Eve of the Race

Clothes are laid out, iPod charged, number and timing chip waiting to be appropriately placed. Mom and Matt are here and while I would prefer to be in bed right now, I can't sleep so we're all watching the Olympics. I have no reason to be nervous, as I know I followed my training diligently and to the very best of my ability, but I still am...
In less than 12 hours I will have (God, willing) finished the race!

What (Not?) to Wear

Barring no major complictions, this time 3 days from now I will be finished with my race!

Since I have been training on the treadmill in a (relatively) temperature controlled environment, to say that I am nervous about the cold temps this weekend would be an understatement. The forecast for Birmingham this weekend/race day is in the 30s-40s which is a far cry from the temps in the gym. I understand from my reading that I should dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual air temp and I know I can always shed layers if I need them (any discarded clothing is donated to local shelters). I also know that I should abide by the "nothing new on race day" philosphy but I am just going to have to trust that my top layer is going to work for me since I really don't have a desire to pass out from heatstroke at the gym. (And to my credit...rationalizing...I have worn the top in my cross training and it's quite comfortable)

So here's my planned outfit for Sunday morning:

UnderArmour running tights as seen here but in a capri length (which really fit like full length on me anyway!)I tested these for the first time this past week and they are super comfortable!

UnderArmour 3" inseam running shorts in black/teal/white Mine are actually an older style (or possibly not even the Escape, though I do own this exact pair as well) which I prefer to the newer cutaway design

White short sleve "base layer"I had no idea that this was made from recycled bottles when I bought it. I wondered what "green tee" meant! Also super comfy and really wicks away sweat. Obviously anything "all cotton" when you're trying to stay warm and dry is a no-no, thought my Old Navy $1 tanks sure have served their purpose during training!

I couldn't find a pic of my top layer, which is a light pink Reebok "Play Dry" long sleeve top. It's got a zipper only at my chest and utilizes much of the same technology as above. It was a Christmas gift from Matt and is super comfy.

And now maybe the most important: shoes! I am well aware that these are not the most attractive shoes on the planet and that they are fairly pricey, but they are so incredibly comfy. I'm on my 4th pair of this style (Mizuno Wave Nirvana) and have never found shoes that have fit my feet so well. I actually went to a local track store after the holidays to get professionally fitted and have my gait analyzed and guess what shoes were recommended?

Also have some great socks (NOT cotton) that I was given for Christmas (can't remember the brand) that generally round out the ensemble, in addition to the cheap pink and black Armitron watch I picked up last night at Academy so that I can monitor my pace. (Incredibly important b/c I can run at an increasingly decent clip for about the first 4 miles, but I would be paying for it by mile 10 and I need to hold myself back if I would like to not spend a great deal of time walking and sucking wind). I have some light weight throw-away gloves that I received at the BE&K 5K last year and ended up not needing and a fleece headwrap that I wouldn't mind losing if I had to, though I know my ears will thank me if I can manage to keep it on!

Also, while being brutally honest, I would have LOVED to have found a great sports bra for the occasion but so many of the "good" ones are cut so far up under my armpits that it's painful just standing there, much less applying movement/friction. This will be something I will investigate further in the days/weeks post-race when I have more time (work begins to calm down, training backs off a bit). If anyone has any suggestions though, please feel free to pass them along!

Just registered!

Nothing like waiting until the 11th hour! I'm still here and I've been following my training plan diligently. This week has been more than a little whacked out as I've come down with some congestion and have been battling it and an insane work schedule.

This past week I did a 3 mile recovery on Sunday, 25 minutes on Monday (insane work schedule didn't have me leaving until almost 8pm so this was my compromise between 4 miles and nothing!) Tuesday: rest, Wednesday: supposed to be cross training but I was feeling like death and had a huge work event/presentation the next so I opted for passing out on the couch. I thought I was feeling better on Thursday and managed to squeeze in 3.5 miles before comedy club for a friend's birthday. Friday: rest. Today I was supposed to do 11.5 but I could barely climb the stairs in my house without being short of breath plus I am majorly congested. Soooo...tomorrow I will be making my very best attempt to get in my last long run before next Sunday's race. HOLY ****! Thankfully, this congestion doesn't seem to have moved into my chest (no cough) so I am going to go for it. I don't think this is going to jeopardize the run next weekend and I would feel WAY too anxious knowing that I hadn't run considerable distance in the 2 weeks leading up to the race.

I have no idea what I'm going to wear next weekend which is also making me nervous. ("Nothing new on race day") I bought some running tights last weekend which I need to test out. I expect it's going to be pretty chilly on race day and since I have been training indoors and TMI: sweating profusely through my running shorts and tank tops, I'm not really sure how to adjust for the outside weather. I know running in 40 degree weather in shorts and a tank top is not really an option as I am no speed demon and will be out there from anywhere to 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I am also still on the hunt for an el cheapo watch to wear so I can use something to help me stay on pace. Any suggestions on either are appreciated!

Race Weekend in Orlando

Just had to give props to 2 wonderful ladies who ran/are running in the Disney World Marathon/Half Marathon this weekend...my best friend from college, Wendy, ran the half yesterday and my friend from Tuscaloosa (who I do not see often enough), Heather, is currently running the marathon :) I just checked on her progress and see that she's at least halfway there...yay!

I'm about to head out into the cold to do 4 w/my running buddy. Did 7.5 yesterday and feeling incredibly encouraged. Time to bundle up!

Today was "for worse" (or why being dehydrated makes for a painful long run)

So today was my 6 mile run b/c with travel and then family obligations the remainder of last weekend I didn't have time to get in a full 6 miles. I went for a quick 1.5 miler last weekend figuring that it was better than doing nothing and picked back up with my regular schedule on Monday.

Yesterday I started off the New Year with a migraine, thus besides being completely slothful, I also spent the day pumping myself full of caffeine and prescription migraine meds. Seriously, I think if I drank 8 oz. of water yesterday that would be pushing it. I got up this morning, drank some water and ate some PB crackers (usual pre-run sustenance) and headed out for my run. 2.5 miles into the run I thought I was going to throw up, die or both. I was sweating profusely and I imagined that if one were to try and run with a hangover, this is how it would feel. I thought "if I can just make it to 3..." but decided to keep pushing, knowing that migraines are not something I can control and that I might be running my race post-migraine! I will not lie, there was some walking involved in the 3-4.5 mile range but I managed to run the last 1.5 miles somewhat convincingly.

I'm sure this was due to dehydration and I have learned my lesson for next week. But at least I know I can persevere through an adverse situation should something like this happen on race day.

Speaking of hydration I am definitely planning on "walking through" (could be walking or running) every water stop on the course. I have already mapped them out and will begin incorporating this drink schedule into my training. In reading some of the infamous message boards I am nothing less than shocked at the runners who proudly proclaim that they drink NOTHING during a half or full marathon. That is not safe!! I do know to alternate sports drink/water for any run longer than 90 minutes (and as previously discussed it WILL take me longer than 1 1/2 hours to run this!) to keep electrolyte balance but I cannot imagine what it would do to one's body to replenish no fluids during a race.

Training schedule for last week:
Sunday: 1.5 miles
Monday: 3 miles plus 1/2 mile warm up/cool down
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 3 miles plus 1/2 mile warm up/cool down
Thursday: cross train
Friday: would normally be long run day--gym was closed and I had a migraine
Saturday: 6 miles 1/4 mile warm up plus unmeasured cool down

Tomorrow is an active recovery day. My running buddy is out of town so I am not sure what I will do tomorrow. A quick 2 miles by the lake or maybe a long walk with the dogs?

Born to Run?

Today one of my friends gave me a copy of the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, along with an iTunes gift card. It's truly one of the most thoughtful gifts I have received in a while and it has made me smile all day thinking about it.

This friend has heard me talk of my "motivational" fears as I go into my long runs. I love running to music, but it's not keeping me going mentally and my mind needs other escape routes to keep me going. As I have mentioned, I am currently training on a treadmill and so I not only have a machine keeping me going, but I also have the benefit of reading the closed captioning on the TVs in front of me, or occasionally glancing down at a magazine that I am using to block the screen displaying time and distance. I have tossed around the idea of downloading books or podcasts to keep my mind active since I would be paying attention to new material and not losing myself in familiar lyrics and tempos. I would love to listen to some of the Dexter books (yes, Showtime's Dexter) or a couple of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (True Blood is based off of these) but I have to admit I have not taken time to see what is really out there in an electronic format. This weekend brings a 6 mile run so I would ideally like to have something to test then. 5 miles went REALLY well last Friday; I wonder how much can be attributed to the fact that I was watching/playing Wheel of Fortune along with the TV for 30 minutes of the run?!? I am still keeping the "1 mile at a time" mentality which is also helping. Anyone else got any tricks out there?

In other news, today was my last day of work for the week but I have a to-do list a mile long to accomplish tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I will try to get my run or errands done first thing. I am thinking "errands" to hopefully avoid some of the traffic that will inevitably increase as the hours tick by tomorrow. Most concerned about getting to the mall (one last thing! everything else is wrapped), the monogram shop and Whole Foods...the bank, dry cleaners, car place and nail salon are all close enough to home not to be affected by traffic. I'll also be moving my long run to Saturday since Christmas is Friday and I really don't see the logistics of getting 6 done then given the visits from out of town company, etc.

Last week, accomplished everything on the schedule, though I'm not sure that driving to Atlanta and attending my aunt's Christmas party counts as "active recovery". My walking/running buddy was out of town last weekend so I traded 4 miles for working at Matt's townhouse for 8(!) hours cleaning and painting and getting it ready for being put on the market (though we have a LOT of work left to do...thanks, previous tenants!)

Here's the breakdown of this week:
Sunday: work on the townhouse, did not get in the usual 4 miles
Monday: 3 miles 11 min/mi pace (1/2 mile warm up/cool down)
Tuesday: rest day
Wednesday: 4 miles moderate pace
Thursday (Christmas Eve): rest or cross train (may go to the gym early and do the bike for 20-30 minutes since I will be inactive the next couple of days)
Friday (Christmas): rest/enjoy holiday festivities
Saturday: 6 miles (long run pace)

It's lower on mileage and activity but I am glad to stay active and to stick to somewhat of a reasonable schedule. Probably some modifications coming next week as well.

Injury Report (BOO)

Let me say, first of all, that nothing has kept me sidelined yet! However, last night I noticed what felt like a little hard lump on the side of my right heel. It's still here today and slightly sore to the touch. I think it may be plantar fasciitis but also think it may be from wearing slightly unsupportive moccasins in my marathon (6+ hour) shopping day on Saturday. *Keeping fingers crossed b/c it's really not comfortable to wear any of my work shoes (i.e. heels or other flat dress shoes) right now*

So I hit the treadmill tonight (2.5 mile moderate run, 1/2 mile warm up/cool down) and felt the heel pain slightly and then also felt a funky (very specific description there) twinge in my left leg. Luckily both went away quickly, but I admit I was worried for a few minutes. I popped a couple of Advil tonight and combined with a hot shower, I have been nice and relaxed while writing out my Christmas cards.

I have a 2 mile run that is supposed to be on the docket tomorrow and I have to admit I am wavering, which is not a good place to be. I should celebrate the short run and also should be able to knock it out pretty quickly but combined with the heel pain and the fact that I won't get to leave work until after 8:00 pm tomorrow (lovely 12 hour day) AND have a 3 mile run for Wednesday, I'm worried. I WILL make a pact to pack my gym bag tomorrow and will play by ear. I'm absolutely committed to the 3 and 5 mile jaunts I have on tap for the week, though.

Speaking of the schedule for the week:
Sunday: Walked 4 miles with running buddy (trail)
Monday: Ran 2.5 miles (11 min/mile) and 1/2 mile warm up/cool down
Tuesday: schedule--2 mile run
Wednesday: schedule--3 mile run
Thursday: REST!
Friday: schedule--5 mile run (long run pace)
Saturday: REST (and family Christmas party!)

Some upcoming topics I have been pondering: hydration/nutrition, clothing/gear, mental stamina/motivation, running for weight loss, interesting observations at the gym...Anything specific anyone would like to ask/hear about?