26.2+

Advance warning. This will probably be a bit long.

On Saturday, I set my alarm for 5:15, with expectation of meeting Jacob at 6:15 in the lobby.  I went to bed around 10  pm, and woke up at 11:45. Fell back asleep around midnight, then woke up again at 3:30ish.  D’oh.  Fell back asleep around 4:45 only to wake up half an hour later.  The day before, Jamie gave me some good advice.  Be happy for getting however much sleep I got that night.  So, I reminded myself of that and was happy for getting the six hours of sleep that I was able to get.

I got ready fairly quickly, had a banana, prepared my bagel (with almond butter and jam), and was ready to go.

Jacob and I met at the lobby at 6:10 and headed toward the shuttle, about three blocks away.

We waited in line about 30 minutes before getting on the bus.  I was glad to have worn a sweatshirt and some yoga pants because it was chilly. Especially because my coconut water in my fuel belt was cold.  Ha.

We finally got dropped off near the start line, and started walking toward there.   I started to eat my bagel and took an Aleve.

Jacob wanted to make a pit stop before we got to the start line, so we got in line. As we approached the porta potties I became more happy with my decision to NOT use them. I had to step away from them (we weren’t even *that* close!) because my stomach was remembering my experience at the Long Beach 1/2.

We finally made it to the start line.  Jacob went off to join the faster runners and I stayed behind at my corral.

And then at 8 the canons went off! The faster runners started; I crossed the start line about 8:20.

There was a fairly large hill heading toward mile 3, but it was okay.  Going downhill was awesome.  I really should have done the St. George Marathon, which is mainly downhill.  And I did have that thought during the marathon, especially going uphill.  Anyhow, I saw Jacob around mile 5ish, as he had already looped around and was probably around mile 7 or 8ish.  So he was making really good time.

Around mile 8ish I tripped on a pothole and nearly fell, except there was a nice Marine there who caught me.  And I did NOT do it on purpose. 

Around mile 11 I realized I was developing a blister on my right big toe.  That’s the same spot where I got one during the LB 1/2.  I had put a blister Band-aid on it as a preventative measure, but I guess it didn’t help.

Luckily there was this awesome view to distract me:

Sidenote: I started this whole thing with the intention of never doing this again.  So I wanted it to be as fun of an experience as possible.  And since running is NOT fun for me I wanted to enjoy my surroundings.  So throughout the day I took pictures, texted with friends, stopped to take a pic with a Marine, etc.  I know a lot of people go into marathons trying to get a great finish time, but really my goal has always been to finish.

When I crossed the halfway point, I was feeling okay (with the exception of my toe). But the rest of me felt good. I remembered what Tom had said. That when you cross 13.1 you think, and now I have to this all over again. And I was pleased that at that point I was feeling like I could.

The next few miles I could feel the blister getting worse.  But it was still okay until about mile 14.

At mile 15 Jamie met me with water, more Gu (basically 100 calorie shots of a chocolatey gel with vitamins and caffeine), and a banana.  I ate both the banana and a Gu right away which helped a lot.

Around mile 16 I got my first view of the Lincoln Memorial.  I got so overwhelmed with the view and what it stands for, as well as the crowd of cheering people that I started having trouble breathing. I composed myself and kept going. But it was a really a bit emotionally overwhelming.

Unfortunately, my blister was getting worse.   Finally at mile 17.5, I had to stop at the First Aid Station. They removed my blister Band-aid and they put some mole skin. I started running a bit and realized it was coming undone already. So I turned around so they could reapply it. They wrapped my toe a few times with the mole skin.  Again, I started running a bit and it was worse. I could barely move my toe which made taking steps impossible.  So again, i turned around and they removed it.  I had brought an extra Band-aid which worked well.

Around mile 19 I hit the dreaded wall. It was awful. I just felt so exhausted and the thought that I still had SEVEN miles to go was so overwhelming. It was awful.  I got some encouraging texts at the point, which helped tremendously!

At mile 20, I got to the last bridge.  This is the 14th St Bridge.  If you don’t “Beat the Bridge” (that is get there by a certain time, they open the bridge back up and you board the bus and get bused to the finish line).  Anyhow, once I knew I had “Beat the Bridge” there was no question in my mind that I would finish.  So again, I got a bit emotionally overwhelmed.  Then I saw this sign and I started cracking up.

Anyhow, I slowly made my way across the boring boring bridge. It was about a mile or so? Maybe longer. It felt like it went on FOREVER.  There are no spectators on the bridge, which made me really appreciate the cheering crowds throughout the rest of the marathon.

Between mile 21 and 25 it felt like SO much time went by. To the point, where I would think, did I somehow miss the mile marker? Because surely I must be at mile 22, 23, 24, etc by now. But alas, no, it would eventually show up and I would get annoyed.

When I finally got to mile 26 I was so EXCITED. Only .2 to go! Yay! Well the last .2 were up a very very steep hill.  And I though, well it’s only.2, which is great until my calves (which just traveled 26 miles) and my quads (ditto) started cramping up.   But luckily at the moment there were dozens of Marines on both sides of the patch, cheering everybody on, offering up high fives, and really encouraging words.   And I realized that they have all gone through so much more, so I picked up my pace, turned the corner, and saw the finish line.  I started sprinting and finally crossed the finish line (without falling, ha ha).  I have to say this was probably one of the most emotionally (and of course physically) overwhelming experiences I had ever experienced, and I literally burst into tears when I crossed the finish line.  It was so odd, yet made so much sense. Anyhow, I picked up my medal and I was relieved to be done.

Here was the finish line from the other side:

And then of course this was just a few yards away:

Overall, it was a lot tougher than I expected.  I’m glad I did, definitely, but I’m also glad I’m done with it.

Thanks so much for all the encouraging words throughout the months and for putting up with all my complaints!

 

ETA: The title is 26.2+ because at the end, after going around people, the First Aid tent, etc, I ended up running about half a mile more, according to my Garmin.  And then, of course, after the finish line there’s a matter of getting through the crowds, to the metro, etc.  So it was a long day.

Done

I finished. Will provide details tommorow.

2 hours 10 minutes

That’s all the time left before the canons (yes, the Marines do it right!) go off and the elite runners start. I’ll start  about 20 minutes after that.

It’s been a long long few months of complaining, sweat, and training, but now this is it.  In a few minutes I’ll head down to catch the shuttle to the start line, and start pacing until we start.

See you on the other side of the of the finish line. 

And Now Do It All Over Again…

Tom K. gave me some great race prep advice a few months ago.  “Run some races, so you get used to running in a race.” To those of you who have never run a race, this may sound silly.  If you run a 5K, its just like you ran 3.1 miles, right? Well, no.  And this is why Tom’s advice was so great.  It’s so different running in a race, than just a regular training run, that I really wanted to run in at least on half.   So I decided to run the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon.  I’ve run this before, and it’s a great flat course, with fairly cool weather.  And to make things even easier (so I though), my baby nephew’s birthday party was this weekend.   On Saturday, I had a bagel in the afternoon and some pasta with pesto in the evening. My concern was that tomato sauce would be too acidic and make my tummy hurt.  I think this was a good choice, and will likely have this on the day before the marathon.  The party was in Phoenix on Saturday, so I flew from Phoenix to Long Beach on Saturday evening.  By the time I got my stuff all ready I didn’t make it to bed until 10:30.

At 5:15 my alarm went off.  D’oh. That came early! So I got up and started getting ready. I prepped my bagel with some almond butter and jam and packed it up along with a banana.  I got to the race around 6:15 and started eating my bagel and banana.  I also drank about 8 oz of water.

Around 6:30 I started walking toward the start line and noticed some porta potties.  I thought it would be a good idea to make a pit stop before the race, so I got in line.  Forty-five minutes later (!!!) I finally got to the front of the line, I went inside and was so grossed out that I proceeded to throw up. So, lesson learned: WILL NOT use porta potties on race day or ever, for that matter.  Yes, I’m a weenie who gets easily grossed out.

So finally, around 7:20 I made my way to the crowd.   The race had started at 7:00 with the fast runners.  I crossed the start line around 7:40.  I was a bit concerned because I had a flight to catch and I was worried I would not make it in time.  I thought I would be crossing around 7:15 when I booked my flight.

The first few miles went really well and fast (mentally, more than physically).  My friend Glory and her husband, Mark, were cheering me on around mile 6.  Mark also ran with me for about 10 minutes or so, which was super nice of him and it was really nice having someone to chat with.  It was also a good distraction and motivating!

At mile 10, my friend Scott was there cheering me on. Also, he gave me a  banana to see if I could digest it better than the bad Cliff Bar from last week.  It was great.  But the better news was that I wasn’t even hungry at that point.  So that’s really good news, because it looks like I found a good combo of food to keep me full, but not feel too full at the beginning.

About mile 11, I had to stop at the First Aid station because the blister that was starting to develop last week was coming back. I had meant to band-aid it in the morning, but I forgot.  So it’s something I have to add to my check list.

Finally made it to  mile 13, so I sped up a bit to finish strong.  And then, as I’m crossing the finish line I slip (literally on the thing that tracks your time) and fall on my knee.  OMG. Who does that? Me. That’s who.  My knee was a bit scraped, my ego a bit bruised, but overall I was okay.  Hopefully the photographer got a good picture of it. Or not.    I get up and walk over to get my medal.

Overall, it was a good run physically, but even better run mentally. Tom said that when running a marathon and you cross the 13.1 mark, you think, now I have to do this all over again.  And I can honestly say, that as I crossed the 13.1 mark (before I fell, lol) I was thinking, “and now to do it all over again.”  More importantly, I was thinking that I COULD add another 13.1 in a couple of weeks. This was a good race for me.

And then the real race started. I had to get past all the people, get to the parking lot, drive back to shower (very quickly), pack and race to the airport.  I made it, but only barely!  Now it’s nap time.

 

Twenty Down, Less Than One Hundred To Go!

Since it’s been so long since I last posted this will likely be a long post.

So let’s start with the bad.  I should be running right now.  Supposed to be an eight-miler interval training run.  And yet here I am typing.  Why? Because my shoulder hurts. A lot.  I even got so far as to get dressed to go down to the gym, got to the treadmill, started running and then stopped.  Not good.  Admittedly, I didn’t have any Aleve with me so I haven’t taken any in a couple of days.  And I traveled both yesterday and today, so that didn’t help. Anyhow, I did go get some Advil at the hotel, so hopefully I’ll be able to run tomorrow evening.

Last week, I went to a new doctor and the good news is that he is AWESOME.   Really, awesome.   I felt so much more comfortable with him than my previous doctor.  The bad news is that he also thinks I need surgery.  He doesn’t think I need the surgery the other doctor suggested, which is great, because the one the new doctor recommended will likely require less recovery time. So that’s great news. But really right now, I wish I could get this fixed RIGHT NOW and be done with the pain sooner, rather than later.

So on to the good news.

 

Yes, I ran TWENTY! miles. It was long, and it was tough, but I did it.  So some good things about the run:

• I finished
• I had enough water (so I won’t have to rely on water during the race)
• I finished
• I didn’t die
• I finished

Some bad things about the run:

• I was STARVING.  Yes, STARVING.  I need to figure this out.  And fast.  I got so hungry around mile 8/9 and I’m not sure why.  I had a Cliff Bar with me and I thought I could eat a bit of it to settle my growling stomach.  Mistake.  Big one.  After I ate about a third of it, it felt like somebody had punched me in the stomach.  I doubled over in pain.  And I’m not exaggerating. I literally, stopped and doubled over in pain. **Warning: Irrational thinking ahead!**  I thought, “Oh NO, I’m so hungry that my stomach is eating itself…ugh, I hate running.”  Heh. I did think this.  I drank some water and walked for a bit, and that helped. Eventually the pain went away, but I was still hungry.  So anyhow, a couple of miles later I had some GU, which gave me some much needed energy, but my stomach continued to growl off and on for the rest of the run.  So I have a couple of ideas that I’m going to try this weekend.
• I started to develop blister on my toe.  Believe it or not, this was one of the first blisters I had developed due to running. I’m not sure what to make of it, but it does concern me.  I will probably put a preventative Band-aid on it.

So as you can see, I had way more positive things about this run than negative things? What? I repeated myself in the good list. Well maybe a little.  But I really need to remain as positive about this, because I am so ready to be done.  And I need to know that my stomach won’t eat itself due to the awful hunger that running causes.

But guess what? I have LESS THAN 100 miles left to run!  That’s it! So close to the finish line.

What Would a Marine Do?

Well she was right. As much as I was hoping the nurse was wrong, the doctor confirmed what she had said. I am going to need surgery.
The doctor started by explaining what the labral is and why it’s a bad thing that it is torn. He then said there are two treatment options. The first is physical therapy. He said physical therapy was good for people who had a torn labral in their non-dominant arm and who spend most of their days at desks. So this is the opposite of me since it’s in my right shoulder (and I’m right handed) and I’m at my desk like four days a month. Okay, so option two: surgery.

He started by explaining the procedure. He said it was a 1.5 hour arthroscopic surgery. I would have to stay off the road (for work) for 4-6 weeks. *gulp* Again speechless. Luckily, he kept talking. He said I would also have to go through physical therapy after ward, so it doesn’t make sense for me to go through PT now.

First question from me, can I hold off having this for about 2 months? Yes, he said, I could wait up to six months. Can I continue to run? Yes, he said, as long as I could deal with the pain. It wouldn’t injure me further.

Since I’m running the Marine Corps Marathon, I asked myself, what would a Marine? And I think they would tough it out, take an extra Aleve if it hurts too much and keep going. So that’s my plan. If it gets to a point where it feels too painful I’ll slow down (which for me will pretty much mean walking, ha!), but will try really hard to cross the finish line. And also learn to be ambidextrous. See, so running will be the least of my concerns!

How To Leave Me Speechless

Today I received a call from my orthopedist’s office.  And good news!  There’s something wrong with me! So the trauma that was the MRI was not pointless. What’s that you say? That’s not good news.  Hmm, well that was as positive as I can get about this.

Anyhow, Robin the nurse from the orthopedist called me. This is how our conversation went:

Robin: We got your MRI results and I see you have an appointment scheduled for Friday.  You should keep it.

Me: Can you tell me the results?

Robin: Sure, you have a labral tear.  So you need to come in on Friday to discuss your surgical options.

Me: *silence* (and most of you know how hard it is to leave me speechless)

Me (after recovering): You mean, options, not just *surgical*, right?

Robin: Well, you need to talk to Dr. Davis.

Me: Can surgery wait until November?

Robin: Probably, but you’ll have to talk to Dr. Davis.

Ahhhh! This news came after a very difficult day at work, so it was not a good day.  I sincerely hope on Friday he says I can continue to run until October 31. Otherwise, I will be a very sad bunny.  If he says I have to stop training, I will be speechless again. Because I do not want to start training again.

Splitting Up Is Hard To Do, Part Deux

Last Saturday,  my goal was to run 16 miles. Because I was going to be home all weekend and it was going to be hot, hot, hot, I knew I would have to run the full 16 miles on the treadmill.  Since, it was going to be inside, I didn’t worry myself with waking up early.  And without an alarm (digital or Mika) I can easily sleep in until about 9. Which I did. So, after getting up, lollygagging  for another couple of hours, I finally went to the gym. I decided to run for two hours (and no, for those of you Speedy Gonzalez out there, I cannot run 16 miles in two hours…as a reminder, I’m a slow poke).   My plan was to run as many miles as I could in two hours and then do the balance after resting for a few hours.

Well, when I was done with two hours, I felt great. And thought about continuing to run but I was STARVING. For any of you who have ever been around me when I am hungry you know I get super cranky.  And not in an endearing way. More in a little baby who has missed their feeding way.  I also get a headache. But mainly cranky. So I figured rather than finish up, I would just got home, eat lunch, take a short nap then come back to the gym and finish up.  I was way more than halfway done (I’m not quite that slow), so I knew it wouldn’t be too bad.

As bad of a runner that I am, it’s the complete opposite when it comes to napping. Quite frankly, I would say I’m a champion napper.  What? There is no such thing? Hmph. Well, if there was, I would win. Maybe I should start a napping competition.  Anyhow, I digress.

My short nap turned into a three hour nap. Yes, I ran for two hours and napped for three. Ha. See, I’m much better at napping than running.  By the time I finally woke up, my gym was closed.  Times like this reminded me how much I loved my former gym, 24 Hour Fitness.  Where, indeed, they are open (and staffed, which is way important) around the clock.   Somewhat defeated, I realized I would have to finish my run in the morning.

The next morning I woke up late again (no point in getting up earlier, since my gym doesn’t open until 10) and finished my run.  Sorta. I mean, technically if I was following the whole splitting things, then it would count as one long run, however, it didn’t feel like that to me AT ALL. It just felt like I ran a decent run on Saturday, then a slightly shorter run Sunday.  I didn’t feel like a hit a new milestone of 16, because I had previously run the two lengths before.  Additionally, it felt a lot harder on my body to run two days in a row. So from now on I’m going to stick to one long run, and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t run for a week.  Not that I didn’t try.  My shoulder has been hurting a lot lately.  So much, in fact, that I went to the orthopedist a couple of weeks ago. Unable to find anything in the x-rays, he recommended an MRI.  Okay, no problem.  Well, since I was out of town during the following two weeks, it had to wait.  Well this past week, my shoulder has been hurting more than usual.  I tried running a couple of times, but each time I hurt more than was comfortable and I was afraid I would only make it worse.  Finally, yesterday, I had my MRI.

Now I’m not too claustrophobic, so I wasn’t too worried about this.  Well, I was wrong not to be concerned.  Apparently, they had to inject me with something in order to get contrast or something. Anyhow, for those that are squeamish about needles, skip the next paragraph.

They started with injecting me with lidocaine. It wasn’t the same time little bity needle the dentist uses. No, it was a large needle with a lot of fluid. So they injected a little first, then left the needle in there, then pushed it further down (OMG) and then injected more.  Normally, needles don’t bother me (I’ve donated blood since I was old enough/weighed enough), but while the needle was sticking out of my arm they were using the x-ray machine to make sure the needle was in the right spot or something and I could see the reflection of the syringe sticking out. Gross. It totally reminded me of the Pulp Fiction moment when Uma Thurman gets the adrenaline shot.  Then, they started adding the dye.  Well, apparently the dye by itself is not good enough, so they add it to a bunch of saline solution.  So they started injecting me with the dye/saline mix. And then it started hurting a lot more than I expected.  And the pain only got worse.  Argh.

Next, was the actual MRI.  They put me on the little bed and rolled me into the coffin/machine. I have to admit I got a bit claustrophobic, and even started feeling a bit anxious.  They said to be still as possible and try not to move. So of course, I wanted to readjust and move so I could breathe.  After 20 minutes of pretending I was a vampire (just kidding….kinda), I was finally free! I asked the doctor after ward if I was allowed to work out and she gave me a definitive no. So no run on Friday.

This morning, I got up early, had breakfast and an Aleve and took advantage of the beautiful 65 degree morning! It was awesome. I took it easy (especially since Mika was with me and unfortunately my gym doesn’t have a dreadmill for her so she is out of shape!) but it felt good to run outside again.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up extra extra early and drive to a nearby park and run at least 10 miles.  I want to ease back into the long runs, especially since I’ve been hurting.  I’m changing my long runs to Sunday for the next few weeks (based on where I’ll be and various time off).  I hope tomorrow’s run will be pain free and *gulp* easy.

Nap Time!

I was in CA all last week and decided to take advantage of the amazing weather.  I had a great run on Monday.  I ran 5.5 miles, then a friend picked me up.  The main reason for that was because I forgot my sunblock and so I ran away from the sun and didn’t want to turn around and run toward the sun.

On Wednesday, I had another great run.  I ran out for 20 minues (my Garmin couldn’t find a signal, so had to go based on time) and turned around. My goal was to get back faster than I had gone out. I beat my time by about 30 seconds which was awesome considering  I was going downhill when I went out and uphill coming back.

So given these two good runs, I was totally psyched for my run on Friday.  I figured I should do my long run while I was in CA and continue to take advantage of the great weather.  I was hoping to run 16 miles.  All before I caught a plane to go back home. Things didn’t start well. First, I hit snooze.  Usually, my beloved snooze.  Not great when I have limited amount of time.  Then I took my usual hour to get ready to go. Yes, an hour.  That’s how long my routine is.  It’s funny, because I can be out the door and ready for work in less than 20 minutes and yet it takes me an hour to get ready to run.  So an hour after getting up (late) I started off.

The first 8 miles were good.  Then my right foot started hurting.  The bottom part.  Like where I stand all day in my heels.  And it continued to hurt, so I started walking.  That helped.  However, that also slowed me down.  So I continued to run/walk/walk/run as best as I could.  I ended up finishing 14 miles, which was fine by me.  This may mean I might have to stop wearing heels.  Sad, sad thought. Or maybe compromise and stop wearing 4 inch heels and go down to 2 inch heels. Sad thought still.

Anyhow, after a quick breakfast, I raced to the airport and boarded my plane.  Lucky for me, one of the few perks of constantly traveling is getting upgraded to first class.  And luckier for me yet, on this particular flight, Delta had the lay flat seats in first class.  Meaning, they recline completely flat. Like a bed.

As soon as we took off, I made my bed, put on my awesome noise canceling headphones and slept for a few hours.  Not the most comfortable bed, but after running for that long was I really going to notice? Nope!

I’m hoping that my next long run (in two weeks) goes better, but nonetheless I’m counting this run as a successful one. So overall, the whole week was a good one!

More Upbeat

Yesterday’s post was way too depressing for my taste and it’s sad to see it as my latest entry. So I’m going to write about something that is good about running: quality time with my iPod.

I truly enjoy putting on my old school headphones (you know, the kind that came with your Walkman…iPod earbuds hurt my ears) and cranking up the volume.

Depending on the type of workout, i listen to two things: Kevin and Bean podcasts or my running playlist. For those of you that have never heard Kevin and Bean, it’s a morning show based in LA on KROQ. Like most morning shows around he country, it relies primarily on sophomoric humor and silly hijinks. The show cracks me up and helps to keep me semi happy during those miserable runs. Since the shows are only about 70 min long (and I also listen to them when I’m flying) I don’t always have a new show available. So that’s when I turn to my carefully-selected running playlist.

I have spent way more time than I care to admit fine-tuning what makes my list. I know that I can skip songs while I’m running, but my goal is to have a playlist without one dud. My criteria for whether or not a song makes it is really hard to articulate. I have quite an eclectic mix, songs from No Doubt (my all-time favorite band) to hip-hop/rap songs, show tunes, 80′s & 90′s classics, happy songs and just really fast songs. Altogether I have about 50 songs.
Here’s a random sampling of my running mix:
Just a Girl – No Doubt
Wish – Nine Inch Nails
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
Bohemian Rhapsody – Glee version
Material Girl – Madonna
Dirrty – Christina Aguilera
Golddigger – Kanye
Bruises – Chairlift
Mercy – Duffy
Take Me or Leave Me – Rent (original cast)
Ex-girlfriend – No Doubt
Respect – Aretha Franklin
My Hero – Foo Fighters
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Don’t Rain on My Parade – Glee version

I remembered how much I like songs with the word running in them when I discovered my current favorite song: Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. Every time the running part comes on I speed up. Which is always a good thing.

As much as I love my iPod, I can’t help but wonder what people think as I’m literally laughing out loud at Kevin and Bean or rocking out and singing (sometimes loudly) along to my tunes. Probably that I’m a little nuts and a terrible, awful singer. Meh. At least it helps me pretend that I’m actually enjoying the run.
What songs should I add to my list? Remember, they have to be catchy, pretty fast, and easy sing-alongs.