I am a marathoner!

What an amazing, amazing weekend!!
Beginning on Friday afternoon, my family, from Ohio, descended on my house. The last of them arrived Saturday afternoon. My Mom and sisters Karin and Maureen were tackling the 1/2 marathon. My Dad, sisters Kristen and Margaret, brother-in-law Mark, nephew Joshua came to join my husband Chris, children Celeste, Steven and Logan to cheer us on.
Saturday afternoon my Mom, Karin, Mo and I headed downtown to pick up our race bibs at the Health Expo. That was really cool. We oogled all the fancy gear, collected all the freebies. I even got to meet Hal Higdon - the guys who's training books I had been reading during training! Then we made it to the pick up tables. All of us ended up in tears just picking up our bibs and shirts! I was feeling so anxious, excited, proud.
When we got back home after the Expo my Mom started working on a delicious spaghetti dinner for everyone. I even broke out the fine china! So, the 9 of us adults along with my 7 year old daughter Celeste sat down at the dining room table decked out with candles and fine Lenox china and had an awesome salad, spaghetti and garlic bread dinner! Dinner was followed up by some yummy chocolate cream pie and not too long after that we all hit the sack. For us competitors, breakfast was being served at 4am, and that was coming quick!
My alarm went off right at 4am - I dragged myself from my bed to the kitchen and hit go on the coffee pot. I then popped a few bagels in the toaster oven and headed back upstairs to make sure my Mom was up. Then I headed to the basement to wake up Mo. At 4:15 am, Mom, Mo and I were sipping on hot cups of coffee and enjoying our bagels with cream cheese. Maggie and Kristen joined us not too much later. At 5am I started the process of waking up my husband and kids.
By 5:45am, just 15 minutes later than I had hoped to leave, Mom, Dad, Kristen, Mo, Maggie, Chris, the kids and I were on our way downtown to park the cars then meet up with Karin, Mark and Shua (who very smartly decided to stay in a downtown hotel, right on marathon course). We made last minute potty stops in the hotel lobby then made our way the few blocks over to the start line. At roughly 7am, just 15 minutes before the start we parted ways with our fan support and got in line. The start was staggered this year, I was in group "J", Mom, Karin and Mo were in group "K". I heard the gun sound right at 7:15 but by the time my group made it to the start line and were allowed to start it was almost 7:35.
I started running and began repeating my mantra, "I'm healthy, I'm strong, I'm fast, I'll finish." And the words my father gave me the night before popped into my head... "remember the finish line doesn't move - every step you take brings you closer to it."
I was underway, I was running a marathon!
Somewhere near the start I ran right past Dad, Chris and the kids - it was just too congested at the start and as Chris said "you're too short! We never were gonna see you in a field of 5'10 runners." But not too much farther past them I did hears the cheers of the 26.2 pit crew leader, Maggie, and Kristen! What a first mile!
And the mile markers just kept coming! I remember mile 4 was just as we exited the bridge in Canada. Mile 8 was just outside the tunnel as were reappeared in the USA. And as I rounded the bend I heard cheers for me! There was Maggie and Kristen and just beyond them was Chris, the kids, my Dad and Mark and Shua. Next I remember where the 1/2 marathoners split from the rest of us, just before mile 13.
Somewhere between mile 16 and 17, as I was running through an old Detroit neighborhood with beautiful big homes - a man was playing polka music for the runners and handing out cups of beer! And people were taking it! Believe me I was tempted, but was able to pass. Next came mile 19, just before I ran onto the bridge to Belle Isle, there was Maggie and Kristen to cheer me on! I ran a 3 mile loop on the island and when I made it back over the bridge to the mainland, there was Mags and Kristen to cheer me on again! They, were on bikes by the way, and saw me again at miles 23 and 25. With about .4 miles to go - Karin came running from the crowd and took a few steps with me giving me encouragement and the low down on exactly what was left for me to run... 2 more bends and you're there! She went around the first bend with me and there was Mark, Shua and Logan. Just passed them, I heard more cheers for me, it was my Mom, Celeste and Steven! As they got out of earshot I heard my name again, this time my Dad! As he got out of earshot I heard Mo! Just passed Mo was the finish line!! I had juice left in the tank and was able to turn it up a little and cruised to the finish! Official time: 4 hours 45 minutes 43 seconds!
I was a few steps past the finish line and there was my Chris, waiting for me with a hug and a kiss!
I dit it! Four and 1/2 months of training for 4 hours and 45 mintues of running! I did it, I am a marathoner!
A marathon is neither insanity nor stupidity. It was a challenge, it was fun.
I am healthy, I am strong, I was fast and I finished!

6 days

I just finished watching a movie on hulu.com called "Spirit of the Marathon". My sister, Kim, mentioned it to me the other day, and finally, I had the time this morning to watch it. Amazing. Worth checking out, for sure.
Just 6 days left. I am nervous and excited. The whole famn damily is coming up from Ohio, some to cheer, my Mom and sister Karin to participate in the half marathon... What an unbelievable adventure this has been. And the near culmination after months of training... I can't describe.
The next post you will see from me will be in one week... with a completion time... my very own marathon PR!!
In one week, I will be a marathoner!

2 weeks to go

The taper has begun.
I was supposed to run just 9 miles yesterday (funny that I say only 9 miles).

I was in North Olmsted, Ohio again. Chris and I headed into town for the surprise birthday party of a friend.

It was a perfectly cloudy and cool Sunday morning and I was really looking forward to my run.

However, a mere 2 or so miles into my run my left foot started bothering me. It was a little sore - pulled muscle feeling after my 8 mile run during the week - but hadn't bothered my since then... what the heck???

So, with only 2 weeks to race day I turned myself around and headed back home.

I iced and elevated it... and today I swam instead of running.

I'll play it by ear this week... I'm not due to log all that many miles anyway...

I just want my foot back in top shape for the 18th!

20 miles

Wow!

Yesterday was THE test.

I passed.

It feels so good to have that 20 mile run under my belt.

I headed out yesterday at just about noon. Armed with 2 bottles of water, 2 carb/electrolyte gel packs and a few tissues. (I have been battling a head cold this week.) I went without my trusty iPod this run. Believe it or not, it was nice running without music filling my ears.

I headed out on my course nice and easy (aka: slowly).

It's a little weird running with two water bottles in my hands but I had a plan.

About 4 miles into this run I ditched one of my full, unopened water bottles on the side of the path with the intention of collecting it, drinking it on my way back.

Can you believe that it wasn't there when I came back?

Really, who picks up a water bottle off the side of the road? Who?

Never in my thoughts did it occur to me that someone else might pick up my water bottle...

Gross. I know it was unopened, but I would never have picked up a random water bottle!

Not even to throw away, lets be honest.

But all the same, it was gone when I finally made it back. Crazy.

Oh well. I ran into the Walgreen's not far from where I had ditched my water bottle and drank from their fountain. I still got water.

I ran straight out Metro Parkway 10 miles, turned around and ran back.

At the turning point I sucked down 1 gel pack and 1/2 my water then pitched the rest in the nearby garbage can. These gel packs, they're supposed to give you a little energy boost...

Do they? I can't say if it is physical or psychological - but they do, they're nice to have.

I made it to 10 miles in 1 hour 52 minutes.

A much slower pace than if I were running just 10 miles.

But my goal for this race is "to finish".

I anticipate it taking me 5 - 5.5 hours to finish.

Figuring it would take me 4 hours to run 20 miles, I was right on with my pace.

I had hoped to suck down my 2nd gel pack when I recovered my ditched water bottle (about 16 miles in), but since some random knucklehead helped themselves to it - I had to push through to Walgreens (~17 miles in) so that I could get some water to have with it.

I finished my run in 3 hours and 58 minutes (including potty/water detour).

I was so happy, I cried!

I did it!

Chris, Logan, Steven and Celeste were all waiting for me with hugs and congratulations!

It was AWESOME!

I walked a bit, then sat down to stretch out.

No knee pain.

My feet were tired, my legs were tired.

My hip flexors were tired and sore.

But it was over, I dit it!

Happiness is:

~having that 20 miler behind you instead of looming over you~

~having your family greet you with smiles and kisses when you get home~

~knowing it is NOT impossible~

~dreaming of the finish line~

~a Walgreens with a bathroom and water fountain~

Back to running

After a week off running, I eased myself back into my routine with a 10 mile run yesterday. I am happy to say that it went well. I didn't feel any knee pain at all! So while the knee seems to have moved to the "back burner" - replacing it front and center are worries and nerves about my big 20 mile run this weekend!
I will be so relieved when this is all over!

Cross-training

I felt so much better after such a good workout yesterday and I really wanted to keep that ball rolling... so today I hit the gym again. However, since I want to run this weekend and I book end my long runs with "rest" days... today's workout was in the pool.
An hour worth of laps followed by a spoiling soak in the hot tub.
It was a refreshing change from what I typical considered a "work out".
But no less exhausting.
I need to incorporate more of these "cross-training" days!

Road to Recovery

As my Doc recommended, I rested.

I did not run for three days.

That brings us to today...

While my knee is still feeling "tight,"

and if I push to stretch it completely straight I feel a small amount of pain...

I am otherwise pain free.

So, today I hit the gym.

I've been stressing over the rest, afraid of losing my aerobic capacity to run the long distances.

Even though I am officially supposed to still be "resting,"

I could not resist at least a little aerobic activity.

I opted for the eliptical instead of the treadmill.

It felt so good to be moving again.

After an hour of that I made my round of weight machines and headed home.

As a precaution, even though I was not experiencing pain, I iced my knee.

After a emotional and stressful past 4 days,

my hope has been restored.

I am not worried anymore.

Doctor's orders

It wasn't good news today - but it wasn't all bad either.

I have some fluid build up around my knee and

strained ligaments on the backside.

Dr. Zolo asked, "how important is this race to you?"

I almost cried, I could cry now.

I told her that I have invested too much time and effort to give up now.

The race is just over a month away.

So,

I am under orders to rest this entire week.

I have a series of stretches that I need to repeat 150-200 times a day.

I can run again this weekend.

If needed, if my pain persists,

she'll give me a shot of steroids a few days before the race for me to be able to finish,

and then,

I'll be back on orders of rest until I am healed completely.

I knew this wasn't going to be easy...

but did it have to be this hard???

17 - unsuccessful

I had a rather "unsuccessful" 17 mile run this weekend.

I was in Ohio this past weekend and had a very busy Saturday there. So, I pushed my long run from Saturday to Sunday and mapped out a 17 mile run from my parents house, where I was staying. I headed up the new Crocker Road extension from Lorain all the way to Lake Road. I headed east down Lake to Columbia, to Lorain and back home. I headed out at 9am so it was a nice quiet start to my run, being a Sunday morning. And my run down Lake Road was beautiful... well beautiful until I wiped out!

Yup, I've had my first crash and burn while running. I don't know if it was the crumbled sidewalk, or if I was too busy enjoying the views of Lake Erie, or if I just didn't pick my feet up - but I got up close and personal with the sidewalk. As far as falls go, it wasn't so bad. I scraped up a knee and elbow and I'm going to have a beauty of a bruise on my left hip. Other than that, it was just a little embarrassing - thankfully no one was around to witness... that I know of anyway. There was probably someone who just happened to glance out their front window at that exact moment and who had a mighty good laugh, I'm sure.

As I was making the final turn from Columbia onto Lorain road and looking at the final 3 or so miles back to Mom and Dad's...

my left knee which had been bugging my slightly throughout this run was starting to become more uncomfortable. I started walking - I don't want to risk messing things up now. Race day is only 1 month away, I've invested too much time to screw things up now. I walked about 1/2 mile or so and walking was no more comfortable than running so I started running again because I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. I don't run with my cell phone, if I did I would have called for a "please pick me up".

But then, lo and behold, I come across an old neighbor who happens to be a North Olmsted Firefighter. He was on the scene of a one-car accident in front of the Speedway station near the mall. I re-introduced myself to him and then asked to borrow his cell phone. I called M&D's house but their blasted phone was not working again. I called my husband's cell phone but he didn't answer. I don't know anyone else's numbers! Every phone number is programmed into my cell phone - I never dial them anymore - I just look them up by name and hit send. Oh! I would have killed to have my phone with me! Well, I thanked Jim for letting me borrow his phone and resigned myself to having to hoof it the last 2 miles.

I finally made it home, but the pain behind my left knee had brought me to tears.

Yeah, it hurts - maybe not enough to cry -

but after running 17 miles I was feeling exhausted

both physically and mentally.

I felt defeated.

I can't afford injury this late in the game.

I have a 4pm appointment with my doctor today.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!!

16 miles, in the bag

As I have been for nearly every "big run" so far in training, I was feeling pretty nervous about heading out for a 16-mile run today. Especially since it has been 2 weeks since my last "big run". (Not part of training, more a part of life - couldn't get a big run in while on vacation.)

Well, I made it. I actually made it. I guess I didn't really think I wouldn't finish - but the nerves I deal with before heading out... make me second guess my sanity, my ability.

I finished it - and feel better than I did after my 14 mile run. This time though, I treated myself to a solo trip to my rec center pool and took a long, long soak it the hot tub. And now, as I sit at my kitchen table, my feet are soaking in my homedics, bubbly foot spa. I just might be able to walk again tomorrow!

As for now, time to partake in a guilty pleasure, ice cream and a movie. The Sound of Music is on tv tonight, I love that movie!

morning run on the beach

What a beautiful way to start my first full day on the South Carolina shore!
Woke up nice and early this morning, before the rest of the family, and hit the sand for a morning run.
The sounds of the crashing waves, seagulls and my own two feet as I watched the sun rise.
Nothing could possibly be better.
It was paradise!

hurting...

finished my 14 miles

took a hot bath

hurting, still hurting

i feel my feet like i have never felt them before

the upper and outer side of my left thigh is screaming at me

thankfully, blessedly, i will be sitting on my a.. in a car all day tomorrow

sunny south carolina, beach, ocean, vacation

;)

figure 8s

The family and I are leaving for a week long vacation in sunny South Carolina tomorrow!
According to my training schedule, 14 miles was on tap for tomorrow. Since I will be spending all day in the car - I crammed my weekday runs to allow for a rest day yesterday, I'll run my miles today - then the day in the car tomorrow will be another rest day.
I mapped out a run, again sticking to main drags - and those with sidewalks (I've come across a few now that don't have sidewalks and running in the rutty grass along the side of the road is tough on the ankles)... so tonight's 14 mile run will consist of figure 8s, 1 mile long by 1/2 mile wide. I plan to wind my self up to 17 Mile Road then weave back home. I am actually looking forward to this run. It's a 2 mile jump up in distance from my last long run - but I am feeling pretty confident today!
The only draw back to running tonight will be that I will be leaving my husband to pack the car for the trip! I have such a complex about packing... it's like loading the dishwasher. God bless anyone who wants to help out by loading my dishwasher for me... just please don't take offense when I proceed to empty it and re-load it my way. Everyone is packed - but loading properly, I swear, is an art form! But, I guess, as long as the port-a-crib and hotel overnight bag are the last things in the trunk the rest doesn't really matter... at least that is what I'll keep repeating to myself during my 2.5 hour run tonight!

a hot run due to a late start

12 miles...
I woke up a little later than I would have liked Saturday morning. The whole family slept in a bit - very unusual. I had hoped to be hitting the pavement by 7:30am, instead I hit it at 8:30am. It was a hot day and we had a lot planned. I was going to be running for 2 hours - not getting finished until 10:30 put a wrench in my well orchestrated plans.
The Woodward Dream Cruise was Saturday. It's a pretty big deal here. Cars and car enthusiasts from across the country come to the Motor City and drive their beautiful classic cars down Woodward Avenue. Sherwin-Williams has a store right on Woodward and so every year they have a cookout in the parking lot and watch the cruisers. This year SW even had the 3M NASCAR experience car there. It's a video game in a stock car - pretty cool.
Chris, the kids and I had planned to get to his store by 10 - but our late start meant he had to head out with the kids himself and I would meet them as soon as my run was over. And in my rush to get out the door - I forgot to grab a bottle of water. I've never run with a bottle of water in my hand - but 12 miles, 2 hours - I knew that I would get over the awkward-ness of carrying the water because I was really going to appreciate having it on hand. Instead, after nearly 10 miles of winding up and down all main roads in my area (I've given up on neighborhood streets after my debaucle last weekend) I come upon a Panera Bread. I stumbled my sweaty self in, probably much to their dismay, and breathily ask for a cup to get myself some water. After slamming half a cup of great ice cold water - I had to get my now rubbery feeling legs to carry me the last 2 miles home. I made it back to my driveway in 2hrs 3minutes. Not too bad. I did have about a 3 minute detour into Panera, so I maintained a 10 minute mile for that distance... I hope I am able to do the same on race day...
So, now I finished my run and was welcomed into a nice quiet house (Chris and the kids had headed to the dream cruise already) to stretch and shower. I met up with the family, saw some beautiful cars... capped the day off with a date night with Chris. Only the 2nd time we've hired a baby-sitter in nearly 3 years in Michigan!
Not everything went according to plan - but Saturday turned out better than I had planned!

In the rain

I hopped on my favorite website - mapmyrun.com and planned out my 11 mile run for this past Saturday. I wanted to change things up a little - head into a new neighborhood instead running the streets in mine - again. After making a small loop through my neighborhood I headed out to 14 Mile and then east for a couple miles before turning north off the main road to wind through some meighborhood streets. Because I was winding through streets completely unfamiliar to me I printed out a map of my route to take along with me. Unfortunately it was raining a good steady rain Saturday morning and my map got a little wet (to say the least). I found myself stopping at each intersection, cowering under a tree so that I could evaluate my map and not get it so wet that it would no longer be of use. Even doing that I still managed to make a few wrong turns - street names became illegible - before finally getting back onto a main drag and making my final loop towards home.

So, maybe winding through streets completely unfamiliar to me is not the best idea - at least not in the rain when my little map can get destroyed. I think for my 12 mile run this coming weekend I'll stick to the main roads!

In a flash?

I hit the pavement this morning for my 10 mile run - armed with a new playlist titled "Katie's running tunes" - I'm so very clever, don't you think?
Before I headed out this morning, I asked my husband to "wish me luck". I was nervous, I've never posted double digit miles in one run. I envisioned myself crawling home...
I was wondering if the new mix of tunes would help pass the time, pass the miles...
I headed out nice and easy - longer runs are for endurance, shorter runs for speed. I was running at what I was estimating a 8:45 - 9 minute mile. Again, not going for speed here...
A short 1:32:12 and 10.2 miles later I was back at home (and honestly, could have gone for more!).
I have figured out two tricks...
1. Avoid the treadmill for long runs
2. Mix up the music - same old, same old just doesn't cut it

Have any suggestions for good running tunes? Let me know!!

10 Miles Tomorrow

I've been working on my iTunes playlist for tomorrow - big 10 mile run.

I'm kinda nervous about getting into the double-digits...

I figure with the right mix of music...

it just might go by in a flash. (?)

I'll let you know.

8 Mile Sunday (I am in Detroit after all)

I'm back home in Michigan now - fitting since today I had to run 8 Mile(s).

When I was in Ohio, I borrowed a book from the library, a really good book, but was unable to finish it before I had to leave to come home. Today I had mapped out a run that would be 8 miles long and end at my library. My husband and the kids were going to meet me there so that I could pick up a copy of the book I had been reading - then catch a ride back home. As an after thought, (thankfully I thought of it at all), I hopped online to see what the library's hours are on Sunday... thinking it is probably 1 -5pm... turns out the library is closed on Sunday! I am so glad I discovered that before I hit the pavement. I would have been really p.o.ed when I got there.

So instead I headed to the gym and their trusty treadmills. I did all my running outside in Ohio. I'd take this opportunity on the treadmill to make sure I was staying on pace. However, much like a few too many laps around the track might make you crazy... a few too many miles on the treadmill can do the same. No iTunes playlist is good enough for 8 miles on a treadmill. OK, I kept pace, but nearly lost my marbles doing so. Any run that takes longer than an hour just needs to be done in the open air! When the people running beside you come after you've started and finish their workout long before you... you feel like strangling someone or something. You just keeping putting one foot in front of the other and counting hundreths of a mile.

~ok, 13 paces is 1/100 mile,

that means 130 paces gets me 1/10 mile,

that means 1,300 paces gets me 1 mile,

that means 10,400 paces gets me 8 miles.

whoa! 10,400... wait, how many have I have run so far?~

You run,

you watch the seconds tick,

the minutes tick,

the mileage tick

and you just keep running...

Running in Ohio

I'm in Ohio, spending the week at my parent's house. My sister from Virginia is also in town with her three kids... Already living in this area are the rest of my siblings with 5 more little ones amoung them. You can only imagine the amount of fun the "11 cousins" have been having together on this little vacation to Nana and Jagi's house...
I was due to run 3 miles this past Friday and it is a little more than a mile (~1.1 miles) around my parent's block. I decided I would just do three laps around the block. Well, I left with all the kids playing in the front yard under the watchful eyes of my mom and sister. How fun it was to come back up on my parent's house to all the kids lining the sidewalk and cheering me on!
So awesome!

Carb Loading

I'm wondering if the carbs in that beer I drank last night qualify as "good carbs"?
Hhmmm?

The Jogging Stroller

My husband and I made a last minute decision to make the 3 hour drive into Cleveland to spend the 4th of July holiday with our family. Thankfully, Saturdays are "rest days" for me... However, I was due to log 5 miles on Sunday.

Whenever we're back home on a summer weekend, my husband heads out for a round of golf with his father early on Sunday. Me, not wanting to hit the pavement in the midday heat, was left to figure out someway to get my miles in with the kids. Normally my Mom is more than happy to watch them. Unfortunately, she was suffering from a pulled muscle in her neck and wouldn't have been able to chase my 13 month old around... he's destruction on 2 feet. My older 2 would be no problem to leave behind... but what to do with Logan???

I got it!! I came up with this brilliant idea of borrowing my sister's jogging stroller. I'll take the baby with me!

Who the hell ever came up with the jogging stroller?

It is completey akward to hold onto the handle of the stroller while running. So, I'd hold this strap which is attached to the handle (so you can give the stroller a big push and not let it get away from you) and give the stroller a push then run, run, run - catch back up to it - push again - run, run, run - catch back up to it - push again - run, run, run.

Who the hell ever came up with the jogging stroller?

Why not just run with a twenty pound brick in your hands?

A Marathon?? Insanity or stupidity??

At 32, with a husband and 3 kids, I have decided to run the 2009 Detroit Marathon...
I must be crazy...

I was a runner in high school - but that was quite some time ago. I began running again this past March. Mostly to lose the baby weight I was holding on to after my 3rd child. (He's now 13 months old.) I ran a 5K in April with my girlfriend Shawn. We ran another 5K with our husbands in May.

Racing again, the fun of competition, that jittery ~I think I might puke~ feeling I always get at the starting line are addictive! So, I have set my sights on a marathon. Completing a marathon has been on my bucket list - an idea I have held in the back of my mind since my high school cross country days... it has always been "someday, before I die, I am going to run a marathon."

Well, I have taken the bull by the horns and declared that day now. I am officially in training for the Detroit Marathon which will be run on October 18th. Three days before my 33rd birthday.

I have a training schedule laid out and it began this past Tuesday. My schedule started off with an easy 3 mile run on Tuesday and a 4 mile run today. I'll be logging miles every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Putting in the big miles on Sundays.

On the outside and if you asked me, to your face I'd tell you I am excited about it. On the inside, however, I am tangled, anxious and down right nervous. I hope to use this blog to release some of that anxious-ness... and possibly entertain.

Attempting this feat will be no easy task - so I leave today with the question...

A Marathon?? Insanity or stupidity??