I decided Monday would be the day....my big come back! Okay so its only big to me, but after two weeks of being virtually sedentary I was ready to run. The weather was perfect for a run and as I left work I got this gitty feeling all over. You would think I was about to go shoe shopping or something but no, I was that excited about going for my run! I raced in the door to my house to change and headed to the river. Tentatively I took my first steps as I set out. Usually its been the very beginning of my runs that hurts my shins and calves the most so I was nervous......but I felt nothing! No pain, no tightness, everything felt great. I took it really slow since I am still in recovery mode, but I covered 3.42 miles in no pain at all!
I am being good and easing back into running slowly.....no need to aggravate my legs again. On Tuesday I went to the gym and did the elliptical and lifted my upper body (something that running 50 miles a week doesn't leave you time to do). Today I took as a rest day and instead ate way too much Halloween candy as I waited for little kids to ring my doorbell. ...oopps!
I'll probably try another short run tomorrow and then over the weekend depending on how I feel...that's the beauty about not having a training schedule to follow! I better appreciate that feeling while it lasts :)
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Vacation from life and from running!
I kept my word and took two full weeks off of running after Hartford.....I spent one of those weeks on a white sandy beach in Grand Cayman! Bryan I took a much needed vacation last week where we sat on the beach, went scuba diving, and ate and drank too much - it was great!! It was a nice change to be lazy and not exercise or have a training schedule to follow. Plus I didn't feel guilty about being lazy because I knew its what my body needed to help recover.
I am feeling good now.....I am relaxed, well rested, and my legs are feeling stronger. I know I am not 100% yet and that my recovery is still taking place. I'm looking forward to being active again after this vacation....going from marathoner to beach bum is rough :)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Pictures from Hartford Marathon
I promised you some pictures from the race so here you go!!
This first one is of me after the race with the best cheering section, support crew, and husband I could ask for :)
These are some of the professional pictures taken on the course. Sorry they are so small and the resolution is bad....that's what you get from taking the thumbnails off the website!
This first one is of me after the race with the best cheering section, support crew, and husband I could ask for :)
These are some of the professional pictures taken on the course. Sorry they are so small and the resolution is bad....that's what you get from taking the thumbnails off the website!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Beat my goals in Hartford!!!
I want to thank everyone for your e-mails and well wishes from this weekend. I was ecstatic with my time and overall had a great race. It was a great day, a nice course, and I just felt"on". People have been asking for a race report....I warn you this will be a long one, but here's all the details!
The weather could not have been more perfect...what a change from last weekend in Chicago! It was about 40 at the start mid-50s at the finish, but sunny so it was comfortable. The wind picked up some in the last couple miles, but nothing too bad just annoying.The course was actually pretty nice for being in Hartford. There were about 7000 runners total but that included the 5k and half marathon. The half course split off from us at mile 3.5. It started in the city but quickly crossed the Connecticut River and headed up into South Windsor (lots of houses and farms). It was a nice, flat out and back bringing us back into the city around mile 19 where we went along the river, crossed the river, wove through Hartford some and then back into the park to finish under Memorial Arch. The first 20 was fairly flat and the last 6 had some short but steep ups and downs over bridges and overpasses.
I linked up with the 4 hour pace leader and ran with that group until about 16-17 miles. It was nice to have a group to run with and most people were talkative. Our pace leader was telling stories and joking around so it took my mind off of running. I felt great for the first half and into the second half....pace felt comfortable and my breathing was controlled. My shins were sore the first 5 miles but then loosened up and were fine. At mile 16 I noticed that we were slowing just a bit (9:10's because we were about 1 minute faster than we needed to be) so I decided to pull away from the pacer at that point and keep with the 9 minute/miles. Another girl, Sheila, did the same thing so we continued to run together for the rest of the race.It was nice to have her to keep pushing myself when I was getting tired. It felt great to be passing people during the last 10k and gave me a real mental boost! Overall I felt great and could not have run a move evenly paced race! My splits were 9:02 at 10K, 9:02 at 10miles, 9:04 at 20 miles and 9:03 overall pace...that's kind of crazy how dead on I was!!
Bryan was able to bike around and see me at multiple points....he met up with 2 other guys on bikes whose wives were also running and they cheered together. I was so confused when I kept seeing him with the same people all yelling my name!! The three wives were all within about 4 minutes of each other....but I beat the other two :) It was great to see him so many times and know how proud he was of me!
I felt so much better after this marathon than I did after Boston....I didn't feel so out of it at the end. My recovery is going well, also not as sore as I was after Boston....not sure if that's because I was better trained or because I didn't have the hills to beat me up. I am overall sore and stiff but nothing too bad.
The volunteers and support on the course were great. They had multiple Gu stops and plenty of water and sports drink. I was nervous how it would be running such a small marathon after coming off of Boston, but having the pace group was nice because I was never alone and had people to talk to. They also had bands every couple miles playing music and people were having parties on their front yards and cheering for us. Nothing like Boston, but it did put a smile on my face.
So now its all over....18+ weeks summed up into 3 hours 57 minutes and 18 seconds! I finished 693rd out of 1,571 runners and 24th out of 88 in my age group - woo hoo!! So for now I need to rest and recover...and then I can start thinking about what's next :)
I'll post some pictures soon so check back!
The weather could not have been more perfect...what a change from last weekend in Chicago! It was about 40 at the start mid-50s at the finish, but sunny so it was comfortable. The wind picked up some in the last couple miles, but nothing too bad just annoying.The course was actually pretty nice for being in Hartford. There were about 7000 runners total but that included the 5k and half marathon. The half course split off from us at mile 3.5. It started in the city but quickly crossed the Connecticut River and headed up into South Windsor (lots of houses and farms). It was a nice, flat out and back bringing us back into the city around mile 19 where we went along the river, crossed the river, wove through Hartford some and then back into the park to finish under Memorial Arch. The first 20 was fairly flat and the last 6 had some short but steep ups and downs over bridges and overpasses.
I linked up with the 4 hour pace leader and ran with that group until about 16-17 miles. It was nice to have a group to run with and most people were talkative. Our pace leader was telling stories and joking around so it took my mind off of running. I felt great for the first half and into the second half....pace felt comfortable and my breathing was controlled. My shins were sore the first 5 miles but then loosened up and were fine. At mile 16 I noticed that we were slowing just a bit (9:10's because we were about 1 minute faster than we needed to be) so I decided to pull away from the pacer at that point and keep with the 9 minute/miles. Another girl, Sheila, did the same thing so we continued to run together for the rest of the race.It was nice to have her to keep pushing myself when I was getting tired. It felt great to be passing people during the last 10k and gave me a real mental boost! Overall I felt great and could not have run a move evenly paced race! My splits were 9:02 at 10K, 9:02 at 10miles, 9:04 at 20 miles and 9:03 overall pace...that's kind of crazy how dead on I was!!
Bryan was able to bike around and see me at multiple points....he met up with 2 other guys on bikes whose wives were also running and they cheered together. I was so confused when I kept seeing him with the same people all yelling my name!! The three wives were all within about 4 minutes of each other....but I beat the other two :) It was great to see him so many times and know how proud he was of me!
I felt so much better after this marathon than I did after Boston....I didn't feel so out of it at the end. My recovery is going well, also not as sore as I was after Boston....not sure if that's because I was better trained or because I didn't have the hills to beat me up. I am overall sore and stiff but nothing too bad.
The volunteers and support on the course were great. They had multiple Gu stops and plenty of water and sports drink. I was nervous how it would be running such a small marathon after coming off of Boston, but having the pace group was nice because I was never alone and had people to talk to. They also had bands every couple miles playing music and people were having parties on their front yards and cheering for us. Nothing like Boston, but it did put a smile on my face.
So now its all over....18+ weeks summed up into 3 hours 57 minutes and 18 seconds! I finished 693rd out of 1,571 runners and 24th out of 88 in my age group - woo hoo!! So for now I need to rest and recover...and then I can start thinking about what's next :)
I'll post some pictures soon so check back!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Ready....Set....Race!!
In exactly 24 hours I hope to be less than a mile from the finish line of my second full marathon in Hartford! I can't believe its tomorrow....all the months of training, the stress of my injuries....it all comes down to tomorrow!
People keep asking how I am feeling and they are surprised to hear that I am nervous. Even though I have done this before, there is something inherently scary about running 26 miles! The first time I did this, my sole mission was to finish....now I know I can finish so I will be battling the clock in a search for my goal time. That's almost making me more nervous for this race compared to Boston! My goals are threefold (1) to finish (2) to beat my time from Boston (4:11:01) and (3) to break 4 hours. I have been watching the movie trailer from the first full length documentary about marathoning (www.marathonmovie.com). Every time I watch it I get so pumped up and get this excited, nervous energy running through me that says I am ready for this!! I need to listen to my own advice....trust my training and my taper! Even with these injuries, I know I am well trained so now its a matter of implementing that training for the race. Tomorrow is the last day I get to run for a while as I allow my calves/shins to heal so I plan to make every step and every mile of this race count.
I want to thank everyone that's been reading my blog and e-mailing me your kind works of support and encouragement! I will think about each of you as I push on to the finish line.
So I guess there is nothing more to say.....I am carbo loaded, fully hydrated, well rested, and ready to go. That means all that's left to do is run!!!
People keep asking how I am feeling and they are surprised to hear that I am nervous. Even though I have done this before, there is something inherently scary about running 26 miles! The first time I did this, my sole mission was to finish....now I know I can finish so I will be battling the clock in a search for my goal time. That's almost making me more nervous for this race compared to Boston! My goals are threefold (1) to finish (2) to beat my time from Boston (4:11:01) and (3) to break 4 hours. I have been watching the movie trailer from the first full length documentary about marathoning (www.marathonmovie.com). Every time I watch it I get so pumped up and get this excited, nervous energy running through me that says I am ready for this!! I need to listen to my own advice....trust my training and my taper! Even with these injuries, I know I am well trained so now its a matter of implementing that training for the race. Tomorrow is the last day I get to run for a while as I allow my calves/shins to heal so I plan to make every step and every mile of this race count.
I want to thank everyone that's been reading my blog and e-mailing me your kind works of support and encouragement! I will think about each of you as I push on to the finish line.
So I guess there is nothing more to say.....I am carbo loaded, fully hydrated, well rested, and ready to go. That means all that's left to do is run!!!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Chicago Marathon Disasters
This past Saturday was the Chicago Marathon. Everything I have heard about it says it was a disaster. From record heat (88 degrees was the high with 75% humidity), closed water stations, others with no water/Gatorade and others with no cups (people were picking dirty cups off the ground just to get a drink!). The course was closed at the halfway mark for those not crossing it within 4 hours and even runners in the last couple miles were being told to walk and that the race was over. Unfortunately, hundreds were hospitalized and a fellow runner tragically lost his life on the course (due to a pre-existing heart condition).
I give so much credit to every runner that lined up and attempted to run. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult the conditions must have been both physically with the heat, but also mentally seeing so many people hurting and dropping out. I feel terrible for everyone who trained so hard over the last few months to have such unfortunate weather and poor race logistics.
It reminds all runners that we must listen to our bodies and not push beyond our limits. Luckily the weather for Saturday in Hartford looks much cooler, but its definitely sobering to hear these terrible stories.
I give so much credit to every runner that lined up and attempted to run. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult the conditions must have been both physically with the heat, but also mentally seeing so many people hurting and dropping out. I feel terrible for everyone who trained so hard over the last few months to have such unfortunate weather and poor race logistics.
It reminds all runners that we must listen to our bodies and not push beyond our limits. Luckily the weather for Saturday in Hartford looks much cooler, but its definitely sobering to hear these terrible stories.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Pep Talks
I have a couple friends running the Chicago Marathon this weekend. They have all been great at giving me pep talks when I needed them over the past month so today was my turn! Below is an excerpt from my e-mail. I wanted to post it here too as a pep talk to others as well as to myself. Paul thinks I should go into motivational speaking...what do you think??
From Sarah's pep talk to John, Paul, and Maria --
I'm not going to wish you good luck because you don't need it.......I am going to say congratulations!!! Over the past 18+ weeks you have run more miles than most people think is humanly possible, you have given up many beers in place of water and Gatorade, and the amount of Gu's you have eaten is enough to make any one's stomach turn over. You have gotten not only your body, but your mind and heart into the best shape of your life.......not only are you physically ready for this, but you are mentally ready too. You have made it though what most people will never do so no matter what happens on race day, realize that you have accomplished something amazing!
Have an amazing time, soak in the excitement and environment of the race activities and most importantly....HAVE FUN!! Trust your training and your taper.....you have put in the miles and now its time for your victory lap! Congrats for making it this far...enjoy the ride :)
From Sarah's pep talk to John, Paul, and Maria --
I'm not going to wish you good luck because you don't need it.......I am going to say congratulations!!! Over the past 18+ weeks you have run more miles than most people think is humanly possible, you have given up many beers in place of water and Gatorade, and the amount of Gu's you have eaten is enough to make any one's stomach turn over. You have gotten not only your body, but your mind and heart into the best shape of your life.......not only are you physically ready for this, but you are mentally ready too. You have made it though what most people will never do so no matter what happens on race day, realize that you have accomplished something amazing!
Have an amazing time, soak in the excitement and environment of the race activities and most importantly....HAVE FUN!! Trust your training and your taper.....you have put in the miles and now its time for your victory lap! Congrats for making it this far...enjoy the ride :)
Pretty in Pink
I am a Biomedical Engineer so one would think I have a fairly sound knowledge of science and biology. I usually don't buy into a lot of the alternative medicine ideas. I also have a doctor husband who laughs at most of that stuff too. So when my sports massage woman told me about Kinesio Taping I was a little skeptical. The idea is that this Japanese stretchy tape will (1) provide support to the muscles while holding them in place....this part makes sense and (2) lift the skin off the area some so that blood and lymphatic fluid flow can be increased to promote healing. I wasn't so sure about this claim!?!?
But being 2 weeks out from my marathon and still in a lot of pain, I decided to give it a shot....worst case scenario is that I lose $45. I got both my shins and my soleus muscles taped up last Friday with an oh so subtle neon pink tape. That night I was on my feet and walking around a lot (plus I wore heels...first time in a month!). The next day I decided to try an easy 4 mile run. I was really surprised that my legs felt pretty good. Usually my shins ache for the first mile or so and then lessen some. This time that aching wasn't quite as bad and my calves seemed to hold up fine.
On Sunday I ran 10 miles still feeling okay but noticing some other aches and pains (my right hip and I are not friends right now!) I was still encouraged that my calves and shins were feeling okay. I took Monday off and went to yoga (haven't been in 4 months) so my hips are feeling better.
Last night was probably my best run in a long time. It was only 6.25 miles, but everything felt great.....no I wasn't pain free, but my head, heart, and body were in the best spirits they have been in for a long time. The miles felt effortless...like I could have run forever. I got home and told Bryan that I wanted to bottle everything about that run and use it on race day! I really needed that boost mentally!
So this morning the tape came off (you keep it on for 4-5 days then remove it)........whether its just placebo or that the tape actually does something I don't care!! Whatever the reasoning is, I felt better and had less pain than I've had in a long time. As my friend Maria said "That's what matters most. To BELIEVE!" So I am getting re-taped tomorrow and once more next week before the race.
At least I'll be easy to spot on the course with my pink stripes!
But being 2 weeks out from my marathon and still in a lot of pain, I decided to give it a shot....worst case scenario is that I lose $45. I got both my shins and my soleus muscles taped up last Friday with an oh so subtle neon pink tape. That night I was on my feet and walking around a lot (plus I wore heels...first time in a month!). The next day I decided to try an easy 4 mile run. I was really surprised that my legs felt pretty good. Usually my shins ache for the first mile or so and then lessen some. This time that aching wasn't quite as bad and my calves seemed to hold up fine.On Sunday I ran 10 miles still feeling okay but noticing some other aches and pains (my right hip and I are not friends right now!) I was still encouraged that my calves and shins were feeling okay. I took Monday off and went to yoga (haven't been in 4 months) so my hips are feeling better.
Last night was probably my best run in a long time. It was only 6.25 miles, but everything felt great.....no I wasn't pain free, but my head, heart, and body were in the best spirits they have been in for a long time. The miles felt effortless...like I could have run forever. I got home and told Bryan that I wanted to bottle everything about that run and use it on race day! I really needed that boost mentally!
So this morning the tape came off (you keep it on for 4-5 days then remove it)........whether its just placebo or that the tape actually does something I don't care!! Whatever the reasoning is, I felt better and had less pain than I've had in a long time. As my friend Maria said "That's what matters most. To BELIEVE!" So I am getting re-taped tomorrow and once more next week before the race.
At least I'll be easy to spot on the course with my pink stripes!
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