Blame It On The Rain.....

Milli Vanilli "said" "blame it on the rain" so that's my plan.... Oh and I'll blame it on the humidity and the 5 1/2 hours of kayaking I did I did the other day!  

I took my 2nd run test and did terribly*!   

*terribly is a relative term ha ha

You win some, you lose some I guess.  I'll meet with my coaches this week and hopefully they will have some words of wisdom to refocus me.  I'm not going to perseverate on this tho....it was one run and while I joke, I am cognizant of factors that may have led to these results.  Learn from it and move on is my plan.  

 Here are my overall stats:

 

Here are my splits :( :

Sure this was a decent run with pretty good splits (aka if I did this in the Philly marathon in November I'd be booking my hotel room in Boston for the marathon ha ha), but my last run test (3 miles) was sub 22 minutes and while it's a "small" difference I was hoping to be quicker.

It's all part of the process....

 

"We all have bad days and bad workouts, when running gets ugly, when split times seem slow, when you wonder why you started. It will pass."

-Hal Higdon

 

 

Then and Now.....

As I continue to grow as a runner through this training program I've noticed the effect the training has had on my body.  When I started training in the week of May 19th I took photos of myself and now, that I'm 8 weeks in, I took photos again to see some of the changes.  I was actually pleasantly surprised.  
I am generally very structured with my eating and drinking, but this past month has been disastrous and I was lazy.  "Junk food only once a week" was tossed out the window and "only having a drink or two on Friday and Saturday nights" has been abolished altogether ha ha I can't help think what these "after" photos would look like if was I was taking the care I usually take....

This 1st photo collage shows a side by side of then and now.  The left side is the week of May 19th and the right side is the week of July 7th.  While the changes aren't THAT drastic there are slightly noticeable changes..mostly in my abs, but a little in my face.  (and my hair grew...ha ha)  I was hoping to see some changes in my arms and back, but there are still 20 weeks of training to go so we'll see!

Here's a collage from the beginning....

And a collage of where I'm at now....

 

This post's quote is straight up Theta Phi Alpha style....“Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.” -Catherine of Sienna

A champion is committed to a vision, a dream that originates in thesoul and evolves into action.

I'm 6 weeks into my training and I'm loving it.  Is it hard?  ABSOLUTELY!  After my run test my run pace was established.  My easy runs are now a 9:15 pace and my tempo runs (medium level) are an 8:13 pace.  I love that I'm out of the 11:00 minute per mile pace, but man who knew 9:15 could be so tough?!?!  A 9:15 pace was NOTHING to me before this training program with my coaches, but with the introduction of my new head to toe form and cadence I am both physically and mentally exhausted and sometimes barely able to keep the 9:15 pace.   

My program is a combination of strength and core enhancement (lifting) and running and because it is so different from what I've been doing I'm sleeping better and I'm in a constant state of "good sore".  I explained this feeling to one of my coaches and her response was along the line of "isn't it a great feeling to keep changing up your workout and tricking your body?"  It is...I've never felt better!  

I did a 40 minute tempo run (8:13 pace)...I was dying between the heat and the "grueling" pace.  I tired to stay as consistent as possible, but it was really hard.  I decided I will do all my tempo runs on a track since it's flat and I have a better shot of keeping my set pace...the only problem is 40 minutes on a track is sooooo boring.  

When I trained for my 1st marathon it was all new and exciting  so I never got bored....I actually LOVED  every bit of training.  During the last marathon training program it became so tedious-I really hated training. (Tho I missed training when it ended) This new training program is totally different from the combination of lifting and running to doing timed runs as opposed to distance runs I feel (even having 22 weeks left) I won't be getting bored.  The training plan my coaches have me on keeps me on my toes-literally and figuratively!  Ha Ha  

Sometimes the training is tough and I know it's only going to get tougher, but Boston is my goal and I need to push myself to get there.   I guess some people just get that about me. 

I must talk about running a lot and my students must listen to me and talk about me at home because I got one of the most thoughtful gifts ever from a student at the end of the school year.  I got the Alex and Ani Champion bracelet.  The quote says, "A champion is committed to a vision, a dream that originates in the soul and evolves into action. The winged sandal of Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods, represents limitless potential as it radiates the ability to reach goals swiftly and share messages of love clearly. Look within your heart to summon the energy to finish the fight, believe in the impossible, and become a champion."  WOW!   I think it looks pretty sweet next to my running watch!  Thanks #8 I can't wait to get to my dream!  

"If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have received." -Unknown

When I left off in my last post I mentioned the running test I was to take for my training. After the initial freak out of seeing "Run-hard TEST" I spoke with my coaches only to find it was an east 10 minute warm-up, followed by 3 miles as hard as I could go/sustain for 3 miles, followed up with a 10 minute cool down. 

Work was crazy the day of the test and after work was crazy with errands.  I finally got home around 8:30pm, changed, and hit the track.  I don't know why I was so nervous...it was just running and I run all the time.  I had to do this run test for my coaches to get an idea of my pace for training...that's it.  I know I was nervous since the last 4 weeks of training was full of easy runs (pace being in the high 10 minutes zone as I was working on form) for 30 or 40 minutes.  I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to go fast again.  I warmed up at my slow pace and got set to time my 3 mile. 
As I ran my test, as hard as I thought I'd be able to go for 3 miles, I felt awesome.  I 'd look down at my watch thinking it wasn't working because the time was too quick or the splits were off, but it was  all correct. 
It wasn't anywhere as bad as I thought it would be.

For my timed test I ran:

Total Time: 21:59.8

Total Distance: 3.03 miles (7:16 avg)

Mile 1: 7:05

Mile 2: 7:24

Mile 3: 7:19

remaining amt: 0.03 

 

Changing my form has really helped me exert less energy to run quicker.  After it was done I thought, "I could have gone harder". ha ha

 

Bring On The Next Phase Of Training! 

 

"If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have received."
--Unknown

ahhh I jinxed myself...

Yesterday I wrote about my training so far.  I mentioned the "easy" runs I've been doing.  I've quite enjoyed looking at my schedule each week and seeing "run-easy 40 minutes" or "run-easy 1:10". Today I looked at my schedule for the week and noticed "run-easy 20 minute" tomorrow and thought, "that's weird, only 20 min?"  then saw on Wednesday I have a meeting with my coaches with a workout titled "Run-hard TEST"  I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous.   I knew this was coming but it frightens me as I still have 24 weeks of training....I don't want to leave "easy" zone just yet ha ha

Check back Wednesday night! 

167 days to go....

It's been a while since my last post...(I feel like all my posts start this way) 
At the end of my last post I mentioned I hired coaches.

While this is costing me a small fortune I am thrilled with this decision!  I do ZERO thinking with this training/coaching..I just listen and do...so far, so good! ha ha 
I've completed 3 weeks of my 28 week training program. 
While I don't actually see my coaches often I do communicate with them on a fairly regular basis...mostly because I email them with a million questions!  (I've met with them once and they told me I ask the most questions out of anyone ha ha)

Here's how it goes...
I filled out a LENGTHY questionnaire about me as an athlete, my running past, my goals, etc.  They develop a training program based on my needs.  My ATP (athlete training plan) each week is posted to secure website.  If I need something altered I email them and they change it and we move on.  Apparently I'm to stick to the program and not make my own decisions about when changes need to happen and what those changes should be.  My schedule is based on recovery days.  My training also includes a prescribed strength component which I do about twice a week. Another major change with this training is what I run. For my two previous marathons I ran 4 days a week based on mileage. This program has me running for amounts of time. I will never run a 20 mile training run with this program. While it's new and I'm REALLY working on trusting this plan.   I like how it's going so far.  Every so many weeks we meet and they check things, make changes to my form, test my pace, etc.  For my first meeting they watched me run and gave me form tips.  I thought I was a good runner....apparently I'm wasting a lot of energy when I run.  I have an entirely new running form from head to toe. 
 
Introducing the new Kelly....
-My foot strike is now focused on landing on the forefront of my foot.
-My body lean was off and now I lean from my ankles, not my waist. 
-My knees go forward as opposed to up and my feet stay behind me. 
-My arms are held at a 90 degree angle with my hands by my waist, AND they stay at my sides as opposed to crossing in front.  I keep my shoulder back like I'm trying to pinch them together.
-My cadence has been altered also....my target cadence is 180 (aka each foot hits the ground 90 times in a minute)  I have a much shorter stride now. 
-The biggest change is that they currently have me running MUCH slower.  Apparently I have to learn to run slow to learn to run fast....I get it but I don't get it at the same time.  I'm having a VERY hard time with this.  At this point in my training, I should be running about an 11 minute mile, but I just can't get that slow.  Combining needing to slow down and all the aforementioned changes (including each foot hitting the ground 90 times a minute) I am mentally and physically drained at the end of each run.  (I can't listen to my ipod when I run because it's too distracting when I'm trying to listen to the metronome tap out when my feet should be hitting the ground)

At my next meeting with my coaches I will be timed on runs to see a good pace to set me out with.  I'm looking forward to getting a quicker pace but I know once they have me doing speed drills I will miss these days where my biggest problem is not being about to run slow enough ha ha

"We all have dreams, in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."
- Jesse Owens

Still Licking My Wounds....

So It's been 2 weeks since the marathon and I'm ready to talk....barely.

When people ask you, "how are you?" you instinctively respond, "Well, you?" I think I do this a good 37 times a day.  When the question, "So how did your marathon go?" comes up I reply, "Awful, but thank you for asking."  I genuinely mean that....it was AWFUL! 
I will provide a small photo timeline to help tell my story....

Photo 1: My friends made me signs and hung them on my door to greet me before I left...AWESOME!  It was 3:30 in the morning, but I started to get excited....


Photo 2: My pre-marathon selfie....I was feeling great...I was psyched up and ready to get started.....

 

Photo 3:  I was a  few miles in and I have to admit I was feeling PHENOMENAL!  I was with the pace group and thinking "an 8:23 isn't so bad...I think I can do this"  WRONG! 

Photo 4:  I just call this IRONIC.  Yes, I look like hell, mouth open and tongue out, but it wasn't until a few glances at this that I notice the clock....THE TIME I NEEDED BUT FAILED TO GET! 


Photo 5: My finishers photo....Exhaustion

 

The Good Parts....
Photo 6:  One of my best friends and her family came down to see me.   My handsome boyfriend (the cutie in my arms) saw the 1st person finish and asked his mom if that was me....sorry kid you're gonna be here a while....

Photo 7: My sister's fiance made me a poster to encourage me...he's clearly aware of my fear.

\
Photo 8: More of my amazing best friends came to cheer me on....with a poster that had a misspelled word and all...PS they are educators ha ha


Photo 9:  My sister calls me Smelly....now everyone knows ha ha love it! 


Photo 10: This one speaks for itself


Photo 11: My sweet niece surprised me by coming down to watch <3

Photo 12:  Post marathon beer and disco fries.....


Photo 13: Celebrating with friends....


Photo 14: Post marathon Blizzard

 

And now the story the photo timeline missed...

The best way to start is by saying there's nothing like your 1st marathon.   I have lots of comparisons to help define this point...
-Everything was new the 1st time around.
-My 1st marathon was me just getting it off my bucket list and this one had a purpose...get my BQ. 
-Perhaps it was the training/time of year that I mentioned, time and time again, didn't go well.
-Maybe it was  the difference in events....Besides my fans who were spread throughout the course there were virtually no fans along the course in NJ...I felt like I was running alone.  In Chicago there were literally fans 26 out of the 26.2 miles cheering and helping carry me along.
(A quick shout out to all my fans who came to support me: my mom, dad, 2 of my sisters, 2 of my brothers, my sister's fiance, my sister in law, my 2 nieces, 1 of my nephews, my best friends Alice and Kathy (and Kat's family), my friends Jenn and Dave, and one of my students and her family.  Not to mention all my friends who followed me via text, Twitter and Facebook)
Whatever the reason, it's true...nothing will compare to my 1st marathon....I'll never get that feeling back. 

Race day started off great.  Despite the training I agonized over I felt prepared and ready to go.  I went in knowing it was going to be a fight and I probably wouldn't get my goal, but I was still positive and optimistic...ok, ok, realistic. 
Problem 1: Based on my time in Chicago I was put in corral C but my pace group was in Corral B.  They were at the tail end of the corral, but still they took off 2 minutes before me.  I know, you're probably saying, "so what? it's 2 minutes" and yes, that's true, but it's not the same with running...two minutes is a big thing.
It turned out that catching up to them was fine and sticking with them was actually not a problem either.  The race was going great....I was wishing there were more fans, but thankful I put my name on my shirt so the few fans out could cheer just for me.  ha ha I saw my student and her family around mile 7 and I looked and felt great.  A bit down the road I saw friends...I was so excited.  I was ahead of my pace and I realized that wasn't necessarily a good thing so I backed it down a bit.   I continued to look and feel great.  At mile 10 I was surprised to see siblings I didn't know were coming.  Still looking and feeling great.  At mile 10.5 I took in too much Gatorade and too fast.  I got a cramp...WTF?!?!  My pacer, Paul, (who, btw, was AMAZING...he was positive, helpful, entertaining, etc)  asked if I was ok.  I told Paul I had a cramp to which he replied, "take it easy...we're just getting warmed up"  I heard that and wanted to die.  He was right tho....mile 10 is pretty early on when you're doing a marathon. We weren't even half way there....ahhhhh

Problem 349670349760346: I broke the #1 rule.....I tried something new on race day.  After reading a book about marathon nutrition I was terrified I wasn't taking in enough carbs so I took a gel pack because it seemed better than taking in more sports beans.  The gels were awful and made me puke...twice.  There were points where I thought to myself, "puke in front of that cop and if he sees you puke he might pull you off the course and it's not you quitting, it's him pulling you." At that point, anything was better than finishing the race.

You're probably saying, "Oh man Kelly's race did go poorly" but I'm here to tell you it got worse....
I knew this race had uneven pavement from the last time I ran ii when  I did the 1/2 marathon a few years back, but I guess I forgot.  Around mile 13 I twisted me knee on uneven pavement.  I thought I was going to die.  I was in so much pain!  Again I thought about throwing in the towel and then feared having DNF by my name....I kept on going. 

 

Everyone was excited about running by the shore, but I knew better.....I knew the course would be flat, but in the back of my head thought, "if we get a windy day we're done."  Well, we got a windy day.  There were points I wasn't even sure I was moving....really. 

 

Shall I go on?  I feared walking, but it got to the point I couldn't go on and finish if I didn't walk a bit.  I know walking is fine, but for me, in my head, it was failure.  I walked through watter stations and slowly starting seeing pacing groups I started waaaaay before pass me.  My low point was when I saw the 4 hour pace group pass me.  I literally cried.  I cried because I was mentally beat and physically I was in so much pain. 

I finally made it to mile 22 where I knew I'd see my parents...I let them know with tongue out anguish face and thumbs down motions that it was not going well, but they seemed too excited to see me to notice that.

 

By some stroke of luck, I got to mile 25 where I saw more of my fans, again....Alice and then my little sister hopped on the course and ran with me trying to cheer me on.  Alice assured me the finish was "right around the bend"...LIES!!!!  ALL LIES! ha ha  I didn't think the end was ever coming.  Somehow I did it....I crossed the finish.  I felt nothing....I was so upset.  I got to see my fans and receive congratulations from them, but inside I was mixed with happy it was done and I actually didn't quit, anger for doing so much worse than I thought I would have done, and frustration for it all. 

 

My mental state was a mess as was my stomach.  To continue to add insult to injury I got sick and threw up a good portion of my trip back up north.  GROSS! 

 

I know you might be saying, "yeah, her race was kinda crappy, but she did it, she finished" I get that, it is huge that I ran a marathon....it's not normal to run that long/far, but in my head I failed.....in a huge way.  Finishing wasn't my goal; my goal was my BQ and not only did I not get my BQ it took me longer than my 1st marathon. 

Regardless of everything that happened it's over, I've sulked, and I know everything will be okay because I've hired coaches.....

To Be Continued.....

 

 

 

 

It's Marathon Weekend!

Well here it is...marathon weekend.  I've been getting well wishes left and right, assuring me I'll get my time....I'm realistic in knowing that getting my BQ time is going to be really tough.  I need to cut 30 seconds off every mile so we'll see how it goes.  I'm hopeful that running with a pace group or having fans (including 1 of my students) will help me attain my goal

If I hit my goal I will be over the moon excited.  If I don't I will look at it like a job interview that didn't result in getting the job.  It will be a learning experience and I'll try again. 

I'm at the point of over thinking and superstition...take coffee for example.  I wanted a cup the other day and almost did it but then thought, "if I have this cup and don't get my BQ time I'll blame it on that cup of coffee and my not waiting until the marathon to experience caffeine in over a month.  If I don't have the cup of coffee and wait until marathon day and I don't hit my number I'll think, perhaps going without coffee for a month and re-introducing it on race day was what ruined me". 


I need to relax, trust my training, and do my best on Sunday.

"Ask yourself  'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: Yes. Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

I Can't Wait For My Boston Marathon Eve.....Soon, I Hope!

Tomorrow is the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.  Obviously there is a lot more attention being paid to this year's race and everyone is hoping it will go off without incident. 
I am so excited for all those running....ok, ok, I'm jealous!  I totally wish I was there.   I hope to be in their position next year.   
I found a "cool" video of the Boston Marathon course (cool depending on your version of cool ha ha)  Boston Marathon Course In 8 Minutes 

My entire focus right now is my race in 1 week....I'm still on the fence thinking I want it here and I don't want it here.  I'm not the only one focused....regulars at the restaurant I work at asked me about my running a lot this weekend...some because they know I'm a runner and there's a lot of attention placed on Boston and they wondered if I'd be running it and some because they know I've been in training for another marathon that's coming soon.    I like how these people I "know" (know in terms of they come into the restaurant often and we've developed a friendship of sorts) about my love for running and genuinely seem to care/be interested in it.  Some are in awe, some think I'm crazy, some are excited, some read my blog!  I relish the well wishes and hope the next time they come in I'll have good news to report back! 

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is something all serious marathoners strive for....getting there must be an incredible feeling that I hope to experience soon!  I hope all those running tomorrow have an amazing race where the only big news will be PRs! 

To help get me there I'm going to remember this quote from Ryan Hall, "I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment."

I'm like a pregnant woman waiting to give birth....

I feel like a woman about to give birth...I know it's coming and I'm as prepared as I can be. I even have my "marathon bag" packed. I have all the necessities: backup ipod, warm sweats for after the race, a 2nd race outfit (including shoes) in case of some freak wardrobe malfunction with my current race outfit or shoes, water, towel, plastic bags to contain my nasty race clothes, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch...like I said, all the necessities! ha ha

Now, I wait....

The marathon is nine days away.  Part of me want it to be here NOW so I can be done with it and figure out my next move in running (be it train for another marathon to try to get my goal-possibly hire coaches or get pumped about Boston 2015..who knows).  I also want to to be here now because I really want to have a beer, junk food, and coffee..I've been without since March 22nd.  The other part of me would like some more time to continue strengthening my hamstrings and do more speed work.   One way or the other, it's coming and I need to get my head ready.  While I'm prepared to not make my BQ time I'm still hopefully.  Getting your BQ time is really tough, but it's a goal...you have to work to achieve your goals.  I need to trust my training and do my best.  


"A winner is someone who sets their goals, commits themselves to those goals and then pursues their goals with all the ability that is given to them. That requires someone who beleives in themselves, who will make self sacrifices, work hard, and maintain the determination to perform at the best of their ability." -C. Leeman Bennett:

It's Taper Time!

It's funny how my friends now say, "how's training?" instead of "how are you?" Part of me thinks, they are just asking like I ask, "how are you?" and expect to here, "fine" but I reply like they speak "running" and understand what I'm going through ha ha  This shows that I've been running a lot and it's taking over my life. ha ha

Well, here I am 2 weeks from my 2nd marathon.  I'm REALLY hoping I this marathon will give me the time I need to qualify for Boston, but I have to say I'm VERY nervous it won't happen.  I think that while it's a negative attitude to have it's also very realistic to think this way.  Training this time around was MUCH harder for me and while I saw better times/splits I don't know if I saw the numbers I needed to see to consistently cut 30 seconds off each mile for 26 miles.  I will continue to eat right, rest enough and train appropriately.  My mental will continue to get in my way, but I'm working on it...hopefully the taper will help that.

Tapering is a wonderful thing.  I've made it to the highest part of my training and I'm coming down enjoying much shorter runs and getting my head ready for the race ahead.  I'm in a place where a 12 mile run is like a stroll in the park.  Once you get your 20 miler done every run is a pleasure. ha ha

Speaking on my 20...
Week 15 in the training program I follow is the toughest with the most mileage.  (40 miles total)  When I trained for Chicago I feared week 15.  Training for this marathon I feared it again, but for different reasons....hindsight-I knew what I was in for during week 15 and I just wanted it done. 

I mapped my run and tried to get my sister in law to run it with me....she wasn't having it!  She did accompany me on the 1st five miles which was incredible.  She talked, I listened-I've never been a good simultaneous runner/talker.  I ran my pace and she acclimated her pace to me.  I'm sure I was slowing her down but I had 15 miles after she left so I needed to go on my speed.  Having someone to run with is a HUGE help and makes the run "easier" but it can also be tricky.  When I run with someone I perseverate on my speed....am I going to fast?  too slow? etc.  Since my sister in law wasn't training I was okay with going my pace. 

My 20 miler was on a much chillier day than I expected it to be with very strong winds.  Sure, you can call strong winds "resistance training" I call it hell on earth!  Add that to all the debris on the sides of the roads from a winter full of snow.  The sides of the road are like sand traps...again you can call it resistance training I call it rocks in my shoes, but when a car is coming you don't have much choice.  I felt like I was on a beach going up hill for most of my run.  There were points the wind blew sideways and it literally moved me!  Regardless of the winds, debris, and cooler than expected temperatures I did great on my 20 miler.  My head was in it and I stayed positive the entire time.  I was sore and tired after , but I was expecting it to be much worse.  With the mileage increasing lately on my Saturday runs I stopped going to my Sunday yoga class, but the week of my 20 (the week I'd expect to be the most sore and tired the next day) I went to yoga and felt great....granted I was noisy and made some grunting painful noises going into certain poses, but I did it.  (Sorry to everyone who had to listen to me in class that day ha ha)

During your training you are putting your body through a lot of physical demands and your body responds with eating...it has to.  I can honestly say I'm hungry ALL THE TIME!  The night of my 20 miler I woke up around 3:30am.  What woke me?  My stomach growling!  NOTHING wakes me up...including my 10 alarms that go off each morning (no lie, 10) so to have my growling stomach wake me was a big thing.  I will often times tell my chiropractor some things I've eaten in a single sitting or day and I think he's either impressed by my abilities or grossed out ha ha. 
Here's a for instance....Wednesday I had some friends for dinner.  I went to buy tilapia for dinner and saw Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Kix were on sale so I bought both.  The Kix I planned to eat now and the CTC to eat after the marathon as I consider it junk food and I'm off junk food (among other things like anything fried-even tho I stay away from it usually, alcohol, and caffeine) until after the marathon.  I made tilapia, grilled asparagus, artichokes sauteed in garlic and olive oil, and jasmin rice.  I was done with my entire plate and my friends had about 1/2 a plate to go.  I informed them I was still hungry so while they finished dinner I ate four...yes FOUR bowls of Kix....the only reason I stopped eating was fear of being judged by my friends ha ha.  (they wouldn't judge me tho) 
As you increase your mileage your body needs the food, but I'm trying to be careful as this is my taper and during your taper you are cutting back on the work load and even though my body has gotten used to more food and burning it off quickly less running = less/slower burn.  While weight gain happens during this time I don't want to gain too much as it will slow me down and keep me further from my goal of 3:40:00.

Here's a list of ways to know you are tapering...I think I can relate to 90% of these....

You Know You're Tapering When....

• you're constantly hungry.  
• you're having dreams that you show up to the race start in your underwear or without your running shoes.
• you're cranky from not running.
• you find yourself frequently saying, "after the marathon..."
• you're reading a lot of motivational quotes about marathons.
• your friends/significant other/co-workers run in the opposite direction when you mention the word "marathon."
• you keep flip-flopping between wishing the race was tomorrow and thinking it would be great to have a few more weeks of training.
• you keep asking people for recommendations for your marathon song playlist 
• you visit the starting line area to visualize race day.
• you've completely lost focus at work.
• you're convinced you've gained 10 pounds since you started tapering.
• you feel sluggish and like you could run forever...all during the same run.
• you've planned out three possible outfits for the race and keep asking running friends for opinions on which one to go with.
• you have random bursts of energy when you want to reorganize your closets or kitchen pantry.
• you've studied the course map enough that you've memorized where all the porta-potties will be on the course.
• you research celebrity marathon times to see what famous people you could beat.
• you've tried every race time prediction calculator on the Internet.
• you've vowed to not eat pasta for at least a month after the marathon.
• you obsessively check the weather forecast for race day.

I'm now done with week 16 and I still feel pretty good. I'm excited for race day...2 weeks! It's crazy to think I signed up for this in December when I realized I needed a focus and a goal to get my through winter.

"The answer to the big questions in running is the same as the answer to the big questions in life: Do the best with what you've got." -Dr. George Sheehan

 

"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones." -Pat Teske

So today was the last run for week 14 and I ended it with a "14 mile" run. 
On Monday I enter the dreaded week 15.  Week 15 is the most running you do in a single week.  5 Monday, 10 Wednesday, 5 Thursday, and 20 Saturday! 

Today was a rainy, cold day and while I wasn't dreading my run I wasn't jumping for joy to do it either.  I really enjoyed the route I took and planned my hydration better so I didn't have another repeat of last week.  I took it easy and didn't care about my watch constantly beeping to tell me I was behind my 8:20 pace.  Even though I wasn't on pace I was consistent and felt great-I was having a great running day (despite the rain and cold). 
At mile 10 or so I started to realize how wet and cold my shoes and clothes were but figured I only had 4 miles to go so I'd be fine.  At mile 11 I started to get excited because I was a 5K away from a warm shower.  As I turned onto a road to begin my final 3 miles it happened-A ROAD CLOSURE!  I thought maybe it was just closed to cars and I could sneak through on foot-NOPE!  There was no way around it so I continued the only way I could realizing this detour would add at least 2 miles to my run.  While I was feeling good I didn't think I had 2 extra miles in me especially when I took into account my final 2 miles were uphill (with a few flat parts).  I decided the only way I could get this done was continue on with this detour (because I had no other option) and then when I hit 14 miles on my watch I'd simply call my brother to pick me up because he lives a block away from me.  I considered walking the last 2 miles home but thought, "I'm warm because I'm running, if I stop running to walk I'll get cold really quickly since I'm soaked". 
Thankfully my 14 mile run ended at the base of the 2 mile hill I'd have to climb had it not been for my new genius plan.  After I stopped my watch I reached into my running belt to retrieve my phone from the ziplock bag I protected it in and hit the home button so I could call my brother....that's when things got interesting.  I looked down at my phone and it said, "your phone has been disabled for 58 minutes."  I was shocked then realized what must have happened.  Somehow I must have hit the power or home button which made the keypad to put your password in  appear and with the jostling from my run I must have hit several wrong passwords attempts to eventually lock myself out...I must have done it a lot for it to lock me out for 58 minutes.  (I wanted to take a screen shot-damn lockout!)  At first I laughed then thought, "shit, I can't call Scott...how am I going to get home?"  I had not choice...I was walking the hill.  I decided to walk up the steepest parts, but I started to get REALLY cold-I was shivering!  I took the hill up a good 3/4 of a mile and when I got to a flat part I realized I had to run because walking was making me colder and running would warm me up and get me home sooner.   My legs felt like I was running on 2 broken tibia while wearing lead weights on my feet.   I wanted to die!  (Side note before I get to what happened next:  since my brother and his family live a block away I often see them while I'm running and they beep at me to say hi)  As I'm "running,"  so I can get warm/home quicker, I hear someone behind me honk and whistle and I think, "SCOTT!  I'm saved!"  I turned with childlike excitement thinking I'm saved when I realize it's not my brother....it's just some creep.  (Note to all readers...this tactic does not work to pick someone up...I know, I know you'd think it would, but it doesn't.  I have been honked/whistled at tons and I've never dated anyone who's done it to me ha ha)  Despair set in again since I was still freezing and in some decent pain.  I pushed it as best I could yet the distance didn't feel like it's ending.  I heard my phone ring and filed with hope as I saw it's my mom.  I went to answer thinking she could help rescue me....turns out you can't even answer calls when your phone is disabled so I had to press on. 
I guess I'd appreciate this feature if my phone had been stolen, but I was wet, cold, exhausted, and in pain so I hated this feature today.  Eventually I made it home and my phone finally allowed me to try to unlock it-successfully this time!  Regardless of everything that happened, I still felt like it was a great run! 

"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones." -Pat Teske

It's All Relative!

We all know the phrase, "Someone's got a case of the Mondays" from "Office Space," but I'm happy to say that when you are 14 weeks into marathon training that is NEVER a phrase you will utter for Mondays are the best! 

For most training programs Monday is your short run.  Today was a GLORIOUS 5 mile run, a quasi quick and easy run.  The only problem with your Monday run is fear...today for a good chunk I thought things like, "I can't wait until 2.5 miles cause I'll be 1/2 way done." from that thought came, "holy crap 5 miles on race day means I still will  have 21.2 miles remaining....I might die."  (or something along those lines  ha ha)  When I start to think like this I think about my favorite Friends episode when the girls are playing the guys in a game called, "It's All Relative."  I repeat this phrase when I find myself getting overwhelmed by things like a 5 mile run because it IS all relative.  Take the weather recently...we had a 60 degree day and were breaking out our flip flops....if it were early September and we had a 60 degree day we'd be looking for our Uggs. It's All Relative! 
No 5 miles ISN'T a lot when you are thinking about the full distance of a marathon, but when you are exhausted from life in general and add on to it the physical and mental demands of training, 5 miles can be a killer.  

We all have something going on that has us exhausted and/or pulled in a million directions with a million things to do, but the key is to take things one at a time and not get overwhelmed with things out of your control.  If you are like me you need to prioritize and remember you can't be everywhere at all times for everyone and yourself so you do what you can do and be okay with that.  I'm trying to do that right now and it's not always easy! 

Author's Note: I'm writing this post on my couch at 7:00pm fighting to keep my eyes open because everything has my burnt out, but I also know that I have too much to do to go to bed at 7:00pm Grading papers and getting my spare room prepped for the painter will  have to wait until tomorrow ha ha

You need to prioritize.  If you can't get to everything or do everything, that's okay. -Julie Chen

Hindsight Is 20/20

Hindsight is 20/20...obviously, but it's really annoying.  ha ha

Time and time again I am being bombarded with this issue....

I love my Brooks Trance 11 & 12 so when I went back for shoes for this marathon I thought it would be easy...just pick up the newest Trance in stock or if there wasn't a new model get the 12s again.  That plan was fine-until I did that!   My favorite shoe store told me it had changed slightly, but I thought it would be okay and they didn't have any 12s in my size.  I started to train with them and found myself complaining week after week to my chiropractor about shin and ankle pain.  I started to look online for my old shoe without any results.  Apparently I wasn't the only one affected my this shoe change.  By this point EVERYONE was sold out of them and fear set in.  I didn't want to go to a new brand of shoe and risk anything.  I wanted my tried and true running shoe.  Finally, I called Brooks and complained about the new model AND I asked them to, "call me if they happen to find a pair laying around the office" (<---no lie, I really did this ha ha) I started to call random running stores with the hope someone, anyone, had a pair in my size.  I was in luck, I found a store that had a pair!!!  As I sat on the phone in shock I thanked her profusely...she interrupted my thanking to share that she also located another 2 pair at their other store and she told me she'd get those for me also.....Needless to say I bought her a best friends necklace to share with me ha ha!  Had I known a new  model was coming out and would be changing my perfectly good shoe I would have stocked up.  It felt a little like the Seinfeld "Sponge" episode trying to get my hands on any and hoarding them ha ha   Seinfeld Spongeworthy Clip 
Today I will be taking my new running shoes out for a training run with a girls running group from the town I teach in (they are training for a 5K in town the day before my marathon so I, sadly am not able to do the race, but I will train with them and go cheer them on on race day).  I'm super excited to run with this students are share my love of running with them...although after my run yesterday it could be ugly.....Perfect segue into my next hindsight is 20/20 story....

As I have made it VERY clear, I have not enjoyed a lot of my training for this marathon.  Between my attitude, the cold/snow, injuries, the time of year etc.  it has not been a pleasant experience.  I've been following my training program pretty closely, but nothing like my 1st training.  (That DNF post I made during my Chicago training is laughable now since I find just getting out for the run a success...finishing the exact mileage isn't killing me.)  So perhaps yesterday's run didn't go well because leading up was kind of a mess.   It was my birthday on the 14th so I gave myself a week in which I could eat as I pleased and worked out as I saw fit.  (I did do all my runs, but I skipped yoga, skipped my ab challenge I've been doing, and I didn't lift that week) add to it I was fighting off some illness.  The 15th was supposed to be a long run of 12 miles....being the day after my birthday party I only did 7.  My other runs for that week were pretty spot on because I knew I needed the miles for a big 18 mile run on the 22nd.  Yesterday's long run was the 18-a fairly big one in the training program I follow.  A few things happened on my "18" mile run to which hindsight would have been helpful....
1) runners should NOT drink venti vanilla lattes prior to an 18 mile run...ya just shouldn't ha ha.  At mile 4 I was beyond hating myself and just wishing I'd puke so I had an excuse to stop running. 

2) While it is not NEARLY as hot as the summer training where I stashed water and Gatorade SEVERAL places along my route an 18 mile run is an 18 mile run and you need to stay hydrated regardless of the temperatures.

3) In the 2nd grade I played "The March Wind" in "Eating Chicken Soup With Rice" and I remember running around the stage with blue fabric representing the craziness of the weather in March.....(Please see photo below ha ha)  I experienced said craziness yesterday.  Sure, it looked beautiful out, but the wind was AWFUL.  It was in my face the entire run.  Anyone who had the "pleasure" of seeing me last night enjoyed my lovely wind/sun burned face.  (in hindsight I'd also wear sunblock) Doing the 18 miles was scaring me so adding in the wind made this run so much harder-I was exhausted. (PS please don't forget that it is hill central where I live....great for training, but so tough)  Some people say, "Wind is great resistance training!"  Sure, but this was no ordinary wind...again please see the "Eating Chicken Soup With Rice" photo below ha ha  (I don't know how hindsight could have changed the wind, but it was pertinent to add to the story to better understand the disaster that was my run)



4) My watch....my awesome sister in law is an athlete (and by athlete I mean she's run the Boston Marathon-among other marathons, and did the Lake Placid Ironman weeks before her wedding and did an AMAZING job) to thank me for watching me niece and nephew a few times she got me a sweet Garmin running watch.  I love and hate this thing equally.  This watch is exactly what I needed.  It tells me just what I want without overwhelming me and making me over think running.  At the same time I perseverate on this watch though I really try not to.  I have preset my pace so it alerts me if I'm going too fast, too slow, or if I'm on pace.  I'm trying to get a feel for my pace, but I am a very inconsistent runner.  (my inconsistency in running is part of the reason I'll be running with a pace group for the marathon....I'll get into that later)  Due to some hearing surgery I had a few years ago I have sonic hearing so even with my ipod on I hear this watch go off to alert me if I'm on pace, ahead of pace, or behind pace....I can't not look when I hear it beep at me.  I have to say I've been ahead of my pace (8:20) a lot recently....well that is on my shorter runs.  Yesterday, I was doing great...then the winds really started to take a toll on me.  I swear, in the beginning, my miles were sub 7:50 with a constant "ahead of pace" alerting me on my wrist, but as the miles and wind pressed on I think I saw my watch flash, "girl, I don't even know if you are picking up your feet" at the end.  ha ha The watch REALLY started to make me feel badly about my pace so I stopped looking at it.  In hindsight, I should have just run without caring about my speed.  Long runs aren't meant to be run at race day pace.  I have to admit, this run REALLY made me start worrying about my ability to qualify for Boston.  (Tho last night, while whining about my run, my friend Amy told me I will qualify if I just change my attitude...she might be right)  If hindsight wasn't 20/20 and I knew now if I'll be able to maintain an 8:23 min mile and stay with my pacing group and qualify for Boston this whole training thing would be easier and I'd be a lot more pleasant since worrying all the time would end!  Damn you hindsight! 



“To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago.” -Roger Zelazny

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Thanks Daylight Savings Time!

Maybe it is daylight savings time giving me more daylight, getting back to blogging last night, or the warmer weather today, but as I sit in the waiting room at the chiropractor's I realize today is the first time in a VERY long time I'm looking forward to my training run! (it also doesn't hurt that today is only a 4 mile run ha ha!) Whatever the reason I'm hoping this is a sign of positive things to come!

.......

After I finished at the chiropractor where I complained that walking down stairs was close to torture (and where I may have yelped a few choice words as he adjusted me and worked out adhesions) I felt a great deal better about my sore/fatigues legs and I felt ready to take on the run I was, amazingly, not dreading! 

........

I set out into the "warm" March afternoon with the sun preparing to set on the gorgeous day we had. Wearing shorts and a light running jacket was incredible and reassured me that better weather and better outdoor training was right around the corner.  The path I ran wasn't hilly but it was right for me and the place I've been mentally and physically with my running.  I had pain but I felt great knowing that each mile I ran was giving me splits I could maintain and get me to my BQ time.  One could argue that running an 8:11 mile is easy when you are only running 4 flat miles, but I can counter with the knowledge I did my run on a day where I winced walking down steps....

........

After I finished my run I walked a bit to take in the setting sun and positive feeling my run left me with.  I'm going to continue to take the good with the bad and since I've been having so many negative feelings I wanted to take the time to share this great experience I had today.  

I even took a post run selfie to remind me  when I'm have a bad run that days like today make it all worth it!  

-

Happy Running! 

On The Run....

So yes, it's been quite a while since I've blogged...the truth is "blog" has been on my to-do list for a very long time, but it's been hard.  Everything has been hard relating to my training.  I also hate writing negative posts, but finally I remembered my goal was to chronicle my ups and downs of training and while it sucks, the truth is this training has had a lot of downs. 

The weather has been oppressive making running outside, for the most part, only happen for distances higher than 7 miles (I say 7 miles because my gym only lets you run on treadmill for an hour and it takes me a few minutes less than an hour to run 7 miles ha ha) 
I had no idea how hard training in the winter would be.  It's FREEZING at 5am!  Getting up to go to lift inside a warm gym at 5:30 am is tough...the idea of getting up to go outside to run is mind boggling and hasn't happened.  (I have gotten up to run inside a warm gym tho) Another difficult aspect of winter training is black ice.  If I had the motivation to get up to run that early, on freezing cold days, I feared black ice.   The wrong footing on a small piece of black ice could finish me!  Still ANOTHER aspect of winter training that killed me is how dark it gets so early.  Mid-day is ideal for running, but I don't think my bosses would love the idea of me leaving in the middle of the school day to get my run in.  ha ha  When it gets dark so early I'm a) in the mindset that it's night so I get tired and lazy and  b) fear the danger of black ice, again.  My long runs on Saturdays have all been outside since I can go mid-day when it's the safest and warmest.    I'll be positive and say I did get some nice color on my face during my long runs on Saturdays...thanks reflection off the mountain sized mounds of snow! ha ha (I used a fair amount of bronzer this winter since only my face was exposed so only my face got color-my neck was a VERY white and had to be blended to my face ha ha)

I've talked before about running being very mental.  Your mind quits long before your body.  I've also mentioned that winter is generally tough for me as I am affected my the darkness of winter and experience the "winter blues".    Pair that with soreness I hadn't experienced during summer training and you've got a recipe for disaster. 
I've had a classic case of "what came first the chicken or the egg?".  Has training been tough because I'm experiencing soreness due to a lot of indoor training so when I get outside to run it's much harder between low temps and battling the elements like snow/ice/debris on the roads or is it harder because of the winter blues have me lethargic, sick, and down?  I'm sure one is affecting the the other and both are making training awful. 
My chiropractor and I are going to be best buddies by the time this marathon is over.  I feel like I'm in constant pain and needing his assistance.  I ran 13.1 yesterday and today I'm walking around like I did the day after my 1st 1/2 marathon-thankfully tomorrow is a chiro day. 

My runs are consistent with times I had during my last training...so if consistent is all I have right now, it's all I have...I'm hoping that having consistent times even when I'm dealing with all these winter annoyances and feeling this poorly about the entire experience will mean as race day nears winter will be going and maybe, just maybe, the disappearance of winter will also make my struggles disappear and lead to a better times and feelings at the end of my training and for my race. 

I truly hate being so negative so I'll try again to put a positive spin....I'm doing it.  I'm doing my best and I'm realizing that I may not be where I hoped to be, I'm not exactly feeling like I did at this point in my last marathon training, I'm not always running EXACTLY as the schedule dictates, and I'm often wanting to throw in the towel, but I'm doing it....

"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones."
-Pat Teske

The Boston Marathon....The Super Bowl For Runners

People have been asking me why I'm so driven to get to the Boston Marathon.  The reason is quite simple I set out to run a marathon just to get one more thing off my bucket list and I did it.  As I got into training for my 1st marathon I learned some things about running and really started to like it.  I learned about the Boston Marathon being the only other mass participation marathon, besides the Olympics, that you need to qualify for.  So as I worked to get "run a marathon" off my list that learned I'm actually a pretty decent runner.  On a few training runs It became apparent that maybe qualifying for Boston wasn't such a reach.  So while many people, like myself, had "run a marathon" on his/her bucket list and have done it I wanted be among the much smaller group of people who can strike "run Boston Marathon" off his/her bucket list.  Basically anyone can say I ran a marathon I want to be able to say I ran Boston....obnoxious?  Maybe a little, but it's true. 

Facts like only 10.4 percent of marathoners get their BQ time scares me and drives me all at once.  In March I will be bumped to the 35-39 age group needing a time of 3:40:00.  If I want to be in the 2015 Boston Marathon I need to qualify by September, 2014 as that is when the 2015 registration takes place.  If neither of my marathons this spring get me my BQ time I will shoot for doing the Marine Corps or Philly in the fall of 2014 to get me there.  Running either of those in the fall of 2014 means I will be qualifying for the 2016 Boston Marathon.  Furthermore, just getting my BQ time doesn't guarantee me entry into the race.  It will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full.  This is not going to be easy!  Truth be told, once I get into the marathon I am NOT looking to shatter any records....just run it!  Getting in is REALLY the goal. ha ha

Other fun facts about the Boston Marathon...
-The Boston Marathon is the oldest marathon
-The Boston Marathon takes place on the 3rd Monday of April (Patriots Day)
-The Boston Marathon is the 2nd highest single-day sporting even in the US (in relation to media coverage of the event)

Thinking you might be interested in running to qualify for the Boston Marathon?  Take a look at this link for qualifying information  and take a look at this link for 7 tips to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“Every serious marathoner should do Boston, to experience the close to a million spectators, the three generations of families out cheering, the little kids handing you water or orange slices. The whole city really appreciates the runners.”
-Neil Weygandt

I'M BACK!!! (well, I barely left)

Sooooo when I last blogged I was getting x-rays.  My x-rays came back clear, but I expected that as my chiropractor told me fractures don't often appear on x-rays and it was thought that if anything it would be a fracture.  When the x-rays came back clear my orthopedist ordered an MRI as he too thought it was fractured and an MRI would show fractures.  I was told until the results came back no running....I listened....sort of.  I did slip and did one teeny tiny 3 mile run (which hurt like hell and I regret-sort of)
Long story short, I have a bad bone bruise.  GREAT NEWS!  I'm still in a fair amount of pain but was told to get orthotics, take anti-inflammatories for 2 weeks, and not to run for another 4 weeks.  I'd like to say I'm a great patient and took the dr.'s orders and trusted his professional opinion, but I didn't.  I won't be doing any of those things.  I asked if running on a bone bruise can harm me down the line and it can't.  My head heard "no permanent damage=suck up the pain and get running."  I "took some time off", confirmed it wasn't fractured or pre-fractured, and that's the best I can do.  I ice it every day, elevate it, and stay off of it whenever possible.  I'll also be wearing sneakers for 2 weeks to provide more support....I can't give much more; the race is less than 90 days away and I need this race to get me a qualifying time.  Moving forward in the training I will be taking days off here and there as needed.  I am so happy it isn't fractured and I feel confident in my following through with the marathon training and actual marathon.  As I started my Chicago marathon training with my torn meniscus I was "encouraged" to not do the marathon by more than one person, but I didn't listen.  Looking back/discussing that situation today I was told, I more than exceeded expectations to get through that and do it so well.  I'm hoping this marathon will be a similar outcome!
I have not yet registered for the Burlington VT marathon.  I'm waiting a few more weeks to see how my foot is feeling.  Getting through NJ with (hopefully) a qualifying time for Boston is my focus right now. 

"Runners take it in stride...."

Thanks for all the well wishes!
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