Oops...a few weeks behind

Well, it seems that the busy Holiday season has finally caught up with me and I’m barely making it through the weeks with my head above water.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted so there’s quite a bit that I actually need to blog about.  Be prepared for lots of words and an extremely long post.  I’m promising pictures too so hopefully I can get myself together and get back to date with this thing.

MARATHON

So…I did it!! I ran a marathon!! Can you believe it?  A year ago, I never imagined that I would finish my first half marathon and now here I am, an accomplished marathoner.  I know, I know, it was only one marathon, but it was freaking amazing!!!  Of course, it was also incredibly brutal and mentally exhausting, but I felt ready and beyond prepared for the feat.

In fact, I felt amazing up until mile 20.  Kim and I ran together, talking as casually as one can when running an ungodly amount of mileage at one time, listening to music, and feeling pretty good.  At mile 13 we stopped, refilled our water bottles, changed our shirts, and fueled up for the next half courtesy of Kim’s parents who supported us the whole way through.  Around mile 20, my feet began aching and my mental game was dwindling.  I told Kim that I was finally going to have to walk through the water stations (up until then, we ran the whole thing!).  Walking through the water stations ended up being my saving grace.  In fact, I started looking forward to the water stations just so I could have 30 seconds of brief rest before picking up the pace again.  At mile 21.5, we again refilled on gummies and Gatorade and Kyle jumped in to run the last few miles with us.  And yes, I still walked through the water stops.  Around mile 23, I started feeling the burn.  My quads started burning and my feet truly ached (all glorious joys of being an avid runner).  Around mile 24, I told Kim to go on without me.  I don’t know how, but she felt great the whole time; unfortunately for me, I didn’t get that runner’s high.  So while Kim ran on ahead, Kyle and I finished the last two miles out.  I walked briefly right before mile 25 to regain my composure and dignity, but not before dropping the F$%^ bomb a few times and getting some sympathetic looks from nearby runners.  And then I saw it – the Mile 25 sign.  There was no going back now.  This was it.  I had prepared myself for this moment.  There would be no stopping.  At this point, it was all or nothing.  So here I go.  I ran that last mile as fast as my burning, aching, but strong legs would allow me to go. 

And I sprinted down that big hill at the finish like I’ve never sprinted before.  And just like that, it was all over.  4 hours and 26 minutes of running later, I finished a marathon.  It’s probably the thing I am most proud of in my life.  Of course at the end, my whole body tightened, I was dehydrated, and had waves of nausea and exhaustion throughout the day, but I did it.  4 months of training, 3 long 20 mile runs, thousands of miles, blisters, aches, tears, and toenails later, I did what I set out to do.  

Will I run another one?  Would you believe that I’ve already signed up for next year?

Post-Marathon Running

I’ve been reading up quite a bit on what to expect after you run a marathon in terms of running.  I can expect the following: weeks of recovery at slower tempos, continued soreness as a result, numerous aches and pains, delayed mental fitness, exhaustion, depression, and more decrepit toenails, just to name a few. 

What I really want to know is how long should I expect to be able to run long runs again without hurting? What kind of running schedule should I be on post-marathon?  How soon is too soon and how long is too long to start/go? 

While I’ve found varied answers to these questions, here’s what I did.  I ran the marathon on Saturday.  Uncharacteristically, I took off Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  By Wednesday I was dying to lace up my running shoes and take them for a spin.  I had planned on doing an easy 3 mile run, but felt so great, I ended up running 7 miles.  Thursday I ran 4-5 miles and took Friday off.  And just like that, I was back into the swing of things.  Call it good training or maybe crazy stupidity, but I’m already running 5 days a week again and cross training at least two more.  I’ve had a series of runs, all of them difficult I will admit – but that I am crediting to the marathon.  My long weekend run consists (so far) of a whopping 10 miles right now, but that’s about as much as I can handle safely. 

Between working 50 hours a week and sleeping in that other time, running is about the only thing that keeps me sane.  As the cold weather keeps rolling in, it gets a little bit harder to run every weekend.  But somehow, I’m still managing to get up and put one foot in front of the other.  Of course, I’m always looking for a new race to run.  Here’s what my race schedule (tentatively) looks like for 2013…

·         Disney Princess Half Marathon – Feb 24 (confirmed)

·         Shamrock Marathon – March 17 (tentative)

·         Spring Fling 10K (tentative)

·         Cooper’s Bridge 10K – April 6 (confirmed)

·         Monument 10K March/April – (tentative)

·         Marine Corp Half Marathon – May (tentative)

·         Reach the Beach Ultra Relay – May (tentative)

·         Marine Corp Marathon – October (tentative)

·         Richmond Marathon – November (confirmed)

I’d prefer to have another half thrown in here or there, plus I need something for January too…I had the Charleston SC half pegged for January, but I really need to find some more running friends or at least convince Kim and Tina they  need to run with me. 

Good-bye October & Happy Halloween!

Well, it looks like another month has come and gone.  Meaning, I'm one step closer to graduation, two steps closer to moving home, and about a week and half from my marathon.  Yea, these next few weeks prove to be busy and filled with all kinds of crazy goodness.

October, we had a fabulous run.  Seriously though.  Somehow between traveling and working, I managed to stay on top of my marathon training and log 191.6 miles to be exact.  That's a lot of running for 31 days.  No wonder my body is a little tired at times.  Actually though, I'm really proud of myself for sticking it through this training despite my move to NC, learning the area, and running on faith around downtown (literally).

I've learned a lot about my self this month too.  One of the most amazing things running has taught me is that I can push myself past my limits and accomplish more than I ever thought I could.  I'm grateful for not only the ability to run, but that I've learned to love it.  There's something magnificent about breaking down barriers and proving to yourself and to others that you are capable of more.

While I continue to push through this marathon training and then the marathon itself, I look forward to setting new goals and accomplishing new tasks.  Who knows what's next ---there's been talk of an ultra relay or maybe a second marathon.  Let's get through November 9 first and see where it takes me.

Happy Halloween!!!

The Not-so-glamorous running life

While I'll be the first to admit how absolutely wonderfully amazing running 40+ miles a week can be, it can also have its downfall.  Somewhere between the pages of RACES NEAR YOU and WHAT TO EAT WHEN TRAINING of Runner's World, you might overlook the pages titled THE GROSS PARTS OF RUNNING.  And of course you wouldn't see them because it's not there.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE running.  I just wish someone had told me about ALL the ins and outs included.  Here's a list:

-opposums at 5AM
-hills that never stop
-gas...you know if you ever need to toot you have to be careful no one is ever behind you...
-bathroom breaks...ugh painfully-urgent-better-get-to-the-bathroom-now breaks
-homeless people who look like zombies
-homeless people who try to sell you drugs...this hasn't actually happened to me but they LOOK like they want to sell me drugs or kidnap me
-chaffing in all the wrong places
-blisters and losing toe nails and yes that actually does happen
-dogs (that's what pepper spray is for)
-the 5AM wake up call letting you know it's time to run
-random technology malfunctions (ie. your headphones breaking mid run)
-knee/hip/muscle pain

Okay, so some of the things are generally covered in running magazines but I was always under the impression "oh that won't happen to me".  Until it does.  As you can see, I've had a lot of interesting encounters when running.

This past Saturday (while running 20 miles in Richmond with Kim), I experienced the whole headphones breaking thing.  Luckily there were only 3 miles left and we mostly chatted/complained about the last three miles/homestretch.

Today I ended up running a half marathon (what's 3 extra miles of the already scheduled 10?) and though it wasn't the best race I've ever run, I feel pretty proud of myself.  It was hilly and I had run freaking 20 miles yesterday!  So on 6 hours of sleep, 5 hours of driving, and 33.1 miles of running this weekend, I managed to maintain under a 10 minute mile without walking for a time of 2:07/2:08.

The crazy part?? I get to lace up again tomorrow.  And I'll love every minute of it.

A whole lot of catching up today

I can already tell this post is going to be a little wordy.  But there's just so much that I need to blog about and I can't even remember where I left off.  So let's start with my birthday.  For my 24th birthday I decided I wanted to go to Lynchburg and run the VA 10 miler.  It was a great race that I ran last year.  Kim and I ran it together and honestly was one of the best ways to spend my birthday. This past year, running has been such a huge part of my life.  I figured I shoulder celebrate running and my birthday at the same time.  Not to mention it gave me an excuse to eat and drink all I wanted.



Then I headed back to Durham.  Sunday was extremely depressing.  Jo and I said goodbye to most of our favorite people.  And of course the week started all over again.  Is it safe to say that I live for the weekends?? Because I absolutely do.  This week was actually a lot better than the first week.  Maybe I'm getting a knack for kids or maybe I'm just figuring out what's truly important during the day and cutting out all the extra, but this past week went smoothly.

Today I ran 20 miles for the second time.  It actually went so much better than the first 20 mile run I did.  I got up a little after 6AM, laced up my shoes, and was out the door around 6:30.  I ran all over Durham - I mean it literally would take a page just to tell you all the streets and trails that I ran.  Nonetheless, I ran the whole thing without stopping, without gels, and without gatorade.  I only took my water and the tylenol I had before I left.  I managed great time and am spending the rest of the day lazily wandering around my house.

Heading out to explore Durham in a little bit with Jo.  I'll keep you posted.

All kinds of runnin'

I've been doing all kinds of running the past week and a half, getting ready for my move to Durham.  I had a week off between my internships which involved a lot of packing, unpacking, moving things in and out of storage, spending time with my family, and running errands.  While I was home, I got to catch up with the whole fam, including Laura and my grandparents.  I even made it to one of Riley's soccer games.  I even managed to stick to my gym/running schedule while I was home.

I ended up stopping in Richmond on my way to Durham on Friday and got to spend the afternoon with Kim.  You would think after spending 3 months together, we'd get a little sick of each other.  And while I'll admit it is nice to have my own room, I miss Kim a ton!  So it was nice to catch up and do random things while we had the time.

I made it to Durham in one piece and unloaded my car.  I spent Saturday afternoon unpacking and getting settled in, even making a Target run (which is conveniently 4 miles away).  Friday night, we went to this great local restaurant and Retta (she's the lady who's house we're living in) showed me some good places to run, not to mention Whole Foods and a bunch of bakeries downtown that I should probably avoid.  :)

Saturday morning I got up and ran my 20 miles.  It went well, minus getting lost.  But I found some great running trails/tracks to keep my somewhat satisfied for my long runs.  Today I got up and ran my 10 miles - which felt like nothing compared to yesterday.  I checked out a new church, which I love, and now I'm just trying to recuperate from this weekend.  Joanna comes tomorrow and I can't wait.  If only I didn't have to work...            

Racing Mania

I have a confession to make: I'm addicted to running races.  Yes, there I've said it.  It's out in the open and now you know my deep, dark secret.  And if you know me at all, you've probably only heard me talk about running 23,454,545 times in the past year.

After running a very poor Rock N Roll half in Va Beach, you'd think the last thing I'd want to do, is sign up for another Va Beach race...so why not try 2?? I ended up running my farthest distance last week at a whopping 18.5 miles.  And believe it or not, it was so much better than the half.  I had perfect fall weather, strong legs, and a determination to do better than the weekend before.

At about mile 10, Kim met up with me and we ran the last 8.5 miles together.  We took it at a good, leisurely pace and I actually felt great after.  SOOOO, I convinced my mom to sign up for the Wicked 10K with me in October.  Granted, it is only a 6 mile run and I'll still have to run another 6 miles to get my full 12 in, but what a fun run.  Not to mention, you get a pretty sweet medal.

Right now, I'm looking at another one in December that's a 10 miler.  While it might seems a little crazy, the more races I have to train for, the more likely I'll stick with a good plan.  But right now, my marathon training comes first.  And that means heading out for a short 12 miles tomorrow.

Bring it.

Highway to Hell

An appropriate title for the "Rock n Roll" half marathon I just ran today.  It was quite the event.  And by that I mean it was one of the worst races I've run in a while. It wasn't my worst race, but it was far far from my best race.

Last year, at this time, I started my running adventure with my first race ever - the Va Beach half marathon.  I thought it would be an appropriate way to start the racing season this year; to come full circle.  And while I have improved greatly in my running, you wouldn't know it from my race today.

The next part of this blog is kind of painful and somewhat humiliating to write.  My pride's been a little bruised and I've had quite the serving of humble pie.  My time...wait for it... 2:10:11.  Ugh, one of the not so greatest times I've run.  Like I said, not the worst, but certainly far from my better races.

The day started with a 4:30 AM wake up call, lots of hustle and bustle (not to mention some parking traffic), and a quick jump into the corrals.  And just like that we were off. I started off ahead of the 2:00 hour mile marker feeling pretty good the first mile.  It didn't last long.  By mile 3, I was struggling from the heat and humidity.  I was already dripping in sweat and mascara just trying to put one foot in front of the other (I've learned some days that's all you can ask for).  By mile 4, I was ready to throw in the towel.

I got through mile 4, but unfortunately slowed my pace.  I watched the 2:00 hour mile marker drift further and further away out of reach (dramatic, yes).  But at that point, I didn't care.  My goal switched from getting a personal best to just finishing the race without walking.  Around mile 7 or so, Kim and I randomly met up and ran together for the next few miles.  We both were struggling, so it was nice to have the company.  The rest of the race is pretty much a blur.  Between miles 8 - 13 there were cuss words (in my mind), popsicles, sprinklers, one not-so-big-but-oh-so-tough hill at mile 12, a never ending boardwalk, and a whole lot of mental triumph.

BLAH.  I totally just word vomited all over this blog post and I'm not even sure where that leaves me now.  We spent the rest of the day lounging watching trashy reality tv, eating way too many calories, and complaining/justifying my poor race time.  Will I be a contender next year?? Hm...maybe in the relay??

I'd post pictures, but honestly they're not that great and I just don't have the energy. Happy running.