My First Tattoo

I've always thought about getting a tattoo, but was never very serious about it until a few years ago. I decided it was something I wanted to do, kind of a "bucket list" item for me, I guess. But I had two problems: 

1. I didn't know where I wanted it (on my body).

2. I had no idea what I wanted it to be.

Kind of big things to figure out, right? So I just kept it in the back of my mind. About a year ago, I decided that I loved little wrist tattoos, so that's where I wanted to get mine. I liked that it was something I could see, but could also easily cover up if I needed to. 

Now to the other problem; what to get. I wanted it be something with meaning, not something that I just thought was cool. I'm really in to arrows, I think they are super cute, especially a little wrist arrow tattoo. But I worried that in 5 or 10 years, I might not think it's cute anymore. I wanted something that would always have meaning. When Kevin and I decided to run a marathon last year, we both decided we wanted to get a tattoo of our accomplishment after the race.

I browsed Pinterest and decided I wanted a roman numeral of 26.2 (total miles of a marathon) on my wrist. So last October, a few days after we completed the Grand Rapids Marathon, we both went and got tattoos!

Right after getting it done.

Kevin's tattoo

It's been over six month and I still love my tattoo. Small and simple, but has a huge meaning. I have no plans of getting another one any time soon, but I'm not opposed to it either. 

The Time I Ran a Marathon

Today marks five weeks since Kevin and I ran our first marathon, and I'm just now writing about it. It still doesn't seem real. I can't believe we actually did it. 

We had been watching the weather all week, leading up to the race. We were hoping it would change, but it didn't. Rain. And wind. And cold. We were going to get all of it. We didn't actually have any "waterproof" running gear. We had trained all summer and not once did we encounter any rain. Lots of hot, humid days, but no rain. Sure, we've run in the rain before, but not for 26.2 miles. The day before the race, we decided we should see if we could find something that might help us stay dry.

Saturday, October 14, we headed to the packet pick up/expo. We picked up our packets and each bought a Grand Rapids Marathon sweatshirt. We checked out the running gear at the expo and all of the rain gear was super expensive. We didn't want to pay $100+ each, so we decided to check out some other places. 

We ended up stopping at a golf course that was having an end of season sale on all of their gear. We each bought a wind/rain breaker-type shirt and decided that would be good. We spent that rest of the day at home, relaxing. It was hard to sleep that night. I was so nervous, but excited too. 

Sunday, October 15, we got up early, ate some breakfast and got ready. Kevin's mom, brother, and sister-in-law came and picked us up at about 6:45 am. We got downtown, parked, and heading to the start area. At this point, it was still dark, but the temps were in the low 60s. A little windy, but not bad. And no rain! We hung out for a little bit, took some photos, then headed to the start line.

before the race!

(Note: I had never run in a hat, ever, before this race. With the rain and wind that was expected, I was hoping it would keep it out of my eyes. Best decision ever.)

We got to the start line and it was getting real. We were doing this. And so were thousands of other people. Just a few minutes before the race started, it started pouring. We were soaked before we even got started. All we could do was laugh. There was nothing we could do about the weather, so no point in getting mad about it.

All the people waiting at the start.

Selfie in the start line before the rain started.

At 8:00 am, the race started. We were off for the longest run of our lives. I had serious doubts in myself. I thought for sure I would hit a wall, mentally, where I would think I couldn't finish. I had to tell myself to be positive the entire time. I was really careful not to start too fast, because I didn't want to burn out before the finish. We saw both of our families at the start, cheering us on. They were out there in the rain, getting soaked, just to see us start. That definitely gave me some energy and motivation right from the start.

After about mile three or four, I was getting too warm, so I took of my yellow long sleeve and ditched at one of the aid stations. Our feet were soaked already, but we kept going. I counted down every mile. I remember when we hit six miles, and I said "only 20 more to go!" In the back of my mind, I thought there was no way I could run 20 more miles. But we kept going. Only walking at the aid stations while getting a drink and/or fuel (I can't drink and run at the same time...I spill and choke lol). We saw Kevin's family around mile 2 or 3, and they took orders for dry clothes :)

Around mile ten, we were greeted by both of our families. They had towels and dry clothes. My coat was keeping me fairly dry, so I just wiped my face and hands off with the towel. Kevin put on a dry shirt and his wind/rain breaker. We were carrying dry socks in ziplock bags, and around mile 13, we ditched our sopping wet socks for the dry ones. But about a mile later, our feet were soaked again. 

Around mile 16 or 17, Kevin was having some cramping issues in his leg, so he insisted I keep going ahead of him, since I was feeling ok (I mean, every part of my body hurt, but I wasn't cramping). I hated going ahead of him, because we had trained together for four months, and wanted to do the race together too. But he kept insisting, so I ended up going ahead. 

Mile 20 was my fastest mile, by about a minute. I think that was the point where I realized I was actually going to do it. I was actually going to finish. I was going to run a marathon. I settled down, and got back on pace so that I didn't burn out before the last six miles were done. The last three miles were the hardest. I was so tired. Every part of my body hurt. I was wet and cold. But I kept going. And I did it. I crossed that finish line!

And not long after I finished, Kevin crossed the finish line. That's when the tears came. We did it. We both did it. Something that only 0.5% of the US population has done, and we did it. 

It rained, the entire time. For 5+ hours. It was also really windy. And the temps dropped all day. So while it started in the low 60s, it was in the upper 40s/low 50s when we finished. I think there may have been a brief time where it cleared up, but we were on trails in parks, with lots of trees. And since it was so windy, the water was blowing off the trees, so it felt like it was raining anyway. Even with the less than ideal conditions, we did it. I couldn't be more proud of us. The four months of training paid off, and we finished!

The course was great and the race director and volunteers were even better. They were out in that cold, wet weather for us. They handed us drinks and fuel, and cheered us on. I'm so thankful that the Grand Rapids Marathon was our first. Such a great experience! 

After the race, we went home, got out of our cold, wet clothes, took hot showers, and tried to relax. But we were so tired and sore, we couldn't get comfortable. No matter which way we sat or laid, we were uncomfortable. Around 6:00 pm, we decided to lay in bed and watch tv for the rest of the night. We both had to go to work the next morning, and that was rough. But not as rough as Tuesday. That was the worst day for me. I limped when I walked for about 4 or 5 days. Any slight incline or decline was torture. Steps were killer. I've never been so sore in my life. But I guess that's what running 26.2 miles will do :)

Running Fuel

Catch up on my running series with these posts:

My Running Story

Apps, Watches, & Training Plans

Must-Have Running Gear

When you start running longer distances, keeping your body hydrated and properly fueled is extremely important. This is definitely the part of running that I struggle the most with, and know the least about, but I'm learning.

Up until I started training for a marathon, I didn't use any special fuel. I just drank water and sometimes gatorade. When I would do races, I would drink some water at each aid station, and mix in gatorade a couple times if it was more than a 10k race. When I would do training runs, I'd just wear my running belt (talked about here) with two water bottles. But now that I'm running for 2.5 - 3+ hours for my long runs, I know I have to do more to keep my body fueled.

A lot of runners I've talked to use some form of Gu. I've tried it, but there's something about the texture that I just can't do. So, I've been using Gatorade Chews. They taste good and don't have a weird texture. They are kind of like a big fruit snack, which is probably why I like them. When I know I'm going to run more than 6 or 7 miles, I eat one chew every two miles. I don't wait until I start feeling like I need something, because it takes my body too long to recover. Every two miles I eat a chew and drink some water. So far, it's been working pretty well for me.

I've noticed that I start getting hungry around mile 11 or 12, so I think I may need to try and add more in to my runs. I've heard of people eating pretzels, cookies, oranges, and gummy bears during runs, so I may try adding one of those to my longer runs to see if it helps with the hunger.

I also make sure to drink lots of water the week leading up to a long run or race, and drink some gatorade the night before.

My advice would be to try a few things and see what works best for you. Everyone is different, but just make sure you are staying hydrated during your runs. And whatever you do during your training, don't change it up on race day, because you don't know how your body will react to something different. 

If you're a runner, I'd love to know how you stay fueled during long runs. I'm still figuring this part out, so all advice is appreciated!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Must-Have Running Gear

Past Running Series Posts:

My Running Story

Apps, Watches, & Training Plans

When I started running, I literally had some tennis shoes and an armband to hold my phone. Once I got more serious about running, I found out there is so much more that goes in to making your runs successful. Now that I've been running for a few years, and running longer distances, I've found some things that work and don't work for me. So today I'm sharing some of my favorite running gear.

Shoes - When I first started running, my longest runs were only three miles, so I was able to run in my Nike shoes that I had been wearing for years. However, when I got in to training harder and longer runs, I bit the bullet and invested in better shoes. We have stores in Grand Rapids (Gazelle and Striders) that will actually fit you with a running shoe. My first "real" running shoe was the Saucony Ride 9. I learned that running shoes wear out after a certain number of miles (usually around 300-400 miles), so I just recently got the Saucony Ride 10. Once you start getting serious about running and getting in more than a few miles a week, I definitely recommend investing in a good running shoe. 

Socks - I never realized that socks can make a difference in running. A few months ago, I started getting blisters on the ball of foot, near by big toe. They were painful when running and I'd have to pop some of them after a long run. It was pretty miserable. I'll spare you and won't post any photos. I invested in a few pairs of good socks, all different brands. Those socks, along with putting on lotion on my feet before each run, helped a ton. I no longer have any blisters, which is making my runs much more enjoyable. I have Swiftwick, Smartwool, and Thorlo socks and I'd recommend all of them. The Thorlo socks actually have padding in the exact spot I needed, so I used those a lot until my blisters were healing.

Clothes - I'm not picky when it comes to running clothes. Something comfortable and moisture wicking is all I need. Most of my running clothes are from Target and Old Navy and I've been really happy with them. I've also picked up a few things from the Adidas Outlet store near me and I really love their shorts. I wear pants, capris, shorts, tanks, and long sleeves, depending on the weather. Gloves and a headband in the winter when it's cold...but I don't want to think about that yet. 

Running Belt - Now that I'm running longer distances, I use a running belt to old water and fuel. I use a Nathan Running Belt and I love it. There are a ton of them out there, so just find what is comfortable for you.

Reflective Gear - When I'm running early in the morning and it's not quite light out yet, I make sure to wear a reflective arm band, along with bright clothing. There are tons of options for these, just make sure you wear something so drivers can see you!

Head Bands - In the winter I wear a headband to keep my ears warm and my hair out of my face, but the rest of the time I just wear athletic headbands. I hate when hair touches my neck when I'm running, because then I sweat and it sticks to me. So annoying. I've found the adidas headbands are great (picked them up at the local outlet store). But anything similar seems to work for me.

What are some of your favorite work out items? Special shoes? Clothing brand? Random thing you can't live without now that you have it?


*This post contains affiliate links.

My Favorite Apps, Watches, and Training Plans for Running

I wasn't sure what topic I wanted to cover first in these running posts, but I figured training plans were a good place to start. I want to remind you that I am not an expert on running. I'm just sharing what I've learned over the past several years, things that I liked/didn't like, and things that worked/didn't work for me. I was constantly searching Google and Pinterest for all sorts of running information when I first started, so I'm hoping some of this may be helpful to others during their research.

When I decided to sign up for a race, I wanted to find a training plan to get me ready. I downloaded the free C25k app (couch to 5k) and used it to get me started. It worked really well for me because it started out small, which is what I needed. Just a few days a week, and more walking than running to start. When I first started, I could barely run for 30 seconds at a time, but by the end, I ran my first 5k and felt pretty good about it!

Photos from the Fifth Third Riverbank Run. I ran the 25k (15.5) miles, which is my furthest run so far.

While using the C25k app, it told me when to run and when to walk, but I wanted something that would track my distance and pace (C25k may be different now, but at the time, it didn't have those features). I didn't have any type of running watch or step tracker, so I used a free app on my phone called Map My Run. The app uses the GPS on your phone to track your distance, pace, duration, speed, and it creates a map of your route. I used it a lot when I first started running and really liked it. 

At that point I was running pretty often, so I decided I wanted a step counter/tracker. So Kevin and I both got the Fitbit Flex. I know that Fitbit has a ton of other versions available now, but I liked the Flex because it was small and I could still wear it with a watch and bracelets and it didn't stick out (see photo below). You could also easily change out the bands so they matched your outfit if you wanted. I was able to use my Fitbit to not only track my steps through out the day, but also to track my runs (pace, distance, etc.). The app allowed you to compete in different challenges with your friends, which was a great motivator. I used my Fitbit Flex for about two years before it stopped working. I didn't have good luck with their customer service, so I decided to switch to a different product at this point. (However, my sister has had great luck with their customer service and has upgraded to another Fitbit product, so sounds like the customer service isn't all bad.)

wearing my Fitbit Flex (next to my watch) in this pic...not very noticeable

After my Fitbit quit working, I decided to upgrade my step tracker. At this point, I was a little more serious about running, and had started training for my first half marathon. After talking to a few serious runners at work, I decided to switch to a Garmin watch. Specifically the Garmin Forerunner 230. Garmin has a lot of different options, but after some research, I decided this model was the one that would be best for me in terms of features and cost. I've had my watch for almost a year and I love it. It does pretty much everything. Tracks distance, pace, steps, etc. It also syncs to your watch so you can get texts, notifications, answer/decline phone calls, and more (or less if you don't want any of that coming through to your watch). 

The Garmin Connect app records all of your runs and allows you to connect with friends, similar to the way Fitbit does. It also syncs with My Fitness Pal (app that you can use to log what you eat and other workouts), if you use it. A feature of Garmin Connect that I just started using a few months ago is the Training Plan section. You can pick your race distance (5k, half marathon, etc), put in the race date, pick your running level, and it will create a training plan for you. Kevin and I have both been using it for just over two months to train for our marathon. We'll see how the marathon goes, but I know I'm getting faster, because I cut over 1:30 off of my best 5k record while on the plan. I've been pretty happy with it so far, and plan to use it to train for future races too.

I know that was a lot of information, so here's a quick breakdown that's a little easier to follow:

Training Plans

Used in the Past: C25k (Couch to 5k training app)

Currently Using: Garmin Connect (all different distance and levels of training plans)

Apps

Used in the past: Map My Run, Fitbit

Currently Using: Garmin Connect

Step Trackers/Running Watches

Used in the Past: Fitbit Flex

Currently Using: Garmin Forerunner 230

Overall, I've been happy with every training plan, app, and watch I've used, but I'm definitely loving my Garmin the most. The Garmin watches can be quite the investment, especially if you are just starting out, but for someone who is running pretty often, I'd definitely recommend it. 

If you're a runner, leave a comment telling me your favorite training plans, apps, or running watches!

*This post contains affiliate links.

My Running Story

Last week I said I was going to start a running series on my blog. Today I'm starting by sharing how I got started with this whole running thing in the first place.

I've always considered myself athletic, but I was never a runner. I started playing sports what I was young, and continued through high school. I played softball, basketball, and was a cheerleader all four years of high school (and all the years leading up to high school). In middle school I played volleyball for a year and was on the track team, along with basketball, softball, and cheerleading. That still doesn't mean I was a runner. In track competed in two field events (long jump and high jump) and one track (running) event. And it was the shortest running distance in track, the 100 meter dash. So I was definitely never a runner.

After high school, I played on my church basketball league for a couple of years and played some slow pitch co-ed softball. I still play softball, but if you know much about co-ed, slow pitch softball, you know it doesn't involve a ton of running (at least in the leagues that I play in). 

After I had been in Grand Rapids for a few years, some of my friends convinced me to sign up for a 5k race (you can read about it HERE). The longest distance I had ever run before that was one mile, and I'm pretty sure that was back in 8th or 9th grade when we had to do it for gym class. But I downloaded the couch to 5k app and started training. My first race was a fun Halloween 5k with three of my friends. After running that first race, I was hooked. I wanted to get faster. So I kept signing up for races. Being signed up for races is what motivated me to run and train. 

before my first race

After running a few 5ks, I decided to make it my goal to run one in under 30 minutes. It took me about two years to reach that goal. Once I did it, I decided I'd try to run a 10k. I ran my first 10k in May 2016. After my first 10k, I realized it was that bad and I thought maybe I could do a little bit longer distance. So I decided to sign up for a 10 mile race, since it was only 4 more miles. After that race, I figured a half marathon was only 3 more miles, so what why not try it? So I signed up for my first half marathon, which I ran in October 2016. It was the hard, but I wanted to beat my time, so I signed up for another half marathon in April 2017 and then the Riverbank Run 25k in May 2017. That race is still the furthest distance I have ever run: 15.5 miles. I can't believe I came from barely making it 3 miles, to 15.5 miles and now training for a marathon. 

Running was so hard for me in the beginning but I have grown to love it. I never feel bad after going for a run, but I definitely regret the runs I skip. 

And that's pretty much it. My friends convinced me to do a race, and the rest is history. What's your story? Are you a runner? How did you get started? 

New Blog Series

About seven weeks ago, Kevin and I "officially" started training for a marathon. The race is in October and we have nine weeks of training left to go. We had been running before we started this training, but not as often and definitely not as far. Since it feels like my life currently revolves around running, I thought I'd start a little running series on my blog. 

I'm definitely not a pro, but I've been running for several years now, and wanted to share everything I've learned so far. I'll share my story of how I got started running, how it's been going, and where I'm at now (you'll learn that I was definitely NOT a runner when I started). I'll follow up with posts about technology & apps, shoes/apparel, fuel/hydration, races, and everything in between.

I know not everyone is a runner, and not all of this will be focused on just running. A lot of it could be applied to many different types of exercise. I'll share playlists and songs that motivate me, what workout clothes I like best, other types of exercise I do besides running, and more. So if you're not a runner, you might still find some of the information interesting and useful.

I'll plan to do these running posts on Wednesdays, so look for the first post coming your way next week. And if you have any questions, ideas, thoughts, comments, etc. that might be helpful for this series, send them my way!

After my furthest run to date (25k = 15.5 miles).

12 in 12

In 2016, I ran 12 races. It wasn't a goal of mine when I started the year, but around August, I realized it was going to happen and I was kind of proud of it. And even though I titled this post "12 in 12" it was actually 12 races in 10 months. 

7: 5ks (3.1 miles)

1: Marathon Relay (5 miles)

2: 10ks (6.2 miles)

1: 10 Miler

1: Half Marathon (13.1 miles)

When I started running about four years ago, I never even dreamt about running a half-marathon. Three miles was more than enough for me. But once I reached my time goal for my 5k (under 30 minutes), I decided to try a 10k. And then I thought it wasn't so bad, so I tried the 10 mile race. And then I figured what the heck, what's three more miles? And I did it. I ran 13.1 miles. Sometimes I still can't believe I was able to do it. I'm definitely not fast, but that isn't my goal. My goal is just to get out there and do it.

source

So what's next? Well, I might be losing my mind, but I am planning to run a marathon in 2017! 26.2 miles. I can't even comprehend that right now. I am signed up for a half-marathon in April, and a 25k (15.5 miles) in May, so I'm preparing for an October marathon. 

But do you know the best part? Kevin (my husband) is going to run it with me! As much as I never thought I'd attempt it, I never x100 thought Kevin would. He never understood why I ran or did races, but now that he's been running, I think he's getting addicted too. And I'm not mad about it.

As of right now, my only goal is to finish. As I train, I hope to come up with a time goal to try and beat. Wish me luck! And if you have any tips for a first-time marathoner, send 'em my way!

Vacation Recap: St. Ignace & Mackinac Island

Last Wednesday night, Kevin and I made the 4 hour drive up to St. Ignace, where we stayed until Sunday. We stayed in a cute hotel right on the lake, with a balcony and view of Mackinac Island. When I signed up for The Great Turtle Trail Run Half Marathon (long name) on Mackinac Island, we decided to make a little vacation out of it and head up a coupe of days early. It was the perfect get away. We relaxed, ate good food, played tourist, and I ran my first half marathon!

View from the balcony of our room. I could wake up to that every morning!

Our room even had a cute little fire place!

We slept in on Thursday morning and it felt amazing not waking up to an alarm! We got up, ate breakfast, then went for a run around downtown St. Ignace. After showering and getting ready, we walked around the little shops and bought a few things before heading to lunch. When we planned this trip, I knew we had to try a pastie while we were up north. Pasties are basically like pot pies, without the pot. I'd only heard of them, but never had one, so I was skeptical, but OMG it was sooo good! We went to Lehto's Pasties and we will definitely go back next time we are up north.

After stuffing our faces, we went to the casino, ate dinner, then headed to a little movie theater where we saw The Account (great movie, definitely recommend it).

Driving across the Mackinac Bridge on the way to the movie.

This picture doesn't even come close to showing it, but the fall colors were amazing every where we went.

Friday morning we slept in again (glorious) and then caught a ferry over to Mackinac Island. We again played tourist (even thought we've both been there before) and walked around all of the shops. We decided to take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the island, which we had never done before. I would definitely recommend doing that if you ever go to Mackinac Island. All of our random questions we had were answered, we learned a lot, and also got to see a lot of the island that we had never seen before.

View of the Mackinac Bridge from the island.

One of the many beautiful homes on the island. Kevin thought it was so weird that I took a picture of someone's house.

Our horses!

Took a little break on the carriage ride to let the horses rest. Beautiful views everywhere!

The carriage tour stopped at Arch Rock. One of my favorite places on the island.

Our horses Rosco (left) and Bill (right).

After the horse tour we went and picked up our race packets and then caught a ferry back to our hotel, where we relaxed for the rest of the night.

Saturday morning we were up early so we could catch a ferry to the island for our races! I ran the half marathon and Kevin did the 5.7 mile race. Even though I had been training, I was not prepared for all of the hills on this race. They were intense. And there were a lot of them. The first two miles and the last two miles were on the outside of the island, but the middle 9 miles were all run on trails through out the island. I didn't have a time goal for this, just to run the entire time, which I did, so I was happy. My time ended up being 2:30:17 (I could be off on the seconds...but it was 2 hours and 30 minutes). Kevin killed it in his race...he ran lot of hills too and his time was great! Just over 51 minutes.

Ready for our races! Don't let the sun fool you, it was only a high of 49 degrees that day!

Heading to the finish line. Dead tired lol

I did it! 13.1 miles!

This was the area where our run started and finished. Like said, beautiful everywhere!

We were exhausted and sore after the race, so we caught a ferry back to St. Ignace, grabbed some food, and then sat in the hot tub at the hotel for a little while before heading back to the room to pass out.

Sunday morning we packed up, headed home, picked up Admiral, and spent the rest of the day watching football and doing laundry. It was such a great mini-vacation. Kevin and I had a blast relaxing and enjoying our time together. I love that we were able to take this little trip together, especially have after a crazy busy summer. It was nice to just relax and enjoy our time together.

- Ericka