Sugarloaf 15K Coming right up

Next weekend I will be running my first ever 15K race. Last weekend I ran my first 10K, so I am definitely movin’ on up! The 15K will be at Sugarloaf, which is Maine’s premier ski mountain, and my personal favorite place to ski.

Looking ahead to this race, I have to say that I am very nervous. It’s not that I can’t run the mileage, it’s that I’ve never been in a big organized race before. The ones I have run are just little ones around home here in Maine. This one will be my first time mixing with the runners who are way faster than I am. I will be in awe of most of them I’m sure!

Right now I wish I could say that I had a “set” finish time that I am hoping for. Presently, I am still doing the Jeff Galloway method of running with walking segments built in. That has helped tremendously to cut down on my neck pain which seems to be resurfacing a whole lot. I am way stronger in my running and my core strength is coming along too. No more lower back pain when running!  I have to give credit to my Coach, Caleb Masland for getting me where I am now. His weekly training plans are such a big help and are keeping me accountable. Gives me something to focus on daily, and I find myself looking forward to each night’s activity.

As of right now, the plan is that I will run 3mins/walk 1 min. Of course, I may not use these at all, but I find that when I do, I run much faster and my breathing is much more even.  Lately I have been running my segments in the 10-11 min range, which is way faster than I was a year ago. I even find myself running at a 9min mile every now and then, and I force myself to slow down a bit, as I struggle with endurance on long runs. The nice thing about this course is that there aren't any hills and it's a downhill slope. That will help for sure!

I have to be honest about something though...the one thing that I have yet to really do is to change my diet. I have always been a junk food, lets eat out person, and I have to think that it is hindering my training. I am trying desperately to eat more fruit and less junk, as I really don’t care for vegetables.  Most of my runs are around 5pm, before dinner or 6:30pm, just after eating, which I know is not ideal. Because of my work schedule, running in the morning is not an option except for weekends, but I like to sleep in, so …. ;)

This Sunday I will do my weekly long run of 9 miles, then will slow down for the week before the race. The weather is supposed to be crappy this weekend, but I’m hoping for anything less than a downpour to run in.  I’m already a bit giddy just thinking about how exciting this race is going to be! I have a handful of friends that are going to be there, between the 15K and the marathon. I hope I will get to see all of them at some point!

The Sugarloaf Marathon and 15K 

Inside the heart of a runner, a reflection of passion

Have you ever had an experience that caused you to take a step back and review your life, your thoughts, your passions and dreams?  Or, have you ever met someone that made you stop dead in your tracks and do a total self evaluation?

Last week while I was working on the Mezamashii Run Project in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people while I was there. Every time I turned around, there was something new to see and something new to learn. I have to say that the experience of filming with a professional production crew is totally amazing. It is kind of just like you see on TV or the movies… all the equipment, and all the hubbub that goes along with it. Very busy, and crazy at times, but in a controlled sort of way.

While I was doing my part of the filming process, I became acutely aware of someone that I was working with.  His persona and the grace at which he did his job stood out to me greatly. I could see the passionate devotion in his work, and could tell that there was something totally different about this man. The more I studied him while trying to figure him out, the more I realized that passion not only comes from deep within, but also from a higher source of power around us. Being a Christian, I have a very strong faith in God, and I could see this resonating from this person in every task, conversation, and thought process. 

I've spent a fair amount of time, thinking about how someone could find that fervor within themselves, if they didn’t already have it, or if they had it and it had left. Many times in my life I had set goals and been very focused about things that I wanted to do. Some of these I followed through on, and others I let go by the wayside. Studying someone who had it “all together” caused me to take a look inside myself, to find out what I really want in life now that I have turned age 50+.  When I was younger, my focused passions in life were sports, and music. Growing up, that was all I did. I never felt like I fit in with the rest of the people I was with, so I fully immersed myself into both of those, hoping I would find some gratification with what I was doing. I was lucky enough to have had wonderful loving parents who supported me with everything I did, and that certainly helped, but it never really filled the void.

I stop and think about where I was a couple of years ago. I hated how I looked, I hated how I felt, and I felt like my job was going nowhere. I was sick of how people were looking at me; I could just read “Fatty” on their faces, with every glance in my direction. Luckily for me, I had my “ahah” moment and changed my life around. I once again became very focused, and that was on losing the weight, no matter what cost. I joined Weight Watchers at my work, and found a very supportive group of people there. Within a couple of months the weight was coming off and staying off.  Obesity is a very scary thing. It brainwashes you into thinking that you can’t do anything because you are “too heavy”. Lots of things in life have weight limits, and unless you are a big person, you probably have never given it a thought. Rides at the fair or theme parks, ziplines, medical equipment at the hospital, bathroom scales, regular sized chairs, airplane seats and seatbelts… the list goes on and on.  Many obese people avoid these things altogether as a safety net against the internal hurt these items can cause.

Reflection this past week has brought me a renewed sense of self. That strong emotion  and zeal  for life in general is blooming once again, and I have to believe that God used this person as an avenue to open my eyes once again to all of the beauty that there is around me. I feel like I kind of shut down after my father died last summer, and my senses had truly become dull and blurred. Once in a while, on a run I could feel my passion for running come through in those Mezamashii, out of mind/body experiences, but I was having a hard time to carry it through to everyday life.

The hardest step to take is the first one, the one that will ultimately lead back to being healthy, happy and passionate about life. When I started back on the road to running, I couldn’t walk a quarter of a mile. My knees would hurt. My back would hurt. My feet hurt. I kept telling myself that I was fooling myself into thinking I could do this. But… the runner in me from years before, kept saying. DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T GIVE UP.  And so.. baby steps were taken  which ultimately led me to where I am now.  Was it hard? Yes. Slow? Yes. Is it worth it? YES! 

I have to say a great big thank you to the people at Mizuno and McKinney who took a chance on me and invited me to Atlanta last week. As much as I was there doing something for them, they were all ministering to me in their own separate ways. I could name every single one of them here, and how each person touched my life, but the list would go on and on. I am so grateful for a renewed sense of purpose. 

Running has truly been the avenue to which I have responded with earnest. I will certainly try to carry that passion forward and give it freely to others, hoping to inspire them to find those deep emotions within themselves. If this post has touched you in some way, feel free to let me know. If you are wanting to start your journey back to running and need help, please contact me. I will do my best to help get you started.

Making of a video at Mizuno: DAY 4

Thursday we were out at the Mizuno warehouse for filming. It was an interesting setup. Boxes and crates everywhere, but in the middle they set up a shooting area and this is where the filming would be. We were all given a script and time to memorize it. Lucky for me, I was next to last, so by the time my turn came around, my script was all set and I pretty much had it memorized.

I'll tell you that it was just like you see on TV, with all the people in those directors chairs, and all the lights and equipment all around. It was totally amazing! So exciting and kind of overwhelming at times. 

I could have taken tons more pictures, but because this was a professional crew from Hollywood I wasn't allowed to, which was ok. I have blurred out faces also as I didn't have a chance to let them know I was going to post a couple on the blog. I will be happy to remove any that might need to be. 

If you aren't a Mezamashii project team member, you need to register NOW!! There are a bunch of cool things coming up and you won't want to miss out on all the fun. If you have never tried Mizuno shoes, you really should as they are amazing. The people behind the shoes are the best part :) 

Here's the link to the project, where you can sign up and get ready for what is coming this year! 

Saying goodbye to the people at Mizuno and the marketing/publishing company was hard.. it was a fantastic whirlwind week with plenty of 

excitement and hard work. It was totally worth every single minute!

Goodbye Atlanta...

Making of a video at Mizuno: DAY 3

Wednesday was the day that we were to shoot our individual stories. This wasn't going to happen until lunchtime, so I had the morning to explore a bit. First off, I hit the local Starbucks every morning. On this day, I noticed a cupcake shop, and decided to pop in there. This is what I came home with. 

As far as the filming for today goes, the stories are the ones that Mizuno had taken notice of. We were in Powder Springs, outside Atlanta, in a beautiful restored farmhouse. The owners were wonderful people and had quite an entourage of animals. 30 Alpaca's, Angora bunnies, dogs, and cats.

And who doesn't like to be scratched behind the ears???

There was a lot of time getting every thing set up in the house, and hours literally shooting film segments. I can't go into too many details, but my story pertains to my parents and the Memorial Runs I have done for each of them this past year. When the segments are posted by Mizuno, I will forward along the links for anyone who wants to see them. I think it is going to be so cool.. we did many different things in really creative ways. Matt, Michelle, and I all have stories, and some other featured runners were flown in to do a special segment also.  It was great to meet so many new people!

We went well into the night with this shoot. I was lucky enough to leave at 9:30 but filming didn't wrap up for the others until 1:00am. It was a long day for everyone involved. 

(Here's the link:) Next up: Day 4, at the Mizuno warehouse

Making of a video at Mizuno: DAY 2

Tuesday morning I got to sleep in and then had to be ready to be picked up at 1:30. This was when I met Michelle, NYCRunningMama. She had brought along her husband and two young boys. What an adorable family. The older son had the highest cuteness factor ever, and the baby was all non-stop smiles and giggles. He got plenty of attention from everyone!

We were driven out into the country to do the first shoot, which would be a running segment. It was a small park in rural GA, and was very nice. When we pulled in I was amazed at all the equipment and people milling around. It was quite something to see. 

If you look on the left of the picture, you will see the truck with the crane on it. This had the camera on it, that would follow us as we were running. 

Michelle and I found out that filming was already in progress, with another runner, Matt from Louisiana. He was running up and down one of the trails. Michelle and I were told to just hang out and wait until they needed us, which turned out to be hours later. All this time Michelle and her hubby had to entertain the children, and luckily there was a nice play area for the kids to keep busy on.

Much later, she and I were ushered into the mobile office (aka Motorhome) to sign our contracts. We both had to laugh when we were asked if our payment should come to us or our Agents?  Agents? Really?  ;)  After those details were taken care of,  we were fitted for our gear. Matt came back from his running segments and took a break while us girls got ready. When we were finally dressed and raring to go, all three of us lined up and were told to run together on the trail, with the boom-truck behind us doing the taping. There were at least 10 people on that truck, all with different jobs to do. It was really quite something to see and take part in. [ I will take a second to mention that the production company was from Hollywood, and have worked on many famous movies and shows. They were a blast to work with! ] I had to hold the reins back on Matt and Michelle for this segment as they are both really fast runners and I could not keep up for a long period of time. We ran up, we ran down, and even through a stream. So much for our new shoes we were wearing! It was still a blast although I was pretty winded at the end of it. 

By the end of the day, it was nearly bedtime and we headed back to the hotel. We stayed at the W Midtown Hotel. Very ultra-modern and nice! It also had a spa, which I tried to get an appointment to, but they were busy every time I called. 

Here's the obligatory fancy white bathrobe picture!

Those were the highlights from Tuesday.  

(Here's the link:)  Next up: Day 3, in the country!

Making of a video at Mizuno: DAY 1

Today is monday and I left Bangor at 6:50 this am for my trip down here to Atlanta. First flight was to Detroit, then on down to the peachtree state.

First impression: Georgia looks similar to Maine in that there are lots of trees. But.. OMG 8 lanes of traffic on the highway? UGH!! Our driver Lisandra was amazing.. and was not stressed at all. I kept closing my eyes as I was so nervous that someone was going to sideswipe us. She navigated around the traffic like a pro. I feel very confident having her drive us around this week.

Got to the W Midtown hotel. Very nice, right in the heart of the city. Ultra modern, compared to anything else that I have ever stayed in. Great view of the city, or I should say, of the neighboring buildings..  Much more majestic than we have in Maine for sure. I kinda like it. Kinda.

As you can see in the next picture, I have made myself right at home on the desk in my room. Lots of space to spread stuff out. Notice the bagels I brought from home. Gotta have my blueberry bagels!

When I checked in downstairs, the clerk wanted my debit card to charge the room and I explained to him that the room was already paid for. He said it was not a "full charge" but just an authorization. When I got up to my room, I looked online and saw the bill was already charged to my debit card  I sent a text msg to Dave, our producer and within mins it was all fixed. He came to meet me at the desk and apologized profusely for the mix-up  I can't ask for nicer treatment. The desk staff is wonderful, and it's surprisingly easy to get around here so far. Since I have some free time tomorrow morning, I may go exploring. 

I don't have the itinerary for tomorrow just yet. Dave is supposed to let me know what time and where to be. I'm anxious to get this show on the road! hahaha :)  Watch out Atlanta! Weez is here! 

(Here's the link:)  What's next: Day 2, "running segments"

Meet Mandy Farrar

Mandy Farrar: Forester, Runner and IronMan Competitor

You can find her at:  Caratunk Girl

Mandy, when did you start running and why?

I was active in team sports growing up through high school and college - so I ran for those sports - but I never really started running to run for me until I was around 30.  I was always fit from playing sports and from my job (I am a forester)- but by that time, it had been a while since I had played sports and I was feeling like I was gaining weight.

So I started running one June.  I came back from my second run and announced I was going to do a 5k.  I left that day for 3 days at our work camp (as a forester sometimes we work so far in the woods that we stay and work from  a camp.)  One of the guys staying there went for a run with me one morning and started talking about the MDI Marathon and how he really thought I would love it and that he thought I could probably do it that year.

I was so excited!! When I got home I registered.

Then I googled "How far is a marathon"

So I never said I was smart.  But I finished MDI that year and it was really that training that took me from a run liker to a run lover and started my love of endurance sports.

What inspires your running?

I don't have a story or a single person or anything that inspires my running...I mean, I think my running is inspired by the fact that I am an outside kid, always have been - running lets me be outside (I am dreadfully allergic to treadmills) on my terms where I want to be for as long as I want - dirt roads, trails, pavement, it is literally all up to me.  I think also - I am crazily independant and running almost embraces and encourages that (in me anyway) because if you need to rely on yourself to get your tush out the door.  I like that about running.

What type of races have you done so far and what are your plans for the racing season this year?

I have done 6 marathons, a bunch of 5-20 mile races, 1 Ironman, 3 Half Ironman, numerous sprint and olympic distance triathlons.   I have done one 5k, and that freaking hurt.

This winter I did the Mid-Winter 10 Mile Classic in February and the Eastern States 20 Miler back in March.  Both are great races, I highly reccomend them.

Looking forward, I really need to focus on  the training for my A race - Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP) in July.  Before that I have the Sugarloaf Marathon in May (this may turn into the 15k if I am feeling at all injuryish) and the Pirate Triathlon in June.  I would love to do a half Ironman in June as well, it would be a great test to see where my fitness was, but my schedule just didn't allow for it this year.

What made you decide to start doing Ironman Triathlons?  

First - I am always am asked about the distances and can't figure out how to fit it in my answer - an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run - 140.6 miles total.  That is the Ironman distance, just like 26.2 is the marathon distance.

I did my first sprint triathlon (a sprint is not a set length, but generally a 500 yd swim, 12-15 mile bike, & 3 mile run) and just got addicted to triathlon.  I loved the combination of sports, the camaraderie, it is so much fun.  I signed up for longer races - and loved them.  In my head, I wanted to do an Ironman someday, but to be honest, the whole thing seemed completely overwhelming.  How the heck do you train for THAT??

So I went to Lake Placid and volunteered at the Ironman there (I HIGHLY recommend this) knowing that if you volunteered you were guaranteed a spot in the next years race.  Not that I wanted one.  I had actually convinced myself not to sign up, I had a pretty hard time finishing a mile of swimming for the last race I did, and 112 miles is a long freaking way on the bike.

But something happened when I sat down beside Mirror Lake at the swim start, staring at the 2500 swim caps bobbing around in the water.  The air got all crackly with the athletes anticipation, my hair stood on end...then the gun went off and the water was frothing and churning with 2500 people swimming and I just knew I was going to be in that chaos the following year.

The other thing is - watching that race is so inspiring - everyone has a story, and when you volunteer, you get to hear some of them.  It is great.

So anyway, I signed up, trained and finished IMLP in 2011.

Why do you live in such a remote area of Maine?

Well, I don't see  Caratunk as remote.  It is certainly a small population, but there are 3-4 restaurants/bars within 8 miles of me, and I can drive 15 minutes to Bingham and get OK groceries and gas.  True, if you want a reliable vegetable in the winter, you need to drive an hour south to Skowhegan.   And...if you are an inside kid, this isn't the place for you.

But that doesn't answer your question, does it?...I live here because I like that I can walk my dog down the middle of Main Street without a leash, I can walk out my door and onto the Appalachian Trail in 5 minutes, I can drive 5-10 miles in a few directions I am at the trail heads of numerous mountain and waterfall hikes, I can put my canoe into the water and float down this section of the Kennebec River and see more Bald Eagles than people most days.

So I guess my answer is just that I like remote places, and living here allows me to get to them very quickly.

Describe your most favorite aspect of training:

The long runs and bike rides.  Hands down, that is the thing I missed the most last year (I took a year off from training for the most part).  I think I need that time to keep my head happy.

Describe your "perfect race" scenario:

Ha ha - well I would try to keep my shorts from ripping off (this happened to me at IMLP 2011).

Here is the thing about me - I am kind of a...gregarious loner.   During training, I like to be alone.  At races, I love talking to people, so much so I always make friends with someone faster than me (which is just about everyone) and then I blow up trying to keep up with them.  SO my perfect race would be to actually run my OWN race and race like I train and see how I could do.

If you could quit your day job and do anything at all in its place, what would it be? Would it relate to running?

Well, I am not sure.  I really like what I do - I mean where else can you spend the day in the woods with your dog?

Seriously - I have gotten really interested in food and health. I am not sure what I would do - but it would be something up that alley.   It drives me crazy that we as a society focus on treatment rather than prevention - food is KEY to that, and we have been sold a lot of crap as far as what food is good for us and what is not.  I find it scary that the former head of Monsanto is now the senior advisor to the FDA commissioner (not to get too political on your blog) and that you can hardly buy a can of tomatoes without sugar or HFCS added.  I would love to help with the obesity problem in kids, and I think one key is to cut out the hidden sugars in their food.    I would love to see GMO foods be labeled so consumers can make an informed choice.

So yeah, I could go on - I think i would work on that stuff.

Ever been injured? How do you deal with injuries?

Yes.  It sucks.  I used to ignore it, then it gets worse, and it's depressing.

Now I work a lot on prevention.  I foam roll a lot - on the IT bands and calves.  I use a tennis ball on my hips because they get tight.  I try to get a massage 1x a month when my training load gets heavy.  If I feel an injury, I ice it, take NSAIDS, and back off it.   Knock on wood, this has helped me a lot.

My worse injury to date was in my left calf.  I was training for the Sugarloaf Marathon and honestly I don't know how I injured it.  But it was bad, I couldn't push off without it feeling like a knife was going into it.  Knocked me out for 2 months.

I biked instead of ran for the last 2 mos of training,  FYI-That will get you through the race, but it really hurts...so I don't recommend it.

Hopes/Goals for the future?

After this Ironman, I want to do some trail races for a season.  I am thinking of running a 50K next spring (Pineland Farms) and then a 50 miler in the Fall (not sure which one) but it is going to be tough for me to not sign up for next years Ironman......

Number one tip you would give new runners:

Have fun.  Don't put pressure on yourself - just go out and run.  Increase mileage slowly.  Don't worry about speed until you have some time and a few races under your belt.

Next up: Peter Larson,  the "RunBlogger"