Running to a Goal

April 26, 2012 will be a day that will go down in my history book.  It was the day that I found out that I was selected to run in the 2012 New York City marathon.  I remember my exact reaction when the hubster checked our entry status...pure shock and disbelief.  In fact I didn't believe him at first.  I slowly walked over to the computer and looked and sure enough it was true. 

I never really had a huge desire to run a marathon. I had run the Disney half marathon in 2008 to accomplish a goal and that was fine with me.  In fact I documented my journey here.  But early this year the hubster wanted to enter both of us in the NYC marathon just to "see if we got selected."  Thinking that since hundreds of thousands of people enter the lottery and only a fraction of that get picked I was sure my name would not come up.

But it did.  The hubster's name did not.

Immediately I felt very mixed.  I felt bad that he didn't get in and I did.  I felt nervous and scared. What the hell did I know about running a marathon. Sure I have gone 13.1 miles before but 26.2 is an entirely different story. 

At the end of the acceptance letter was a disclaimer.  If you didn't want to do it you could reject the offer.  You could also defer to next year.  I read that and hubster asked me if I wanted to exercise either option.

Ummm....no.  That was not going to be an option.  I took the challenge.

And so I am in and I will document my journey here and here.  Feel free to join in to see how a 46 year old mother of 4 with very little spare time can get herself in marathon shape by November 4th.  Should be a lot of fun.

Big Decision Coming Up

I have a big decision to make soon and, no, it has nothing to do with the upcoming election. It has to do with whether or not I want to commit myself to another half marathon.

I blogged this same time last year about a half marathon that I ran earlier this year on January 12. It was an amazing accomplishment and a feeling I won't soon forget. Since then a lot of people have asked me about the marathon. They ask me how hard it was, how much training I did, how tired I got, how did I motivate myself, how did I prepare?

When I explain what the hardest part was about the marathon my answer takes most people back a few steps. To most people it may seem like the actual 13.1 mile run is the hardest part when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth. What is the hardest part (at least for me) is the decision to actually do it. For me, once I make this big decision there is really no turning back. I am committed. Baring an injury or crisis of some kind, there is no quit in me.

And that is where I stand today. Looking at a marathon that will come in February 2009. Which means I have to start right now to get myself into shape and start to train for another great feat. But I haven't made the final decision. I teeter on it. Should I. Shouldn't I. Should I. Shouldn't I.

I am giving myself to the end of this week because if not I will never have enough time to train myself. I will let you know what I finally decide.

Marathon Video

I just finished up my Marathon video and hope you all enjoy reliving the experience with me.

iPod Selections

The moment you all have been waiting for...this is the day where I reveal my iPod directory that helped get me through months of hard running training. You just have to promise not to ask me to explain the reasons for some of these songs. There is no real thought to it. The songs in their own way are chosen simply because they light a fire under me and get me moving. I can't always explain why...they just do.

1. Carmina Burana O Fortuna - Boston Symphony
2. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
3. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
4. Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
5. Black Balloon - The Goo Goo Dolls
6. Sleigh Ride (In the Style of the Ronettes) - The Jingle Belles
7. Happy Holidays/It's The Holiday Season - Andy Williams
8. Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney
9. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
10. Seasons of Love - Rent
11. Let Love In - The Goo Goo Dolls
12. Home - Daughtry
13. Dreams - The Cranberries
14. How To Save A Life - The Fray
15. Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls
16. Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls
17. Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
18. Hands - Jewel
19. Home - Daughtry (repeated)
20. Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
21. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
22. Where Do You Hide Your Heart - Amy Grant
23. Angels - Amy Grant
24. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
25. Carmina Burana O Fortuna - Boston Symphony (repeated)

Am I Nuts For Looking At This?

Marathon Day

This past Saturday was one of the better days of my life. I ran a 13.1 mile marathon. I don't say that lightly. It took me a good deal of training and mental fortitude to make it. I blogged about it constantly. When I lined up amongst the 15,000 other runners I felt calm and peaceful and not worried at all. I was too caught up in the moment watching the fireworks and listening to the sounds around me. I had never experienced this before and wanted to enjoy it all.

I knew I wanted to do three things. The first was to finish the race. The second was to finish without stopping to walk. The third was to not be too serious and enjoy it. I was able to do all three.

It was difficult. This was my first long distance run of my life. I am 42 years old. My knees are not what they used to be. My arches are flat. 18 months ago I could barely run 200 ft at any given time. On top of all of these things I couldn't give up the goal.

During the race, I thought a lot about my goals and my dreams. I thought about what inspired me to this day. I thought about all of the things I have been putting off because of lack of confidence. (I also thought about the huge pizza I was going to eat after I finished but that is besides the point). I promised myself that when I cross that finish line I am going to continue toward my goals more aggressively. I am going to remember this day if I get down in my confidence. I will be able to say "I ran a half marathon."

When I crossed the finish line I cried out of excitement for doing something I really never imagined myself doing. This was my gold medal day. I relished in it. I thanked God for it. I remembered all of the people who are no longer here who would be proud of me. I called my Dad on the phone and told him I finished. I thanked and hugged and kissed everyone who supported me.

At the end of the night when I dragged my tired body into bed, I sat alone and congratulated myself because I surely deserved it.

I Am Ready...I Think

I am officially finished with my half marathon training. With the exception of a few short runs this week, I am resting my weary legs from that 10 mile run last weekend. Therefore, there is nothing really new to post anymore regarding my training.

That said, I wanted to take a few minutes to say what an incredible family I have. They have been so super supportive of me over this time. It has meant so much to me. Many, many times during these past many months I have thought I should quit. I recall several days where I just felt I would never run past 2 miles. Luckily, my better half was there to encourage me and make me feel better. If it weren't for him, I would have never been able to run in the evenings or early mornings which was when I did most of my runs. I know there were times when it was difficult leaving him with all four kids to handle while I went out to run.

And then there is the rest of my family. My kids have been hugely supportive from the start always giving me high-fives when I come back from a long run. They are all so excited for Saturday to get here (or maybe that was the promise of visiting the Magic Kindgom that makes them happy). My brothers and their wives have been so incredibly supportive helping to encourage me and give me advice. Some of them will be there on Saturday to cheer me on. That means a great deal to me...more so than I can express. I got a card in the mail yesterday from someone special to me wishing me good luck. It made me cry because I guess we all take for granted how much we all mean to each other. My Dad has been a great support too. His only comment to me is "please be really careful...don't overdo it." Such a sweet dad!

I have never liked being the center of attention. I am really uncomfortable at my own birthday parties and don't like people watching me open up a gift. I just don't like the spotlight at all. I would rather give the attention than receive the attention. Last year at this time I went up to Disney to watch both of my younger brothers run this race and that was great fun for me. This year it will be me that they come to see. And while it is a bit uncomfortable for me to accept this spotlight, I will do so graciously because I am sure that everyone around me loves to give attention as much as I do.

In just 48 short hours I hope to be crossing that finish line. And when I do I hope to relish in the accomplishment and carry it through to my next endeavor.

10 miles and 6 days

6 more days until the big day but you could probably read the countdown clock on the right hand side.

I ran 10 miles this afternoon. A personal best. Boy do my feet hurt. No blisters but just cramping. Much cramping. This was my last long run before Saturday and for me I was not only doing it for mileage but also to try out all of the things I will be wearing on Saturday...shirt, pants, hat, socks. I have to be sure that none of them irritate my body while running. The outfit passes the test.

All that is left is a couple of days this week for some short runs...a couple of miles each. Compared to 10 or 13.1 those are a breeze.

I am looking forward to this run on Saturday and I am also looking forward to posting my iPod songs for the whole world to see. I am certain they will make some laugh because I have to admit that the personal selection is all over the musical map.

You just have to wait and see.

Countdown to Disney

A little over a week left until 13.1 miles. It's hard to believe I am almost there. It almost seems surreal. My final long run is tomorrow and it will be 10 miles which is my personal longest. It's been a long, tough road. I remember in the beginning after a 2 mile run and not being able to go any further and coming back home and crying my eyes out. I was so fearful that I would never make it this far. After that day I decided to pay more attention to why I was not achieving the results I needed and changed my regiment. I decided to never run on a full stomach any more and that was the key.

Since then I made certain to run on an empty stomach which did wonders for my stamina and endurance. I prefer to run at night but I tried it in the morning a few times and did pretty well. I have been maintaining 4 miles as my base run and when I feel like going further on any given day, I do so.

I am so excited for next Saturday.

January 13, 2008

This is the day after I run my half marathon. I am starting to think about what to do from the start of this day forward into 2008 as far as exercise. Of course I don't want to stop exercising, rather reinvent my program and change it up a little.

For the past few months I have been strictly running with no weight lifting and cross training whatsoever. Because of this, the unexpected happened....I gained a few pounds. Since I was not at all expecting this, I am going to concentrate on losing the pounds post-race and build up my muscles again. This will mean switching over to focus more on protein in my diet as opposed to the carbs I am consuming because of the running. I will have to hit the gym at least 4 times a week with free weights and machines with a lot of cardio. I am thinking that I will do something different with my cardio program like boxing or spinning. I will also do the Saturday morning yoga at my gym. I will keep up my running and will try to run maybe twice a week. (I plan on running a 5K in April with one of my teens again this year).

I love to run and I never thought I would ever say that. Sometimes my knees don't agree with me. I fell on one of them a few years ago and ever since then it tends to get sore after a long run. So I am certain that I will keep up my running and keep doing my 5k and 10K races throughout the year. Who knows? Maybe I will get daring and try the Disney FULL marathon next year.

My Best Buddy

I have a new best buddy and I love having her tag along with me when I need her the most.

She loves to run with me.
She never complains and rarely runs out of energy.
She does whatever I tell her to do.
She keeps up with me during all of my runs.
She doesn't laugh at my choice of music.
She is dependable and necessary.
She gets me through the rough patches.
She is not loud or obnoxious.
She helps me move my feet and legs.
She is my pace-setter.
When I can't find her I go crazy.

Unfortunately I will have to leave her at home when I run my half marathon.

Meet my best buddy....

Did I Just Say That?

More marathon talk...blah blah blah.....

I was preparing for my 4 mile short run yesterday. First of all, do you think that a 4 mile run should be classified as short? I don't. But I say it that way because I just ran 7 miles the other day so 4 miles is short-ER than 7 miles but definitely not short....but I digress.

Back to my point. I was preparing for my SHORT run when my better half asks me how many miles I plan to go. I tell him "I am only going 4 miles." I pause. Did I just say THAT? Did I just say the words "only" and "4 miles" in the same sentence?
Am I becoming a running snob? I don't mean to be. It just slipped out.

I have had this slip up a few times this week when telling others about my training for a 13 mile run. They pause, laugh and say "ONLY 7 miles, ONLY 4 miles" and then tell me they can hardly run to their mailbox.

I completely understand. I was at that point 2 years ago. I just had my 4th baby and could barely move. I had no energy and 20 pounds of weight that wouldn't leave my body. I was 40 years old and felt 80. I could NEVER run even when I was a kid. I had terrible flat feet and still do and always thought that this was the reason for my inability. The fact was that I just never really did it consistently and never knew how to build myself up.

I have worked hard these past 20 months to get myself in shape and it all sort of fell into place. In reality I feel I have been running for miles and miles to get to this place...just 29 days till race day. It's all been worth it.

Sunday - 7 mile long run

I am a little bit late updating on my weekly long run and I am pretty sure that anyone who reads my blog is probably getting tired of hearing me go on and on about my marathon training. Not to worry...only 32 days left and just think of how much fun it will be at the end to hear about how I did and see pictures of how I looked. Not to mention a very special surprise...I will be posting the songs that I listened to on my ipod that are sure to make everyone laugh hysterically.

The good news to report is that this past Sunday I hit yet another milestone. 7 miles was the longest I have ever run without stopping to walk. I completed it in about 1 hour and 20 minutes which is a little over a 10:00 pace...right on target. I started at 5:17 pm and ended around 6:30 pm. The weather was perfect and I felt awesome.

I felt excited because, for the first time, I feel confident that I am going to do this and complete this goal. 7 miles is over half way toward this goal so I feel that I can only improve from here and will be very ready on January 12.

I was telling some people over the weekend and yesterday what it was that has possessed me to try to run this type of length and I still find it difficult to put into words. It's a bug inside of me...some people call it spirit. I believe that there are things that we all do in our lives for no real reason but because their "gut" is telling them to do it. Something is guiding me toward this goal and it feels right to do. I have learned over the years to trust my intuition. It rarely fails me. So I don't question it...I just go with it and trust it.

My gut (intuition, Holy Spirit, etc) whispered to me to try this half marathon. Give it a shot. Just do it and afterward you will be greatly rewarded with a confidence that you haven't felt in a long, long time. Finish this race and greater things will come. Your kids will learn from your courage to commit and to attempt and to try hard even when you thought you weren't going to be able to do it. This is what the voices inside me say.

When I run I run alone. There are many reasons for this. I don't want to run with a group because I don't like to conform to the rules within the group (such as taking walking breaks, eating what they do, running on the days and times that they do). But there is a trade-off for this. That is, I run alone and on some days it is REALLY lonely. The silence (thank God for ipods) is deafening. It is just me and my thoughts. But that is sometimes a good thing because my thoughts are what are getting me through this. No one is there to push me...only I am there to push me and I think that is the best plan for me. This is what will get me to greatness...not the encouragement of others but the encouragement of myself.

I have asked my family to greet me in the middle of the race at the 8th mile. The reason for this is because I fear hitting a wall around this time. Seeing friendly faces might help me through this wall. Unfortunately because of the crowding at Disney they probably won't see me cross the finish line. But that is ok because I will see me cross the finish line and I can't wait for that. I can't wait to take off my timing chip and reach out for my medal. It will be so exciting.

Running Log

Tuesday...3 days after 5K. I should have squeezed a run in yesterday. Three days between runs is too long.

Length: 4 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Pace: 10:15
Ran to Flanagan High and back.
Ran through no stopping.
Felt pretty good until mile 3...felt tight until into 4th mile then felt better
Should have eaten a yogurt around 3 pm.
Time to start: 5:57 pm
Time to finish: 6:37 pm

Baby We Were Born To Run

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway american dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, its a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run - Bruce Springsteen

I am pretty sure he was NOT singing about running a 5K but it sure got me in the mood yesterday morning as I ran my third 5K race in a year and came in at 34:30. This run meant so much more to me than the others though the others had their special meanings too.

My very first 5K was run just a year ago on Dec.2, 2006 and while I was busy running my brother and his wife were busy giving birth to my nephew.



My second 5K race was in February this year and it was special because I ran it with my 12 year old son. That was so special to me even if he did beat me by a full 9 minutes. That little guy can RUN! He came in 3rd place in the kids division.





But this race meant the most to me because it will likely be one of the few pre-races to my half marathon coming up in January.

4 miles - no problem

I think my blog is turning into a marathon blog but that's only because I have a half marathon coming up and thoughts of it seem to be consuming my mind. I just got my race information in the mail today which tells me where to pick up my race day package and all the other information. It is all seeming too real at this point.

I breezed by my 6 mile long run on Sunday, rested yesterday, and then I was scheduled to do 2 miles today but I turned that into 4 miles because....well, because I felt like it??? Actually, I did just feel like it and it wasn't too bad. I never thought I would hear myself saying that 4 miles wasn't so bad. Let's see how I do in the 5K this weekend.

I only have one fear about the half coming up and that is I have not been training in the daylight hours and I know that most of the run will be when the sun comes up. I am going to have to somehow switch to pre-dawn hours in my long runs and that is scary to me because of the heat factor. It is so hot down here. Perhaps I will be blessed by some cooler weather that will allow me a heat break.

My 6 mile long run

I did it in about 1 hour which isn't too bad. I am finding my groove more and more with each run. Today it happened around mile 4. My body seemed to settle into the run and it is something I really cannot explain. In lay terms, my breathing eased up and I was no longer panting. I could talk and sing through my running which is something new to me. I was feeling a little bit good actually. I was still sweating and my feet started to feel a bit sore but the tiredness seemed to go away and I was following a steady pace. After mile 4, I drank some water at each mile marker thereafter which actually felt good. In the last half mile I actually sprinted back to my house (the finish line).

I never stopped which sort of surprised me. I thought that at mile 5 I would have needed a rest. But I was only going to take one if my body told me to. It never did so I continued.

I am feeling a bit of momentum now that I am coming into my final month of training. Next week's long run is going to be a 5K race next Saturday morning...the Jingle Bell Jog...which was my first 5K run ever that I did last year. I am excited and anxious to see if my time has improved over the last year.

Marathon - Long Run 6 miles

I see on my countdown clock that I have less than 50 days before the half marathon and my training is in full swing. Sunday evenings are the long run of the week. Today it will be 6 miles. That means I am running from my house to my local CVS store and back. The only difference is this time I am not in my trusty van, rather I will be on foot.

I developed my training program from an internet website of a person who is a marathon trainer and former runner of many marathons. He recommends long run on Sunday, rest day on Monday, short run (2-3 miles) on Tuesday, medium run (4-5 miles) on Wednesday, another short run on Thursday, another medium run on Friday, and a rest day on Saturday. Each long run increases every other week by 1 mile. My long run will be up to 10 miles the week before race week.

The training is tough because I am training alone. I could have joined the road runners club and done it with others but I didn't want to do that. They run their long runs in the morning and I struggle with that. Plus I didn't want the added pressure of being with a group. I prefer to tough it out by myself. I am not sure why but I just do.

Being alone has its disadvantages. There is no one beside you to commiserate with. There is no one to talk to. There is no one to encourage you. It's just you and your thoughts (and in my case, my ipod). If your thoughts on that particular day are negative in any way that is sure to be a bad training day. There are so many days when I wonder why I signed up for this. There are days when I think about the race itself. There are days when I try to imagine breaking up the race into distinct segments (first 4 miles, next 5 miles, last 4 miles). I think about when I will get water and gatorade and bananas.

I wonder how it will feel when I cross the finish line. I wonder if I will drop to my knees or will I feel so elated that I will be on a high. I wonder what the medal will look like. I wonder if I will have enough energy to walk around Disney or will I have too many blisters.

I am not sure of the answers but this is what I think of when I am running and alone with me and my thoughts.

Some Days You Got It....

and some days you just don't. There is probably something really scientific about the fact that on Friday I could barely budge myself 2 miles and then yesterday I easily ran 4.5. I don't know what the science is but I find myself trying all kinds of different methods to make my running easier. I am trying to find that spot...the groove...the method that will take me from my 4.5 medium runs every other day to a 13.1 mile race in January. I haven't found it yet but I am getting close.

I have tried running in the morning on an empty stomach. No dice. That was the worst. I then tried running at night on a full stomach with no sun. Better. Half of my runs were completed at a rather steady 10:00 mile pace. But yesterday was the best so far. I ran at 5 pm which is late enough to miss the hot burning sun but early enough before dark. It was also before dinner on a fairly empty stomach. I made sure to eat some carbs an hour before to give me that extra boost.

It seemed to have worked because I did 4.5 miles with extra energy to spare. And then sat down to a nice post-Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

Ooofff-aaahhhhh...

is the noise I make after a long run that lasts an hour and goes for 5 miles.

That is how I felt last night between the hours of 8:30 and 9:30 pm. I was really proud of myself. I ran the distance without stopping. Just last week my long run was also 5 miles but I had to stop in between and walk a portion of it. The difference was building of my stamina but it was also because yesterday was a night run. What a difference the hot Florida sun makes.

The problem is that race day will begin somewhere in the wee-hours of the morning and therefore, at least one hour of running will be in the sun and I don't know how my body will respond. I am hoping that the laughter of Mickey and friends and the numerous bands and goings-on including cheering sections will help to compensate.

In the meantime I prepare all week for next Sunday's long run which will now be 6 miles. Ooooffff-aaahhhhh.