One Down, 15 to Go!

So gang, how's it going?

I'm really interested in hearing how every one's training's progressing. Are you getting active? Are you following the plan? Have you made your own plan? Is your heart in this? Are you having fun? Have you learned anything? Am I asking too many questions or boring you with my posts?

For me, it's going. As much as I preach "don't judge," I judge.

Bad Judgements

• Want to be faster
• Waaaa - it's cold outside (summer's complaint was "it's too hot!")
• My trail shoes don't feel comfortable for bike path running

Good Judgements

• I ran 4 times last week YAY!
• I ran 19 miles last week
• I was outside with my fuzzy dog in the lovely snow
• I'm a bad-a$$ (I ran 19 miles in ARCTIC conditions and I stepped up when I wanted to bow out)
• I made myself get out the door when I really didn't want to go (and, you know, it wasn't that bad once I started driving to the park)
• No gear malfunctions
• Training Plan - 100% completion to schedule (can I get a shout out to all the program managers out there - holla back dawg!)
• Generated some good ideas / plans while plodding along : )

Saturday I had this awesome opportunity to train Pilates with a member of this group. She's a fantastic teacher! So smart, really knows her stuff, does an outstanding job explaining theory and technique.

This was the first time I had ever done Pilates, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was nervous that my lack of coordination would get in the way, and my body image issues were nagging at me. R made me feel very comfortable and was very patient explaining and demonstrating. In short, she made it so easy and relaxed that I wondered after we stopped training if I had achieved anything. Since I wasn't tired or sweaty I figured my benefit would be that I was beginning to learn postures, commands, techniques.

Well, on Sunday, I was deep muscle tired. About 2 or 3 hours after getting up in the morning, I was ready to lay back down and have a nice long nap! I haven't been that thoroughly worked out in a long time. (like after a 100 mile bike ride -- I kid you not!) My lower abs were reminding me that I had them : ) I learned that there really are muscles that attach in the front to your ribcage, and did you know that there are little muscles beside your lats? (I have only felt my lats before, never these particular babies.)

This is another 4 event week (week 3 only has 3 sessions tho). On Tuesday I will do 4 miles (including 4 minutes of total uphill time), Thursday I will run for 1 hour, on Saturday I will run 4 miles, and Sunday I will do a long run of 7 miles! I hope you'll be getting your plan done too!

I'm happy to be on the way to better health. Thank you for giving me a reason to take better care of myself.

Week 1, Run 2 (Brrrrrrrrr!)

I'm starting this post before I head out for my second run of the week, and man oh man, is it ever cold out there (sounds like the beginning of a Christmas song)! I'm procrastinating hoping it will warm up from the MINUS 6 degrees F it is right now. Also it's really sunny out, so I'm not looking forward to squinting or wearing sunglasses which will fog up. Sheesh. Why am I doing this (I ask myself again)?

I just read a very brave comment from PenguinBomber.... time to rally round, folks! PB thanks for opening up a very important topic.

[Pause while I climb up on my soap box]

IMPORTANT REMINDER - my marathon goal is to COMPLETE THE EVENT, there is no speed goal. If you are in the mindset to finish in a certain time frame you might ruin this experience for yourself.

When I shared the .1% statistic, note that I did not (nor do I actually know or care) what the best, worst or even average completion time was for all the competitors. All I know is that they completed. PERIOD.

I'm begging you all: please don't let this be about time or doing better (or worse) than others. This is about challenging yourself to do something you never thought you could do.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox and preparing to head out to brave the elements. Wish me success -- as I'm wishing for all of you : )

BRB...

Ok! I did it. I ran for an hour today in sub freezing temperatures (11 degrees F). Yay me! Oh the applause is deafening. Bow. Bow. Courtesy.

Now for the honest part. (Thanks PenguinBomber for creating the safe environment.) My distance today was 4 miles. Yup, for me the SEASONED marathon "runner," I ran 4 miles an hour. 15 minute miles. Guess what else - that's how long it took me to do my run on Tuesday which was..... (wait for it) 4 miles.

Should I be embarrassed? Well, I don't really know the answer to that one, but I do know this -- I completed what was required for my training plan. I ran more in the last three days than most of my neighbors, and I know that this is the beginning of 16 weeks of investment.

So, friends, please don't harshly judge your training. Commit to the journey. Be open to what you discover. GROUP HUG!

Wow! it's up to a blistering 16 degree F outside. I better go turn down the heat! Speaking of turning down the heat: I over dressed for today's run. I had 3 leg layers (plus gators), 2 pairs of thin running socks, 5 total body layers (2 thin poly shirts, 1 thin fleece, 1 thin running jacket, 1 windbreaker), and a fleece collar, baklava, and hat. Oh and 2 pairs of thin fleece gloves. After about 10 minutes, I pulled the collar down from off my nose and mouth and took off 1 pair of gloves. 5 minutes later I took off the windbreaker and tied it around my waist. My core still felt too warm, but I was afraid of removing another body layer.

The squeaky crunch of the snow reminded me of the sugar white sandy beaches in Destin, Florida -- well, minus the sand dollars, sun shine and tropical temperatures. Other than that, it was exactly the same!

Who's ready for 4 miles on Saturday?!?!?!

Journey Begun!

I did it! I got out of the house, in the morning, while it was snowing and 29 degrees F and did my first 4 mile training run. I was dressed just right: I had my turtle fur collar, my silly green hat, light fleece gloves, 3 thin shirt/jacket layers, 2 pant layers, Vasque trail shoes, and OR gators.


If you haven't checked out MapMyRun.com yet, you might want to: it's a great place to log your training. It will help you track the mileage on your shoes, and it's free!


You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but it was GORGEOUS outside at the metro park. It was gray and chilly. There was fluffy snow everywhere! I saw a guy walking his Shelly Shepherd and two women cross country skiing (classic style). I was passed by another runner on the bike path.


My thoughts were ping ponging all over: content for this blog, choices for the future, how everyone's training is going. I even came up with a cool business idea. Mostly I had a really happy run and was very glad to be there running with my fuzzy dog.


I hope everyone had a happy run today!

Please take a moment to let everyone know how your training went today in the comment section below.

.1% / .1 Percent / .001

I'm special : )

I'm part of a very small group of Americans, a fraction of a percent, who ran a distance of 26.2 miles in an organized race in 2008.

How cool is that?

Think of this little statistic when you are gutting it out during your training, putting one foot in front of another when you'd rather be any doing anything other than what you're doing (or should be doing if the struggle is to start).

YOU ARE PAYING THE DUES TO BECOME PART OF THE .1%

I am committed to running (without any expectation for speed/time):

• 4 miles, including at least 4 minutes of total uphill time (4:00 TUT) on Tuesday, 1/13
• for 1 hour on Thursday, 1/15
• 4 miles on Saturday, 1/17
• 6 miles on Sunday, 1/18

This is an easy plan that I used to prepare for my first marathon last year. Week 1 is one of eight weeks that have 4 days of running, the other eight weeks only have 3 days of running. YOU CAN DO THIS!

For the math geeks
Marathonguide.com - 424,000 people officially ran 26.2 miles in 2008
US Population in 2008 - 305,579,417
.00139

Get Ready!

Yesterday, I took sometime out of my Mardi Gras to prepare for my first training run: I went shopping. No sweat involved : )

This is part of my mental and physical preparation. Seriously. I find that a little reward helps me feel more obligated to my commitments, so I usually get new running clothes before a race and at the beginning of a new training plan.

My favorite place to shop for athletic clothes is Target -- I have found that their C9 line by Champion is sturdy, cute, and affordable. AND THIS WEEK THEY'RE HAVING A SALE (ends Saturday, I think), so I get to feel even better spending the money I don't have.

While I'm talking about clothes, I would like to suggest that you check the information I have on the KRG website and seriously consider getting a new pair of running shoes.

Running shoes are said to have a useful training life of about 500 miles. The training plan we're using has a total of 395 miles, including the marathon, so invest in a good pair of shoes recommended by a knowledgeable sales person. DO NOT GET YOUR SHOES from Payless, Footlocker or Kohls.

When you go to the store, bring a pair of your old running shoes, so they can check out the wear pattern. They will probably ask you to walk and / or run for them there in the store before they make any shoe recommendations. If your sales person doesn't do these simple things, you probably are shopping in the wrong store.

I personally recommend Hanson's. Here's why: not only do the sales associates do the checks I described above, but they are actually world class runners themselves. The Hansons brothers (owners of the store) are supporting and helping local athletes become world class athletes. 2008 Summer Olympians actually work in the local Hanson's stores. How awesome is that? Here's an excerpt of their philosophy (see more in the link above):

It Takes a Village
Kevin and Keith [Hanson] provide the runners—who live and train together in Rochester, Mich.—coaching, employment, housing, health care, and running gear. Support from Brooks Sports, Inc., the Bothell, Washington-based performance running company, enabled the Hansons-Brooks ODP to fulfill its goal of adding a competitive women’s program in 2003.

Plus, Hansons has a Family Frequent Purchase Program: Purchase 3 pairs of shoes within a year, and receive $25 toward your next store purchase. Purchase 4 pair within a year and receive a $40 Gift Certificate. That's a pretty good deal. My last 3 pairs of running shoes cost $80, $90, $85 each. Not too bad in my book.

So get ready! Just 3 more days until our journey begins!

Mental Preparation

• Print out the plan and put it in a conspicuous place.
• Pinpoint why you're doing this and remind yourself when your dedication is flagging.
• Introduce yourself to the other members of this group. We need you to encourage us when we are in a low point, and we'll help you when you struggle.

Physical Preparation

• Build your training equipment inventory: shoes, clothes, gear, and gadgets.
• Put a hard copy of your plan somewhere where you will see it often.
• If you are running outside, figure out how you will stay hydrated (I use a camelbak).
• Get lubricant... Chamois Buttr, BodyGlide, Vaseline.
• Experiment with fuel during your runs. I've used Zone Bars but now swear by Cliff Shot Bloks. Some people swear by Hammer Gel and Gu.
• Avoid alcohol the day before your runs.
• Get enough sleep.
• Measure your baseline (weight, fat percentage, waist measurement).
• Cut your toenails (not too short!).

Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible!

My Own Little Mardi Gras

As you may have read in my last post, which was posted really really late (in the scheme of things) and follows a very serious lapse in postings, I completed my first marathon on Sunday, October 19, 2008.

Editor's note: I used to refer to the event as "a marathon" or "my marathon." Subsequent to the completion, I call it my "first" marathon. I suspect it's because there are more somewhere in my future. I post this as a warning to all my friends who are seriously considering training with me for my next attempt: no matter what you call it now, more than most likely you'll want to do one again!

In the posting lapse period, I was getting pretty discouraged in my training. Oh, sure, I was doing 95% (margin of error unknown :) of my runs, but the speed was depressingly slow. At times I wondered if I would complete 26.2 miles in under 7 hours and be forced to finish without course marshalls on the sidewalk. Oh the SHAME of it! By the time I was feeling more optimistic -- during the taper phase of the plan -- in the last 2 1/2 weeks of the 16 week plan -- I was so out of the habit of using my GPS to log my time, distance, and route that I just didn't bother to post. Well, after completing the race, and feeling OH SO FLIPPING AWESOME, I had so many little household tasks I had to catch up on that I couldn't force myself to sit at the computer and do a good job of it.

I also was feeling a bit lost: what next? How do I maintain the fitness? I didn't have anything compelling to write.

Then came the holidays (and an awesome extended visit from my daughter), and my fitness pretty much went to hades in a hand basket. This is the period I'm calling

MY OWN LITTLE MARDI GRAS!

• Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, the three-day period preceding the beginning of Lent, the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday (some traditions count Carnival as the entire period of time between Epiphany (January 5) or Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday). The entire three-day period has come to be known in many areas as Mardi Gras.
  
  
• Ok, if the most liberal calculation of Mardi Gras is Jan 6 - Feb 25, 2009 (50 days), and I revelled from October 20, 2008, until this coming Sunday, January 12, we're talking 85 days of bad eating and running behavior!

So that's where I am -- mentally and physically -- right now. I'm off the wagon, searching for the wagon, embracing the fun and the freedom, and ready for the rigors ahead.

I really hope you'll jump on the marathon wagon with me!

I DID IT! I COMPLETED MY FIRST MARATHON!!!!

Well, better late than never... here's a summary of how the 2008 Detroit Marathon went. Why am I posting this now -- more than 2 months after the fact? Because I am about to start another marathon training session and I wanted to wrap up the loose ends.

19 October 2008 - Detroit Marathon

The 2008 Detroit Marathon was so much fun! I had no idea! I am definitely hooked on long distance running! As I entertained the idea of running a marathon, I always knew in my heart that it had to be Detroit’s marathon. Friends had suggested Chicago because it is flat, fast and you don’t lose steam when the half-marathoners split off, but it just felt disloyal considering another course for my maiden attempt.

RACE DAY

Crisp and cold. The weather man predicted 40s, but it was much cooler with no humidity. As the morning wore on and after I warmed up while running enough to strip off my starting layers, the weather was PERFECT!

Typical of me I got to the start area just as the race was beginning, so I didn’t get to the correct corral. In hindsight, I guess it didn’t really matter because chip timing starts as soon as you physically cross the starting line. The upside was that I didn’t have to stand in the cold at all : )

I saw an old friend on the course that I hadn’t seen in 5 years (he told me he saw the article in the paper about me!), and I also hugged a friend who was a volunteer that I hadn’t seen in 2 or 3 years (we promised to get back in touch). HOW COOL IS THAT??

TMI

Ok, here comes a bit of data that clearly falls into the realm of "too much information." I'm sharing it because it was totally out of norm for me, and in case anyone is reading this in preparation for their first marathon they won't be surprised like I was...

During the race I had to pee constantly. It added more than 10 minutes to my chip time -- I know, I paused my stop watch while waiting in line. I bring this lovely topic up only because I never experienced this during my long training runs. When I look back and compare I think it was because of the race provided fitness drink and because the race day was substantially cooler (less sweating) than all of my long training runs. The first potty break was the worst: it was around the 8 mile mark after crossing into Canada. There was a large bank of porta-potties, but it seems many people were in dire need like I was. Seriously, at that stop alone I lost 10 minutes. As they say, once the seal was broken, I had to keep stopping. I think I stopped 3 more times after leaving the tunnel.

SHOUT OUT TO RACE VOLUNTEERS AND SPECTATORS

I really appreciated all the volunteers at the fluid stations, and especially the kids cheering for the marathoners after Revard Street before the RenCen.

There was a guy in a purple shirt that said Michigan Coach who was inspiring a runner along RiverWalk… he inspired me too. Funny, I saw him again later in the race in Indian Village, and he said kind words to me there (which really helped).

The drum guys at the Belle Isle Bridge were awesome!

There was some odd guy ranting on a loud speaker on Jefferson before the 21 mile turn. He was scary and strangely inspiring. He told us the race was for us and not to worry about time goals we had previously set. Our honest completion was our real goal, and we should be proud.

There was a great group of residents in Indian Village (at the end of the neighborhood) who were just incredible, very happy and encouraging and genuine!

The marching band at mile 24 played America the Beautiful and almost brought me to tears. I held back because I was afraid if I shed one tear, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

There was another random guy coaching somewhere in the 25 mile range. He really helped. He kept telling us the finish was so close we could taste it – and reminding us how great victory tasted.

There was a policeman downtown in the home stretch who said the best thing: finish line is two blocks up, take a left and a sprint.

THE FINAL SPRINT

As soon as I turned on to John R, I dug deep and sprinted all the way in… I got locked into a sort of tunnel vision, I just focused on the finish line and gave it all I had. I wondered what the photos were going to look like… I was sure I looked possessed… maybe I was : )

Finally, I have to say that the people in the massage tent are angels! They were so sweet and when you think about how long they are out there taking care of the stinky, smelly, sweaty runners… they are the ones that deserve a medal : )

THE LONG DRIVE HOME

I was so tired driving home. I went to bed at 4 pm Sunday and slept until 6 am Monday. I was so sore Sunday after the race, I could hardly move when I got home. Two days after the race, I felt much better. Only a little stiff in the ankles and a little tight in the quads.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Some people asked me before the marathon what was next for me, and I couldn’t really say then if I’d run another marathon. After the race I can easily say I plan to run Detroit again! My friends who knew about my attempt were so impressed they asked me to coach them next year : ) how could I say no?

Doug Curtis was right - YOU CAN DO THIS!