It's hard to believe that in 3 short months I will be lacing up and hitting the pavement for 26.2. The big race just happens to me my 33rd birthday. That was actually a huge part in my decision to run this marathon. I mean what a better way to creep closer to 40 then by completing this race. As I trained this week my body was sending me a message, a very quite, but a very clear message..."girl you aren't in your 20's any more".
I ran my short runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, instead of Tue-Thurs because I had a girls' weekend planned with two of best girl friends. This left my long run for Friday am. I headed out to slam out 9 miles before our mini road trip to Atlanta. I was doing just fine until I reached the 8.5 mile mark. My knee took a moment to have a conversation with me. It went a little something like this:
"So as much as I appreciate you utilizing me again, do you need to be reminded of the last 3 yrs? In the last 3 yrs you have gained 40lbs, lost 40 lbs. Gained 30lbs, lost 30lbs. Gained 10lbs, and are currently holding on to those with a vengeance. Although the 70lb roller coaster was all baby induced and the outcomes are adorable, you stole precious ligament strength while nursing your young from me too. You literally milked away my strength and endurance because for every ounce you made I became looser and looser. Now here you are finally getting me off the couch and utilizing me again but honey it ain't 2007."
Seconds later my knee got quite and decided to throb and throw a very toddler like tantrum. She refused to do what I asked. As I placed one foot down in front of the other she bucked and bumbled like a 2yr old. So I did what any mother would do. I put that kid in time out. I ended my run and walked the last 1/2 a mile. The tantrum wasn't that bad, but I got the message. It wasn't worth permanent dysfunction to run the last half a mile. After all it's only week 5. I'm not running to fast, but my WHOLE body has changed in the last 3 yr years. I am not in my 20's any more and even though my drive and determination is there, I need to work a little harder on conditioning the whole body.
But before I work like a 32 yr old, I had to play like a 20 yr old! What a weekend! My knee wasn't the only part of body letting me know I wasn't 22 any more. Late nights with the ladies were totally worth the copious amounts of ibuprofen consumed in the last 48 hrs. You know getting older is inevitable, but your spirit doesn't have to gray. I loved walking down memory lane with my girls, but what I really loved was the fact that these girls have shared my past, my present, and will without a doubt be a part of my future.
Week 5: 19 miles
Lesson learned: Getting older is easier when your spirit isn't gray.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mmmmm bacon in the city...week 4
Staycation=no motivation!!! Man not going anywhere can be exhausting!!! The hubs, me, and my sprouts spent the last 9 days just hanging out in our cozy little neck of the Boro. We played, giggled, cried (well we didn't but the 3 footer did during all of her MANY time outs). We jammed in lots of local fun and flavor during our staycation/vacation. I managed to squeeze in 2 short runs and 1 long run.
So I tried something different this week. Normally when I head out for my long runs I do just that, head out and go. My Nike+ does all the tracking for me, but man as the sweat is pouring down my face and I am beginning to feel like I am about to win an Olympic gold, I push the center button to hear how far I have gone and the robot lady says "1 mile completed"....well I kinda want to shoot myself. I mean really shoot myself. I begin to say "Why the hell are you doing this??? Hello, it's summer in south GA!!! 26.2 really???? You are an idiot." And now although it's not like thousands are reading my words, I sadly have made myself accountable to my commitment. The "runner" in me then gets pissed because I have to keep going. This literally has happened on every long run until this week.
This week the hubs told me about a sidewalk. Sounds kinda strange, but we live in a pretty small, but growing south GA city (the word CITY is a stretch, it's a town. It's a small southern town where you can't buy beer on Sundays), but we have a sidewalk that starts at the university and stretches to the outskirts of said...city (town. no real city is partially dry). I needed to run 8 miles and this stretch of cement from start to finish just happened to be 8 miles! I started to run. This time I knew where I was going. The run never got to tough, never got boring, I knew where I was headed. Plus the smell of homecookin' from Snooky's, fresh pig a fryin', was an awesome treat (seriously it's a town, with a restaurant named Snooky's..come on). It got me thinking about my life, more importantly my early 20's. I always thought I knew where I wanted to go, but hell if I had a clue how to get there. I think I took nearly every side road, back road, trail ride, to get where I am today! As I ran it felt so good to know where I was going and doing exactly what I needed to get there. It wasn't until my late 20's that these two notions collided and I became driven. I really haven't felt this way since I finally decided to "go to college", what I mean by that is actually attend class and produce a GPA. I went to college on and off for nearly a decade before I actually started "producing" (ps. Graduated in 2.5 yrs with a GPA of 3.489, only had 11 hrs after nearly a decade of service, not too shabby...driven). It felt good to feel that way again.
Being a stay at home mom these days all I drive is a minivan, literally. This marathon is for me, about me. I want my girls to know their mommy didn't quit, but more importantly I want to feel driven. I am driven daily, driven a bit closer to crazy everyday. I love my girls and my new job, but being a full time mommy is hard. If you aren't careful you lose yourself and can become just miserable. This journey I am on is keeping me from losing site of myself and making me the best version of mommy I can be.
This week I ran farther than I have since 2007. My knees are having some growing pains, but overall I feel great. I have hidden the scale b/c after standing on it 100x's a week, I am losing site about what this is all about!!!
Week 4: 14 miles
Lesson learned: Knowing your path makes it easy to follow.
So I tried something different this week. Normally when I head out for my long runs I do just that, head out and go. My Nike+ does all the tracking for me, but man as the sweat is pouring down my face and I am beginning to feel like I am about to win an Olympic gold, I push the center button to hear how far I have gone and the robot lady says "1 mile completed"....well I kinda want to shoot myself. I mean really shoot myself. I begin to say "Why the hell are you doing this??? Hello, it's summer in south GA!!! 26.2 really???? You are an idiot." And now although it's not like thousands are reading my words, I sadly have made myself accountable to my commitment. The "runner" in me then gets pissed because I have to keep going. This literally has happened on every long run until this week.
This week the hubs told me about a sidewalk. Sounds kinda strange, but we live in a pretty small, but growing south GA city (the word CITY is a stretch, it's a town. It's a small southern town where you can't buy beer on Sundays), but we have a sidewalk that starts at the university and stretches to the outskirts of said...city (town. no real city is partially dry). I needed to run 8 miles and this stretch of cement from start to finish just happened to be 8 miles! I started to run. This time I knew where I was going. The run never got to tough, never got boring, I knew where I was headed. Plus the smell of homecookin' from Snooky's, fresh pig a fryin', was an awesome treat (seriously it's a town, with a restaurant named Snooky's..come on). It got me thinking about my life, more importantly my early 20's. I always thought I knew where I wanted to go, but hell if I had a clue how to get there. I think I took nearly every side road, back road, trail ride, to get where I am today! As I ran it felt so good to know where I was going and doing exactly what I needed to get there. It wasn't until my late 20's that these two notions collided and I became driven. I really haven't felt this way since I finally decided to "go to college", what I mean by that is actually attend class and produce a GPA. I went to college on and off for nearly a decade before I actually started "producing" (ps. Graduated in 2.5 yrs with a GPA of 3.489, only had 11 hrs after nearly a decade of service, not too shabby...driven). It felt good to feel that way again.
Being a stay at home mom these days all I drive is a minivan, literally. This marathon is for me, about me. I want my girls to know their mommy didn't quit, but more importantly I want to feel driven. I am driven daily, driven a bit closer to crazy everyday. I love my girls and my new job, but being a full time mommy is hard. If you aren't careful you lose yourself and can become just miserable. This journey I am on is keeping me from losing site of myself and making me the best version of mommy I can be.
This week I ran farther than I have since 2007. My knees are having some growing pains, but overall I feel great. I have hidden the scale b/c after standing on it 100x's a week, I am losing site about what this is all about!!!
Week 4: 14 miles
Lesson learned: Knowing your path makes it easy to follow.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
A sweatband and a minivan...week 3
The "dirty south" really isn't all that dirty. Muggy, sweaty, and down right stupid hot is probably the more accurate description. Week 3's heat indexes reached as high as 115, so needless to say running in the afternoon was NOT an option, even "the old guy" wasn't huffing in that heat. My short runs were done in the morning before my roosters crowed i.e. my children were up and pecking around. Even at 6:30 a.m. the muggy, sweaty, down right stupid hot south, was still sauna-rific. The sun wasn't melting away your epidermis, but the humidity opened every sweat follicle and sucked your breath out instantly. With sweat seeping from every pore in my body, my eyes quickly became receptacles of the salty stingy substance. My arms provided no relief for they were dripping too. Everything dripped. The solution became very embarrassingly obvious, I needed a sweat band. Yep, I said it, a sweatband. 32 years old and I am sporting a sweatband, enough said.
You would think that buying a sweatband would have been the worst purchase of the week, but no. My husband and I topped that in a MAJOR way. After our trip to SC our Ford Flex, although very big, proved to be NOT so functional for our family. I am by no means a large woman, but I literally got stuck between the seats fetching goldfish and juice box straws. We were spending a lot of $$$ on a car that met only one need for our family, our "cool" need. When we rolled up in our two toned grocery getter we looked smooth (as smooth as a glorified station wagon allows you to be). It was fully loaded with bells, whistles, and NO room for bodies in it's 6 seats!!! After a long night on the back porch a decision was made, we would trade in the Flex for a......minivan. A WHAT?? We looked at every large SUV possible, but the car payment + gas = no shoes for the children. With heavy hearts we drove the Flex to it's final resting place and drove home with our 2011 Toyota Sienna. I must say we have yet to feel the "swagger" while cruising in our van.
 |
| The sweatband |
 |
| "Minnie" |
A sweatband and minivan all in the same week, talk about feeling old. Slap on some orthopedic shoes and put me in a home!!!! The more I listened to myself whining about what my van didn't have and how stupid I looked in my sweatband I couldn't believe the thoughts streaming in my head and the words coming out of my mouth. The things I am complaining about others may be dreaming about. Somewhere there is somebody wishing they were healthy enough to walk a mile while I run 7 whining about a sweatband. I saw a family of 5 squeezing into their 1996 Honda Civic with the windows down in 115 degree heat, pretty sure they would appreciate my van even without a power lift gate. I quickly remembered to put some gratitude in my attitude. My perspective quickly changed. So what if I look and run at the speed of grandma, I can run. Who cares if my family owns a minivan? I have an amazingly hard working husband who brings home enough money for us to have a brand new car while I get to stay at home and rear our girls. It's not about what you drive, it's about the family you put in it. I have to say I am proud each and every time I strap in my sweet bundles. My bitching stopped there.
The summer heat broke with a great day of rain. I pounded out 7 miles this am and shaved 30 seconds off my pace. When my feet hit the pavement it was a cool 71 degrees. I was very encouraged by this run. The heat is oppressive, but every drop of sweat that gets me to the finish line in November I will now be grateful for. Fuel for my soul and power to my feet.
Week 3: 17 miles
Lessons learned: Somebody out there wishes they had your problems instead of their own, and don't sweat the stupid stuff.
Week 3: 17 miles
Lessons learned: Somebody out there wishes they had your problems instead of their own, and don't sweat the stupid stuff.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Like a hamster on a wheel....(week 2)
Week 2 proved to be almost as eye opening as week 1. Did I mention to you that during the week my short runs are done in my neighborhood, my 1.1 mile long neighborhood from front to back, including the 5 duplexes??? It's not exactly what one would call scenic, until you look deeper.
Seriously I pass the same 40 houses nearly 10x's per week, around the same time each day. It's not like I am driving and preoccupied dodging sippy cups and turning on Barney. I am alone and I am running, so I have some time to kill. Last week I got in a run and a show as one of my neighbors chatted on his cell phone adjusting himself every 5 seconds with a grab and a tug. I assumed he was talking to an old guy friend and the grabbing and tugging was symbolic for a piece of manhood briefly returning to him after marriage and kids had torn it away. There's the wine guy on his front porch sipping on a sweet merlot as his sprinklers water his grass, the gaggle of neighborhood boys zigging and zagging between two houses, the parentals' of the gaggle sharing a quite moment in their garage as the children play, the adorable family playing basketball in the summer sun, and me. Me sweating and running, sweating and running, running and sweating, around the same 40 houses like a hamster on a wheel.
It wouldn't be so bad if, what am I saying yes it would! I now understand why a hamster bites when you open it's cage. He is saying "Get me the f*^k out of here!!!" I love my neighbors and my neighborhood, but man it's BORING!!!!! Not only is it 97 degrees outside, it's 97 degrees on the same street, I am wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music, running the same 3 mile loop....kill me. I try to pretend I am some where else, but as the humidity sucks the breath out of me, all my energy goes in to finishing the run, not creativity.
There is one real motivating factor in my hood, "the old guy". I don't know his name, but I see him running all the time. Same black shorts, same sunglasses, same shirtless 70+ year old chest air blowing in the breeze. He's kind of a beast. Focused, eyes forward. We always exchange the first pass "Hello". Then the second pass "nod", and the third pass "right to ignore". I think it's runner's code some where. Just like if you are behind somebody and you pass them you must do it with great speed and impressive form. Then each time you see said runner you mimic this same running style (secretly knowing you can't breathe, but you look awesome). On Tuesday it was hot. I was supposed to run 3 miles, but I could hardly breathe. At 2.7 miles I grabbed my apple juice and was cooling off when "the old guy" (with whom I had been sharing the road) whizzed by. I got pissed. Hell if the old guy can do it, so can I. I reset my Nike+ and finished.
My long run was better. We escaped to SC this weekend to visit the in-laws. So I literally got out of my cage, not just my neighborhood, but my own home. I also now understand why stay at home moms bite when you open their cage too!!!!! It was nice to be with family and just relax. I was also really excited to be committed even though we weren't at home. I pounded out my 6 miles. I am still running a 13:30 pace, but I set my realistic goals while crushing out my six. I wanted to finish my 1st 26.2 in 4:30, but realistically, I am not sure that is even remotely possible. I am shooting for a 10lb weight loss and a finish time of 5:45. Both I believe are obtainable and if I beat them, well hello stars!!!
Week 2: 15 miles
Lessons learned: Quitters don't cross finish lines and if you run down a hill, you must run back up.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Week 1
So I have selected to use Hal Higdon's 18 week training program for the big event. Three short runs a week and one long run. It doesn't seem too daunting until you try to fit it all in with the kids, the house, the hubs, and the fact that I live in south GA. There are only certain times of day that a human can be outside without physically self com busting due to atmospheric pressure and humidity.
My marathon starting condition, ahh well, I can finish three miles in 38 minutes. Power walkers can push past me, but I am able to complete my short runs without any real problems. Sunday I had my long run. After talking with my spartan sister (marathon girl). She was concerned about me jumping right into 6 miles. The one good thing about my body is it can endure a lot. 31 hrs of ALL NATURAL childbirth, not a Tylenol, a Motrin, just a lot of love and support. After a very long day and night we greeted our 9lb 15oz baby girl. My body and my mind together can do some amazing things, but I didn't want to get hurt right out of the gate. I decided to shoot for 5.5.
2 miles in I wanted to turn around. It was during this run that I realized just how hard this was really going to be. I have been leaving myself the option of just doing the half, but during that run I realized I was just giving myself an exit route from the blood, sweat, and tears. Don't get me wrong, blood, sweat and tears go into a 1/2 too, I was just leaving the door open so I could "run" when it got too tough. It was on that run that I imagined crossing the finish line with girls that I decided to really get this done.
Now what the hell was I thinking???? I mean realistically I will be running for over 5 hours!!! That's the time it takes to drive to Orlando with 2 potty breaks! I have to limit what I drink in the car so I won't have to pee, thank God I will be sweating it out. I missed one short one this week which Hal says is ok, but I learned during my long run how important it is for me.
Week 1: 10.5 miles
My marathon starting condition, ahh well, I can finish three miles in 38 minutes. Power walkers can push past me, but I am able to complete my short runs without any real problems. Sunday I had my long run. After talking with my spartan sister (marathon girl). She was concerned about me jumping right into 6 miles. The one good thing about my body is it can endure a lot. 31 hrs of ALL NATURAL childbirth, not a Tylenol, a Motrin, just a lot of love and support. After a very long day and night we greeted our 9lb 15oz baby girl. My body and my mind together can do some amazing things, but I didn't want to get hurt right out of the gate. I decided to shoot for 5.5.
2 miles in I wanted to turn around. It was during this run that I realized just how hard this was really going to be. I have been leaving myself the option of just doing the half, but during that run I realized I was just giving myself an exit route from the blood, sweat, and tears. Don't get me wrong, blood, sweat and tears go into a 1/2 too, I was just leaving the door open so I could "run" when it got too tough. It was on that run that I imagined crossing the finish line with girls that I decided to really get this done.
Now what the hell was I thinking???? I mean realistically I will be running for over 5 hours!!! That's the time it takes to drive to Orlando with 2 potty breaks! I have to limit what I drink in the car so I won't have to pee, thank God I will be sweating it out. I missed one short one this week which Hal says is ok, but I learned during my long run how important it is for me.
Week 1: 10.5 miles
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
And the journey begins here...
I am not an athlete. I am not a writer. I am a stay at home mom with a 2yr old and and 8mth old. I guess some may call me a rabbit by the way I like to reproduce, but rest assured this bunny is out of business for awhile. I am just an average woman. Average height 5.5, average weight 155 (I gulp as I type the scale's honest truth), average home, average family. I did graduate from college with a 3.489, which does put me intellectually slightly above average, but my ability to balance my checkbook debunks this heightened status quo. If I could think of one thing that makes me above average, it would be in my ability to "run".
When I was in grade school I told my mom I wanted to take gymnastics. I went and I was pretty good at it. I was no Mary Lou, but I could tumble. Then came the dreaded vault. Suddenly gymnastics didn't seem to be my fit so I "ran", out the door never to return. The closest I came to a gym floor again was middle school basketball. I was really small back then (BELOW average, WAY below. I started HS at 74lbs. With the new GA laws, I would have been a freshman in a booster seat). I was small, but man I was fast. I made the team, but I couldn't shoot a ball to save my life. I did however rock my Air Jordan's in a semi above average way. One day at practice during a defensive drill I grabbed the ball for a fast break, the only thing that was fast was the trip to the ER, broken wrist. After the cast came off I went to a few practices, but then I "ran"...to the locker room for the last time. I played baseball, soccer, tried to golf, did a few street races, all ending with the same result kleets, nikes, clubs in hand, I "ran".
My ability to "run" carried over into my scholastic endeavors as well. I began college in 1997. I graduated in 2008. Some people ask me "Are you a Dr?". Nope just a regular old undergraduate with nearly 11yrs experience. I am was a proud member of several student bodies. Georgia Southern, Tidewater Community College, Georgia Southern (round 2), Ogeechee Technical College, and then back again to graduate from good ole GSU. I always thought when I ran from school I was running onto bigger things, like my up and coming careers. Although I was with Ruby Tuesday for nearly a decade when management got too tough, I ran to Thrifty Car Rental. From Thrifty to property management and from there back to school. I have been "running" for a LONG time.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't stay up late at night crying myself to sleep over missed opportunities because every "run" lead to some other adventure in my life with miles of memories and new friends along the way. I am so happy at home with my girls and I wouldn't change a step that brought me right where I am. But my history speaks for itself, I am a "runner". I always have been.
So why run a marathon? I picked up ACTUAL running in 2007. I was pretty consistent. I was running an 8:20 mile and hoping to run a 1/2 marathon. Although the "runner" in me came up with every excuse in the book to not actually sign up for one. I was physically able. My longest run to date 11.1 miles in 1:36mins. I was finally ready to really train when two pink lines showed up on stick in the fall of 2008. Obviously I had THE BEST reason not to train (she, Baby M, really is THE best thing EVER). After you have a baby everything changes. I ran here and there, but nothing consistent. Again I was ready to lock it down and pound the pavement when ANOTHER set of 2pink lines appeared, hence my rabbit nickname. When Baby E came on the scene I ran here and there. I even completed my 1st road race in decades, 12k Across the Bay in Cali. My baby sister the same day I crossed the bay completed her 1st marathon in, wait for it, 3:44:01. When I saw her a few weeks before her big race I couldn't believe what I saw. She was ripped!!! I used to be the skinny one! What the hell? I knew then that I needed to get this post baby body back in shape. Even though I am a quitter I like to compete!!!
While I was busy birthing babies a lot of my friends were out there pounding the pavement raking up running accolades. I have the best two "trophies" of them all, but no racing medals or numbers hanging in my garage.
All of the above inspired me, but what actually motivated the "runner" in me was setting such a major goal and accomplishing it. It's not about being faster or thinner than my sister (which NEITHER of those things are even obtainable), it's not about matching the steps of my friends, it's about the process of me. My last few runs were upwards of 13 minute miles. On my last run I realized it's not about the time but about the every step in my journey. And it begins here.
When I was in grade school I told my mom I wanted to take gymnastics. I went and I was pretty good at it. I was no Mary Lou, but I could tumble. Then came the dreaded vault. Suddenly gymnastics didn't seem to be my fit so I "ran", out the door never to return. The closest I came to a gym floor again was middle school basketball. I was really small back then (BELOW average, WAY below. I started HS at 74lbs. With the new GA laws, I would have been a freshman in a booster seat). I was small, but man I was fast. I made the team, but I couldn't shoot a ball to save my life. I did however rock my Air Jordan's in a semi above average way. One day at practice during a defensive drill I grabbed the ball for a fast break, the only thing that was fast was the trip to the ER, broken wrist. After the cast came off I went to a few practices, but then I "ran"...to the locker room for the last time. I played baseball, soccer, tried to golf, did a few street races, all ending with the same result kleets, nikes, clubs in hand, I "ran".
My ability to "run" carried over into my scholastic endeavors as well. I began college in 1997. I graduated in 2008. Some people ask me "Are you a Dr?". Nope just a regular old undergraduate with nearly 11yrs experience. I am was a proud member of several student bodies. Georgia Southern, Tidewater Community College, Georgia Southern (round 2), Ogeechee Technical College, and then back again to graduate from good ole GSU. I always thought when I ran from school I was running onto bigger things, like my up and coming careers. Although I was with Ruby Tuesday for nearly a decade when management got too tough, I ran to Thrifty Car Rental. From Thrifty to property management and from there back to school. I have been "running" for a LONG time.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't stay up late at night crying myself to sleep over missed opportunities because every "run" lead to some other adventure in my life with miles of memories and new friends along the way. I am so happy at home with my girls and I wouldn't change a step that brought me right where I am. But my history speaks for itself, I am a "runner". I always have been.
So why run a marathon? I picked up ACTUAL running in 2007. I was pretty consistent. I was running an 8:20 mile and hoping to run a 1/2 marathon. Although the "runner" in me came up with every excuse in the book to not actually sign up for one. I was physically able. My longest run to date 11.1 miles in 1:36mins. I was finally ready to really train when two pink lines showed up on stick in the fall of 2008. Obviously I had THE BEST reason not to train (she, Baby M, really is THE best thing EVER). After you have a baby everything changes. I ran here and there, but nothing consistent. Again I was ready to lock it down and pound the pavement when ANOTHER set of 2pink lines appeared, hence my rabbit nickname. When Baby E came on the scene I ran here and there. I even completed my 1st road race in decades, 12k Across the Bay in Cali. My baby sister the same day I crossed the bay completed her 1st marathon in, wait for it, 3:44:01. When I saw her a few weeks before her big race I couldn't believe what I saw. She was ripped!!! I used to be the skinny one! What the hell? I knew then that I needed to get this post baby body back in shape. Even though I am a quitter I like to compete!!!
While I was busy birthing babies a lot of my friends were out there pounding the pavement raking up running accolades. I have the best two "trophies" of them all, but no racing medals or numbers hanging in my garage.
All of the above inspired me, but what actually motivated the "runner" in me was setting such a major goal and accomplishing it. It's not about being faster or thinner than my sister (which NEITHER of those things are even obtainable), it's not about matching the steps of my friends, it's about the process of me. My last few runs were upwards of 13 minute miles. On my last run I realized it's not about the time but about the every step in my journey. And it begins here.
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