18 mile weekend

After running a total of 18 miles this weekend, I feel like we've dedicated our entire weekend to running (we were either running, thinking about it, talking about it, driving to do it, or returning home from just doing it). Even now, it's 6:00 on a Sunday night, and I'm writing about it. Then again, when you are training for a marathon, running becomes your life. Oddly enough, running has enhanced our lives in countless ways.

Hal had us down for our first 15 mile run on Saturday. Running 15 miles is exactly how I imagined it would be ... very, very painful and long. My only goal for the day was to run the 15 miles every step of the way. I personally just needed to know that I could run 15 miles, even if I had to do it at a 11:20 mile pace. Because we were running so early, our bodies took a bit longer to adjust. Soon after that, little body parts, one at a time, started to ache. Funny thing is - very rarely do two things hurt at once. By the end of the run, everything on me had hurt at one point, even my teeth. We chose one of our favorite trails (the trial is long, the scenery is gorgeous, trees line part of the path, we get to run past different parks, we get to see wildlife - 4 deer for that run, and it has some inclines). We ran 8 miles out and 7 miles back.

The run felt great until about mile 12.5. Past that point, my body and mind started shutting down. With 2.5 miles left, I so much wanted to finish and complete my goal of running the entire thing, but it was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Once I started to hurt, I had to tell myself, "One step at a time" over and over. Then I asked Adam to distract me with funny stories from college, which worked for half a mile (he got through 3 stories). With a mile left, a woman on a bike rode past us and said, "Hey, you're still running. Way to go!" That one comment gave me such a significant amount of strength and energy boost, which sadly, only lasted about 3o seconds. What it comes down to is Adam ... he's the reason I was able to run every part of the 15 miles. He kept encouraging me, making me laugh, and running slower so that I could keep going. When I look back on this entire marathon training, that's the one thing I'm going to remember ... just how amazing Adam has been for this entire journey.

If 15 miles hurts this much, what is 26.2 miles going to feel like? I'll get that answer in 8 weeks.

This morning, we were up to run in the Head for Cure 5K (defeating brain cancer) and were part of "Team Quiz.". My friend, Alysia, organized a team in honor of her dad, Dan Quisenberry. What an incredible event to be a part of! The moral was contagious and I always love to see thousands of people come together for such an important cause. When you see that many people come together, you know that a cure for brain cancer isn't far away. It was such beautiful morning, but running 3 miles after our long run yesterday was harder than I expected. The legs were definitely tender. However, all is put in perspective when you think about the reason you're running. Adam and I finished in 31:40 and then found a spot on the grass to cheer on some runners, especially those from Team Quiz. Alysia did an extraordinary job of bringing so many people together. It'll definitely be a race we're involved with for years to come.

Go Team Quiz!

Yeah, I'm training for a marathon

I have a feeling this isn't part of Hal Higdon's marathon training plan. Maybe the pizza wouldn't be too bad if I hadn't just washed down some Oreos prior to picking up the pizza. However, I had a salad and grapes for lunch so it's completely justified.

There's no turning back now

There's no turning back now ... Adam and I have registered for the marathon and purchased our airline tickets. In just 9 short weeks, we'll be running in the only marathon that starts in one country and ends in another ... The Niagara Falls International Marathon. If we're going to run over 26 miles, then it should be in two countries.

Although I set out to do this in January, and somehow convinced my husband to do this with me, I never imagined all of the emotions I'd experience along the way. Even just registering for the marathon brought on emotions I didn't expect, mainly disbelief. Seriously, I really can't believe we're doing this. Even crazier is the fact that I'm beginning to really believe that completing a marathon is possible. Since we've been following Hal Higdon's plan, so much feels possible.

Our only goals for the marathon are to (1) Have fun (2) Finish (3) Not lose our passports on race day and (4) Never, ever say we're running another one.

The Big 13

I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I think I actually like running, and it only took 8 months to get to this conclusion. This realization probably came at the perfect time since our mileage is only going up. If I'm going to run this many miles, then I might as well enjoy doing it.

On Sunday, Adam and I completed our first 13 mile run. I'm not going to lie; it's quite empowering to be able to run 13 miles. I can only imagine what completing a marathon will feel like. The run started as most already have ... early in the morning and we tried a new trail. To run as the sun is coming up is becoming a highlight of running in the mornings. It's beyond peaceful and absolutely exquisite.

We've really been working at trying to establish a consistent pace so that we can run the distance without wearing down. We encountered some hills and some steep down slopes, but were able to maintain a relatively decent pace. I am continuously amazed at the variety of runners out there; there are runners from every age group and all ability levels. Sadly, I'm learning that many of the "older" runners can seriously outrun me. They literally approach me from behind, then pass me to the point where I can no longer see them in the distance. To make myself feel better, I like to believe that they are only out for a mile run, but, in reality, I know that they probably hit the trail around the same time I did and have already covered double the distance. Good thing I have high self-esteem.

The actual run was phenomenal. It wasn't until the second we stopped where I experienced a level of pain and discomfort I hope to never experience again. We stopped and my legs turned wooden ... stiff and hard to bend. It was rough. We stretched and stretched, but to no avail. Our muscles were tight. So, we came home, ate our traditional post-run meal (Greek salad), then we positioned ourselves on the couch where we didn't do anything for the remainder of the day. We were home before 10 am, so we felt pretty pathetic. Apparently, we went to war with the 13 mile run and the run won, as I'm sure it typically will.

I'm pretty certain that running should make us more productive rather than extremely less productive members of society.

Half Marathon, Here we come

A couple of days ago, Adam and I registered for our first half-marathon.

Even better, we'll be running it on our one year wedding anniversary.

We were actually scheduled to run our first half marathon at the beginning of August, but it was canceled (maybe due to the heat or lack of participants), so that led us to look for another half-marathon. Adam suggested we search for races on our anniversary (he is very romantic). Initially, I was thinking that we would celebrate the day by mainly eating (perhaps Adam could make me breakfast, we could have cheesecake for lunch, and then a romantic dinner that evening). Then he said, "We can do all of those things, plus run a half-marathon" (uh, obviously we're not on the same page here). After giving it some thought, I realized that if I ran the half-marathon, then it would cancel out the calories from the cheesecake. Why didn't he just phrase it like that?

So, on September 4, 2010, we'll be in Nebraska running a half-marathon. I'm getting excited. Granted, I'm not sure if the excitement is for the actual half-marathon or the cheesecake I'm going to consume afterward.

Chafing, Sunburn, and Blisters ... Oh, My!

I've read about the war wounds of running and now I can say that we've experienced some of them (once again, me more than Adam). Thank you, 12 mile run.

The miles are increasing quickly and continue to be a daily reminder that we are definitely training for a marathon. Only 11 more weeks to go.

We were on the trail by 6 am to beat the heat and humidity that a Kansas City summer so quickly provides. I absolutely love running on a trail ... immersed in nature, often running through shaded areas, over bridges and through tunnels, encountering other runners ... it is unbelievably beautiful and peaceful. I'm discovering that I definitely have to be in a different mindset for the long runs than I am when I'm running just 3 miles. I just have to be somewhere I love because I'm going to be seeing the scenery for a while (we average about 12 minute miles on the long runs, so that means running 12 miles has us running for about two and a half hours). For me, running on a trail provides everything I love ... it's the place I'm the happiest running. It's better for Adam if I'm in a "good" mood while we run. Actually, it's better for everybody.

Our plan was to run 6 miles out, turn around and run 6 miles back. Running out was harder than running back. When we run out, we're counting the miles from 1-6, so it often feels like it's taking awhile. I was so excited to get to the 6 mile point because, for the first time, we were going to try the GU Energy gels and chewables. Filled with Vitamin E and C, they are supposed to provide an energy boost on the long runs. It's a bit hard to open the package and run at the same time, but I loved having something to eat (I tested the chewables). Once you get past the consistency, they were relatively good. Eating while running ... sign me up ... loved it!

The run back was so much easier. It was hard to determine if it was because (a) we were headed back and that always feels good (b) the energy gels started to work (c) we were counting our miles down (as in, only 5 more to go). This sense of euphoria came over us and, from miles 6-11, I honestly believed we could conquer anything. However, once we passed mile 11, the euphoria had diminished. Completely gone. No where to be found.

By the time we finished, we were drenched in sweat from head to toe. Everything on us was wet and I mean everything. I had this lovely slime covering my body (sick thing is that I produced that slime). It wasn't until we got home that I realized I was sunburned on the back of my neck, my left toe blister grew a couple centimeters, my sock was stuck to my right toe from the fluid draining from my open toenail, and I developed 4 spots of chafing on my chest. Adam, on the other hand, only experienced one area of chafing. This whole running experience has definitely been kinder to him than me. Showers usually make me feel so much better, but my shower today was pretty excruciating. Water hitting open wounds hurts more than I ever realized. Honestly, it didn't matter much ... we had completed 12 miles and the feeling was astounding.

Wonder what our 13 mile run has in store for us. Looks like we'll find out next weekend. Oh, my!

Minor Surgery

After running 6 miles on Wednesday, the first toe on my right foot started throbbing. The pain only intensified as the week progressed. By today, I was in such significant pain every time I moved the toe. Tonight, while shopping for paint, Adam accidentally stepped on it, and I started sobbing ... right there in Sherwin Williams ... kind of like I did the first time I saw "Steel Magnolias". On a scale of 1-10, the pain was a definite ten. So much so that I considered going to the emergency room.

After looking at the toe a bit closer, we could see that it was definitely purple under the nail bed. This scenario prompted a Google search where Adam discovered that he could fix the situation in our own bathroom with a paperclip, alcohol pad, and a lighter (sadly, this didn't concern me - I was more concerned that my $50 pedicure from Wednesday would be ruined). Because my toe was causing such immense pain, I easily agreed and allowed Adam to perform minor surgery on my toe.

So, there we were ... sitting on the bathroom floor, Adam lighting the end of a paperclip with a candle lighter until the paperclip became red hot. Then, he pushed the paperclip onto the nail (since my toenails are so thick, it took a few tries). All of a sudden, we heard a popping sound and the fluid drained from the hole in the nail. Surprisingly, it didn't even hurt and I immediately felt better. The swelling is already starting to go down. Adam is a genius, practically a doctor.

Situation solved.

Pedicure ruined.

Now, I look branded. Let's just hope it doesn't become infected.

The problem with thinking

Because I have some extra time on my hands (but, sadly, not for long - my sweet summer vacation ends next week), I wondered how many miles I completed in July. So, after adding up a few numbers, I discovered that, in the last month, I ran 60.3 miles and Adam ran 71.3 (okay, so obviously, he had a few runs where he followed the plan better than I did).

60.3 miles ... I don't even think I put that mileage on my car. Matter of fact, I'm pretty certain I didn't. Then, that made me wonder, if the miles continue to increase, then how many miles am I running in August, September, and October? Sometimes, you shouldn't ask questions that you really don't want the answers to. The numbers aren't pretty. In August, I'm scheduled to run 106 miles, in September the number increases to 146 miles, and then, luckily for me, it scales back down to 105.2 miles in October. In four months, that means I'm going to have to run 417.5 miles.

Running 417.5 miles in four months. That's definitely taking a bit to sink in.

I'm running 391.3 of those miles just so that I can run 26.2 consecutive miles? There is seriously something wrong with those numbers. I'm no running expert, but I'm pretty sure I've been tricked again.

Long Runs

Last Sunday, Adam and I did what we considered to be our first "long" run ... 10 miles. I never imagined the day that I'd run 10 miles and I most certainly never expected to enjoy it. It's amazing the impact that the weather can have. It was absolutely perfect ... in the 70s and minus the Kansas City humidity. Starting out, I felt a bit overwhelmed ... wondering if I could really do 10 miles. Once we ran the first two miles, I fell into my rhythm and it flew by. The running conditions were perfect; trail was often covered by shade, mile markers at every half mile point, water fountains to refill the water bottle, and Adam and I had a conversation for most of the way (the best part about this phase of running - talking and running simultaneously are becoming a bit easier). Training works. By following the plan, I'm able to complete miles I never expected I could/would.

Today, Hal's training plan had us run 7 miles. Because we ran 10 last week, we felt pretty confident that 7 would be a breeze. The actual running was ... the conditions ... not so much. Even at 8 am (Adam just couldn't get me up this morning to run earlier), it was unbelievably hot. We tried a different trail since we both love variety. We discovered that we love variety, but only when it involves water fountains along the way with some mile markers. It got to the point where I didn't know how long we had been running (felt like days) or when I would be able to drink again (my saliva just wasn't as appetizing as I was hoping after our water bottle became empty). Regardless, we completed it and it always feels incredible to complete another long run.

When I got home and looked at the running calendar to see future long runs, I realized that today's 7 miles was the last time "7 miles" would be considered "long". Next Sunday, we're scheduled to run 12 miles and eventually progress up to 20 miles (in the next two months, the shortest distance we run on our long days is 8 miles). Had I known this information before today's run, I would have loved every second of those 7 miles.

That will be the last time ol' Hal's marathon training tricks me.