Revolutionary Update: Becca

Remember Becca? She's one of our Fitness Revolutionaries who was working toward completing her first half-marathon. Guess what? She did it, triumphantly completing the super-soggy Maine Half-Marathon in Portland a few weeks back. Yea Becca!! We asked Becca about her experience and here's what she had to say:

The half marathon was great and so empowering to finish a race in such suboptimal conditions. It was cold and wet...and did I mention wet?! I was still very nervous because I felt ill prepared again, because I was sick most of the month of August and unable to run. I wasn't going to let that stop me, but I was certain I was going to have to take it very slow. I ran with two good friends and we had a great time. I know we could've run faster because we spent far too much time chatting and getting to know the people around us. My kids came to watch me, in the pouring rain. That was extremely emotional for me. They already couldn't understand why I was running a race I had no hope of winning and then they were very confused to see me crying each time I saw them. A very emotional day....but I can't wait to do it again.

My goal for 2012 is to find a race in the spring. I found the training to be difficult with the children home in the summer. I also hope to run a good bit faster. Less talking and more pain. Haha

So, hopefully the next time you hear from me I will have completed my second half marathon with a new personal best time. My second goal is to not being crying as I cross the finish line so I have a better picture:)

As a final note, my favorite sign from the race was Run Like a Mother. I need that bumper sticker.

Congrats Becca on an amazing accomplishment! We can't wait to see you crossing the finish line with a great big smile at the next one!

Running Scared This Weekend!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Put on your Halloween costume and head on over to Hartland for the 2nd 5k in the Teachers on the Run Series. The Costume Party 5k is scheduled for 9am on Saturday, October 29th starting at the Hartland Consolidated School at 62 Elm St in Hartland. You can register before the race by contacting Mary Graziano at marygraziano1026@gmail.com or 207.317.0708 or register on race day between 8:15 and 8:45am. Best of all, the cost is only $3 which goes towards race prizes and the construction of a walking/running track at the Hartland Consolidated School. Hope to see you there!

On Sunday, consider venturing down to Freeport for the Lipgloss4lives second annual Spooky 5k at 9am. The race course takes you by not just one, but two spooky graveyards and the proceeds go to the Carol Kaplin fuel assistance program for the 2011/2012 heating season.  Last year's race raised $1800 to help keep local families warm and the race organizers are aiming to double that figure this year.  Plus, there will be fun for the whole family with a FREE 100yd fun dash for the kiddos and a pirate graveyard with treasures to be found.  Sounds like a great time for a great cause.  All our best to Sue and Jen who are planning to run that one! 

Plus, a shout out to Mark and April who are running their first full marathons in Washington DC on Sunday at the Marine Corps Marathon! Go get 'em guys!

Wednesday Wisdom: It's Still A Mile

I was poking around on the interwebs the other day (Pinterest, my new productivity black hole!) and found this image that I had to share because it's so awesome:

From ourtimetochange.tumblr.com

Go ahead and check out the blog post it came from. I Love the message (and that is love with a capital L)!

No matter your pace, you still cover the same distance and are still out "making yourself a better version of you"! Keep at it!!

Meet Morgan - A Revolutionary and Fitness Phenom

To say Morgan is an inspiring person would be like saying Joan Benoit Samuelson is a decent runner. An understatement to say the least. Read about her journey into running.....



Passing by in a blur as she completes the Maine Half Marathon in 1:52:35!



       In May of 2010 I watched my husband run through fire, slog through a mud pond, and climb over walls all for the fun of it. He was racing in the Spartan Race in Vermont, one month before he would deploy to Afghanistan for ten months. It was an emotional time. That day we watched him go through all of these physical challenges which looked painful, but it was nothing compared to watching his sister hug him goodbye later that day. That part made me nauseous, but watching the race had made me oddly excited. A long lost part of my body remembered the excitement of racing, competing, and pushing itself to the max. I hated running, but I really, really love competing and I saw this race as a challenge. I decided that I would train while Lincoln was gone so that I could run it with him after he got back. This was a pivotal decision since I could have just stayed nauseous about all the goodbyes, but chose to focus on something more concrete and much healthier.
      

        It took all summer to get my legs back under me after he left. After the summer in Vermont, we came home to Maine to get back into a routine and figure out how to live our lives happily while he was away. That’s when I started running. Running had always been a chore for me. Something do be done in training for a sport that was more fun, or something that was free and relatively quick when I needed to get back into shape and sanity after babies. But it was always short lived because it hurt and it just wasn’t fun. This time was different. This time I had no time limit, I didn’t feel like I had to, I just wanted to be outside moving to let my brain take a break. I was slow and could only run about 20 minutes at first. But without really noticing (and once because I got lost in City Forest) I started going further. I decided to try and run the Komen Race for the Cure instead of walking. I hadn’t even run three miles yet, but I did 2.5 on the treadmill and figured I could do it. It was great. And I was hooked. I was a year round athlete in high-school but somewhere along the line those opportunities dwindle and life got in the way. After two kids, I thought my athlete days were over and was just hoping to be active.
      

        I ran the Healthy High 10K at UMO on the day that Lincoln flew back to the United States. It was a miserable day, but I could not have been happier. The fact that I had never run six miles before was minor. For the first time ever I found myself considering longer distances. My husband was home, but now I was running because it felt good, I felt good, and we were both in the best shape of our lives 7 years into marriage which is kind of a great side affect! We could even run together. He pushed me to run faster and challenge myself and I found out that I am not a bad runner. In fact, I might be a pretty good runner, and since I hated running just over a year ago, I feel like out of something bad came something pretty darn good.

I definitely see a few running awards in her future, don't you?  I can only hope to train with her at some point, so I can learn to run faster!  (Although secretly I'm really scared about keeping up!)  And this is just the beginning of her running career...I see great things, Morgan!  We love you, girl!





We Have a Winner!

Who won the fantastic Kashi giveaway? I plugged in the numbers at random.org, and this is what happened:

Congratulations to the Ramos Family! You've won an assortment of Kashi goodness! Just pop us an e-mail so we can be sure you receive your prize.

Didn't win this time? No fear. Keep an eye out for more giveaways coming soon!

MDI Race Report

I woke up Sunday morning at 4:50 am a bit groggy (that's putting it mildly...I mean it is 4:50), but knew it was going to be a beautiful day. I was headed to Mount Desert Island where I would be participating the the 10th annual MDI Marathon and Relay, a beautiful 26.2 mile course that winds it's way from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor, passing the beautiful rocky coast and quintessential coastal towns along the way. Sounds a bit cliche, doesn't it? A bit exaggerated maybe? Nope. It IS that picturesque. 

I drove down with Susan, a friend who was going to run the full marathon.  Amy and our friend Emilie (check her out at onemominmaine.com, or her new magazine, http://www.sparrowmagazine.com/issue01/) were going to meet us there - Amy, Emilie and I were running the marathon as a relay...meaning we each run a leg of the race - I would run the first 8.5 miles, Emilie would take the middle 10.2, and Amy would finish the last 7.5.  It's a great way to enjoy the race without running the whole thing!  In addition, our friend Casey (and her friend Denise) would be running her first full marathon.  I couldn't help but be excited for her.


Susan, Jen, Amy and Emilie



Casey, whizzing by somewhere around mile 25, smiling no less!

 

The hand-off at mile 8.5



Susan and Amy in the final stretch

Amy gearing up to run the last leg

Emile, having finished her 10.2 miles, off to bike the last 7.5!



I think I can safely say that we all had a great race.  Casey did a phenomenal job completing her first full marathon on a very tough course.  I imagine it is the first of many for this running star.  Susan got a PR at this race.  A PR!! I can't even tell you how amazing that is.  Have I mentioned this is a very hilly course?!  And Emilie, Amy and I?  We had a great time supporting and cheering each other on at each stage.  It was a very fun day, indeed.  Until next year.....

Revolutionary Update: Ericka

Remember Ericka, one of our featured Revolutionaries working toward her goal of completing a half-marathon? We recently caught up with Ericka who had this to say about her journey:

Howdy all! Hope everyone had a rejuvenating summer and did well in any of the races that you participated in. I am happy to report that I completed my first half marathon and despite the horrendous weather, really enjoyed myself. The energy of the runners at the starting line is contagious and the volunteers who stayed out in the cold, pouring rain were wonderful. In the running world my time was pretty slow, however my running buds and I still beat our expected time by 27 minutes! I would like to give a shout out to my family, especially my hubby, who brought the kids out to cheers us on during all of our long runs, including all dreary race day. I would also like to thank the lovely ladies of Mainely Running who convinced me to put on running shoes in the first place. Thanks for all of the advice and check-ins! I’m also happy to say that I finally understand the motivation and friendship that comes with running with someone else. This is a huge change for this once solo runner.


I came away from this experience with a couple of realizations. One being, that our bodies are a blessing and should not to be taken advantage of. Which, looking back, is exactly what I did for 30 years. This doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect ALL the time, just fairly consistent. I try to remember that it is a gift to be able to run and do the things that we want to. Also, like many of you, it seems that I have been severely underestimating myself. What else have I just dismissed because it seemed impossible? That is a truly excited feeling, and I am presently scheming up other crazy ideas. What have you wanted to do, but let it go because it seemed too big or too much to take on?


Thankfully, I’m hooked on running and my running buddy and I are already planning for the next race, which will either be the Brunswick half marathon or the 15K at Sugarloaf, this spring. Hope to see many of you there!


Ericka, we are so proud of all that you've accomplished and most of all that you had the courage to give it a shot! We can't wait to hear about what you're planning next!


Inspired by Ericka? Have your own story of goal setting to share? We want to hear from you! Contact us at info@mainelyrunning.com. We'll follow you and support you as one of our fitness revolutionaries. There's no better way to keep yourself accountable!

It's Giveaway Time!

In order to maintain the high energy level needed to run so many miles, we better eat healthy. Well, Dave Lamb, Chief Kashi Ambassador of Kashi Foods, thinks so too and wants to help us and you! He has graciously given us a number of Kashi products which we are giving away in a Kashi Prize Package. You will get a box (which includes six granola bars) of Pumpkin Spice Flax Crunchy Granola Bars, Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars, Honey Toasted 7 Grain Crunchy Granola Bars and Roasted Almond Crunch Crunchy Granola Bars....as well as an assortment of individual bars. What yummy Kashi-goodness! The winner will be randomly chosen and announced a week from today.
In order to enter, 'Like' us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and/or "Join our site" (over at the right). For each entry, leave us a separate comment on this post telling us what you did. (If you've already done those things, no prob - just leave a comment saying so!) That's it! For an extra entry, tell us in an additional comment what's your favorite on the go snack! Good Luck!

Our Purpose

This story was recently on a Portland, Maine news station. It is quite inspiring and really sums up the purpose of why Amy, Christine and I started Mainely Running to begin with. We were those folks who crossed the finish line of a 5K, truly amazed that we could ever accomplish such a feat. From that first 5k we slowly but surely increased our endurance, to the point we are at now...completing many races including numerous half and full marathons, and hopefully many more to follow. And that's not to say "Hey...look how much we've done, aren't we great?" but rather "Hey...look how much we've done...if we can do it, so can you!!" We want you to know that you CAN go out there with no running experience at all (because believe me, the three of us started from scratch) and with patience and perseverance, accomplish any fitness goal you choose; whether it be running, biking, swimming, skiing...... AND (and this is very important) know that you don't have to finish in front of the pack to feel accomplished. Finishing is an accomplishment. So hopefully you will be as inspired by this video as we are!

(If the video is temporarily not working click here)

Now get out there and start moving with us!

A Half Near Home!

After last weekend's waterlogged race, I was thrilled to wake up to sunny skies and warm temperatures this morning, just in time for the MAINEiacs Charities Half Marathon right here in Bangor. It was an out-and-back course starting in Bangor and winding into Hampden with rolling hills, lovely scenery and beautiful fall color. Although a much smaller event than the Maine Marathon and Half, it was just as well organized and supported. I think that the fabulous conditions had everyone in a good mood (it certainly did for me!), with runners greeting and cheering for each other as they passed on the course. A huge thanks to all of the wonderfully supportive volunteers organizing the race and along the course too - you guys were awesome!

Casey & Katie ready to run!

It was great to see some friendly faces out there today too. Congrats BJ, Casey and Katie on your second half-marathon in a week! Only 8 days ago, BJ and Katie had never run a half, and now they've got 2 under their belts. You guys rock! Plus, our very own revolutionary Jaime was out keeping up the great work and killing it on the course today too. Fabulous job to everyone who was out there today! I know I'm looking forward to next year's race!

A Riddle and A Race Report

What do Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cousteau and Noah have in common with Mainely Running?

They've all had notable adventures involving water! Although not the epic amounts of rain Noah had to deal with, Portland definitely gave its racers a run for their money...throwing cold temperatures, high wind and buckets of rain in their direction for most of the race.

Our race weekend started off as all in Portland do, with a trip to our favorite Italian pre-race eatery, Espo's Trattoria. This time we were accompanied by several friends and their family (and incredibly well-behaved children), and I think I can safely say we all enjoyed the festivities. A race in Portland just isn't the same without our usual meal of chicken parmigiana and chicken marsala!

Too soon came 5:45am Sunday morning. I'm not going to lie to you. When I woke up to darkness and torrential rain I really, REALLY wanted to roll over and go back to bed. As a mom of two young children who like to get up early, and said children being back at home and NOT in the hotel room...the temptation to lie quietly and listen to the rain was overwhelming.

I knew, however, as did Christine and Amy, there were a significant number of friends (many first timers) who would be joining us for this race...and that is something you don't want to miss.

So let me first congratulate Maria, Sam, Tara, Ericka, Katie, Kristy, Morgan, Jen, Kristin and Becca, who worked tirelessly over the past few months to train for their first half. Many of their training runs were done not in the cold, wet conditions they experienced on Sunday, but rather the humid, hot temperatures of summer. You should all be so proud of your accomplishment. No one can ever take away the amazing feeling of completing your first big race. Revel in it...you deserve it!

Casey, Emilie and Susan, veterans to the world of racing, you will never cease to amaze me. And you know, as do I, that with each race there is a learning curve. Both within the race itself, and a culmination of all the races you've completed. Perhaps that is why we love it (and hate it) so much...there is always something new to experience.

To the volunteers that stood in the rain for hours on end, we salute you. You went above and beyond on Sunday, cheering and handing out drinks and words of encouragement despite the lousy weather (yes, I did say lousy). I remember being somewhere around mile 11 and feeling particularly tired and cold. I came around a corner and there were several men and women cheering loudly with the best signs, two of which I remember... "chuck norris never ran a marathon" and "running takes balls. other sports just play with them". We'll all have to keep those in mind at our next race!

To those whose names I forgot to mention (I do apologize...my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be!), new friends that we met, and all others who completed the Maine Marathon/Half/Relay, congratulations! That was one tough race!


Check out our video fun HERE!

On the run in October

If you're looking for something to do over the next few weekends, you are in luck! We have a few local races coming up to keep you up and moving!

Coming up on October 8th, is the Tracks for Teachers 5k Fun Run and 1-mile Walk in Hampden benefitting the Mini-Grants for Teachers Fund of the MSAD #22 Education Foundation. Money raised will help fund creative and innovative projects in MSAD #22 schools. The race will begin and finish at Weatherbee Elementary School on Main Road North in Hampden on at 9 a.m., with registration from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. Walkers and runners may also preregister by downloading a registration form.

If you're looking for a slightly longer distance, why not try a half marathon 
right here in Bangor? On Sunday October 9th at 9am, the MAINEiacs Charities, the charitable arm of the Maine Air National Guard, will hold a half marathon starting at Gold's Gym (at the Holiday Inn) on Odlin Rd in Bangor. Register online or the day of the event starting at 7:30am at Gold's Gym.

The following weekend, join All Saints for the first Harvest 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at the Dorthea Dix Field on Mt. Hope Avenue in Bangor. This event will benefit All Saints Catholic School, and encourage the community to participate in a day of health and fitness. The one mile Fun Run will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by the 5K at 10:00 a.m.! All are welcome to participate, runners and walkers of all ages!! For more information, go to http://harvestrun.myevent.com/.

Then on Sunday October 23rd, don't forget about the Black Bear 5K at the University of Maine in Orono. The race starts at 11:00 AM and you can download a registration form here. Race day registration and number pick up will be in the All Purpose Room in the Memorial Gym from 9:30-10:50 am.


No excuses! It's time to get out and get running! 

Waterlogged

Amy, Christine and I woke up yesterday morning in our hotel room and turned on the 6am news. The director of the Maine Marathon was being interviewed, and his comments were a bit disheartening to say the least. "We expect people will drop out due to the weather" and "we don't expect any race records to be broken today". These comments, followed by the meteorologist talking about the "cold, driving rain with gusts up to 30mph" were a bit daunting. Still, there was a race to be run, so we laced up our sneakers and headed out the door. What happened next? You're just going to have to wait to find out! There are many great stories, pictures, people and video (once I recharge my battery so I can actually get to it) to share. There are folks to congratulate and people to thank. So stay tuned over the next few days....I promise you won't regret it!

This Weekend

There's a whole lot of running going on this weekend - Sunday in particular! We want to give a shout out to April, Becca*, Ericka*, Heather, Mia*, Morgan*, Sue*, Tara*, Maria* as well as Casey, Craig, Emilie, Katie, Kristy, Sam and Shane running the Maine Half-Marathon and Jen*, Terry* and Kate running the Maine Marathon all in Portland this weekend. You guys are going to rock it!! All of our best for a great runs to David and Mary who are going to be looking strong in the Smuttynose Marathon just south in Portsmouth, NH. We can't wait to hear about everyone's experiences!!

If all of that half and full marathon running has you inspired, head on over to the Peace, Water, and Wisdom 5K Race on Sunday at the Bangor Waterfront. This 5k has been organized by the John Bapst Student Environmental Action Committee (SEAC) and all proceeds benefit the BARKA Foundation, which works to provide clean water and sanitation skills to the people of Burkina Faso. Registration (t-shirt/number pickup, and registration for those who did not pre-register) is set to begin at 9:00 A.M. followed by a 10:00 A.M. race start for the runners and a 10:30 start for walkers.  Mainely Runner Anita is planning to be there - have a great run Anita!

Have a great weekend and happy running!