Me crossing the finish line of the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast – New Albany, Indiana
Race: Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast
Place: New Albany, Indiana
Date: November 28, 2013
Time:36:54
Thanksgiving morning ushers in what I like to call “The Least Stressful Race I Run All Year.” Why? Because on Thanksgiving, our local “Turkey Trot” is held right across the street from my apartment. Which means, I don’t have to rush around in the morning trying to make sure I have everything in order and time to get there, stretch, etc. I don’t have to worry over parking or any of that. All I have to do…is get up…get dressed…stretch in the comfort of my own home, and then about 15 minutes before the start, meander down to the starting line.
I. LOVE. THIS. RACE.
BUT…this year I was doing something special at the Fast Freddie. I wasn’t running it for my own personal satisfaction or a PR or to not feel guilty about indulging at dinner. Nope. This year…I was running it for a group I joined called Brain Cancer Share Your Shirts, that my friend Joanne directed me to one day. Her brave daughter is one of my heroes…and at the age of 16, conquered brain cancer. Cailin is amazing and continues to show how truly awesome she is. For real. So, I contacted this group and they paired me with a little girl, ironically from Dothan, Alabama. Her name is Trinitie and she is 12 years old. Trinitie was diagnosed at the age of 11 with Stage 4 brain cancer known as Glioblastoma Multiforme.
She is a beautiful little girl and has become such an inspiration and one of my personal heroes. I wanted to make this race special for her.
You know what that means? SIGNS! Cathy and I made signs that morning to tote over to the fairgrounds and have some fun taking some pictures. With the signs made, I went and changed into my racing gear. It was a bitterly cold morning that day…with temperatures in the low 20s…but with the very strong 14 mph wind gusts, it felt like 16 according to The Weather Channel. I can believe it. It was really cold.
Once I was dressed and got my bib pinned on and used the provided twist tie to attach the timing chip to my shoe (which didn’t actually serve a function as the race goes off gun time, not chip time…), it was time to brave the wintery chill and head out to the start of the race.
Me with the signs for Trinitie before running the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast
Despite the cold morning, there were a lot of people hanging around outside. I was surprised. But, this race draws a lot of very fast, very talented, and very amazing people. Everyone who shows up fits into one of those categories. Trust me. This race is awesome and one of my favorites to do year-after-year…and not just because it’s so convenient. Anyway…after a few poses with the signs, I went on a mission with Cathy to find groups of people who would hold the sign that we made wishing Trinitie a Happy Thanksgiving. Everyone was happy to do so and we got a lot of great pictures. We were finishing that adventure up when everyone started to fill in Green Valley Road. The start of the race was close.
It seemed a majority of people were hanging back away from the pink tape that marked the start line. I moved up toward the front, but know from the past 2 years I have run this race that there are a lot of super-speedy people here. In fact, a lot of track teams turn out to run this race. And trust me…it is a challenging course. I think the Fast Freddie people set out to find a course that pretty much would have runners tackle every hill in New Albany.
Eventually, the space in front of me did fill in. And we were all tightly packed as people finished up their strides and warm-ups. Fred, himself, came out with the bullhorn to make a few announcements and said that he would say, Runners Set…and there would be a whistle. Except…all we got was the whistle. So, for a brief moment, no one moved. Then we heard Fred yell, “GO!” We were off…
Now, this course is no stranger to me. I run it a lot, especially in the summer when I do runs around my neighborhood. I ran it Wednesday morning with my friend Natalie…keeping an easy and leisurely pace though, so as not to burn out my legs the day before a race. Actually, it was really nice to be able to change up my morning route, throw in a bit more of a challenge, and do it with the lady I call my sole sister…because we hit it off so well and are so much alike. Anyway…I run this route often…normally not at race pace. And…I also know which sections slow me down. I was mentally preparing myself for it all…but telling myself to run hard for Trinitie.
Within the first half mile, runners are already plodding up the first of three major hills in the race. This one takes the crowd over the highway and often we get people honking as we race above them. This climb is no joke, but you get rewarded with a nice downhill on the other side. It all levels out and you round the corner and hit a couple of slight hills, but nothing too hard.
Mile 2 starts shortly after the turn, and this one does bring the ups and downs of New Albany. And train tracks. Just for that extra challenge. This stretch of road is nice though, and I do love running it. I enjoy a challenge and mentally trying to push myself a little harder. I usually save it for later in the course though…and you’ll understand why. Mile 2 was a breeze. As we were about to turn onto Grant Line Road, a guy began running next to me and said, “Hold this pace!” I was like…”Ummm…okay…” But…after making the turn and knowing we had another minor hill and then the turn into the community park…I was ready to run.
The last half mile leading to Mile 3 is a tough incline up inside the park. The first year I ran the race I had the worst side stitch coming up the hill. Last year…no such problem. This year, it slowed me down slightly, as it always does. I’m halfway through the race and my legs are burning, but I press on, and I push them…and I get up that hill and head past the clock at Mile 3. That’s good because heading toward Mile 4 takes you on the toughest portion of the route…Schell Lane.
You see, after you exit the park you are put onto what I think must be the road with the steepest uphills in New Albany. The downhills are slight, but these uphills are killer. This is one reason I both love and hate this route. Hills make me stronger, but I hate hills. Go figure. Anyway…this is the part of this run where I always choose to push myself. It’s the most challenging…so why not?
And push is what I did. Every uphill I battled up, pumping my legs and getting to the top. The one at the very end is the worst one, and even in training runs, I congratulate myself when I reach the top. I did the same thing on Thanksgiving morning. The best part is once you make the turn onto Daisy Lane, you have a nice downhill before it levels out. Whew. I love that downhill. It makes all the effort I pour into that mile worth it. Mile 4 is near the bottom of the hill, just after it levels off. With one mile to go, I know the route well. I often run the street in the morning and know where the hillier portions will find me. Luckily, these hills are nothing compared to what we already ran through previously.
I really just wanted to finish strong. My goal was to run for Trinitie…and maybe even beat last year’s time. I wasn’t sure how the time thing would work out because my muscles hate the cold weather and when it is as bitter cold out as it was on Thanksgiving…well…sometimes it just hurts for me to breathe. But I could see it ahead…after I ran past the cemetery, the turn towards the finish at the 4-H Fairgrounds. I was about a half mile out. So, I just thought of Trinitie and said I was going to finish strong.
And I did…crossing that finish line never felt so good. I know I can run that route faster than what I managed…but with the wind and the cold, I just wanted to finish that race and do a good job for a little girl in Dothan, Alabama. I managed that…and set a new PR for 5 miles for myself. Happy about that.
Afterwards, I went back to the apartment to make some hot apple cider. Then Cathy and I trekked back over to the fairgrounds to watch the winners get the awards. I love watching runners collect their prizes for being so amazing. We left after that as I was hosting Thanksgiving and needed to hop in the shower and finish up the rest of the meal (including making sushi!).
I will say this…the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast had the most people register in the 25 years it has been running. However, due to the cold, both finishing times and turn-out were lower than previous years. In fact, this year apparently tied for the coldest year the race has run. Go figure. All proceeds from the race to benefit the Type 1 Diabetes Education Program at Floyd Memorial Hospital.
It was a great way to start out Thanksgiving, for sure.
Official results of the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast are that I finished it in 36:54 based on gun time! Yes…my fastest 5 mile time to date. I was 113/935 overall; 22/448 women to cross the finish line; and I was 5th in my division. Of course, after reading some of the times my running friends turned out on their Thanksgiving races, I feel rather slow. But…like I said…my body hates cold weather so I can only do what I can do. I was on my feet for 4 hours the night before doing TONS of Thanksgiving prep as well, but…you know what? I had fun. Bonus…what I did was run a great race for a brave little girl named Trinitie. And on Tuesday, I am sending her a package with my race shirt, my race bib, a special gift from me, and a note. She is an inspiration, a fighter, and definitely one of my heroes.
For Trinitie.
It was a great day and a great way to give thanks!
Me after the Fast Freddie Five Mile Foot Feast…celebrating with Tirnitie!!
Me crossing the finish line of the Marshall University Marathon carrying a football (which you can’t see, but I’m doing it!) – Huntington, West Virginia
Race: Marshall University Marathon
Place: Huntington, WV
Date: November 10, 2013
Time: 3:35:55
WE ARE…MARSHALL!
Yep…just like the movie. And as a self-proclaimed lover of Matthew McConaughey, who starred as head coach Jack Lengyel in the film about the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, as well as 5 of the coaches, 2 athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and a crew of five. I loved this movie and watching how the university, the football program, and the community begins to rebuild and heal from the tragedy.
So, here I am…just a month from my first marathon (Chicago), and I find myself in the city of Huntington, West Virginia. Aside from Marshall University being located there, some of you may recall that Huntington got a lot of notoriety back in 2010 when Jamie Oliver rolled into town for the television program, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, in which he set out to reform the school lunch programs, help American society fight obesity, and change their eating habits in order to live healthier and longer lives. Why Huntington? Because in 2010, Huntington, West Virginia was recognized statistically as one of the unhealthiest cities in the country.
So, ultimately, I knew about Huntington, West Virginia. Because…well…I watch anything with Matthew McConaughey and I am a foodie and totally drank in everything that happened when Jamie Oliver rolled into Huntington, West Virginia to attempt to change the way people there lived.
I also was unaware that Marshall University hosted a marathon, half marathon, and 5K…until my roomie, Cathy, stumbled upon it.
So, I signed up.
And that’s why, after a very fast 3 mile shake-out run on Saturday morning, a shower, and some gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes (homemade because…I’m chef-y like that), Cathy and I finished packing, loaded up the car, and made the almost 3 hour drive to Huntington, West Virginia.
We rolled into town around 1:15 p.m. and immediately set out to find the expo. We weren’t staying in Huntington, rather just across the bridge in Ohio. And check-in time at the hotel wasn’t until 3 p.m. We had some time to kill. The directions to the expo were quite vague. All we had was that it was located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 29th Street. Should be easy to find, right? I saw it…but Cathy said it wasn’t there and kept on driving. So we made a couple of loops before I told her to head back to the corner of 5th and 29th. She spotted it this time. So, we pulled in…parked…and headed to the very small expo. Oddly enough, the Website for this marathon said the venue for packet pickup was moved to a more spacious area…we were in a hallway…so I wonder how small it has been in the past few years…
Anyway…the longest line in there was for the half marathon, which seems to be the most popular of the races that they offer this weekend. I stepped in and was asked which race I was running. I said the marathon and they directed me to the table immediately to my left, that had virtually no line at all. None. Just a few people getting their bags with their swag inside. Oh…and their bib number. I gave my name and they grabbed my t-shirt and jacket…yes…jacket and passed that over to me with the little backpack. My number (#529) was given to me and I snagged a few safety pins. That was done. Having learned my lesson at previous races, I pulled out the t-shirt and noticed that the medium was definitely going to be too big for me. So…I went to find where to exchange it for a small. Unfortunately…there were no more women’s smalls. There was an extra small…so I tried it…and it’s a perfect fit. They did say the shirts were running big this year. No kidding. My jacket is a little big…but I like it that way. Room for layers. It’s an official Asics branded jacket with the marathon logo on the back. Oh…but the fun doesn’t stop there, friends…
Hanging out with Bart Yasso at the expo and packet pickup for the Marshall University Marathon – Huntington, West Virginia
Because Marshall University is known for its football team…the Thundering Herd…you also get the opportunity to purchase a Marshall University football. It was $30…but I had to have one. I mean…who else does this?!! I love something unique with a race. Even better…you could have your football tossed to you as you run into the finish line. That’s actually one of the draws of this race. About 100 yards from the finish, you have the choice to carry a football with you. Some you can keep…some you have to give back. I wanted mine. So…I was given a green ribbon to hook onto my bib that said “FOOTBALL” on it. GAME ON. I was way too excited for my own good. Over a football.
Oh…and it just so happened that Bart Yasso was at the expo as well. He was near the table with the footballs, and as no one was in his line I stepped over to talk to him. I told him that I had missed the chance to see him in Chicago, my first marathon, so I was excited to get to meet him now. He was very nice and we spoke a lot about races and upcoming events. He was so easy to talk to. I asked to get a picture and he graciously complied. SO much love for this guy. Makes me want to give those Yasso 800s a real try.
That was pretty much all there was to the expo…so Cathy and I left and headed downtown. I really wanted to see Huntington’s Kitchen (formerly Jamie’s Kitchen from the aforementioned Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution television series. It was closed, but we did find it and I got my foodie nerd on by taking a picture out front. Then, we headed across the street to the small little shopping center and went into a bookstore and just walked around. The wind was gusting hard at this point, so stepping into a shop was nice. I ended up purchasing Bart Yasso’s book, ironically. Go figure. It was still too soon to check into the hotel or get dinner, so we decided we’d hit up the local frozen yogurt place for some dessert. I mean…break the rules at times and get dessert first. It was really delicious…and they had so many gluten-free options. I was in heaven. After getting dessert, we headed to the hotel in Ohio and checked in…watched some Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network…then…around 4:30, left to go get my prerequisite gluten-free pizza from a place called Husson’s. It was recommended to me by my friend Keith…and I trust Keith (he is also a gluten-free runner). Cathy and I split the 10 inch gluten-free pizza, which we topped off with tomato and pineapple…and it was…okay. I’ve had really, really good gluten-free pizza…so this was just mediocre. The sauce, however, was killer. With that taken care of…it was time to get back to the hotel so I could foam roll and relax before getting to bed. I even laid out my race outfit and had everything ready to go for the early morning alarm. Then, I settled in to watch more Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives…because that’s how I do race weekend!
My Marshall University Marathon outfit…I knew it was going to be cold, but I didn’t want to overdress. I opted for a singlet and my running skirt…and wore arm warmers and gloves. The arm warmers stayed on the entire time, but the gloves were ditched just before the halfway point.
At 9 p.m., however, it was lights out. And I actually fell asleep in good time. However, around 2 a.m., I woke up from a dream where I was 20 minutes late for the race. No joke. Restlessness set in the rest of the night, because while I knew I had an alarm set for 4 a.m., I was now worried I’d not hear it or just not make it to that start line in time. Stress!
That alarm went off at 4 a.m., and I had a bit of trouble turning it off, but I managed without waking Cathy up. I think she’s immune to my alarm on my phone now. Anyway…I got out of bed, went into the bathroom and began to go through my race morning routine. I got dressed, did my hair, and then got out some water and the cereal I brought with me. This race it was Van’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Heaven cereal. I ate it dry, as I always do on race morning. Cathy got up around 4:45 and she fixed herself up some food to eat and then went and got dressed. I got my water bottles loaded with regular water and one with electrolytes, then loaded up my GU packets to take at similar intervals as I did Chicago. I grabbed some wet wipes from our bathroom and tissues…just in case. Then, I laced up my Newtons for the first time I’ve worn them over 13 miles. I was ready. So was Cathy. So, she got her hotel key and I grabbed the bananas for pre-race fuel. We were out the door and down to the car to make the short drive over to Huntington.
We made fantastic time, pulled into the stadium and parked without a problem. It was chilly out that morning, so we sat in the car with the heat going until around 6:15 a.m. After that, I finally knew it was time to get out and get acclimated and ready to race. We headed toward the stadium and stopped to admire the really cool statue built into the facade. I had to get a picture with it. Then we stepped inside out of the cold. I made use of the flushing toilets and then came out to get some stretching done. It was still chilly inside…because stadiums aren’t full enclosed, but it was better than being completely out in the air. Around 6:30 a.m., I ate my banana, did a little more stretching…then stepped out to honestly get acclimated.
Runners for all the races were beginning to line the sidewalk on 3rd Avenue. I kept getting asked if this was where the start of the race was. I kept saying I had no clue…but this was where the pacers were, so we were in the right spot. Soon, they completely closed the road and runners took over the entire width of 3rd Avenue. I wasn’t lining up with pacers at all, so instead I met some new friends who were so much fun to talk with at the beginning. It really just kept nerves down. The announcer came on and gave a few short announcements. Bart Yasso came on the speaker to wish everyone luck. The national anthem was sung…although I couldn’t find a flag. And then…we were given a blessing for a safe race for all. Then…we were given a count down and a horn.
With the statue in the facade of the stadium before the start of the race on Sunday morning. WE ARE…MARSHALL!
All the runners around me were asking where the start line was. Apparently the timers were off to the side near a flag, but everyone was looking for the strip on the ground…and there wasn’t one. I just started my Garmin and hoped for the best. Off I went…Marshall Marathon!
The first two miles of this race were really, really bottle-necked. I mean, runners were running tight, so there was really no getting around them. You just had to wait for a break and hope you could make it through. I did a little bobbing and weaving, but this did help me keep my speed in check coming out of the gate. So there is the positive. The course for the marathon was a loop that is run twice. So, even though this course was advertised as fast and flat (which…it is not flat! Remember…if a race says it has a flat course, you better believe there will be some hills!), there were some more challenging aspects. The roads were not completely closed throughout the course, for one thing, so we were running in one lane. The streets in Huntington are really, really, banked, and with the road partially open, I couldn’t switch sides like I did in Chicago. UGH! But, you just make it work as best you can. As I rounded into Mile 2, Cathy was standing on the corner, waving my sign, and screaming at me. It was awesome. Of course, then a little further in, the road changed from pavement to brick. Not just that…we tackled the first hill.
There wasn’t a lot of crowd support in this race, which definitely makes it more of a mental challenge. In Chicago, I forgot I was running at times. There was just so much going on and so much to drink in. At the Marshall University Marathon, while there were some clumps of people here and there, much of the race was pretty solitary. Just you…the other runners…and the road. It was a huge challenge.
As I rounded out of Mile 6, we entered onto the park area, which meant we went from pavement to this sort of worn dirt trail. There was loose gravel and it just really meant changing up the stride. It was around here that I had one of the worst side stitches ever. It was painful. So, I eased up on my pace, pressed on my side, drank down some water, and breathed deep. It last through around Mile 9, and I was just focusing on the path I was running. The side stitch did subside, just as I neared Mile 9. Which was perfect timing because who was standing at that mile marker? Bart Yasso!! He spotted me, pointed at me and said, “You’re looking good, girl!” Pardon the minor fangirl runner squee. We were finally dumped back onto the actual road soon after that, thank goodness!! I was already dreading that portion in the second loop. But, it was best to focus on the task at hand. The next few miles were enough to get my warmed up enough to ditch the gloves after we ran by the Ohio River. This was around Mile 12. I figured I wouldn’t need them anymore. Lesson…learned! But, I reached the split where the half marathoners were sent into the stadium to finish and the marathoners were sent through campus. I went the way fewer people were going. I was told at the entrance to follow the green arrows, so…I did. And eventually I came out of the campus grounds and onto the road. Mile 13…and who is standing there? Cathy. And she is screaming. And she has people standing with her who are screaming my name and cheering me on. She recruited people…that’s awesome! I hit the halfway point with a great time, I felt, at 1:43:43. Not too bad.
But then…
THE WIND.
Me fighting the 21 mph wind gusts at Mile 15 of the Marshall University Marathon – Huntington, West Virginia
Fierce, strong, and crazy winds that stuck with those on the marathon from Mile 13 to Mile 19. A strong headwind that was 14 mph with gusts up to 21 mph. It was stupid insane. At points, I felt like I wasn’t even moving. I saw some runners come to a walk because they didn’t want to expend too much energy just battling the wind. I eased up. I drank some water. I just was determined to finish strong. The wind, however, was definitely adding a new level of difficulty to the course. And I was not happy about it. It was a cold, strong wind…that apparently, according to Cathy, was ripping down the banners inside the stadium. I saw some runners lose their bibs. It was stupid strong. I did have one more Cathy sighting at Mile 15 where she shouted and screamed and waved the sign…but after that…the crowd support was pretty much limited to the volunteers and maybe the people in the park. When you’re running 26.2 miles, that crowd becomes your lifeline. And I definitely missed having that noise and distraction this time around.
The second loop felt so much harder than the first one did. The wind was part of it, and I did have to push harder than I would have liked to get through. But, you just do what you can. Race day can be so unpredictable. I actually welcomed the trail this time because at least the wind was no longer at my head. It was coming at me from the side. It was a little reprieve. I ticked off those miles as well as I could, but I was really starting to feel the lack of oomph in my stride. What I needed was a crowd. Some cheering. Something. But…there was none to be found.
Instead, I put my head back into the game and focused on the task of finishing. Miles 22 through the finish were back on the streets and off the path…which made it a little easier to run. I did what I could…but knew the magic I felt in Chicago was not coming back for this race. I pressed on, feeling determined to reach that finish line. I’d go mile by mile…taking it one step at a time. I had no time goal for this one, being that it was so close to my last marathon…so that was not an issue for me. I just felt a little let down with myself. Like…I could have done so much better.
Finally, the stadium came into view and I knew I was nearing the end of the race. We were sent back through campus and then turned to the left this time to head toward the stadium. Almost there. I pushed as much as I could at this point. At least there was a crowd here. The steep hill down into the stadium made me pull up. I didn’t want to tear up my quads…and it was really steep. Once I hit the AstroTurf, however, I was ready to cross that finish. I rounded the corner and headed toward the guy passing out footballs. He tossed it to me. Somehow my hands functioned enough to hold onto it and I ran it all the way to the finish line. I wanted to spike it, but I had people in the way, so, I simply held onto it and “Bolted” as I said I would. Then I handed it to the guy collecting footballs and moved on.
Cathy met me at the end of the chute. I looked over at her and said the first thing that came to mind:
“That one hurt.”
And it did. My knee was twinging at me, but I made my way over to the big vat of ice that held water bottles. I grabbed two of them and went to move out of the way. I wanted to get my feet up. First things first…I put my name on the list for a massage. Then, it was over to the dirt path to settle in and put my feet up. I called my mom at this point, but she was busy doing inventory at her job so I kept it short and she promised she would call back later. After about 5 minutes, I sat up and drank down some water. Cathy had my phone and was checking the results.
Guess what…
Me with my football and my age division award for coming in 3rd in my age division at the Marshall University Marathon – Huntington, West Virginia
Despite having one of the hardest races of my life…struggling with the wind and my own mind…I placed third in my age division. IN. A. MARATHON. I was elated. I was shocked. I was ready to get up and move around some more, because I knew that after the race and a quick trip back to the hotel, the car was my destiny, which meant I wouldn’t have the opportunity to stretch it out and keep moving like I did in Chicago. I moved around the field for a bit until it was time for my massage. I, thankfully, got the guy with the giant heating pad, which he put over my back. The massage felt awesome and I was so glad I got one. While that was going on, Cathy set out to find out about age division awards. She wasn’t successful, and returned just as my massage was finishing.
After that, we set out on a mission to find out about awards. It took awhile, but we finally spotted a guy carrying an award and talking to one of his buddies about it. Cathy asked where he got it and he directed us to the other side of the red tent on the field. I went over there and spoke to the gentleman behind the table. He only had the half marathon results so we had to wait. They were having printer problems trying to do the full marathon. About 20-30 minutes later, it was resolved and I received my age division award…a gorgeous blown glass vase done by a local company. It is really beautiful. I had to stick around to get the award because they weren’t mailing them this year. The staff of this race is all volunteers and it makes that task nearly impossible.
After I picked up the award, it was time to head back to the hotel. I made it up an incline, past the statue in the side of the building and to the car. I got inside and it was a quick zip over the river to Ohio and the waiting hotel. We asked for a late checkout time, but it was going to need to be later now since we had to wait on the age division award. I went up to the room to shower…Cathy made arrangements for us to check out at 1 p.m. Except the hotel key wasn’t working. So when she got up there, she had to go back down to the desk and get the key working again. Finally…I was in the room, heading for a nice, hot, relaxing shower.
I was dreading the car ride…but it had to happen. I was also craving grapes. So we stopped off at a travel center and I managed to find this huge cup of grapes. I had to have it…and some more water. Then, the car ride to Lexington. I was starving and while I had wanted to stop frequently to stretch out my legs…I wanted to get to my gluten-free pasta for lunch more. So…we drove through to Lexington, stopping at Bella Notte, my favorite place to eat in Lexington, where I can safely get gluten-free pasta. After that, we walked over to the nearby Half Price Books, where my mom called me back. I talked to her and shopped…and ended up buying a couple of things. Then, it was a hike back to the car, and our last leg into Louisville. We got into town, went to Whole Foods to finish up grocery shopping for the week, hit up the Comfy Cow for some ice cream as a reward for a great race, and then…HOME!
Despite the conditions with the wind (you can’t predict mother nature!), I did enjoy this race. The lack of crowd support does mean you are quite aware of every moment you are actually running in this race. So, if you love to have that crowd as a distraction…this is not the race to run. It was very well organized, however, and it was a lot of fun. The course, while not flat as advertised, wasn’t bad. Loops are a bit daunting though…because you know what’s coming the second time around. But that’s both good and bad. I fought hard for this one and am quite proud of what I accomplished in Huntington.
Official results of the Marshall University Marathon are that I finished in a time of 3:35:55…which I’ll take with a smile on my face. Considering I was down and out for that second loop, the fact that I finished in sub 3:40:00 is still a mystery to me on how I manged it. I do wonder, though, had conditions been different, had that wind not been so defeating, would I have bettered my Chicago time? I can’t dwell on that, however. Because this race wasn’t meant to be run for time. And as disappointed as I am with some of my mile splits, I fought for this one. I dug deep and I really found my strong. I was 84/614 runners overall. I was 10/235 women to cross the finish line. And I was 3/35 in my age division. Despite it all…I’m still smiling.
I’m also enjoying my rest days. I’ve earned them.
Running two marathons within a month of each other will tear you down, and now I am in the rebuilding phase. This marathon really got into my head. It was a mental challenge and a physical challenge. And when I am back out on the roads, I am going to keep in mind how much I fought on this one…and come back ready to get stronger and better. Part of me feels defeated by this one…like it bested me…but the other part of me reminds me that I finished and I finished strong. And while this wasn’t a “good” race as far as how I felt during the event, it was a good reminder that good days and bad days happen…you just roll with it. And if the results you get aren’t want you hoped for…adapt and overcome. It’s hard…but it sure beats the “WHAT IF…” questions your mind will throw at you. I hold my head high and stand proud. This took a lot out of me and showed me just what I was made of.
Huntington, West Virginia…thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will forever treasure the lessons I learned on the roads through your city.
WE ARE…MARSHALL!!
Me with Marco, the mascot of the Marshall University Thundering Herd, after I finished. I was still smiling!
The swag from the Marshall University Marathon – Huntington, WV. Not pictured is the 26.2 magnet you get after you finish as well. I forgot I stuck it on my fridge. It’s in the green and white Marshall University colors.
You know…I used to check the weather religiously when I would wake up in the morning. All last winter and throughout this summer, the first thing I would do upon turning off my alarm would be to roll over and check the Weather Channel app on my phone and make a judgement call about wardrobe and the like.
I seem to have fallen off that system. I don’t even bother checking these days. I can’t explain the change…I just…don’t.
So, imagine my surprise this morning when I laced up my Adidas Boosts (random brand plug!), threw on some shorts and a long sleeve tech shirt and went out for a run…aiming to hit my mileage with some negative splits. I set out…and am immediately slapped with one of the strongest winds I have run through in a long time. And, of course, for the long uphill…the wind was blowing toward me. Headwinds suck. And whenever I do find where I’d have a tailwind…the winds seem to calm.
Mother Nature has a sense of humor when it comes to runners, I think. But…it’s all good. I embraced the added challenge of a bit of resistance during the run this morning. And I hit my miles and my negative splits. It wasn’t pretty…but it happened. I can only imagine what some of those drivers were thinking as they passed me fighting 16 mph winds this morning. I probably looked like I was running in place when those gusts got strong. Nature’s treadmill is a strong headwind. Trust me.
All I could do was laugh. And I was laughing a lot. It was, actually, just what I needed in a run. A strong wind to make me fight for it and dig deep…but still find the humor in the moment. I love laughing on my runs. I don’t often find a reason…but this morning gave me the perfect opportunity.
Moments like that make these solitary runs a lot more enjoyable. Live in the moment. Fight an uphill battle against a strong opponent…and win.
Find your strong…believe the run…
And don’t forget to smile.
And laugh.
It sure makes the miles go faster! Even if you’re running straight into a 16 mph wind…
Me at Mile 3 of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon – Chicago, Illinois
Race: Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Place: Chicago, Illinois
Date: October 13, 2013
Time: 3:28:28
I just ran my first marathon! My first 26.2 miles. I ran it through 29 neighborhoods in Chicago. I ran it strong. I never hit a wall. I had a plan. I stuck with it. And I had some of the best support on the ground I could have ever asked for at a race. The weather was perfect. And I, honestly, had the time of my life.
How many people can say that when they’re running 26.2 miles, eh?
But this post doesn’t start at the race. This post started 18 weeks ago when I not only began a challenging training program, but also took it upon myself to find a sports nutritionist because I wanted to be sure that I got to this race and was able to run this race in the best shape possible…and ready. There are so many times before where I did so many things wrong…especially when it came to fueling and hydrating during races. I didn’t want that to happen here. You only get your first marathon once. I wanted it to be a good and happy memory. So, Donna, if you are reading this, all your advice and help really, really paid off. I listened to you about how to fuel properly for a marathon, how to hydrate properly for a marathon, what to eat, what to avoid, and how to figure out what worked best for me. Some weeks were better than others…but that’s why we have those 18 weeks of training. You figure it all out.
So, as the taper kicked in and my mood shifted from runner’s high to evil step-runner mode (I do NOT handle taper well. Let this be my PSA to all of you), I had to really trust my body and try not to let the mental game of…running less = poor performance get to me. Mind games. They happen. I was very respectful of my taper, doing exactly as my plan called for. That meant the week leading into my marathon, I didn’t run much. For three days, I ran 4 miles each morning. Two of them were at marathon pace. One was more speed work and pacing related. Then…two full days off. No running. No morning walks. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Rest the legs. Get them ready. I wanted to run so bad during those days…but I didn’t. I made myself rest. It was two of the hardest days of my life.
Friday night, my friend Jenn from Ohio rolled into town. She has been to quite a few of my races and is such a huge support. She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to come to Chicago to see me run. Nope. So, she headed this way and got in as I was still trying to make myself pack for the race. I was distracting myself. With everything. Including organizing my BondiBand’s by color. Packing…yeah…focus. She and Cathy got me on task, and once my running bag and my regular duffel bag were packed with what I could pack that night…the three of us headed out to grab some dinner.
Since it had been way too long since Jenn had come into the area, I had her pick a place where we could eat dinner. I sent her places that had options for everyone, including me. And she surprised me when she chose Dakshin, a local and amazing Indian restaurant. I threw it on the list because I knew it had good food. Never did I expect Jenn to pick it. But she did. And I was proud of her for branching out. So, we made the drive over to Dakshin and settled in for some crazy-good Indian food. If you live in Louisville and haven’t tried this place…DO IT! Since it was only two days to my marathon, I was being extra cautious about my food. Being a Celiac means being so careful when it comes to eating out. I wanted carbs and protein…so I ordered the Dal Tadke Wali…which is home style yellow lentils which are tempered with Indian spices. YUMMY! It was served with this delicious basmati rice that has coriander seeds and various Indian spices cooked in with it. Keep that in mind as you scoop it onto your plate…FYI! Needless to say…the food was delicious and Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines anyway. I don’t get the authentic stuff often…so this really made me happy. Cathy, in case you were wondering, chose the Goat Korma…which was apparently spicy. Jenn went with the safe, but still off the beaten path for her, Tandoori Chicken. It was spicy for her too. So, with me being the one who loves spice…I got the mildest meal of all three of us. Go figure. Anyway…after our amazing food, we went to celebrate the upcoming race with some ice cream from The Comfy Cow. I was a Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice scooper. Hey…marathon training means ice cream. This was Jenn’s first taste of Comfy Cow ice cream, so she went with the Bonjour Toast offering. Cathy went with Vermont Maple Walnut. With full bellies…we headed back to the apartment to settle in for the evening and watch Spirit of the Marathon to get keyed up for Sunday…and followed it up with Marathon Thoughts…which if you haven’t pulled that up on YouTube…shame on you. Do so now!
We crashed out that evening at a decent time. The people downstairs were having a party, so sleep wasn’t easy and I didn’t get much of it. My alarm went off early…because my training plan called for me to do 3 miles or 30 minutes of running that day. Since we had a drive to Chicago ahead of us, I got out of bed, put on my running clothes, my reflective gear, and headed out to run. The rest days were good for me…and my legs felt good as I pushed through three very early miles. I came back and snuck inside so as not to wake anyone yet. Went to shower and finish packing. Then, Jenn was up. And soon Cathy was as well. We ate a quick breakfast (cereal and some gluten-free French toast sticks…which…eh…) before packing up the car with all of our stuff, a cooler of drinks and snacks, and hit the road to Chicago. We had to detour around Indianapolis due to Highway 65 being shut down going through downtown, so this tacked on some time. My friend Heather, like one of my best friends who I have known since third grade!, was in Chicago to see me run. She flew in from Minnesota for the occasion and texted to let me know she was there and grabbing some breakfast. We had hoped to get in around 10 a.m. We got there around 11 a.m. We met up with Heather at the Hilton Chicago, the host hotel, and the hotel we were staying in for the weekend. We valeted the car, put our luggage on a cart to be delivered, and I got us checked into the hotel. We were up on the 8th Floor…which just happened to be the floor where many of the elites were staying. The luggage would be up shortly, but the four of us headed up to the room. The first set of keys I was given, didn’t work…so I headed back down to the lobby to get that fixed. There was a much longer line now and more of a wait. But, I just let it roll off my back. These things happen. No sense getting worked up over it, right? The key situation was fixed and we got some commemorative keys to boot. LOVE them. Back up to the room and my friends were already inside. I closed myself out just to make sure the keys worked this time. They did. And soon after…luggage was delivered.
This is how I know my friends are totally amazing. The guy bringing in our luggage carried in the famous Donkey sign first, saying the most important thing had to come in first. He immediately put it up in the window facing the lake. It made me smile…a lot. As he was bringing in our bags and cooler, he was asking questions about the race…and I mentioned it was my first marathon. He said to my friends that they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow…at least a 4 hour or 4-1/2 hour wait for me to come in. To which, Heather chimes…”Nope. She’ll run it in 3:30.” Cathy and Jenn totally ran with that as well and I just nervously laughed. He asked what my number was because he’d have his eye on me. So, we told him, tipped him, and he was gone. With that bit of business taken care of…and bathroom breaks made, we hurried downstairs to 8th Street entrance of the Hilton and got in line for the shuttle buses to take us over to McCormick Place, where the expo was awaiting us. The first bus that arrived filled up fast…but we got on the next one and soon were on our way to the expo.
Me at the Nike booth at the expo for the Chicago Marathon
Lately, my race expos have been tiny and rather…disappointing. Utica…was probably the best one I had been to all year…and I’m not counting Disney races in this. Disney is a monster all its own. But this expo…was HUGE!! We walked into McCormick Place and just followed the sea of runners…which guided us to the monstrous exhibit hall where all things running related were happening. First things first, however…and that was getting my packet. I headed over to where this BIG sign declared PACKET PICK-UP, and stepped up to this little table where they scanned my participant guide and sent me over to Booth 5 to retrieve my bib number and packet. I headed that way, and my information was already pulled up and waiting on me. I was handed my bib, an envelope of information, and told where to go in order to get my race t-shirt. I grabbed some Chicago Runs For Boston bracelets for me and my friends and went to head to get my t-shirt. But…got waylaid by this awesome wall where people were able to remove a magnet and sign their name. We all did it…writing messages and the like…and keeping our magnets as mementos. Then, we got to battle the crowds. I was ready…and as we made our way up the first row of exhibitors…I just casually glanced at the booths. I was hoping to make it out of the expo without spending too much money, so the less time I looked at things, the more likely that was going to happen. I managed to get up to the tables in the back that had the t-shirts and bags for the participants. I retrieved mine…and, as I learned my lesson from Disneyland, immediately pulled out the t-shirt to make sure it was a proper fit. It was. So now…we were loose to check out the exhibitors and try to make it out with as much of my wallet in tact as possible.
It was a valiant effort…but an ultimate fail in the end. I found CEP’s booth and picked up some compression sleeves for my friend Natalie. She wanted the blue ones I wore once to the fun run…and I promised if I spotted them at the expo in Chicago in her size, I would buy them. Well…it happened. And they were now hers. Not far from there was the BondiBand booth. And my friends and I set out on a mission to find a 26.2 BondiBand. We found SO many good ones, just not 26.2. Then…we started finding them…in hideous colors. With some luck…I found two that were okay. One in blue with pink numbers, and a red and black one. I asked my friends which I should get, and since my uniform for the race was red and black…that was what we went with. I purchased two other BondiBands as well…
Oh…I also got to meet Hal Higdon. Like…THE Hal Higdon. How amazing is that? I bought his new book, 4:09:43 – The Boston Marathon Bombings, and was able to have it autographed. This happened because I get a call from Cathy saying…”I’m standing next to Hal Higdon. You better get over here!” And with some direction…yep…it happened. And I was this little fangirling runner trying not to squee and make a fool of myself. Because…DUDE…it’s Hal Higdon. AND while Hal was signing my book, right behind me on the main programming stage…Deena Kastor. DEENA KASTOR!! One of my running idles. I was…in runner heaven, I think.
But…there was much to do that day so lingering too long was not going to be an option. We were just scraping the surface of the expo. So…we made our way past booths…in which I ignored the Newton booth…because I couldn’t afford more shoes at the moment as much as I wanted another pair. We sampled different NUUN flavors. We tried some protein bars (gluten-free, of course), we walked past Scott Jurek, the vegan ultramarathoner…and I once again had to attempt not to squee!! I was doing good…not spending any more money…and we were making lots of progress through the expo.
Then, lo and behold, I hear someone calling my name. It’s Matthew and Dawn, who I run with on Saturday mornings with my group. They were up in Chicago as spectators, not runners, in this marathon and saw me walk by. In that mass of people…they spotted me. We hugged…we talked…they asked how I was feeling. I said the nerves were gone, now I was just excited. So…I was already feeling better. Lots of people I knew were here…they were going to be cheering…it was going to be a good time. They told me to have my bib scanned at the Nike booth…so I took that advice and headed that way. Bib scanned and the screen read, “Karen Owns Chicago.” SWEET! I was about to leave, after getting a free poster, when I spotted the official merchandise. No shirts though…but we were directed over to the Nike booth. UH OH!! Yeah…might as well have just drained my wallet when I walked in there. Needless to say…a jacket and a shirt later…I was now leaving the expo…because I was running out of money.
We returned to the Hilton and took things up to the room. We had a small amount of downtime to sit and chat. Heather did some foam rolling and I started to get my race outfit out and laid on the table so it was ready for the morning. We called down to valet after that to have the car brought around because now…it was time to feed our faces. I had discovered what sounded like an amazing place to get a gluten-free pizza. The place: Da Luciano Pizza, Pasta and Catering. It was located in River Grove, so it was about a 20 minute drive. We got there…went inside…and was asked if anyone needed a gluten-free menu. I was feeling good about this already. We were seated and left to look at the menus. While all the pastas sounded awesome, my pre-race tradition is gluten-free pizza. I wasn’t changing that up. Nope. So, we all placed our orders…and I got my gluten-free pizza with mushrooms, onion, and roasted red peppers. YUMMY! Food came out and I devoured my entire pizza and even ordered a gluten-free cannoli for dessert. That, BTW…was super-duper delish. The pizza was really good too. It hit the spot. And I was now properly fed (carbs!). We dropped Heather off at a train stop so she could head back to her hotel…and then we were headed back to the Hilton. We all changed, brushed our teeth, and…climbed into bed around 8:30 p.m.
Da Luciano’s Gluten-Free Pizza and Gluten-Free Cannoli
This was early for me. This never happens. I always try to get to bed early on race night, but it never seems to work out. So, I immediately figured that I’d have trouble falling asleep. WRONG. I was out. And I only woke up, briefly, twice during the night with the, “What if I didn’t set my alarm?” panic I always have. I rested…and rested well.
My alarm went off at 4 a.m. and I snuck out of bed, hoping not to disturb Cathy and Jenn as I fumbled around in the dark, grabbing my outfit for the race and heading into the bathroom. I dressed. I did my hair. I came out as Jenn was heading into the other bathroom. Cathy finally dragged herself out of bed too. We all had a quick bite to eat and I was texted by Heather to say she was on her way. I wasn’t sure cereal would be enough on a marathon race morning, but was told to stick with what I knew. So that morning, I ate a serving of Chocolate Chex cereal…no milk…slowly and leisurely, as I checked my e-mail and Facebook on my phone. I had so many people wishing me luck. Text messages were coming. And just as I finished eating and went to brush my teeth, Heather texted to say she was at the hotel and heading up.
I got my fuel belt ready with my hydration needs, tucked my GU packets into my skirt pockets…and when Heather arrived…we were all set to head down to the lobby. And…with perfect timing my friend Cheryl texted to ask if I was at the Hilton. I said I was and she said her gear check was right there and she wanted to come over and see me. We made plans to meet in the lobby…which was bustling with runners. But…she found me. And we hugged and talked about the race…and took pictures…because that’s what we do. Time was nearing for me to head to the gate that would take me to my corral. So…with us each wishing each other luck and telling each other to have a good run…we parted ways. She was in the 2nd wave of runners to go out…and I was in the 1st. In fact, my corral, Corral C, was only accessible through Gate #1. Heather lead the way there…and we just talked a lot about anything but racing. We even took selfies on her phone while walking. HA! We paused at the corner and took photos with each other…rotating through and then crossed the street to Gate #1. This was as far as they were allowed to go. The security checkpoint was right there…so…they wished me luck…Jenn sent me off with her usual sayings, which are magic, I swear…and I went to get in line for the no-bag security check. One more wave…and they were off to find a spot near the start…and I was off to get to my corral.
My friends are awesome – Me and Cheryl; Jenn, Me, and Cathy; Me and Heather
It was still dark out, but I just sort of followed the signs to get me to Corral C. It was a bit of a hike, but not bad. Not really. I was clinging to my banana for all it was worth and trying to get the butterflies in my stomach to settle. Not nervous butterflies. The excitement was starting to build. And I was just…wanting to settle in and zen. So, I found the entrance to my corral, but didn’t go right in. I stood on the side and did some stretching…some walking…some pacing. I wanted to be loose. I wanted to clear my mind. And the moment I stepped into that corral…I wanted to be focused. So…I just paced the sidewalk for about 30 minutes, stopping to stretch out my legs every now and again. At 6:55 a.m., I peeled my banana and sent to get into Corral C. Security checked my bib number, I entered and moved up to a spot where I remained for the rest of the time. I ate my banana quicker than I intended to…but I think that was just me needing something to do. I just hoped it would stick with me long enough to get me to the point I chose to be my first fuel point. I packed an extra GU pack though, just in case I needed it. I was taking no chances. But…I was fine. The corral filled up quickly. I had to help the guy behind me start his iPod. His daughter loaded up a playlist for him, but he had no idea how to work the player. I helped him out and he thanked me. I talked to some people around me, making friends, and hearing from others about their experiences with the Chicago Marathon. Exciting! The announcer had everyone remove their hats and the National Anthem played. Runners shed clothes they wore to keep warm, and we all shivered in crisp 45 degree air. At 7:20 a.m., the wheelchair start headed out. Then, at 7:21 a.m., the handcycle racers got underway. It was 7:30 a.m. when the start officially happened…with the elites up front…and the corrals behind them. We were slowly moved up as each corral was sent off. It was so comical when those holding the rope to the corral tried to clear out as those of us in Corral C were turned loose to head to the Start. I stuck to the left of the course, because Cathy said she’d be aiming for the left side of the road…I trotted to the start…crossed the line…and was off.
Chicago Marathon!!
This marathon runs through 29 neighborhoods of Chicago. It kicks off in Grant Park, which is beautiful, by the way. I took off from that start line, heading for the underpass we go through. The crowd was already prominent and loud. It was awesome. I started off smiling and I don’t think that grin ever left my face for one moment. Soon, I found myself in the Streeterville neighborhood, home of the Magnificent Mile, lots of luxury hotels, great shopping district, and Navy Pier. People were lined up 5 deep on the side of the road, making as much noise as possible…and just being loud. I wasn’t sure where I was going to see my friends…but I was through the first mile and didn’t see them at all. Onward.
The Loop was up next…with all the gorgeous architecture it brings to Chicago. I was heading up LaSalle Street…and just before Mile 3…I see the Donkey sign. There are Heather, Cathy, and Jenn and they are making some noise!! I think my smile grew even more. I waved as I ran by. Jenn yelled, “RUN DONKEY! RUN LIKE A PRETTY PONY!” Um…this is becoming a new mantra I think. I LOVE that. It was awesome seeing my friends as I neared the 5K mark. Pressing on, I entered Near North Side, where the streets were lined with trees, offering some shade from the sun, and residential areas as well. Then it was into Lincoln Park…then Wrigleyville (yes…Wrigley Field!)…then Lakeview East. And in Lakeview East…Boystown! Boystown is the first officially recognized gay village in the United States, and is also the cultural center of one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in the nation. This is immediately evident in the race because, aside from the rainbow flags, runners are greeted by a stage full of drag queens. It was really awesome and definitely a change in the usual mix. It made me smile! It was a party right on the course. This was one of my favorite neighborhoods to run through. The vibe was awesome.
The different neighborhoods continued…Park West, Old Town…and then…around Mile 12…River North. What made Mile 12 so damn special was that this was where Cathy and Jenn found me again on the course. Somehow I missed them. I didn’t know they were going to be there…but my eyes were always searching that crowd for my friends and my sign. How I missed it…I don’t know…but they were there and have pictures to prove it. Regardless…I must have felt them in spirit because I was still going strong! My friends are awesome. From there it was through some more of the city’s amazing neighborhoods…West Loop Gate, Greektown, and the West Loop.
I bet you’re wondering where Heather went then. Well, she already had a place in mind for where she could see me again on the course. After Mile 3…she hopped a train and found me again right around Mile 14…in front of Soul City Church. And…WOW…was she loud and cheering as I came through. I heard her above the roar of everyone else in the crowd. She wanted to be at Mile 14 because it marked the furthest I had ever gone in an official race. With 10 half marathons under my belt…13.1 miles has been the standard. She wanted to see me into that next step. And she did it with perfect Heather style!! And even got the pastor of the church to scream right along with her. What a way to take on the second half!
Near West Side was next…then Little Italy (aka: University Village). The smell of Italian food was prominent. And it smelled really good. From there it was into the Illinois Medical District. And then, as we come around toward Mile 20…the Pilsen neighborhood. Mile 20…is usually where The Wall hits. But I never even hit it. The Wall was not even a force to be reckoned with. It was dead to me. And I powered through this difficult part of the race without even slowing down. I was feeling good. My race plan for fuel and hydration was working…and fatigue wasn’t even hitting me. There was no stopping me…not here.
East Pilsen was next…followed by Chinatown. I loved Chinatown. I rounded the corner into this neighborhood and was greeted by a big, silver Chinese Dragon. The atmosphere was uplifting and awesome. And the area smelled ethnic and awesome. And it really made me want Chinese food. I haven’t had Chinese food in forever due to my food allergies. I miss it. A lot. Chinatown was SO awesome. The crowd here was massive and loud. Uplifting for sure!
Which was good because heading into Mile 23 was the hardest to contend with…because the crowds faded as we hit the industrial area. There was very little crowd support. It was only for a little over a mile though…the crowds did come back.
Bridgeport was next…then came the turn to “head home” and through the Park Boulevard neighborhood. It was straight up Michigan Avenue from that point on. The final 3 miles were upon me. And this was where I started to slow down. I felt strong, but the sun was up and the temperature was nearing 70 degrees. I was hot. But with only a 5K remaining, I was ready to give it all I had. Bronzeville…The Gap…South Commons…Prairie District…
At around Mile 26…South Loop and Central Station…where the crowd gave runners a much needed lift as all of us tackled the one hill on the course. And it was NOT nice having us run up a hill at the very end. Let me tell you though…they did their job. I slowed down just slightly as my legs really didn’t want to run up that hill, but the crowd got me there. And so did my friends, who I heard screaming for me. This was the last point they could see me at before the finish line. I was going to reunite with them in the runner reunion area afterwards. So, they were loud and awesome and I was on my way to the finish.
Me…the marathoner…after the Bank of America Chicago Marathon – Chicago, Illinois
The Finish Line came into view and I kept smiling. I think I was smiling the entire time I was running, but that Finish line just went to show how tough I was…how far I’d come. It was beautiful. I gave my final push to cross the line and threw my arms up in victory. I finished strong. I finished feeling good. I got past the photographers and paused my Garmin. Then…immediately started crying. I didn’t hurt. I wasn’t tired. It was just I had so many doubts coming into this marathon, and then I went and did something extraordinary. I finished it far faster than I anticipated or even dreamed. Everything felt like a blur. I took a few deep breaths and kept moving…getting some water…and then receiving my finisher’s medal. Bananas…snack boxes…more water…and finisher’s photos…that all followed. I downed some Gatorade as I moved…then had some water. I made my way through the finish area toward the runner’s reunion, where I was to meet Cathy, Jenn and Heather under the letter V…because it would be less crowded than the beginning of the alphabet. I saw the sign…and my friends…and went running toward them. Cathy came up and gave me a tight hug, immediately telling me my official time. I cried some more. I cried more as Heather gave me a hug and then some more when Jenn gave me a hug. We were just…so happy! I was so FREAKIN’ happy. I made sure I drank some more water and I laid down to put my feet up while I called my parents in Birmingham, Alabama to tell them about my race and my finish. They were so thrilled and proud of me. I only wish they could have been there to share the moment as well.
After I hung up the phone, I stood up and went to get in line for a stretch and massage. The line was long, but I knew this would help in the end. While I was waiting, Cathy went off to see if she could find any official finisher’s gear. She returned about 10 minutes later (the line hadn’t moved) and handed me a gorgeous red rose and a bear wearing a Chicago 2013 26.2 t-shirt. Ironically, the bear’s name was Dean, which was a sign…had to be…since the captain of the charity (Action for Healthy Kids) that I was running for is none other than Dean Karnazes. Eventually, it was my turn for a stretch and massage. That was the best thing ever. It helped get those muscles loose. The therapist working on me mentioned how flexible I was…and I told her it was from years of yoga. After a good stretching…we decided to make our way back to The Hilton so I could get showered and changed. My intention, even though I wasn’t sore, was to take a cold shower. I turned the water on, stuck my hand in…and totally nixed that plan. I’ve never taken an ice bath or ice shower after a run, why start now? Especially when I didn’t feel I needed one. I bounce back really well from long distances on my own. Never change up the routine. Anyway…I was clean. I foam rolled. It was time to go see some sites around Chicago.
Our plan for the day was to hit up Garrett’s Popcorn for amazing popcorn of awesomesauce. Cathy promised me a gallon tin of the Cashew Caramel Crisp. We also got a small bag of the Chicago Mix…because we needed something to snack on. All of us bought our share of popcorn to enjoy…and we went walking the Miracle Mile. With Nike being one of the sponsors, they had all the official Finisher’s merchandise. So after a stop by The Bean…and The Chicago Tribune building…Nike was next. As we neared the building, employees were out cheering on everyone who was wearing one of the finisher’s medals. It really made it SO special. We ducked inside…and Cathy purchased two shirts for me…and Heather put money toward a nice pull-over (in Heather gray). After that…a walk back to the hotel. Heather needed to meet up with our friend Janet to go to church and Jenn, Cathy and I were going to grab some dinner. Instead of the Mexican place we had reservations for that night, we ended up sticking to the hotel and eating at the pub that was connected. I had a salad. They had fish and chips. From there…back up to the room to relax a little while and wait for Heather and Janet. Because gelato was on the menu for dessert. Well earned…and dessert is best when done with friends. I didn’t want the evening to end…but, much like my little cup of gelato…it did.
Sadly, it was time to say goodbye. Janet was going to get Heather to the airport, as she had to fly back to Minnesota that night. So, lots of hugs and promises to get together again soon…we parted ways. I walked Janet and Heather to the elevators and gave hugs and said goodbye…for the time being. I returned to the room and got changed into pajamas. Foam rolling was next. And then…we were all ready to settle in, watch some television, and then get some sleep.
The problem was…I couldn’t fall asleep. I was tired, but sleep just wasn’t going to come. So, all night I tossed and turned and watched the clock. I finally got out of bed…and went to change. Soon, Jenn woke up and then Cathy. Cathy and I went to walk a bit around the track at the fitness center before we finished packing everything up and getting ready to check out. Chicago was a blast…but we had a long drive ahead of us. So…after a quick jaunt to Caribou Coffee…we had our luggage loaded up, my car brought around…and we hit the road.
I am very, very proud of my accomplishment…and I know a lot of this was made possible by the people who have helped me along the way. First of all…major huge props, hugs, love, and appreciation go out to my sports nutritionist. Donna…without your advice, guidance, and all-over support and enthusiasm…I don’t think I would have made it through that distance without hitting The Wall. As The Wall and I are still perfect strangers…I hope to continue this trend. You are awesome and I’m so glad we are working together. Your advice and your help have, definitely, made me a better, stronger, and faster runner. You helped me develop a plan to go the distance and feel good at the end of said mileage. Guess what? It worked! Tons of praise, love, hugs, and cowbell jingles go out to my family (who couldn’t be in Chicago), my friends, my co-workers, my runners, and the strangers who got me to that finish line. This has been a long journey…and you’ve seen me through all of the insanity.
To Cathy…who saw me try and fail, try and succeed, rode 18 miles on a bike one Sunday with me to keep me company on a miserably hot day, who has seen me through injuries, seen me struggle, seen me overcome, and just continued to be the best damn crew a runner could ever have. To Jenn…who coined my new favorite phrase when it comes to running, who always tells me not to pants my poop…and who compels me with the power of Dean…who shares my love of all things chocolate, ice cream, and delicious…and who never judges me when I get up early when I visit and go for crazy long runs. Even if it’s in the kitchen during a snowstorm. Next time, I promise not to slam into the island. And to Heather…who I have known since 3rd grade…and despite your move to Minnesota as we were heading to middle school, kept in touch and still, to this day, is the best damn friend this girl could have asked for. Your amazing belief in me and my abilities is unstoppable. You teach me to reach for the stars and go beyond even what I think I am capable of achieving. Your drive is contagious. It always has been.
So…my official results of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon are that I finished in a time of 3:28:28. I am still shocked with my time and blown away by what that time means. I was 3,897/39,122 finishers overall. I was the 592/17,527 female to cross the finish line. And I was 154/3,274 in my division. You cannot believe how thrilled I am with these results. I felt so good about this run. I conserved energy…even though I took that first mile fast. I knew to ease up and let my body find it’s rhythm and its pace. I ran strong. And with that…achieved more than I ever thought possible. This past week has been dedicated to recovery…although my body hasn’t really felt like it needed it. Like I said…I bounce back. This was such an amazing experience. I never stopped smiling during the race…and it’s been hard to get me to stop smiling since then as well.
Don’t pass out. Don’t freak out. Keep calm. Keep calm and run a freakin’ marathon!
I can’t believe 18 weeks have already passed. I began this journey on a rainy morning, June 10, 2013…and it all culminates at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. God willing, I’ll get there.
Marathon week has arrived. Technically. And I’m going through the motions of the taper. I’m retaining water, which is messing with my head. I’m running fewer miles…which is messing with my body. And I’m a basket case of emotions, which is messing with my friends, family, and co-workers.
But it’s here. At last.
On June 10th…I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to eat something small, drink water, get dressed, and head out to run. It was raining. Pouring, in fact. But no one guarantees perfect weather on race day. So, without even blinking, I grabbed a hat, got my reflective gear flashing, and went to head out the door. Except I was greeted with a message from my roommate, which, to this day, still hangs on the back of the front door. She was in her room, still asleep, but this was how she was showing her support…and every morning from that day when I struck out for 5 miles easy (which I did with hills, mind you!), I took everything on this little sign in…and used it as a mantra:
Roomie shows her support…with a sign on the back of the front door!
Inspirational, yes?
And with early morning runs every week, early morning runs every weekend, some fun runs, some races, some mile sprints, speed work, pacing work, and just finding out more about what I can and can’t do…pushing through it all…I arrive…at race week.
Sunday, October 13, 2013 marks the date for the Chicago Marathon. My first 26.2 miles. My first full marathon. A part of me feels so ready. But a bigger part of me is doubting my abilities, not wanting to believe all the hard work I put in through training for 4 months was good enough. Or, that I’m just not ready. This is normal. And I know…deep in my heart…I’m ready.
I. AM. READY.
So…let’s see how this final week of training leading up to race day went, shall we?
Sunday was a rainy, rainy, rainy morning. Sunday is a rest day, but I often go for another run, keeping pace easy and distance minimal. I don’t want to over train, but I go stir crazy at times. I had told the roomie that since I was in taper, I would simply do 5 short miles…at the gym if the weather was bad. Well, it was raining…I’ve run in the pouring rain before. I could have gone to the gym…sure…but the very thought of hopping on a treadmill was unappetizing. For real. So, I laced up my old Nike running shoes, put on my reflective gear, slapped on a hat, and went out for a run. What I didn’t know (because I don’t have cable nor do I watch television) was that we had flooding in our area. This should have been apparent in the first mile when I was warming up and kept splashing in pretty deep puddles. But as I hit the roads, nothing prepared me for the ankle deep water I ended up trudging through. I turned around and went the other way, only to be greeted with the same situation that way too. Flooding…does not make for good running. But, I laughed. I was having a good time. The puddles were everywhere…some ankle deep without me being able to tell…and every time I hit one…it just made me smile. I mean…what can you do? I logged my miles, went home, stuffed my shoes with newspaper, and went to take a shower and get dried off. The rain stopped later in the morning. Go figure. It was a good way to start the week though…which I needed as I continued to struggle with my taper demons.
Monday morning greeted me with 4 miles. I was supposed to do 4 miles at marathon pace…but I decided to move my speed work up a day. It was my last day of speed work, and my schedule was going to be pretty insane this week. Doing it on Monday was the best way to do it. I did an easy warm up of 1/2 mile at my long slow distance pace. Then it was 1 x 4800 meters (3 miles) at marathon pace. Followed that up with 1/2 mile at my long slow distance pace for a cool down. My body is playing tricks on me…with the water retention and all. The run felt good. And I still think I need to push myself a bit more on my speed work, but this was a good run. I actually enjoyed my speed work for once. And, naturally, being Monday…the Daily Double struck. I headed to my running store for the running group that evening. They decided to do the Pumpkin Run…so we went on a run past the house in the Highlands with all the pumpkins…then continued on to Cherokee Park. We were to run the loop backwards…but Patrick (it’s always Patrick said we would run the loop regular, make a full loop and then head back. Meaning…Dog Hill…TWICE! The man is insane…and yet I somehow I always get suckered into doing it. It was challenging…and I like challenging. After the morning speed work, I didn’t think my legs would do well on the hills on the loop, or the speed that Patrick was pushing. I was behind the two others who actually did run the loop, but I was feeling good. I kept pushing…and I caught up on Eastern Parkway. It was a good feeling. And I really needed that. Granted, it was a bit disrespectful of the taper…and ended up being 5.4 additional miles that day…but I was elated with how I managed to take those hills and maintain a great pace. I had a feeling my legs would feel it in the morning, however.
Tuesday morning greeted me with an early wake-up call and 45 degree weather. It was brisk and amazing outside. I was in my shorts and short sleeves and ready to take on the cooler weather. The training program called for 4 miles at marathon pace today. So, I went and rocked it out. In fact, I took these 4 miles faster than my estimated marathon pace. The legs weren’t even feeling the two hard runs from the day before. They were ready and raring and just enjoying hitting the pavement that morning. I managed beautiful negative splits. And then…my last day at the gym this week. Since it is Tuesday, I hit up the Arc Trainer – Program 1 – Level 5 for 45 minutes and churned out a fantastic 2.8 miles. I was having a great work out day!! Seriously. After the Arc Trainer…I went over to the rowing machine to get that full-body cross-training effect. I have a love/hate relationship with this machine, but I managed 1.18 miles in 10 minutes, which is pretty good for me. After that, downstairs I went for some strength training before calling it a day and heading to work.
Wednesday was my last run before the taper really hit with some down time. The plan called for another 4 miles at marathon pace. Which…I did get out and do, once again, in the dark and cool morning. I even managed some negative splits. I honestly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard or struggling for that next mile, which is only a good thing. My pace was good, my breathing was good, and my legs were starting to feel the effects of less mileage. They weren’t as tired or as heavy. And it just felt good out there running. I finished in amazing time and feeling strong and good. But really dreading the days ahead. Me going without running is like…being without air. I don’t cope well. So, watch out world…I’m tapering…big time.
Thursday morning was rough. I got up later, because the body needs rest on rest days and as tempting as it was to get up at normal time and go for one of my brisk walks…I need to respect these important days of rest and recovery. Because that’s what my body needs to do in preparation for Sunday. This doesn’t mean that I just sat around all day. I made a healthy breakfast that morning. I took a package down to the car. I walked around Harvest Homecoming in New Albany twice that day. Just to not be sitting at my desk the entire time. I stretched. I foam rolled. I made sure I was taking in good carbs, good protein, and healthy fats…topping off my tanks. I was taking care of me and getting my body ready. And, it was hard…and I might have whined a couple of times…but I soldiered through. A day of rest…it was tough. But I got there.
Friday was the second day of complete rest. I, once again, let my body rest in the morning, sleeping in and setting my alarm for much later than I would normally wake up. I had a few things I needed to go get at the grocery store that morning, and although it is just a mile and a half up the street…I didn’t walk. I drove. I didn’t skim the aisles, but went immediately to what it was that I needed. I went home. I baked some treats for Chicago. I made breakfast at the same time. I enjoyed a protein-filled breakfast with fruit on the side and a fantastic caramelized apple parfait with some Greek yogurt. Yummy! I went to work. I enjoyed easy strolls through Harvest Homecoming once again. I moved around from my desk as much as I could manage with my work load. I left work and came home to pack. I didn’t pack…because when I’m nervous I find things to distract me…like hand washing clothes. I know…I’m weird. Jenn arrived from Ohio…and she and Cathy put me on task to pack…so I did. Eventually. Then we headed out to dinner. Jenn chose Dakshin, an amazing Indian restaurant in Louisville. I had the Dal Tadke Wali, which is home style yellow lentils tempered with Indian spices. It was SO good. And vegan. And that meant…good and safe. I had it over delicious rice. Carbs. Protein. Topping off those tanks properly. We treated ourselves to Comfy Cow afterwards. Then it was home to watch Spirit of the Marathon and Marathon Thoughts…then getting some much needed sleep.
Saturday…it’s here. The day before my first marathon. And I’m a mixed bag of emotions. I got up at 4 a.m. to do my shakeout run. And the rest days paid off. My legs feel good and strong and amazing. I didn’t push my pace. Didn’t push anything. Now was not the time to try to hit a best time. Now was the time to just let my legs do what they wanted to. And every moment of this run felt good. I enjoyed it…taking in the still, dark morning. It was in the low 50s too, which helped make it feel even more effortless. Temperatures on race morning in Chicago will be around 48 degrees. I can’t wait. I’m feeling amazing…which is making me feel better about a lot of things. So, out for a 3 mile easy run…and now I’m going to make up breakfast so we can pile in the car and make the trek to Chicago. Going to hit up the expo and meet up with Heather and have a good time.
So…this has been a physically and mentally challenging week. But I have made it through the taper and on Sunday, I will get to see if taper madness really does translate into taper magic. Because…I have not been a happy person this week. Running shorter mileage…not running…it’s been driving me insane.
Not to mention, I’m an emotional wreck as it is. I’ve been having moments of complete panic and what I call…race panic. I have these freak-out moments and I just have to remind myself to breathe. Just breathe. And I know I can do this. I’ve put in a lot of long hours on the road. I’ve put in so much time, so much effort, and I know I have a lot of people cheering for me…all over the country and the world. And that’s pretty awesome, yes?
So…there it is. 18 weeks of long, hard training…18 weeks…and I finally arrive at the place I’ve been training for. When I started this journey it felt so far away. The race is now…tomorrow.
Taper madness continues. Along with a lot of outside stress…inner doubt…and really learning to rest this body. It’s not easy. I love my runs, especially my long runs. And having my mileage cut back hasn’t been easy for me. Neither has this entire week for that matter. Never before have I felt like the weight of the world was pushing on my shoulders. And, honestly, my week had gotten off to a good start. I was feeling good. I was making good decisions. I was training right.
But all it takes is one thing to throw everything out of whack. That’s what happened this week and it lead to stress…stress…stress eating…difficult runs…lots of crying…and more stress.
You see, on Monday morning, my roommate, Cathy, woke up and came out of her room looking panicked. She said she had a bad dream and now her heart was racing. Sort of like a panic attack. She went to the doctor that morning and was tentatively diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation (A Fib), which is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that causes poor blood flow to the body. During A fib, the heart’s upper two chambers beat chaotically and irregularly, out of coordination with the two lower chambers. She was admitted to Floyd Memorial Hospital…and that was her home until Thursday afternoon. And I was bouncing back and forth between being at the hospital with her, work, training, and working at home. There wasn’t any downtime this week. The good news is…her heart eased back into its natural rhythm on its own. She had been taken to have a procedure done on Wednesday morning that would involve giving her heart a shock to put it back into its natural rhythm, but her heart had already managed to do that. So, she’s on a blood thinner and a medication to slow down the beating of her heart. Yeah…it’s pretty scary stuff. But, I’m happy to report that she is recovering well, taking her medications, and getting back to normal.
All that being said…training seemed impossible…and impossibly hard this week. Somehow…somehow I managed to get it all in, visit the hospital twice a day, work at the office my normal hours, and work at home after leaving the hospital at the end of visiting hours (8:30 p.m.). This meant there were a lot of very late nights and early mornings. It was a hard week and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t sit down at the office and cry a few times at my desk…or cry in the car…or call my mom and cry…or just have a hard cry while out on my run. It didn’t always make me feel better…sometimes it made me feel worse…but…things happen for a reason. And I know if I can make it through this…I can make it through 26.2 miles in Chicago.
While the week started off great…it took a steep downturn starting Monday after my first run. Let’s take a look at how stress and restlessness turned me into one exhausted runner. I have never felt so physically and mentally wiped in my life. This week…felt harder than any other before it.
Sunday is my other day of rest, which I often use to take a second long run. This run is always shorter than the previous day’s run. And, I also had to meet with Donna, my sports nutritionist, that morning. So, I was out early and getting that run in. I had decided I would go either 8 or 9 miles, whatever I was feeling, really. I wasn’t feeling too good about things. Water retention was becoming an issue and each morning I was waking up feeling bloated and just…fat. Honestly. Turns out, after meeting with Donna, water retention happens during the taper. I should not panic over it or fuss over it. It’s natural. Whew. Because, honestly…I was starting to wonder what was happening. Apparently being very tired and sluggish is another side effect of the taper. Good to know these things. I am so blessed to have Donna seeing me through my training and giving me advice and information I wouldn’t have thought of before. Anyway, I ended up rocking out 9 miles Sunday morning before the sun came up. I kept the pace easy and slower, wanting to keep it challenging, but not push too much. And that’s what I did. I felt really good at the end of it. The run felt good. And in the end…that’s the important thing.
Monday started off great. I was scheduled to do 6 miles easy that morning. And when I set out in the dark, I did just that. I just pressed on. No need to stop for anything. Even on the hills I randomly chose to throw in there, my legs felt good and strong and I was having a very, very good start to the day. Came home to make breakfast and that was when the shit hit the fan. Cathy woke up with the heart arrhythmia, which stressed her out…which stressed me out…which just spiraled into one of the worst mornings ever. The gorgeous and nutritious breakfast I made (veggie egg white scramble with homemade breakfast potatoes and a caramelized apple and Greek yogurt parfait) was thrown away. A doctors appointment was scheduled…then a trip to the hospital…which lead to a hospital stay. I briefly ducked back into the office when Cathy’s mom came to relieve me at the hospital and grabbed some work to do from home that night. I came home and had to go run some of this pressure off. So, I laced up my Newtons and went for a soul cleansing 3 mile run. I didn’t want to be gone too long…just needed to do something to take the some stress off my shoulders and try to ease my own heart. The run was cleansing…but it was soon back to reality. I headed back to the hospital and stayed with Cathy, meeting her doctor, hearing what he was recommending (lots of tests in the morning!), and staying until the last possible moment I could. Cathy had never stayed overnight in the hospital…and as much as I didn’t want to leave her there because of how stressed out she was…I had to go home. Came home, ate a dinner consisting of Greek yogurt and red grapes, then worked until the wee hours of the night before calling it quits.
Tuesday is normally my cross-training day. But I changed it up. Tuesday, I decided I needed to do my speed work. It was the day I was dreading most…and that morning I just needed to feel my heart beat fast and hard and have my legs and body pushed beyond limits. I hadn’t slept well the night before, having only managed about 3 hours of sleep if that. But speed work was happening. I did a 1 mile warm up, then hit the paces with 8 x 800 meters with a 2 minute recovery, then a 1 mile cool down. 8 miles total. I needed that run to battle exhausting, battle my inner demons, battle my emotions. I needed it that morning. Not Wednesday…but Tuesday. Afterwards, I returned to the apartment and showered, then packed up some fruit to have for breakfast (banana, apple with almond butter, grapes), grabbed my lunch for work and headed out the door to the hospital to visit with Cathy. She had her EKG early in the morning. But that morning they were going to take her down for her Echocardiogram. I was there and talking to her (she hadn’t slept much either) until they arrived to take her down for her test. I told her I’d be back after work, and headed into the office. Back to the hospital I went, as promised, immediately following work. We were going to get test results that evening, but her doctor didn’t show up until very late, again. The news was that her tests were fine. There was no serious cause to her A fib. It was brought on by outside factors…stress, anxiety, etc. So, he gave her two treatment options…medicine…or the shock. To my surprise…she chose the shock to the heart. So…they went ahead and had that scheduled for Wednesday morning. It was after visiting hours when I left…got home…had another dinner of Greek yogurt and red grapes, and worked from home until late again.
Wednesday was another early morning. It was also cross-training day. I went to the gym right when it opened at 5 a.m. And I decided to change things up. I did my strength training first. Which felt good. Then, I hit up the Cardio Wave machine. I rocked that one out, despite an exhausted body and tired legs from speed work and late nights…and a not so good dinner the past two nights. After that, I got on the Arc Trainer for 45 minutes and rocked out an amazing 2.75 miles with challenging resistances, inclines, and intervals. I felt good at the end of the morning. I came home, quickly showered, packed up an apple and some grapes to eat at the office and headed back to the hospital. I met up with Cathy’s mom and sister in the elevator and the three of us went to Cathy’s room. She was asleep, but her mom woke her up. We chatted until they came to get her for her procedure. Lots of hugs and well wishes happened outside the cardio unit. I left after they took her back, having a good cry on the way to work. Good news came though when her mom texted and said Cathy was doing fine and that nothing had to be done…she naturally went back to her normal rhythm. It was a relief to be sure. I stopped by after work and stayed with her until her doctor came in. He told her she had to stay overnight, which bummed her out beyond belief, and he was putting her on a blood thinner and a medicine for her heart…but that she could go home on Thursday. I asked if it would be in the morning, and he said it would. So…I left and went to get some work done, once again making a late dinner out of Greek yogurt and grapes, and managed to do as much as I could before fatigue hit me hard. I called it a night and tried to get some sleep.
Thursday morning greeted me and I had an easy 3 mile run to do. I managed that, cursing the taper the entire time. But I did rock the run, and that was the important thing. I felt solid and strong logging those short miles. Then, I hit up the gym. I did just the elliptical machine, keeping the setting at Level 7, but dialing back on intensity. Too close to the marathon to do something stupid, and my body was fighting me. It was just done with everything. Tired doesn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling at that point. I was just…dead on my feet. So, listening to my body, I skipped the other cardio machine and did some easy strength training downstairs before hitting up the apartment again, showering, and getting to the hospital at 7 a.m. Cathy was supposed to be released that morning. She was starving, mind you, when I was there and after she woke up…so I gave her the grapes I had brought with me. Which is good because the breakfast they brought her was not what she ordered the night before. She picked at it. Around 10:00, her mom showed up and I left to do some work from home, assuming that despite the promise that she would be released in the morning, it might be an all day thing. I was wrong. 45 minutes later, I was texted saying they were doing Cathy’s release papers. So, I booked it over to the hospital to retrieve her. Hurry up and wait. Trust me. It took another 2 hours to get her out of there. And from there…a trip to the pharmacy for her prescriptions. She finally settled in at home just before 1:30 p.m. It made for a long morning. I was working from home to keep an eye on her, and made her some lunch. Then later…at her request…I made a baked mushroom and Parmesan risotto for dinner. All while doing my work and trying to keep up with things at the office from home.
Friday is my day of rest. And I am doing my best to keep it holy and respect it. I admit…I did go out on a 5 mile walk. I KNOW!! BAD!! But I just needed to be moving. I knew I was working from home and that would mean little movement that day because I had work that needed to get done. So, I did this thing where I would walk/jog for a mile…then walk a mile…then repeat. For 5 miles…because it felt so good to just be moving. I didn’t push for speed or anything…I just needed to be active. I needed to be doing something that didn’t involve sitting at home in front of my computer. I ducked over to the office to drop off work, pick up new work, then headed home. I made breakfast for Cathy and I and then spent the rest of the day working while she watched movies and Star Trek. I ducked back to the office to sort and open mail and pick up more work. All the hours I had put in at home added up…and I was actually right at my 40 hour week. So, I was sent home for the rest of the day. And I vegged. Dinner was leftover risotto, so that was easy. And Cathy said she was feeling 70% normal that day. Getting there.
Saturday is my long run day. And, sadly, these long runs as of late have had to be done solo for the pacing requirements of my training program. Today…only 8 miles…but these were paced. My first 2 miles were to be at my long slow distance pace. Miles 3-7 were to be at my marathon pace. Mile 8…back into long slow distance. I wasn’t really feeling this. I miss running with my Saturday group something fierce. Honestly. But, I got out at 5 a.m. and turned out my 8 miles. All 8 miles were actually at my marathon pace, which is good because I didn’t always feel like I was pushing or running hard. This means my legs are stronger than my body and mind think they are. I pressed on all 8 miles and felt really good when the run came to an end. I had only wished it had been a longer run. Aside from that…Chicago is 8 days away and I’m getting really nervous and trying hard not to put too much pressure on myself. I want to enjoy my first marathon and I’m feeling as ready as I can be. The taper edges into almost nothing this week…and my body will take time to repair itself and get strong. Because next Sunday…I go the distance.
It’s been a very trying, very difficult, very stressful week. But I feel if I could maintain my training and battle through this load of stress, doubt, fear, and anxiety and come out strong on the other end (which I feel is what happened)…then I can do battle with the streets of Chicago and prove to myself I have it in me to be a marathoner!! I am really giving myself a pep talk. I did a lot…and I mean…a lot of stress eating this past week. Being this close to my marathon, I don’t want anything to derail the hard work I have put into training for this. This means controlling all stress, anxiety, and every other emotion not through stress eating but through healthier outlets. I think that’s doable.
With Cathy on the mend, the taper coming to an end, and my marathon looming RIGHT THERE on the horizon…I have a feeling I’ll be a basket case this entire week. But, as my friend Dawn told me, now is the time to trust my training and know that when I get to that starting line in Chicago…all this hard work I’ve put into these past few months will have paid off. I can only hope.
That being said…I have my bib number for Chicago…and the participant’s guide…and things are seeming very, very real to me now. Almost there…so close…just trying not to cave under pressure or wear myself out getting there. Yeah…the nerves have kicked in. It’s very real now.
It’s very real. And I am trying very, very, very hard not to let it affect me. In fact, Runner’s World couldn’t have been more timely when they published an article on Taper Madness and how to go into the taper and feel good as you go through it. Some runners, honestly, look forward to the taper. I am not one of those runners. Cutting back on mileage is not easy for me. I love my long distance runs. I do them with people and I do them alone. Either way, I enjoy them. But cutting down has proven to be a bit of a challenge for me.
Thankfully, there wasn’t too much of a difference in this first week of the taper. It was sort of like going into a cut-back week during normal training. Maybe these marathon training planners do know what they are doing. I promise…I am respecting my taper. I swore I would and I intend to do so.
So, as my miles get shorter…let’s take a look at how I’m dealing this week.
Sunday was a busy day for me. I was having my birthday get-together with some peeps. Many of my friends made it out. A couple ended up not being able to make it. My roomie and I had our friend Greg in town…so…that being said…I knew I needed to get up and moving that morning if I was going to get my long run in. Having run 24 miles the day before I had no plans for speed. In fact, I wore my heavier shoes to keep my pace slow and steady. I was aiming for 10 miles that morning, and I managed an easy (although at times it felt hard) 10 miles before heading back to the apartment and getting showered and making some gluten-free madeleines for breakfast. The rest of the day we were out and about before my favorite local food truck, Sweet ‘N’ Savory catered my birthday party at The Beer Store in Louisville, Kentucky. My roomie got me a gluten-free beer to try…blech…still not into beer. Just not my thing. I stuck mostly to the water and was served up one of the most amazing three course meals of my life. FROM A FOOD TRUCK!! Richard and Ashley do fantastic work, but they really did some amazing things. I was the only gluten-free person at the get-together, but everyone enjoyed the appetizer gluten-free savory crepes, the gluten-free ravioli for the entree, and the gluten-free crepe suzette with their homemade gelato for dessert. We were all very full at the end but everyone enjoyed the food. I think it was one of my favorite get-togethers yet. So many different personalities and people and yet…we all came together for good food and a good time. It was a good Sunday.
And Monday definitely came around way too soon. My training plan called for 6 easy miles, so I was up and at it early. The darkness no longer slows me down…but what does slow me down is super tight hamstrings. The morning air felt great, but my legs weren’t wanting to move as they normally would. I foam rolled after I hit my mileage, slower than normal, but I was okay with that. I was going the distance, not going for speed and I do not push when something is twinging. After work and a quick dinner, I was back out for my Monday Daily Double…with my running group. That night we were going to go a different route because a tree had gone down somewhere up the way and they were sculpting it into…something. Laura had heard about it and was going to lead us that way. She said that she was going to block me from running out ahead because I was in taper mode. It actually worked and I loved her for this! I have good friends in the running community. As it turns out, they had finished the sculpture and the tree now was a castle with a dragon wrapped around it. It was AWESOME. We completed the run after stopping to marvel at the tree art. Ellen and I stuck together, talked while we ran. She said I pushed her at the end, and we finished up a full 3 miles together. She said my easy pace was pushing it for her, but it felt great. And we hit wicked negative splits. Despite my tight hamstrings…we had a great run. After a shower, foam rolling commenced once more.
Tuesday was my cross-training day. So, no running. These no running days are the most difficult part of training. I just want to hop out of bed and put in some miles. But…I behaved. I hit up the gym and hopped on the Arc Trainer for 45 minutes, using Program 1 – Level 5 and managing 2.79 miles. Not bad. I love and hate that machine. But it’s great for cross training. After that, it was the rowing machine for 10 minutes. The rowing machine is tedious…and boring. But…it works so much of your body. I always feel it after the workout. After that, I went downstairs for some strength training before heading into the office. But my day didn’t stop there. After work, it was right into my circuit training. This new routine kicks my butt every time. Seriously. But that’s good. Honestly.
Wednesday morning I woke to the task of hitting 7 miles with Negative Splits in my marathon training. Pacing and speed work days are my least favorite of the week. But, they are necessary. So, I started off slow and steady and picked it up with each mile. I didn’t feel like I was actually doing the whole negative split thing, but when I hit 7 miles, I surprised myself. I actually had managed those negative splits. It felt good out there that morning. I didn’t push too hard, because my legs were still feeling my runs from earlier in the week, but the hamstrings were feeling loose again and much better. So, I kept it challenging…just didn’t push my luck. Quite happy with it.
Thursday morning was another 7 mile run…this time at an easy pace. I decided that I would take my Newtons out for a spin. It would be the longest distance that I had run in them since I purchased them, usually keeping them on for my fun run Mondays or some light jogging on Friday. But, I’m doing this whole shoe rotation thing and I figured…why not? I love these shoes. You either love or hate these shoes, but I love them. My 7 easy miles were done, once again, with negative splits and I shaved a full minute off my time from the day before. If I had gotten these shoes sooner, I would probably wear them in my marathon…but…that might have to wait for another time.
Friday is the dreaded day of rest…that I respect and keep holy. Kind of. I went out for a walk, because if I don’t, I sit at my desk all day on Friday working my ass off in front of the computer. So, this was necessary. I had on my walking shoes, so I kept a great pace, and did some light jogging on the straightaways. I ended up doing this walk/jog thing for 4 miles that morning, which didn’t take me too long. Still had plenty of time to make some coffee and get some breakfast ready before resting my legs for the remainder of the day. I had a lot going on at the office, but at the back of my mind I kept thinking about my long run…
Saturday…the long run day. Not as long a run for me this week. Like I said…tapering. BLECH. Anyway, my training plan called for a paced…yes…a paced 12 mile long run. What does this mean? As laid out by the plan, I was to run certain miles at certain paces. I wasn’t feeling too confident about it. And…I was going this one alone. Lots of things were now going on during the day Saturday, so meeting up with my peeps wasn’t going to happen. BUMMER. I was lacking motivation this morning. I hit the snooze button on my alarm, goofed around online, but finally decided the miles and paces weren’t going to run themselves. I made myself a deal…focus on the distance…I knew I could run the paces…so if I didn’t hit it…whatever. The distance is what matters. The training plan called for Miles 1-2 to be done at my Long Slow Distance pace; Miles 3-11 at Marathon Pace; Mile 12 at Long Slow Distance Pace. I nailed it. In fact, I once again ran most of the miles faster than necessary. I am working on that because I don’t want to be burned out when I am in my marathon. I want to feel strong and good at the end. Anyway…I was pleased with the way this run turned out. It wasn’t easy…but I pushed through and showed that I didn’t have to doubt myself. I am quite capable of these paced long runs. I just never feel like I’m strong enough or good enough. And that’s something i need to get over.
Next week the taper gets very real. I keep eying the training schedule and shaking my head. It will be so hard to work around the cutback on the miles, but I will do it…and I will continue to respect the lower mileage because I know what it is doing is getting my body ready for the big day. My muscles are healing, getting stronger, and getting prepared. And because of that…I will work through the miles as laid out by my plan. It’s not easy…but I’ll manage.
Oy! What a week this has been. I’ve certainly been keeping myself busy, not just with a new position at work (and getting settled into that…which hasn’t been too difficult, but I had to move my desk and get comfortable in a new area with different people around and new stresses), turning 33, and maintaining my training schedule through a very tiring, very trying week.
When I say tiring…I do mean that I am physically tired. Perhaps it is a good thing that after my run on Saturday morning the official taper begins. I said perhaps…because while a lot of runners I know love and truly enjoy their tapers…I get taper madness. I do not taper well. At all. Cutting back on mileage will be a relief to some, but I love being out on those roads. I know that the taper is an important step to arriving to my race recharged and ready…so I will abide by it. But I might not be the most pleasant person to be around.
Fair warning.
That being said…with the taper on the horizon this week ushered in my last 20 mile run in my program (which I technically did last week…but I have a pace one in my schedule that I didn’t abide by…meaning I ran the mileage but not at the paces suggested…) so I figured I would at least attempt it. I might fail. I might fail hard. But I’m going to at least make the effort. If I fail, I dust myself off and try again another time. Pacing is not my strong point. I tend to run hard most of the time and have to remind myself to take an easier effort. This is why running with groups is good for me. But with the pace requirements on Saturday…I chose to go solo.
But…before I get into that…let’s take a look at this past week’s training…
Sunday morning meant another very early morning for me. I was meeting with the running group my friend Kelsie runs with on weekends for their long run. They were doing 18 today. And after doing 20 on Saturday, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up. I also had gotten to bed a lot later than planned because I was watching Star Trek: Into Darkness, which was important, you see. So, the original plan had been to watch the movie and get to bed on time…but…yeah…not so much. I got up at 3:30 a.m. to lather on the sunscreen (for another dark run!) and eat before hopping in my car and meeting up with the Indiana contingent of the running group at the designated meeting spot. We all car pooled over to the Kroger near Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville where we met up with the rest of the group. One runner was only doing half the mileage, so we started out in Iroquois Park. We ran from the Kroger through the darkness, giving fair warning to the other runners in the group when poles in the running/bike lane cropped up. No need to have someone collide with that. YIKES! We entered the park and started on our way. Let me tell you…Iroquois Park isn’t really in the best part of Louisville…and it is really creepy in the darkness. We heard strange noises in the woods, which urged quite a few of us to pick up our pace in the end. Not being able to see the looming hills of Iroquois, for me, definitely made navigating them easier. I ran for most of these 18 miles with Lori, who is really great and pushing the pace in the difficult parts. We left the park and the hills behind and went on to the flatter roads of the city. Here, we simply ran 4.5 miles straight down a road, then turned around and headed back. The problem was, we had to change up the route due to one of the roads being one way, so when we got back to Kroger, we still had just under a mile to go. So, Lori and I decided we would run up the street until we hit 17.5 and then turn around and run back, and when we hit 18…we’d cool down with a walk back to the cars in the parking lot at Kroger. Alicia, one of the other ladies in the group, is nursing a foot injury of some sort. She was not looking good at the end of the race, but it seems like taking time off to heal isn’t part of her plan. YIKES! I hope she can at least let it heal up so that it won’t be as painful or that she puts herself out of commission. We runners do some really stupid and silly things in the name of our training…but with me being so close to my race…I err on the side of caution. Anyway…it was a cool and crisp morning that led into a really great run. I had a great time.
Monday…always comes too soon. Another later than usual bed time for me. This time because I was watching Dr. Who (the Ninth Doctor…in case you were wondering) when my phone rang. It was my mom…and sometimes we just get to talking and talking and talking…and before I knew it, an entire hour had passed. And it was beyond my bed time. SO…my roomie and I shut off the television and I went and crashed out. Because Monday morning had a 6 mile easy run on the schedule. I woke up feeling less than refreshed. On top of that…the 70° weather in the morning returned. I really had to push myself on this run. Not only was I tired…but my legs were tired too. Somehow…and I still don’t know how…I managed some negative splits. Not bad for running through exhaustion. And…as we all know by now…Monday is also my Daily Double. My fun run group meets on Monday…so after having a really easy dinner of grilled cheese…I was out the door and heading to Louisville. My roomie was driving, thank goodness, because I was falling asleep on the way over. This is so out of character for me, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. We got to the running store and my friend, Natalie, was talking about how tired she was too. I told her we could run easy and be the tail end of the group today…which sounded like a plan. But then, as we ran into Cherokee Park, our Ironman, Patrick, called out…”Hey…let’s do hill repeats!” Mind you, I have been pushing for hill repeat sessions with the fun run group for awhile and kept getting vetoed. He said we’d run each hill three times…which meant the hill going up to Hogan’s Fountain and Dog Hill were going to be our hill repeaters. At first I thought he was kidding, but he said we should do it. So…about 6 of us started off doing it…while the rest of the group ran on to just do the Scenic Loop. These are not easy hills to run, and I was wearing my Newtons, wanting to break them in on an easy run. HA! Well, no time like the present. The six of us regrouped at the top, just past Hogan’s Fountain when our first three hill repeats were done. From there, we took an easy pace through the park on the Scenic Loop, making jokes about running every incline, even the small ones, three times. We didn’t…but I imagine that would make one really amusing YouTube video. We grabbed some water at the water fountain and we were already 3 miles in. I’d be finishing up if I was just doing the loop, but I was only halfway there. And Dog Hill was, literally, right around the corner. There were times I felt like bailing, but I never quit on a challenge. So three times up and down Dog Hill…and I was suddenly feeling very bad ass. Honestly, these were hard…but I pushed myself through them. With tired legs and a tired body…I gave it all I had and in the end…I felt like I conquered the world. It was a light run back to the store, except we only needed .25 more of a mile to hit 6 miles, and I like round numbers. So…the four of us that remained (the other two bailed on Dog Hill) rounded the corner and ran down an alley until we could turn around and head back to the store. Another 6 miles on Monday for me. 12 in one day. Whew.
Tuesday is the Cross Training Day. And with my marathon coming up, I have been taking it a little easier on the machines. After all, I refuse to do something stupid that will cost me valuable training time or knock me out of commission for my race. It is not happening. So, my early morning at the gym meant that I hit up the Arc Trainer. Because it’s Arc Trainer Tuesday. For me, anyway. This time I set it for Program 8, which is the Cardio program, and kept it at Level 5, which gave me a bunch of different inclines and resistances to work with. I ended up managing 2.18 miles with the various hills and resistances in 45 minutes. Not bad. From there…my least favorite machine…the stationary bike…was next. I don’t know what it is about the stationary bike, but I hate it. It bores me. I think it’s that I’m putting in so much effort and not actually getting anywhere. The same reason I hate the treadmill (dreadmill). But I powered through 10 minutes on that bike, which is really all I could stand to be honest, and got in 3.84 miles. Not bad considering how dead-to-the-world my legs felt. Went downstairs to do some strength training and then went into work.
Wednesday is my pacing/speed work day. This one called for an 8 mile tempo run. I am awful at pacing. And doing it in the dark when I really can’t make sure I am on pace makes it even more difficult. I had this inner voice in my head for much of the way telling me that I can’t do it. I can’t maintain the pace I was holding. But…I shut them up and pushed through those doubts and proved that I could. In fact, I ended up doing more negative splits than tempo pace. Whoops. But that last mile…I pushed out a sub-7 minute mile and that felt amazing. It was something I really needed. So, pacing needs some work…but damn…that felt good. Later that night, after work, I started a new circuit training routine. Holy crap…this one had me sweating from the start. Not easy. Nice to change it up, but damn. I knew I’d be feeling that one in the morning.
Thursday was more than just my second easy run of the week. September 19 also marked my birthday. This year…I was turning 33. Ironically, my training plan had a second cross training day in…which I would be doing. No run was actually scheduled, probably in preparation for the upcoming long run (20 miler) on Saturday. But…I had to run on my birthday. Ever since I started running, I’ve run on my birthday. Since I turned 33, and there was no way I would be running 33 miles and running 33 kilometers would be 20 miles…I didn’t have time for that either. So…I figured another 6 miles would be perfect…since 3+3=6. It seemed perfect. It was 70° that morning, but I didn’t let that get to me. I refused. I pushed through and turned out the most beautiful and perfect negative splits. A great birthday gift to myself, for sure. After that, I headed to the gym for the cross training. I ended up on the broken elliptical that day…which doesn’t configure the stride right. So, while I was probably using more effort trying to match my normal mileage, it wasn’t happening. In 49 minutes, I managed 8.57 miles. Ugh. After that, I moved on to 10 minutes on the Cardio Wave machine…and rocked out 4.14 miles. I alternated between two of the higher levels. Then it was downstairs to hit the weights for a bit of strength training before heading to the office for a long day at work. Trust me though…my Wonder Woman cake that my local allergen-free bakery made for me was consumed greedily that evening after a dinner of gluten-free and vegan grilled cheese (stuffed with kale and tomato, YUM!).
Friday is the rest day. Ah…the rest day. The rest day that I said I would respect and keep holy. I normally go for a walk…but I have these great Newtons I’m working on breaking in and getting used to how they feel…I decided I would, for the second week in a row, take them out for an easy jog. Nothing hard. No pushing. Easy does it. Just as what happened last year when I wore the Newtons…I actually turned out fantastic mileage. In fact, I ran a rather quick 2 miles in them, without feeling like I was running. I decided to cool down then with really easy running…and that actually turned out a faster 2 miles (total of 4 that morning), and it felt like a walk in the park. In fact, my last mile was, for the second time this week…a sub-7. I was shocked. It just didn’t even feel like I was working hard. But…I ended that session there, despite feeling like I could go on. I’m easing into the mileage in these because it is working my legs differently and my muscles feel it. Besides…my last (and third) 20 mile run of my training program.
Me after my epic 24 mile long run!
Saturday morning. This was it. The last 20 mile run of my training plan. After this…the taper would start. I had skipped the 20 mile intervals in my previous 20 mile run, opting instead to run it with people. But I know how important pacing and intervals are and I really, really didn’t want to ignore that run. So…as I was going on my own for my run today…I figured this last 20 miler would be the perfect opportunity to work through it. I also decided that I needed to simulate race day as much as possible…and that meant running a relatively flat course. Chicago, after all, is flat. As much as I didn’t want to do it…I chose to do my run in the flattest area I could think of in Louisville. Seneca Park. I also knew that this was going to test me mentally as well as physically. Why? First of all, the morning greeted me with rain. I figured what better way to wrap up my last long run than in the rain. This meant that I wore my old, heavy, to-big-for-me shoes instead of the ones I am wearing for the marathon. That sucked…but I figured I wouldn’t let it get me down. I’d attempt to do the training intervals, but the important thing, mainly, was to get the mileage done. But…there was more. You see, the “track” at Seneca Park is basically a 1.2 mile loop. Yes…I looped the park until I hit my mileage. My intervals as laid out by my training plan was specific. I was to run miles 1-8 at my long slow distance pace. So, I got to the park, walked a little while my Garmin found its satellites, and then was high-fived by Cathy and wished luck. My long slow distance pace when I am on my own is much quicker than my long slow distance pace when I run with a group. It’s faster. And I kept needing to remind myself to ease up and slow down. The most challenging part was to come. Before I hit mile 3, Cathy was off to run some errands and head home to get the house prepped for our friend Greg, who was visiting this weekend. I was on my own in the light rain, in the still-dark morning. There were large puddles that would cross the track, so I’d have to duck off the pavement and into the muddy grass. But, hey…I needed to do this. For the sake of my training. At mile 8, I turned around and ran the other way on the track. Miles 9-17 were to be run at marathon pace. So I picked up my pace for these 9 miles, pushing it more and keeping it as steady as I dared. My legs were tired from the first 8 miles, which should have been done slower than I ran them. But I pressed on, and I pushed. The rain stopped, but I now had some wind to deal with. And at some points it was me running right into it. I did my best not to let it phase me, but I was so happy when mile 17 hit. I once again turned around to run the other way, now in a mind to start the cool down. Miles 18-20 were to be done again at my long slow distance pace. What I ended up running was miles 8-24 at my long slow distance pace. I got so much encouragement from the runners at the park. They kept saying I was strong. That I looked good. I love the running community around here. You might not even know someone, but you still just give them a thumbs up, a smile, a compliment. It’s awesome. I polished up my run, having completed a full 24 miles. And my time…was fantastic. I couldn’t believe it when I paused my Garmin at the end of the run. And I still felt great. Which was good, because Greg was on his way. I went home to shower after grabbing some coffee and a snack (I was run-gry) and prepare for his arrival. And then…after he arrived, we were off for a day in Louisville, starting with gluten-free vegan pizza at Annie May’s Sweet Café, and then shopping. I ended up buying some DVDs at Half Price Books, but passed on the dress I was going to purchase for my birthday get-together tomorrow. Priorities…right? Right. Anyway…it was a good day. Here I am over 12 hours later…no ice bath necessary…still feeling amazing. And badass.
So…there it is. Now…three weeks until my first marathon…the taper begins. And I do intend to abide closely to my schedule for the taper because I want my legs to feel strong and rested when I get to Chicago. I don’t want any doubts in my head on marathon morning. I want all my hard work and effort to pay off in the end, which is why, while I’m sure I will become a raving maniac due to the cut-back on the mileage, I will follow my program as it is laid out. Because…I feel ready for this. I am ready for this. I can’t believe I am saying that.
So…here’s to not giving in too much to taper madness. This is recovery time. And I can’t wait to see what I can do in three weeks. Until then…hang with me…because I’m sure I’ll have some fun taper stories.
This week has brought about a lot of excitement, very little rest, some really great times, and then…a mild, mild case of elevation sickness. But, I guess that’s what happens when you travel from a river valley to one of the Happiest Places on Earth (Disneyland), to the gorgeous mountains of Colorado. Yes…this week has definitely served me up a wave of emotions and feelings. But…every single moment has been worth it. The challenges that have come with each different experience has only served to show how strong I truly am…or how much I really need to focus on certain things that might affect my training.
In the end, what came out of it all was an amazing and very tiring week of emotional highs and lows. But I feel that it was just what I needed to show me what needs to really be worked on and what I’m doing right. Knowing this with a month to go before my marathon gives me much a much better perspective and enough time to make any changes that will be necessary in the end.
So…let’s take a look at this insanely trying and exciting week…
Sunday was an emotional high! I mean, I was running in the Disneyland Half Marathon! How could I not be a happy girl while running in one of the Happiest Places on Earth. It’s Disneyland! And by completing the Disneyland Half Marathon, not only was I walking away with a finisher’s medal for the half marathon itself, but because I also ran Disney World in February (Disney Princess Half Marathon), I would also be receiving a medal for the Coast to Coast Challenge. Amazing. My friend Jenn (Indy) was also running for the same thing. And yes…we were both dressing up. I promised my niece, Kaytlynn, that I would run as Belle…so I managed to pull that together with a gold Sparkle Skirt, a gold sports bra, and rose pony tail holders. Indy dressed up as Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, complete with grass skirt and a stuffed Stitched on her back. She was very adorable. As with all Disney races, this one also came with an extremely early wake-up call. Like…3:00 a.m. I set my alarm and tumbled into bed late. Why late? Because Indy, myself, Cathy, and our good friend Tawn all went to watch the World of Color water show Saturday night. Keep in mind, on Friday, I was up at 3 a.m. to get in my training run before work and my airplane trip to Los Angeles. Then, with all the excitement of all four of us girls being together again, I was up beyond 24 hours that day…finally settling in on an air mattress for a couple of hours. That morning was a 5 a.m. alarm to work through showers and get ready to head to Disneyland for a fun-filled and very active day. This involved not only rides and a ton of walking around, but also the race expo. I figured at that point…why not stay for World of Color. We were catching gluten-free pizza at Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port…or…I was. Cathy went for a slice of regular pizza and the other two girls got pasta. So…the late return to the hotel (which was a walk)…then getting everything laid out for the race meant that early morning alarm felt like it came way too soon. And I was restless anyway. What this lead to, however, was me falling asleep on my feet in the start corral. No joke. There I am in Corral A…the lead corral…and I’m dozing off. But, as soon as that starting gun went off…and I was leaving the start gate, I perked up. It was a hot and humid race…which you can read more about in my race report, but I pushed through without pushing too hard. I was not to PR…so I stuck to my guns and didn’t. I finished up my second fastest half marathon to date, which I’m proud of given the hot and humid circumstances. Jenn was not as happy at the finish line when she came in, but she survived and while Tawn, Cathy and I hit the park that afternoon, she went back to the hotel and rested up. Disneyland Half Marathon…complete success in 1:42:39. I’ll take that.
Monday morning I knew would be an interesting run. For one thing, I was still at the hotel in Disneyland, and unlike the resort I stayed at in Disney World, there were no running trails and there wasn’t even a fitness center. So, I got up again at 5:00 a.m. to get dressed and ready to do an easy training run. My plan called for 7 miles easy and I definitely took it easy. For one thing, it was still dark outside. I was in an unfamiliar city. And I wanted to make sure I was hyper aware of my surroundings. The hotel was near a bus stop, and there was someone sleeping on the bench. Some of the parking lots had people walking through them, sometimes almost lurking…so I was taking it slow and easy and not straying too far from the hotel. What this meant was a lot of running to the end of the sidewalk, slowing, turning, and running back. I would loop the parking lot at the hotel as well. So, this was a very, very deliberate training run. I didn’t care. I finished it up with enough time for me to shower and get packed up and help load the car up before heading back into Disneyland for gluten-free Mickey waffles for breakfast. The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent wandering around Disneyland and making the most of our time…save for the hour we had to take to drop off Tawn at the train station and say goodbye as she headed back to Fresno. Sadness. But…we took in Fantasmic that night and enjoyed a carby-good pasta dinner before we headed back to Indy’s house.
I changed up my training schedule at this point, using Tuesday as my rest day. This meant the rest of my running would be done in Colorado. With this being our final full day in California…and also Indy’s birthday, we were going to take in a few adventures of Indy’s choice. And what this involved was some great car rides out to Vasquez Rocks, where we climbed on the same rocks used in Star Trek episodes. Geek out!! We’re such nerds! From there, we headed to the beach, stopping at a roadside stand for a watermelon and some fresh strawberries. We hit up Will Rogers State Beach, which is where they filmed Baywatch, believe it or not. That afternoon was spent lounging on the beach, playing in the surf, and eating some delicious, ripe fruit. I did a small amount of running on the beach…just to say I did it. But as the sun was starting to go down, we packed up our stuff and headed back towards her house. We changed and went out for her birthday dinner, where I enjoyed a fantastic Edamame Salad that had fresh vegetables and avocado, fulfilling my requirement to eat something in California with avocado on/in it. I went out of my training plan for the special occasion and enjoyed a gluten-free beer. And…to make the LA experience complete…celebrity sighting at the table next to ours…Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Amazing! It was a perfect California day.
Wednesday morning came too soon and Cathy and I packed up our suitcases, ate some melon and strawberries, then Indy took us the Burbank airport. We checked our bags, got through security, and spent over an hour just walking back and forth. We wanted to keep busy at the airport because we’d be sitting on the plane for over 2 hours. We did eventually board our plane and make the 2 hour flight to Denver, Colorado. We landed, grabbed some Caribou Coffee, then headed out to claim our luggage. Then…get our rental car. We ended up getting a Prius, which is AWESOME. We hit the road up to Boulder, Colorado for the first night. We were staying at the Twin Lakes Inn, which has housed elite runners that come into the area. Shalane Flanagan has stayed there. SO cool. We settled in, went to a local pizza place for gluten-free pizza, and then got a few items from the grocery store for the next morning. When we got back in, I changed into workout clothes and we headed out to the local fitness club that allowed guests from the Twin Lakes Inn to use their facility for free. I chose to just use Wednesday as my cross training day, so I rocked out 3.25 miles on the elliptical, using the aerobic setting which had me working my arms more in some sections, just my legs, and reversing directions in the midst of the strides. I did that for 45 minutes. Then managed 3.6 miles in 10 minutes on the stationary bike. And to polish off the cross-training for the night, I did 5 minutes, or about 0.45 miles on the stair climber. It was a successful workout, I felt, for being so physically exhausted from travel and from lack of sleep since leaving Indiana on Friday.
Thursday I swapped out an easy run in order to do my long run. What better way to introduce myself to Colorado than with my 12 mile run? And I was away from the city, so it meant I had beautiful scenery and a gorgeous morning to do that with. I figured that I would enjoy 12 miles outside of Boulder, Colorado than through Denver. It took me longer than it normally would, but running in higher elevation is difficult. For real. The air is thin…and it made running feel 10 times as difficult as it normally would have been. And this was also a hilly course I was running. I was determined to do it though. Call me stubborn. Maybe I just wanted the bragging rights…but I did 12.5 miles in the same amount of time I have done a half marathon…but I expected this to be a difficult run. I just wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would feel. I fueled and hydrated throughout the entire thing. I was proud of myself for getting the long run done under those circumstances and Cathy and I hit up our favorite breakfast spot in Boulder that morning…The Buff…where I got an omelet as big as my head, some carby-good breakfast potatoes, and gluten-free toast. Yes…I ate the entire thing. But it was the big and main meal of the day. After that, it was shopping in Boulder, then a drive down to Denver, Colorado. Got checked into the hotel and enjoyed a light gluten-free dinner at a dedicated gluten-free deli. Food choices haven’t been the best on this trip, but I feel I have at least been feeding my body and giving it the fuel it needs. I did feel very tired and sluggish the rest of the day though.
I woke up just after 5 a.m. on Friday morning to do some more easy running. I still felt a little off and rather tired…but I had a run to do before getting into the Prius and heading to Colorado Springs for the morning. There were gluten-free crepes waiting for me. This was one of the most difficult and hardest 7 miles I have run yet. It took much longer than I would have liked, but I had to stop every half mile to catch my breath and drink some water. I just didn’t feel right. I eventually just started pushing until I was stopping every mile to hydrate and catch my breath, but it was just zapping my energy and I felt like my endurance was just completely gone. I finished up the run, went back to the room and ate an orange and showered. The entire time I was in Colorado springs, I felt sluggish and tired. After a bit of research and lots of water drinking, I think I might have a mild case of altitude sickness brought on by the 12.5 mile run in Boulder. Ugh. After enjoying a great morning in Colorado Springs, Cathy and I returned to the hotel where we took time to drink more water and just relax. Just what I needed. I immediately started to feel better. I have a salad lined up for dinner and then some delicious fro yo for dessert before relaxing for the night at the hotel. Hoping I can get through my required 7.5 miles of speed work before heading up into the mountains on Saturday.
Saturday, due to the whole mix-up-the-training-schedule scheme to fit everything in on vacation meant…speed work. SPEED. WORK. Speed work at elevation sucks just about as much as I figured it would. I once again got up early…around 5:30 a.m. knowing that I had 7.5 miles to work in before hitting the road to meet up with Sharon and head up to the top of the world. My training plan called for 1.5 mile warm-up, followed by 6 x 800 meters with 5 x 400 meter recovery, then a 1.5 mile cool down. I also knew that these would not be as fast as most speed work I do would be because I was still feeling the effects of my slight elevation sickness. I managed to get through it in under an hour though, so I was proud of that. A few hotel employees did compliment me on my running and a random woman said that I was up early to work out and when I said I was in training she said, “For a marathon?” I told her that I was…in fact…Chicago. She wished me good luck and it made me feel really, really good. Which is what I needed after this very trying and very difficult week of training at high altitude. Kudos to the athletes who train like this on purpose.
Tomorrow is the final day of my vacation and much of it will be spent in airports as I make my way back to Louisville from the beautiful state of Colorado. I have to say, training at altitude can be very disheartening. I have felt like I lost a lot of endurance each time I have run in Colorado. Maybe I have. I’ve been attempting, for the most part, to keep up with my clean eating and my restriction on alcohol. I made exceptions for the special celebratory dinner at Disneyland after the half marathon and at the pub for Indy’s birthday…but those were special occasions and worth the straying from my plan. But it’s back on track this coming week. Some of me dreads the training runs upon returning to Louisville…but it’s mostly because I feel like I’m off…that I’ve lost some fitness, despite not really straying from the schedule. The runs in Boulder and Denver have just messed with my thinking and I just need to remember that running at altitude is way different than running in the Ohio River Valley. So, I will focus on breaking in my brand new Newton’s I bought in Boulder from the main factory store and seeing what they do for my running form. That is my mission this week. That…and returning to my long runs on Saturday with my group. I have missed them.
So…here is to returning to real life…as much as I would much rather stay on vacation forever. Hell, I’d stay in Colorado if I could. Maybe one day. Maybe…
Last Saturday, when I was supposed to be out running 18 miles at my long slow distance with my training group…I was instead at Iroquois Park, gearing up for a small 5K race that I run every year. It was important to me, and it did mean shifting the schedule around. Normally this would have meant I’d just meet up with someone on Sunday instead, but much of my group was volunteering at one of the water stops at the Louisville Ironman…so it meant my 18 mile run would be done solo…and I’d keep it on the Indiana side of the river instead of taking it over to Louisville.
No problem. I mapped it out so I had a route, and actually memorized it without a problem. That’s quite unusual for me. I’m such a scatterbrain at times. But this stuck. Maybe because the long runs are the foundation of my training plan and the runs I look forward to the most. I’ll be honest though…I wasn’t looking forward to this one. 18 miles would take me around 2 hours and change to complete…and that was if the elements were ideal. And on Sunday morning, it was a humid morning in the high 60s…and once that sun came up…it was hot.
I had jokingly suggested that my roommate, Cathy, ride her bike and shadow me on my 18 mile run. Since this run was done on a route that wouldn’t take me back near my apartment, nor really around to any water fountains (they aren’t readily available around here like they are in Louisville), I figured she could be my roving water stop. She actually seemed game for it, despite being worried about taking on the hills. I figured she had plenty of time all week to back out of it…but she never made any indication that she intended to do that. On Saturday night, I asked if she was really going to come along. She said she was…and seemed adamant about it.
So…for the first time ever, she got to see me through an entire run. And at the end…I was glad she was there to push me to finish strong.
This week would normally be a taper week…as I have a half marathon next Sunday…but my main focus is on the marathon. It just so happened that this week required a 13 mile run, so the training schedule fell right into place. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect alignment. But…no taper was happening. And I promised my sports nutritionist not to all-out race this half marathon and keep it at my training pace. So…I hope I can manage to keep myself from getting carried away. Guess time will tell.
That being said…let’s take a look at how this week shook out leading up to the Disneyland Half Marathon.
Cathy and I after our 18 mile adventure!
Sunday, while normally was the “Do What Feels Good” distance or rest day…it wasn’t happening this week. As I mentioned, my usual long run day on Saturday was replaced with a short 5K race. I rocked the race, but it meant the long run had to be pushed to Sunday. I was a bit unhappy with the dramatic drop in my mileage for the week because of the 5K…but…I’m not overly concerned now. I’m doing the work…and that’s the important factor here. Anyway, I got up early to get ready and slap on some sunscreen before the sun even came up. I ate my usual breakfast of cereal…no banana today because I didn’t have one and forgot to pick one up. No worries. I packed three GU packs in my skirt and started to fill up my water bottles with NUUN. My roommate was up and moving, making it even more likely that she was at least going to start this adventure with me. I was fairly certain she’d ditch it after the first couple of miles. I got her suited up in my reflective vest and she ate a quick breakfast and went to pump up the wheels of her bike. We were waiting on the sky to lighten up just enough to feel safe out on the roads. She put on her bike helmet and hauled her bike down. I went to get warmed up, as usual, with a slow mile through the apartment complex parking lots. And soon…after she added more air to her tires…we were hitting the road. At first, she had some trouble actually shadowing me…but she got the hang of it. And she did a fantastic job seeing me around New Albany, biking the entire time and either being just slightly ahead of me, or just behind. And, let me tell you, one of the best things in the world is hitting your final mile on a hot day where you just want to STOP…and hearing this slightly off-pitch voice start singing the Rocky Theme at you…followed by other inspirational songs. She even botched Queen lyrics, making me laugh. It was fantastic and when my watch hit 18 miles, we high fived and called it a day. I was so proud of her for making the entire 18 mile journey with me. She never complained once and she was always asking at stop lights if I needed the Sports Beans I had her take just in case…more NUUN…or more water. She now has a good idea of what I do on my long runs and I quite enjoyed having a roving water stop…and my own personal radio of inspiration at the very end. I got through that run because of her.
Monday…ah…Monday. My training schedule called for 7 miles…but with my upcoming week of craziness…I bumped it up to 8 miles. This also meant that I needed to get up a wee bit earlier to get the run done. So, at 3:30 a.m., I’m up and getting dressed, eating a light bite and downing 16 ounces of water. I had hoped to hit the ground running early, but I spent about 15 minutes searching for my reflective vest that I had let my roommate wear the day before. I couldn’t find it anywhere. So, finally, I grabbed my winter reflective vest and headed out to run. The winter reflective vest was super, super hot and the morning was warm (74 degrees) and humid. And it was just after 4 a.m. I started out, and immediately found that the vest was just too much. But, I needed to be seen, so I kept it on. My roommate later showed me she hung it up on my drying rack…on the back part that I couldn’t see. At least I know it’s there for tomorrow. Anyway…it was a miserable and slower 8 miles this morning. My legs were feeling the 18 mile hot run on Sunday…and the dehydration I think the vest was causing me. I hydrated (with Gatorade and water) every mile…but it was a struggle to get through this one. I managed. Needless to say, Monday is, of course…the weekly Daily Double. Most of the group wanted to run trails…but Natalie said she ran trails last week. She recommended hills due to all my bitching about not running them, but I ran hills at the race on Saturday and then everywhere I turned on Sunday. So, we opted to run one of our fun run routes backwards…not even going inside Cherokee Park. What came of this was a nice, relaxing, easy 3.6 mile run that felt awesome. And the company of Natalie and Harry was perfect. Once again…we talked about lots of things, but I got to talk to Natalie about Celiac and gluten intolerance and how we just like to eat…all…the…food. For the second run of the day, it sure did feel good.
Tuesday is cross-training day. But I was a very, very bad girl this morning. I went for a run. I did. I admit it right now…I got up and got into my running clothes, slipped into my running shoes, got that reflective gear on and went out for a slow…slow…easy run in the morning. I didn’t want to press it too much because it was actually a cross-training day and I was still hitting up my gym to accomplish that part of the training plan. It was a gross 78 degrees out at 4 a.m. and I took the humidity and heat in stride, maintaining an easier pace than I normally would sustain on an easy run day. It was a good call because I was dripping at the end of the 4 miles I decided to run. I even took it out to the street to hit a few more light hills…just because. I don’t know why. Neither my upcoming half marathon nor my marathon are particularly hilly. I guess I’m just working on building up some strength. Speaking of which…cross-training commenced at the gym. Tuesday means it is Arc Trainer morning. Today I set it for Program 6 – Intervals 1:2 – Level 5. This meant that I was at a moderate step for about 1 minute, then for 30 seconds, the resistance got harder and the incline got steeper. My legs were feeling strong and I pushed out 2.56 miles in 45 minutes on this machine. Then it was time to hit that stationary bike. I hate the stationary bike more than I hate the dreaded treadmill (dreadmill). Seriously. It is SO boring. I kept it as interesting as I possibly could by changing up the resistance very mile. And, despite it all…in 10 minutes, I pushed out 3.9 miles, which isn’t too shabby. Then it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines. Want to get rid of these noodley arms, you see…
Wednesday is the speed work/pacing day. And this Wednesday meant…speed work. Since school is back in session, I can’t get over to the track to bust out my work…so this meant hitting up the gym and getting it done…on the treadmill. This might have been a blessing this morning as the humidity was just…stifling and the air was hot, hot, hot. I still dislike doing treadmill work, but got up early, grabbed a bite, then went to the gym to get my speed work done. I always keep in mind never to push faster than I would normally run if I were running these sprints on the track. Keeping that in mind, I had 8 miles total to do…2 mile warm up, then 3 x 1600 meters with 2 x 800 recovery, then a 2 mile cool down. I made sure I was stretched and warm before I even started because the worst thing to do when working on speed work…is to do it with cold muscles. That is a recipe for injury. I hit the 1600s hard and fast and made sure I had an easy recovery in between. My 8 miles was done in 1:03:36, which isn’t bad considering the 4 miles of warm up and cool down I did at a much slower pace than I would normally run on my own. I was pleased with it. But, I am so out of practice on the treadmill (not a bad thing!)…that I kept hitting my pinky against the bar and now it’s rather bruised and a bit swollen. Sort of hurts to bend too. MEH! Yuck. Went home and did the last day of Level 2 of the circuit training required for the week before the trip. When I get back…boosting it up to the next level. Sort of fearing that and looking forward to it.
Thursday ushered in another easy run day. This was, once again, supposed to be 7 miles, but I bumped it up to 8, just like I did on Monday and yesterday with the speed work. I’m heading out of town on Friday afternoon, so going a few extra miles before taking Saturday completely off was part of the plan early in the week. That’s why I ran on Tuesday, which is normally just cross-training. Let me tell you…the humidity and heat this morning was horrible. At 3:30 a.m…when I headed out the door to run, it was 78 degrees with 86% humidity and a 70 degree dew point. Already my legs were exhausted from my 8 mile speed work and circuit training from the day before, but I told myself just to run easy. I didn’t want to push too hard in this kind of weather, nor did I want to risk injury by pushing too much on tired legs. So…I just ran an easy-peasy 8 miler, remembering to hydrate often (with both Gatorade and water) along the way. It took just over an hour and was close, but just slightly slower than my Monday and Wednesday runs. So, I don’t feel too bad about that. I tend to take my Thursday runs easy anyway because it also is another morning at the gym. The morning was all about hustling to get to the gym a little earlier than usual. Like I said…I’m heading out of town this weekend, so I’m working a bit more at the office to make sure I have everything in order and done. The gym schedule had me on the Octane Fitness 4700 Elliptical Machine…which is really more of a cross trainer than anything. Which might be why I love it so much. It is really a full-body workout on this machine. Upper and lower body get worked and it has various programs to choose from. I usually just do the Loop program, Level 7, and just go with it. But, I think after Chicago, I might try some of the other options on there. Anyway, I managed 8.97 miles in 49 minutes, which isn’t too shabby on these tired legs. From there it was over to the Cardio Wave machine to work these legs a little more, but get them moving in a different direction. Managed 3.97 miles on that in 10 minutes, which is a new record for me. I had it set for Level 13 instead of varying the resistance throughout. Figured I’d keep a steady rhythm for a little more of a challenge. It was definitely a challenge. After that, it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines before heading in for a long, long day at the office.
Friday is normally my rest day…which I always try to respect and keep holy. However, Saturday is going to be my “rest” day…if you can call it that. In a couple of hours, I’ll be heading to the airport to fly out to Los Angeles, CA. The best part of this trip…hanging with my GIRLS!! Indy and Tawn are both going to be there and it has been quite a few years since our last encounter. Well. the four of us (Indy, Tawn, Cathy and myself). I got to see Indy at the Disney World Princess Half Marathon back in February. But…no Tawn. So…it’s happening. Both Indy and I are participating in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. So, with Saturday being a day of rest…I figured I could venture out and do a bit of a shake-out run before the long day of travel ahead. And that’s exactly what I did. Once again, the morning greeted me with temperatures in the high 70s. It was 75 degrees at 3 a.m. The humidity was at 81% as well, making it…oh, just so enjoyable. Everyone loves running in a sauna, right? Right? Yeah…not so much. For the first 4 miles, I was pulling a good pace though. The only problem was…my usual running clothes were packed for my trip to California and Colorado…so I was wearing shorter running shorts than usual…and the mace I carry with me was smacking against my thigh. I didn’t notice. HOW I didn’t notice, I still don’t know. But…when it finally hit me that my leg was hurting, I realized my mace had now given me a nice welt and bruise on my right thigh. Lovely. I stopped and moved the mace further back on fuel belt and that fixed the problem. Finished out the run and even did it with negative splits. It was also my fastest run this week. Not too shabby for a blech kind of morning. I showered. I foam rolled. I finished up packing and headed into work. Getting ready to head out to the airport. California bound. Doing Disneyland with my GIRLS!!
Saturday is normally my long run day, but as I am racing in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, Saturday is my day of rest. This actually works out since my training plan called for 13 miles this week (it’s a step-back week on mileage). So, instead of running, I’ll be hitting up the race expo, and seeing some of what Disneyland has to offer with Tawn, Indy, and Cathy. And let me tell you…I totally can’t wait. Running the Disney Princess Half Marathon back in February at Disney World was so much fun, I can’t wait to see what sights, sounds, and adventures Disneyland holds!
The Celiathlete 