2017, you were good to me and I was good to you. I put in a ton of hard work and I’m proud of what I accomplished this past year professionally and athletically.
Career-wise, I’ve been working on CNET magazine this entire year at Manifest and many of my typographical treatments have made the cover! This is huge for me because CNET is a fun project to work on and a national newsstand magazine. Pleased with the many layouts I designed and new illustrators I hired over the course of the year.
The first cover typography and full issue I worked on was chosen as honorable mention winner in the Folio Eddie & Ozzie’s. They were in the Consumer Cover Design under 250k circulation and Consumer Overall Design under 250k circulation.
Athletic-wise, this year marks the most miles I ever ran in a year (hello, 50k!) and my elevation is much higher than I ever imagined. I’m also humbled to be an ambassador for BibRave. I ran a ton with friends which I didn’t do in past years. Also found my calling of being a race pacer with BeastPacing.
Running races is fun and more fun when you can save money. Below is a list of a plethora of race discounts BibRave is offering on Races from California to NYC and everything inbetween:
2018
January
1/20/2018: F^3 Lake Half Marathon – Chicago, IL
http://www.f3running.com/ Use code “bibrave13” to save $6 off the half and “bibrave5” to save $5 off 5K!
1/21/2018: Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Atlanta – Atlanta, GA
6/3/2018: North Olympic Discovery Marathon – Port Angeles, WA
http://nodm.com/ Use code “BibRave527” to save 5% on race entry!
BibRave also offers sweet discounts on gear. If you are in the market for AfterShokz, Knuckle Lights or protein power from Luvo, then here are your money savers: BibRave Gear Discounts
I’m proud to announce that I was chosen to be a 2018 BibRave Pro. This group is something I’ve wanted to be a part of for the past few years and I’m in disbelief that they chose me.
You’re probably wondering what is BibRave and what exactly does a BibRave Pro do? Here’s the rundown:
BibRave is a running community that connects runners with the best races. It’s a place to research races you are considering signing up for and to leave feedback for races you participated in. They are also a place to connect with other runners and with their group of ambassadors – the BibRave Pros (which I’m now a part of!)
Their pros not only review races and share discount codes but also they review running products — from tech to food — and give honest feedback. See some of my race reviews here: https://www.bibrave.com/users/126267
BibRave also puts out a yearly list of the 100 best races in America with categories like top marathons, halfs, 10ks, 5ks, medals and bling, race management and even course scenery.
There is no way I would be where I am as a runner if I didn’t follow a training plan. And I honestly I use the term runner lightly. I’m not being hard on myself, I just know I’m slow, clumsy and totally an amateur even though I’ve been consistently running since the beginning of 2014. But it’s the training plans that keep me motivated and keep me reaching my running goals about 95% of the time. That 5% is me trying to sub-30 at the 5k distance for a second time and that is a tough one for me to beat! The two training plans I follow that worked the best for me are by MyAsics.com and Runner’s World.
If you want a simple, automated and a structured plan then turn to MyAsics. It doesn’t matter if you want to run a 5k or full marathon, MyAsics will help develop a plan custom for you and all you do is plug in some info: age, gender, last race speed, etc. And you can sync it to your calendar! The automatic syncing is what sold it for me because it’s motivating to see my runs scheduled in my Google calendar. They have a strong methodology behind their plans. The most important for me is they help me set measurable goals and track my progress and save my history to help me plan for my next training plan. Sometimes I’ll get an email either telling me to adjust my plan if I’m running too fast (Yay!) or running too slow (ouch.) So far I’ve reached two half marathon PR’s and one 5k PR through MyAsics.
Runner’s World Conquer a Hilly Half
I’m so in love with MyAsics plans that I was hesitant to branch out to other plans. This past October I had a hilly half marathon coming up that I was pacing and I knew I needed to find a good hill training plan or I would be toast on the course. I’m thankful that at the right moment, Runner’s World magazine published a hilly half training plan in their August issue and I jumped on it. It was a tough plan and I followed it about 85% because it kicked my butt. But, it worked. I had zero issues running up the hills and pacing my 2:45 group, I even chatted with fellow runners, motivating them up, while pushing myself up those hellish hills of Fountain Hills. I’m thinking of trying this plan again for regular half marathon training to build my speed. Since this plan was in print, I had to manually plug in the training days in my Google calendar.
Do you have any training plans that work well for you? Have you tried either the MyAsic.com or Runner’s World Hilly Half training plans? Please comment and tell me about your experiences.
Back in June I took on an unusual volunteering opportunity. I would be motivating runners as a pace runner during half marathons. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into because running a half marathon is hard work let alone being a cheerleader at the same time.
This fall I paced two-13.1 milers and the experience has been incredible. I learned new things about myself and how this unique volunteering opportunity has helped me in my professional and personal life. Here are my main three takeaways.
With Beast Pacing on October 15, 2017 at the Craft Classic Half Marathon in Fountain Hills, AZ
It’s not always all about you.
When I first started running I used to think that running was solely a personal endeavor. I did not like to run in groups, I thought that running in groups wouldn’t help me and that it would actually hurt my performance. Boy, was I wrong. Just like a work-life, a running-life needs team-time. It’s that team support that helps you get through the tough times. Being a pace runner taught me that helping others achieve their goals is also helping me achieve mine. It has taught me to be a better observer, empathizer and decision maker. As I ran the Craft Classic 1/2 in October, one gal iI was pacing was nervous about the upcoming hill. I was nervous too but hearing her talk about it made me remember to talk to her about strategy. I told her to engage her glutes and stay focused. Next thing I know she zoomed ahead while thanking me. Just seeing her succeed this ‘bump-in-the-road’ helped me plow up that hill myself. It’s all about the team and this is 100% in a work environment.
With Runner’s Den on November 5, 2017 at the Phoenix 3TV 10k and Half Marathon in Downtown Phoenix
Set a positive example.
Running is hard. Working is hard. We all know that and it is ok to talk about the negativity that comes with it. It’s also important to talk about the positives and do that more often. During pacing I have to make sure I am keeping my team on top of our time, where we stand, if we are ahead or if we are behind. While pacing the Phoenix 3TV 1/2 in November I noticed my group was behind about 40 seconds around the 6-mile mark. I was open and honest and let them know that we need to pick it up for us to finish at our goal time. I also reminded everyone how strong they are for being out here and how we are in this together and that we will get through it. Same with work, there are going to be down moments, but lets remind each other about the successes we just had. Remembering positive moments goes a long way.
Jumped from 3 hour pace group to 2:50 group and crossing the finish line.
Seek out those in need.
I’ve paced three half marathons and two of them were officially through Beast Pacing and Runner’s Den (my first pacing gig was personally for a friend.) In all three pacing scenarios there were moments where I sought about those in need. Usually while I pace there is a group of people that follow me, we are a team. Sometimes though there are people not in my immediate team that have needs. During the Phoenix 3TV 1/2 I noticed the 2:50 pacer was struggling. I let the people in my 3-hour group know that I was going to speed up to check on him and told them all to keep the pace they were going to reach their goal. As I caught up with the 2:50 pacer I saw him taking breaks and hunching over. I was scared for him, but he insisted he was ok, but he told me he was about 7 minutes behind his pace time. So I took a huge risk and asked if he would switch times with me. He thanked me and we switched signs. This meant that at mile 9, I had to up my pace by 2 minutes a mile to catch up with the other 2:50s. For 3 miles. I had gas in the tank and started to push! Every person I passed I chatted with and explained my plan and told them they will see me when I slowed down. Each one asked me about the other pacer who hurting which reminded me about the kindness we all have for each other. I finally caught up in time and now I would be finishing at 2:50. This was the moment I started to seek out the runners in need. I spotted a gal who was straining. I joined her and told her our time and let her know how many miles we have left. We had .6 of a mile till the finish line. We both turned the corner and saw the chute, I told her she would easily finish sub-2:50 and I sent her on her way. Turned around and started looking for more orange bibs (the 1/2’ers) and found a guy who was on track. He mentioned his calf was hurting and I told him to focus on what felt good. I told him he was good to good to go and that I had to look for other 1/2’er and sent him on his way to the finish line. The 10k’ers were all running in at this point and I spotted one other 1/2’er, I screamed out “A 1/2 marathon runner is coming through and she’s going to sub-2:50!” We both ran through the finish line together, she made her goal and we high-fived each other. This experience reminded me that it’s good to seek out those in need at the workplace. They might not be in your immediate team but it’s ok to offer them help.
I had no idea pacing runners would help me professionally. Excited for my next running opportunity and the new people I help along the way.
Andrea Heser 