Running Over > NYC

Still in the saddle ...

2010-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I haven't stopped running, not by a long shot. I just stopped updating the blog. Rather than a futile attempt at catching up, just the highlights.
I ran the NYRR Half Marathon Series last year, and managed to get my time down to 1:53 by the end of the year (the Staten Island race). I cried on the sidelines of the marathon, feeling utterly left out, so scrambled to finish up my 9+1 for guaranteed entry this year. Stalking the FB message boards for NYRR got me a last-second volunteer assignment for New Year's Eve, literally making my +1 at the very last minute.
I started this year by switching to Vibram 5-Fingers shoes, and am in love with them. My last shoe-race was the NYRR Half in March, which was a lot of fun! Nothing but toe-shoes since then.
A couple more half marathons, and then the ING NYC marathon on Nov 7th. I'd trained for a 4:00 race and stayed healthy, so figured I could pull it off. Not to be my day, though. Crowding was really bad, I tried to keep up with the 4:00 pace group but the crowding forced too much weaving. I was underweight thx to a lot of stress in other parts of my life, and then didn't eat enough protein thanks to fears of having to make a bathroom stop. I just plain ran out of energy at about mile 16, and dropped behind the pacers at that point. I dragged my sorry butt for the next 10 miles, often whimpering in exhaustion, and managed to pull off a 4:13:02, exactly 60 seconds faster than 2008. I'm ok with it, I did my very best, and can't expect any more of myself than that. I truly gave my all. Recovery was faster though, only one day of hobbling down the steps!
I'm aiming for 7 half marathons next year, the NYC Half, the series of 5, and the More half ... would love to get down to a 1:40 by the end of the year, though that will take a LOT of work. I'm up for it I think :)

My Vibram's after the marathon :).

Bronx Half

2009-02-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Two weeks between half marathons isn't enough for me. At least I didn't think so. I had to get up at 4:40, leave by 5:30, and as usual wonder what insanity has my voluntarily getting up and out of the house by that hour just to exhaust myself. The wonder fades pretty rapidly actually. It was a haul up to the Bronx, two stops short of the end of the line. By the time the train arrived, it was so packed with runners that it took awhile for everyone to get off. I trotted over to the registration area to pick up my stuff as I'd still cut it a bit close. It was considerably warmer than 2 weeks ago, a nice 40-something rather than 14! What a huge difference!

I'd decided I didn't feel that ready, having run nothing longer than a 6.5 miler since the Manhattan half, and was a bit thick-legged feeling. I aimed to enjoy myself, and perhaps match my previous time of 2:06. The crowd was a bit smaller, and I think a bit more die-hard overall. Getting to the start was a hike for most Brooklynites, and most Manhattanites too. The fun-runners didn't seem to be out in very strong numbers. I didn't realize this until I looked at my watch 3 miles out and realized that keeping pace with my neighbors meant I was running 9M miles. Hmmm. It felt hard but not impossible. I didn't really look again till I was halfway, and then realized that I was pretty much keeping the pace below 9:30, and breaking the 2 hour barrier, my goal before the end of the year, was actually looking possible. Of course I got competitive with myself. I don't think I'm capable of not doing so.

I really kicked it in gear at about mile 1o, but wasn't sure I'd make it sub 2:00. I gave up at mile 12 on that dream, realizing I just couldn't put out that much speed, but still crossed the line in 2:00:47! That included a pee stop, which took about that extra 47 seconds. Must have been the weather, the faster crowd, and some kick in my legs from the previous run and an easy 2 weeks in between. Of course I'll have higher expectations for the next half ... though it's not till April!

Manhattan Half

2009-01-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

Ran the Manhattan half, the first of the five borough grand prix, on Sunday. Fourteen degrees! I ended up pretty comfy actually w/handwarmers to start and a wool layer, despite still not owning any proper running clothes for winter. I got off to a slow start near the back, passed slowly for the whole first lap, running about 10mm. Got lapped by mile six by the winners! Sigh. I did start 6 minutes after the gun, but still ... ah well. Did a much faster second lap and finished in exactly 2:06, a minute better than my only other half, the Brooklyn one last spring. Happy with the time.

Now to get ready for the Bronx on the 5th, not much time to recover!

Just in Case

2009-01-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone's looking for something cheap to buy me? This is awesome. The cranky equation especially. All her stuff is great though!

cooooold

2009-01-15T19:06:00.001-08:00

did my 12 miles yesterday, in the freezing cold 2x around central park, and felt leaden the entire time. glad to have s's company! that made 20 miles in 3 days, and i took today off. tomorrow's high of 12 doesn't bode well, but I can still do a run anyhow with my stinky wool layer. i don't really have cold weather running gear, and need some proper winter running pants. nylons and a pair of sweats worked yesterday, but feel a bit awkward. Glad i can still run though :). hoping the weather isn't so cold by the time the 25 rolls around.

half marathons a plenty

2009-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

i signed up for the Manhattan and Bronx half marathons yesterday, the first is in 2.5 weeks and the 2nd is in 4.5 weeks! better get my ass a moving or I'm in trouble. longest run post-marathon was 9.4 miles on Monday. Did a fast 2.5 today (just shy of 21 minutes) which felt really good, it was all i could squeeze in between the rain stopping and picking up the boys from school. first day they were both back, woohoo! the double pickup kinda stinks though, means we don't get home till 3:45 and with an hour of homework for D usually that means little playtime.

planning to do a 11.5 miler this weekend, or 12 if that works. hoping the weather cooperates.

finishing up the year

2009-01-04T00:56:00.001-08:00

A friend convinced me to end the year w/a 5k fun run in Prospect Park. This I did, despite the frigid cold, and I certainly warmed me up :). Then I scooted off just in time to meet up with my husband/boys before midnight and watch the fireworks. The cold made it memorable to say the least, but we all really enjoyed it. Happy New Year!

getting lost

2008-12-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

I've discovered lately that getting lost while running, or deliberately wandering where I don't know the streets, is a very gratifying way to run. I genuinely did get lost last week, and ended up in Manhattan, but that was partly from my refusal to turn around. I tried to find my way around the back side of the Navy Yards, saw a piece of a bridge finally that I thought might be on the BQE, and quickly realized I was on the Williamsburg Bridge headed into Manhattan. I refused once again to turn around, wandered the projects on the other side till I found the Manhattan bridge, and came home that way. Two new bridges under my belt, a 60 second shower, and I just made it to my client meeting on time tho a bit drippy. It makes it so much easier to keep going when you can't measure the distance back to your front door in your head. The "just keep going" factor is a lot stronger.

Today I had to get out early before M left for work (yes on a Sunday, and he has to work straight through New Year's also, ugh) and it was sooooo warm for December I wore a tank top and a fleece and was a bit too warm. Ended up at 63 today though it was in the 50's then. I went to my new favorite spot to pray, the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, and had a couple blissful minutes with the entire bridge (that I could see) to myself. I got home to find out work had been delayed a couple hours for M but I didn't go back out, I felt done despite the barely 4.5 miles I'd done. I have to get in some longer runs in the next 3 weeks to be ready for 13.1 on the 25th!

note to self

2008-12-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.nyrr.org/races/2009/grandprix/manhattan_reg.asp

2009's goal is the half-marathon grand prix tour ... all 5 boroughs. just found out the first one is Jan 25th! must register asap.

marathon pics

2008-11-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

Hey. In case you want to see pics of me actually running the marathon, they're here.

Ran 3x in the last 10 days or so, 6 miles at a time, but not much in between, still fighting a nasty deep cold/cough.

Missed the Turkey Trot, sigh, but didn't have the entry fee anyhow. I did get in a run of equivalent length in later in the day though!

Back in the saddle

2008-11-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

I had my first run today where I found the zone again, and it was sooo nice. Just 6 miles, but enough to feel. At a 9:30 clip it felt good. First time since the marathon that I've run 2 days in a row, and I'm slowly finding my rhythm again. Thinking of doing the 5-mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, haven't signed up yet though. Depends on where we go for dinner which is still up in the air.

It feels great to be back!

recovery

2008-11-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

i hobbled around for the first few days after the marathon, and had trouble with descending steps for about 3 days. by friday i was itching for a run and did 3 miles, but should have listened to my friends who said wait for 2 weeks. i still didn't listen, and ran again yesterday (11 days out) and felt a lot better muscle-wise. I did end up with really sore toes on my right foot last night, feels like they're almost broken but i know they're not, just something tightening up. I did lose 4 toenails, but it doesn't really hurt at all. I'd post a gross picture but have no macro lens, lucky you :).

The marathon did what I expected it would. It exhilarated. It cemented my love of running. It made me realize how very much I love NY, and how hard it will be to leave. It hasn't changed my hope of leaving, but it made me realize how big a chunk of my heart will remain here.

Not that leaving yet is a reality, as finances won't allow it, but it still feels like the thing to do ... soon. I've said before that it's not time to leave a place until it really hurts to do so, and this is proving to be no exception.

In the meantime, my current plan if we're here next year is to run all five half marathons. That I would looooove to do, and get to see more of the city. I did Brooklyn's half last year, but want to do them all this time around. I have a friend who's mentioned the Cape Cod marathon also, next october, and I won't rule that one out ... we shall see. Did I mention I'm hooked?

My First Marathon

2008-11-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Warning: Long. Sorry I just had to get it all down, scintillating or not!

The marathon weekend started with rest ... lots of rest. I slept in Saturday morning, thanks to M, and took the day really easy. We did the Farmer's Market, took the kids to the park, and all napped in the afternoon. Then M/W came over to watch the boys and Michael and I went to our Team World Vision dinner. It was a pizza/pasta place in Manhattan, and we took the subway, ending up at a station with 4 looong flights of stairs to get out, plus 10 blocks to get there. Not a bad commute really, but my legs felt those stairs and it got me a bit worried.

It was one of those awkward affairs where no one knows anyone else, you've got something in common but when that topic is run dry you often wonder where to go next. People were focused on the next day really, and so there wasn't much real conversation. I did get to meet Ryan and Sarah Hall (the 2 on the left above) who were the team captains for Team World Vision. (Ryan is the only person ever to break the one-hour mark for a half marathon, among other accomplishments). They came and chatted a bit to everyone, and it was nice to meet them ... they seemed super down-to-earth as far as celebrity runners go, not that I've met any others. There wasn't a hint of celebrity-itis though. Then home, putting out my things for the next day, getting the boys to bed (M again) and trying to get to sleep. I actually did sleep a lot more than I expected, and got about 6 hours thanks to the time change.

Up early, chip clipped on, all my 'favorite' running gear plus throw-away clothes for the start. It was in the high 30's when I left the house, and gradually warmed up but never above high 40's I don't think.

Herm? Yes, HerM. Short for Her Majesty, and a nickname I adopted aeons ago but haven't used much in recent years. Somehow it seemed appropriate for the race, especially as one of my friends who uses it the most was the first one to get me running after I got out of college. Not that I kept it up, but the memories are all good. Thanks S :).

I shared a car with a friend from the 'hood who was also running, as we had the same transportation assignment: 7am at the Staten Island Ferry. The NYC marathon is the largest in the world, with 38000+ starters this year. That means logistics that verge on the insane. Getting 40000 people to an island, instructing thousands of newbie volunteers, feeding a crowd from many countries, lining them up by corrals, abilities, and start village and start waves. Green, Blue, and Orange start villages, each one starting on a different portion of the Verrazano Bridge. Three waves for each, starting 20 minutes apart. 6 corrals for each wave to further subdivide by expected speed, and you have mayhem. Announcements in multiple languages, acres of port-a-potties, chattering teeth, cold wind, surprisingly calm nerves on my part, and people of all countries and speeds and ages hunting for patches of sun, stretching, eating, and killing time. I had to wait 2.5 hours from the time I arrived on Staten Island to crossing the starting line, and it's a long time to wait in the cold and try to stay limber and calm.

I'd decided a week ago that a 4:15 marathon was a realistic challenge for me. I trained for a 4 hour one until 6 weeks ago, got tendinitis and had to slow down, so didn't feel ready to run 26.2 at a 9 minute pace. They had pace teams for many goal times, and I went the join a 4:15 one but there weren't any starting with my Orange start group. All three groups merge at mile 8 but I figured the chances of finding the group at the merge, marked only by balloons on a stick, were in the 'none' category. I'd given up and was heading to my starting corral when I spotted a 4:15 pace group sign in a woman's hand, along with green balloons. I made a beeline, asked if I could start with her Green pace group despite my Orange bib, and she thought it was fine. I determined to glue myself to her side for the entire race. That meant wandering with her thru the crowds, picking up other bewildered wanna-be-4:15's, going to wrong entrances and being redirected, and walking an extra mile or more just to get to the starting line.

My biggest fear of the whole deal, aside from finishing with my desired time (which everyone says is a bad idea for your first marathon, esp in NY, just aim to finish!) was to finish without stopping to use the bathroom. I'd never done a run over 12 miles without having to stop, and I knew I'd lose the team if I did in the race, let alone shooting holes in my time. I went once in the start village, and never looked back, even bypassing my last shot at it alongside the start corrals. I made it to the end, and an hour past that, without ever needing the bathroom! I was as pleased with that as almost anything.

So, the start ... if you've read this far you're doing well! It really did take forever to get there in real life, so bear with me :). I was bunched up in the starting corrals with about 12,000 other runners, shed my sweats and fleece jacket (adding to the mountains along the side of the lane), and stood there shivering and hopping up and down in my shorts, t-shirt, and a tyvek disposable jacket I'd bought at the expo. I planned to shed it as soon as I warmed up, but never did enough to shed it completely. Thankfully it weighed nothing! So we finally hear the gun for our wave go off (the 2nd group) and the cheering began. Then the shuffle ... the agonizing 5 minutes of shuffling up the lane, around the turn, onto the actual bridge, and then a thinning out and slow trot to cross the starting line 7 minutes after the gun! They play Sinatra's New York New York nice and loudly, and you really have to watch your feet for the first several miles as there's a gradually thinning mess of discarded jackets, hats, gloves, pants, and wraps littering the roadway that you have to weave around. A big, anticlimactic relief to finally be underway. Finally! After 23 months of running, 4 months of intense training, and 6 hours since I'd woken up.

The first few miles were a blur. Finding the pace, feeling my muscles loosen up and settle in, matching my strides to the pace leaders, and relaxing into it all. The joy of actually running! I've found that joy a lot in the last 6 months, the training had become hugely enjoyable in it's own right, apart from the goal. It's like I can finally relax when I run in a way I can't anywhere else. I love it :). We came off the bridge and started through Brooklyn, and the fan-factor kicked in. The crowds gradually grew, until 4th avenue became a solid wall of spectators, bands, enthusiasm, and reaching out of hands for miles. I had 3 people to look for along that chunk, and alas didn't see any of them :(. I was on the opposite side of the street than what I'd told them due to my last minute defection from Orange, and we just didn't connect. Those miles made me realize how much I love Brooklyn. The diversity, exhuberance, reality, and joy coming out to share in the race, cheering on everyone equally, and I enjoyed it more than any other part.

Then came Lafayette Ave, and my home turf. Oh the joy of running up the street, knowing you'll see your kids in a few blocks, knowing the terrain by heart, and just plain feeling at home! M and the boys, and another family we're friends with, were waiting for me at the agreed-upon corner. I'd run a bit ahead of my pace group to give myself an extra 3 seconds (literally) to stop and kiss the boys. That I did, said Hi to M and was gone again in a blur, ending up right next to my group again. The thought of seeing them and the initial euphoria of the race kept me super-energized up till then, even though the effect of the pace (9:45mm) on my legs was registering in a dim part of my brain. It honestly registered in the first 2 miles, but I decided to ignore it and hold out as long as I possibly could.

After passing them, we turned left on Bedford, I missed another 2 groups who had signs out for me :(, and we headed towards Williamsburg. The bands were great, with more sparse crowds but never a lack, and I started to realllly feel the pace. My left ankle started to protest, and I wondered at that point how I could possibly keep it up at that rate for another 16 miles. I prayed, started mind games for distraction, and somewhere in there started comparing the pain of it all to giving birth. It became a great game, as I kept telling myself that running for another 2.5 hours in increasing pain had nothing on the pain I felt giving birth to Douglas. No comparison. After mile 13 we started over the Pulaski bridge, and I picked up a bit with the change of scenery. A few fans were camped out on the struts of the bridge, one complete with radio, chair, and snacks. I also passed a port-a-potty there, perched up on the side supports where you'd have to climb about 2.5 feet up to get to it. I doubted I could hop up that high at that point!

The fans in Queens, all 2 miles of it, were great. The area was a bit more 'gritty' than Williamsburg that we'd just left, and the crowds more sparse but loud and friendly. I was starting to get lost in a fog, and don't remember much else about Queens to be honest. I remember thinking I like the vibe of this place, but don't want to live here.

Then the longer Queensboro bridge, and it's lovely incline. More watching the pounding calves of the pace leaders, looking down and not up, and becoming aware of muscles I didn't know I had.
We rounded the curve at the bottom of the bridge and were in Manhattan. I'd been told about the great cheering hordes, and the energy boost that came with them. There were a few screaming happy fans at the bottom of the bridge, but a most of them were virtually silent. Waiting for "their" runners I suppose? Lots of signs, some cheering, but nothing like what I'd expected. At a few points along First Avenue, UP first Avenue ... the LONG FOUR MILES OF FIRST AVENUE, there was lots of energy, but I didn't think it was there for most of the way. Perhaps part of that was hitting my own personal wall around mile 18, thinking I couldn't possibly run OUT of Manhattan at that point and then back in and down again, and wishing I were back in Brooklyn and feeling a bit more at home. I really felt a bit alien there.

Watching for my cousin at mile 17 was a good distraction, but in the hordes of same-color-ponchoed volunteers I never did find her. Water stations were on both sides of the street, I couldn't watch both at once, and it's a wide enough avenue that it's hard. Not to mention the incredible litter of cups, the 1/4 mile of sticky pavement after every Gatorade station, and trying to grab water without slowing down. Not to mention drinking it :). I went really easy on water, having drunk a lot the day before and a good bit early in the morning. I skipped at least every other water station, sometimes two.

Relief finally came with the sight of the Willis Ave bridge, and another change of scenery. I was honestly glad to leave manhattan at that point, having not felt connected to it at all. My joints were in agony, and my lower body was starting to go numb, but the numbers playing in my head were starting to tip in my favor. 19 down meant 7 to go, and 7 was a tolerable number. Hitting mile 20 in the Bronx, and knowing I had only an hour to go? The balance really started to shift. I can tolerate an hour of anything, right? Some mind game like that. Mentally, the end was in sight.

The big distraction in the Bronx was the green thong. I was coming up the Willis Ave bridge and saw a large expanse of bare white backside to my right, and blinked in shock. I thought I'd seen it all ... bras and undies, costumes, suits, headgear, you name it. Nope, this guy took the award for most disturbing look of the day. Tall, not particularly sculpted, with lanky hair spiked up in the middle ... ALL he was wearing was a lime green thong type thing that barely covered anything, and stretched up over his shoulders. More disturbing that way than even a normal thong. And to be honest he didn't look at all like he was running to a model shoot anywhere either. Shiver. It helped me speed up just to get past him! (Update: did a google search and discovered he was wearing a wig, and dressed as the character Borat. Click here at your own risk!)

Coming off the bridge my pacer (the one of the 3 I'd stayed glued to) was tripped accidentally by another runner, and went down hard. I stopped and turned around, made sure she was up and relatively ok, and went on at her behest. She caught right up with me and kept the pace for another 1.5 miles before disappearing behind me. I felt badly, but nothing you can do really!

The fans in the Bronx were great. Gummy-bear-hander-outers, bananas, orange slices, enthusiasm, more loud bands and a great group of drummers, and a joie-de-marathon day that was like a breath of warm air. I wanted one about then, the cold was still cold, and my body starting to really feel it. Thankfully I'd never ditched the jacket, and shrugged it back on again.

After losing my pacer I spotted the other two not more than 100 yards ahead of me, but it took almost 2 miles for me to catch them. It felt even more like chasing those mechanical rabbits at the greyhound track, at least as I imagine it. Weaving, bobbing, gauging how fast to get there with the least amount of energy ... it distracted me all the way back into Manhattan and almost to Central Park. I caught the next group there, and discovered that all the ones that she'd had with her had dropped back in the last 2 miles. She was glad to have someone join in again, and I was glad of the distraction and her oh-so-easy looking running. It was something like her 20th marathon. The one that fell? It was her 94th! She runs about 12 a year. She did finish btw, just a couple minutes off her pace.

Seeing Central park on my right was a big boost, and it was just a matter of finishing from there. I'd lost almost all feeling in my joints, was running on empty, and getting really really excited. I could taste it :). Counting down the minutes on my watch, knowing in half an hour it would all be over. Coming into the park at mile 24, I heard a "HEY B. R. !!" shouted out from my right and turned to see my cousin S cheering me on from the sidelines. SO nice!

Then just a matter of getting around the corner, vaguely hearing the screaming masses on Central Park South (very different from 1st Ave!) and watching the 400 yards to go, 300 yards to go count down. I left the pace lady for the last half mile just to push it as hard as I could, and couldn't believe the finish was actually there. I managed to see the eternal grin on the face of the woman directing people to split to the right or the left right before the line (what a great job!), crossed the finish with my hands in the air (for the photos of course ;), checked my watch and was thrilled with it's 4:14 time, and then tried to walk. I was a bit emotionally overcome, shaky, and the Gatorade i'd snitched a couple miles back for a wee bit of energy was wreaking havoc on my stomach, I can't stand the stuff when I'm exercising! I had a medal put over my head, a heatsheet taped around me, and I kept shuffling. I found my pace ladies on the sidelines, thanked them effusively and made sure they knew I would NEVER have made 4:14 without them. Then I hyperventilated for almost 10 minutes as you're forced to crawl along this narrow road to get to your UPS baggage truck, and I felt awful, claustrophobic, and wanted to sob. I eventually evened out, nibbled on an apple from my food bag, huddled in my heatsheet, and chatted a bit with my fellow exhausted and salt-crusted finishers.

I retrieved my baggage, put on an extra layer, called M who was across the street at the Natural History Museum, and made my way over to where he was waiting. See the look in my eyes? Douglas too the pic, and it's a pretty fair assessment. A most wonderful day.

I think I'll do it again sometime :). Must be like giving birth, you forget the pain and want to do it all over again. Perhaps not 94 times, but maybe a couple more? We'll see. For now I'm thrilled,

Home again. Stinky, medaled, happy, and so very relieved. All the stats can be found here, just do a search on my name.

My first marathon :)

Re: marathon updates

2008-11-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

Hi all, no idea what happened to the auto-posting of results, *my
*results currently seem to be assigned to one Ed Kauffman, whom I did
not impersonate. Argh! I finished in 4:14 unofficially by my watch.
I'm pretty beat up and pretty happy :). Off to devour dinner, details
later!

marathon updates

2008-11-01T07:48:00.001-07:00

T-23.5 and counting ... if you're getting this as an email, you are
signed up for updates tomorrow! Amy, Russ, Zebo, Debbie ... please add
athletealert@nyrrws.org to your ok list. The rest will be getting it
forwarded from blogger. Thanks for your prayers :) and yes I'm excited!
Bethany

One day away

2008-11-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm excited, not too nervous anymore, and so glad it's almost here! Thanks to many amazing friends and family, my donations to Team World Vision passed the $5000 mark this week!! Thank you all SOOO very much.

I got some real sleep last night, have nap plans today, and have one big carb dinner behind me. One more to go tonight with my Team Dinner. M gets to come with me as family is in town to join the fun. Weather is looking good, I have my number (29473) and chip and all my other stuff laid out.

Now to figure out what to write on my jersey. It's not as easy as it sounds. It already says 26.2 for Africa on the back, and I'll have a back number there also as I'm running with the 4:15 pace team and there are back bibs as part of that. I'm debating whether to use my first name, old nickname, or Mom of D and F. Perhaps all of them? Will see tomorrow :)

Thanks for all the support so far, and the continuing prayers.

This blog will be updated with auto-posts of my time at all the 5k marks, as well as every mile from 16 to the finish. Some of you have already signed up for updates, if you see this and want them, subscribe to this blog and you'll get 'em all!

Until tomorrow night ...

6 days to go

2008-10-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

hmmm, there are a few twinges of nerves, but good so far. did 6 miles at MP yesterday, and cemented my decision to go for the 4:15 pace team. reading thru my book/training log from the first 3 months, which had me headed for a 4 hour run, had me thinking that i might still be able to do it. the run and how i felt made me realize that it's pushing it. not to mention the hillier last 6 miles of the actual course, crowding, and all that.

i plan to do 3 miles tomorrow and 2 on thursday. then off to the expo friday to get my number, sign up for my pace team, and drool over gear and shoes.

saturday is the team dinner for World Vision, which I'm looking forward to, and then ... the race sunday morning!

now i'm off to check the forecast, even tho it's a bit early ...

10 days away ...

2008-10-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe. The marathon is 10 days, away, I'm tapering my runs (and glad to, it's gotten cold!!) and trying to get my mind around it all. Training has gone well, though I haven't done all the MP (Marathon Pace) runs I'd hoped to. That, and reading about how this is NOT the easiest course, and feeling what it's like to run 9min miles for awhile, make me think I'll join the 4:15 pace group, not the 4 hour one. I know where my body is at, and how it's reacting, and think I'll really regret it if I push too hard in the first half and then really lose it. I'd rather finish strong than walking, even I end up thinking I could have done better.

My ankle still hurts at times, but i'm doing all kinds of wrapping, creams, herbs, etc and it seems to be holding up. I have my jersey, my registration card, and just have to go to the expo next Thursday to pick up my chip, be tempted by lots of great running gear, and get home in time to rest up, eat well, and keep myself settled. I'm really really looking forward to it, and not nervous at all ... at least not yet :).

a great run :)

2008-10-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

FG to west side, 18.75 miles
Find more Runs in Brooklyn, New York

This doesn't show the thousands of walkers and bikers I had to navigate through, thanks to the Avon Breast Cancer walk, the Jr Diabetes Research Foundation walkers thronging the Brooklyn Bridge, or the hundreds of bikers doing their 30/60/100 miles for MS. Nice to have lots of people out, but a bit hard to get through. The ankle was a bit sore, but not bad and an ice bath as soon as I got home seemed to really help.

Now I need to go eat ...

so thankful

2008-10-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

I ran 10 miles today, and the ankle felt great ... a bit of overall stiffness in the ankle/knee/hip, but that's from favoring it I think. Got a "new schedule" from my cousin's wife, who's run 16 marathons in the last 8 years (and had 3 kids during that time ...) and she was sure my injury was a form of tendonitis. I've been icing and taking ibuprofen, as she and several others already had suggested, and things seem to be back on track. I'm going for 18 on Sunday, and hoping it holds!

so very relieved. :)

i'm still sidelined

2008-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

for the most part, and really really struggling with it. knowing my friends told me to slow down, and i believed a book rather than their wise advice. being terrified i won't heal enough, in time to get the last couple real workouts in. fussing with god. trying to learn patience and humility, not my strong points.

hm.

the pic is from a 10k last summer, just for kicks :)

Week 11 update

2008-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Not the week I'd hoped for, but such is life. I ran tuesday/wednesday, and realized the ankle really DID need to rest. Swam 42 laps Friday (just over half a mile) at the Y, and ended up kicking the sore ankle against the wall and having new issues crop up! So much for swimming to avoid strain ...
Wednesday I had acupunture on my ankle, which felt weird and good and seemed to help.
Friday my new shoes arrived, hooray! 3rd pair, and last before the marathon ... I hope. The pile is growing :).
Saturday I seriously moped as I had to skip my scheduled 10 mile run, and REALLY missed it. Fears of losing momentum, of possibly fractured ankles, and lack of time alone dominated my weekend. M is still away ... hopes to be home in time for this coming weekend, I am SO ready for him to be back.
Yesterday I swam again, and today I ran 3 easy miles to test the ankle out. I can feel it in strange ways, but the original spot that hurt didn't hurt at all. (Pushing the jogging stroller didn't help). It still needs lots of massage, rest, and stretching I think. Will see how it feels tomorrow before attempting a speed run.

paused ...

2008-09-20T11:05:00.001-07:00

that sore ankle? still sore, with pretty strong pain just below my ankle bone. skipped my long run today, did a couple short ones with some soreness during the week. part of me is terrified it's a hairline fracture, but there's no swelling or bruising at all, just intermittent pain when running, and strong pain if i press on one certain spot on my ankle. swam yesterday (laps) for the first time ever, did 42, in a pool where 72=a mile. i'm not a strong swimmer at all, but figured it was better than nothing and didn't strain the ankle. of course I bonked my foot on the wall once, and now have an overall sore ankle, but it's the kind i'm familiar with and it will be fine in a day or two. wanted to go swim double that tonight, but the sitter isn't free and i'm stuck with the boys. feeling a bit pent up, realllllly missing the long run and it's associated free time, and trying not to fret too much. prayers greatly appreciated that it will heal asap, and not be a big deal.

capping off the week

2008-09-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well I did my 21 yesterday, and whew! The sitter was late, I was nervous and didn't sleep all that well (and I don't expect that to change come race-day) but I went. Got there at about 7:30 and found the group training run already started. I'd tried to register for it but it was full (up to 20 miles with pace groups, run by NYRR folks) so I figured I'd just tag along and snitch from their water stations. I actually found the groups a bit annoying, some with drill-sargent types giving loud commentaries, and others just plain hogging the road in a way that was hard to get away from, and hard not to fall in with as their pace was so steady. I did the first six miles a bit fast (10mm) and was really feeling it in my legs from the previous weekend. I definitely wasn't fully recovered. The next lap (they're 6 each) was a struggle mentally, and physically. At about mile 13 I got a sudden stabbing pain my ankle which I had to stop and massage, and it hurt off/on the rest of the run. I had to stop about 4 times to massage it, and worried that it was something serious. I suspect a tendon strain, but really don't know. No swelling or bruising at all, but still sore to the touch. I've iced and arnica'd and all that, we'll see. The last lap was brutal but in a way the easiest as I got lost in a bit of a fog and just staggered on. No real sign of THE WALL, which was a relief, tho I'm sure I'll find it somewhere :). The whole thing was a bit of a wall.

I felt better afterwards than last week, walked a bit, got a muffin and snowcone, wiped crusted salt off my face and arms (I hate that part) and came home. It hurt big time to pay the sitter $100 for the 6 hours with my two kids, but they had a great time and it was the only option. Just two more really long ones and then the taper off period! I definitely need new shoes asap, I see the wear on them and can feel the loss of cushioning. Off to see if there are any new pairs on ebay :)

Training update ... week 10

2008-09-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm on week 10 of my 17-week training, and am finding it challenging every single week. The first 8 weeks were for building endurance, and so I was doing long slow (10:50/m) runs every saturday, and 1/4 mile intervals on Wednesdays, with short jogs and biking filling in most other days. The intervals were the hardest, as it was 1/4 miles in 1:50 and a short rest, over and over, leaving me winded and not able to get in a zone of any kind. I love the zone :). The long runs were hard too, but in a very different way. I love running in the country, in different cities, finding new towns and tracks and just plain being alone for several hours, lost in my head. I planned renovations, talked to God, brainstormed problems, wrote imaginary blog posts that never got typed out, argued with my legs and my lungs, watched for roadkill and weird trash and oblivious cars, and just plain enjoyed myself.

Last week I started the Endurance phase of my training, meaning the long runs continue to get longer (19.5 last weekend in 99% humidity!) and my Wednesday are now "tempo runs" as they're run at an 8:45 pace which is faster than my target of 9:00 miles for Marathon day. If I reach that goal I'll clock a 4 hour marathon. The 8:45 pace is hard to keep up for me for now, but part of it is getting enough rest. This is very hard to do while keeping track of 2 small boys, single parenting (temporarily), moving between states, emptying rooms and rearranging so we can take in a subletter again, prepping for a big show next month in another state, etc ... things I can't walk away from just to train. I'm not a professional runner, so this has to fit into my life, not take it over. That balance becomes a bit dubious as I get closer to race day. I had to hire a sitter for 6 hours this Saturday so I can leave at 6am for Central Park, go stretch and run 21 miles, and hobble home again via the subway.

I reached my goal!

2008-09-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you fabulous people, I reached my goal of raising $3000 ... in TWO DAYS! I had gotten a few donations before that from friends who already knew what I was up to, but once I sent out an email it took only two days! Utterly amazing. Thank you all so very much. Now on to worrying about the running itself. I have to worry about something, right?!

THANK YOU!!

2008-08-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

To all those who have already donated, I'm so very very thankful. Once I finally worked up the courage to send the emails, you all have responded and amazed me. I'm halfway to my goal of $3000 already, and in just 2 days :). Thank you and thank God. Have a great weekend!

new milestone

2008-08-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

on the weekend i hit the 17 mile mark, and boy was it tough! i'd driven 8 hours the day before, didn't sleep all that well, ate too much cheese and sugar with dinner, and headed down a road whose hill factor was unknown. the entire route was rolling hills, and i left later than i wanted. thankfully the sun stayed hidden for the majority of the time. i was almost staggering by the time i was done. i had to drive 8 hours the next day too. i felt the soreness even in yesterdays interval run, which was 4 days later. thankfully i only have to do 10 this weekend, a light one!

milestones

2008-08-22T04:40:00.001-07:00

i was sick w/a cold last weekend and so shortened my long run a bit. i leave today for PA, and will do my 17 miles there tomorrow morning. i'm rather nervous about it, given i'll spend a good 8 hours in the car today driving. and had little sleep last night. we shall see!

quick update

2008-07-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

well, things are moving along! fundraising links are up (see left bar ... thanks!), and I'm slowly working up the nerve to email folks and ask for support.

I'm also running full tilt. I'm currently in week 5 of the Four Months to a Four Hour Marathon schedule that I'm following, and am SO glad to have a schedule to follow. It makes it easy to crack open the book stashed on the back of the toilet, and see what I'm supposed to do the next day. I'm finding the long runs (11 min miles for now, per the schedule) fun and quite do-able, and the intervals still a challenge. that's probably because they take a lot less actual time, so i treat them like an easier workout and tend to stay up too late the night before. 11 weeks to go, i can give up some late nights for that long!

i finally bought a hip belt/water bottle holder as my runs here in MA don't go by any public water (unless you want me to stop and dip in the river) and the runs are too long to go without. i've carried a bottle the last 2 times, but hate the distraction. i haven't run w/the belt yet, and will likely find it a bit sweaty, but it should be worth it.

the best run of the last month was 3 weekends ago when i was in philly for the weekend with some girlfriends to hit the amazing Plant/Krauss concert tour. i got up early on saturday, having hit www.mapmyrun.com for routes, and jogged about 1.5 miles thru college neighborhoods, over the Schulykill river and then up the path along the river, starting at the Art Museum. Beautiful, relaxing, lots of sculling crews as well as other runners, and so little traffic that the exhaust wasn't an issue at all. I was disappointed that my run wasn't more than 9 miles, and ran further than I had to before turning back so I could see more.

I have a couple training challenges coming up, as we leave tomorrow to go camping w/my family for a few days, and then the boys/I will be staying in chicago for almost a week afterwards. that means I have an 8-miler (every 5th week is easier!) this saturday, and a 15 miler the following weekend. I'm hoping to run the Great Western Trail that is a rails-to-trails path so it's much easier on the legs than asphalt. I'd rather run the lakefront for a distance like that, but it's hotter down there and would take me over an hour to get to the starting point. We'll see. Either way, it's nice to run in new places. I'm finding the hills here to be great for my stamina, and M swears that all the cellulite has disappeared from my legs :). I'll take that gladly as a side-effect!

back on track

2008-07-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

just as i was starting 'serious marathon training' thanks to Four Months to a Four Hour marathon, i got sick. yay me. took 3 days off, and started up slowly yesterday. did my first set of intervals today (1/4 mile speed workouts, over and over) and surely felt them! still waiting on info from worldvision, and getting itchy to start raising money! have one check already thanks to some dear friends, and am about 1/22nd of the way there :). Progress!

breathing update

2008-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

as I noted in my 10k post, I've started breathing only through my nose when running, unless it's the last little bit of a long run or race. it's working amazingly well, keeps me very self-aware of my body, and also helps me slip into 'the zone' a lot faster. and stay there! so much of my motivation challenge is the brain-chatter, and quieting it seems difficult. i've never really tried meditation, which my landlord suggested today as it's his favorite way to talk to God. i do pray sometimes when running, and it helps get my mind away from 'stuff' but it inevitably heads back that direction.

so far so good! and i've also stopped wearing my ankle brace some of the time, and it feels like it's making it stronger on it's own. one less thing to wear!

I'm shaking ....

2008-06-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

... and I'm IN!!!!!

"We are thrilled to welcome you to Team World Vision at the NYC marathon."

This scares me witless, and leaves me standing on faith and faith alone. This requires me to pay a $525 late fee, and then raise $5000 dollars for WorldVision by November 1st! Hence the shaking.

I won't have the donation buttons and so on for a few weeks, but in the meantime, prayers appreciated!

This means I've written to take myself off the Hole in the Wall waiting list, and yes I'd changed my mind and applied to WorldVision instead. I have so much more interest in raising money for humanitarian causes than anything else.

"Who Is World Vision? World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice."

marathon update

2008-06-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've applied to Team Hole in the Wall to get guaranteed entry through their charity. It's founded by Paul Newman, and they host free camps for kids with medical/health issues. I think it's a great cause, and would be happy to help raise money for them. Even if it means raising $3000, which it does.

My application was responded to with this ...

"You are now #11 on our wait list and we are hoping to get everyone off the wait list by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. We will definitely let you know as soon as we know!"

I so hope it works out! My 2nd choice is World Vision, which would be #1 if it weren't for the $5575 I'd need to raise ... whew.

by the way

2008-06-11T08:31:00.001-07:00

the marathon? I didn't get in. I cried. I determined to run it for charity. I just have to pick on I believe in, sign up, and start raising money.

NYRR Mini 10k

2008-06-11T08:08:00.001-07:00

I ran this last weekend in the HEAT, and had the best race ever! For one, it had a crowd of professional women that I respect leading the pack (Olympians and all!) It was under 5,000 women, and that's women only. Great way to race! I felt good the whole way, tho I started at the back as the woman I went with (another runner from my 'hood who races with me sometimes) had to use the bathroom last minute and we didn't get in our corral in time. I had to weave/bob the first 4 miles, and finally found my group/pace for the last 2. There were sprinklers, enough water stations, and patches of shade for sanity's sake. It didn't start till 9am, and the fog was burned off and humidity rampant by then.

The biggest/best thing about the race, aside from it being all women which I loved, was that I tried something new with my breathing. I was concerned about hydration and body temp, given the heat, so I only breathed thru my mouth for the first 4.5 miles. I used that to regulate my pace, and it worked wonderfully, and kept me extremely relaxed and centered. I let myself 'go' at close to 5 miles, and used up everything I had for the finish, sprinting as best I could for the last 1/4 mile. It felt wonderful!

I had a very sore abdomen on Sunday night, and I don't doubt it was from breathing that way. Then at the gym yesterday, a woman showed me how to do 'the plank' and I did 2 min before she told me to rest, apparently that's pretty great for a first try. It's a core exercise, and I could feel it in the same muscles I'd used to control my breathing and pace. That's actually when I realized my sore stomach was from the race. I've always tried to run from my 'core' and I'm finally getting the hang of some of it.

Oh, my time? 57:46, which I was pretty happy with given the heat, I think it's my best 10k time to date..

motivation

2008-06-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

keeping up my running motivation is hard ... i feel like i've slipped since the half marathon, and have to be ready to start serious training at the beginning of next month. Only 4 3/4 months to the marathon! I should be doing 25 miles a week by the time this month wraps up, and fitting it in to my hectic get-ready-to-move-out-of-state-for-only-two-months-while-subletting schedule is a challenge. I did do 6 miles this morning, 3 yesterday, and 10 last Sunday, so that's 19 for the week so far! I have a 6 mile race on Saturday, and hope to do 3-4 at the gym tomorrow, or else swim a bunch (probably smarter). That makes at least 28, so not bad!

We're moving to North-west MA for the summer, so 2 months of hill training should give me thick thighs, right?! We'll see! I have to say I'm not so bummed by tank tops this year, I feel a lot more comfortable in them and less twiggy ... my arms are more toned than last summer even though I've only been to the gym sporadically.

finding I have to get distracted in order to run in 'the zone' and that the distraction has to vary constantly. once I get lost in my thoughts i'm golden, I forget to think about how I feel.

i so hope ...

2008-05-19T13:01:00.001-07:00

You have been entered into the lottery for the
2008 ING New York City Marathon!

Entry #296254

First Half!

2008-05-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

I ran, I felt great, I enjoyed to the hilt, and I did well but not stunningly in my first half marathon this morning! Coney Island boardwalk, Ocean Blvd, and Prospect Park ... and lots of energy for a really strong finish. I wish I'd pushed harder of course :). Time of 2:07:22 and that included a 3 min pit-stop thanks to lines. I need to figure out how to eliminate stops but it's pretty hard!

I'm exhausted, going to soak and go to bed.

a new milestone ...

2008-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I've upped my distances yet again, and can now say I've run 12 miles at a stretch! And for the record, 4 of those miles were hills. We spent last week in the Berkshires while my husband worked there, and the hill running was easier than I expected, and the payoffs huge! My thighs and calves are definitely bigger. I did a 9 mile last sunday that was all hills, and just a couple short ones this week as I rest up for my first Half Marathon this Saturday! I'm excited, nervous, and can't wait. My friend P is coming to watch the kids while I run, as DH is gone for a month as of this morning. I do hate the solo parenting and begging for childcare, but life goes on. I'll report in afterwards!

another race!

2008-03-31T17:38:00.001-07:00

I ran the Scotland 10k yesterday, put on by NYRR, and had a great time. Another mom from the 'hood was running her first 10k, and posted a message looking for support. It was really nice to run w/someone else for a change, even if it was weaving in/out of a crowd of 7,000! I came in just under 58 minutes, and was very pleased given the fact that I'd had very little sleep the two nights before. I never felt really tired, sore, or winded, and think I could have pushed harder actually. I used the Gu gel for the first time in a race, and it really made a difference in the last 2 miles! I had a sustained burst of energy that was great to feel.

Now to find time to train for the half marathon in just a month ... an no backup here at home. My DH leaves tomorrow for 3 weeks in MA for work, home for a week, then away again for 3 ... and on through the summer. Hope to join him for June/July with the kids, but we shall see. Makes getting runs in a real challenge, I have a sitter now mon/wed, and can hopefully squeeze runs in both days. I can hit the Y every other day (or at least thurs/fri) and beg friends to cover on the weekends so I can get in a long one. tuesdays are taken with a class, at least I hope to start it up again in a couple weeks!

races!

2008-03-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I ran a 4 miler 2 weeks ago in a FREEZING cold Central Park. So glad I went, my time wasn't great but not bad either (9:20 miles actually, so perhaps my best race time so far). I've signed up for a 10k this weekend, and the Brooklyn Half Marathon May 3rd!! Scary but feels do-able. I've hit 11 miles once last month, and it was a tremendous feeling.

Hard to train in the next 2 months though as my dh is going away on business for 6 of the next 7 weeks. I only will have childcare (i hope!) 2 days a week, and have to run treadmill at least 2x a week, and beg help on weekends for a long run. Hope my aunt/uncle can do a weekend, a friend do another, and perhaps my inlaws another night or afternoon. I SO don't want to fall behind. The momentum has been good and addictive. I need new shoes, but can't afford them right now. I'm waiting for my Garmin back, it went belly-up for no reason a couple weeks ago but they offered to fix it under warranty even though it was 2 weeks past being covered. Then yesterday I lost one of my Burton gloves, great running gloves (well, snowboarding gloves, but work just as well for running!) and I'm bummed. I can't replace those either but thankfully won't really need them again till fall I don't think.

best ever

2008-02-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

ran 9.5 miles last sunday, whew! then walked for another mile, then walked 2.5 more later (much later!) that night. never knew it would take 2 miles of manhattan hunting for crab rangoon at midnight, and still not find it. sigh.

felt wonderful. makes the marathon seem that much closer!

i hope to run another 4 miler tomorrow, though the crappy weather means it won't be scored. it will still count as one of my 9 though for guaranteed entry next year (just in case)

joined the Y too and did my first workout there yesterday, weights and biking. the variety is great and will really help my endurance i think.

amazing how much it really is about mind games when the mileage starts to creep up. just getting out the door, convincing myself to do another lap. fighting negative self-talk. then getting close to a new record and feeling amazing and flying right on by my original goal and doing extra.

inspiration

2008-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to pick up the pace lately, running 4x a week and doing pushups/situps (for now) 2x a week. So far so good (2 weeks in anyhow!) I need to become more regular before I can hope to get in marathon shape. Distances are still low (2.5 to 4 miles) but I'm ok with that until I can get in the habit of working out somehow every day.

I'm going to see The Spirit of the Marathon tonight, to hopefully get my inspiration quotient up. The cold snap and lack of running partners has made it hard.

I'm hoping to run a NYRR race next Sunday, can't remember if it's 4 or 5 miles. Will be good to get out w/a bunch of other people. Wanted to run the MORE marathon (just women, would do a half) but won't be ready for 13 miles by april without injury I don't think.

oops! race wrap up

2008-01-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

Thought I posted this, but failed to. Here you go :)

Whew!!
It's over, I'm elated, getting over being exhausted, and can't wait to do it again! The race, that is. I was an absolute nervous wreck the night before. Really. I mean the can't sleep, lying in bed shaking, tossing, muttering kind of wreck. I think I fell asleep around 5am, and had to get up at 6. We had a minivan coming at 6:30 to take all the stuff to the park. A LOT of stuff. Tables, boxes of goodie bags (they were heavy!!), carton of t-shirts, food, water, giant easel signs, traffic cones, orange barricade posts/weights, etc ... the list goes on. We got it all crammed into the van, except the cart full of cones/chalk/arrows, which was to mark out the course in the winding park. I pushed the cart to the park while M and the van took the load, dropping all the stuff at the edge of the park. I needed a few minutes to cool my head. Wet head actually, setting me up for freezing later on.

Lesson one in Not-to-do-ever-agains? Get the vehicle-permit for the park, no matter what! It's a separate permit, and one thing I didn't do because of time/money, but regret. Carrying everything in/over the wall and up into the park, both directions, was a HUGE pain. Of course I had no idea how much stuff there'd end up being. Pictures you ask? Ah, pictures. Hah. The camera battery died when I tried to take the first one, the backup battery no longer holds a charge apparently, and the friend with a camera that was to show up couldn't as her son woke up with pinkeye. So, NO pics whatsoever, though there is a bit of video. Maybe I can grab some stills from that.

So we (M and I) got it all into the park by 7:15 or so. Registration opened at 8, and we had to get it set up, as well as the course marked. One friend was arriving at 7:30 to help (thanks C!) and Steph was already at our place, up watching the boys until Opa arrived at 7, and she was off with the wagon to pick up the donated bagels from 2 places, apples and yoghurt drinks from the greenmarket, and coffee/hot water from the bagel shop. She ran herself ragged, getting it all to the park by 8:30 or so. Meanwhile M and I ran around marking the course. This involved chalk lines/arrows/cones to make sure people took the right course at each turn, and when the course stretched over 3/4 of a mile, it took a long time! I abandoned him to finish on his own close to 8, and went to take over registration setup.

By this time my aunt/uncle/friend S had arrived, and were helping get things going. Someone had already come to register while I was away, so I scrambled for the numbers/charts/pins/maps and so on, only to discover the bag with all that in it was missing!! M and I had been carrying it around while marking the course and no longer had it. It could have been anywhere in the park! A parks person had mentioned to C that she'd seen one up the hill, was it ours? My aunt went to find it, did thank God, and brought it back to my frantic hands. I fumbled in the freezing cold for all the stuff, raffle tickets, pens that didn't work in the cold, and so on, and finally managed to register the kid.

It was nonstop from there, getting the registration thing down (thanks to S showing up and handing out pins, numbers, maps, and t-shirts) and getting people ready to go. We had about as many walk-ups as no-shows, making it an even 30 people. It would have been 31, but Steph was too run ragged to actually run the course! Somewhere in there someone handed me a cup of tea and a cut-up apple, the first sustenance of any kind in my morning. I was sitting there shaking with cold, having worn nothing but a t-shirt under my jacket, and with wet hair pinned up on my head. Fynn/D/Opa arrived around 8:30 also, and were fine for the first bit, but then Fynn started screaming bloody murder. Bad mom failed to notice his freezing hands, tried to backpack him but his screaming was so loud it was almost impossible to think. Carrying in my arms didn't work either.

I managed to give the 10 minute warning at about 9am, after checking with Michael to make sure he'd be done marking by then, as it had turned out to be a hugely long job for one person, cart and all. Bless the man! "Managed to give" means I used the bullhorn for the first time in my life! Why I had such a hangup I do not know, but I did. I didn't want anyone but the ppl right around me to hear, and knew it would carry further than that. Has something to do with the fact that I mostly hate to be the center of attention, but part of me loves it. Go figure.

Got everyone up to the starting line, which just so happened to be 20 yards away from a PUPS event (read: many many people with many many dogs) that I didn't know would be there that day. Yay, more audience for the Bullhorn Malfunction! Harvey was holding it for me (heavy thing, and I was shaking a bit and standing up on a bench) and he pressed what he thought was the On button, only to discover it was the siren. Michael insisted you just had to 'let it run out' and so it went for several cycles. Turn it off. Michael insists. Repeat. Finally the two males figure it out, give me the microphone, Michael draws a starting line (the one line neglected to be drawn, though there was a sign) and I send them off!

Given the 3k route, I knew I'd have only about 11 minutes before the first person arrived. More scrambling for medals, shuffling a screaming Fynn, hunting high and low for the missing finish-line tape, and end up substituting a roll of raffle tickets instead. The tape was later discovered in Douglas' pocket, as he 'really liked it'. :) The first runner in was a HS student. I forgot to mention I'd invited the track team from the HS across the street to come, for free, and they'd be eligible for prizes but not t-shirts, etc. The first 4 or 5 finishers were the kids, and they all refused to take the awards! No medals, no dinner gift certificates, nada. Just said they were there to support the effort, and a couple even handed me a few dollars to put towards the charity. Nice kids!! and a dream to have there.

There weren't a lot of cheering fans, but we made the noise we could, and the stroller race ended in a deliberate tie :). Medals were handed out, awards announced, and the raffle items raffled. Thankfully one of the HS kids won the 6-month Crunch Fitness membership, which helped even things out a wee bit, and I dug out enough t-shirts for them all.

It was such a nice bunch of people, both runners and helpers, and I couldn't ask for more. Sunny (freezing!) weather. Enthusiastic and grateful runners, and no major issues. The Kiddie race ended up being just 3 kids (I had about 12 expected, but the cold probably kept them away) and one girl fell and skinned her knee. Douglas was super proud of his medal (they all got them) but wanted to know yesterday why the kids all got medals, but not the adults :)

I can't wait to do it again. We raised $760 for charity, had an angel cover the cost of the t-shirts and equipment rental, and spent enough of our own money to call it a good marketing effort.

getting started, again ...

2008-01-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

finally back in the swing of things. realized, finally, that I have to exercise every day. not just 3x a week. should run 5x I think. so far run 2 and exercised 2 this week, so have to run the next 3. still having trouble getting up in the am, which sometimes comes from not going to bed early enough, and sometimes just from not getting enough in general and needing to catch up.

there it is. still want to marathon this year, printed out a schedule, and have to get up to 25 miles a week in the next 2 months or so. hard months to do it in, but it's never easy is it?

running partners!

2007-11-26T19:38:00.001-08:00

I started a running group in my 'hood, and tomorrow I have my first workout with a running buddy in, oh, about 8 years! Looking forward to it, though not the getting up at 6am part.

I ran a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day, and while I didn't run well, I had fun! I had to pee before the race began, got there too late to do so, and ended up hopping the barricades at 1.5 miles in and making a pit stop. Took me till mile 3 to find my stride, and given that there were 5 miles in all, it wasn't my best time. 46:10 total.

Glad I got out and did it though.

Countdown to my own 3k race is 19 days! Pounding the pavement and phone for sponsors, flyers, donations, and participants ... it's a ton of work. Scared that I won't get enough people to make it worthwhile, so concentrating more on media at the moment than donations. Need to start rounding up volunteers also, I'm going to need a good number given the winding course. Anyone want to help?! Details at www.sanemoms.com/runforthemoms.

The Race is ON!

2007-11-08T16:41:00.001-08:00

My first race that is, meaning one that I'm organizing, sponsoring (at least until I can drag in enough sponsors to cover things) and doing everything but running in.

It's a 3k in Fort Greene Park, and I'm so in over my head it's not funny. Why? It's just a project like any other, and given enough time it's not a big deal. However, time is the problem ... it's on December 15th, 5 weeks from now, and I just got my permit from the Parks Department today. Go figure! I'm madly designing logos, scouting vendors, modifying websites, and yadda yadda, you get the idea. If anyone has references for any timing companies I'd love them!

I'm rather excited :)

Details here, such as they are so far ... www.sanemoms.com

what a day!

2007-11-04T19:05:00.001-08:00

It's over, it was wonderful and I'm too tired to retype so I'll copy from my other blog here ....

It was the longest day ever, and not just because 2am came twice thanks to Daylight Savings Time. It was the NYC Marathon today, and as I didn't get in to run, I volunteered. This meant getting up just before 2am (the 2nd one) but I was so paranoid about the time change, oversleeping, and being late, that I was more or less up from 1am (and went to bed around 10.). I dressed in my many layers, grabbed a banana and took off for the upper east side.

I arrived early, begged my way into the NYRR headquarters to pee, and then got my credentials, wimpy bagged breakfast, and hopped on the bus ... by 4am. There were about 80 of us I think that came that way, and hundreds more that arrived some other way. We were dropped at the starting line area 45 min later, in pitch black, with music blaring and crews frantically assembling bleachers, tents, and so on. It was rather like a mini olympic village, minus the housing, with 'camping' grounds instead in color-coded areas. After some chaotic shuffling and hard-to-hear directions, 10 of us were assigned to pass out bagels in the orange section. As this was one of three areas, and we passed out most of 3 pallets of bagels (about 40 boxes on each pallet with 70 or so in each box) you get a vague sense of the quantity of people milling about.

It started with just a few early souls, with their blankets, heat wraps, huddled on the ground trying to get in a bit of rest. As the sun gradually came up and and the busloads started to arrive in earnest, it was more chaotic. Constant directions being asked, banter from 2 of the people working next to me, and a permanent grin on my face. I SO enjoyed it that I couldn't help smiling crazily, despite the fact that my hands were frozen, I'd been on my feet for hours, and wished I were running instead of bagel tossing. It was a fascinating mix of people, in all mental states from utterly relaxed and having a ball to so nervous they couldn't look you in the eye or think about eating.

As the hours marched on (we arrived at 5, the general start was 10:20) people gradually got more focused and intent. Due to some crazy woman in charge of something, several of us were suddenly yanked from bagel world and had to run to the starting line (a long way away thru insane crowds) as she said we'd miss the bus back to the finish. Oh, right ... the main reason I volunteered for the early shift ... it involved a bus back to the finish line and free bleacher passes! woohoo ... I've wanted to see the finish in person for years. She was wrong, the buses weren't leaving for an hour, so we were put on duty corraling the runners in their lanes as they started ... another plum assignment in my book.

Aside from the order and relaxation of the start itself (3 separate start areas, each one letting people go in groups of 1000 at a time) the most amazing part was the trash. By this I mean the clothes strewn EVERYwhere, on the road, fences, under the buses ... it was really chilly still, but once out in the sun and on the starting line, they tossed whatever extra layers they were wearing. When our bus finally did leave (another sudden yank from the start corral, before we were finished) it was plowing through wads of clothes. I'm told they get gathered for charity ... I hope so, there were thousands.

Our bus caravan was escorted by the cops over the bridge, paralleling the route for a bit, and then up the west side to the finish area. We got there in time to get seats and see the male and female winners cross the finish line. I was cheering loudly for Paula Radcliffe from England who won, as I knew she'd had a baby in the last year and I was insanely impressed by that. She won, grabbed her 9 month old from her husband, and did her victory 'lap' down the stands. Go mama!

I could go on but it's 10pm and I'm falling over. Needless to say it was, once again, tremendously inspiring to see, and makes me more than ever want to do it. If a 74 year old woman could finish it in under 4 hours, I could at least finish it I think?!

One last thing ... the costumes. It looked like hallowe'en at times. Just a few I saw ... a towering lighthouse headpiece, chewbacca and Yoda (full masks, fur, etc.), kilts, superman, sponge bob, hotdog hats, many statue of liberty headbands, facepaint galore, bras and shorts, some dutch-looking polkadot mini dress on a male and female both, wigs, feathers ... you get the idea. It was about fun and just doing it, and the energy and adrenaline flowing around was incredible. I could quote/dribble statistics for hours as they fascinate me, but I'll stop with just one. More than 17 thousand of the runners had never run a marathon before. I better be part of that stat next year!

I crash.

ps ... no pics due to no camera, some to be e-mailed from a girls I met.

Forgot to mention ...

2007-11-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

The last race I ran, the Miles for Midwives ... I finished in 27 minutes and change, and came in 2nd in my age category! While there were only about 275 runners, I was still very pleased.

My next race is the Turkey Trot on thanksgiving morning, another 5k in Prospect Park. I'll be going with another couple this time, while Michael watches their kids AND ours :).

Marathon Weekend

2007-11-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's here, and while I won't be running, I will be surrounded by them for hours. I'm volunteering this year, and have been assigned (yes I asked for it!) to work at the Starting line o Staten Island. That means I have to catch a bus on the upper east side at 4am tomorrow, and won't be done until late morning. The main perk to taking the early shift is that they give me a bus ride back to the finish line as soon as I'm done, and a bleacher pass to watch the finish! Pretty cool, and will give me a view of how it all works that I won't get any other way.

I'm still determined to run it as soon as I can get in. I've been out of commission with a chest cold/congestion for a week, and can only imagine how I'd feel if I was due to run in the morning. I have to get more regular about my training if I'm going to have a chance.

Next race ...

2007-10-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just registered for a 5k this Saturday, the Miles for Midwives in prospect park. Last year it was my first-ever 5k, run with a jogging stroller, and cradling a nursing baby in one arm at least half the time. This time I'll actually run it :)

for the record

2007-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not doing so well at running ... more like once every 5 days or so, and only 3 miles at a time. Summer was really hard with the lack of schedule and sleeping in and having M leave at 8 every morning. The one 10k I ran was great, but not what I was hoping for. I wanted to run a 4 miler this weekend, but am battling a cold that wants to grab me and throw me under, and so haven't run in 4 days again. If I run when I'm sick, the last shreds of my immune system seem to crumble.

I'll get back on it as soon as I can. I can't forget the after-run high that feels so incredibly good, and the joy of being out on the streets alone. Maybe I can remember that when the alarm goes off at 6am?

My First 10k!

2007-07-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't get in to the Marathon this year, I'm trying my legs out on some smaller races, starting with my first 10k this morning in Central Park. Despite the fact that my longest morning run has been 5 miles, and I average about 3, I was sure it was do-able. It was the Park to Park 10k that takes a circuit of Central Park to complete. Having never been to the top edge of the park, I was rather looking forward to the 'tour' of it.

I snagged a handy ride over with my friend's husband, who was also running and is marathon training, and my friend baby-sat both of my boys for me for the morning! M is still working Saturdays all summer, so I had to find backup. I started my stretching on the front porch at 7am while waiting for my ride. He came late, so I got a decent amount in.

It was great to be in Central Park before 8am, another first for me, and then to merge into the sea of other runners getting ready. Number pickup, pin and t-shirt pickup, baggage drop, bathroom stop, and I was ready to finish my stretching. I parted ways with my ride, as he averages 8 minute miles and I seem at a steady 10.5 mile these days.

The start was staggered by average mile time, and so it was up to me to be honest and go to the 10 mile post near the back of the starting line. With 5,000 people running, this wasn't irrelevant ... though as I'm not in real race contention, it doesn't matter all that much. They score the races based on when you cross the finish line, irrespective of when you actually get to cross the starting line. It took me almost 5 minutes to get up to the starting line, so I was glad to have my watch keeping me aware of where I was really at.

I had to do a lot of weaving/dodging the first 2 miles, but the pack finally thinned out a bit. I had to learn to follow my own natural pace, not the pace of whoever happened to be in front of me. That took a good 2 miles, and then I was happy.

Figuring out water stations was another matter, it took 3 of those before I got the hang of it (go to the end of the area, not the front, don't really stop, and pour most of it on your head ... at least that's what worked for me. ) Once I did, it was no longer an annoyance.

I expected to hit a 'wall', but never did really in the least. I had enough energy to pick up the pace for the last 1.5 miles, and even sprint the last .25. I was tired for sure, but not sick or staggering so I called it a success :)

I skipped all the after stuff like pictures, bagels, award ceremonies, freebies, etc so that my ride could get back home in time to take his son to swimming lessons.

A fabulous first 10k, and my time was 13 minutes better than I aimed for ... results below.

First Name	Sex/ Age	City	State
BETHANY	F36	BROOKLYN	NY

Overall Place	Gender Place	Age Place	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile	AG Time	AG Gender Place	AG %
3709	1404	551	1:02:24	10:03	1:01:31	1351	49.3 %

My ride came in at 54 minutes, so he didn't have to wait too long for me!

High Points

2007-06-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Broke the 5-mile barrier finally, though not since then ... been depressed about not getting in, and the weather is horribly hot and muggy. Forced myself to run this AM and was so glad I did! Felt great afterwards, as I always do ...

----------

Next Goal is to run a 10K on July 14th in Central Park. I have to find a sitter as Michael is working that day (and every other day between now and August 30th except for Sundays ...) but that's doable. I will have to run at least 6-8 times between now and then to get in shape. I don't have a time I'm aiming for, but 1:10 would be wonderful for me.

Denied

2007-06-12T17:36:00.001-07:00

I didn't get in. It sucks. Now I have to either give in and run for charity, and raise $2500, or wait for next year and run some shorter ones.

I'm disappointed to say the least.

It's a step ...

2007-05-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

You have been entered into the lottery for the
2007 ING NYC Marathon!

Entry #184627
-------------

yay!!

Progress

2007-05-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Just read my first posts, and realized that my pace is up to a 9:30 to 9:45 miles, no matter how long I run. I can't seem to settle, at least so far, with a slower pace. That's a 2 min/mile improvement over where I started!

back on track, slightly altered

2007-05-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

I got sick of being sick, and started running again last week despite the cough. It's virtually gone, and I feel good again! Not up to the mileage I want, but will get there. It's SO much easier now than a couple months ago!

Decided NOT to run for charity, and will take my chances in the lottery of getting in. The deadline is this friday to apply, and I have a check coming in the day before that will give me enough to put in the application. I'll be joining NY Road Runners along with the entry, so even if I don't get in this year, I'll keep running and do some of their shorter races to get in practice and in shape. If I do, which I'll know in a few weeks, I'll be on track for Nov 4th! And a lot happier about not having to beg my friends/family for the $2500 in pledges that the charity requires.

waiting it out

2007-05-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

i've been sick for almost 3 weeks, and haven't run in as long. it's depressing to me, so I'm not posting. now that things are finally on the upswing (meaning my coughs produce something other than a sore stomach) i'm getting a bit more hopeful of getting out there again. had my best run (4 miles in 32 minutes) the day before I crashed. probably has something to do with running on top of breastfeeding, not slowing down on any other commitments, and eating twice at much. my body is so lean anyhow, that I don't have the minerals i need to process twice as much protein as normal. and I KNOW i don't drink enough. ever.

the goal feels further away than it did a month ago, but i'll get it back. once i'm truly healed. in the meaning, i know i need to stretch and recuperate.

It WAS getting easier ...

2007-04-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

and I didn't manage to post about that part! Up to 5x a week, and last week did 14 miles which felt great. The first couple runs this week were wonderful ... never got too exhausted, and hardly even winded for the first half. Then food poisoning hit and my body still isn't back to normal. Will probably slip out for an easy run sometime today, and hope to get back on track tomorrow. It seems there's always something? My husband threw his back out badly, the landlord's ceiling collapsed (right above us, and M is responsible for fixing stuff around here), and the food poisoning hit on the first day back after spring break when I supposedly would have more time to myself again! Such is life.

New Shoes!

2007-03-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Said "hang the expense and don't think about how soon rent is due" and went to JackRabbit Sports and had my gait tested. I'm not a pronator or supinator (my foot doesn't roll side/side) and I strike (as i strongly suspected) with my forefoot, thanks to all my barefooting I'm sure. Now the proud wearer of a pair of 10.5 oz Asics Nimbus Gel VIII shoes, and loving them. That and the HS track I found that opens it's gates to the public most mornings from 7 to 8:30. Delicious.

Now if getting out of bed could feel that good I'd really be cooking.

Working up to 5x a week from my current 3, and then will start adding mileage, currently doing about 3 miles at a 10:15 pace.

Taking a forced break

2007-03-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Ran Saturday, another 3 miles in 30 min, and felt really good. Followed another lady for the last bit, finding the route thru the park that takes you on the most grass as I know the concrete isn't good. Got energy just from pacing another person and that was encouraging.

Saturday afternoon my anklebone started to hurt, and just above it. So painful I was limping, and thought it was from not stretching right. Worse Sunday, looked it up and I think I have shin splints, so lovely. Everyone says the only real cure is rest, tho taping and liniment help. Been using liniment and massage, but didn't run this morning and really missed it.

---------------------------

In other news, the application is now online! It is apparently another hurdle for me to get over, as I now know the fundraising requirements. Egads! In addition to the marathon app fee of something like 135 by the time you're done, there's a $110 Team for Kids app fee, and the following ...

By becoming a TFK member, you pledge to donate or fund-raise from third-party donors a minimum of $2000 [for returning members (alumni/ae)] or $2500 [for new Team members] (the "Pledge Amount"). Your credit card information is required as a guarantee against the Pledge. If you or your third-party donors (the "Donors") have not submitted to NYRR Foundation, by check(s) or credit card(s), at least one-half of the Pledge [US$1000 for alumni and US$1250 for new Team members] by the close of business on August 15, 2007, your credit card will be charged that amount, less the TFK Fee and any amounts received by that date from you and the Donors (the "Initial Credit Card Charge"). You understand that you are required to meet this interim Pledge commitment date in order to maintain your guaranteed entry into the ING New York City Marathon 2007.

Basically an entry fee of 2500, less any of that you can fund raise. Glad I worked on the fundraising committee last year at Douglas' school!

New Toy ...

2007-02-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

I mentioned to a friend on the phone the other day that I had been researching training watches, as I didn't have a functioning watch and was tired of checking my cellphone, while running, to see what time it was. This arrived in the mail today. One more reason to make sure I stay serious about this venture :)

I ran around the block once to test it out tonight ... I'd be mighty pleased if I could maintain that pace for the entire 26.2 ...

Bad Weather Alternatives

2007-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

After realizing last night that the snow was likely to make outdoor running a problem today, I asked S (housemate) if I could borrow her treadmill this morning. I got up later than I wanted, and didn't actually run till noon. She asked, rather incredulously, if I planned to run on it, and i assured her that I did.

It's the manual kind that's a band around two rollers, with a 'handlebar' and it proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. It's about 4x as much work as running on a flat surface, and I confess to powerwalking half the time, and only doing 3o minutes. I was dripping sweat after 10 minutes, even with the window open. After being warned of extreme boredom, I switched on the TV before I started. Having hardly ever watched daytime TV, I didn't know what to expect, but didn't know I'd be reduced to the news, the Tyra Banks show, or Maury Povich. Alas, I chose Maury due to the wwf-ish drama, and turned it up loud enough to hear over the treadmill and my own raspy breathing.

It was a *very* long 30 minutes, between the effort an Maury and his insane guests, and I think I may just get out tomorrow too for a short real run (still only doing M/W/F runs so far) to get back in the swing of things.

Running Goals

2007-02-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks Serge ...
"You need to get to the point of running five miles a day, five times a week no later than May. Every two weeks you run a "long" round, starting at 10 miles and increasing by 2 miles."

May: 10
June: 12, 14
July: 16, 18
August: 20, 22
September: 22, 22
October: 22, 22

It looks do-able, especially the 5 miles/day part. That seems easy. It's the long runs that, of course, are the challenge. I think I'll try to find partners for those, as it should make it more interesting.

Note to self ...

2007-02-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

... don't run while wearing an underwire nursing bra. BAD idea. I'm now sporting two raw patches of skin in a hard-to-heal spot.

Giving it a chance

2007-02-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

I've loved to run as long as I can remember, but rarely done it regularly. I was always winning the grade-school races that most of the kids hated, and I relished the competition and sense of winning. I have a distinct memory of jogging the 'mile' they defined for us by dropping seemingly random orange cones out in the field, around and around, and coming in first for the girls in my grade ... then promptly puking up my breakfast in the grass. I didn't particularly care, I liked that I'd pushed myself so hard. I believe my time was under 7 minutes, which reinforces the impression that the course wasn't exactly a mile!

In 6th grade, at the school they bussed me to because mine closed, there was a field day near the end of the year. I competed in as many events as I could, and was extremely pleased to have the 'scouts' there that day from the junior high tell my teachers that I should sign up for the track team as soon as I got to 7th grade. As I suspected, this didn't happen due to my parents' dislike of events that would regularly make it impossible for me to attend church. So I didn't run, but envied the kids who did.

In high school, the story was the same. I was encouraged to join running at school, but told at home that it wasn't a good idea. My best friend there was on the cross country team, and I vicariously enjoyed her successes and stories of what it was like. I joined the yearbook team (which met during the day) and put my heart and some of my soul into it, and managed to make a few late nights out of it when deadlines loomed.

In P.E. class, I tackled most everything with more energy than most of my classmates. It was my chance to prove that I was athletic, and could run, sit-up, and play basketball with some semblance of skill. I set a school record for sit-ups/min, and was absurdly proud of it. In grade 11 we had a unit on running and weight training, and I felt great! They told us that we were in the best shape we'd ever be in, and I didn't believe them. They were right, alas ...

At the end of my Senior year, they named the "Outstanding Senior" for each of the classes we were required to take. Courtesy of my brother 'sweeping' 3 or 4 of the titles two years before, they limited each student to one title, and I won the one for P.E. I found it enjoyable and ironic, as I was a pretty serious contender in most of the academic areas, but managed to be recognized
for my sports instead. In reality, I knew they wouldn't give it to any of the team athletes, and I was the only one who took gym class seriously, but wasn't on a team.

I tried to run my first year out of high school, and managed to run the 3 miles to work several times a week, at least for the first couple of months, but it was hot, boring, and I stayed up too late reading novels at night to get up in time to get moving.

I tried again, after college, with my friend Su. She and I would meet in the morning, late at night, or whenever we could find the time, and it was bliss. She gave me the goal of running 100 miles, which I eventually (cumulatively of course) managed to pull off. I still have the shirt she gave me to commemorate it. But after I married and moved into the city, that stopped cold.

Almost 20 years after high school, I'm determined to change their claim about being in the best shape I ever would be. I've lived in NYC for over 3 years, and become more fit than usual just because I walk almost everywhere, use subway stairs, schlepp strollers and kids all over the place, and don't rely on a car for anything. I still don't run, though I've often dreamed of running a marathon. My ultimate challenge. Watching it in 2005, while only a few weeks pregnant with my second child, I determined to run it as soon as I could.

I was talking with a friend (this one, actually) last month, the reasons to get off my butt and start running crystalized. I was avoiding it for many reasons ... when can I find the time? What if I fail? I don't have any good place to run ... etc. But when she helped me see it as a way to prove something to myself while having fun and getting time alone, I bit the bullet.

I started running at the beginning of this month, if you can call run/walking in sub-freezing weather 'running'. But I started. In 3 weeks I'm up to 2.5 miles at a 11min/mile pace, 3x a week. The goal is running 26.2 miles on November 4th in the NYC Marathon. I have a long way to go, but I'm going.

See you there :)