The November Recap

Oh man have I lost that blogging bug lately.  I get pretty bogged down with Christmas in November.  I'm that guy that is pretty much ready for Christmas by the end of November.  Want to know why?  Because then I can spend all of December eating Christmas cookies and not shopping, decorating, writing cards... True story.  And those things all take up an enormous amount of my time.  It has also allowed me to get some nice easy running in and enjoy December and the Christmas spirit.

BUT before I get ahead of myself talking about December I need to tell you about how November went!

Goal 1: Run 40 miles/month.

Yet again I did that thing where I didn't run for a LONG time at the beginning of the month and then had to pack in the miles at the end.  I didn't run until the 11th, which I think is a record number of days in a row for me to not run this year without being ill or injured.  So boo to that, but I was able to pull myself together and finish.  I had a 9.2 mile week, a 13.8 mile week, and then a 14.4 mile week.  Then on the last day of November I managed the 2.7 miles that I needed to JUST finish 40 miles.  Nothing like being only an achiever and not an overachiever!

Despite my ability to put running off (which might mean more miles per month would keep me more "honest" and running more regularly to keep up with my goals), even at this point, I think that my 40 miles/month goal is a good one for me.  If the goal was much higher it would be stressful for me to get the miles in instead of relaxing.  The target of 40 miles gets me out running about 3 times a week and with Zumba sprinkled in, that gets me exercising about 5 times a week.  I think that's pretty good!

Goal 1: Check!

Onto Goal 2: Run in at least one race/month.

Tom and I participated in the Gobbler Gallop in Heuvelton this Thanksgiving morning and it was a PERFECT morning for a run.  It was just around freezing, overcast and not windy.  Tom pushed the boys in the jog stroller and yet again beat me even though there were hills that would have absolutely killed me if I was pushing the boys.

There was an awesome turnout for both the run and the fun walk.  I was really happy to see so many people turn out for a very small-town run.  They had twice as many participants this year as they did last year.  There were families and even pretty small children enjoying the morning.

Another really nice thing about this race is that the entry "fee" is two non-perishables for the local food pantry.  They had a pretty impressive pile of food when I quickly signed our family in (RIGHT before the starting gun).

Goal 2: Check!

Thanks for reading! Hope you had a great week and enjoy the weekend.

The Undress

Seriously this is so cool I just HAD to write a post about it.

It's a dress that allows you to change your clothes discretely and modestly in public.  It's called The Undress and you should really check it out.  There are so many uses for this dress.  Great for workouts and the beach!  Also, it is being made in the USA!

I would love to just order one right up, but Christmas is coming and it's time to shift gears and focus on getting all the things from Santa settled for the boys.  Maybe next Spring!

The October Recap

Yet another month is complete in 2014.  It is very hard to believe that there are only 2 more months left in what has turned out to be a great year so far.

Goal recap for the month:

1) Run at least 40 miles/month

I am proud (and a little embarrassed) to say that I was able to meet this goal for the month!  Proud because I finished the miles and embarrassed that I had to jam 15 miles into the last week in order to get it done after slacking off in the beginning of the month.  I'm just glad I got ahold of myself before I had to have a 25 mile week! 

2) Participate in at least 1 race each month

My running friends and I ran the Fall Fun Team Marathon on October 25th.  It was a really nice time and a good way to see my friends on a Saturday morning while raising money for a good cause.

While I did not overachieve this month in any respect, I'm still getting out there and enjoying the miles as the year winds down and the temperatures start to drop.  I anticipate more nice miles and races are still to come this fall!

Have a great weekend and thank you for reading!

4.6 miles left

Slowly but surely eating away at the miles I have left for the month!!

Went out last night at 9:30.  It was awesome.  60 degrees, light breeze, some sprinkles but no rain.  I had a tank and shorts on.  I set out to do 2.5, but I felt so great and the weather was so nice I kept it going for 4.5!  This is really great news because I won't have to run on Halloween now.  I think I'll be busy enough getting the boys dinner and ready to trick-or-treat without trying to fit a run in.  

Thank heaven for goals and the determination to meet them!  It feels so good.

Thanks for reading!

Wracking up the miles

Why did I put off running in the first half of this month?

At the time it always seems like I haven't skipped that many workouts, but then all the sudden I still have miles I need to run to reach  my 40 miles/month goal... 

Hmmmm here is October so far...

Week 1: 3 miles

Week 2: 5.44 miles

Week 3: 4.5 miles

Week 4: 12.4 miles (finally realizing what a slacker I had been with my mileage)

Week 5:  Started this week with 15 miles left to reach 40...

Have 9.1 miles left and 4 days in which to do it.  Should totally have this in the bag.  

Just chaffing the dream ya know!

Fall Fun Team Marathon

Some of my running buddies and I got together last Saturday morning to run a team marathon.  The race proceeds benefited the Gouverneur Breast Cancer Fund, which supplies financial assistance to women with breast cancer in Gouverneur, NY and the surrounding areas.  They brought in $400.00 for the fund.  Not bad in my opinion considering this was the inaugural year for the race event.

I was excited about the event for two reasons.
1) Our team name was Hero's Harem and we all dressed up as super heroes.
2) It wasn't your run-of-the-mill 5K/10K

The race was held at the St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds in Gouverneur and each team had to complete 52 laps on a 1/2 mile race track (used for horse racing -so soft sandy gravel not blacktop).  We all ran at once and recorded our laps on a board.

The weather was cool, but not windy, and damp, but not rainy.  So pretty much perfect weather for fall running.

I wanted to get a 6 mile run in so I ran 12 laps.  I was pretty gassed, but I pushed through and finished.  I could have stopped and my other teammates would have done more laps, but I had decided I was going to do 6 miles and sometimes it feels really good to just do what you set out to do.

It wasn't the most exciting event but I had a really nice time seeing my friends and all the other people out having a good time.

Yeah, I'm batman.  (but I'm totally jealous of Molly's Superman fleece PJs)

The September Recap

September wasn't really an impressive month (I didn't really have any particular lofty running goals) for me in the running department.  I didn't run as much as I should have, but I was still able to attain my goals for the month. 

Goal 1: Run a race per month.

We did the Ragnar Relay! Ok, so that was pretty awesome and impressive and I'm pretty shocked that my runs went as well as they did based on my lack of consistent running leading up to the race (been pretty lax on long runs lately).  So that goal is completed.

Goal 2: Run at least 40 miles per month

I just made it with a tally of 49.3 miles.  Goal complete!

Actually, I need to get my act together for this month or I'm going to have a hard time making my 40 miles!  I guess I should have signed up for an exciting October race already.  Maybe the first step is doing some running tonight.

Thank you for reading!

#RagnarADK The Adirondack Ragnar Relay Recap

Where do the days go?  It's already halfway through October?

Phew, I've been pretty remiss about writing here.  Truth be told Ragnar was a huge stressful monster until everything came together and then it was an absolute blast!  We were planning things right up until about 11 PM the  night before the race and we had to be up a little after 1 AM to start the drive down to Albany, so maybe I'm still recovering from all that crazy. 

The Ragnar Relay is a series of ~200 mile relay races that can be found across the country.  The relay teams have 12 members and each member runs 3 times over the course of 200 miles.  Each runner ends up running about 18 miles each.  The race starts in the morning, continues through the day, into the night and then the next day until you are done.  

We originally planned on bringing two teams of 12 people to the race, but in the end we had to cut one team (lots of people dropped out...).  The people that ended up doing the race were awesome and we all had such an amazing time.  We were team No(rth) Fear.  And fearless we were!

The race started VERY early in the morning in Saratoga Springs (near Albany, NY).  The first van of 6 team members had to be ready to go by 7:15 AM. 

Van 1: 

1) Alexis

2) Kristine (me)

3) Katie M.

4) Katie T.

5) Katie N.

6 Jacki

(Yup, 3/6 of us were named Katie.)

We were on the road by 2:15 AM.  Along the way, just north of Long Lake, NY we saw a MOOSE running on the road!  They are  really funny to watch running.  It eventually ran off the road and up a trail head on the side of the road. It was one of those moments when you hardly believe something actually happened because it was so cliche. 

We arrived at the race at around 5:45 AM.  It was still dark, there was a heavy wet dew, and it was pretty cold!  The time worked out pretty perfectly because we had just enough time to check in, do a safety briefing, go potty, get geared up (during "night" hours you all had to be wearing reflective vests), and get our first runner, Alexis, ready to start.

Once Alexis started we headed to a convenient store for some coffee and breakfast.  Since I was running second, and have a weak stomach, I ate things that I had packed and had some Gatorade.  My peanut butter sandwich went down really well.  I was pretty hungry from being up most of the night.  

We went to the first exchange point and waited for Alexis to finish her leg.  Then we snapped the relay bracelet from her wrist to mine and I was off!  

My first leg was along the length of Saratoga Lake along 9P.  

I think it would have been a beautiful run except that the fog hung so heavily over the lake that I could only barely see the edge of the lake as I ran along it.  I did get to do some house watching.  There were some very beautiful homes along the lake and it was a very pleasant run.  

I'm not a very good morning runner.  I don't have energy in the morning like I seem to have at night.  It was NOT an easy run for me by any means but I kept telling myself I was there to have fun and that it was a RACE so I ran as hard as I could and got it done.  I was pretty happy to slap the bracelet onto Katie M's wrist when I was done and off she went!  

The morning continued with us getting to all of the exchange points on time for the exchanges to happen without a hitch.  By the end of my run the day had warmed up and the fog had lifted almost completely.  By the end of Jacki's run it was HOT out.  

We met up with the next group of runners and got them all set to start the next set of legs.  At the major exchange point between legs 6 and 7 (major exchange because it was the exchange between the two halves of the team) we made sure that runner 7 (Blaire) was REALLY all set to go.  It was VERY hot at this point and his run listed as "9.4 miles very hard".  I was really relieved to see that he was planning on running with a Camelbac hydration pack.  

I also scored a free Bondi Band!  Good thing I've run a marathon so I can wear this little baby.

Van 2:

7) Blaire

8) Mark

9) Eliza

10) Tom (the hubs)

11) Sam

12) Amanda

Once the second van took over we regrouped and had some much-needed lunch!  A food truck was selling pulled pork sandwiches and we all bought one and sat in the shade for a while and ate.  Next up for our plans were to go to the next exchange point, Million Dollar Beach on Lake George, and get some showers, rest, and more food before we had to start running again.  

The showers were just warm enough, the beach area just comfy enough, and the scenery so peaceful that I slipped into a quick and much needed nap laying in the sun in my sleeping bag.  It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon and the resting runners all looked very happy to be resting at the beach.  I had some very tasty french fries for dinner with lots of salt and felt pretty good as we started getting ready to exchange with the second van for our next set of runs.

It was night running time and we strapped on our reflective vests.  I also added the blinking tail light and head lamp (required safety equipment for the race).  I was so pumped for my run.  I love running just after dinner and I was ready to give it my all.  

My second run went REALLY well.  I felt awesome.  I chugged up hills and pumped down them as fast as I could.  I LOVE downhill.

There were only two negatives about this run.  The first was that I had about 6" of road to run on for most of the run.  Sometimes I was right up against a wall and then there was the traffic right next to me.  Thankfully there were lots of other runners out.  Safety in numbers right?  Also, the last MILE of my run was straight uphill...

I had told myself I would not walk a step and try to keep running during the relay, and so far it had seem me through quite a few hills that I just pushed myself up, but I just could not sustain that kind of push for that long.  My power walk was getting to be much faster than my sad attempt at running.  I even passed a guy while I was walking!  

I was completely dead when I got to the exchange point.  My team looked at me as I doubled over gasping like a fish out of water.  I'm pretty sure the only thing I was able to say was, "I'm OK and a strangled four letter word" for emphasis.  The people in the crowd giggled because apparently that's about what all of the other runners had been saying as they came in for the exchange.  HA!  Soaked with sweat but chilling quickly, I changed in the dark behind the vehicle into my next running outfit before we left for the next exchange.  I realized about 12 hours later that I had grabbed the wrong tights and accidentally put the pair on that I had already worn during the first leg... HA!!!

We continued our legs and exchanges and ended up at Ticondaroga High School.  The other team took over around 11:30 PM and we ate some school food buffet.  Not too great, but I was so hungry I tried to get as much as I could down.  I spent some time feeling pretty sick from running and not eating normally.  I took a bunch of Immodium and also an Aleeve to help with muscle aches.  Finally, set on getting up at around 4:15 AM and leaving at 4:30 for the next major exchange and our last set of runs, I found a spot on the gym floor and slept quite well for a few hours.  It was too early to get any breakfast anywhere so I ate my second packed peanut butter sandwich on the way to our exchange with Van 2.  It was cold and foggy and there was a thick wet feeling in the air.  We were in the woods for these legs and houses were not as close together here.  

We dropped Alexis off in the dark and then went to wait at the next exchange point.  I wrapped up in a blanket and waited.  The dawn came before I started running and I didn't have to wear my "night" gear, which was good because my forehead hurt from wearing the headlamp the night before.  So at about 7:30 I started off for a short run that was listed as "easy".

I felt like lead and my eyes were itchy from lack of sleep.  The beginning of the run was hilly and I was really drained.  I just kept thinking about my team and how awesome everyone had been doing and that I had to just keep plugging away and not let them down.  After the first mile or so the terrain leveled out and I ran on a very flat stretch of highway with a nice luxuriously wide shoulder.  Then glory of all glories the road sloped down, and it just kept going down, and then down and down.  I kicked my legs into gear and let myself be pulled down the road.  I was making up for how horribly I had done in the first couple miles!  

The very last part of the run was uphill, but short so I was able to hold it together and finish strong and I was SOOOOO happy that I was done!  The girls had stopped for coffee and snacks while I was running and Jacki offered me a half eaten corn bread muffin and Katie M's half drank coffee and it was seriously the most delicious breakfast ever.  

I can't explain to you the feeling of happiness and gratitude and peace when you are done with your last leg in this relay.  It was "fun" to watch each of us be nervous for our last legs because we were tired and hungry and worried we wouldn't be awesome and then to see each of us come back from another successful and final leg with a HUGE smile on our faces.

Jacki was the last runner in our group and it was seriously SO hot again with full sun.  Her last leg was a 7.9 mile very hard leg.  She was nervous and that got me nervous especially as our van drove along the road she would have to run as we made our way to the next exchange point.  I knew she was a strong runner and would be fine, but the heat had me worried.  We got the next van ready to take over when she got there and waited in the sun hoping everything would be fine.  (cell phone service was really spotty for most of the race because of the mountains)  I had a time in my mind when someone would drive back looking for her if she didn't show up.  Then I got a phone call and when I looked and it was Jacki calling my stomach fell.  Well, wouldn't you know it, she was just calling to make sure Blaire and the next team were ready to go because she was faster than she thought she would be and she was almost there!!! Talk about an unnecessary heart attack.  

Then our group was done and the second group took over and we would see them again at the finish line.  We headed to Lake Placid cheering for runners and enjoying the beautiful afternoon and views of the mountains and streams as we went.  

Sadly, at one point, we came up on a runner being attended by paramedics.  It really was very hot once again and our second team did not have an easy time in the heat.  Thankfully we all stayed hydrated and made it through just fine.  

Our plan for Lake Placid was to find a pizza place and go nuts eating slices and enjoying the sunshine.  We found a great place with outdoor seating right when we came into town.  We ordered 5 pizzas and a calzone and we all went to town eating our first decent meal in what felt like forever.  

When we were done we headed over to the finish line area and waited for the second group of our team to come and to run the finish line together.  

I'm so proud of our team and how well we did.  We finished 197 miles in 33 hours on VERY little sleep and spotty food/water (note to self, next time bring TONS of water).  This was the most fun I have had in a very long time. 

Check out this sweet bling!

If you are considering a Ragnar Relay I highly suggest doing it!  You will not be disappointed.  

Thanks for reading! 

The Season of Ragnar

My running buddy Jacki and I got two teams together a very long time ago to run the Ragnar Relay in the Adirondacks this weekend coming up.  I'm so excited.  This is a running event I have been interested in for a long time.

What I hadn't anticipated was the sheer amount of effort it would take to coordinate 24 adults with 24 real-life situations that conflict with their running just as much as life conflicts with my own running.  At this point we are thinking about collapsing 1 of the teams and just filling up 1 because we have had SO many people that have had to back out of their spots.  I'll run with any team ready to have a good time.  I think the 12 people we are left with are very ready to go and I'm starting to get excited.  We've lost a lot of good runners that I would have really liked to do the event with, but maybe some other time.

My head has been spinning trying to fill spots, coordinate getting people in the right spots and then back to their cars... One direction, 200-mile relays are problematic that way.  Now I'm ready to relax a bit and get rested, because not much sleep is going to happen after Weds night...

Regardless I'm very excited about the race.  The leaves are changing early and the foliage in the Adirondacks should be spectacular :)

I'll keep you all posted!

Thank you for reading and have a great week!

The August Recap

A solid month. 66.6 miles. Goal 1 of running at least 40 miles/month complete!

I completed my birthday running streak of 33 days!  I ran a total of 77.6 miles in those 33 days.  Not too shabby at all if I do say so myself!

For races I participated in the third race in the Summer Sunset 5K series and the Color Run Buffalo 5K on the 16th and also a 3.8 mile (it's a convenient loop -thus the odd distance) over Labor Day weekend in my hometown. For the Labor Day run Tom pushed the boys in the stroller and I tried so hard to keep up with him but he is just so much stronger than me that he can push two little guys easier than I can run with just myself! Gah.  BUT I could see him almost the entire distance of the race.  I'm getting faster! Goal 2 of running a race per month much more than complete.

I decided to skip the 18.12 half marathon that was also over Labor Day weekend.  I just wasn't up for being so gassed the rest of the weekend and we had house guests.  So that race is still on my to-do list.  Maybe next year!

I have been completely preoccupied with stuff getting ready for our Ragnar Relay in a couple of weeks!  That is why I just realized I hadn't written on here in a while and that I completely forgot to write a recap for August!  I have been running regularly, so that's all still going really well.  All the sudden the weather has changed to be much cooler and it's even pleasant to run during the day!

More about Ragnar Soon!!!

 Thank you for reading and have a great week!

Run streak and a couple of 5Ks

I'm still streaking!

Today is my birthday!  Happy 33 to me!

Still have several days of streaking to complete because I started too late to end on my birthday.  I think I have to run through Saturday.

My thoughts on the run streak so far are this:
1) I run more often.
2) It makes me not want to run as far as when I wasn't running every day.

I think these things are "ok" but I'm having a hard time wanting to run very far.  The last time I ran 10 miles I was really sick afterward and I just hate feeling like that.  Really puts the damper on getting excited about long runs.  I haven't run one since the 10th.

Summer Sunset 5K #3
I ran two 5Ks this month.  One was the third Summer Sunset 5K.  I pushed and pushed and I finished the race with my fastest pace yet.  8:52 min/mile!!!  WOW.  I was amazed.  I don't get passed anymore.  I pass people!  It's really weird.  Before this my fastest pace for a 5K was 9:15 min/mile.  I'm under 9 minute miles for a 5K.  When I started this running venture I thought it would be pretty amazing if I could run one mile under 10 minutes.

I got my shirt!  I'm getting it soaked because it poured during the race.

The Color Run Buffalo
My graduate adviser invited me to Buffalo for the weekend to run in a color run.  He just took up running and this was his first race!  My other past labmate Jess also joined us.  It was great to see her (she lives in FL now).  It's nice to think that my dedication to running has rubbed off onto other people.  We had a great time.

Before the race.  We're all squeaky clean (and HAPPY)!

We may have gotten coated in colored powder (but we're still super HAPPY)!

I may have told Paul that I would run the Buffalo Half Marathon with him next May... Me and my big mouth. HA!

Thank you for reading! 

The Season of My 33rd Birthday (#runstreak)

Some of you may get a kick out of my reference to the "season of my birthday".  Call it egoism if you need to name it, but I really get into the idea that around my birthday it's time for me (not just the day of my birthday)!  So mid-July I started thinking about what I wanted to do for my 33rd birthday, which is on the 25th of August.  

What I have come up with is to do a #runstreak of 33 days to celebrate.  I haven't been running as frequently as I should for both my fitness and mental attitude and I thought this would help me get back on track as I gear back up for fall long-distance running (Ragnar Relay in Sept. and I think a half marathon in October).  By the time I put my plan into action (I started on July 29th), it was too late to finish the streak on my birthday, so I will be running until the end of August.  Works for me. 

So far I have completed 5 of the 33 days of birthday running.  A 3, 5, 3, 1.3 and 1.5 miles.  I'm hoping to hit my 10 mile training run tomorrow for the half marathon I'm planning on running (but haven't signed up for yet) on the 31st of August.  The 18.12 Challenge half marathon.

So stay tuned for the continuation of the 33 days of running.  I've never done a run streak before.  I'm hoping I don't burn out somewhere in the middle.  Only time will tell.

Thank you for reading!  Happy Saturday everyone!

The July Recap

Seriously, time can slow down a bit.  This year is going to be over in a blink of an eye!

Lets see, my goals for the year are to run 40 miles/month and to run at least 1 race/month.

No sweat!  I ran 56.5 miles this month!  Not too shabby.  I'm feeling much better.  My IT band pain is almost nonexistent and my hamstring pain is gone.  Time to get back to it!

I participated in both a trail half marathon and the Boilermaker.  I think that is where most of my running for the month came from.  Ha!

Not a bad month at all.

Thanks for reading!

Boilermaker, the beach, and some IT relief!

When last I left you I was in a flurry of packing in anticipation of the Boilermaker and our trip to the seaside of Delaware.  It has been quite a little while since I have updated the blog.  Sorry!

Our trip to Utica went off without a hitch.  The boys had an amazing time with their two cousins while we were at the race and were completely exhausted from all the fun when we loaded up the car once again and headed South for the beach.

But let me back up and tell you all about the Boilermaker!

We VERY nearly didn't even attend the race at all.  Our youngest had very recently developed an incredible terrible two fit that I couldn't quite place -I thought it might be molar teething pain, and he was up most of the night before the race (but who sleeps the night before a race anyway right?).  I tried in vain to get him settled by 5AM, when we would need to get our stuff together and head to the race.  He would NOT be pacified.  Then thankfully at the LAST moment that I thought we could leave and still make it to the race start comfortably he fell asleep...

We ended up with plenty of time to find the start area, the potties, and make sure we were fully ready for the race.  I found Jacki and we lined up together at the start.

It may be early, but I'm ready for this race!

Just so you know, Jacki knew this would be in my blog, HA!

Look at all those people lined up at the start!

What a crazy crush!  14,000 racers!  WOW.  That is a LOT of people.  The streets were lined with people for almost the entire 9.3 miles!  My favorite parts were the frozen ice pops and the 21 drum band!  My least favorite parts were the hills (two quite long ones near the beginning and the last mile was a steady incline, but not really a hill).

By the end of the race I was absolutely drenched from sweat, dumping water over my head, dumping ice into my sport bra, and from running through sprinklers.  I was pretty uncomfortable.  I was really exhausted and my IT band had been pretty painful from about the second mile on... Once I stopped running my leg sort of froze up and it was very painful to flex my leg.  I must have looked about as pathetic as I felt limping around trying to find a beer truck and a free area in which to drink it.  The after party was an absolute crush of people. 

Phew, I'm exhausted and soaked

Thankfully Tom and I had agreed to just get a bus back to our car and to meet there.  I'm pretty sure I never would have found him at the after party area.

Not too much later we were clean and fed (thanks Jenn and Kevin) and leaving with the car packed back up and the boys tucked into their car seats for the next part of our trip, the BEACH!


Tom and I love the beach!  This was our first vacation in quite a few years.  The weather was really nice, not being too hot or too cool (most of the time).  The days slipped by quickly and we were back again in the car headed for home (thank you for the hospitality -we loved our break from reality)!

We were very glad during the trip that after some deliberation had decided to bring the twin jogging stroller.  I took Darren out a couple mornings early (to let people sleep a bit longer) and Tom did the same a couple of other mornings.  I even had a couple of good runs in the morning and have been trying to do some exercises to heal my IT band pain.  So far I am having some success! 

I guess I didn't realize I looked that half crazed after than run... HA!

Ah, running while on vacation... relaxing!

Last day at the beach.  Up and at 'em for a morning run before we hit the beach!

That's about it for now!  I'm currently training for a 1/2 marathon at the end of August.  

I pushed the boys in the stroller yesterday morning for 3 miles... that's hard work!

Thank you for reading!

Getting ready for some #Boilermaker2014 fun!

It's late and I'm up doing last minute laundry.  Tomorrow our little family will pack up my parents car (oh yay, ours is recently broken...) and head to the Utica/Rome area to visit Tom's family and run the #Boilermaker2014 on Sunday morning!  The packing is intense due to two small children and the not small fact that we will continue driving South Sunday afternoon until we reach the Delaware seaside!  Who is so ready for a week at the beach?  This family!  

I'm hoping for good things on Sunday at the race.  I was really hoping to finish under 1:30:00, but with my various leg issues, I'm not so sure that will happen now.  I've realized that when you have a very full race calendar sometimes you train hard for a race and other times you just get through the miles as you recover from the previous one.  I ran a half marathon last weekend and I'm just not too sure how this 15K will go (9.3 miles).  No matter what though, I'm sure it is going to me awesome!!! 

Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!

Summer Sunset 5K #2

Unfortunately it was canceled due to inclement weather!

I had the event all planned out; I would bring running gear for Tom, who was staying late at work anyway, and we would run the race together and get home to the boys, who were being watched by my Aunt.  But sadly the weather did not cooperate.  I arrived at the event ready to go but it was pouring outside of the car.  There was intermittent lightening followed by not-too-distant thunder.  We dashed over to the event tent where other hopeful runners (are we all nuts?) were huddled around the sign in sheets.  It's amazing how cold 73 and wet feels compared to the day of 85 with hot sticky humidity.  Shivering slightly under the tent we waited to see if the event would in fact go on.  Then right before the 1 mile kids dash the race director said that they were deciding to not hold the race.  Don't worry everyone!  As long as we signed in for the 2nd run and put our shirt size down we would still get our event shirt at the 3rd and final race in the series next month (yup, we runners are a crazed T-shirt-coveting bunch).

As the group digested this information there was a VERY close lightening flash and thunder came right on it's heels.  I gasped and people started darting for their vehicles in a mad rush!  Tom and I were laughing maniacally as we sprinted back to the safety of our cars.  Snug in our respective vehicles we drove home in a torrential downpour to our little boys, who were very glad to snuggle us while we listened to the storm.

Star Spangled Trail Half Marathon!

My run buddy was after me to run a trail half marathon with her at the end of the 4th of July weekend (this past Sunday the 6th).  Because of my leg pain (IT band syndrome) I didn't commit.  Tom and I are running the Boilermaker in Utica on the 13th and I didn't want to aggravate my leg on the trail and then have a poor run the following weekend.  Almost the entire month of June I went back and forth wanting to run the trail run, but thinking it was a bad idea physically.  I even ordered some flag print shorts and a new blue running singlet -hoping deep inside I would be able to run the race.

So Saturday I just kept thinking that I wanted to do the race.  The week prior I was finally running up to 5 miles pain free (sounds like I'm ready for 13.1 again right?  NO, HA!)  Really the thing that was drawing me the most was the promise of beautiful mountain/forest views.  I knew that if I went it would be difficult and I would probably not be fast at all, but I just really wanted to see the trails.  I'm not a trail runner, but I do love hiking and the solitude of the woods.  Finally at 10:30 PM Saturday night I made plans with Jacki to meet at 6:15 AM and head over (up into the Adirondack Mountains) to the race.  

The race was at Paul Smith's College VIC.  What a great place this is!  It is an interpretive center with the purpose of getting people engaged in the natural ecosystem of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.  There are over 25 miles of hiking trails and it is BEAUTIFUL there!  Lots of different types of forest, ponds, bogs, mountain streams, and hiking shelter lean-to.  If you get the chance, get your family over there this summer!  Some of the trails are easy enough for little kids, and there are also challenging trails for more serious hikers.  

Sometimes it's just so fun to dress up!

We arrived early enough to get registered and pick up our packets before the marathon participants started at 8 AM.  There were 9 of them.  I think 6 men and 3 women.  WOW these people looked like they ate mountains for breakfast.  Very serious runners.  The marathon course was the half marathon loop twice.  The course was unassisted -so no potties, water (although there ended up being one stop with water at the halfway mark), or foods on the course.  This meant that you had to carry anything you wanted with you.  This was the biggest deterrent for me to not do the marathon, because I seem to still require more water than I can comfortably carry for that distance.  Luckily due to having a two loop course the marathon participants left support items under the shelter of the building to be used before they headed out for their second loop.  

The half marathon didn't start until 9 AM so we spent the next hour eating, hydrating, applying Body Glide and checking our packs to make sure we had everything we wanted to bring with us stashed carefully away.  I packed two packets of Jelly Belly Spots Beans, a PowerGel, two 8 oz. bottles of Gatorade, and a pot of Burt's Bees body balm (to take care of any potential chaffing during the race) and my cell phone.  I carried my water and phone in my Fitletic hydration belt on my front and my other items in my Spibelt across my back.  I refilled my Gatorade bottles with water at the water stop and finished the rest of the bottle before continuing on mid-race.  

The weather was perfect.  Mostly sunny and slightly cool when we started the race and never very hot when you were under the forest cover.  A little warm when you were in open field in some spots.  And the views from the trails were absolutely gorgeous!  

Peaceful footbridge over a mountain stream

The marathon leaders passed me and they were a sight to see!  One minute they were there, bounding over tree roots and rocks like they weren't even there and the next minute I couldn't even see them anymore.  How they can run that fast on the trails is beyond me!  I stumbled several times, but thankfully never fell!  

Some of the time it was pretty hard to see the trail.  Note the red and white striped tag on the tree!

Everything for me was pretty good until about mile 9.  That is when my IT band just couldn't take it anymore.  I had to power walk the last 4 miles and eventually even walking was excruciating.  But, because the views were so nice and I was all by myself out in the forest it didn't seem like such a big deal.  I wanted (like anyone would) to be able to jog to the finish line, but it wasn't happening.  Oh well :)  Guess I should have done the 10K instead!  HA!  Thankfully Jacki had some Aleve with her and that made my leg very happy pretty quickly. 

Another pretty creek bed along the trail.

Salty and hungry we packed up and got two slices of greasy pizza each on the way home.  

What a great experience!  How lucky I am to live in a land where I am free to run and enjoy the outdoors!

Thank you for reading and consider getting out into some deep nature soon!  

The June Recap

The month of June had a lull in training because of my two injuries from my May marathon.  Despite the pain I ran, although only about twice a week and only short distances.  Thankfully I was able to continue Zumba classes and that kept my fitness and moral up for the month.  

One of my goals is to run 40 miles/month.  Sadly I missed the goal by 6.9 miles.  I could have probably pushed a little harder and made it, but really when you hurt making a distance goal is pretty far from your mind.  Hopefully I can put the injuries behind myself and get the distance back up soon!

My second goal is to run at least 1 race/ month.  I happily participated in two 5K races at the beginning of the month.  One was the Color Run in Ogdensburg and the second was the Summer Sunset 5K in Canton.  The second Summer Sunset 5K race is tonight!  Time is going by so quickly!  

I've been crazy busy lately with BBQs, playing outside with the boys, gardening, Zumba, Tom and my wedding anniversary, then family and friends for the 4th of July!  Despite all the crazy, running is always there for me.  

Thank you for reading and have a GREAT July!!!

Still Recovering

Ran 3 miles this morning.  I'm super excited that my legs did not protest much.  No left knee IT band pain and only slight soreness from my right hamstring. Yay!  

I was pretty upset after my long run on Saturday when I was unable to finish the 4 miles.  My knee was very sore the rest of the day and even Sunday.  

Today I kept my pace very slow.  Maybe if I keep my distance short and pace slow I can inch my way out of these painful marathon leftovers.  

Also, I'm starting to think I miss Winter running.  I was drenched with sweat after my quick run and continued sweating for some time after that!

Hello Summer!

Flag Day!

Check out my new shorts!  I got them for a Star Spangled Banner Trail Marathon (I'm hoping to run the half) coming up on July 7th.  Then I realized I should wear them for my run yesterday! 

Unfortunately my 6 mile run was cut down to only 4 miles do to horrible pain from my IT band on the outside of my left knee (I felt pretty OK after the Summer Sunset 5K on Tues.).  I'm really hoping this is not going to completely screw up my running plans for the months ahead...  Maybe a Fall marathon would have been a better idea than a Spring one that screwed up my Summer of running... Ah well.  Lots of miles to come I'm sure regardless of the pain.  I don't know if I'll even make it to 40 miles this month if I can't go much over 3 miles at a time and running more than twice a week does not seem to make my knee very happy.  We'll see!

Happy Father's Day! Thank you for reading!

Summer Sunset 5K

I started a race series last night in Canton, NY -the Summer Sunset 5K series.  There are three races, once a month, in June, July, and August.  Jacki and I headed over to find the location early and arrived at almost the same time.  At first we didn't know where to go, incorrectly assuming the large crowd of people milling about was for some other event.  After having run the Frozen Foote series this winter I just hadn't expected there to be so many runners!  But of course it's much more pleasant to convene for a 7:30 PM race in the slowly cooling air of a nice warm Spring day, so the turn out was much bigger!  Maybe 150 people?  Maybe less.  I'm not very good at estimating crowd size.

As we chatted in the starting area we were suddenly brought to attention by the starting gun!  Off we went.  I'm really glad I did not push the subject of Tom accompanying me with the kids in the jog stroller because it was mostly a cross country run through some of St. Lawrence University and across the St. Lawrence University golf course.  I don't think he or the kids would have had a very good time.  The golf course was quite rutted in spots.  This was my first cross country race and I liked it although I was a little concerned about rolling an ankle -which I saw one woman do... ouch.

I got quite turned around in my mind as to which direction we were running while we were dodging trees and zig zagging across lawns.  I kept hoping and hoping that the next turn would bring us back to a view of the finish line.

I pushed and pushed and I had a really good race!  My hamstring only bothered me slightly and my IT band not at all.  I'm a bit sore this morning, mostly the hamstring, but hopefully that will go away with some nice stretching and rolling on a tennis ball.

I finished in 29:54, but the race was actually 3.22 miles, so a bit over a 5K distance of 3.1.  Based on my pace it was my fastest 5K with a 9:16 minutes/mile pace.  This is JUST faster than my Free The Girls 5K that was 9:17 (and that was before I was injured and recovering from a marathon).

One of the best parts about these race series is that they are VERY inexpensive.  $2 if you just want to run 1 race and $5 for the three race series.  When I complete the third race I get a shirt!

That's about it for now.  Have a great week, and Thank You for Reading!

RoadID, I never (color) run without it!

I've been trying to recover my right hamstring strain while keeping up with some running and other activity -mostly Zumba.  I haven't run very much and it's pretty painful when I do run.  Hopefully by not running much it will heal.  It's starting to feel better.  I only notice it when I run now.

This past Saturday morning there was a color run 5K in the city that I live in.  Most of my Zumba buddies were signing up and it was also located within walking distance of my house at the Bridge and Port recreation trails that I run often.  I woke up later than I meant to and had to hop into my clothes and head over not long after I got out of bed.  Thankfully the sunshine and gentle breeze off the St. Lawrence river blew the sleep out of my brain and I quickly perked up.  Like the Color Me Rad run in Syracuse last month my Zumba instructor did a pre-race warm up for the crowd.

I decided to jog the run and set out stiffly and slowly.  My heart wasn't really into it and the path wasn't very wide and dodging the walkers was a bit tedious because I had to keep running off the path into the grass at the sides.  People looked to be having a good time and near the end Tom and the boys strolled up to watch the proceedings and met me at the finish line.  We hung out for a little bit letting the kids run around and then headed home.  I took a much needed shower and a great day of outdoor activity (the weather was amazing) continued.

I was pretty covered in green to be sure.  I had to wash  my face off right away because the powder they used burned my eyes.

My toes got a bit blue! 

Soap box time!

If you are a runner/biker/walker you should really think about getting yourself (and all the people you love) a RoadID.  They are inexpensive and easy to wear.  I wear mine all of the time.  When I'm out with my boys I feel safer knowing if something happened to me someone would call Tom -quickly.  I have Tom as my ICE contact in my phone, but I also have it password protected... FAIL.  Also, it is likely that my phone would get smashed or thrown if I was in some sort of pedestrian/vehicle accident.  I have the slim and it has my full name and birth year at the top.  The next three lines are the phone numbers for my husband, parents, and my running buddy Jacki.  Below that you can put a mantra or allergies.  Mine is reserved for allergies.  Check it out!  There are lots of options.  I do suggest the ID bracelet because EMTs are trained to look for medical bracelets and sometimes shoes come off in accidents (there is a shoe charm tag).  

Oh wow. Ouch.

Oh man.  When will my legs not feel like a world of pain when I run?  First post-marathon long run of 6 miles was killer... After 2 miles my legs were very painful complete with nerve pain, toenail pain and of course stiff, painful muscles. Eh.

The May Recap (short and sweet)

Wow, another month done!  I'm going to keep this short because I spent quite a bit of time describing this month in my prior posts.

My goals are: 

1) Run a race per month

2) Run at least 40 miles per month

Goal 1: check!

I participated in three races this month!  The Color Me Rad run in Syracuse, NY (a 5K) on the 4th, The Free the Girls Bra Run (a 5K) on the 17th, and of course the Buffalo Marathon on the 25th.  Phew.  They were each very different and fun races.  I'm very glad that I participated in each of them.  I had a 5K personal best at the Free The Girls race.  That's a great month for me!  Best yet!

Goal 2: check!

I ran 89.7 miles this month!  Yippee!  I decreased some of my taper runs because I performed my 20 mile training run late, but I still covered quite a distance this month!  

There you have it.  I'm looking forward to more great things in June.  

2 mile recovery run

Ah, to run again.  I felt a bit awkward and stiff, but today after taking three days off, I am finally not sore -except for some toenails.

Near the end my battered left IT band told me it was not happy, but I made it home without too much pain.  Now I'm laying on the sofa icing the outside of my knee. Hopefully this heals quickly and without much trouble!

:)

The Mighty Marathon

It is absolutely surreal, but the mighty marathon is completed.  It has taken me a few days to come to terms with the "loss"? of this goal realized and to figure out what I want to write to you about (sorry for the delay!).

I think I'll just tell all of the parts to you chronologically and in LOTS of detail.  

I didn't kill it, but it didn't kill me, so in my book it's a win!!!

So grab a drink, relax, and get ready for the mighty (long) story of my first marathon...

Last Minute Gear Dash:

When I left you last I was getting nervous for the upcoming event.  I was in a last-minute, panicked, gear search looking for arm sleeves, a Spibelt, and a running hat.  Happily, I can tell you now that all of those items arrived on time or were found at the local sporting goods store and worked out fabulously -perhaps this should have alleviated some of my stress, but I couldn't shake the anxiety and remained very high strung up until the moment we (Tom, Jacki, and myself) were in our respective places in the coral waiting for the starting gun.  

Saturday Pre-Race Party:

I have a lot of friends in Buffalo.  I attended graduate school at the University at Buffalo and spent 6 years living in Tonawanda and slaving away at my lab bench.  When I left I took a Master's Degree and a Ph. D. in Biology with me to a Postdoctoral position in Cleveland.  My UB Ph. D. thesis adviser Paul and his wife set up a BBQ at his house on Saturday afternoon before the race so we could all catch up.  Thank you Paul and Sandy!!!  

To get to the party on time we juggled the kids to my aunt early in the AM and headed to downtown Buffalo to pick up our race packets (pins for the number bib, the bib, and a Buffalo Marathon shirt!). Everything leading up to this was me nervously making lists of what to pack and rechecking what I had packed and also making sure everything was set for the boys for two days at home with Aunt E.  The entire trip to Buffalo and including the afternoon at the party I was very nervous about the main event on Sunday morning.  I really don't think I have been this sickeningly nervous since the day before my Ph.D. qualifying exam (a HUGE DEAL oral exam you take in grad school to see if you are allowed to peruse your thesis and get your degree).

However, even though I had a hard time relaxing I had an awesome time at the BBQ catching up with Paul and my past labmates (and their kiddos!).  I even got to meet two of his new lab ladies and a past work study that was an undergrad while I was there is now a technician in the lab.  Hey Sally, what a great surprise to see you again!  It's really weird coming back to a place that you spent a lot of time in and seeing people you spent a lot of time with.  It seemed like none of us had changed at all and that I would be seeing them Monday morning again up in the labs.  It was really hard to say goodbye to all of you, but I'm just sure we'll be together soon and thank you so much for all of the positive vibes you gave me, I carried them with me when the distance of the race got really tough.

On the way back to the hotel from the party, Tom and I spun by our old digs in Tonawanda.  We spent a good two minutes staring up at the second floor two bedroom apartment thinking of all the good memories we have there with our friends, and with just the two of us, and with our fluffy kitty that used to enjoy sitting up on the balcony watching the birds and squirrels.  Lots of emotions as we sat there.  Those were our "glory days" -a couple of young people starting our lives together.  We were newlyweds, hosted parties, and found out we were going to be parents there.  I guess you just never really forget that stuff and it felt like it was somehow imprinted on the building and we could see it there as we sat together looking up.

Night Before the Race:
Before turning in for the night we took a quick trip to Dick's Sporting Goods for a last minute look at running gear (without the kids running all over the place while we tried to look at stuff!).  I picked up a nice long sleeve tech shirt that was on sale and a pair of 2XU recovery compression socks for the ride home.  Somehow we didn't end up with the socks when we got back to the hotel.  Thankfully we hadn't paid for them either (guess I wasn't paying attention and the clerk never rang them up), so maybe some other time I can get some.

Back at the hotel we laid out all of our stuff for a 5:10 AM wake-up.  I had a really hard time getting to sleep and I had sciatic nerve pain down my left leg (from the car ride to Buffalo).  I got up in the middle of the night and did some stretches that amazingly completely rid me of the nerve pain!!!  When I was asleep I had crazy dreams that were punctuated by me being awake quite often.

Race Day!

All geared up and ready to go!

Finally it was time to get up!  We had just enough time to groggily get our stuff together and into the car to leave the hotel at 5:50 AM.  Tom and Jacki stopped and had Tim Horton's bagel's on the way.  I had a mini bagel with jam back at the hotel.  I had meant to eat two of them but my anxiety made it hard to get even one of them down.  In the car I tried to eat as much of a peanut butter sandwich as I could.  I think I only made it 1/3 of the way through it.

We had enough time for a quick potty break on the way to line up for the starting corral.  Jacki and I chatted with other people while milling around.  We met another woman running her first marathon and also the Boilermaker in Utica in July.

I had a list of goals in my head for the race:

My First Marathon Goals:
1) don't die (this includes having to drop out of the race due to hydration etc.)
2) don't end up sick and stranded in a random porta-potty out on the course
3) finish the race
4) finish the race while it is still open (6 hour cutoff)
5) finish around 5 hours (dream finish)

I carried two apple pie Lara Bars and three packets of Jelly Belly Sport's Beans in my new Spibelt.

Jacki and I are ready to kick some marathon butt.

After snapping a few pre-race pics and posting a quick message to the masses on Facebook we were off and running!  My plan was to stick with the 5:00 marathon time pacer.  It was a man named Andrew.  This was his ~20th marathon.  All I kept thinking while we ran was, "how can he stand carrying that sign?".  He held a sign up on a pole that had the desired time of either a 2:30 half marathon or a 5:00 marathon.

In this race both the half marathon and marathon runners ran the first 13.1 miles together and then when the half marathon was done the runners ran to the finish corral, while the marathon runners were diverted onto another 13.1 mile course that ended at the same finish line.

Buffalo looking beautiful at the start of the race.

The first 5:
The first 5 miles of the run were pretty simple and I was fine with the pace group.  It was really crowded and the streets had lots of dips and pot holes so I paid attention to where I was stepping and who I was bumping into.  To give you an idea of how tight it was at times, my hand became entwined in someones headphone cord... keep that under wraps people!  There were water stations quite frequently placed and I stopped at each of them for a drink of Gatorade.  I started chewing beans at about this point.  Apparently for me this was too late...

5-10:
I started to lose steam and slowly the pace sign and my group of runners drifted into the distance.  I started to try intervals of walking a little and then running, but at this point I was too afraid to really push when I was running because there was still such a distance left in the race so I kept going slowly.  I held it together pretty well and tried to keep reminding myself to look around at the scenery and the other runners.  What I mostly noticed was the lack of marathon runners and the vast number of half marathon runners.  I was going to be pretty lonely after the first 13.1.

We ran along the pretty condos along the water and it was SO serene and beautiful.  There was even a tug boat spewing water into the air and we could feel the mist.

*I have a quick rant...  Don't EVER let this be you... As I was going along I noticed a couple doing the half marathon.  She was obviously having a hard time and she was leaning on the guy and apologizing for having to walk and not doing well or whatever.  They would occasionally jog past me and then I would pass them again and so on.  So during the race at one point the runners ran out along the water, turned around, and then ran back toward the oncoming runners.  Imagine my surprise to see this couple that had been just ahead of me coming back with the returning runners when there was still quite a distance to the turn around point... RIIIIIGHT.  I gave them a pretty dirty look, but who knows if they noticed.  Believe me, there is so much more honor in walking every step of a race than to take one step that is cheating.

10-15:
Somewhere around here I heard my phone chime that someone had completed a run on MapMyRun.  YAY Tom! :)

I'm not sure when my stomach started to cramp and get painful.  It was pretty near the halfway point.  I tried jamming my fingers into the cramps and exhaling.  I tried raising my arms over my head.  I tried drinking more, drinking less.  As we got closer to the halfway point my spirits started dipping lower and lower.  There were very few marathon runners at my pace.  All the half marathon runners started to pick up their pace to finish strong and they kept flying by me.  Sigh.  People kept saying, "we're almost there!" and I was like... nope.

As we neared the finish of the half I could see the huge sign telling half finishers to keep going straight and the marathoners to turn right.  I could barely tell where to go because everyone was so focused on the half people and the road I needed to turn onto was almost blocked by spectators.  One was Tom!!! He had a nice bottle of water and a kiss for me.  Just like always I teared up.  I can't seem to not cry at 13.1 miles.  HA!

So back through the city I went.  At one point stopping at a water station I must have sighed quite dejectedly because the volunteer looked at me with concern and asked if I needed something else.  I said, "to be transported 3 hours into the future".  She patted me affectionately on the shoulder and told me I would get there and it would all be worth it and to keep going.  It was either the look of compassion I saw in her eye or the pat on my sweaty hot shoulder that gave me a little boost.  I kept plodding along.  I was walking more and more and my legs were starting to ache.

Strangely I was a lot happier out on the road without all the half marathon runners.  I'm used to running for a really long time quite all alone and being in such tight quarters with all the other runners had been a bit distracting.  There was a steady little stream of marathon runners and they were all starting to pass me...

15-19:
This was easily the darkest part of my race.  I realized somewhere around here that I had barely eaten any of the food I had packed and I had better get eating or I was really likely to not finish the race.  I was nauseated, my body hurt, and so did my mind.  I was battering myself mentally.

I texted Tom about how horrible I was doing.  I was at the 25K marker (I guess this is 15.5 miles)... I asked him how many K a marathon is... 42K, sigh.  He told me to keep plugging away.  I didn't realize he had put out a request for messages to be texted to me after I text him how horrible I felt.  He didn't tell me until we were about to go to sleep that night, then I found his message on Facebook.  Seriously, thank you Tom and everyone that responded to the post.  I really, really appreciated the texts.  I don't know if I could have kept going if I didn't have something else to focus on, like all the people that thought I could do it.

Somewhere in Delaware park I ate a huge handful of jelly beans.  I suddenly realized at almost this same moment that I was not feeling well at all.  The beans felt like a rock in my stomach.  I must not have been drinking enough and I didn't have anything to drink with me.  I think I had over a half mile to the next water station.  There were people biking next to some of the runners keeping them company.  I almost asked them to bike up to the next station and get me some water and bring it back to me.  I was seriously worried I was going to black out.  Honestly, maybe I should have told someone how bad I felt, but I was worried they would make me stop the race and I REALLY wanted to finish.  I walked the rest of the way to that water stop.  I stood there at the table and downed two cups of water and a cup of Gatorade.  I took two cups of Gatorade with me and I kept walking.  I figured all the liquid at once could mess me up, but it was probably a better alternative to blacking out from lack of water and sugar.

19-26.2:
Don't get discouraged everyone!  There was still time for a triumphant return to racing for me!

For a few miles I had been running near an older woman that was apparently walking the entire distance.  Yes, you can walk an entire marathon.  She was pretty fast and obviously very dedicated.  We came up to the 19 mile marker water station at about the same time and she was arguing with the volunteer that was (thankfully for me) handing out entire water bottles and not just cups of water.  After we passed the volunteer the walker, Paula, turned to me and said that the volunteer had offered her a race map because they would be closing the course before she finished... it was 10:45 AM at this point and the course was going to be open until 1 PM.  She told the lady she was on pace to finish right at 6 hours and they had better not be closing the course because she was still completely on track to finish while it was still open.

THANK YOU GOD for sending me Paula.

At this point I realized some simple truths simultaneously:
1) I had better kick my butt in gear or I wasn't going to get a medal for the race.  That would be pretty sad and disappointing (in the running for understatement of the year award)!!!
2) I had better stick pretty tight to Paula because she sure as heck seemed to know a lot more about what she was doing than I did at this point.

So I held onto my water bottle and took nice big drinks and my strength (probably mostly mental determination at this point) started to come back to me.

I AM getting that stinking medal!!!!  

But first, I had been walking so much it felt like I would not even be able to start running again.  As I started to run again but my left calf cramped and I was seriously about to have a real good cry that my marathon dreams had all turned out so poorly.  I pinched and rubbed my calf unmercifully and chugged the water and chewed more beans and I kept going and stopping and repeating the process.  I kept up with Paula and I started to actually feel better!

I studied Paula's outfit (you have a lot of time to casually peruse other runners while you are out on the course).  She had on a nice patriotic running skirt covered with American Flags and a very detailed running shirt that was personalized with her name, Paula and then that she was a Navy Veteran.  At one point while I was jogging next to her I thanked her for her service and she told me she was a Vietnam veteran.  She was really sweet and I was happy to be running "with" her near me.

We were at about the 20 mile marker when I looked up and there was my brother walking toward me along the road!!!  He had parked in Delaware Park and somehow missed me and then started walking back from the 21 mile marker to find me.  He jogged and walked with me back to the 21 mile mark and he gave me a nice new bottle of cold water and a big hug and went off to the finish line.

There I am with my pink top as my brother left to go meet me at the finish.

Really I was starting to feel pretty good at this point, maybe even better than during all of the race.  I was filled with new energy from actually taking in enough drink and sugar and also a new feeling of determination that I was actually going to finish!  I kept telling myself what a short distance I had left and I just kept running and walking as needed and drinking plenty of water and Gatorade.

I started passing all the people I had let pass me in my low point.  I kept telling them to keep going that they were doing great.  I started to really "enjoy" the race.  I ran through the garden hose streams of generous homeowners.  I ate watermelon a little girl handed me.  I slapped high-fives with a puppy and frat boys and even a Buffalo Police officer.  The sun was high and felt good on my back.  I talked more with the volunteers when I stopped to fill up my water bottle and get Gatorade.  I thanked everyone that clapped or cheered for me and the officers and volunteers that kept the traffic from running me over.  I kept Paula at my back and I looked over my shoulder periodically to site her and make sure I would make it under 6 hours.

By the 23 mile mark I decided to eat all my beans and to just keep drinking water and as much Gatorade as I could hold.  I tried to run as much as I could and I just kept going and going.

Somewhere out there around this point my left leg IT band started giving me some pretty solid pain along the outside of my left knee.  I tried to massage it as best I could but there wasn't much that could be done but to grit and bear it.

At mile 25 the course turned and went downhill.  Alleluia!!!  I kept passing people and I felt sad that they probably were not going to finish under 6 hours.  Right near the end I caught up with an Indian woman, Sheila, that I had been running with periodically and she was so worried we were not going to make it.  I told her about Paula being on track to finish at 6 and that she was behind us and that we had about a quarter mile left.  She was so relieved and we ran together.  Right around here Kent and Tom were waiting for me to cheer me on for the last leg.  I can't explain to you how relieved I was at this point.

I'm so close!!!

Almost. There.

Sprint to the finish:
In the corral to finish Sheila reached back for me to sprint to the finish with her and I really gave it a nice go and pushed out a sprint to the line.  Sheila grabbed me in a big sweaty hug and really it's a big blur to me at this point.  Just such great relief and accomplishment -it's pretty overwhelming.

Paul and Sandy (pre-race party hosts) were there and I gave them big hugs and by then my brother Kent and Tom had come back from their previous positions and I hugged them across the barrier as well.  Then I remembered to get my medal and a space blanket and I had my post-race photo taken alone and with Sheila.  Paula came through and she took a picture with me with her camera.  Really without Paula I likely would not have made it in time.  She lit the fire under my butt that pulled me back together and got me to the end of the race.

I finished in 5:52:23.  It is what it is.  I wish it was better, but I'll take it for now!  

Resolution:
I ate a banana half and we walked inside the Convention Center.  I sat on a bench and started processing what had happened and probably was babbling almost incoherently about all the people I met and everything that had happened that my brother and Tom didn't know about.  Tom kept trying to get me to get ready to go and get back up.  I sat completely exhausted with one shoe off and one still on for at least 10 minutes.  Finally I put my other sandal on and hobbled to the bathroom.  Then we very slowly walked to the car in the garage.  Tom offered to get the car and bring it to me, but I thought walking would be a good idea.  We said our goodbyes to my brother and I snuggled into my space blanket.  Tom carried everything -at this point even my phone was a burden that was too much for me.  At the car I slid into a tee shirt (Lucky Fins Rock!), my favorite sweatshirt, and pulled sweatpants over my shorts and compression sleeves on my calves.  I ate a cliff bar, drank some Gatorade and away we went!

Ah, don't mind me, I'm just relaxing with my finishers medal!

Thank you everyone that got me to the starting line and then to the finish.  I seriously couldn't have done it without each little part that you played in this journey.

There you have it everyone!  The mighty marathon tale!  I dare to say that you will all have to stay tuned because (I don't know when), but I'm pretty sure there will be another marathon in my future (not really satisfied with how it all turned out -think I could do better next time HA!), and you can bet I'll need all of you just as much then as I needed you now.

As always Thank You for reading!  

#buffalomarathon2014 #marathon #buffalomarathon #firstmarathon #beginningmarathon #running #run #runningblog #springmarathon