3 Things Thursday

Happy Thursday!  Today was supposed to be my last day of school before April Break, but Tucker and I started it a little early.  The surgeon told Tucker he needed to take 2 days off from school to recover from his cyst removal.  So here we are.   I'm here to make sure he doesn't push it too much.  No running or overdoing it.  Which is kind of sad because today was supposed to be his first track practice.  Bummer.    Oh well.  When he's 100% recovered, we'll go for a run next week sometime.   After I'm recovered from Boston!  

1.  We're at 4 days out from the Boston Marathon and I'm beyond excited!  Can you tell?   I'm ready to start talking about my goal for Boston.  My #1 goal is to have fun and enjoy the race.  I am NOT a Boston Qualifier, nor do I feel that my training this cycle have been what I would consider BQ workouts, especially with my BQ time for 2016 still being 3:40.....  16 minutes faster than my PR marathon nearly 2 years ago. 

While we're talking BQ - I'll officially be 40 in 2017.  That means if I BQ after Boston registration this September, I'll be shooting for a 3:45 time.  Still quite a bit of time off my PR, but a little closer to my wheel house.  We will see!!!  Maybe this November will be my BQ Marathon.  Fingers crossed for smart training.

fingers crossed that the BAA doesn't change the qualifying times for 2017! 

Running Boston on Monday is a dream come true.  Part of me feels like an imposter, as I'm not a qualifier.  However, I am running it in a legit way.  Just not the qualifier route.  One day I will qualify.  That is still my goal.  

Yep! My fall race!  

I have a short run in the plans for today sometime and some strengthening workouts.  Followed up by tons of rolling and stretching.   I've been pulling my workouts from my newest book addictions.....

2.  Meb For Mortals written by Meb Keflezighi with Scott Douglas.   Let's just get this out of the way..I love Meb.   I had the opportunity to meet him this past summer and it was such a cool experience!   

Meb For Mortals has 9 Chapters:

Chapter 1 Think like Meb

Chapter 2 Run like Meb 

Chapter 3 Train like Meb

Chapter 4 Race like Meb

Chapter 5 Eat like Meb

Chapter 6 Strengthen like Meb

Chapter 7 Stretch like Meb

Chapter 8 Cross-Train like Meb.  

Chapter 9 Recover like Meb 

Every single one of things chapters pulled me in.  I loved reading about Meb's views and thoughts on the mental aspects of running, his suggestions in running form and exercises, how he trains (what his training plan looked like just before last year's memorable Boston Marathon WIN!   I love how the book is organized so you can use it as a resource and flip to where you need is for that time.  

While I can see myself using this book over and over again - the chapters I have enjoyed the most in the past month were Strengthen like Meb and Stretch like Meb.  I've been doing a lot of his exercises - tons of core work and some upper body strength.   The Stretch like Meb chapter has been a great resource as well - because while I know stretching is important, I don't do it all of the time.  When I'm coaching track, I'm much better at it.  But not all of the time.  Meb stresses the importance of doing it regularly.  

If you are going to be in Boston on Friday.  You can head on over to the Harvard Book Store Event to get your copy or you can purchase the book here for $19.99.   A great price for such a useful tool.    

3.  Next up... Dr. Jordan Metzl's RUNNING STRONG:  The Sports Doctor's Complete Guide to Injury-Free Running For Life.  The cover says it all.  A resource book all runners need.  By trade, runners are headstrong.  But we get injured.  That's just how it goes.  

Running Strong is split up into sections.  

Part 1: Nuts and Bolts, which contains Chapter 1: The Right Stuff and Chapter 2: The Mechanics of Healthy Running.   A great overview of running, strength, stretching.  My favorite line:  Strong Butt = Happy Life.  Yep.  I do not have a strong butt.  Every so often that "pull" from September reminds me it's still there and I go back to this line.  Strengthen that butt runners!!!

Part II: Uh-Oh: What's that Pain?  Chapters 3-11 takes you through all of the injuries you can imagines, along with symptoms, what to do, how to prevent.  It's amazing.  This section also has a cool feature using the Blippar App you can download onto your phone.  Blipp the page and you'll be taken to a video addressing common questions patients ask Dr. Metzl.  

Part III: Getting the Most from your Machine with Chapter 12: Body Work, Chapter 13: Rev It Up: Mastering the Science of Running Technology, and Chapter 14: Unleash Your Biggest Weapon.    In Chapter 12: Body Work - you can download the IronStrength Workout for Runners with the Blipp.   There's also a section on the Dynamic Workout and strengthening workouts.  Chapter 13 goes through the importance of stretching, foam rolling, massages, and rest.  All important and necessary!  

Part IV: Tools of the Trade.  Chapter 15: Good Food reviews diet and fueling.  I used to eat whatever I wanted because I ran.  Not so much anymore.  I'm working like crazy to eat smarter and healthier.  I love resources like Dr. Metzl's book to guide me through eating smarter.  Chapter 16: Good Shoes and Cool Clothes.  Yes.  Good shoes are so important and clothing that works for you is needed.  This chapter rocks!

Part I:  His and Hers...Chapter 17: Gender Differences.  There are quite a bit of differences people!  I see it here in my house every single day.  

You cannot go wrong with Dr. Metzl's book.  A handy resource to keep for those aches and pains and how to stay injury free!    I highly recommend this book and you can get it here for $21.99.  

Disclaimer:  I received digital copies of both books reviewed above through my affiliation with Runners World.  As always, all opinions expressed on my blog are 100% my own.