The Coldest 3 Minutes of My Life–Cryotherapy and other fun stuff from my weekend

Posted by hellyontherun in Running and tagged with Cryotherapy, Recovery, Running, Weekend Recap March 13, 2017

It was an eventful weekend in HellyLand, 😀 !!

Friday , my Moms Run This Town chapter hosted an event at our local Athleta store. Discounted prices for the win!! I didn’t walk out with anything (so proud of my self-control), but it was so much fun to meet up with friends for a girl’s night.

Saturday morning I went to my very first cryotherapy session! So what is it and why does it matter?? According to the website—

What is Cryotherapy?

Whole Body Cryotherapy is a technique involving exposure to extreme temperatures ranging from -200° F to -250° F for two to three minutes. Extensive research on Cryotherapy has determined that it is a dynamic source for pain relief and reduction of inflammation, ideal for athletes and those with active lifestyles that seek rapid recovery treatments.

Potential Benefits

Release of endorphins, the mood-enhancing hormone, which makes you feel energized
Reduction in muscle pain and inflammation caused by medical conditions, injuries, or exercise
Decreases recovery time from injury and fatigue.
Pain relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, ankylosing spondylitis, and more.
Alleviates symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and more.
Improves immune system functions, muscle strength, and joint functions.

I’m in the “I’ll try anything once” camp so when the opportunity came to try cryotherapy for a discounted price, I was on it. Even though I hate the cold, lol!

The place I went to, Self Cryo, had two very friendly people leading the way. A group of us had signed up, and the two employees were very knowledgable about the process and assured us first timers that we’d be okay. We were told to keep our underwear on, we had gloves for our hands, and socks and UGG boots for our feet. Once inside the machine, we would take off the robe provided.

When it was my turn, I asked one of them to keep chatting as to distract me and he did, asking me questions and making the 3 minutes fly by.

#brrr

I was instructed to turn in a slow circle inside the machine so that my entire body would feel the cold temperature (it was like dry ice blowing from a vent kinda). I could feel my legs start to burn from the cold, but I kept moving. I did let out a “Holy fuck” and one of the girls in line told me, “Just think about the BQ.” And of course then I was fine 😉

Before I knew it, it was over. I wasn’t sure what I expected to feel exactly. My legs were cold but the rest of me was okay. Now, two days later, I don’t really feel anything different. I guess it was more of a relaxing thing?? I did sleep very well that night, lol!

Later that afternoon, I went for a little run. It was funny because while I experienced freezing temps earlier, it was 90 degrees outside when I went out!

After my run, I showered and then went to see Eddie Money in concert!!!

I do love me some oldie’s music!

So while I did sleep very well that night, it could’ve been the cryotherapy session or just the busy day I had, lol!

Sunday morning I got in 5 easy miles and then in the afternoon we took the kids to our local Ostrich Festival for some fun rides.

I’ve been trying to keep myself active and am going back and forth on trying to snag a PR on a half coming up soon. A part of me wants to chill before BQ training and a part of me wants to take advantage of the flat course, lol! We shall see 😀

–How was your weekend?

–Have you tried cryotherapy before?

–What’s the last concert you’ve been to?

Choosing A BQ Course (and beating FOMO)

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon, Race, Running and tagged with Boston Qualifying, Choosing a Race, FOMO, Marathon, Running March 8, 2017

When I went public announcing my attempt to BQ this year, I stated I’d be doing St. George Marathon in October.

But for a brief moment last week, I changed my mind.

After Phoenix Marathon, my good friend Bob messaged me congratulating me on my PR and telling me that he thought my chances to BQ were good and that I should consider a race that would qualify me for Boston 2018–the year he would be going.

I have A TON of friends going to Boston in 2018. My friend Marsha who qualified here two weeks ago is going.

My beautiful and speedy friend, Marsha ❤

Katrina is going, Carlee is going, my friend Kim is going, my friend Halley is going, I have no doubt Charissa will qualify next month–not to mention, a slew of friends here in Phoenix.

The FOMO is real, folks.

So when my friend, Bob, mentioned that I should consider Revel Big Cottonwood in September, I was intrigued. I was tempted.

The race was far enough away for me to get a good training cycle in. Revel races have good BQ rates. But most importantly, it would put me in Boston 2018. If I made it.

This just looks painful. (Source)

I was in. I thought about how much fun it would be to meet up with friends–friends whose BQ journey I’d followed. Now I could be in the race with them!

But as I waited to sign-up (my BQ training buddy Ashley was also in on this), I started to think about the negatives of changing courses. Up to this point, I had only thought of the plusses.

My husband had a huge PR at Phoenix too, finishing in 3:17–twelve minutes from his BQ time (he’d of course need a couple more minutes buffer).

I refuse to go to Boston without him.

If only one of us qualified in Big Cottonwood, the other one would be left having to do a race qualifying for the following year. We wouldn’t be doing Boston together.

When I thought about how much fun it would be to meet up with friends in Hopkinton, I realized it wouldn’t be as fun if it was without my husband, or watching from the sidelines.

Sticking with St. George means that we’d have several more chances to qualify if we didn’t make it there. I’m already signed up for CIM in December, and we’re both signed up for Phoenix in 2018. The back-ups (or fun runs, hoping it’s the latter lol) are set.

Putting all of our eggs in the one Big Cottonwood basket was just too risky.

So I didn’t sign up.

I’m proud I didn’t give in to FOMO and thought about what’s really important to me. My husband has been my number one supporter in my running journey and I know he’d say the same about me. Boston is going to get the both of us or none of us at all. ❤

Me and my fave

See you in St. George!

–When’s the last time you beat out FOMO (fear of missing out)?

–When’s the last time you succumbed to FOMO?

2017 Phoenix Marathon: Race Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon, Phoenix Marathon, Race, Running and tagged with Marathon, Mesa-Phoenix Marathon, Phoenix Marathon, Race, Race Recap, Running March 2, 2017

I know you’re probably tired of hearing this 😉 , but I got another PR !!! That’s the short of it, but if you want the extended version, here it comes….

(By the way, excuse my absence–my last post should’ve also been titled Blogging Blues, lol!)

Okay, the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon. So, I had friends coming in from Texas–Scott who used to blog and that’s how I “met” him (and in real life in Chicago), his partner in crime and better half Marsha, and a cool dude named Roberto.

Me and Scott after Chicago Marathon 2015

I had convinced them to come because Marsha was looking to BQ and I knew she could do it on Phoenix’s course. When we first met back in Chicago, she had, unknowingly at the time, gotten super close and didn’t need a whole lot to shave. I was certain she’d get the sub 3:45 she needed.

With her goal being sub 3:45 and my PR being 3:58, I figured I’d just hang with her for as long as I could and see how it went. I didn’t mind combusting if that’s what happened; this wasn’t a race I was going for a real time goal anyway. I could risk it.

Marsha also wasn’t putting too much pressure on herself to BQ. While it would be great if she did, she wasn’t going to be fixed to her watch and causing herself race anxiety.

Having that mindset, we went into the race stress-free and full excitement for a long run with friends. That’s how we were approaching it.

Shakeout run with the Texas gang

The race started out bright and early at 6:30 a.m. in the middle of the mountains out in nowhere. We saw the sunrise the first few miles and we were in really good spirits promising everyone tequila at the finish.

“You get tequila!”

“And you get tequila!”

“Everyone gets tequila!”

(Spoiler: I did not have tequila at the end, lol!)

Scott had pacing duties so I never looked at my watch, instead, just followed his lead.

This was a pretty steep downhill so I was proud of how controlled we stayed. Thanks, Scott!

I felt good and when we approached the only hill of the race, I knew if I just stayed close, I’d be okay.

We didn’t skip a beat going up and my pace for miles 5 and 6 were 8:31 and 8:35!

It was a nice downhill for a while after that and our pace stayed relatively steady between miles 7-15.

Our conversation stayed steady too. We were running calm and enjoying the absolutely amazing weather we were having. We joked, we sang a little, we told Marsha to slow down. It was the most fun and relaxed I’d ever run a marathon… ever.

When we got to mile 16, I felt myself slowing down and I decided then to plug myself in and prepare for the last ten miles. I kept Scott and Marsha in my sight though, so I wasn’t too far behind them.

I stayed steady at around 8:30ish for a few miles

Call me Miss. Consistent 😀

and felt pretty good despite having slowed down a little (and really, I couldn’t believe I was still running an 8:30 something in the back end of a marathon!)

Mile 19–Cruising!

At mile 23, the cramping started. But like New York, I just accepted it and ran with it. They slowed me down, and I could feel them with each step in my calves, my shins, my quads, the tops of my feet–but I knew I had a sub 3:45 if I just kept moving.

And would you believe that the miles I ran with cramps were in the 9s?!!??!! I mean, I honestly am just in shock that that was my pace with freaking cramps!!!

You guys, seriously!!!

Mile 23–Must. Get. To. Finish. Line.

I turned the corner, and I finally saw the person I hoped to see–my husband. I knew that he’d finish before me and be at the finish line waiting, and it was that which kept me going.

Started and finished with a smile 😀

Me and my 3:17 marathoner ❤

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I saw Scott and Marsha who had also just finished. I could see the huge smile on Marsha’s face and I knew it–she had BQ’d!!!!! Scott snagged himself a nice little PR coming in after her (but before me)– we all finished within 4 minutes of each other!

We’re awesome.

I cannot get over how amazingly awesome and FUN this race was. I know that all races won’t be like this one, but I’m glad I finally had a race that was absolutely a blast from beginning to end. The PR is the cherry on top but honestly, it’s the people that made Phoenix Marathon unforgettable.

My two halves though–and average pace–I can’t believe it. CAN’T.

❤

–Have you had a race that was just an absolute blast??