Kristy Maute

Race Day Thoughts – Crawlin Crab Half Marathon

On Sunday, I will be running the Crawlin Crab Half Marathon. It’s been a while since I’ve raced. A lot has happened since I ran the Country Music Half Marathon back in April. I’ve spent majority of the summer injured. I’ve been working with my running coach. I’ve been getting stronger and faster. While training has been focused on the Richmond Marathon in November, this run will be a great test of the growth I’ve made this year. There is no official taper for Sunday, but my weekly running schedule is designed to have fresh legs Sunday morning.

As of this morning, I’ve decide I’m not running to see X:XX on the race clock. I’m running for a feeling. My goals aren’t attached to a pace or finish time. I’m chasing down strength, determination, and passion. I’m running to dig deep (don’t know the history of my love-hate relationship with this phrase, read about it here). I want my husband to yell “move your ass” as I pass him along the course. When I cross the finish line, I want to feel exhausted and alive at the exact same time. This race is about chasing down a dream. This race is about putting myself closer to that really big dream of mine.

After a great speed work out and even better conversation with my coach yesterday, I’m heading into race day feeling confident. I’m nervous, excited, and ready to see what I can do on a half-marathon course. The adrenaline is pumping. It’s a mental battle at this point for me. Physically I know I have it in me to finish strong. My race goals aren’t like the race goals I’ve made in the past. Instead they are about that feeling I’m chasing.

Run with a light heart
Run with clear mind
Run with the strength in my body
Be Brave
Be Strong
Fight for the finish
Run in the present

My favorite take away from working with my coach so far is simple: Do not evaluate the race while racing. I’m guilty of this on every long run. At mile 8, I’ll be exhausted. I’ll analyze the run and determine if it was successful before finishing. I have to turn this part of my brain off on Sunday. I won’t be looking at my garmin. I have also seen this work every single time I do speed work with my coach. After the first few sets of speed, I think to myself that there is no way I will finish. I finish every single time because I just keep moving forward. Mile 3 does not determine mile 12. I want to run every step in that moment.

I may be more excited for this race than any of my races so far, or maybe it’s just been too long since I’ve raced. My best friend and her husband are flying in from Nashville tomorrow to join me on this race course. It’s going to be a fabulous weekend, and an even better run!

I absolutely love Race Day Magic!

Good luck to everyone running! Lots of familiar faces will be on the course this weekend. All my J&A Ambassdor teammates, teammates who also work with my coach, and some of my favorite bloggers (BeachyRunner, ReadingRunnerGirl, KrisLawrence, thefitpetite). See y’all at the finish line!

Want to stalk me on race day:

My bib # is 671. You can track me here.

Or you can follow me on facebook or instagram.

Happy Accident

My poor mom has the flu, so I’m home with Chet today. To make the best of our unexpected day together, I loaded us up in truck and headed to our local state park. We were going for a trail run. We would cap off the run with snacks in the park and a scavenger hunt for sticks, rocks, and trees. As I pulled into my parking spot, my heart sank. I forgot the jogging stroller. My brain was screaming, “attention to detail Kristy! That was your goal for the week. Who cares that you are focusing on your eating. Now you can’t run.” And then I laughed, unloaded the car anyway and decided to walk as far as Chet’s legs would carry him. I could carry him back to the car when he got tired.

Chet and I ventured down the trail. The trail that I have run so many times before took on a whole new appearance when being walked at the pace of an almost two year old. I noticed every tree, every stick, every rock, and every leaf. We explored one tiny section on the trail for thirty minutes. Once satisfied with his exploration, Chet took off. “Go Baby Go,” I cheered as he ran. Runners ran by in the other direction. “Go Go Go,” Chet cheered.

About 3/4 of a mile down the trail is a lake. We made it to this destination. We threw sticks in the water. We watched the ripples. As we were collecting acorns, a woman came from around the corner. Chet gravitated to her instantly. We started talking. She told me her son was now 29. Conversation progressed and she reminisced about breast-feeding and raising her two children. She birthed them both at home. When I told her how much I love natural child-birth too her face started to glow. As she went to leave to continue her walk, she told me how she had watch her kids grow up in this park. They had a spot on the trail they always had their picnics and how the tree that marked the spot is now gone. In its place is a new tree coming to life. She walks this trail every day, but now she was getting ready to move. She had booked a ticket to a small town in Mexico. After travelling the planet with her two small kids, she had decided it was time for a new permanent home but she wasn’t sure. She sat back down, and we kept talking. The flow of the conversation lead us to Utah. I mentioned how much my husband and I love that piece of our planet. She does too, and that is exactly where she really wants to move, but fear is stopping her. We talked about all the good things that come from conquering fear. Then the conversation ended and she left again. Then she returned again. She told me she is changing her plane ticket. She is moving to Utah. She was heading home to make new travel arrangements. With a smile on her face, she thanked me. She told me it was great to connect with someone who values nature the way she does. She was convinced I was there to give her the confidence to make the next step in her life.

“The great benefit of slowing down is reclaiming the time and tranquility to make meaningful connections–with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with our own bodies and minds” ~Carl Honore

I wasn’t successful at running this morning, but I’m pretty certain I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be. I don’t know if she went home and changed her plane ticket. I don’t know where she will end up, but it’s pretty amazing to me that I could be the reason someone chooses left or right at a fork in a road. I don’t know why she’s moving or how she got here, but I do know she was lived a life she loves. In the thirty minutes I spent with her, she left on imprint on my life. I sure am glad I forgot my running stroller.

Numbers plus Nutrition

Sunday I checked off another 14+ mile run. I forgot to charge my garmin again so it died at mile 8. My pace was slow. I was exhausted from the start. I was running on a few hours of sleep, and because of a sick child and a jam-packed weekend, I forgot to pay attention to my nutrition. I know better.

Last month I lost 4 lbs. While that sounds great, I don’t really need to lose any weight. A 4 lb weight loss reconfirms that I’m not eating enough to support my weekly mileage.

In six days I am running my eighth half-marathon, the Crawlin Crab half marathon in Hampton, Virginia.

In 25 days I am running the Wicked 10k for the third year in a row.

In 46 days I am running my second marathon, the Richmond Marathon.

I’m running 35+ miles a week to build the foundation for these races. My weekend long runs are increasing from 10 miles to 13, 14, 16, 18, and 20 miles. I’ve found a happy mental state even on these hard runs. I survived 14+ without any energy from the start. While this is great mental training, I need to now focus on physically supporting my body. It’s time to pay attention to what I’m eating. And I mean really pay attention to what I’m eating not just acknowledging that I need to pay attention. Today, for the first time in my life, I am starting a food journal. I’m looking at the nutritional value of every bite I take, and I may even count calories. I’m tracking my water consumption too. This is a boring tedious task for me, but I need to break the cycle I’ve created. Not planning and eating when I’m hungry isn’t working for me. I need more energy, and I plan on getting it from food and water (and begging my children to sleep).

I don’t have a goal for the week, but maybe after I pay closer attention to food intake, I will have better understand of what works for me.

Wasn’t it me who just said, “I need to support my seed and my body with the right nutrient dense soil.” Clearly I know better!

Weekend run: 14.75 miles according to map my run. Garmin died at mile 7.82

9:06, 9:13, 9:36, 9:40, 9:38, 9:29, 9:45, 9:45

(all trail miles minus first 1.6).

A Seed.

“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonder.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

As I opened the cover of my newest book to read, From the Ground Up by Jeanne Nolan, this quote jumped off the page. I knew I had just discovered a wonderful new book. It has floated around in my head. It’s words have settled somewhere deep inside me. This quote seems to perfectly frame this stage of my life. I am 33 years old and deeply rooted to the life that I have created, yet I feel like I’m just beginning to sprout. I’m just beginning to stand tall, to stretch out, to reach towards to sun, and to grow.

This past Sunday, I ran 14 miles. I was running solo. I started late. I was starving. I was well on my way to learning more “what not to do before a long run” lessons. The first 5.5 miles were along the ocean with a brutal head wind. The next 4 miles were along a very muddy trail. The miles back to the car had me clenching my stomach because of hunger pains. When I got back to my car, I felt slightly defeated by the run.

I got some food in my stomach. I showered and changed into my comfortable post-run clothes. I updated my coach on my run. He called my run a success, so I moved on. It was just one of those runs that wasn’t great, wasn’t fabulous, but really wasn’t all that bad. I put in check in the box for my long run on Sunday.

My husband was out-of-town all weekend, so there was no time for rest after the run on Sunday. I was up and down the stairs, chasing Chet back and forth, chatting nonstop with Cole, and in and out of the house. It was busy which kept my head busy. There wasn’t any time to upload runs, analyze mile times, or overthink why 14 miles felt so hard. There was only time to put a check in the box and to move forward.

“Plants grow best, I had learned, in loose, well-aerated, nutrient dense soil: The thin, filament-like roots of most planets can extend at least this far, and every extra inch of root extension in air-rich soil allows a plant to take in more nutrients.” ~ Jeanne Nolan

Before you think I’ve lost my mind in the marathon training process or perhaps my life process, let me explain. I believe that I am just another living being on our planet. My life and the life of all living things are so closely intertwined and dependent upon each other. A plant, an animal, and all living things all need the same things to thrive. We need nutrients, air, and the warmth from the sunshine. We need breath. I have a seed inside me that wants to bloom. I know what it will grow into with proper care and I know it’s running that makes me feel alive.

If I want to feel alive, if I want my running seed to blossom, I also need loose, well-aerated, nutrient soil. I need to stay light in my heart and in my head. I need to relax and find my breath in each run. I need to support my seed and my body with the right nutrient dense soil.

This marathon training cycle has brought so many doubts to the surface. I’ve considered dropping back to the half marathon. I’ve considered waiting until Spring. I’ve considered waiting until my weekly mileage base is stronger and more established. When I take a step back, I know the root of these doubts is coming from a place of not meeting a self-imposed goal. I want a sub 4 hour marathon. I may not have that in me yet, but that is not a reason to step back. This marathon, whether I run it in 3:55 or 4:15, is part of the blooming process. If I can keep my head and my heart light, the strength I have inside me and in my legs can take over.

A garden doesn’t grow over night. Seeds don’t blossom into established plants while you’re sleeping. A tree doesn’t become a wonder of nature for many, many years. My 14 mile run may not have been spectacular on Sunday, but it showed me that I can survive the elements. The wind and the mud didn’t break my spirit. This training cycle and the Richmond Marathon aren’t about reaching my peak. It is about growing, breathing and finding the warmth I need to thrive.

Two years ago, when I started this blog, I wrote down my life mission. I wanted to be rooted to my life. My roots grow deeper every single day. Now it’s time to grow from the roots I’ve established from myself. The sky is truly the limit.

Columbine flower along the trail on our Utah Honeymoon

Sunday’s Run:

14 miles in 2:11:24

9:22, 9:32, 9:29, 9:30, 9:03, 9:36, 9:52, 10:10, 9:22, 9:05, 9:03, 9:25, 9:39, 9:49

Two months and counting

Two months from today is the Richmond marathon. For the first time since I’ve committed to running it, I feel confident that it will be a successful race for me. Before this weekend’s long run, I’ve wondered, doubted and questioned if I’d be ready to run.

My hip injury and the summer heat have been hard on me physically and mentally. Recognizing that my biggest obstacle this training cycle would be my brain, I made one goal for Sunday’s run: run with a light and happy heart. Negative self-talk has clouded my head lately on runs.

As I drove to meet my running coach and teammate Sunday morning, I felt relaxed and at ease. I’d talked with my coach the day before about my new nutrition plan for running. We also chatted about a nagging foot pain (don’t wait to replace your shoes!). If all went well, I’d run 13 miles.

The warm up to the trail didn’t feel out of my comfort zone this week although the pace was identical (to the second). I was able to converse with my teammate instead of nodding yes and hoping I didn’t have to complete a full sentence. I stayed with her when we hit the trail past the first mile marker. She eventually pulled away as we knew she would, but I kept her in my sight. Somewhere along that 3.5 mile stretch of trail, it happened: my running zen. It showed back up and my heart sung. It has been months, many many months, since I’ve hit that sweet spot in running. I quit searching for mile markers. There wasn’t a doubt in my head. The long straight boring stretch of the Cape Henry Trail didn’t seem that long or that straight or that boring. I remembered just how lucky I am to run in this very spot week after week. (Thank you to those who commented last week to remind me of this fact. Your comments found me on my run.) When I left the trail, I was shocked to see a pace of 8:35 on my garmin.

I continued my run to the boat docks and returned back to the trail for the stretch back to my car. That nagging foot pain returned around mile 8, my pace slowed down, but my mental confidence never failed me. As I ran down the trail, I ran a new 10 mile personal best. My garmin beeped at 1:28. I knew I was headed to another personal best for the half marathon distance too. I ran happy and light the entire way back to my car.

With two months to go, my head and my heart are finally in the right place to double Sunday’s distance in marathon #2. I’m ready for the journey to unfold.

Two months from today, I will be running marathon #2 in Richmond. I am going into that race with the same goal as this Sunday’s run: a light and happy heart. In three weekends I will also be running the Crawlin Crab half-marathon. Fall race season is here.

Note to self: charge garmin on Saturday night

This weekend’s run: 13.2 miles (garmin 11.75 before battery died)

Based on final pace, I’m estimating my total run was 1:57:40

8:56, 8:51, 8:42, 8:47, 8:35, 8:35, 8:45, 8:47, 9:20, 9:27, 9:20, 9:20 pace

Nutrition Plan: Hammer Perpetuem when I wake up plus two Honey Stinger Chews. Chews at mile 5. Next week, I need to add them at mile 10 also.