Chicago 26.2!

This past weekend I ran the Chicago Marathon. 26.2 long .... hot miles.

We drove from Kansas, a long, 10 hour drive across Iowa. We pulled into Chicago around 10pm on Friday night - not the ideal time to try to find our way around, but we found our spot pretty easily. A good friend of mine's sister has an awesome place that she let us bunk in for the weekend. Just minutes from the start - I felt super lucky to be able to stay there :) (thanks Sheila!)

Here is a pic of my view on Saturday morning from the bed. Awesome right?! A great way to start the day, on a normal day that is. But on this day my nerves were setting in, my temper was short, I was doubting myself.

Pretty much the normal day-before-the-race bitchiness. Normally I have doubts, whatever, which are never warranted. I train diligently, never missing a training run .... running exactly the mileage my plan tells me to. I start to get freaked out the day before, do fine, or better than I thought & then look back & think how stupid I was to get all stressed out.

But this was different. I hadn't run a step in 2 weeks prior to the race because of the car accident we had right before taper week. My knee felt fine now, but it kept me from running the normal taper miles 2 weeks prior.

Now, I know .... the taper miles aren't nearly as important as the 20 mile training runs - which I did just a few days before the accident. But no running was making me feel chubby, out of shape, tired .... blah.

#1 on my list Saturday though was to find the expo & get my race packet. We walked to Niketown (which was insanely crazy btw!) & caught the shuttle to the expo. I can't tell you how amazed I was to see the check in sign that said 47,000! 47,000 runners! 47,000 people registered to run 26.2 miles. Holy crap, we are all clearly out of our minds!

Walking through the expo & here is what I saw. My name on the Nike wall. Sweet.
Um, yeah, that's Dean Karnazes. The Ultramarathon Man. 50 marathons in 50 days. Ran all the way across the freaking United States this past summer. Awesome.

I left the expo in sort of a haze after that tight squeeze from Dean.

Got on the shuttle & headed back to the super sweet condo. Had some beach time & some dinner with my kiddo,
laid out all my stuff for raceday,
headed to bed to try to get some good rest.

Tomorrow was a big freaking deal.

4:30 am alarm. I of course woke right up, got ready, jetted downstairs to make my way to the finish. I met some nice girls waiting for the bus & we decided to all just share a cab. Much easier & my anxiety about getting to the start disappeared.

Got to the start. Wait. Wait. Wait. I had about an hour wait at the start before the race even started. When the gun went off I waited another hour to cross the start. OMG let's run already! That waiting was really hard!

I felt really good about my pace throughout the first part of the race. Slow, steady, feeling good. My breathing wasn't strained at all, just where I wanted to be.

I felt like I really, really had to pee for the first 10 miles. That was kind of weird for me because I never, ever have to go during a run, so I thought it was just nerves. Nope. Mile 10 - I had to stop. Talk about waiting.

5 minutes in the potty line.

6 minutes in the potty line.

10 minutes in the potty line.

Tick tock tick tock, there goes your goal of a 2:00 first 1/2. I guess it's good to be super hydrated .... but I surely hated losing 11 minutes to a bathroom break.

Mile 12. My knee started to burn, so I stopped for ice at the tent.

Tick tock tick tock.

More time wasted. That was frustrating, but I knew if I was going to make it through to 26.2 I had to take care of that knee.

Oh I forgot to mention boys town. I can't remember what mile they were at, but certainly by far my favorite portion of the race. Men in drag just make me smile. lol

Here is a pic of the boy's town ROTC :)

13.1 checkpoint. I think I was at about 2:20. My slowest 1/2 ever, but I kind of did that on purpose. It was really hard for me not to go faster & I really, really wanted to sprint in that 'last' mile. But I knew that wasn't my last mile, I was only 1/2 way done! OMG.

Honestly, I remember nothing good between mile 13 & mile 20. The crowd support vanished, the fun was gone, it was freaking hot. F this. Stopped again for ice, this time on my foot.

Something really wrong started happening around mile 20.

I wanted to cut through & cheat.

I wanted to stop.

I wanted to walk into Dunkin Donuts & sit for coffee.

I wanted to kill somebody.

I followed a training plan that 20 miles was my longest training run. Right here is where I would now run the farthest I have ever run.

People say you are excited to be almost done at that point & that's enough to pull you through that last 10K. Well those people are just stupid. LoL

That last 6.2 was awful. (keep in mind that I have given birth, & I swear this was worse!)

I was DONE. Wasted. Pissed. Mean. Hungry. Walking.

I tried to focus on my music. My daughter. My best friend. Finish line beer. Nothing was working. I was completely falling apart!

But somehow the support of my friends & family took me through that last 6. It really took all I had not to just stop. I know that sounds so crazy. You're almost done at that point! SO CLOSE! But I just had nothing left.

After the finish I didn't really feel triumphant because of that crappy last leg. I know that sounds really stupid. 26.2 miles .... be proud of that.

I was proud ... but I just didn't have the crazy, happy, omg I did it attitude. My finish line pictures I'm sure are atrocious. I think I walked across the finish line with my head in my hands .... bawling. Good lord, that was so far.

I found my family, got my phone, which had been going crazy with text messages asking if I'd finished. Several friends were following me online & my last checkpoint was 30K. According to the updates I still wasn't finished!

OMG my tag was off my shoe. Are you KIDDING ME?!?! This must have happened when I had to take my shoe off to ice my stupid foot. I just ran 26.2 miles & I will never be posted as a finisher? Are you KIDDING ME?!

Well, in that case, I finished in 4:00.

Friends, even though this isn't my normal happy post-race write up, make no mistake that I am so glad I did this.

I would never trade this experience.

I am humbled by the distance.

I am proud to say I know many ladies who have ran this race many times - way fast. To those ladies, I have a new found respect for each one of you.

Lots of people have asked me "what are you going to rename your blog after you have run the full?"

I am keeping my blog name exactly the same.

I am Happy with 13.1!

Extreme Coolness!

Today I got an email from Whitney at Straight Hempin' to tell me this awesome marathon bracelet is ready for me!

Custom made just for me :) & she makes 'em quick too!

Check them out on Facebook here: Straight Hempin'

Now I just have to run those miles!!

Tapering....

Ok kids, well, I haven't updated in a few weeks - things are crazy. I finished my last 20 mile run before taper week....felt good. Confident that I was ready, all the training was done, and then BOOM. I got into a car accident a few days later.

All was fine .... except when I was hit I bumped my knee on the dash. Now of course that is the ONLY place that just can't get hit (that was my knee from last year's surgery). GAWWWW. Seriously. I just couldn't believe that happened. 2 weeks out from the race and then THAT.

Fast forward to today. My knee is still sore, bruised and crappy. No running for me until race day - just rest & ice.

My taper weeks just turned into a sit on your ass and worry weeks! (but I'm of course trying my best to remain positive)

Today I am 9 days out from the race. If the race was this weekend I probably wouldn't be able to do it. SO! Here comes my realistic Plan B. I am trying to remember that this race is not about a certain time goal. It's my first full. Goal is to finish happy.

I am thinking I will do a jog/walk kind of thing, and shoot for a 5 1/2 hour time. If my average pace for long runs has been 10-10:30, think that is doable?!

P.S. I'm so sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the marathon bar giveaway! Shelley is the winner! Send me your address girl and I will send those bars your way!

A Hangover & A Giveaway!

Anyone 4 weeks out of a marathon knows that this title didn't come from too much beer ... I'm talking 20 miler hangover. Let me whine just a tiny bit more about running 20 miles.

When I woke up Sunday, I felt like I had a long hard night with a bottle of tequila & wayyyyy too much dancing. My legs ached, my lower back was sore, killer headache, my shoulders hurt, and OMG my butt. My butt! ouch. Ice bath after the run was great but nothing completely stops the pain of a run that long.

My heel has been hurting too much to run since then, so I am a day behind on my training this week. I'm already certain it will keep me from the time I was hoping to have, but I will still do the race - even if I have to walk some. Walking is not usually something I would be ok with - but if it's that or not do it - then walking some it is. I know I can run at least 20, it's just how much I want to pay for pushing myself after. hmmm.....pondering that thought a bit.

OK! Now for a giveaway!
At the beginning of my training I told you about becoming an ambassador for Marathon Bar. Well, it's time to share that coolness with you & give you some goodies! I'm not just saying this because I'm wearing their clothes - these little babies are tasty!

You have several chances to win. Give me a separate comment for each, be entered once for each comment!
Here's what I wanna know from you:

1. Follow my blog & tell me you are

2. Tell people about this giveaway - blog it/facebook it/tweet it/scream it out the front door. Tell me what you did.

3. Give me one of your fitness/health goals.

4. Check out the Marathon Bar website. I specifically like the Performance Tools tab.
Check it out here
Determine your caloric & nutritional needs or your ideal weight. It's pretty cool. Don't freak out - you don't have to tell the whole blog world what any of those are.....but leave me a comment telling me you checked that out. You can also order some bars online.

That's it! Easy peasy.

What am I gonna win you ask?? I will hook you up with 2 boxes of Marathon Bars .... shipped right to you. Now, you don't have forever to do this because someone out there might be really hungry for some Marathon Bars. I'll pick a lucky winner this Sunday. Good Luck friends!

Holy Crap, I ran 20 Miles Today!

Normally I log my daily miles here for the week, but honestly, the week is a blur after today.

Today I ran my first 20 miler & here is what I think about it.

I went to bed early after a day yesterday of drinking lots of water & eating right. Feeling good about that.

3:30 a.m. woke right up (alarm was set for 4:30) I couldn't get back to sleep, but finally did - just in time for the alarm to go off.

I had planned to hit the road at 5:00 a.m., to have enough time to get this motha done, come home to rest before some college football today. 5:00 a.m. was still totally dark. I worry about going out in the dark alone -- kinda freaks me out.

I took my time getting ready, ate a pb&j, coffee, watermelon beans .... ho hum .... ready to run. Still dark at 6:30. Fall must be upon us. I didn't feel good about going until 7, when the sun was almost popping up. Much later start than I wanted, but such is mother nature. I could have gone to the gym at 5, but the thought of 20 miles on the treadmill? My lord.

This is how it all went down.

Mile 1 - 9:05 pace. Geez. This isn't a 5K girl, slow your butt down.

Mile 3 - stop to have some beans

Mile 3-6 - allll good. Nice easy pace. Widespread Panic/Dave Matthews mix on the ipod, feeling fine.

Mile 6-8 - my foot started hurting. I haven't really said anything about this .... denial probably .... but I have been having some pain in my heel. I have no idea what that is, but I'm afraid to know. The one thing I can't take at this point of the training is an injury! Not hurting enough to stop, so let's carry on.

Mile 8-10 - stopped for a snack size payday, water fill up & a few beans. Feeling good, foot was ok.

Mile 13 - 1/2 marathon point. Ok so here is where I start regretting my choice to do a full. If I was sticking to the 1/2 distance, I'd be done here. The 13 point puts it all into perspective for me. Do 13. Now turn around & do all of that again. omg.

No whining!

Mile 13-15 - snack time - more beans, water. Feeling pretty tired here.

Mile 16 - Taylor Swift on my ipod. Now, normally I am fine with a little Taylor Swift. But at mile 16? It made me want to scratch my eyes out. I was pretty pissed off at this point of the run. Why, why, WHY am I doing this to myself?!

This was where I started wishing I had a training partner. I thought a bit about my buddy Russ, who is training for an Ultra - bet he WISHES he only had 20 today. Needed to check myself here, have a little talk with myself.

Stop, refill water, pop a few beans, fix that little music problem, change to a Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake/Prince mix.

As I was stopped, a cyclist came by & said "Hey pigtails - you should take up cycling, it's easier". Now, normally I would have joked around with him or just waved & agreed. I'm sure he wasn't meaning to be rude, but jerkwad, don't mess with me at mile 16.

I said a few very unlady like things, flipped him the bird & started running. Hey guess what? I run because IT ISN'T EASY. Duh.

Mile 18 - Have never run farther than this ... really, really wanted to quit. I was 2 miles from home, a route I have run a million times, but today that 2 miles seemed MUCH longer. I kept saying, just 2 more miles - you've ran 2 miles hundreds of times - stop being a crybaby.

I'm pretty sure I started talking to myself at this point. Something just happens after mile 15.... It becomes ridiculous!

Had to have some really good music to bring me home, to keep me from walking. Jack Johnson to help clear my crazy mind (alllllways works for me)

If you're going 20, you had better have pa-lenty of music ready!

Mile 20 - 2pac brings me home. (um, what a crazy mix of songs I had today! Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews, Prince, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Jack Johnson and 2pac. LOL)

Home sweet home for an ice bath, chocolate milk, banana, some fritos for the salt & gatorade.

Feeling tired now, my shoulders ache, my lower back is sore, my bum knee is icing right now & my foot is hurting pretty bad (it's right in the bottom of my heel if anyone knows what that is...) I'm a mess! Going to rest now.

Happy Labor Day friends! Thank goodness for the long weekend!

Just Some Thoughts

Here I am in week 11 of marathon training. Not much time to write about how it's going, how I'm feeling etc., just seems to be enough time to eat, sleep, work, run. Just thought I would take a second to relect on the past training weeks & think a bit about what lies ahead. Stay tuned for the rambling....

A few days ago I decided I was going to drop out of the race. A tough decision, but I know in my heart that I haven't put myself totally into this training. I haven't been eating right, sleeping enough, training hard enough, etc. I know what it takes to be a good runner .... and I haven't been doing it. At all.

Why drop out in week 10?
1. Scared to be disappointed with my time.
2. Worried I may have to walk some.
3. Scared sh*tless of the 20 miler that awaites me in my training.

Fast forward two days later & I must have been crazy to even consider dropping out. 10 weeks of training wasted? No way, I'm too far in.

So from today on my friends it is time to concentrate on finishing up this training feeling strong .... getting my head on straight .... and remembering why I am doing this.

Get the pickle juice chillin' in the fridge and the paydays in my pocket. It's time to run long this weekend. Ba-ring it!

Week 10

Week 10 -
Monday 5
Wednesday 8
Thursday 5
Weekend 18
Total for week 10 - 33 miles

Well good lord, I am exhausted! I haven't been eating right or resting enough ... it's catching up on me. Next weekend I will attempt the dreaded 20 miler. OMG it just keeps getting crazier & crazier!