Category Archives: First Experiences

Week #5 Recap- 50K/50Mile Training

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

I swear I mentioned this in one of my videos on my You Tube channel but I can’t seem to find it right now…one of the things I wish I had done while preparing for my first marathon was journaling my experience. This just came to me the other day…I’ve also been wanting to blog at least weekly so I decided to write a quick blog about my previous week training.

I’m following a training plan I created here.  I created one for the 50K on 12/5 and then will change to the 50 mile training plan after that race is over.

My plan called for 40 miles last week and I did 39.6. Close enough for me:

  • Monday is an off day. I just signed up for 2 months with Flip N Fit since they had an awesome deal.  I tried a Yin Yoga class at Naam Yoga.
  • Tuesday:  4 trail miles at South Mountain with my friend Vicki
  • Wednesday:  I was in Tucson doing 2 free clinics (Davis-Monthan Air Force and Performance Footwear).  My boyfriend and I were told to go to Sabino Canyon. It was our first time and I logged 4 trail miles there.  I love first time experiences and it was a beautiful location!
  • Thursday:  I did 3.1 miles at track and 3.6 at the Ragnar Adventure Run.
  • Friday is an off day
  • Saturday:  I spent Friday night on the west side for girl’s night and because I was attending Yoga For Runners and doing a free ChiRunning clinic at Eleutheria Wellness. I know a good 4.7 mile loop at Estrella Park (not crazy about looping but it works for safety reasons, especially if I’m alone).  Was very excited to have my friend Karyl, join me for the first lap. We met at the Breast Cancer 3-day and is a Las Bombas.  She started getting into running last year and has completed her first half marathon and doing Ragnar with us! I did 4.7 with her and then 9.3 alone.
  • Sunday:  I did 11 miles at Warpaint trail at South Mountain. Invited several friends and people were doing their own distance and their own speed.  Five of us did the 11 miles.  I believe this is my longest back to back run? I can’t remember what I did with my first 50K so maybe not…if I would’ve only journaled…I’ve done it walking for sure with the 3-Day..

I’m really making sure I focus on recovery and taking care of my body as I have a big fear of Plantar again or having my heel spur give me trouble…the Yoga for Runner’s class on Saturday was great timing.  After my back to back weekend, I spent some time in the hot tub, did a lot of stretching and leg drains (my favorite!) last night. As I’m writing this now, my legs are heavy but feel much better than I expected. I suspect it’s because of my recovery practice and my ChiRunning focuses during my runs.

Next week will be a bit of a challenge as I’ll be in Tucson Fri/Sat for another clinic and workshop.  If I can’t get my daily mileage in, my goal is to shoot for the weekly mileage.

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

OMG! I just signed up for my first 50 miler!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

Are these the words seriously coming out of my mouth and fingers now? Seriously?!  OMG, it’s still crazy to me that they are….

I remember when I used to be a distance walker and I wouldn’t have even considered being a runner.  Training miles to complete the Breast Cancer 3-Day with my Las Bombas team for 6 years.  I even walked 100 miles in the middle of summer in 2012 for Marriage Equality (had started running at this point).

I remember when I used to go hiking and I would see trail runners. I’d call them freaks in my head….who would want to go running on a trail? That just looked stupid and certainly a good way to hurt yourself. (Running Tips for Beginner Trail Runners)

I remember when I said I would never do more than a 5K. Why would anyone ever want to run any more than that anyway?

Well, as you write your own running story, my biggest piece of advice is: NEVER SAY NEVER.  As of today, according to Athlinks, I’ve run:

  • 22 5Ks
  • 6 10Ks
  • 16 Half Marathons
  • 5 Marathons
  • 1 50K (not on Athlinks)
  • and a bunch of various distances in between.

I’m not telling you this to brag!  I know people who have done way more than this!  We are all writing our own running story so by any means, please don’t compare yourself (this is my #1 rule for beginner runners and why my blog is called My Own Running Story).

Before I injured myself from overuse last year, my next goal after my 1st 50K was to do a 12 hour race.  I was hoping to do 50 miles in that time but I knew that would be aggressive.  I also injured myself so had to drop down from that event.

Once I healed, I took baby steps as I started getting back into my normal running routine.  I knew at some point, I would be making this crazy decision.  I started toying around with the idea of doing 2nd 50K (signing up for the McDowell Mountain Frenzy by Aravaipa in December)…..then I did it…I started googling 50 mile races since I would already be training for a 50K.

Can someone explain to me why pretty much most ultra races go from a 50K to a 50 miler?  That’s a 20 mile difference!  Nothing in between?  Well, OK then….I guess that’s the next distance to do then…

I started thinking about Aravaipa’s Coldwater Rumble race in January.  They have a 100 mile race which would give me 32 hours to complete 50.  No problem!  I could take a nap in between if I wanted to…..

But then, while at the AZ Distance Camp a month ago, I started talking to my friend Elaine.  She’s an Ironman and already completed the Old Pueblo 50 miler last year. She’s a great athlete and one of the nicest people I know…as a matter of fact, I met her while training for the 3-Day and she joined our team.  She started talking about Antelope Canyon….

First question: when is it?  It’s on 2/20/16….WHAT?  The day after my 45th birthday?  I love doing things over my birthday weekend!  I ran my first marathon on my 41st birthday.
Second question:  what’s the cutoff?  15 hours…that’s an average of an 18 minute mile…sounds doable but average that for 50 miles…starting to get a bit freaked out…
Third question:  how is the route?  Does it loop?  What’s the scenery like?  Well, first of all, you are in Antelope Canyon. The only way to see this canyon is if you go with a tour or you do this race.  I started googling race reports and looking at pictures and videos from previous participants. The scenery looks AMAZING!  But wait…. there’s 30 miles of sand?  I have to go down a 30 foot rickety ladder into the canyon?  There are points that may not be suitable for someone who is afraid of heights?  Yikes……

After weighing out the pros and cons for quite some time….AND Elaine texting me with something like this “They serve birthday cake at one of the aid stations for February birthdays..”…AND remembering what I tell everyone all the time:

“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I went to sign up…….AND it was SOLD OUT! What? After taking all that time to make the decision and it’s sold out?

WonderWoman

I emailed the race director, gave him my sob story about my birthday AND how this was my first 50 miler AND I’m on the Board of Directors for Girls On The Run AND this was going to be my fundraiser event….He told me we could get on the waiting list and chances were pretty good (we were the first two on the list!).

Long story short, we got on the waiting list (I think I was the first one!) and we are now both in….$180 later, Happy Birthday to Me?!?!

I’m pretty freaked out about it but I know I have a lot of people in my life that have done these and can help me. One thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter if it’s your first 5K or 50K…Fear is fear and it can hold us back from doing new things….so regardless of where you are in Your Running Story, the choice is yours:

Forget Everything And Run

OR

Forget Everything And Rise

I’m rising…still doesn’t mean I’m not scared!  BTW, I’ll be writing another post about my Girls On The Run fundraiser but here is my link.

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Lisa goes to school….

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Mahatma Gandhi

I am a huge proponent of learning! As a matter of fact we should all have a goal of learning something new everyday.  My favorite hashtags now are #neverstoplearning and #alwayslearning.

A big part of my “job” is teaching ChiRunning.  I feel blessed every day that I can teach people how to run injury-free, more efficiently for the rest of their lives.  Testimonials make my day as it confirms that I’ve been part of someone’s journey to live a healthier and happier life!

On the other hand, I know I don’t know everything there is to know about running so I always find opportunities to learn more.  I didn’t even blog about my 5 days assisting Danny Dreyer at Kripalu, MA in August this year (I paid my way just do to this so I could be a sponge and learn some more!). And I’m loving the ChiSchool that gives me something new to work on every week with my form!

As many of you know, I completed my first ultra 50K in February of 2014. I had to take a break after that due to my plantar fasciitis.  Happy to report that I’ve had no pain in at least 6 months and I’m ready to investigate this ultra scene again. So what’s the best way to learn about it outside of googling info on the internet and reaching out to friends that have already completed one?  Go to a running camp and learn from some experts!

So over Labor Day weekend, I headed to the AZ Distance Camp with a few of my friends (I originally thought I’d be going alone which terrified me but as I tell everyone else, you need to get out of your comfort zone so I was ready for that). The camp was put together by Coach James Bonnett who has an impressive background in ultra running.  He ran his first marathon at age 9!  This is a great article about him in Runner’s World.

I’ll admit being intimidated by this crowd since I am a baby in the ultra community. But I knew the best way to start preparing myself for future ultras was to learn from the best.  It was a great weekend where I learned a lot, logged quite a few miles, and met some new friends.  One of my favorite parts of the camp was hearing all the speakers answer the following question:

What was your best and worst race and what did you learn from it?

Mind you, these questions were specifically for ultras but I think can be applied to anyplace you are in Your Running Story.  Here are some of the answers to that question:

  • Don’t be married to your GPS.  Learn to train off your perceived rate of exertion. Ironically something I did in my last race that helped it be one of my best ones.  Also, this falls in line with one of the key ChiRunning principles of Body Sensing.
  • Be realistic about where you are with your fitness level.  Don’t compare yourself to your old self (as you age) or anyone else.  Or as one of my favorite Danny Dreyer quotes: “You’re at where you’re at”.
  • Don’t run through injury or if you are not feeling it.  Learn when not to do a race. Either readjust your goals or don’t “line up”.  I did this at my first 6 hour event last June.  You must know when to stop.  It’s OK to stop…you want to run for the rest of your life and it’s NOT worth pushing through an injury that can keep you out of commission.
  • At the same time, don’t settle.  Don’t be afraid to compete and challenge yourself.  Don’t be afraid to take risks: sometimes you’ll fail and sometimes you’ll succeed.  Always race smart though.
  • Train your crew.  This is something I’ll be working on as I am getting really close to signing up for my first 50 miler!  Yikes!
  • Always have FUN!  Stay happy when you are running and you will have a good race.  I always say this, especially for first time events.  The more you go into a race with a positive, fun attitude, the more likely your race will be that way too!
  • Be a well balanced runner. Study the sport. Learn.  Practice. Be a whole runner not just someone who is running.  Always be open to learning. (this was one of my favorite tips!)  I feel My Running Story is getting ready to make a big shift and I’m ready to start a new chapter because of all the learning I have been doing.
  • These 3 characteristics are crucial to have:  PASSION FOR RUNNING, CONSISTENCY AND PATIENCE.
  • Last but not least, and probably my biggest take away from the weekend was: have a written plan and STICK TO IT. (make sure to triple check weather conditions!)

When I was with Danny in August, I learned a new term:

Kaizen:  Continuous Improvement

Not that I was burning out on my running by any means but I love this idea of always working on improving a skill or art. Thanks to this running camp, I have a lot of new things to be thinking about….including to the next big step to my first 50 mile race….stay tuned 😉

What was your worst or best race and what did you learn from it?

Everyone who was there to learn more about running

Everyone who was there to learn more about running

I posted more pics on my facebook page.

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Blog Series #3: Cross training – Barre

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

I remember when I was 6 or 7 years old, my Mom signed me up for Ballet class. ….and it lasted about 1 day.  I HATED it!  Not sure why, maybe it felt too girle for me (I’ve always been a bit of a tom boy…I blame my male cousins for that). I enjoyed swimming, gymnastics and ice skating as a kid but ballet was not on my list.  Thankfully, she didn’t force me to take it and I never went back.

Fast forward to 2015, I’m dealing with my injury and finding ways to cross train.  I always recommend changing up your fitness routine…not just for a mental shift to try some new stuff but your body gets used to doing the same thing and you need a change.

I joined Flip’n Fit last month and have been enjoying some fun new fitness experiences.  I also like to push myself out of my comfort zone and this has worked well so far…

Yesterday I finally decided to sign up for a Barre class at Ten Pointe5 Tempe.  This is the description on their website:

“TenPoint5℠ is based on the philosophy that the human mind is the strongest “muscle” in the body—and that peak physique is achieved only by the belief that true transformation happens after fatigue.TenPoint5℠ incorporates classic ballet, core, pilates and yoga strengthening techniques.
The class blends resistance training with stretching exercises to achieve long lean muscles—and is set to choreography that strategically accelerates muscle conditioning and sculpting.”

I admit I was a bit nervous to go…also because I went alone. There were only 2 other people in the class.  Here was my set up:

Barre Set Up

Let me tell you, the warm up kicked my butt.  I can’t describe to you everything that happened but I can tell you right now that muscles I did not know existed are talking to me today!  Krista, the co-owner and instructor, was very attentive to me knowing that it was my first time and I really appreciate that in a fitness professional.  I have to say, I liked it more than I thought. Great cross training for runners!

First of all, I had to be very mindful because the movements were small but very effective.  I wanted to make sure I was working the right muscles. Krista did a great job of cueing us on where to feel it.  Another great thing I appreciate from a fitness professional.  There was quite a bit of glute and core work.  Both of these muscle groups are crucial for runners.   I also loved the focus on posture.

My body was already a bit sore from the strength training workout I did the night before but I can tell what muscles I worked yesterday!

All in all, it was a great experience and I would go check it out again!  I’d recommend anyone to try it at least once 😉

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

2014 Major Celebrations: Mind, Body & Spirit

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

It’s been a few years that I’ve decided not to make New Year Resolutions anymore. There are all sorts of statistics about the % of people who make them and who keep them.

I do believe that this is a great time to reflect on last year and set new intentions for the upcoming year.  I’m combining this all together over 3 blogs posts. My hope is to inspire you to do the same. Today I’m reflecting on my major accomplishments in 2014.  My word of the year was Celebration and my song for this year is Pitbull/Cristina Aguilera’s Feel This Moment (see more in Vision Board section below) When I look back, I like to focus on what I accomplished…maybe a better word is what I CELEBRATED. In the next few days, I’ll write about my major lessons learned in 2014.  I’ll focus on my intentions after taking my next Vision Board class with Sacred Harts.

“If you nurture your mind, body, and spirit, your time will expand. You will gain a new perspective that will allow you to accomplish much more.”
Brian Koslow


2014 Accomplishments
Mind

  • Completed my Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). This was huge for me because I’ve been working on it for the last 10 years.  I know people that have completed it in 2 years but that’s one of things I love about Toastmasters is that you can move at your own pace. I can’t say enough about this organization.  I’ve been meaning to write a blog about the similarities of Toastmasters and running 😉  coming soon….
  • Completed my Corrective Exercise certification.  I didn’t need to do my CEUs for my fitness training certification yet so I was happy to get ahead of the game.  This was a challenge for me as it’s been awhile since I’ve immersed myself back into studying anatomy.
  • Completed 23 blogs posts. This has been a tough one for me but I’ll be working more on this in 2015.

Body

Spirit

Before I tackle spirit, let me tell you what this means to me. I’ve probably had my biggest growth happen in the last year in this area. This picture sums it up:

We all have a purpose in this world. When I have experiences that bring me true happiness, I know I'm getting closer to my true self and soul.

We all have a purpose in this world. When I have experiences that bring me true happiness, I know I’m getting closer to my true self and soul.

  • Completed three 21-Day Meditation series from Deepak Chopra. These are free and I love them.  I started doing these in May of 2012 and this probably the #1 thing that has changed my life in so many ways. I have 67 pages of journaling from this process. This year I completed the following series: Find Your Flow, Expanding Your Happiness and Energy of Attraction. I can’t recommend these enough.  Find out more on their website and facebook page.
  • Completed my first Vision Board in January 2014.  I’ve always wanted to do these but never got around to it.  I can’t say enough about the workshop I took with Lisa Hecke from Sacred Harts (as a matter of fact, I’m signed up for her next one on 1/11).  I’m a big believer in setting intentions because I’ve manifested amazing things in my life through this process….so I’m interested in anything that will deepen it.  Here is a picture of 2014 Vision Board.  I have this hanging right in front of my computer so I see it every single day.  I even took a picture of it on my phone so I had it handy when I wanted to focus on it.  There were mornings that I would get in my car, look at the photo and blast my song.  As I was doing this, I really stayed present and focused on my vision board intentions.  When I look at all my celebrations for this year, a lot of it was right here in my vision board.  Here is a picture of it:

    visionboard

    Left half is my personal life and right half is my business life

  • Niched my business from general fitness (Easy Fitness Solutions) to The Running University.  I realized that my passion was to see people cross finish lines and accomplish goals they never thought possible whether walking or running. This included a new website, my free ebook 15 Simple Steps for the Beginner Beginner™ Runner, new facebook, twitter and You Tube page.  Running has changed my life in ways I can’t list here right now and I know it can do the same for others (I know all my friends that were non runners would say the same exact thing)
  • Became a ChiRunning/ChiWalking Master Instructor.  I remember when I first became certified to teach and NEVER thought that I would want to or could be one.  I assisted/stalked Danny Dreyer, the founder of ChiRunning by assisting him with several classes in the last few years. I was/am a sponge and who better to learn from than the guru himself. I say that running has changed my life but it’s really ChiRunning.  There are the obvious benefits of decreased chance of injury and learning to make running effortless but it’s really about a lifestyle choice of living intentionally and mindfully.

I’ve been working on this post for 3 hours!  I’m not saying you have to take this long (although it’s leaving me with a great feeling of accomplishment to look back) but maybe take a few moments and look back at 2014.  You can categorize them this same way (Mind, Body Spirit) or however your heart desires.  Whatever way you do it, write it down so you can see just how much you accomplished and celebrated this year!

PLEASE share any of your accomplishments or celebrations in the comments!

P.S. This deal is only good through 12/31.  I recently discovered Flip’n Fit.  Basically you pay a monthly membership fee and have access to 35 different studios from RealRyder Spinning to Pilates to Yoga and now to some of my group classes! They are offering a special deal to my peeps…you need a facebook account though 😉  Pay for one month ($99) and get the next month FREE.  $50 for each month with access to up to 200 classes a day!  Here is the deal:

1) Share this post about Flip’n Fit on your page
2) Like their Facebook page
3) Purchase on or before 12/31 to get your second month FREE! (membership is $99)

I’ve been using them for the last month and love it…I’m now doing RealRyder spin classes 2-3x a week and tried Dahn Yoga which I’d never done before…excited about Barre and Pilates in January too!

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Blog Series: #2 Cross training – Real Ryder Spin Class

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

What happens when you eat the same amount of food as you were when you were running 30-40 miles a week?  You know it…the pounds start creeping back up….add a little depression and self-pity because you can’t run and at some point you have to snap out of it and get with the program.

After stepping on the scale, I knew I had to figure out a way to get more cardio in since I’m not not running and I need to stay off my feet as much as possible.  One of the things I love about Flip’N Fit is that you get to sample a variety of classes at different studios.

I used to love to spin a long time ago but haven’t done it in a few years.  I had heard about these Real Ryder spin bikes but never been on one. Real Ryder bikes are unique because they tilt and lean, almost like a real bike. It engages more muscles groups including your upper body and core.

You can't see it's tilt functionality here but trust me on it ;)

You can’t see it’s tilt functionality here but trust me on it 😉

So, I got the courage a few weeks ago to sign up for my first Real Ryder class at My Fitness Studio.

As always, I’m a bit intimidated to go somewhere new by myself but I sucked it up and went for it.

What a great experience!  I’ve been to 5 more classes since my first time.

Honestly, I enjoy the outdoors a lot (hate treadmills) so I wasn’t sure I was going to like being inside on a bike…but I love it.  It’s been great for me because I am working on my cardio and working my core in different ways which I know will help me with my ChiRunning.

I also really enjoy the variety of the work out: sometimes we are going uphill in harder gears, then downhill super fast, then on rolling hills, biking in simulated sand dunes, etc.

Having great music and a dark room lit up with Christmas and disco lights add to the experience as well…and last but not least, the instructor makes all the difference.

Terry, Donna & I

Terry, Donna & I

Donna (on my left in the photo) is the owner of My Fitness Studio and taught several of the classes I took.  I love her style and she says the same thing as I do: “I love kicking my own butt!”.  We started talking and I’m going to be doing one of my ChiRunning clinics there in January! Terry just started teaching there and she is a machine!  She has all kinds of certifications and was also the first woman in the US to run a USA Boxing Gym.  She is high energy and Italian!  You know I love my Italian paesani!

Our bodies become very efficient if we repeat the same workout all the time.  So go shock your body and try something totally new…like a Real Ryder Spin class 😉

Have you ever tried this class? Let me know your thoughts!

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Blog Series: #1 Cross training- Dahn Yoga

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

As many of you know, I’ve had to take a break from running due to a heel spur.  I blogged about it a few times in  What? The ChiRunning Instructor is injured?? and  My Worst Running Tragedy so far…..  After being a big baby about this, I realized how many silver linings I’ve found for this part of My Running Story.  So I decided to blog about them. First one is: Cross Training.

Thanks so much to Flip’n Fit because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be having these experiences.  You basically pay a monthly membership but get to try out a lot of different modalities from Dahn Yoga to Spinning to Cross Fit!

Today I had an amazing experience. I signed up for what I thought was a Yoga Foundations class at Dahn Yoga.  They are 8 minutes from my apartment so I figured why not. I love trying new things and always like to see how it could improve my fitness level as well as my running.  I’m always a bit nervous to go somewhere new by myself but that’s part of the process too. If I tell people to get out of their comfort zones, I better walk the talk too!

I honestly cannot explain to you exactly what happened but it was awesome! I’m thankful to be flexible (mentally) so I went with the flow.

I walked in right before the 9:30am start time and participants were in a circle punching their stomachs. I’d heard about this from Qi Gong so I started in with them.  I think we did it 100x?  We just kept counting to 10 and starting over.

The next series of exercises included a few things that I recognized from the ChiRunning body looseners but very small movements that had big impact.  At one point we were doing some movements and trying to balance these plates in our hands while moving and twisting.

Plate balancing while twisting the intestines and stretching!

Plate balancing while twisting the intestines and stretching!

After several standing exercises we moved to the floor and did many reps of chest and belly breathing.  I’m trying to body sense as I write this and not sure if it’s my core muscles or my intestines that are sore…I think it’s both!

The last part of the class included a 10 minute Energy Meditation which I loved.

I remember being so mad at myself for letting my heel spur get to where it is but today I’m very grateful that it happened.  As cliche as it sounds, I truly believe there is a reason for everything and this is part of My Running Story.

Moral of the story:

  • Get out of your comfort zone and try something new
  • Always find the silver lining no matter how hard it seems sometimes
  • Be flexible.  Go with the flow and just allow things to happen as they are supposed to.

Anyone ever try this?  I talked to them after class and looks like on Wed they focus on Tai Chi, Thu is Back and Spine and Friday is Brain Wave Energy work. Decisions, decisions! I have Spin tomorrow too…next blog post about that!

Can’t wait to see how all these things are going to impact my ChiRunning when I’m able to get serious again about running!

There were a lot of neat posters in the room and this one caught my eye...

There were a lot of neat posters in the room and this one caught my eye…

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

We placed last at Ragnar!!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

Yep!  I didn’t just use this catchy blog title just for the heck of it, both of our teams were 2 of the last 3 teams to cross the finish line at the Ragnar Trail Relay Race held at McDowell Mountain last weekend. Continue Reading →


A 70 year old, 73 yo and 91 yo go into a bar….

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

Just kidding….well, maybe they do go into a bar but only after going for a run!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO START RUNNING!

I sit here and think, I’ve only been running for about 5-6 years and knowing what I know now, I wish I would’ve started before!  But I’m very glad to know that assuming nothing happens to me, I have another 40+ years in me!  Yeah, freaking yeah!  (Knowing this always makes me feel better especially since I’ve had to taper my running down in the last few months to heal my foot).

First of all, have you heard about this new study that says Running 5 Minutes a Day Has Long Lasting Benefits? That’s right, running doesn’t have to be something that you do for 2 hours a day or anything. It’s one of the easiest things you can do and requires very little equipment and expense (I always say a good pair of shoes and a class to learn proper form, like ChiRunning, and you are good to go anywhere, anytime!).

I’m very blessed to do what I love to do and nothings makes me happier than hearing about “older” people that are running.  Just in the last month:

  • I had the honor to have a private session with a 73 year old woman who wanted to learn to run!  Her son contacted me and we worked out a plan and I couldn’t have been more excited to do this!  I’m just waiting for her to decide when she is ready for her first 5K.  She started out with 10 minutes and is working her way up.  She’s an avid golfer, walker and yogi…and now wanted to change things up a bit with some running!  Love to surround myself with people who want to keep growing no matter their age.
  • Do you remember one of my blog posts about Doc Gooding: You’re doing what at 69 years old?  He took my ChiRunning workshop a few years ago and apparently hasn’t been the same since 😉 ! He sent me another email on 8/24/14:

“Hope you are doing well…Just wanted to give you an update.  I competed in the USA Triathlon National Sprint Championships a few weeks ago in Milwaukee.  There were 32 participants in my age group 70-74. I came in 14th in the age group with a time of 1:30 which qualified me for Team USA. That was my main goal…to get on Team USA!  So, I will be representing the USA in the World Championships September 2015 in the Chicago. My time for the race was 10 minutes faster than my previous time for the same distance. A good part of that was improved run time…I have been focusing on getting my cadence up. My pace on the run was 10:03….my previous best race pace was 11:09. I focused on getting and keeping my pace up the whole race.”

  • Last but not least, I was scrolling through facebook and read about the 91 year old who started running marathons at 76. Her name is Harriette Thompson and she broke two records: fastest course time for her age group by 2 hours AND 2nd oldest marathon finisher in world history at the 2014 San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon.  She’s completed 15 marathons  AND she’s battling skin cancer AND had 9 radiation treatments a month before the race AND she raised $90K for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

All I can say is:

forgetyourage

Too many people use their age as a reason not to do things.  Life is too short to not explore your potential and see how far you can take your body and mind.  I’m looking forward to My Running Story to keep going and going….. What will you be doing when you’re 70? or 90?  I think it’s time to start working on that bucket list……

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Race Report

Race Report-CYA 6/12/24: First Time & Last Place

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

Well, I wasn’t really in last place but I was second to last 😉  and you know what, I AM OK with that!

results

The reason I started this blog was to encourage runners to write their own running story. Everyone’s journey is different..more importantly, I like to encourage people to get out of their comfort zone and try new things when running.

This was my first time participating in this type of a timed event.  Basically you pick the time (I was going to do 12 hours but I had to drop down to 6 as explained in this blog post).  In this race, there was a 3 mile trail (Brownlow Trail in Prescott) and you get to go around as many times as you want, can, etc.  As a first timer, and I’ll speak for the other 3 friends that I convinced to do it with me, it was awesome!  People asked me if I was crazy and why would I do this? It’s hard to explain but I’ll give it a try…

You could be someone who doesn’t want to be pressured against the clock that most races impose (like being at the end of a marathon with a swag wagon on your ass because you have to finish by a specific time) OR you might like the security of being on a shorter trail where you have consistency/safety for the run OR you might just want to challenge yourself to see how many miles you can finish in X amount of hours OR you might just want to do your first ultra marathon (over 26.2 miles) and you can pick a time that you know you could do that in (for example if you can’t do it in 6 hours, you could pick the 12 hour event and you would have PLENTY of time to finish 26.2 miles)….not sure I’ve still explained this well enough but long story short, I loved the fact that I knew I had 6 hours on the course and I could do whatever I want!

Since I’ve been dealing with an injury, I decided I was not going to push my body and changed my mind frame from “getting as many miles as possible in” to “I’m just going to have a good time today”.

The race was put on my Solemates’ Ultra Running Events and Mark and Sharill did an amazing job! First, I’m soooo glad that they did a preview run of the course so we could know what it was like. The biggest thing we learned (even though the race was called CYA Cool Your Ass because it’s cooler in Prescott), it really wasn’t that much cooler 😉 Knowing this helped us prepare for the heat on race day.

The course was well marked, there was a major aid station at the start (which you run by every 3 miles…another plus of these types of events) with amazing stuff. There was the usual (electrolyte replacement and water) AND then there was the “other” stuff:  dates, potatoes, M + M’s, fruit, grilled cheese, etc. They really took care of the runners! There was also a mini aid station in the middle of the 3 mile course with water/electrolytes. So basically you were covered every 1.5 miles.

The 3 mile trail had a variety of terrain.  Some single track but it was mostly double track. Some of it was rockier and some of it was sandier.  Overall it was a good mix of trail.  Great thing about knowing the trail is you knew when Mount Orth was coming too.  This was the big hill at the end.  There was only one shady spot on the trail and we took several photos at our favorite bench. It never seemed repetitive to me which was odd.  I stayed as present as possible and focused on seeing different things every time. It was also great to “run into” other friends along the route.

view

Kicking it on the bench

Kicking it on the bench

This is one of my ChiRunners and Mountain Miler friends Steve Orth ;)

This is one of my ChiRunners and Mountain Miler friends Steve Orth 😉

Due to my injury, I knew I needed to really listen to my body and take it easy. This is another thing I loved about this event.  After 9 miles, I could feel my heel bugging me a bit so I decided to sit a loop out while my friends did one without me. It was a tough decision to make but I knew it was the right thing to do.  So I stretched, iced and did some facebook updates. I also decided to ChiWalk most of the race.  I wanted to run and I did on downhills and flats but knew I wasn’t in any hurry to get any mileage in so I just enjoyed the scenery and time with my friends.

My stuff!

My stuff!

When I signed up for this event, I’ll admit that I was intimidated by it.  I know my friends were too.  The great thing is that there were competitive people who were trying to beat the clock but there were also a lot of “regular” people who were just out there to see what they could do in 6 hours.

I think I’m hooked now to a new type of event!  Most of these races usually start with 12 hours which is not realistic for most “regular” runners. I appreciate that Solemates’ has a 6 hour option that is a more reasonable time frame for “regular” runners.

Thanks to Solemates’ for hosting an amazing event. Thanks to my friends who decided to get of their comfort zone to join me!

So who wants to join me for their next one:  Solemates’ Thanksgiving Tryptophun Rhuns the weekend of Thanksgiving at White Tanks?  I’ll probably be marathon training or something by then and it would be a perfect “training run”. Another benefit of these types of events:  you can make it a long training run and you don’t have to worry about bathrooms, food and water.  Plus you get a medal, shirt and other cool swag!

Swag!

Swag!

Me being goofy!

Me being goofy!

Not registered yet but pretty sure I’m in…who’s with me?

From My Running Story to Yours….

(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)