Faithrunner....

The 20 mile run on Saturday felt easy compared to the 7 mile run I had today.  I know, this shouldn't be the case, but with the added heat and humidity it was simply unbearable.  I didn't get to start my run until 9am (first problem), didn't put in enough calories over the weekend due to this gluten free diet, and simply couldn't force my weary legs up hills what-so-ever.

Ran from my house to the WA Duke trail, one hill after the other, ran around the trail (still more hills), then back home....still cursing each hill.  I spent way too much time walking, gave in way too easily, and simply couldn't fight the fatigue.  With a 2 lb water weight loss after Sat morning's run (and only a 1 lb gain), then another 2 lb water weight loss today, I'm just battling and feeling fatigued.

I definitely can't afford to dehydrate or get behind in caloric intake, so took a much needed trip to Whole Foods today.  Spent ample time wandering the isles of gluten-free products, trying to guess which one might taste better than another, and left the store with a fairly good supply of carbs.  Meeting with a nutritionist on Wednesday to get a better handle on food items so I'm looking forward to that.

If my knee stops bothering me, then I'll try the Wed. night track workout again since it's long night.

Dictionary.com describes success as:  "the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2.  a successful  performance or achievement."

Finally.  I can honestly say today's run was a favorable attempt, a successful achievement.  20 mile runs can often times be daunting, it's a long way from mile one to mile 20.  But, when you have a run like I did today, I can say that 20 miles is a great distance to run. 

I had wanted to run the Umstead Park trail this morning but with all the rain last night, and the ominous sky this morning, I opted for a pavement run in CH.  The Tar Heel 10 Miler course is a hilly course with a one mile uphill climb on Laurel Hill rd., so it provided exactly what I was looking for this morning--HILL work and distance.  I parked at the Starbucks and headed up the one mile long hill of Franklin St., then followed the majority of the Tar Heel course.  I had strategically hidden water bottles along my course prior to starting, every 2-2.5 miles so that I would stay hydrated for certain.  I hit Laurel Hill twice, once at mile 3.4 and again at 13.5.  Success....didn't walk up either time!  Success....nothing slower than 8:45pace today (and the slower times included big uphill battles).  Success....last three miles were the fastest.  Success....didn't dehydrate at all!  Only had a two pound water weight loss today (with 93% humidity, that's pretty good!)  Success....ran the last 7 miles without my music since I neglected to charge the iPod last night.  Success....remained positive, felt relatively strong, didn't quit early.  It's so good to finish a long run on a good note, to feel like you've achieved something great, to leave feeling empowered. 

My only concern was that my quads felt burnt out for the last few miles.  I know my legs have to be strong in order to run the course I ran this morning, but yet they don't feel strong enough.  So the question is, do I weight lift more or run more hills or what?   At least Grandma's Marathon is not this hilly, so perhaps I'll be just fine. 

Other issues...back of knee is still swollen, still hurting, but definitely bearable and better than it had been.  Having a hard time figuring out this gluten-free diet and managing my caloric intake (mostly the carbs), and that's affecting weight loss....  Thankfully, that's all. :)

Wednesday evening headed to the UNC track for a trial of this Godiva Track club experience.  No, I haven't been on a track team since the 7th grade, and NO, this is not familiar territory for me, but did it anyway.  Definitely felt overwhelmed (and intimidated) upon walking up to the track area, there were so many runners and dudes sprinting their 100's off the blocks, shoot--I don't even know how to use those blocks!  I thought about just watching for my first time, but then some lady walked up to me and asked if this was my first night here, so she kindly got me signed in. 

The first event was the 1500, three heats based on times.  Since I've never done a 1500 just for fun, I had no idea which heat to go with, so just did the slow heat.  Once the gun went off and I started running, I'm pretty sure my heart rate dropped back down to normal.  Can't believe how nervous I was!  Finished the event in 6:28 and felt like my legs were gonna fall off. 

Second event was the 100...hmmm, I'm not a sprinter, I'm a long distance person, so this was going to be good.  Made SURE I was in the heat with women who "looked" slower than I was so that I didn't finish in last.  Ended up finishing this event in 15:06.

I opted out of the 1500 racewalk, and went on to do the 400.  I really have no idea what I'm doing when I'm on the track, no form to speak of, no idea when to surge or hold back, just no idea.  I just ran as fast as my little legs would take me without my heart leaping out of my chest.  Finished in 1:17, and have no idea if this was a good time or not since all the people in my heat were male and over the age of 50. :) 

At least by this point the sun had gone down and it didn't feel like 100 degrees, even though my legs were on fire.  So the last event of the day was the 3K.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to run it after all this sprinting, but figured it would be good for my legs to get some lactic acid out.  So, with that, I began the 7 1/2 laps around the baby blue colored track.  Finished with a time of 13:53.

It felt incredible to have completed the two hour workout, and it truly was a great workout.  I never knew I could sprint that many times around the track in one evening and it felt good to do it.  I enjoyed meeting new people and running against people half my age. :)

On the way home, my knee began to pulsate a bit and by the time I got out of my car, I couldn't bend my knee.  What??!!  It didn't bother me a bit while running, it hasn't in several weeks, then out of nowhere, there's a bunch of swelling again.  Ugh.  So, ice, elevate, Advil, foam roller....yet this morning I can't bend my knee.  No idea where this came from, but hoping it goes away by Sat. morning so I can get in a much needed 20 mile run!!!

I'm looking forward to many more Wed. night track practices!!

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week.  I have a sitter for the entire day and it's the most fabulous day no matter what the weather, it's the day I can set aside for me.  As selfish as that may sound, I take full advantage of having a day to just be me--a woman, an athlete, a person, an individual.  All other moments of my week are spent being a wife, mother, taxi driver, volunteer, caregiver, grocery getter, maid, secretary, coupon cutter, nose wiper...the list goes on.  But on Tues, I'm just me and I can refresh myself to be a better person.

With a not-so-terrific 8 mile run + 6 x 100's at the Wa Duke trail and an hour weight lifting session at AE, I was already feeling rejuvenated.  Made it to the grocery store for a quiet shopping experience, dry cleaners, lunch with a friend, and post office!  Went to pick up the 11 yr old at 3pm like usual, then over to the upper school to get the 14 yr old.  I could see she was deeply troubled when I pulled up and by the time she got into the car, the tears were pouring down her face.  "You forgot about me!" she squealed.  What?  I was sitting there, same time and place as every day, so why does she think I forgot about her?  Hmmmm......oh yeah, pick up time Tues was at 2pm, not 3:30.....  In the midst of all my errands I somehow forgot to pick up my daughter after her second exam.  So my happy Tues just ended with a feeling-guilty-bad-mom emotional uproar.  Where was my brain!!

Luckily, my daughter is very forgiving and understanding and also kindly reminded me this morning that Wed. is also a 2pm pick up day!!  I'm sure I'll receive several text messages this afternoon just reminding me of my duties. :)  Some days I win Mother of the Year awards and some days I don't.

Today is a track workout day with the Godiva track club summer track series!  I'll try to get my sprint on tonight and try desperately to improve my awful running form.  :)  Looking forward to it.

Thurs = off
Fri = 20 mile run on HILLS!
Sat= off or 3 mi RR
Sun = 8 mi + 5x100 downhill strides + 1.5 mi tempo run

Though the sun was hot, the air was humid, the hills of Umstead trail were more than gently rolling, the race went on.  With three Imodium on board, a few animal crackers, and one chocolate Accel Gel down, the race was about to begin!

I had the best parking spot in town this morning.  Got to park right smack next to the garbage dumpsters which provided great privacy for my tucked away pee spot.  There is no way I'd wait in line for a nasty porta-potty when there are plenty of trees around.  Was able to do a little warm up run around the parking lot before making my way to the start line.  With the race director announcing the rules and warning of us many hills and the increased heat, we were all prepared to do or die. 

The first two miles the only thoughts I had floating in my head were, "turn around, go back, don't run today."  I hate those negative thoughts, but I had them until my legs stopped burning and I got into a groove (mile 3).   The Umstead park area is gorgeous.  Sure, the hills will kill you but the trees are so majestic, the trail is so well groomed, the peacefulness is amazing.  No headphones allowed on the course today and funny thing, I only saw one person who didn't comply.  There were many runners talking to each other, the chatting was quite sweet.  From mile 3 until the end, I had two most fabulous mantra phrases going through my head that made me feel quite amazing.  1--You were born and bred to run hills, it's a piece of cake (that's why my quads are not skinny!)   2--the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  I repeated the first mantra up every hill and the second one with every curve I took (believe me, there were lots of both).

First turn around was at the top of the hill at mile 6, I took my only Accel Gel and kept plugging along.  I know at mile 8 my watch said 1:04, and by mile 10 it said 1:20.  From my 10 through the end, I felt the strongest, had the fastest splits, and really felt great.

Finish time was actually a new PR... 1:45:21...8:03 ave pace.  Not fast, but it is faster.  It was fast enough to put me 5th in my old lady age group (out of 47) and 105th overall (of 609).  Very pleased with the mental toughness and the physical toughness today, it was a successful run.  I know I can't keep up that speed for 26.2, but I also feel like it's possible to keep an 8:25 for 26.2, and that's my goal.  The Ischemic Colitis was an issue (nausea hit by mile 10) but not until 2 hours after the race, so if  I can keep it at bay for the marathon, then we'll be set.  Starting a gluten-free diet this week...

One child home sick with a sinus infection, one child running like a terror through the house today.  Not the kind of Friday I was anticipating, but it is what it is.   Luckily, I was able to take the baby to Kinetix fitness club child care AND he didn't cry, so I was able to get in a GREAT workout out on the treadmill and in the weight room.  Bonus! 

Did a 6 mile progressive run starting at 8:25 pace and ending with a 7:55 pace.  Upper body weights to finish off the workout.  24 hours of keeping food down, it's all good!!  I feel like a new, rejuvenated human being. 

Looking forward to the half mary on Sunday, at least I'm thinking that my body will handle the stress of the run better than it would have a few days ago.  Any finish time under 1:50 would be appreciated. :)

Ischemic Colits.   Today's diagnosis from the gastroenterologist.  Lovely, just what I wanted.  

Well, despite the fact that I'm still not keeping anything in for very long, the doctor has given me a "green light" for training.  Back to the grind.  Tuesday afternoon I attempted a three mile run and felt pretty well (until I finished).  Went for blood work after the run with hopes of getting some answers.  Today was an 8 mile run in Chapel Hill to see how my body would react.  The run was good, it felt good to be out there, but my body is just running low on fumes/energy.  Thursday will either be a 3 mile recovery run or just a recovery day of NO running, depending on how much food (if any) can stay in me tonight.  Meeting with a specialist in the afternoon, so hoping to figure something out sooner than later.

Friday and Saturday will be fairly easy days so as to save enough energy for Sunday morning's half marathon.  I haven't had a problem holding onto my weight, but this week it's been tough.  I'm sure it's okay for me to dip below 120 lbs, but I haven't ever thought I should, now I find myself struggling to maintain it.  Might need to be more creative with supplements, like the stuff they give in the nursing homes--Ensure anyone?  It's the energy level I'm most concerned about, no food equals low energy and poor running.

But, I'm happy to be out running again, it's my happy place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the greater scheme of life, running is just a small thing.  Yes, it's my passion and yes, I would love to do it for the rest of my life but that may or may not happen. 

Friday, being my 22 mile run day, was my last day of running for the weekend.  I've been utterly sick since that run and unable to eat, nothing will stay inside me.  I missed my workout yesterday, and will take today off as well.  Hopefully, my doctor will figure out what is wrong and I'll be on my merry way, or not.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, I'm learning to chill out and that's a hard lesson to learn.

Long run Friday...22 miles of the ATT covered on foot...hot, humid air suffocating the lungs...sweet husband cycling beside me...so thankful it's done.

Although today's run was not as successful as I had hoped, it was completed and I can scratch it off the calendar.  Today was not an issue of whether my legs would make it, it was all about the digestive system holding it together (or shall I say "holding it in & down").  Let me just say, it's now 8:15pm and still dealing with the intestinal effects of today's run.

So what went wrong?  No idea.  Two slices of toast with butter and honey, glass of orange juice, two bottles of water, 1 Excedrine, 1 pkg of Power Blasts before the run began.  During the run, drank 3 bottles of water, 1 bottle of Gatorade, 3 Accel Gels, 1 pkg of Honey Stinger chews (the only "new" item tried today).  The humidity was definitely a factor today, it made it harder to keep up with the water intake.  Thank goodness my husband was riding next to me, his patience and encouragement helped me get back to the car (even though at the time he was frustrating me).  I made it back to the parking lot and glanced at my watch, it said 21.15 miles.  No way.  There's no way I could set out to run 22 miles and end on 21.15.  So, back down the trail to finish out the 22 mile run, satisfied.

It took me nearly 30 min to leave the parking lot, the knots in my stomach wouldn't let up.  Somehow I needed to refuel, but there was no way I could take my stinky self anywhere.  The pain let up just enough to make it to AE where Meredith said I could shower, then (after a great chat) off to Bruegger's for a bagel and egg white.  By the time I dared eat the bagel, it had been 3 hrs since finishing my run.  Oh the things we put our bodies through...I don't want to repeat this experience again.

At the end of the day, the ave pace today was 8:55 (8:20 until mile 14).  Started feeling nauseous and sick around mile 14 and progressively worse as the miles passed.  At 18, I was ready to crawl into a hole and stay there in the fetal position and my pace about as slow as the turtle we nearly ran over.

Thankful that it's done, hope to feel better by tomorrow.

Yes, it's Thursday....the weekend is almost here.  Yesterday, instead of a 3 mi recovery run, I chose to bike for an hour in the basement in front of the big screen TV.  Today, was a rainy, humid, cold but then too warm, 8.2 mile run with 2 x 10 minute tempo runs.  7:40-7:50 pace for the tempo running, 8:15-8:20 for the rest (hilly course) and it took every ounce of my brain to encourage my legs to move forward.  "To Boston or Bust."  "The only way I'll ever get faster is if I stick to the workout, run faster, push harder, and just suck it up."  This got me through the last few miles as my dumb iPod battery died!!   Mental toughness, it's what I lack, what can I say.  At least I know it's my problem, not afraid to admit it, just don't know how to get over it, it's a work in progress.

Tomorrow will be a 22 mile run.  That means I'll need to double up on the water intake today to make up for this morning's run and get ahead for tomorrow's plan.  If my husband can't ride his bike with me, then I'll be forced to run a hilly 22 miles, hide water bottles prior to the run, carry supplements, etc...so I'm praying that the padded biking shorts I bought him today will do the trick.  If I were a guy, I wouldn't worry about running solo on the trail, wouldn't worry about where to run and how to stay safe, wouldn't need to carry devices with me to protect myself.  Since I'm not, I think I should start a biking service for women who want to run long distances on the trail but are afraid to run alone.  I'd bike along side them with a backpack on and help them get to their destination successfully.  Hmmm, I'd sure pay someone to ride with me!

Oh well, charging my iPod for sure!

I knew today was going to be a struggle, I could tell the minute my alarm rang and I hit snooze 3 times.  I normally don't hit snooze, it's a pretty rare thing, so this was not a good sign.  Since I usually begin my run by 8/8:30, I'm used to not eating much of anything in the morning, but today was going to throw me for a loop.  Started at Active Edge at 8:30 (which already meant I was starving), it also meant that after an hour of lifting, I was going to do a dreaded run workout....at least I was supposed to do that.  After lifting, I headed to Bruegger's in hopes that a bagel would tie me over and not offend my stomach during the run.  Then over to the Wa Duke trail.  Spent the entire drive over there contemplating whether or not I should just turn home and take a nap, but I drove there nonetheless.  By now the sun was way too warm and the air a bit on the humid side, still complaining about running too.  So, instead of a 7.4 mile run with a 1.2 mile tempo run and 5 x 2min hill repeats......I ended up running 6.3 miles with a 1.2 mile tempo run and a nice walk to the car.  Quit. Finished. Forget it. Move on.

Some days are going to be great, others will not be, so today was not a day I'd like to write home about.  

This is a 45"ish" mile week and I'm starting it off with full blown allergies and feeling fatigued, sweet.  It just means I'll have to be mentally tougher, add new songs to the iPod, try a new running route, and pull out my new pair of running shoes. :)  No biggie.

Wed--3 mi recovery run or 1 hour bike
Thurs--Tempo run 6.2 mi with 2 x 10 min tempo efforts and 3 min recovery
Fri--22 mile run
Sat.--off
Sunday--Aerobic  6.2 mi+ 5 x 100m downhill strides

5 weeks, 4 days,  who's counting.  Can't wait to get to MN and be with old friends in a familiar place, jump into the 30 deg water of Lake Superior after the race, sleep in the grass of canal park with all the other tired runners, and hang out with my sister and her family.

Today---

Strength endurance run of 6 miles on a hilly course (Wa Duke trail) plus 1.2 mile tempo run, ending with 4 x 2min uphill running.

6 miles on Wa Duke trail at an 8:15 ave pace and felt great. Heart rate staying between 166-176 (some hills pushed it to 180).  By mile 5, I had made the decision, despite feeling a little fatigued, to run hard and complete the workout as planned.  If I want Boston, then I have to get Boston...take it...work hard...earn it.  Six weeks of training left, I just need to go all out and go for it.  After reading and re-reading my blog post from June of 2008, I realized that I have been trying to attain this goal off and on for way too long.  It's time to put in the work, the miles, the effort and go for it.

With that, the 1.2 mi tempo run on the hilly trail was completed at a 7:30 pace.  Then a short cool down before starting hill repeats (not my favorite).  The schedule calls for a 2 min up hill run, but today that same two min hill I had used last time was only a 1:48 this time.  Same distance, just covering the distance faster--yes.  Four uphill sprints, and downhill recoveries.  Heart rate still not above 183.  Not sure if that's a good thing or bad, but haven't been able to get the HR higher than 184 on any run.

Cool down and a drive home, feeling satisfied.   Tomorrow is a recovery day. :)

The Triumph of Victory

Here's my medal on top of my shoes that carried me all the way through. :) I still couldn't eat after the race but I sure wanted to relax in the grass by the water, so I did. It felt heavenly to feel the victory in my heart, to know I did what I had set out to do, and to think that mentally I stayed strong till the end. Wow, it's amazing. I spent a lot of time on my phone with my dad going over the play by plays of the race, the breakdown, and how it was. My family took turns chatting with me and sharing the excitement with me. It was exhilarating.



The finish line was in Canal Park, in Duluth. Here's the big draw bridge that went up several times while I laid in the grass contemplating what I had just accomplished. I spent some time standing in Lake Superior to cool off my tired muscles, even though the water was only 35 degrees, once you go numb then it's not so bad. :) This was a fabulous victory for me, with all that's been going on, all that I've been stressed out by, and all the years of unsuccessful marathons/training due to injury, this was the icing on the cake. I'm in heaven (well, an earthly heaven.)

Here's the breakdown:
(for those of you who want to know)
mile 1- 8:15, mile 2-8:02, mile 3- 8:09, mile4-8:18, mile5- 8:07, mile6-8:38, mile7-8:14, mile8- 8:29, mile9- 8:36, mile10-8:01, mile11- 8:38, mile12- 9:15, mile13- 9:01, mile 14-9:02, mile 15-9:54, mile 16- 11:28, mile 17-9:16, mile 18-10:24, mile 19-10:03, mile20-9:33, mile 21-9:46, mile22-9:04, mile23-9:45, mile 24-8:59, mile 25-? mile 26-finished at 3:59:08!! It was miles 18-21 that really killed my time. I am soooooo glad, excited, thrilled to finish under 4hrs, barely did it, but very excited about it.

Next comes Twin Cities, so we'll see if I can train hard enough to get that 3:45 that I so desire.

Since this weekend has me chauffeuring the kids, I had to get my long run in today.   Today was a great day for a long run, the weather was just right.  My darling husband volunteered to be my personal assistant on the ATT which meant he carried my water, gatorade and GU's while riding my old bike (the $69 special from Toys R Us five years ago!)  20 miles of biking on a bike that's made for neighborhood strolling, let's just say he won't be sitting comfortably on a chair for the next few days.  Gotta buy him one of those huge, old man cushioned bike seats!  Anyway, today felt great.  I felt great.  It's so refreshing to have good long runs, especially on a higher mileage week.

Food--1 waffle & 1/2 cup oj, 1/2 bottled water prior to run
3 GU's, 2 bottled waters, 1 bottle Gatorade during the run

The breakdown for further reference---
20 Mile Run--finish time of 2:48:58--ave pace 8:28---calories burned 1949!!
mile 1--8:29
2--8:45
3--8:32
4 & 5--8:27
6--8:34
7--8:27
8 & 9--8:20
10--8:29       (10 mi time= 1:25)
11--8:21
12--8:28
13--8:34       (13.1= 1:51)
14--8:38
15--8:41
16--8:31
17--8:14
18--8:25
19--8:23
20--8:19       (2:48:58)

For a 3:40 marathon finish time, mile 10 should be 1:23, mile 13.1 should be 1:50, and mile 20 should be 2:47:55.

I didn't feel like I could run another 6 miles when I finished today, but at least I feel like I'm making huge progress in my 20 mile times.  Next weekend will be a 22 mile run and I'll throw a big hill in at mile 21 to simulate the race course.  If that goes well, I'll feel much more confident in where I'm at training wise.

Maybe the hill workouts, speed workouts and cross training is finally making a difference.  Race day is 6 weeks from Saturday....

We are now in the 7th week stretch until race day, can't believe it's coming up so fast already.  7 weeks certainly doesn't seem like enough time to accomplish all that I would want to accomplish before race day, but it does mean that each workout needs to count.

Since my knee and ITband have been such an issue since last week, I cut my workout short on Sat. and took Sun and Mon off from running.  Lots of Advil, foam rolling, massaging, icing, anything to get rid of this nagging pain.  Monday I ended up riding my bike on the trainer but OUTSIDE!  Yep, hope the neighbors didn't notice or hear the spinning of my tires...they would have caught an eye full if they had.  Since the biking didn't bother my knee, I cycled for an hour.

Today was an 8 mile run with 4 x 1 mile repeats with 4 min. recovery on the ATT.  With pepper spray in hand, I managed a 2 mile warm up at an 8:30 pace then began the mile intervals.  First mile done at 7:04, then 7:34, 7:24, and 7:40.  Ended with a 2 mile cool down and a near breakdown.  Since I had forgotten to pack a water this morning (coupled with the fact that I had taken Advil), I figured I'd be fine for just 8 miles, it didn't feel that hot out anyway.  Unfortunately, I was wrong and with 3/4 of a mile to go, my body began to shut down.  Burning, pain, chills, goosebumps, cramps, urine a shade of brown, it was the first time I thought I might not actually make it back to the car.  Huge lesson learned this morning, PACK water or just skip the run.  Thankfully, the Mc Donald's down the road was willing to give me 4 cups of water and an orange juice and by the time I got to the pool to shower, I was feeling better.  Not going through that again.

Wednesday is an 9 mile run with 6 x 100's.  Forecast is calling for rain, so debating between the hilly trail or the club treadmill.  As long as I don't have to dodge lightning bolts, I think I'll pick the trail.  Active Edge after the run.

Friday is going to be long run day.  20 mile run with my husband biking beside me!!  Ya hoo!  He gets to carry my water so I can practice faster running/drinking/GU stops, etc.  It'll be a long, but great morning. 

I've got two new pairs of shoes to try out sometime next week.  Nike Air Pegasus +28 and the Brooks Launch.  Hoping to find a new shoe to love. :)