What I Miss

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Itz Linz

Itz been a long week, friends. And [I think] because of that, I’ve been thinking about what I miss in life right now. For whatever reason, I’ve had some things on my mind lately, and today I’ll share ‘em. Read on if you will.

What I miss… My great-grandparents, Grandma Rose and Grandpa Joe.

I was lucky to have them in my life for so many years growing up and I have a million wonderful memories of them, but sometimes I still can’t help missing them now. I know they’re my angels above and forever in our hearts.

What I miss… Running!

Oh, I miss running so much, and I think part of it is that I feel like I “can’t” run right now. I know itz best for me, but I had to stop after I ran my fastest races and truly felt like a runner. Someday I’ll be back with you, running! And along those lines…

What I miss… Races!

Gosh, I’ve always loved racing! Whether itz a short distance or a half marathon, I love the friendly competition, I love trying to beat my previous time, and I love the atmosphere of races. I also love training for races and following a training schedule.

What I miss… Summer days at the pool.

Oh summer, where are you? I want it to be hot. I want the pool to be ~~cold~~ warm. I want to be swimming with my friends and family at the pool!

What I miss… Ice cream!

Wait, wait, wait. I had that last night. Real, full-fat ice cream in the birthday cake flavor. Oh baby, it was delicious!

What I miss… Bikram yoga!

Itz been far too long. I need to make this happen. Soon.

What I miss… Our wedding!

Our wedding was seriously the best time ever and I’m not just saying that because it was our wedding. Well maybe I am, but I know a lot of people would agree with me! At least we have both my brothers’ weddings to look forward to now!

And let’s end on a really happy note… Itz my nephew Jackson’s 5th birthday today!!!

Totally my nephew… rockin’ handstands when he was just three! Ok, this was really a showing of his “dance moves!” Details, details.

Don’t forget to check and see if you were the Balance Bar giveaway winner!

What do you miss today?

How To Be A Faster Runner

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Itz Linz

Today I’ve got a great guest post lined up for you from an awesome FitFluential Ambassador. Taylor has five simple steps to help improve your running speed. While I’m totally missing running right now, I’ll live vicariously through Taylor, her races, her passion for running, and speed. PS: Don’t forget to enter the Conscious Box giveaway!

Hi! My name is Taylor and I blog over at Lifting Revolution, where I talk all things fitness, nutrition and well, my life. Itz a huge honor to be here with you today!

While lifting weights is my passion, I have recently found a new drive for running. I have always been a competitive person, but in the past when it came to my running, I was only competitive with myself. I didn’t care necessarily where I placed among the other women, as long as I accomplished my personal goals.

Well, that worked for a while. Until I learned that I actually could run, and with the help of my beloved strength training, I could run somewhat fast.

In just 4 months, I was able to knock off 3 minutes from my 5K time. I went from running around a 26 minute 5K (which is where I was for about 5 years) to running a 23.03. And just a month later, though not an official race time, I lowered that down to a sub 22.

How did that happen? Well, that’s what Linz has asked me to share with you!

How To Be A Faster Runner

Train Fast

Itz easy to get wrapped up in miles. Mileage often becomes the standard for how we define a workout… “Oh, I ran 5 miles today,” or “Oh, I just ran an easy 7 miler.” Sound familiar? Well, that’s important for sure, but it’s not going to help you run any faster.

To run fast, you have to train fast. Set 1-2 days aside for speed work. Don’t focus so much on distance as you do intensity. My favorite right now is to run as fast as I can for 3 minutes, then lower the speed (still a run) for 2 minutes and repeat for a half an hour. Sounds crazy? Expect to be a sweaty mess at the end. So far my personal record is 4.3 miles.

Some people also prefer to set distances… Such as a 200 full-out run, followed up with a walk or jog and repeat x amount of times.

Cross Train

You don’t become a strong runner from just running. Don’t be afraid to get off the roads/treadmill and hit the weights, yoga room, or just any other type of fitness that sparks some interest. By doing so, you’ll develop a stronger core and upper body, both of which are important for helping you move faster.

What happens when you pump your arms faster when running? Your legs naturally move faster, too. Have you ever worked out with sprints and then woke up the next day with a sore core? It’s because they are all interdependent on one another. A strong, fast runner is strong all around.

Rest Up

Speed training is intense. Sure, you might only run 3 miles, but those 3 miles are heart pounding and muscle burning. That means they require more of a recovery time than a 5 mile easy run. That’s why I mentioned only doing 1-2 days of full-out sprint work each week. And never back to back days. Talk about burn out.

Food Matters

I can’t talk about performance and fitness without brining up food. Food is the fuel that gets your body moving in the first place, and it directly influences your ability to perform. If you eat crap, then expect to run like crap. Even if you don’t realize it… but I promise, if you clean up your diet, you’ll see results with your times.

Case and point: since becoming a vegan, I have PR’d every race I have run. Now I am not suggesting you become a vegan, but I am suggesting you look at your current diet and see if there is anything that needs to be changed. Your running isn’t the only thing that will see positive results from this.

Sign Up & Race!

Sometimes we need an extra push to really put the effort into our sport. If you want to runner faster than ever, then sign up for a race and train. Having a set date on the calendar gives you a deadline and will remind you to put forth the energy needed to see you hit your goals.

In terms of goals, set one! Set a time that you want to beat and go after it. Every race I ever do, I always have a goal in mind. Whether I say it out loud or not… now that’s a different story.

These tips are what have helped me, and I hope that they can help you, as well. Next on the list is the infamous Cooper River Bridge Run here in Charleston. It happens to be on my birthday this year and I intend to beat my husband’s PR!

What are your training secrets? What motivates you to run faster? Have you set goals for races this year?

Healthy Bananas Foster

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Itz Linz

Heeeey there, folks! Let’s talk healthy foods today. Itz only appropriate as it is What I Ate Wednesday. This week my eats have been super clean as Monday marked the first day of the New Year New Rules program that I’m following.

Breakfast: Pancake fail. Again! Seriously, I don’t know what’s up with my pancakes lately. Well, I do. I try to make up new recipes and they don’t always work out the way I envision them. Yesterday’s fail involved a banana, eggs, and coconut flour. That coconut flour is so tricky, I tell ya! Still tasted good though.

On Sunday I made a HUGE batch of black beans and a HUGE batch of quinoa. I knew I’d be using them as a base for my lunches and dinners this week.

Lunch: black beans, quinoa, broccoli slaw, green peppers, orange peppers, red onion, carrots, celery, and sunflower seeds. I made my own salad dressing by squeezing the juice of half a lemon, half a lime, and some apple cider vinegar.

Colorful foods pack the most nutrition!

Snack: I had a meeting after school, and I know that I’m usually famished around the four o’clock hour. In the morning I made oats and stirred in unsweetened, shredded coconut, blueberries, and pecans. No shame in taking a jar full of oats to a meeting!

In order to make healthy choices, you need to plan ahead. Bottom line. Other snacks throughout the day involved an apple, almonds, and raisins.

Dinner: Similar to lunch with a base of black beans and quinoa. Added tomato, broccoli, avocado, sesame seeds, and cayenne pepper; served on top of a bed of fresh spinach.

Again, the more colors, the better!

One of the foods from my childhood that hold a special place in my heart is bananas foster. It was such a good surprise whenever my dad made it, and my brothers and sister probably agree that itz always a delicious treat! However, with the New Year New Rules program brown sugar and butter don’t really fit the picture. So I made the old recipe waaaay healthier (and even easier!).

Dessert: Healthy Bananas Foster

Literally, two ingredients. Bananas and coconut oil. Heat up a tablespoon over medium heat and throw in the banana slices. Let brown. Enjoy. It seriously tastes like bananas foster even though NO sugar or butter were added. Amazing.

That does it for today’s edition of WIAW. Check out other great recipes and meal plans over at Peas and Crayons. There are literally hundreds of other bloggers who link up!

One last thing for today. You know how much I love mud runs, right? I’ve done the Warrior Dash (four times), and the Ruckus Run. Well, the Pretty Muddy is along the same lines, but itz just for women! I haven’t participated in a Pretty Muddy (yet), but hopefully will soon. Getting a group of girls to do this race together would be so much fun.

I’ve got a discount code just for YOU if you’d like to give it a shot. Use the code GIRLTIME to receive $20 off your registration fee. This is amazing because Pretty Muddy will not be doing any daily deals (Groupon, Living Social, etc.), so now is your chance to save some dough. But sign up now because the code is good only through the end of January.

What do your eats look like today? Bananas foster fan?

PRO Compression Giveaway {CLOSED}

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Itz Linz

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I’ve got a great giveaway to start off the week for you, but first let’s talk about some of the many blog challenges that are going around right now. With the holidays drawing near, numerous bloggers have set up various challenges to help people stay motivated and make healthy choices. I’ll share my favorites and maybe you’d like to join in, too!

Dedicated December with Janetha from Meals & Moves:

Janetha wants to encourage you to stay active during the month of December. All you need to do is visit the official Dedicated December page and leave a comment with your workout from the day. There are tons of awesome prizes for additional motivation!

Elf For Health with Lindsay from The Lean Green Bean and Elle from Nutrition Ella:

I wrote about this one on Friday, but just to remind you: Lindsay and Elle have set up mini-challenges for each day in December. They’ve paired up the participants so each person has an “elf.” Elves get to know one another, provide support, and inspire their partner by offering ideas of their own. Itz not too late to sign up! You can sign up for Rounds 2 & 3 by clicking here. There are almost 1,000 elves! There are tons of awesome sponsors for #elf4health.

Dominate in December with Katie from Healthy Diva Eats:

Katie wants you to dominate in all areas of your life; afterall, living a healthy lifestyle is all about balance! For example, Zoey and I went on a walk yesterday as it was a warm 70 degrees in St. Louis.

We enjoyed the warm weather and totally dominated our walk. Word around town is that Katie plans on sneaking in a few prizes for this challenge, so use the hashtag #dominatediva and start posting on Twitter and Instagram all the ways you’re dominating!

Katie is also the creator of Marvelous In My Monday and there’s just so much marvelous in the air today! The blog challenges and the stellar giveaway I’m about to throw at ya…

PRO Compression is giving away one pair of compression socks to one very lucky Itz Linz reader! I posted my review of the PRO Compression socks last week after I ran a 10K race in them. (In case you missed it, read my review here.) In a nutshell: the day before the race, I lifted legs which usually leaves my legs with major DOMS. However, the following day I ran 6-miles in my socks, and experienced NO soreness whatsoever! Plus, I kept a pretty decent pace for not running the two weeks prior. And, I put PRO Compression socks through the ultimate test after my race:

They passed the test with flying colors! Be sure to show them love on Facebook by liking their page: PRO Compression on Facebook. Here is some key information about PRO Compression socks straight from their website:

Golfers gain an edge. A key benefit of wearing compression socks over eighteen (or thirty-six!) holes is the delay of muscular breakdown and fatigue that comes from long-term play. This significant improvement enables you to perform at the highest level for longer durations of time than ever before.
Triathletes, Runners, and Endurance Athletes: Your feet and legs are your engine. Anything less than peak performance and full recovery means unnecessary discomfort while operating at less than your best. Change all of that with the advanced design and materials that make PRO Compression socks your ultimate recovery tool.
How they work: PRO Compression socks are designed specifically to deliver both maximum comfort and speedy recovery times. The science is complex, but benefits such as improved blood flow, stability and comfort are universally understood. The moment you put these socks on your feet and incorporate them into your game, you will feel and understand the difference. (source)

Here’s how to win a pair of your own magical socks: Leave a comment at the end of this blog post telling us what you’d use your PRO Compression socks for. (mandatory) There are a couple other ways you may gain additional entries:

Follow Itz Linz and PRO Compression on Twitter and tweet the following, “I NEED a pair of @ProCompression socks to help with _____. Please, @ItzLinz! http://wp.me/p2WMfo-15Y” After you follow us, fill in the blank, send your tweet, be sure to leave a comment here telling us you did.
Subscribe to Itz Linz by entering in your e-mail address and confirming your follow via e-mail. Leave a comment telling us you did so.

That’s three ways to enter, friends! This giveaway will be open until Thursday, December 6th at 8:00 pm CST. One winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, December 7th. The winner will have 24 hours to contact me or another winner will be selected. Good luck!

~*~*~*~ Can’t wait to see if you won? Use the discount code FIT40 to receive 40% off plus FREE SHIPPING! Order yours HERE. ~*~*~*~

Turkey Trot with Pro Compression

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Itz Linz

On Thanksgiving, I ran a Turkey Trot race like so many other active Americans. It wasn’t something I had planned on; afterall, I’m not really running anymore. However, I texted my good friend Jess to see if she was in town for Thanksgiving, and she said she was and was planning on running a race the following day. How lovely, I thought, I’ll join you!

When I found out the course had a 5K and a 10K option, I immediately told Jess we’d be doing the 10K. I mean, go big or go home, right? Especially since I’m not running that much, I wanted to enjoy my miles while I had em! Our goal was to finish the race without any walking… and that’s exactly what we did.

We finished the 10K in 54 minutes and 40 seconds, a 9:07 pace. Not too bad for not really running anymore. I’ll take it! It definitely helped that Jess and I had a lot to catch up on during our run. I love running with friends and this was no different!

As you can see, I wore my sparkly silver Sweaty Band which I didn’t have to fuss with at all, and I received several compliments while I was wearing it! In addition, I tried out my new PRO Compression socks. First of all, I loved how they matched my outfit to a tee!

I was a bit worried how my legs would feel the day after the run. For one thing, itz been a good two weeks since my last jog. And, the day before the race I completed my Basic Leg Workout which left me sore for days last week when I did it. This race would be the perfect time to try out the compression socks as they claim to improve blood flow and speed up recovery time. Directly after the race, my legs felt pretty tight.

I attributed the mild tightness to the chilly temperature of the race. It was about 45 degrees while running, definitely colder than I was used to. After some stretching, my legs began to feel better almost instantly.

They weren’t sore, just tight. And you know they must have been feeling fine since I was still able to do this after running six miles:

No, no, that’s not me stretching. I actually did have a few feet of air, but my sister insisted on staying on her balcony while I went on the lawn to jump. #makesnosense I knew I needed to put the socks through the ultimate test, so… another balcony shot:

PRO Compression socks pass the test! In all honesty, I really do like the socks. I did not experience any soreness post-race, which I’m pretty shocked about. The socks stayed in place while running, and I do believe they aided in recovery. I’m actually really surprised how not sore I was from my leg workout the day before and the addition of running! The socks must’ve done something because the week prior I had trouble walking several days after lifting legs! Maybe I’ll wear the socks after lifting more often. Hmm…

Did you run a Turkey Trot race? Do you wear compression socks?

*Disclaimer: I was provided a pair of PRO Compression socks to review with no monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

157 Days of Running… Done

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Itz Linz

On May 28th, I joined thousands of people in beginning Runner’s World Run Streak. Runner’s World created a challenge to run a mile or more everyday from Memorial Day until the Fourth of July. [My RW Run Streak began here.]

During the streak, I totalled 67.24 miles. Most of my runs were short one-milers. I was just getting back into running at the time, and one mile was one mile more than I had done in a long time. Four was the highest mileage I completed. When I finished the streak, I proudly sported the finisher’s badge.

Badge by Pavement Runner

The end of RW Run Streak came a sense of accomplishment. I had not run in six months prior, yet I just ran a mile or more for 38 consecutive days. It felt good. It felt so good, in fact, that I kept it up. My mileage began increasing as did my speed.

When I found out I’d be running two half marathons just 7 days apart, I was stoked. I knew my continuous running and additional training would help carry me through these races successfully. And they did. I PR-ed first in San Francisco during the Nike Women’s Half Marathon with a time of 1:56:16.

One week later, I traveled to Pennsylvania to run the hat trick of races: a 5K and 10K on Saturday followed by the half marathon on Sunday. The results? Another PR, with a time of 1:50:29.

Upon returning to St. Louis, I had initially thought I’d take a break from running after these races. However, I was so inspired by the weekend and meeting Matt Long, Bart Yasso, Shalane Flanagan, and Dean Karnazes, that I kept the streak alive. That’s right; even after running three races in two days, covering 19 hard and fast miles, finishing two halves within a week, I did not take a day off. I ran a mile the day after. And the day after. And pretty soon, even though I did not want to admit it, I knew something was off with my body. I wasn’t sore, I wasn’t hurting, but it wasn’t right.

After a visit to my doctor, I was told to cut my exercise regimen in half. To say I was devastated doesn’t seem fair, especially with thousands of people whose lives and homes truly were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. But I was sad. I still am sad. Not only because I love running, I love working out, I love sweating, I love pushing myself in the gym or on the road, but because it meant my run streak would have to come to an end. All my hard work I put into achieving the distances and times I did, itz now over.

It took me a few days to come to terms with the fact that I needed to tone it down and end my run streak. Right now, itz important I listen to my body and not take my health for granted. I’m lucky that I am able to run; right now, I just need a little break.

I chose Monday, this marvelous Monday, to announce the end of my run streak for several reasons. Itz a way for me to look back at all the marvelous runs I’ve experienced the past few months. I’ve reflected on the marvelous races I’ve run and celebrated time and time again. I know I’m taking care of my body right now, and that, my friends, is a marvelous thing.

The first day that I did not run was my first real rest day I’ve taken since May 28th. Honestly, I didn’t like it one bit and my legs were itching to run. I wondered how quickly I’d fall out of running shape. I’d worked so hard for the speeds and distances I accomplished, I worried I’d lose what I worked so hard for.

For the past couple weeks, the only running I’ve done has been one run each weekend. On Saturday I woke up and it was already 60 degrees. I laced up my new Mizuno Wave Creations, put on my new Mizuno compression socks, grabbed my Garmin, plugged in my Yurbuds, secured my hair with a Sweaty Band, and hit the road.

And you know what? I could still run. While I felt like I was running pretty slowly, and I already felt that the two weeks I’d taken off had slowed me down, I was pleasantly surprised to see my Garmin at the end show a 43:51 time for five miles. That’s around an 8:45 pace. Not bad for taking it easy.

This may be the end of my run streak, but itz not the end of my running journey. Itz just slowed down for a bit. I’m going to end this post with a picture I had intended on posting on the original final day of the RW Run Streak. The photo was taken on the Fourth of July by my sister at my grandparents’ house. I figured I’d post it saying I’d finished my final RW Run Streak run. So a few months and many miles later…

My run streak is over.

Have you ever taken an extended break from running or working out? How’d you feel about it?

Running with Bart Yasso & Meeting Shalane Flanagan

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

As if my weekend with Runner’s World couldn’t get even better, it did. I mean, I was featured on their magazine cover and I met the incredibly inspiring Matt Long, and I got hugged by Dean Karnazes! While Matt and Dean are awesome enough on their own, I had the opportunity to meet two more superstars in the running world. Let’s back up, and I’ll give you a play by play of the day.

First, my roomies and I woke up, got dressed and ready to run.

Tina, me, Larisa, & Jill

It wasn’t long before we were sopping wet from our four mile run. But none of us minded because it was with Bart Yasso! Who is Bart Yasso? A quick blurb from his website:

“Yasso joined Runner’s World in 1987 to develop the groundbreaking Runner’s World Race Sponsorship Program, creating a vehicle for Runner’s World to work with over 7,000 races representing 4 million runners per year. Inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions.
Yasso also invented the Yasso 800s, a marathon-training schedule used by thousands around the world. He is one of the few people to have completed races on all seven continents from the Antarctica marathon to the Mt. Kilimanjaro marathon. In 1987, Yasso won the U.S. National Biathlon Long Course Championship and won the Smoky Mountain Marathon in 1998. He has also completed the Ironman five times and the Badwater 146 through Death Valley. He has also cycled, unsupported and by himself, across the country twice.” (source)

Bart took us on a tour of Bethlehem. We stopped here and there while Bart shared a glimpse of the history that the town holds. Not only were the sites beautiful, the knowledge and stories Bart told us made for an unforgettable run.

Photo courtesy of Stuft Mama

Itz not everyday you get to run with THE Bart Yasso!! Because we were drenched and had our clinique with Altra Zero Drop shoes directly following our run and breakfast, Free Motion Fitness kindly gifted us the adorable jackets (and shirts) so many of us wore all.weekend.long. Like in our group shot with Shalane Flanagan:

Not only were most of us rocking the “wind” jackets (available for purchase here), we also had on our Altra shoes, Swiftwick socks, and Sweaty Bands headbands. Back to the important part: Shalane. Who is Shalane Flanagan? Some highlights from her website:

2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist
American Record Holder
Her 4:46 mile won the Indoor National Scholastic Championships in high school
Attended University of North Carolina for college and won national cross-country titles in 2002 and 2003
Two-time national champion in the women’s 5,000 meters
Set a new American record in 30:22.22 for the 10,000 meter run

Impressive, eh? Oh, yes. We had a little private Q & A session with her and she was so down to earth, honest, and motivating to listen to. Her passion for running was very apparent and her enthusiasm was contagious. Plus, she’s gorgeous!

Shalane and I are basically BFFs now. Same with me and Bart Yasso.

No big deal. Shalane Flanagan. Bart Yasso.

Who are your big time best friends? And I use the term “best friends” loosely… ha!

Altra Zero Drop

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Itz Linz

As if you couldn’t tell from my posts this week, my weekend with Runner’s World was freakin’ awesome. The people, the races (all three of them!), the food, Matt Long, the list goes on. Well, the event was also educational as I learned a great deal. We were fortunate to work with the folks at ICON Health & Fitness.

ICON has been the innovation leader in the fitness world since 1977. Now, they include brands such as NordicTrack, ProForm, Weider, Reebok, and Gold’s Gym. One of their brands that I was able to learn about firsthand is Altra Zero Drop – the official sponsor for the RW weekend. A guy named Golden founded Altra Zero Drop, and he knows what he’s talking about as he holds the world record for the fast twelve year old to run a marathon (2 hours 45 minutes).

If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is! The Altra shoes have a zero drop from the heel to the toe. What does that mean? Running shoes typically have more cushion in the heel, with an average of a 12 mm drop. Altra has zero, but they are not minimalist shoes. Altra shoes put your feet in their natural position. The LTR in Altra stands for Learn To Run (or Live To Run or Love To Run), and Golden gave us a rundown of the steps to improving your running:

1. Balanced Forward Posture

Stand tall, gaze forward.
Chest forward, shoulders back and relaxed.
Don’t bend at the waist.
In order to reset your posture, stretch both your hands up and reach for the moon. I actually did this during my races this past weekend. Other runners probably thought I was a weirdo, but I didn’t care… since I was passing them.

2. Compact Arms

Girls naturally swing their arms side to side (this is incorrect).
Fists should not cross midline.
Elbows should not pass hips (unless sprinting).

3. Proper Foot Strike

Land softly under a bent knee.
Try to avoid excessive heel striking.

4. High Cadence

Optimal rate for reducing injuries is 170 – 190 steps per minute.
Count one leg for 20 seconds; should be around 30 steps for a 180 cadence.

For more information, read here on the Altra Zero Drop website. While Altra shoes began in Golden’s basement, they have grown tremendously and have helped a large amount of people overcome injuries, run faster, run longer, and run more efficiently. I was gifted a pair of Altra Zero Drop shoes and I’m excited to give them a try.

And they look cool, which never hurts matters. Love the pink, gray, and black design. Speaking of pink, that reminds me. Golden informed us that women’s shoes are usually just smaller versions of men’s shoes. “Shrink ‘em and pink ‘em,” the industry says. However, women’s feet are different from men’s, and Altra Zero Drop shoes are designed around our feet – not the guys!

You’ll notice in the picture I’m wearing a pair of Swiftwick socks. We were give a couple of pairs and challenged to wear the same pair of socks all weekend long and then smell them. Seriously, you read that right.

Yep, that’s me sniffing my Swiftwick socks after wearing them all day on Friday, Saturday, and throughout my three races. Verdict? See that smile? They don’t stink! I wore them the whole weekend and they did not stretch out, lose their shape, or smell bad! Those are some impressive socks. Swiftwick’s got it going on.

What, you don’t smell your socks? Have you heard of Altra Zero Drop shoes before?

“I WILL” because Matt Long says so

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Itz Linz

There were countless memorable moments during the Runner’s World weekend, but the most inspirational was, without a doubt, meeting Matt Long. For those of you who aren’t familiar with his story, here is the blurb on the RW website that prefaced his presentation:

“In December 2005, Boston marathoner and NYC Firefighter Matt Long was bicycling to work when he was crushed and nearly killed by a 20-ton bus. Miraculously, three years and 40 operations later he finished both the NYC Marathon and an Ironman triathlon. Matt first recounted his incredible story in Runner’s World, which led to the book The Long Run, written with RW Executive Editor Charlie Butler. In this inspiring keynote address, Matt will detail how he overcame a devastating accident, extraordinary physical pain, and crippling emotional despair to reclaim his life as an elite athlete.” (source)

During our pre-race pasta dinner, Matt Long was dining at the table next to us. Before he began his presentation, some of us FitFluential Ambassadors had the chance to meet and talk with him for a bit. He even offered to take his shirt off, but then was quickly reminded he was due on stage in two minutes. Boo! At least I got a great picture!

Like I said in the vlog, he’s a hottie, right? I must have a thing for good looking bald guys. Heh heh. Anyway, Matt’s presentation was absolutely phenomenal. It began with a short film describing his life, accident, recovery, and accomplishments. I hung on to every word Matt said as he was filled with so much wisdom. Plus, he was hilarious and had the entire auditorium laughing during the anecdotes he shared.

As Matt was recovering, he explained that he had lost the will to live. It wasn’t until one lunch with his mother that he snapped out of it when she finally said, “Enough is enough!” She then went on to scold him for feeling sorry for himself as his entire family (8 siblings!) had been in the hospital along his side each step of the way. Something in that conversation clicked for Matt, and he vowed to make changes.

The first marathon Matt completed after his accident took him over seven hours. But he did it. He proved that he had the will to overcome his injury and the 26.2 miles. Matt spoke about how when people say, “I can’t,” they’re failing from the beginning. Itz saying, “I will,” and believing in yourself that helps accomplish goals and succeed.

During the half marathon this past weekend, I began repeating a couple mantras in my head when the course got tough. Jonny often tells me, “Do it because you can.” This helps me focus on Jonny, his perseverance in life, and lifts me up to push myself a little bit harder. Now I’ve added, “I will” to my short list of powerful race mantras. When I realized that I might PR (again), I first thought, “I wonder if I can?” Then, Matt Long and his speech popped in my head, and I instantly told myself, “I will.” It must have worked as I not only PR-ed, but took six minutes off my time!

Matt’s book, The Long Run, was available to purchase after the presentation, and I actually snuck out a minute early to buy a book, and get in line to have the book autographed before the rush came. This was genius as I was tenth in line with a mass of people behind me. Since there was such a time crunch, we all had just a few seconds with Matt as he signed the book.

I’m not staring at what he’s writing, I’m just so intent on getting in a million words a minute to let him know how moved I was by his presentation. I think Matt put his hand on mine to try to calm me down, slow me down, or just let me know he was listening. I was fine with it, either way. I’m only a couple of chapters in, but already itz left me wanting to read more.

Matt created the I Will Foundation. The mission: “The I WILL FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization established to help people, with the will to work hard, overcome adversity and challenges caused by life altering illness or traumatic injury. Our primary goal is to provide motivational and inspirational support through hands on training, coaching, and financial support when necessary. We believe the will to survive and accomplish all tasks, great and small, is present in all of us whether we recognize it or not. If you have the desire to live your life to the fullest, we can help you.” (source)

I think itz awesome. I think Matt Long is awesome. I’m inspired and have two new, powerful words to repeat as needed. If he can, I can; I can, and I will.

Fill in the blank: I will __________.

Eating at Runner’s World

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Itz Linz

I’m still riding my runner’s high after PR-ing in the RW Half Marathon. How did I have enough energy to run a 5K and 10K then PR in a half marathon the following day? Part of the reason is merely the sheer adrenaline of being surrounded by elite runners, but another part is the atmosphere of Runner’s World in general. Additionally, I had to fuel myself properly in order to go-go-go.

Runner’s World gave us FitFluential Ambassadors VIP treatment the entire weekend – food included. I’ll share my eats day by day for the WIAW party.

Friday

Breakfast: Friday morning, we went on a 4-mile run with Bart Yasso, then headed back to the expo for breakfast. There was a nice bagel, fruit, and coffee spread.
Lunch: After meeting Shalane Flanagan, we headed back to our hotel and were provided a sandwich, salad, and pasta lunch.
Dinner: The majority of the Ambassadors went to Bethlehem BrewWorks for dinner. I ordered the Mayfair pasta with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, and a balsamic reduction.

Saturday

Breakfast: Before the 5K and 10K, I made my own breakfast in the hotel. I had brought oats from home, and added banana slices, peanut butter, and honey.
Lunch: A group of us headed to Panera to pick up lunch. I opted for a turkey sandwich on whole grain with lettuce, tomato, and cranberry sauce. Yum!
Dinner: We were treated to the Runner’s World Pre-Race dinner which was salad and pasta. I was hesitant to get the creamy pasta as I didn’t know how it would sit before the big race, but I ended up being just fine. And I’m glad because it was cheesy deliciousness!

Sunday

Breakfast: Same as Saturday – oats from home with peanut butter, banana, and honey.
Post-Race Snack: Crunchy peanut butter Clif Bar that I scored at the finish line.
Lunch: Subway at the airport – grilled chicken sub with a bag of Mediterranean Snacks parmesan garlic baked lentil chips. I picked up the sample at the expo and tried a couple of the other flavors – all very tasty!
Dinner: This happened at the next (Charlotte) airport with Katie. We’d never seen sushi in an airport before, so we gave it a go. I had the spicy tuna roll and I was very impressed with how fresh it was!
Dessert: Pinkberry in an airport? Yes, please! You can tell from the picture how happy it made me. I had half peanut butter and half chocolate hazelnut. Chocolate hazelnut was the star as it tasted like nutella froyo. Amazing!

REBOOT

I made sure to drink a REBOOTizer pouch everyday. It helped with traveling and recovery of racing. I ran a half marathon (and traveled to the other side of the country) the weekend before, and I literally had no soreness or lethargy. After traveling to PA and running three races, I felt just as good. REBOOTizer does wonders! (Read more about it here.)

What are your pre and post race eats? Mine clearly involves PASTA!

Itz Linz

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