How I win the marathon

People think I'm nuts. They wouldn't be far off.

It was 90* this afternoon when I planned to get my 7 miles in. Normally, I run on the bike path near my house but it's sparse with the shade so I decided to run my 7 miles on the treadmill at work. I get off an hour before most other folks so I was pretty well into things when the 5 o'clock whistle blew and the masses flooded past the work "gym". I got quite a few odd glances, some pointing through the glass at the treadmill no one thought worked (no one ever tried it before). I saw one guy who had come down an hour previously to hit the vending machine.

"She's still running!" he said, probably still picking the cheesy poofs out of his teeth.

Yes, I'm known around the office as "that girl who runs". They don't really know why I'm running all the time, other than the fact they think I've completely lost my mind when I head to the bathroom as soon as I clock out to jump into my Asics and hit the road. They look at all of my gear and wonder aloud how much everything cost.

"Sheesh," they whistle. "You spent how much on that watch?" pointing to my Garmin.

Monday mornings, I like to parade around in my latest race t-shirt, varying in distances from a 5K to a 1/2 marathon (so far).

"How long was that marathon?" they ask with a nod towards my t-shirt.

For a while, I tried to explain my passion. For a while, I tried to explain the anticipation for a race I trained so hard for over many months. I tried to explain the butterflies in my stomach every time I think about the next race I have planned. I tried to explain how a bad run can totally shatter my confidence or how a good run can make me feel invincible. How awesome running for the sake of running can be and how it tests my mental and physical limits daily. How I'm amazed at what I am so blessed to be able to do. I see the changes running has made in my life and I wonder why everyone isn't running.

Another confused look and I shrug my shoulders.

Now, whenever anyone asks how my "marathon" went, I smile and say "I won."

2nd Half Marathon

As soon as I stepped out onto my balcony, I knew I should haveabandoned my time goal. But part of me (the optimist) was hoping that it wouldn't be that bad and that all my training in the heat of the day would hold up today trying to run 13.1 miles in 78% humidity.

But things don't always work out the way we plan

I knew I was in trouble when my first mile clocked in at 9:56 and I felt like I'd stupidly sprinted the entire mile. I backed off the pace a little and tried to keep it steady at 10:20. I was still around quite a few runners at this point and found a pack and tried to stick with them. Slowly, I fell to the back, then lost them at the water station. But I pressed on.

The course moved onto the bike path and was up and down, up and down, up and down. I was physically drained by the time I saw my friend at mile 6.5. She told me I was doing fine and to keep it up. So I did, even though my entire body was screaming to quit.

At this point in the race, the course repeats itself (one big loop we did twice). I mistakenly looked down the street and saw the finish line a quarter mile away, but still 6.5 miles to go. At this point, I fell apart a little mentally. I wanted so much to give up, I was doing so BAD! It was so HARD! It was so HUMID!

I kept on.

To say the last 4 miles were a struggle is putting it mildly. I shuffled through them and tried to keep it together but I felt like death. I started chatting with another runner (Amy) who was doing a run/walk strategy as part of her Team in Training program. We ran about the same pace and talking with her really helped take my mind off of how bad I felt, physically and mentally. She eventually beat me (not hard) but we agreed to try and get together in the future for long runs as she is also training for the Columbus Marathon in October.

The last two aid stations ran out of water and the last one out of gatorade as well. It's ok, I thought to myself, I'll drink when I'm dead. Which should be soon!

The finish line was on the top of yet another hill but I got there. 2.29.30 and honestly, I was a little surprised. While it was no where near the time I wanted to run, it was only 27 seconds slower than my 1st 1/2 back in April. Considering the conditions, I think I can be ok with that time. I wanted to clock a faster time to prove to myself that all the hard work I've been doing is paying off but what can I say? Somedays it just doesn't happen. I know in my bones, muscles, joints, brain, heart that I'm a stronger runner than I was 5 months ago. Today just wasn't my day.

In a strange twisted sort of way, I'm a little glad this race was so tough. (The humidity, the hills, the heat, the lack of fluids in the final miles, the lack of crowd support, the mental toughness of having to run that stupid loop twice, did I mention the humidty?) I think the experience of gutting it out to the finish even when my body and brain both agreed that it was time to stop will be a valuable tool in future long runs and, ultimately, the marathon.

Good grief. Am I really going to run a marathon??

Request

Another great run is in the books. Today didn't suck! I'm thoroughly surprised. 7 miles and I even managed to pick it up the last two miles. I felt pretty freaking fantastic at my turn-around point so I decided to try and run the last two miles at my goal pace for this weekend (10:18). Wouldn't you know, the Garmin said 9:50 and 9:52.

WHAT'S UP?&$%#($*#($)!*$(&*)(*^&**$*

One ice bath later and I'm basking in the afterglow of another runner's high. The pessimist in me is wondering when my streak will end (surely it must) and the optimist in me is hoping it's not before this weekend. Ah well. I sleep better this time around knowing I'm so much more prepared for this 1/2 marathon than I was for my first. I feel strong.

Now, on to other matters...I need some help. I am B.O.R.E.D. with my playlist and need some recommendations for some new fun stuff to put on there. Eventually, I'd need to ween myself off the ipod because I don't plan on using it for the marathon BUT, in the meantime, I need a change. If you run with one, what are some songs on the ipod (or mp3 player, or walkman if you're retro) that get you moving? Get you pumped? Give you that kick in the arse that says "Let's DO this thing!" List a couple and I promise to load it on the pod...unless I already have it or the song makes my ears bleed. I'm sure you all have some suggestions....! C'mon, you know you want to. Don't be shy.

We have a new PR

Four miles is sort of an odd distance to have a PR in and it's not official or anything. Like, it wasn't done in an official race or on a measured course but the numbers are in the Garmin and the Garmin is as good as gold in my book. Like, totally dudes.

mile 1: 10:05
mile 2: 09:42
mile 3: 09:45
mile 4: 09:48

grand total: 39:21

Oh yeah. You know it was a good run when you're drenched with sweat and smiling from ear to ear. This felt absolutely great. I'm totally preparing for Tuesday and Wednesday to suck (how's that for positive thinking?) but I need to take it easy the rest of the week. I'm running my second half marathon on Saturday and I'd like to run a 2:15. Shaving almost 15 minutes off my previous 1/2 marathon time sounds a little ambitious but I think I can do it. A 2:15 finish would give me a better chance of finishing the marathon in under 5 hours.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Worry about Saturday for now.

Answered prayer

I had to do my long run early this week in order to attend my lil' sister's bridal shower tomorrow in Terrible Terre Haute, Indiana. All week, I've been praying for cooler temperatures and low humidity for Friday afternoon between 4 and 6pm in Columbus, Ohio.

At 4pm, it was 75F with no humidity in sight. God answers prayer, even silly, selfish ones like my own.

I felt strong throughout and kept an even 10:50mpm pace for most of the run. If you've taken a peak at some of the other paces I've posted on here recently, you'll notice how extremely RARE it is for me to run steady and consistently but today I held back at the beginning and finished strong, even had a little kick back to my car.

One other thing that is noteworthy about today is that I played hooky from work. I don't do this often ENOUGH. Today definitely called for a "mental health day" in my book. I've been stressed out and burnt out at my dead end job for about 3 weeks and in desperate need of a vacation. While today wasn't planned and is pretty out of character for me, I feel a rejuvenated spirit of sorts having spent this gorgeous summer day exactly the way I wanted. I slept in until 2:30 in the afternoon (!), took the dogs to the park where I swung on the swing set in my bare feet, kicking them up towards the sky and letting my hair drag on the ground below. I played on the slide and had a go at the monkey bars. I wrestled with the puppies and was completely covered in dog kisses by the time I got home. Top that off with a perfect run in the park and I feel almost back to normal.

Today was unplanned and absolutely perfect. I think because it was so unplanned and unexpected, I feel rested in a way I wouldn't have if I'd been counting on this day for weeks. Sometimes, I just need a little break from the hum-drum monotony of the corporate cube land I call my "job". I treasure the simple gifts found out there in the real world today.

Happy miles....

Reason #679.1 why I don't have a boyfriend

I put vaseline on my eyebrows.

Ice Ice Baby

Yeah, I did it. I tried my first ever ice bath tonight after I got home from my sorta long-run of 7 miles. My legs felt tight and heavy for most of the run (probably due in part to the wings on my feet yesterday, except mile 3) so halfway through I decided I was going to suck it up and go for the plunge. Ah yes, I'm getting quite good at this whole "pun" thing, wouldn't you agree?

I shuffled into the UDF by my house and grabbed the bottle of apple juice I promised myself at mile 4.5 and two bags of ice. The guy behind the counter was not amused. By anything. I tried to tell him that I was going to take these two bags of ice, throw them in my bath tub with cold water and sit in it for 20 minutes, but he wasn't having it. He sighed and said, "Whatever, lady."

His loss.

Now, I'll admit, I swore a little and screamed A LOT as I eased my legs into this homemade torture chamber. My top half was still sweating from the run while my lower half was an iceberg. It was a trip! You non-runners out there should give it a try sometime, just for kicks! After a few minutes, the torture subsided and it was quite pleasant. Well, probably because I couldn't feel anything below my belly button, but that's besides the point.

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And I have to say it wasn't all for naught. Usually after a run like today, I'm hobbling around my apartment like a 90-year-old lady (maybe this says more about my stretching routine, but I digress). However today, I could SKIP if I wanted to. No tightness. No soreness. No tenderness.

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I'm floored. This stuff actually works!