I did it!

And survived! It wasn't pretty but I finished! My official time was 5:19:51.

Where do I start??.....I guess I can start by saying that I totally underestimated how painful and difficult this would be. I started the day thinking that it would be a repeat of my 20 miler only a little more difficult the last 6 miles...the last couple miles of the 20 miler were hard but certainly doable and I felt great when I finished. But I'm slowly learning that each run is a new experience and if the planets aren't aligned just so....it can inexplicably make a run....not so good. I tried to do and eat everything the same...and the weather couldn't have been more perfect....so....naturally....I thought it would be a perfect and blissful experience. Well, let me tell you.....

The first 13 miles I felt incredible....my legs were loose...my mind was inspired and fresh....the weather was perfect...I was enjoying it, taking it all in, and kicking butt (relatively speaking). My official time at the half was 2:23:17....which was right on track for finishing in under 5 hours. Kelly who has had injuries plaguing her training wasn't going to run it at all but decided at the last minute to try. Her and I ran the 1st 13 miles together. It was awesome...and for someone who's training has been continuously interrupted because of injuries ...she was doing an incredible job. Dan and the boys were waiting for me to cheer me on with the signs they made at about the 9th mile when I came back over through the tunnel and then again at about 13.5... gave me a big hug and I was on top of the world.....it was about that time that I lost Kelly.....and from that point on I started falling apart.

I'm going to completely digress here for a moment to tell you about my boys' signs.....since the beginning of this my boys keep asking "so are you gonna win mom?" and I have to over and over again explain to them that NO I was not now or EVER going to win a marathon but it was only about the journey and FINISHING the 26.2 miles....that's a difficult concept for 2 competitive boys....so Saturday night at the TNT sponsored spaghetti dinner they pulled all the kids from the room and brought them to a room next door to help them make signs to support their loved ones....I laughed when I saw my kids signs.....all the other kids brought out signs that said "you can do it!" and "we're proud of you"......MY boys, however, wrote "FINISH MOM!"...LOL!

At the same spaghetti dinner my friend Traci was recognized and given a plaque by the TNT powers that be for recruiting 4 friends to do this along with her.....how cool is that??!!

So, back to my unraveling.......At around the 14th mile my lower back and hips started really aching. So, in the past I've found that when something is sore during a run it really helps me to stop and stretch it....so I stopped to stretch....and I could never get back in the groove from that point on...my back, hips, and lower abdomen were really hurting by the 16th mile when I got to the entrance to Belle Isle....Diane and her husband were at the entrance to the bridge over waiting for me with orange slices, bless their heart, and she ran a short distance with me to help remotivate me and then went back to meet me when I returned back over the bridge at mile 20. The whole 3 or 4 miles on Belle Isle were rough....I ran a little and walked a lot....but I was in a lot of pain. When I met up with Diane she told me she'd run the rest of it with me....the whole last 6.2 miles to the finish....I have serious doubts that I would have finished this without her support...... I'm so blessed to have her in my life! I was in a really bad place at that point....I'm glad I didn't bring my cell phone because I really think I would have used it to call for a ride back to the finish. I tried to run as much of it as I could for the next 2 miles but by the 22nd mile I just couldn't do it. I walked the next 3 miles straight and Diane was wonderful about it. God bless her for putting up with my sour butt for that long. I did nothing but complain about how miserable I felt for 3 miles straight...probably longer....I could hear myself continuously complaining but just couldn't stop....I was disappointed in my time and frustrated with how much pain I was in and she just listened and encouraged the entire time. At one point I was feeling like such a negative sour puss and everyone around me with there shouts of encouragement and praise were getting on my every last nerve that I leaned over and asked her to tell the guy next to her to shut the f-ck up! Instead of calling me out on my bitchiness she told me that I earned the right to hate everyone at that point...LOL! God bless her!

But then the end was near and Dan and the boys were waiting for me at the 25th mile and started running with me! It was awesome having them running along side me for that last mile....it kept me going. At the start of that last mile I got a shooting nerve pain through my lower back and actually yelled out and doubled over in pain but it went away quickly....I started running again and realized that I felt NO PAIN...and sprinted (well, I felt like I was sprinting anyway, the truth is I was probably only running a 12 min mile...lol) the rest of the way to the finish.

And when you cross the finish line you then have the impossible task of walking the 1 mile back to the hotel...I wanted to cry!

So I've been sitting here trying to analyze all this to figure out what went wrong and I just don't know. Originally I thought I went out too fast but after looking at my times and comparing that to my times from the 20 miler...I just don't think that's it. My Average time for the first 1/2 was 10.9 min/mile. Which is about right for me....maybe a little fast but not fast enough to do me in..... Then I wonder if all my stopping to stretch may have actually been hurting me instead of helping...everyone keeps saying just keep moving don't stop....so maybe that was it. I didn't take Motrin before I started which probably would have helped prevent the pain from getting so bad. Or......maybe......the planets weren't aligned just so. Who knows.

So, in the moment I was frustrated and mad that after all this hard work I wasn't going to be able to run it all....or finish it in under 5 hours......I was in so much pain that I was seriously thinking "never again"....."I'll switch to the 1/2 marathon in the future".....but now after some time to come to my senses I have realized that the joy of this experience has been through the journey of getting here. My friends and I raised over $10,000 for a great cause. Back when my dad had Leukemia....Leukemia was a death sentence....now through the research that is made possible by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society stem cell transplants have changed that death sentence to one of hope....It really doesn't matter whether I do the 1/2 or full....I've found a sport I love and will continue doing for a long time. It's a lot like child birth.....you tend to forget the traumatic experience once it's over. And now it's over....and every square inch of my body hurts.... So I plan to take the next 2 or 3 weeks off from running to let my body heal...my right heel and left ankle need some time to TRULY heal....so I'll take that time off and then get back on the wagon.

things I plan to do different next time....

1) I'm adding strength training to my running training!

2) I'm going to add core strength to my running training!

3) I'm going to take Motrin before running!

4) NO STOPPING TO STRETCH!!!

Somewhere on Belle Isle someone....a complete stranger who was reading my shirt, came and patted me on the back to tell me my dad would be proud....that just did me in! I was already an emotional basket case and that just threw me over the edge.

Traci and I before the race started ......waiting to start the 1 mile walk to the start line....as if the 26.2 miles weren't enough!

This is the coral and the start line when we first started....we were packed in like sardines! Pictures are horrible but I was moving and it was still dark.

Crossing the Ambassador Bridge into Canada....the sunrise view was beautiful....I took a picture of the sunrise but it didn't turn out.

Me and Kelly at about the 5th mile. Notice that we're still smiling....those smiles disappear in about 10 more miles....

Running in Canada Miles 4 - 9...it was somewhere in here that Kelly and I were running behind a guy that had a sign on the back of his shirt that said...."I signed up for a marathon and got a girlfriend"....we thought that was cute.

The tunnel back to Detroit....the blur of the picture is how I was feeling through here...it was SO hot in there!

My saint of a friend Diane walking with me during those last few miles!

Me during the last few miles....that smile is pasted on....in fact, if you look closely you may see the glue seeping from the edges of my lips....

Me with my 3 boys at the finish.....I'm feel'n a little guilty that we didn't bring Jordyn.....

I'm editing this post to add the following picture....Traci and Kristina's picture was in today's paper...the Free Press had a whole section on the marathon.....all the names and times were listed. I was able to find and save the picture on line. Here it is.....Awesome job guys!!!!

PS.....they're the 2 on the right in the purple shirts.

Sub zero weather may not be so bad after all!

I think my hatred for the winter has been trumped by my hatred for the treadmill. I try to keep a positive attitude about it thinking that my positive thoughts will become a reality....you know the whole "secret" theory....yeah, not so much! 3.5 miles of running and walking....couldn't bring myself to run the whole 3 miles...I was hating it. I should've just ran in the rain....oh well.

3 days!!!!

MY NAME IS IN THE PAPER.......wooohhoooooo!!!!!!! Todays paper has a whole section on the Detroit Fress Marathon and on page 20R is ME....along with the names of the other 10s of thousands of participants.....get your magnifying glass out to see it...but never mind that....IT'S THERE! And I'm number 7040!

Jordyn update.....after all that it must have been something she ate because she woke up this morning happy as a clam! Can't figure out what it could've been because everything she ate was pretty benign as far as potentially containing anything bacterial....and me and the boys ate the same dinner she did..... turkey sandwiches (the turkey was bought less than 24 hours ago).....and no one else got sick. So either it was a school snack or it was a less than 12 hour flu bug....go figure! THANK YOU JESUS!

wagers anyone?????

OMG! I think my daughter has the stomache flu....the stomache cramping been in the bathroom 10 times in the last 3 hours shit her pants twice because she can't make it to the toilet fast enough gonna puke bucket at the side of the bed stomache flu....would anyone like to start placing wagers on my health for Sunday??? Extra pocket cash may be helpful in these difficult times...........

God help me........forget the prayers for weather......I can deal with cold....I can deal with hot....I can deal with thunderstorms .......or even hail......just keep me healthy till Sunday night.....

So on a scale of 1 - 10 how bad is it that my poor daughter is lying in bed miserable with the stomache flu and all I can think about is.....please God keep me healthy till this marathon is over? Go ahead....be honest.....I know.....

Jordyn's teacher.....

started asking me about my training. Asked how it was going and if I was enjoying it....and then asked ....."so have you lost any weight with all this training?".......LMAO!....to which I responded "one would think so wouldn't one?"......so lets think about this.....I've heard that you burn 100 calories for every mile you run (some say it's even more than that) so lets assume for the sake of argument that this is correct.....which means that for instance when I ran my 20 miler a couple weeks ago I theoretically should have burned 2000 calories....how does a person burn 2000 calories in one day and NOT lose weight??? I mean NOT EVEN A POUND????!!!!!! Take a week at a glance....on average in the last couple months I've been logging in between 25 and 35 miles...so how many calories must I have ingested in that time to not even lose ONE POUND!!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!!!??????????

OMG!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! 5 days!!! I've been praying for 60 and sunny on Sunday and as of this morning the extended forecast is calling for 72 and sunny.....I'll take it! Did 3 miles on the treadmill today. Felt great! Started decorating my TNT shirt today. Put my name in neon yellow on the front....which my daughter of course felt compelled to stick her fingers in before it dried so the neon yellow "y" from my name is smeared....I've been told that if you put your name on your shirt people from the sidelines will shout out encouragement. ....Printed and laminated my "in memory of" page for the back of my shirt....still have to have the kids put their handprints on it.

Diane told me today that she hopes to meet me somewhere near the end to run the last couple miles with me....I just love you Diane.....she made me a little teary eyed when she told me that....I'll probably be a blubbering idiot at that point...with each passing day I get more and more teary eyed everytime I even THINK of the finish...so I can't imagine the mess I'll be when I actually get there....It's been an emotional journey for me.....certainly "cheaper than therapy".

I'm ready!

Today was our last long training run before the big day and it felt great. 8 miles in 1:25....that's a 10:37 mile average! I felt wonderful! It was cold as hell (started in 37 degrees) but I went on a little winter run shopping spree recently and loaded up on warm gear.....I was toasty warm by mile 2! I'm READY! It amazes me that 8 miles feels like nothing now. I feel no soreness at all. 16 weeks ago I ran my first 8 mile run and it seemed so daunting to me....I was ridiculously sore afterward and now it's just a piece of cake....heehee....who'da thought!??? This weeks challenge will be keeping myself healthy. I think I just may quarantine myself in my house to keep away from the cooties. I'm going to become a neurotic germophobe for the next week!

For anyone who's actually following this blog and interested.....on race day you can track my progress through the marathon as I'm running. Apparently they give me some sort of a GPS chip to attach to my shoe that tracks my run and you can log onto the Detroit Free Press Marathon web site while the marathon is actually taking place and find out where I'm at. You can go to this site http://www.detroitmarathon.com/events--races/marathon.html
and find the "track runner"...... or something like that.....type in my name and they will tell you where I'm at and my time at specific splits in the race. Kinda neat.

11 days & counting

Sucked it up on the treadmill for 6 miles. Listened to Middle Sex audio book down loaded on my ipod. I'll have to relisten to the part I was supposed to be listening to.....ugh.....not sure what it is about the gym that makes me unable to focus....but I keep trying....maybe it's a learned skill that will take time. But I CAN say that today was a little more tolerable than the past treadmill days and I think it's because I tried to push myself....for instance, I did a couple 1/4 mile sprints at a 9 minute mile pace and a couple 1/4 mile incline segments....it was tough but seemed to make the time go by a little quicker by breaking in up. I felt really good today. But got a little nervous when I walked for a cool down because I was getting those really bad heart palpitations again.

At the risk of sounding morbid......I noticed today's date.....I'm reminded of what inspired me to do this to begin with. Tomorrow, Oct 11th, marks the 30 year anniversary of the end of my Dad's battle with Leukemia.

I've officially decided on Chicago next year!

Ran an easy and very enjoyable 3 miles this morning....no gps and no water bottle strapped to my butt. Just me and my ipod! I'm very happy to be over the hump of training and now the runs are enjoyable again....I have to admit that I was getting a smidge burnt out these last few weeks. Now I'm getting excited. I'm almost there. My easing off the last week really helped my sore ankle and heal. They're almost completely better.

So it's official....I haven't even completed my 1st marathon and have already decided on next years' marathon....Chicago. I'm going to try a new marathon in a new state each year.....that's my goal......for as long as my body will allow me.....or until it stops being enjoyable. This has been a life changing adventure for me and I plan on repeating it over and over again. Obviously this isn't for everyone. There are a few in our group who say "NEVER AGAIN!". But at least they gave it their best shot and TRIED! I respect that! Even through all my complaints and struggles I've enjoyed every aspect of this. & I've somehow been lucky enough to avoid any major physical injuries to hold me back....I'm sure that won't always be the case and I'm sure I should be knocking on wood since the marathon is still 2 weeks away....I probably just jinxed myself! I haven't even lost a single toenail yet!! YEAY! I'm not sure I with my toe fetish could have handled a blow like that!

Chicago marathon

My friend Diane ran the Chicago marathon today and TMed me that it was "absolutely the worst experience of her life". Her husband said that it was the hottest Chicago marathon they've had in over 30 years. Apparently 4 hours after the start of the race they actually closed the route and stopped the marathon because of the heat. Most continued on but were forced to walk it....she said you couldn't run if you wanted to at that point because of the number of people. Found this news article on line....1 person actually died.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/420/story/160897.html

She finished it anyway.....Diane, you are my hero!

2 weeks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes (11:29 mile average). Wasn't the best run I've ever had but what did I expect after a week of slacking. Only did the 2 days of elliptical....Tues and Wed....my body needed the rest so I don't feel guilty in the least...I may regret it come marathon day but right now in the moment I'm glad I took the 6 days off.

Came home today to blissfully relax and calmly read a chapter in my book and reflect on my 160 minutes of solitude while in a tub full of ICE WATER......NOT!!!!!!!!!....... My legs feel great but now my back and jaw aches from the intense shivers that ran through my spine and teeth for 20 minutes!!!! Cured one ache only to acquire a new one! I'll be thankful in the morning.....I guess.

I would also like to add that my wonderful neighbors...Scott and Ilene Sipp just gave me a donation of $50 but for some reason I can't log into my account to "manage offline donations" and add their name to the list....I wanted to give them credit but couldn't....it may be because we're so close to the marathon...not sure. So their name isn't on my TNT donation page .....I tried. Thank you!

almost feel'n normal again!

Another elliptical day....only did 30 minutes....having a tough time squeez'n in these runs lately. But my body is thanking me. Today was the first day since last Saturday that I didn't wake up limping (crawling would probably be a better description). Tomorrow will be another elliptical day although I'm not too sure when I'll get it in. Then Saturday we do 14 miles. We're almost there.....only 11 days left......can I get an AAAAAAAAAAAA--MEN!!!!!!!!!!

I've decided to continue this blogging when the marathon is over...But I'm thinking I may just do it on MySpace. It'll be a blog for my kids ....intitled "This is My Life". ....that ebay lady inspired me. I always intended on keeping a journal for my kids when they were younger to document all the incredibly cute, funny, and of course STUPID, things they do....yes I said stupid because now that my oldest son is 10 many of the things he does can in fact be called stupid....maybe not the politically right term for it but true non-the-less. Now that I'm scrapbooking I need something to help me remember these moments....and I think it would be neat for them to look back and read one day. My memory is fading faster than a snowflake these days and I really want to preserve these moments.

EDIT: Way off!! Let's try 18 days left!!!!

I'm walking again

First off.....Man I screwed up big time on Saturday by not taking the ice bath when I got home. I hurt so bad I can't stand it. Then I talked to Traci and she and Kristina feel fine.....because they took the ice bath. I've been gimping around for 3 days now...today is the first day I woke up and felt somewhat better. Still not up to running so I did the elliptical again for 70 minutes. I was thinking I had pulled my calve muscles they hurt so bad....but my legs actually feel better now after the work out. I think the elliptical is a good thing for my ankle and heel anyway. Pounding the pavement everyday is taking it's toll. This week is going to be tough getting my miles in because I have 2 preschool field trips to attend with Jordyn.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I did it! And I'm still walk'n!

Man, what a rush! I just ran 20 miles! I never thought I'd be able to truthfully say those 5 words! Not only did I finish but I ran the entire 20 miles....and finished in 3:44....an 11:14 mile average. HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! It felt awesome until the last mile and then my legs didn't want to work anymore...but I kept shuffling right along....I kept chanting to my self...."keep on going almost there....keep on going almost there"....and "give me a shove dad give me a shove....give me a shove dad give me a shove".....over and over again until the end was in sight. The last 2 pictures were taken at the 1/2 way mark.

For any skeptics out there who still doubt this devine intervention I'm always talk'n about....I've got another story. Got to the park this morning and had actually forgotten during the 1 hour drive about the whole it's my Dad's birthday thing. We were all lining up in the street to start the run and I said to my friend Traci...."oh my gosh, I almost forgot....know what today is?" and she says smiling "yeah I read it in your blog". NOT 2 MINUTES later there were 2 women standing directly in front of us and one turns around and says...."Hey every1 it's my friend here's birthday...she's 30 years old today" and everyone started singing happy birthday.... OMG!!!!!!! I'm not making this up....Traci and Kristina saw/witnessed the whole thing!

So Happy Birthday Dad!....and thanks for the shove(s). LOL!

feel'n great

Ran 6 straight through this morning. Felt really good. Weather was perfect. I'm ready for 20 baby bring it on!

I'm editing this post to add that I just realized today's date....this Saturday is my dad's birthday. He would have been 59 years old on Sept 29th. How ironic that his birthday is on the same day I'm doing my 20 miler.....coinkidink??!!.....NOPE! = )

I cheated....kind of

Woke up this morning to pouring rain and didn't feel like getting soaked. I also didn't feel like running on the treadmill so I ended up doing an hour on the elliptical. I say I cheated by not getting in my 5 miles of running....but I was far sweatier after an hour of that than I ever am when running....it sure didn't feel like i was cheating! I can see my progress in my fitness level even in the elliptical. Before starting this training I would occasionally get on it and always did the same 30 minute program. It's an interval program that spikes in intensity 4 times. This machine has a thingy on it that lights up one of 5 different levels of intensity....the goal is to keep the center one or "target" lit...if 1 of the 2 before it are lit then your not working hard enough....it 1 of the last 2 are lit then you are working too hard. When doing this program before starting this training I could never get up to the center 1 because it was too hard...I was trying to make that my goal but never achieved it...but TODAY....man, I'm a lean mean elliptical butt kicking machine!! LOL! I had it lit at and above the target range the entire time! WOOHOOO!

On another note....I've decided that I'm going to have to make peace with the treadmill before winter hits. Because there are 2 things that are for certain about me....1) I hate winter even more than I hate the treadmill! & 2) If I fall off the training wagon after the marathon and end up losing all the progress I've made in my running abilities by next spring....I can guarantee that I will never work up the courage to start all over again....it has been way too hard to get where I am to fall off and have to start over in the spring. It just won't happen. So I can't let that happen....I have to keep up with this through winter and I will NOT be out running in below freezing weather. SO....I have to make peace with the treadmill! Not sure how to do this. The last time I was on the treadmill...last week or 2....I spent the entire hour 1) trying to count (and recount) the zits on the back of the neck of the guy in front of me....2) trying to count how many times my left foot hit the track in .1 miles.... .2 miles.... .3 miles...etc 3) tried counting how many times the chick beside me said the word "like" to her friend on her other side....it's just mind numbingly boring...I've tried watching movies on my ipod but I have a difficult time seeing the screen because it's so tiny and even more difficult time concentrating on the story line....same thing with the downloaded audio books...I can't seem to concentrate when I'm in a gym on the treadmill. That's why I like the elliptical because I can read a book while on it....I can't do that while running on a treadmill. I have to figure out a way to some how get over this extreme loathing of the treadmill.

Freeing myself of the burden of improving my time!

Ran 6.........well.........technically..........oh, never mind!....I'm so damn caught up in listing every single walk break that I take....and every single pee break that I take.....like I'm some how cheating by resting my legs every now and then & sitting down on the job because I have to use the restroom....for PETE'S SAKE!!!! In reviewing my past blog entries I realized how obsessed I've become with this. SO NO MORE!!!! I read an article in a running magazine that emphasized that even the best of the best take walking breaks and it improves their time....but you don't hear these world class athletes saying "yeah, I ran the marathon in 2 hours 43 minutes.....BUT....I had to take a couple walk breaks.....oh, and I had to pee at mile 10"......for cry'n out loud!!! I went out today without my gps watch because I'm tired....so so tired....of staring at my wrist every 60 seconds to see what my pace is. I keep saying that I don't care what my time is and yet I'm obsessed with keeping track of it! So I've made the executive decision to keep the gps at home for the weekday runs and only bring it along on my long runs. And I feel liberated because of it......I'M FREE!!!! And quite frankly I think my window of opportunity for improving my time has been closed for a few weeks now. In my mind this last month of training is about increasing the mileage and not increasing speed.

So today's 6 miles felt ok...legs felt pretty heavy...I'm still very sore from Sundays 16 miler...I could definitely tell the difference this week without the ice bath....last week after the ice bath I had minimal soreness....but this week I didn't do the ice-bath & I'm very sore. The humidity was a little suffocating...but I did it.

This Saturday the TNT group is hosting a 20 mile "mock marathon" somewhere near Ann Arbor....I think.......I'm actually looking forward to it...This 20 miler is the peak of our training and then the training tapers off for the next 3 weeks. That's probably why I'm looking forward to it....it marks the turning point of our training! Hallelujah!!! I'm still enjoying this sport and I'm enjoying seeing the progress I've made in the last 4 1/2 months....I enjoy working towards a goal...I'm a very goal oriented person....it's what keeps me going....BUT.....I really need a break. I'm tired. So very tired. After Sunday's long run I felt Awful....just couldn't get off the couch. I layed there all day thinking....WHY am I doing this to myself?! With that said...I have no doubt that I'll be doing this to myself again next year and probably repeating those exact same words.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Focus on your potential instead of your limitations."

started out good.....but fizzled

Ran 16 today. Ran the 1st 10 straight through and felt awesome. Had a 10:58 average pace going up until then. I didn't want to stop because I feeling so good but I had to refill my water bottle...the parking lot where the drinking fountain is was completely blocked off with a temporary fence because they had some boat race thing going on. So I had to walk all the way around to find an opening to get to the bathrooms where the drinking fountain is. I decided to skip the bathroom at that point because I really didn't have to go and my pace was already suffering because of the search...so I started back up again and withing 1.5 miles my stomach started rumbling....not good....so I stopped to use the restroom and ended up in there for about 10 minutes....now my pace is REALLY suffering!....I'm investing in a super stock supply of Imodium today!....then I get out of there and the last 4 miles were a struggle because of the horrible stitches that I had in my sides...they would NOT go away. I kept trying to walk and bend over pushing on the stitch...I tried to deep breath (all the remedies I've heard over the last several months)....nothing worked...so I'd walk until the pain was bearable again and then run until it became unbearable again....I did that for the last 4 miles. Ended up walking a lot of it. In the end my average pace ended up being 12:04. I was very disappointed...the 1st 10 went so well....I was on a role! Damn it! The good news is...I can run 10 miles straight now...the bad news is I doubt I'll hit my original goal of finishing in under 5 hours. I keep peetering out in the end. But that's OK...as long as I'm not the last 1 over the finish line I'm good!

yuck

Had every intention of running 5 today but by the time I got out there it was already 80 degrees. I only made it 4.37 miles and actually walked 3/4 of a mile of it. Did not feel good. Felt very weak and I just had no energy. Tomorrow will probably be just as ugly because I won't be able to get out there until late. O-well. I think it's safe to say that I will never be training for a summer marathon. Or a hot climate marathon. I may be nuts but I'm not THAT nuts. Some of us running friends are thinking about the Chicago marathon for next year. We'll see.

Maybe dodge park isn't so bad after all

Ran at Dodge Park again...because quite frankly it's much more convenient and close. There are so many senior citizens walking the path that I can't believe anyone would chop me up right there. LOL! I forced myself to not keep looking over my shoulder but it didn't help that I was listening to a James Patterson murder mystery that I had down loaded on my ipod.

Anyway, ran 8 miles in 1:33. Thats an 11:37 min mile average. Took a 3 minute break to walk and use the rest room half way through. My pace has slowed quite a bit in the last few weeks and I'm sure it's because of the number of miles we're putting in now. The next 2 weeks will be rough but then the training intensity slows drastically for the last 3 weeks before the marathon to help our bodies recover and prepare itself for the big day. I'm REALLY looking forward to the last 3 weeks...and so is my body! My feet could use the reprieve.

18 miles!!

Ran 18 miles this morning and considering the fact that I ran that on only 4 hours of sleep I'm very proud of myself. Finished it in 3 hours 36 minutes. It was very cold! 43 degrees. I don't like to be cold! I'm praying for 60 and sunny on marathon day! My pace was pretty slow with an average of 12:03/mile. I took 1 minute walk breaks about every 3-4 miles....2 of those breaks were longer breaks at 7 and 15 to stretch my legs a little. My hips were killing me when I finished. I actually went a little further than the 18 miles but walked the extra 1/2 mile or so to cool down ....walking at that point was very painful....it actually felt better to be running. My left ankle was bothering me more today too. Came home and finally gave the ice bath a try. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it helped tremendously...between that and the motrin my legs aren't aching nearly as bad as they were last weekend. K....I need a nap now.

Night-night

I think I'm done with Dodge Park

Dropped Jordyn off with Aunt Monica so I could get my run in today. Had to do 6. Planned on going to Stoney but after dropping J off I just didn't feel like driving all the way up there. So...I decided to bite the bullet and go to Dodge Park. I can't run there alone anymore. I'm a freak. A paranoid freak! I had pepper spray in my hand and I was still a freak. I had a hard time listening to my ipod because I kept turning it way down thinking that if someone snuck up behind me I'd never hear them. Completely irrational I know...but there you have it.....I'm an irrational freak!

On a positive note...the weather was beautiful! Cool and sunny. I took it very easy today because my legs are extremely sore. The last week has taken it's toll on my legs. I've run 35 miles in the last 5 days. My right heal is still giving me grief and my left ankle is bothering me again. So I took 3 walk breaks and averaged an 11:30/mile pace.

Just another typical day!

Ran 5 miles today - stuck close to home. It'll take me a little more time to get over my trauma drama from last weeks' run in Dodge Park. In the past week my mind has warped that poor man from being an innocent bystander who happened to get injured into a crazy lunatic who had some devious plans to chop me up into little pieces and feed me to the squirrels. I now plan on running with the key chain pepper spray that has been hanging untouched from my key rack for over a year. Some may argue that I'm being paranoid; I prefer to think of it as being slightly overly cautious.

So I finished my 5 miles in 55:05. Ran it straight through without stopping mainly because I was so pressed for time that I had no choice.

I started out the day with a 10 am appointment with another patio estimate guy. Fed Jordyn lunch and got her to school by noon. Rushed home to get my 5 miles in - had just enough time to take a quick shower before picking her back up from school at 2:30. Rushed home again to get dinner started. Yes....dinner....So that when the boys got home at 3:30 they can scarf it down so we can get out the door for gymnastics which starts at 4:30. Only - I hadn't taken anything out for dinner so the gourmet menu for the evening ended up being egg/ham/cheese sandwiches with a side of apple slices. Hey - it was the quickest, easiest, & healthiest thing I could come up with at the last minute. Protein, starch, dairy, fat, fruit - 5 of the main food groups in one sitting - what more could they ask for....I even threw in a vitamin for good measure. Who says you can't eat breakfast for dinner?! Ya know what - I'm thinking pancakes for dinner tomorrow!

Then I realized somewhere in there that I had completely FORGOTTEN that yesterday was suppose to be Jordyn's 1st tap/ballet class - OMG! - WHAT is happening to my brain??!! Believe it or not I used to be neurotically punctual & obsessively, compulsively organized - Yeah - not so much any more. Apparently, I truly am my fathers' daughter...the big joke about my dad is that his memory was horrible.....apparently so horrible that he rented a book from the library entitled "How To Improve Your Memory"....or something of that nature....and lost it....he FORGOT where he put it. I can't figure out if I've lost my organizational and memory skills or if there is simply too much to organize and remember! So, I called the dance studio to find out when Jordyn can make up her dance class..... tonight at 4:30..... which is exactly when her gymnastics class is - so, I now have to make up tonight's gymnastics class tomorrow so that we can make up yesterdays dance class today - Make sense?? So - I dropped the boys off 15 minutes early for their gymnastics class so that I could get Jordyn to HER class. ( They did their homework in the car). When Jordyn's class ended I ran to Target to get Brendan some new "gym pants" (he tried on 4 pairs this morning for school before finding a pair that wasn't flooded by 2 inches...it seems he's grown a little). Then back to the gym to get the boys at 7:30 and home by 8.

-This is my life-

Am I whining? no. Am I looking for sympathy? Absolutely not! Just documenting a typical day in our life for my kids to one day read and hopefully APPRECIATE! and.....explaining to any person reading this why it may be a while before you hear from me again.

What's on the agenda for tomorrow?? More of the same!!

What a day

Getting my miles in during the week is a challenge now. I had to get 8 miles in today. Was originally hoping to get it done while Jordyn was in school but I forgot that I had scheduled an appointment with a company to come out and give us an estimate for a new backyard patio....but....today was Jordyn's first day of school and I had forgotten that I was suppose to stay with her today for her 1st day...I'm so darn unorganized, I'm sure I read that bit of information in her pre-school packet that I got in the mail over a month ago....but who can remember that kind of stuff....if Jordyn had been my 1st child I would have known that and had all the paper work and payment filled out and ready to hand in to the teacher.....but as it turns out poor Jordyn is my 3rd and so the 1st day of school has lost a little excitement in our home....I'm just anxious to get them all off to school....so they can get a fine education of course ; ).......How bad is it that I forgot to take a picture of my boys on their first day of school?....

Anyway....totally off the subject here.... as I was saying...I'm stuck at Jordyn's school and have no way to contact this company....Frank C Construction ....uh-um.....to let them know that I'll have to reschedule because I'm stuck at the school....I tried calling information but they couldn't find a listing by that name..... there was literally nothing else I could've done. So...I get a phone call at 12:50 (20 minutes after the appointment was suppose to take place)....I apologized profusely on the phone explained what happened and that I tried to get a number from information but they didn't have a listing...blah blah....there was nothing I could do and felt horrible UNTIL I said "I'll have to reschedule"....this guy proceeds to get completely irate on the phone and nastily (is that a word...lol?) says..."I am NOT rescheduling....I've been sitting here for 20 minutes (ok....nobody asked him to sit there for 20 minutes)....if you want to tell me what it is you want I'll take a look and leave the estimate".....now I couldn't say what I WANTED to say because I was in a classroom with other fellow parents and my daughters' teacher, I just didn't think my language would have been appropriate....so I kindly tell him exactly what it is that we're wanting and hang up. I get home to find this JA's estimate of almost DOUBLE what our last 2 estimates have been. How's THAT for customer service!? JERK!!

Anyway, this IS a running blog right??!! So I guess I should talk about my run....I eventually got it in later this afternoon...when the kids got home from school my mom watched them for me so I could get my 8 in. My goal was to finish in under 1 1/2 hours and I did! With just under 2 minutes to spare. My average pace was 11:02/mile. Took a quick walk break at 2.5 miles and then ran the rest straight through. It felt really good the last 5 miles...the first 3 are always the hardest for me.

16 miles

It went remarkable well! Not the best run I've had but we did it.....we ran 16 miles....holy sh-t! My body ached like hell for the rest of the day...we left the park and cleaned up and then went scrap'n for 13 hours. I sat there scrap'n with 2 ice packs on my feet and ankles. Now, the day after my legs feel great. Minimal soreness.

Next week.....18 miles! OMG!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

I'm so excited to announce that as of about 3 hours ago I have officially reached my personal goal of raising $2500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! A wonderful friend went on my TNT donation page prepared to donate $25 and saw that I was only $26 dollars short of my goal so she put in an extra dollar!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!! This couldn't have happened at a more perfect time! I've been really anxious about tomorrow's run because we're running 16 miles tomorrow!!! Every time the miles go up I'm filled with anxiety and trepidation wondering how on earth I'll be able to complete it....it always seems to be OK....but that doesn't stop the anxiety from returning. So I've been dreading this Saturday's run all week. But now I have a renewed energy and "BRING IT ON" attitude! I've said it before but I'll say it again...I am humbled, grateful, and brought to tears by my family and friends' generosity. I'm surrounded by incredible people and feel so blessed and fortunate! As of today our little group of 6 marathon friends raised a whopping $9198.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I think that's just incredible!

SO! Say a prayer for me....16 miles.....oh God what have I gotten myself into!??

5.3

Did 5.3 miles on the treadmill. Have I mentioned that I HATE the treadmill! Was suppose to do 6 but I was bored out of my mind and just couldn't do it. It didn't help that I drove to 1 gym and found out that the daycare was closed for "floor repairs". So I ended up having to drive to another gym. UGH! Took the gusto right out of me.

Strange Encounter

Ran 5 miles at the park. VERY slow. Didn't get to the park until 10am and the temp was already 78 and humid. But the time I finished the thermometer on my car said 85. Average pace was 11:50 but it amazingly felt REALLY good. I'm wondering if that's BECAUSE I slowed it down??!! Maybe that's my ticket.

Had a very weird encounter in the park. I'm running back from the 1st 3 mile loop and notice this guy about 100 feet ahead of me on the ground in roller blades very obviously in pain. So I yelled to him before I reached him "are you ok"....he shakes his head...I say "can you make it back"....he shakes his head...."what did you hurt?".....no answer....he starts to stand up but he's still not saying anything....obviously nothing is broken because he's now standing upright....but I say "nothing's broken?"......he's still not talking and now I'm starting to think maybe he hit his head and he's got a closed head injury or something because why the hell isn't he answering me.....I was slightly alarmed.....and now I notice he's grabbing the right side of his crotch....so now I'm thinking.... oh, maybe he pulled a muscle......groin muscle perhaps?.....after an incredibly long and awkward silence (because at this point I just don't know how to help this man because he hasn't spoken) he finally says....very slowly.... "it.... got..... me...... in..... the...... special..... place"...... WTF!!!!!!!! OK......1) How does one hurt their "special place" while falling off roller blades? 2) What is the "it" he's referring to? & 3) "Special Place"???........really????!!!! I honestly can't say that I have ever heard a grown man (or anyone over the age of 5) refer to it as their "special place". So I say....and I quote...."can't help you there buddy...sorry"....and took off running. I felt like a paranoid bitch but this guy was just a little bit "off" shall we say. So now I'm running and thinking that if I glance back to see if he's following me I'll look paranoid....but I can't resist....I glance back and now he's following about 100 feet behind me skating very slowly and gingerly....now I'm freaked out because I feel like he's following me. Then a couple people pass by & I think ....alright I'm ok because there's still people on the trail....he can't do anything as long as people keep passing by....then I turn around and he's not there....where'd he go??....is he hiding in the trees? Eventually, I give up on the paranoid thoughts and continue my run knowing that I'M the freak. UNTIL, I turn around to back track to get in my last mile and HE'S RIGHT THERE!!!! He stops me again and asks for directions to Clinton River road....I didn't stop, I just kept running and yelled "just keep going straight". Maybe that's why my run felt so good...I was so freaked out by this guy that the thought of stopping for a walk break never even entered my mind!

Big Apple Bagel Day!

Did 9.5 miles with Diane & her crew this morning. I'm thinking the extra driving time is worth having a group to run with. We started at 16 mile and Crocker and looped around through Metro Park...It's just beautiful at the water....meant to bring my camera along but forgot it. I was having flash-backs to the days when I was younger and we used to have our DeStefanis family reunions there. I remember the exact spot right by the boat docks. I remember walking near the boat docks when my younger cousin Traci was first starting to walk and my Aunt Renee (the one who passed away from Lymphoma) was holding Traci's hand and trying to see how far she'd walk. So I asked if I could hold her hand and walk her and she said yes. I felt so "grown - up". Weird how that's one of my only memories of those reunions.

Anyway, we averaged out about an 11 min mile. They're just as bad as me with the potty breaks so I felt right at home! Then when we finished we went to the Big Apple Bagel....mmmmmm...that's all I could think about the last 2 miles. In fact, that was the only thing that kept me going the last mile because I was only suppose to do 8 miles today. When I hit 8 miles I kept thinking that technically I could just stop and walk the rest of the way....but I didn't want to miss out on the Big Apple Bagel!

Diane says I'm a weeny!

And so I am.....and I'm OK with that...LOL! Was suppose to run with Diane's crew this morning. Was planning on meeting them at 7 this morning. Ended up deciding against that as I sat at my kitchen table last night playing euchre until 2 am in the morning. Who'd a thought that 3 long islands and an evening of gluttony would have such a negative impact on my motivation??!! ...(note to self.....no long island or food binges night before marathon....and stay the HELL away from garlic!....my list continues to grow)! I am here-by swearing off alcohol until this marathon is over. My body just can't be abused like this anymore.

I went out to do my 14 mile run on my own this morning. Didn't make it to the park until 8:30. I was slow as molasses this morning! Stopped at 5 miles for a LONG bathroom break....(Grandma could be on to something.....but then again maybe it was the long islands)........water breaks at 6.5 and 9.5.....a LONG walk break at 12 miles...and I was all but crawling the last mile. Average pace was about 11:30 min mile...felt OK.....I finished the 14 miles....it wasn't pretty, but I finished.

THEN, I came home and had a wonderful massage! A friend of a friend is a message therapist and does a 1 hour message for only $35 and comes right to your house. It was a wonderful thing to have when your body is still aching from the long run. Blissful I tell you....simply blissful!

Another major breakthrough must be coming soon!

The good news is ...another major breakthrough must be coming soon. That seems to have been the pattern in the past and so this is me trying to put a positive spin on my horrible last 3 runs (today included). Today was my 3rd day in a row, it was much warmer than I'd prefer, there was no shade because I was in the neighborhood, and Sooooooo, I had another horrible run. I'm guessing this weeks' difficulties are because of the slacking I've done in the last 2 weeks due to vacations and so I'm trying not to get too discouraged again. Did 7 miles this afternoon but walked probably 2 of them. My left hamstring was nagging me and I had a horrible stitch in my side that I couldn't even WALK off. I thought the "stitch in my side" days were over months ago...thought I had gotten past that problem but it seems to have reappeared today. So anyway....hopefully this is just a prelude to an incredibly wonderful 14 mile run on Saturday. Tomorrow is a rest day and I intend on taking full advantage of it!

A "not so good" running day

I'm not sure what made me think that not eating before running would be such a wonderful idea....I'm sure I was full at the time....but I'm thinking maybe I should reconsider. Today didn't go well. Ran 6....sort of....the first 3 went fine, the last 3...not so fine. I was starving....felt very weak, even a little dizzy, and developed an excrutiating headache in the left side of my brain at 3.5 miles....ended up walking for almost a mile. My other problem.....my face was on fire. I started using this ProActive knock-off stuff that I found at costco ....for treating acne....and apparently it works by burning off the first 2 layers of skin because once I started sweating....OMG....the pain.... I felt like someone had taken sand paper to my face and then poured salt water in the wounds.

And then there's the chub-rub factor...I guess I was thinking that after 2 days of not eating before my runs I would miraculously have thighs that don't rub....my running shorts were too short and they did in fact rub! Chaffing is becoming a real problem. I'm chaffed under my boobs, between my thighs, and in other places that I'll keep to myself. Getting in the shower after a fresh chaffing when you're covered in salty sweat is not my idea of fun.

On another note....my dear friend Dianne recommended this stuff called Endurox...it's a replacement drink mix that is suppose to help in recovery after runs. But there are 2 different versions of this stuff...one is a drink mix and the other is a pill...They both contain completely different ingredients and I didn't know which one to buy so being the shopaholic that I am....I bought both....using the "if 1 is good 2 must be better" theory. If you haven't read the book "Confessions of a Shopaholic"....you really should....funny, funny book....and I relate very closely to the main character.....minus the financial crisis......anyway, I tried it after today's run...I'll let you know how it works.

need fuel!

Ran 7 miles this morning and purposely didn't eat anything before I went because I wanted to see how it would feel. To be honest, I can't believe that I'm running all these miles and not losing any weight so I wanted to see if I'd burn more fat if I didn't eat before going out. It was a lot harder but doable. I'll try doing that during the week and then stick with my banana on the long run days. My average pace this morning was 11:08. I had a few jelly bean fuel thingys during the run...had to or I'd have never been able to keep going. Beautiful morning, sunny and pleasantly cool. No pain....feel'n great!

12 miles-my best run yet

Ran 12 miles straight this morning for the first time....minus about 15 seconds to refill my water bottle. Felt awesome...the weather was beautiful. My average pace was 10:46....my best pace yet!

vacation is over

Our "vacation" is over....THANK GOD!.....in an effort to keep a positive attitude I'll just say....the kids had a blast! Justin got up on skis for the first time....Brendan went tubing.... (all on the 1 day that it wasn't raining and the boat wasn't being repaired) and Jordyn got her 1st kiss...LMAO!

I'm way behind in running my miles this week. I only ran twice. 6 miles on Monday? (I think...lost track of the days) and 5 miles on wed or Thurs. The weather was awful (oops....there goes the positive attitude)....and I wasn't getting any sleep....sleeping accommodations sucked....(screw the positive attitude...lol)...lets just say that 3 sides of our mattress were touching the walls.....there was mouse poop on our comforter and an earwig under our sheets when I stripped the bed....just didn't have the running spirit in me this week....the entire week was like a huge comedy of errors! And it didn't stop when we got home....got home to find our computer was fried!....brought it in to the Geek Squad for fix'n...thank God it was repairable or I'd really be cry'n right now. All of us actually left to come home an entire day early because it was so bad up there. So I'm sure I'll pay dearly tomorrow when we're all doing our 12 miles! No more slacking...vacation time is over so I'll try to get more serious about getting all my miles in now. ONLY 10 MORE DAYS TILL SCHOOL STARTS!!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I'll be on my street corner in my jammies escorting my children on the bus and doing the happy dance!

14 miles and going strong!

Had to get one last entry in before we leave so that when I return I don't forget how awesome I felt today! I had my best run yet this morning and it was the toughest....14 miles! The weather was absolutely perfect....55-60 degrees and sunny! 14 miles in 2:32:12!!! That's a 10:52 mile pace average!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW!!!!!!! My best mile lap was the first at 10:09 and my worst was the 12th mile at 11:45. My pace stayed below 11 min/mile for the first 10 miles. I didn't have to stop to pee even once the entire 14 miles......I think I've finally got this pee/hydration thing licked.....YAH-HOOOOOOO!!! I stopped real quick at 6.5 to refill my water bottle which took a matter of seconds....then at the 11th mile I decided to take a quick walk break because my left ankle was nagging me....big mistake....now that the miles are picking up walking breaks are not in my best interest I've decided. Once I stopped that was it....my legs didn't want to start back up again....I walked again at mile 13 because my hips were really starting to freeze up. But all in all it was a perfect day for me....I essentially ran for the first 11 miles straight.....OMG!!!! I love these feel good days....it makes me look forward to the next run to see if I can top it! I'm off....for a week of fun and relaxation??? Yeah right! 12 kids under 1 roof....well....2 roofs.....and according to the weather forecast the week could potentially be a total wash out....I'll need a vacation from this vacation!!

Im very consistant

Did another 7 miles this morning in exactly 80 minutes....5 seconds slower than yesterday...LOL! BUT today I had to make a bathroom stop....so technically my running time would have been faster than yesterday if I hadn't stopped. Felt really good...although the humidity was a bit suffocating this morning. I'm loving my new Garmin...it keeps lap times for each mile and I can go back and review. Yesterdays average pace was 11:25....my fastest mile lap was 10:56 (5th mile) and slowest pace was 12:03 (6th mile). Today's average pace was 11:28....fastest mile lap was 11:03 (2nd mile) and slowest mile was 12:11 (3rd mile...potty break). I might do an easy 3 or 4 tomorrow depending on how I feel to make up for some of my lost miles this week but I'd really like to take a rest day before Saturday's long run. Doing 14 miles Saturday...OMG! NOW the miles REALLY start to pick up....EEK! I'm scared! And then after the 14 miles I have to sit in a car for over 3 hours for our week long vacation with friends. All of us marathon friends are going to Higgins lake for a week long vacation with our families...CAN'T WAIT! This trip should prove to be a true test of wills....trying to get our runs in after long days of drinking....I'm guessing running a marathon drunk is probably frowned upon! But they say to test every scenario before the big day....so we'll just consider this part of the training...LMAO!

took 3 days off

I had every intention of running Sunday before leaving for Cedar Point and then running 1 morning while in Cedar Point.....it didn't happen. Saturday night we were at friends' house for a birthday party...didn't get to sleep until late and when I woke up Sunday morning it was raining....it was only drizzling but I hadn't even started packing yet...so that was my excuse. I had no excuse while in Sandusky other than after walking at Cedar Point for 12 hours straight....I just didn't think my feet could stand the beating. So I guiltlessly took a few days off.

Went out this morning after 3 days off and did 7 miles in 1:19:55. I took 2 - 2minute walk breaks....1 at 2.5 miles and another at 5.5 miles. Felt really good. No complaints. 8 hours later I sit here with an extremely stiff left ankle....nothing that a little ice can't cure.

I was reading an article in Runner's World on the way to Cedar Point and found a couple of paragraphs in an article that I love and wanted to share.....I've said from the beginning that I really wanted my kids to be at the race on marathon day. It's very important to me but I couldn't articulate why....I just knew that it was important...the author of this article summed it up beautifully!

"The way I see it, the only way to run counter to our toxic image-centric society is to literally run by example. I can't tell my daughters that beauty is an incidental side effect of living your passion rather than an adherence to socially prescribed standards. I can't tell my son how to recognize and appreciate this kind of beauty in a woman. I have to show them, over and over again, mile after mile, until they feel the power of their own legs beneath them and catch the rhythm of their own strides.
Which is why my parents wake my kids early on race-day mornings. It matters to me that my children see me out there, slogging through difficult miles. I want my girls to grow up recognizing the beauty of strength, the exuberance of endurance, and the core confidence residing in a well-tended body and spirit. I want them to be more interested in what they are doing than how they look doing it. I want them to enjoy food that is delicious, feed their bodies with wisdom and intent, and give themselves the freedom to indulge. I want them to compete in healthy ways that honor the cultivation of skill, the expenditure of effort , and the courage of the attempt."

Another breakthrough!

Perfect day....weather was absolutely beautiful! 12 miles with the TNT group this morning and I ran the first 6 straight through!! No walk or pee breaks!!! Took my 1 minute walk breaks at 6 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles, and 11 miles.....kinda fell apart the last 2 miles but felt really good for the first 10. I shouldn't be admitting this but there's just noth'n like a little of Eminem's "Shake that Ass" to put a little boogie in your step! Everytime I have a bad week of training I always seem to follow it up with a breakthrough...I'll start trying to look at these bad weeks as my body's way of preparing itself for a breakthrough! Still in love with this sport!

Quote of the week

This weeks quote kinda goes along with the whole "The Secret" philosophy...which I am a true believer of by the way...The law of attraction!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.” - William James

Resting my aching body today in preparation for tomorrow's 12 miler.....say a prayer....lol!

6.5

Did 6.5 on the treadmill again. ran 2 at a time and walked the last 1/2 mile. Felt pretty good. 1st 2 are always hard until I get into a rhythm. Looking forward to tomorrow's rest day. I think I'm going to go back to the 5 days of training instead of trying to get all my miles into 4. Although, I won't be able to do that next week because were leaving for a 2 day trip to Cedar Point. We'll see.

Back in the Groove

Did 6.14 in 1:11:52. Felt pretty good...kinda felt like I was getting back into the groove....I thought it would be another bad 1 because of the heat and humidity but I felt much better than I thought I would. Ran 2 miles at a time with an extra walk break the last 2 miles. I bought a newer model Garmin that has a better GPS on it so it actually worked today in the park! AND.....not 1 potty break.....MAJOR bonus!

6 on the Treadmill

Ran 6 on the treadmill....didn't look at the forecast this morning and as soon as I got to the park they announced on the radio that there would be thunderstorms and rain all morning....it was already 75 degrees out and 100% humidity....not my idea of fun so I turned around and headed to the gym. Didn't keep track of my time because I had to stop and use the restroom 1/2 way through...which is downstairs and all the way on the other side of the building. UUGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ran 2 at a time. Felt pretty good but my quads were screaming today! I really wish this gym had a bathroom on the 2nd floor!

10.17 miles

Today was a little better than this past week has been but still didn't feel great. Did 10.17 miles in 2 hours exactly which turns out to be a little less than a 12 mile minute. Tried to run 2 miles walk 1 minute....but I took a couple extras. The weather was MUCH more runner friendly this morning....it was beautiful actually.

bad week

been a horrible week for me...as far as training goes....time to move on to the next! Did 6 today but walked alot of it. I'm really hoping it's just this cold and the humidity because I'm getting really discouraged.

quote of the week

I like this weeks quote...I seem to say that every week. This week's quote is a good reminder to be nice....to everyone....no judging.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." - Unknown

I'm taking the day off from running. I think my body needs a break. I probably should run since the last 2 days have been such duds but I need a day to rejuvinate....I may try to do a little on my elyptical later....still don't know how to spell that....but it'll be a low intensity level.

2 bad days in a row

yesterday and today's runs (can't even really call them runs) have been awful. Did 5 on the treadmill yesterday but probably walked half of it. Did 4 1/2 today and walked most of it....feeling awful. I have a cold and so I Took nite-quil last night and the previous night and I think the morning after effects of the medicine are kicking my butt. Won't even bother listing my times....

Divine Intervention?

Had another "Divine intervention" moment last night....gotta share! I'm sure everyone is thinking I've lost touch with reality anyway....so I may as well seal the opinions...lol!

A few years back my mom gave me her wedding ring from her marriage to my dad. I love the ring and of course the sentiment behind it ....there's actually another "Divine intervention" moment that is attached to this ring that I'll share some other time.....and have always wanted to wear it but my mom's fingers are tiny so it never fit me....too small for my ring finger but too large for my pinkie. I've always wanted to take it to a jewelry store to have it sized to fit me but just never got around to it or kept forgetting. So this past week I've been wearing it on my pinkie finger even though it's too large because I wanted to remember to set aside some time to get it sized....it's loose but wearable if I'm careful. So last night at 5:55pm I was in my car on my way to the pet store when I looked at my hand and realized the ring wasn't on my finger. My heart sank....I called Dan at home and told him to keep his eye out for it...all I knew was that I had it on my finger when we left church. But we went for ice cream after church....looked at open houses after that....for all I knew it could've fallen off my finger in the bathroom at one of the houses we looked at. When I came home I was upset....this ring is very special to me...I didn't even know where to start looking it could've been anywhere. So I only glanced around on the floors and counters....I searched the laundry that I had folded earlier in the day...looked in the drawers of the laundry I put away....searched in sheets that I had folded...couldn't find it. So we were watching a movie later last night..."because I said so"....cute movie by the way....but I couldn't stop thinking about the ring ....and about how in the hell I was going to explain to my mom that I lost her wedding ring...I searched in my purse during the movie thinking maybe it had fallen off while I was getting something out of it....nothing. So when the movie finished I went to the bathroom....sitting on the toilet (pretty picture...I know)....my forehead resting on my fists I said to myself in my head as clearly as if I had said it out loud "dad, please help me find this ring".....within 2 minutes I knew before even looking where the ring was....it just POPPED into my head...literally....in my laundry room sink I keep a bucket for soaking stained cloths in oxyclean water before washing them. Jordyn had spilled red Gatorade on her shirt so I had put her shirt in this bucket earlier in the day. I walked to the bucket....picket her shirt up out of the water....and there on the bottom of the bucket was my mom's wedding ring.

Now tell me I'm losing my mind! I dare you! LMAO!

12 miles with TNT group

Today was a little rough. Sticky...humid...I'm getting a cold...ran alone....just rough. I did pretty good considering. 12.19 (I want full credit...there will be no rounding!) miles in 2:18. Which averages out to be 11.3 min mile. Ran 2 miles walked 1 minute for the full 12 miles and took 1 pee break....so considering all the walk breaks and the potty break...that's not too shabby! I've discovered the secret to running by myself....listening to downloaded book tapes on my ipod...it's perfect because I'm concentrating on the story instead of my aching legs.

Love running with a group!

I can't say enough about how much nicer and easier it is running with a group. Ran with Diane and 2 of her friends today and the time flew by. We did 7 miles. I have no idea what our time was but I know when we finish the first 4 miles we were at 44 minutes....so about an 11 min mile. Took 2 walk breaks...of course I was the only one that had to pee....felt bad for making them stop but they didn't seem to mind....I think I'm eventually going to have to bite the bullet and get over my stage fright and just learn how to squat!....I keep hearing how all runners do it....I'm just not there yet....LMAO! The first 2 miles where hard....I kept thinking to myself "there's no way I'm going to be able to keep up with these guys today"....but I kept going and once I got past the first 1 or 2 miles it just kept getting easier and easier.....the last 3 miles were a breeze....in the end I felt like I could have kept going. My whole body just felt really good! Doing 12 on Saturday with the TNT group....not looking forward to running alone again....oh-well....

I spent some time yesterday looking back at the beginning of this blog and I'm amazed at how far I've come in just 2 1/2 months....I went from never running before and not being able to run more than 5 minutes at a time to now running distances of up to 12 miles. 2 1/2 months ago I never thought it would be possible....I'm very proud of myself....(I'm patting myself on the back right now)....

I love the quote of the week for this week!

I'm loving this week's quote! Brings home the fact that everyone's "little bits" together add up to a whole lot of "little bits"! So far I've received 29 donations....29 little bits added up to over $2,000 .....Our group of 5 TNT runners/walkers have raised a combined total of over $8,000 so far!!!!!!!!!! I know the quote isn't necessarily talking about monetary differences but in this case it applies!


“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”
- Marian Wright Edelman


Found this following excerpt from the LLS's website...found it interesting....


Between 1995 and 2004, the Society enjoyed tremendous growth including a 364 percent increase in revenue. In fact, during the same period, the Society's research funding increased 378 percent (from $8.6 million to $41.1 million).

The good news is . . .

Cure rates for some forms of childhood leukemia have risen from 4% in 1960 to 84% today
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society funds more than 400 researchers in 11 countries and provides thousands of patients support through family support groups, website chats, free seminars and conferences, financial aid, and programs like "First Connection" where cancer patients are partnered with cancer survivors who provide support and advice.
Our world-renowned SCOR research teams work together in complementary disciplines, each focused on accelerating the discover of breakthrough approaches for diagnosing and treating blood cancers

But we still have bad news . . .

Leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma are the major forms of blood-related cancers, with leukemia being a leading disease killer of children in America.
Every nine minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma. This statistic represents 158 people each day, or seven people every hour.
Lymphoma incidence rates have inexplicably increased by 71% between 1975 and 2000, the highest rate of increase for any cancer.
Multiple myeloma is one of the top 10 leading causes of death among African Americans.
An estimated 747,000 Americans are living with a blood cancers

5 miles

5 miles in 56:04. 2 walk breaks....1 at 3 miles and 1 at 4.5 miles to cross Dequindre...had to wait for traffic. Not too shabby...didn't feel real good but I'm sure tomorrow will be worse because it'll be my 3rd day in a row....The recovery days definitely make a difference. I think I'm running with Diane and her crew tomorrow...that'll help.

Ran in the rain

well....it was really only a drizzle...but It felt good. Did 6 at stoney and only took one walk break. It was a bit of a PIA because their doing work on the path...so they had the path closed off at one point....so I couldn't just loop around. I had to turn back around and back track. Oh well, Finished in 68 minutes. Wanted to stop more but I tried to pretend that I was running with a group...I kept saying to myself...ok...if I were running with Diane...would I really feel bad enough to have to stop and fall behind?...the answer was always no...I know I can do it now so I have to psych myself out....it's all in my head. My time didn't improve any without the walk breaks because the longer I run....the slower I run. I actually find that my time is faster when I take my 1 minute walk breaks more frequently. But I don't care about that....I just want to be able to run as much of it as I can.

I kept up with them!

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a day! I ran my long run with Diane and her running group this morning and did AWESOME! It makes a world of difference being with a group. It really helped me push myself. It was great because they all run my pace & they were a very enjoyable group to be with...they all made me laugh which really helped pass the time quickly! So today was all about running the distance without stopping...and they really helped me do that. I ran 10.32 miles. Ran the 1st 4 and then we stopped for a potty/stretch break...ran another 3 and stopped for another potty/stretch break....then finished with the last 3....that's the best I've done yet. They went on to do 11 miles and I stopped to stretch and wait for them. They're a couple weeks ahead of me in their training because they're doing the Chicago marathon which is 2 weeks before Detroit's. I carried on conversations almost the entire time. It felt great. The last mile was hell but I was very proud of myself for continuing. If I had been alone today doing my run I can pretty much guarantee that I would have walked much more than I did. For that reason I think I'm going to alternate my long run days between the TNT group and this group. When I run with TNT I always end up alone because no-one runs my pace. I'm the slowest of the runners but faster than the walkers....so that leaves me somewhere in the middle....by my self. I can't push myself when I'm alone....it's too easy to cheat and give up. So we'll see.

Trip to Indianapolis

I spent the week in Indianapolis with the boys. They had their gymnastics camp. So I ran 8 miles on Monday at the White River park. It was a beautiful day and the canal and river that I ran along was gorgeous! I have no idea what my time was... I was just out to enjoy the day...and I did! The picture to the right is the canal...the 2nd picture is White River.

Wednesday I was hoping to go to the Eagle Creek Park but it poured and stormed all day so I ended up just doing my 5 miles at the gym that the boys were practicing at. Actually I don't technically know how far I ran...I just ran the track for an hour....my gps doesn't work indoors so I had to guess-timate. The running track is above the gym so I was able to watch the boys during their practice...made the time go by a little faster.

Friday was another beautiful day outside so I was torn...I really wanted to run outside but Friday was the day that Paul and Morgan Hamm were coming to coach the boys and do their exhibition show...I didn't want to miss any of it so I just ended up running my 6 miles (or there abouts) at the track again. Took 2 walk breaks....running 2 miles at a time. The last photo shows the boys warming up on the running track with the Hamm brothers...the one in the blue t-shirt is Morgan (I think....still have a hard time figuring out which one is which)....Justin is on the far right in the picture.

All my physical pains are gone! The left ankle and right heal pain are completely GONE....haven't felt a single twinge of pain in over a week!!! I'm not sure if its because I ditched the blue shoes or if it's because I condensed my running into 4 days..... I don't know...so I'm keeping both changes! I bought another pair of running shoes and I'll slowly start breaking them in next week. Keep your fingers crossed for me the new shoes work!

I'm gonna brave my long run tomorrow with a group of veteran runners (since I missed my TNT group run this morning...we were driving home from Indy). My friend Diane invited me to run with her running group....God help me! I'm only suppose to do 10 tomorrow but I'm gonna try to keep up with these guys and do 12. Not too confident about the whole thing but I really wanted to try running a different route...I really enjoyed the change of pace this past week so I'd like to find some new running paths.

I also wanted to add in this post that we have officially donated our $1,000.00. We split it up among the other 4 TNT runner friends of ours according to what they needed. $375/$200/$50/$375 to reach their $1500 minimum.
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/TraciS
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/randyandkelly
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/knowicke
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/tntmiKMalcol

$2,000 raised for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!!!

What an adrenaline rush!! I hit the $2,000 mark for donations raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society....I can't thank my family and friends enough for their incredibly generous support! They are AWESOME!

I went out today with a renewed spirit....albeit a very NERVOUS renewed spirit....this 12 mile mark has been haunting me for weeks...& now I've concurred it!! I now know that I, at the very least, will make it through a 1/2 marathon still standing upright!! I went 12.41 miles in 144 minutes. But that includes 2 bathroom breaks and I stopped at the 1/2 way mark to stretch...probably 3 or 4 minutes. I went out with the idea that I was done killing myself trying to improve my time...last week I went out with a gusto and ran 5 miles straight but then completely fell apart in the 2nd 5 miles....so, I wanted to even it out today. I ran 1 mile walked 1 minute....at one point I ran 2 miles straight because I was feeling really good. I'm getting the hang of the energy replacement packs...and definitely felt it's benefits....I also discovered Power Bars....they're like the perfect food....100% of everything in it...plus lots of protein and carbs.....and ALL 3 of my kids love them....well, they like the peanut butter and vanilla....the chocolate ones are pretty bad!!!! Major bonus as Brendan is usually the food critic that will eat nothing healthy that has any amount of calories in it.

No heart palpitations again! And my ankle didn't start bothering me until the last 2 miles. Did good and felt great!