6/23 The Final Post

Well, this final post comes the day after the race.

The race was amazing. Exhilarating. Empowering. Such a wonderful experience!!!

The course was incredibly challenging. The 2 people I asked about the course LIED!! They told me it was flat and it was anything but flat! It was up and down STEEP hills for about 4 of the miles! And it was hot and humid. But it didn't matter. I felt so motivated!! Matt was SO awesome. He got up at 5am with me so we could get there in time and he brought his bike so he could meet me at different points on the course to cheer me on. That was SOOOO nice. To see a familiar face instantly gave me a surge of energy- every time. My final time was 2:23- slower than my normal pace but, given the hills and heat, I am thrilled!!

I followed the advice of my running "mentor" Tom and walked through each water station to hydrate- which was super important in the heat. But I only walked for about 20 seconds at each stop because I felt really good!! The hardest part, by far, was mile 11-12. I felt like that mile was about 5 miles.

At the finish line was Matt with the camera which he also had throughout the race (but I won't post those unflattering pictures!! ), my mom and dad and Lucas, who they kept overnight and brought to the race so he could see me finish. I was so incredibly overwhelmed when I crossed the finish line and saw them all. I cried!

This was by far the biggest physical accomplishment I have ever had and could be in my top 5-10 lifetime accomplishments. It is an incredible feeling to have a goal, work for it and succeed.

Will I do a marathon everyone asks.......maybe someday. But not right now. I am going to enjoy this feeling for awhile, enjoy running for pleasure purposes only, and put the 13.1 sticker on my bumper! :)

And now it's Matt's turn- he is talking triathalon, half marathon, marathon...whatever he decides, I hope I can support him in the way he supported me these past few months.

I was so overwhelmed by all the emails and messages I received from friends and relatives wishing me luck and congratulating me- I love you all!!!!

So, this post ends my journey.......maybe someday it will continue onto something even bigger. Right now this high feels pretty darn big!

6/20

Well, it is in 2 days! It is suppose to rain but at least I won't be hot!

I have spent the last 2 days off my feet as much as possible, icing and taking Ibuprofen. The genius I am decided to climb a lighthouse at a party on Wednesday. It didn't feel strenuous when doing it. And the view was really cool! I don't know if it was my shoes or what the reason, but I woke up Thursday and could barely walk. My calves were BURNING. Different muscles than running?? Who knows....it all seems so bizarre. But the pain is there and it is pretty strong. So, I skipped a 3 mile run on my schedule, went to a yoga class tonight instead (for some good stretching) and am hoping for the best. Will do a 2 mile walk tomorrow and then, ready or not, the race will be here Sunday!!!

Here is a link to the site....
http://www.fairfieldhalf.org/home.htm

I've already been assigned a bib number- 1501.

Tomorrow is lobsterfest but I obviously will not be able to partake in the beer/wine and lobster consumption that I usually do. Instead, I will drink bottles of water, a small amount of lobster and come home for a carb. dinner.

Lucas is staying with my parents Saturday night and Matt and I will leave for the race at 6:15am Sunday. Mom and Dad will bring Lucas later on.

So, that's it. Why am I so nervous and anxious??????Ugh! I need to get pumped!!!!

6/15

Wow- the race is one week from today!!!

I ran my 8 this morning, in the pouring rain. I actually had a really good run- I think it was because it has been so hot lately and I was so nice and cool in the rain!

Time to taper down- two 3 mile runs this week and a walk on Friday and that is it!!!!!

6/11

So, my mom tells me someone is trying to tell me not to run this race...I'm going to have to ignore her!! :)

But, this morning I was walking into work talking with a friend and completely and totally WIPED OUT on the pavement. I have no idea how. I just lost my step, I guess.....either that or I am a complete and total clutz. Anyway, I felt a muscle give out in my calf- BAD. I got into school, down to my classroom and as I am walking down realize I am bleeding through my pants- yes, I completely cut up all around my knee. So, after calling Matt in tears, not because of the pain but because I was afraid I had totally screwed up my calf for running, I called my physical therapist from the whole ankle injury. She told me some things to do all day today and tomorrow and, although sore, it really doesn't hurt that bad tonight. Ice and Advil seem to be helping. My knee is actually what hurts and at least I know that will heal. I still have a 4, 3 and 8 this week. I was going to do the 4 today but decided not to. Going to try tomorrow afternoon, the my 3 on Friday or Saturday and then the 8 Sunday. All I need to do now is stay injury free for 10 days. I cannot believe the race is in 11 days......time to get pumped!!!!

6/8

Well, I did it! My first 10 mile run today! WOO HOO! For some reason I felt like if I could do 10, I could do the half- that I just needed to get past that. The last 2 miles were challenging but I think I will be able to do the 13. I'm hoping to finish in under 2.5 hours but would also be happy just to finish.

I have a toe injury that is too nasty to describe here. Will probably end up losing a toenail right before flip flop season! :) My runner friend tells me it is a badge of honor for a runner. I'd rather lose weight than toenails!!

6/5

So, I was a lot sicker than I thought last week and ended up not able to run until Sunday, for my long run. Was suppose to do 9 but ended up only able to do 7 plus a 1 mile walk. I was happy with that.

This week I am due to do 24. So far I did my 4 on Tuesday, 6 today, have 4 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. I cannot believe I am already at 10 and ready to start tapering. Crazy. I added up all my miles today and just hit 100 miles. 100 miles in 6 weeks and not one pound lost! I actually gained 6! Only me! I'm hungry ALL THE TIME!!! :)

Now I need to start recruiting a cheering section!!!! I'm going to need all I can get!

5/28

Ran 20 miles last week- woohoo! My long run was 8 miles. It was HARD!! This week I was suppose to do 22 but I have been sick in bed with a sinus infection and definitely will not get all my miles in this week. Hoping to do 2 or 3 tomorrow (to ease back in), 5 on Friday, 2 or 3 Saturday and my long, 9 miler, on Sunday. So, my week total this week will probably be only around 18 or 19. I'm okay with that- as long as I can get my long run in and get over this sickness ASAP.....the 1/2 marathon is 3 weeks from Sunday- YIKES!

5/18

Ran 18 total this week, with my long run being 7 miles. The 7 miler felt good but the last mile was challenging- I felt great mentally and in every way except my quads- they were burning!

I think I am up for 19 or 20 this week....have to check the schedule.

5/11

I feel so good about this past week!!

Tues: 3
Th: 4
Sat: 3
Sun: 6

And the 6 felt really good!! My first time carrying a water bottle and following some advice I was given, stopped at mile 2 and 4 for 30 seconds to drink. I think this made SUCH a difference in my run. Felt like I could have run 1 or 2 more miles even! Next week I think my long run is 7 or 8.....yikes!

5/8

Got my "long" 5 miler in on Sunday. The weather was beautiful- that makes all the difference for me! Completed 15 miles last week and am due to do 16 this week. Might be hard b/c of being busy and weather but I'm sure I'll figure out a way to get them in. 6 miles on Mother's Day morning.

5/2

This week so far:

Tuesday- 4
Friday- 3
Saturday- 3

Tomorrow I was going to do the 10K for the Autism run in Hamden. But they are saying thunder and lightning all morning :( Then sunny in the afternoon. So, I think if that is the case, I will stick to my schedule and do the 5 in the afternoon.

So, here's what I am learning about running. Each day I dread going. Like, I really think to myself "I hate running". Then I start running and the 1st mile feels like pure torture. I sometimes think the dentist would be better (and anyone who knows the teeth issues I have had the past 3 months knows I HATE the dentist) Then, once I get to the 2nd mile I wonder why I ever decided that running was a good idea at all. Then, miraculously, by the 3rd mile I feel good and think, "Okay, so maybe this isn't so bad." and on the 4th mile I sometimes think " Hmm...maybe I should go further today." Usually I come to my senses. I get home and feel great for going! I feel energized and out of any slump I may have been in before starting the run. I start planning my next run and go to bed that day happy I got out and ran.Then, I wake up the next day and dread going running all day.......running is definitely the closest I've come to a love/hate relationship!

4/27

Saturday: 3 miles
Sunday: 4 miles

Week Total: 13.5 miles

9 weeks until 1/2 marathon....

4/23

3.3 in Saybrook- warm (a little hot, actually!) and sunny. Didn't feel great after a long day at work and a Blow Pop a half hour before :) but it was manageable.

4/21- Lucas' 3rd Birthday!

Recovered from the flu, back from Disney....back on track!

3.3 miles today in Saybrook. Beautiful day!

4/10

I have FINALLY recovered from that NASTY, NASTY flu! I went out today for the first time in 10 days. Did an easy 2 miles. Felt fine, except for my lungs. That is where the flu hit me most- upper respiratory, and I could feel the effects today. I will reassess the 1/2 date when we get back from Disney and I see how I do. Don't think I'll get too much running in there! :)

4/4

Seriously? Is there something out there trying to hold me back from this 1/2?? :)

I tested positive for the flu on Tuesday and have pretty much been sick in bed for 5 days now. I still feel terrible and missed an entire week of training. We leave for Disney World in one week so I was hoping to put in a really great 2 weeks of training before we left so I could go easy while we are there. That is not happening. I'm not sure what to do now. I think I will play it by ear and take one day at a time. There is another 1/2 on June 22nd. ......

3/30

Week 2 of training complete.

Monday- 3 miles
Wednesday- 4 miles
Friday- 3 miles
Sunday- 5 miles

15 miles total- I think that is the first time I've run 15 miles in a week!

3/24

Last week was the first week back to training and I did pretty well. I completed 12.5 miles total with a 4 mile run for my long run.

Started this week with a 3 mile run with Matt at Hammonassett. Had professional development and got out really early so I was able to meet Matt. It is so nice there- perfect place to run!

I had PT tonight and she gave me the okay to start some running (good thing since I already did that!) If I do well this week I will see her only once a week for a few weeks and then be dismissed! I am committed to treating this ankle well- exercises, stretching, ice, etc.....I learned my lesson!

So, here we go- back to training! I will make the decision in a few weeks whether or not I'll do the June 1st or June 22nd 1/2 marathon. If I can stick to this 10 week schedule, it will be June 1st!

3/17

2.5 miles today- sunny, cool and windy at Hammonassett- awesome. Still testing the ankle- so far, so good!

Matt might train with me (or I guess at the same time as me since we won't actually be able to run together very often). That would be so fun!

3/16

Well, I am going to give it a go again! (not exactly following my physical therapist's orders)

I ran 1 mile on Thursday and 2 miles on Saturday and my ankle felt great. I am going to give it a go. I figure it can't hurt and this is really my last chance. Going to aim toward the June 1st or June 22nd half marathon. Will decide after a couple of weeks back into training......

2/18

How unbelievably frustrating this is becoming.......I am now spending 3 hours a week in physical therapy and my ankle is taped for much of the week. How I managed to injure it this badly is beyond me. My physical therapist doesn't want me doing any walking, eliptical and certainly no running at this point. I am spending all my time with strengthening right now and just started Pilates. She won't give me a time when I can start running yet but from the direction of my sessions, I can tell it isn't going to be too soon. This stupid ankle just won't heal!!!!! So, as of now I am shooting for the June 1st 1/2 marathon, rather than the 4/27 one. That is only about 15 weeks from now. I know I need at least 13 solid weeks and because I have not ran AT ALL in more than a month now, I am getting worried. It will be like starting from scratch. But I am not losing hope.....yet.

1/29

Well, the good news is that PT is going really well! I have been having hour long sessions 3X a week. My ankle is feeling really good and I am going to reintroduce the elliptical to my workouts, putting more pressure on my ankle than just the rower and weights do. I do exercises/stretches and ice at least twice a day at home but we've moved to ice and heat at PT. I have decided to really commit to completely healing so that I can start fresh and have no concerns with training and pushing myself once I start. I was sick with strep and then one week later with some nasty virus so the last 2 weeks have actually forced me to not overdo it in my workouts anyway. I think I have pretty much decided to go for the June 1st 1/2 instead of 4/27. More time to train, less pressure and nicer weather to do my long runs when the time comes. I just need to look into it and make sure I can register. It is in Simsbury, CT. I am reading a really funny, really informative book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580052053/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2XP78BACBCW74&colid=6WD0DS4NLWGT

It is helping to keep my running mindset while I am not actually running!

Update 1/19

Last Sunday I decided to give the running a go. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and then my ankle started to feel sore so I walked for another 3. By the end it was really sore. And it was really sore for 2 days after. I returned my sneakers after reading that shoes can play a huge factor in injury- having the right shoes for your feet. So, I went to Sound Runner in Madison where I met Meghan, who was terrific. After evaluating my feet and my run (and about 50 other things I didn't even know you could evaluate), we went through about 50 pairs of sneakers until we found the right ones. They felt great- I couldn't believe sneakers could feel that good! She also invited me to join her running group for some runs (they are training for a 1/2 as well), gave me their schedule and also printed out their training schedule for me. It was well worth the trip into the store. By Tuesday I decided to call the doctor b/c of the pain and she thought I should see a physical therapist. I made my appt. and had my first visit this morning (I didn't run all week because I came down with strep throat and was really sick- probably a good thing for my ankle!). The PT confirmed that there was inflammation/tendonitis and did all kinds of evaluations, icing, massaging, ultrasound, etc. She does, however, think that if I go 3 times a week for a few weeks I will be back to running. The injury I have is a pretty common running injury and she thinks shoes had a huge part in it- she also agreed that the shoes I ended up buying at Sound Runner were the right ones for my feet/running style. She doesn't want me to not run for at least this week while we do all the "work" on my ankle but I can walk. I am feeling better overall and anxious to get moving. Tomorrow I think I will try a walk in my new sneakers. Nothing strenuous. I am also doing exercises at home, icing, etc.
I can't remember if I already wrote about this but I did look into other 1/2 marathons and I found one for June 1st. I'd like to do the April 27th one but if it takes much longer for this whole ankle thing to resolve itself, I may go for that one. And it might be nice to train during some of the warmer months! We'll see....one day at a time right now. Whatever I do, I will not give up on this. That's a definite.

1/10

Well, I've been icing and stretching for 4 days and tonight I decided to test out the tendon a bit. I did something simple- walked on the treadmill at an incline and at 4.0 mph for 2 miles. And the great news is that my ankle felt really good after! So, I am going to continue the ice and stretching and then TRY one mile on the treadmill on Sunday...hopefully in another week I'll be back to my training schedule.

1/8 Continued...

Wahhhhhh!!!! Tendonitis?!?! How the heck did I manage to do that??

So....at first she told me no running for 3-4 weeks. Then I think she saw me turn white. So, we talked about some possible steps/ways to help the healing/ways that maybe I can get back on it. She really knew nothing about training, I could tell that (and not like I did 2 months ago either!). She asked if walking or riding a bike could be my training for awhile-!!!!!!!!! Anyway, she did say that I should go to a specialty running store to see the best type of shoes for my feet/running style. I just bought new ones but may go in to see if they can give me any information. We'll see. So, for now I decided I will ice it like crazy, stretch it and take 5 days off. Then I will try a 1 mile run on the treadmill (she said uneven roads- especially this time of year- will make it worse).

Breathing deeply and reminding myself that there are 15.5 weeks until the race.....

1/8

Well, this has been a slow week. I've still been doing about 12 miles a week but was hoping to bump up to 15. On the day of the 5K I wore my old sneakers because I had only worn the new ones for 1 run at that point and wasn't sure if I should wear them for the race. I felt something happen to my ankle towards the last part of the race. I have kind of been ignoring it b/c it wasn't hurting too badly- only when I ran and a little while after but not during the times I wasn't running. Until this weekend- I ran only 2.5 and it started really feeling sore- so much that I had to stop running. I took Sunday off and then went yesterday- I did 3.3 but halfway through the pain started and it really hurt by the end. And all night. And now today, even when I am just sitting. Matt convinced me to go get it checked out- better than making it worse. I was dying to run today b/c it is a weird 65 or so degrees out and the perfect day for running. But it hurts to even walk right now. It isn't swollen or bruised so I am hoping it isn't a big deal. I go this afternoon so we'll see. Hopefully it will be better by Thursday or Friday so I don't lose too much time.

1/1

First goal accomplished- 5K in 27:20. Yippee!

Although as I was running, all I could think was "How the heck am I suppose to do this times 4?"