Lost Runner Found

I have in the past said I don't like running. I don't know why. Sometime it hurts, I guess, but then sometimes cycling hurts and swimming hurts, but I am not quick to blurt out I hate cycling or I hate swimming as I have with running. I think I had just lost the runner in me for a while. Over the summer months of training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I think I found the runner again. I told my coach once, you're building a runner out of me. Perhaps that was a little wrong, perhaps we were just renovating or doing a little rehab? Okay it is a massive rebuild... ;-p

As I trained, I found that I was running beyond 10 miles, feeling good and enjoying it. Stellar! Of course, there were those runs that were just crap; where I stopped before hitting the planned miles for the day or just really slogged through them at a slower than my normal slow pace. We all have those days, but overall I think I found the lost runner in me. See she was here all the time:

I found this picture while digging in a tote full of knitting needles this past weekend. Why ancient photos of my past were in this tote, I don't know, but there she was that runner! WoW! I've been looking for her. I look like I am hauling ass across that field. LOL. This was taken when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. Dig my striped tube socks to the knees. I ran cross-county and track 7th grade through 10th grade while living in rural Illinois. This girl used to talk about wanting to do a marathon. This girl used to run sub-7 minute miles on the 2 and 3 mile cross-country courses. When I saw the photo and thought back to that time, remembering that girl's dreams I said out loud to the photo - "We did it!" In regards to completing the Marine Corps Marathon. I am still pretty stoked about that accomplishment. There has been a long, winding, and sometimes difficult road between the me in the photo and me now, but the runner has been found.

Now, if I could just channel the speed from my youth I would be set!

Happy Swimming, Cycling and/or Running to all of you!

Still trying to figure out my 2011 triathlon and running plan. I want it all! Half-iron, another marathon, and lots of fun!

Marine Corps Marathon 2010 - My Story

I DID IT! I FINISHED A MARATHON!

For some of you, perhaps that it is no big deal. You've done many. For me it is a big deal. I am proud, even if I didn't meet my "in my head" time goal. There is always next time. Yep I went there...this will not be my only marathon. Imagine, I once said out loud to many people, "I will never do a marathon". ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Never say Never. Oh, endurance sports you are so addicting.

It was a weird day overall for me and so much of it is a blur. I tend to be very focused when training or in an event. I miss most of what is going on around me. Is that good or bad? I have no idea. I get the same way when I am reading a book or listening to music. I totally focus on what is going on in the story or listen to all the parts of song. Anyway, here is the tale of the weekend and the actual race.

The weekend of the marathon was quite an event in itself. It started with new friends Sarah (@sarahthequeen1) and Ashley (@ashinmo) arriving at National Airport on Friday. I had never met either of these women in person and I had invited them to stay at my house for part of the weekend. Fun! It was extra special too, as this was Sarah's first trip to DC. I picked them up and we went to the MCM Expo at the convention center, after a quick driving tour of the monuments. After the Expo, we headed out to Dulles Airport to pick up Penny (@southbaygirl). Penny and I have known each other since undergraduate school. We were on the same floor in Hess Hall our freshman year and we shared an apartment our senior year at UTK. The last time we had seen each other was in Nashville, when we met to run the Country Music Half Marathon in 2008. That was my first half marathon. Penny talked me into that and then she talked me into the Marine Corps Marathon. She is good at pushing running. I got myself in to triathlon. ;-p

After picking up Penny, we headed over to the tweet up that Kirsten (@ultrarunnergirl) had put together. It was great to meet some of the people that I chat with regularly on twitter - you all know who you are if you are reading this post. After the tweet up it we hit P.F. Changs for a late dinner and then we were back at my place and off to sleep.

Saturday, we all got up and headed downtown to check into the hotel. We hit the Expo again and then Sarah and Ashley headed out to do some sight-seeing and Penny and I went to the DC gathering place of UT alumni to watch the UT Football game and eat lunch. Then after Jen (@jenzenator) arrived at the hotel, it was time for another tweet up back at the Expo. Again a good time getting to chat more and meet additional with twitter friends, including my coach, Josh (@speedysasquatch). After the tweet up it was back to the hotel and then off to dinner, then to bed. We all had to get up early!

I don't think I was nervous about the marathon, maybe excited and a little nervous - either way just like with any of my triathlons, I slept like crap the night before. The streets around the hotel were noisy too. On Sunday morning we were up at 5 am and getting ready to run. I ate my normal pre-run breakfast of oatmeal, banana, cup of coffee, and some water. We all got dressed and we headed out. We took the metro over to the start. It was a seemingly longish walk from metro, through the security check point, to the port-o-potties and bag check vans, and finally to the starting line. We hopped in the port-o-john line first, then hung out by bag check for a bit. I drank my coconut water, finally checked my bag and was back to the port-o-john line before heading to the start. People were lining up with the corrals by time, but in the wrong spot, so then we all had to move. In the move, I lost site of the pace person for 5:30. boo!

Finally, the race started. I got over the start line about 35 minutes after the race started. I had Santa Claus starting near me. I was surprised by the amount of people in costume. I wonder if they trained in them? Between the last potty stop and getting to the finish line. I lost Penny. After the start though, I found her. We stayed together for a bit, then I went on. Of course, I felt like I had to pee from the moment I got in the corral. Around mile 4 there were port-o-johns, so I stopped for a bit of relief. Little did I know that I would do more than pee. Ugh. I didn't want that to start happening. Stupid intestines and colon. I did feel better after the potty stop, but later in the run, my intestines and colon would be talking to me again.

Again, the race is much of a blur for me. I do know that I had a hard time settling into a pace where I was happy in the beginning and I even did a little run/walk during the first half. I think mentally I was trying to keep my pace down because I was worrying about going out to fast, but I think overall I just messed with myself completely. I kept on going. Running through Georgetown was fun and loud and a good pick me up for that point. Some where around the end of Haines point and heading out onto the mall, I starting feeling really gross in my stomach. Adding to the misery, my unpredictable nerve pain in my feet decided to make an appearance too. Really?!?! My feet felt like they were on FIRE and it HURT! After having some ups and downs during training with these same issues, I really did hope they would not make an appearance on race day. Not so lucky. But as I tend to do, I kept on going. I was finishing today, no-matter-what !!! Down the mall, past the Capital, back up the mall. I was struggling here. Then hey - I see Penny! She had been faithfully keeping her pace and there she was again. I was happy to find a friend in the sea of strangers. So we turn onto 14th Street and I tell her -we are beating the bridge... this is it! Thankfully, Penny had some Tylenol in her camelbak and still had some nuun water in it. I took the Tylenol and as we walked a good portion of the bridge, Penny's toes were hurting, ate some m&m's, I started to feel a little better. That bridge seemed like forever. As well as miles 22-26. The highlight of miles 22-26 was beer, candy and more beer! The hashers were handing out dixie cups of beer and several groups were handing out candy (Annapolis Striders - Thanks Ann! @brennanannie). And Penny had a twitter friend Dee (@deefsu) that was waiting for her to hand her a beer. I got to share some of that. :-) Thanks Dee. It helped! We continued past the Pentagon and I got to see another twitter friend that was cheering, it was Keith Dunn (@keithdunn) in his kilt. We were almost done. Once I saw the person with the sign that said 26 miles, I had total blinders on. I don't remember anything about the finish accept seeing some Marines as I turned the corner to start up the hill and I could hear people clapping and cheering, but I was just focused on getting to the finish line. And then it was there!

I got my medal, got my pictures, food bag and headed for a port-o-potty. Glorious!!

Official time 6:10:59 My first marathon. I think I have a 5-5:30 hour finish in me based on my training this summer. BUT - You never know what you are going to get on race day - be it weather, physical or mental issues - and with my stupid myelin damaged body, you really don't know -add a cranky digestive system and it can all go crazy.

I think once I start training again for the next triathlon and other things in 2011, I would like to pay a little more attention to nutrition and elimination issues as I go through training as I think that different eating and schedule in taper week, could have prevented the digestive issues on race day.

OVERALL I am still stoked that I finished!! Yippee!!!

Now I get to rest. Although, I feel a little lost without a training plan.

edited to add: cranky right hip wasn't an issue at all during the marathon. Left leg was a cranky one though. Compensating. Need to work on core strength and balance.

The final week.....

In today's thoughts...

1. Why do I always have to pee about 5 miles into a long run? Will I have to pee 5 miles into MCM? Will I pee on myself cause there is not a place to stop or because I don't want to stop? LOL ;-p

2. Went to a Physical Therapist last week. My right hip flexor and quad were REALLY angry last week after my wonderful last long run of 18 miles. I was a bit freaked out to say the least. He did some work on it. He is also a chiropractor, a certified Active Release Therapist and an athlete - so he gets it. He adjusted my hips too. I've never had that done - never been to a chiropractor before. Interesting. I have been on a regime of Rest/Walking/ Heating/rolling/stretching/core work/stretching/icing for the last few days. Things are less cranky. :-) I will do some light activity this week on the bike trainer and some wee little jogs. PT did not think things were so bad that I could not run. It is overuse and some imbalances in my body - which I knew I had too - stuff to work on this winter.

3. I am excited about running this thing! Wow! I am also excited about getting to meet a bunch of the people that I chat with through twitter. It will be great to put real faces and voices to this crew. I also get to meet my coach in person! It is going to be a fun weekend all around.

4. Next post will be next week after all is said and done!

Thoughts as I enter the taper zone

Wow, in less than 2 weeks I will be starting my very first marathon! It got here quick.

1. Sunday, I ran 18 miles - some of it on part of the MCM course. My coach wanted me to keep a steady pace throughout the run. It is something that I have struggled doing on my long runs. I tend to go out too fast and then fall apart. OR start out too slow and never get up to speed. This Sunday my run was awesome. I kept my pace steady for every mile - except the last when I took a minute off my pace just because I felt good. WOOT! Now I can only hope this is how I feel as I go in for the last 8 miles of the marthon and that I can continue to hold this pace for the whole race.

2. Why is it that ONLY yesterday I realized that I had a pace alert feature on my low-tech garmin? This was immensely helpful in keeping my on pace. I felt like such a dolt when I realized this alert existed. I could have used it all summer. I new it had many other features, just not this.

3. Right quad still talking to me. Lots of rolling, stretching, icing - repeating. It feels a little stiff starting out on a run, but then warms up and feels good. It is good if I keep moving around post-run, but if I sit or stand in one place for too long it gets stiff. I hope it sorts itself out by race day or at least performs as well as it did yesterday for 18 miles.

4. I miss Orangina, my bike. She looks so sad. We haven't been on a ride together since my last triathlon race on September 26th. :-( We are schedule for a ride the first weekend of November up in Gettysburg, PA. This will be a good part of marathon recovery.

5. I am still nervous about Oct 31, but I feel more ready since Sunday's good run.

17 Days.....

I am almost to my taper time. I have an 18 miler this Sunday and then it will be the taper coasting to the Oct 31. My goals for my runs over this week and going into race day is working on steady consistency in pace and NOT going out too fast. Starting slow and ramping up into the groove.
I have been nursing some quad and hip pain on the right side since the half marathon run a couple weeks ago. I also thought I had a kidney issue going on - turned out to be a muscle that was acting out. I am now feeling much better. Last night I ran a little more than 5 miles. It was to be an easy run. After running nearly mile with no socks to the run store (forgot to pack socks!), and then getting going I was feeling good. I could have kept running, but I am sticking to the coach's plan, that is why I have him.

Work is busy still and my world has been eaten alive by marathon training. Looking forward to race day and November being a more relaxing month.

I was so inspired watching Kona Ironman last Saturday. Not signing up for any ironman or half ironman at this point, but a 70.3 is on my list of things to do - just not sure when yet.


Enjoy your training and your racing!

Relay Race Report - Half Full Triathlon

First let me say that this was the best run event ever! Kudos to the Ulman Cancer Fund for their inaugural event in Columbia, MD.

I participated in relay match and got matched with two other women (Yvette and Theresa)- one local and one further south in VA. We met up at packet pick up on Saturday. We spanned the age groups -20's, 30's and 40's. We coordinated our Sunday morning meet up time and we were off.

Sunday morning came early. I was up at 4:30 am so I could get the dog walked, get dressed and be in transition between 5:30 - 6 am. It was chilly! I had on my CW-X summer weight running tights, run shirt, and then a jacket and sweat pants. I had a long day ahead of me. I met up with my relay team. We all got our body markings, discussed the chip hand off, and then it was time to hang out until the race start. They had area next to transition for relay teammates to put chairs and stuff to hang out. Before the race we were down at the Team Fight tent hanging out as our swimmer is a member of Team Fight (an Ulman Cancer Fund team). I even met Doug Ulman at one point in the day. Nice guy.

Finally, it was time to get the show on the road. I found 2 of the 3 guys that I knew were racing and wished them good luck. And watched all the swimmers get on their way. This race did the swim start as a time trial start, so the people in each wave entered the water two at a time and started their swim. Everyone seemed to liked this very much. While our swimmer, Yvette, was swimming, Theresa and I headed up to transition. She prepped and waited. And I hung out at off the side to cheer the timing chip hand off and Theresa out onto the bike course. The relay wave was one of the last waves to go off - so it seemed like forever when all the individual athletes are coming to T1 and taking off. In reality it wasn't really all that long, but patiently waiting hasn't necessarily been one of my strong traits. Yvette comes in, takes off the chip, Theresa puts it on and she is running with her bike out of transition. Okay NOW the real waiting starts. 56 miles......with HILLS.... I felt bad for Theresa as she had not had the opportunity to ride this course prior to the race. While she was out cycling, Yvette and I hung out at the Team Fight tent. Yvette had to leave for a family event, then I finally went up to hang out in the "relay lounge" in my chair.

I had worried about nutrition for this event. Since I would be up and out the door early and then waiting a long time until I ran. I ended up doing okay I think. I had a pb&j and banana in the morning along with my joint juice (it is helping my old joints) and some coffee. During the wait period I had another banana and a cliff bar. And about 30 minutes before Theresa came in on the bike I had another banana. I drank water all morning and pee'd about a 1000 times it seemed before I ran.

So 4 hours passed and Theresa was in yet. I was starting to get worried. She had an injured calf which is why she was not running and then I knew those hills were tough. I heard from one of the race coordinators that there were some people getting picked up on the course and that there were some women who were walking up the hills. oh no. The bike course was to close at 1:30. We were inching closer to 1 pm. I needed to get a long run in today whether or not it was a part of this race and I was hoping since I had been here all day that it would be at the race! I was so happy to see Theresa coming up the hill into transition! Yes, she made it in. And no she was not one of those women walking up the hills. I high-fived her and put on the timing chip and headed out to the run. It was just after 1 pm.

I have been working on my run form and at the same time trying to just let myself run without stressing about every little thing and looking at my pace all the time. So while I had the garmin on, I tried not to look at it while I was running. I just tried to find the pace that felt good. The run course was great. It did have hills that were tough, but I powered through them. For the first half (and first loop) I did have others around me. I had one guy run with me as I was keeping him going since I was fresh and he was wearing down as he was doing the whole race. I ran into Roy, one of the guys from my tri-club. He was walking and didn't have much further to go, so I egged him into running with me until we split - him to the finish and me off to the second loop. That worked well. I was on my own then at that point which was approximately 7 miles. I just kept going. I was feeling really good. The hill going up around mile 11 is when I started poking a bit. My knees were starting to ache. I just kept going. I wasn't going to walk. I knew I could do this and finish strong. The volunteers were still out there and the aid stations still well stocked. It was great as I knew I was one of the last people out on the course. As I came into the finish area, it was a bit quiet as there weren't many people left. There were a few people cheering and Theresa my from my relay team was there waiting for me to come in. I was done! My knees were talking, but I was done. 2:37:21. A new PR for pokey me on the half marathon - and I love that it was on a hilly course AND I stopped to pee at 3.2 miles where there was a port o john at the aid station. Did I mention I was well hyrdated? ;-p

I got my finisher shirt and medal and went to the food tent. YES while there were only a handful of people still out on the course they still had space blankets, shirts, medals, and food and PLENTY of it. I could have had a free beer, but I knew that would not have been good at that point. I tried to eat the banana and part of the chipotle burrito that they handed me, but I couldn't. I was just tired. I did drink part of a coke.

I waited around at the finish to see the very last person come in. Thankfully, she also had some family and/or teammates waiting for her too. That is a lonely spot to be in.

Nice race. I am glad that I decided to do the relay match even with up early and wait around part. Having a good half marathon run before the Marine Corps Marathon is good too. Now, let's hope my knees hold out for the next few weeks.

Naylors Beach Triathlon Race Report

I signed up for the Olympic distance event for this race put on by Richmond Mutisport in Virgina. These people put on a great event and a GREEN event. Well done!!

Now as you all know I have been training for the Marine Corp Marathon and pretty much that has been my focus since the beginning of July. There have been some swims and some cycling during these past months, but the focus has been more on running. Going into this event I was not sure how I would do, especially since I haven't been in the pool in a few weeks.

Saturday, I drove down to Tappahannock and Warsaw VA from my suburban Maryland location. Amazingly I didn't hit any traffic on I-95 South - that never happens. I went to Naylors Beach campground (start/finish area) to pick up my packet and attend the race briefing. The race organizers were placing the buoys for the swim in the river while I was there. They looked FAR away. "gulp". The river looked like it was really moving too. "double gulp". At the race briefing, the race director tells us that the tide will be going out during the olympic distance waves and should be flat for the sprint distance. Okay. Tide going out, helpful ? maybe?

After the briefing I headed over to my hotel. Checked in. Go to room. Someone else has already occupied this room. Go back to the front desk. She tells me, "Uh oh! This can't be. We are fully booked! I am going to have to call corporate." I am thinking - YOU WILL FIND ME A ROOM HERE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE - and before I have to get uncharacteristically nasty - she flips through some papers and realizes I am to be in room 103 not the 303 she gave me. Whew! After that, I grabbed some dinner and then did some reading and tv watching before calling it a night.

This was a race with reasonable start times. Compared to races in Wash DC, which have really early times. Transition opened at 7 and my wave start was 9:10 am. I got up, dressed, ate some food and headed over to the course. Since this was a small race, I easily found all my Ancient Mariner (my Master's swim team) friends that were also racing. We had people in all the categories - both the olympic and sprint tris, the duathlon, and the aquabike, and the swim -run (I don't know what that is called). This event definitely had something for everyone. I set up my transition, hit the bathroom, donned my wetsuit and went to play in the water. All morning I debated the wetsuit. It was a wetsuit legal event, but the water was comfortable without a wetsuit. The air was in the mid-70's at start time. I ended up wearing it.

SWIM - The swim was in the Rapphannock River. This is a swift moving river and it is a tidal river. Tide was to be going out with our start. It was an in water start and we could stand were we started. The course was set that you went out on a diagonal to the first turn buoy then straight down the river to the next turn buoy and then back into shore. The first two waves went. Then my wave went. I am swimming and swimming. I am feeling constricted and tired and can't catch my breath. The first turn buoy doesn't look like it is getting any closer. I freak momentarily and call a kayaker over. I hang on for a bit. I consider get out. I am thinking "Why in the hell am I doing this?" The kayaker tells me, "you have gone quite a bit. You can do it." I catch my breath and thank her and start swimming again. The tide/current pulling me and everyone else off course. FINALLY I get to the first turn buoy. I get around that and I am just wiped out. UGH, I still have quite a bit of swimming to do. There is a kayak nearby I hang on his tip for a minute. Again considering getting pulled out of the water. WHY DOES THE MIND DO THIS - WHY DO WE GO THERE? The kayak guy says something encouraging and I head out again. With the help of the tide/current I make it fairly easily to the next turn buoy. Then it gets really fun..... NOT . This was the hardest part of the swim. I was right at the yellow turn buoy when I turned and I am swimming and sighting and all of a sudden the red marker buoy is way off to my left. The tide/current is pulling me and many others way off course. I felt like I was swimming in place and not getting any closer to the shore line. I was so happy when I could finally touch ground as that meant I was closer to shore. I swim and walk in to the shoreline. I am beat up at this point. I climb up the berm as I am taking off my wet suit and head into transition. 37:16 for 1500 meters. I bet I swam more than 1500 meters with all of the off course business that happened.

T1: 3:30 - I walked to my bike. I was wiped out from the swim. There were hardly any other bikes left in transition for the olympic distance. I was thinking negative thoughts - like YOU REALLY SUCKED ON THAT SWIM MICHELLE. Helpful, I know. I got the rest of my wetsuit off, tried to get the dirt and crap off my feet - I did put socks on - can't go without -then shoes, got my helmet and glasses, grabbed my gels and gloves and I was out. I was lucky my rack spot was right next to the bike/run out.

BIKE - I was still a little shaky from the swim. I drank some nuun water and just pedaled. I grabbed a gel and proceeded to eat that and goo it all over my left hand, handle bar. Yuck what a sticky mess for the rest of the ride. LOL . Pure talent that is me. While it had been a bit cloudy in the morning, then sun was starting to break through and a lovely breeze (NOT) had started up. First turn and I am heading into the wind. GREAT, first the tide now the wind. But I just barrelled through. I had been warned about a couple steep hills on this course, and there was one that was steep and one that was a long, slow climb - nice rollers for the most part. I was able to pass a few folks so that made me feel a little better after the crappy swim. I needed anything I could get. Edited to add for Tri Diesel's benefit - I had a burp with substance while on the last part of the bike. It hought I was just going to burp, but there was more to it. Blah! It was gross. I was rinsing my mouth out with my nuun water spitting on myself and on the road and trying to keep up the pace. Towards the end of the course the olympic distance merged with the sprint. Those sprint distance folks looked so fresh. (The sprint waves started an hour after the last olympic wave). As you came into the dismount area you hit a road with speed bumps. LOL I started prepping my legs for the run by standing up and going over the speed bumps. I dismount in my normal awkard and slow manner and trot into transition. 1:28:43 - 26 miles. I will take it.

T2 - 2:18 Legs are feeling tired by not totally trashed. I really need tri-specific cycling shoes for these events. I fumbled trying to get my shoes off and I need to put zip ties on my running shoes. Then this would be faster. I grab some honey stingers and pour some water over my stinky gel hand and head off.

Run - The sun was out fully now and it was heating up. So much for the forecast of 69 as the high. It was warmer than that when the race started. Legs are feeling okay, but I am having trouble getting any kind of speed going. I just feel tired. I proceed to run/walk the whole 6.2 miles. At one point, I misstepped off the road and roll my right ankle. (Now I have rolled both ankles in one month). I cuss, rub my ankle, spit on my left knee that is bleeding now and get back going. I walk for a bit then start up my shuffle. You would think with all the running that I have been doing this would be better. NOT SO MUCH. I wasn't the last person on the course, but I was close. 10k - 1:21:34 pitiful

My Official finish time 3:33:20 This is not pretty.

Overall women's olympic distance winner's time - 2:32:59. How awesome is that and she was 16th overall!! Even more wonderful - she was in my age group (45-49). She BEAT many people much younger. And due to her amazing performance, that left myself and one other person for the age group awards. So even with my not so stellar performance I GOT FIRST IN MY AGE GROUP. I will take it as it may never happen again. The joy of a small race. Also getting older - less women in the brackets.

Next up - 13.1 miles to run at the Half Full Triathlon. Yep - I was the bike leg (56miles), but the runner on our relay team can't run as of last week. She is able to bike or swim. Well our swimmer is unable to do 13.1 miles, so since I am in marathon training and this should be something I can do - I am now running. I am not totally unhappy with this switch as MCM is only 33 days away. I need to be running.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
Happy Training and Racing