4 Days to Marathon

I went for a jog last night with Kate and Michelle.   I think it was a good idea to get our muscles loosened up some.  My legs aren’t hurting as badly today.  I also signed up to go get a massage, so I’m hoping that helps as well.

We also decorated our shirts last night with our names.  Kate had so many cute ideas!  I need to find more stuff to put on my shirt. 

I had to put "Dani" instead of "Danielle" because it wouldn't fit with the letters so large.  It's going to be really weird hearing people yell "Dani!" at me.  We put our names on the shirts so that people could cheer for us.  I read online that it is very encouraging when people yell your name while running.

5 Days to Marathon

I couldn’t sleep much last night, so I’m even more exhausted than usual today.  I’ve been trying to find a good sports therapist to get a massage before the run.  I’ve heard it helps with performance to get it before, rather than after.  This week is supposed to be full of lots of hydration, healthy eating, rest and a little running.  With the hydration, I wonder how much I need to increase my electrolytes though?  If I’m doubling my water intake, should I be doubling my electrolytes?  I don't sweat much when I run, so I've only added a 1/2 nuun tablet to my water each day.

6 Days to Marathon

I didn’t think it was possible to get this nervous for an event.  My stomach has been tight all week and I’m having trouble sleeping.  I thought we’d be better prepared by this point, but I don’t feel like we’ve received much in the way of instruction leading up to the race.  No one has told us about how our eating and diet should be changing throughout the training process, which I would think to be important.  My legs are still hurting this week and on Saturday my feet hurt again while running.  I feel like I’m doomed no matter what I do at this point.  Melodramatic?  Yes, but I definitely feel like I’m stressing out.

14 Miles

5:30 Kilarney Station. 

 

We set off in the pitch dark, on a path under the trees.  The only light to see was provided by my headlamp, reminding me of an old home movie (or the Blair Witch Project lol).  It’s so quiet and peaceful, the moon and stars were still out and there were very few sounds of human activity.  The air was think and heavy, as it usually is before the sun rises.  Michelle, Kate, Jen and I ran along the trail.  The sound of foot steps and heavy breathing the only noises.  It feels like a dream so early in the morning, even my mind feels half asleep.  Very little thoughts come to mind, aside from observing the things around me, hearing the noises of my companions and thinking about one foot in front of the other.  It must be tough for Kate to run at our pace because she soon sped off in front of us, swallowed up by the darkness.  She went from full view, to where we could only see the reflectors on her shirt and shoes and then disappeared entirely into the darkness.  I wonder if she enjoys running in the dark alone.  I think I would be afraid. 

 

We’re running down the path with old tall trees forming a canopy overhead.  My key caution is to watch for dangling spiders from the trees and at one point we all passed beneath a giant web, inches above our heads.  I thought it best not to mention it to the other girls.  The humidity made it difficult to breathe, let alone carry on conversation.  We were sweating like crazy within the first several minutes.  I tried to pay attention to where my thoughts go during running, but it actually took effort to think about thinking.  I realize, I don’t think I ‘think’ at all for most of my run.  I zone off into another space and my mind simply enjoys the quiet.  We went past houses, with dogs barking at us, went by a luxury retirement home, looked out over fields of grass, and as we came to a clearing I thought how lovely it would be to watch the sunrise this morning.  The song of birds changes gradually as the sun rises – from several roosters crowing in the dark distance to a few small birds singing and gradually the trail becomes alive with sounds of human and animal alike. 

 

We arrived in downtown Winter Garden, which is 5 miles into the trail. It is such a cute little town with old looking shops and lots of locally owned places (my favorite).  Every time we run here, I think about how I’d like to come hang out in the town one evening.  I’ve yet to accomplish that.  Robyn and Michelle were just beginning their run when we passed them.  They’d gone along the trail to set out water for all of us, which was greatly appreciated!  I’d like to teach myself to need less water, like Dinah, but I’m not at that point yet and the more water stations available the better.

 

 

 

No sooner had we gone through downtown, we entered into a rolling fog.  It was like walking into the Twilight Zone and so much for watching the sun rise.  For the next two miles out and back, everything was covered in a thick, heavy fog.  We ran past West Orange Station, winding up through a field and could hardly see the houses on the other side.  Arriving at the next station at mile 7, we stopped for water and returned back through the fog.  Jen and I ran together today.  For a little bit, Kate was with us as well, but after mile 9 she was off in front of us again.  Michelle fell a bit behind because her knee wasn’t feeling so hot.  The hills on this side of the trail were actually one of my favorite parts.  Lean forward and fall into the hill.  It’s exhilarating and helps me to pick up a lot of speed. 

 

Running with Jen was good for me because it kept me running when ordinarily I’d stop.  The back of my legs (hamstrings) was still in serious pain this week, but it hurts worse to walk which encouraged me to continue running.  Jen and I chatted a little, she’s very sweet and we keep about the same pace.  I wish she was doing the early start with us because she’d be a great person to keep time with.

 

We ran back through the West Orange Station and once into downtown Winter Garden, the fog lifted.  The humidity died back as the sun continued to rise.  The breeze was cool, although it was still warm out.  I enjoy people watching as others run by and I wonder what I look like to them. Do I look like I’m struggling through a 2 mile run, like I’m approaching mile 10 and going strong or like I’ve just started running and haven’t even broken a sweat?

Another thing I realize I think about while running is things that make me angry.  When you’re brooding over something that makes your blood boil, it takes all thought off the pain, the breathing, the distance… it pushes you to go harder and stronger.  Although I end up more angry at the issue than I should be, I realize I thought about angry things for at least a few miles during the run.

 

When we passed West Orange Station on our way back, we came up to a lady driving an electric wheel chair down the trail.  How awkward!  Not only are we stuck with the dilemma of whether to pass the wheel chair, but also distressed by the fact she keeps passing us!!  Every time we stopped for water, she passed us by.  One time, I saw Kate come up to pass the chair and hesitate for a while on what to do.  It is very uncomfortable!!  I guess the wheel chair lady got well in front of Jen and I at some point because around mile 10 we saw her stuck in her chair on a dirt road to our left.  We stopped to help her pull the chair out of the sand and then continued on our way again.  It made me feel better for all the times I ran past, but boy was that chair heavy!

 

The last two miles are the most difficult.  It’s easy to give up and want to walk.  Jen and I tried talking, but we were both struggling to keep going.  This was when I began to think about the jiggle effect – I feel the wind in my hair, the wind on my face, my eyelashes moving, my cheeks bouncing, my arms moving, etc… over and over until we finally reached the finish!  My legs were in so much pain afterwards.  My hammies felt like they were ripping with each step to the car.  I really hope I feel ok for the race.  The rest of my body felt pretty good though, so at least there’s that J  2 weeks to marathon!

September 28th

So, I’m not feeling as confident this week.  I’m actually really nervous for tomorrow and we’re "only" running 15 miles.  The overtraining thing is definitely true.  I’m at a point where I just don’t feel like training anymore, I'm ready for the marathon!  I’ve not done too well practicing during the week the last month or so and I’ve still been having serious leg pain.  I don't don’t want to return my new shoes and with 2 weeks left to the marathon, I don’t want to break in a new pair.  I hope that I’m not in pain tomorrow, that the weather’s cool, that I feel good and that we all have an awesome run. 

I’m also getting really nervous about how we’re going to feel after our marathon.  We’ve made arrangements to stay for 3 days after the race and see the city.  Are we going to be able to walk?  I’m not sure.  It sounds like 26.2 miles is pretty rough on your body no matter how much you train.  Ahhh… I’m being a little negative today, I’m sure everything will be fine.  Everyone has positive and negative days.  I just hope tomorrow is a positive one!

San Fran 16 days to go!

September 27th

It’s interesting, I think it’s possible to train too long for a marathon.  I was thinking that already when I talked to our coach about it.  I asked why so many people have stopped training at this point and seem to be worn out and she mentioned this happens a lot with too long of a training period.  I’m not sure why it works that way, but I can definitely feel it… seems like this is dragging out forever.  For the next marathon, I think 3-4 months of training would be better.  Oh and No fundraising lol.

20 miles scheduled

We met at 5:30am today.  I borrowed a headlamp to light my way as we run.  It was actually very beneficial.  A little ways into the run, I realized I had a crowd behind me.  Then I realized they were all making a conscious effort to stay behind the light!  Haha, wearing a headlamp made me cool… for a few minutes!  Michelle was back at practice today.  I’ve missed my running buddy!  The weather was muggy today, so that stunk.  It feels 100x’s harder to run when it’s humid outside and is tougher to breath as well.  Michelle’s knee was really hurting today, so we walked a lot.  The back of my legs were hurting pretty badly again today as well.  Kate made several comments about how zombies were going to come out of the trees and get us at any moment.  I laughed nervously at the joke while I looked around to make sure she was really kidding.  I know I’m ridiculous.

            Kate and I had a whole conversation this week about what we think about while running.  4 hours is a long time to think, but where does the time go?  I realized for our 18 mile run that my mind was all over the place.  As I mentioned before, I have a very vivid imagination, so for about an hour, I watched movies in my head.  I went through all of the scenes in the book I’m reading “A Series of Fire and Ice”, which was very enjoyable.  At another point, I made a list of things I’m thankful for.  I stare awkwardly at other people who run pass me and imagine what they’re doing with themselves or who they are.  But then for the rest of the time, I have no idea what I’m thinking.  It’s probably something like “keep running.  Ouch my legs hurt.  It’s hard to breath.  Keep moving.  Do not lay down in the road.  I need water” and on and on.  Kate says she thinks about similar things and can’t account for most of her brain time either.  However, we did get into a deep conversation about how she imagines a van pulling up and a bunch of guys jumping out to kidnap her or someone chasing her.  When it’s dark in the morning, these thoughts are what make her run faster.  Sick.  When I think about tragedy running, I imagine Other people getting caught or kidnapped, then I rush in to save the day… or more often, I run away lol.  Somewhere in that deep, philosophical conversation, Kate brought up zombies chasing her as well and that’s where the ‘jokes’ came from today.

Everyone has their quirks though, right?  To most people in the world, I’m a strong, independent woman.  It just happens to be that I occasionally get confused between reality and fiction and I’m a little afraid of the dark.

Wow, that was Completely off topic.  I think I’m a little delirious.  I have found that Kate and I get ridiculously silly on our drive home.  So ok, back to running.  We ran until about mile 4 and then we did some intervals because Michelle’s knee was hurting.  I probably could’ve kept running, but I didn’t want her to walk alone her first day back, so we walked together.  After feeling pain in my legs the whole time, I decided it would be best if I stopped at 10 miles as well.  So we cut it short.

"Short".  Ten miles seems like such a short distance now, I don't really have much to say about it.  We walked, ran, and talked the whole way and it wasn't super eventful.

Richard thinks my leg pain is from my new shoes.  Dinah mentioned my shoes are not made for walking, so the walking is probably a factor.  I really don’t want it to be my shoes, I really like them.  Not sure what to do about that.

September 19, 2012

I’m actually not dreading Saturdays run this week.  It’s only Wednesday, so I have a few more days to get nervous, but I’m not yet.  I try to be pretty positive in my blog, but most weeks I really dread Saturday.  I hate that I can’t go out Friday nights, that I can’t risk having a hangover so I hardly drink anymore, that I have to try to eat healthy and go to bed early, but I’m still tired all the time.  However, this week, I’m ok.  I don’t think Saturday will be too bad and I know that I’ll be able to make it through. 

Today is only Wednesday, so we’ll see how I feel on Friday!

September 18th: I reached my goal!!

I reached my fundraising goal today!!!!  I’m so excited!  It’s 2 days before final funds were due.  Last week (before our poker tournament), I didn't think I was going to reach my goal, but I did! 

Through this entire process, I have been so touched by the generosity of my friends, co-workers and sometimes, complete strangers. People have come out to all sorts of events, like Menchie's Spirit Night, a bowl-a-thon, a scavenger hunt, Tijuana's Spirit lunch, and a poker tournament. I have received encouragement from people in all walks of life and feel blessed to have this opportunity to push my mind, body and spirit while raising funds for an organization like LLS, an organization that has helped so many families and seeks to find cures for cancer to help so many more.

27 days until the marathon!!!

Poker Results!

Oh, I forgot to mention, our poker tournament went Amazing!  We had 40 people participate, most of whom registered the day of the event.  We gave prizes to the top 7 players and 1 to the first person knocked out of the game.  We passed out candy and sunglasses as people registered and the bar had a several drink specials.  Although stressful the day or two beforehand, it was a lot of fun!  And we made $1,200!!!  That’s $400 for each of us!  I was nervous how much we’d make with only a week left to fundraise and splitting between 3 people, but it worked out awesome!  Thanks to everyone who came out!  I’m now only $200 away from my goal!

(Above:  Us at the Poker Tourney)

September 15, 2012

We met in Lake Mary at 6am.  This run is tough because there are no stations to stop at for water or bathrooms.  It was so dark when we started out, I could barely see the people walking in front of me.  Sometimes, running so early in the morning is like a dream – “It’s cool, dark, and mysterious.  We’re trekking through the unknown back areas of Lake Mary.”  Hm, that also sounds like the beginning of a murder mystery book.  The atmosphere so early in the morning is calm and peaceful, yet scary at the same time.  I have a very vivid imagination, so every now and then I have visions of zombies jumping out of the woods at me or a big scary dog chasing us down.  Then I remember, I run faster than half my team, so it’s ok… I’ll most likely get away.    Haha, oh yeah, and that there’s no such thing as zombies, there’s no such thing as zombies, there’s no such thing as scary wolf dogs that are going to hunt us down either. 

Gwenda, Amanda and I stopped to use the bathroom at Panera, but the doors were locked.  I considered going on the side of the trail, but I reconsidered after all of my zombie visions.  Plus, it’d be super dark, I’d be alone, some rattle snake might bite me in the butt and then I’d never make the marathon.  Not worth it, so I held it for 4 or 5 miles. 

After our pit stop, Kate got far enough ahead of us that I couldn’t see her anymore so I ran with Amanda.  Side note:  Michelle is still out with knee pain.  Having been sick the past week or two, I decided not to push it too hard and did a lot of walk/run intervals today.  Amanda was ok with that and we had a nice time talking for the first 7 miles.  It’s funny, now that we’ve started running, I find I talk with people about things I would Never have mentioned before - skin problems, bathroom issues, food and stomach reactions, blisters on my feet, how bad I smell after running, breaking out, chaffing, etc…  So needless to say, we had plenty of things to discuss.  Haha!  It was nice run/walking with a different member of our team today.  I really thought the entire team would be super close by the end of training.  However, we’re a few weeks away from the race and I don’t feel like I know more than a few people and not very close either.  The ones I have gotten to know are super sweet and encouraging though.

            For the first several miles of our run, I not only had to pee, but my stomach was hurting too.  I have been getting hungry towards the end of our long runs lately, so I decided to add a second piece of peanut butter toast to my morning routine.  I never feel very well when I eat before running, but I think it’s very important to keep fueled.  By mile 3 or 4 I started to feel better.  So far the morning has gone from – having to pee, being eaten by zombies, wanting to vomit and then back to feeling nice.  I like when I reach the ‘feeling nice’ stage, but it is usually pretty short lived.  It’s like you get to a hill, climb over it and then fall down the other side.

            The run today was 7.5 miles out and back, then an extra 1.5 miles out and back to do 18.  Around mile 7, I started running by myself and Amanda did intervals with Jessica.  For my next race, I would like to get a watch to help me do timed intervals.  They seem to help a lot and I think it could be good for picking up speed.   My new shoes felt so much more comfortable, I didn’t feel any blisters while running today.  The weather was so much cooler too, it felt nice to be outside and enjoying the weather. 

I tried GU today and while I hate the consistency, I liked the way it made me feel.  I used two of them.  The first was the coffee one with caffeine in it.  I liked the caffeine, but I ended up getting the GU all over my shirt agh.  So I’m walking along at mile, I dunno, 10, trying to use my water bottle to wash my white shirt off so it doesn’t have brown stains all over it.  I felt a little vain as people walked by staring at me clean my clothes, but oh well.  Looking good is half the run, right?  Anyways, I think I’ll get the GU again. 

            A new pain started today towards the last 4 miles, right behind my knees.  It hurt pretty intensely, but walking was more painful than running, so I ran as long as I could.  I am very concerned about hurting myself with only a month to go until the race.  I really hope this doesn’t get worse.

            I made it back from the first 15 miles and was preparing to turn around to run out 1.5 miles and back when I ran into Jesse.  I do not know how that man has so much energy or maybe it was because he didn’t just do 15 miles.  He says to me “ok, let’s try to up your speed these last three miles!  Let’s get down to a 10 minute mile!”.  Uh, No!  That would be 1.5 minutes off my time, when I’m struggling to keep going after 15 miles and I’m in some intense pain.  Getting to the “finish line” at 15 miles and then turning back around to run another 3 out and back is a very difficult thing to do.  You see the end – the cars, the recoverite, the bed that waits you at home – and then you turn around and run away from it.  Not fun.  Needless to say, we did Not do a 10 minute mile.  The last little stretch, I did power through the finish line though!  I love the exhilaration of pushing hard through the end, no matter the pain I’m in.

My total time for 18 miles was 3 hours, 40 minutes.  With all the walking I did, I think that is a very fine time.  Now off to my ice bath and 4 hour nap!

18 Tomorrow

Tomorrow we run 18 miles.  I’ve been so stressed about fundraising lately, I haven’t run in… well almost 2 weeks.  Last week, I had a cold or something.  I kept getting a fever and felt very congested, so I decided not to go to Saturday’s practice.  I think the 15 miles the week before really did me in.  My feet were so blistered, the thought of doing 16 or 17 miles was terrifying.  In reality, doing the miles hasn’t been too terribly awful (I say this after not running for 2 weeks), but I’m trying to run as long as possible and that’s the tough part.

Michelle is supposed to stay off her knee for a week after seeing the doctor who told her she tore a tendon or something.  Kate twisted her ankle when stepping off the sidewalk and has been in serious pain.  She should probably stay off of it as well, but she’s going to try to run tomorrow.  I’m worried she’s going to seriously hurt herself.  I hope not.

I’ve really enjoyed not running for 2 weeks, but I’m really worried how tomorrow is going to go.  I’m trying not to think too much about it.

New Shoes!

I bought new shoes today!  They're Brooks Pure Cadence.  I drove over to Fleet Feet in Altamonte in 5:00 traffic, but it was worth it.  Daniel helped me and did a great job.  I really like that store.  He thinks my blisters might be from over pronation, so he set me up in some Brooks Pure Cadence shoes.  They’re def different looking, but I’m excited to try them.  He also gave me tighter socks to wear, so hopefully they won’t rub as much.

I’ve heard it’s a bad idea to run long distance in new shoes, but at this point, they can’t hurt much worse than what I’m already wearing, so I’m going to give it a shot.  They have a slightly lower incline, they are super lightweight and have a nav band that goes across the top of your foot to help keep it secure.  No more pulling my laces so tight you can barely see them.

After we picked out shoes for 45 minutes, he helped me choose some running aids.  I grabbed a sample package of Recoverite (Hammer) and a few Gu's to try.  One thing I've been doing wrong is drinking the Nuun with the Stingers.  Apparently, you are not supposed to have two electrolyte items at the same time.  He agreed that I'm probably having too much sodium.  This week I'm going to cut back to 1/2 a Nuun on Friday and 1/2 Nuun Saturday morning, plus lots and lots of water.

Wednesday, Sept 5, 2012

We ran hills today.  My calves are still killing me and it was so hot outside.  I’ve really got to practice in the afternoons so I can get used to the heat.  We did a 1 mile loop to get some hill training in.  I think it was great – although really tough.  The first mile, I lead the pack and we ran a 9:15 mile.  I’m excited I was able to do that, even if it was only for 1 mile!  I would love to be able to run a 5k averaging 9 minute miles.  The second two miles were tougher, but I ran it and ran almost the whole thing.  I was Not leading the pack by the end, but I wasn't too far behind.  There were a few minutes where I was certain I was going to pass out or vomit.  I can't believe that this far into training, I can still feel so bad after such a short run.  That's a little frustrating.  I want to just start loving running, but it hasn't happened yet.

We kept it at 3 miles today so we could get used to the hills.  This is definitely something I need to add into my weekly training, if I can even get back to daily running.

Also found out that Michelle, Kate and I will be staying 3 extra days in San Fran!  And for no extra flight cost!  I'm really excited and hope we're all feeling ok after the marathon.  I need to start researching what to do.

Poker Tournament!! 9-12-12

Whoo Hoo!  We've got things rolling for our upcoming Poker Tournament!  Most of the events we've had in the past appeal to our group of friends, but I'm hoping this event will appeal to some of the people we haven't reached yet.  I met a guy through our local bar who sets up charity poker tournaments and he sounded super positive about the event.  Michelle, Kate and I each chose an event to plan and then we're all splitting the profits.  This is 'my' event and with only a few weeks left to fundraise, I Really hope it goes well!!

http://orlandopoker.blogspot.com

September 1, 2012 - 15 Miles

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself when we’re done with this marathon.  I’m busy every second of the day between work, training, fundraising and trying to be social.  On my lunch break, I’m constantly calling people or companies to see about donations, I’m setting up websites, posting events on facebook and other social sites, and writing thank you letters.  I’m worried I’m going to go stir crazy after this is done.

Saturdays run was really tough.  I tried to eat what I did last week – a Publix sub for lunch, pasta, chicken and veggies for dinner, drank a glass of wine and chugged lots of water and electrolytes.  I took melatonin to help me sleep.  I felt good in the morning:  well rested and hydrated.  The weather today was horrible though.  at 6am we started our run, with the moon still high in the sky and stars out everywhere.  That was pretty cool since the moon is almost full.  Being up so early is very peaceful, I wish I could do that on a regular basis.  The air was so thick and heavy, fog could be seen covering open fields and hills through the first 5 miles of our run.  Michelle is still having serious knee pain, so she did not come to practice this morning.  I was trying to prepare myself for 3 hours of alone time, but instead, Dinah ran with me.  She gave me good tips about running faster.  To run faster, you don’t need to take bigger steps, you just move the bottom part of your legs quicker.  She said it shouldn’t be much more effort on your muscles.  For going uphill, take smaller, quicker steps.  For going downhill, lean into it and allow your body to fall forward.  Downhill is time for your cardio and muscles to rest a little.  Stairs are a terrible idea for hill training – running up a parking garage is much better.

Dinah has been sick for the past week – vomiting, high fever and stuck in bed.  So while I was sad that she has been feeling so poorly, I was thankful she was not pushing me too hard today.  In fact, she was fine with doing walk/run intervals for the latter half of our run.  By mile 10, it was blazing hot outside.  Between the humidity, the heat and the sun beating down on us, today was a real struggle.  When we reached Kilarney Station, both of my feet were severely blistered.  I’m getting blisters all over my feet nowadays – the ball, the side of my heel and the back of my heel.  The bottom of my feet, specifically the outer arch of my foot, are in intense pain beginning around mile 8.  Recovery from foot pain is taking me several days.

I was relieved when we got to mile 12 and I started to feel a chilly breeze, “finally, it’s getting cooler”.  Dinah gave me the weirdest look when I said that.  Apparently, it’s a really bad sign when you start to get chills while running.  Soon after, I felt like I’d hit my ‘wall’… I had goose bumps and it was taking all of my mental energy to keep going, because I felt like laying down and crying.  After pushing through that point for a little bit, things got better and I felt ok.  My hands were so swollen by the end of our run, even my wrists were swollen.  Since I don’t sweat very much at all, I don’t know whether I’m drinking too many electrolytes or not enough.  I don’t feel like I’m sweating them all out, but everyone keeps telling me the swelling and cold chills are because I haven’t had enough.  My brother suggested I try drinking less electrolytes this coming week and focus on water.  He also suggested chugging pedia-lite the day before our run.  I’ve used it to help with hangovers, so I might as well try it for running, right?

(before and after)

Stairz

Stair climbers.  I thought this sounded like a good idea.  I ran/walked up 10 flights and back down 4 times in 25 minutes.  It took me longer than I thought it would, but what a great cardio workout.

Well, That was a poor decision.  My calves have been hurting for the past 3 days.  I wake up at night whenever I move my legs because it hurts so badly.  I used to run stadiums in college and it wasn’t that bad.  Am I getting old??? 

I’m getting nervous about the hills in San Francisco.  We did 12 miles in the hills in Clermont the other week and I felt miserable… 12 miles… nowhere close to 26.  After the soreness I experienced from Tuesday, I haven’t worked out all week.  (I’ve also had a fever the past two days, so that’s the other reason).

This Saturday we’re running 15 miles.  I hope it goes as well as last week’s 13, or better.  Every week I tell myself I’m going to get my running in every day, but it’s really tough.  I get home from work, I’m tired or I have errands to run or I want to hang out with friends.  I think week day runs are tougher than the long runs on Saturday.

Just like every week, it’s Friday, I’m nervous about tomorrow and I wish was headed to happy hour, but I know I’ll feel good after I finish tomorrow.

44 days left to marathon time.

Mile 13 - I'll come back for 12

I never know what I do right, but this Saturday I felt really good during our run and I was able to complete all 13 miles running!!  Friday, I had a Publix sub for lunch, ate a salad with chicken for dinner and some whole wheat pasta with soup right before bed.  I also took some melatonin to help me sleep (I always have trouble getting a good night sleep) and felt Great when I woke up a 5 in the morning.  I think having a good night’s sleep must have made a pretty big difference. 

We met at a new location this week, 6:30am.  Off we go on our 13 mile trek! 

When we started off, I was a little discouraged that Michelle and Kate were so far in front of me.  No matter how I feel, I try stick to my comfortable 11:30 pace, but it often leaves me far behind my other teammates.  Running alone, I find it is very easy to become negative – concentrating on the things that hurt, on how I’d like to be sleeping, on the fact that I’m a slow runner, that I’d like to stop to walk and just self-defeating thoughts in general… especially in the beginning, when I know I have another 13 miles ahead of me.  About a mile into the run, a former TNT coach, Richard, came and ran with me.  I was very thankful and encouraged by his company.  At this point, I have my pace down well enough to where I don’t get out of breath, so keeping up a conversation is pretty easy.  Richard gave me a lot of pointers on how to train and correct form to use while running. 

At mile 3, everyone stopped at the water station and I was able to catch Michelle and Kate.  We all ran together for a while, but they were both listening to headphones, so when two other runners came by and started talking to me, I took off running with them.  It helped me to pick up my pace, running with two strangers.  The guy loves running and does marathons on a regular basis all over the country and the woman competes in triathlons.  Needless to say, I did not want to slow them down and pushed myself to keep a faster pace.  I really enjoy the running community.  Being able to meet two random people and just start talking about running and races, how you train, what you use, etc. is really great.  People who run also seem to be really friendly, for the most part.  They told me a couple of good marathon training books to read as well, but I have to remember the authors name.  Eventually, I had to tell the couple I needed to slow down and it was nice meeting them.

Poor Kate is getting a head cold and wasn’t feeling well and Michelle has been having serious knee pain, so before I knew it they were pretty far behind me.  I felt bad for leaving them, but then I realized we all push for our very best each week – sometimes they leave me behind and other times I leave them, though I hope at the actual race we all cross the finish line together.

My goal while running was to make it to the 8 mile point without walking.  At this distance in our training (and each week since mile 10), it is not the cardio that hurts anymore, it’s our legs and feet.  Everyone is feeling it – Michelle’s knee, Kate’s calves, my feet, and several other people on our team are experiencing similar pain.  Through the middle part of my run, it felt like someone was gabbing a long nail right through my foot where my 2nd biggest toe meets the bottom of my foot.  I kept telling myself, “just keep running, I just have to make it to mile 8 and then I’ll walk some”.  Finally, I made it to the station!!  Whew, no walking.  To try to help the pain in my foot (and the developing blisters), I took my shoes and socks off and put them back on.

Richard was just leaving the station, so instead of walking as planned, I starting running with him.  Slow and steady, 5 miles to go.  Again, in the run, my foot started hurting very badly.  This time, it felt like I was walking on a bed of needles with my right foot.  Richard told me to use the ‘jiggle effect” to help myself run through the pain.  You go from head to toe and think about every part of your body that jiggles as you run, taking time to concentrate on that feeling and movement.  Over and over I went from head to toe and it really helped take the concentration off my pain.  He also told me I’m keeping a consistent 11:30 pace, which I’m happy about – at least I’m consistent throughout the run.  We caught up with Richards wife, who is doing her first full marathon.  It is so sweet that they train together and encourage each other.  She was very nice and told me some of the things she does to help with her training.  I think this coming week, I’m going to add stair climbers to my short runs.  After running/walking several 1 minute/3 minute intervals with them, I decided to keep running.  I used the “jiggle effect” to keep my mind focused off the pain in my foot… until the last mile.  Heading into mile 13, it felt like something snapped in the outer arch of my foot, almost like when you roll your ankle type of snap.  It’s a very weird pain, I’ve never felt anything like that.  In my head I was saying, “shut up stupid foot, I made it 12 miles, I’m not going to let you ruin this for me in the last mile”.  I don’t know how I looked, it must have been pretty bad, but I don’t care – at mile 12.5 I was still running, with a limp in my step and holding back tears from the pain and frustration.  I think this must be the ‘wall’ people talk about… where I just wanted to quit, my body hurt, I was hungry and frustrated by my weakness, I wanted to cry, but I kept pushing through – determined I was going to make it that remaining ½ mile so I could say I ran an entire 13 miles.  The jiggle effect didn’t work so well at this point, but I refused to make it 12.5 miles running just to walk ½ mile to the finish.  I pushed through, I kept going and I’m glad I did.  AND I finished in 2:27!  That’s faster than I did 12 miles last week!

This blog is getting really long, but it’s covering at least 3 hours of running, which feels almost like an eternity while you’re out there doing it.  I’ve even cut out a lot of the pointers Richard, the other 2 runners, and Richard’s wife gave me lol.  After our run, we went home, Kate and I made delicious omelets, toast and turkey bacon (which tastes Heavenly after running), took ice baths (separately lol) and then I took a nap, not wanting to replay last week’s mistake of skipping the nap.  Today is Tuesday and my right foot is still in a little pain.  I think we all need more guidance on how to help our bodies recover from long runs.  I’m getting ready to go run stair climbers, I hope my feet will be ok.  Oh, I’m buying new shoes tonight too.

Mile 11

Last week, we ran 11 miles.  I like the run we did.  It’s on a trail, back through the woods through most of it.  I learned this week that hot sauce on Friday night is Not my friend.  The first 4 miles or so, my stomach hurt so badly.  For the first time, Michelle had to leave me in the dust because I kept walking.  I thought I was going to be ill and had visions of lying down in a pool of water that lined the trail.  Alas, I did not.  I caught Michelle at the 4 mile water station.  We ran together for about a mile before she took off again and I struggled to the top of a hill and back down.  When she disappeared out of sight, I decided “this cannot be!  I will not be left behind!”  I started doing intervals.  I’d run really fast (for me), when I got to a point where I could hardly breath, I’d pick a landmark and run through that spot.  I would walk until my breathing returned to regular and do the interval again.  I caught up with Michelle pretty quick and really enjoyed the surprised look on her face when she glanced back and I was right there!  She tried doing intervals with me, but it wasn’t really her thing.  Michelle stopped to talk with someone, so I kept on my way.  I kept doing intervals until about mile 9.  Eventually, I saw Kate and got excited to catch her.  Kate is so much faster than Michelle and I, it drives me crazy that I can never catch her.  Unfortunately, I had to stop and walk around mile 10 because my blisters were hurting again.  Oh well, maybe next week.

There are parts during the run that I really enjoy and parts I hate.  This week, the first 4 miles were brutal, I was hating life, hating running and not happy with myself for signing up for this.  Around mile 5, I started feeling good.  I was enjoying nature, enjoying the time to be alone to myself, and enjoying pushing myself hard during the intervals.  I felt pretty good and was enjoying the peacefulness of my run until about mile 9 and I stopped to walk around 10 because I was in pain.  However, I always find that little bit of energy I need to push through and run the last ½ mile or so.  It’s interesting how you can go through so many feelings in 2 hours, but I would really like the ‘enjoying myself’ part to last longer.  The days when it does are so great.

This week was super busy at work.  Most days I was there over 10 hours.  Running after a 10 hour work day is so tough and I skipped most of my week day runs.  We were supposed to be doing 6 miles Mon/Wed and 3 miles Tues/Thurs.  I think I made it to practice Wednesday but it was not fun.  I just don’t think I can keep up the long miles during the week.  I’m going to try to do 2-3 miles every day this coming week and step up the intensity.  I think it’s better to do some running rather than none.

I made omelets with turkey bacon and toast for Kate and I when we got home. Yummy!  We both still passed out afterwards and spent the rest of the day lying around the house, eventually making it to the movies but came right home after and went back to bed.  I’m going to try eating healthier this week and see how I feel while running.  I still need to go to the store about my blisters.

Mile 10

Now that we're getting into longer miles, I feel like each week is different.  I never really had a problem with getting muscle soreness, didn't worry about what I was eating during the week or about how I would get in touch with someone in case of emergency.  It's all different now that we've passed the 10 mile marker.

            Two weeks ago, my boyfriend and I ran with the Jacksonville team, 10 miles.  We ran almost the entire time and I’m very proud he was able to do it with me, since he’s not been training with us.  We met the team at 6am, but didn’t start running until almost 7, which was a bit frustrating.  The weather was hot and humid and my glasses fogged up a lot.  The glasses are going to be a problem I’m afraid. 

            On Friday night, we went to a wedding rehearsal and ate at the grooms parents beautiful home.  Although Delicious, it wasn’t the healthiest food, but I still felt pretty good running on Saturday.  The Jacksonville team has 3 members and they were pretty quick.  It was a little intimidating, but it was nice to meet them all, since we’ll be in California together. 

This was the first week I got pretty bad blisters on my feet.  Towards the end of the run, I had to walk and even that was painful for my feet.  I think I need to go to a shoe store this week, because blisters are not cool.  My legs were sore for the first time after running as well.  The friend we were staying with gave me the weirdest looks as I lay on her floor with my feet up on the wall!  Strange, but it works J

After our run, we went to the wedding at 2pm.  Wearing heals was tough!  It was open bar, but we were so tired neither of us drank much and we were thrilled to be crawling into bed at the end of the night!

 

Here’s us after our 10 mile run!

It’s been a while since I posted.  I guess I got to a point where every week seemed pretty much the same and I didn’t want to keep blogging, “Agh, it’s Friday, I hate Friday’s now because I can’t go out, have to go to bed early so I can wake up early tomorrow morning”, “Agh, it’s another day during the week when I have to go run”, “Agh, it’s Saturday, I’m awake early, I’m grouchy and I don’t want to run… oh we just finished our run and I feel so proud of myself!!”.  Haha, that’s been pretty much how the past month has been.  I feel like Perseverance is when you don’t necessarily want to do something, but you push through anyways.  That’s what we have – on the good days, bad days, rainy ones, hot, the three of us push through, one step closer to the goal and I’m proud of us for that each week. 

Every time I run, I feel so differently.  Some days I feel awesome, others I feel horrible and like I’m dragging the entire time.  I haven’t been able to figure out what makes the difference yet.  I think food plays a big part, but I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what to eat each week to feel 100%.  I did learn an important lesson last week:  even if you make a healthy Friday dinner, putting hot sauce on everything is a Very Poor Decision!  Ugh, that did not feel good the next morning!!  I’m glad I have Michelle and Kate doing this with me though.  When one of us isn’t feeling so hot, the others encourage her.   

It’s become harder to do things on Saturdays now.  When we get home from running, we stretch and then climb into bed for hours of wonderful sleep (yes, I know that’s not the healthiest thing to do after a long run).  The rest of the day is spent in a half stupor as we struggle to move around the apartment.  I’ve been reading some things online about how to take care of ourselves better so recovery is easier after the run.  A lot of it involves eating more and better after we finish.  Apparently, you’re supposed to eat a 4 to 1 ration of protein to carbs within 45 minutes of finishing.  So Good-Bye to those delicious, most amazing things I’ve ever tasted Bagels and Cream Cheese after our runs.  The past two weeks we made yummy omelets after our run and I do find I feel a bit better.  More importantly, I’m losing weight now rather than gaining it.  I’ve gained almost 10 pounds since we started running and No, it has Not been muscle weight. I suppose all the pizza and wings I’ve been having hasn’t helped that. 

While the miles have gotten a lot longer and the running is tough, I’m able to get through it each week.  The part that stresses me the most is the fundraising.  As of today, I’m at 69% of my goal.  We have 1 month to raise the remaining amount before it is charged to my credit card.  Kate, Michelle and I have several events we’re working on, but we didn’t make much from the bowl-a-thon, so I’m worried it won’t be enough.  I’m trying to keep positive on this part, money is only money, right?

Update on the 6 mile run

Over a month later, I just wanted to comment that I had an awesome run that Saturday. I ran the whole time, I kept a good pace, and most importantly, I felt great. The place we went wrong was the mimosas at the team picnic afterwards. Michelle, her boyfriend, me, my boyfriend, Kate and Steve finished almost 5 bottles of champaign. I got a headache later in the day and could barely get out of bed (so did Kate). Wow, Poor Decision.

Apparently, alcohol after running is a no-no. Oops, guess we learned the hard way. We had a very fun morning though.

Ginger Tea

I took whole ginger root and cut off about 6 1 inch cubes.  Put the cubes and hot water into the mug and allowed it to sit for a few minutes until cool enough to drink.  Then I added lemon juice.  The original recipe calls for cayenne pepper, but I didn't have any this morning.

The drink is very yummy and refreshing.  I added lemon to taste.  Next time, I'll add hotter water though.

http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2009/11/27/immunity-tea-with-cayenne-pepper-step-by-step-instructions/

Preparing for a long run

Tomorrow we’ll be doing 6 miles and then we’re having a potluck brunch afterwards.  We’re meeting with the Tri team and people are supposed to bring family and friends.  I want to make sure I’m prepared, so I don’t look bad when running in front of other people.  In particular, I don’t want to have to walk before the finish when my boyfriend is running with me... I'll never hear the end of it haha.  I went to the store to stock up on items to get me ready.  I grabbed coconut water and Gatoraide G2 for electrolytes.  Protein powder to restore my muscles.  A pear and almonds for a snack today.  I also got ginger root and lemon juice because I read a recipe online to make a tea with ginger and lemon.  I’ve also been making the vegetable smoothies in the morning.  They look pretty gross (darkish green in color) but they taste alright.  Today I mixed spinach, blueberries, water, apple, pomegranate juice and Mila.  The Mila is supposed to be really good for you and help your muscles to not get sore after long runs.  I’m still using my sample bag, but I might splurge to get the $55 one month’s supply.  I will let you know how tomorrow’s run goes.

Yes, I'm an avid Gator fan :)

Notes from Mile 5

113 Days left until our Marathon.  We ran 13 miles this week, with 5 miles on Saturday.
I feel like I"ve learned so much even at this early point in our training.  Here are some notes from mile 5:

1.  So much depends on what works for you.  I keep wanting someone to tell me what to eat, how much to drink, what to wear.  Much to my dismay, no one will because running is such an individual thing.  Drink, eat, wear whatever feels best for you when you're training.  I haven't figured out what is best for me on everything yet and I'm sure it will change as we do longer distances.  I have found that eating a piece of bread or some crackers before long runs works well for me.  Too much food on my stomach and I feel sick while running, but a little carbs and a little protein is good.  Other people like coffee, protein shakes, bananas, etc...

2.  Drink a lot of water, but make sure you're replacing electrolytes.  As you drink more water, the more it flushes out the electrolytes.  I drink about 5 24oz glasses of water each day, but I've started supplementing things that replace electrolytes as well.  Pomegranted juice was something I tried this week because it's high in potassium.  I thought it was gross and too expensive - $10 for a bottle!  But I'll keep trying things.  Coconut water is great for electrolyte replacement and I really enjoy it.

3.  Get lots of vitamins.  I've added a veggie shake into my diet.  I combine spinach, lettuce, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a banana, Mila and water in my Magic Bullet and it makes a delish shake.  It's packed with all sorts of healthy vitamins and I know exactly what's going into it.  However you do it, I think it is very important to have a lot of veggies in your diet.  The Magic Bullet is a fantastic addition to our kitchen, I use it every day becase it makes a single serving, is so simple to clean up and blends pretty much anything.

4.  Get your miles in.  Running during the week has been really important for me in order to get the long run done on Saturdays.  Doing the shorter miles during the week helps build your endurance for the long runs.

5.  Lay low on the alcohol. Last week I drank 2 glasses of red wine on Friday night and I've done it the night before running a few times.  It does not feel good.  Even though I'm only having a little, it is not worth the extra lag I feel the next day.

6.  Having friends to keep you accountable makes a Huge difference.  If I weren't running with Michelle and Kate, I think I may have quit by this point.  Knowing that they're doing their miles, not drinking, eating healthier and working hard is encredibly motivating.

7.  An amazing coach is just as valuable as having friends to run with.  Dinah is an incredible woman. Not only has she done Iron Woman, is training for the Nations Tri, has children and a job, but she is out with us two days a week, emailing, encouraging us and has a great attitude about all of it.  Having such a positive and involved coach has really helped all 3 of us to continue working hard.

It was tough, but I got all of my miles in this week.  I ran at lunch on Monday.  Doing 3 miles and getting back to work in 1 hour is impossible.  Tuesday, my boyfriend ran with me, which was nice of him.  I'd really like to get faster so it's at least a challenge for him, I hope I can.  I find it is very hard to take encouragement from your significant other.  I am trying to learn how to communicate what I need better, because he tries very hard to keep me going.  I used the rain on Wednesday as an excuse to skip my run and did fundraising stuff instead.  It wasn't until Friday that I made up the miles at lunch and worked late to make up the time.  The 4 donuts I ate before running was a bad idea.  Getting the miles in seems to make a big difference.  I want to make sure I start doing Yoga more too.  It's great for stretching.

Today we ran 5 miles.  I thought I was ready to walk after mile 1 and was certain I couldn't do all 5.  I kept pace just fast enough to where Michelle and Kate didn't get too far ahead of me, but the humidity made it difficult to breathe and tougher to run.  When the girls stopped for the bathroom, I kept going by myself to finish 2.5 miles.  About that time, Dinah came to run with me.  I thought I was done at 2.5 miles, no more running, I couldn't do it.  Running with someone that I know can out pace and out distance me was so motivating.  I finished the entire 5 miles non-stop!!  I did not want to run today, was certain I couldn't do 5 miles, but I was wrong.  With the right amount of encouragement and drive, you can push yourself harder and longer than you think you can.

Bowl-A-Thon

So we have the basics planned for our Bowl-A-Thon. Like I mentioned before, Michelle and I are on the Advertising/Marketing team. I created the flyers for the event - one big one to be used as a poster and a smaller one to be handed out. I really enjoyed being creative with this project and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I didn't use a template or anything, check it out:

I also created a website where you can purchase tickets to the event:  LLSBowlAThon.blogspot.com

Hope you can make it!!!

A week or two behind

I love that in my last post I declared I would be better about writing immediately after running and now it’s been at least a week or two since writing.  Haha, oops.

Last week, I realized that I’ve significantly increased my calorie intake (using the marathon as my excuse), but I’ve decreased the amount of calories I’m burning per day.  Running a mile burns about 100 calories.  We’ve been doing 1-2 miles per day, meaning that the extra 500 calories I’ve been consuming are not being burned off by my 200 calorie run lol.  I decided last week to add gym classes back into my workout.  I didn’t do great on my running schedule for the week.  I did a total body class on Monday.  Tuesday I ran 2 miles, went to a 1 hour vinyasa yoga class, and then ran the fastest 1 mile I’ve ever done with the team after work.  That’s great, but then I didn’t run at all the rest of the week.  Let me tell you, I felt the difference on Saturday! 

I thought the point was to make sure we got all of our miles in for the week.  What I realize is that it’s important to be running each day.  I was only two miles short of my weekly goal, but Saturday I felt like someone put lead in my arms and legs.  I barely ran a mile before I stopped to walk.  I was so negative and grouchy.  I don’t know how much I actually ran, but I don’t feel like it was very much.  Poor Michelle tried to encourage me, but it fell on deaf ears.  In addition, my feet were hurting.  Actually, I think most of my body was hurting – shins, knees, shoulders, wrists, ankles, stomach… everything.  I would run for a few minutes, then walk, then run, the entire 5 miles.  My hands were swollen like balloons.  I was pretty disappointed in myself, especially after we ran 4 miles no problem a few weeks ago.

Friday night, I had 2 glasses of wine.  Before our run on Saturday, I drank a bunch of Want More Energy? to try to balance out the drinks, ate a banana and drank Mila soaked in coconut water.  I don’t usually do well when I eat before running, but I’m trying to do it now that we’re adding some distance to our runs.  Dinah mentioned that your hands swell when you don’t have enough electrolytes, which is why I was drinking Want More Energy?.  I reviewed the nutrition content when we got home and I was wrong, again.  While this powder is packed with Vitamin C and B vitamins, it contains very little electrolytes, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  This means I need to find an electrolyte supplement.

When we got home, I was absolutely exhausted.  I slept from 10am until 2 pm, got up and went to the pool for a bit and was ready to lay back down by 9pm.  On Sunday, I got up around 7am and went for a relaxing bike ride all around town.  Found a beautiful park and enjoyed some time taking photos of random plants and birds.  I met my boyfriend for brunch and enjoyed reading a book outside.  Again today, I was exhausted by 3pm and had to take a 30 minute nap.  By 9pm, I could barely stay awake.  My body is still pretty sore as well – my shins, ankles and right arm especially.  I’m not sure why I’m so tired and sore lately (I didn’t work out that hard), but I’m hoping it passes soon.