I read this book during several easy treadmill runs and book marked my favorite parts along the way. I know a lot of people think I’m crazy that I read on the treadmill- but I swear it’s amazing. I put my kindle on the second or third to largest font and it works beautifully. It helps pass time and also helps me enjoy the run more, while getting some reading in. There are so many books I wouldn’t have read this past year, had it not been for my treadmill running.

I promised myself I would actually go back and read the book marked pages though. A fair warning- this woman has a lot of great things to say, so there are quite a few quotes I pulled.

Clearly Chrissie is an amazingly talented athlete– you can’t WILL yourself to be as fast as or as talented as her, but you CAN will yourself to work hard and be the best that YOU can be. What I love most about Chrissie, is that she uses her platform to do good things. She knows that she has a responsibility and puts her responsibility to action by making the world a better place.

SO, here are my favorites:

• “Just seize every opportunity you have, embrace every experience. Make a mark, for all the right reasons.”  – Said by Chrissie’s Dad when he dropped her off at College

• “Acknowledging those weaknesses is vital to our development. Some are real and can be overcome, but others are not so much weaknesses as imperfections- it is just our perception that makes them seem so. Willpower and discipline have always played a huge role in my life and never more so than now, but if they are not applied selectively, they can wear you down as much as they spur you on. Pick your battles and accept yourself for who you are.”

• “Hard work and an open mind- it’s the only way to realize the potential that is inside every one of us.”

• “You may not be able to right now, but with a positive farm of mind and a willingness to work, anything is possible. Remaining positive really is one of the most precious faculties for any athlete. That, and the ability to stay focused and disciplined. Develop a mind bank of positive images and thoughts- family, friends, previous successes, favorite places, a big plate of chips. You need to build it up as you would any collection, but soon you will have a range of thoughts to flick through when next your body and souls are screaming out for relief.”

• “Never ever give up- and smile”

• “In an endurance athlete’s life, pain is never far away. Pain is little more than a conversation between your body and your brain, this is another reason why a fit mind is so important. The brain is the master computer of the body. Even when we are working on the efficiency of the peripheral components- the legs, the arms, the butt cheeks- we can recruit the seat of all power to enhance the effectiveness of our work. It’s a question of testing limits. For a star there’s the importance of keeping an open mind. The brain is programmed to protect us, and that can mean imposing limited now hat it thinks we can or should do. Constantly push at those limits, because the brain can be way too cautious.”

• “Never image in anything is impossible and never stop trying out new things.”

• “Everyone gets nervous before a race- it’s human. I would be worried about any athlete that didn’t. It’s a sign of how much we care. The key is to trust in your preparation. You have done all you can, os focus on that fact. You will remain the same person before, during and after the arc, so the result, however important, will not define you. The journey is what matters.”

• LIVE: By John Blazeman “Live…. More than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go no. Giggle, no, laugh. No… stay out past day, and bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are. Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal. This is it…. your life. Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it in. Yes, every chance you get…. come close. And by all means, whatever you do… Get it on film”

• “You know that there will be ebbs and flows, and you have to hold on to the knowledge that you have been there before and come through it.You can’t latch on to the pain; somehow you must switch that part of your brain off and go into automatic pilot.”

• “No one should ever be afraid of failing; it’s being afraid to give it your al in trying that I urge against. If there is one thing I have learned, particularly in my life as an athlete, it is that our limits may not be where we think they are. And even when we think we’ve finally reached them, the next time we go there exploring we often find that they’ve moved again.”

And this is one reason I love her so much:

• “More than though, is the desire to use well this privilege of being a world champion. It excited me to be in a position to make a difference. It excites me to see how sport can inspire people and change lives. I believe that the responsibilities of a professional sportsman or woman extend beyond their performance on the big stage. They have a role to pal in shaping the health of their nations, spreading positive messages and doing their best to effect chance. Not enough take that responsibility seriously. With it comes power, and you choose to use it or waste it.”

• “My only policy throughout has been to keep an open mind and, whatever I may do, to give it my all.”

• “Be Happy 4 this moment…. 4 this moment…. is your life”

That’s all! I hope this left you feeling inspired this AM- and if you’re looking for a good read- pick it up.

The post A Life without Limits appeared first on Lindsey Hein.

I got sick of only running and decided to try a sprint. In the 2011 season I signed up for 4 sprits and ended the season with an Olympic at the Chicago Tri in Chicago.

Transition I really suck at running, my swim is meh, as is my bike. But somehow I keep going out for more.

When I’m struggling in a race, I think of Joe. Joe passed away last summer and I know he’s watching over me during races laughing and smiling and saying “you got this girl.”

Chrissy & Joe finishing the Giest Half Marathon in 2012

One of my best friends is a recovering addict. I’ve been to hell and back with him and now have a friendship far greater than I could have ever imagined. Our friendship and his recovery overwhelm me at times in a good way; I just can’t believe how far he’s come. I admire his strength and preservation. Through this relationship I’ve learned so much about addiction and want to help other addicts. I believe this passion, matched with service to others being a core personal value and my love-hate relationship with running makes BoMF the perfect organization for me.

Fun Stuff: 

Shoe Size – 8.5-9

Fav music – I’m a Dave Matthews Band groupie. I love all kinds of music with a soft spot for techno/dance, 60’s/70’s rock

Fav thing to do outside of triathlon? Volunteer; I deliver Meals on Wheels and serve on the Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Indiana and the International Board of Directors for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity

Fav food – Steak  if nothing mattered: brownie batter

PRs? I finally PR’d a 70.3 in Steelhead. I’m still chasing a sub 3:00 half

What are the improvements along the way in your journey that you have seen? Way too many to list. I can actually run, I can ride my bike with clips and not fall off, I now know what about 90% of the items in a multisport store are. The biggest one? My self confidence and self worth is night and day from a few years ago.

Fav quote or inspiring words

I have way too many! You need a lot when all the odds are against you!

-DFS – Don’t F*cking Stop is my motto

-Running slow isn’t a character flaw, quitting is

-There will be haters, doubters, non-believers, and then there will be you, proving them wrong

-Feed your faith and your fear will starve to death

-You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have

-Two things define you, your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything

-Set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it until you grow into the person who can

-I don’t believe you have to be better than everyone else, you have to be better than you ever thought you could be

Favorite race? When I ran Rock the Relay with my BoMF teammates.

We are all behind you and cheering for you come race day Chrissy! I’m sure Chrissy is going to write up an emotional, yet hilarious post about her IM Arizona adventure on her blog, sausage in a wetsuit. 

Let’s all give Chrissy some encouragement here on the comments!

Who inspires you? 

The post Athlete Highlight: Chrissy Vasquez appeared first on Lindsey Hein.

At Glenn’s parents about to head out for our ride. It’s May, why in the world did we need to dress like this?

In my mind, a 40 mile bike ride is similar to a 20 mile run, It takes around the same amount of time for me. Like a 20 mile run, many times when you get started, the distance seems daunting and that’s how I felt about the 40. 40 miles on the bike is long, but it’s not crazy long. The farthest I’ve ever done in a day is somewhere around 80, but that was 3 years ago. And on the same day that I rode 80, Glenn doubled me, riding 160. He’s a much more experienced bike rider than I.

I don’t have a trip meter on my bike, but Glenn had his GPS watch on his bike for the ride. I started asking him how far we’d gone at mile 6. So, yeah those first 20 miles were a bit of a head game. We did an out and back and the first half was into a head wind and I felt like I was crawling pretty slow. A couple of times I was apparently a little chatty and Glenn told me I needed to work harder. Geez man. I wasn’t working all that hard, like in a 20 mile run, you can’t go all hard and stuff the whole time or you’ll crash and burn. When I was pushing hard though, I focused on the turnaround when we’d have a really awesome tailwind.

I feel like I’m always talking about a headwind. Maybe I’m a baby about it, but Mr. Ironman himself told me the headwind out was nasty, so I’ll give myself that.

We took these pics at 20 miles when we turned around. I had my mind set on hopping of the bikes for a minute at the turnaround and took a gel as well. (chocolate hammer, duh)

I think this picture makes us look young. As someone who is turning 30 in 3 months. I like it.

AND, the tailwind WAS IN FACT  awesome. We averaged around 13-14 mph on the way out and 18-19 on the way back. Averaging 15.5, my goal was around 16, so I’m OK with it. I’m not a speedy bike rider. I try, but I need to work on getting some stronger legs.

After the ride, we did a 4 mile run. The schedule calls for an easy run (7:30-8:10 pace). I told Glenn I didn’t know if I’d be up for running that fast. Turns out I lied, we averaged 7:10s. At mile 1, we were at 7:30 and at mile 3 he told me pace was 6:58 and then I decided I wanted to make sure the last one was sub 7 and we hit it around 6:49. Something about sub 7s that make me feel good. I also like biking and running with Glenn because I just let him wear the watch and I don’t constantly clock/pace watch.

I also enjoy running after the bike- there’s no pressure to run very fast and while it takes a little bit of time to wake your legs up, you feel tough. 

Post run. Marshall’s thinking it’s about time we stopped working out and gave him some attention.

Once we put him down for his second nap, we headed out again and went to 3Floyds, in Munster, IN where Glenn stalked up on his favorite beer. Dave (Glenn’s Dad) watched Marshall. They really let us have some freedom on Saturday and it was really refreshing.

When I was planning to to Giest this coming weekend, I had 12 miles at steady state on the schedule for Sunday. Since I decided to drop it, I did an easy 8 instead. Marshall had us up at 5am (this is unusual, he almost always sleeps in until 7) and I almost decided to just go on and get it done early, but usually if I run first thing in the AM I end up having stomach issues- I do much better if I’ve been up for a few hours. Then I almost just scratched it and took a rest day. Then Glenn headed out to run his 8 for the day. When he got back, I had just put Marshall down for his first nap and was ready to get my 8 in. We were having a big brunch at Megan’s (Glenn’s sister) for Mother’s Day and I knew I’d enjoy it a lot more if I got my run in. The alternative was doing it Monday and I like to have to flexibility to throw in a rest day on Monday’s.

I really wanted to listen to music on my run and I don’t feel safe listening to music running by myself… even in Crown Point. It is dangerous and not worth it at all. I know having Cadence with me isn’t fool proof but it helps. It’s the only way I’ll run “alone” with headphones. She used to run this far all the time but hasn’t in a long time- she helped me keep my pace nice and chill and it was just what I needed. (side note- when I stroller run- I do have music, but I play it out loud on my phone with it sitting on the stroller- no headphones.)

Now that’s a good looking dog.

My first Mother’s Day with Marshall. I guess last year technically was, but I hadn’t really met him  yet then.

Rocking the collared IU shirt. Looks like he’s going golfing later. So glad I pulled this sucker out of storage early- it’s 18 months. He is kind of scrawny for his age, so I was surprised it fit already.

This picture of Glenn’s parents with the grandkids is hilarious.

Family pic. Marshall and Glenn got me a purse for Mother’s Day. I’m gonna wear the crap out of it.

I’m so thankful to be Marshall’s mom. Last year at this time, we were anxiously anticipating his arrival. Mother’s Day 2011 was somewhat difficult for me, I’d had my first miscarriage the November before and couldn’t help but feel like it should have been my first “Mother’s Day” and I should have been having a baby 2 months later. What I wanted more than anything was to have my own baby to hold. Everyday I look at this little boy, who relies on me for everything, I’m thankful he does. I feel so fortunate that he came into our lives and I don’t know what the future holds for us with more babies, but I know I can’t control that. I’m soaking up every bit of this little boy that I can. The first couple months of his life were hard and exhausting and quite frankly kind of scary (I was so afraid of SIDS, I know most new parents think about it, but I was obsessive. I think that started getting better somewhere around 3 months. It was the longest 3 months of my life)  It all just keeps getting better everyday though and I’m not sure when I’ll stop saying that. Probably when he starts throwing temper tantrums.

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I’ve mentioned I’ve been wanting to train for a triathlon and on Sunday got the idea in my head to train for Muncie 70.3 in July. (Yes, I will do shorter distances before then!) So, I’ve made him change my plan again. I’m excited about swimming and biking. Naturally I am a better runner, I enjoy running more and really, running is just easier. You don’t have to get wet, you don’t have to deal with a bike. You just put your shoes on and go. I’m ready for a different kind of goal though. I’m not 100% committed yet, but almost there.

I swam & biked on Monday and on Tuesday, I swam & ran. My legs are crazy tired and sore like I did a strength workout with squats and lunges and I’m not sure why- (because I didn’t do a strength workout!) it started before the swimming and biking though so it must be from the 12 mile stroller run on Saturday, although I’ve never been sore like this from a stroller run. It was one of my first longer, fastish runs since the marathon though, so maybe that’s it. I might take an unplanned rest day today. I’m certainly not doing my prescribed speedwork of mile repeats. The pace is set at 6:11-6:18 and I know I don’t have that in my legs today. On Saturday, I’m running Rock the Relay as a two man team. It will be 13.1 miles each, in sets of 2.2 miles at a time. It’s going to be a crazy good workout, so I’m OK with skipping today and putting my effort into Saturday. Marshall, Cadence and I will probably just do an easy recovery stroller run this afternoon.

Title of this blog is half marathons scare me. I haven’t even talked about it much. But I’ll just say, they do, that’s why I haven’t raced one in literally 4-5 years. They scare me, because you have to run so fast the whole time. I’ve gotten used to the whole 26.2 thing where you are running comfortably for a good bit of the race. Glenn tells me, I’m just scared of being uncomfortable. When I imagined myself running sub 3:15 for a full marathon, I thought it would be uncomfortable the whole time. It wasn’t at all. In fact, the first 10K, though it was ran with a tale wind, was 7:05ish pace and it felt very comfortable. I supposed 6:45ish for the first 10K of a half should feel the same? I hope so!

The picture below is right before the last half marathon I had “raced” it is my second fastest official half marathon time. (I think 1:39?) Since then I have crossed the half marathon mark of full marathons faster than the time I ran that day probably 6 or 7 times. I remember having a rough race, it was in Bloomington, which is really hilly and I had been running in flat Indy, of course. It was also during my training for Boston 2009, and as I struggled through the hilly 13.1, I wondered how I would get through my second full marathon. I actually remember crying at some point in this race because I felt so terrible. What a girl. This was before my blogging days. No race recaps to be found. I honestly can’t believe this was so long ago. It seems so far away, yet so recent.

Standing with Glenn and my Mom before the IU Half Marathon 2009

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On the way to Monona Terrace, we dropped off my bike special needs bag (it contained two bottles of Skratch Lab Lemon Lime and Clif Bar) I was not using a run special needs bag as I had just planned on using what was on course.

Once to the Terrace it was a final stop by my bike to drop off my first two bottles of Skratch Lab, get body marked, and use the bathroom one more time. Before I knew I was putting on my wetsuit and heading down to the water with Lindsey. On the way to the water, we ran into Kevin and Ann said our goodbyes and on my way to the great unknown I stumbled upon my dad and sister Erica as well. Great send off.

I had planned on getting in the water fairly early to allow myself to warm up a little and get used to the water as the Swim Start can be hectic with how many people are getting into the water through a small start/finish chute. I probably got in around 6:45 or so. I settled on a spot in the front 1/3 of the pack towards the start buoy and just floated around until it was show time.

I finally made it to the third turn buoy. I was getting close. 200-300M to the next one and then 600M-800M in to the swim out and I am done. I was happy to get out of that back strectch for sure. As I made the last turn into shore I could start sensing seaweed and vegetation. I knew it was close. Just keep your head down and swim. As I got about 100M out I could see the swim clock. It said 1:13 something. I was ecstatic. I had estimated that my swim would be around 1:20 or so…so to be hitting the exit at 1:13/1:14 was awesome! Climb out the water. Lay down on the ground. Wetsuit stripped and I am off to the helix. Swim over.

Time: 1:14:02

T1 
The Helix was awesome. I ran slowly enough to keep my heart rate down to really take in the faces of all the spectators that were lining one of the signature features of IMWI. I could not believe how many people lined the Helix up to transition. It was awesome!!!

Bike 

Nutrition: 

1 Granola Bar

1 EFS Liquid Shot Kona Mocha

1 Vanilla Honey Stinger Waffle

2 Bananas

4 Bottle of Skratch Lab Lemon Lime Exercise Blend

3 Bottles Ironman Perform

3 Bottles of Water

1.5 Flasks of Hammer Gel Espresso (each flask has 5 servings)

Down the helix and out to John Nolen I went. My plan was to ride ‘The Stick’ out and the first loop conservatively and then pick it up on the second loop and ‘The Stick’ into town. I knew going into the race that was easier said than done as it is easy to let the short term gains, race day excitement, etc. get the best of you and I was mentally prepared to not let that happen. The overall goal is 11:00 hrs not an awesome bike spilt, with a jog/walk marathon. I told myself I could have one, but not both as I started out on the bike.

I thought the way the bike course ended sucked. 2-ish miles slowly weaving through narrow bike paths, deserted parking lots and numerous tight 90 degree turns and a final ride into a headwind. But all in all I was glad to be riding up the Helix to T2 with a negative split.

THANK YOU TO MY SUPPORT CREW! Ann, Kevin, Lori, Lindsey, Marshall, Dad, Mom, Erica and Megan

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We have a very flexible work schedule and Beth and I already run together once a week during the day. So now that we have Brian added to our team we are going to do speed workouts Tuesdays and or Thursdays. I LOVE working with other runners.

Today Brian and I headed out for seven miles- 20 minute warm up, 20 minutes fast, 20 minute cool down. It was super hot, but felt great. We ended up just running a lap around the canal for our fast 20 minutes. So at 12:30, I was done with my workout for the day and just worked sweaty which I am totally OK with.

Although I had a great workout today… Cadence did not. First of all it’s 90 degrees out. I rode my bike with Cadence running alongside. We were first stopped running by Sugar, the neighbors dog when she started growling & Cadence wanted to play. As we headed up the Monon I saw a couple of shady looking teenagers (three have been three attacks on the monon in the past month and the attackers have all been 16-17 year old kids). Even though the kids were probably be fine I decided to turn around and head south. Since it was 90, I was practically dragging her. We turned on 46th and there was a mean pit bull tied up going crazy and Cadence literally stopped in her track and would not move. She was so scared. So, here I am on 46th st. dragging her past the pitbull, praying that the chain he was tied up to didn’t break.

Fifteen hot, danger-filled minutes later- we are home and she better not act like she needs to exercise before bed, because I’m not having it! Oh and there were three cop cars hanging out on 48th & Guilford… hmm somebody’s in trouble.

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