Twiddling my thumbs in boredom-ville.

This taking time off from running is tough! We finally have some awesome cool weather and I'm being a couch potato. Actually, I'm getting alot of stuff done around my house and have had two great massages. My leg/calf/hip/knee/IT band no longer hurt when I walk. I'll start cross-training on Monday and will try a short run or two by next weekend. Got to break in my new shoes sometime!

My friend and fellow running coach Dave pointed out that because the Chicago course was so flat and there wasn't much change in the terrain, I used the same muscles the entire run instead of engaging other muscles like you would on a hilly course, and that might be a really valid reason why my recovery was difficult this time. Then again, Dave ran Chicago and then two weeks later ran Marine Corps, so his sanity is questionable...

During my downtime, I thought it would be funny to dress my cat Millie in a Halloween costume. She didn't think it was so funny...



*** HAPPY HALLOWEEN ***

The art of recovery.

First of all, CONGRATS to some of my readers who ran the Houston Half this morning:

Jenny Shenny (one of my very best friends, who is truly an inspiration, and funny as hell)
Jamoosh (who was looking strong and focused)
Neeraj (who I completely missed on the course, probably because he ran so fast he was blurry)
Evan (who I FINALLY got to meet in person!)
Karen (who is back from Abu Dhabi, for a while)
Bob (who was surrounded by ladies and having a great time)
Pattie (who wasn't feeling well but persevered)
Dennis (who has like 17 jobs, so I'm not sure he reads this anymore)
Doug (who looked like he was having a solid run)
Felix (who is a stud runner period. I hope he reads my blog, maybe??)

I really enjoyed cheering everyone on! At first it was tough to be on the sidelines, but then I realized what a great experience watching a race is. I was filled with a sense of pride, not only for my friends and running buddies, but for everyone who made the decision and commitment to run. As I watched runners in all shapes, sizes, ages and speeds pass me, I wondered what motivated each one and what their stories were. I'm sure there were some of the following:

• first timers
• those trying to lose weight
• those who have lost alot of weight
• those who just had a baby, or are expecting and don't know it yet
• those who are recovering alcohlics/drug users
• those who were running with a hangover
• those who are smokers or those trying to or have quit
• those who have no support from family or friends (this breaks my heart)
• those who had every member of their family cheering them on
• those who are new grandparents
• those who just lost a loved one
• those who have recovered from a serious injury
• those who have cancer or are survivors
• those who are getting married
• those who are getting divorced
• those who lost their job
• those who landed the job of their dreams
• those who are physically/mentally abused, or are doing the abusing
• those who have murdered someone and dumped them in the woods

I didn't say that all of my thoughts made the sense, but it really does make you wonder who is out there and what their stories are. Absolutely fascinating to me.

Marathon recovery: I will admit, running as well as I did in Chicago made me feel invincible. That's probably why I did not use any sense whatsoever in my post-marathon recovery, and now I'm paying the price. Truth is, I'm just a pretty decent runner who had a really great marathon, nothing more, nothing less. If I had had my wits about me, I would never have attempted the 8 mile run I did last week and the 12 mile run I did yesterday, especially given the cramping I experienced during the marathon and the long time it took for soreness to subside.

When I ran 8 miles last week, I was sore, but I chalked it up to lingering aches from the race and thought that I just needed to warm up my muscles and get them going again. I don't think there is anything wrong with that plan, maybe I should have just done 6 miles, but what I did and did not do next has caused more problems than I started with.

This past week, I did nothing...no cross-training, no running. That is mostly because my grandmother passed, her funeral was Monday, I was still not feeling 100%, and I was emotional and tired. So what do I do? I decide that its okay for me to run an easy 12 miles on Saturday. Big mistake. I don't care who you are, there is nothing "easy" about 12 miles. But hey, I'm a Boston qualifier, I can do anything. Yeah, not so much. Hello reality.

The weather was nice and cold, by Houston standards, for the run on Saturday. But as soon as we started, both of my Achilles started to hurt as did my left glute. I thought I could run through it, but by the time I stopped at the rest stop around mile 6-7, the pain in those areas had not ceased or eased up. It may have been worse. However, I was determined to make it back to the start using a few shortcuts to cut my mileage. My motivation? The fact that I had not really worked out much and have been eating like a pig, and I wanted to burn as many calories as possible. Well, after the run, I was in bad shape...it hurt to walk (Achilles) and it felt like I had been shot in the butt. By the end of the day, my knee hurt, my hamstring was ridiculously tight, and my IT band was bothering me. Fabulous. Because I ran hurt, I ended up injuring other areas of my leg, most likely because I was compensating for what hurt during my run.

I immediately decided that I would take two solid weeks off of running. It is not worth aggravating nagging injuries and/or injuring myself further. I have too much to look forward to. I'm mad at myself, because really, I knew better. I'm experienced enough to know that for me, I need a really solid recovery period after a marathon. But now I will use the elliptical, get massage therapy, and am entertaining some physical therapy. My biggest fears are Achilles tendonitis and a prolonged IT band problem. I hope its not too late to play it safe and smart...

Moral of the story: Do as I say, not as I do...

Oh yeah... How about those AGGIES!!!! WHOOP!!!!! Last time we beat Tech in Lubbock, I was a senior in College. Trust me, that was quite a while ago. And for the record, we didn't just beat Tech, we kicked their asses.

Post-marathon blues...

Ugh. I hate post-marathon depression and utter lack of motivation. No matter how well I do in a marathon, I always feel a bit of a let-down once the event I trained so hard for is over. Yes, I still have Houston and Boston to look forward to, and I'm sure I will snap out of this rut soon, but motivation is hard to come by this week. One reason for that is my wonderful grandmother, Mom C, passed away last Friday, and her funeral was Monday. I will post a tribute to her when I get some more time and I'm not so easily overcome with emotion...the floodgates opened wide this week...we were very close.

And, why is it than when a marathon is over and I cut back my miles for recovery, I still eat like I'm in serious training mode??

Running update: I ran a recovery 8 miles with my group on Saturday, and it was a very nice run with some cooler temps. I was still sore in many places, and the run helped me identify what hurt and if I should be concerned about anything. No to the latter, and I'm just fine now...all recovered! I plan to run about 11-12 miles in the morning with our runners training for the San Antonio Marathon, as tomorrow is their big 21 miler! Then on Sunday morning, I will be out to cheer on my friends running the Koala/Luke's Houston Half. Wish I was running it, but I know myself...I would not be able to just take it easy out there while I'm still recovering a bit. Plus, there are hills and its a dreaded three loop course. Blah.

Hey Jamoosh! Your wall of fame definitely needs the 26.2 Princess. Just sayin' (or shamelessly plugging).

Picture of the day:

My Chicago Marathon report...

(Warning - This is long. Clif Notes version here.)

The Wednesday and Thursday before Chicago, I was sick. Stay at home and sleep all day kind of sick. I was very upset and started taking every allergy/cold/flu over-the-counter pill, inhaler, expectorant, etc. that I could get my hands on. The last thing a runner wants is to get sick days before the marathon. So with a congested head, sore throat and gross cough, I boarded the plane to Chicago on Friday. My plan was to get in, go to bed, get up, eat pasta, go to bed, and hit the expo on Saturday morning, then spend the day back in bed. Hahahahaha...

Friday:
It was 44 degrees and raining when we landed. I hopped on one of those downtown hotel shuttles, and proceeded to sit in a van, in traffic, with the heat on full, for about 1.5 hours. The van driver dropped me off at the wrong hotel ("its just around the corner," no, it was two blocks away), and when I finally made it to the hotel and got checked-in, I decided it was time to hit the drugstore to replenish all of my medications and syrups. I eventually found a Walgreens, got my stuff, and was overwhelmed with the need and desire to get cheese popcorn from Garrett's. I walked several blocks in the rain and cold to get this delicious goodness. It was indeed worth it. I was happy.

I took my medicine and decided to unpack before I went on my search for spaghetti. As I was laying everything out, I realized to my horror that I forgot to bring my beloved running skirt! At this point, I did not know if I would wear just the skirt or some running pants on marathon day, so the skirt was essential (I always wear something over running pants anyway). I was so mad, so tired, that I started to cry. I went back outside and walked a couple of blocks to Niketown, which was a zoo. I found a skirt, but it was a size too big. I bought it anyway, thinking I would just pin it at the waist. Which required me to go back to Walgreens for large safety pins. Anyway, outside of Niketown, they had on the wall the names of every runner for the marathon (stupid cell phone camera blurriness):



Running skirt in hand, I headed back to the hotel and got my pasta, and a glass of wine, which was much needed, though I don't usually drink 48-72 hours before a marathon. At some point during my meal, I decided I was not happy with the larger skirt, so yes, I headed back out, this time to Nordstrom's. They have Nike stuff there, and by sheer luck, I found the skirt in the size I needed!! I also found a really awesome green coat. I was happy again...

Saturday:
I literally shot out of bed when my alarm went off at 7:30...I thought it was Sunday and that I was late for the race. That'll wake you up really fast! I felt a little better, and the rain was gone. I headed for the expo. Since I got there when it first opened, there weren't huge crowds, so I can say that the expo was nice and big and easy to get around, but, meh, it wasn't anything to get excited about. I browsed some of the booths, but really just wanted to get my bib and chip and tyvek for in the morning. But, something caught my eye...


Its like a sign from above!!!

And then it was nappy time. Ahhh...

Saturday evening I headed to CPK for some thin crust BBQ chicken pizza. I like to eat pizza the night before the marathon, and I had this pizza before my 21 miler, which ended up being a really good run, so my superstitious self decided this was the only option. It hit the spot. I set three alarms for in the morning, cleared my mind of any race plans, hopes, dreams, and got a very sound night's sleep.

Sunday, Marathon day:
When I woke up, first thing I did was check the weather channel. This was it...the weather was going to determine my plan. It was calm and 31 degrees. OMG, I have just been handed the best gift. It was then that I knew I could very possibly and realistically qualify for Boston today. I wore capri running pants, my skirt, a jog bra, and a long sleeve top for the run. I put on tyvek pants and a $3 sweatshirt from Walgreens to toss before the race started. I was feeling as good as I could have hoped, with just a slight cough and some runny nose issues. I walked the mile or so to the starting area, checked in my bag, and headed to my start corral. Luckily, my finish in Houston this year qualified me for one of the start corrals (C). (I've decided that qualifying for a start corral is the only way to go, and once you do, you don't want to go back...sort of like flying first class...). Anyway, I gathered with the 3:40 pace group. I needed a 3:45 to BQ, but something told me to run with the 3:40s, which would give me some room if I fell back. We are trained to not go out fast, but at this point, I was either going to qualify or I was going to be carried off the course on a stretcher...that is how hard I was planning to push myself. And, I had no idea if the pacers were going to be accurate...everyone knows that those in Houston are definitely not, so my trust in pacers was no where near 100%.

And we were off. The first several miles were uneventful, except for the near trampling a couple of people around me almost experienced. Man, it was tight and merciless in the 3:40 group. I knew people meant business. The route took us north near the lake and through the zoo area. Then we headed back south for miles 8-12, and this is where my first doubts crept into my mind. I was starting to stuggle, all mentally, and for about 30 seconds, I considered quitting, thinking that I was sick and emotional and running this fast and hard was not a good idea and that I was going to fail myself and my family if I had a crappy run. Obviously, I rallied, and I finished the first half in 1:49:58. By far the fasted I have run a half, and I was three minutes ahead of where I needed to be to finish in 3:45. Okay, a very little bit of breathing room. I was feeling better.

Miles 13-19 or so took us through some neighborhoods, I think. In all honesty, I was so focused on my running, listening to my body, making minor adjustments, and planning the next mile that I hardly looked at my surroundings during the entire race. Its like my head and neck didn't want to move from side to side. I kept my eyes straight ahead, always making sure I had the pacers in my sight. It was around this time that I wanted to quit again, and then changed my mind again. Mile 19 in Houston is the start of a very long and "hilly" path to the finish, and I always dread it. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not Houston, and I had no reason to fear the last part of the race. I think that helped me work through any "wall" issues that might have briefly flared up.

Miles 20-24 were crucial for me. I knew that to finish in 3:45, I needed to reach mile 21 by 3 hours. I reached it just under. I tried to do some 5.2 mile calculations, but it was useless. My mind was blank by then. But I did manage to figure out that I needed to maintain around a 9 minute pace to qualify. It was then that I knew I would, because I hadn't been running anywhere near 9 minutes all day, and if I could just keep it up for five more miles, five measly miles, I would be golden. I was starting to get excited and realize just what a day I was having.

Then came mile 24... I started to experience cramping in my calves that I have never experienced before. My toes curled, my feet arched, and a couple of steps made me feel like I was going to fall. I had visions of this, seriously. I thought this was how I was going to end my race. Not good. I wasn't sure what to do since I've never cramped like that before. I was taking my Endurolytes and Gu regularly throughout the race, and I was walking and fueling with water and Gatorade at every other water stop. I really thought at this point, qualifying or even finishing with a PR was going to be a serious challenge for me physically. For the first time, it wasn't something mental that was going to make or break a run. I was in some serious pain. I didn't want to stop and stretch, not knowing exactly how much of a time buffer I had, so I thought that lengthening my stride and focusing on really hitting with the heel of my foot and running through to my toes would provide the stretch I needed. It seemed to work and I managed to keep my pace and keep those pacers within my sight. Though the cramping wasn't completely gone, something worked to keep it at bay. Whew...

Chicago did a great thing by identifying the 25.2 mark. It was then that I really knew without any doubt that I would BQ. With one mile left, I had about 13-14 minutes to cover it...I could walk that, but definitely didn't want to. It was the longest mile I've ever run. I chanted to myself "you can do anything for 9 minutes, less than 9 minutes." I had never been so happy to see the 26 mile mark, which seemed like it would never come. We turned a corner, and there was the finish line. I could not believe it.

3:40:30

When I crossed the line and saw 3:43 on the clock (I was 3 minutes behind gun time) and I stopped my watch and saw 3:40, well, I've never felt anything like that before. It was truly an emotional moment. I was crying a little, trying to stretch a little and most of all, I just wanted my phone so I could call family and friends. I was ridiculously sore and exhausted and was determined to keep walking forward or someone would have hauled me to a medical tent. I don't remember much about this time except that everything changed for me once I crossed the finish line. I was no longer someone dreaming about going to Boston, I was definitely going to Boston. Its a feeling I won't soon forget or shake.

The aftermath:
A few days after the marathon, I'm still sore and still elated, and eating just about everything in my sight. It has been wonderful to share this experience and happiness with my friends and family. Boston is the pinnacle of my sport, and I'm going. Wow. When I started running in 2004, I never dreamed this was a remote possibility. I'm now more motivated than ever to go back to my training group and let the runners know that anything is indeed possible! I want to encourage them to work their way through negative thoughts, fears, doubts, to keep running when they are tired, to not give up, to have patience, and to aim high.

Special thanks to my "pit crew" - my family - who were with me in spirit, and to my fabulous friends Aimee and Jennifer for this wonderful surprise when I got home late Sunday night. The bottle of champagne is not in the picture because I was already drinking it...



In other news...

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY to my precious, and hilarious, nephews!! Auntie Kiki loves you guys so very much!

Lucky #9...

I write this at 4:45 am, because I can't sleep, either because I'm too excited, too tired, or most likely a combination of the two. Is it possible to be so exhausted that you can't sleep? I had a great marathon in Chicago. I could not have asked for better running weather, and I seized the opportunity. I qualified for Boston! 3:40:30 was my unofficial chip time. That is not a typo, though I am still trying to get my head around it myself. I knocked 12 minutes off my PR. Huh?? Who am I? how did this happen? I can't believe it!

Since my eyes sting, my body hurts and I am fuzzy-headed, I will recap the entire marathon in full in my next post, because it was amazing and interesting and full of new experiences. Until then, I will leave you with some random thoughts that went through my mind before and during the marathon:

• Brrr. Its cold. Perfect!
• Crap, this sweatshirt left lint on my running shirt. I wonder if that will show up in the pictures.
• Why are all of these people running before they get to the start line? They will be sorry.
• Mom C and Pop C, I'm running this for you. (My grandmother Mom C is in her last few days. I said goodbye to her on Tuesday. Damn that was hard... And Pop C passed away in May.)
• Is that the Sears Tower?
• That was a pretty decent 5k. I wonder how long I can keep this pace up.
• Those houses remind me of Europe. Oh, one is for sale! I wonder how much it is...
• I went out too fast. Crap, I'm going to catch grief for going out to fast.
• I want to quit. I can just fake an injury. I've been sick all week, my grandmother is dying and my mom is recovering from major surgery. No one will question it.
• Nah.
• Is that the Sears Tower?
• Holy crap, I just PR'd the half marathon. I'm half way done! That wasn't too bad at all.
• The Houston Marathon crowd is much louder.
• I think I can PR, even come close to BQing.
• Feeling good and strong. Keep it up!
• I want to quit.
• Nah.
• Is that the Sears Tower?
• Where the heck are we?
• Wow, I'm on pace for a BQ.
• Do I need to run an 8 or 9 minute mile pace to BQ? Ugh, I can't think!
• I hope I don't have a heart attack.
• My race pics are going to turn out awful.
• C'mon legs, don't fail me now.
• Cramps! No!! Toe-curling calf cramps! Only two miles left! NO!!
• I wonder if someone will carry me the last two miles. If so, will I still qualify?
• Heck, I'll just take a PR. These cramps are about to do me in.
• Heck no, I did not just run my ass off for 24.5 miles to not qualify now.
• I want to quit.
• NO!
• I'm never running another marathon.
• There's the 26 mile marker!!
  
• There's the finish line!!
  
• Holy crap! I qualified for Boston!! Wait, what???
• Where's the beer and bananas?

The taper demons...

You would think that after eight marathons, I would (1) anticipate the taper demons, and (2) shrug them off. But no, once I again, I put myself through the mental anguish of worrying about them. OMG, am I losing my strength and endurance by cutting back my miles? OMG, why is my knee sore? OMG, did I pull my glute muscle without knowing it? OMG, am I getting fat because I'm not running enough? OMG, how am I ever going to finish the marathon??

As marathoners know, it is very difficult to go from alot of miles per week to not so many miles per week, from speedwork to no speedwork, from double-digit mile runs to eight mile runs. Keeping yourself in the game mentally is very difficult during this time. For me, I find that by running less, my time is now spent realizing everything that I have put off for running, things that need to be done. I have to keep reminding myself that I cannot, nor do I want to, do everything right now. I need to rest and get prepared. I know I'm ready and that I'll be ready on race morning, but those damn demons keep sneaking back into my mind!

This week I plan to get in a couple of 4-6 mile easy runs, then I'm off to Chicago on Friday. Yes, I am still nervous. Yes, its still forecast to be cold. Yes, that is great news.

I keep getting asked if I'm going to try to qualify for Boston in Chicago. My goal from here on out is to do just that. There, I said it (knock on wood). I've got three solid sub-4's under my belt, so the next step is Boston or bust. It is going to be very difficult for me to run a 3:45, and next year might be my better shot since I'll be in the 3:50 qualifying time age bracket, but if I wake up on Sunday and feel a good run coming on, I will go for it. Oh hell, who am I kidding, I'm going to go for it regardless. But it hasn't escaped me that going from a 3:52 PR to a 3:45 is not an easy task at all (its not just 7 minutes, its 7 very fast minutes), and honestly, I'm quite intimidated by it. But I've trained well and feel good, so we'll see what happens...

Happy Happy Birthday to my niece, Sorennah, who turned one yesterday!! She is definitely a princess in training!