Quick update…

January: Finished the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon, stopped running and started working with Nicole Armbrust at Spooner PT to fix my hamstring injury.

February: Still not running, going to PT 2 x per week, strength training and riding the ElliptiGo. Launched my new business and passion…BTB Coaching (www.believetrainbecome.com)

March: Still not running, still working with the amazing Nicole Armbrust and Michael Akerson to fix my hamstring, have 20 BTB clients and loving the new challenge of helping runners BECOME their dream!

April: Still not running, started YOGA (every runner needs to do yoga!) still going to PT 2 x per week, riding the ElliptiGO and strength training. Recruited 30 members for Team Chances New York City!! I’m now coaching  Team BTB and Team Chances NYC!!

May: Got the green light to SLOWLY ease back into running!! Coaching is a blessing each day! I get to share the running journey with amazing, amazing people each day!! Now that I can run a little…I truly understand and BELIEVE that running is a GIFT no matter what pace you’re running! RUNNING IS A GIFT!! I will enjoy every mile of every day!!

June: Coaching, PT, Strength training, Yoga, Running & lot’s of Lacrosse (my son’s on a lacrosse travel team) trips this month.

July: Coaching, PT, Strength training, Yoga, Running, Family Vacation and one year older (49!!)

August: I was asked to be the Lululemon Run Ambassador!!! WHAT AN HONOR!! Lululemon running clothes are the BEST EVER!!! Ran two half marathons this month. Lululemon Half in Vancouver BC in 1:26 (4th overall) and AFC Half in San Diego (1:26) 3rd Master!! Yes, Yes, Yes, I am thrilled with running a 1:26 and most of all, I am blessed that running is now pain free and I feel GREAT!! Note to self…continue PT, Strength training and yoga…DO NOT JUST RUN!!!

September: Added speed/tempo to my running!! LOVE the challenge!! I feel alive and happy when each day I’m trying to improve. My goals are different and my miles are “less” than before, but I feel balanced, happy and full of purpose!! TEAM BTB and TC NYC are all better, fitter and stronger today than they were yesterday!! I feel like a PROUD MOM!! It’s funny, when they hurt, I hurt, when they are HAPPY, I’m happy (just how I feel about my boys!)!! LOVE MY RUNNERS!!!

October: Ran the “Girlfriends” half marathon in Vancouver Wash in 1:22!!! Yes, it felt good to run strong and feel healthy again!! My GIRLFRIEND, Amy O’hara sponsored this race. I ran to support her and her awesome shoe store (see shirt logo)!! Team BTB members have been rocking at races and TC NYC are in taper mode!!

My Goals: #1 Coaching  #2 Find a level of running that challenges me, yet allows me to stay injury free AND be the best coach possible. #3 I signed up for the 2013 PF Chang’s Marathon #4 Signing up for the 2013 AZ Ironman

Feeling happy at the finish of the Girlfriends Half Marathon in Vancouver Wash!

I just completed my third — and best — USA Olympic Marathon Trials! Not the best because I ran so fast and placed well against the fastest women in the USA, but the “best” because I earned a spot to participate in the OLYMPIC TRIALS. And despite lack of training due to injury, I completely and utterly absorbed and enjoyed every single “moment” before, during and after the race! So here is my Olympic Trials journey!!

 
2004 – St. Louis, MO. At the age of 40 I had two boys in grade school and one in high school. I was beginning my competitive running journey and I was consistently achieving new personal records. It was a thrilling, exciting and motivating time for me! I went into the Trials feeling a little intimidated running with all these amazing women that I had only read about in Runners World. I knew it was special running in the Olympic Trials, but since I was new to everything – I hadn’t ran in college and never dreamed of being a Olympian — I truly didn’t understand the dedication and commitment these women had made to get here. I ran a very respectable race and placed 31st with a time of 2:44:23. I also began making new friends in group of incredible athletes.

2004 USA Olympic Marathon Trials

2008 – Boston, MA. Now 44, I have been running as an Elite for 4 years. I understood and respected the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that it took to train at this level because I had now been doing it while working full time and raising my three boys (one in grade school, one high school and one out in the world). I had gained confidence in my ability and felt I could still improve as a runner. Now I have many friends in this group of athletes and coaches so this Trials was part competition and part reunion. Plus, the Trials were the day before the Boston Marathon and tons of my friends from Phoenix were here to run or watch that race so it was so special to share the day with friends, family and my fellow competitors. I worked hard, was dedicated and injury free on race day and believed I belonged on that starting line; I was ready to race! I had an awesome marathon and placed 40th with a time of 2:42:55.

2012 USA Olympic Marathon Trials

My Training. Training for my third Olympic Trails was probably the greatest mental and physical challenge of my running career. I injured my hamstring sometime in the late summer and continued training hard because I had a fall marathon, however, this injury caused me to pass on the Twin Cities Marathon – a marathon I LOVE and had run six times before. I even had to take over 4 weeks off from any running. Gone were my speed workouts; tempo workouts were out the door; and I was physically incapable of coming close to the normal mileage needed to run a competitive race. I spent every week in Dr. John Ball’s office so he could at least keep me patched together enough to toe the line of the Olympic Trials. I also had weekly visits to Jon Lempke for fascia stretching. My injury was such that the treatment goal was not to get me better—as that was not realistic – but rather was to prevent me from getting worse! Ugh!!

Six weeks before the trials I had a particular bad week of training. Each run had ended with me either limping home short of the scheduled mileage, having a friend pick me up because the pain was too great to even limp home or skipping the workout altogether. Needing to somehow maintain my conditioning despite my inability to run, I discovered what I thought might be a way to keep my fitness level up (and my spirits for that matter) while dealing with this frustrating injury. My answer was to try using an ElliptiGO. I was able to get one of these awesome ‘bikes’ the very next day and was able to talk directly with Brian, co-president of the company, about my particular injury and how the bike may best be used to meet my fitness and sanity goals! The ElliptiGO was truly a gift from heaven for me! This was exactly what I needed for both my body and mind. I spent a good deal of time cross-training on the ElliptiGo along with some slow running. I work out with the ElliptiGO without aggravating my injury and the bike was just fun! It kept me outside in the Arizona sun and gave me the aerobic workout I desperately needed. I wasn’t able to train as I would normally for a race as important as the Olympic Trials Qualifier but I did all that I could do until the pain stopped me in my tracks.

I'm in the U.S.A Olympic Marathon Trials!!

 The Trials are here! After months of challenge I was boarding the plane to compete in the Olympic Trials. My goal was to finish in less than 3 hours, but no matter what my time would be I was determined to enjoy every moment of this incredible journey. It was just a blessing to be able to run and participate. Life sometime throws you lemons and making lemonade out of them is the only acceptable way to fully enjoy life. Losing Sally Meyerhoff last spring really kept things in perspective for me too. She was on my mind a lot during my days in Houston. Each day is a gift. Live life, do your best and feel blessed.

Race Morning! I woke up before the alarm feeling rested, excited and ready to experience this race. Usually I have butterflies and a strong level of seriousness (game face) because I’m preparing my mind and body to run uncomfortably hard and be competitive. Today, however, I was just excited and happy to be here.

Race time is here! It’s time to leave the comfort of the convention center as the race officials walk us all outside to a holding pen close to the start line. The excitement at this point is over the top. The men are next to us doing their pre-race warm up and our race is minutes behind theirs so we begin our final warm ups as well. People are all around the holding pen watching us warm-up and taking pictures. I notice my dear friend and training partner Kerry Camberg and walk over to give her a big hug. I really had to hold back the tears because Kerry gave 200% trying to qualify for this day and fell short due to injury. Words were not needed as we hugged because we knew exactly what the other was thinking. My Bandidos teammate Arianna Hilborn was in the pen warming up with me, but I kept my distance so she could mentally prepare as I knew she was in the shape of her life and ready to ROCK this race. It really felt awesome to look around and see so many Bandidos there to support us like Derek, Allison, George, Eve, J.T., Donovan and of course Coach John!!

Ruth and I are all smiles before the race!!

It was almost race time. I began to look around for Ruth Perkins who was running today but not planning to finish due to a stress fracture. If you read my Twin Cities Marathon Blog, Ruth was the ring leader of the group of young women I ran with. She was instrumental in my win that day and it bonded us forever. Ruth and I spotted each other, hugged and she then asked if we could say a prayer together; chills came over me because that is exactly what I needed at that moment. There we were in the middle of the warm-up pen at the 2012 USA Olympic trials hugging and praying together before the race. It was a moment of clarity and calmness. God is in charge and my life purpose is to honor Him by doing the best I can, having faith in His plan, helping others and to be thankful for my family, friends, health and deeply satisfying life.

It’s now race time and we are all called to the starting line. I’m now frantically looking around for my other friend Jaymee Marty who is also injured but running. She shared the same goal as me . . . a 6:50 pace and finish no matter what! Jaymee and I met through the famous Dr. Ball who was treating each of our injuries for the past few months.

  

The three of us lined up in the back of the pack because no one at the Olympic Trials has a goal of running the slow pace of 6:50 per mile. Next thing you know, BOOM, the race begins. The three of us start running and within the first half mile the pack is putting distance on us. Let me tell you this…it took every ounce of self control I had to not run faster and keep up with the pack. In most marathons the last two miles are the most challenging, for me, at this race, the first two miles were the biggest challenge. The reality of really, truly having to run in the back of the pack was here and really happening to me!! It took me a few minutes to collect myself, accept my situation, be thankful again and get myself back into the present moment. At one point I instinctively started to pick up the pace and tried to catch the pack, but my hamstring quickly reminded me to back off. I had not run anything even close to a 6:50 pace for the last 3 months, but the competitor inside of me desperately wanted to run fast and be in the mix. However the goal was to finish and I simply could not risk worsening my injury or flaming out completely. I was going to finish this race and enjoy it. Besides, I had Ruth and Jaymee to keep me company; they were my gifts from God. We stuck to our plan of running a 6:50 pace. Ruth was keeping the crowd going by yelling “We’re at the Olympic Trials!” “Injury will not stop us!” her energy and excitement was contagious and thrilling! Jaymee and I were a bit more conservative as we knew that we needed every ounce of energy to complete the 26.2 mile journey. However, after I got over the initial shock of really running in the back of the pack, I started having the time of my life and my smile was so big that my face hurt almost as much as my hamstring.

As we ran in last place my thoughts kept going to a few of the amazing ladies that I coach that are back of the pack runners. They often share their insecurities with me about how it is embarrassing to be in the back, their fear of being last and their hope that the sweeper truck doesn’t pick them up. I always comfort and reassure them that they are amazing for accepting the challenge, training and doing their best. There are millions – zillions — of folks on the couch who haven’t accepted the challenge of running a half or full marathon. I tell them to hold their heads high and don’t worry about everyone else because running is about challenging yourself and being the very best that you can be. Heck, the reason marathons are so popular is the simple fact that it gives people a goal that takes them and only them to achieve. You can constantly challenge yourself and you can be successful every freakin day of your life!! Anyway, maybe the purpose/reason for my injury is to make me a better coach. I feel my strength as a coach is that I’ve been there and done that. However, I have never raced in the back of the pack and I’ve never worried about possibly finishing last in a race. So this was a new and humbling experience for me for sure. I thanked God for this opportunity and I wanted to call up Amber, Christine, Glenda and many others and say…I GET IT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND how you feel!! CARRY ON LADIES!! The journey is soooo worth the reward!!

I have to say that I enjoyed every single mile of this race and was almost in tears when I thought of how special it was to share this with Ruth and Jaymee! My new sole sisters!!

Ruth stopped around the half way point and that left Jaymee and I to solider on. When I compete I am always in the zone…big time! I don’t fully appreciate the crowds, scenery or runners around me. I am focused, determined and out to complete a task! Not this race however; I waved, smiled, blew kisses and thanked my friends for being out there. I needed their support more than ever and they were out there in full force screaming and cheering for me. Heck, even people I didn’t recognize were yelling my first name (only my last name was on the bib!) Almost felt like we were in first place and bringing up the rear.

Around 20 miles or so Jaymee kept getting behind. I would run up a little and look behind me to make sure she was there. However, every time I twisted my body to look that darn hammy would scream with pain. I found a comfortable stride — any slower hurt and any faster hurt more — so I decided I had to run my pace and wait for Jaymee at the finish.

When I rounded the final corners I almost thought that it was a different street because it sure looked and felt different without all the spectators. Most had left. Hmmm, crowd support does make a difference!! BIG TIME!!

Pure Joy!!

During the final mile tears started to fall because in my mind this was the end of a very magical chapter in my life. I’m ready to move forward and start something completely new, yet it’s so hard to let go of something that has been so intertwined in your body, mind and soul; something that is as much a part of me as breathing and eating. But change is growth and growth is moving forward and moving forward is living life to the fullest! One chapter of my live has ended and an entirely new – and unwritten – chapter now begins. I am ready!!

After months of struggle and hard work — physically, mentally and emotionally — I crossed the finish line of my third USA Olympic Trials. I did so feeling happy, content and full of purpose.

As soon as I crossed I looked up and there was my adorable husband and two of our best friends waving, yelling and cheering. Really, could this end any better?

Running gives you so much, like a new lifelong friend named Jaymee!!

I talked the race officials into letting me wait a couple minutes for Jaymee. As she crossed the finish line those darn tears came back. I was so happy for her and so happy that we had each other and our angel Ruth!

Experiences make life rich. I feel richer than Oprah Winfrey!!

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2012/01/10/olympic-trials-preview-susan-loken/

I also want to take a minute to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all my friends and family for the love, support and motivation that they have given me as I’ve trained for the 2012 Olympic Trials and during my entire running journey. I could not have even finished one marathon without you and I am forever grateful for each and everyone of you.

My life is a blessing because of my wonderful family and friends….THIS RACE IS FOR YOU!!!!

Keep on Believing,

Susan Loken

Here is an example how negative and positive statements work:

Yesterday, before my planned 13 mile run (5 at goal marathon pace), I was in a big funk. Despite my best efforts to stay positive, my mind kept thinking, you’re fat, you’re out of shape, you’re slow and the Olympic Trials are only 22 days away! Yes, I know that this Olympic Trials will be all about the experience and the honor of participating. However, today my mind decided to have a pity party about not being in competitive shape.

With all these self-defeating negative thoughts, I took off for my run. Needless to say, my thoughts created a awful outcome and my run was cut short. Defeated, I jogged back to my house.

My first Christmas gift this year was my neighbor, Matt. He drove by me as I was plodding my fat, out of shape and negative self up the hill to my house. He told me that he would be running 16 miles the next day. I immediately thought to myself, this is a such a gift, an opportunity to turn my awful negative thoughts into positive ones. Matt said that he would be at my house by 7am for our run!

When I got home from my run – my mind having already taken on a more positive outlook – there in front of me was my second Christmas gift, several boxes of running shoes from Sketchers! My friend Gerald Turetzky, whom I know from my time as a sales rep for Easy Spirit, is the key account manager for Sketchers. He has been sending me some of their latest running shoes to test out. As a matter of fact, on my “negative thinking run” I was wishing that I had the Sketchers “GO RUN” on instead of my Asics Trainers because I feel so light and fast in them. I was absolutely thrilled. I couldn’t help thinking, tomorrow I’ll be wearing a pair of my new running shoes by Sketchers and I’m going to kick some butt with Matt!

You see, my friends, positive thinking works! This morning I laced up my new Sketchers, put on my water belt, and smiled because I was back to my positive self and at 7am Matt and I were off for our run.

Today my thoughts were, I’m fast and light, I’m going to have a great run, I will get faster and fitter, and I love these new shoes. Guess how the run went. Matt and I ran 16 miles over hill and trail, averaging a 7:20 pace, and my hamstring didn’t even hurt! Each mile I completed, I looked down at our pace and kept thinking, Merry Christmas to me!! My third and most wonderful gift was the simple fact that I ran 16 miles today.

I am going to have a great run at the Olympic Trials, feeling quick, light, and fast in my new favorite running shoes from Sketchers. Every mile is a gift. Now, to decide which color to wear…

Give yourself the gift of positive thinking for Christmas this year. It truly is the greatest gift of all!

Well, the good news is that I’m running and my hamstring is feeling better. My training log is below and, as you can see, I’m slowly but surely adding more running into my schedule. I won’t necessarily have enough time to get in great shape, but I will be in the best shape possible, given the circumstances.

Training on the ElliptiGO  actually gives me the same “runners high” and the same feeling of accomplishment I get after finishing a good, hard run. This is really keeping me sane and fit for the trials. Let me tell you….this is a great cardio, leg and core workout!!

The excitement and energy surrounding the opportunity to run with the fastest women in the USA is indescribable. It amazes me that I actually qualified again and that I have the honor of participating once more. Despite the challenges and roadblocks along that way, I’ve made it. I’m both grateful and thrilled to be a part of something so incredible. Yup, my life is great!

I continue to see Dr. Ball twice per week and he’s working hard to help keep me up and running, and well enough to complete this marathon. Thanks for all your time and effort Dr. John Ball!

I actually enjoy visiting Dr. Ball twice a week because you just never know who will be on the table next to you. It could be Ryan Hall, Alicia Shay, Stephanie Rothstein, Lauren Fleshman (she was there yesterday), and the list just goes on. Top runners from all over the USA come to get put back together by Dr. Ball. He is the only healthcare professional in Arizona providing Graston, SASTM, and Active Release Techniques. I’m so lucky that his office is only five miles from my house!

I’m also streching with Jon Lempke http://www.stretchtherapy-az.com/About-Us.html once a week. Jon is a certified flexibility specialist and he works wonders on a tight runner like me.

Here’s my training schedule from the past week:

Dec 12, Monday: Ran 9 miles at 8 minute pace. The pain was manageable.

Dec 13, Tuesday: 9 miles at 8:20 pace. I didn’t feel great and ended up walking the last mile home because of hamstring pain.

Dec 14, Wednesday: ElliptiGO for 90 minutes on hilly loop. Heart-rate was up during uphill and it felt like I was at a strong heart-rate during the flats. My heart-rate seems to be lower on the ElliptiGO than in running. I feel better simply going by effort level and time, rather than driving myself crazy trying to reach a target heart rate and pace.

Dec 15, Thursday: Ran 8 miles at 7:19 pace. I felt pretty good. It looks like riding the ElliptiGO yesterday gave my hamstring enough time to recover so I could have a solid run effort today.

Dec 16, Friday: 60 minutes on the ElliptiGO on a hilly loop. I pushed hard up the hills to get heart-rate up and increased cadence on the flats. Going downhill, I break because I get going too fast. After working out on the ElliptiGO I feel refreshed, never spent and beaten up as you often do after hard runs.

Dec 17, Saturday: Ran 13 miles at an easy 8:20 pace with Cris and Allen. Hamstring felt good except on the final mile when I tried to speed up.

Dec 18, Sunday: 90 minutes on the ElliptiGO at a hard effort. Saturday’s run felt soooo easy. It was a blast running with Cris and Allan, but  it was frustrating not being able to run faster, so I released a lot of energy on the ElliptiGO today!!

Dec 19, Monday: 3 miles easy, 4×1 mile in mile 7:10 (uphill), 6:36 (downhill), 7:01 (uphill), 6:14 (downhill) and 3 miles easy. My hamstring felt pretty good. I did lot’s of stretching and will try running easy on Tuesday.

Dec 20, Tuesday: 8.5 mile trail run at an average pace of 8:30 and my hamstring felt good. Running 2 days in a row without having my hamstring stop me is a step forward. I rode the ElliptiGO later in the day to get in 45 minutes at a higher heart-rate since the trail run was at an easy effort.

Dec 21, Wednesday: Ok, I have a confession. Dr. Ball suggested that I ride the ElliptiGO today (run 2 days in a row, ElliptiGO every 3^rd day) and then run 2 days in a row again. Well, I ran for 4 miles before riding the ElliptiGO because I’m a runner, the trials are only 3.5 weeks away and I’m freaking out a little. Anyway, the run went well and I averaged 7:30 pace and then I rode the ElliptiGO for 60 minutes on my usual hilly loop, pushing hard on the uphill sections.

Here’s my plan for the next 5 days:

Dec 22, Thursday: Run 13 miles with 4 of them at goal marathon pace (around 6:45)

Dec 23, Friday: Ride the ElliptiGO for 60 minutes

Dec 24, Saturday: 8 mile easy run

Dec 25, Sunday: 18 mile run with the goal of running the last five miles at goal marathon pace. PLEASE, let everything feel good so I can accomplish this run. I really need a depoist into my confidence bank!!

Dec 26, Monday: Elliptical machine. We will be out of town on a family ski trip in Park City for the next 4 days. Hopefully the streets will be clear and runable.

Believe, Train, Become,

Susan Loken

I'm a runner, how do you ride this?

I’m currently training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials with an injury and I will do whatever it takes to stay fit, stay strong, and make it to the starting line ready to rock out 26.2 miles with the fastest ladies in the USA!

This weekend I started training on the EliptiGO outdoor elliptical bicycle (www.elliptigo.com) and I am very excited! I love running outside because it not only keeps my body fit and ready for competition, but it also serves the purpose of boosting my mental health and keeping me centered. For me, a daily run outside is as routine and necessary as eating, sleeping and praying each day.

A few weeks ago Ai Sullivan sent me a link to the ElliptiGO website and said that she thought this could be the answer for me. Although I initially didn’t do anything about it, last week I had lunch with Lauran Fleshman (Top USA runner) and Jaymee Marty (2012 Olympic Trials Qualifier) and both of them cross-train on the ElliptiGo. With all these signs, I know this device will be the best opportunity for me to stay physically fit and mentally sane until the Trials.

This weekend, I began training on the ElliptiGO for the Olympic Trials! This bike will keep my cardiovascular system strong along with building core and leg strength. It will also keep me exercising outside! 

Nothing is going to stop me from finishing the Olympic Trials. Nothing!

The bike is easy to ride (after you get used to it) and so much fun! I will be able to simulate all my running workouts on this bike by changing the daily miles to minutes and by keeping my heart rate at the correct intensity for each mile. It looks like I will ride almost twice the distance of my running miles to get the same workout. I burn around 40 calories per mile on the ElliptiGo and I burn around 80 calories per mile running, so twice the distance on the bike would be about right.

The bike takes a little getting used to initially, and the first few times my hands hurt because I was gripping the handle bars so tightly. However, after a few days on the bike, I’m catching on. Don’t worry, I’m a safety girl, so I wear a helmet and watch for cars.

Ready to go for a test spin!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      At first I wasn’t comfortable enough to go fast enough to get my heart rate up and I started getting worried, however, after talking with Bryan Pate, the Co-Founder and Co-President of ElliptiGo I found out that I  simply needed to correct a few things. In running language…My running form sucked and I was trying way too hard!

A few beginner tips for riding the ElliptiGo

1. Ride in a lower gear (3-4)

2. Increase my turnover/cadence.

3. Stand up tall and get my butt out of the bucket.

4. Loose grip on the handle bars, not a death grip.

5. Relax and Enjoy, stop trying so hard.

Well, all the riding tips paid off and today I ROCKED that bike! I rode for about an hour and my heart rate averaged around 139-149 bpm (my easy run pace) at a 4:16-4:30 minute per mile pace. My lactate threshold is 165 bpm. I’m working on getting comfortable at a faster speed before I begin speed or LT  workouts. I’m not a biker, so all this is in “running” language.

I did try running this morning, but my hamstring isn’t ready yet. It was a little sad, but after an hour on the ElliptiGo the sadness went away and was replaced with hope.

 I will keep you posted weekly on my progress.

Say Cheese!

Needless to say, it was very disappointing to drop out of the USA Women’s Master Marathon Championship and it has been a pretty big challenge trying to heal my hamstring injury quickly so I have enough time to train for the 2012 USA Olympic Trials.

So, in a nutshell here is what I’ve been up to and where I’m at

• First MRI read showed that I had an 80% tear and things were not looking so promising, however my symptoms did not match up to this diagnosis. Thank goodness!!
• Second read on the MRI disagreed that the tear was 80% and that I should be able to slowly start running. In this time frame the pain and flexibility had improved.
• Cross-trained for a month. Thank you Steve Ellwell for getting me a 30 day pass at Lifetime fitness and thank you Kerry Camberg for taking me to spin class and showing me the ropes!
• Started running/jogging again on October 24^th
• 

  Karen, Me and Yohnnie after the race!! Running with friends...Priceless!!

  Ran the Healdsburg half marathon on October 29^th in 1:31:00 just to test out my hamstring and have a fun weekend with my friends. YES, it is hard to line up behind the Elite in a race (I work hard to be an Elite) and it is even harder to win your age group (45-49) when your goal is usually to place in the top 3 overall. However, I was so grateful that I could simply run 13.1 miles that I accepted my age group award with a big fat smile on my face and I was Thrilled!!! My hamstring started burning around mile 7, so wasn’t out of the woods yet.

• November 4-7 went to New York City with my team of 20 to watch them run the NYC marathon!! What a thrill that all 20 finished the marathon and had such a life changing experience!! I was asked to talk at the VIP/Charity breakfast for the New York City Marathon. What an honor!!It gave me the opportunity to thank everyone (Mary Wittenburg CEO, George Hirsch, NYRR board of directors) for my personal life changing experiences from running and winning the More Marathon 3 times, running the New York City Marathon as an Elite and having the privilege of volunteering for the NYC marathon for 3 years in a row and from my heart THANK them for giving Chances for Children the opportunity to have 20 runners train, raise money and run in one of the WORLDS BEST MARATHONS!!! I was also able to run 18 miles in Central park at a 7:20 pace and felt good! Maybe it was the positive memories that I have, I don’t know, but it felt awesome!!
  

  Team Chances New York City! Watching each of them succeed...Priceless!!

• November 12^th ran a local half marathon called Shun the Sun. I still have not done speed work so I just jumped in to make this a long run at a steady effort. I ran a 1:26 (6:36) pace and felt really good!! Ok, now I was excited to start full speed with training. I would slowly add speed work, lactate threshold runs and feeling very positive about having enough time to train so I would be in shape for a respectable time at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials.
• Nov. 14-20…ran 59 miles this week with some speed and tempo miles and feeling like my old self again!!
• Nov. 22^nd ran 3 miles easy and the goal was to run 1 mile at 6:20, rest for 3 minutes, 1 mile at 6:15, rest for 2 minutes, 2 miles at 6:35, rest for 2 minutes, 1 mile at 6:20, rest for 3 minutes and 1 mile at 6:15…Well, as I started picking up the pace I could feel my hamstring and it continued getting worse until I had to stop and jog slowly back home. Not worth the risk. I had stopped taking NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to see how my injury felt without the help of this drug and I guess not so well.
• Nov. 23 (today) ran for 2 miles before my stride was altered due to hamstring pain. Walked home disappointed, but not defeated!!
• Bottom line…It is going to take more time than I have to heal this hamstring. I will not miss running my 3^rd USA Olympic Marathon Trials. I can manage my hamstring w/ anti inflammatory, therapy from Dr. Ball and a bit slower pace running. My goal for the Trials will be to get to the starting line and finish giving 100% of whatever I have to give based on my injury and training.
• Sometimes you don’t have control over your situation, but you always have control over your attitude. I accept this situation, I will do what I can, I will stay positive and I will continue to feel blessed that I qualified again and that I have the honor to participate.

 Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and in doing so I hope that you find just a tiny bit of inspiration to continue going for your dreams no matter the challenges!! Never give up!!!

Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Hugs and Love,

Susan Loken

First, let me explain the setting.  As I posted earlier, I currently have an injury that doesn’t let me run or even ride a bike.  I can swim (not my favorite) or use an elliptical trainer.  I’ll choose the elliptical trainer over swimming laps anyday. And I use that phrase “swim” loosely – if you’ve seen me swim, you’d understand.

So today I go to the YMCA to get 60 minutes of x-training in on the elliptical. Unfortunately, there isn’t any aerobic activity I like to do that remotely compares to my love of running.  Also, I’m not a big fan of exercising indoors either, even if on a treadmill.  So cross-training, indoors, on an elliptical machine is a real challenge for me!

Challenge or not, I’m here and ready to get to work.  I set my iPod on some great music, jump on the elliptical and start going.  I’m getting into my zone, feeling pretty good at my progress and then decide to look at my watch. Five minutes?  I’ve only been on this contraption for five minutes?  UGH, this is going to be a long, slow, challenging hour, I told myself.

I was a bit bored, and looking for something to interest me for the next 55 minutes, and so my eyes start wondering.  Right next to me I find what will be my interest, my focus, and my purpose for the next 50 or so minutes.  You see, next to me was a woman who was also gliding back and forth on an elliptical machine.  I casually glanced over at  her settings (I know that is tacky, but it gets worse) and I noticed that my speed was faster than hers!  But, that is not all, I also discovered that I had already gone farther than she had and it looked like she had been on it a little bit before me since she had a good sweat starting.

Ok, now I had a goal and a purpose.  My goal was now to see how far ahead of her I could get at an intensity level that was 10 points harder than what she was going (10 points!).  Now, in hindsight, I guess I really didn’t have a purpose. But, at the time, thinking that I had a purpose helped me justify silently competing with this nice woman, who was just there to get in a workout in peace!

So, here I am at the local YMCA racing against some innocent lady that was just wanting to get her workout in before her days begins. Well, she got off at 30 minutes and I was 1.5 miles ahead of her! YES! So, for the next 30 minutes, I alternated one minute with arms and one minute with legs and kept the pace at 7:30 minutes per mile and the intensity level at 15. Wow, I was rocking now! Next thing I knew my 60 minutes was up. Well, I ended up staying on that thing for 5 more minutes, just because.

So, that was my morning. A special thank you to the lady I ‘raced.’ I know you had no idea that I was trying to kick your butt, but I did, and it helped boost my confidence just a little when I could use it.

Kind of pathetic?  Absolutely!  But I can’t run, I’m not competing in the TCM on Sunday and I needed something to boost me up. So all I can do is laugh at myself today (and you are free to do so as well)!

Hmmm … I wonder how my competition will stack up tomorrow at elliptical row. I’m ready to silently take on all comers and bring my A game!

Ok, here is one of the most important lessons about goal setting that I can share with you.

When you set a goal, detours, setbacks and even failure can happen along the way. You must make sure to view this setback or failure as a temporary situation on your way to success. Missing or detouring around one goal along the way is only a failure if you give up. Stay focused on your objective; make a new plan to navigate around your obstacle, adjust your course but stay on track to achieve your goals!

2011 has been one detour after another for me, but I’m navigating around each detour and my goal is to get back on track. If you have been running for years, as I have, you know there are great years and years that are full of detours. Yep, I’m looking forward to 2012 baby!

Dr. Ball located the small tear (sometimes called a strain or pull) in my biceps femoris. The good news…we know where the tear is at, and it’s in a spot that has lots of blood flow for faster healing! Yippee!  The bad news… I’m still not running and I’m definitely not racing in the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday. Yes, this is a huge disappointment.  But what I do know is that I did my best and gave a good fight during this entire training cycle; always keeping my eye and focus on my goal. So I’m now navigating this detour and now setting my sights on another goal on my journey to the 2012 USA Olympic Trials. 

So what is my goal and detour Plan? Goal one and only . . . get 100% healthy so I can train. 

And what is my detour plan to get to my goal?  It is:

• Daily core work
• Strength exercises 2 x per week (keeping hamstring out of this is a challenge!)
• Watch my calorie intake since I’m not running 75 miles this week
• Sleep in with my hubby this weekend (what a treat!!)
• See Dr. Ball a couple times a week AND do the what he tells me to do (or not do) between visits
• Swim or Elliptical every day or at least every other day (nope, not crazy about this option, but I will do it!)

So embrace your detours in training (and in life).  They will ultimately make you a strong runner, better competitor and a more rounded person!

This morning my track workout was 10 x 800 in 2:50. Unfortunately, at the end of the fifth 800 my hamstring decided to flare up and stop me. Dang, I was having such a great workout, it felt hard, yet comfortable. I knew my hammy felt a little funny, but I didn’t expect this. I did the smart thing and ran easy for a couple of laps to see if it would loosen up and stop hurting. It didn’t, so I called it a day. I will have Dr. Ball work on it today. With only 12 days until the TCM it is much better to play it safe. Bottom line is, there is nothing in the next few days I can do to improve my fitness, but there a lot I can do to hurt my fitness … like get injured!

Channel 12 News Segment in August

Onto a different subject. I’m on Channel 12 today at 1 p.m. talking about the Women’s Half Marathon and giving a few nutrition tips! This will be my third time doing a TV segment for the Women’s half this year. I will try and get a copy of the interview and link to my blog.

I love this race and love the fact that it is just for women!! Last year we had 87 Team Sole Sisters finish this race, and let me tell you this, it was priceless watching each of them finish. You see, many of them would not have trained for a half marathon, but having a half marathon in town that was just for women gave them that extra motivation they needed to try it. See, all you have to do is try and you can do almost anything!!

Final thought today …

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to TRY!!

Believe, Train, Become

Susan Loken