So this week I mentioned I did not take a day off. ERH MEH GERD. After the race, walked to the car, washed at the hotel went home and went to my bed. I didn't really sleep I just laid there. My mom made us dinner at my house and I ate stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes in my bed, and watched transformers with my guys. Before I knew it, it was time for work. Nothing fit. All of my clothes felt too tight. I just put on my ugliest set of scrubs and resigned to I.D.G.R.A and at least I was going. It's all part of the race I think. Can you run a marathon, walk to the car, and then the next day do your life as normal? Yes, yes I can but I felt like garbage. I have really slid through this week by the grace of god where it comes to just keeping up with life. I was fortunate to be at a desk this week and I felt relaxed and ready to do my job, but the rest-er forget it. It's all been like leadshoes have been on my legs. Cleaning, nope. Shopping, nope. All I could do to help the shorties with dressing and doing homework. It really had been a test on my mental strength, I am just tired now not sore at all. I am feeling much better now, almost like I am ready to hit the gym but I am going to stay out a few more days. No running for 20 more days. I am resting from running 26 days. I have lost 5 lbs this week, sure to be fluid retention from the race, my legs are still feel a little puffy. Clothing is starting to fit better, not quite there yet. My face swelled a little this time too, odd.
This weekend is dedicated to damage control, I get caught up around here. I am calling my girlfriends too, it has been too long.
onward...soon.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
The Erie Hat Trick
I know I left you all hanging for a week but girlfriend had serious issues getting it together. I did not miss a minute of work this week and I dropped my computer on my foot sunday evening, breaking it. It's dead waiting for new parts. So here's a synapse of my 3rd full Marathon from sunday 9-15-13.
Saturday night getting to Erie and trying to scrape together my wits went ok. I wasn't prepared 50 percent. It had been busy adjusting to the start of school at my house, dealing with the kids and the new change in their lives will change everyone elses as we attempted to do first grade homework and figure out a routine we have been met with some resistance, naturally. I hadn't really packed, or shopped. By saying this we even had to buy soap in Erie because we were out, busy, amen. I describe myself as pigpen doing the freak, I have been, disorder heightens my anxiety, girl has been trippin'. So at the dinner table, we chose Boston's restaurant, I cried. I felt guilty all year really for my new job, it's been rough on mom, the kids are well adjusted now I still feel kinda sad, I am sure I was put up to the marathon to really snap me out of it, but sometimes it makes feeling guilty amplified...So I cried talking about it. I bring it up because I think that's what's changing my whole demeanor. I am trying so hard, the running hasn't hurt me, it's helped, but everything still a little off. Thus my quietness. We went back to the room sullen and quiet, hubbs stayed up for ever trying to update my playlist while I slept.
I woke up with my alarm, we got up like firefighters dressed and jumped out the door only to arrive super early. We heard enrollment went way up we wanted to be prepared. We had time to sit on a picnic bench and freeze in the dark together, it was fun. The race started and we all ran down the road like we normally do. The first 10k was pretty good. I loosened up finally. After the first 8 miles it became a party. It was a lot of fun, I think this is the point I just started to sing aloud with my head phones. Not just a few words I mean just belting it out. I think something temporarily snapped, I let me be me and it had been too long. I was getting eyebrow raises and smiles, yes this girl just IS crazy, and HAPPY. At the halfway point before I crossed over the chip timer there was a crowd I slowed a little to look for my family, they kids might be there at that point, but they are small 6 and 4 years old I wasn't getting my hopes up, I didn't see them I crossed the timer pad -beepbeep and kept on, figured they had to go potty or wanted to see the water. And then, I saw them. Sitting on a curb with hubbs and my mom and I let out a sob. A dry one, but a sob. It was so good to see them. They didn't look bored at all, they were excited. I stopped and kissed each one and all of the sudden I just felt great. I kept singing the whole way. I was never alone the whole race there was always someone to talk to, I met some really cool people. When they would ask me how I was feeling I would tell them "I am great, my babies are here today"! It charged me up. At the 3rd 10k point they were there too. As I continued at that point I met a lady named Laura, she was a marathon maniac she tours the country on the weekends with her husband and is in a club that runs all 50 states. Her husband has MS and they are just running as long as they can, he wasn't with her, he's faster. She really made mile 22 and 23 easy. She was cool, I can't believe she does all that, I think one marathon a year is tough. I would like to share she is 60. I think she is tough as nails. At mile 23 my personal favorite water stop with a winnebago and a sound system was playing club music, I actually stopped and shook my groove thang for a moment. At this point I thought my GPS watch was not working right, I was making ok time, probably just pushed a wrong button like at Pittsburgh. I kept on, I felt great, I sang the whole marathon. And I became a cheerleader at the end. I was cheering the others I passed waving my arms. It was great.
The Finish was the best part for me. The kids were there and my mom and husband let them run with me through the finish line. The both had blackeyed susans pulled out by the root for me and they were so excited. I will never forget that. And I hope they never do either. They made it so much better than finishing any marathon could ever be. I just hope that maybe think someday they can do big things too. I don't think I can find the words to express how cool it was or how much I love them.
I just want to thank my husband and my mom for being there and helping me pull this off.
I also appreciate my in laws for watching our dogs while were gone, that's a whole other rodeo!
ps. I was faster this year. My chip time 5:12:55. Over all clock 5:14:01. last year was 5:28:31. Very impossible seeming to me, I trained like shit. But I was just on fire that day. :)
Saturday night getting to Erie and trying to scrape together my wits went ok. I wasn't prepared 50 percent. It had been busy adjusting to the start of school at my house, dealing with the kids and the new change in their lives will change everyone elses as we attempted to do first grade homework and figure out a routine we have been met with some resistance, naturally. I hadn't really packed, or shopped. By saying this we even had to buy soap in Erie because we were out, busy, amen. I describe myself as pigpen doing the freak, I have been, disorder heightens my anxiety, girl has been trippin'. So at the dinner table, we chose Boston's restaurant, I cried. I felt guilty all year really for my new job, it's been rough on mom, the kids are well adjusted now I still feel kinda sad, I am sure I was put up to the marathon to really snap me out of it, but sometimes it makes feeling guilty amplified...So I cried talking about it. I bring it up because I think that's what's changing my whole demeanor. I am trying so hard, the running hasn't hurt me, it's helped, but everything still a little off. Thus my quietness. We went back to the room sullen and quiet, hubbs stayed up for ever trying to update my playlist while I slept.
I woke up with my alarm, we got up like firefighters dressed and jumped out the door only to arrive super early. We heard enrollment went way up we wanted to be prepared. We had time to sit on a picnic bench and freeze in the dark together, it was fun. The race started and we all ran down the road like we normally do. The first 10k was pretty good. I loosened up finally. After the first 8 miles it became a party. It was a lot of fun, I think this is the point I just started to sing aloud with my head phones. Not just a few words I mean just belting it out. I think something temporarily snapped, I let me be me and it had been too long. I was getting eyebrow raises and smiles, yes this girl just IS crazy, and HAPPY. At the halfway point before I crossed over the chip timer there was a crowd I slowed a little to look for my family, they kids might be there at that point, but they are small 6 and 4 years old I wasn't getting my hopes up, I didn't see them I crossed the timer pad -beepbeep and kept on, figured they had to go potty or wanted to see the water. And then, I saw them. Sitting on a curb with hubbs and my mom and I let out a sob. A dry one, but a sob. It was so good to see them. They didn't look bored at all, they were excited. I stopped and kissed each one and all of the sudden I just felt great. I kept singing the whole way. I was never alone the whole race there was always someone to talk to, I met some really cool people. When they would ask me how I was feeling I would tell them "I am great, my babies are here today"! It charged me up. At the 3rd 10k point they were there too. As I continued at that point I met a lady named Laura, she was a marathon maniac she tours the country on the weekends with her husband and is in a club that runs all 50 states. Her husband has MS and they are just running as long as they can, he wasn't with her, he's faster. She really made mile 22 and 23 easy. She was cool, I can't believe she does all that, I think one marathon a year is tough. I would like to share she is 60. I think she is tough as nails. At mile 23 my personal favorite water stop with a winnebago and a sound system was playing club music, I actually stopped and shook my groove thang for a moment. At this point I thought my GPS watch was not working right, I was making ok time, probably just pushed a wrong button like at Pittsburgh. I kept on, I felt great, I sang the whole marathon. And I became a cheerleader at the end. I was cheering the others I passed waving my arms. It was great.
The Finish was the best part for me. The kids were there and my mom and husband let them run with me through the finish line. The both had blackeyed susans pulled out by the root for me and they were so excited. I will never forget that. And I hope they never do either. They made it so much better than finishing any marathon could ever be. I just hope that maybe think someday they can do big things too. I don't think I can find the words to express how cool it was or how much I love them.
I just want to thank my husband and my mom for being there and helping me pull this off.
I also appreciate my in laws for watching our dogs while were gone, that's a whole other rodeo!
ps. I was faster this year. My chip time 5:12:55. Over all clock 5:14:01. last year was 5:28:31. Very impossible seeming to me, I trained like shit. But I was just on fire that day. :)
Sunday, September 8, 2013
7 days to go
Why don't you run a marathon this year?
I don't know, because it's just a lot from everyone.
I know but you love this.
I do.
We'll make it work. Come on.
Ok. Twist my arm.
It was pretty much that easy to get me to sign up for Erie this summer, I wasn't going to. I was put up to this, a surely did not resist. Since that decision life has been water through the fingertips, slipping right through my fingertips. It's funny, because I am still deciding whether this was a good idea or not and it's almost over.
At this time next week I will already be on my way back home. It's less than a week away.
I am ready.
I often encounter people that say "I don't know how you do it" and this time I agree. I don't know either. My typical day is an early rise of 5, I get my self ready, I wake my kids and feed everyone, I pack 4 lunches, I have 3 dogs to deal with, I get my kids ready, then I drop one child off in one town, and one child in another and go to work. after work we do the same exact thing backwards, pick ups, go home, feed everyone, deal with animals, bath kids, dress for bed, unpack everything, and then THEN I exercise, and bed or just bed depending on the child care situation. Weekends are more fun and laid back when I do my distance training, and I do cleaning and fun stuff with the family, and buy more food units to consume. I don't watch tv because I sit down and fall asleep. I am not complaining that's just life right now. I will keep the pattern too once the race is over and the rest is done.
But I do think this may be the last long distance race I do for a while. Kids just keep growing, it's their time to be kids. I will have 2 soccer players this year. I plan to run the shit out of this race, I am not going to be singing any should of could of would of's. This will be the one I lay it all out there. I have felt tired and "over it" for a few weeks now, the one thing that keeps me going is that those kids are going to be there this year for the first time, and some day maybe, just maybe they will think their old mom was cool.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
it's nothing full of nothing covering in nothing.
So what I am doing today? Nothing.
How far I have I run since Sunday? Nothing.
I was intentionally resting to taper down but my life caught caught in the spokes this week. I missed 2 runs this week. I couldn't get it in. There was not enough time on my scheduled days. One of those days I had a migraine, and I am not improvising this week. I already did way too many miles in one week the last week, and I have my farthest distance behind me. With all that being said, I feel lazy and like a blob of gu.
I plan to do 10 miles tomorrow and then 2 more short runs and that's all I have left before the race.
Onward......eventually!!!!
How far I have I run since Sunday? Nothing.
I was intentionally resting to taper down but my life caught caught in the spokes this week. I missed 2 runs this week. I couldn't get it in. There was not enough time on my scheduled days. One of those days I had a migraine, and I am not improvising this week. I already did way too many miles in one week the last week, and I have my farthest distance behind me. With all that being said, I feel lazy and like a blob of gu.
I plan to do 10 miles tomorrow and then 2 more short runs and that's all I have left before the race.
Onward......eventually!!!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
22tude
Well I am doing just fine.
I did my 22miler that I very much doubted I should do. I went at a slower pace and from 15 on I stayed on the flat walking track and off the road and trails, I did it. I was in fantastic mood. Finally I feel ready to marathon. Legs feel great.
Yeh, I was in a fantastic mood. Has something happened since then? No, not really. I am just starting my 2 week taper countdown and already I am becoming the little taco bell dog that bites people the try to pet it. I am not exactly sure why. I am still smiling, I am still civil, but my inner monologue is getting dark and sarcastic.
Same girl just tired and a wee bit more salty than normal....
Today at the grocery store I wanted to get apples. A lovely lady with an adorable child where taking up the whole isle with a giant race car cart and they completely ignored my need for apples. I crop dusted them in cold blood. Mind you I am burning off some putrid fumes from Sunday, it would make a skunk's eye water. I am sorry, mom and child, that was me. That's really unlike me, I mean, yes it's like me to fart but, that was evil intent. I am also sorry for laughing too when you checked your child's diaper for poop.
Taper has started with it's usual 'tude. Disclaimer: contents of package my be too hot to handle!
Big deep breaths, clamp down on tongue, maybe even cork both ends.
onward.
I did my 22miler that I very much doubted I should do. I went at a slower pace and from 15 on I stayed on the flat walking track and off the road and trails, I did it. I was in fantastic mood. Finally I feel ready to marathon. Legs feel great.
Yeh, I was in a fantastic mood. Has something happened since then? No, not really. I am just starting my 2 week taper countdown and already I am becoming the little taco bell dog that bites people the try to pet it. I am not exactly sure why. I am still smiling, I am still civil, but my inner monologue is getting dark and sarcastic.
Same girl just tired and a wee bit more salty than normal....
Today at the grocery store I wanted to get apples. A lovely lady with an adorable child where taking up the whole isle with a giant race car cart and they completely ignored my need for apples. I crop dusted them in cold blood. Mind you I am burning off some putrid fumes from Sunday, it would make a skunk's eye water. I am sorry, mom and child, that was me. That's really unlike me, I mean, yes it's like me to fart but, that was evil intent. I am also sorry for laughing too when you checked your child's diaper for poop.
Taper has started with it's usual 'tude. Disclaimer: contents of package my be too hot to handle!
Big deep breaths, clamp down on tongue, maybe even cork both ends.
onward.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
D-A-m_N-I-T.
I surely did complete my 20 miler yesterday. I did enjoy myself too. The days highlights included a near heart attack when In a portapotty realizing that the rock in the crack between the door and the floor had a eye and was staring at ME! I am pretty sure that was a snake, that's right I not only do I run 20 milers; I look a snake right in the eye and then fling my self out of a porta john not quite all the way dressed to find a biker smoking a cigarette and waiting his turn. Yep then I very coolly tied my skapri and trotted off, like I just always do that. Never mind the next 10 minutes of mental holy shit thoughts, I am a pro.
I ended this run at 20.39 and I had serious doubts about being super prepared for Erie. Something was just not making sense, not adding up. I thought I planned at 22 miler. I feel better trained then, why didn't i do that? At inopportune times I was thinking of this, like in bed trying to sleep, or at work not near a calendar or my schedule, I would just dust it off and think it's just another manda spazz, this is fun remember?- leave it alone. Well I was right. I was wrong! It is 3 freaking weeks to the day from today. I did my longest run too early. I CANT believe myself. I did a 20 miler too early. Endurance leaves you 2 weeks from last exertion. Ladies and Gentlemen you should never do a 4.5 hour run with out being very very very meticulous. Really I was. I did everything correct. I just did it a week early. Mom always comes last- I should be so lucky to just still be training, so many women I know don't have a hobby or even peace time, I am trying to not beat myself up too much. My boys ARE ready for school to start this week, and so am I. I have been so worried about that. And we are going camping again before the race, girl has lists longer than the days of things to do, and I have to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night for 3 weeks, it's a must.
So the plan is, a 22 this weekend, either Friday or Monday. Against my philosophy completely. I don't like longs back to back, this is inviting my creative ways for problems. Adding drama to the plot, "will she or won't she" ( da da dahhhhh-soap opera organ) I am healthy at the moment. I do feel my left buttcheek/hip area and have since about 17 miles, but I was impressed with how well I felt, toes aren't beat up, I am up and down stairs doing laundry today- no Rocky theme needed. I feel fine. And my weight! It's 162 this am. I maintained my starting weight, that means I am not puffed, I usually gain like 8 pounds. That's weird. Not really sure what to make of all this. I do think it's time for some nasty foam roller sessions, urgh. I am going to really just calm the hell down.
This is fun- keep it in mind.
Yoi.
Time for more shoes.
Onward.
I ended this run at 20.39 and I had serious doubts about being super prepared for Erie. Something was just not making sense, not adding up. I thought I planned at 22 miler. I feel better trained then, why didn't i do that? At inopportune times I was thinking of this, like in bed trying to sleep, or at work not near a calendar or my schedule, I would just dust it off and think it's just another manda spazz, this is fun remember?- leave it alone. Well I was right. I was wrong! It is 3 freaking weeks to the day from today. I did my longest run too early. I CANT believe myself. I did a 20 miler too early. Endurance leaves you 2 weeks from last exertion. Ladies and Gentlemen you should never do a 4.5 hour run with out being very very very meticulous. Really I was. I did everything correct. I just did it a week early. Mom always comes last- I should be so lucky to just still be training, so many women I know don't have a hobby or even peace time, I am trying to not beat myself up too much. My boys ARE ready for school to start this week, and so am I. I have been so worried about that. And we are going camping again before the race, girl has lists longer than the days of things to do, and I have to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night for 3 weeks, it's a must.
So the plan is, a 22 this weekend, either Friday or Monday. Against my philosophy completely. I don't like longs back to back, this is inviting my creative ways for problems. Adding drama to the plot, "will she or won't she" ( da da dahhhhh-soap opera organ) I am healthy at the moment. I do feel my left buttcheek/hip area and have since about 17 miles, but I was impressed with how well I felt, toes aren't beat up, I am up and down stairs doing laundry today- no Rocky theme needed. I feel fine. And my weight! It's 162 this am. I maintained my starting weight, that means I am not puffed, I usually gain like 8 pounds. That's weird. Not really sure what to make of all this. I do think it's time for some nasty foam roller sessions, urgh. I am going to really just calm the hell down.
This is fun- keep it in mind.
Yoi.
Time for more shoes.
Onward.
Friday, August 23, 2013
20eve
So I have not been for a run since last Saturday. I have been tired, battling allergies that never quit really they seemed so much worse. I have slept 9+ hours every night. Really not accomplished much but work and sleep. I have eaten my way I usually do, healthy and controlled. Luckily on my chair week at work, I rested there too. Around Wednesday and Thursday I started to feel the panicky tug that I should try to run and see how I feel, but I went with my gut and stayed resting. I feel that I needed that solid block of just nothing but rest. I am feeling mental ready again. I am preparing my house, my gear, getting my stuff in order for a big old run fest tomorrow.
This IS the fun part of training, the work.
Praying for a nice long run tomorrow with plenty of smiles, sweat, dirt, and peace.
Onward.
This IS the fun part of training, the work.
Praying for a nice long run tomorrow with plenty of smiles, sweat, dirt, and peace.
Onward.
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