The woods are lovely ...

... dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep. ~ Robert Frost

We started out this morning at 6AM on the Rail Trails into the woods. It was dark with a heavy wet fog. The fog was so dense that we were all damp before running the first step. Visibility was no more than a couple of feet. So we ran into a deep dark foggy morning unable to see where we were going or where we had been.

As the sun rose, the fog lingered leaving water droplets clinging to spider webs in the trees.

Two things I learned from this morning's run:

1). I am not a long distance runner. If I make it to and through this marathon, I will not run another. The half marathon will be my longest distance from then on.

2). The ITB compression wrap does not work. I need serious rest and recovery ... starting now.

Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon

This is a training run. This is a training run. This is a training run.

I kept repeating that to myself before the race. I still started out too fast. The 1st 3 miles were too fast. It was humid and warm. I knew when the sun came up it would be humid and hot. I wanted to be done before that happened.

I realized that wasn't going to happen, and I slowed down.

The run went OK until about mile 8. Jesse's knee was bothering him some. We slowed down some more.

By mile 11, my ITB started to ache; and, the heat was getting hard to deal with. I wanted to be done. Forever.


At about 12.6 miles the course took off across an open field and then off into the woods. It became a true Cross Country course - deep sand, rocks, branches, all things cross country. All I could think I that point was, "I can't run this - I don't have my trail runners on."

We came out of the woods to finish on the track.

This half marathon was not that much fun.

I'm glad it's over.

A short, cold run

This morning's run was only 7 miles. The half-marathoners in our group ran farther (9 miles) than we did. It was a COLD run! It was 32° this morning with a windchill of 30. I couldn't even feel my feet for most of the run.


Our head coach, Chris, and his 10 year-old son ran with us today. The run was by the River and across 2 bridges. Chris kept our usually fast Group 7 on pace.


After resting, stretching, icing, and rolling my IT band this week, I did not expect any problems with it. I was wrong. At about mile 4, it started to hurt. When we finished the 7 miles, it was really hurting. I am hoping that part of the problem is the cold weather.


We'll see.



Yes, that is the moon. It was up when we started running. The rest of the city was still asleep.

ITBS

ITBS (or iliotibial band syndrome) is bringing me down. This is one pain that I just can't run on. Well, that's not true. I have run with it. But, not for too long or too many miles. It kicked in at about mile 8 of my 20 mile run. I made to mile 15 before I felt like screaming. I did make it the full 20 miles ... slowly and painfully.

I went in search of a cure. A miracle drug or brace to take the pain away. I thought I had found it - something called an ITB compression wrap. I was advised against it. Something about how it really doesn't work.

So I bought an innocent looking white foam roller.

Rolling an ITB hurts. A lot. It better be working.

Sometimes races don't go so well ...

Festival of Lights 5K – 12/07/08

Tonight was an annual 5K and 1 mile fun run that is usually a very fun family event. It was the 1st 5K I ran in last year. I ran it then with my older son. My husband ran the 1 mile with our younger son. The races are run after dark. Luminaries line the race course, Christmas music plays throughout, and the runners all have jingle bells tied to their shoes. It is really a fun night.

Not this year.

This year the boys decided not to run. Jesse and I signed up to run the 5K together. But, due to the 20 miler yesterday, I opted not to run and just rest my ITB for a few days. I went with Jesse to the race to cheer him and the other runners on.Things seemed more chaotic before the race this year than last year.

1st of all, I think the number of runners had easily doubled from last year with many trying to register at the race site. They were just not prepared for that many people.


Secondly, they started the first race (1 mile fun run) at 5:30 BEFORE any paramedics had arrived. True, it's a 1 mile run and usually nothing happens at those... especially when the temp is in the low 40's. Then there was tonight.

Jesse and I stood at the finish line area to cheer in the kids running the one miler. The 1st runner came in right at 6:30 min. He looked to be about 7 or 8 years old. WTG!!! Then a few more kids. Then at around 8 min a Dad (early to mid 40's) came in running with his 2 kids.

More kids coming in. The Dad and kids walked out of the finish area where the Dad collapsed. Apparent heart attack. No paramedics! The ambulance showed up a FULL 5 min later then couldn't get through the crowd. Just too many people. They had to leave the ambulance on the other side of the finish line, take the stretcher out of it, run through the finish line past runners still coming in, then through the crowds of people who wouldn't move for anything (because they are trying to take pictures of THEIR kids, you know) to get to the poor guy. I have no idea whether he made it or not. I hope so.

It was such a nightmare, I thought they might call the race. Nope. The 5K started at about 6:15. I stayed at the finish line to cheer Jesse in. The 1st runners came in a little over 15 min. Then, a weird thing started happening. Runners would cross the finish line then stop. Just stop. Some would bend over and mess with their timing chips; some just turned around to look for their friends. As more and more runners came in, the crowd started backing up before the finish line! By the 28 min time, runners were having trouble running across the finish line. It was ridiculous!

FINALLY, the race coordinator got on a microphone and started yelling at everyone to keep moving and clear the finish line area. By then it was too late. It was backed up way before the finish line. Jesse said someone shoved him from behind trying to get past him to the finish. What was the point of that? He couldn't move either. His gun time was 38:32. But, that means nothing. He was standing still watching the time go up and not moving.

Really, it wasn't like this last year. I am glad I didn't run it.

20 miles!!!

This morning's run was a 20 mile run out on the "Rail Trails". After the 18 mile run where I basically fell apart, I was NOT looking forward to it.
At. All.

The Rail Trails are a good 45 min from my house. That meant leaving by 5AM for a 6AM run. Which meant getting up around 3:30 to eat and get ready to go.

This morning it was 52 degrees, 93% humidity in fog and light rain. The temp and humidity remained constant throughout the run. The rain slowed to an intermittent misting under an overcast sky. At 6:00 for the start of the run, it was dark, really dark.

Both Group 7 pace leaders were there today along with 24 others of us in Group 7. My friend, TJ, and I had decided that we were not going to repeat the 18 mile fiasco. TJ had completed the 18 mile run with the group, but had felt so bad after that she was ready to quit the marathon training altogether. Last week's 7 mile run at the correct pace convinced her to stay with it. So, we told one of the pace leaders that we would be sticking to the correct pace regardless of what they did.

And we did.

Running the correct pace kept me from dehydrating and getting overly tired. The only difficulty I had today was ITB related. The outside of my left knee started hurting around mile 8. I ignored it and kept going. At mile 15, it was pretty intense pain. So, I walked about a quarter of a mile. While walking, my knee felt fine. Once I started running again, the pain came back immediately. I knew then it was ITB. But, I decided to keep going, pain or not.

I finished the 20 miles. Yes, it hurt physically. But, mentally, it felt great!

Just 7 miles ...

This morning's training run:


The 7 mile run was supposed to start at 7AM. Due to the Holiday, only about half the Group was there this morning. And, neither of the Group 7 pace leaders showed up. Chris had planned on running with Group 7 this week anyway, and now became the default pace leader.

We had gone about 1 mile when one of the women in the group said, "this pace seems really slow." Then Chris explained that no, the pace was NOT slow. It was the correct LD training pace for Group 7. Peeps were truly amazed. Everyone was saying things like, "Are you sure? We always run faster than this!" Chris then stated that the reason he was running with Group 7 was that he had been hearing over and over that this group was not running at the correct pace. He wanted to put a stop to the racing, and get the group back on track.

When we stopped for a water break, he told everyone to stop their watches. One VERY argumentative woman said, "No. We have to include all our breaks in our total time." Chris told us all that the breaks should NOT be included in the pace in a training run. She argued about it for awhile. She finally ended up saying that she was not going to do it this way. The other way was better and how was she going to get faster if she didn't run faster? He then explained about doing speed-work during the week; NOT during the weekend long runs. He even detailed a really nice speed workout which I will try on Monday. She was still visibly annoyed.

As we ran on, everyone was talking and enjoying the run more than this group ever has. At mile 4.5, I noticed that argumentative woman had disappeared. I told Chris she was missing. No one had seen her leave, and she hadn't said anything to anyone. So Chris told us to keep going at the correct pace, and he ran off to find her. After he left, all of us there were talking about how much better the run felt today. No one was tired at all. No one was pushing. Peeps were really surprised that running could feel this good.

Chris caught back up with us at about mile 5.5. He had not found her. We could only assume that she had taken off to catch up and run with Group 6. Or had just gone home mad. So, we ran on. It was a really really good 7 miles. The whole group really enjoyed it. The pity is that nether pace group leader was there. Also, other than that one woman, none of the really bad pace pushers was there either. So, I do not anticipate that anything in that Group will change. I won't be running with them for the 20 miler. No way.

And, I did ask Chris what he thought about my running the Half marathon on 12/21 and then 23 mile training run on 12/27. He said it should be fine as long as I run the half marathon at my training pace. He told me that I should not, under any circumstances, try to race it. I had a real deja vu moment when he said that. I had just asked Coach Ken the same question the day before, and had received the same answer.

I was hoping for a different one.

A Half-Marathon on Thanksgiving Day

Today was the Outback Distance Classic 1/2 Marathon. There were 3 races this morning. The half-marathon and a 6K which were to start together at 8:00, then split apart at mile one. And a one-mile "Joey" fun run at 8:05. Starting weather - 41 degrees, 71% humidity. Ending weather - 62 degrees, 42% humidity. Clear blue skies and brilliant sun throughout the race.


Jesse and me before the run.





Several people from my marathon training group arranged to meet up at 7:20 near the Port-a-Potties. Jesse was running with me; and we arrived at 7:16 and got in the Port-a-Potty line. It was a seriously bad situation. There were far too few potties for the thousands of people there this morning. We were in line for over 20 min; and the line stretched out forever behind us. Really bad planning.


Anyway, we met up with my friends and made our way over to the starting line. Jayne was nowhere to be seen. Just before the gun went off, we spotted Jayne through the crowd. She made her way over to join the rest of us. Patricia, pace group 8 leader, said that this run should be for fun, not time. I told her that I only had one time goal - to finish in under 3 hours. My official time at the Marine Corps half-marathon was 3:02:47.

Lauren: "I believe we could do this in 2:45."
Me: "You think so?"
Jayne: "Lauren, you are giving alcohol to an alcoholic here. Stop it before Linda pulls out her shot glass."

The Gun. We can't move. There are so many people crowded together, that forward motion is impossible. But, this race is chip timed, so we don't really care. Finally we cross the starting mats; and I start my Garmin. I notice we are almost 2 min behind the gun time.

The beginning of the race is the usual crowded mess of walkers and strollers who started out too far up front. We try to maneuver around them. And then, suddenly there is yelling coming from behind us. People are shouting, "get out of the way!" What? There is a group of bicycle riders out on a morning training run who made, let's assume, a logistical error and were riding right through the start of the race. They rode over the starting mats and were attempting to blast through over 2000 runners! Ridiculous.

Finally, we get to the mile one marker where the 6K runners turn right; and, we turn left. A collective sigh of relief as the crowd thins out. The 1st water table comes in view at 1.5 miles. During the Marine Corps half marathon, I became dehydrated. So, for this race, I was determined to grab a cup of water every water station on the route. And, I did here. There were also a few Port-a-potties here. Several in our group who did not stand in the long lines earlier, stopped. Jesse and I ran on.

Nearing mile 2, Jesse's knee started bothering him and he had to stop and stretch a little. I was worried that we may have to stop the race right there; but, he said he was fine and wanted to continue. Our group had fallen behind us a bit. I chose a pace of 13:30 for us; and we went on without them.

Somewhere between Miles 3 and 4


Nearing mile 4, we spotted a sign at the corner of a yard which read, "Run Linda! Go Jesse!" Then, I remembered we were passing by my work partner's house. He and his wife were out in their driveway. We stopped to say hello; and they gave us Gatorade and wished us well. Very nice!!!

Miles 5 through 9 were uneventful. Just 4 miles of cool running on a beautiful morning. At mile 10, I heard Jesse talking to himself. He was saying, "Stay loose, Jesse, stay loose." I asked if he was OK and if he needed to stop. He said he wanted to keep going. At mile 11, he said that his calves were cramping. We slowed down a bit for the next mile so he could loosen up a little. Mile 10

Then, all of a sudden we were passing the 13 mile marker and headed for the finish line! The clock had just turned to 2:59 as we got up close to the line. We kicked it a little just so that both our gun and chip times would be under 3 hours!!! WE DID IT!!!

After we got our finisher medals and some water, we went back to the finish line to cheer on the rest of our friends as they came in. Everyone fininshed smiling and uninjured! It was a great run, and a great start to the day!

Our stats this morning:


Mile ..................... Time
1 ......................... 13:55
2 ......................... 13:58
3 ......................... 12:59
4 ......................... 13:33
5 ......................... 13:12
6 ......................... 13:26
7 ......................... 13:12
8 ......................... 13:41
9 ......................... 13:29
10 ....................... 13:48
11 ....................... 13:36
12 ....................... 13:49
13 ....................... 13:31
0.13 ..................... 1:22

Total time(Garmin) . 2:57:38
Average pace ........ 13:28 min/mile

Official Time .......... 2:57:36

Thoughts on a short run

This morning's run was really my 1st experience with cold-weather running. The temperature was 31 degrees (that's F, not C) when we started, with a wind chill of 24!!!! For me, it was cold; really cold. And, it was windy too. OK, enough of that.

In spite of the cold, the run itself was good!!! It was 6.26 miles - starting at our usual place on the North Riverwalk. I ran with pace Group 8. The pace was well controlled. That was good, because at the beginning I could not even feel my feet. Too cold. When we went over the 1st bridge and the wind hit - YIKES!!!

By about mile 4, I felt warm even though the temp was only ~36 at this point. I was comfortable in just a short sleeve shirt + gloves. The gloves were a life-saver this morning. Learning how to dress for running in this weather will take some work.

Back to the run ...
6 miles is really a short distance and it seemed that in no time we were running back over the river (across my nemesis bridge - the Acosta), and back to where we started. Our average pace for 6.26 miles was 14:48min/mile. It was a very comfortable run. I enjoyed it. This is how running is supposed to feel, in my humble opinion.


After the run, I started thinking about that pace. There were about 8 of us running with pace Group 8 who should really be running in pace Group 7. We stopped running with Group 7 because they have not been running at the correct pace (14.5 - 15 min/mile). This morning we ran at that pace, and kept it there. But, in doing that we pushed the pace of Group 8. They should be running at 15.5 - 16 min/mile.


One man in our group suggested that we should start our own pace group (Group 7.5?) because he felt that no matter what, Group 7 would not slow down. I think this may be the best idea. Not just because Group 7 won't slow down, but also because we may be hurting other runners in Group 8 by running too fast for them.

It is really obvious to me now that we need to get this pace issue under control; and quickly.

Almost 18 miles (11/15/08)

In retrospect, I have to say this was a day of mistakes that ended badly.

To begin ....

This morning's run was scheduled to begin at 7:00. When I arrived at the starting site at 6:40, it was 72 degrees, 91% humidity, with light rain. Peeps were gathering and talking about an email our head coach had sent to all the pace group leaders this week. I had not seen it; but, apparently, the head coach came down VERY hard on all the group leaders about following the correct pace. He had heard some complaints during the week about paces being pushed too fast last Saturday.

Anyway, I went over to my assigned pace group to sign in (I am on their roster). The pace group leader was there talking about how today's run would be run at exactly 15 min/mile; no faster. Then the head coach spoke to all of us before we got started and said that he had emailed all the pace group leaders during the week and told each group what their pace needed to be. He went on to say that everyone should feel comfortable running in their correct group.

Mistake #1 - After the assurances, I decided to run with my assigned group. Yes, this is the group that pushed the pace too hard last Saturday.

This morning's route was a bridges run (3 bridges) early on bringing us back to our starting point at mile 5. There we would drop off the half-marathoners, then continue on for another 13. I rationalized that IF my group could not stick to the pace for the 1st 5 miles, I could ditch them at mile 5 and drop back to a slower group. Oh, and as we started, the light rain became a pouring rain.

First 5 miles:
1 ..........14:21 (not bad!)
2 ..........12:37 (here we go again)
3 ..........14:28 (this INCLUDES a 2 min water stop because the leaders of this group believe all stops are figured into the TOTAL pace. So, actual pace was 12:28)
4 ..........14:44 (yay!)
5 ..........13:46 (whatever)

At this point we were back at the parking lot to drop off the half marathoners. I looked for the slower pace group; but, they were nowhere to be seen.

Mistake #2 - I stayed with my assigned group.

6 ........15:03 (2 min in parking lot to drop off peeps and get water - actual pace 13:03)
7 ........14:13
8 ........16:57 (potty stop for many in the group - didn't stop the time; and, I don't know the actual pace here)
9 ........15:29 (I made a port-a-potty stop; kept watch running)

Mistake #3 - I ran hard to catch up with the group after the potty stop. Too hard. I am not discussing the pace.

By now the rain had ended, the sun was out strong, and the temp had soared into the 80's.

10 .......15:01 (water stop of 1 min - actual pace 14:01)
11 .......14:30
12 .......14:19 (at this point I was feeling light-headed, dizzy, and DONE)
13 .......14:39 ( a really weird thing happened - I started getting chills and actual goosebumps when I was in direct sun)

Mistake #4 - I KNEW that this was an early sign of heat exhaustion. I KNEW I should stop. But, I talked myself out of it and kept running.

14 .......16:18 (2 min water stop; actual pace 14:18)
15 .......15:29 (I was really done at this point - chills were worse, and my hands were swelling)

Mistake #5 - I kept running

16 .......15:00
17 ....... complete crash.

And that was it. One of my pace group leaders called for someone to come get me. I even let peeps pour ice water on me. I was feeling that bad.

I was feeling worse that I couldn't make it the last mile. Phil (former Marine Sargent, now a police officer and pace group leader of group 1) picked me up in his police car which was cool. And he told me about last year when he had the same thing happen to him on the 23 mile run. He said he made it 17 miles and that was it. That made me feel a little better.

This was my first experience with heat exhaustion. And, hopefully my last. The rest of the day was boring - hydration, ice packs, etc. Oh yeah ... the hand swelling thing? My kidneys had shut down.

BUT, now everything is back to normal (body temp, kidney function, etc). And, I still feel really bad about not making it that last mile.

Pushing the Pace ...

...hurts!!!!

It really does. This morning's run was proof of that. We were running just 8 miles this morning. I was running with the pace group I am supposed to be in. Our long distance pace should be between 14 - 15 min/mile. This is a training pace designed to keep us injury and exhaustion free.

This morning's numbers were like this:
Mile .................... Time
1 ........................13:03
2 ........................13:07
3 ........................12:55
4 ........................13:37
5 ........................13:29
6 ........................13:19
7 ........................13:22
8 ........................13:11

All those miles were run too fast! And now, I am hurting - right ITB, right hamstrings, right piriformis muscle.

But, what is worse than the injuries is that I am feeling tired and annoyed. Usually after a run, any run, I feel emotionally satisfied. Not today. Today I feel drained.

Next Saturday is 18 miles. I am not looking forward to it with this group.

16 mile run - October 25

After the Marine Corps half marathon, I was hurting. Big time. It left me questioning my sanity in pursuing a marathon. My running for the 2 weeks after that was something like this – complete rest for the week immediately following the half marathon. On Saturday, Oct 11, my group ran 14 miles. Those of us who had run the MC half, only ran 7. I was glad of that. I could handle 7; that’s all. Then, I ran an easy 2 miles on Sunday, the 12th. Well, it “should” have been easy; it wasn’t. My legs were still tired and everything hurt. I ran an easy 3 at my half-marathon race pace on Wednesday, the 15th. That one felt OK. Then a 5K walk/run in DC on October 18 with friends. That 5K was really all about being with friends. It had very little to do with actual running.

By the time Tuesday, the 21st came around, I was in a mild panic thinking about running 16 miles on the 25th. I did not at all feel ready for it in any way. I knew how I felt after the half, and how long the recovery had been. No way would I be able to handle 16 miles. Coach Ken stepped in to say, “you can do this, no problem”. I really did not believe it. I did run a good 6 miles that evening, which helped with the anxiety. I still wasn't sure about adding 10 more to that.

Then a car accident on Wednesday, the 22nd, seemed to seal it for me. I had some minor injuries. There is no way I should run 16 miles. But, interestingly, the car accident had the opposite affect. As soon as those around me, including Ken, started saying, “don’t run”, I became more determined TO run 16 miles.

Saturday morning, it was (pre-dawn) 73 degrees and 100% humidity. You read that right, 100% humidity! It was heavily overcast with occasional misting rain. I decided to run with the slower of my 2 groups. ALL of my marathon training friends were there this morning, too. Before we got started, Chris (head coach) said a few words, “Today you’ll be running 16 miles which will be more than many of you have ever run. When you get back here at the end of that, just think to yourselves, ‘Only 10 more to go’!”

Jayne was not feeling up to par, and started getting worn out around mile 7. Also, about that time a disturbing thing happened. One of the women in our group saw a political sign is someone’s yard which she disagreed with. She ran right over, yanked it out of the yard and threw it in a dumpster to the cheers of a few others in the group. Personally, I didn’t agree with what the sign said either. But, I disagreed more with her throwing it away. That sign represented the home owner’s freedom of speech.

Other than that, the run went very well for me. I kept waiting to hit a wall; but, never did! I felt tired at mile 14 when starting up the Main Street Bridge. But, I was up and over it fairly quickly. It wasn’t a problem at all. Anyway ... It was a good run!!! No ... it was a GREAT run!!! I stayed hydrated and fueled. It was a huge psychological barrier to break through. And, it was actually fun!

Marine Corps Half Marathon - 10/04/08

Starting a good week or so before this race, I began to panic every time I thought about it. I was still having ITB issues (i.e. pain) and was really beginning to doubt if I could do this at all. My friend, Jayne, was going to be running with me and that calmed me down considerably. She had run a marathon last year, and is excellent at keeping a steady pace.

I told her my goals for this race:
1. Finish
2. Finish running without further injury
3. Finish in under 3 hours, if possible

As the race day got closer, both #2 and #3 looked out of reach. So, going in, I was looking at #1 only.

It was a great morning! The humidity was high (95%), but the temperature was low (60º). We arrived at the race site before dawn to pick up our timing chips. We ran into quite a few people we knew from our Saturday morning training group. There was a Navy band playing, and Marines and ROTC everywhere. We all lined up behind the starting line as dawn broke over the city. Then the Marine Color Guard came forward and the Navy Band played our National Anthem.

When the cannon went off, I attempted my normal scared rabbit bolt to the start. Jayne had me WALK with her to the start line, then run. She had figured out paces for each mile to achieve all 3 of my goals. Her goal was only to finish uninjured. She truly does not care about time.

Early on, we ran past the Maxwell House plant here in town. They were roasting the beans this morning, and the delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee filled the downtown area. This is one of the things I have always loved about Jacksonville, and one of my earliest childhood memories – the smell of roasting coffee early in the morning. I still love that.

This morning’s run was 2 races: a 5K and a ½ marathon. Both groups started out together. Then at about 1.5 miles, the half-marathoners turned to run over a bridge, while the 5K’ers ran straight ahead. Running the 5K was a group of Marines in full fatigues who were singing the whole way. Jayne and I ran with them to our turn off point. That was fun!

Jayne, Me, and TJ near the turn-off point

I have to admit here that it was annoying watching peeps bolt past us early on. But, I let it go. I wanted to finish this race, not burn out. We went up and over 2 bridges (Main Street and the dreaded Acosta) - no problem at all! Then down through neighborhoods along the River. The sun was now up and the temperature was rapidly increasing towards the 80’s. At about mile 5.5, we started passing peeps who were now walking. That was cool. At mile 9, we passed a few more who had taken off fast earlier that morning. I never saw them again. I don't know if they finished or not. I hope so.

Then came mile 9.66 - I felt my first wave of fatigue. And, more surprisingly, dizziness and nausea. That was really strange. And, my right leg went from an annoying mild pain to a nagging moderate pain. And, I started feeling compensation pain in my lower back. Crud.

But, I kept on going until mile 11, where I just wanted to quit with every fiber of my being. Soon after that point, our course took us up and over a pedestrian bridge. Uggh! By mile 12.5, I was close to having a complete meltdown. Seriously. I was dizzy, light-headed, nauseated, and my heart was racing (new symptom). And, my right leg was now at an excruciating pain level. I. Was. Done.

I do not know how I actually finished (and ran through the finish line, no less). Looking back, I do know now that a big part of my problem was simple dehydration. After the race, I inhaled a liter of water and started feeling much better. I have to learn how to manage water intake better. I realize now that I only took a cup of water at one of the stations (mile 10) - and most of that ended up on my shirt.

Anyway, it's done and I am happy with it. Below is an email from Jayne who kept all our stats. It is easy to tell by the times where I lost it.

"Hi Linda,

I hope you are feeling well. I enjoyed running with you today!

Mile Proposed Pace Actual Pace
1 ….. 15 ........ .13:44
2 ….. 15 …….......13:33
3 …… 14.5 ……....13:52
4 ….. 14 …….......13:18
5 ….. 13.5 ……....13:46
6 ….. 13 …….......13:53
7 ….. 13 …….......13:16
8 ….. 13 …….......13:46
9 ….. 13 …….......14:03
10 …. 13 …….......13:46
11 …. 13 …….......14:22
12 …. 13.5 ……....15:19
13 …. 14 …….......14:43
0.1 …. 1.4 …….....1.11
--- ---- -------
13.1...178.9 min. 182:40 min.

Our standard training pace for this distance would be 13.1 x 15:30 = 203:03 minutes, so we ran a good race...well done!

See you soon,

Jayne"


This is a place I didn’t think I would ever get to. A year ago, I was worried about being able to complete a 5K. Many, many people along the way have helped me get here. They must be mentioned. There is my family who has always supported me (even when questioning my sanity). And friends. Many friends. In particular, there is Michele, who ran a marathon a little over a year ago, and inspired me to even attempt this. There is Ken, an excellent marathon runner and coach, who took the time to design an 18-week training schedule for me and has always patiently answered all of my questions and concerns. There is my Saturday morning marathon training group. We all have shared our mistakes and successes each Saturday morning as we have increased our mileage together. And there is Jayne, my friend for many many years. We had lost touch a few years ago and then literally ran back into each other while crossing the Main Street bridge during the River Run last March. We’ve been running together ever since.


On the way back to the car after the race, Jayne said, “In a few months, you will be running double of what you did today. Can you imagine that?”

Honestly? No, I cannot begin to imagine that.

12 miles!

This morning's run was on Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach) which is about an hour's drive north of Jacksonville. That meant getting up at 3:00 this morning to meet up with my carpool group at 4:30.

It was COLD* this morning!!! The first part of the run was into Fort Clinch State Park. It is heavily forested and, at that time of the morning (pre-dawn), it was darker than dark. Really, it was completely dark. Fortunately, 2 runners in our group had flashlights so we could see a little of the road before us. I was feeling good; really good. And, I was pushing the pace a bit. I got the hook though, and was threatened with being kicked back up to my assigned pace group if I didn't settle down. So, I settled down.


By mile 5, it was light enough to see everything. We ran down a boardwalk to the beach and took a group photo. Then we started back out of the park. On our way out, one of the women in our group screamed and stopped running completely. She was staring up at the trees and pointing. I was expecting to see someone hanging there, by her reaction. What we saw instead were hundreds of HUGE spider webs extending down to just above our heads. Each web had a very large banana spider in the center (think: Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets" on spider size). We had been running under them for the past 5 miles, so no big deal to MOST of us. A few needed major convincing to continue the run, however. It actually took one of us saying, "Well, we're going. You can stay here with the spiders or run on out of here with us," to get everyone moving again. In all, we covered a little over 7 miles in the park.

After Fort Clinch, we turned and ran towards town. The sun was well up, and it was a beautiful morning! I did not start feeling any fatigue until 9.7 miles. Then, I just felt somewhat tired. I was still OK until mile 11. That is where I hit the wall today. From there on, it was tough, no lie. Just as I hit the wall, my friend, Jayne asked,"Hey Linda, what's 16 squared?"
"What?"
"You know, 16 x 16?"
"256"
"OK, thanks. Wait, I meant 16 x 12"
"Sorry, only 1 math problem per morning."
"Dang it." With that she pulled out a calculator and a course map, and started some sort of odd calculations - all while running! This kept me entertained until mile 12. The run should have ended there, but didn't.

And the run was actually 12.3 miles. I do believe that very last 0.3 mile was the toughest of all. The psychological part can be every bit as tough as the physical sometimes.

Now, I am tired and a bit achy. But, overall, I feel really good. And, I feel like I CAN run the half-marathon next Saturday. After all, it will be only 0.8 of a mile farther than I ran today. And, I have convinced Jayne to run it with me.

It's all good. Really good.

Group photo at Mile 6
*Relatively speaking, about 65 degrees - cold for all of us

Milestones

Saturday, September 13, was my longest run ever at 10 miles. We met before dawn down by the River. It was already 85 degrees and 95% humidity BEFORE sunrise. And, my left brain was telling me, "you should have stayed in bed".

Soon after we started, our course took us up and over the 1st of 2 bridges on that day’s run. This bridge is a tough one. It is quite steep, resulting in a hard uphill run and a tendency to run the downhill too fast. This bridge and I have met before. I have burned out by running the downhill side too fast on more than one occasion. So this time I stayed back in the middle of the group so I would have others between me and a reckless run. That strategy worked.

After the bridge, our run took us through one of the nicer, older neighborhoods by the river. As we started through the neighborhood, at about 1.8 miles, I had my first, "I can't do this" moment. I realized we had over 8 miles left to go, and it just felt impossible. I talked myself out of that by remembering I had just run 8 miles the previous Saturday. And, I kept going.

Miles 2 - 6 were fine. The good thing about running in a group is that people talk. The talking is a welcome distraction from ... well ... running. That morning the talk was mostly about home improvement. There is an unspoken rule that any political discussion is forbidden. For that, I am extremely grateful. But, despite the friendly banter, at about mile 7, I started to feel tired. And I got my 2nd, "stop running" message from the annoying part of my brain. I fought through it to mile 8.

Then, at mile 8 I hit a wall and the base of the 2nd bridge all at the same time. I still don't know how I made it over that bridge. My calf muscles were screaming all the way up; my quads were yelling on the way down. From that point on, I was running on will-power alone. But, I did it. The whole 10 miles.

And, coming up this Saturday, September 27, will be a 12–mile run. A new milestone.

What keeps me going ...

There are days when the running is wonderful in spite of everything. Last Thursday evening was one of those runs. It was hot and humid and my IT Band was still hurting. But, I had a great run. It was one of those stress-releasing, good for the soul runs that left me smiling into the next day.

And yesterday's run was good as well. We met at the beach before dawn and saw the sun rise over the ocean as we put in our 8 miles. It was beautiful. The camaraderie was excellent also.

So, those good runs along with support of friends and family keep me going through the tough times.

But, what really keeps me going is why I am training for this marathon in the 1st place.

It is for those who have fought cancer and survived. Donna Deegan is there with us every Saturday morning. Her spirit and courage inspire me to keep going.

And, it is for those who have fought cancer and died. John TenBroeck was there with us every Saturday morning until the end. That end came Friday, September 5, 2008. It was the physical end of his life, and many of us will miss him deeply. But, the things he set in motion such as founding the Jacksonville Track Club (now JTC Running) years ago, will keep area runners running for years to come.

Things that slow me down ...

One of the things I really don't need in my training is something beyond my control slowing me down.

In the middle of August, it was an upper respiratory infection. I had NO energy at all. I still attempted to get my mileage in with varying degrees of success.

Just as I was recovering, Tropical Storm Fay hit town and flooded everything. Trees and power lines were down. Streets were flooded. There were even reports of alligators and snakes in the flooded streets. My group run was cancelled, as was a race I had signed up for. I did make it out for a run on Saturday, August 23. It was pouring down rain and gusty winds. I made it 7.33 miles before giving up.

And now, I am having and ITB flare-up. I ran through it (7 miles) with my group on Saturday; and 5 miles this morning. It was excruciating.

I have learned that running is cyclical. Some days (weeks?) are just hard; others are wonderfully easy. I know that right now I am in a tough cycle. I just have to wait it out and keep running.

Getting Started

I used to run in Middle school and High school as a sprinter. The longest distance I ever ran was 400m; and, that was under duress! So how did I end up training for a marathon?

In the Summer of 2007, I decided to start running again. I really had not run at all since High school, which was a few years ago. I started back using the Couch to 5K program (C25K). I enjoyed the program; completed it, and ran my 1st 5K in December 2007. That was the LONGEST distance I had ever run in my entire life. It was exhausting and fun. And, I knew I wanted to run more.

I ran the Gate River Run (15K) in March 2008. I walked much of it. My only true training in running had been back in HS as a sprinter. That training amounted to: “run fast”. So, that’s all I knew. I could not run more than 3 miles without walking and I could not figure out why. So, I turned to a good friend and marathon runner (and now a RRCA certified coach) for help. His first advice, “slow down, way down”. That, to me, made no sense at all. I wanted to improve my terribly slow time on my 1st 5K, after all. And, I now wanted to run a ½ marathon in October 2008. Would I even be able to finish it if I slowed down?

“Run slower to run faster,” he said. That was the nuttiest thing I had ever heard. I ignored it and ran all my training runs at my race pace. The result? I was exhausted after every run. I could not run more than 3 miles without stopping and walking, and I was beginning to get injured. I finally decided to listen, and try it his way.

The first time I really slowed down to a calculated long-distance pace for me (which was so slow that I knew walking would be faster), I was able to run 6 miles without stopping! I was in shock. I wasn’t overly tired, and the run was enjoyable. This same friend put together a training schedule for me to follow to be able to run the ½ marathon. I had a million non-stop questions such as: what is a stride? what is a tempo run? what is training pace?

At this point, he kindly suggested I join a running club or group. I resisted at first, feeling I was in NO WAY good enough for that. Those running groups were all elite runners, right? Wrong. They were all people like me who wanted to improve their running times or endurance, and wanted the social connection of running with like-minded friends.

Before I knew it, I had become part of a marathon training program.

Coach Chris gets us started on those early Saturday mornings.