The Final Days...

Yesterday morning, I completed my last run with the group for the training season. Mary, Nancy, and I set out for an easy 7 mile run and we were done before sunrise. It is still slightly surreal that the days and weeks have lead me to the final week before the marathon. I have juggled training, injuries, work, family responsibilities, and travel to accomplish the commitment required to train for a marathon. I couldn't have been in better company with those that I trained with, along with the support I received from my family and closest of friends. This weekend has been busy, but I spent most of the morning organizing the paperwork I need to bring to D.C. Flight information, hotel and expo directions, and registration confirmation forms are all included, just to name a few. I have my "Bring to D.C." list on the fridge and I am adding more to the list each day. My running coach suggested that I pack everything on a carry-on bag...this will avoid the baggage fee at the airport and ensure that my luggage won't get lost! The last thing I need is to lose my running shoes! I will be very strict with my diet this week. I will completely avoid refined sugar, increase my hydration, and stock up on Vitamin C. Of all weeks, my husband is getting sick with a respiratory cold. He will be sleeping in our spare room and staying AWAY from spreading his germs as much as possible. This week will be very little exercise. I will do TRX on Monday and Wednesday and will run a few miles on Tuesday. Wednesday will be my last day of exercise this week. We fly into D.C. on Friday the 29th. I am looking forward to the sight-seeing in D.C., all the while, taking care of my legs and making sure I'm not on my feet too much before the race. Stay tuned for more updates this week as I prepare for the big day on Sunday!

All in Good Company

With the last long run behind me, today Leah and I set out for a 7 mile run. At 6am, the temperature was a brisk 55 degrees. Within the first mile, our body heat had warmed up and we were running in perfect running temperature. We enjoy our runs so much. It's a chance to catch up on the weeks activity and chat about the plans for the weekend. After our run, we headed to the YMCA for the 8:30am TRX class. Our morning was certainly productive, to say the least! All the while we were running 7, our running coach was in Iowa running her 78th marathon in her 50th state!!! That's right, Mary started running 11 years ago and she has managed to run 78 marathons. Her goal is to run 100 marathons by the time she is 65. She is truly an inspiration. I have one more week of my usual activity before I have to really taper my physical activity. I got my last pre-marathon massage yesterday and plan to do HOT yoga tomorrow for some deep stretching. Next week will include the usual running, TRX, and personal training. I really have to listen to my body and make sure I get plenty of sleep. In fact, today I crashed for over an hour. I need to be super charged on sleep for the big day. I'm really concentrating on my hydration and nutrition these next 2 weeks. Each and every day leading up to the marathon are critical. Mary shared 26 marathon tips on her weekly email this week that I think are helpful. I have printed them out and plan to refer to them for reminders! 1. It's better to be 10% under trained than 1% over trained. 2. Remember that nutrition is not just important the day of the race. Be sure to drink plenty of water and eat balanced meals several days leading up to the race so your body is well nourished. 3. Trim your toenails at least two days before your race. 4. Trust your training and go with what the day gives you. Be flexible enough to make adjustments during the race and don't be afraid to have multiple goals going into it. Start conservative and hopefully game plan A will take full effect!! 5. Get a really good nights rest two nights before. It's much more important than the night before the big day. 6. Have a dress rehearsal of what you want to wear head to toe for the race. This includes laying out all items you will need or be taking with you for the race. Always include a cold or hot option so you can adjust depending on the race day weather. Pack one of every type of gear... no matter what the weather is SUPPOSED to be. 7. A huge need is BODY GLIDE and SOCKS. 8. Don't try anything new on race day. 9. Wear compression to avoid chafing. 10.Always go to the bathroom AT LEAST twice before the race, even if you don't think you need to go. 11. Take a Pepto-Bismol tablet before the race begins. It will settle a nervous stomach and help you avoid those "long stops" in the porta-potties. 12. Use a plastic bag, or throw away shirt at the start of the race instead of overdressing. 13. Remember a 1% decrease in hydration results in a 2% decrease in performance... Training for a 5k is a hobby. Training for a marathon is a lifestyle. 14. Wear your name on your shirt if it's not on your race number so spectators can cheer for you! 15. Don't go out faster than you trained, start slow and relaxed. Use the hydration/nutrition products you trained with. 16. Think of your race in pieces, run aid station to aid station. Mentally it is easier to do 2 miles than the full distance. 17. If doing the full, don't get sucked in to the half marathoner's pace when they are nearing their finish. Remember that they are finishing and you still have 13 miles to go! Also just watch your pace overall. Use that race day adrenaline but in an endurance pick me up way, not an excited sprint the first 3 miles way. 18. Walk through the aid stations. It's better to get a good drink. You'll lose more time if you get dehydrated than by walking a couple of minutes. 19. Take the electrolyte drinks whenever you can and water at every stop, don't wait until you need them. 20. Squeeze the cup! So you can drink out the little V opening. If you do choose to jog through, it will minimize what you spill on yourself. Practicing this technique could be beneficial if you are really trying for a good PR. 21. In the later miles make sure your arms are swinging forward and back, not side to side. 22. If you're going to make a mistake in a marathon, make it late! Too many runners run themselves out of races in the beginning. Save your bad (or brave) ideas for the last half. 23. When its late in the race, and you're hitting the wall...just keep taking steps. The miles run themselves. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other, and you'll get there. It may seem like you're so far away from finishing, but you just have to keep taking steps. 24. Have fun! The marathon is an incredible feat. It's a shame to finish something so incredible and feel anything less than the kind of joy that brings tears to your eyes. If you can't have fun, it's not worth it. AND try to smile, it helps to relax your muscles which will leave you feeling better running, and you look good for the photographers along the course! 25. To aid in recovery, walk a little after you finish, hydrate, and eat a carbohydrate/protein snack. Compression sleeves are great to wear afterwards, especially if you are going to be driving a long way. Take plenty of easy rest days and take pride in your accomplishment! 26. Learn a lesson from every race. 14 days and counting until race day!!!

Week 23 - The Last Long Run

After all these weeks of training, today was the last long run before the marathon. The month of October has been surreal for me. All year I have been training for this month. I've battled 4 injuries since January, experimented with different nutritional supplements, introduced new cross-training, decreased and increased my run days during the week, and even hired a personal trainer. All year, I have been working towards getting myself strong enough to withstand the demands of distance running. I am proud to say that I completed 18 miles today and never have felt stronger. I remember when I ran 15 miles for the first time. And then I ran 19 miles. And then I did a 26 mile split weekend, 13 on Saturday and 13 on Sunday. I kept waiting and waiting to really feel like I could beat this thing called running. Today, I felt like I beat it. We set out this morning at 6am. Some of us were planned to run 9 miles and others started at 4am and did 26! I couldn't have been happier that one of my running coaches, Nancy, was able to run this morning. She suffered from a foot injury about 3 weeks ago and hasn't been able to run since. But she was there this morning, along with my other coach, Mary. I knew in advance that Mary and Nancy would do 9 miles today. I had planned to run the remaining miles with Karen. However, Karen had to leave after only a couple miles. Nancy, Mary, and I set out for the 9 and it was smooth sailing (or running, I suppose). On the way back over Ringling Bridge, I told Mary and Nancy bye and did a lap in Bird Key to begin my remaining 9 miles. Mary and Nancy continued on to their cars and headed to the usual meeting place, Starbucks. As I began my first mile on my own I turned on my iPod and enjoyed just being with me. When I first started running I couldn't have dreamed of running 9 miles by myself. But now, it is almost therapeutic to have some time on my own. I either get lost in whatever song is playing or I get lost in my thoughts. I started to think about how we will be leaving for D.C. in 3 weeks. I'm so excited that Mike and Jason will be seeing me cross the finish line. Mike has seen me finish in 1 of the 4 half-marathons I have done, but Jason has never. I started to think about Jason. I thought about how much he motivates me. For most people I would think that the children look up to their parents for motivation. And that is true with me, my parents have given me endless motivation to follow my dreams. But at the same time, my son has been the driving force of MY motivation since his first day in existence in this world. It is because of him that I strive to be better. My quest to complete this marathon has become a self-discovery. Only in the last 2 years have I taken this interest in ME. Prior to Mike's "great idea" to sign us up for a membership at the YMCA, I had done ZERO in terms of fitness. Working full-time, school full-time, and mommy-hood full-time was on the priority list. But a series of events occurred, along with reading a few books, and I began to change what I was eating, drinking, doing, and thinking. I still remember when I told Mike my crazy idea to train for a marathon. I turned 30 last year and started a bucketlist. I told him by the time I'm 31, I want to run a marathon. He had his doubts at first, which was the reason I decided to do it! I am so glad that I did. The Jennifer I used to be wouldn't recognize me now. So, as I was running today I was thinking about this road I've been on this year. The tears were falling down my cheeks and I told myself not to get all emotional, I still had 9 more miles to run! I am so grateful for the family and friends that I have. There is a select group of people that have really touched my life this year. You know who you are. I could not have done this without you. On my last 2 miles, I ran into Stephanie's pace group. Steph saw that I was running by myself and she stayed with me. We ran the last 2 miles together. It was great. I just can't describe the camaraderie between runners, especially between Stephanie and I. She's the one who originally encouraged me to train and complete a marathon. And I'm so glad that I did. This experience has changed my life. I'm proud that I have successfully completed the hardest part of marathon training. The next 2 weeks will be taper runs and nothing I can't handle. And from a distance, I can already see that finish line.

Scratch That!

This morning brought some frustrating news...after I managed to pull myself out of bed and head to the YMCA for the High Intensity Training class, I learned that it was cancelled. Apparently, not enough people signed up for the class. I was very frustrated since I was looking forward to it, but figure that everything happens for a reason. I was hesitant at first to sign up for the class just because I didn't want to over-extend myself in new exercises that could lead to a potential injury. I also seriously contemplated the fact that the series was $80 in addition to my monthly membership fee. But, in an effort to increase my stamina, I agreed to do the class and showed up this morning with high hopes. Since I was already dressed and ready for the workout, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill followed by TRX class. I had a great workout this morning despite the change of plans. Looking forward to a great week. The weather is really pleasant the last few days and it makes my run so much more enjoyable. Hoping to squeeze in a personal training session this week, if possible. Stay tuned this week for a post on a "Day in the Life" for nutritional and supplement information on my current regime.

Change of Plans

This morning was a scheduled 8 mile run, however I was unable to make it. When I woke up this morning I had severe stomach cramps (for reasons not needed to be discussed) and instead of reaching for my running shoes, I had to reach for the heating pad. I was paralyzed from the pain and still tried to convince myself to get up and get dressed. Unfortunately, I was unable and forced to listen to my body. My husband woke up to my agonizing pain and helped me get comfortable. I text messaged Leah and told her I didn't think I could make it this morning. I was able to find some relief from the heating pad and as the cramps subsided, I was able to sleep. When I woke up a couple hours later, I was feeling much better. I did some housework and went out for a 5K run in my neighborhood. Since my body was still slightly weak, I didn't push myself on the miles. But I had to do something since my day was completely thrown off by missing the run with the group. The upcoming week calls for intense training. I will be adding a 4th day of TRX this week. Leah is coming tomorrow for her introduction to TRX....I'm hoping she will like it as much as I do! It's actually a TRX/spin class. I'm also beginning a 4 week specialized class at the YMCA with my trainer. It will be 2 days a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6am. I will continue to do TRX on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as well. And somehow, manage to fit some runs during the week as well. It will be busy, but it is marathon month! October will be intense training as I prepare for the race on the 31st. Stay tuned for updates on the new class!