Adrienne Langelier Racing

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted". Dr. Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

I had trouble coming up with a title for my "year in review" posting. I don't think there is a good word that could describe 2011. Looking back on 2011, there honestly is not much I would do differently. There were some experiences I could have done without, but that is life and I believe everything we experience, good or bad, is all part of His plan for us. This year was as challenging as it was beautiful, and that is just how it should be. Although I didn't always get to hold the wheel and steer in 2011, but wow, what an awesome ride its been. It makes me excited and hopeful of the fresh set of calendar months ahead. I do, however, apologize in advance for the likely lengthiness of this post.

Life On the Run

Let's start with running, because that is what this blog is mostly about, right? This was ideally the year I was going to be gearing for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston-obviously, this was not to be. Actually, I didn't set one single PR this year. And as weird as it sounds, I really don't care, because I consider this one of my best running years to date- here I'll attempt to explain why.

As a friend told me after a recent race experience, the finish time does not tell the whole story. This time last year, I was suffering the effects of a major injury and various nutrient deficiencies/overtraining syndrome; and now I am currently putting in about 60 miles per week in training; often doubling a couple days/wk. and am feeling refreshed and invigorated from it, as opposed to run down and barely hanging on. I may not be at my top speed right now, but I am strong, and that's a pretty cool feeling. Instead of thinking "I don't know if I can handle that" I happily run, recover, and repeat! Like I mentioned in post before last, there's a lot of mechanical changes and solid base building to thank for that.  I also learned a thing or two about peaking this year-expecting to be in top shape year round is just silly and absurd! In reality, races come and go, but there really is no true finish line in the grand scheme. That's what makes being a runner so cool-at least to me.

To take the "no finish line" concept a bit further, I am also stronger because I am gradually learning  to stay the course, learning to do the work and be patient; learning to make the right decisions and be more in the moment. Dr. Rob Bell states in his book on mental toughness that "in order to gain control we must give up control" sometimes. Not every race is going to go as you planned, but that is part of being in this sport-what fun would it be? I think that by doing this is not just how we grow as athletes but as human beings-learning from the uglier experiences and reveling in the good ones. Running has taught me this, but it may not have been possible for me to see this unless I had encountered the challenges I have within the past 12 months. I am eternally grateful for these experiences.

I realized also this past year that running has made me more confident, more relaxed and more centered, and perhaps these things help me do better at my job (which also has had an awesome year) and not be afraid to seek out opportunities. I guess this is part of what Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano refer to as "Running the Edge".

Running has always provided me with some great and solid friendships and connections, but this year it was magnified perhaps tenfold. Maybe because I didn't spend the seasons obsessing about PR's, mileage, or what food I should be eating. Maybe it was because the running community not just in The Woodlands but nationwide is so awesome. Maybe it's a little bit of everything. This sport is still enjoyable and even more so when you come back from virtually nothing to rebuild things to be perhaps better than before, with MORE support than ever. I have connected with so many new people in my club, a new speedy running buddies, a new agent in Michael R., and so many others online (way too many to list). Of course I always have my awesome coach, family, and friends.

After my experience at San Antonio this year, Bill said something I found quite strange at the time-that I "became a runner" this year. You know what, coach just may be right! :)


While I'm trying not to be too deep here. This year has had some fun, neat, and darn near transformative  moments. I will try and narrow it down to what stands out the most (and may be most entertaining to the reader!!)....

Favorite example of the strength of the running community: (I'm a little biased on this one...) Run for the Eagles and the Blueberry Chase 5k (June)-good times for a good cause and a good friend! (also my first attempt at hosting a fundraising event/race)

Race bibs courtesy of Brooks Sports

Best "Outside the Box" race: I cashed in on all my XT and Tri'ed (ok couldn't resist) something new-with pretty good results in the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Triathlon (June): 1st AG and 5th Overall. Just add swim skills!

Thanks PowerBar for the slick tri suit!

Best "Run-in finish":  Running the coach in at the Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Mandeville, LA (Oct.).

I'm saying :"I can't breathe"!

Smiling (and breathing easily) all the way to a strong run.

Some other blessings this year (that I can remember!) in no particular order:

• Winning 1F or my AG in 8 events-a great foundation for the next year.
• As I mentioned earlier-hooking up with Threshold Talent and its athletes. 
• Getting my Brooks sponsorship renewed
• Putting on various seminars on the topic of running and sports psychology to some of the area's top athletes
• Starting the (slow) writing process of my unofficially titled book "Running. Living. Thriving: A Personal and Practical Approach to the Psychology of Running and Endurance. 
• Enjoying the growth of my super-rewarding sports psychology consulting work. I love every minute of  it and hope to continue to make a difference in the lives of fellow athletes. 
• Starting to see glimpses of my abilities of seasons past, although much, much healthier this season.

Even though the pace of my family Holiday celebration(s) was fast and furious, I managed to find some peaceful downtime in order to finish up the latest and greatest on Adrienne's reading list: Phil Reilly's Chasing Ghosts. This is also my first-ever stab at a review of the fictional nature. So here goes...

I love December and I always have. Being a self-professed "Christmas dork", I relish the festive atmosphere and love taking in the sights and sounds of the Holiday season. I may be nearing thirty years old, but my inner child always comes out at about this time annually, and I don't plan on suppressing young Adrienne any time soon! Historically, I always seem to encounter a good training rhythm in Dec. as well; and so far this year appears to be furthering my "trend of the 12th month". After a lower mileage week, I look to complete another 60ish before gifts are opened this weekend.

"A healthier alternative to energy drinks": ZipFizz recently approached me for a product review recently-and being the beverage hound that I am, I took them up on the challenge. This was an interesting taste trial because I have been a Red Bull drinker (although much less recently) for several years; often sipping on one in the hours before races (note: for those who may be sensitive to caffeine, this practice may not be advisable).

At any rate, this single-serve beverage comes in convenient and attractive packaging in plastic :test" tubes: pour one tube in 20 oz. of water and you're set! ZipFizz contains natural sweeteners as opposed to aspartame and plain old sugars found in other beverages of the same variety. It also contains essential electrolytes important for hydration. As far as taste goes, I'd give it a 'B' across the board. The flavors I liked best were Pink Lemonade, Grape, and Citrus. My least favorite was the "limited edition" Orange Cream...I'm not much of a "cream fan" , so I'm a bit biased there.

As for the drink doing what it says it does: the higher dose of caffeine (again, each individual has their own tolerance) actually did give me a nice lift on the run. The morning after my sample kit arrived I substituted my usual coffee for a grape ZipFizz and had no trouble keeping up with my speedy training mate. The following day I broke a cardinal rule of mine by switching beverages and tried it before my half-marathon. I had the same result on race day: perhaps a little help with sustained energy and focus on the course. And no crash or jitters either, which is nice.

My final thought is that it is a tasty product with a decent electrolyte profile and an nice B-vitamin kick. The natural ingredients are a nice plus and most of the flavors are good. For those who typically consume a caffienated beverages before working out, I'd give Zipfizz a shot (or test tube!).

Solid effort in the cold today.

First off, my "research project" that I have previously posted about is back on. Sometimes life just takes us in directions and causes consequences that are not always pleasant but are meaningful and teach us a lot about ourselves and about life.

Looks like I get to Run Happy for my third year in a row as a member of the Brooks ID program and I couldn't be more excited, and admittedly a bit humbled!

I was not expecting at all to get the email yesterday announcing that I was in, but it definitely was a nice little surprise to end an already good day. So how did I celebrate? Like any good running nerd, I went out for a little run-albeit just a short recovery jaunt with friends, tacking on 12 miles for the day-sweet!

I don't know what all 2012 will hold, but if the first quarter of the year is any indication, It's gonna be awesome, both on the roads and off. In just the first 4 mos. I am not only blessed with gear support, but get the following opportunities:

• Working for the Elite Committee for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials! Yes, the trials are in my own backyard here in Houston!! Who says the running isn't good down here in Southeast TX? 
• Smashing the course record for the Women's Marathon Relay in January's First Light Marathon among some speedy girlfriends!  
• Running as an elite in my own race in March: The resurrected The Woodlands Half Marathon.
• Taking on the challenging yet beautiful course at the Charlottesville Half Marathon in April. 

The name sounds kinda cool, but what the heck is it? I had my first experience with this decades-old treatment modality by Jarrett Smilie of Body Mechanix (as if I'd go to anyone else?!) this past Thursday. I will attempt to describe it in this post.

To provide a little background into the technique, CranioSacral Therapy (CST) was developed by Dr. John Upedger, a professor of biomechanics a Michigan State University. Like ART and other massage techniques, CST is designed to relieve bodily pain and tension; allowing the body to relax and function more effectively. Where CST differs is that it is utilizes a light touch and focuses on the Central Nervous System, notably the cerebrospinal tract. Unlike relieving muscular knots and tension that traditional MT targets, CST relieves pressure on the brain and spinal cord (don't know about you, but I would want light touch on my brain and SC!!) and allowing for more natural function of the nervous system. This is important because, well, our CNS drives everything! The target area for intervention is the head/neck region down to the sacrum-which is an important area for a runner to take care of.

By resetting CNS rhythm and relieving pressure, CST is designed to address issues such as headaches, fatigue, stress, muscle tension, and other nervous system problems. The idea is to restore CNS function to better let the body work uninhibited and "do it's thing".

Thursday I laid down on the table and was taken aback with how light Jarrett worked, examining my feet and neck to read spinal fluid rhythms. I won't lie-I was waiting for him to "bring the pain" as he so often skillfully does-but this wasn't part of the day's protocol. Ironically enough (see above paragraph), I came into the studio feeling a considerable amount of stress, and halfway through the session, felt it begin to lessen. At one point, when having my neck ("reset") I actually teared up involuntarily-strange, I know. The light, steady touch was barely noticeable, but it did relieve the tightness in my chest and shoulders from the previous day's threshold run.  All in all, this was a unique, relaxing, and helpful experience. The fact that Jarrett can both press firmly and lightly with such accuracy speaks volumes of his skill.

For those interested in learning more about CST, information can be found here, or local folks can go to the practitioner himself .

I guess I can do without "the pain" on the table sometimes!

Stay the course.

Source: Upledger Clinic; www.upledger.com
Contact: [email protected]