I can’t even believe it! The entertaining part was I was sitting in the free clinic as I’ve managed to get sick again and they made me wear this:
yes, apparently they thought I was contagious – could’ve been my nasty cough.
I was laughing at this piece. Then I almost started crying happy tears. I am SO FREAKIN’ THRILLED!! I am still in shock – I mean, I don’t know the odds of getting in, all I know is I’ve tried before with no luck. I’m positively over the moon. And I have this huge, gigantic urge to make the most of my training cycle so I can make this epic race even more incredible.
Oh my gosh – can you even believe it?! THIS IS HAPPENING!
Oh, and the dramatic mask? The doc did a (very quick – too quick?) listen to my lungs and they are clear. I’ve managed to catch a nasty cold. But guess what? I only partially care at this moment!
I’ve wanted to get back to running. The Turkey Trot went surprisingly well. I thought I would barely huff and puff my way through it. So, a happy girl I was, when things went smoother than my pessimistic premonition.
It’s also been a year since my last marathon. The Dopey/Disney Marathon weekend was two weekends ago and my facebook Timehop-ped me back to those days and memories. I am starting to get restless without a race on my calendar to look forward to. Trust me, this is still an odd thing for me to say considering 8 or 9 years I would have scoffed at this type of statement about running. Or any statment involving my name and running really. This is calling my name:
I love that it’s local, the weather is amazingly cool, and it’s a beautiful course. Oh! And family can come cheer me on – yay! I talked to a woman at one of my LuLaRoe pop-up boutiques this past week and she has only missed a couple of years of this race. She raved about it. Not to mention, she was very nice and told me to contact her if I had any questions regarding the race/course. I love my fellow runners!
This nailed it. I’m signing up soon. For the full 26.2. I’m a little behind in training, but seriously, when has that EVER stopped me?!
this is a dynamic example of how I like to spend my free time
Of course the lottery for the New York marathon is also currently open. Yet another marathon call! It stays open until February 17th. I put my name in the year before last, but no such luck. I’ll submit my entry soon for this one, too. I’m thinking of signing up for it on the 3rd since this is my birthday. Maybe it will be good luck?
I had visions of starting to run about a week and half ago. In my mind’s eye, I was doing a great job of getting up and being outside pronto. Mother Nature likes to mess with my brain and motivation. The scene of my small town …
this was my backyard. it makes me giddy to say “my backyard”!
The snow is finally rained out and the streets are clear enough for me to be up and off my bum. I saw a few other dedicated individuals running when there was snow/ice on the ground but grace, agility, and balance are not adjectives used to describe yours truly. Now the excuses are gone and the race is a day closer.
I haven’t thought about a training plan. My best adherence to a training plan was 87% and it was when I was part of a training group. My best training cycle when I was on my own resulted in a 68% plan follow through. I would like to do slightly better this go around. Any suggestions or “I swear by” training plans? Do you create your own or follow a more established one?
okay, I’m teasing – I really do want your advice! awesome quote though, yeah?!
I know it seems a little cliché to write my first post back in a million years on New Year’s Eve. Oh well. I’ve attempted a couple of posts in the last few days but they were all too involved. I need to split some of this business up or you would be reading for about 10 hours!
Naturally, I have no idea where to start. So, I’ll do a list. I never realized how much I love lists until I started writing this blog. Here we go:
1. I’m currently hanging out in my own place! Yay! I somehow got a sweet deal in an incredibly tough rental market in my home town. I’m not kidding – it’s nuts. Lack of availability means rent is large and in charge for so many places. Not to mention, many places are run through renting agencies which require you to make three times your rent on a monthly basis. Hahahahaha (this is a crazed laugh, can you tell??). Again, I thank my lucky stars that a) I’m persistent and b) that things worked in my favor.
2. I also got an amazing deal on a set of furniture! I love it when a plan comes together!
Simon-cat has claimed this chair for his very own. I put a blanket over it as to limit cat hair transfer. Today is the first day I’ve sat in it – no wonder he loves it!
3. My house is right next door to my dad’s house so I was able to bootleg enough internet for my LuLaRoe business but other than that, I didn’t have access for THREE WEEKS due to connectivity problems. I watched Twilight, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter over and over again.
4. LuLaRoe. Since my job search has not been fruitful, LuLaRoe is my source of income. Being my own boss and having my own business is both neato and terrifying! As a new consultant, it takes time to build a customer base, inventory, along with revamping my business plan over and over again. This results in waking up to panic attacks in the middle of the night! HOWEVER, I have already met some fun people and am looking forward to continuing this journey. Not to mention, I am enjoying this business a lot! Although a job would be helpful! Just keeping it truthful here.
in this case the stress is real!
5. More LuLaRoe. I love the clothes! My sister had to tell me “stop shopping your inventory!” Haha, seriously though, so many treasures! Not to mention, when women (those are my current customers) try the clothes on the delight in their eyes is fantastic. One woman swore off dresses many moons ago. She put on the Carly dress and LOVED it! First dress in forever and she bought it 10 minutes after trying it on and looking in the mirror. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of these moments.
6. I was doing well in the fitness realm in August, September and the first two weeks of October. I was walking about every other day and even running! My bum knee was responding in a positive way! Then life took over and my routine fell by the wayside. I will say, I ran a Turkey Trot with my sister and I was able to run a heck of a lot more of it than I thought I could. That being said, the aforementioned anxiety and work load has led to some additional weight loss while no longer sticking to the walking/running. I’ll get in the zone with LuLaRoe and forget to eat. For the record, I don’t forget to eat. Ever. I always thought this was a silly phrase and perhaps a fake phenomenon. Nope. It does happen. I’ve reached my goal weight, although I think I need to reinvigorate my walking/running since forgetting to eat isn’t the healthiest weight loss method nor one that I can count on to keep the pounds off. I mean, I’m starting to remember to eat (a positive thing for sure).
sister dear and I taking a running break for a picture!
7. Overhauling my life has been more complicated than I ever would’ve imagined. There will be posts on this all on their own. While I knew it would be a tough and interesting transition, this information was processed in the practical/logical part of my brain, rather than the emotional-feely part of the brain/heart/spiritual side. Like I said, more posts to come on this since I do enjoy processing. Also, it was ABSOLUTELY the right choice!
I love this quote
8. Happy New Year! I don’t make New Year resolutions anymore. Some of the items or goals I mentioned above are things I’ve already been working on and need to get more assertive in making them a reality. I recognize many people see it as a fresh start but I consider to be this marker. So, I have another month and 3 days to my “new year” and I’m going to continue to work on my goals and work through the transitions.
how can I fail when I have dairy on my side?! (p.s. Buzzfeed lists are the best – they do love to put together lists of unfortunate mistakes while adding some comentary)
Off to take photos of new inventory! My blog page is getting more traffic than my LuLaRoe page and it’s reminded me how much I love to write! Happy New Year everyone!
I couldn’t decide on a title for this because it really is going to be a bunch of rambling – that probably should be the title. The following things have been rattling around my brain for the last few days and I need an outlet. Lucky you! Of course it’s in list form, silly goose!
1. People who say you either shouldn’t or can’t eat a whole pie by yourself clearly lack ambition. Trust me. I am ambitious. I really don’t know why I don’t make pumpkin pie more often – I love it. Maybe it has to do with my ambitious nature.
2. Super thankful for my little ice machine. My normal supplier was closed up for the holiday weekend but “babycakes” (as I affectionately nicknamed her – stolen from Spike, see below) did a great job. Multiple cupfuls of ice were consumed.
someone left this was on the ground – ice just WASTED. shameful
3. I had big plans on being productive during this past minibreak. I wasn’t. Unless you count powering through a couple of seasons of Flashpoint, which I doubt I should. TeamSpike forever.
look how cute he is!
4. Have you ever watched so many episodes of a tv show that you get really into the characters? Seriously, I had to remind myself “these people ARE NOT real!” Maybe I should have talked to more actual humans…
5. I did not go black friday shopping this year. I’ve done it for YEARS – back in the day when I was home for Thanksgiving break during college and my mom would drag me out of bed to run through walmart picking up presents for the little cousins and family. While I kind of felt like I abandoned a tradition, I didn’t need anything. Not to mention I didn’t want to be mobbed by all of the people and traffic. Social anxiety saved me money and clutter this year!
6. Monday morning I had the brilliant idea to weigh myself. I know, WTF was I thinking?! Nevertheless, I knew it was time to face the numbers. I haven’t moved much since I ran the marathon. I should definitely be more than 2 lbs heavier but “thankfully” my ulcer makes it difficult to eat, so you know, silver lining. Now, I need to get back on the treadmill for some walking, swimming for less impact and continue to strengthen my muscles with the PT exercises. All of this written out looks a bit overwhelming considering my recent lack of motivation so I am going to break it down into some manageable pieces.
truth
7. Speaking of ulcer city, two things. Sad face – I can no longer have my afternoon coffee (well, I managed yesterday but probably not advised). I’m not kidding when I say, I find a sense of lost in this fact. I luuuuurve it. But it kicks up my stomach pains, so to the curb with it. Next up – happy face – my stomach hurt on Wednesday even though I sort of had the day off BUT I felt better for 3.5 days! Better than I have in MONTHS. It was delightful. Sunday afternoon? Acid boiled up again. Stress man… working on some life changes.
That’s all for now. I have a couple of other random posts on the way and hopefully some kind of aerobic activities to report on in the next few days. I have every intention of losing these two silly pounds in the next 22 days, so I better get crackin’. Not to mention, the endorphins, digestion help and the overall good feels that come with being active.
For the last few years, I’ve packed my schedule with races. Whether it was spring (one or two in the winter) or fall, I attempted to fill it with as many as I could afford. All with the thought/plan to “REALLY train this time around” and make those PR’s happen.
this is how I feel about a PR…
This wasn’t the case. And with each race there were a few more aches and pains because all too many times I didn’t quite prepare as much as I should have.
I decided to be slightly more realistic this year. I did sign up for a mid-winter race and realized this was dumb and didn’t end up doing it. Aside from that delusional moment, I did fairly well. I signed up for the 5k/10k back to back in June with a 1/2 marathon the following weekend.
I trashed my knee (my poor patella) with some serious slanted sidewalk during that 5k/10k. This race is HARD. There is a reason the quote is “The Thrill, The Will, The Hill”. The hill is a freakin’ beast. I climbed it once during the 10k, a 2nd time to get to the 5k start and then a 3rd time because I decided parking near the start was a better idea than near the finish line. Must learn for next time!
this race kicks my trash – every time.
The 1/2 was a great time as I was able to escape “up North” – Michandger speak anytime you head to the Northern part of Michigan. It was in stunningly beautiful Charlevoix (go there – it’s listed as one of the most beautiful places to visit). The race is really fun, has some sweet swag, an awesome medal and the course is nice. I was worried about my knee but it wasn’t terribly bothersome. Because of my lack of training, my goal was to hit under the 3 hr mark. I did just this – yay! Not to mention, I got to go with a great friend for a mini-break.
the front has the MI symbol on it and then on the back in the lower corner is Charlevoix piece. I did it.this medal is awesome! the bridge pieces go up and down!
After this, it was onto France and then immediately back to work. This is also when I dabbled/half decided to sign up for the marathon. At this point, I had plans to sign up for two 1/2 marathons to help with marathon training along with my favorite 5k/10k Peacock Strut combo.
Despite signing up for the Peacock Strut and picking up my shirt, I woke up the next day with no desire to run. I skipped it. I still don’t regret it. I also didn’t end up signing up for the 1/2 marathons and instead went to NY to visit my brother where I ran the Bronx 5k – a much better and more fun decision!
me and my little bro running the Bronx 5k!
Suddenly October rolled around (I have no concept of time right now) and I ran three races – whoa! The first was an impromptu 5 miler in Indiana with one of my great gal pals. It was a very small, local race, which I always enjoy. My knee was painful and stiff. I couldn’t run the whole time (I added in some walk breaks). It definitely made me nervous as the marathon was looming. M and I stuck together and without her I would’ve walked a lot more. Once again, I need to up my mental game.
Lastly, the weekend following the marathon was the Campus Classic here on campus. I wasn’t sure I was going to do it, since you know, I could barely walk. The Campus Classic is the first race I ever did. I’ve told the story a couple of times here and I’ve never missed a race since. I knew I wouldn’t be able to run it, which was a bummer but against my better judgement, I walked it. The first mile was in the 17 min mile range. I was being careful of my knee. After I heard the time, I decided to screw my knee and the aftermath, I wanted to be done – faster. I started focusing on catching people. The second mile was in the 16 min pace and the last was a 15 min pace. I was quite pleased with the negative splits, although the not so nice voice in my head provided some disparaging remarks regarding my overall time. My friend used her real life voice to knock some sense into me. Another race in the books!
probably my final campus classic
I don’t see the local Turkey Trot in my future. I’m not sure if I’ve missed one since I started running though… if it does happen it will be another walking race. I need to keep reminding myself that recovery is front and center. Remind me of this if I start any crazy talk pretty please!
One last thing! My medal for the 2,015 miles in 2015 came in the mail the other day – a lovely piece of hardware!
the lighting sucks in my apt – there are some cute mountains in there, too!
Last Friday, I took some annual leave. During a meeting with my boss the day before, I talked about my stress level. I realize now I mentioned that “my health is not great” twice due to all of the stress as of late. She kindly encouraged me to take the day. I said I had a lot to do. A couple of hours later, I recognized the gift and put in for the day. It was a fabulous idea.
My second PT appt was bright and early Friday morning and I considered canceling it since I didn’t have to get up early anymore. Nevertheless, recovery, right? I got out of bed and made the appt. Daren – PT friend, asked me how the muscle memory exercises were going. I told him, I couldn’t believe these simple movements made my muscles sore! I also said I couldn’t figure out where my patella was. He had a plastic model and I was confusing tendon with patella, it made much more sense. I had no idea the patella was so small!
We went through some exercises – a mix of stability and active ones. I rode the bike for 6 whole mins, but that was the only cardio. Even though I could feel my knee, it didn’t really hurt per say. More irritated, I think. I was definitely surprised when going through these strength exercises I broke out in a sweat. They were tough! During one of the exercise, Daren asked if I was feeling any pain. Nope. He then provided music to my ears, “I really think you just abused it by doing too much when your knee/muscles weren’t ready”. Good news indeed!
it’s probably too early to hug him, right?
I know I said I was happy to be a lazy bones and I really am. That said, I’ve worked hard to lose almost 20lbs in the last year and I don’t want that to by the wayside. Sure, feeling crummy stomach-wise is helping with the decrease in eating but somehow, this doesn’t seem very healthy. In fact, it sounds eating disorder-ish, which is definitely NOT what I am looking for. I told this to PT friend. He said he understood – both about getting back into the habit of lying around and wanting to be active. Next week we are going to evaluate and try the elliptical, which is going to be a riot since I can’t catch the rhythm of said machine and foresee failure. I asked about swimming and looks likely as an option for next week.
I did ask about one of those electrode machines that contract the muscles for you. I don’t know why but I really want one. He said I could buy one myself, to which I asked if I needed one for recovery. He said I didn’t since those machines are used to contract muscles that can’t do it on their own. He said my muscles can, “they are just moronic right now”. HA! This cracked me up, my thigh muscle is a moron. It’s perfect.
The other day I was walking across campus and I saw these adorable little bird footprints in the cement. “Awww, so cute!” I talk to myself out loud, regardless of my location.
I absolutely adore little bird feet and legs!
Suddenly the image popped in my head of a bird mafia. What if this poor bird was forced to walk through the cement by the mafia bird thugs so then he/she would have some “cement shoes”?! Poor little birdie. Then I decided he/she is happily sporting some schmancy new kicks and all of the other birds are jealous. A much happier and more likely scenario.
Tuesday morning, I started having a panic attack. I haven’t had one in a couple of months and it took me by complete surprise. I was in a meeting so I couldn’t excuse myself but I was able to use the tapping technique on the side of my palm to help manage it, without calling attention to my distress. Below is a video of one of my favorite tutorials. My hypnotherapist introduced it to me to the technique and I watched this when I was first learning.
With the tapping technique you are supposed to hit a couple of acupuncture points, however even simply tapping the side of my palm under the table help to ward off the worst of it. I strongly recommend looking into it if you have moments of panic. It isn’t just for people with anxiety either.
I didn’t decide to do it until mid January, so I stared out behind. I should have calculated the miles per day much earlier so even when I was hitting decent mileage, I was still behind. I started getting irked with myself because I knew making the deadline was iffy but I already ordered the medal. Cue GUILT. Earlier this week the challenge organizers sent an email that medals were being mailed and mind is already on its way. They talked about even if you haven’t met the goal and won’t, if the challenge made you even slightly more cognizant of your movement then it was a success. It was such a refreshing message! Since tracking my miles, I’ve walked a lot more and have hit goals I wouldn’t have. Sometimes, I overstressed about it but in October, I let it be. I won’t make it. However, I am proud of the work I put into it. Before, I considered myself mildly active. Once I started tracking and using my Misfit Shine, I was plumb shocked at how little I would move around. There were some days, weekends mostly, where I would barely reach .5 miles, FOR THE ENTIRE DAY! EEK! I don’t have kids or a significant other so I am free to do my own thing, which has good and bad results. Not moving much is one of the negatives. When I see this happening, it makes me get off of my tushy and do something about it. The challenge is/was worth it.
Yep, I signed up again for 2016 to see what I can make of it. Figuring out the math ahead of time, it’s about 5.5 miles per day – much more manageable. Join me! Now, I am happy with what I can get done for this year and looking forward to seeing what I end up with. I recommend the challenge – running/walking/elliptical count for the miles. I included all of my intentional miles, which was up for quite the debate on the fb group. Whatever, I didn’t listen to them since as previously mentioned, I can seriously sit around! It’s my journey.
I was struggling to walk after the race and the med tent was not close to the finish line. I finally found it and I iced my knees for a few mins. After changing in my hotel’s (nasty, nasty, nasty) public restroom I got on the road. My knee was HURTING. Why do knees have to bend and then unbend?! It even hurt to move my foot from the gas pedal to the break.
I still didn’t regret this fancy piece of frosting
oh so pretty! and a bit blurry…
Sunday night, my knee was trashed. I decided to make a doctor’s appt for the next day even if I was jumping the gun. I felt silly considering I ran a marathon – of course my body would hurt. But even I knew this was mighty different from my other aches and pains. I saw a P.A. first and I told her the story. She said she would have pushed through the pain and finished as well! Ha! A kindred spirit! I’ve noticed P.A.’s are much nicer than doctors. I prefer them. The doc came in and wiggled/bent/almost made me cry moved my knee around. I had a ton of inflammation under the knee cap. She said some kind of name for it but I forgot to remember. They had me change into a pair of giant shorts so she could better evaluate my knee and with my stripped compression socks and booties, I was looking HOT! Oh and I was offered a wheelchair twice as they watched me (try to) walk.
yes, don’t be shy, of course I will give you fashion advice!
The plan for x-rays fell through as the tech was at lunch, so I was instructed to go to the sports med clinic (down the hall) where they set me up with a knee brace. My knee felt less wobbly – a positive, and I was scheduled for my first PT appt this pas Wednesday, but work got in the way. The PT guy was great and he said my knee was too swollen to start prior. (They were very kind to add me to their schedule this upcoming Monday morning.) Since the brace helped as much as it did though, I thought I would be okay to walk to my next meeting and then across campus.
I am delusional.
No running for 5-10 days – PT guy’s orders. Heck, even walking has been rough. So, I’m looking forward to PT. I’ve known for a while that certain muscles in my legs aren’t very strong but I thought running would take care of this. PT guy told me he is going to teach me some strength exercises and some stretches. I think it says I’m supposed to go for 6 weeks. Thankfully, the brace and PT are all completely covered by insurance and it’s on campus. Lucky me! Let the healing begin! I also promised my brother I wouldn’t run for a bit.
I know I will come back a stronger runner. I want to learn to better care for my knees, since the other one is kind of pissed it had to carry the weight during the marathon. Seriously, it’s acting like a petulant child. I’m going to teach my dad these exercises as well since his knees need some TLC, too. I was icing quite a bit the first week and a half… now I need to rejoin that party. Smarty pants, right here! Although, walking like the Bride of Frankenstein is right on time for Halloweenie!
okay, I’m not this mobile at all but I like to think I’ve got a bit of this sass!
Settle in… Are you ready for this? I crossed the finish line. I completed my 4th marathon.
Let’s get down to business. I took Friday off from work to mentally prep for the weekend ahead and to rest my legs. Saturday morning I woke up with a wicked headache. I mean, the start of a migraine and it freaked me out since I had a drive ahead of me. Then I also started to get really nauseated. I’m certain it was all stress related so I tried to nip the headache away along with the tummy troubles and I managed to only be behind by about an hour or so. The drive to Detroit was also weighing on my mind as drivers there and along the way take no mercy. The speed limit is 70, I drive 75, maybe 78 and I get passed like I’m going 50. Scary.
I arrived safely and found the expo easily enough (thank you GPS!). Parking was a whopping $10 in the garage but finding parking on the street would be silly. My trepidation grew as I climbed the stairs to the expo and then it greeted me with open arms! Bib pick up was first and I immediately considered mine a good omen. It was blue, my favorite color and my age was part of my bib number. I then purchased the following sweatshirt:
the magic sweatshirt
This is important as it plays a role in my finishing this race.
The expo was larger and it dawned on me how big this race was. Also, I realized this was my first non-specialty race – I’ve only done the Nike Women’s marathon, the Disney full and then the Dopey. I don’t know why, but this felt different. A bunch of places were selling these throw away gloves because it was going to be 35* at the start. I caved.
My right knee has been hurting me since June (well, off and on for some time before this actually) when I ran the duo 5k/10k on the slanted sidewalk. There was a sports PT person there and I had him tape up my knee – my pesky patella. It felt better (driving over had aggravated it) and stabilized.
pretty tape always saves the day
My hotel room sucked. I learned the shower head didn’t work, so a bit of sponge bath was needed in the morning. It wasn’t all the way clean and there was shenanigans the whole night through from other guests. It was only a mile away from the race start though so I pushed those concerns aside. Since I gave up gluten I can’t figure out a good pre-race meal and I chose this:
umm… yes, this is a cheese covered omelette…
Bad idea. Why didn’t I just put a lead ball in my gut and call it good?!
Race morning. I woke up on time, got dressed in my splendid new compression tights, thanked my good sense to purchase the gloves and finally got out the door. I packed up my car and started along. I was slightly nervous about walking through downtown Detroit in the dark but I quickly found a fellow runner to walk with. We got to wait inside the conference center until it was time to hit the starting line. First of all, it started snowing a bit, which just made me laugh. I looked around me and I didn’t see any other blue bibs – just the orange international 1/2 marathon ones. Was I in the wrong line?! I was in one of the last wave of runners so maybe this was part of it? I still asked three different people and remained confused for a good chunk of the race. My anxiety was a bit high anyway since the cut-off was 6 and 1/2 hours and my lack of training gave me reason to believe I was in danger of not making this.
I tried to memorize these cut off times. I also sent my friend a “WTF am I doing text”.
Go time. I started out at my manageable pace. When we hit the bridge to Canada, the Ambassador Bridge, the sun was peaking through the clouds and I couldn’t believe I was really doing this! The bridge is long and up hill for the first part. I walked it. Then ran down the other side – yay! I love downhills! We ran through Canada for a few miles and then we crossed back onto U.S. soil through the underwater tunnel. Everyone talks about how bad this part was but I didn’t mind it – I was warm (I was cold the entire race). When we came out of the tunnel we ran through customs and then they had a sign welcoming us back to the U.S. They were announcing some names as they crossed and I was one of them! “Welcome back Amy German”! It was neat. It was a beautiful, albeit chilly fall day and the hilly course was great. I love the international aspect!
By this time, my knee was seriously bothering me. I think it started around mile 6 or 8 – I can’t remember now. My strategy for the race was to run/walk it and this was working well for me. I even had a couple of negative splits. The marathoners split from the 1/2 folks as the 1/2-ers were crossing their finish line (slightly cruel to us who were only half way finished) and I considered crossing this finish line because my knee was hurting. A smarter runner probably would’ve quit but I knew I would ALWAYS wonder if I could’ve made it to the end. So I kept running. The miles ticked on and my knee got worse. I would run for as long as I could and then when it started to give out, I would walk for a bit. The first steps back into running were beastly but they eased as I kept going and the cycle repeated itself.
An awesome member of the crowd built a pretend brick wall to run through around mile 18. I loved it. Another 1/2 marathon (the U.S. only route, the other 1/2 was international) started soon after I got through the 1/2 way point, so they would go screaming past me at certain points. Umm – rude, haha. They had 18 water stops as we weren’t supposed to carry liquids across the border. I did a great job of hydrating the days before the race and during. I fueled decently – my 1/2 of a ham sandwich in the morning was brilliant idea!
The last 5k I was basically throwing my bad leg/knee ahead of me as I ran and even walking painful. Right at this moment, someone along side of the course said, “Amy! You’re DOING IT!”. I teared up at this point. It’s really hard to run and cry so I pulled myself together. When the finish line came into view, I started crying again and of course as I crossed. My official time was 6:02. My Nike app said I completed all 26.2 at 5:58, which I like better!
My heart didn’t swell with pride after my first marathon. It didn’t after my second either – that one kind of crushed my soul. Dopey did because of the major undertaking. The Detroit 26.2? It gave me the same overwhelming sense of accomplishment as Dopey. I really wasn’t sure I could finish. Everyday for three weeks I considered dropping out of the race. I shouldn’t have finished – my last long run was back in the beginning of Sept and it was 11 miles. The fact that I could barely walk after didn’t matter. This race made me feel strong and reminded me of my fierce fighting spirit. Grit and determination (support/cheers from family and friends, compression tights, extra strength tylenol and that newly purchased sweatshirt I wanted to wear with pride) got me through this race. So many freakin’ emotions were going through my mind, I’m not even sure I can adequately express them. I made it.
I think the medal weighs almost a pound
And I didn’t get swept by the people zamboni – WIN!
Note: I wrote this three months ago but it’s the start of some of what I failed to post
You know, it’s a good thing my blog is small-time or else I would be sued for all of the song lyrics and movie references I use for my titles. Oh well… this title completely fits my running life at the moment.
This past weekend (June 20th) I ran the Kalamazoo Klassic. It was the 37th anniversary of this race and the motto is, “the thrill, the will, the hill”. And they are not lying about the hill, but more on this momentarily. Last week I signed up for it since I have a 1/2 this coming weekend, I wanted to make sure I could at least run some mileage over 6. Yep, I am well trained for this bad boy. Anyway, I signed up for the 10k followed by the 5k.
this is really good representation of my training
The starting line is about a 5 minute drive from my apt. I got up there about 6:50 am for the 7:30 am start and parked. As I was driving up there my stomach made some unfortunate gurgling sounds. I searched my car for some antacids but alas, none were found. I hightailed it back to my apt, dosed up on meds and then zoomed back to the race. I didn’t need to fret so much as I had plenty of time to hang out at the start and watch a small gathering of people come together. It didn’t take me long to calculate my last place finish. Not to mention they had pace cards set up and they only went up to 9 min miles – gah?!
Thankfully, the running crowd grew and the 11 and 12 min group leaders came into view. The race started right on time and the weather was pretty cool with nice and thick humidity! The race is two loops of the course with the second round hitting the FREAKIN’ GIANT AND LONG hill. Crepes. Even my friend who has trained much more than I did was blown away by it. I remembered it from the last time but not quite the pain! Anyway, even walking up the hill had me winded. The rest of the course is pretty hilly as well so it’s not an easy 10k. They were stocked on water stops though, which is always nice and the volunteers were great. I came into the finish line, tired, my quad displeased with me and not too much time before the next race. And the announcer pronounced my last name correctly! Bonus!
The 5k started a little further down the ruthless hill so these runners/walkers got a little taste of it as well. Since my buns had already been kicked by said hill, I walked a bit at the start before I started running. I was tired. I ran (with some walk breaks) the 5k and tried to stay in the moment rather than thinking of the rolling hills in front of me and my impending doom 1/2 marathon. My pace finally picked back up the last mile and about 1/2 way through it my knee started hurting good and plenty. I had to walk a bit to calm it down and still, my knee was cursing me.
I have two thoughts on this: 1) I haven’t trained enough for this distance so of course my body is going to riot. 2) One aspect of this course I really don’t like is it runs along some really slanted road. My right leg HATES these slanted roads with a passion and as much as I tried to find some even ground, I could tell this was playing a factor. 3) My right quad is not strong enough to support my knee. I don’t know why my left quad is stronger but my right one always hurts more after these races. You better believe I iced when I got home. The whole rest of the day my knee was whining and yesterday it was sort of “eh”.
this is what my mind tells my body during running and races
My stomach made it through the races. Between the 10k and 5k, I grabbed a small banana but wasn’t able to finish it. I went straight for some coffee after finishing the 5k (I parked at the top of the giant hill – close to the starting line because I’m sick in the head so I walked up the hill for the THIRD time). There isn’t much to eat at finishing lines for me, since it’s a gluten-fest. I got a chocolate milk but that was it. I got home, showered and then started making breakfast. This is important because by this time, I was starving and at the same time feeling nauseated/light-headed. I made a baked potato with an egg and sausage crumbles. I wasn’t able to finish as my stomach was so angry. In fact, I felt horrible the whole rest of the day. Considering this is my longest run since this past October, it was the first time testing my stomach and the results were less than desired.
Anyway, the dumb part was signing up for these back to back races. It’s a crazy cheap deal – $35 for both and I wanted to make sure I could run some sort of distance. But an injured knee is not what I want going into this weekend. The dumber part is not freakin’ training enough for these races. Seriously, what is my problem?! I found running to be really discouraging these last couple of months so I would skip planned long runs and walk more during my running. I was fairly apathetic. I also haven’t added any strength training – for the love of Pete, Amy, do some damn squats!
me refusing to listen to my body
I’ll make it through the 1/2. I’m going to work on slowing my pace from the start – I didn’t monitor it this weekend and I felt it. And accepting my inevitable struggle and enjoy the scenery and swag (seriously, it’s some good stuff). I’m going to cradle my knee in Rocktape and keep my fingers crossed.
Amy's Recipe for Disaster 