods on an amazingly inspiring campaign called #RunFor. This campaign is all about the sharing the different reasons why we run. This campaign will lead up to me running in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon! (In 39 days… EEK!) Each week they are releasing a new video telling the stories of different runners and the reason why they run. I shared last week about Lisa and Sally. This week’s story hit really close to home for me. If you read my health story you know that while I have struggled with my weight my whole life my “A-HA!” moment came after having my daughter in 2010. I knew that I didn’t want her to struggle with the same health and weight issues that I had to struggle with. I knew I had to set a good example for her. So I began running and eating right. And it was all she knew. She would bring me my running shoes and tell me “Go Mama GO!” when she was like 18 months old. She loved running with me and watching me run. Now she is 3 and she still asks me to go running. It has become a part of our lives. Not only to a run to set a good example for her, but I run to be healthy for her and my husband. They motivate me to be the healthiest I can be so I can be around longer to share life with them.

This week’s #RunFor video is about Asmeret – A mom who wakes up at 3:30am to run everyday so she can be around to care for her kids. Like I said, I totally get this one. I wake up at 4:15am four days a week to go to CrossFit before my daughter wakes up. Being around for her, and showing her what it is to be strong and healthy, makes it all worth it. Check out Asmeret’s Story:

I really do love these videos, they are SO inspiring. This is the third video in the 13 video series. If you have missed any just hop over to the Dick’s Sporting Goods #RunFor page to catch up.

Are you an early morning runner/gym goer?
What do you #runfor?

This post is part of a paid campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Coffee Date

Coffee Date: Birthday Eve!

March 22, 2013 Courtney

Hey Friends! I’m SO excited that it is FRIDAY! This week has been a rough one trying to get adjusted back to central time, catch up on a ton of work (regular work and blog work… SO much fun stuff coming your way!!) and trying to get back into a routine with workouts. I’m also excited for the weekend because TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY! YEEESS!

Alright – who is ready for some coffee? I’m drinking out of my moose cup. Be jealous.

To recap: I talked about Mexico, my birthday, AND my awesome partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Pittsburgh Half Marathon! Check out the latest in the #runfor Inspirational Video series here.

What do you do to celebrate your birthday?
What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Linking up with Alissa