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Chasing Unicorns LLC

Setting Goals and Entering the Realm of Possible

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February 2019
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February 2018

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“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford . Hard things generally make us uncomfortable. As humans it is in our nature to avoid pain. It starts with the brain sending a signal to the body letting it know that it needs to slow down and get comfortable again. Running goes against our human nature and asks us to push our boundaries and to stay uncomfortable for just a little longer. It’s why visualizing hurt ahead of time is so critical to peak performance; if we only visualize feeling our best, when we get to tough moments in workouts and races, we don’t know how to react and the natural inclination is to step off the gas. . I pressed that gas pedal hard today. It wasn’t comfortable, it tested my physical and emotional limits, but I never stopped pushing and I know this is the kind of workout that’s going to pay dividends on race day. It’s fun to crush a workout. It’s even more fun to crush a workout that felt hard from the first step. . Many times your mind will fail you long before your body does. Train it, push it, treat it like a muscle, and it will grow to respond to your demands. Positivity goes a long way but expect that you’re going to encounter pain like you never have before when you’re going after something you’ve never done before. Embrace the pain now in your workouts and build your reaction to it so your mind knows what to do when faced with it on race day. . 8.30 miles @ 7:22 pace (splits in story) . . . #marathon #marathontraining #boston #chasingunicorns #bostonmarathon #roadtoboston #pain #paincave #mindset #dreambig #workhard #goals #challenge #workout #speedwork #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #run #chicagorunner #oisellevolee #volee #teamsugarruns #stronger #believe #hurt

No day off from work for me today but my commute was a lot quicker because of it so thank you everyone else who got to observe the holiday for staying off the roads 😜 thankful for 9 sunny outdoor miles on plowed streets, a low-battery Garmin watch that didn’t die on my run, a short commute, a walk with my furry friend under a starry sky, for coming home to the dishes being done, and for leftover Chinese food 🙌🏼 . 9 miles on a Monday - we must be getting into the big weeks here! Took my legs 4 miles to really get into a grove but those last 5 just flowed and I was grateful for every step. . 9.12 miles @ 7:56 pace. . . . #building #sunshine #marathon #marathontraining #roadtoboston #bostonbound #chasingunicorns #miles #grateful #thankful #runnersofinstagram #run #runner #runnergirl #oisellevolee #volee #holiday #winterrunning #chicagorunner

Training for this race is a dream come true. It’s been rough training through snow, sleet, ice, and even a polar vortex, but after 6 years of dreaming to be running Boston, I can say it’s more than worth it. . This week I reminded myself of how far I’ve come and to appreciate the journey I’m on. It’s mine. No one else can live it better than I can. And so I promised myself that the only person I need to be comparing myself to is me. Me in 2019 is a lot different than the girl who ran her first marathon in 4:10 7 years ago. That’s all that matters. I wrote about the comparison trap on my blog today. Link in bio if you’re interested in reading more. . Hope you all had a great week and weekend! If it wasn’t great, tomorrow is a fresh start to the week so go get after those dreams 💙 . . . #marathon #marathontraining #roadtoboston #bostonmarathon #marathonrunner #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #chicagorunner #winterrunning #build #comparisontrap #believeinyourself #yourjourney #journey #dreambig #goals #oisellevolee #runcoaching #chasingunicorns

I wish I ran in shorts and a tank top in Barrington Hills today but I had a few (read: a lot) more layers on and was too cold to snap a pic afterwards so this throwback picture will have to do! . 20 miles and I fought for every single one after mile 7. My legs just had no juice left in them and I’m so thankful for my friend, Marie for talking me through it, encouraging me, and not leaving me behind when she easily could’ve dropped me. Today’s lesson: it’s fun to let loose and run fast but when you have big goals and are on a training plan, stick to the plan and don’t be reckless (looking at you, yesterday’s run). There are plenty of days for me to run fast but really the only one that truly matters to me is April 15th. . 20.06 miles @ 8:14 pace We’re in the thick of things now! . . . #marathontraining #marathon #longrun #bostonmarathon #roadtoboston #hills #hillyrun #bostonbound #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #chicagorunner #inspiringwomenrunners #run #girlontherun #barringtonhills #barrington

If I was wearing a sign when I started this run it would’ve said, “Stay back at least 50 feet. Angry runner girl on the loose.” . The wind was whipping against my face and every inch of exposed skin felt like it was burning. “What a crappy winter this has been.” “I can’t remember the last time I ran in decent weather.” “This is why I don’t train for spring marathons.” It’s been a long week and nothing has been bad in particular but the last couple days I’ve been in a funk of sorts. Can’t explain it to myself so I won’t even try here but if there’s one thing I do know how to explain it’s the power of a good run. . Although mile 1 felt like I was dragging along, 7:46 clicked and my grumpiness started to diminish. “Hmm. If I can run that directly against 15 mph winds in a real feel of 0 degrees unintentionally, I’m doing ok.” Mile 2’s 7:29 made me think, “Umm what. Is this a fluke?” Enter form drills, strides directly into the wind the entire time, and then a sense of calm that I just had 2.6 miles back. “The sun is shining, I’m getting some much needed Vitamin D, my new shades are cute AF.” All good vibes the rest of the way back. Mile 6 was sub-7, I wasn’t out of breath, I was just running, smiling, and getting a thumbs up from someone walking as I made my last turn back to the office. . Finishing a run feeling better than when I started. No longer in that funk and excited to crush a 20-miler tomorrow with my crew from my old stomping grounds. It’s going to be a good weekend 😊 . . . #marathontraining #marathon #bostonmarathon #roadtoboston #bostonbound #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #chicagorunner #winterrunning #outrunyourexcuses #chasingunicorns #grumpy #friyay #sunshine #run

Thankful to have 2 Valentines who humor me with the other love in my life, running 💕 8th Valentine’s Day with my guy, 4th with our pup. I’m a lucky girl and I don’t take any of it for granted 💙

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