Dig Deep

Summer has hit me hard and my motivation to run, is lacking to say the least. Somewhere along the line negative thoughts started creeping in to my mind telling me that I wasnt good enough, fast enough or able to make distances in my training. Although I am not quite sure why it happened, I do know it needs to stop. Earlier in the week, I went out ran a mile and then stopped because my calves were hurting and ended up walking home! Thats not me! What the heck happened?? Tomorrow I am slated to run 7 miles. I am going to do it. Even if I need to walk, which I am not going to do. I am going for 7. Non stop 7 miles even if I look like a turtle doing it. Motivation comes in waves from all different sources. Unfortunatly there are days that cant be explained and runs that are less than glamourous or noteworthy. Lately, its been rather un noteworthy. My uncle emailed me tonight, and it felt great that he was awknowledging my running. Sometimes, being reminded that others are supporting me helps me to believe in myself. I hope he doesnt mind if I share his email with you. 

Uncle Phil writes...

Keep running you are doing great.  My sister Denise e mails me your postings.  You will face all kinds of “over-use injuries” during your training.  I can tell you that running a marathon is a HUGE mental challenge more than a physical challenge.  I believe you will find the same to be true once you complete your marathon.  We are very proud of what you are doing and accomplishing---keep going.  I saved your site to my favorites.  

We love ya

UP

Tonight, this was motivation for me to give em hell tomorrow and make my goal of 7 miles. Thanks for the motivation Uncle Phil. xo. See you in the streets. 

Ps. 3 weeks till the midnight 8 miler... eek~! 

What Happened??

While updating my blog tonight I realized that last week I only ran 5 miles!!! What in the hell happened do you ask? Well, I got lazy. Becky, my friend from work was telling my that every summer its super hard to get into training the first few days after school lets out. I guess its all the excitement from not having to go to work for the next two months. It must be true, because I didn't do too much of anything last week. Either way, 5 miles is pathetic over a 7 day span. Tomorrow, is week 6 of my training for the 8 miler, and I have 7 miles to do this week on my long run. I need to dig deep and get serious. While reading my cousin Amanda's blog ( check it out. Theres a link on my blog to the right ) I was harshly reminded that in 2 weeks Marathon training officially begins!!!! EEEEEEK! I am so nervous I don't even know what to do with myself. Tomorrow I am going for 5. Keeping my head up after a bad showing last week. 

Shout Outs and Electrodes

Its funny, and factual 

Tonight was my first physical therapy session for my knee. I found out a lot about my body, which wasn't the best news. For instance, I learned that my hips and core aren't strong enough to carry my body while running and that I have tendinitis in my knee.On the plus side, I learned a lot of good exercises while I was there and I am confident I can work on strengthening my hip flexors and core enough to support my bad knee. At the end of my session, the therapist hooked me up to some electrodes that send a current through your knee to alleviate the pain then pumped up a large knee brace ice pack to soothe the pain away. I am going to be going back next week, so of course I will update you. Now on to the real reason for the blog tonight. SHOUT OUTS!!!! I've been thinking a lot lately about all the wonderful people in my life and how they really inspire me to want to be the best runner I can be! Recently, my friends have started running and its really been great to see them work towards a goal and share in the same awesome hobby that I have recently taken on. Its really great to chat with about training schedules and struggles. Its even more amazing to share in the accomplishments and break throughs. Luisa is training for a half marathon, which is so great. I am so happy to hear about her progress and know that shes in the same boat as me, training for a long term goal. Jackie, is training for the 8 miler midnight race in July which I am also training for. We are using the same schedule so its nice to know that were not going it alone. Amanda my wonderful cousin recently bought some running swag and planned out her month of training and also has a bad ass countdown started to pump herself up for the marathon training schedule. My best friend Sara, is always supportive of my blog and my running escapades,constantly giving me support and showing me love My Vegan BFF Heather, inspires me to eat well and make healthy choices. Showing me love across the continental US and keeping me informed of races in San Fran. She fills me in on the running community in California. Hans, my running go to inspiration. His natural speed and talent are unparalleled and make me wanna move like him. FAST! Lastly, I would like to give a shout out to K Smith my mom. Who supports my running and refers to me as Reckless whenever possible. She also printed out a picture of me running and posted it on the fridge to inspire me to keep going. Love her. 

Thanks to everyone for the Inspiration and the love! xo

Runners Diet / Detox

It's no secret that I love ice cream and anything that is sweet and unhealthy :) Unfortunately, lately my stomach has been giving me trouble again and I think diet has a lot to do with it. Often times after I run, I get pains in my stomach and recently they have been not only worse, but lasting much longer than usual. In an effort to stop this, I've been researching runners diets. Now, I don't mean your usual weight loss diet, but instead foods and nutrients that are essential to runners. Luckily, my go to website for all things running, Runners World has some great articles about runners diets. Here are a list of their most important food choices.


1. Eat seeds and food from seeds. Seeds give your body important protein as well as compounds that help you to maintain a healthy body weight.


2. Eat plant food and their skins intact. Skins on plants such as potatoes and zucchini help with digestion as well as intestinal regulation. They are also great at helping to curb your appetite and again maintain a healthy weight. 


3. Drink milk. 


4. Eat foods that come from cold water. Fish and seafood offer great sources of protein as well as important minerals such as copper, zinc, and chromium. These minerals are heart healthy and also help aid in curbing depression.


5. Eat meats that are free range. Free range animals tend to have more Omegas 3's then stock yard raised animals. 


After doing much research, a vegetarian lifestyle is said to be the best for the environment as well as your body over all. I once did a stint as a vegetarian for about 3 months after being inspired from my vegan best friend Heather :) Although I didn't last long, I did feel the difference in my energy levels as well as my overall mood. As a runner however, I feel like meat is needed for protein and energy for me personally. I have decided tonight that next week I will begin my own Runners Diet consisting of only raw foods and free range meat. For one week I will have absolutely NO PROCESSED FOODS. Only things from the ground  or meat raised without hormones or additives. I hope to gain some overall  stomach health and a positive mood booster :) I of course will report back and hopefully be able to feel a difference in my overall health and mood. I can only pray that it helps to improve my performance while running as well. I will be starting on Thursday July 30th. Until then its business as usual. 
( When I get back from the beach). 


For more information click on the websites below
Runners Diet

American Heart Association Explains Vegetarian Diets


Key Nutrients for Runners

Baxter In Training

Today was far from a good day, but luckily I found the energy to lace up and go out after a nap. While I was walking out the door, I noticed my friend Baxter staring at me and wagging his tail. I couldn't help but take him along. He wanted to go, and I was miserable so I figured it would be good for the both of us. Baxter started off strong running up and down the street happily. Along the way, I dropped the leash on a busy road and crazily began screaming for him to stop. He didn't notice and stayed on the sidewalk the entire time, so crisis averted. We both made it about 2 miles before we decided to walk. Nothing extraordinary today on the workout front, but we were out there and I was less miserable then I was when we left. Thanks to Baxter, I had some fun tonight and he was able to get in some much needed cardio :) 

Gary Papa Run

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there! This morning was the big Gary Papa run for your life 5k. Everyone had a great time and we even got to see Adam Joseph and Cecily Tynan from Action News. Check out the photos below! 

action news van

after the race

Kath and Tyler after the race

Team Smith 

Post run pretzel :)

Team Smith 

Tyler and Sarah 

Gary Papa Run For Your Life Excitement :)

I wasn't going to blog today, but I am so excited for tomorrow that I thought I should. Tomorrow morning, my family and I will be honoring my Dad at the Gary Papa Run for Your Life 5k in Philadelphia. Two years ago, Gary Papa passed away from prostate cancer. Since then the event is held yearly to raise money to help find a cure for prostate cancer. Last year, there were over 2,000 participants and they raised a quarter of a million dollars. All of the action news familiar faces will be there including my personal favorite, Matt O Donnell and Cecily Tynan. There are tons of vendors, music and games for all runners and walkers. If you get a chance tomorrow, stop by the art museum and check it out! The most exciting part of the race tomorrow for us will be carrying on our racing tradition as a way to remember,and honor our dad, Mark Smith, who passed away 7 years ago. Its safe to say that the Smith's are ready to go for tomorrow! I will be sure to post pictures and highlights from the race. Until then, have a great weekend and Happy Fathers Day!

Celeb Marathoners

 Tonight I would like to inspire you with a list of celebrities who have completed marathons. Some are shocking, some are predictable. Check it out! 


1. Will Ferrell  Boston Marathon 3:56:12 
I am not even mad, this one is impressive. Not only is he hilarious, but his time isnt half bad and HE BEAT OPRAH!


2. Mario Lopez Boston Marathon 5:41:41 
Not only is he hot, but he runs and he was on Saved by the Bell! Amazing and a win in my book!


3. Freddie Prinze Jr. Los Angeles Marathon 5:50:49 
Not a total heart throb but hell, he completed 26.2 miles, lets give credit where credit is due. 


4. Lisa Ling Boston Marathon 4:34:18 
I love Lisa Ling. Shes a great reporter and apparently a great runner! You go girl. 


5. Oprah Winfrey Marine Corps Marathon   4:29:20 
OK. This one is no surprise. Everyone by now knows that our homegirl ran a marathon. If I had a personal trainer run the whole 26.2 miles with me, I might have a baller marathon time like her! Its become a goal of many marathons to BEAT OPRAH. In January my cousin and I  have a goal to beat Oprah. Heres to making it happen! 


6. P. Diddy/Puff Daddy New York City  Marathon 4:14:54 
I am not sure what his motivation was but he did a great job. 


7. David Lee Roth New York City Marathon 6:04:43
I love this one. He's a rock star and a runner! haha. I hope all the boys in Van Halen were there cheering him on. Not sure why his time is so long. Maybe he stopped to take glamour shots with his groupies. 


8. George W Bush Houston Marathon 3:44:52 
43rd President of the United States and a decent runner! I like! 

9. Katie Holmes New York City Marathon 5:29:58 
Pacy and Dawson would be proud. I wonder if she ran past Dawson's Creek while training? This was apart of her younger more fun pre Tom Cruise days :)


10. Alanis Morissette New York City Marathon 4:28:45
Not bad. Not bad at all. 


11. Sarah Palin Humpy's Marathon 3:59:36
A politician and a marathoner. Not sure that Ive ever heard of Humpy's Marathon but I am sure its legit. 


12. Ryan Reynolds New York City Marathon 3:50:22
I've saved the best for last. I love me some Ryan Reynolds. So hot and so fit. Love to love him.

6 miler

6 miles!

after our run 

Due to busy schedule, I had to switch around some of my training for this week. My long run is typically on Saturday, but I did it tonight so I would have fresh legs for the Gary Papa Run on Sunday. Hans came with me tonight. As we moved along and although my legs were extremely tight, we made it to 6 miles. There was nothing specifically special about tonights run, except for the fact that I made it the whole way and have never gone 6 miles before. No matter if you have a great run, or a bad run you should always find a good aspect in what you accomplished and pin point something you should work on. Tonight, I am proud I made it 6 miles, and clearly I should work on picking up the pace in the future :) 

Inspirational Runners: Dick and Rick Hoyt

I've been waiting for some time to share these inspirational runners. If you haven't heard of Team Hoyt, you need to get to know them. Rick Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy. At a young age his father, Dick and the rest of his family enabled Rick to play sports by adapting and physically assisting him when needed. With the love of his family, Rick was able to live a life similar to his siblings, playing street hockey, swimming and doing what all young boys do. Rick was eventually given an adaptive computer which enabled him to communicate with his family. Rick eventually expressed an interest in running after his school put together a charitable race for a student who was paralized in an accident. It was then that his father, Dick decided that he was going to give it a try, although he never had really run more then a mile. After his first run, Rick told his dad that when he was running he felt as though he wasn't disabled. It was then that Dick dedicated himself , selflessly racing and competing in both marathons and triathanlons with his son in toe for all of them. Together they have competed in more then 85 marathons. When they compete in triathalons Dick swims with Rick behind him on a small raft and then peddles him on a specially designed bike for that portion of the race. Today, Rick and Dick Hoyt have formed TEAM HOYT which raises money for physically disabled individuals. Please watch the video below and visit their website for more information. I guarantee it will not only inspire you, but really give you a good sense of what it takes to be true 
heroes.


Team Hoyt Website

Running Mash Up

"Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win." - Nike I love this quote because its true and makes you want to get up off that thing and run till you feel better. 


Todays blog is entitled Running Mash Up because I have so much to say and so many shout outs to give! Allow me to elaborate...


After work, I really wasnt in any mood to run or even be awake for that matter. While I was laying around, watching Action News ( Shout Out #1 Matt O' Donnell I Love you!) I reminded myself that there would be NO excuses. Today I was slated to run 4 miles and I was going to have to do it, rain or shine. Luckily, it started to rain which delayed my run. My friend Jackie recently decided that she too wanted to run ( Shout out #2 Go Jackie) and signed up for the midnight madness 8 miler. She called me and asked what I do when it rains, I said wait for it to stop, but I didnt have the heart to tell her that if it didnt, then come hell or high water ( no pun intended) her ass would be running through it. Thats just the way runners do it. If you want to run, you have to follow the code. Luckily, it stopped, which brings me to my run. I went out in hopes of a glorious 4 miler. About 2 miles in, I was looking around wondering where all my runners were? I usually pass people and if theres one thing I know for sure, its that after the rain stops people are out there running. Just as I thought this, I passed the most glorious man ( Shout out #3 You were looking good fella). He was running up hill, while I was going down, I was moving quite swiftly, might I add(This is laughable, because again, it was DOWN hill) haha. I digress. We waved, and that my friend, gave me motivation to move faster and go a little wider on my normal route. While running I also passed a rainbow (awesome) and had 3 creepy old men beep and or shout at me. ( I told you it was a mashup of random events and shout outs) I couldn't have done this run without the help of my friend Lauren ( shout out #4 thanks for the music influence) who turned me on to Girl Talk, quite possibly the best mash ups of hip hop music and 80's magic of all time. Great to run to and shake a tail feather to in the right setting. Amanda, my cousin ( shout out #5 You beast you) who got up at 5 am this morning to run. She reminded me that she had already done her run, so I had no excuse not to. Becky. ( shout out #6 me lady) who bought me an amazing shirt today and hot shorts to run in on Sunday for the Gary Papa race. Yipppeee! and Lastly, my friend Luisa ( shout out #7 you go girllll) who signed up for her first 1/2 marathon race and recently started her own running blog. Please look under helpful websites to the right on my page to visit her blog. Whew! That was a lot. Thanks everyone! See you on the streets! 

Vexatious Pain

This weekend I learned a very important lesson. In an effort to squeeze in some strength training that I blew off earlier in the week, I decided yesterday I would lift and then do my long run. At the time, this seemed like a good idea. Now, not so much. I woke up this morning extremely sore from the day before. I think my toe nails are even sore. Although yesterdays work out was a good one, I don't think I could run today if I wanted to. Luckily, its a strength training day for me but even that is taking some convincing. Do yourself a favor and follow your training schedule. When you try to make up missed time you are setting yourself up for a sore body and a painful day. 

Steady As She Goes

Running is a lot like life. Only 10% of it is exciting;the other 90% of it is slog and drudge. - Dave Bedford English distance runner who occasionally puts in over 200 miles a week in training.


This week Christmas came again in the form of the UPS man. Now that I have my new reflective Nike vest and my sick water bottle fanny pack I think Ive reached my quota of running accessories. I love running, but its sometimes hard to stay motivated. For me, buying new must have running swag always makes me want to hit the streets. Looking over the marathon training schedule this week made me want to seriously re think my decision to run 26.2 miles and of course question my sanity. I have decided that I need to run this marathon with no excuses. Thankfully, running is a what you put in, you get back type of sport. There really is no competition out there but yourself. You decide how far you will go, if you can keep going or if you are going to stop. Running is powerful because its you against yourself. At the end of the day, you decide how far you will push yourself, you decide if you can stay at that sub 9 minute pace for all 5 miles, you decide if you are willing to run in the the most horrid of elements. You make your own motivation, and if you fail the only person who you can blame is yourself. Now that summer is around the corner, the dedication of the training is becoming more real. I am ready for the challenge, and I have a feeling its going to be a hell of a struggle. In the end, I am running for myself day to day but on marathon day I will be running for my dad. I am sure I will need his help around mile 16 and beyond. It also happens to be his birthday, so maybe some post run celebrating will be needed. See you on the streets, BYOM. ( bring your own motivation) 

Helter Swelter

After our big wins.

Hot is an understatement 

Action Shot~

Shout out to North Wales Running Company~

When its hot out, I just cant seem to get it together. Tonight Hans and I went to my old high school to support the North Penn XC team. It was horribly hot and I started the race with a stomach ache and a mean thirst. The race seemed long, even though it was only 3 miles. The heat made it feel like 5. Hans finished and won 2nd place for his age group and shockingly, I won too. 3rd place for my age group! Shocked is an understatement. This is just the motivation a girl needs to keep training for her July 16th Midnight 8 miler :) 

Giving Reckless A Whole New Meaning

When I got home today, in the mail was a running vest that I had ordered from Nike. I was excited to finally get it so I could start logging some more early morning and late night running hours. One thing I love about running is that no two runs are ever the same. Tonight, I was able to finally catch up with my best friend Sara and was feeling better after chatting with her so I decided to hit the streets. My brother and mom were going to head out along side me, on their bikes while I ran. It started out great, everyone speeding along through the streets of Hatfield. About 2 miles in, Tyler felt as though he was almost run off the road. The story is hazy since I kept running, but apparently he exchanged words with a man driving by. He threw his bike, screaming loudly in the street while K Smith looked on in horror. The guy I would assume, realized he wasnt going to win this fight and then drove off. Never a dull day in the Smith house, thanks to Tyler for protecting the streets for bikers and runners alike, and of course for giving reckless a whole new meaning. 

How To Be A Reckless Runner

I re read a few of my older blog posts and I started to think about who, if anyone reads them. I know my friends do, and my family mainly because I make them. I hope someone at some point has been inspired to run or just go out and see how far they can jog if its been a while. Incase you have been hitting the streets lately this ones for you! Tonight, I would like to give you my list of the top 10 ways you too, can be a Reckless Runner.


10. Buy countless items that you "need" such as a polar watch, fanny pack water belt and new clothes to fit in on the streets of the thriving metropolis that is Hatfield, Pa.


9. Add a little squeak in your run by wearing a large and unflattering knee brace that really amps up the heat from your thigh to your calf in humid weather.


8. Give a wave and nod to passers by while running around town. If you already do this, take it up a notch and try to get truck drivers to beep or cars to slow down and yell words of encouragement or just flirt with you. 


7. Run proudly past the person you didn't see on their porch who just heard you singing Salt and Peppas "Push It" as loudly as humanly possible.


6. Give dirty looks to people who drive by with their air conditioning blasting while you are ready to keel over on the side of the road. 


5. Always keep your eyes peeled for a BBQ or outdoor party you can invite yourself to and pretend you know some of the guests.


4. Make sure you alert family members of your running route. If you have people you know driving by, you're bound to move that ass a little faster. Plus, if you cant make it home you have what I like to refer to as the "Rescue Ride". 


3. Approach local wildlife fearlessly. Go over and touch those baby geese and let that rabid dog follow you. It is always more fun when you are being chased or if you have a  new flesh wound. 


2. Don't be ashamed to re route your run past the local ice cream shop. Its OK to swing by and sample some sweet treats. ( everyone needs a reason to keep running sometimes)


1. Just run. Run fast, run slow, run early or late. Just get out there and go. You will be surprised how far you can go and how much you can do that you never knew you could. 

WINNING

Today was as good as they come. I woke up early to run before it got hot out. I couldn't bear the thought of another sweaty night on the streets. So, with my eyes half shut I climbed out of bed and took it to the pavement. I was thrilled when I felt the breeze and realized how wonderful the weather was. I've been having problems when I reach the last leg of my route so I decided to run it in reverse. To my surprise it worked and my running was on point! I ran 4 miles and I know I could have gone longer but it was 6:20 am when I checked my watch and I had to run faster to make sure I had time to shower before work. All in all, it was a success.Lance Armstrong even came on my Nike I Run to congratulate me on my best run yet. (I kid you not) WINNING!! 

National Running Day

Today my wonderful cousin and fellow running enthusiast notified me that it is National Running Day! Tonight I was all set to run the NPXC 5k but due to extreme heat and tornado ( yes, tornado) warnings it was postponed. In any event, I hope you were able to get outside at some point today and get some fresh air. If you aren't into running, you should give it a whirl. ( no tornado pun intended) Hit the road and see how you feel. I bet you will feel great, motivated and sweaty. Go get your run on! If you need a friend to run with and live in the 215/610 give me a shout out, I would love the company. See you out there!