Change of Post

I was planning to write something interesting tonight about my race preparation and even talk about a new CD I'm really enjoying. I thought about posting some links to a few of the tracks I like the most so that you could listen to them too. However, SOMEONE made me pack and clean up since the movers are coming tomorrow to take away the furniture and now I'm to tired to be entertaining. I am actually going to go to bed early tonight. Provided our Internet is actually hooked up tomorrow (I'm talking to you Time Warner) then I will do then what I was going to do tonight.

Now it's off to the shower and then icing my knee before bed. Goodnight!!!!

I Feel Better

I ran a few miles today and I feel a bit better about Sunday. My knee didn't feel 100% which is slightly dissapointing. I would much rather go into my first marathon feeling GREAT, not just OK. I still have some days though and the aching could just completely dissapear. The good things is that my knee didn't really hurt either, it was just a slight twinge that I would feel at some points during my run today. I am optimistic about Sunday and I can't wait. The weather is supposed to be perfect - a high of 64 and sunny!! I will wear my wonderful Race Ready shorts along with a hot pink tank top (I will probably begin the race with a long sleeve shirt on but I tend to heat up pretty quickly so that will be off by the end of the race.)

I was considering painting my name on the front of my shirt so that people could cheer for me. It is amazing how having someone cheering for you can really help motivate you to keep going. I am lucky enough to have a large support system of people that will be in attendance to help me make it through the race. I'm used to having someone to run with or at least having my music. This will be 26 miles of just me and my thoughts...that could be a good or a bad thing, LOL.

Thursday or Friday (depending on how things go with Time Warner Cable I might not have internet access Thursday night) I will post the race course so anyone planning on coming out on Sunday will have an idea of where to stand to cheer me on. Some of my coworkers are planning on being around mile 23 and they asked me what time do I think I will be there. Good question! Well I think the earliest I will be at mile 23 is 4 hours but we shall see.

Alrighty, it is time for me to get in the bed. I didn't actually make it into the bed until 11 last night and I'm not sure what time I went to sleep due to some stomach issues. Once I did fall asleep I woke up several times during the night. All in all, NOT a good night's sleep. Here's hoping tonight will be better!

Counting Down

Not much longer now.....

I did a pretty good job of improving my habits today. I ate decent (aside from the cinnamon rolls for breakfast). I drank a good amount of water but I think that I still should drink more because I don't feel fully hydrated yet. I am going to go to bed around 10 tonight (that's early for me).

So..short post tonight, I have to get ready for bed!

One Week Away

In a week I will be running my first marathon. I am feeling a variety of emotions:

Excitement because this is a big deal for me and my first marathon.

Nervousness because this is my first marathon so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Prepared because I have done a very good job with my training and I feel like I am ready and will do well.

Scared because my knee still doesn't feel 100%, I don't feel that it will be a major issue but I would feel better if it felt great. I won't worry about it though because I do have a week for it to start feeling great.

Determined because I'm really going to do this!

This week will be a preparation week. I am going to attempt to eat very healthy, drink lots of water so that can be properly hydrated for the run, and go to bed early every night this week so I will be well rested. Wish me luck!

Stretch Fest

My knee is still bothering me! It isn't as bad today as it has been the past few days though so that is a good thing. Last night I was supposed to run around 4 miles but I ended up doing only about 2 and I walked part of that :(

I have had this pain before and I know that it isn't anything major but it is very annoying. I need to build up the strength of my inner thighs and that should help reduce the strain on my knee that is causing this pain. That's a simple thing to do but it also isn't something that is going to happen in less than two weeks. Marisa gave me a bunch of stretches to do and I will continue to ice like crazy. If I had an OFFICE I could ice throughout the day! If my knee isn't back to normal by next week then I don't care what these people around my job have to say, I will be rolling up my pant leg and sitting here with an ice pack on my knee. I'm pretty sure the way these chairs are made and how it is really NOT ergonomic considering my height is not helping the situation either.

So my plan is to ice and stretch every day until the marathon. I am confident that this will work and that my knee will feel great for all 26.2 miles. Hopefully I will be able to walk the next day but if I can't that is alright since I have already taken that day off from work.

2008 Cannonball Run Recap

I have to get on my blogging job - I've definitely been slacking lately but I promise I will do better.....

Saturday was the Cannonball Half Marathon Run. It was perfect running weather: nice and cool. I always have difficulty deciding how to dress for occasions such as these. It was quite chilly in the morning so I decided to wear my capri tights and a long sleeve dry weave shirt. I at least had the sense to wear a tank top underneath because I know I have the tendency to heat up pretty fast. As expected, I did and around mile 3 I had already taken my shirt off! A few times during the race I wished that I had worn shorts instead of the capris but overall I was comfortable. There were also a few occasions where I got pretty cold, this mainly happened when we were in the shade and the wind blew. My hair was soaking wet so that cool breeze on my head felt like a cold chill.

I ran the first half of the race with Amy R., Nathan, Michael, and Christine. It was a nice pace but around the 2nd half Nathan and Michael pulled ahead. Well they probably kept the same pace and we happened to slow down. I could have stayed with them but at this point I was starting to feel a slight twinge in my knee and since this was not my target race I did not want to push myself and risk getting hurt with my marathon only two weeks away. WoW! My marathon is only TWO WEEKS AWAY!!!!!

I am so excited and scared. My knee still doesn't feel 100% and it is two days after the race. It is kinda swollen so I've been icing it and stretching and taking some anti-inflammatory medicine. I'm not going to worry about it though because I know that it will be fine - it already hurts less today than it did yesterday.

Team Evolve (my running group for those who haven't been keeping up!) did wonderfully in the race and there were several PRs! I am so proud of everyone and glad to have such a wonderful group of people to run with. I think that will be the hardest part of the marathon, not having anyone that I know to run with. Hopefully there will be someone in my pace range that also is open to a little conversation while running......

Busy Times

I know...I've been missing from my blog for a while! I have had a very big change in my life recently - WE GOT A HOUSE!!!! Yes! I am now officially a homeowner and in big time DEBT, LOL. This is very exciting but also a bit scary because it is a huge step and a lot of responsibility. I can't wait to start decorating and getting things together.

Oh, and I now have a HUGE kitchen with a double oven so if a certain extraordinary chef that frequents this blog would like to come visit and help break in the new ovens then they are more than welcome to!

On the running front....things are still on track. I don't have my longest long run hanging over my head so that is a relief. This weekend I am running the Cannonball Half Marathon (as my long run for the week) I am supposed to run an extra 3 miles but my legs have been extremely sore since this past long run so I will "listen to my body" and then decided on if I will actually do those extra 3 miles or if I will just stop after the 13.1. I have been taking it easy this week and I have been icing regularly so hopefully my legs will feel great on Saturday.

Sad News

My wonderful running buddy has been benched for the season. :(

I'm sad and dissapointed for her because I know how much she wanted to run the marathon and how hard she has worked. I know that she will recover just fine and will be back at it in no time! And once she's ready I will be right there to run with her again.

Last Long Run B4 The Marathon

Wheeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!! I completed my longest long run before the marathon today and I feel really good. Other than a slight pain in my knee and some chafing in some weird places I didn't have any problems. I even ran faster than I thought I would which is great. I think that I am on track to run a 5 hour marathon which is by no means fast but a decent goal for my first one. After I have this first one under my belt I will work on improving my speed. Finishing this long run and feeling the way I do has me very motivated and optimistic about the marathon. I don't feel as nervous because I am confident that I will be able to complete it without any problems. I will still need to take the Monday after off because I'm sure my legs will be very sore. Perhaps someone will pay for me to be treated to a nice massage(hint hint).

I would especially like to thank Amy B. for running with me for the first part of my run, but of course I always enjoy running with her. Also, Keith for running the last 7 miles with me. Had I been running alone I'm pretty sure I would have stopped and walked instead of pushing myself to keep going.

Pause - I'm having a very strange sense of deja vu right now. Hmmmm, maybe I'm in the Matrix!?? LOL

Funny moment from today's run: We (me, Amy B. and Marisa) run past this guy on the path and he shouts, "Whooo hooo, go Obama". Well the look on Amy B's face was hilarious. That's all I'm going to say about that but I found it very amusing.

Ok, I was going to write more but I'm super tired so I am going to turn in early. Plus, I'm supposed to be getting more sleep anyway...

Don't Talk About It - Be About It!

Alot of people talk a good game but fail to follow through when it really counts. Well I don't want to be one of those people. I have once again been inspired by one of Marisa's blog posts. (Check her out on the side bar - Evolve) The post was about race day preparation and it made me think about my own preparation. I have less than a month to go before my race and I really need to buckle down and get to work.

When it comes to the running portion of my training I am doing very well. I haven't skipped any major runs and I've been pretty consistant with my cross-training. There are some things that I do need to work on though and that is what I am going to focus on up until my marathon.

I will improve my diet - I don't need to make any major changes just practice a little more self control and plan out my meals. I tend to make bad decisions when I have to make last minute choices on what I am going to eat for dinner. If I make sure to plan things out and buy all the ingredients in advance then I will be able to do better.

I will do my core work like I am supposed to - for example, even though I am tired and I had a pretty hard hill workout today I am still going to do some core work before I go to bed. Not only will this help me out in the marathon, perhaps it will help me finally get the abs I have been working towards!

I WILL get more sleep - tonight there are several shows that I want to watch but instead of watching them I am going to go to bed shortly after I finish this post. To be honest, I am also going to bed because my stupid DVR failed to record Grey's Anatomy and I am PISSED! I will just have to watch it on the internet tomorrow. Too bad I don't have flash on my work computer or I'd watch it during the day tomorrow, Dang it! LOL!

So all in all I am going to BE about it. (OH, I will also talk about it because imagine me not talking, ha!)

Recovery Day

I was so happy when Marisa agreed to let us do a short easy run today instead of hills. I'm pretty sure that there was no way in heck I was going to be able to do hills today. My legs felt so heavy and sore during the short run we did today. Hopefully with some heavy icing and stretching they will feel better on Thursday when we actually DO have to do some hill work. Not to mention, I have a 21 mile run scheduled for Sunday.

I really have to get some rest. I was so tired today at work that I just knew I might fall asleep at my desk at any moment. At one point I contemplated going into one of the phone booths and taking a nap but figured that it would be just my luck that someone would come looking in on me and that probably wouldn't be good.

I have less than a month until the marathon. I plan to be consistant with my core work, improve my diet and increase the amount of sleep I get. Doing all these things will allow me to do my best on the day of the marathon. I'm starting to get nervous.....just one more thing to keep me awake at night, LOL.

Not For The Faint of Heart

Running is not a sport for weaklings. It is not a sport for those afraid of pain, those unwilling to push themselves, or those looking for something easy to do. That being said, if you want to be a casual runner then you can do so and not have to worry about any of that stuff. But if you're doing in casually with no specific goal/race in mind then it isn't really a sport anyway..

Today we ran 19 miles. I say we because even though I didn't run with someone right beside me I was still running with a group. Knowing that I had people waiting for me at the finish inspired me to not only keep going but to push myself. That's the benefit of joining a running group. Had I NOT had someone waiting for me I certainly would have not made it through the entire run this morning.

My stomach was hurting ALL yesterday. I started getting dehydrated and I just didn't feel well at all. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to make it for the run this morning. I made sure to drink as much water as I could to make sure I was properly hydrated for a long run. This morning when I woke up it still didn't feel much better...

Have I ever said how much I love being a woman? Well, I do! However, about the same time every months I have the tendency to curse my womanhood and entertain the fantasy of being a man. Imagine a little monster in your abdomen, twisting your insides like he is wringing out a wet towel. (Yes, I said HE because I am most certain this monster is male.) Now imagine that occuring while you are trying to complete a 19 mile run. Around mile 17 this little monster decided to leave my abdomen alone but he didn't leave....nooooo, he travelled down to my lower calf where he proceeded to punch it for the rest of my run. Oh well, despite the troubles it was a pretty good run - my longest yet and I feel ready for the next long run!

After the run it was ICE BATH time! Holy crap - that is some cold water! An ice bath is definitely not for the faint of heart. It's also not for anyone who has a problem with their heart stopping momentarily because I'm pretty sure mine did. It took me about a minute to lower myself all the way into the tub. Around minute 3 I started shivering uncontrollably (is this normal?) But as Marisa said, after I made it past minute 4 I was okay and I managed to stay in there a full 10 minutes. My leg felt better afterwards so I think I will definitely add this to my post-run routine. Oh and The Husband wouldn't help hold me down either so don't feel bad Dena!

Now I'm off to find something eat, I'm starving!

Change of Plans

UGH! I am not having a good day. My stomach has been hurting since last night. I'm hoping that it will be better soon but at least by the morning so I can do my long run without any problems.

Also, after talking with Marisa on Thursday I realized that this weekend ISN'T my longest run, it's next weekend. So tomorrow I'll do around 19 miles and then the next weekend it will be 21. Even though I was looking forward to running part of the marathon course tomorrow I wasn't really excited about running alone. Plus, I don't really need to run the marathon course ahead of time. This way it will be more of a surprise, LOL.

I think I will have some pasta for dinner and then relax for the rest of the night. I didn't get as much sleep last night as I would have liked so hopefully tonight will be better.

Sleep Diary - 2

Uhhh so still no luck on the sleeping front. Last night was only about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. OK, clearly I really need to get this sleeping thing together.

I do have a lot going on right now so perhaps after all of this calms down then I will be able to relax and get a little bit more sleep. At least I hope so...

Blah

BLAH.....that's how I feel right now. My legs felt SO heavy during today's run. It ended up being a pretty slow run but I guess it is just like that sometimes. I hope my run Sunday goes a lot better than today's run. Actually, I know that my run will be better on Sunday so I'm not going to worry about it.

I had plans to write something more entertaining but now that I'm home and showered and sitting on the couch I don't really feel like it anymore. Oh, and I miss my running buddy so she needs to get her foot in shape so we can run together again!

Sleep Diary

Marisa's post on sleep has really had me thinking about the level and the quality of my sleep. I think I am really sleep deprived! I wonder how much better I would feel if I actually got the amount of sleep that I probably need. I decided that I would start keeping track of my sleeping habits as well as the things I am doing (or not doing) to increase my ability to have a good night's sleep. Hopefully this analysis will help me figure out what will allow me to get a great night of sleep.

Tuesday night I slept for about 5 hours until SOMEONE kicked me and woke me up. After that I woke up about every 20 minutes until my alarm went off.

Wednesday night I slept for about 4 hours before I had to get up to pee. After that I woke up about every 30 minutes until my alarm went off.

Soooo....not off to the greatest start. It seems that once I am disturbed from my sleep that I have a hard time getting back into the rhythm. Also, I need to figure out when I should stop drinking at night so that I won't have to use the bathroom during the night. Finding the balance of hydration and having to use the bathroom is a struggle. I always seem to feel dehydrated in the morning which causes me to want to drink more at night.

I have to admit that I haven't exactly started following the suggestions that were provided about the TV. I have decided to eliminate some shows from my viewing schedule so that is a start. This is a process - I'm not trying to go "cold turkey" on the television habits! We'll see how this goes.....