Yesterday I went for a 10 mile run and it was wonderful. The air was crisp, the sky was blue and I was so enjoying my natural surroundings. It provided me time and space to clear my head, think about my week, breathe, feel strong and independent. It was my first longer run since the marathon and running for 10 miles with no impending marathon in mind was refreshing. It gave me the confirmation I was hoping to find that running has become a true release for me. It has been an awesome trigger for me to get in shape, but now I feel it could be a part of my life going forward. And that feels good. I'm getting back to my athletic roots. Yeehaw!
Still, there is this one annoying thing that keeps threatening to get in my way - injuries. All of the runs since the marathon I have been plagued with outside, left knee pain. I'm pretty sure it's the IT Band and the dreaded Ilotibial Band Syndrome(IBS). The run yesterday was pretty bad towards the end, I was sort of limping. The pain always starts around mile 2 and has been easy to run through until the 10 miler yesterday when I got to about mile 8. Bummer! My plan is to take 10 days total rest from running. I will swim to keep in shape for the half marathon on February 12th.
The good news is my Achilles no longer hurts, ever!
Johanna has been saying the funniest things lately. My favorites of the day were when she dropped something, "Whoopsi Daisies" and talking about my sweater, "That is so cute, mommy, it's sooo cute!"
And this is a little vulnerable to admit, but I put some Cheerios on the ground for Emmy to eat. She has amazing dexterity and is a Cheerios monster! Only this time she didn't use her hands. I looked over and Emmy had her lips plastered to the wood floor just hoovering up the Cheerios one by one. It was a sight to behold.
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Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Cookie craze!
Tuesday night I made a batch of cookies. They were your typical Tollhouse variety except I used spelt flour, half the chocolate chips and a little less sugar than the recipe calls for. With the exception of 6 cookies I ate the entire batch in 3 days. Coming clean. This marks a new low moment on my goal path, but they were so dang good!
I'm back on track. Last night we had Ono(Wahoo) fish marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. I broiled it for 3 minutes on each side and it turned out great. Next time I may mix up some fresh verde sauce to serve on top. To complete the dinner we had beans and a leftover wild rice dish.
Despite my eating habits this week I have kept up the running. I ran 3 miles on Monday, 5 miles on Wednesday and 3 miles with the double jogger on Thursday. The picture below was taken right before we left for our run on Thursday. Looks like I am torturing them, right? They actually are very happy once I start moving. It's kind of like when I have to use my whole body to pin down Emmy to get her in her car seat, and she is screaming and bucking all through it. But once I start the car and drive off she is a happy and peaceful little girl.
Our very active baby!
We have had a series of no-nap days lately. They usually end like this...
I plan to run at least 10 miles on Sunday. The Sedona Half Marathon is 2 weeks away!!
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I'm back on track. Last night we had Ono(Wahoo) fish marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. I broiled it for 3 minutes on each side and it turned out great. Next time I may mix up some fresh verde sauce to serve on top. To complete the dinner we had beans and a leftover wild rice dish.
Despite my eating habits this week I have kept up the running. I ran 3 miles on Monday, 5 miles on Wednesday and 3 miles with the double jogger on Thursday. The picture below was taken right before we left for our run on Thursday. Looks like I am torturing them, right? They actually are very happy once I start moving. It's kind of like when I have to use my whole body to pin down Emmy to get her in her car seat, and she is screaming and bucking all through it. But once I start the car and drive off she is a happy and peaceful little girl.
Our very active baby!
We have had a series of no-nap days lately. They usually end like this...
I plan to run at least 10 miles on Sunday. The Sedona Half Marathon is 2 weeks away!!
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Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Once upon a time...
This picture was taken at the American River Festival and Rodeo in 1999, in Placerville, CA. Sometimes I miss myself.
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Monday, January 24, 2011
Treasures
Yesterday I went for my first run post marathon. I joined the Mountain Milers for a 10K. I felt great and was glad I took a week off to rejuvenate. Today I ran 3 miles, but along the way passed a "free" box outside someone's house - leftovers from their garage sale this last weekend. So... I stopped and found 4 books, a bowl and a basket to carry it all home in. I walked the final mile and showed my goodies to Luke. Shockingly, he wasn't as excited about my sweet finds:)
Emmy is starting to crawl into rooms to find me. She is getting attached and always cries if I walk by her now. She made her way into the bathroom the other night.
Luke and his girls this morning:
Johanna's curls:
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Emmy is starting to crawl into rooms to find me. She is getting attached and always cries if I walk by her now. She made her way into the bathroom the other night.
Luke and his girls this morning:
Johanna's curls:
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Saturday, January 22, 2011
Favorite
Life is getting back to routine around here and I am reluctantly retreating from my runner's high. My toes got the worst beating from the marathon and they are just about normal again. I spent a lot of time this week plotting my next "races". I deeply want to keep running and working towards goals. So, my next one will be the Sedona Half Marathon on February 12.
This morning I was in the bathroom "going potty". Johanna let herself in and I told her I needed some privacy, would she please close the door. She said yes and closed the door, but remained in the bathroom with me. Not what I meant, but fine. She asked me if I was okay and did I need to "hold hands"? It was too cute to pass up so we held hands. Then she wanted to wipe me. I passed. As I stood up to flush the toilet, she looked in and said with exuberance, "Nice, Mommy!" Deep down I know she will not always be this proud of me.
I have been making a good, and really easy, soup lately. The whole family loves it even with the spicy turkey sausage I use. I suppose you could easily substitute an Italian Sweet Sausage instead.
Spicy Turkey Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
1 package Jennie-O, Hot Italian Spicy Turkey Sausage links
1 Tbl olive oil
2-3 Russett potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 cup dried split peas, rinsed
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup frozen corn
4-5 kale leaves, stemmed and torn
Directions:
Squeeze the sausage links out of their casings into a large pot over medium/high heat. Discard casings. Break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces and brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove sausage and place on a paper towel, set aside. Wipe out pot with paper towel and add oil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, shallots and garlic. Saute over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add water, bouillon cube and sausage and bring to a boil. Add the spices and simmer covered over a low heat for about 35 minutes, or until the split peas are tender. Add corn and kale and cook another 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately, freeze or refrigerate. Enjoy!
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This morning I was in the bathroom "going potty". Johanna let herself in and I told her I needed some privacy, would she please close the door. She said yes and closed the door, but remained in the bathroom with me. Not what I meant, but fine. She asked me if I was okay and did I need to "hold hands"? It was too cute to pass up so we held hands. Then she wanted to wipe me. I passed. As I stood up to flush the toilet, she looked in and said with exuberance, "Nice, Mommy!" Deep down I know she will not always be this proud of me.
I have been making a good, and really easy, soup lately. The whole family loves it even with the spicy turkey sausage I use. I suppose you could easily substitute an Italian Sweet Sausage instead.
Spicy Turkey Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
1 package Jennie-O, Hot Italian Spicy Turkey Sausage links
1 Tbl olive oil
2-3 Russett potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 cup dried split peas, rinsed
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup frozen corn
4-5 kale leaves, stemmed and torn
Directions:
Squeeze the sausage links out of their casings into a large pot over medium/high heat. Discard casings. Break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces and brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove sausage and place on a paper towel, set aside. Wipe out pot with paper towel and add oil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, shallots and garlic. Saute over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add water, bouillon cube and sausage and bring to a boil. Add the spices and simmer covered over a low heat for about 35 minutes, or until the split peas are tender. Add corn and kale and cook another 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately, freeze or refrigerate. Enjoy!
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Monday, January 17, 2011
The story of my first marathon
This has been such an amazing journey it will be hard to capture all my feelings about it in one post. But here it goes.
On Saturday, the day before the marathon, I traveled down to Phoenix with my family. I was really starting to buzz and feel my nerves on the way down. I received countless texts and phone calls from well-wishers which made it feel seriously real. My sister Abby had flown in the night before and we were to meet her at the hotel. Around 1:30pm we arrived at the hotel and I ran inside to check in. While at the front desk Abby came up behind me and gave me a huge embrace. There was someone behind her, too close to be a stranger. Upon further inspection I recognized the person as my sister, Ashleigh, and her 6-month old, Gus!!! My sunglasses went flying and I was in utter shock. I forgot where I was. It was pure elation. I am told I pushed Abby out of the way and tackled Ashleigh for a hug. To myself I mused that I would now have to finish this marathon since they flew in special.
Once united we all went to Chili's for a late, light lunch. I split a Cobb salad with Luke. I had been a little nervous about going out to eat since I rarely do it and I did not want to have any weird stomach issues during the race. After lunch we went back to the hotel, met up with my friend, Amy, and then joined the others for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Amy and Antonella joined me in the marathon and Jodi would be running her first half. Here we are post dinner:
Dinner: I had 3 pieces of delicious CPK pizza. It tasted so good! It was a bit chaotic with all the kids and Abby discovered just how "energetic" Johanna is. Notice she is not in these group table shots because she is probably elsewhere in the restaurant rounding up Jo for the 20th time.
I could not have been there without the help of my sweet husband, Luke.
Abby was the main caregiver for Emmy while I raced. Here she is with her two youngest niece and nephew.
Happy sisters together.
After dinner we went back to the hotel and were in our rooms by 7:30pm. Unfortunately, Johanna was completely wired so my big plans of an early and orderly bedtime were out the window. Emmy went down around 8:30pm and we quietly talked with Amy in our room for a while. I laid out my racing clothes and gear. Then I tried it on and laid it out again. I was the last one awake trying to make sure everything was ready for the early morning. Besides having myself ready I had to make sure the girls had their clothes out, the breast milk was thawed and the room was mostly ready for check out. I requested a 4:30am wake-up call and also set my phone alarm. Wouldn't want to sleep in on marathon morning! I finally laid down at 10pm. Shockingly, I was falling asleep very easily and just about to drift off to dreamland when Emmy cried out at 10:17pm. Ah well, this is the trouble with training for a marathon when your babies are still so small and needing you. I was up a lot that night with her, but when I slept I slept deeply. At 4:20am Emmy woke up to nurse and she was just about to fall back asleep when the stupid wake up call came in. Dammit! She cried while I showered and then I took her to Amy's room to eat breakfast. I had one piece of toast, a banana slathered with peanut butter and I sipped on a water bottle of Accelerade until the start of the race. Ashleigh and Abby came to the hotel to take over baby duties with Luke and to wish me luck.
We were so lucky to have Luke drop us off at the starting line instead of having to leave an hour earlier to catch the dreaded shuttle. We still had to walk about 1/2 mile to the starting line, but that was good for the nerves and body. We had to pee so we waited in the port-o-potty lines. Luckily, I was able to go number 2 (sorry, but this is a marathon account) at the hotel that morning. But, I went again just for good measure. Then we went to our corral and had about 35 minutes to wait. We took pictures and were giddy and I fussed about my shoe laces obsessively for about 25 minutes straight. It was cold, about 40 degrees, at the starting line. The sun came up with about 5 minutes to go so we shed our warm layer and were ready. We sang the national anthem and we were off!
We all ran together for the first 3 miles and we all stopped to pee together around mile 2.5. It was so exciting with all the bands and all the people! We went out slow and lots of people passed us, but we kept saying that was okay and we would pass them later. Amy injured her knee about a month ago, but had already paid and was going to run with us as far as she could. The last time she ran, two weeks ago, the farthest she could run was 6 miles. She was already feeling pain. Antonella went ahead around mile 3. We saw a guy pass us and on the back of his T-shirt it read, "old guy pass with compassion". You could interpret that both ways and we got a laugh out of it.
I was feeling great and then at mile 4 my Achilles started to hurt. It was such a bummer to have it start to hurt so early on. This was the one wildcard for me that I was fretting about. I wasn't able to do my training long runs of 18 and 20 miles due to this injury. The password for my email account even went from an uplifting "runpfin5" to a somber "finishpf" because of the uncertainty of me healing. But, I no longer had to save myself for anything. This was it! So I just tucked the pain away and at about mile 5.5 said aloud, "positive vibrations, mon" to myself and that was it.
At mile 5 I ate half a Lara Bar. I stepped over the 10k mark at 1:07, about 3 minutes slower than goal pace. When Amy slowed to a walk to take a gel I kept running. I felt great and that feeling continued until mile 8. My legs started to feel heavy and tired and that was crazy! That never happened this early into a run. I refused to resign myself to just having a bad running day so I pushed through. Up until about mile 10 we were in downtown Phoenix, traveling through lots of neighborhoods and a there were cheerleaders almost every mile, along with a live band. At mile 10 we ran on an overpass and it was the first time I contemplated putting my iPod on. At mile 11 there was a lady who was saying over and over, "you should be so proud of yourselves". That made me smile broadly. A little while later I felt a little depleted so I ate the rest of my Lara Bar and put on my iPod. The first song to come on was Blind Melon's "No Rain". That made me feel euphoric and gave me a real boost for the next few miles. I was so happy when I crossed over the half marathon mark at 2:21, I had caught up and was at goal pace. Knowing that a few of my friends were receiving my updates was so motivating and I highly recommend it.
At around mile 14 someone came up from behind me and grabbed my arm. It was Antonella and I could not figure out how I could have gotten in front of her. Apparently she stopped to pee and text her husband at mile 10. We ran together for a while and then I stopped because I felt a pebble in my shoe and did not want to risk it. So, I sat down and took off my shoe and there was nothing in it - so annoying! Antonella was long gone. The new shoes I decided to wear were working out fine, but this little snafu bothered me. I was feeling in the dumps until mile 16.5 when the song "Visions of Johanna" came on my iPod and I melted into tears. One of the main reasons I ever started this marathon goal was for my girls, to set a good example for them regarding the importance of fitness as a lifestyle. I took a gel around this point and pulled myself together.
Miles 17-20 were hard. My legs and hips were really hurting and I had to start making a point to lengthen my stride so my legs could feel a stretch while I ran. I should say that during the entire marathon I took walking breaks and the second half I also took stop and stretch breaks, especially for my calves and Achilles. I feel confident that it made a huge difference that I would have felt had I not taken the time. I also walked through every aid station where I drank at least one cup of Cytomax (up until the last few miles) and one cup of water. I ate a few gummies to try to give myself a kickstart, but it didn't seem to work. Then I had a brainstorm. All the spectators and cheer squads were burning out a bit, they had been cheering the whole time, trying to have the same enthusiasm for 3 hours! Most of the runners ignored them at this point in the race. I decided I would take advantage of their services so when I was feeling really low I made a dash to the far right lane and held my hand out for a high five. There were about 30 cheerleaders in the row and every single one reciprocated my hand slap. I was one giant smile and when I passed them I looked at my watch and I was at a 9:54 pace. Amazing! Human contact - it works! I used this method several more times during the race with the same effect.
Mile 20 came and I was just barely off my pace, I still had a great chance to hit my goal time finish of 4:45 if I didn't make any stops. At mile 21.5 I saw my friend's husband and I stopped to talk to him since I thought he might be with my family. In hindsight this was my downfall. I spent almost 4 minutes talking with him and it was at the point in the race where when I started running again I felt a little tightened up. I was really pushing now. My stomach started to cramp up and it felt like your typical gut rot, which is what I think it was. By this point I had taken 3 gels, 1 bar, 4 Power Bar gummies and all that disgusting Cytomax. That's when I decided I would only drink water from that point forward. I would have eaten my other Lara bar, but I was just so wasted that chewing did not sound like a feasible option. I will always recommend to people that they eat their bars first, and as long as they can, and rely on their gels last. It was just too much sugar. Running through the stomach pain was not fun and I felt nauseous for about a half mile. Then an angel, talking on her cell phone, was standing on the side of the road holding out an open bag of pretzels. I grabbed 4 and managed to eat 3. It was heavenly and did the trick.
By now it was getting hot, maybe 72 degrees and the sun was relentless. I felt my forehead and it was like sand paper to the touch from all the salt I was sweating out. More and more people were walking now and it was just a test of mental will power to keep running myself. I focused on a long stride and I had my arms going in a "wax on, wax off" motion. It worked and I only allowed myself to walk through the aid stations - water only. I dumped cups of water over my head and down my shirt. I tried to pump myself up that I was almost there, the end is near. I wondered at what point do you turn on the gas for the finish. I still had some left in the tank, but I didn't want to screw myself. At mile 24 I realized I was not going to make my goal finish time. That was a blow, but guess what song was playing on my iPod at that exact moment? Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want". It was perfect and I was instantly okay with it. But, I couldn't just give up because now I had to finish in under 5 hours. I saw a lady on the side of the road holding up a sign that read, "Fast girls have good times!" It was awesome and I told her so.
Mile 25 was my absolute lowest point in the marathon. This came as a total shock to me since you are so close to the finish line. I thought I'd be jamming for the last mile, but my pace was consistently 11+ minute miles and I felt worked. So I just kept moving forward. I kept saying to myself that this is just one moment in time. This is a privilege and the time is now. Just one moment in time.
Soon I could smell food and see the turn into the stadium. When I saw the finish line's giant yellow arch I put my iPod and earphones in my sports bra and went into turbo mode, turbo being 10:15 pace or something like that. The crowds were huge and the excitement was tangible. I turned the curve and heard my name yelled out. I looked to my left and saw Ashleigh, with Gus, taking pictures. I jumped in the air and did a toe tap and gave her a huge smile.
It was so close. I crossed the finish line at 4:51.34 and put my hands up and boom, it was over. I was elated. A volunteer handed me a water and another one put a big, fat medal around my neck, and then I heard my name again from the left. It was Luke and my sisters, I guess they moved down pretty fast. When I saw Luke I immediately burst into tears and gave him a huge hug and kiss. It was emotional and was akin to how I felt when I was holding onto him as I pushed Emmy out on the day of her birth. So much love.
It was picture time with my medal and then I was guided through to the recovery area where I ate orange slices, an old banana and a fruit cup. I grabbed some other food and headed out to meet my family. You will be happy to know that nursing Emmy was not a concern. She was happy as a clam with Abby, but my boobies were full and she was happy to oblige. We sat on this curb for about 20 minutes just soaking it all in.
Before we moved onto the grass in the stadium I took off my shoes so I could put my flip flops on and discovered 2 huge blisters, 1 on each foot. I had no idea they were there and they were like 6th toes! I hobbled to the field and lanced them myself for some major relief. My body really stiffened up after I stopped running and my knee joints hurt the most. Overall, I was in pretty good shape. We met up with Amy on the field and I gave her a big squeeze and cried some more. I wondered at what point she had to get a lift to the finish line. You know what? That crazy girl finished! She finished at a respectable 5:17.35!! We hugged and cried again. We had a nice hour or so sitting in the sun before we headed into Tempe for a bite to eat. French fries and a Gyro never tasted so good.
On the way home that night I talked to Luke about all my epiphanies from the day and I think one stands out the most. We as humans have the power to create these amazing experiences for ourselves. It's within our power. I've been sitting around for the better part of 10 years just waiting for things to fall in my lap, watching others reap the rewards that this type of challenge brings. Of course I have a wonderful family with my husband and two girls, but I haven't spent enough time making things happen. Endeavors to create a great experience are risky. They may not always turn out 100% positive, but lessons will be gained and you as a person will flourish. Being pushed up against a wall can teach you a lot about yourself. Mental strength is supreme. I feel that with this type of life training I will be better prepared to confront difficult times. I have the power to give myself these opportunities for growth. In my mind it would be such a waste not to take advantage of that privilege.
My sister-in-law, Clara, recently lost her grandmother. Clara's dad wrote the funeral program and here are some of his words:
On Saturday, the day before the marathon, I traveled down to Phoenix with my family. I was really starting to buzz and feel my nerves on the way down. I received countless texts and phone calls from well-wishers which made it feel seriously real. My sister Abby had flown in the night before and we were to meet her at the hotel. Around 1:30pm we arrived at the hotel and I ran inside to check in. While at the front desk Abby came up behind me and gave me a huge embrace. There was someone behind her, too close to be a stranger. Upon further inspection I recognized the person as my sister, Ashleigh, and her 6-month old, Gus!!! My sunglasses went flying and I was in utter shock. I forgot where I was. It was pure elation. I am told I pushed Abby out of the way and tackled Ashleigh for a hug. To myself I mused that I would now have to finish this marathon since they flew in special.
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| Ashleigh is holding Emmy on the left and Abby is holding Gus on right |
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| Me, Antonella, Jodi and Amy |
I could not have been there without the help of my sweet husband, Luke.
Abby was the main caregiver for Emmy while I raced. Here she is with her two youngest niece and nephew.
Happy sisters together.
After dinner we went back to the hotel and were in our rooms by 7:30pm. Unfortunately, Johanna was completely wired so my big plans of an early and orderly bedtime were out the window. Emmy went down around 8:30pm and we quietly talked with Amy in our room for a while. I laid out my racing clothes and gear. Then I tried it on and laid it out again. I was the last one awake trying to make sure everything was ready for the early morning. Besides having myself ready I had to make sure the girls had their clothes out, the breast milk was thawed and the room was mostly ready for check out. I requested a 4:30am wake-up call and also set my phone alarm. Wouldn't want to sleep in on marathon morning! I finally laid down at 10pm. Shockingly, I was falling asleep very easily and just about to drift off to dreamland when Emmy cried out at 10:17pm. Ah well, this is the trouble with training for a marathon when your babies are still so small and needing you. I was up a lot that night with her, but when I slept I slept deeply. At 4:20am Emmy woke up to nurse and she was just about to fall back asleep when the stupid wake up call came in. Dammit! She cried while I showered and then I took her to Amy's room to eat breakfast. I had one piece of toast, a banana slathered with peanut butter and I sipped on a water bottle of Accelerade until the start of the race. Ashleigh and Abby came to the hotel to take over baby duties with Luke and to wish me luck.
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| Giving Emmy one last nibble. |
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| Amy and I about to leave with Luke to be dropped off at the starting line. |
We were so lucky to have Luke drop us off at the starting line instead of having to leave an hour earlier to catch the dreaded shuttle. We still had to walk about 1/2 mile to the starting line, but that was good for the nerves and body. We had to pee so we waited in the port-o-potty lines. Luckily, I was able to go number 2 (sorry, but this is a marathon account) at the hotel that morning. But, I went again just for good measure. Then we went to our corral and had about 35 minutes to wait. We took pictures and were giddy and I fussed about my shoe laces obsessively for about 25 minutes straight. It was cold, about 40 degrees, at the starting line. The sun came up with about 5 minutes to go so we shed our warm layer and were ready. We sang the national anthem and we were off!
We all ran together for the first 3 miles and we all stopped to pee together around mile 2.5. It was so exciting with all the bands and all the people! We went out slow and lots of people passed us, but we kept saying that was okay and we would pass them later. Amy injured her knee about a month ago, but had already paid and was going to run with us as far as she could. The last time she ran, two weeks ago, the farthest she could run was 6 miles. She was already feeling pain. Antonella went ahead around mile 3. We saw a guy pass us and on the back of his T-shirt it read, "old guy pass with compassion". You could interpret that both ways and we got a laugh out of it.
I was feeling great and then at mile 4 my Achilles started to hurt. It was such a bummer to have it start to hurt so early on. This was the one wildcard for me that I was fretting about. I wasn't able to do my training long runs of 18 and 20 miles due to this injury. The password for my email account even went from an uplifting "runpfin5" to a somber "finishpf" because of the uncertainty of me healing. But, I no longer had to save myself for anything. This was it! So I just tucked the pain away and at about mile 5.5 said aloud, "positive vibrations, mon" to myself and that was it.
At mile 5 I ate half a Lara Bar. I stepped over the 10k mark at 1:07, about 3 minutes slower than goal pace. When Amy slowed to a walk to take a gel I kept running. I felt great and that feeling continued until mile 8. My legs started to feel heavy and tired and that was crazy! That never happened this early into a run. I refused to resign myself to just having a bad running day so I pushed through. Up until about mile 10 we were in downtown Phoenix, traveling through lots of neighborhoods and a there were cheerleaders almost every mile, along with a live band. At mile 10 we ran on an overpass and it was the first time I contemplated putting my iPod on. At mile 11 there was a lady who was saying over and over, "you should be so proud of yourselves". That made me smile broadly. A little while later I felt a little depleted so I ate the rest of my Lara Bar and put on my iPod. The first song to come on was Blind Melon's "No Rain". That made me feel euphoric and gave me a real boost for the next few miles. I was so happy when I crossed over the half marathon mark at 2:21, I had caught up and was at goal pace. Knowing that a few of my friends were receiving my updates was so motivating and I highly recommend it.
At around mile 14 someone came up from behind me and grabbed my arm. It was Antonella and I could not figure out how I could have gotten in front of her. Apparently she stopped to pee and text her husband at mile 10. We ran together for a while and then I stopped because I felt a pebble in my shoe and did not want to risk it. So, I sat down and took off my shoe and there was nothing in it - so annoying! Antonella was long gone. The new shoes I decided to wear were working out fine, but this little snafu bothered me. I was feeling in the dumps until mile 16.5 when the song "Visions of Johanna" came on my iPod and I melted into tears. One of the main reasons I ever started this marathon goal was for my girls, to set a good example for them regarding the importance of fitness as a lifestyle. I took a gel around this point and pulled myself together.
Miles 17-20 were hard. My legs and hips were really hurting and I had to start making a point to lengthen my stride so my legs could feel a stretch while I ran. I should say that during the entire marathon I took walking breaks and the second half I also took stop and stretch breaks, especially for my calves and Achilles. I feel confident that it made a huge difference that I would have felt had I not taken the time. I also walked through every aid station where I drank at least one cup of Cytomax (up until the last few miles) and one cup of water. I ate a few gummies to try to give myself a kickstart, but it didn't seem to work. Then I had a brainstorm. All the spectators and cheer squads were burning out a bit, they had been cheering the whole time, trying to have the same enthusiasm for 3 hours! Most of the runners ignored them at this point in the race. I decided I would take advantage of their services so when I was feeling really low I made a dash to the far right lane and held my hand out for a high five. There were about 30 cheerleaders in the row and every single one reciprocated my hand slap. I was one giant smile and when I passed them I looked at my watch and I was at a 9:54 pace. Amazing! Human contact - it works! I used this method several more times during the race with the same effect.
Mile 20 came and I was just barely off my pace, I still had a great chance to hit my goal time finish of 4:45 if I didn't make any stops. At mile 21.5 I saw my friend's husband and I stopped to talk to him since I thought he might be with my family. In hindsight this was my downfall. I spent almost 4 minutes talking with him and it was at the point in the race where when I started running again I felt a little tightened up. I was really pushing now. My stomach started to cramp up and it felt like your typical gut rot, which is what I think it was. By this point I had taken 3 gels, 1 bar, 4 Power Bar gummies and all that disgusting Cytomax. That's when I decided I would only drink water from that point forward. I would have eaten my other Lara bar, but I was just so wasted that chewing did not sound like a feasible option. I will always recommend to people that they eat their bars first, and as long as they can, and rely on their gels last. It was just too much sugar. Running through the stomach pain was not fun and I felt nauseous for about a half mile. Then an angel, talking on her cell phone, was standing on the side of the road holding out an open bag of pretzels. I grabbed 4 and managed to eat 3. It was heavenly and did the trick.
By now it was getting hot, maybe 72 degrees and the sun was relentless. I felt my forehead and it was like sand paper to the touch from all the salt I was sweating out. More and more people were walking now and it was just a test of mental will power to keep running myself. I focused on a long stride and I had my arms going in a "wax on, wax off" motion. It worked and I only allowed myself to walk through the aid stations - water only. I dumped cups of water over my head and down my shirt. I tried to pump myself up that I was almost there, the end is near. I wondered at what point do you turn on the gas for the finish. I still had some left in the tank, but I didn't want to screw myself. At mile 24 I realized I was not going to make my goal finish time. That was a blow, but guess what song was playing on my iPod at that exact moment? Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want". It was perfect and I was instantly okay with it. But, I couldn't just give up because now I had to finish in under 5 hours. I saw a lady on the side of the road holding up a sign that read, "Fast girls have good times!" It was awesome and I told her so.
Mile 25 was my absolute lowest point in the marathon. This came as a total shock to me since you are so close to the finish line. I thought I'd be jamming for the last mile, but my pace was consistently 11+ minute miles and I felt worked. So I just kept moving forward. I kept saying to myself that this is just one moment in time. This is a privilege and the time is now. Just one moment in time.
Soon I could smell food and see the turn into the stadium. When I saw the finish line's giant yellow arch I put my iPod and earphones in my sports bra and went into turbo mode, turbo being 10:15 pace or something like that. The crowds were huge and the excitement was tangible. I turned the curve and heard my name yelled out. I looked to my left and saw Ashleigh, with Gus, taking pictures. I jumped in the air and did a toe tap and gave her a huge smile.
It was so close. I crossed the finish line at 4:51.34 and put my hands up and boom, it was over. I was elated. A volunteer handed me a water and another one put a big, fat medal around my neck, and then I heard my name again from the left. It was Luke and my sisters, I guess they moved down pretty fast. When I saw Luke I immediately burst into tears and gave him a huge hug and kiss. It was emotional and was akin to how I felt when I was holding onto him as I pushed Emmy out on the day of her birth. So much love.
It was picture time with my medal and then I was guided through to the recovery area where I ate orange slices, an old banana and a fruit cup. I grabbed some other food and headed out to meet my family. You will be happy to know that nursing Emmy was not a concern. She was happy as a clam with Abby, but my boobies were full and she was happy to oblige. We sat on this curb for about 20 minutes just soaking it all in.
Before we moved onto the grass in the stadium I took off my shoes so I could put my flip flops on and discovered 2 huge blisters, 1 on each foot. I had no idea they were there and they were like 6th toes! I hobbled to the field and lanced them myself for some major relief. My body really stiffened up after I stopped running and my knee joints hurt the most. Overall, I was in pretty good shape. We met up with Amy on the field and I gave her a big squeeze and cried some more. I wondered at what point she had to get a lift to the finish line. You know what? That crazy girl finished! She finished at a respectable 5:17.35!! We hugged and cried again. We had a nice hour or so sitting in the sun before we headed into Tempe for a bite to eat. French fries and a Gyro never tasted so good.
On the way home that night I talked to Luke about all my epiphanies from the day and I think one stands out the most. We as humans have the power to create these amazing experiences for ourselves. It's within our power. I've been sitting around for the better part of 10 years just waiting for things to fall in my lap, watching others reap the rewards that this type of challenge brings. Of course I have a wonderful family with my husband and two girls, but I haven't spent enough time making things happen. Endeavors to create a great experience are risky. They may not always turn out 100% positive, but lessons will be gained and you as a person will flourish. Being pushed up against a wall can teach you a lot about yourself. Mental strength is supreme. I feel that with this type of life training I will be better prepared to confront difficult times. I have the power to give myself these opportunities for growth. In my mind it would be such a waste not to take advantage of that privilege.
My sister-in-law, Clara, recently lost her grandmother. Clara's dad wrote the funeral program and here are some of his words:
"Our dear mother kept a newspaper clipping in her desk drawer for many years regarding the nature of a successful life. She gave this Emerson quote of advice to her children, and she lived it herself.
Simply put: “To succeed is to achieve one’s goal.” However, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1881) said it best when he wrote:
To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one’s self;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
—this is to have succeeded."
Simply put: “To succeed is to achieve one’s goal.” However, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1881) said it best when he wrote:
To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one’s self;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
—this is to have succeeded."
Just one day after I am almost fully recovered and I think I am ready for a half!!
158
Friday, January 14, 2011
Count down
I'm sure I am just freaking out, but I have brand new leg pain on my inner thigh, I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection and I just found out that my friend's son, whom I gave a giant lip-smacking kiss today, has a 101 degree fever. I just want to make it to the starting line healthy - is that too much to ask?? I just want a fair chance to see if I can do this thing without all the added drama. Let's just assume I'm freaking out.
Tonight I started packing for our short, one night stay in Tempe. There are really critical items that need to make it in the car; shoes, sports bra, breast milk, food, baby food, stroller, ergo, co-sleeper. This trip is complicated for just one night. And can I publicly thank my sister, Abby, again for helping out? Thank you Abby. And of course a huge thank you to Luke for putting up with this hectic training schedule and all the logged solo daddy-duty hours contributed. Through all this hard work of training I do realize I have it easier than most with my husband's flexible schedule.
Okay, I know I'm all over the place, but I have to share this moment from my evening. I was in the bathroom with Emmy, trying to wedge a syringe-full of Tylenol into her steel-trap-for-a-mouth. She's teething and so miserable. Johanna comes running in begging me to go "pee-pee". I told her to wait just a second, but then she fell to the ground writhing around and grabbing herself in desperation. We've had a few accidents lately and so I really wanted to avoid that if possible. I took in a visual inspection of the bathroom floor and decided putting Emmy down on that was not an option. (So, I'm a few days behind on bathroom cleaning.) In a panic I took my horizontal 7-month old and jammed her between my inner thighs and clamped down. Then I picked up Johanna off the ground, pulled down her pants and put her on the throne. You know what? She was still wearing her diaper pull-ups from her nap. Oh, the joys and irony of motherhood.
Going in to this marathon I am trying to highlight some real positives so if all does not go smoothly on Sunday I will still feel a sense of accomplishment. The things I'm most proud of are the physical training, the weight-loss and my uncharacteristic self-discipline for 18 straight weeks. Check me out exactly 6 months prior to the race. Who is that person?
This will be my last post until after the race so you can all just imagine me laying out all my gear the night before, battling with Johanna to fall asleep, waking up 3 times during the night to nurse Emmy, laying awake because I'm too excited to sleep and then rising to run a marathon.
My ideal splits will be:
10K 1:04
Half 2:22
20 Miles 3:37
Finish 4:45
Do you ever feel like something big is on the horizon? I'm not talking about the actual race, but something BIG. It's a wonderful feeling.
159
Tonight I started packing for our short, one night stay in Tempe. There are really critical items that need to make it in the car; shoes, sports bra, breast milk, food, baby food, stroller, ergo, co-sleeper. This trip is complicated for just one night. And can I publicly thank my sister, Abby, again for helping out? Thank you Abby. And of course a huge thank you to Luke for putting up with this hectic training schedule and all the logged solo daddy-duty hours contributed. Through all this hard work of training I do realize I have it easier than most with my husband's flexible schedule.
Okay, I know I'm all over the place, but I have to share this moment from my evening. I was in the bathroom with Emmy, trying to wedge a syringe-full of Tylenol into her steel-trap-for-a-mouth. She's teething and so miserable. Johanna comes running in begging me to go "pee-pee". I told her to wait just a second, but then she fell to the ground writhing around and grabbing herself in desperation. We've had a few accidents lately and so I really wanted to avoid that if possible. I took in a visual inspection of the bathroom floor and decided putting Emmy down on that was not an option. (So, I'm a few days behind on bathroom cleaning.) In a panic I took my horizontal 7-month old and jammed her between my inner thighs and clamped down. Then I picked up Johanna off the ground, pulled down her pants and put her on the throne. You know what? She was still wearing her diaper pull-ups from her nap. Oh, the joys and irony of motherhood.
Going in to this marathon I am trying to highlight some real positives so if all does not go smoothly on Sunday I will still feel a sense of accomplishment. The things I'm most proud of are the physical training, the weight-loss and my uncharacteristic self-discipline for 18 straight weeks. Check me out exactly 6 months prior to the race. Who is that person?
This will be my last post until after the race so you can all just imagine me laying out all my gear the night before, battling with Johanna to fall asleep, waking up 3 times during the night to nurse Emmy, laying awake because I'm too excited to sleep and then rising to run a marathon.
My ideal splits will be:
10K 1:04
Half 2:22
20 Miles 3:37
Finish 4:45
Do you ever feel like something big is on the horizon? I'm not talking about the actual race, but something BIG. It's a wonderful feeling.
159
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Staying healthy and the Taper
Marathon, marathon, marathon.... M A R A T H O N!!! I am obsessed.
The last couple days have been filled with ups and downs leading up to this goal of mine. On Sunday I went for a 6 mile run with my local running group. It was a fantastic run! I ran with my friend Jessica who recently ran her first marathon in December. I borderline harassed her with questions about every aspect of her day, and then tried to see how it could relate to me and my upcoming day. Marathon training has made me a little selfish. She appeased me and offered up some helpful tips. Aside from the tangible things like "bring chapstick", it's just confidence-building to talk to someone who has been through it and who you can relate with. Thank you to marathoners Emilie, Kathy, Jessica, and Lloyd for all your helpful tips and motivation. Here we are after running 6 miles on Sunday:
After the 6 miler I felt awesome. I had no pain at all. The next day I got my new shoes in the mail and decided to run in them that day - 3 miles. The run and the shoes felt good after I tightened the laces so the heel wouldn't slip. After the run my hamstrings really tightened up and that has been bothering me since Monday. Yesterday I ran 2 miles and that will likely be my final run before THE RACE. That made 4 days running in a row and maybe not the best idea. Then last night my right Achilles started talking to me a little. Not bad, but not encouraging. I iced it before bed and this morning it feels okay. The Achilles is a sneaky bugger though. It could feel fine now and then creep up around mile 12 and I still have 14.2 miles to go. BUT, I am going to think positively!!
Just one more complaint, I am battling a cold right now. It's not severe and I have been fighting back by taking echinacea, probiotics and avoiding sugar. Right now I have a cough, but hopefully I feel great by the weekend. The weekend! Did you know it will be 73 degrees in Phoenix this weekend? That sounds absolutely incredible after all the cold we've been experiencing up here. It could provide an added challenge to the race, too, as I have been training in cold temps. But, yessss, it will be warm!!
It is becoming obvious that I will not reach my weight goal by race day. Today I am 161 and I could be the most optimistic person you've ever met (that is, if you have never met my mother), and even I know 155 is out of the question by this Sunday. Christmas and my mother-in-law's cooking are the culprits!! It was all worthwhile and entering the race at this weight is okay with me.
Our Emmylou is spending some carefully supervised time standing up. Sometimes I think I'll kiss her to death!
Bring on the rest!
161
The last couple days have been filled with ups and downs leading up to this goal of mine. On Sunday I went for a 6 mile run with my local running group. It was a fantastic run! I ran with my friend Jessica who recently ran her first marathon in December. I borderline harassed her with questions about every aspect of her day, and then tried to see how it could relate to me and my upcoming day. Marathon training has made me a little selfish. She appeased me and offered up some helpful tips. Aside from the tangible things like "bring chapstick", it's just confidence-building to talk to someone who has been through it and who you can relate with. Thank you to marathoners Emilie, Kathy, Jessica, and Lloyd for all your helpful tips and motivation. Here we are after running 6 miles on Sunday:
After the 6 miler I felt awesome. I had no pain at all. The next day I got my new shoes in the mail and decided to run in them that day - 3 miles. The run and the shoes felt good after I tightened the laces so the heel wouldn't slip. After the run my hamstrings really tightened up and that has been bothering me since Monday. Yesterday I ran 2 miles and that will likely be my final run before THE RACE. That made 4 days running in a row and maybe not the best idea. Then last night my right Achilles started talking to me a little. Not bad, but not encouraging. I iced it before bed and this morning it feels okay. The Achilles is a sneaky bugger though. It could feel fine now and then creep up around mile 12 and I still have 14.2 miles to go. BUT, I am going to think positively!!
Just one more complaint, I am battling a cold right now. It's not severe and I have been fighting back by taking echinacea, probiotics and avoiding sugar. Right now I have a cough, but hopefully I feel great by the weekend. The weekend! Did you know it will be 73 degrees in Phoenix this weekend? That sounds absolutely incredible after all the cold we've been experiencing up here. It could provide an added challenge to the race, too, as I have been training in cold temps. But, yessss, it will be warm!!
It is becoming obvious that I will not reach my weight goal by race day. Today I am 161 and I could be the most optimistic person you've ever met (that is, if you have never met my mother), and even I know 155 is out of the question by this Sunday. Christmas and my mother-in-law's cooking are the culprits!! It was all worthwhile and entering the race at this weight is okay with me.
Our Emmylou is spending some carefully supervised time standing up. Sometimes I think I'll kiss her to death!
Bring on the rest!
161
Saturday, January 8, 2011
New leaf
I think I am actually excited for this marathon! I ran 8 miles today and felt fine with the calf and Achilles, but my quads were killing me. What the heck? I should be feeling top notch right now, no? I am going to chalk it up to not enough carbs. I have been having a mostly veggie, fruit and lean meat diet. I think my glycogen reserves were low. So, I fixed that problem today and won't make that mistake again.
My pace was 10:58 and I was trying for 10:52. But, the trail was partly covered in snow for a couple miles and then muddy on the way back once it had warmed up in the sun. I also experimented with run/walk to see if I could maintain the pace. It was close.
I spent a good hour today trying on my entire closet to see what I can get rid of, what maternity I can finally put away and to make a diagnosis of what new clothes I need :) It was fun! I am so done being overweight.
6 miles tomorrow.
160.5
My pace was 10:58 and I was trying for 10:52. But, the trail was partly covered in snow for a couple miles and then muddy on the way back once it had warmed up in the sun. I also experimented with run/walk to see if I could maintain the pace. It was close.
I spent a good hour today trying on my entire closet to see what I can get rid of, what maternity I can finally put away and to make a diagnosis of what new clothes I need :) It was fun! I am so done being overweight.
6 miles tomorrow.
160.5
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Another day
Tonight I am thankful for everything I have. I am a fortunate soul. Much love to all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried cooking Wahoo tonight. I ran out of foil so I just used some Corningware and ended up overcooking it a bit. The flavor was good though, dressed with:
Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Cilantro
Lemon
Magic Fish seasoning
Sea Salt
We tried some sledding today with a broken sled we found. We need to try again with a real sled.
These cold temperatures just keep the snow around even with the Arizona sun shining down. It continues to be 10 degrees at night and only gets to about 40 during the day. Snow never sticks around this long!
My Emmy blues.
Exercising her rights.
I ran 4 miles today on the treadmill. I felt strong although I still have a tight right calf. I received my new pair of running shoes in the mail yesterday, the New Balance 1012. Almost immediately I knew I didn't like them so I sent them back and ordered the ASICS Gel-Evolution 6. I'm still holding on to the possibility that I could be in a new shoe for the marathon.
Onward.
161
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried cooking Wahoo tonight. I ran out of foil so I just used some Corningware and ended up overcooking it a bit. The flavor was good though, dressed with:
Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Cilantro
Lemon
Magic Fish seasoning
Sea Salt
We tried some sledding today with a broken sled we found. We need to try again with a real sled.
These cold temperatures just keep the snow around even with the Arizona sun shining down. It continues to be 10 degrees at night and only gets to about 40 during the day. Snow never sticks around this long!
My Emmy blues.
Exercising her rights.
I ran 4 miles today on the treadmill. I felt strong although I still have a tight right calf. I received my new pair of running shoes in the mail yesterday, the New Balance 1012. Almost immediately I knew I didn't like them so I sent them back and ordered the ASICS Gel-Evolution 6. I'm still holding on to the possibility that I could be in a new shoe for the marathon.
Onward.
161
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Super Salad
I have received a lot of great advice and encouragement in the last couple days and I am feeling super positive. Thank you. Though some of it derives from, sort of, an unkind motive. For example one friend of mine, who just ran her first marathon a few weeks ago, reminded me "of all the poor saps that signed up to run the marathon a month ago and they have never even tried a 10K". That one worked for me big time! Yet, I asked her if she really thought those people existed.
Regardless of the origination, all this encouragement helps to make me feel like a super hero when I go to that place of self-doubt. So thanks again for the boost.
Today Johanna and I did storytime by ourselves and left the little peanut at home with daddy. We had so much fun together, just us. She loved the attention and I loved being so mobile. We sang songs, danced and had lots of random snuggles. It was swell. Then I grocery shopped this afternoon with Emmylulu.
I also stretched twice, drank water, ate salad, skipped treats and had some tea.
I love salads. Luke and I almost always have one for lunch. They are constantly evolving so they never get boring. Here is the one I had today with the ingredient list below:
Salad 1/2011
Romaine
Kale
Carrot
Pistachios
Feta
Cranberries
Ginger Root, minced
Sea salt, tiny pinch
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
And here is a picture of my favorite little monkey. I think she's learning how to turn it on for the camera. I LOVE this girl.
Super powers activate!
163
Regardless of the origination, all this encouragement helps to make me feel like a super hero when I go to that place of self-doubt. So thanks again for the boost.
Today Johanna and I did storytime by ourselves and left the little peanut at home with daddy. We had so much fun together, just us. She loved the attention and I loved being so mobile. We sang songs, danced and had lots of random snuggles. It was swell. Then I grocery shopped this afternoon with Emmylulu.
I also stretched twice, drank water, ate salad, skipped treats and had some tea.
I love salads. Luke and I almost always have one for lunch. They are constantly evolving so they never get boring. Here is the one I had today with the ingredient list below:
Salad 1/2011
Romaine
Kale
Carrot
Pistachios
Feta
Cranberries
Ginger Root, minced
Sea salt, tiny pinch
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
And here is a picture of my favorite little monkey. I think she's learning how to turn it on for the camera. I LOVE this girl.
Super powers activate!
163
Monday, January 3, 2011
Going marathon crazy
First, for anyone interested, our water is back on - hooray! There was no permanent damage, that we know of anyway. My very smart husband drove the fire engine to our house, with his partner, and found an exposed piece of pipe under our deck. He wrapped it with a heating pad and 2 hours later voila, the water started running again. Johanna and I were in the living room when all of the sudden we heard all the faucets sputter to running again. We did the necessary celebratory dance all over the house and then I promptly took a shower. It was a wonderful end to my very depressed state over the matter. Thank you Luke!!
I lost a lot of sleep last night for two reasons. One because Emmy, after sleeping so beautifully the last three nights, decided to wake up every two hours to nurse and complain. The other reason was because I was obsessing over my impending marathon which is fast approaching. What will I wear to avoid chafing? How early should I get up before the race starts? What will I eat? How I will plan for the nursing dilemma? How will I really feel at mile 20? Should I wear my Camelbak? Should I bring my iPod? How will I carry my gels and bars? Where will I nurse Emmy at the finish line?
Breathe.
I want to say it will all just work out, but I always say that and then regret it later. It would relax me right now, but then I would be scrambling two days before and up until the gun goes off. I want to be totally ready in all the ways I can. I have been combing through my friend Emilie's blog for pre-race, race and post-race advice learned from her two marathon experiences. This race is constantly on my mind at this point. It is 10 days away and 26.2 miles is a long way, people! I might crash and burn. I might have an amazing run. The future is unknown.
Big breath again.
With just 10 days until race day I have formulated a plan for caring for myself.
Eat as many greens as possible in daily smoothies, salads for lunch and dinner
Drink a lot of water
Eat a mostly clean food diet
S T R E T C H every day, twice a day
Take supplements twice a day
-hyaluronic acid
-collagen
-fish oil
Relax my brain and body
Know that I am capable, but don't know it too much
I am so lucky to have my sister Abby to cheer me on for the big race. She is flying in from San Francisco for the weekend and will be helping Luke with the girls while I'm running. She may be helping us more than she knows. Thanks Abby!
Moving on, yesterday I ran 11 miles in 19 degree weather. The tube of my Camelbak even froze at one point. It was a run to remember. I met up with a running group I recently joined and they were doing a 10K, 6.2 miles. That meant I had to bid them farewell in the parking lot, standing next to my car, and then head out to do the same course a second time. I think that qualifies for some marathon mental training, which I understand is equally important. The reason I only did 11 miles was because I got lost, but I did discover some cool things along my way like the Hacienda de los Milagros. I ran right past the farm and saw about 100 donkeys. And smelled them too. It took me about 2 hours to complete the run and I figured hours running was more important than mileage.
Ready or not, here I come.
164
I lost a lot of sleep last night for two reasons. One because Emmy, after sleeping so beautifully the last three nights, decided to wake up every two hours to nurse and complain. The other reason was because I was obsessing over my impending marathon which is fast approaching. What will I wear to avoid chafing? How early should I get up before the race starts? What will I eat? How I will plan for the nursing dilemma? How will I really feel at mile 20? Should I wear my Camelbak? Should I bring my iPod? How will I carry my gels and bars? Where will I nurse Emmy at the finish line?
Breathe.
I want to say it will all just work out, but I always say that and then regret it later. It would relax me right now, but then I would be scrambling two days before and up until the gun goes off. I want to be totally ready in all the ways I can. I have been combing through my friend Emilie's blog for pre-race, race and post-race advice learned from her two marathon experiences. This race is constantly on my mind at this point. It is 10 days away and 26.2 miles is a long way, people! I might crash and burn. I might have an amazing run. The future is unknown.
Big breath again.
With just 10 days until race day I have formulated a plan for caring for myself.
Eat as many greens as possible in daily smoothies, salads for lunch and dinner
Drink a lot of water
Eat a mostly clean food diet
S T R E T C H every day, twice a day
Take supplements twice a day
-hyaluronic acid
-collagen
-fish oil
Relax my brain and body
Know that I am capable, but don't know it too much
I am so lucky to have my sister Abby to cheer me on for the big race. She is flying in from San Francisco for the weekend and will be helping Luke with the girls while I'm running. She may be helping us more than she knows. Thanks Abby!
Moving on, yesterday I ran 11 miles in 19 degree weather. The tube of my Camelbak even froze at one point. It was a run to remember. I met up with a running group I recently joined and they were doing a 10K, 6.2 miles. That meant I had to bid them farewell in the parking lot, standing next to my car, and then head out to do the same course a second time. I think that qualifies for some marathon mental training, which I understand is equally important. The reason I only did 11 miles was because I got lost, but I did discover some cool things along my way like the Hacienda de los Milagros. I ran right past the farm and saw about 100 donkeys. And smelled them too. It took me about 2 hours to complete the run and I figured hours running was more important than mileage.
Ready or not, here I come.
164
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Come on!
Happy New Year! Last night we celebrated at home. It was amazing really. Both kids were tucked up in bed and asleep by 7:30pm and stayed that way until 3:30am this morning.
A M A Z I N G.
Luke and I had a nice night and we stayed up late by our standards - 11pm. At 5:30am the alarm went off for Luke to go to work. He went to take a shower and there was no water. Hmmm, no water. Have I mentioned our weather conditions of late? Turns out the temps got down to 3 degrees last night. And guess what, frozen pipes. I'm on about my 10th cup of coffee right now, still absorbing my reality.
But first, here are some winter wonderland pictures from the last few days.
Initially Johanna was scared to walk on the snow.
Helping daddy shovel the driveway.
Nice blue sky on a beautiful and cold winter day.
Back to the pipes. And having no water. The fire department, where Luke is on shift today, has brought over some water for me to flush the toilet, make coffee and drink. Our neighbor, whose pipes did not freeze, brought over a gallon of drinking water. I have also melted some snow for washing dishes. Good old NOLS taught me that while on the Semester in the Rockies course as an impressionable eighteen year old.
I should feel lucky that we still have power, but I'm a little bummed about the whole situation and nervous about the diagnosis. There's nothing we can do but wait and see. It could be days until the pipe(s) thaw and we find out what's really going on. And, we had to miss our New Year's Day party because of it. Oh, joyous new year!
But let's bring it all back to my other reality. There are 2 weeks until my first marathon race day. I am under-trained and I am now having calf pain in my right leg. Through a little research and gut instinct, I have deduced that my calf pain stems from my over-pronation problem. My new shoes must not be giving me the support I need so I am going back with my original shoes, the Brooks Ariel, to complete training and to run the race. I skipped the 8 mile run this week due to the pain and I'm feeling better. Tomorrow I will pick up training with the 12 mile, long run scheduled.
If any of you readers have any words of wisdom or great motivation speeches, now is the time to let me have it. Please.
165
A M A Z I N G.
Luke and I had a nice night and we stayed up late by our standards - 11pm. At 5:30am the alarm went off for Luke to go to work. He went to take a shower and there was no water. Hmmm, no water. Have I mentioned our weather conditions of late? Turns out the temps got down to 3 degrees last night. And guess what, frozen pipes. I'm on about my 10th cup of coffee right now, still absorbing my reality.
But first, here are some winter wonderland pictures from the last few days.
Initially Johanna was scared to walk on the snow.
Helping daddy shovel the driveway.
Nice blue sky on a beautiful and cold winter day.
Back to the pipes. And having no water. The fire department, where Luke is on shift today, has brought over some water for me to flush the toilet, make coffee and drink. Our neighbor, whose pipes did not freeze, brought over a gallon of drinking water. I have also melted some snow for washing dishes. Good old NOLS taught me that while on the Semester in the Rockies course as an impressionable eighteen year old.
I should feel lucky that we still have power, but I'm a little bummed about the whole situation and nervous about the diagnosis. There's nothing we can do but wait and see. It could be days until the pipe(s) thaw and we find out what's really going on. And, we had to miss our New Year's Day party because of it. Oh, joyous new year!
But let's bring it all back to my other reality. There are 2 weeks until my first marathon race day. I am under-trained and I am now having calf pain in my right leg. Through a little research and gut instinct, I have deduced that my calf pain stems from my over-pronation problem. My new shoes must not be giving me the support I need so I am going back with my original shoes, the Brooks Ariel, to complete training and to run the race. I skipped the 8 mile run this week due to the pain and I'm feeling better. Tomorrow I will pick up training with the 12 mile, long run scheduled.
If any of you readers have any words of wisdom or great motivation speeches, now is the time to let me have it. Please.
165
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