And then there were five.......days until the marathon

It's five days until the marathon and I'm doing my last 2 1/2 hours in the hyperbaric chamber.  (This thing is great, btw.  Not only am I healing up, I come in here and can't leave.  I'm getting so much done in here ha ha).  

I'm a bunch of different emotions right now. I'm ready to run this race and see what happens.  Will my pelvis hold up?  Will I get my BQ?  This race is 2 years in the making, for me, after training so long and having to drop out a few weeks before Philly 2014 and doing the training all over again this year; I'm chomping at the bit waiting to get out there and get into my zone!  I'm full of endorphins, emotions, and excitement.   As much as I want to speed the days up to get me to the marathon sooner I want to slow time and keep the race away because I'm nervous and because I know when the race is done I'll begin my post marathon blues.  I'll start to miss training-hell, I already do miss it and I'm still, technically, training (tho it's my taper).  I'm going to miss coming to PT several times a week (tho my insurance company will be happy I'm done ha ha). I'm going to miss the way running dictates my time.  I like structure and routine-training gave me that and soon it'll be gone.  I'll miss the goal I'm working toward.....that far away date on the calendar that slowly creeps up on you.  I'm going to miss eating anything I want because my workouts were so tough I was able to burn food off faster than I was eating it.  Ha Ha

The post marathon blues are weird and while runners bitch about training most will agree that once you cross that finish line it's over and it's sad....I guess that's why once it ends we wonder, "when's the next race?" 

"Racing is the fun part; it's the reward of all the hard work." Kara Goucher

Keeping Positive!

Common distance running sayings are:

-long distance running is 90% mental and 10% physical 

and

-your mind quits before your body. 

I tend to agree with this thinking. 

When you are running a race that is taking several hours to complete you need to be in a good mental place, thinking positive thoughts.  Thinking negative thoughts during your marathon can easily derail all the hard work you put into training. 

Working on positive thinking is something that has taken me time and still gives me trouble now and again, but has REALLY improved.

Training for this marathon has been (for the most part) a positive experience for me as I've looked at it as my big return after last year's unfortunate end.  Do I want to qualify for Boston in 16 days? Without a doubt, but I'm realistic.  I have trained hard, I have put up some great numbers, but as of late, I've been dealing with an injury that could end up being another fractured pelvis (We'll find out when I get my MRI the day after the marathon).  
Dr. Jan (the greatest chiropractor/sports recovery doctor) saw me last year when I got hurt and has been working with me this year and has remarked on my positive mindset while dealing with this injury.  After being sidelined 5 weeks before the marathon last year I'm taking this injury in stride (no pun intended).  I'm being realistic about the race.  If I don't qualify, it's not the end of the world.  I just want to run it!  As a wise runner friend said to me, "running a marathon, no matter how many you've done, is an accomplishment.  The months and miles you've given to a few hours of running is something to be proud of....regardless of the time it takes."  I'm keeping that thought in the forefront as I approach the final 2 weeks of training.   My training has tapered off a bit sooner than it should these past few weeks because of the injury I'm working through, but my mental game is where it needs to be and I kind of think that's what's going to help me more on race day.  My fabulous support group of family, friends, an old professor who is big into running, and Dr. Jan are the ones I need and want in my head at the race.
I will run this race to best of my ability and be as smart as possible doing it! 

"Treat negative emotions like negative people. Acknowledge their presence and make whatever changes are required to remove them from your life." 

Thoughts From The Hyperbaric Chamber

How's the training going you might be wondering.....it's a little slow going these days, but I'm getting to the marathon!  

As I've mentioned a million times, I had some fractures that sidelined me from running in Philly 2014, but I got healthy and started attacking my goal of getting my BQ at the Philly 2015 Marathon.  Training is a lot on your body and some say that marathon training is too much abuse to your body.  My argument: it's better than smoking!  

I've felt great over the months of training but a few weeks ago the pain I experienced when I fractured my hip and pelvis returned.  While I say it returned in the same breath I'll say it wasn't as severe and wasn't EXACTLY the same.  

I'm not a doctor (tho I went to school for a long time ha ha) but I did some "tests" to see (w/o am actual MRI) if I had a fracture.  When I had this pain last year I couldn't stand on my left leg alone-this year I can.  Last year I couldn't run more than 4 minutes-this year I can!  See, no fractures!  (Insert your eye rolling and telling me to stop training).  To your eye rolling I say, "you don't get it.  You don't  get what it's like to give 1 race MONTHS of your life.  It's not just the running, it's the sacrifices you make, the love you have, the goal!  It's everything!   

Now you're saying, "ok, I guess, but get an MRI and find out for sure!" So to that I say, "I am-the day after the marathon!"  Don't shake your head!!! I'm under the care of trained professionals.  My doctor would not let me race if he thought I was in danger of doing permanent damage!  (See, I'm not a total moron...I'm seeing a doctor!)   I go to PT SEVERAL times a week and we are working on strengthening my core and the muscles around my hips and pelvis.  My doctor has me running less and resting and strengthening more.  

All this recovery and determination leads me to where I am currently-in a hyperbaric chamber.  At this time I'm at 4 atmospheres of pressure in 100% oxygen. (airplanes take you to about 1 atmosphere of pressure). What does a hyperbaric chamber do you might be wondering.  "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy saturates the patient's circulatory system with oxygen resulting in increased oxygen delivery to tissues." In the hyperbaric chamber you're in a tomb like capsule (best way to describe it) and are slowly brought to 4 atmospheres of pressure, receiving 100 percent oxygen. 

I guess it's kind of like legal blood doping.   

It increases the amount of oxygen to injured tissues or parts of your body with a poor blood supply.  

It reduces swelling.  

It promotes healing of wounds.  

It helps to fight infections in problem wounds.

It stimulates new bone formation when the bone is infected.

You might still be shaking your head saying this is ridiculous and to that I'll say, "you're welcome to your opinion, but with this nagging injury I'll try anything to get as healthy as possible before race day!" 

Now I'm sure you're wondering what it's like in here....I'll be honest, I was a bit nervous (but mostly excited). I have had some issues with claustrophobia and getting MRIs in the past, but this doesn't seem to bother me at all. I'm laying on a soft mattress with a fantastic pillow (I MUST find out where he got this pillow!) I have a good 1 1/2-2 feet beyond my feet and a good 1 1/2 feet behind my head. I can reach my arms straight up and can almost touch the top.  It's rounded on the sides but I'd say it's 3 feet across.  Here's my theory: my doctor has had pro football players in this thing.  If those big guys can fit in here without an issue I'll fit just fine.  My doctor slowly took me up to 4 atmospheres.  (It took about 45 minutes).  He came in to the room the machine is in and checked on me and increased the pressure.  Inside, I have a deflation valve if the pressure becomes too much and my phone to text or call him if I need to get out.  There's a window above my head that's slightly bigger than a plane windows and a couple of small porthole like windows on the 4 sides.  I was told it gets warm, but I'm quite comfortable.  I've been in here for about 2 hours and I will do about 3 more hours later this week.  I will continue to do 5 hours a week until the race.  

Will this help?  I have no idea.  My doctor has seen results in tons of SERIOUS athletes and it's not costing me a dime so I'll try it and see what happens.  

It's almost time to bring me back to sea level so I'll end this.  Stay tuned as my treatment continues.... 

"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan."

-Tom Landry