Now Single Digit Day Vows

And here we are. . .down to the single digit days before the Marathon on the 24th. Hard to imagine after signing up almost 6 months ago. I can't believe it. In nine days I hope to achieve a goal I never would have even set 2 years ago. I can remember what it felt like running along the brick in front of the Salem library the first time, a whopping mile from home, struggling to remain in a faster than walking motion for 20 minutes. Whew, and now, now I will remain in a steady motion for over 4 hours. Hard to imagine. Now, I even need to eat while running not just run so that I can eat. Now, I feel my heart elevate to a happy point rather than simply feel as if it might leap from my chest. Now, I feel muscles in my legs pushing me foward and faster rather than being self conscious about what others think of the girl breathing so hard. Now, I am thankful for the thickness of these legs because they are muscles and enable me. Now, after a long hard run I feel strong and powerful as well as tired. Now, on the days when I rest, hoping my body is healing itself in preparation, I feel antsy and eager. Now, I am ready, ready for whatever the day may bring.

I vow to enjoy this marathon. I vow to be ready for whatever might happen. I vow to declair a point where I will adjust my goals, slow down or comfortably charge on, listen to the crowd and let it motivate me, and be proud. I vow to be proud of where I have been and how far I have come. I vow to be thankful for all those who helped me get here--no matter how they helped. Whether through encouragement, running alongside me, questioning my sanity, questioning one's ability to run 26.2 miles, listening to me discuss terms like tempo and chaffing, or walking the dog so I can run--I am thankful. I thank those who ran in 8 degree weather or pouring rain, those who ran slower for me and those who pushed my pace. I mostly thank those who sacrificed any amount of time, energy, or sleep to help me reach these 4 hours of bliss. I even thank those who poured ice in the tub or who ate the ice out of the tub and gave me puppy kisses. Without you, I could not have made it this far and for you I vow to enjoy every second I am running my first marathon!

Countdown Continues

The marathon countdown is in full swing. My last long run was over a week ago and the tapering has begun--last week I cut back to 80% of my highest mileage and this week cut back again running about 50% of my highest mileage. I'll log just 20 miles this week. On Mother's Day I logged 13.5 miles after a long walk with my favorite two and four legged men. My pup Otis woke me with kisses and then my husband treated me to a fabulous brunch at the Cheesecake Factory out on the patio. I had amazing french toast that helped motivate me towards that run:) The run went fabulously--each mile naturally got a little faster without me working too hard at it or thinking about it, I just chugged along. Unfortunately some new socks resulted in a bad blister that will require some gentle treatment in the next two weeks.

I also spent some time sewing. I "logged" about 6 hours at the sewing machine Saturday. Once again running and sewing met as I took in some running shirts from a couple of races and then took in some shirts from my chubbier days that I didn't get to last summer. Plus, I finally put together some pajama pants I cut out at Christmas time. They were perfect for Mother's Day weekend since they have paw prints all over them and match my "Rottweiler Mom" t-shirt!




More to come as I get closer and closer to the big day.

Last Looonnnngggg Training Run!

This morning was the full out marathon test--at least 22 miles of testing (84%). I got up almost when I need to get up for the marathon, ate a breakfast I plan to eat that am (cliff bar, banana, coffee), wore the exact clothes (even socks) I plan to run in, started running at the time the race will start (8:03 AM), and drank and ate what I plan to during the marathon.

I met friends in Carlisle, Massachusetts, about 40 minutes away. It is a great small town from what I could see--it had a very quiet and quaint New England feel, with tons of hilly and winding roads, the traditional looking New England center of town and lots of woods and farms. Farms with HUGE beautiful homes! Apparently Carlisle is know if its large homes and densely wooded areas--there appear to be a number of horse and hiking trails. A lot of people were mountain biking the trails and either running or biking the roads(See I am not the only crazy person!). It was really fun running in a new place and I hit the trails for the first two miles by myself enjoying the tranquility and scenery. I saw the most beautiful yellow bird I have ever seen on the trail--my Grandmas would have both loved it!
These photos give a better idea of what Carlisle looks like:







The horses at several local farms really made me smile--they swish their tails at you sometimes:)


We ran along the roads and hit a big hill right at about when we will hit it during the marathon--we all survived just fine:) I even tackled some rolling hills throughout the course at a decent speed and feel well prepared for the few that face us on race day.

Now--we just need similar weather for race day! It was a perfect low-60s temp with only a slight breeze and overcast! PERFECT!!! Who knew I would call that perfect--but for logging 22 miles--it was!

The marathon is now 3 weeks from today! I will start backing off mileage as a taper with next weeks long run at just 15. Who knew 2 years ago that I would ever say just 15 miles--but it is true!

99 Miles Til marathon day. . 99 Miles Til Marathon Day

Take one down, run it along, 98 miles til marathon day. . .

Whew, still sounds like a lot, but in the past 13 weeks of training I logged 350 miles, so what is 100 more? Plus, after this weekend the number will be reduced by 30 with only 68 miles left! Crazy what it all adds up to equal. Anyway, this week has been hard to get out the door, but once again I found help in my husband who ushered me out two days this week when I just wanted a nap. He even ran speedwork with me (which is hard!) logging a high mileage day for him and a lot of effort from us both.

The last looonnngggg run is this weekend--22 and is the final long test run before the big day. I plan on running with my marathon partner and hit some hills to really get the full effect in. We'll test clothes for chafing and fuel processes one last time to try and push that wall further and further out. The 15 and 8 the following weeks will hopefully feel like a breeze! I'll keep you posted as the countdown continues. . .

A Month. . .A Month until the Marathon

I can't believe it, just 4 weeks from today is my big marathon debut. In celebration, this week was an EASY week. I found myself with pile of mending staring at me and yet, my body demanded the rest. I was good and listened--no mending for me--instead, I watched the Boston marathon video on my computer and went to bed early every night. Even had drinks with some girlfriends and a girls night out with my book club.

As for running, my weekly mileage cut back to half and my "long" run was a race today. My husband and I ran 5 miles easy together on Saturday and then I raced 5 today in Marblehead--a beautiful community (the sailboat capital of New England) right next to Salem. We ran around Marblehead neck which is a hilly island with a lot of beautiful multimillion dollar houses all around it with ocean views. The weather was HOT and the race was at the hottest part of the day today-2 pm. I did a half mile warm up, an understatement in mid 80 temps after weeks of mid 50 and under, and a half mile cool down. I ran into some friends from the running club I hadn't seen in a while due to different schedules and race training plans. Here is my friend John and I in the first mile (I am not too drenched with sweat yet. . . ).

The race verdict. . . besides that it was HOT, did I mention it was HOT? I finished a little slower than I would have liked, but managed to pull off a 7th place in my division (7th out of 47 women 20-29 years old) and 129th out of 440 runners.

Now I just have a hard week and my longest run yet this week (22 miles) and then begin to taper for the marathon!!! Here's for hoping for cooler weather Memorial Day weekend!

Volunteering for the Boston Marathon

The big day for so many runners came today--the Boston Marathon. While many friends and training buddies were running, I decided it was worth checking out from the volunteer side. . .

My marathon training partner and I ran 20 miles on Saturday in Boston along the Charles River--so nice--traveling from Boston, through Cambridge, and back around into Boston where we met our spouses and friend for brunch and a walk through the city. It was a nice 53 degrees and this felt hot to us after training in single digits for so long. We had a great run, with the first 17-17.5 going great and the last 2.5 ish not feeling so hot. Apparently we both felt fine Sunday, so we attributed it to an increased calorie need throughout the run--more "gu" needed.

That said, we found ourselves "out in front" so to speak at the 17 mile PowerBar Gel station of the famous Boston Marathon today (Monday) volunteering with many of my Wicked Running Club friends. Decked out in our awesome bright yellow jackets and PowerBar t-shirts, we passed packets of a 110 caloric gel substance (some flavors are thick like icing and others more like thin jelly) to over 25,0000 runners in need of a pick me up. Yes, those are rubber gloves we are holding and for good reason--this stuff gets sticky!



We were able to watch the handicap division and the elites go by us at what looked like lighening speed (the photo below is the wheel chair winner). One guy ran on two polycarbonate "springy" legs and got the crowd roaring. We also watch two groups of military personnel walk the marathon with full gear and packs. I'd like to note that a woman led the second group:)





Then, the "hounds" were released and the remaining 24,900 runners came at a steady pace for about 2 hours. We were out at the beginning of numerous stations with gel in 6 different flavors for the runners and got a great look at the crowd. Some runners looked strong and steady (what we vow to look like in 5 weeks) and others were struggling. We yelled words of encouragement, provided gel, and screamed the names of anyone willing to write or print their names on themselves. We even saw some friends: my neighbor, a co-worker, and my beloved running club friends that I have trained and exchanged encouragement with throughout the winter. They looked so strong! We took notes on good form, ways to grab gel most successfully (make eye contact, point to the person you are headed towards, and reach out), and what to and not to wear.

The rest of this week is an easy week for me. I cut back to almost half my current miles (43 per week now) and am to get lots of rest. I have a 5 mile race on Sunday just for fun and as a reward for training. Then, next week is the last long and hard week before we start to cut back in preparation for our big day. I was inspired today by those running with amazing form and speed, but was also touched by the people I saw struggling. While I hope to look and feel stronger, these people pushed on and reminded me that my ultimate goal is to finish what I set out to do--run a marathon and smile--no matter how long it takes:)

6 Weeks to Go

With 1 week until the famed Boston marathon--Boston is now marathon city and those people I know running the race are all a buzz. I on the other hand have 6 weeks of training left until my big day. The good news is this means only 3 more "long runs" of over 14 miles.

I recovered from the 20 mile race and was back at it this past week logging 43 miles with 18 on Easter Sunday. Speedwork and tempo runs were great this week, but that 18-miler may have been one of my hardest runs yet--even harder than the 20 mile race! It felt like winter in Boston again with cold temperatures and a nasty wind that literally moved me sideways on multiple occasions (up to 40 mph, which is slightly faster than me).

For the 18 mile long run, I was out by myself for the first time in a while, as many of my "long run" pals are resting up for Boston or out running races. However, I was not alone when it counted. . . my husband agreed to run with me for the last 4 miles and man did I end up needing it. I was supposed to pick up the pace on these last 4 miles to get used to pushing harder well into a long race. I can say my body didn't feel like I had much left to give--my legs were screaming, my feet were burning, the gu (yes it is literally gu) I was eating tasted icky and was hard to swallow . . . and then I heard "you are okay, you can do this, and most importantly "I am proud of you." Off go the feet again. With still a lot of effort on my part, my husband pushed me and most importantly pulled me mentally and physically along those last 4 miles at a slightly faster pace than even needed (I managed to average 9:39 for the 18). We even hit a hill on the way back home for good measure (there is a hill at mile 16 and rolling hills from 16-20 in the marathon).

While my last post was about the split push of those who try to discourage you and those who chear you on--this long run proved the importance of the support team. Had I not been counting on joining my husband at mile 14, it would have been so much harder to push through the miles and I might not have made it--14 really does sound less daunting doesn't it. I'd like to think I would have pushed myself, but am glad I didn't have to find out.

Of course, support doesn't end after the run. Instead, for me it continued up the stairs (yes, I physically needed helping getting up both flights), prepped my ice bath (and my special magical heat sensitve CSI cup with hot tea) and sat by my side through the ice "treatment," and then wrapped me in blankets and rubbed my legs.

A true support that knows you knows when to just let you do your thing and then knows when you need the push or the pull to get you to your goal!

Yes, those are ice cubes in the tub! Yes, that is Otis waiting to eat the ice. And yes, that is chocolate milk in the background--it does a body good!