[Mandy] We had a JAM PACKED day planned for this Saturday’s training.  I only had a 13 mile recovery run to knock out, but Christopher was going to try to get in something of a simulation for his race in September.  He we going to run the first 4 miles with me, bike alongside me during my run, and then finish the last two miles of my run to practice the transition between biking and running.  We borrowed a kayak from Christopher’s brother, Bryan, and he wanted to get a feel for it before the Wakarusa.  To top it off, we had plans to hit up the gym to get in a quick lift to round out the day.

I was *exhausted* from the moment the alarm went off in the morning, and nothing in me actually wanted to run.  This is unusual for me; I’m normally pumped and ready to go, but I felt drained on every level from the week before and  just didn’t have it in me today.  Knowing I needed to do this, I pounded my Ephedra Tea and tried to get my head screwed on straight.  Logically I knew that this was a shorter long run, but it was still 13 miles, and I knew it could be killer if I wasn’t prepared!  We ran the first 4 miles together, which I was thankful for, and then I was able to pull out the next 7 miles which felt to me to be a snail’s pace. It’s kind of crazy, but running slower is actually harder when you’re trying to pull out that kind of mileage.  I was simply plodding along, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, slowly but surely crossing off the next mile.  After I had finished 11 miles, Christopher racked his bike and ran the last two with me.  I was so grateful to have him with me, pushing me to finish those remaining miles!  I attibute my lack of energy and drive this week to lack of sleep. This week my focus is on feeling rested and doing everything I can to get my body back to a state of feeling 100% on every level.  I was so happy to grab my mountain bike at the end of my run and do a leisurely 4 mile ride with Christopher.  Afterwards we each took a few turns on the kayak and  and topped off the day with a quick lift at Gold’s Gym.  I have to say we did a great job of exhausting ourselves today!  Next week I have a couple 8 mile tempo and interval runs during the week and a long run on Saturday of 18 miles.  I have to admit I’m really excited to tackle this next obstacle, as it’s been about 10 months since I’ve run this distance.  If I’m not looking forward to doing something outlandish or something that requires me to dig deep, I feel a bit lost.  This recovery week was almost difficult for me to enjoy because I lost that momentum I had going.  Tomorrow marks a new day of training, and I’m anxious to get underway.  I’m halfway through Marathon Training!

[Christopher] My confidence is really starting to escalate after this day; starting out with a 4 mile run and then finishing up the last 2 miles with Mandy seemed rather effortless. My knees and my shins are really holding pretty solid, and the pain that I used to have seems minimal. I’m hoping that this will only get better with time. I believe that I owe that to the Vibrams shoes. They really help my joints from impact, and at the same time help build my calves. A mix of the running, biking and kayaking was a good taste of what is to come with my Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge. With only a couple weeks until D-Day, I’m getting excited. My first “official” race on my own; I’m all growns up, with the help of Mandy. Take a look at some of the activities we got in on Saturday. What an awesome day!

5:00 AM came way too early.  We were up before the sun in a vain attempt to beat the heat of the day.  It was already incredibly humid even though the temperature only read 80° when we awoke.  We cranked up the music, made our protein shakes, packed our bags, lathered on sunscreen, and hopped in the Jeep to head to Smithville Lake.  We made our traditional pit-stop at the QT in Smithville for water, gatorade, ice and post-workout shakes and parked in the lot at the Smoke and Davey Trail.  By the time we got running, it was already a balmy 85°.  The first 4 miles we ran together.  Christopher was running effortlessly, practically gliding along the trail smiling and easing into his run.  His knee and shins which were previously sore and achy weren’t giving him the problem he had anticipated.  He has been focusing on his form and making sure each step is purposeful so that he does not injure or strain anything from the waist down.  I, on the other hand, was struggling from the start.  The humidity zapped me of my strength and made me feel like I was breathing water.  At the end of the 4 miles with Christopher I shuddered to think that I still had 9 MORE TO GO.  Christopher was happy with his run and was pleasantly surprised that he was not in pain like he usually is when he finishes a run! He happily jumped on his bike (he brought along his Traveler to try with his new birthday present: DZR clip shoes!) and met back up with me on the trail to continue on with my 13 mile run.

The temperature and humidity continued to climb, and I resigned myself to the fact that this was going to be a less than stellar run with a new goal of simply finishing.  My pace had slowed, and it felt like I was concentrating on throwing one foot in front of the other to keep plodding on.  Christopher kept me hydrated with water and Gatorade, and he handed off my Power Bar energy gel (I love the vanilla or strawberry flavored with 25 mg of caffeine) at the 9 mile marker.  Each step I pondered throwing in the towel, but after Christopher threatened to blast me with some pop music like Britney Spears because I was being a “puss,” it made me giggle, “man up” and finish up the rest of the run.  He knows exactly what it takes to fire me up and dig deep for that inner rage to keep me going!

Well after my 13 mile run and Christopher’s cumulative 18 miles biking & running, we rewarded ourselves again with a dip in the lake!  The water was extremely refreshing, and it made the effort, sweat, and near temper tantrum worthwhile We finished out the third week of training for our respective races, and we’re looking forward to starting the 4th week with renewed motivation and focus.  Check out a short video of our day below!

Thanks for coming along on our adventures!

M&C

At the end of the first week of my marathon training and Christopher’s Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge training, we decided to head outdoors.  We had a successful first week of runs, bike rides, and lifts, and we were excited for our long run on the trails at Smithville Lake followed by a bike ride and quick dip in the lake. 

We got up by 6:30 in the morning to get an early start; but by the time we loaded up our bikes, packed our bags, stopped by QT for supplies and hit the trails, it was already a steamy 87 degrees.  We ran the first 4 miles together; this was Christopher’s scheduled long run in preparation for the running portion of his race.  He did a fantastic job (considering this is the longest he has run) and ran all 4 miles like a champ! After testing out a few other running shoes, he ended up going with the Vibram Bikilas, and they worked out great on his first outdoor venture.  The goal is to work up to a 6 mile trail run non-stop by September 10th.  Although Christopher still doesn’t get the whole “running business,” he still welcomes it as a challenge. 

After the 4 miles we stopped back by the Jeep so Christopher could grab his bike.  We guzzled some water and hit the trails so I could finish up the remaining 6, making my run a total of 10 miles.  By the end of the run, it was getting VERY hot, and I was thankful to have Christopher supply me with water and gatorade along the way.  I was really looking forward to today’s run as it marked the first official long run of training season; and call me sick, but I love the thought that 10 miles is the shortest of my weekend runs that I’ll get to do. I was thinking about the upcoming training season as I was running, and I was growing more and more excited, which made me feel stronger.  My foot is still somewhat achy and healing from my injury, but I’m confident that with proper training and attention I can get it back to normal soon.  

At the end of the run I also hopped on my bike, and we rode the trails for another 6 miles enjoying the gorgeous afternoon.  We had worked up quite a sweat and earned our jump in the lake at the end of our workout!

Happy 4th!

Christopher & Mandy

Hey all, Mandy here! Today I had scheduled a 15 mile recovery run, so Christopher and I decided to head to Smithville Lake to run/ride the trails around the lake. After getting up at 7:00 AM, making protein shakes, and realizing we were much too tired to venture out for our workout, we went right back to bed until 11:00 We accurately read our bodies and decided rest was much more important at this point!

We stocked up on water, gatorade, energy drinks, and protein drinks and made our way up north to a convenient rest area right next to the lake. The pizza, Yogurtini, Panera scones, and late night Chinese feast the day before did my glycogen levels some good, and I was happy to find that I was rested and recovered enough from my 20 mile run the week before. We plotted out a 4.25 mile course to run out and back, putting us at 8.5 miles back to the Jeep to replenish our fuel supply. Christopher biked ahead of me…my favorite view is seeing him on his bike, riding ahead and enjoying the day We saw our fair share of nature today, as the pictures will tell. It was a gorgeous day; it was 80 degrees, sunny, fairly low humidity, and there were a ton of people out on the lake, enjoying the few remaining days of summer.

Embarrassing enough, I have to admit I had a “girl moment” out on the trail today. About 11 miles into my run, I realized I hadn’t seen Christopher in some time. He usually sticks close to me, and I don’t go more than 10 minutes or so without him coming back to check in on me (he takes such good care of me!). Considering we were out at Smithville today, and I knew he was taking some off-road trails while I was running the main trail, I tried to think nothing of it. After some time, I started to get a little worried and wondered if something had happened? As a girl, we’re always brought up to be “safe” and on guard about strangers and wandering off on our own; when by myself I usually carry pepper spray and keep my keys and cell phone close at hand. As Christopher has been biking alongside me during my long runs, I haven’t been as prepared as I usually am when I’m alone. Out on the trails in an area where I’m unfamiliar, I panicked. I didn’t know where he was, where I was, and all I could think about is how to get back and locate him. To make a long story short, I ran a few miles back, realized he had a flat tire and had changed it, and felt like a small child who had lost her parent in a grocery store. Can any of you girls relate? I am NOT the kind of girl who gets scared about ANYTHING. It takes a lot to rattle me and throw me off my guard, but a few moments without my love was enough to reduce me to a quivering mess. I swear I was leaking estrogen out on that trail today.

I swear I’m now back to my badass self, spitting, cussing, and bleeding just for the hell of it; I promise no more tears or glimpses of “girly-ness.” It was a close call today, but I found my way back We ended our adventure with a fun jump into the lake to cool off and celebrate.

Smithville Lake from Christopher & Mandy Beltz on Vimeo.