1.5 miles

Hey, at least I ran! In my defense, we had an inch of sleet last night, and only our neighborhood roads were plowed, not any of the connector roads. So I ran laps around our neighborhood. The neighbor across the street was shoveling her walk and must have thought I was nuts the 3rd or 4th time she saw me go round. I capped off my morning by shoveling the walk and part of the driveway. Then Max's school was closed, so I spent the rest of the day chasing around a toddler.

Zero Miles

What's that about the road to hell? I'm on it. I fully intended to run this morning. The baby woke up early, and I thought, great, plenty of time to run and get everyone out the door, especially since I didn't have to be at work till 11. Then the usual morning circus, and Jack said, hey why don't you get your shower now since I have to leave early, and the next thing I knew, I was all blow dried and even had makeup on and I had totally forgotten to run. Mommy brain at its finest. All is not lost - there's an ice/snow storm coming, so I'm sure I'll get a good workout shoveling and scraping. And I *will* go to the pool Friday morning.

As penance, a thousand crunches tonight. I'm so ashamed.

3 miles...

...indoors. I had every intention of running with the group on this morning. Except it was 14 degrees at 7:30 a.m., and I still had a stuffy nose. So I got to the gym right when it opened at 9. Funny thing is, it's just down the street from the track, so as I was winding my way there, I could see people from the group, all bundled up, running along. They looked very serious and extremely cold.

I did 8 gazillion laps around the tiny indoor track, then as much on the treadmill as I could stand. Boooooring. I lifted, then came back for another half mile on the treadmill. The last half mile actually felt pretty decent - I guess there is something to be said for warming up. But it was a real blow to my ego to know at all times exactly how fast (slow) I was running. Anyway, I'm just trying to muddle through the best I can. I had a nice email convo with IronMo about our respective muffin tops. Which should make me feel better, except that she and her muffin top ran a half marathon last weekend, while my muffin top and I slept in.

Since I haven't been to the track in forever, I hadn't yet picked up my program for "Phase II" of 10 miler training. So after my workout, I headed to the shop for it. I'm supposed to run 11 miles next Saturday. That is *not* going to happen. But the other mileages I think I can handle, I just need to actually get some weekday runs in for a change. While I was there, I bought some gloves, to help me out of my cold weather wussitude. Yes, I already have gloves, but mine are icky cotton knit that gets clammy when I get warmed up, plus they date from Bush 41's administration. So I spent the rest of the gift cert on a pair of spiffy microfiber looking gloves with little reflective patches. What really sealed the deal is that the two gloves have small magnets embedded in the cuffs, so they'll stick together when not in use! How cool is that. Extremely. Far less cool was the fact that after I got home, I realized that I had two right gloves. Dammit!

8

...degrees Fahrenheit, that is. Yeah, it's cold here. I'm recovering from the latest day care head cold, and have decided that this week, it's indoor exercise only. Which means some stretching and crunches while watching American Idol. So yes, the 10 miler is but 6 weeks away and I'm having a slack break. This is how I maintain my street cred when I say "I'm not really a runner."

7 Miles

I wrote a nice long post about my run, and blogger ate it. Harumph.

Rather than try to recreate it, I'll leave you with a haiku:

Max pooped. Now I'm late.
Cold wind. Group started early.
Halfway - Jim! Hi, friend.

Swimmin'!

Max nursed for the last time on his first birthday over a week ago, so I thought I was in the clear, boob-wise. Not so much. The last day or two I've had painful lumpy ducts, and the thought of jamming the girls into a hot, sweaty running bra, and then jouncing them around was unbearable. So, I popped a Sudafed to hopefully dry things out, and headed off to the nice cold pool. I didn't swim much - maybe 1100? But it was great. It was long course, which normally freaks me out, but today it made everything seem to go faster, since I was touching the wall half as often. The pool was almost deserted, so I had my own lane, and didn't feel shy about doing stroke technique drills. I really needed that, even if it meant I wouldn't have a very strenuous workout. During my pregnancy with Max, my body-roll turned into body-waddle by the third trimester, and I haven't quite gotten my fluidity back. I spent a few hundred doing "ten strokes on a side," some kicking, and just some really slow swimming, so that I could focus on my stroke. Even though I wasn't huffing and puffing, I felt pretty drained when I got out. I might have just been coming down from the Sudafed high, though.

Four miles

The Monticello Trail. Two miles of unrelenting uphill, two miles of unrelenting downhill. The weather was unseasonably warm - some walkers were in hats and sweatshirts, but it was in the 60's when I finally rolled out of the house, and I did the run comfortably in shorts and a tank top. Since it's a pedestrian trail, I felt free to strap on my headphones and crank up the volume. I don't know what I was thinking when I made my "Energy" playlist, but it sucks. Polyester Bride? That's not very energetic at all. Plodding, in fact. And plod I did, with a total time of exactly 44 minutes. Bleargh.

Six Miles

And it was hot! Seriously, what's up? It was in the mid-sixties by the time we started. It kind of kicked my butt. We were doing part of the 10-miler course. When we started out, the group was pretty large, and there were lots of pairs and trios chatting away. I don't know why, but it really annoyed the crap out of me, and I was regretting not having gotten a nano already. I really just wanted to strap on some headphones and drown out the world. Usually, I welcome the chance to run with friends, and to make new friends along the way. But this morning I was craving solitude. Just me and my new shoes. I avoided joining up with anyone during our two laps around the track, and just tried to tune everyone out.

At the Cville Running Co, one of the group was sitting on the curb, catching her breath. I offered to go back to the track with her, since I was chopping out 2 miles after the Mall that the rest of the group was doing. Her friends left her a GPS or two to take back to the parking lot, which I thought was kind of shitty of them. Dude, your friend is hurting, and you give her an extra burden to carry? I told her I'd run down the Mall and back, and would travel the rest of the way back with her.

She was winded and tired - I think everyone's feeling a little out of shape after the holiday. She kept apologizing for slowing down, but I was grateful every time she slowed to a walk. Since the rest of the group was doing 2 more miles before heading down Main street, we were alone together. Both of us were pretty tired, so there was a lot of silence, which I craved after all the chatter. We made our way through Grounds, and parted ways at the track.

New Year's Day 5K

Out at Free Union, site of the infamous 17 miles in the cold and driving rain run. And guess what? It was cold and rainy again! Fortunately, the rain had mostly stopped by the time the race was ready to start. Us early birds huddled under the registration tent to stay dry before then. It was while packed in trying to keep dry that I overhead a guy on his cellphone leaving a message for his buddy to please bring $5 because he was short on his entry fee. Without saying anything, I handed him the five dollar bill I always carry while running. He asked how he could repay me, and I just said, "Have a good race. Run like you stole something!" (Hee, hee, I saw that on a sign in Richmond and had been waiting for just the right moment to use it.) He offered me a banana in thanks, and I ate it against my better judgement.


Everyone lined up at the start, and the race organizer or whoever it was asked us to take a moment of silence for the troops and their families and the soldiers who've been killed, and then ended this solemn moment by saying "runnersonyourmarkgo!!!" Huh? Anyway, I was a little startled, and took off fast. I really, really, really wanted to break 30 minutes. In the rain. Without having run in weeks. And after having eaten more than enough sugar to make up for all the sugar I didn't eat last Xmas because I had gestational diabetes.

Not wanting to repeat my Turkey Trot mistake, I positioned myself relatively close to the start line. Which meant that as fast as I was, I was still getting passed by everyone. Even the guy who was juggling. By mile one, I admit I was kind of winded, and feeling pretty crummy about the race. As I approached the mile marker, I could hear the volunteer calling out splits, only I couldn't make out the minutes, only the seconds. I heard "Mwah Forty-five! Mwah Fifty! Mwah Fifty-five!" And just as I passed the mark, I heard, "NINE MINUTES!"

No, seriously, what the eff?

Nine minutes flat. Folks, please be careful flying home from your holiday travels, because there is a chance of pigs in the stratosphere.

Mama ran a nine minute mile. Mama never ran a nine minute mile, not even when she was young and drank coffee.

Mile 2, I kinda felt like I was going to throw up. That pre-race banana was a bad idea. Still, I got there at 19:45.

Then, early in mile 3, I got a wicked cramp in my shoulder and actually had to stop and walk a little bit. But I still finished in 32:21. Not a PR, but pretty respectable for me, especially on a flat and boring course in the rain.

I didn't care, I ran a nine minute mile. Oh, and instead of some lame-o t-shirt, I got The Stick. What a great way to start the New Year!

And no, I did not end the old by signing up for Richmond. This doesn't mean that I've closed that door, though. Boy, wouldn't I love to break 5 hours.

Richmond, stop taunting me

Dear Richmond Marathon,

If you keep sending me those emails about how great the 30th anniversary will be and how cheap the entry fee is until 12/31, I will be forced to do this crazy thing again. So please, please, don't send me one at the 11th hour, New Year's eve, when it's just me and Dick Clark contemplating our places in the universe.

Love,
Mama

New shoes

The Supportive Husband got me a gift certificate for new running shoes, so I took advantage of the slow day at work to head over to the shop and try out a few. I recounted my tale of woe to the salesguy, who said that judging from a few laps around the store, they looked like a good fit. But he humored me and my insistence that I just couldn't trust my shoes any more, and brought out a few pairs to try. I went with the Brooks Addiction 7. They are a half-size smaller than the Asics, but somehow feel much roomier in the toe, plus I don't have to do any fancy lacing to get them to fit right in the heel. I used my gift certificate, which was almost a shame - it's a cute little paper running shoe with red and white ribbon for the laces. And I still had $16.01 left over.

So it's a win-win, right? Great new shoes, an end to my foot woes. $16.01! And a free t-shirt! No, there's a dark side to this happy story.

These shoes are ugly.

My Asics were white and purple and silver and attractively proportioned. These are drab gray with a hint of blah blue, and blocky. I knew, though, when I saw them amid the sporty and stylin' Sauconys and Asics that this ugly but serviceable duckling was the shoe for me. So here's to a few hundred good miles with my homely new friends.

6 miles

Six very, very cold miles. I did my first long run of the 10-miler training program. It'll probably be the only one I do before the new year, but it felt good to get out and run around. I did pretty decently, too, I was somewhere around 10:45/mi for the whole thing. And probably could have gone faster, but spent some time running and talking with some new friends and some old.

I spent six months trying to beat the heat, now I'm thinking about how to keep warm. It was 22 degrees when I started my run, and all of 28 when I finished. I felt pretty warm most of the run, but my legs were practically numb on the drive home. They were so cold I couldn't even feel my heated seats. I definitely need warmer tights. And I'm still not sure about my shoes. After Christmas, I'll head over to the shop and reevaluate my options. I had such a horrific time with them at the marathon that I'm ready to try something new.

Boston bound!

No, I'm not running, though I do hope to be a volunteer so I can get the coveted BAA jacket. IronMo qualified for Boston this year, and will be running on Patriot's day. So I figured I'd tag along and relive the good old days of cheering the runners at the halfway point. I've bought my plane tickets, and I've arranged to bunk with Mo. In the meantime, I've got the 10 miler to think about.

I'm considering running the Virginia Beach RNR Half Marathon over Labor Day weekend - it's supposed to be a lot of fun. It would be a nice motivator to stay in shape during the dog days of summer.

For now, I'm staying in shape chasing after my increasingly mobile (and daggone fast) child. Don't laugh - it's pretty good exercise. I keep thinking that I'll hit the pool one morning before work, but there are always more pressing matters, like chopping green beans into choke-proof bits. How was it I found the time to run 20 or more miles per week to train for the marathon, and now that it's over, I can barely manage a walk around the block on alternate days?

Oh, and Santa, if you're listening, Mama Marathon needs a new pair of sneaks.

5K

The Turkey Trot!

I ran into lots of old friends this morning, which made the day, as cold and damp as the weather was, seem warm. I had a fun race, and finished the 5K in 31:39, which works out to about 10:12 per mile. Holy mackeral, that's fast for me. I would have been faster, but I had a verrrrrryyyy slllllooowwwww start. I'm so used to being the absolute back of the pack on my Saturday runs, that I placed myself near the back of the pack at the start this morning. Of course, a 5k fun run attracts a very different crowd than a marathon. So when the gun went off, I was caught in a throng of people who run once a year, or who were running in costume. There are about 1300 entrants vying for space on very narrow residential streets, so it was about a half-mile before I could really open up my stride. The first half of the course is almost entirely uphill, which I'm finding quite suits me. I had no trouble at all - my first mile was something like 10:25, even with the slow start.

I'm looking ahead to the 10 miler in the spring, though I won't really start training for it until the first of the year. At first, I was thinking I'd shoot for an 11:00 mile pace, but I really think that 10:45 isn't unreasonable to shoot for. In the marathon, my first 7 were under 11:00 (except for mile 5, with the bathroom break). I'm getting really excited about doing a shorter distance. I had so much fun this morning - it's great to just roll out of bed, and think, yeah, I'll do a race today. It's a much lighter state of mind than thinking all summer about doing a marathon. Not to mention that it's great not to have to think about nutrition, and bathroom stops, and all the logistics that go along with an endurance challenge.

Epilogue

There was no resting on my laurels. Max got another cold, which manifested itself in a terrible cough that kept us both up for the better part of several nights. Then I got the cough. Then he got the GI bug. Then his papa got the GI bug. No cards, no flowers, no flashbulbs, red carpets, tearful speeches, or telegrams. IronMo got another traffic ticket. But I did get pictures, that show me in all my pale-legged, stiff-gaited glory. And while I quickly gave up on the idea of putting my medal into rotation with my other accessories, I do keep it out on my nightstand. The glory of the whole enterprise was in setting and reaching a goal, and in knowing that my son has a strong, fit, determined mama.

So what's next for Mama Marathon? Not another marathon, not for a while, even though $30 to sign up for Richmond next year very nearly sealed the deal for me. I'm doing a Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving, and a 10-miler in the spring, and in the meantime I'm looking forward to getting back to yoga class, going to the gym, and getting back in to swimming. I'm an ordinary mama, after all.

I'll keep posting here now and again, to update you all on my quest for fitness in motherhood, so don't unplug me from your RSS aggregator. It's a journey, after all. In the meantime, pictures!


Looking sporty. If you look carefully, you can see the top of my cellphone peeking out of the pocket on my left hip.



Mo and I both look a little goofy, but at least we're both smiling! Please note the finish clock - we actually crossed the start nearly 5 min after the gun, so our chip time was 5:34:33. Is it petty to be picky about 5 minutes when it took over 5.5 hours to run the thing? I think not.

Richmond Race Report

IronMo had just returned from Europe, and we headed over to Richmond on Friday night. We were delighted to find out that our hotel was right at the start line. We headed off to check in and go to the Expo, where I bought more Shot Bloks, and totally impulse-bought a pair of tights. Mo thought I should buy a "My mommy ran a marathon" t-shirt for Max, but I wouldn't, for fear of jinxing things, so she bought it instead. After a quick dinner, we headed back to the hotel. I got all teary watching the preparations for the race unfold along the streets of Richmond. All of those gates and chutes and signs were for ME!

The alarm went off at 5:55. It felt like Christmas morning. I pumped, got changed, and finished packing up. I had a banana and a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter, while IronMo stuck with her usual soy butter and honey sandwich. We checked out, checked our bags, and headed out into the street. We quickly returned to the warmth of the hotel - it was still nearly an hour prior and there wasn't much going on out in the cool morning air.

We finally headed to the corral at 7:30, where I was delighted to run into Jim! He said he'd seen Sadie, who was ahead in a faster corral. We couldn't hear the loudspeakers from so far back, but soon, the crowd began moving forward, and the next thing I knew, there was lots of cheering, and we were underway. We crossed the mat with about 4 minutes on the official clock.

The first mile zipped by. I literally have no memory of it, except being giddy when I saw the sign for Mile 1. I told Mo that I needed to pee (again, I'd already gone three times at the hotel before the start), and that I'd duck in to the porta potties at mile two. Mile two, aid station, grab water, run over to porta potties. Pull on door. It's locked. With a tiny padlock. Requiring a key that no doubt, some well-meaning but forgetful volunteer has in his pocket. They were all locked, and rather than join a gentleman who was squatting behind them, I decided to press on.

Mile three and mile four, again, very little memory. Except that we were really speeding along. I think one of these was my fastest mile, at 10:26. Yippee! The weather was still cool, and the shadows were long, making for plenty of shade. I decided that I *had* to use the porta-potty at the mile 4 aid station, but apparently, so did everyone else who'd been burned by the locked potties at mile 2, and there was a long line. We spied someone running out from an alleyway, and decided that was a better option. As I was in a compromising position between garbage cans, a man ran past, back out toward the course, proclaiming "you gotta do whatcha gotta do."

I was pounding the Shot Bloks, one per mile, and Mo was metering out Endurolytes at 3 per hour. I was feeling pretty good. We crossed the James on Hugenot Bridge, and ran along the river. At mile 10, instead of the Shot Bloks, I took half a Clif Bar, and instead of nibbling at a third of it like I usually do, I pounded a half. Within minutes, I was feeling not so great. At about this time the sun was climbing the sky, the air was heating up, and shade was becoming more precious. Around the half, I watched the 5:00 pace group pass us, and knew I was in for it.

Once the blood began flowing away from my stomach, and back to my muscles, my feet started to cramp and hurt. Mo gave me more Endurolytes, and we stopped to stretch. It took conscious thought and effort to be able to wiggle my toes. My recent foot woes had left me still unsure of my shoe/insert combo, and by mile 14, I knew I had it wrong. I was in a stiff shoe with a stiff insert, and the result was too much stability - my foot couldn't bend and move. Not only that, but the heat meant that my feet were swelling more than normal, making for a very tight fit. We soldiered on.

Around mile 15, I was complaining of being sleepy. I'd never felt this during a run before. I really just wanted to lay down and close my eyes for a few minutes. It didn't help that we were crossing the James again, on a long, hot, shadeless, relentless bridge. Mo reminded me that there was a junk food stop ahead, and I should look for Coke. God bless the race organizer who decided to offer coke and pretzels, just when I needed them most. It was exactly 11:11 when we got to mile 16 and the junk food; just across the road a Veterans Day service was underway, and we were reminded of their great sacrifices by a 21 gun salute as we passed. All throughout the race, we were surrounded by those wearing placards bearing the names of veterans, and others wearing "Proud Veteran" placards.

I was still not feeling so great - miles 14-20 were the hardest for me. Definitely the slowest and most painful. We'd run, and my feet would hurt so bad they were tingling, and I just couldn't run any more. I'd try to take a breath, and my muscles were so tight that they wouldn't allow my ribcage to expand. The sun was really beating down, with not a cloud in the sky. At some point, Jack called to ask where I was. I had no idea of the street names, I just told him mileage. He finally called back to say he'd just arrived at mile 17 - by then, we were almost at 18. I was certain I wouldn't see him, as he had to head back home to go to work.

Winding through the streets of Richmond, many generous spectators supported the racers. There were kids with card tables handing out water, pretzels, and orange slices. And then there were the bastards offering, nay, pushing, Krispy Kreme donuts. Not just any Krispy Kremes, but gooey chocolate frosted donuts. Nothing was more revolting to me at that point, except for the smoking spectators puffing in my direction. I was exhausted, but had enough energy to yell at the top of my lungs to two smokers to put out their cigarettes and quit smoking on the course. I don't know if they heeded my impassioned plea ("I don't care if we are in Richmond, put out your cigarette!"), but all the runners around me gave me a cheer, and I felt like a hero.

Not long after the water stop at 18, I tried to eat a pretzel and couldn't. As I chewed, it turned to dust. I had no saliva left. It was nearly two miles to the aid station at 20, and I was beyond thirsty. Like a beacon of hope, there was a CVS up ahead. I searched my pockets, past Max's pictures and the hotel luggage claim check, found my Visa card and handed it to Mo. I kept moving, while she ducked in to buy water. The customers let her cut in line, and she caught back up to me in minutes.

I was starting to feel better, with a little extra water on board. Many runners were not so lucky. The route was peppered with runners down, waiting for or being attended to by medical staff. There were lots of IV's. Mo offered Endurolytes to no less than three hobbling, wobbly athletes, and all were extremely grateful.

Mile 21 is known as "the wall," but I was actually on the upswing. My condition was further elevated when I saw Jack sitting on the side of the road! I was so excited; I didn't think he'd find us before he had to head home. He motioned thumbs up or down, and I gave him a big smile, and two thumbs up. He took a few pictures, we grabbed the pringles he'd brought, and we headed through the stone gate at 21 that is, literally and figuratively, the wall. Just on the other side, I burst into tears. I was so happy Jack made it. I was relieved. The tension just fell off my body, I could breathe, my stride was smooth.

My feet were still in quite a bit of pain, but I was able to run more. I noted to Mo that my labor was much easier than this, and took place in a climate-controlled room while I got to lay in bed. And I got a really cute baby at the end. She reminded me to push off my back foot, keep my arms loose.

Mile 25 was upon us, and it was nearly all downhill from there. I picked up the pace as much as I could on my screaming feet. Several quick turns through downtown, and suddenly we could see the crest of the hill. The last ten blocks are a steep downhill. We were flying. I searched the sidelines for Max, who was with my parents. I saw him, and yelled and waved, but didn't stop. Down, down, down. And then I heard the announcer say my name, I heard the beep of the chip timer as we crossed the mat, saw the cameras, and we were done. We'd done the last mile in 12:06 - more than a minute faster than any other mile in the second half of the race. Mo and I hugged, and I burst into tears again.

A volunteer placed a mylar blanket on my shoulders, and as I kept walking forward, there was an army of volunteers, each holding a medal. One of them approached me, and put it over my head. It was official!!! I finished a marathon, and I had the hardware to prove it.

We continued walking down the hill, briefly stopping at the merchandise tent to look for finisher apparel (there wasn't any, shame on you Richmond!), got our chips cut off our shoes, then to the food tent. I grabbed every piece of food I could get my hands on, juggling them all while trying to keep the blanket on. I finally ditched a bagel in favor of the cheese pizza. We headed to the UPS trucks to retrieve our start-checked bags, and I sat on the curb, ate my pizza, ditched the too-hot mylar blanket, and took off my shoes. My parents and Max found us, and gave us a ride to the Y, where we showered and changed. We picked up our bags from the hotel, and headed home, west, into the sunset.

Twenty-six point two!!!!!!!!

The rundown:

Shot Bloks: about 20

Coke: Three dixie cups

Orange slices: One

Donuts: None, and a pox on those who offer donuts at mile 20

Smokers yelled at: Two

Friends made because of aforementioned incidents: Many

High temperature: 78

Degrees away from record-setting high: 2

Trips to CVS: 1

Trips to porta-potty: None

Locked porta-potties at planned porta-potty stop: All

Clif Bars: 1/2

Endurolytes: Dozens

Times burst into tears: 2

Finishers: 2917

Blisters: 3

Fastest mile: 10:26

Slowest mile: Uh, a lot slower than 10:26

Total mileage: 26.2

Time: 5:34:33

Thumbs up: 2

Happiness: Infinite!!!!!!!!!

Full report tomorrow, or soon...

48 hours from now...

...I'll either be bonking or able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

WeatherWatch: Partly cloudy, high of 78. Oh, crap.

4 days to go

And I am freaking out. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 75. Seventy-five degrees. Fahrenheit. Looks like all that layering practice will be for naught. Hopefully IronMo will bring extra Endurolytes. At least it (hopefully) won't be raining.

Let's all obsessively watch the weather now, shall we? Richmond Weather

Think cool thoughts for me!

7 Miles

Okay, this was my last "real" run before the big day. I'll do a couple of short runs during the week, just to stay limber.

I headed out to the Saunders Monticello Trail. It's two miles up to Monticello mountain, and I figured the relentless 2 mile uphill would be a good workout. The trail winds through the woods, and is at times a wooden boardwalk that evens out the gentle folds of the hills. Before I left the house, I put on my shoes and discovered that I had them laced so tight, I couldn't even get my feet into them. Huh. In my anxious state, I've been subconsciously tightening the lacing over the past few weeks. I took a moment to relace them, and headed out.

I ran all the way up to the Monticello parking lot, contemplated stopping at the Luncheonette for a hot dog, or the garden shop for some native plants, then turned back and let myself fly downhill. I did the two miles downhill in just under 21 minutes. Back up 1.5, and back down again. Overall, I averaged just a hair under 11:00, and was ready to run some more when I finished. My foot feels better than it has in weeks. I'm crossing my fingers that next Saturday's run is as pleasant.