I DID it! I ran my first marathon!

There are so many thoughts in my head but I have to try to get them all out before I forget anything. It's 2 days post marathon and I am still walking like I am 80...things are slowly getting back to normal. So let me give you the general play by play of my first marathon adventure in San Antonio, Texas.

The event is the 3rd annual Rock N Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half Marathon. There were over 30,000 runners signed up for it, 27,000 people actually ran it. That breaks down to about 21,000 half marathon and relay people and 6,000 marathon runners, roughly. That makes for one VERY large crowd of people. I started in corral 19....way in the back. It was set up as a wave start, meaning, every 2 minutes or so they let a corral start the race. A cold front came through the day before, so the temperatures were in the 50's and it was cloudy. PERFECT running weather! Aside from a slight sinus infection all week, I was good to go.


I will admit I felt confident in my training and I knew that I was running the race with a seasoned marathoner, however, when we were waiting in the corral, I found myself just shaking like a leaf! I didn't realize that I was getting pretty nervous. All the anticipation of this day had been building up since March, when I signed up for the full marathon while at the expo for the Dallas RNR event. It was kind of a fluke, Roy said we should do it to commemorate my birthday...so we signed up. Flash forward to now, D Day has arrived and I am shaking in my running shoes!


Our corral was slightly delayed, unbeknownst to me, after an unscheduled train stopped 1,000 runners in corral 4 for about 5 minutes. It's finally our turn, no turning back now...Frank Shorter cheers for Meg and I as we start our race! Can I just tell you how much I LOVED having my name on my shirt?!!

We start off with a great steady pace, I had to reel Meg back in a little, I knew I had to pace myself. I can't be setting a PR for my half and still maintain that pace for another half after that. Meg made sure we stopped at the Alamo at mile 3 for our official race photo. Thanks Meg...pictures turned out great by the way. I will be buying all my race photos...all 24 of them. Somehow they went a little click happy on me. I felt like the paparazzi was at the finish line waiting on me all day.

I digress, miles 4-10 miles were pretty uneventful. The course was really flat, there were a few notable hills, but nothing like Tyler. It was extremely crowded though, the course was the same for everyone for the first 11 miles and then it splits off...thank the lord for that. Once we split off I could settle in for the ride and just run without worrying so much about pushing through the crowd for my walk interval.

Once I was at mile 15, I knew there was no turning back. I felt great, I just kept on doing my thing and checking out the scenery. There were several missions on the route. This was the first one, I think this is about mile 15-16.

Yes, I was still smiling here! I actually think I smiled most of the time. I was prepared, my training had me ready for the race that I knew was going to face. I did everything like clockwork. Every 4 miles I took my eGel, took my salt sticks and drank my water...without fail. All that worked like a charm. My only crux of day was from the start of the race, I had something on my contact lens and it drove me mad the whole 26.2 miles. At one point I even squirted my water bottle in my eye to try to clean it off. Note to self, carry eye drops in my pouch from here on out.

Meg knew so many people on the course, it was like I was running with a celebrity or something. Maybe it was just the name on my shirt. It was so nice to have everyone cheering for you...wanting you to do good and keep going. It was such a neat experience to have that level of support. I will add that the Rock N Roll events are so well equipped, you never need for anything. There were 18 water stops, 16 aid stations, cheer squads, bands every few miles, GU stations, even Vaseline on a stick for you.

I swear it sounds kind of weird to say, but time really flew by from mile 16 - 21. All the sudden I realized that we only had 5.2 miles to go! I felt great, I just stuck with my intervals. I rarely had to walk when it wasn't a walk break. I was in a groove and I liked it. Stopped at another mission, still happy! Mile 22 to the end, I finally turned on my iPod and needed to refocus a little and just get in another zone. I was making really good time, beyond my expectations, so I knew I had to buckle down and just keep moving. Just keep taking the cheers from the crowd and keep bringing it...I was really almost there! Mile 25 I see my honey, Roy was finished and he and Dave came back out to see us in. He gave me that final push to bring it home and finish strong. I walked a little more the last mile, so I could sprint up the hill at the finish line.

When I came running up the hill, there were so many people leaning over the rail, cheering everyone in! I half expected most of the spectators to be gone at that point, but there were tons of people...and they were yelling "Go Chris, you can do it!" So I did just that, I ran up the hill with my hands held high and tears in my eyes. I crossed that finish line with so much pride I thought I might just burst!

When I finished and got my medal, I see Roy and David, then I see my friend Lisa and Cassie. They ran the half earlier, went back, showered and changed and came back just to see me finish. That made be well up with tears again...it meant so much to me that they waited to see me finish. It is one thing to accomplish this, but it means even more to have people that you care about bear witness to it. Thanks ladies for sticking around for me!


So, my official time was 5:42:57. I have to say, it was way easier than natural childbirth of an almost 10 pound baby ;) Will I do it again? I would say chances are really high! Gotta get a new PR, right?

Date: 11/14/2010 7:46 AM
Distance: 26.6 miles
Time: 5 hr 43 min 21 secs
Average pace: 12:54 min/miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Inspire 6
Calories: 3658

20 miles and I survived!

Today was my first 20 miler. I can't believe I just said that, but yes, as part of my marathon training I have to do an 18 and a 20 mile run before the big day. Last week I managed to get my 18 miles done despite some adventures. I almost ran straight into an armidillo (it was alive by the way), I probably missed it by 3 feet or so. It scared the bejesus out of me...I think my heart rate went up after that! Then a golf cart came up the path really fast and scared me again. Once I got to mile 4.5 I decided I wanted to see a close up of the side walk...in other words, I tripped and fell down...luckily I managed to land mostly on my arm and didn't hurt my knee. I did nick the Garmin and scratched up the new iPod, I am very thankful I had it in an indestructible case so it was spared. I was pretty bloody, but not hurt...I just kept running. Dropped off my running buddies at mile 8 and went out for another 10 with my coach, Meg. It was long, that is all I will say about that. After I ran, I had the most incredible sports massage I have ever had. All my aches and pains magically vanished...so did my hip pain from the half marathon the week before.

Moving on to the 20 miler...ran the first 8 with the girls and did the other 12 solo. Might I mention that the lows today were 65 and it had about a 90% humidity level. Not the optimal conditions for a long run of any length, especially not the grand daddy of all runs, not the 20 miler. Ugh! Ok, I got the iPod loaded with lots of new motivational podcasts, have lots of gels, salts and fluids. Ready to go! Well, just 4:30 hours later, I finished my 20 miles. I got to go up the Glen Oaks hill 3 times, the Virginia hill by the YMCA 2 times, the Virginia hill by my house 1 time and the most brutal hill was going up Stonebridge towards Millard Pond. Yikes! Hill training and long miles...good times. Well, I missed the cupcakes and I missed being with my running buddies. Long miles are very lonely by yourself...I was getting kind of sad and I had to remind myself of all the people that are fighting cancer and their battles that they go through to make myself cheer up. It wasn't nearly as awful as what they go through everyday...buck up and just run...or walk...which I did a lot of towards the end. The weather had teased of rain the whole time...the funny part was the minute I got in my car after my run, the sky opened up and it started pouring. I had to thank God in that moment for waiting on me to finish my run first ;)

Date: 10/23/2010 7:00 AM
Type: Run (Long run)
Distance: 20.19 miles
Time: 4 hr 30 min 00 secs
Average pace: 13:22 min/miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Inspire 6
Calories: 2769

A new PR ~ I earned that bad boy!

Roy and I thought it would be a novel idea to run a half marathon on 10.10.10...just because there will never be another 10.10.10 right. So after looking around, we settled on the inaugural Tyler Rose half marathon. I didn't really read too much about it, I looked at the course map, but I really couldn't grasp the area since I am not from there. I wondered why I couldn't find an elevation map for the event. I shrugged it off. It's just another half I said...I am sure it might have a few hills, much like any other race. This doesn't look all that bad, right?

This was undoubtedly the HARDEST race I have ever done. It was more than a few rolling hills, it was a hill at mile 1 until the end! Literally, once you think you hit a nice downhill, it is so steep you have to slow yourself down so you don't hurt yourself. I started out so good, I was pacing myself beautifully, I was under an 11 minute pace per mile up until about mile 5. It was just too hard to keep that pace going with the relentless hills. The hills that were more like a scene out of a San Francisco street. These bad boys were steep!!! I just had to keep on going. I saw the Kenyan run past me, even he looked like he may have been affected by them (hee hee). Come mile 11, I really just chucked my whole 2:30 goal and just walked. Mile 11 was just BRUTAL!!! I was so happy to see the finish line...and of course it was uphill. Lo and behold, that wasn't the finish, you had to take a left and then go straight and then take another right, then you got to see the finish line. It was a little bit of a tease for me! Finally finished...I ran a 2:38...it was an 11:56 pace according to my Garmin I ran 13.24...according to the chip time I was a 12:04 pace. Hmmmp. I will take what my Garmin says...because that is what I ran!

Now I have a new war wound, heck with black toenails, I have a lovely giant blood blister on my toe. I have to come to the realization that I am never getting a pedicure again...I think I would scare a nail tech! Surprisingly my legs don't hurt at all...my back, however, is KILLING me! I don't know why THAT hurts, but it does.

I was supposed to run an 18 miler on Sunday, but did this race instead. I thought I would feel guilty about not running the other 5 miles...I think that with all those hills, I am going to count that! I am so happy I have another race under my belt and I am in LOVE with my new medal and my shirt! They are my favorites out of any other race...so was it worth it? Yea!!! Would I do it again? Ask my next year...we will see.

10 miler

This day was a GREAT day! It started off with glorious temperatures in the 50's, no wind and no pains.

We had a mission moment today that was so inspiring. It was a lady named Robin and she is a runner. A teammate Melissa was her good friend and talked her into training for a half marathon with her, during her training she was having back pains and discovered that she has Leukemia. I can't remember all her specifics treatment details, but she was in the hospital for several months doing chemo and radiation. After all she endured, she happily announced to us that she was cured. I didn't mean for that to rhyme, but it did. I love to hear happy stories about how the treatment worked and they can resume their lives again. She is a mom to 2 children, like myself, so I could totally relate to her. I could have been where she was.

With all that fresh in my mind, I ran 6 miles with my interval gals and then came back to do 4 more by myself. Most Saturday runs, I have been running a little slower, but I ran MY race pace today...actually better than race pace. I ran the 10 miles in under 2 hours!!! I have NEVER done that before. I was on fire today, my legs were moving in such a great rhythm, it just clicked. I wasn't sure how I was going to run, my last long run was very hard because of my foot pain. I have been wearing a support on my foot all week and wore gels in my shoes. It must have done the trick. I am running Tyler Half Marathon this weekend and I only hope my run is as awesome as my training run. I am thinking another PR is in order!

Date: 10/02/2010 7:02 AM
Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1 hr 59 min 23 secs
Average pace: 11:55 min/miles
Calories: 1475

Heavy run?

I have never heard the term before, but I think we coined a new one. Heavy run...tonight we were all running and it seemed like we had lead in our feet. Maybe it was something in the air. My heart rate stayed lower than it usually is for all my runs and I felt like I was really struggling to eek out 4 measly miles. Why is that? My foot felt better today. I bought a handy little band that is like an ace bandage that goes around the arch of my foot. It really seems to help so far so good. I also bought some little cushy gel things that go in my shoes to soften the force of my heel strikes...since I guess I strike the ground with them. So my feet were all taken care of...but now I have a new ache for the week. My dang left calf started aching when we did heel training last week, now I hope that is not going to be a regular thing. At least the weather is starting to cool down...it is fall after all...perfect for running. So fingers crossed that I have no more heavy runs...just smooth, gazelle-like, perfect stride, happy runs from here on out!

Date: 09/28/2010 7:08 PM
Type: Run (Interval run)
Distance: 4.01 miles
Time: 0 hr 50 min 27 secs
Average pace: 12:35 min/miles
Calories: 576

Lannie's Ladies

Our usual Saturday long run day was different this week, I ran a 5k instead and did my long run on Sunday. Every year for the last 3 years I have participated in the Ovarian Cancer Awareness 5k run/walk in honor of my friend Lannie. Lannie is an Ovarian Cancer survivor and the first year we did the event was just a few months after she got her clean bill of health. It was surreal knowing that we could have lost a dear friend, so we rallied the troops, a.k.a Co Co Moms and banded together to run in her honor. Well, in my case, walk in her honor. That was 3 years ago. This time I RAN it and with my best 5k time to date. Unfortunately it was a dreary, rainy day for the event. Not that rain bothers me to run, but it was the 10th Anniversary of the event and the ceremonies and dedications were cut short, all the vendors packed up and pretty up the event ended because of the weather. I really wanted to hear from the man who helped found the event; it was in honor of his beloved wife Linda, who passed away from her fight with Ovarian Cancer. He was grief stricken and wanted to do something to raise awareness, so that maybe others wouldn't have to lose their "Linda" too. He was a very inspiring man and I was hoping that the event would have been a huge success to further bring awareness to this much needed cause. Cancer in all its forms is an ugly, serpent that slips in and destroys everything it touches. I pray, hope and run so that some day this dark creature won't ever have to rear its head again. I was just happy to be there to share in a positive story about my friend Lannie and her journey that ended with a happy ending. She has the most amazing little boy that is incredibly lucky to have such a brave mother that fought cancer and WON! Love you Lannie! I will continue to run with you year after year.


Please take a minute to go to the National Coalition of Ovarian Cancer website. It could just save your life. http://www.ovarian.org/symptoms.php

Here are some other stories...http://www.dfwovarian.org/personal_stories.html

Date: 09/25/2010 35:41 AM
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 0 hr 35 min 41 secs
Average pace: 11:31 min/miles
Calories: 458

Long run - no fun!

Ok...so maybe I should not have partaken in a few rather large glasses of red wine the night before a scheduled 14 mile run. I actually felt pretty good to start off with, aside from a mild headache. The temperature was absolutely perfect for a long run, the wind was a little much though. It was nice when it was at my back, but running into it was a challenge today. My stride felt good, I had a good pace going for the first 5 miles. My heart rate was good. Overall, it was a good run. After I rounded my 7 mile mark, then my 8 mile mark, my foot started to ache a bit...but I kept going. Once I got to 9...it was a full on throb...throb, throb, throb. I guess I just couldn't take it anymore. I cut my run short and walked it it the rest of the way home. Now I am icing it and will take some Ibuprofen for it. I guess I am going to have to stop pretending and admit that I have the dang Plantar Fasciitis. All I can do is stretch it, wear night splints and hope for the best. Why, oh why, does something that is good for your mind and spirit have to be so rough on your body?

Distance: 10.6 miles
Time: 2 hr 25 min 21 secs
Average pace: 13:43 min/miles
Calories: 1407

2010 ING NYC Marathon on November 7

Looking for another fall event to run? Want a new cause to be a part of? The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Marathon on November 7th. This is a great way to participate in NYC's premier race while helping Fresh Air Fund children.

Check out the website for more details :http://freshair.org/racers

Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, their 325 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

Hill repeats

Tuesday night's training called for hill repeats. Yep, we just did hills last Tuesday...but we only had one team member come out that night because of rainy weather. Roy and I had to fill in for the coaches tonight, they had a meeting...so Roy was our faithful leader to demonstrate the proper techniques to run hills. We did 7 repeats for a total of 3.20 miles. To elaborate on what we do, essentially you just run up the hill while you shorten your stride so your feet move faster than they normally do, get to the light post, turn around and go down again. Repeat...7 times. Anybody that has run in Stonebridge will appreciate the need to know the proper way to conquer the hills. I scoff at my little McKinney mountains all the time on my training runs. Hills, Smhills!

Daily miles: 3.2...counts double for hill training ;)

Daily mantra: I love hills, I love hills!

Good runs, bad runs

I will start with the bad and end with the good.

Thursday is my medium long run day. The day that I will do tempo or speed work. Usually 7 miles does not kill me or make me hate running. Usually I can get through it, muster up my energy and make it happen. This day was not that day. I had probably one of my worst runs that I can remember for a training run. This day made me feel so incredibly small and self-defeated. I really wanted to cry this day. I walked more than I ran and wanted desperately to just be done and home so I could drink some ice cold water. Every house I passed that had a hose in front became like a sick temptress taunting me to take a drink from it or hose myself down. Sure, the homeowners may not be pleased to see some girl that looks dazed and confused in their yard hosing herself down. I know, that is kind of a funny mental picture if you think about it long enough. I made it through the run with not the worst time in the world...but with my spirit feeling low and demoralized. I knew there would be better run days ahead and to let it go. Did I mention that is was about 83 degrees and SUNNY?

Saturday was going to be a 12 miler. 6 with the team and 6 after by myself. The start of the day was with a quick look at the weather...71 degrees...100% humidity. Nice! I remained optimistic...days with the team are so much better than days without. After some announcements and team pep talks, we had a mission moment. The mission moment is when someone that has a connection to the cause shares their story with the team. Today it was from a lady named Suzanne. She started talking about her 7 children...yes...7! She told us about how the week she was giving birth to one child, she discovered that another, Philip, had Leukemia. This was March 2008. He will be treated with chemo for 3 years, this is standard for children with cancer. He was also given high doses of steroids that have caused his hip bone to start degenerating...this is an unfortunate side effect of the treatment. This means that he is not allowed to run, play at recess and do all the normal things that 5 year old boys like to do. This breaks my heart...I know how my 5 year old LOVES to run and play...if he couldn't...that would be so sad for him. This little guy, this resiliant little boy was in the parking lot behind the team as Suzanne spoke to everyone. Guess what he was doing? Running around, playing with his siblings. That made us all smile a bit. I know I am going off subject...I think my point was that this child was enduring some unspeakable treatments and hard times...but still being a happy boy about it. If he can do that, I can run 12 miles and not be in agony.

I made up my mind that I was going to have a great run that day...and I did. With my fellow teammates by my side, I ran 6 miles, then looped back in to drop them off and headed out for 6 more by myself. That 6 felt GOOD....it felt KICK ASS actually. I had more times on my Garmin in the 9 minute per mile range than I did in the 10-11 range. That was not my normal MO at all. You know what though? It FELT good!!! I felt good running faster...it almost felt like I got a new running stride that I had not known before. Like it was buried deep within me and it burst out and wanted to make me run faster than ever before. My heart rate wasn't too high either, I was able to maintain a good average and finished around my last half marathon pace. I finished my run, happy and feeling like I had conquered some demons that I had been battling earlier in the week.

Some runs make you fight like hell for air, other runs just let you find your stride and enjoy the wind blowing on your face. I wonder what my next run day will be?

Daily mantra:
It's going to be a good day

I think I have an illness

Well...not literally, but I have come to the conclusion that I can't run unless I know I am training for my next event. Since August last year, I have run a 5k, 3 half marathons and a BRUTAL 15K. Not bad for a first time runner....but now, I have kicked it up a notch and have literally filled up my calendar with races that I will do! Here is my schedule of events for the next few months...

September 25th - Break the Silence Ovarian Awareness 5K
October 10th - Tyler Rose Half Marathon
November 14th - Rock N Roll San Antonio Full Marathon
December 5th - White Rock Half Marathon
January 30th - Chevron Houston Half Marathon
February 20th - Livestrong Austin Half Marathon

I am exhausted just typing that list out! Am I too ambitious to sign up for all these races or just plain crazy? Time will only tell. All I can say for certain is that I am officially a runner and I don't want to stop!!!

Hills are fun!

Tonight we actually had a Tuesday training. Despite mother nature putting a damper on training for the last two weeks with lightning and tornadoes...we decided even though the sky was ominous and it was raining A LOT...to not call training. I am glad we did...as soon as 7 rolled around, the temperature cooled and it was actually nice outside. We did 2 miles of hill training...which consisted of running up and down the same hill about 4 times. They tell me that 2 miles of hills is really equivalent to 4 miles. I am going to go with 4 miles of running tonight and I am sticking to it!

I got my mojo back

I am training for my first full marathon and I have been having doubts lately about my ability to do so. It has taken me awhile to recover from the last event I did, which was called "Too Hot to Handle"...it really was. I walked away from that 15K with a few things; disappointment, discouragement, really cool tech shirt and a great photo of myself taken by the photographer of the event. I was illustrating perfectly why it was named what it was...my picture was of me with my hands up walking through the sprinkles. I was not far from the back of the back, but I really didn't care at that point. I was done trying to run, I was tired, I was hot, I was over it.




I guess my point of telling that story is that after that day, my runs haven't been all that great. They haven't brought me joy, they haven't been great pace, my heart rate is all crazy high and I am just all over the place with my speed.

Today, however, I think marks the end of my running slump. The temperature this morning was about 74 and it was dark and raining. After rigging my Ipod, Macgiver style, to be waterproof with a ziploc and some tape, I set out to run 7 miles. I wasn't all that optimistic that my run was going to be all that, but I started out with the rain beating down on me and I felt this freeing feeling. I felt like a kid inside...I made up my mind that I was just going to run and have fun with it! I ended up running my 7 miles at almost the same pace that I did my best half marathon in. I was elated...I got my mojo back!!!

My feet feel great too...I just got some new running shoes on Saturday and I hadn't broken them in yet...I broke them in today and they made me run FAST. No lie, my shoes made me run faster! I know, maybe I should be a spokesperson for Mizuno Wave Inspire 6...wink, wink...Mizuno people.

Today was a GREAT day, it was good for my spirit and good for my soul. Run baby run!!!

Daily Mantra:
Just don't die Ipod, don't die!!!

Miles:
7

My New Team

I haven't updated since we started officially training again with the team. My experience with Team in Training was so wonderful and I learned so much from it, I felt like I should pass on what I have learned. This season I have signed on to be a mentor for the team, I have 6 ladies that are my mentees and I could not have handpicked a better bunch of gals. Some are alums that have participated before and others are exactly like I was last summer, green! They have the same fears, the same goals and the same lung capacity that I did. Some of them have surpassed even where I was at this same point last summer. I have such a strong group of ladies to be privileged to share my journey with. My only hope is with my help and the team's help, their experience will be just as rewarding as mine was.

Go Team!!!

Is their a toenail fairy?

You know how little kids get so excited when their first teeth start to wiggle and they have the anticipation of getting a reward from the tooth fairy? Well...I am starting to ponder, I wonder if their is a toenail fairy? I never thought I would need to even wonder about that until I ran Heels and Hills. I happened to have my toenails a wee bit longer than normal and after running a half marathon, I wound up with a lovely shade of purple in one of my nails. I thought for sure that it would just go back to its lovely pink shade and return to its previous state. I was sadly mistaken. It has been 3.5 months since that event and lo and behold I have a wiggly toe nail. It is teetering on falling off and staying put. I want to wiggle it in hopes that it will fall off and I will put it under my pillow and wish for new running shoes....so I can forever keep the cycle going of purple toe nails ending in skin that I have to paint to look like toenails. Hey, I wonder if nail salons give discounts if they get to paint fewer nails? I need to look into that one!

I am at it again!!!

Well I have taken a little break from my blog, but I haven't taken any time off from running. After completing White Rock Half Marathon, the running addiction began. Once you finish your first race it does something to the chemicals in your brain that cause you to crave that adrenaline rush and excitement of racing. I am totally making that up, but I think it has done something to me anyway. No sooner was White Rock over, that I was already in training mode for Rock N Roll Dallas Half...which I took 10 minutes off my time by the way. Not to mention while at the expo for that race, I signed up to run a FULL marathon in San Antonio on November 14th to commemorate my birthday! After RNR Dallas, I had to get in gear to sign up for something else. I know, I am sick! The next race was Heels and Hills. I ran an even better time than my last race and knocked another 9 minutes off my time.

So, what will I do next? Well, that was a complete no brainer. I LOVED LOVED LOVED running with Team and Training and raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma so I decided to sign up to run White Rock Half Marathon and I am going to be a mentor for my season. I feel very blessed that I am able to pass on what I have learned and I will be able to help nurture, mold and shape some new runners into trained athletes like myself!

Running for a cause sure makes running a lot more fun. When you have a reason to run when it's 103 degrees out, when you know that the miles you put in are helping something that is battling for their very life, it makes it a lot easier!

Who wants to help support my cause? Donate today to help me achieve my goal...no amount is too small!