A bluebird day on the slopes, a sleepless night at home, and a not-so-impossible workout on the treadmill
Turns out, I really just want things to go well.
A day off well spent at Mount Sunapee.
Annie’s school was closed on Monday. Not the 6:32 AM “too many teachers are out sick today so we can’t open, sorry, do your best!” kind of closure, but the planned-in-advance, teacher-development-day kind. (So, the non-stressful kind vs. the spontaneous kind.)
My dad has been dying to take Annie skiing this season, and knowing our snow-covered days are dwindling, he asked me a few weeks ago if Annie had any “days off” coming up.
She’s in preschool. Any day can be a day off!
And so, we planned for it. Annie, my dad, Brian, and me all took the day off work (or school), and made the short drive over to Mount Sunapee for a bluebird day on the slopes.
Annie has skied once before, ish, if you count the day last year when I brought her to Pats Peak, spent more than an hour waiting in line to rent her equipment, and then did one Bunny Slope run with her between my legs (not ideal, but it’s how we started) before she wanted to “sit down in the snow and eat cheese.” Relatable, I know.
More than a year later, I went in with high hopes and low expectations. (This summarizes my entire parenting theory and mindset, BTW.)
The day was off to an A+ start when Mr. Pete at the rental shop outfitted Annie with hot pink boots and matching skis. She was thrilled.
We got to the mountain, took the “shuttle” (a short ride in the back of a pickup truck) over to the beginner slopes, and got started.
Annie loved it.
She laughed and smiled the entire way down every single run.
I took an hour-long break at noon for a pre-scheduled Zoom call, and by the time I was done, Annie was flying down the hill by herself. She couldn’t get enough.
It was awesome. It was an all-time top 10 parenting day, for sure.
Proud parents who were able to get out for a few runs of our own while Annie and Pop Pop ate chicken fingers and fries in the lodge.
It reminded me a bit of what I shared recently about being a beginner. Annie was pure joy the entire day. She didn’t want to stop. She was so eager to learn, and excited to improve.
When we got home, she insisted on wearing her ski harness around the house until she went to bed. We’ve definitely got a ski bunny on our hands!
Pop Pop, Annie, and the harness she insisted on wearing for the next 24 hours.
Taking a day off is a beautiful, necessary thing, and it’s something I don’t do nearly enough. By the time I went to bed Monday night, though, I was tense. (Shocking.)
I had a workout scheduled for Tuesday morning, and it was one of those big, intimidating ones.
2-mile warm-up
6 x 1 mile @ 7:30–7:40 pace with 2:00 recoveries between each
1-mile cool-down
I got totally in my head about this. Give me short intervals all day long (400m repeats on the track, let’s go!), but anything longer than half a mile, and I’m shaking in my New Balances.
Something about being able to hit those hard-for-me paces for a mile at a time, and then repeating it for a full six miles’ worth of work? It seemed daunting. Impossible, even. (Spoiler: It was not impossible.)
I laid out my morning running clothes, and then second-guessed it. “If I do this on the treadmill, it will be way easier,” I told myself.
So I laid out my treadmill clothes instead, and then proceeded to not sleep at all that night. I spent the entire night tossing, turning, and stressing about…a workout?
I know this is a thing, and I know people will be able to relate. I just didn’t think I would be that person! I didn’t think I cared that much! I didn’t think I was that invested!
I asked myself, “Why am I so worked up about this? Why am I so in my head?”
The simple response: I wanted it to go well.
Much like my 20-miler last weekend, I didn’t feel like I had anything to prove to anyone. Not my coach, not even myself. Certainly not the general public or social media. (I love you so much, but I truly don’t care whether or not you are impressed by my running times. That is not a factor for me, at all.)
Me, salt-faced, sweaty, and satisfied after last week’s 20-miler.
I just wanted to be able to do it, and I wanted to hit the paces prescribed.
Turns out, I do care. I do want to do well. I am invested in this marathon training journey!
I woke up, more exhausted than I would have liked, got dressed, ate my graham crackers in the bathroom, and headed downstairs.
I jogged two relaxed, easy miles, used the bathroom, and then cued up a 60-minute Becs Gentry Peloton class.
Guess what happened next?
I executed the workout perfectly. (The paces: 7:41, 7:41, 7:35, 7:35, 7:30, 7:25.)
I was grumpy the entire time. I kept telling myself it was going to get harder, it was going to get impossible, I was going to have to slow down. I gave myself a hard time for choosing the “easier” route, opting for the treadmill over the great outdoors. (I know many people hate the treadmill, but I find it so much easier to “set it and forget it” than to try and hold a steady pace on the roads.)
My brain was totally checked out, but my body stayed in it the entire time.
And as soon as I finished, you know what I did?
I did a little happy dance around the entire house, I sang in the shower, and I spent the rest of the day being an insufferable, over-confident marathoner-in-training.
I was proud. Giddy, even. (And still very tired.)
The moral of the story: Take the day off, take a deep breath, do your best, and celebrate when the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
This week on the Ali on the Run Show:
Erika Kemp, Brooks Running Athlete & Marathoner-to-Be: The six-time collegiate All-American and many-time U.S. national champion returns to the Ali on the Run Show to share all kinds of big life updates and changes, including a new sponsor (Brooks), new coach (Kurt Benninger), new city (she’s moving from Boston to Providence in May), and new challenge (she’s making her 26.2-mile debut at the Boston Marathon next month).
COMING REALLY SOON: Everything You Need to Know About the Boston Marathon: The 127th running of the Boston Marathon — the world’s oldest marathon, which began in 1897 — is just three weeks away. Bib assignments went out this week, and for some runners, the taper has already begun. This mega-episode covers as logistical bases as possible. (So, it’s less about the history and fun facts that make Boston special, and more about “what time do I need to get on the bus to the start?” and “do I have to walk a mile after getting my medal like in New York?”) I’m putting the finishing editing touches on this monster episode, which is currently clocking in at more than three hours. Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss it when it’s ready!
What I’m reading: The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team, by Kara Goucher and Mary Pilon. This one is a bit of a doozy. It’s a heavy read (I devoured it in two days), about professional runner (and Ali on the Run Show favorite!) Kara Goucher’s journey to going pro, and the realities of it all once she signed with Nike. Much has been said and written about this book already, and it feels like a disservice to say that Kara “spills the tea.” It’s a harrowing, too-real story about an abusive coach (Alberto Salazar), sketchy “professionals” (Darren Treasure and Dr. Brown, yikes…), and so much more. I finished this feeling sad for what Kara has been through, and wanting to give her a big hug.
On the run: It’s a slightly lower-volume week for me. Last week’s 20-miler went well, and this week I’ll scale back just a touch (“only” 17 miles today) before ramping up again next week. I’m really feeling like I’m in the thick of it now. (Translation: I’m tired.)
On the mic: Live show reminders!
Boston Marathon Expo Live Show: Friday, April 14, at 2 PM, with three of the professional women running Boston. (I’ll tell you their names as soon as I get the OK. All three have been on the Ali on the Run Show multiple times, so you know them and you love them.) This show is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. (Translation: Just show up!) We’ll be talking motherhood (there’s a hint!), marathoning, and more.
____________ Presents: Ali on the Run Show LIVE with ____________: Saturday, April 15, at 5:30 PM. This is going to be oh so fun, and again, I’ll fill in those blanks for you as soon as I get the OK. I’m thrilled to be partnering with an exciting brand and hosting this show in their new Boston store on Newbury Street. Tickets are FREE and LIMITED, and will go on sale sometime next week.
Eugene Marathon Live Show: Saturday, April 29, at 12 PM, at the Graduate Hotel. Free, no tickets required, and the guest is someone you love. (Announcement coming soon!)
Bayshore Marathon Live Show: Thursday, May 25, at 3:30 PM with Emma Bates! We have a huge venue for this one! Get your tickets here. (And you’ll be entered to win dinner with Emma and me! So fun!)
And so…
Take good care of yourselves. Take good care of each other. Take a day off sometime. Thank you so much for being here. And whatever you’re going through, keep going.
Love,
Ali