Decisions, Decisions

I need some help.

You see, one of my closest and dearest and most awesomest of friends is running a marathon in a few weeks.  We were all going to run.  She was doing the full marathon and we were going to do the half.  Well, then life happened, for the better in this case.

Since I can't run, I have committed to be the best sherpa/spectator/cheering section EVER.  And to make this happen, I need YOUR help.

If you were running a marathon, who would you rather see on the course (in no particular order):

A)  King Kong and Ann Darrow
B)  Batman and Catwoman or Poison Ivy
C)  Superman and Wonder Woman or any other cool superhero/villian
D)  Peter Pan and Tinkerbell
E)  Chewbacca or Hans Solo and Princess Leia
F)  Any other suggestions you might have

This is pretty important stuff, folks.  I need input....
And fast.

It's all in how ya spin it....

I miss writing.  I do.  Truthfully, I've been at a loss of what on earth I could write about.  I've been happy as a little clam; workin', trainin' and socializin'!  I don't really even have anything sarcastic to say in my own witty way.  So what on earth is a girl to do?

I brought this dilemma up after a somewhat awful long run two weeks ago.  The suggestion was made for me to write about how I bonked.

Gee, thanks.
But he was right.  I did.  And I should write about it.

Bonking sucks.....especially when you DO THE SAME FREAKING THING ON YOUR NEXT LONG RUN THE FOLLOWING WEEK!!!!

So, I'm asking myself, "self?  what the hell are you going to do about it?"  Well, I don't quite have the answer to all of it, but I will tell you one thing I need to do....change my damn attitude, that's what!

I won't lie, I've been getting a bit down on myself and frustrated about it.
And then I happened upon a blog post I wrote last year.  I know people say you shouldn't look back, but dammit sometimes you need these little reminders on just how far you've come.

I read that post and I tried to find a run from the same time last year to compare to this year....
I couldn't find one.  Why?  because I'm running longer and sooner that I was last year, training for a marathon that happened around the same time frame.  Hmmm what does that tell me?  I may still be chasing my Boilermaker goal of 1:20, but I came a heck of a lot closer this year than I did last year.  Hmmm what does that tell me?

It tells me that even though I don't feel it right now, the proof is in the pudding that I am getting better, getting stronger and getting faster.

I could keep beating myself up, or I can quit bitchin' and take the lousy along with the awesome days, and use them both to learn from to make me into the best athlete I can be.

It's all in how ya spin it...
There.  You saw it here folks...I just kicked myself in the ass.

Correction....

I'm not going to Chicago to run a marathon.....

I am going to Chicago purely for this bucket of deliciousness.

And I must run 26.2 miles in order to do so because I am not sharing one kernel from that tin.....

your ticket to heaven on earth

#allmine

#popcornjunkie

#chicagobound

That moment....

...when you get your training plan for the coming month and see your first 20miler...

I mean, you know it's coming; you're expecting it (though maybe not THIS soon....).
Nevertheless, this face still happens:

#canIgobacktohalfirontraining

#chicagobound

This Girl's Recap of 2013 Richmond Marathon

In October 2012, I ran my first marathon at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

This year I decided to run marathon #2 at the Anthem Richmond Marathon on November 16th.  I had heard great things about the city and the course from many folks and my friend Rebecca.  It was close to home and I discovered a bunch of my favorite people (who happen to be runners!) were going as well so choosing Richmond was a bit of a no-brainer.

Coach Sarah decided to take a different approach to this training cycle.  We concentrated on quality miles instead of quantity, only running three days and getting three rest days per week, throwing in a couple swims in there as well.  Not only did this approach give my body plenty of rest, but it gave my mind rest as well.  I was able to hit 90% of my training targets because my body was well rested for them and in turn, gave me confidence.  I went to Richmond with a healthy body and a quiet mind.

So, Jyl and Bonny picked me up and we were off!  GIRLS WEEKEND!!!!

The race was on Saturday, so we decided to hop in the car on Thursday night, after work.  It was a long tiring drive at night, but I'm glad we did it.  Being able to wake up all settled in Richmond kept all anxiety and chaos away.  We woke up, took our time getting ready, went on a Starbucks adventure and hit the race expo to get our numbers.  And I was able to find some pretty sexy compression socks.

The female version of the 3 Musketeers
Jyl, Bonny and yours truly

After the expo we did some race recon, checking out some of the course and seeing exactly how far our hotel was from the start and finish lines.  Shout out to one of the sweetest men I know, THANK YOU JACK!!!  That hotel was in a PRIME location!  I mean, think of rock star parking, and then translate it to hotel location.  And they had Gatorade in dispensers in the lobby.  Nice touch Crowne Plaza Richmond!!

Friday flew by, and before you knew it, it was time for the group pasta dinner at The Tobacco Company with quite a group of people.  (Holla to Jo, Marc, Rebecca, Jack and Molly!! They rounded out the group, making the trek to Richmond earlier that Friday) Dinner took a little longer than we all probably would have liked, but the food was fantastic and the building was exquisite.  Again, kudos to Jack!  The maestro of this orchestra :)  With our bellies full and our eyes heavy, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the morning.  Rebecca was staying with us that night, and with as much giggling as there was going on, I'm surprised we got any sleep at all!  GIRLS WEEKEND!!!

For Lisa

Now, I'll be honest.  I wasn't sure how smoothly the morning was going to go being that there were 4 women in one small hotel room.  Needless worry! We weren't even rushed for the Sharpie tradition.  This is where we write motivational things on our arms and hands.  I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes we need a little reminder of just how awesome we are and why we are there.

Mr. Weatherman on the
local was WRONG.
But did that dampen
our spirits?

Everything was timed perfectly and excitement was brewing even though it was raining outside.  But that was okay, because Mr. Weatherman on the local said it was going to stop well before race time.  Sure it is Mr. Weatherman....

Jyl, Bonny, Rebecca, Jack and Molly were running the 13.1 and started a half hour before Marc, Jo and I.  Regardless of the cold sprinkle that turned downpour, it was a lot of fun to see all my friends off to their start.

Once they were off, it was time for me to find my corral.  I had a goal of a sub 4 hour marathon which put me in the 2nd corral.  This was feasible when I first registered for Richmond eight months prior, but a lot can happen in eight months.  I decided that I would ultimately try to get that sub 4 (I REALLY want that sub 4...), but I would be pleased as punch if I could get at 4:10:00.  If you recall, this was my goal for Marine Corp last year that I completely missed by 9 minutes.  So.  There I was, in the back of the 2nd wave...Ready...........GO.

Folks. I really wish I could say I did it.  That against all odds and opposition I pulled it off.  I had 3:05:00 at the mile 20 mark but I just couldn't hang on.  Mile 16 the struggles began, 21 the wheels started coming off…I know, not an original tale.  Since this is supposed to be a race recap, I guess I should talk about my race :) Here is how it went:

I thought I had a good plan, to do a 9:15 for the first 8 miles, then decrease 5 seconds for a 9:10 for the next 8 and a 9:05 for the rest.  No rhyme or reason for what actually happened.  I did a good job ignoring the rains and clouds and handling an early equipment failure. I know I spent too much energy around mile 7.5 when I saw Jo ahead of me. I tried to make my way to her but finally decided I had to let her go.  She had an awesome race, by the way!

Mile 16 saw a bridge and a nasty highway and that is when I started hating the world.  I want to say around 18 my calf muscle felt like it was going to snap in two.  I tried so hard to hang on but I finally broke down and walked around 21.  I couldn't take any more gels so I skipped the 3:15:00 and 3:45:00 gel and instead took Powerade from the stations from miles 21 on in.  22 saw my longest walk and lowest point.  People asked me what I needed (so nice!) and I said “a bike”.  All their giggles helped me rally to run to the next stop.  Then I decided to try to run to each water stop and then walk through them.  I saw Jyl on the course around 22.5-23, and that helped for a moment. 

I remembered Coach Sarah telling me to smile, it helps get through those down points.  I looked down at my watch and saw that I was going to miss both goals.  I thought to myself, that sucks but I can’t change that now, so what can I do to make this better for me right this moment.  So, I walked off the course to my left to a DJ stand, broke out into some serious dance moves and then went on my way.  I know I must have looked like a complete nutball and everyone most likely thought I was having a seizure and needed medical attention, but it must have done the trick because I think I ran the last two miles all in.   

The last segment to the finish is down hill.  Let me tell you what.  I flew down that hill whooping, hooting and hollering the entire way!  And then I heard Jack and then spotted him, Rebecca and Molly...I started screeching with joy and I don't know how but I went even faster. That part was SO MUCH FUN!  I really did not care about time or goals at that point!  And this might be hard to believe, but I honestly had no idea what my finish time was.  I stopped my watch, but I never looked at it.

Bonny was there at the finish to "catch me".  She was so patient and took such good care of me :) We couldn't figure out what it was that I really needed.  I knew I needed something in my body; remember, I hadn't taken any fuel since 2 hours and 45 minutes into the marathon, which by this time was at least 1.5 hours ago.  So I tried multiple food options but as soon as I took a bite I threw it away.  The only thing I could take was my NUUN and forced down the protein recovery bar we all got in our race packets.  Of course, the race doesn't count unless you take the finish picture!

sexy compression
socks

Bonny got me back to the hotel where we met Jyl.  I was able to get into the shower and warm up; and then I crawled on my bed and curled up with the sweet fleece blankets all the participants got.  I couldn't nap, I was way to wired.  So I propped up my feet, watched tv and spent a lot of time texting EVERYONE ON EARTH!!!

I have to say I was feeling pretty good considering what I just did.  I was slow moving, but I could still move!  No, I wouldn't be busting out dance moves anytime soon, but I could walk to our celebration dinner with Jo and Marc at the

Marc, Jyl, Me and Jo
Here's to our awesomeness!!

coolest British pub this side of the Atlantic.  Marc talked us into a shot of Fireball to kick off the celebration (named appropriately) and then I had the best beer, grilled cheese ever, some sweet potato fries and fried pickles.  And Coach Sarah, if you happen to be reading, just pretend you didn't read that part....

And that, my friends, was my experience during the 2013 Anthem Richmond Marathon.

Oh, and for inquiring minds that need to know, I ended up with a 4:09:40.  I'll be honest, it took me a few days to get over the stab of missing that sub 4, but the more I thought about it, the more pictures I saw, the more I realized that I did awesome.  And after seeing my race photos, it was proof that I really was having a blast.

Through this cycle,  I've learned a couple valuable lessons.
1) While it is important to have goals (I'm still shooting for that sub 4, people...), it doesn't mean anything if you can't share your experience with the people you care about and who care about you.
2) You are always stronger than you think you are.  In all things.

Who's having fun?  

This girl!

Words for Wednesday

There is no food in the house......
                         She must be marathon training.......


As the mileage increases, so does the grocery bill.

26.2 in 56 days.  Game on.

Here we go Big Sister.  We've got this.
Running for Chiari

To Marathon Or Not to Marathon....

That is the question.

I honestly don't know which is harder, deciding to run your first marathon or deciding if you want to run a second.

For the first one, let's be honest, you REALLY don't know what you've signed up for.  I mean, yes, you know it's going to be hard.  It's 26.2 miles for heaven's sake, how can it not?  You know it's going to be a big commitment of time and focus. You've heard all the stories about long training runs, lost toe nails, sore muscles, but you hear about this "amazing feeling" once you cross that finish line.  So you register for The Big One because you need to see for yourself what it's all about.

Now, for the second one, let's be honest, now YOU KNOW.  Now you know all about sore muscles, lost toe nails, aches where you didn't even know things existed.  You've since named your foam roller because, well since we're being honest, you two really need to be on a first-name-basis to roll the places you need to roll.  You've learned about epsom salts and Biofreeze.  You've had your crash course in gels and chomps, whether or not your GI system can handle regular or x2 caffeine, or if any caffeine at all.  And hopefully you learned this lesson while you were safe at home near a bathroom and not out in the middle of a run (no pun intended). You know what it means to be truly exhausted, you know that once the training cycle starts your social life takes a bit of a hit.  Not to mention the no-beer-for-a-month thing.  And then, throw in the I'm-unable-to-move-any-part-of-my-body-for-a-week-after thing.

You now know all this.  You now understand what marathon is, what it entails.
But now, now you've already figured out how to hydrate, how to eat, if you can tolerate caffeine or not.  You have named your foam roller and you two are now BFFs.  Now you've figured out the more difficult stuff, you've lived the learning curve, you're now a step ahead.

And you now know what doing a marathon really means.

So. So now I know.
Decisions, decisions.  Why on earth am I considering another?  Especially after the Battle of Myrtle Beach?

To marathon or not to marathon.  That is the question.

Something's been missing

It's no secret that I'm getting ready to run my first marathon this weekend (see previous post).  Every once in a while, I have mentioned training, but you may have noticed I have not giving "updates" like I did when getting ready for the Flying Pirate half marathon back in April.  It's not that I haven't wanted to share, but there are only so many times you might want to read, "I ran today," because my friends, when you are training for a marathon, your life basically consists of a combination of three things,

• eat
• run/cross train
• sleep

and then, the rest of life's little pleasures like working and such, you fit in around those 3 basic elements.

Now I will recap 16 weeks of marathon training in one swoop .....

And there you have it.

It's been the longest, yet fastest, 16 weeks I've ever experienced.

Let the carb load commence.

Oorah.

You know it's almost "Go Time" when....

• you can access the 10-day weather forecast for race day
• your entire GU supply has disappeared
• you are counting the hours until your pre-race massage because all of your muscles are on freaking fire
• it's time to make the carb-load grocery list
• you have used all your body glide
• the reminder to pay your life insurance arrives in your mailbox
• you start making your road trip play list (or rather, have Jyl make it because you are iTunes challenged)
• your long runs are now 3 or 4 miles
• you want to eat everything within your reach or sight.....or dream about
• you have 20 different lists going because you write stuff down as you think of things to do or items to pack, only to forget which list you put it on or where the location of said list is
• I'd write more but I can't find my list.....

There's a first time for everything....

There is one good thing about training for your first marathon.....you have a lot of "firsts!"

First lost toenail - check (during my half marathon training, so I'm counting it)

First double digit run - check (again, during half training)

First massage - check

First blister - not yet thank goodness, I might faint

First 15miler - check

First 5am run - check that a gazillion times.....

First massage - check (can't wait for my next one)

First doubt that I will continue running after said marathon - check check and check

And this weekend my friends, I reached 2 more milestones.

First 18 mile run and.......

my first ice bath.

This is how the conversation went when I got home:

Me:  HONEY!!!!  I JUST RAN 18 MILES!

Kevin:  That's great!!

Me:  Honey, I'm going to need your help in a few minutes.

Kevin:  Are you okay?

Me:  Oh yes, but I'm going to take an ice bath and I need you to put the ice in because I don't think I can bring myself to do it.

Kevin:  Um.....are you sure?  That doesn't sound like it would be good.

Me:  I'm sure.

Kevin: .......well okay......

(in bathroom, me in tub, Kevin with bags of ice)

Kevin:  You are sure about this?

Me:  Yes, just don't splash me because it will be cold!

Kevin:  Honey, this is crazy.  You are crazy.

In my head: Honey, you have no idea.

(Kevin puts in ice)

Kevin:  Well, there you go!

Me:  Thank you honey!

In my head:  Oh holy hell.

I had my doubts, but I knew my people would not steer me wrong!  Worked like a charm.  I was able to move yesterday and today I'm hardly sore.  You know, if it wasn't for some IT band soreness, I think I'd be able to go for another 6 right now.   

But....that would just be crazy.

The "E" Word

Entitlement.  A belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges. (a Merriam-Webster definition)

This word, this feeling, as an amateur athlete, is getting me into an awful lot of trouble lately; and if I don't reign it in now, it will cause me nothing but problems in two months time.

A handful of peanut butter cups here, some wine or few pints of beer there....skip a short run or a weight session....have a 2nd huge helping of pasta followed by cookie time + a Skinny Cow ice cream...a wedge of brie here....  But I deserve it, right?  Because I (in no particular order)

1. finished my homework 
2. ran a long distance 
3. had a bad day
4. have been working hard
5. didn't kick someone in the shin
6. got out of bed
7. etc....

Now look.  I am all for celebrating the little victories, but can you see this slippery slope I'm on?  I need to keep my victories into perspective and find a different way to celebrate them....and be very careful with the phrase "because I deserve it."  Why?  The bare bones truth is this.

I set a goal for myself and I am working toward that goal.  Should I celebrate the milestones that I reach?  Yes!  But am I entitled?  Maybe in some cases, but it is a hazy line.  Do I really deserve to eat a 1 pound bag of chocolate covered pretzels (I'm not saying I did or didn't in one sitting while watching The Hunger Games)???  No.  Am I entitled to skip a weight session because I've been good about other training sessions?  No.  How long can I really use the "I deserve it because it's my birthday" get-out-of-jail-free card?

I think that many times, the feeling of entitlement can lead us down rocky paths that circle us right back to where we started from, instead of further down the road to our destination.  Though your destination might be different from mine, that feeling of entitlement can trap us both.

No regret, no shame-on-me, no being hard on myself.  I goofed and I'm learning from it.  I lost my focus and lost my way, but I'm finding it again; rekindling the spark that lit the fire.  From here on in, I am determined to refocus my attention on my destination.  I will celebrate my journey, but in more positive ways that will take me across the finish line instead of keeping me from it.

And after I complete that 26.2, that is when I will have reached my destination.  That is the moment when all the little victories will culminate.  Then and only then I will I say "because I deserve it."

Journey on my friends, but beware of rocks and trees and obstacles along the way.
Keep your eyes on your destination.

Drum roll please...

You may or may not remember that in the beginning of March I mentioned that I may or may not have a big announcement to share.

Turns out I do.



Well, there it is.

Oorah!