Huge question

It's been forever since I posted on here! No time to explain why I've been away, but I have a pressing question. If anybody has some honest advice (which means don't worry about hurting my feelings) I could use it. I'm afraid I'm about to do something stupid!

There is a marathon here on Sep 19. A marathon is certainly not something I'm trained up for. But I can't get over the overwhelming temptation to do it, not to mention the peer pressure I'm feeling from two others who also are not trained up and are novices. Are we stupid or what? Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
It's a marathon. I've never done a marathon. I would love to be able to say I've done a marathon.

It's local and the most it would cost me is $60 if I waited to race day to sign up=dirt cheap and no travel.

Bragging rights: it's supposed to be the second hardest marathon in North America, behind the Pike's Peak one. And I may not be here next year to try it then.

It will snow the week after so that is the last running race of the season.


Cons:
It's a trail run. Which means hills, hills, and did I mention hills? Also means no spectators along the way to cheer us on.

I'm not trained up for the distance or the hills and I've never run a marathon. If it was a 10-miler, no problem. If I did it, I would plan on walking a good portion of it, which means it would take me 7-8 hours.

I only have 2 weeks to add some mileage or hills to my training.


The biggest con is, obviously, that there's a chance I'll hurt myself. That's why my husband doesn't want me to do it. So somebody talk some sense into me and tell me that peer pressure is bad before I go and do something stupid! Or if you think it's possible, give me all the advice you can to help me out!

wowzers!

I just had to share this article I found on Runner's World. This woman is seriously insane. I think she must be on meth :-) She won the Western States 100-mile Endurance run (her debut to the run). Here's the article summary.

Anita Ortiz made her Western States debut a big one: she won the race by more than hour. Find out how the mother-of-four elementary school teacher balances work, family and 100-plus miles per week.

Here is the article....and below are the major bits of "wow" factor (aside from the fact she won by an hour):

How did you train for the 100-mile race?

There's a 30-mile run I did a lot here, where I run up from East Vail over Vail Pass (at 10,662 feet), to Copper Mountain and back. And, usually, I try to avoid downhills in my training, but I did a lot in preparation for the Western States course.

What about mileage?

I put in 100 and 110 weeks, but I didn't start doing that until after Miwok [theMiwok 100K in May, in which she was second]. I did one 150-mile week. But usually, when I'm just training for anything, I put in between 90 and 100-mile weeks.

With four kids, a husband and a job, when do you do your training?

I run at 3:30 a.m. every morning. I go out for between 11 and 20 miles on trails with a headlamp. That's when I do my bulk. I get home around 7 a.m. and to work by 7:30. The kids get themselves off to school.

If I have a long lunch, I crank out an hour at home on the stair machine. After work, I come home, take the kids to soccer, dance, cross-country, whatever. If they're all gone at the same time, I go out again. Or I get another run in when the kids are asleep in the evening.

I do double days—or three times a day—every day.

What do you not do? What do you sacrifice?

I don't clean my house. My kids pick up a ton of slack. They do their own laundry, make their own lunches. I don't have to supervise them anymore.

When they were younger, I used my treadmill a lot more.

We don't sacrifice time together. We're big on the family dinner. Often it's not until 7:30 or 8 p.m. And sometimes I'll run outside or on the treadmill after dinner.

Summer Reading List

Here's a book to add to your summer reading list, I haven't read it yet, but have it ordered.

Second Wind: The Rise of the Ageless Athlete by Lee Berquist

www.secondwindathlete.com

Chena River Run

I ran my 5K this morning and it was the most fun I've had on a run! That's because it's the first race I've done with friends. Since Saturday is usually my rest day, I figured I'd go slow. One of my friends wanted to do it too, but she didn't want to go alone and she didn't think she could run the whole thing. So I decided it would be more fun to stick with her than go faster and be alone. I told her I'd help her along and go "Jillian" on her if she wanted me to!

I am so proud of her and I had a great time being her pacer! She ran the whole time and didn't cuss me out at the end! She says she can't walk now, but between my pep talks and her stubbornness, she didn't quit. Nothing fast, finished in 35 minutes, but somehow I feel more gratified by this one than by my 30-minute one I did while pregnant.

The best part for me was that I was totally focused on her and our pace. I didn't think a bit about how I felt. We kicked it at the end and I felt like I could go another 3 miles. That is a big eye-opener for me. Now I know that everytime I want to quit on my training runs it's all mental and not physical.

I apparently didn't scare her off since she wants to come along with me on Monday on my 4.5-miler. I think I've also got two other ladies who will join me once school's out (our kindergarten schedules don't mesh). I've never been part of a running group. I'm so excited!

I watched Biggest Loser tonight and have what might be a dumb question. What are they always wearing on their upper arms? Not a pedometer or iPod. Or if it's an iPod, they wear it all day long with no earbuds. Heart rate monitor? Calorie counter?

I'm doing a 5K this weekend. Was kind of a last minute sign up. I haven't decided if I'll run hard or not. Saturday is supposed to be my rest day so I'm not following my plan very well. 4 of my friends are doing it, but they're either walking or run/walking it. I don't want to go that slow. It will be nice to run with a group, even if they're all strangers.

Quarter Marathon?

I went 6.5 miles. My longest ever. And it was OUTSIDE. I'm way proud, but bow down to E, V and others who do this all the time and have 1/2's and full's under their belts and on the horizon. The 2-mile course I used was along the river and is broken up into just the right chunks so that each piece is doable just one more time, and again and a third time, then another 1/2 mile for good measure. I went by myself w/music this time and really enjoyed the solitude. I ran to a looping album of Carrie Underwood, of all things! It was a beautiful evening. I may have enjoyed parts of the run. Weird! I find running outside physically harder, but so much less monotonous than the treadmill! The extra effort is worth not being bored to tears and watching the miles slooooooowly tick away.

Going shorter and faster tomorrow.

Ryan is doing his first full marathon at the Potomac River Run May 3rd. Kids and I will be there, but just cheerleading.

What have I done?!

I can't believe it, but I actually signed up for the Disney Half Marathon. It was 90% full so I jumped on it. Now I'm sitting here freaking out! My heart is racing (and not in a good way) and it's almost 9 months away. I'm sooo second-guessing myself now.

Can I do this alone? That's a long way to go all by myself. Especially for the first time. I have to get on the bus at 4 am! The race starts at 5:50! I have no idea how to navigate corrals, baggage check or even the water stations. I guessed that I could finish in 2 1/2 hrs, but now that I've said that, I have to provide proof. I can do 11+ minutes, can't I? I thought that was slow enough that I wouldn't be in the corral, but anything under 2:45 requires proof of finishing. So now I'm feeling pressure to perform well enough in the 10K to back up my claim.

What if I melt? Seriously, I'll be going from Alaska to Florida in the dead of winter. I'm sure to have heat stroke. My training leading up to it will all have been done on a treadmill. Can I really get a 12-mile run in on a treadmill? Central Florida isn't known for its hills, but there's bound to be a bridge somewhere. I'll be going from 20 % humidity to 80% humidity and an increase in temp of probably 100 degrees.

I didn't see anything in the instructions prohibiting an iPod, so that makes me feel better. Without my music, I'd be done. 2 1/2 hrs is way too much time with myself. I just keep thinking, "What have you gone and done you crazy fool?" What's the worst that can happen? I fall behind the 16-minute pace cutoff and have to be driven to the finish? Never mind. I'm not making myself feel any better.

My training program said to run 3 miles today. That didn't seem like enough, but Hal's the expert so I'll do what he says. Since adding mileage wasn't on the agenda, I decided to practice pacing. I found out that I suck at it. According to my Garmin, I run like a 16-year-old learning to drive a stick. Something to work on...

Here's something you may be interested in. My friend told me about www.motiontraxx.com. I haven't used it yet, but she swears by it. They have free podcasts of running music. The guy picks songs based on the beats/minute, and tells you how far you should have gone and at what pace if you run the whole podcast and stay with the beat. My friend likes it because she can use it to judge her distance/pace and still zone out. According to the site, the music is all dance music and a lot of the songs don't have words. I might not like that part.

Coming back.....for, like, the tenth time?

Yes, I fell off the wagon. Again. But I'm back on it! Again! I hadn't run in about 6 weeks. Just way too much going on with family visits, R&R, birthdays, holidays, etc. Yeah, I know, I could quote the line from "Platoon": Excuses are like a__holes, everybody's got one. So no excuses! I also have a huge motivator--the 3 extra pounds I saw on the scale this morning. How did that sneak up on me? Must have been all those meals out, birthday cake, Valentine and Easter candy, s'mores at our neighborhood party, etc. At least I showed restraint and skipped the ice cream.

I've run twice in the last few days. Soreness is gone and it feels incredible to be able to run outside without my ski mask. 28 degrees would normally be cold, but it felt like summer to me. No fogged glasses, no wet breath on my cheeks, and snot rockets instead of snotsicles! It was a slooooooow 3 miles each time, but that's OK. Again, just being outside felt great.

I'm considering joining Team In Training. I really need a training partner, but I'm a bit of a snob about who I'll accept, so that's why I'm thinking this would be a good group. I want someone at or beyond my ability. I know the organizers and they are fast. I don't need someone to motivate me to get out there. I can do that on my own. I need someone to push me outside of my comfort zone. I'd like a chatterbox who will keep me distracted and not expect too much conversation in return. I told my husband I wanted a trainer--someone to tell me what to do, and when and where to do it. With where my life is right now, I want to be someone's running puppy--just drag me around wherever they go!

The marathon here in September is supposed to be one of the hardest anywhere, so I definitely need someone to push me in the training. The only thing stopping me would be if the training runs are always in the evenings/Saturday mornings. I can make a few of these, but the cost/logistics of babysitters make it easier for me to do my runs during weekday mornings when they're in school/daycare.

I don't know that I'll do the marathon here, but I'd like to at least do the 3-person relay. I'm definitely doing the Midnight Sun Run, a 10K at the end of June that starts at 10 pm. And I'm about to sign up for the Disney Half-Marathon if it hasn't sold out already. Nothing motivates me like registering and having that non-refundable fee nagging at me. Being cheap has its advantages!

SOLD OUT?!

I just read that the Army Ten-Miler has already sold out. It only took six days! Geesh! I guess we need to confirm our plans well ahead of time the next time we decide to do this race.

Yay, Me! Part II

If I haven't made it known already, I hate running. But I've been doing it exclusively for my cardio sessions b/c it's so effective. And it's very easy to quantify your progress, unlike spinning or various types of aerobics. Well, I ran 4 miles today! That is the furthest I've ever gone without stopping. I realize that may be hilarious to some of you, but it's a milestone for me. My last distance run was 3 miles at a 12 minute pace (it's a jog, really - brisk walk for people with long legs). I made it to 4 miles at an 11.5 minute pace. For me, that is unbelievable progress! I really felt ok, too! I started my cool down mainly because I wasn't sure what to do with myself at that point. It's out of the realm of possibilities that I could go further than 4 miles!

The funny part is my iPod was dead. Torture to run without music, right?! My friend got on the treadmill next to me and we chatted the whole time. I wasn't dwelling on how much it sucks to be running and the four miles ticked off pretty quickly! May be on to something there.

There's a 10K @ USMA next month. Could I run 6 by then????????

Comebacks Needed

Maybe I should be flattered, but am not. It's that time of year again, when I get 'in shape' and then come all the stupid questions I get from random strangers at the gym. I have heard what I thought was everything, "What are you training for?" "What does your diet consist of?" "What motivates you?" "What are you doing?" "How do you do that?" ...Whatever...I hate them all unless I know you... then you can ask me anything.

Well, I thought I heard it all then I get asked this 3 times in the last 2 days, "How much do you weigh?" Seriously, when did THIS question become okay to ask, and from a stranger??? Just because I'm non-fat does not mean its okay to ask.

Then because I was in shock and had no smart ass response like I do the others, I told them. THEN, to really piss me off they act shocked and are in disbelief that I could weigh that much. So they obviously do not read Oxygen :) and have no idea what a fit 5'8" women should weigh. (I returned and asked what they thought I weighed and it was 110-115 from all three people...why have you wasted my time...idiots?!).

So... how would you answer this question? :)

p.s. I love cynicism and would prefer a comeback filled with it.

Yay, Me!

I ran today. A slow and tough 2.5+ miles. It's hard to imagine running 10, but I think we're doing the 10-miler this year. Are we all?

No One is Going to Feel Sorry for Me!

Well, my marathon vacation is coming to an end. It was beautiful and sunny this morning, although a bit cool. It quickly warmed up by mile 5 as I found an easy pace, and some old friends from my old running store. The first half went fast and we started the long boring part out to Ft Story, through Post, and then back to the beachfront. The back half is essentially 4 5Ks. By this time, my hamstrings and calves were screaming so I focused on one mile at the time. More than once, I thought I was going to cramp.

In many ways, I felt better than I did last year at this race; and then in other ways, I hurt more. I am certainly more tired and sore this evening. More training may not have made me faster, but it sure helps with recovery.

I did a 3:32 and some change. I am very happy with my time. Last year was my best with a 3:28, but this is great considering a full time job, 2 kids; one of which is graduating and a husband in Brigade Command. The worst...I placed 4th! You guessed it, only top 3 awarded. That really sucks and I am stomping my feet; but no one is going to feel sorry for me.

An even greater feat is that Pete did his second marathon with very little training, only weeks out of NTC and only weeks short of deploying. I really appreciate his determination, focus, positive attitude. He's not worried about time and he truly enjoys most races; although, he would tell you that he has found his distance at the 1/2 marathon length. How's that for No Excuses!

On a side note. Ian was accepted to Virginia Tech with a full ride in the Corp of Cadets. We are very proud. Thanks for your well wishes.

Kick in the A** Needed

I am in major need of some motivation or better yet, discipline...with my diet! Exercising, not a problem, hard core, with 5.5 weeks left to my triathlon, I will physically be in top shape and I have potential to do great if I can get my eating under control to support those great workouts. I have never had this problem before and am not sure what to do or how to control it. I will do good for a couple of days, get a sweet tooth craving, and it all goes down hill from there only to 'start' over in a week or two. Ideally, I would like to cut 2-3% body fat on top of the health of it. Any ideas or suggestions? I have never followed a 'diet' before, any luck with that perhaps?

Disney World anyone?

Before I forget--did you run your race Christy? How did it go?

I got some new motivation after watching The Biggest Loser this week. Did you see it? They ran a half-marathon as their challenge. I don't care what their times were--if they could do it at 200+ pounds, I can do it. No excuses anymore!

And I think I found my race. It's the Disney World Marathon and Half-Marathon. I'm eyeing the half and it's on Jan 9, 2010, a Saturday (I double-checked--no screw-ups this time!). $120 for registration and it's open now. I was planning on vacationing there this exact week anyway, so what timing! And what could be more fun (i.e. lots of distractions) than running through the Magic Kingdom, even through Cinderella's castle, around Epcot and through Animal Kingdom?

I'm soooo doing this! No excuses, especially if we'll already be there! Now if I can just get over the 5:50 a.m. start time!

What is a Mid-Long Run?

So Pete says that I shouldn't run more than 10-12, since I am supposed to be tapering. You can't really taper if you haven't done the training. I feel the need to do at least 20-22. I haven't really run long in more than two weeks. Three weeks ago, I did 18 or so. I really can't remember. Then, I raced the half. Last week, we were at the off site and I didn't run at all. I have done 20, but it has been several weeks ago.

So, today I did 18 in 2 1/2 hours. Not bad. A little wind. I felt good. I could have done more. Good for confidence. It's as good as it will get. I am a bit sore tonight, but I can tell already that I will be fine tomorrow. That's good since I will be on 2 airplanes and a 2 hour car ride.

Wish me luck.

Marathon Vacation

Woo Hoo...Spring Break! Monday, we are off to the east coast for spring break. We will spend the first part of the week at Virginia Tech with Ian and then off to the beach. Ian is excited with a pit in his stomach. Perfectly normal, I figure. He will spend the night in the dorms with the cadets. We will check out this prideful college town.


Wednesday, we head to to Va Beach. We are excited to see old haunts and old friends. The marathon is Sunday. I am not trained up like I would prefer. I don't have the miles on my feet. I will run a mid-long run tomorrow and see how I feel. I think I am more excited that I am not bumming over the lack of training.


I am looking forward to some new training goals. I have run 4 marathons in 4 years and I think I need a new focus for a bit. I need to keep my fitness during the deployment, but marathoning is just too time consuming to be realistic considering the job and the Brigade. I won't give up my long run on Sunday, but it would be fun to incorporate a few new things.


I have started riding my bike to work and I took up swimming lessons a few weeks ago. I am not sure where I am heading, but I enjoy doing something different.

Keep me in mind next weekend. My family really needs this break before we take on another different kind of marathon. I'll let you know how is goes.

Physical Therapy

I had my first PT appt to try to get my ankle fixed. The good news is she says she can get me back to normal strength/flexibility and I can continue running or doing anything I want on it. The bad news is that a swollen ankle may be my new normal, but there are worse things than a cankle. (It's actually not that bad, but it is noticable.) She said those tissues are normally very tight and once there's a lot of swelling, they get stretched and never go back. Kind of like my abs since pregnancy.

I told her that ankle is much weaker than the other, and it is, but it's not muscle strength. That isn't the main problem. My range of motion is limited and that's where the weakness comes from. I have 70% flexbility in my good ankle, but only 50% on the bad.

I've got a list of exercises and she's going to do stretching on that ankle once/week. She said the level of stretching required isn't something I can do--it requires another person. It's extremely tight and she even had trouble getting it to go where she wanted. I won't say the stretching felt good, but I could see results immediately so I'm very pleased. Looking forward to my next appt to see how much progress I've made!

El Paso 1/2 Marathon

I have been trying to sit down and post all week. Last Sunday, Pete and I ran the El Paso 1/2 Marathon. I was going to run it with my new Sunday running partner, but she got sick and couldn't run. So, I decided to race it and see how well I could do. Prior to the race, I had been doing my long runs, but no speedwork and limited miles during the week.

The course is difficult. The first 5 miles or so are all hills. I thought that would be the most difficult, but I guess running a mountain every Sunday paid off. They were fine. So, I was thinking, hmmm, not bad, all is good from here. The rest was highway, but flat except for 2 overpasses.

Then, I hit the turn around at mile 8 right into a wall of wind. It was so bad! Now, it is boring, I am running straight into a head wind, and we are spread out to a point that no one is going to pass me and I am not going to pass anybody. No chance to draft. I really wanted to blow a whistle and make a deal with everyone that we would stay in order and just walk this in.

I finished in 1:42 and it put me first in age group. Not my best time, but considering the circumstances, I think I did well. I got a nice trophy with the mountains of El Paso (very appropriate), a gift certificate for a pair of Spira running shoes, and a container of the supposed wonder salve. Ian said they gave it to the winners because if you ran hard enough to win, something must be hurt.

I am 2 weeks out from the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach and my head is not in the game. I am burned out and dreading the runs. My miles are not good and my last over 18 miler was 2 weeks ago. I really needed to do a 22 today, but we did a Brigade offsite this weekend and got back this afternoon. My house was filty, laundry was critical, but not as desparate as food. So, I didn't run and instead, I shopped for food, swept and vaccumed, got laundry going, and made dinner. I think I will try again next weekend, before we fly. I'm not going to do as well as I did last year anyway. What's the worst that can happen? I walk some.

Should I?

I am thinking about doing a 10K on March 14th, just because it sounds like fun and my neighbor is doing it. Most of my running has been intervals on a treadmill and I have not been training to run six miles. Although, on my one adventure out into the cold, I did 3.5 miles with no problem. Is it too late to realistically do this "race"? The course is billed as being mostly downhill. Since it's sunny, I hope to take a run sometime today to get a feel for where I am at. I went skiing on Monday and I my right knee is a bit cranky with me because of it, so that will be a big factor in my decision. Registration doesn't close until the 13th, so I have some time to decide. What do you think? Should I do it or wait?

Run, Fat Boy, Run

Have you guys seen "Run, Fat Boy, Run"? I just watched it last night and got a kick out of it.

I'm not sure what line I liked best: when he gets his first blister and his friend says, "It's the size of a moon", when he's doing the marathon and his friend/coach says, "You're almost there!" "How far?" "Umm, 9 miles", or when a reporter asks him how he feels and he replies, "How the !#$%^ do you think I feel?"

I need some coaches like he has. Although I could do without the spatula whacks as motivation!

Good Resources

Does anyone have any good resources...i.e. books/websites, to use for training plan guidance? I am trying to figure out how to go about getting back into it all. I am finally pain free! It has taken a year to get to this point but I am just happy to finally be able to run and workout!

I have been working out on a semi-regular basis for over a month now and like , E, I don't know if I should really follow a beginner running plan or something a bit more strenuous. I want to be able to push myself; but I have to figure out what is enough to push me and what is too much. I really don't want to injure myself again, like I did at the Army 10 miler in the Fall (I was pain free from my childbirth issues at that point but I killed my knee).

I am also having a difficult time forming my schedule to include my strength training. It was so much easier in the Army when I didn't really plan much...just did whatever we did for PT with some random weight lifting sessions thrown in :-). I totally agree with, E: it would be so awesome to land a spot on the Biggest Loser. It just takes A LOT of time and effort to plan out your workouts; at least it seems like it for me. Having someone plan out everything would be the bomb! Running isn't so difficult (once I figure out which distances I should be training at that is) to plan, but the weight training is what gets me...so many different exercises for each muscle group. And I don't really know when to include them into the whole plan.

And by the way....moms....want to really hate someone?? Check this woman Tri-Athlete out. She freakin' amazes me. Mama Simmons Blogsite

Army 10 Miler

Just heard today...the registration for the 25th Army 10 Miler opens April 1 for an October 4th race. Wanna go?

A Happy Balance & The Path Back to Fitness

It has taken a while, but I think that I have found a happy balance for working out. I used to think that I had to work out every day and if I missed a day, well, for some reason, motivation was lost and I would become lazy...really lazy. I am not sure why my mind worked in that way, but it did. Since I now have to reserve childcare, I am finding that scheduling time at and keeping my "dates" with the gym is much easier. I am giving myself more days off yet I am seeing better results than I have in several years. My Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and at least one weekend day schedule seems to be perfect for me.

Over the past couple of months, by doing regular workouts, I also found the motivation that I didn't have for a long time. Losing the baby weight and fitting back into my pants was a top priority and those goals have been met. Now, I have a renewed fitness spirit and look forward to dropping a few more pounds and more toning of all of my still jiggly parts. Running is still a work in progress, however I did run outside for 40 minutes on a gloriously chilly Sunday two weeks ago. I simply can not bring myself to do anything but intervals on the treadmill and snowy sidewalks and streets are often a deterrent from outdoor running.

I am working with a personal trainer. I have found that I need someone other than myself and you guys to hold me accountable for working out. I would love to have someone available every workout to push me, however I just can't budget in $200+ a week. (Why are trainers so darn expensive?!) My compromise is to spend the $50 for one session every six to eight weeks to assess my progress and change up my routine. And, it seems to be working! My current lifting plan is comprised of five super sets which leave my legs all jello-e due to lots of lunges, squats, and step-ups; my heart rate is elevated the whole time, so the fat furnace keeps burning without "real" cardio. My trainer is also very encouraging and has shown me that the reason some exercises were so difficult for me was because my form was wrong. Oops! He has also given me routines on pieces of equipment that I didn't have the courage to try out on my own. And, as I see the numbers on the scale continue to go down by about one pound a week while noticing my strength increasing, I get all giddy and excited.

The struggle that I am having is one with my sciatic nerve. It is once again giving me problems on my left side from my glutes to mid hamstring. I am making a greater effort to stretch out the mussels on my left leg, but I still have a lot of pain some days. If anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it.

Healthy Food Site

I happened to come across this site today and thought I'd post it since healthy food is talked about quite often! I haven't looked at it too much just yet but it seems to be great site!!

www.sparkpeople.com

Max Heart Rate

V....

About a year ago (I think it was) you gave Cathy some info on how to more accurately set your max HR. I can't find the info...only Cathy's results. I'm assuming I'd do the same thing...could you help me out?

I normally just do the old 220-age...which I am sure I am at. But I know as you get in shape it changes...so that's why I'd like to see your instructions again! :-)

Thanks!

Great run!

I had a really good run this morning and I'm so happy about it because I haven't felt that way in a while. I got a lot (for me) of miles in last week and had to take off the last 2 days due to my kids' or my own illnesses. I got back on the treadmill this morning and just wasn't feeling it the first mile and half. But after a stretch break I was back at it and felt like I could go forever! I did a total of 5 miles and even did the last mile at a full minute faster than my regular pace!

Ankle is a little sore now, but it was worth it for the endorphins! I'm using my heartrate monitor to train and it's driving me nuts. Mostly because I want to go faster, but my heartrate says I'm not ready. Ugh! So do I go as fast as I want (which isn't fast at all) or keep it reined in?

I would love to be on The Biggest Loser. I realize that would require me to become morbidly obese and that's certainly not in my plans, but I would love to have a personal trainer tell me what to do for every workout, have someone cook for me, and throw in some way of competing with it. That sounds like a fun vacation to me. That probably makes about as much sense as V saying she'd rather run a marathon than go on a cruise!

I wrote on my blog about my snowshoe run (walk) a couple weeks ago. Funny thing was, I got my Runner's World soon after and there was an article saying almost exactly the same thing I said: it was tough, it was awkward, it was slow, I said I wouldn't do it again, then decided the challenge was worth the effort. That wimp did it in 10 degrees, but he did it on a real mountain so I'll call it a wash! My next one is on Feb 21. Wish me luck!

Cruise vs Marathon

We have had a change of plans. My family has been planning a spring break cruise vacation. We decided to try one out in hopes that it works for us and I can cruise with the boys over Christmas next year. So, Friday night Pete comes home and says, "hey, how about we go back to Virginia Beach and run the Shamrock Marathon again?" Huh?

Ian wants to visit Virginia Tech before deciding on schools. That makes sense. They have a sleep over program for interested ROTC Cadets. We could visit VA Tech, let Ian spend the night and then drive out to VA Beach with a few days to visit old haunts before running the marathon and flying home.

I started getting so excited. It is an interesting reaction for me. We have lived a lot of places and I have loved many of them; however, the thought of going back to VA Beach feels like I am "going home." Could that mean it is a viable retirement location?

A friend of mine remarked that only I would be excited about canceling a cruise and running a marathon instead. Ha! Maybe she's right.

So, I registered for both of us today and went out to do 18 miles. It really sucks to do the miles alone, but I went off post to Scenic Drive, which is a steady climb up a mountain with a gorgeous view. If I run up the mountain, down the other side, turn around and go back up and over, and home again, it equals 10 miles. It is a hard run,but it will give me more confidence that I can handle the windy flat course in VA. The decrease in altitude should be in my favor as well. Then, I did 8 miles flat around post.

So, now I am sore and shuffling around like an 80 year old woman, but I am glad I did it and I feel confident that I can finish strong. I won't be breaking any records, but I am guessing about a 3:40 or so. A 3:50 qualifies me for Boston. I have never been able to go, but your time is good for 2 years, so it is nice to have just in case. Maybe 2010.

Pain in my ...abs

So I went to the doctor this week. I am not sure I told you guys, so forgive me if I bore you.

While training for the marathon in VA Beach, I had some pain in my lower right abdomen. Well, everything and anything hurts those last few weeks so who would know if something hurt or was injured?

I did see a doc before we moved, but things were inconclusive. It feels like I think a hernia would feel...burn, sting, hot, but I never found a protrusion. Now, I only feel pain when doing lower abs, long runs at about 9 miles or shorter runs if fast.

So, I finally went to a doc here. You know, this process is just painful and maybe worse than the pain in my belly. First I make an appointment with a general doc. Yep, I have an issue, maybe this, maybe that. Must be referred. See doc #2. He determines I have strained my illiosoas and the bursa sac is irritated or burst (in other words, I have bursitis). Now, I must see doc #3 for physical therapy. The prescription calls for 3x per week! How inconvenient!

Now what? I am not sure I told you guys that after my great running vacation I was just sure I should suck it up and do the El Paso marathon March 1. (but you knew that was coming didn't you?) It won't be my best time; in fact, it is likely to be my worst, but I think I can do it. Now, this is interfering. I know that I am not causing permanent damage, just pain. I could do the marathon and then do the therapy.

I can't do a race this fall since Pete deploys, Ian graduates and I need to take him to college on the East Coast. That would be a good time to take a break and try to heal.

So, the truth is I hate to give up a chance to do another marathon. It is calling me in my sleep. That said, I feel foolish for not taking care of an injury. Of course, I was assured no permanent damage, just pain. I have done 3 marathons with each one netting a better time. It sucks to know I will have to slow down.

If this were not enough, I also struggle with long run routes. Off post is not very appealing for a woman running alone. It's not risky, but I wouldn't call it the safest area. Lower income, big fences, even in the front yard, with big fighting dogs jumping, barking and growling. Scary! what's left is running in circles on post for miles and miles.

I know I am whining. Why is this so hard? I cannot seem to make a decision. My plan today is to run 18 this weekend. I will do 10 off post alone. I am fairly confident about one route through a few neighborhoods and then up Scenic Drive, which is a hell of a hill, but a gorgeous view. Then, back to post for my normal 8 miles. If I can do that and feel fairly good, I should be able to gut out the marathon. Of course, I will have to schedule a 20 and a 23 sometime before March 1, but at that point it's all perspective.

One option is to try to do a perfect 4 hour. Solid 9 minute miles with perfect splits. Then, I could be a pacer! That would be cool!

Aren't you glad you don't live in my head?!

I needed a little retail therapy today and found out that Nike has a coupon for 20% off clearance items! I got 4 shirts for a total of more than 50% off, plus their shipping is really cheap (at least it is for Alaska). The code is DECCLEAR and is only good through 1/6. Happy shopping!

Hello from 6,600 miles away!

Hi Ladies!!! It's your long-lost buddy - Cathy! I have been in Baghdad for about a month now. Lots of new experiences in just that short period of time! I'm very proud to be here.
Here's the thing I really wanted to share though!!! I ran my first race here a couple weeks back. Boy I wish I had a picture to post for you guys!! It was a short one - 5k - but it felt amazing.
First of all, it was the last race on the Palace grounds (we gave it back to the Iraqi's today) - so, it was my sole opportunity to experience the palace as a racer.
The race started at 7am - and, fyi? It's cold in Iraq in December... No race chips. No bib numbers. Just a refresher of the bunkers along the route and a "go!" and we were off.
We ran the perimeter of the grounds twice. It was a little awkward running with all of my badges swinging around my neck - but you got used to it. Once I settled into my pace, I just soaked it all in. The guards cheering me on, the soldiers running past me, everyone else running past me, figuring out my steps in order to jump over the speed bumps without a) falling and b) screwing up my breathing etc... thinking how cold I was, thinking about my nose running faster than I was... it was a great experience and a pretty wonderful way to spend a morning.
It's humbling running these small races, though. There's no crowd to get lost in. I beat maybe ten people that morning. About 80 beat me. Doesn't matter - but it's something you just don't "feel" in these other huge races, you know? It has to really just be about running when it's something this small, because there's no anonymity - everyone knows if you come in last (or tenth from the bottom, as the case may be). But, I'll tell you one good thing about coming in near the bottom. You have all those people waiting at the finish line (a speed bump) cheering for you! I loved it.
I have been running - but not a lot. I've been biking more (in the gym, of course) and really focusing on weights. I've had to be vigilant with food - which is good, free and everywhere. Thankfully I have Fred here - who, when I told him my first week... "I'm being good. A healthy breakfast, a decent lunch, an okay dinner and just one dessert a day" he screamed "NOOOOO! That's how it happens!!" Apparently it's like college - very easy to gain 15 pounds.... I've gone down a couple - thanks to Fred's guidance and my new workout plan. I've got to just stay the course now!
That's it for now. But, I hope you guys are well and please keep my posted on your races. Sometimes we have sister races here - so we can finally have the chance to run together!
Happy new year!!! Cathy

My Christmas Gift

I trust everyone had a great holiday. I got a fabulous gift and it wasn't planned by anyone. I have a neighbor who is a geo bachelor. His wife came to visit for the holidays and she is a runner. Her husband introduced us and we planned a 10 mile run on the 21st. At first I was concerned that we wouldn't have anything to talk about. She is younger than me, no children, not married very long and so focused on career that she doesn't live with her husband. I was so pleasantly surprised to find that we are so compatible in our running pace and distance and we never had any trouble with conversation. That was the easiest 10 miles I've run in ages. So we planned a second run for the following day. I feel like I'm dating.

Other than Christmas day and our quick trip to San Antonio, Mindy and I have run every day for not less than 8 miles. What a difference a partner makes! I am running consistently, logging mega miles, and feeling great. Just this week we will log 44 miles! If Mindy lived here, I would be registering for a marathon without a second thought. Unfortunately, she has to go back to her job on Monday. I might cry. No, for real, I didn't realize how much I miss running with a partner at least occasionally. Not only do I get my runs done and they are enjoyable, but I get girl time and an opportunity to talk out all those stupid things that occupy your head.

What do I do now? Run an ad in the paper? Pay Mindy to stay? Like I said, I got the greatest gift for Christmas...a running partner for two weeks.