Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon

This morning's half marathon:

Being that I am in training for bigger and better things - specifically the 26.2 with Donna, I was not inclined to blow it out on a half marathon this morning. Many of the peeps from my running group were there and were planning on running together. After a brief discussion with my co-pace group leader, Monica, we decided to go for 13 min/miles. That is a comfortable pace that we both run on our own; although, neither of us had ever done more than 6 miles at that pace. Two other friends, Andi and Alinka, decided to join us.

The start was cold. It was 51 degrees and 96% humidity. I had decided to wear my running gloves, but that was it for cold weather gear. Monica, who is from Wisconsin (and, who was wearing a singlet, BTW), declared me a wimp. The start was also VERY crowded. The 6K race started with us, and ran with us for the 1st mile before we ran our separate ways. So we were stuck behind strollers and walkers and race shirt (long sleeve heavy cotton crew neck shirt) wearers for the first mile. Even so, we managed the 1st mile in 12:53.

It stayed cold and I could not feel my feet. I was finding it tough to run and my legs felt heavy. I just wanted to warm up, already. We saw other people we knew, chatted a bit, then went on. Miles 2 and 3 - 13:11 and 12:59.

Between miles 3 and 4, Alinka was having trouble with her left shoe and stopped to re-tie. While we stopped, I got rid of the gloves. 13:26

By this point, we were playing leap-frog with some guy who looked like he was missing his skate-board. He would get in front of us, then we would pass him, repeat, repeat, repeat. And, the times he would fall behind us, we could hear him loudly hacking up a loogie. Gross! Later, between miles 11 and 12, we would pass him and not see him again. Mile 5 - 13:15.

At mile 5.5, we all took a port-a-potty stop. 2 potties. 4 runners. 2.5 minutes. Uuugghh. Mile 6 - 15:48.

Feeling much better, we all picked up the pace a little. Miles 7 and 8 - 13:04 and 12:27.

The sun was fully up by now, clear blue sky, light breeze. The course got sunny ... and warm.
Mile 9 - 13:19.

Between miles 9 and 10, my right quads started cramping, and I was feeling fatigued. I was still a bit under the weather from an upper respiratory infection. If I had been running on my own, I might have said "screw it", and slowed way down. But, with everyone else around, I kept going forward. Mile 10 - 13:06.

At this point, all of us noticed that the race mile markers and our Garmins were no longer in sync. It seemed that the race markers were about 1/10 of a mile off - against us. The course turned onto streets with rolling hills in direct sunlight. Great. Mile 11 - 12:59.

Alinka's hip started hurting, and she dropped back, telling us all to go on. Andi requested to slow down a little. Miles 12 and 13 - 13:09 and 13:01.

What was left was 0.25 miles. It should have been 0.1, but it was off. Annoying. Monica and I went for it. Finishing the last 0.25 in 2:22 (9:28 pace).

Final time - 2:55:21 for a pace of 13:14 (for 13.25 miles) or 13:22 (for 13.1 miles).

Even with the potty stop, it was a PR by 2:30 for me!!! Just imagine if we hadn't stopped. HA!

Anyway, the whole run was a blast; and here is the best thing of all:

This race is the first race (of ANY distance) that I did not slow down at the end. In fact, I sped up!!! I am really pleased with that!

Training so far ...

This past Saturday was our longest run this season - 9 miles.

It was a hot and humid morning. Our group had 37 runners, and the run was fine. In fact, all of the runs have been fine.

So far during training, we have run across an extremely busy highway in the dark, and all survived. We have seen humidity so high that the trees were dripping. We have seen dolphin playing in the river as we crossed a bridge above them. And, we have ended up in the middle of a 5K race as our training route collided with a race course. We met them head-on with each group accusing the other of running the wrong way.

And, we have shared stories of our past runs and future goals.

So far ... the running has been good.

And, so it begins again ...

A new year of Marathon training has begun.

I look at this photo from the morning of February 15, 2009 and remember.

It was early.

It was dark.

It was raining.

It was cold.

And, I was injured. I had been having IT Band trouble and had a lateral meniscus tear on my left knee. I had stopped running 4 weeks prior to the marathon in an effort to heal. I had worn a lidocaine patch on my knee the night before the marathon, and was wearing a brace that morning.

I had every reason in the World not to get on that bus that morning. But, I did it anyway.

Remembering that bus ride gives me chills. I had no idea how far I would be able to go before my knee gave out completely. I knew that if I crossed the Start line, I had to cross the Finish line. Under my own power. I would NOT take a ride in.

It turns out that 15 miles was my limit of pain tolerance. After that, it was excruciating. But, I finished on my own. I watched others go past me as they took a ride in over the bridge. They jumped out of the golf cart, ran in the last few feet, finishing before me. They received a time and a medal. But, they know they didn't run a marathon.

I did.

And, this year I am starting training again as a Pace Group leader. And, this year I am taking the time to enjoy the journey.

Running/Injury/Recovery/Running again

Repeat repeat repeat ...

I am hoping to break this cycle somehow. The most recent injury I am recovering from is not really a running injury, per se. OK, I got injured while running but not FROM running. Simply, I fell down while attempting to outrun a sudden thunderstorm.

This resulted in a fractured wrist, a busted knee, and some minor abrasions. Which all resulted in 2 more weeks of not running or cross-training. *Insert big dramatic sigh*

But, I am back running again. Slower (if that is possible) and more carefully than before. I need to have all of these injuries become a thing of the past. I just don't have the patience for it anymore.

Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run

This past weekend I was in DC for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler.



This is the first 10 mile race I have ever run. And, I was going to race this one coming off of an injury. In the days leading up to the race, I was very nervous. It has a strict cutoff time and I really considering backing out and running the 5K instead.



The Metro on the way to the Expo on Saturday, April 4, was unbelievably crowded. I was concerned with getting to the race start on Sunday.



I arrived at the race site very early and before dawn. it was 48 degrees and I was freezing! I only had on a short sleeve top and a race skirt. As I waited, I became increasingly colder. When we finally lined up in our designated corrals, I was shaking from cold. Then, I started to wonder just how much energy I had already expended through shivering. That concerned me greatly; so, I ate a Swedish fish to replenish.



FINALLY, the race started just as the sun came up. I was so nervous about not being able to finish that I ran the 1st mile a minute and a half faster than I had intended to. I reasoned that I had just bought some extra time if I needed it, and made myself slow down a little.



The crowd was huge, and the course was tight. Fortunately, there were no strollers in this race; and, I did not come across any walkers until mile 3. Every time the course looped back on itself I saw thousands of runners both ahead of and behind me. As I passed the mile 5 timing mats and checkpoint, I noted that my time was fine for finishing under the limit.



I had one moment of panic when I came up to the mile 7 marker. My time had really slowed down! A quick check of my Garmin showed that the mile 7 marker was really at mile 7.2. I was afraid mile 8 might land at mile 8.2, so I sped up a little. But, mile 8 was where it should be. As I passed that, I realized I was going to finish with time to spare, and I calmed down and slowed down a little.



Crossing that finish line was great!!! I really believed that I would not do it. But, I did. And, I even ran the entire race at a pace of 1:10 min/mile faster than I ran a 15K this time last year.



AND, I had no pain at all the entire race.



My friend Ken ran this, too. He was up in the first (fast) corral and had an excellent time.

This race was a good one all around.

Running Again!!!

Finally! After sitting it out for soooo long due to injury, I am back running again.

Last night I ran 3 miles without pain. My intention was to run them easy, but, it ended up being pretty much at my race pace. It felt so good to be out there again!

I did notice that fatigue came on quicker than it used to. I do need to build up my endurance again. And, I am happy to do just that.

Disney's Princess 1/2 Marathon Weekend

This weekend at Disney was the most fun ever! It was the inaugural Princess 1/2 marathon weekend. Proceeds from the race itself benefited the "Make a Wish" Foundation.

This was also a "first" event for me in many ways. I was traveling to this race alone. My family would not be going with me. Also, I was supposed to walk, not run the race as I am still recovering from an injury I had BEFORE the marathon 3 weeks ago. There were other firsts, too that happened along the way.


The Fit for a Princess Expo began on Friday, March 6. This was for packet pick-up and shopping as there were vendors from all over. It was a blast! I ended up buying a tiara to run in and a few new shirts. I also picked up my Snow White running skirt which I had pre-ordered from RunningSkirts.com. Wearing brand new clothes at a race is something I never do; but, for this race, I did. Both the tech top and the skirt were new.

Walkway to the Fit for a Princess Expo

I was staying on Disney property at the Caribbean Beach Resort. This resort had bus service to the Expo and to the race on Sunday. I wanted things as low stress as possible. I did not want to fight traffic into Epcot on race day. On the bus rides to the Expo, and at the Expo itself, I met many women from all over. We discussed running - mostly talking about group running and how much we enjoyed it. And, about how nervous we had been when we first joined a running club. This feeling seemed to be universal. Some women with very fast times didn't feel they were "good enough" to join a running club! It was comforting to discover that we all, as women runners, had many of the same concerns.

The Caribbean Beach Resort

The 1/2 Marathon - Sunday Morning

Time change this morning! Uggh. That meant getting up early, REALLY early. The buses to the race were running from 4 - 5 AM. I set every alarm I could to get up at 2AM (which was really 1AM by my body). So after a restless night, I was up, dressed, and on the 1st bus at 4AM.

My friend, TJ and I had signed up for the "Race Retreat" package which promised us a temperature controlled tent to wait in, a breakfast buffet, private bathrooms, and a changing area. The Race Retreat lived up to its promises and more! We were greeted by Snow White and Prince Charming, and had photos taken with them. Then Goofy showed up dressed as a royal jester, of course.

TJ and I before the run in the Race Retreat

The buffet was nice, and since it was soooo early, I opted for a cup of coffee. I never drink coffee before a race - another first.

At 4:30AM, Prince Charles (no, not THE prince Charles) started a stretching/light aerobic session. TJ and I skipped it, and had a bagel instead.

Inside the Race Retreat - before the run

At 6AM, Prince Charles told us we all had to leave the Race Retreat and head to the start line. Another big first for me, I did not bring my iPod. I have always worn it while running. But, lately I have not even been turning it on.

We made our way over to the Start line and to our assigned corrals. It was cold out at 55 degrees with 87% humidity. But, I know Orlando, and I knew that once the sun got up, it would warm up very quickly. A few women from Northern states were saying how glad they were they were wearing their running tights. I was thinking they would not be so happy about that in about an hour.

The race started and we slowly moved towards the Start Line. There were 8000 women running the half marathon this morning. I was in the middle corral, and it took me a full 5 min after the start to reach the timing mats. I had already decided to run for as long as I could. I am a slow runner; but, I am a really slow walker and I was afraid I would not make the 16 min/mile minimum speed if I walked the whole thing.

So, the running today was good. Really good. Disney had many diversions planned to entertain us all along the way. There were quiz questions on the route, and many characters to be photographed with. We ran from Epcot into the Magic Kingdom and through Cinderella's Castle. It was soooo much fun!!!

Once the sun came up, the temperature soared up into the 80s. I stayed well hydrated. I was on pace between 13:30 -13:45 for the first 9 miles, and was looking at a finish in under 3 hours. I was not in any pain, and could have kept going ... if it weren't for being so well hydrated and having to make a Port-a-potty stop. There were huge lines at all the potties, so it took awhile.

After that, when I started running again I had a cramp in my right quad (the inner most one). This was really strange. I have NEVER had quad trouble even when I take the downside of bridges too fast. I slowed down to walk it out; but, my quad was not having it. So I had to fully stop and stretch and massage it. It loosened up a bit, and I could walk on it. So mile 9-10 was around 20 min (yikes!). I did some run/walking for the next mile.

Mile 11 started up a hill - an interstate overpass, actually. I came up on a young woman (early 20s) who was crying and talking to herself saying, "Come on. You have to keep going". I stopped and walked next to her and asked if she was OK. All she could say was, "the hill .. I can't". So I told her she could, and I would walk it with her. So I stayed with her up the hill and down the other side until mile 12. By then, I didn't care about time anymore. I knew I would finish, so no big deal.

At mile 12, the course flattened out again, and we were back in Epcot! Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line. As soon as I did, I was ushered to a recovery area where a Disney medical person removed my knee brace, and wrapped an ice pack around my knee. That was very nice.

After I exited the area and received my medal, I went back to the Race Retreat for an after race brunch. There was plenty to eat and drink, and a nice place to rest for a bit.

What about all the "firsts" on a race day? For the most part, they worked out fine. No iPod was great. I was able to hear and talk to many runners on the way. I think my iPod running days are over.

New clothes on race day? Running in a tiara was no problem. It will be a standard for me for all races from now on. The shirt was also fine. The skirt was a little loose, and slipped down as I ran. So, no, I won't wear new clothing for a race again. Being at a race without my family? I missed them. I hope they will come next year.

MY thoughts on the run, itself --- I am not a fast runner. I probably never will be. Sure, I'd like to improve my time. Possibly I could have done that today.

But, I realized something else today. For me, it's really not about the finish line. It's about the road there. And, this weekend the road was excellent!
:-)

Consulting the I Ching

Yes, I did. I have become so torn over the half marathon this weekend.

I am not recovered from the marathon 3 weeks ago.

I have been advised to skip this half marathon, or walk it.

So, I consulted the I Ching. The answer, I must say, surprised me.

The Question:

Should I run the half marathon this weekend?

The Answer:


Hexagram: 46 - Shêng
Upward Mobility

Beneath the Soil, the Seedling pushes upward toward the light:

To preserve his integrity, the Superior Person contents himself with

small gains that eventually lead to great accomplishment.

Supreme Success.

Have no doubts.

Seek guidance from someone you respect.

A constant move toward greater clarity will bring reward.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are progressing, rising inch-by-inch toward certain success.

What makes this assured is your refusal to tilt headlong toward your goal, slamming into obstacles and going mad with frustration.

You have a clear map before you of the steps necessary to reach your objective.

With faithful patience and a careful conservation of personal energy and resources, you will run this long, slow distance.

Why I felt Great Here

Jason is doing a contest on his blog site My Angle. The instructions are to find a picture of yourself where you felt amazing and then explain why. I believe this is an excellent idea; and really doesn't need to be a contest! But, here is my submission.


This is a photo of my family taken on Thanksgiving Day 2007.





This photo is important because at this time, we were all together and had finally made big strides towards healing and feeling like a complete family once again.


To explain, in August of 2001, my oldest son died. The unexpected tragedy and trauma scarred all of us in the family.


For me, I lost myself in work and gained weight for the first time in my life. My husband and I felt guilt over the uncontrollable and were at odds for some time. Our daughter, who was 2 years younger than her brother, lost herself in schoolwork, overachieving and losing weight.


Our middle son was 8 at the time and had idolized his older brother. He began to experience severe panic attacks whenever any of us were out of his sight. Our youngest was a only 4 at the time, and had the least immediate reaction.

It took us years to take our lives back one step at a time. I finally decided to make big strides in that regard in June of 2006. I left a job that was killing me and returned to my old lower-paying job, which I loved. I joined WW and lost 40 pounds. And, I began a running program. In this photo, I am about 2 weeks away from running my first 5K.


My daughter was home from college for a break and had learned to ease up on herself a bit. Our now oldest son, had worked very hard to overcome separation anxiety, and had made it to a point of not needing medication anymore. Our youngest son was a normal kid again. My husband and I had forgiven ourselves for things we could not begin to foresee or control, and were more solid than ever in our marriage.


This photo is so important to me because it shows an entire family that worked hard to become a family again.

The Marathon

One phrase I never want to hear again as long as I live is this – “Keep going!!! You’re almost there!!!” I’ll admit I am challenged in many ways, but not when it comes to math. I know, for example, that when I pass the 16-mile mark, I have 10.2 miles left to go. And, that is in no way “almost there”.

But, to the marathon….

I was up at 3AM after not sleeping well at all. This turned out to give me plenty of time to eat a light breakfast, get ready, and get out of the house by 4:45. I was able to drive to the designated shuttle stop and catch a 5AM shuttle over to the starting area of the marathon.

The Runner’s Village was very nice. There were plenty of Port-a-potties and even port-a-sinks! There were tents with fruit, bagels, and water as well. And many bag check areas and First Aid areas. I could have just stayed there all day!

Anyway, at 6:45 they lined us up by color group and escorted us out to line up at the start. Jesse (who had decided yesterday to run the marathon) and I went back to the last group. The 6 and 7 hour pacers were there, along with many of my friends.

Weather this morning was overcast with misting rain. 62 degrees and 96% humidity. Waiting for the start

After a nice vocal rendition of our National Anthem, the cannon shot, and we were off. Well, sort of. It actually took us 4 min to get up to the Start Line. Even before we got that far, Pam already had led the Moonrunners out in front of the 6 hour pacers! She was up with the 5:30 pacer. I mentioned to her that the 6 hour pacer was far behind us. She said, “Oh, they’ll catch up”.

I turned to Jesse and said, “I can see where this is going; slow down.” Jayne was also there with us. TJ decided to stay with Pam. The 1st three miles were up and over the Intercostal bridge. This is a non-pedestrian bridge. So, I had never attempted to run it before. It is not a drawbridge, so it is quite high and steep. And, long. I ran these three miles at my ½ marathon pace of 13:30. By mile 3, I was tired. 4 weeks of not running had left me with a big loss of stamina. This was my first moment of the day wondering if I would be able to make the whole distance.

By mile 4, the rain stopped and the wind picked up. I could start to see blue sky through the breaks in the clouds. Ordinarily, I welcome any and all sunshine. Today, not so much.

At mile 5, we turned onto the beach and headed North for the next 3 miles. By then the wind had really picked up and was coming directly out of the North. So, we were running into the wind. It was a strong wind that was ferociously attacking us with sand. This felt like needles hitting us on all exposed skin. At mile 6, the half-marathoners turned off the Beach and headed back. Jayne had fallen behind us and decided to just do the half. Many others did the same. For those of us who pressed on, those three beach miles were tough.

At mile 8, we were back up on dry land, thankfully, and made the 1st port-a-potty stop of the day. I had at this point stopped caring about time. My only goal was to finish. By now all clouds were gone, and we were running in brilliant sunlight. And, it was getting warm.

At mile 11, the outside of my left knee began to hurt. ITB? Meniscus tear? Who knows? It was hurting. The knee brace helped some, as did slowing down even more. By the time I crossed the half-marathon timing pads, I was really wishing I had opted to run the half. My knee was yelling at me by this time.

At mile 15, my knee gave out. Really. It locked up as I ran, and almost took me down. But, I was not going to give up. I tightened the brace to numb my whole knee, and did a combination of running/walking/limping for the next 11.2 miles.

I had a meltdown from miles 18 to 21 where I wanted to quit with every fiber of my being. Also, by mile 21, my hands had swollen twice their normal size and my lower back was really hurting. I was afraid of possible kidney failure, so made another Port-a-potty stop. Everything was OK, but it took a while. More time lost.

At mile 22, I was heading for the bridge. Jesse had fallen back a bit; but, I had to keep going. They were already picking up people who were behind us and driving them over the bridge. I refused to become one of those people.

I started up the bridge and was on it for the next three miles. It was rough. I ran it anyway, and passed everyone who was still on the bridge at that time.
:-)

FINALLY, I rounded the corner and made it in. A little over 7 hours. And, honestly, considering injury, time off running, and illness, I am perfectly fine with that time.

Now, I have a cool medal and bragging rights. And, a really bad sunburn. Oh, and everything hurts. Overall, I am happy I did it. The jury’s out on whether I will ever do it again.

Proust Questionnaire

This is a version of a famous questionnaire once asked of Marcel Proust, and is posted on La Moretta's blog.


1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I can't answer this. Many things make me happy.

2. What is your greatest fear?
Alzheimer's.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Grudge holding.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty.

5. Which living person do you most admire?
Donna Deegan (the 26.2 with Donna, Donna)

6. What is your greatest extravagance?
New running shoes, tech shirts, running skirts, Garmin...
I'll just call it "Running Paraphernalia".

7. What is your current state of mind?
OK ... just OK.

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
I don't think any of the Virtues (and there are many lists of Virtues) are overrated. Most are underrated.

9. On what occasion do you lie?
In bed? Like lying down? Seriously, I make every attempt not to. I do not want to have to keep track of everything I've said.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I don't know.

11. Which living person do you most despise?
That's a tough one. I don't think I really despise anyone. I do, however, dislike the actions of a few people I know.

12. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Fidelity.

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Fidelity.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Seriously.

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Family.

16. When and where were you happiest?
I can't say. Not that I won't; I can't. There have been many happy occasions in my life.

17. Which talent would you most like to have?
To play the violin.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Run faster.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting through another day. Just kidding. I really don't know.

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A sea creature.

21. Where would you most like to live?
At the beach ... so close to the Ocean to be misted with sea spray.

22. What is your most treasured possession?
My wedding ring. It's just a very simple gold band, but it means so much.

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Hopelessness.

24. What is your favorite occupation?
Does this mean "pastime"? If so, I have many: reading, running, playing with my children, laughing with my friends, etc.

25. What is your most marked characteristic?
Sarcasm laced with humor.

26. What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty.

27. Who are your favorite writers?
Sylvia Plath, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Bronte sisters, Pat Conroy, Louisa May Alcott, L. Frank Baum, Philip K Dick, etc.

28. Who is your hero of fiction?
How about Science Fiction? Then it would be Spock.

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
This is something I have never thought about.

30. Who are your heroes in real life?
There are many. They give without thought of reciprocity.
I am continually humbled by them.

31. What are your favorite names?
Julia and Michael

32. What is it that you most dislike?
Cheating and lying.

33. What is your greatest regret?
That I said, "OK" to one trip to Atlanta.

34. How would you like to die?
In my sleep.

35. What is your motto?
I'm glad I got out before the roof fell in!

Almost there ...

Finally, in spite of myself, I am starting to look forward to the marathon this Sunday.

Everything has been lining up against my looking forward to it:

Injury (ITB, lateral meniscus tear, Achilles tendon strain)

Illness (community acquired pneumonia)

Weather (warm with rain all day)

But, today is the first day of the Expo. That is exciting in itself.

As to the rest? I have a brace for my knee and antibiotics for the pneumonia.

The weather? I can't do anything about that. At least the rain will keep it cooler on the run.

And, I have friends who will be running as well. That will help keep me sane.

Countdown to the Marathon

That is how I was originally feeling heading towards the marathon. I had anxiety over EVERYTHING concerning it.



I am a little better now. I am feeling more like this:






I still have anxiety, but it's melting. There are still 2 things causing me stress:


1. Can I really make it 26.2 miles?

2. Will my IT band take me down or let me finish?


Only time will tell on these two.

Finding Balance

Not running for these past couple of weeks has made me painfully aware of something.


Running has taken over my life. At least the part of my life spent not working. It happened slowly and insidiously as the miles increased. And, as I transitioned from running alone into group running, it took over my social time as well.


"Not running" has made me really look at this, and evaluate just how big a part of my life I want running to be from this point forward.



I enjoy the friendships made through running and plan to keep them. But, there are other friendships (of the non-running kind) that I have put on hold for a while. I am re-establishing those now. I am meeting up with a group this week for dinner and a movie. We used to get together once a month. This past Fall, we only met once. Why? I was too busy.... running.



My family too has not had the best of me these past few months. The ever increasing long runs on Saturdays have left me too tired to do much of anything with them the rest of the weekend. And, the injuries have left me out of sorts.

I plan on continuing running for a long time to come. But, the focus is shifting. Running is not my life, just a part of it.

The Art of Not Running

Or ... "Now What do I do on Saturday morning?"


I am not enjoying recovery at all.

I have learned this about myself - I have absolutely no patience with my own physical limitations.

I am counting the days until I can run again.



*big sigh*

Working out the pain

Today I bit the bullet and went for an hour of bodywork (a.k.a. deep tissue massage).

It was both painful and a relief at the same time. Or as Sherri, my massage therapist, said it is a "good hurt".

Afterwards, I was amazed at how easily and painlessly I could walk.

So much tension was gone from my body that I went home and slept for a few hours. She warned me I would be sore later. I am.

But, the achiness is of the good healing kind.

The Last Long Run

This morning's run was our last long run before the Marathon. It was 24 degrees when we got started on the Rail Trails. The Rail Trails are paved over railroad tracks which are in extreme NW Jacksonville. The whole trail runs from Jacksonville to Baldwin. It is really very rural. There are woods surrounding the trails in some places, and farmhouses also along the way. And a gun club.

We started before dawn in the extreme cold. There were very few runners present. Some had run the Disney Marathon last weekend and were not there due to that. Others? I guess the cold and distance (26 miles today) kept them in bed.

Coach Chris usually talks for a good 10 min before we start. This morning was so cold that he spoke very briefly. He only reminded us that a group of runners in Chicago training for our Marathon were taking off this morning in -7 degrees. Someone yelled, "they're idiots", and we were off.

I had already decided to run with Group 8 today. Due to ITB issues, I wanted to take it easy and run as far as I could. But, where were they? It turns out that just 4 of us showed up - Lauren, Nicki, Richanda, and me. No pace group leaders. But between the 4 of us, we had a Garmin and a watch so we set off.

It was cold, really, really cold. But, once we got moving it was just ... cold, really cold.

Around the 1 mile mark, a rooster crowed to signal the approach of Dawn. He was a bit early. We really didn't see much light until mile 4. When the sun finally came up (just light, no warmth really), we noticed that the ground off the trail was all white! Searching my memory banks to time spent in NC, I realized that the ground was covered with frost. Some in our group had never seen frost before. I'd like to never see it again.

I started having ITB friction pain at mile 2. I ignored it. At mile 10 we spotted a deer running through the woods. Also, by this point, my ITB was screaming at me. So, I changed things around and tried some ChiRunning. ChiRunning felt much better on my ITB. I guess the positional shift helped some. Soon we were at mile 13, our turn around point.

I continued the ChiRunning; but, the pain was increasing. At mile 15, we spotted a hunter in the woods. The pain was becoming unbearable, and I fleetingly thought of stopping; but put that thought away. After all, my walk minutes were still only a little painful.

But, after a few more miles, I could not walk on it anymore. I was done. TJ had quit at mile 17. She was having side stitch problems that wouldn't stop. Carol wasn't there. Her ITB started bothering her at the 23 mile run and she is in PT and out of the marathon.

So ... after Phil picked up TJ at 17, he picked me up. I could not stand on my left leg anymore. In addition to the ITB pain, I am also having Achilles tendon pain (also left leg). After sitting and recovering for an hour in ice wraps, I was ready to go home. I am disappointed that the longest distance I have run to date is 20 miles. I am also disappointed that I need to stop running completely for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Here is the really frustrating part ... mentally, cardio-vascularly, and everything else ... I felt good on that run. I could have made the whole 26 miles IF my stupid ITB hadn't derailed me. This just sucks.

I have been advised to consider not running at all until the marathon.

I have 2 weeks to think about it.

Speedwork

Rocks!!!

I was supposed to run 6 miles this morning with my group. The run site is about 40 min from my house. I got up this morning with every intention of going until I turned on the Weather Channel and heard that the temp was 37° with windchill in the low 30's. So ... I rationalized that I could run 6 miles on my own in the afternoon.

Of course, left to my own devices, I decided to change it up a bit and opted for some speedwork instead.

I ran 1 mile repeats at my 5K pace with .25 mile walks in between. I was able to get in 3 sets of this before the sun went down.

It felt great! And, the best part is that my IT band did not hurt at all.

Cross-training revisited

Cross-training is something I have done consistently since I started running 19 months ago.

Always 3 days a week. Always. Until my ill-fated 18 mile run back in November. After that I went into "recovery mode". All I could think about was running and how I couldn't do as much of it as I'd like. AND, I stopped doing everything else.

I completely forgot about cross-training.

Well, last night I started back with it again. I pulled out one of my old DVDs, Sexy Arms with Dave Sinclair. Admittedly, Sinclair is kind of a big doofus; routinely interjecting phrases such as "Right On!" into the workout. But, the workout is sound and easy to follow. After I completed it, I felt pretty good.

And, I slept well. Better than I have in a long time.

Cross-training is now back as a part of my regular routine.

Maybe tomorrow I'll pull out one of my Neena & Veena DVDs.

1st Run of the New Year!!!

This morning's group run was 8 miles at the Beach. We ran at one of my favorite places to run - Atlantic Beach. At the start of the run it was 53°, 97% humidity, dewpoint of 53. So, yes, there was fog.

Fog at the Beach is heavy and beautiful. It quiets and calms. Well, that's the effect it has on me anyway.

Today was an unusual run. It was the annual "scavenger hunt" run. We collected assigned items (e.g., best lawn ornaments) with a camera. It was a bit goofy, but fun.

Group 8 - Marathoners and Half-Marathoners

Personally, the run was good. I did have some ITB friction pain, but not enough to stop me. It started at about mile 3 - nagging and annoying. I ran through it.
At around mile 6, I raced ahead of the Group so I could turn and take a photo of them running towards me through the fog.

OK, that hurt and probably wasn't very smart. But, the photo was good!!!

I made it the full 8 miles. I am very happy about that. I hope that means this is healing, because I want many more runs like this.

A few Scavenger Hunt photos with the clues beneath:

"Our Gracious Host"

"Runners' favorite Pit Stop" - Thanks, Miles!

"A Symbol of what we are running for"