Love. Laugh. Live. Run.

Rock N Redemption? Not so much.

It had been a long 6 weeks since the Hard Corps Marathon and I was having mixed feelings coming into this one. During my back-to-back marathons, I was pretty active and running consistently. After pinching a nerve in my back at the HCM, I was being very conservative. I wanted to let my body rest so I took it very easy. I did one long run, 15 miles, in between and sprinkled in short runs when I had the time (enter Grad School and a new job to sabotage my schedule). Almost every run I did, no matter how short, ended with lots of back pain. I felt like someone was squishing me and nothing seemed to help my back un-kink itself. So on one hand, I was wary and knew that dropping out of the race was a real possibility. On the other hand, the cocky girl who ran 3 in 56 days with minimal pain thought I could pull something great out of my ass!! You see where this is going, right?

Expo
I met up with Christin and her family, in from Germany, on Friday afternoon. (Sidenote: Her Dad has been talking about this race since last June when I visited them in Germany. He signed Christin up, but she's knocked up and had to pull out.) The Expo was huge, tons of stuff to buy, gear to check out, and people to meet, but it was so crowded! I love expos, but even I had to get out of there, it was too crowded. And, this was the worst goodie-bag ever! There was nothing in it!

Last Supper
Saturday night I went to my first Maniac Meet-up at an Italian restaurant in Hillcrest. It was so much fun! Tons of great people all talking running and marathons! It was bliss! The food was authentic Italian and delicious! I stuck with my protein dinner and just had roasted chicken and veggies.
Race Day
I was up at 4:30 getting ready for the race. For some reason, my pre-race Oatmeal tasted like crap so after a few spoonfuls I threw it away and had a few pieces of bread. We had planned to take the motorcycle to the Start Line to avoid traffic, but the bike was dead. We hopped in the truck and tried to haul ass. On the way there, we ran over a bunny. I was sufficiently freaked out at this point and decided to just go with the flow. The morning was a mess so I made up my mind to just relax and take whatever comes my way. Shit happens, deal with it. At least I had a sweet outfit!


Beau got me as close as he could to the Start so I had to walk about 6 blocks uphill to get there. I found Christin and her Dad and we started in Corral 13. It was 6AM and it was warm enough to take my sweater off. What?! This can't be good either.

I zoned out for the first half of the race. No panicking. No mental math to compute my finish time. No chasing down pace groups. Just running, how refreshing! I was going fairly fast, but I started taking walking breaks when we hit mile 8 and some hills. I felt good coming into the half way point, even though I had been doing more walking than I planned. The 4:15 pace group finally caught me and I was pleasantly surprised to know I was ahead of them.

Around mile 14, I realized that the sun was out, there was no shade, and it was HOT. I was craving ice cold water (which isn't normal for me) and I knew the rest of the run was going to be a struggle. I came into Mission Bay and tried to run as much as I could. I knew that I had a few miles before I was on Fiesta Island and that I would push all the way through that last hour. I ran into Christin and she had some encouraging words for me. It felt like an eternity trying to get to the Island, but I didn't know "eternity" until I got on the Island. I had planned on just powering through that last hour, but it wasn't going to happen. It was hot, dusty, and boring on that Island. It seemed to last forever! I would get into little grooves of running and then I'd come out of it and need to walk. I finally got some consistency at mile 24 and promised myself the world if I could just keep it to the finish line. Coming back into Mission Bay and into Sea world, you couldn't see the Finish Line. I hate that. I just kept turning corners, but it never came into sight until the last 100 meters. I crossed the line at 4:47.

All in all, it was an uneventful race. I had a great attitude going into this and expected the very worst and very best. I'm not a fan of the course or the Rock N Roll organization so I don't think I'll be repeating this one or any of their other races. For #4 this year, I held up well. I'm giving myself an entire month off of running and probably won't do another Marathon until the Fall. I really want to tune up and get back to being faster, I do not want to see anything slower than 4:30 anymore. No more slow marathons, no more walking! I guess I'll have to wait a few more months for redemption, but that's okay. Until then, I'm going to sit on my ass for a few more weeks and be lazy! You should try it, it's kinda fun!

So I kinda have a job.

I say "kinda" because it's a temporary gig. Full-time and good pay, which is nice, but the hours are a bit insane. The office is practically 24 hours and my shift is 4am-12:30pm. Crazy, right? It's actually a great shift and I'm really enjoying these hours (I get to be early, stopped watching bad TV, home early enough for naps and errands). The biggest problem is that this shift covers peak running hours. Thankfully, I'm in taper mood, but still. I took a few days off because I was so exhausted adjusting to this schedule and had no extra energy to run. It also explains the lack of blogging: no running = no blogging. Gimme some time to adjust, I'll figure it out, I somehow always do.

I'm looking through a bunch of race calendars and trying to map out a Summer/Fall race schedule and my eyes can't help but stop over the word "marathon" every time I come across it. I'm going to have to walk away from my computer after this post because I'm about to hit the "Register" button for the San Francisco Marathon on July 25!?!

I'm really ridiculous, but I know I'm in good company. Runners are an odd bunch. One minute you hate running and wonder why you inflict pain on yourself and the next minute you're planning outfits and weekend trips for another race! How quickly we forget that pain! After that 15-miler last week, I was thoroughly content with 5Ks and 10Ks in my near future. I was giddy even. The other night, as I sat around with friends at a BBQ, I kept thinking about waking up early and going on a long run! Hello? Where you not just here for that 15-miler that almost killed you? So of course, I swear off marathons for a few months and I can't help but think about them and how "fun" they are. HA! I really am a MANIAC!

BTW, I considered running a small marathon this weekend for my 20-mile training run. Yup, a marathon TO TRAIN FOR MY MARATHON!!! Where do I come up with this???

So I've had 3 long runs since the last marathon and I can sum them up in one word: SLOW! It's taking me about 40-60 minutes to wake up/warm up and find my stride. It's still pretty rough after the first few miles, but I can zone out and get through it. My pace hasn't seen much change, my legs know what they're doing even if they're sore (good 'ol muscle memory). Unfortunately, the rest of me is just being dragged along. At first, I thought it was Baby Shower Hangover, then I speculated that it was related to woman problems, now I've come to the best, and most logical, conclusion that it's overtraining. Plain and simple, my body is exhausted. I'm going to have to cut back on some of this training for San Diego. Perhaps San Diego will have to be a fun run. That's a little depressing, but hey, calling a marathon a "fun run" is still an accomplishment.

This morning I set out for 15 miles and it wasn't pretty. I walked A LOT the first 7 miles, but finished the last half well. As I was dreading every moment out there, I was contemplating my racing calendar. I don't have anything planned after San Diego on June 6. I've been looking into Fall marathons purely to keep me in shape all summer long (if I have to have a baby soon, I might as well enjoy being in a bikini for the last time!) but another marathon will not do this body any good. And then it dawned on me - why don't I work on my short distance? How about some 5Ks and 10Ks?? A half marathon?? Let's talk about all the pros:

• the obvious, they're shorter!!
  
• much cheaper than marathons so I can race more
• it'll get me to do the track workouts I've been putting off for months, not to mention more Crossfit
  
• since Hubby is still recovering and doing minimal running, he can probably train/race with me in the Fall
• it's really heating up and I do not enjoy 3+hours in the sun (I enjoy the tanning part, but I prefer to tan by the pool now)
• I can enlist more people to race with me because most of my friends can run at least a few miles
• getting faster at shorter distances will help me get faster at longer distances - or at least that's what I'm telling myself

I refuse to think of any "cons" right now because I'm in love with this plan right now. I'm going to start looking up races to keep me busy. I'm taking June off completely - cold turkey, it'll be tough! So expect to see my race calendar expand in the next few weeks as I switch gears to short distances. This slowpoke is going to transform into a....something really fast!!

Here's a summary of last week's workouts: (after a whole week off after Pendleton)
Sunday: rest
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 4+hours of sewing - this must be a workout because my back and shoulders are still sore
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: rest (missed the track workout driving up to LA)
Friday: 11 mile run
Saturday: "rest" (I don't know if I consider party set-up/cleaning to be rest)
Sunday: running around in heels for 5 hours

Yesterday/Monday: 3 mile run

Today is a cross-training day, but I still haven't gotten my butt down to the gym yet for some Crossfit. Luckily, the gym is my garage, but I still manage to push this off for hours. Don't worry, I'll get to it. Stay tuned!

No, I'm not dead. I was just busy planning my sister's Baby Shower!

It was AMAZING and now I can return to life, aka running and blogging.

HAHA Look at these race photos!

And when my husband finally comes to one of my races, he decides THIS is the moment to take a picture together?!? I wasn't interested.

No, no, no, I'm not talking about my Husband who has nerve damage in his foot because he flipped an ATV in Afghanistan...

I'm talking about my other Baby...my Garmin 305 aka "Wall-E." I LOVE this little guy. I'm always excited to pull up my data on the computer, but for some reason I could not get my program to work this weekend. Luckily, the Garmin Support Crew helped me troubleshoot and saved the day! I just got the latest version of the Training Center and it looks awesome. I can't wait to play around with it, but here are some screenshots:

Please forgive me for the egregious things I've done to you, namely running 3 marathons in 56 days. Maybe you just don't understand my needs. I need to run so your crazy mind will shut the hell up and all that stuff floating around you're head will work itself out.

I think we have a communication issue. You send me signals, but I just don't understand them. For instance, why do I have a pinched nerve in my lower back? What, you didn't enjoy that 5 hour jaunt on Saturday? It was just the two of us, and the ocean breeze. Surely, you must have enjoyed some of it? I mean, I was kind enough to show off as much of you as I could so you could get a tan (by the way, your color is looking great!). Maybe you don't appreciate me?

Ya know, I do these things for you. I try to keep you in shape, I try to keep you healthy, and I always keep you tan. The least you can do is stop complaining and recover. Please stop hurting. And for crying out loud, what's with the toenails falling off??

Love,
Me

Last week I kept thinking, how hardcore do you have to be for the Hard Corps Marathon? Apparently, very hardcore. It was rough, really rough. I don't want to re-live it, but for the sake of this report, I will.

We were up at 4:30AM on Saturday to make the trip out to Oceanside. I slept in the car, but it didn't seem like long before we were pulling onto base. Luckily, Beau knows his way around Pendleton so he took a backroad to the start line to avoid traffic. The sun was rising when we got there and the valleys we're filled with overcast (Clue #1: Valleys = presence of hills/mountains). It was pretty cold and Beau warned me to keep on my arm warmers on because it would be colder as we ran to the ocean. I obliged thinking that Saturday would be as overcast and gloomy as Friday, this turned out to not be the case.

It was a small race, maybe 300 people, with a good mix of military and civilians. They wrote our age and "M" or "C" on our legs like it was some hardcore triathlon. This only spurred competition (and later on frustration when someone way older than me passed me). Everything felt fine and things were going as planned so I felt like I could have a decent race. Boy, was I wrong.

The first four miles were supposed to be a gradual downhill out of base towards the ocean. I quickly realized that the downhill was more like rolling hills (Clue #2: Rolling hills are a recurring theme here). My pace was around 9:00, but it felt fine and I didn't feel like I was working too hard. When we got towards the ocean, my worst fear was realized. The course was on the East-side of the freeway, about half a mile away from it, all up in those mountains! Mind you, this course is advertised all over the place as "flat" - this is a big, fat lie! I can't say I didn't expect this, I mean, look at Pendleton, but I was sure hoping for the best!

For eight miles, the course ran North. It was up and down and up and down. There were plenty of aid stations with some very friendly Marines encouraging us and offering help. Because it was such a small race, I was running alone and it was very uneventful. I was panicking, the hills were really freaking me out and my music was doing nothing to distract me. By about mile 6-7, the leaders of the race were already on their way back. They looked like hell and soon I would know why. I started counting the number of people that were on their way back, it was a good distraction. By the time I reached the turnaround, mile 12, I was #223 (Yes, I was heading up the back of the pack). I was around 2 hours so I knew I hadn't fallen so far behind, but I felt like hell. I was taking walking breaks pretty often, even though I tried not to, but kept them short. They always say that when you're having a great race the mile markers appear unexpectedly, but when you're having a bad race, you have to chase them down. I was chasing them at the halfway point - not a good sign.

I still don't know what happened. Maybe my body was exhausted from all these races. Maybe it was the heat (well into the 70s). Maybe it was all the hills, sucking my energy up. It was just one of those races. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to cry. I think I was on the verge of tears the last ten miles. I just hated it and wanted it to be over. I even called my brother at one point. He's pretty tough with me so I was looking for a kick in the ass. Somehow, someway, I trudged my way back. There's not much to say about the race, it was slow, I walked a lot, and I didn't care.

I crossed the line at 5:02:36 - an absolute Personal Worst, but I still don't care. I cried a little bit because I was so frustrated and broken, but it's over. I'm still proud to have completed my 3rd marathon in 60 days. Not every race will be like LA and that's okay. A real runner knows that you have bad days and bad races. I know I can do better so I'm resting up - 47 days until the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon! Better yet, let's call it the Rock N Redemption Marathon! Look out!

Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.
Michael Johnson

It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.
Ann Trason

Tough times don't last, but tough people do.
A.C. Green

The gun goes off and everything changes...the world changes...and nothing else really matters.
Patti Sue Plummer

Anything worth while will not come easy.

I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first with your head, the middle with your personality, and the last with your heart.
Mike Fanelli

It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.
Emil Zatopek

Pain is temporary, quitting is final.
Lance Armstrong

My last of 3 marathons is this weekend, the Hard Corps Marathon at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. I should be very nervous right now, but I'm not and that is making me nervous.

I'm coming off of two amazing marathons, not based on time, but based on the overall experience and how my body felt. Pasadena was long and hot, but I didn't feel an ounce of pain when I was done. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. It was as if my body had erased the memory of it the minute I crossed the line! LA had it's share of torture, but it was the most amazing I'd felt at a race and certainly the most fun I've ever had racing. So should I expect the Hard Corps Marathon to be the same? Or was God just being nice so I could make it to this last race and complete my goal?

There is a part of me that wants to go all out this weekend. Considering how I've felt after the last two races, I kinda think I could go all out and shoot for a PR. I don't have to protect my body and reserve anything for a future race so I could really thrash my body and be okay with it. The course is questionable, it's paved roads could kill my knees and foot and the out-and-back may freak me out (it's best to not know what lies ahead). If I could get a PR this weekend, I could really enjoy the Rock N Roll Marathon in June. I have tons of friends coming out for that race and I have hopes that it can be as fun as LA. I really want to enjoy San Diego.

The other half of me is saying Just finish the damn race and get that yellow jersey! Come hell or high-water, you will crawl across the finish line if you have to. I don't have to worry about my time, I just have to finish and then I'm a Maniac. Enjoy the day, soak it all in, and go 3 for 3!

I guess I'll be spending the week weighing these two options. I guess my body will determine how things pan out. I'm leaning towards a PR race, but I think I'm too scared to commit to it. I better toughen up. No wussies allowed at the Hard Corps Marathon!

As I perused some new blogs this morning, I came across a race report from a marathoner's first 50K. Not gonna lie, very intrigued.

A 50K is 31 miles. That's only 4.8 miles more than a marathon. Of course, my first thought is Pshhh, that's like 50 more minutes. I can do that. It's just one more hour. HAHA Oh, Tania, so confident, so forgetful. Yes, that is one more hour - ON TOP OF THE 4+ HOURS THAT COME BEFORE IT! Really, I have a problem people! I began to immediately scan my calendar and see when I could start training for one. Fall sounds good, right? No races planned then? And I searched the local race calendars. Seriously, people! I'm crazy, right? Who would do this?

Alright, alright, let's put the brakes on here for just a second. Before I start jumping into Ultras there are some things I have to consider:

1. Almost all Ultras are trail runs. Although I train on trails and have done a 10K trail run, a 50K trail run would be very different than what I'm used. Marathons are entirely on asphalt. It is literally a different playing field.
   
2. Although 4.8 miles doesn't seem like much, I hear that once you do a 50K you realize why it is an Ultra and not just a Marathon Plus. Somewhere in that 4.8 miles you cross over and it's very distinct.
   
3. Ultras have a whole different culture that I would have to learn about. Hydration is major! Aid stations have real food and you should be running with a Camelbak. You have to take in 1000+ calories during and monitor your salt intake (ie. taking salt tabs). Lots to learn about there considering I go 26.2 miles with just 8oz of oatmeal and 3 ClifBoks in my belly.
   
4. Heat factor - being this is California, an hour longer on the course, on a trail could get blistering! My finish time would be close to noon in the middle of the desert! Yikes!
5. Am I bored yet? I am loving marathons right now! Do I really want to fast-forward or should I enjoy the honeymoon phase until I need a new challenge? This could be the perfect post-baby challenge to get me back...I'm just saying.
   

I'll sit on this for awhile. I'm itching, but I'm going to hold off and see how the next 2 marathons go. What do you think?

I've been keeping it for months now and have only divulged it to a few people. I have not made this public because well, I doubt myself and don't want people to judge me if I fail. So here it is....I'm trying to be a Marathon Maniac. Yeah, I know I've been running a lot lately and seem like a crazy person who loves to run, but I'm talking a legitimate "Maniac" - there's a club!! With members!! And matching jerseys!! Beautiful, hard-earned, bright-yellow jerseys....
Sometime in the Fall I heard about the "Marathon Maniacs" - a club for people in love with running marathons. Being a little bit strange myself, I was instantly intrigued and looked into it.

To be a Maniac, you have to meet the criteria for at least 1 of the 9 levels of insanity. The lowest level is Bronze requiring 1) 2 Marathons in 16 days OR 2) 3 Marathons in 90 days. Hmmmm.... I could do this. I could TOTALLY do this. And so the obsession began....

I had already had my eye on the Surf City Marathon (it got sold out so I did Pasadena instead) and started training. As I got closer to Pasadena and kept thinking about this whole Maniac thing, I looked around for a March marathon to consider. The obvious one was the new and improved LA Marathon. When Shawna mentioned her interest, I was thrilled! I would have a partner and I would be 2 for 3.

I have been dead set on this whole Maniac thing for months now, but still unsure because I had no clue what running back to back marathons would be like. Luckily, my body still loves me and I am just 1 marathon away from being a Maniac. In exactly 2 weeks I will running the Hard Corps Marathon in Oceanside and it will be my 3rd marathon in 60 days! That's right, I don't need the extra month, I'm doing it in 60! I'm thrilled to be so close to accomplishing this! I really didn't think I could do this and I'm so excited how well it has all gone. I LOVE LOVE LOVE racing right now. I especially love all the reactions I get from people when I tell them I have another marathon coming up, I really am a Maniac. Well, at least I own up to it!

Under no circumstances am I allowed to eat the following before a run:

-GU Chomps
-Bananas
-Peanut Butter

It does not end well.

Oh! So much to say! To sum it up - IT WAS AMAZING! Races are a gamble. There are so many things that need to go right on race day, it's like the stars aligning. Well, you do the math, the odds of that happening are pretty slim. Something usually goes wrong and in running, even if it is the smallest thing, it can be disaster for 26.2 miles. This was not the case on Sunday. The stars aligned and it was perfect. And when you have these kinds of rare races, this is when you realize how amazing racing and running is and doing it for 4+ hours is a ball!

Let's start with the Expo on Saturday morning. I didn't sleep well Friday night so I was a bit grumpy. Shawna and I headed out to Dodger Stadium at 8:15AM to get there by the 9AM opening. I didn't think it would be too crowded considering it was just starting, but it was a zoo! The 5K was held on Saturday morning and those folks were just getting done so the parking lot was crazy and people were everywhere. We finally got a spot and wandered into the Expo. It was packed! I was freaked out. This was just the Expo, could you imagine what 25,000 people running would be like? Yikes! AND IT WAS HOT! I was sweating just walking around this place and it was 10AM! It all made me very nervous, but it was a great Expo. Shawna picked up some Kayanos for $50 (!?!?!) and we both got iFitness belts. We took some pics and got out of there before we melted. I think we were both sufficiently nervous on Saturday - the heat!? the traffic?!? were we trained for this?!?

Needless to say, when we met at 5:30AM on Sunday morning, neither of us had gotten a great night of sleep. If it wasn't so dark I think you would have been able to see the fear and doubt all over our faces! We made it to LA with minimal traffic and dropped off Mike around Olvera Street. Mike is a running buddy of Shawna's Dad, Dave, and he was going to run about ten miles with us. (Mike is also the real deal, his PR is 2:36!!! Yeah, we were totally outta his league!) We got as close to Dodger Stadium as we could and walked our way into the Stadium. As soon as we got out of the car and started walking up the hill a car full of guys asked if we needed a ride and starting hitting on us - nothing makes you forget your nerves like being hit on before a race!

We avoided the porta-potty lines and found some good brush to take care of business. Don't worry, I packed Kleenex. We made our way to the corrals as the sun was starting to come out. We found a good spot to wait...and we waited...and waited...the race was pushed back 27 minutes and didn't start until 7:47. This only increased my absolute fear of running a marathon in LA heat in late March (did I mention they sent out an email the night before freaking people out about being hydrated and not dying on the course??). As we stood around, we got to see some characters. Really folks, ANYONE can run a marathon, trust me! They finally played I love LA for the last time and the gun went off! It took about 3 minutes, 30 seconds to get to the start line and we were starting the LA Marathon!

One last photo as the sun was rising at the start line...


Mile 1: The first mile loops around the stadium. We were going fast, but you can't really help it when you're starting out and excited. The best part was seeing men lined up peeing on the flower beds surrounding the whole stadium. It was hilarious, I wish I had a picture of this.

Mile 2: The inflatable mile marker was having issues and deflating as we ran through it! It was pretty dangerous, but eventually it came down and the runners right behind us carried it off the course. Shawna and I both had to pee at the starting line but for fear of never making it back into the corral held off and we were looking for places to pull of and pee. TMI?? There are porta-potties all along the route, but you can imagine with 25,000 runners the lines are long. I spotted a little office building with no cops around so we hunkered down behind some planters and took care of business. Ahhh...much better....

Mile 3: We headed onto Olvera Street and were looking for Mike. He was easy to spot and we spent some time telling him about all the crazy things that had already happened by this point in the race.

Mile 4: I knew that this was the biggest hill of the race and it was no joke. It wasn't a very long hill, but it was steep and I really wanted to walk. We were looking for Shawna's Dad and cousin, Matt, so I was trying to focus on that. At the top of the hill was a group playing some sort of ethnic drums (I know, not very PC, but they weren't normal drums). It was some sort of tribal beat, very repetitive, but very appropriate for a big, ugly hill.

Mile 5-8: I was panicking at this point in the race. Our pace had been all over the place from all the ups and downs, from 8 minutes to 11 minutes, and I was winded. The first hour of the race usually flies by and it did, but I was scared that we wouldn't find a groove and I'd be hanging on the whole time. I remember telling Shawna that we just had to get to mile 8 and then it would be flat. I think I was saying this outloud more for myself.


Mile 8-9: We finally turned onto Hollywood Boulevard and I was happy to be done with all the twists/turns/hills. There was tons to look at and I just kept staring at all the different store fronts and their funky names. I was still panicking a bit, but knew that the best parts of the course were coming up. The first big landmark we hit was the Pantages Theater.

Mile 10-11: This was the good stuff. We saw Capital Records, Hollywood & Vine, Graumman's Chinese Theater. Our heads were bouncing all over the place taking in the sights. Even though we both grew up in LA and have been in Hollywood plenty of times, you see it all very differently when running down the middle of Hollywood Boulevard! It was infinitely cooler this way!

Mile 12-14: Sunset Boulevard looked beautiful in the morning light. I remember passing one street that dropped off and had an incredible view of the whole city below. It was hot, but I was doussing myself with water because I was determined to see the end of this course. We passed some more landmarks- Chateau Marmont, House of Blues, Whiskey A Go-Go, Saddleback Ranch, and of course, all the swanky hotels. I was also window shopping, beautiful dresses I could never afford...a girl can dream!

Somewhere along Sunset we ran into Dave and Matt again. There was a huge sign on the building behind them that said Nude Nude Nude, it cracked me up. We dropped Mike off and were on our own. I was really glad Mike was with us in the beginning. I think it calmed our nerves since the first half of the course was pretty rough. We were both really pumped at this point, laughing and texting, and it felt like we were setting off on a wonderful, little adventure! It was a great feeling. We were past the halfway point, feeling good, the hills were behind us, and the sights were awesome - it really felt like our race.

Mile 15: We headed down a nice hill and tried to slow down to avoid injury. We were beeming at this point. It really felt great. We also saw the nicest fire station ever and made some jokes about hot firemen.

Mile 16-17: Beverly Hills, that's were I want to be! Yeah... Of course, it was gorgeous here. All the lawns were manicured and there were no drag queens cheering on the side of the road. We headed down Rodeo Drive and pretty much felt like rockstars. When we turned onto Santa Monica Boulevard, I saw a lady pull over and give her spouse/spectator a big kiss. I swear, I almost cried. Races make you so emotional and it was just too cute. We then saw Nike Town employees dressed in lime-green full-body onesies and were thoroughly confused. It was weird.

Smiling down Rodeo...my sister would be proud!


Mile 17-19: I knew this would be the hardest part of the course. It was a long stretch of straight road, I'd be starving, and there's nothing significant about the "teens." You're past the halfway, but still far from the end and it just gets dreary. There were no tall buildings to block the sun and the wide street made it even more daunting. We stopped at mile 18 for a food break. We shared a pack of Clif Bloks and it was just what my tummy needed. We hopped back on pace and headed through Cheerleader Alley. We were getting into it and having fun with these girls, but I did notice the last team (BHI?? What school is that?) was just standing there, not cheering, bored outta their minds! So dramatic!

Mile 20: We passed right by my old work to my surprise. We were again on the lookout for Dave, Matt, and Mike - another needed distraction! We headed into the Veterans' Administration and climbed some tiny hills. The heat and the hills had sucked a little bit of life out of us, but you can't tell by the picture because we looked thrilled!Mile 21-25: Finally in the home stretch! We turned onto San Vicente Boulevard and caught up with Dave, Matt and Mike around mile 22. We gave them big smiles and we're pumped again knowing it was almost over. I used to run San Vicente when I lived in the area so I knew it well and was happy to be back. I kept telling Shawna it was downhill (trust me, if you run East you will feel the incline), but you didn't feel that until mile 24.

Even with 20+ miles behind us, you need mental toughness to get through those last miles. Everything kind of goes out the window and you hang on for dear life. I turned up my iPod and just tried to lose myself in the music. Apparently, Shawna was calling me out at mile 23 for a walking break, but I didn't hear her. I was rocking out that hard! She caught up to me and instead of smacking me in the head she just held on with me. As we neared the ocean, it got cooler and you could see the overcast. I kept saying we had to get to mile 25, where San Vicente Boulevard meets Ocean Avenue.

Mile 25-Finish: We hit the corner and turned South, the road ahead was downhill. Everyone around us started picking up the pace - it was way too early to sprint, but that downhill was taking everyone, including us! Our average pace dropped to 9:37 and down to 9:08 at the finish! I was screaming on the inside and wanted to walk desperately, but Shawna pumped me up and we crossed the finish line together at 4:30:09. We did it!


Pain immediately set in and we both thought we'd collapse, but we still hammed it up for the cameras! Maybe this recap sounds misleading. You're going to hurt, you're going to want to quit, you're going to be tired - it is 26.2 miles, but all in all, it was a blast! Aside from the expected pain and torture, everything went well for us on race day and we pulled it out. It was a perfect race.

I'll leave it at that for now. There's more to be said about LA and this race experience, but I'm having a contact high just writing this so I'll go enjoy it for awhile and be back later with more pictures and thoughts.

How cool is this result chart? I'm loving it! It makes me look pretty darn good!

Race report is coming soon.

I got another long run in this weekend with Shawna. We were both a little wary about how successful it would be considering my body is tired and she hasn't trained for more than a half. We took it easy and just tried to enjoy it and it went really well. Our pace was a bit slow, but we we're chatting and felt great at the end so I'm sure race day will be faster.
I made a mistake and didn't restart my watch after a water break so I was short over a mile at the end of the run. It was pretty scenic course and took us through San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, and Pomona.
I cannot believe I have one weekend until the Marathon! I'm really excited. I think Shawna and I are just going to have a great time and really try to enjoy this race without any pressure. I haven't been able to run since Friday because things have been really hectic. I'm going to try again tomorrow, but we'll see. So many things to get done before Beau gets home and he's my priority. Awww.....

Man, this running stuff is tough. I took a week off after the marathon to let my body recover and I really felt amazing. I couldn't believe how great my body felt even the day after! It was like the race was a dream!

I headed out for my first run last Friday and attempted 6 miles. Well, that was a bit ambitious. I did 3 and I was still pleased with myself. After the last marathon, I waited a week and could barely do a 1 mile run, so this was an improvement! On Monday, I got on the bike for a short 25 minute ride, nothing too crazy, just watched some TV and cruised along to loosen things up. On Tuesday, I attempted 6 miles again and was fairly successful. I probably ran 5 miles of the 6 mile course. My knees are giving me a little bit of trouble, but that pain dissipates after a few miles. My body felt okay, but my lungs were struggling. I don't know what that means. My body is fine, but my heart and lungs want a break?? No time for that! Today (Wednesday), I did a Spin workout. This was a new video and the ride was 35 minutes long. I was taking it easy on the legs, but trying to keep my heart rate up the whole time.

I can't believe two weeks have passed since Pasadena! I get two more weeks and then it's LA!! This is crazy! I'm going on a 18-miler with Shawna Friday morning and I'll have more thoughts on my recovery/training after that. I hope I don't kill myself and that my legs/lungs/heart/mind all rise to the occasion!

Yes, I steal race photos. I'm poor, get over it.

The day before the marathon I was extremely excited. I love going to Expos and felt my excitement build picking up my race packet. I didn’t feel any nervousness or fear and this alone made me nervous. I don’t know why I was so confident and comfortable, but I tried to go with it. I’ve decided that actually running a marathon is a lot like gambling. There are so many important factors that contribute to a good race and if even one falls short, it could spell disaster. I think knowing that it’s not entirely up to you actually made me more relaxed.

I went to bed around 9:30 the night before and probably fell asleep around 11:30 (2 hours is falling asleep quickly for me). I slept deeply and wasn’t irritated when my alarm went off at 5:30AM. Thank goodness for local races and not having to drive long distances to get there! I laid everything out the night before and just had to decide on my racing bottoms. I went with my skirt, my original plan, because I needed the pocket to hold my phone and it matched best. I ate some oatmeal on the drive to Pasadena and about half a bottle of Propel. I was very hydrated the day before and even drank during the night so I wasn’t worried about this.

I arrived at 6:00AM and had one hour to prep and find my friends. It rained pretty hard during the night so the ground was wet and the air was still really moist. It was freezing. I found Shawna, Kristy, and the rest of the McDonough clan and we barely had time for “hello’s” before it was time to get started.

Miles 1-8: We passed the start line two minutes after the bell and Shawna and I took off the first few miles. We didn’t have to do too much weaving because there weren’t many walkers and we weren’t too fast. The first hills were miles 2-4. They were small and we were making lots of twists and turns through the residential neighborhood so it happened pretty quickly. By mile 4, I knew we’d be splitting up soon because I knew I couldn’t keep the 8:36 pace. She drifted ahead of me as we headed into the second set of hills. This set of hills would last from miles 7-10 and would take us up to the Rose Bowl. At mile 8, the half and full marathon route splits up. I was able to see Shawna one last time, I was about a minute behind her when the route splits.

Mile 8-12.5: Once the courses split, there were hardly many people. It really thinned out and everyone was pretty much on their pace with little passing. The road was a slight incline along the west side of the Rose Bowl and the golf course behind it. It loops around the golf course and then you come back down on the same road. It started to rain at mile 9. It wasn’t pouring and it actually felt pretty good. I started to notice some pain in my hip at this point. The pocked inside my skirt with my cell phone was hitting this exact spot and I think my hip was getting irritated by the constant banging. I moved my phone to my sports bra – really, a sports bra can hold anything! I did some stretching at mile 11 and tried to take the downhill. Coming into this section I noticed my knee was giving me trouble. I used to always wear a brace, but my new shoes have really helped and I haven’t had any problems for 4 months. I suspect that my knee was hurting from all the asphalt and hills so after leaving this loop I stopped at the medical tent to get my knee taped up. I didn’t like the way the lady taped it, but it actually helped and my knee pain went away.

Miles 12.5-15: This was the third set of hills and the worst. I was prepared for this to be ugly, but it really sucked. Most people were walking and I didn’t have any guilt walking myself. It was residential, but lots of people were outside banging on pots and pans so it was nice to see people. Tasha called around mile 14 and we didn’t know the area so we thought we’d see each other soon. It was a good thing I was looking for them because it was distracting me and kept me moving.

Mile 15-19: The course takes a nice turn into the ritzy neighborhoods so the streets were wider here. The sun was out and it started to get warm, but I was drenched in water. I passed an area that was littered with orange peels and from then on kept thinking about how badly I wanted an orange slice. I also ran into the CoolFit tent. These guys spray your legs down with liquid (something like IcyHot) and it instantly cools and relaxes your legs. It felt divine! I was starving at this point and really trying to stick to Ultima, but I had to have something in me so I ate the Gu Chomps I had on me. I’m so glad I brought these with me at the last minute! They were Orange flavored too so I imagined they were real oranges. At mile 19.5, I finally found Tasha and Brian. Brian ran with me for about half a mile (to go get the car) and I picked up speed and felt a bit refreshed.

Mile 20-22: This is the last out-and-back of the course. It was warm and the sun was beating down on this part of the course. I had one last hill up to mile 21 and I was trudging along. I got to the top and cruised back down. As I rounded the corner I saw a lady with a tray of oranges! I was in heaven! I took 3! I was so excited I even dropped one, but she let me grab another. I walked slowly and tried to enjoy them as much as I could. I kept telling myself that I just had an hour left. In comparison to the three hours behind, it seems short, but it felt like an eternity.

Mile 23-Finish: As I headed back down Sierra Madre and came up to mile 23 I knew I was close. I knew this area so I knew where we had to go to get to the finish. It was a very long straight until mile 25 and it was dreadful. It was so monotonous and I could not distract myself with music. I tried to stop walking, but I needed some breaks. They were quick though and I knew I was less than half an hour to the finish. Shawna texted me and she was waiting for me at mile 25.5 to run in the last bit with me. The course made two left turns and I finally saw her and knew I was so close. (This is also where I met her boyfriend for the first time, I bet I looked great!). She ran that last bit in with me and we picked it up to about a 9:00 pace. There was a short downhill and at the next light I could see the final turn. I knew the finish line would be just around that bend and I was pushing as hard as I could. I wanted to scream because the finish wasn’t close enough. I started counting in my head, knowing that in 20 seconds I’d cross the line.

I crossed the line at 4:44:28 and was so glad it was over. My first thought was, “Crap, I have to do this again in one month?!” Yikes. I felt really good though. When I finished Carlsbad I nearly fell apart. I was exhausted, hungry, and completely out of it. Although I was tired and hungry, I felt physically fine. I was really surprised that I held up so well and it given me confidence that I’m more fit and have more endurance. Now I'm really excited for the next one!

I'm meditating! I'm an ardent believer in the the power of positive thinking, especially if it's just days before a marathon! So please excuse me from posting, my brain is busy envisioning me feeling strong, keeping my form, controlling my mind, and basically, KICKING SOME SERIOUS ASS this weekend!

Pasadena - you're mine! You're going down!

I have no idea what happened to my template, the images disappeared and the Google answer for this was too complicated to understand. Anyways, had to change it up, do you like?

Here's today's run:

Me: Well, good morning Lil Miss Sunshine! It looks lovely outside, may I come out to play?
Lil Miss Sunshine: Certainly, come on out and bask in my sunlight! You'll love it!
28:54 later...
Me: Wow, it's REALLY hot. Will Mr. Cool Breeze be joining us today?
Lil Miss Sunshine: No, it's just the two of us, my pretty! Die! Die!
Me: Ahhhhh!!!!
Yes, I came up with that conversation as I spent the next 30 minutes trying to avoid death!

IT.WAS.THAT.HOT.

Ugh. I'm really in a funk about running. Dare I even say this outloud? I hate running right now. (GASP!!) I know, I know, but let me explain.

Training for a marathon is typically 16 weeks. That's 4 months of running 3-4 days a week, plus cross-training. That's not a terribly long period of time, but being on a schedule like that for so long makes its exhausting. It's like being in school and desperately counting down the days until the end of the semester, catch my drift? I'm just sick of being on a training schedule. I want to go back to just running for fun (yes, it's possible).

See folks, this is why I want to be a hardcore marathoner (new word). In an ideal world, I'd be racing a half or full marathon every month. When I was in college and had funds from one of my many odd jobs I was racing once a month. These were much shorter distances, but I still had something to look forward to every few weeks. This was best for me because I was keeping up my endurance and distance but my training would change often enough to keep me interested. With a marathon you work so hard for so long for this one goal and then it's all over in just a few hours. I want to be at a much more elite level. I want to be able to sign up for a marathon on a whim, just a few weeks in advance and be able to handle it.

So what's holding me back? MONEY! It's a cash-flow problem, people! Reason #396 I need a job: racing is an expensive habit. Well, it could be worse. I hear cocaine is pretty expensive.

This week's runs: No Garmin this week, just trying to enjoy running
Monday: 3.5 miles
Thursday: 6 miles

Today was the big day. Leslie's first 10K! Leslie is one of my wifey friends who just had a baby 6 months ago! Hello!? Can you say "bad ass?" She's been working hard for weeks and I was thrilled to get out there and pace her today.

The race started at 7:30 and we were a bit nervous about the storm. There was a 70% chance of rain from 6-8AM, but when I left the house the rain has stopped and when we got there it was pretty dry. It was cold, but at least there was no rain. Leslie was hoping to finish in an hour and stay around a 10:00 pace. It was crowded the first 2 miles so we were pretty fast weaving around people. We had the wind on our backs the first half of the race so we had a nice push. Miles 3-4 were kind of a kick in the butt! We were getting our ass kicked by that wind! (Remember, we're in the middle of a storm, just no rain!) Aside from the wind, Leslie started lactating (see, I told you she's a bad ass!) and I have no idea what that's like, but I'm sure it doesn't feel good! (Btw, am I allowed to divulge this? Sorry! I need to paint the picture of how tough she is!) We finally hit the last bend and got the wind on our backs! Leslie started picking up the pace and was really stepping it up. I was proud, like a mama! When you can start to taste that finish line, things get rough, but she was really pushing it out. I was trying to talk her through that last bit and I'm sure that at some point she wanted to punch me in the face! haha I left her right before mile 6 to get pictures of her finishing. She came in really strong at the finish and I was beaming! I can only wish that 6 months after having a baby I can run straight through a 10K so strongly!

Mile 1: 9:18

Mile 2: 18:37

Mile 3: 30:35

(I don't remember these exactly and wasn't recording laps, oops!)

Mile 4: 41:00ish

Mile 5: 53:00ish

Mile 6: wasn't there

Finish Time: 1:04:59

Check out this chart from my Garmin. These weren't huge hills, but it sure wasn't flat!

Thank goodness this marathon is getting close because I cannot fathom a long run taunting me on the calendar!

I was in Glendora over the weekend so I was a little worried about where I would be able to get 20 miles in. I always run at the top of town where it's quieter and I can run for miles without intersections, not to mention the air is much cleaner up there. I adjust this route depending on how long or short I need it to be, but the longest I've ever made it is 15 miles. I didn't know where I was going to find 5 more miles to tie in.

I started around 7:15 on Sunday morning with a few loops in my head to add hoping I could hit 20 miles. The route is right on the border of the Angeles National Forest so I decided I would climb up Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) and turn back to get some mileage and a good, gradual hill in. After the hill, I ran about 7 miles until I reached the halfway point in the run. Usually I head south and it gets busier on the road. I really didn't feel like cars/traffic/people so I turned around and went back along the mountains the way I came. This added some more hills into the run and when I got back to GMR I was feeling confident so I decided I would do it again. I was going about a mile up the road and it was tough, but it was the kind of hill that felt really good. I was huffing and puffing at the top and thoroughly embarrassed that on this particular day the firefighters were there doing some trails. When I got to the bottom of the hill, I decided to do it again (yup, it felt that good!) and then head towards my car. I was thoroughly proud of myself and feeling good and my pace really picked up on the way back to the car. I was at about 16 miles after the hills and thought I would get pretty close to 20. I was really flying and then something happened. All of a sudden, my knee did something weird and before I could even slow down my leg was off the ground and my body was not letting it touch the ground again. I hopped a few steps slowing down and tried to walk, but it hurt! I think I might have had a bad footstrike and popped my knee a bit, but I was too scared to take any chances. I walked the rest of the way to the car and it stretched out. I finished a little over 18 miles. The pain went away and I consider this to be a freak accident and a cautionary tale about uneven sidewalks.

I'm glad that big run is out of the way. I'm starting to feel confident about Pasadena. I stuck with my sports drink and never got hungry, despite skipping breakfast. I also realized that around miles 11-15 I hate life. I lose focus, get very tired, and question myself. In my last marathon, I definitely freaked out miles 15-18 so this seems about right for me. I'm really happy that after hitting those hills and getting to mile 16, I was so pumped. This gives me hope for Pasadena because I know those hills will be killer, but with each one I'll try to take some confidence. I'm feeling good about this one and might rethink my finish time. In the meantime, I'm getting a cold and I'm trying like hell to get rid of it before it gets serious. I'm going to bed early, hopefully this helps!

How is a girl to spend her 25th birthday? Doing whatever the heck she wants!!

On Tuesday night, I decided that I would do whatever made me happy on my birthday and this definitely included a good birthday run. I stayed up a little too late making sure the house was clean so I wouldn't be tempted to clean/organize and took a little something to knock me out. I slept in until 9, made myself eggs and toast, and put on my running gear. I headed to Coronado to run on the beach and was ready to do as little or as many miles as felt good. I started out on North Island, ran by Hotel del Coronado, and past the security guard to run on Gator Beach. It was delightful! I ran pretty slowly, but I didn't care. It was a beautiful day and I was content. I even laughed when I was shoe-deep in the mud and water! The beach was littered with shells and rocks from all the recent storms and I stopped to pick up a few on my way out. When I was 3.5 miles out, I laid down and just enjoyed the view. On my way back I got kicked off the beach by some little man with a fake, orange gun. I had to detour up on the road for about a mile, but then I ran back down to the shoreline. I hit the mud again, this time I went way past ankle-deep, but I still laughed. As I was crossing a small cul-de-sac, I came upon this...This made my day! I met The Coronado Sandman. I told him it was my birthday and he added my name to the cake. (Don't know about the "I love you" part, that was there when I came back for a picture.) I was beaming as I ran back to my car! I picked up Panera Bread for lunch and headed home. I was planning to sit and read at the beach the rest of the day but I had a last-minute assignment for a job interview the next day that I needed to get started on.

I thought all my fun was done after lunch, but it really just began. The assignment had me writing a 2-page memo and prepping for a 5-minute oral presentation - all in regards to policy. I turned on the TV to catch a bit of the State of the Union and realized I was in heaven! Writing a memo AND the State of the Union?!?! I was giddy like a policy-school girl! This was a birthday gift from God, I'm sure of it!

Thanks 25 for being so sweet to me today! Let's hope the rest of the year is as successful!

I woke up Saturday morning and headed out for my 15-miler and nothing felt right. It was one of those days where I felt tired, achey, and out of breath. It wasn't going to happen so I got 5 miles in before returning home. I told myself I would try a good run on Sunday, but after a night of drinking and dancing with the girls, I wasn't even able to make it to church (Sorry God!).

Today was a beautiful day so I was thrilled to get out in the sun and soak up some Vitamin D. I'm not gonna lie, my biggest concern wasn't training, it was TANNING! Hey, I'm a multi-tasker! I sure did get my tan, but my training? Eh, not so much. My quads were BURNING! Apparently, I was really getting down the other night! It was a 7 mile run/jog and my poor quads really hate me.

I've been reading up on tips for the last month before a marathon and I think I might switch things up a bit. A lot of sources recommend focusing on intensity over mileage. Here are some of the reasons why [taken from Peak Performance]:

• Shorter runs let muscle fibers recover by gradually reducing their weekly dose of impact forces
• Research has demonstrated that intensity is a much more potent producer of fitness than mileage
• Intensity expands blood volume to a greater extent than slower running; the increased blood volume ensures both better fuel and oxygen delivery to muscles during the marathon and a superior supply of blood to the skin for cooling - and also reduces the risk of dehydration.
• Intensity enhances nervous-system coordination of the gait cycle, improving running economy and therefore lessening glycogen depletion during the marathon.
• Intense running makes marathon pace feel much easier by comparison (while slow running makes marathon speed feel comparatively harder)

I'm not a complete believer, but I would like to integrate some of the advice into my schedule. This will probably consists of doing more runs at marathon pace and Crossfit. I will definitely taper the last 2 weeks, but I can probably continue CF for 3 weeks.

I love experimenting with my running. I'm pretty certain that Pasadena will not be a PR race for me, but I've been trying a lot of new things this time around. The running list (pun intended) so far includes: switching shoe brands, training with a Garmin Forerunner, making my own training schedule, sports-drinks over water and GU, and intensity-focused last month. I'm hoping that I will learn a lot about training and I'll be ready to start improving my time based on my own experience. I'm going to analyze it, with science.

[Watch this clip for the inside joke.]

Rain. Lots of it! We got three storms in one week! Until now, we had only had about 5 days of rain all winter and now this!

Now, I love the rain. First, it reminds me of living up North. I miss the crisp air and how green and lush everything was. Second, rain is the perfect excuse to stay in your PJs and drink tea all day long. It's like a free pass to be lazy. (Yes, I know, I'm unemployed, this sounds like everyday around here, but I just don't feel as bad when it's raining.) Third, California really needs the rain and everything will be pretty when the storms pass. Yes, I love rain days.

But.....I hate the rain. First, I can't leave the house because I hate the awkward run/walk to the car and I don't like being cold. Second, I can't run outside. Third, did I mention I hate being cold? Yes, I hate rain days.

Also, the marathon is one month away! Eeks! Now, how am I supposed to get my training in with all this rain? Treadmill, you say? Fine. Yesterday I drove down to Coronado to get some miles in at the gym on base. It sucked. Aside from the gym being 20 minutes away, the treadmills are shit and not so great for someone who gets running injuries all the time. I was so paranoid. Is that my foot hurting? Oh no, it's my 5th metatarsal again? Wait, what's this I feel in my calf, crap! Is your knee okay? Shoot, we should have brought the brace. Crap! And there is such a thing as treadmill tolerance. Once you stop training on one, it feels ridiculous to be on it for any longer than 20 minutes. I'm going to make one last effort tonight. I have 15 miles to run....on a treadmill. Yeah, I can see where this is going.

**EDIT: The weatherman says tomorrow will be dry so I'm pushing back the long run. Thank goodness! I'd rather run 15 miles in the cold and mud than on the DREADmill!

I love running. It's what I do. It's what I need when I'm stressed. It's my life right now. With Husband away on deployment and no job, running is all I have. Sure, sure, I've got family and friends, but they can only hang out with you for so long before they have to get to work or have a child to attend to. Between looking for a job and running, I've got lots of spare time! Enter PROJECTS!

I've got a new love affair with decorating projects around the house. I know, it sounds simple enough, but I'm not happy with buying some art or painting a wall. I'm going all out. I should mention, I've always loved projects. In college, Lara and I were always coming up with crafty things to make (including a changing curtain in our dorm room). I lack patience though and I have lots of trouble executing the ideas in my head. I'm working on this. It all started innocently enough after spending hours at my desk.

Project #1

I live at my desk, really. I dreamed of a desk for months and was thrilled when Husband finally indulged me. There's a nice big shelf on the left for the printer, but it's such an eyesore! It was really driving me crazy. I saw a picture of a computer monitor riser, simple enough, and decided I would make something similar to hide my printer. Voila!Isn't she a beauty? I bought a big piece of MDF for about $6, had them cut my three pieces, painted them (with paint I found in the garage), and used wood glue to put it together. I'm planning on putting up a little curtain in the front too once I get my sewing machine up and running.

That's all I can show for now, everything else is halfway. So for the next 2-3 months, which is usually THE WORST part of deployment, I have all sorts of projects to keep me company! Yay! (That was a bit sarcastic, the next 2-3 months will still suck, but at least the house will be all sorts of pretty when Husband gets home.)

This is supposed to be a running blog, huh? Well, no running news today. I bailed on this morning's 5K because of the rain. It's my day off anyways, I'll be back tomorrow after a 10 miler.

Well, I'm back to my little corner of the internet dedicated to running. I started this blog almost two years ago to document training for my first marathon. It wasn't public, I just needed a way to write down my training and keep me accountable. After Carlsbad, I quit the blog and didn't start up again for marathon #2 (mostly because Husband was home and we all know I quit the world when he's around). Now that I'm attempting marathon #3, I needed a forum for training notes because I'm doing things differently and I have some BIG goals. I only have five weeks until the race, but what the hell? Better late than never.

Today seemed to be a good day to start blogging again because I did my first 20 mile training run. I tried out a few new things today and I'm happy with my "research." Here are the new training techniques:

1. I stuck to proteins yesterday. I'm big on carbs and have been known to stockpile bread before a race. I've never had any issues with this, but for the sake of science I tried to keep the carbs at a minimum yesterday and loaded up on protein at lunch and dinner.

2. I stuck to sports drinks on the run. I didn't bring any GU with me and avoided the drinking fountains I usually stop at. I read an article about avoiding mixing sports drinks, GU and water and wanted to see if sports drinks would be enough.

3. Drinking more on the run. I can usually do up to 15 miles without water or GU, even though I know it's not a great strategy considering I ate/drank ferociously throughout my first marathon. I brought both bottles (10.5 oz) on my fuel belt and followed the "drink when you're thirsty" advice. (That sounds like common sense, but oftentimes during a race you grab the cup of water or GU because you think it will make you feel better and you'll do anything to distract you for a few moments.)

Today's run went better than expected. I've been sluggish lately from all my bouts of illness so I didn't know if I could complete the run. I started off pretty fast, closer to a 9:00 pace, and didn't get tired until about mile 10 when I was hitting lots of hills. At about mile 11 I took a little walking break and had about 6oz. to drink. For the next 4 miles, I was perfectly fine, like I had a second wind, despite the really big hills at this part of the course. It felt really good and I was really surprised. I stopped at home around mile 15 to drop off my arm warmers and my fuel belt and headed out for a few more miles. I felt much lighter without the belt, but I was really tired. I turned around at mile 17 to head home and I was shuffling all the way home. It was sloooooow. I was starting to feel every footstrike and I even got dizzy when I stopped at a light. I eventually made it home and quickly proceeded to fall apart. Thank goodness for protein shakes and ice baths!

In my opinion, all my experiments seemed to work really well for me. My performance was far better than it should have been (based on my training lately). I think the biggest one was sticking to a sports drinks. I know I will get hungry during the marathon, but I really want to avoid the sugar (and potential sugar crash) of GU so I have a few ideas to try on next weekends long run. Thank goodness I survived today, although I will be feeling that run all weekend long. Fun.