Energy Boost

Over the weekend Darrin and I traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to attend the Fly Fishing Expo. While in town we stopped by Fleet Feet Sports to check out the available selection of GU and other energy supplements.

The staff there was very friendly and knowledgeable and they walked me through the pros and cons of each type of supplement. They also shared their opinions on the various flavors. The supplements ranged in price from $1.35 to $2.25. I purchased a variety of types and flavors to test out during my training.

41 Days to Go - I selected Vanilla Bean GU ($1.40) as my first taste test. This product is intended to be taken 15 minutes before running and every 45 minutes during the run. After hearing stories from other runners about the gag-inducing thick texture of this product, my goal was to get it down and keep it down. I started off by drinking some water. The salesman at Fleet Feet warned me that you should drink plenty of water with GU. The texture was very thick but if you enjoy icing (I do very much!) you'll like it. I sucked down the entire tube of vanilla deliciousness, drank some more water, puttered around the house for 15 minutes and then headed out for a one mile run at a race pace of 9:25. I didn't have any problems during the run; the GU stayed down just fine. After the run I realized that when the salesman said "drink plenty of water," he really meant PLENTY of water. If you are not properly hydrated, GU will absorb water from your body giving you some serious GI issues. After an evening of discomfort, lesson learned.

Running with Dr. Leanna Blevins

Finishing her 1st half-marathon.

Leading up to the Martinsville Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay, Run MHC will feature the stories of other runners so you can hear different perspectives on how various people began running and what motivates them. Today's guest blogger is Dr. Leanna Blevins of Martinsville, VA. 

I started running around the time I turned 40.  I was never much of an athlete, so I didn't think I could be a runner.  I am, however, stubborn, so when some girlfriends and I decided to try to train for a half marathon, I figured it would be a physical commitment for a few months and then I could check it off the list.  What I didn't realize was that training and running is as much mental as it is physical.

I am a mom of 3 young children with a full-time job and various volunteer positions in the community.  I thought I was too busy to incorporate regular exercise into my life.  I made the decision to do it temporarily to train, and now I have decided to make it part of my lifestyle.  

Running with Juan Archila

Leading up to the Martinsville Half-Marathon, Run MHC will feature the stories of other runners so you can hear different perspectives on how various people began running and what motivates them. Today's guest blogger is Juan Archila of Atlanta, Georgia. Juan is an architect, a husband and a father of two. He has been running for the past three years. 

After years of telling myself that I needed to get back into running, but never finding enough time, a wake-up call came in late 2010 when I was 30 years old.  A cholesterol test revealed that my numbers were great… for an 80-year-old.  At 30, though, I was at a high risk for health problems, and it was due to poor diet and exercise habits.  I love my cheeseburger, though, so adjusting my diet seemed unrealistic, but making time for running was not only something I wanted to do, but now needed to do for my health and for my young family. 

On January 1, 2011, I made the commitment to run regularly.  I chose the Couch-to-5k (C25k) running program, and set the Leprechaun Road Race 5K (Dublin, GA) on March 19, 2011 as my goal race.  With knee brace firmly in place on a brisk New Year’s Day morning, I set out on my journey.  Three years later, not only did I finish the 5K, I’ve done the Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta on July 4 (three years in a row), the Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia, and countless 5Ks, 4-Milers, 10Ks, a 12K and a 15K since.  I am currently training for the Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon in San Francisco after getting over a shin injury late last year. 

It's Not About the Numbers

Since I've started training and blogging, word has spread across the community about my, now very public, plans. So far everyone has been very supportive and excited for my news. My friend Morgan made cute handmade hair ties for my workouts, Katie shared her recipe for delicious peanut butter energy balls and colleagues throughout the community have been sending me words of encouragement. It is exciting and I hope that I am inspiring others to become more active in 2014 and challenge themselves, personally.

One of the most common questions I hear is "Wow, you're running a half-marathon; so how many miles are you up to?" The question is innocent and very valid. The first week, my answer was sheepishly "one." This week, my answer is a confident "one to two miles."

Running with Sharon Kirby

Leading up to the Martinsville Half-Marathon, I'll feature the stories of other runners so you can hear different perspectives. Today's guest blogger is Sharon Kirby of Martinsville. Sharon is part of an amazing group of ladies who are all wives, mothers and professionals. Not only do they share a lifelong friendship together but also the love of running. 

It was just over a year ago while on vacation with a couple of girlfriends that the idea of training for a half marathon came up.  

The discussion started at breakfast while the three of us sat around relaxing, enjoying our morning coffee.  It went something like this, “So T, how do you stay in such great shape?”……”I try to squeeze in a run several times a week; maybe 3-4 miles.  Hey, I have an idea!  Let’s all train for a half marathon!” And I, being a loyal friend, agreed without much thought or hesitation.  

Let the Journey Begin

Repeat after me..."I can run a half-marathon... I can run 13.1 miles... I can do this."

That was the synopsis of the internal pep-talk I had a few weeks ago after Brad Kinkema, the Executive Director of the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA, asked me to run the Martinsville Half-Marathon. It wasn't the first time he asked... Brad has been asking me to run for two years now!

To give you a little background, as the Director of Tourism for Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia, I've had some involvement with the Martinsville-Half Marathon, 5K & Relay ever since it's inception in 2011. It's a very popular event and many out of town visitors participate in it. Each year I have served on the race advisory committee to assist with marketing of the event and arrange lodging/shuttle packages for visiting runners. On race days my staff and I have manned cheering/music stations throughout the route. There is a small army of staffers, committee members and volunteers behind the scenes that make these races a success. The Martinsville Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay is a fun event and there is such a positive energy in the air but up until now I have been perfectly satisfied with my role on the sidelines.

I'm not a true runner. I've participated in a few 5Ks before and even completed the Harvest Moon Run 10K in 2011 as a personal challenge but I'm not a formally trained runner. Each time Brad asked if I would run the half-marathon in the past I would just laugh.