More than 280 miles later...

Hello all! It has been way too long since I've posted an update here. To be exact, it's been more than 280 miles since the last post!

Things are going well and running is still very much a part of our lives. As a matter of fact, we just ran the Walt Disney World Marathon this past weekend in Florida. Training was tough considering that we live in Chicago and the average high in the winter is about 20-25 degrees (freezing!) But we managed to do it once again and finished with better times than our first. 4:35:50 for me and 4:32:18 for Calvin! The best part was around mile 10 or 11, running into the Magic Kingdom, down Main Street, around and then through the castle. I never would have imagined 10 years ago that I would be running 26.2 miles through the Disney Parks.
The wall did appear for me this time around though, and it was huge and massive. When I reached mile 21 or so, I thought there was no way I could finish running another 5 miles. My legs felt like rubber, the course had turned into an endless eternity of paved highway, Dinsey's bibbity-bobbity-boo song kept blaring through the on-course speakers (I've never hated that song more) and my left knee was not happy with my idea of fun being a 26.2 mile run through the parks. But thanks to countless words of encouragement from Calvin, I was able to pick up my feet and run some more. I'm not sure what would have happened had I not met up with him again at mile 17 (we split up between Epcot and Magic Kingdom), but never mind that, I finished!

Definitely not as sore as I was after Chicago so I'm taking that as a good sign. I am already itching for a new goal to keep me running through the rest of the winter months. Not sure yet what it will be but I don't think I could ever stop running at this point. I promise I will keep you posted!

We did it!

We dit it, we ran more than ever before and finished a great race! I couldn't be more proud and feel more accomplished, it was amazing. The weather was brutal during the second half (sunny and 80+ temps) but we finished strong and had a great time! 4:45:26. I will share more later, after the muscle soreness and knee pains wear off so I can sit in a chair for more than 15 minutes and still be able to get out of it  :)

Keep on running!

Marathon Eve

Pasta dinner's down and we're loaded up on carbs. I'm feeling ready to run. Honestly, I have been itching for a run for the last two days. All the excitement of the Expo and everyone's encouraging words have really pumped me up. There's not much left to say for me right now except that I am excited and looking forward to the race. I'm not too worried about the weather anymore, it will be warm one but we'll have fun.

We had the opportunity to meet Dean Karnazes yesterday and hear him speak which was a great way to kick off race weekend. He left me with some positive thoughts which I will do my best to remember tomorrow when I need them. Basically, when it gets tough out there remember that it's about you and each step you take. Just focus on one step after another and don't even think about how far the finish may be or how much you have left to run. Run in the moment.

Thank you everyone for the kind words of support and good luck wishes, it really means a lot! 10 hours and 10 minutes to go, woot woot!

One week

So one week from today we'll be running the Chicago Marathon along with 44,998 other runners. I am experiencing a lot of mixed emotions right now. Part of me is very excited to just get it over with , go to the expo (who doesn't like free stuff, right?), see all the spectators, and run a very diverse course through the city. The other part of me is nervous and worried... mostly about the weather. The forecast right now says it will be mostly sunny with a high of 69 and a low of 54. Not bad... actually, that's pretty perfect. So let's keep our thumbs crossed that it will stay like that. My main concern is really the wind. I went for an easy 4 mile run today and set a personal record (averaged 8:56 min/mile) because the winds were blowing at a steady 15 mph! Lake Michigan has resembled the Atlantic ocean for the last 2 days because the winds have been so strong! Regardless though, I'm trying to stay positive :)

On another note, the day after I wrote my last blog, I read the perfect quote to describe it all. It really sums up everything I was trying to describe. And I am sure that any athlete, no matter what sport, gets this feeling. It really makes it all worth it. After a good long work-out or race you really feel like you're superhuman for a day.

 

"I think I get used to, even addicted to, the feelings associated with the end of a long training run. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, starving, and sweat-purged. I love the good ache of muscles that have done me proud. I love the way a cold beer tastes later that afternoon. I love the way my body feels light and sinewy."  ~ Kristin Armstrong (author & runner)

So this week will be one to relax and enjoy. I'm looking forward to the race and hopefully many more to come... not to worry, I've already signed up for a half-marathon on Halloween and will be running it in costume and all!

For those of you interested, you can track our progress next Sunday by signing up at http://www.textinterface.com/pls/text/TF_BACM_DT. They'll send you text messages every time a runner passes a certain distance throughout the course. All you need is our first and last name.

Wish me luck!!

Time for some tapering now.

I had never really heard of tapering until now. And I must say that it is quite nice to be able to run less than we have been for the past 2 months and not feel bad about. Tapering takes place during the last 2 weeks of training after the last long run before the race. I must say that I would have never thought that running 4 miles would be this easy. We've come a long way....

So our longest run so far was 20 miles which we ran about a week and half ago! Deciding to sign up for an organized training run might have been the best decision we have made yet through the course of our training (thank you, Calvin). CARA organized the Ready to Run 20 Miler with pace groups, water stops, porta-potties, support and food at the finish! I would definitely recommend this for anyone training for their first marathon because running 20 miles on your own and making sure you have enough fluids can be quite the challenge. Not to mention finding a pit stop while on the run (probably more than once)! The course ran one-way south, down the lake shore path from about our house to 72nd or 72rd street. I had never even been that far south in Chicago since I moving here!

Calvin and I started in different pace groups. To keep the course accessible and free of crowds everyone started in a pace group of about 15 people and a minute or so apart. We met up at the first water stop and ran the rest together, pace group free. Running was going well up until about mile 17 or 18, at this point I was ready to see the finish, get some food and relax. As Calvin is talking me through the last few miles, all I can think about is "Where the hell is this South Shore Culture Center where we supposedly finish????".  We see a building about a mile away that looks like it could be a culture center and we assume that must be it then. Calvin keeps telling me "C'mon babe, that's it right there. You can do it!"  Ok, I can run that far, that's nothing.
But nope, that is not the building we were looking for (still not sure what it was). So at this point, I turn my frustrations to Calvin and blame him for telling me that that was supposed to be the finish. This is kind of what I do when I get frustrated during running. I know, it's not fair, but it helps me to vent. So I vent at Calvin. I think he's ok with it at this point.

So we keep running (barely). We see another building in the distance that looks like another culture center. This has got to be it then. Ok, that's not so bad. I can even see runners up ahead going around a bend to get there. Again, I am mentally preparing myself for that building to be the end of our longest run ever. More disappointment strikes.... this building turns out to be a children's hospital! Aaaahhhh!!! How much further????

Calvin and I have stopped talking to each other at this point and are doing our best to fight through. We finally make it up onto a main road called South Shore drive and I realize that this must be the last half mile.  Finally knowing that I am almost there, I get a burst of energy and pick up the pace as we both  proudly make it through the finish line. Yes, we made it! And if it wasn't for Calvin, I would not have made through all the training that got us to 20 miles.

3:40 hours and 20 miles later, feeling accomplished and happy we enjoy a cold beer, chips, energy bars, bananas, muscle milk and pickles. All guilt free. I know, you're probably thinking "that sounds disgusting!" But after a tough, long run, anyone is allowed to (and trust me, you will enjoy it) eat anything that is being offered to you at the finish line.

After untying our laces and stuffing our faces, we boarded a yellow school bus full of sweaty, tired runners and rode the entire course we just ran back home. It was a happy moment. We ran to "the wall", and as Calvin put it, next time we get to the wall, we'll karate chop through it and finish at 26.2!

"The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at."  ~ Jesse Owens, American track & field athlete and Olympic gold medal winner

Haven't stopped running....

Although the thought has crossed my mind more than once. We ran 16 miles this past Thursday! I still find it hard to believe that we ran that far. I now sit here and actually enjoy the soreness in my legs because it's a nice reminder of that 16 mile accomplishment.
The training has been quite a struggle for me, thus the lack of updates recently. During long runs I am easily distracted by all the silly thoughts in my mind. Instead of letting go and enjoying the run, I often find myself questioning if I can really do it or where that nagging pain in my right knee is coming from.
However, during this run on Thursday, I think I finally realized that I just need to let go and stop worrying about the run itself. Here I am, about to run 16 miles (2.5+ hours), and I have all the time in the world to think and reflect on whatever I want. How nice is that? When does someone really have 2.5 hours to let their mind wander to whatever they want without feeling guilty about wasting time? So maybe I found the key to successful distance running or maybe it was just a lucky run. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it and look forward to more.

Harley does not run with me anymore. Maybe I'll attempt that challenge again when she reaches her first birthday. But for the time being, running with Harley is too much of a distraction for me, Harley and everyone else who ventures out on the trail. Not to say that Harley isn't allowed to run. Of course she gets to run, we just don't incorporate it into the training runs :)

"You feel good while you're running and you feel even better when you're finished." - Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon

Running with Harley = Fartlek

I am not a big fan of Fartlek, or Farltek as Calvin tells me that it is supposed to be called. Fartlek, as I will continue to refer to it as, are shorter running sessions made up out of fast running followed by a short jog or walk. Normally it takes about 20 to 30 minutes which includes 4 minute fast runs followed by a minute jog/walk. I really don't enjoy running fast if I don't have to. Why run fast when you can jog at a steady pace and actually enjoy it (sort of)? But apparently Fartlek is good for your heart and builds your anaerobic threshold, so it's part of the training plan. Yeah!

As of today though, I have figured out a new way to incorporate Fartlek into the training.... go for a run with Harley. For her age (4 1/2 months) Harley actually does a good job at running on the leash. Although she has the tendency to run a little to the left, thus slowly crossing into your path, she likes it and it wears her out. Which means more quiet time later at night! Her running pace is also faster than my normal jogging pace so it's a great work-out. And every so often, Harley's beagle instincts cause her to stop abruptly and start sniffing around for something she'll never find, giving me the chance to catch my breath. Now we just need to work on getting her to stop making sudden sharp right turns and tripping me up in the middle of the run.