The Wedding, A Report

I didn't talk too much about my sister's wedding in this blog, mostly because this is a running blog where I talk about running - not other things going on in my personal life. But pretty much all of my time and energy has been focused on the wedding from the moment my toe touched the finish line of the marathon. I'm not sure we would have made it through the day had it not been for my fantastic friend-sister Liz (pictured with me here) and her family. They are truly a blessing.




The wedding day was frantic but exciting. The house was bursting with family and friends and food and laughter. There were some minor hiccups here and there but I think my sister will ultimately look back on the day with nothing but happiness. Seeing her walk down the aisle was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen in my life. I know it's cliche to say the bride was beautiful, but she really was. Radiant and glowing. Afterwards, we ate, we toasted, we celebrated and danced our hearts out until late into the night.



I wish my sister and her new husband all God's blessings as they start their lives together.

Plan of attack

Thank you for all the kind comments after my last post. As promised....

Me and dad just before the start:
Mile 20.5, never so glad to see my friends!

My biggest cheerleader and mom:

Big finish:

This is how I celebrate!:

Am I not the palest person on the planet?

4 days post marathon and I'm hungry for more. I haven't yet tried to run again but all my soreness is gone and I'm no longer hobbling around like a penguin. I have taken the medal off and am trying to resume to life as usual but I can feel myself already anticipating the next one. I've checked out some other training plans and I think I might use Smart Coach off the Runner's World website to train for the Columbus Distance Classic (half marathon) on April 28th, 2008. I want to PR in the half in a big way and I think with a switch up in training plans (incorporating some speed work) I just may be able to do it. I like the fact that Smart Coach tailors the plan to each individual and even suggests pacing for each day. I think some of my easier runs this summer were run too hard without even knowing it.

I'm also on a mission to get rid of about and extra 40lbs I've been carrying around, otherwise known as "the junk in the trunk". My butt is huge.

Recovery is hard. I feel great but I know I have to take it easy. I'm over the moon! I fully expect to come crashing down any day now but for now I feel just about ready to tackle anything.

I probably won't be back around these internet parts though for a little while. My baby sissy is getting married on Saturday so the next few days are going to be a whirlwind of wedding mania. I'm sure I'll have more pictures, this time, hopefully I'll be a little less sweaty!

Columbus Marathon - Race Report

I spent most of the morning on Saturday at the expo checking out all the cool stuff and the cute boys. Runners are dead sexy. I didn't want to leave but my dad was itching to get back home and watch the game. "But dad," I wanted to say "these are my people!" It felt so refreshing to be in a room full of other people with the same passions, obsessions and determination that I seem to be so hooked on.

Sunday morning came very early but in no time we were on our way to the starting line. We parked and made our way through the mass of porta potty lines and jittery runners bouncing up and down. 15 minutes before the gun went off, my bladder decided it needed to empty so I tried to get to an empty porta potty but all the lines were at least 10 people deep. I decided to wait until we got going and find one later. I never did find one and ended up just holding it/forgetting about it until I got home at 3 in the afternoon!

The marathoners and the 1/2 marathoners ran the same course for the first 5.5 miles of the race which meant that dad and I got to start off together. The first 3 miles were effortless and crowded with runners, but not too congested. There was overall good cheer and clapping as we passed by bands and family on the side. At the turn off for the 1/2 marathoners, I gave my dad a hi-five and told him to give 'em hell. I kept a pretty steady pace and was dead on track for a 4.55 finish time. I'd even managed to bank a minute or two, which, in retrospect was probably a rookie mistake but I'll get to that!

At the 1/2 point I was feeling great, even had a 1/2 PR. However, the niggling little burning sensation in my right foot that had plagued me since mile 4 was less of a whisper and more of a ROAR. The ball of my foot felt like it was on fire and every time it hit the ground it tingled - and not in a good way. Other than that, my legs still felt fresh and my breathing was controlled and steady. I had no problems with any of the hills and I thought I surely was going to meet my goal.

Miles 12-17 were a slow and steady uphill, one straight 5 mile shot up High Street. While there was still spectator support, the runner field had dropped off considerably with the 1/2 marathoners already finished. I started breaking the marathon down into achievable chunks. Just get to mile 17. I knew I had a friend waiting for me there and I wanted to look good when I passed by. At this point, I was still dead on pace, almost to the second. I saw my friend at the top of that very long and gradual hill and I wanted to do cartwheels I was so happy. Her sign said "Your feet hurt because you're kicking so much @ss!" There was a huge crowd of people at this corner and everyone started cheering my name and giving me hi-fives as I approached.

If the race had ended there, I would be over the moon. But, I've learned, the marathon has a way of bringing you to your knees if you aren't prepared.

The niggling little pain that was screaming from the ball of my foot had now spread to both feet and by mile 18.5 I was walking. I was pissed. I watched the 5 hour pace group pass me by and I just shook my head in frustration. I walked to the next water station and just happened to see the mother of a kid I'd gone to high school with. She recognized me and saw how bad I was hurting. She handed me water and walked with me until I was able to pull myself together and start running again. Her words of encouragement couldn't have come at a better time and for that I praise God. I don't know how I would have continued if it hadn't been for her kind words!

Mile 20.5 and I saw another group of my friends which was a huge boost. By mile 22, I was sure there's got to be rocks in my shoes so I actually sat. down. on. the. curb. and. take. off. my. shoes. and. socks. Nothing there! It's all in my head, or feet or whatever.

Mile 23 and I saw two girls puking on the side of the road.

Mile 24 and I was walking again. The pain in my feet was intense. A girl cheering on the side looked me right in the eye and said "YOU CAN DO THIS. YOU ARE 2 MILES FROM YOUR MARATHON!" I started sobbing then. Running seemed impossible. Two miles. Two miles. I picked up my feet and made them move.

I round the corner to the finish line and saw my family waiting on the side. As soon as I saw the FINISH banner, I'm bawling again. I had been fantasizing about that moment every day for the last year and there it was. Right there in front of me. I gave it everything I had to the finish line. So worth the pain and frustration of the last 8 miles. So worth all the long hard runs in the heat and humidity of the summer. So worth everything for that moment. I crossed the finish line with my hands in the air crying my eyes out thanking God for this gift, a staggering 5 hours and 32 minutes after I started.

While I'm pretty disappointed that I missed my goal time by 33 minutes, I treasure every moment of the experience (well, maybe not my aching feet!) and will most certainly absolutely do this again next year, hopefully closer to my goal! While I was struggling back around mile 23 or so, I said to myself "No regrets." I have absolutely no regrets for how I trained, for how I ate, for how I made it to the starting line. I have no regrets for how I made it to the finish line, even though it was really freakin' tough there at the end. However, now I have the experience of all that to work with, I know first hand what kind of monster I'm dealing with and will put in the work required to make the 2008 Columbus Marathon even better.

Thanks for taking the time to read my rambling report. I'll try and post some fun pictures soon and stay tuned...more races are already in the works!

Finished!

I finished. I hurt pretty bad but I'm wearing that medal all week, by golly. More to report later but I'm just now coming back to life. I will say that even for all the suffering yesterday in the later miles, I think I'm hooked.

Here we go!

It's hard to believe it was a little over a year ago that I sat my family down and told them of my intentions to run the Columbus Marathon on October 21st, 2007. The day seemed so distant and I had no idea how fast it would sneak up on me.

I've learned many things in those 12 months. I've learned how to push myself to the limit and when to back off. I've learned patience and persistence. I've learned the power of positive thinking and how to pee in the woods. I've learned that I will probably always be an odd-ball amongst my peers and I'm learning to accept that.

Training these last few months has lead to some great runs with my dad and my BIL and I treasure the love and camaraderie found in a place I never expected.

But aside from the mental and physical benefits gained over the last year, I've grown closer to God each time I put on my running shoes. I abandoned the ipod long ago and instead turned my runs into a very prayerful experience.

I don't know what will happen between mile 1 and mile 26 tomorrow. But I do know that I've worked very hard to get to that starting line. The marathon has been on the forefront of my mind every day for the last year and I'm going to go out there tomorrow and give it everything I've got.

Thank you to all my BRF's who have left me such inspiring comments, motivation and tips over the last few months. I will carry all your good vibes with me and I'll see you on the other side!

Freaking

Alright. So I'm a little nervous. I'm a little edgy. I'm a little obsessed. I keep shouting "4 DAYS!" to my coworkers in the middle of conversations entirely not about running or the marathon or any sort of physical activity whatsoever. But that's normal, right?

I'm about to be disciplined at work because I check the weather forecast every 18 seconds on company time. I keep staring at the course map, imagining myself running through all of the mile markers.

Today during my 3 mile run, I "practiced" crossing the "finish line" at the end. I threw my arms up in the air and smiled, crying "I did it! I did it!" to the heavens and the high school cross country team that was blowing past me. I have to say, my finish line victory looked pretty impressive, but that was after only 3 miles. Don't know how impressive I'll look trying to do that after 26.2 miles.

Nightmares

The gun goes off and I'm running. The crowd surges around me and I start pumping my arms wildly at my sides. I lose my dad in the shuffle and I think I've already passed my family waiting on the sidelines. The confusion continues until the first waterstop at mile 5. I look down and realize I forgot to attach my timing chip to my shoe laces. Would I have time to go back to my house and get it? Should I keep running anyway and explain to the race director later? Surely they'll give me my medal anyway, right?

And later...

Sunday morning, October 21st. It's 9am and I'm sitting at my desk at work, cleaning up files, rearranging the stuff on my desk. My mom calls to ask where I am. They're at the starting line and can't see me. I tell her I decided to come in to work instead of running the marathon and I'll be down there around 4pm. It's chip timed. I'll be fine. By the time I actually get down to the starting line, every one is gone.

Aside from the wild dreams, I think I'm doing ok. I'm trying not to obsess about things out of my control (weather) and focus on things I can control (not going out too fast). I have pretty vivid dreams every night so I'm not surprised by these two I had this afternoon while snoozing on the couch. What does surprise me is how calm I am in my dreams. In the first one, I'm all, "Meh, I'll just keep running, it will be fine." And in the second, "Meh, I'll get there when I get there." I just hope I'll have the same calmness in my waking hours.

Who am I kidding? I'm going to be a nervous wreck.

Last long run with Dad

Sorry I've been away and been a bad blogger this week. Nothing newsworthy to print, I suppose. Just biding my time, resting up the ol' legs and obsessing about the weather. Not much I can do about the weather but I'm checking the forecast every 5 minutes anyway, as if knowing it's going to be 49F at the start versus 48F is going to make a lick of difference.

I finished my last long run this morning at 8.30 and now I'm puttering around the house looking for something to keep me occupied, yet restful the same time. I'll probably blow through the 5th Harry Potter book this afternoon and catch up on TV I haven't watched for weeks. Unfortunately, the major cleaning project I had in mind will have to wait. Bummer. No cleaning for me!

Dad and I did 8 miles this morning for our final long run and it felt great. Easy. Piece of cake. Walk in the park. All that good stuff. My BIL crapped out at the last minute but I really enjoyed running with my dad for the last time this season (hopefully he'll want to do it again!). We talked football, race day strategy, the most recent episode of The Office. I'm really grateful for the conversations we've had between the miles over the past 14 weeks or so. I scrounged up this picture from the Lifeline of Ohio 1/2 Marathon (aka, the 1/2 marathon where I crashed and burned at mile 6 and wanted to throw myself in front of a semi). Sorry for the ridiculous face I pulled here. I think my subconscious knew what was coming. But, nonetheless, here we are; me and my dad...

Heavy

I've been on sort of an emotional roller coaster the last few days. Could it be the lack of miles? Possibly, but I don't remember being this irritable the last time I *only* ran 30 miles a week. I'm finding I'm a bit lonely even though I'm sort of a loner by nature; I work a job where my contact with coworkers/customers is extremely limited, so limited, in fact that I can go an entire day with out my phone ringing once and without taking the headphones out of my ears. I'm not married and I live alone. My apartment is small and cramped so I don't invite people over often. I pick a sport that is highly individualized (or, as individualized as I make it) and poor all of my energy into it. But, for whatever reason, I'm yearning desperately for someone who gets it. And I don't necessarily mean running and I don't necessarily mean romantic...just a deep longing to be really known by someone tangible.

I don't know. I'm internalizing and wrestling around inside my own head a lot more than usual and I have the sinking feeling I'm about to enter into the midst of some change, even though I can't put my finger on exactly what that change will bring.

Heavy stuff for a Monday night, eh? Man, I wish I could go out for a run! I feel like a puppy that's been cooped up in the house for too long. Somebody take me around the block and tire out my brain! And my body!

Chicago

While I'm ecstatic that I did not run the Chicago Marathon today, I know a lot of runners out there did and each one of them has my sincere respect. Whether they crossed the finish line or not, in my book, they are all winners for even having the guts to try. I obviously wasn't there so I can't give an opinion as to what went wrong or why, however I felt the need to acknowledge the event and say how deeply saddened I am by the outcome of one runner as reported in this article. I hope this is the only one, even though it's one too many.

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My hat also goes off to the volunteers and the medical staff working diligently to provide aid to those in need.

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I'm sure more stories will arise over the next few days, providing fodder for non-runners who assume this happens at every marathon and that marathons are dangerous. I only hope that something like this doesn't happen again and that no more deaths are reported.

Twelve with Dad and My Bill

I had a pretty good run this morning with my dad and my future BIL. Dad did 11 and my BIL and I did 12 miles. The first 5 miles or so were pretty sluggish and I could tell dad was hurting. At 7am it was already 70F with high humidity so I knew it was going to be a struggle for him. One of these days we're both going to have a good run on the same day. Hopefully that day is October 21st!

The future BIL ran circles around us (and by the way, I now call him "My Bill" which I find HILARIOUS even if no one else seems to).. At one point he ran off to use the porta potty and took off like a shot. He later told me he ran an 18:00 5k in high school. And he's out there with us slow pokes now. I keep thinking he must be so bored but he keeps coming back!

At mile nine, My Bill and I left my dad (at his insistence) and tried to run the last 3 miles at MP (10:50). The first mile came in around 10:25 so I thought, ah hellena, I'll try and do the last two at the same pace. Somehow I managed it and finished strong. It felt hard and I know I couldn't hold that pace for 26.2 miles but I'm encouraged by the fact that I could run with that intensity after already running 9 miles in this kind of weather.

A few new weird twinges in my feet today that I attribute to the taper. I was able to run it out so I'm not worried. I feel strangely calm about it all today. Don't worry, I'm sure that will change tomorrow.

Update: I tried a bagel with spray butter this morning (for taste, there's absolutely nothing in that stuff) and Gatorade and it worked like gangbusters. Breakfast problem SOLVED!

Maddness

I'm not sure I would know I had a touch of taper madness if I didn't know it. Don't read that sentence again, your eyes might start bleeding. What I mean by that is that if I didn't know ALL the things I might possibly experience the next few weeks, I might have taken the symptoms in stride, barely registering on my radar. But since I know I might be feeling a little edgy, I feel edgy. Because I know I might be paranoid about little niggling aches and pains, I'm uber paranoid. Because I know I might fear gaining weight, I'm obsessing about what to put in my mouth. If I hadn't read that stupid article, I MIGHT BE FINE.

For example, earlier this week, I noticed my running log said my shoes had over 250 miles on them already. That would mean they'd have over 300 by M-Day. Should I get new shoes? Was it too late to break them in? I ended up rescheduling my day and driving to the Fleet Feet an hour from my house in rush hour traffic just to get a professional opinion. Luckily the store is filled with runners and the sweet girl understood my anxiety. No problem. Shoe problem solved.

On Tuesday I realized that I hadn't experimented enough with my pre-run morning meal. As I mentioned before, the PB&J sandwich I had been eating had a way of catching up with me about 5 miles into my long runs. I only have 2 long(ish) runs left to experiment. Should I go back to bagels? Should I try a banana? Oatmeal? Toast? Maybe I need to eat earlier than 3 hours ahead of time? Breakfast problem not solved.

Today's Issue is food. I'm eating way more than I'm burning off. I'm going to be a big fat lard standing on the starting line. I won't be able to fit in my sports bra. I won't be able to run as well because my legs won't be used to all the extra weight.

I know. Smack some sense in to me. Please!