Still walking

Today is the third morning after the marathon and I think I'm almost back to normal now. Sunday night wasn't too terribly bad after the massage, it felt like my legs, ankles, and backside had beaten with a bag of oranges. Monday morning was pretty rough and things got progressively worse throughout the day...it was such a relief to finally get to go home from work. I could hardly move an inch without my quads, and the majority of my lower body, desperately protesting. Tuesday wasn't much better, but definitely not any worse. And today, I'm pretty much walking normal now.
Thinking back on everything I put myself through during the past 4 months, I'd say I can put up with 3 days of high-level soreness. Today I'm determined to be completely ibuprofen-free! ...for the first time in over a month. If my liver was bleeding, hopefully it will stop soon.
As a result of all this marathon blogging, I got to thinking...I kind of like having a blog. There is a lot going on in my life right now, even outside of the marathon, and it feels kind of good to talk to no one and everyone at the same time. So perhaps this is the birth of a new blog: .
I'll get back to you when I come up with something catchy to title it.

I made it

I'm still not sure if it's actually sunken in yet, but I just ran a marathon. I think I'm still trying to convince myself that yes, it did happen, it's over. And I made it!
I really wanted to write a bit yesterday and release some nervous energy, boy was I getting nervous, but it was a super busy day and I just didn't make enough time for it. Friday after work I drove down to Portland to pick up my race packet, and that's when I officially became nervous. Of course there were a lot of people, but most of them...looked like they've done this before. Seeing my name on that huuge list of people running a marathon was very surreal.
Thanks to everybody who sent me wonderfully encouraging messages, I loved it! It was so nice to know there were so many people pulling for me!
Saturday flew by and luckily I didn't have much time to think about being nervous until later in the evening...when it was time to go to sleep. I did the best I could but I was pretty jittery. 5:00 a.m. came pretty quickly and before I knew it we were in the car driving downtown in the dark to the start of the race.
It was FREEEZING cold out and I foolishly shed my sweatshirt too soon and then stood for 20 minutes with my pace group waiting to start. That was a mistake. I'm a newbie and I got excited. I was too cold for the entire race and I think if I'd just waited a little longer to take off the sweatshirt it would have been much different. Thankfully it wasn't raining, I was so happy about that, it made everything much easier. "Easier".
Typically during a long run I feel my best during miles 5-15, but for some reason today I didn't start feeling good until after I hit 17 miles. It could have been the nerves, the different environment, the weather, or all of the above. I just know that 17 miles is a long ways to go not feeling very good. I was moving pretty slow, but also because I just didn't know how fast was okay for the entire distance of 26.2. I think miles 12-17 were the toughest because there was a very cold headwind coming off the Willamette River and freezing the heck out of me. My arms and hands were aching from the cold. I hit the halfway point of the marathon feeling really discouraged because I was being passed by so many people and just not really enjoying myself. Also the St. John's Bridge comes into view about 4 miles off and it looks soo far away and seems to take forever to get there. I was pretty uneasy going into mile 16 because there the big hill starts that leads up to the bridge (which is not steeper than my Doomsday Hill, but longer), then there's the bridge's ramp which isn't as steep as the hill, but pretty long too. Once I finally came down off that bridge I started to relax because I knew the big hill was behind me, and I now had less than 10 miles to go. And only 2 miles to go until I was hoping to see Coby and his sister Chandra, my parents and Joan. They waited for me bearing gatorade and energy gels and it was such a relief to see them! Seeing them there cheering me on and being so excited was the best feeling in the world and it definitely gave me a boost. Thanks guys!
About the same time I saw them, I started feeling my baby toe on my right foot getting a blister. At that point it wasn't bad and I was feeling pretty good so I kept going without changing bandaids or socks. I survived the race with fairly minimal pain but now I'm wishing I'd taken the time to change...my baby toes on both feet are now very tender. Still attached, but very tender.
Mile 21-23 ish were great and largely downhill which was fantastic and somehow it didn't bother my knees. The bummer part about not flowing until mile 17 is that it's so late in the game that the flow was pretty short-lived. Mile 24 I started really feeling tired and had to walk a bit. I'm not sure if I actually ever "hit the wall" though; I kept telling myself I wasn't going to and I think that helped significantly. When mile 25 rolled around there was no stopping me, I wanted this to be over. Down the straight-away, around the corner and a quick left and there it was! The finish line! My fan club was right there cheering away and got to watch me finish! Boy was that one satisfying finish, I was so happy to be done. I wrapped up in a blanket and began hobbling back to the car with my family and came home to a wonderful ice bath. And then a truly wonderful massage. Man that felt good; and it really helped to relieve my muscles of all the toxins and lactic acid build-up. I'm walking still tonight! (Not sure what will happen in the morning, but for tonight I'm okay...)
While sitting in the tub and reading the last chapter of my marathon book entitled "post marathon" was perhaps when the entire day began to sink in. I just ran a marathon.

Forecast update #3:

Partly cloudy, high of 65, 10% chance of showers.

Forecast update:

A high of 66, partly cloudy and a 20% chance of showers.

Hmm, maybe I won't have to wear a garbage bag after all...

Forecast update:

The weather forecast for Sunday October 4th now says a high of 56 and a 40% chance of rain.

U-G-L-Y

My feet. Are. Ugly. I've been having recurring blisters on the same 4 poor toes, and several other random places on my feet, for the past almost 2 months, and my feet are nasty looking. Fortunately they have been relatively pain-free blisters, because I've treated them so heavily...hemorrhoid ointment and near-casts made out of bandaids while running. (My book recommended this and it worked phenomenally.) Even though I did my best to prevent them with the perfect socks, etc...it really can't be helped if you're running that much. (I'm treating myself to a pedicure when this is over.) I'm hoping that during this next week the new skin will have a chance to toughen up for the big day.
Which is, by the way, only 7 days away. Holy cow. This week calls for a 3 mile run, a 3 mile walk and a lot of resting. A lot of carbs, a lot of water, and a lot of stretching. Should be able to handle that.
I had a really good 8 mile run yesterday. I really enjoy that distance so I had a great time and that was really encouraging. However, the whole time I just kept thinking about how 8 miles isn't even a THIRD of a marathon. And that wasn't so encouraging.
I was able to have a good conversation today with a seasoned marathon runner and he gave me some great tips for running my first marathon; bringing extra socks for if its raining, what to wear, and so on. One thing he mentioned was to be sure and not do anything super goofy the night before and morning of: no pre-marathon celebrations involving alcohol and a late night, don't eat anything funky for breakfast the morning of...just eat what you normally did during training. It was nice to hear those things coming from someone besides my trusted author...now I think I trust my book even more. He also said to be real careful at the beginning not to get caught up in the hype and the adrenaline and go fast; just start out comfortably slow. Even if you are going 30 seconds faster per mile than you normally do and you feel great, you won't be feeling great when mile 20 comes around and that's when it really matters.
If any of my readers are praying folks, I urge you to pray for the following:
The weather. Mid-fifties and overcast would be ideal. As it stands the forecast says a high of 64 and a 30% chance of showers. The highs here don't hit until usually after 2 pm, so all morning it would likely be in the fifties. I would prefer no rain.
My health. Two of the people I live with now have colds. I really don't need one right now. I would take one (almost) any other time of the year except for right now. I'm absolutely mortified scared to death afraid of what would happen if I caught a cold. It would just be bad news.
My knees. Typically somewhere around mile 6 my knees stop hurting and I can start enjoying myself...until about mile 17 or so, and then they start bothering me again. I can't really imagine how much I'll be hurting come mile 26.
My nerves. It's a proven fact that you run your best when you are neither super excited or super depressed. Over-excitement causes you to burn through more energy than you should. The middle of the road is the best place for your nerves to be. I need to stay calm and focused.
I'm sure as the week goes on I'll think of more prayer requests, if I do, I'll post them here. Thanks in advance.
I'd also like to thank a number of extremely important people:
My Mom and Dad for ceaselessly encouraging me and telling me how amazing I am and how proud they are of me. (Thanks for coming down to cheer me on!)
Coby for forcing me to take ice baths and gentley giving me helpful running tips. I love you.
Mrs. Erickson for buying me ice and all those bananas and leaving me the occassional "you're awesome" note out on the curb by my gatorade bottle during my long runs. Also for arranging for the massage therapist to come over after the race. (this will save me.)
Dave Matthews for training with me and helping distract me through all those miles and hours of running. You are a soothing comfort to my ears.
No thanks to Rocky Raccoon.
7 days and counting...

13 days and counting...

I have finally begun the taper, and I was truly thankful for the 9 mile "long" run this past Saturday. It seemed so short, it was rather refreshing. I'm realizing more and more how mental this whole thing is. I knew I only had to run 9 miles and when it was over, I felt exhausted and didn't want to run anymore. But that's the same with every run, regardless of the distance. Unfortunately this wasn't the best run I've ever had...the first 5 miles it poured rain. I was soaked and dripping. However, I do think I enjoy running in the rain rather than the heat (I've started praying for the weather on Oct 4). Also my knee was bothering me almost the entire time which was kind of discouraging, but just like all the other runs, I made it!
This week's training runs will consist only of 3 and 5 miles, with a long run on Saturday of 8 miles. It seems so strange to run 3 miles for a training run...it's been months since I've done that! I also couldn't seem to justify an ice bath after only 9 miles of running, so I didn't do it...but now I'm wishing I had. I keep hearing the more I do it, the better I will feel.
Only 13 days until the marathon, and I know they are gonna go quick! Also after this last week of training I ran past the 300 mile mark! With all the miles strung together I've run the same distance from my current house in Vancouver to my parent's house in Wenatchee. Whoa.
I'm becoming increasingly nervous for marathon day...my book keeps telling me I'm ready...but when I think about standing there at the starting line all by myself in a huge crowd of people getting ready to run the longest distance of my entire life...and the enormous amounts of pain about to ensue...I am frightened.
I'm also becoming increasingly thankful that this is nearing the end. I fear I've lost my gusto. I know that it's probably because my life has changed so much the last few weeks with the new job, and it can't be helped, I just kind of wish I was finishing this a little bit stronger. Until next time.

Taper time!

I suppose it's been a little while since my last post; I fear that work and general exhaustion have taken a bite out of my gusto for blogging. And running too, apparently. I better recap a bit: this last week of training wasn't horrible, but it wasn't that great either. The first training run of the week took place in the rain...yipee. I have almost no experience running in the rain...I'm not from 'round these parts. Even by the local's standards, it was quite a downpour. Luckily it was only a 5 mile run; unluckily it still took me a long time to finish it because it was the first run following the long run, and those have never been very easy for me; I'm still stiff and kinda sore from the long run and I don't tend to push myself very hard.
Since work started I have slacked pretty significantly in taking care of my knees, which at this point are probably what can keep from succeeding, and I REALLY felt it during the 8 mile run in the middle of the week. It was then I decided I need to try harder and make time for tlc, or I won't make it through the marathon. I don't have as much time to ice as before, but I did try and remedy that during the latter part of the week: icing in the car during the commute to work in the morning and icing while sitting at my desk during the afternoon. (My boss thought it odd that I had a bag of frozen peas on the floor of my office...I had hopped up for a minute to do something and she came in.) Oh well, whatever works.
I'm sure it helped some, but I think I waited too long to make the effort in order for it to really make a difference for this morning's 18 miler. I survived, but it was fairly painful...and long. I thought I'd done a good job hydrating, but I don't think it was enough consdering the heat wave we've had the last couple of days; it was much warmer today than it has been the last few weeks. (You'd think that 160 ounces of gatorade in the last 16 hours would be enough...and thats JUST gatorade...doesn't include the 200 ounces of water from yesterday.) Overall exhaustion from work, lack of sleep and sore knees kept me moving pretty slow. But at least I finished! (I think I listened to the All-American Rejects song "Move Along" 3 times in a row for motivation during the last 2 miles.) I also seemed to lose a lot of time today, nothing seemed to be going smoothly. I had to stop for two potty breaks, instead of the usual one, and at one point I got a rock in my shoe and had to take the whole thing off to get it out. All those little minutes add up. Also there was some sort of bike race going on on part of my route, so I had to go a different way. Those bikers are scary fast! I think I was the one needing the helmet while trying to share the trail with them. Ok enough complaining.
Now I get to start tapering, yay! My long run for the upcoming week is only 9 miles, halleluja! My life-saving book says that all the muscular, skeletal, cardio and mental training work is complete, and the next 3 weeks are for bodily and emotional recovery. I'm to keep up the carbs and fluids to build up the glycogen levels to their max, without gaining any fat...which means I'll need to ease up a bit on the calories. The book says that even an extra pound of fat during the marathon would make a negative difference.
I am growing rather nervous about the actual distance of the marathon: 26.2 miles. I know how I feel after 18...I can barely walk until after my ice bath. My books swears that if I can run 18, then I can run the marathon...but it's so strange to run 18 miles and think about having 8 whole more miles to go! The good news is that when I hit the 18 mile mark today, I felt as if I could keep going; I didn't necessarily want to, but I could have, so that's encouraging. I keep hearing the saying, "the last 6 miles are the last half of the marathon". I know I'm gonna be hurting pretty bad and hating myself, but hopefully all the mental training will kick in and carry me through. Hopefully.

Three weeks to go

I can hardly believe there are only 3 weeks to go until the marathon...time flies! Although I wouldn't have said that during my 18 mile run this morning...it felt like forever! I am super proud of myself for making it and not dying; at the end I actually felt like I could keep going...weird. Either that means my training has been successful, or I just haven't hit the wall yet. I was tired, but I don't think I actually hit the wall. I was doing everything I could think of to sustain myself: extra gatorade, started drinking earlier in the run and had two gels, the first at mile 8 and the second at mile 14. Those energy gel things are pretty gross but I think they really help. Even if they only make me feel better and the energy is all in my head...then they helped. I think next week I may even try stashing more than one gatorade...(I drive down to the far away parts of my route the night befor a long run and hide a gatorade in the bushes). I always feel like a shady character doing it, but oh well. Probably worse is when there are people around when I go to dig it out..."that girl just got a gatorade out of the bushes...".
I decided today that I needed to revisit my original goal of running a marathon: finishing the marathon. That's it. Nothing else. I think I've been getting too caught up in beating the clock and focusing on miles per minute, etc and it actually drags me down. If I don't reach the pace goal that I've set for myself then I feel like I've failed. There should be no room for that...I just ran 18 miles! It doesn't matter that it took a long time, I still did it. No failure in that.
This past week of training has been kind of a challenge for me: I started a new job on Monday morning, so I don't have nearly the same amount of free time I had before. And I'm exhausted. I can't bring myself to wake up early enough to do the runs in the morning before work, so I'm trying to do them in the evening, before it gets dark. Last week that didn't go so well...I come home so starving hungry that when it's dinnertime I EAT. Then I have to wait at least an hour to go running...and by then it's starting to get dark...then two hours later...it's too dark. So I'll have to work on perfecting that this week.
Speaking of eating...this is getting ridiculous. I'm ready for this to be over so I can go back to eating like a normal person. I burned around 7200 calories this morning. I know that only happens one day a week...but during the other runs I burn about 2000 and 3200 calories...depending on the day. No wonder I eat like a HORSE. It didn't sound like much to me until I compared it to what I would normally eat...whoa. So on top of trying to make up for what I've burned, I have to eat like a normal person, and that equals a lot of food. During these high-mileage weeks I've really been packing it in. My book says that from here on out I need to focus more on nutrition and hydration to keep everything stalked up for race day. No gaining or losing weight...just keep it steady. I can hardly wait to start tapering, only 1 more week!
Cumulative mileage total: 260.5

Beginning of the end...

Today marks the end of week 11 and the beginning of week 12, only 4 more weeks to go! I can hardly imagine I am 3/4 of the way through training. Too bad the next 2 weeks will be the most difficult so far, coupled with the fact that I start work on Monday, and that means I won't have nearly the same amount of time or energy that I've enjoyed all summer. I'm a little nervous about how that is going to go. While I'm at work it will be much harder to ice regularly and stay hydrated; I doubt my new employer will like it if I'm going to the bathroom every 20 minutes...which is the true story of my last 2 1/2 months.
I am, however, very encouraged after today's run. I conquered the last of the 16 mile runs! It was a bit warmer than I would have liked, but I was so thankful I managed to force down 200+ ounces of water yesterday. I was feeling rather discouraged last week because I was going so slow and experiencing so much knee pain and not sure what do about it. I took 2 extra rest days this past week and really concentrated on ice sessions, regular doses of ibuprofen and stretching and I think it really helped. I did break down buy new running shoes, which I really didn't want to do, but I realized that my shoes could be the deciding factor in whether I finish this or not. My shoes had well over 200 miles on them. I also bought a knee brace that I wore during the long run today and as far as I can tell it helped tremendously. I'm still keeping up with my preventative regimen, including ice baths, but I'm not having any knee pain right now, so that's good news!
Mentally I'm beginning to try and prepare myself for what is called "hitting the wall", which should be coming during next week's long run: 18 miles. "Hitting the wall" apparently happens when you're body is completely depleted of glycogen and carbohydrates, despite regular hydration with fluid replacements all throughout the run; it's just what happens when you run that far. Extreme fatigue sets in and you will truly believe you can't go on. Another. Step. But because of all the mental preparation and training that you've been practicing during these last 11 weeks...you will make it past the wall. ALL the training, mental and physical, comes down to these last 6-8 miles. And I will get a taste of it during the next two weeks.
My body believes whatever my mind tells it, the wall is only as big as I believe it to be.
Cumulative mileage total: 233.5

Week 10: check

This morning I completed my second of three 16-mile runs, and I'm sorry to say that it took me longer than the first time. :( Bummer. I'm gonna go ahead and blame it on my knees. They've been giving me some trouble this week and I feared today might be rough, and it was. I was doing okay yesterday with my dosages of ibuprofen and frequent ice sessions, so I was optimistic today...until I hit mile 2 and began to feel them. Both were unhappy, but specifically the right one, as usual, was worse. Thankfully somewhere around mile 6 they seemed to accept their fate and began sulking, rather than screaming. Much appreciated. Fortunately I made it all 16 miles, but since my ice bath I've been a heap of worthlessness.
Other than my knees, a new blister, and being so beyond slow, my 16 mile early morning adventure was most definitely not boring. I'd like to thank the wonderfully diverse group of people who populate my running route: first I saw a guy running with no shoes, (which I've heard actually isn't that bad, as long as you aren't running long distances) and unfortunately he wasn't wearing much else either; his shorts looked like they were made of wheat or leaves, or some other plant material, and I haven't seen dreadlocks like that since Central America. My guess is that he was trying to draw the energies of Mother Earth up through his feet. Most likely. A while later on I saw an older guy with an hawaiian shirt on, and a straw hat with a huuge pink flower laye (sp?) wrapped around it...and this guy was BEYOND tan. Like, fresh off the cruiseboat tan. Shortly after that I saw a cute little old guy wearing the TINIEST little white shorts you've ever seen held up by suspenders, looong white tube socks and some sort of bavarian-looking hat with a giant feather sticking out the top. This guy saluted me, said good morning and greeted me with a toothless grin. A few miles later when I was on my way back down the trail, the hawaiian and the bavaran shorts guy had apparently become friends and were walking together, and they'd picked up a third...a cowboy. Large cowboy hat. Yesss.
Not long after that I saw a lady with two dogs, and one of the poor dogs, a smallish dog, (definitely smaller than Rocky Raccoon) had some sort of brace contraption attached to its hips, and the back end of the brace was on wheels! Rolling behind the dog! I've never seen anything like that before, and I hope it helps, whatever it is. I decided I shouldn't laugh though, I'll probably need one of those things when all this is over.
I also extended my route a big further today and it was nice. I wrapped around some pretty ponds on a nice little trail, and then followed it on under the freeway...which gave me the creeps. (I found out later that someone once fell off that part of the freeway and landed on the trail and died. Gah.) When I noticed that someone had left their sleeping bag in the middle of the trail, I decided I might not go back that way.
Onward to week 11 whilst I baby my knees.

It's official!

I officially just registered for the Portland Marathon, October 4, 2009! Now I just have to keep praying I don't get injured before then. Maybe in a couple weeks it will feel more real.
I am halfway through with week 10 today and have decided to work a little harder taking care of my knees...they continue to remain tender and sore. I finally broke down and began taking some ibuprofen and going to take more time to apply ice and I think that should help quite a bit. For a while I kind of though I could get away without taking medication (even though my book said I wouldn't be able to, so I shouldn't try)...and it was right. Darn it.
I had a really good 16 mile run last Saturday and was so proud of myself for making it! I was pretty sore for the rest of the day but felt pretty good the day after. The next couple of weeks plateau briefly before jumping up for the final mileage increase and it feels sort of weird to have to do the same run twice, and then three times. My guidebook recommends I try doing some things to keep my emotions boosted so I don't start feeling less motivated. The fact that the mileage increases every week is designed to maintain high levels of motivation...the more you run, the easier it is to run more. A plateau for 3 weeks in a row can seem boring and frustrating, so I hope I can make it through. No stopping now!
Today's 8 mile training run was really hot and hilly; I explored some new territory which was pretty exciting, so I'm hoping that will help me be less bored. After I got warmed up I really enjoyed it. I don't think it would make the best route for a long run because of all the hills, but a really good training run.
It seems so weird to look at the calendar and only 5 1/2 more weeks of training left...that isn't very many! I hope this is working!

Rocky Raccoon

Ok, well I just had a really terrible run. I'm gonna do a little venting and hopefully get it all out of my system so that I can work on a fresh attitude...tomorrow needs to be better. First off it was SUPER humid and muggy this morning; probably the most humidity I've felt since being in Central America. So right off the bat I was dripping sweat like crazy...and stayed that way through the entire run. Somewhere between miles 3 and 4 I was feeling something very wrong in my right baby toe. I wanted to get closer to home before stopping to look at it so I pushed on a bit further; I nearly tripped over/stepped on a dead raccoon that was laying partially in the shoulder where I run. I came up on it so fast and was totally not expecting to see it laying there that I did a little hoppity jump over it...but still managed to step on his tail. EWWWW. It was not there when I ran by earlier, so I knew it had been dead less than an hour. This thing was HUGE...bigger than most dogs...and bloody and SICK. I started gagging uncontrolably and trying not to barf.
Unfortunately I misjudged my distance today and hit the ending 7 mile mark about a half mile away from home. Normally, not too big of a deal...but today of course it was. I finally stopped running and took off my right shoe and sock only to discover 3 gigantic blisters covering my entire baby toe. I wore socks that I've never worn running before, so that's my best guess as to what caused such horrible blisters. I knew there was no putting my shoe back on, so I limped the remaining half a mile back to the house, drenched in sweat and feeling nauceous from my little "run-in" with Rocky Raccoon.
On top of all that I picked today to forget to put bandaids on my arm...(I have been battling runner's rash on the inside of my upper left arm)...and so now I have about the worst case yet. Horribly, horribly painful.
Here's to a better day tomorrow.

Quick recap

Last Friday morning I completed the scheduled 14 mile run, and it went remarkably well. I was very tired and pretty sore when it was all over, but oddly enough, less sore than the 12 miler the week before. I know I'm still a pretty slow runner, but I was pretty proud of myself because I did the 14 miles in 15 minutes less than what I'd planned.
And yes, I caved and took an ice bath. After being in so much pain a couple weeks ago, I did a little research and got some advice from runner's I know...they all said take an ice bath. It has a similar affect to applying ice to a wound: reduces inflammation and speeds up muscle recovery time...only for the entire leg, not just once specific area; which is really almost required for this amount of trauma. Overall it really wasn't as bad as I imagined, but definitely not on my list of favorite things to do. And unfortunately, it worked. My legs felt better immediately after getting out of the tub, so now I fear this has to become a regular part of my training program. Darn it.
I began week 9 this morning with a quick 4 miler, but since I had two rest days in between runs instead of the usual one day, I was bit stiff. (I also think that sleeping on the ground for those two nights didn't help much...we were camping. Without sleeping pads. Oops.) The first couple of miles were awfully slow and I wasn't really enjoying it, but it did get better.
I've discovered that I actually enjoy the longer runs a little bit more than the shorter runs. It takes me just about 3 miles to get warmed up and feeling the rhythm, and until then I don't really enjoy it very much. It's a lot of work, my body feels like it's jerking around and pounding the ground really hard. So the runs that are only 4 miles long, don't really get comfortable until mile 3...so the majority of it isn't very fun. Now I'm not saying I LOVE 14 miles, but anything over 5 I find to be much more enjoyable.
I'm getting a little bit nervous for what's coming up: the next 4 weeks or so are going to be a LOT of miles. I jump up to 16 for this week's long run. It's weird to think back to when 5 and 6 miles were the long runs...ha. I'm praying for cooler weather next week because I jump up to 5:8:5:18. Yikes.

Concentration.

My next new challenge in my marathon training will be to learn not to zone out. Instead I am to learn to achieve "flow"...but that isn't that same as zoning out. I must admit that I enjoy zoning out: it passes the time quicker and I feel less pain, and generally am less aware of what is going on around me. But that isn't such a good thing. Flow occurs when you maintain fluid awareness and solid concentration and combine that with genuine enjoyment. I'm discovering that only if all the variables are in order does this happen to me; even if one small thing is not right I have a harder time achieving flow.
To help me concentrate, rather than zone out, my book suggests a number of mind games that force you to concentrate on the same task for a fairly extended period of time. It goes back to the mental aspects of marathon training: you have to train your mind just as much as your body. So yesterday Coby and I played four games of Concentration and another really cool game called Stare where you have to stare at a really detailed, colorful picture and then answer as many questions about it as you can in 30 seconds. At first it seemed kind of silly to be playing mind games, but then again, a lot of things the book suggests seems silly...until you do it. Then it's easy to see how important they are.
One of the things that I'm still getting used to...is all the sweat. I really don't care for sweating. It's gross. I understand that it's a normal and necessary part of this training program and I'm supposed to be sweating a lot. I just really don't like it. Soaking through all my clothes and having to stay in them for hours, dripping out of my hair, into my eyes and down my back...ew. I recently started feeling like I was sweating even more than I used to, and couldn't figure out why...until Coby's brother Jordan and I were talking about running one day. I mentioned that even on the short runs I still sweat like crazy, and he said "hey thats a good thing!" Apparently it means that my body's cooling system is in better shape and more efficient at keeping me cool. As soon as it realizes that my body is working hard it kicks into gear quicker and starts cooling me right away..,and that's why I sweat more. It makes sense!...but it's still gross.
Also some cross-training and more intense stretching are definitely in order.

4: 6: 4: 12

I just completed a 12 mile run, which was the long run for week 7, and let me tell ya, I'm a little bit tired. I'd like to attribute it to last week's laziness, and I probably will to some degree, but I'm not sure I have been quite this stiff and sore before. During this run I began to feel the first real twinges of pain/potential problems in my right knee and right ankle area. I've known for a little while that I run off-balance because often my right leg will be more tired or sore than my left, but I'm really not sure how to fix it. So I'll just wait and see how bad it gets. Hopefully it'll be no problem with a little tlc. (I'm sitting here icing my knees as I type this.) I know that what I really need is an ice bath, they really are quite effective...but you'd probably have to knock me out to get me to sit down in a bathtub full of ice. I will just continue enjoying my frozen bag of peas. I don't have any real blisters to speak of, and I still have all my toenails, so I won't complain...
This week of training was pretty tough because of the heat, and I'm pretty sure that's why I've felt so fatigued this week, plus a weird stomach bug, but now this week is behind me and next week is week 8! Halfway there!
I had a pretty good route all planned out today, but into about mile 3 I was thinking "this route is getting really boring, I need to find a new one." Which is true. I don't know the area really well so I'm kind of just sticking to the same roads and I think I'd be happier if I branched out a bit. I ran down to the Salmon Creek Trail and decided to be a little adventurous and take the extension that goes 1.5 miles further in a different direction and was so excited to be in a new area that I sorta just kept going. I finally glanced down at my pedometer and realized I needed to start heading back to the trailhead. I went farther than I should have and hit mile 12 about a half mile away from the house. Oh well.
Another new tactic I tried today that saved me was carrying gatorade with me for part of the run and then stashing it in the bushes for the loop back. The plan was to have some at mile 0, 2, 7, 9 and the end of 12. Unfortunately my over-excitement about the new trail put me back a bit and I only got some at 2, 10 and the end of 12. Even with that I could feel how much it helped but I really need to be practicing drinking 6-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes in order to maintain hydration. And it really does take practice and getting used to having liquid in your stomach while you're running. That was a new feeling for me today.
One thing I'm experiencing and definitely enjoying is the sense of comeraderie between myself and other early-morning runners. I know that I run better by myself and usually prefer to run alone because it helps me stay focused, but sometimes it can be kind of lonely. Seeing other people out there doing the same thing makes me feel like I'm not the only crazy one waking up at dawn only to be caked in dried sweat. I enjoy the brief greeting we give to each other when we pass: a quick raise of the left hand and a simple spoken "morning". I especially love the people whom I pass more than once because then I really know they are doing what I'm doing...lots of miles. Passing by a second time usually warrants a smile. However I do not enjoy being passed by elderly men...makes me feel like a slacker.

My cumulative mileage total so far: 121.5

"but it doesn't matter..."

Another little trick I've been using out of my trusty guide book to keep negative thoughts at bay is adding the phrase "but it doesn't matter" at the end of any/all of my complaints. Ideally I will learn to not think them at all eventually, but for now "but it doesn't matter" is working pretty well. This week I am forcing myself to snap back into training mode, and that started yesterday. This week of training is going to particularly challenging; not only because I'm coming back from a vacation, but because it's going to be in the 90s and 100s everyday this week, which means I will probably have to wake up even earlier than normal to run while it's cool (ish). My 4 mile run last night was stiff and slow and it was still really hot even though it was after 9 pm.
I decided to get up early and do today's 6 miles, so I woke up at 5:50 and hit the pavement. Here's a little rundown:
I'm really sleepy and it hasn't even been 8 hours since my last run...but it doesn't matter.
My legs are stiff and my neck is sore...but it doesn't matter.
My headphones just died...but it doesn't matter.
My feet feel like cinder blocks...but it doesn't matter.
I'm dehydrated...but it doesn't matter. (this actually does kind of matter, but I knew 6 miles wouldn't kill me.)
It's hotter than hades...but it doesn't matter.
So yeah...I have some positivity and serious rehydration to work on.
On the upside...last night I got to see a beautiful sunset, and this morning a gorgeous sunrise. Those are the things that relax me and remind me why I'm doing this.

i'm a slacking marathoner

I'm trying not to panic too much...it's just one lazy week of training. I blame it on Michigan. We are having SO much fun here, it's pretty hard to stay so focused on running when there are so many other distractions: playing with little Aayla all day long, not having a regular sleeping/eating schedule...not drinking enough water, not paying close enough attention to how many calories I'm taking in. All that is a lot of work. I think the time change and staying up so late is what's doing it...waking up and feeling drugged. I've been trying to set my alarm for around 730/8ish to go running...but that is 430 pacific time...yikes. So that hasn't been working out very well.
Good thing in my marathon book I just read that in the grand scheme of things, several months of training, having an off week isn't that big of a deal. So I don't feel so bad.
I'll snap back into it when we get home. Promise. :)

Week 5: check.

I just finished week 5 of my training with a fantastic 10 mile run! Even though I wasn't really looking forward to doing it this morning, it turned out pretty well and I'm glad I put in all the effort I did. I can tell that I'm getting in better shape because I'm not nearly as sore or tired as I have been in the past, or thought I would be today after 10 miles. Yay for progress!
The other thing that made me really happy is that I shaved off 30 minutes from the last time I ran 10 miles, which was mid May.
In order to have a good run this morning I decided to pay closer attention to my trusty marathon book...and I think it worked. It says to start drinking gatorade 2 hours before the run, during the run, and for 3 hours after the run. (8 oz per every 2 miles ran after the first hour of running). I had to wake up extra early this morning to start running before it got too hot, and my plan was to start running at 6:45. So I woke up at 5:30 to drink a bunch of gatorade, in hopes of getting it out of my system before leaving. (I am absolutely paranoid of the feeling of having to go to the bathroom while running. It's amazing the things you will consider/actually do when miles away from a bathroom...) Waking up so early is reeaaally not very fun, I was sitting on the side of my bed at 5:30 this morning drinking gatorade thinking "this is ridiculous." But it worked.
I also made it up my Doomsday Hill again! I was perhaps a little more optimistic this time hoping it would be easier, but it wasn't. Maybe next time. :)
Somewhere between miles 6 and 8 I decided to try a little mind game to pass the time: the abc game. I think everyone has played some sort of version of this but today I picked things I'm thankful for: Aayla, Ameira, Books, Bottles of water, Coby, Cups of gatorade...etc. (can ya tell I was thirsty...?)
After mile 8 I ran by the house to grab a drink of gatorade, and then finished the last 2 miles nice and strong. This is only the second time I've ever ran 10 miles before, so in just a couple more weeks I will start running further than I ever have before. Exciting!

Well, the last couple training runs haven't been going very smoothly... I think it's mostly because I haven't been getting enough sleep. I'm starting to really be able to feel the difference when even just one of the variables is off. Yes the running can be exhausting, but it's also all the other stuff I have to do that gets to be a lot of work: sleeping a lot, drinking a TON of water constantly, stretching whenever I have a free minute to sit down, eating way more than I'm used to, eating VERY different things than what I'm used to, etc. Also during my run yesterday I got a blister on my right ankle and kind of had to suffer through it because I was ways away from the car, so today while I was running I think I spent a lot of time worrying that my bandaid was gonna come off and ruin me.
Tomorrow I have a rest day, so Friday during the long run I'm turning over a new leaf. Fresh attitude, rested legs. It'll be 10 miles of pure fun. And a lot of sweat. That is for sure one thing I'm trying to get used to...all the sweat. I'm fairly adjusted to waking up early to do the runs before it gets too hot, but the humidity here is something else. Even on short distances, by the time I get back I'm sweating profusely, even when it it's not that hot. Gross.

Training for a marathon? What?

Yes, yes I know. Looking at me probably doesn't cause you to think, "she's a marathoner." But it's the truth!
A few months back I began running just to get some more cardio in my life...and for some reason this time around I actually enjoyed it...unlike a few attempts I've made in the past. I think this time I enjoyed it because I stuck with it long enough to actually start seeing real improvements: my distances got longer, my pace picked up, I didn't hurt as much, my body toned up, my muscles got stronger and I just felt better overall. Sometime in April I began reading a book about how to train for a marathon and this book I will largely give due credit: "The Non-Runner's Marathon Training Guide" by David Whitsett. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to try running distances without dying. I am absolutely not a distance runner by nature, but this book truly gave me the confidence to get out there and try! And not die!
I just began week 5 of the 16 week training program, and decided that somehow I need to document these efforts. During the last couple of weeks of training I've begun to realize how this just may be the most physically demanding challenge I've ever tackled, and I think a mental outlet will be a fantastic element to add to my training. The training program calls for running 4 days a week: 2 shortish days, 1 average day, and 1 long day. Each week gradually increases the number of miles ran by 2 or 3 miles and that usually takes place within the average and long training run days.
Last week during week 4 consisted of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 8 miles.
This week, week 5 consists of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 10 miles. (But actually I'm upping this week a bit because I'm going to Michigan during week 6 and don't expect to be able to get all the miles in. )
I won't go back and recap all my most recent runs except for last Saturday's 8 mile run. On this run I discovered my personal Doomsday Hill...this baby is the mother of all hills. HUUGE. As soon as I started running down it I began thinking "ohhh nooo"...knowing that I was gonna have to run back up it. On my way back I hit the hill...and soon enough it was over! I made it up! When it was over I realized what a mental barrier this stupid hill had created in my mind. The miles leading up to running back up the hill were labored and slow, but as soon as I crested the hill, my run got easier! I accomplished so much during that quarter of a mile or so, I was super proud of myself for doing it, it made the last couple miles seem like cake.
I'm beginning to really learn the significance of mental imaging, and positive thinking: today during my 4 mile run I practiced some positive mental images ( I know it sounds super dumb, but it's not) and I think it worked! The mental aspects of running take just as much practice as the physical aspects; I know I've heard that a gazillion times, but I think I'm actually starting to experience what it feels like.