Back in the pool

I finally made it to my swim lesson today, after having canceled it twice before for my horrible cold. The main pool already had a couple of lap swimmers plus an aquatic fitness class, so we did the lesson in the warm pool. It was warmer than I normally keep my bath, and I was totally wilted by the end of the lesson. I was hugely pregnant when I had my last swim lesson, and I'd been unable to get my body roll back. So the very nice swim instructor showed me a few drills and gave me a few simple pointers to get back on track. You can read this stuff in a book, but until someone watches you and says, "hey, dummy, quit crossing your left arm over" it doesn't really sink in. We also worked on backstroke, which has always been my bugaboo. I'd rather do butterfly (which is kind of fun, though I'm really too embarrassed to do it in public) than do backstroke. Again, a couple of drills and pointers, and I could feel my whole body changing. I also asked that we work on flip turns. I never could figure them out as a kid, and being pregnant just does not work with learning flip turns. So when I tried them today, I was surprised at how easy they were. No water up my nose, no horribly misjudged distances. I definitely need to work on them, but I think I might have gotten that monkey off my back.

Like a bozo, I forgot to bring my workout clothes, so I didn't do more than swim today. I'm planning on doing abs and strength during lunch tomorrow. I might even get out for a short run this afternoon.

90 minutes...

...of the start of the marathon/half-marathon summer training program meeting. Yep folks, I've done it again. Forked over my 30 bucks to the good folks at the CTC, and put my summer leisure time in the hands of Coach Mark. And this time around I even joined the CTC. So there you go.

I'm leaning toward the Buck Mountain Half Marathon, but I worry about it being a little too low-key. There were only 80 finishers last year - I'd be last or next to last, for sure. But hey, it's a marked course, with clocks and stuff. And I know at least one other person who is going to run it. I figure if it goes REALLY well, I could just up and run Richmond four weeks later. But I just can't mentally commit to another marathon right now, not with a long and humid summer stretching out in front of me.

I felt oddly bittersweet about reupping. Invigorated with the thought of engaging my body and brain in that way again. But sad, almost to the point of tears, that I'll never have another first marathon. I could run a 4 hour marathon, and I don't think it will ever feel as good to cross the finish line as it did in Richmond. It wasn't until I missed my goal in the ten-miler 4.5 months later that I came down off that high.

What's that old camp song? "I can't be contented with yesterday's glories..." Indeed. So I'm looking for new glory. In the form of 10:30 miles for the half. Scoff all you want, fast athletes, this is a BIG DEAL for me. It's going to take a radically different program than I had last summer to get there. I'm hoping to put in good long runs on Saturdays, big workouts on Mondays (be it running, cross training, or some combo of both), and little workouts during lunch Tuesday through Friday. That's six days a week. Last summer, I don't think I ever once ran and/or worked out more than four days, and usually only 3. By doing a half, I have the luxury of concentrating on quality, rather than quantity. Not having to squeeze in 8 miles on a weekday will really free me up to do other things - drills, speedwork, strength.

Happy Mother's Day!

Better late than never, right?

Yes, Mama has been slacking on blogging lately, please forgive her. Not much to blog, really. I haven't been running much, just a few short runs here and there. My new job and new gym mean that I can now work out during my lunch hour. So I'm shooting for 3 short lunchtime workouts (strength training or swimming), 1 long run on Saturday and 1 long workout (strength and swim or run) on my 1 weekday off. Naturally, it went great for about 2 weeks. Then a hectic week at work, and then the newest cold from day care. So I'm feeling pretty schlumpfy.

I have an appointment for a swim lesson on Monday as part of my new member stuff at the gym. I did a personal training session a couple of weeks ago and it totally sucked. I told the guy I wanted to learn some new core exercises. And what did we do? Everything *but* core. Sigh. Not rocket science, fella, give the lady what she wants. Let me figure out how to adjust the seat on the weight machine on my own time, okay? I've got one more session to use after the swim lesson, so we'll see what comes of it.

The meeting for the summer distance running training program is in just over a week. I have to pick a race, and get my mind in the game. Now that Max is sleeping till a ridiculously late hour (that I dare not post here for fear of incurring the wrath of mothers of toddlers everywhere), I am loathe to drag my butt out of bed at 5:15 a.m. Hey, at least I don't have to pump.

In honor of Mother's Day, here's a pic of Max and me. From behind, so you can fully appreciate the junk that has accumulated in my trunk since November. Maybe Stacy and Clinton are right that women of a certain age (and apparently that age is 32) shouldn't wear shorts. But, I figure with the cred of the number on the shirt, I can wear what I damn well please.

In case you're wondering, yes, my 16 month old *is* that tall. And yes, I *am* that short.

Boston!

Yeah, not me, IronMo! However, I wasn't exactly slacking off. As a proud alumna of the Scream Tunnel, I had a repuation to uphold. IronMo did an awesome job, and totally inspired me to work on speed so that someday I might run Boston (though hopefully not in a nor'easter).

2007: The year I decided to run fast(er)

Okay, so a couple days post-race, the endorphins are long gone, and I'm seriously smarting over that 24 seconds. I wanna run fast! I mean, faster than 11:02/mile. I've had a few long runs where I averaged 10:45-ish, and I'd love to do that on a regular basis, not just when the stars align. I really, really want to break 30 min in a 5K, which is a heck of a lot faster than 10:45. I have a few sub-10:00 in my recent history, I know I can do it. But how do I do it regularly without requiring an act of god?

I have decided I am not doing the Cville Half, nor am I doing the tri in June (sorry Mo and Louise - it's just too much to think about right now). I'm not writing off tri's forever, just for now. And I'm not entirely writing off the possibility of doing Richmond again this year (though I did just miss out on the $55 entry). Distance is good, but it SUCKS being in the bottom 15%.

So, then, how do I get fast? All those things I strenuously avoided last year, like fartleks and hill repeats and track workouts, I need to start doing them. And maybe some more cross-training would be a good idea. And maybe, just maybe, the Mother's Day fairy (or anniversary fairy or xmas fairy or birthday fairy) will send me to the speed clinic.

Short term goal: get a different workout plan. The past year, it's been all about the miles. This year, it's about quality.

Intermediate goal: Break 30 min in a 5K some time this year. The last chance for that in 2007 will be the Turkey Trot. Upcoming chance is the VIA 5k, in 2 weeks.

Long goal: Break 100 min in the 10 miler. Maybe next year, maybe sometime in the future. But it's out there. I'm gonna do it someday!

Race Report: The Ten Miler

Mama, feelin' crummy, lookin' good around mile 8.

I had another prerace nightmare, this time that when I crossed the finish, my time was too good, and I knew that I had forgotten to run part of the course. I had lopped off the stadium, or Lexington, like we often do in training, and had to try to go back out and run it. It was getting dark, and I was having trouble finding it.

So when the alarm went off, I didn't dilly-dally much. Okay, one snooze, but then right out of bed, and into the inky darkness. I had prepacked so well the night before, that I was ready to go in record time, and rather than sit around the house, I decided to get underway. I arrived at U Hall at 6:40, for the 7:45 start, so I stayed in my warm car for a while, listening to the latest Modest Mouse album. Finally got out of the car around 7, and headed inside. I used the bathroom and wandered around looking for the merch table (I never found it, not even when I went looking after the race) and the bag check (also never found it). I started running into people I knew - Donny and Louise, Sadie, Jim, all the runners whose faces I know but names I don't, some friends from my airline days, and the other Max's Mom.

At the start, I was impressed at how many people there were. The race was almost at capacity of 2500 entrants (though only 1900 or so finishers - I think there were a lot of no-shows), and the start was packed. As usual for us slowpokes, we couldn't hear the PA system at all, and only knew it was time to start when the crowd started to move. It took me a little over a minute to cross the line, and then there was some serious shuffling up the hill a little bit. By the time we made the first big left, the crowd was spreading out a little, though I almost got sideswiped by some jackass pushing his TWO KIDS in their DOUBLE JOGGING STROLLER. Dude, not only is that against the rules, but it is seriously, seriously not cool. A pox on you. And a pox on the fact that he smoked both me and Louise, who was significantly faster.

I was aiming for 11:00 min miles for the race, and kept mile 1 nice and slow. The big uphill and slow start helped. I hit it at 10:40. The stadium portion sucked as usual, but I hit Mile 2 at well under 22:00. (I will have to get one of those fancy watches that shows splits, because my hypoxic brain cannot remember them post-race.) Mile 3 came just after the pitifully tiny Pep Band contingent at the Chapel. I know it's early for you college kids, but come ON! The ones who were there did seriously represent, though. I think I hit it around 32:00, which is truly awesome for me, considering all the uphill on the first 3 miles.

The highest course elevation is just after the turn on Grady, at mile 3. And then there is a screaming downhill for that next mile. I totally let it out Phoebe-style. I found length to my stride I didn't know I had. It was awesome. I think I did mile 4 in about 4 minutes. Seriously, though, I'm pretty darn sure it was my fastest mile of the race, definitely under 10:30. Some more downill, then a little uphill on to the Mall, and a flat stretch to mile 5. I didn't realize it was mile 5 - there was a timing mat, and I figured it was some random timing mat, because I couldn't possibly have reached mile 5 in only 53 minutes. But yeah, when I got to mile 6 (in the middle of bitchin' hilly Lexington), I realize I had totally smoked miles 4 AND 5. Go me! I got knocked right of that high horse during 7. The hills are tiny and steep during this portion, relentlessly up and down. I think they're described as "rolling" but that's really not accurate. More "roller coaster." So at 7 I'm feeling pretty happy that I've got only 3 miles left, and forget about how much uphill there is in 8.

Oh, mile 8. Mile 8. What can I say. I lost a lot of time from 7.5-8, and then in most of 9, which is a deceptive uphill. The only walking I did on the course (aside from into and out of water stops, since I can't run and drink from a cup) was in mile 9. If I recall correctly, my time in Mile 8 wasn't so awful, but at 9 I was seriously doubting I'd hit my goal. One bright spot, right at Elliewood, who should I spy but Max, zoned out in his stroller eating crackers. Yep, Papa was there with his giant lens. It was great to see them. I hollered at Big Boy a few times, but he was deep in contemplation about his crackers. I slowed down to let Papa do his photog thing, and tried to get Max to look at me. I am less interesting than crackers.

So, at mile 9, I knew I had to run a pretty well sub-11:00 to make my time. I can't remember the split exactly, but I wasn't hugely far off at this point, like, I needed a 10:30, which isn't totally out of my league. The hills on Alderman, which are more legitimately described as rolling than those on Lexington, were kind of eating me alive. But I leveraged the downhills for all they were worth. Wheeeeeee!

Can I say that I utterly despise that the 10 miler finish is uphill? It's actually flat, but the bit leading up to the flat is uphill. So not fair.

Just before the finish, there was my mom. She begged me to stop for a picture, but I did no more than slow down a little. I think she got a picture of my hand. Some guy behind me practically shoved me out of the way in his sprint to the finish (jeez, fella, it's not like you're in danger of winning), perhaps in his own quest for 110 minutes. I crossed the line and wooooooo! I knew I was close. A volunteer knelt down and pulled the chip off my shoe, and another volunteer handed me a medal! Awesome.

So many things in life are worthy of a medal and don't result in one. Childbirth. Parenting. Great personal sacrifice. Running 10 miles? Not really, but hey, I'll take it.

My dad met me just at the end of the chute, with good picture of me coming to the finish. I went in search of food and water. Hello? Where the hell was the food and water? There was none, no water, no gatorade, at the finish. If there was, the signage was about as good as that for the bag check and the merch table (see above). So I had to schlep back down to U Hall. Even the medical tent was a pretty decent hike from the finish, and totally unmarked, though there was a prominently parked ambulance nearby.

Some oranges, some bagels, a little water, and I was feeling fine. Spent some time chatting with an old airline buddy, had mom take a picture of me with my medal in front of U Hall. And that was it! I had a blast, and my 1:50:24 time was close enough for government work.

Today (the day after), I realize why we don't go all out on downhills during training. My knees are actually a little sore, and I now know, for the first time, exactly where my IT band is located. Nothing that a little (okay, a lot) of ibuprofen won't take care of, but I can see why one wouldn't do that on a regular basis.

Charlottesville 10 Miler

Wooohooooo! Perfect weather, great run. My initial training goal for the 10 miler was 11:00 per mile, or 1:50 total. I finished in (according to my watch, I'll check with my chip time as soon as it's posted) 1:50:30, just 30 seconds off that pace. Awesome! I did slow down to let Jack and my mom take pictures, so I'll blame the 30 seconds on them. It might have been a few seconds less than that - I think a volunteer was pulling the chip off my shoe when I remembered to stop my watch. Ran into lots of old friends, and had a really fun run overall (with the exception of mile 9). Full report coming soon, right now I need a shower.

And may I say another awesome thing about this race - I got a medal! I told Max I got it because I won.

Update: Results were just posted online, my official chip time was 1:50:24. 11:02/mile. So freakin' close!

One day till race day!

I am currently laundering my favorite running togs. I haven't decided if I should wear a tank top (the green one I wore for the marathon) or a short sleeved shirt (plain purple shirt, that I used to hike in, back in the days when I went hiking). Wunderground says it will be 45 at 8 am (gun time is 7:45), up to just 55 by 11. So I'm leaning toward short sleeves, though I don't think I look nearly as cute in the hiking shirt. My alternative is to wear my "Max's Mom" Team in Training shirt. I'm not too worried about dressing warmly for hanging around pre-start since we get a bag to leave at the start/finish where I could stash a jacket. I'm definitely wearing my capri tights I bought at Richmond, and as dorky as it is, I'm wearing the (new) CamelBak because the first water stop isn't until 2.5 miles, and I know I'll be thirsty before then. I haven't been shopping for a lighter hydration pack yet, so big ol' CamelBak it is.

I had my obligatory pre-race nightmare last night. I dreamed that I got to the end of the race, and had done pretty well. I had forgotten to stop my watch, so I wasn't sure how well I'd done. I figured, eh, no big deal, it's chip-timed. So I'm standing in line to get my chip cut off my shoe. When I realize I have no chip on my shoe. So I'm thinking, oh, it fell off, no big deal, I've got my number, they can look up my time with that, the old fashioned way. When I realize I have no number on. And then I realize that I never picked up my race packet, so I have no chip, no number, no official time, no T-shirt!! I was mortified.

Note to self: Pick up packet tonight.

Push my buttons

I ran 2 mi this morning. But yesterday in the mail, I got a postcard from the Richmond Marathon. A postcard whose picture was yours truly, looking strong somewhere around Mile 4 in the marathon. A postcard tempting me to sign up for this year's race. Followed shortly by an email, saying that the race entry fee would go up on 4/1, so I should sign up now! And the it's the 30th running, with special premium schwag, extra-happy crowds, and the promise of more temperate weather (and hence a faster time). Oh Richmond, why do you taunt me so?

This came fast on the heels of a mailing from Team in Training. I could run the VA Beach 1/2 with them over Labor Day weekend. Now that's something I can wrap my brain around. Except for the fundraising part. I dropped out of girl scouts because I hated selling the cookies, and we all know those things sell themselves. Maybe I should just suck it up and do a good deed.

5ish miles

It might have been a little more. It certainly wasn't 6. Coach Mark gave a little motivational speech that lasted almost 45 minutes. We were starting our run when I was expecting to be in the home stretch, and I couldn't stick around for more than a couple laps on the track since I had a date with Max and his papa. Good run, but after all that stroller-pushing last week, I didn't know what to do with my arms and I felt kind of off balance. Strangely enough, my arms are bulking up after last week's stroller-pushing streak, but they were so tired by the end of today's run. Weird.

I spent Max's nap sacked out on the sofa reading People, then spent the rest of the day playing outside with him. No rest for the weary!

Day 6 - 2 miles

Yeah. I am soooo hardcore (insert hysterical laughter here). But really, I feel so much better about the 10 miler now. Like, maybe it will still suck but at least it won't be for lack of trying. Aside from the long string of illnesses, I think my biggest problem with training was that I didn't respect the distance. I totally pooh-poohed it, like I'm some big bad marathoner, 10 miles ain't nothin! But it is something. Something that you have to commit to getting out of bed and going out into winter weather to train for. I ran all winter long and never had a jacket heavier than a windbreaker, hence, I stayed in on some of the coldest days. That was royally stupid. So, I am going to buy a warmer jacket this week, while they're on clearance, so that I don't have the same excuses next winter. I would have bought one today, but I went to the shop to buy Shot Bloks, and walked out with $4 in Shot Bloks and $90 in other stuff. Ouch. Yes, gentle readers, I DID buy a new sports bra. Aren't you happy for me?

Day 5

You guessed it, 1.5 miles with stroller. Max happily clutched his snack trap for the ride, and laughed at the barking dogs. My back is a little sore, and my arms are getting muscular from pushing the stroller. Another quick run tomorrow morning, then my last long run before the race - 6 miles. Am I concerned that my longest run in ages was only 7.5 miles and it was weeks ago? Yeah, mildly. But I don't doubt that I can finish the 10 miler, and do it without hurting myself.

Assuming I run 2 miles tomorrow and the 6 I'm supposed to on Saturday, my mileage for the week will be 18, plus 4 miles of brisk walking. That's not too shabby for me - I am the queen of low mileage. I'm really glad I committed to the streak this week.

Goin' streakin'!!!!!

My streak is up to 4 days! Yeah, big whoop. But for me this is huge. I don't think I have ever, in my life, done any kind of exercise 4 days in a row, and I actually *like* working out. I did another loop with Max in the stroller, then went on a brisk 2 mile walk with my "friend" Louise. I say "friend" because she is the one who is badgering me to do the tri. I'm leaning towards yes, but still haven't decided.

Happy spring, everyone! At last. Ten days till the Ten Miler. Eeeep. Hopefully I can find some time tomorrow to buy a new sports bra and some Shot Bloks.

1.5 miles again

A rare Tuesday run! Same loop as yesterday, but considerably faster sans stroller. Grammy played with Max while I beat feet around the hood. Great weather, almost too warm. And I desperately need new sports bras. Just when you thought it was safe to come out, Mama's talking about her boobs again.

And I received the following email from IronMo re: the triathlon:
dooooooooooooooooo the tri!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found out that there's a different sprint tri in my town a couple of weeks after the Richmond one. The swim is considerably longer, and in a lake instead of a pool, which appeals to me. The bike is also a few miles longer, and the run is just 3 mi instead of 5k (big freakin' difference). I'm weighing my options with respect to the bike, I'm so scared of it! Plus, a tri means serious training, even a sprint tri. I can think about it in little chunks - hey, I can do a 5k in my sleep - but three "little" chunks strung together, with the biggest chunk being the one I'm least experienced with and most afraid of makes for one bigass chunk!

1.5 miles

Again, with the stroller. Not exactly high mileage, but at least it's not zero! My throat's STILL a little sore (4 weeks and counting...), but the coughing jags have stopped. Whew.

Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in another short run after work tomorrow. The weather's beautiful, and I need the miles.

In other news, I searched high and low for a replacement reservoir for my CamelBak. There are so few of them, that it was the same price to buy an entirely new FlashFlo system (pack + bladder) as it was just to buy the reservoir. It should arrive tomorrow, and I do solemnly swear to buy a tubing brush this time around. Since I'm no longer nursing (woohoo!) and don't need gallons of water on every run, I think I should look into a bottle carrier. I basically need a pocket for my cellphone and key, and a place to put a bottle of water. Any suggestions? Oh, and anyone want to buy a gently used FlashFlo pack that's missing the reservoir?

four miles*

*with stroller

I don't care how smooth it pushes, when you're pushing a 25lb stroller with a 25lb occupant, you're pushing 50lbs up a hill. Simple as that. But I did it, in around 50 minutes, which included one stop for me to have water, two emergency dropped graham cracker retrievals, and walking the last .1 at tired toddler speed. All in all, I'm pretty pleased, mostly that I just got out there and did it. The stroller made for an intense workout, and my goal this week is to run a little every single day. No, I'm not going all gonzo, I just have a psychological need to keep moving, with less than two weeks till the 10 miler.

I'm contemplating signing up for a sprint tri (300 yard swim, 20k bike, 5k run) in June. Lord help me. I am freakin' terrified of the bike. Not to mention that my 11 year old low-end mountain bike is not exactly anyone's ride of choice.

I'm also contemplating running the Cville Half Marathon in April, 3 weeks after the 10 miler. I've had so many setbacks with 10 miler training, that I might feel better about it if I treat it like a training run. I'm a little scared, since I start the new job that week, plus April weather can run the gamut from cold and rainy to 85 and humid.

Zero miles

An early-morning coughing jag coupled with mommy guilt meant that I was at the doctor's with Max and his papa at 9am, instead of at the starting line. As we drove home through downtown and the U, I could see my peeps doing their 11 miles, we even saw the water/gatorade stop in front of the Rotunda. I felt sad and guilty, but ultimately relieved that my reactive airway and I weren't out in the cold wind. It should be warmer, sunnier, and less windy tomorrow, so I'm planning on running the Monticello Trail twice, for a total of 8. We'll see how that goes - I'm really eager to get moving, but I am more eager to just get over whatever lingering ailment I have. The hypochondriac side of me has been convinced, at various times over the past 3.5 weeks, that I have had the flu, strep, mono, and TB. Max's dad thinks it's just old age, and I'm beginning to believe him.

Another week in sickieville

Two weeks till the 10 miler, and I'm slacking. If you can call working, taking care of baby without Papa in town, being sick, baby being sick, making arrangements for the new job, and tying things up at the old "slacking." I felt great after Saturday's 8K, but things quickly went downhill. I kept waking up at night with coughing jags. And Max hasn't quite been himself - the GI bug he battled at the end of last week came back to haunt him on Monday, and he was massively dehydrated Tuesday. Wednesday I thought he was perking up, but he keeps waking up at night, and today started tugging on his ear. Uh-oh. So a quick call to the pedi's urgent care after hours line at 9:45pm got us an appointment for tomorrow. At 9:10 a.m. Which is 10 min after the start of the 5k that I am doing instead of the ELEVEN MILES that I'm supposed to do, but am too exhausted to even contemplate.

Luckily, my baby daddy came home from his business trip tonight, and gallantly offered to take Max to the doctor while I ran. I felt pretty guilty about delegating this task. I reminded him that the appointment is at the main office. He furrowed his brow. The guilt vanished when I realized that my dear husband has been to the main office just one time, the week after Max was born. Myself, I've taken Max to the main office more times than I've taken him to his regular well-baby visits at our satellite office. Truth be told, I could probably run the race, then drive over there and meet them before they're even done. So I have incentive to run extra-fast tomorrow.

Wish me luck - I'm coughing as I write this.

Martha Jeff 8K

...in only 53 min! That's 10:40 per mile. Pretty impressive, when you consider the various diseases mama's been exposed to in the past couple weeks. I woke up this morning with my throat feeling like I'd been gargling pea gravel all night. I briefly pondered switching my entry from the 8k run to the 4k walk, but decided that in true mama style, I should go big or go home.

It was pretty chilly at the start, and I arrived extra early, since I hadn't been able to pick up my packet the night before. I ran into lots of friends before the start, so when the whistle blew, I was in good spirits, and just cold enough that I was really ready to get moving.

The 8k follows a pretty hilly course through the greater downtown area. First, Lexington Ave, where we'd be living now, if only we could afford it. I did the first mile in right around 10 minutes. Then, Park Street and 2nd street toward the Mall. The first of many steep hills. Mile 2, just before the Mall. I reached in under 21 minutes, but was really feeling overwhelmed, winded, and a little queasy. Just as I entered the Mall, I encountered another Max's mom, and we ran together until I died on the hill at McIntire. It was just relentlessly long. I walked up the second half of it, and ate a Shot Blok on the way up. Note to self, Shot Bloks should not be used four months after removal from original packaging. I basically had to just suck it, since it was pretty well fossilized after hiding in a baggie ever since Richmond.

I crossed mile 3 after a nice downhill on Water, and was feeling pretty strong. A quick turn off Water, and under the tracks to Garrett. Pound, pound, pound. Near the end of Mile 4 came the most ridiculously steep hill I think I've ever run in a race. And long. I can't do justice to its steepness with words. Again, I took the opportunity to slow to a walk, and take another Shot Blok lozenge. Honestly, I think I walked faster than I could have run on this hill. I finished Mile 4 in under 44 minutes, so I was pretty happy.

Mile 5 went through Belmont and past Spudnuts, where the temptation to pick up a dozen donuts and carry them the rest of the way to the finish was almost overwhelming. Over the slight uphill of the Belmont bridge, a couple of quick turns and boom! I was sprinting to the finish. I felt great, like I could keep going for a few more miles, but was perfectly happy to stop and have my bagel.

I forgot to hit my watch until well down in the chute, but I think my time was about 53 minutes. I should get the not-flu more often.

I hung around to catch up with some old friends, and chowed down on orange sections, half a bagel, and, god bless the race sponsor who donated it, a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie. Mmmmm. I stayed so long I was actually present when my name was called for a door prize! I won a massage and facial at a day spa - how cool is that. I'm definitely going to take advantage of that after the 10 miler.

A public service announcement

To all you Camelbak users out there, I strongly recommend that you purchase any and all cleaning accessories, especially the long brush for cleaning the tubing. Otherwise, you might find yourself the night before a race futilely boiling your reservoir, only to discover that boiling doesn't get rid of the mold, and does render the thumb-operated valve (and thus the entire system) completely useless. Another note - yes, the valve does disconnect from the tubing very easily, so that it can be washed separately. Boiling also renders the lid unable to spin freely inside its ring. I am now stalking reservoirs on eBay. It figures that the FlashFlo reservoir is unique to the FlashFlo system, and extremely hard to find, even at an authorized retailer.


Look for me tomorrow at the MJH 8K wearing a TNT shirt (thanks Mo) with "Max's Mom" written on it in Sharpie. My throat's still sore from last week's knock down drag out illness, but it's time to get back on that horse. Giddyup!

0 miles...

...but one very happy cat. Mama's sick, and barely walking, let alone running. I'll probably miss Saturday's long run as well, which is a bummer since it's another track workout. Anyway, Aubbie's been waiting his whole life to spend all day on the sofa with somebody running a fever, so at least I've accomplished something.

1 Mile

Totally lame, I know, but I was running short on time, and it was either 1 mile or nothing. So I picked the mile. For what it's worth, I ran really, really fast. No easy feat after having stayed up late to watch the Oscars last night.

7 miles - track workout

2 miles warmup (closer to 2.5), 4 laps, one hill, 3 laps, one hill, 2 laps, one hill, 1 lap, one hill, cooldown. I had a great workout. I started the warmup with Kelly and Jim. Kelly is getting faaast, and I had to book it to keep up with her. So my warmup left me spent and sweaty.

I'm shooting for around 10:30/mile for the race, so the first 4 laps were at 2:37/ea. No problem - I actually finished the first mile in 10:22. Down the hill, up the hill.

Three laps - supposed to be at 2:30/ea for 7:30 total. I missed it by about 10 sec, and was kind of pooped by this point. Also around this time, my late breakfast, and shortened routine getting out of the house made my tummy start feeling not so great, plus I had to pee. Down the hill, up the hill.

2 laps were supposed to be at 2:25 ea, for 4:50. No problem! Down the hill, up the hill.

Last lap. Supposed to be at 2:20, which is slightly superhuman for me, especially with tummy troubles and a too-fast warmup. Halfway around the track, I looked at my watch - 1:18 already. Gol dangit, there was just no way I could do the second half in 1:02. But when I rounded the curve, I saw that straightaway in front of me and just took off. I pushed hard off my back foot, I tried to keep my arms and shoulders loose. I was passing people left and right. I was breathing really hard. I crossed the line and looked at my watch - 2:20. YES!!!!

Down the hill, and up the hill. I was totally dragging and feeling a little nauseated at this point. I drank a whole lot of water, then started with Jim on our cooldown. About a block into it, I was pretty sure I was either going to barf or crap my pants, so I quit running, walked a little bit, and then just threw in the towel and walked back to my car.

I got home and ate a ridiculous amount of goldfish crackers and some Thin Mints, and (surprise) continued to feel awful. I had some flat gingerale, and started feeling much better. Note to self: Do not drink so much water. And always bring Shot Bloks.

As an aside, I am finally happy with the new shoes. We've adapted to each other, and are working as a team.

2 miles

Not earth shattering, but hey, I am back into the weekday swing of things. The weather was almost spring-like yesterday, and it felt great to be out in shorts and t-shirt and not be freezing. We'd had a little rain overnight, and the sleet piles were melting, so the air smelled wet and fertile.

I traded in the big ole baby jogger and the not-really-a-jogging-stroller on a shiny new BOB, and Max and I took it for a spin last night. He did his usual stroller zone-out, which I take as a good sign. It weighs the same as the the not-really-a-jogging-stroller, but feels so much lighter, due to the bigger wheels and suspension. The handlebar is at a more reasonable height than the BJ handlebar, which I always felt like I had to reach up to hold. The seat is higher off the ground, so Max gets a better view, all the while being shaded by an enormous sun canopy. I still don't plan on taking him running all that often, but it's nice to have the option.

a meme

Because it's nice to remember the days when I had time to read books.

Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you’ve read, italicise the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a 10 foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of. I left unformatted the ones I don't care about one way or another.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. + The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. + The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. + The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. +Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. + Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. + A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. + Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. + Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. + Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. + The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. + The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. + Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. + Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. *The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. + Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. +The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. * The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. + Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. + The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. * Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. * Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. + One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) (I own it in Spanish, too!)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. + Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. + Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. * The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. + A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. * The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. * Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. * Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. + The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)(loved the movie, though!)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

7 miles

Yep, seven! I'm so proud of myself. For once, it was above 20 degrees and nobody was sick, so I joined the group at the track. Ran 7 miles of the 10 miler course in about 80 min, which is definitely slow. But I felt amazing the whole time, and invigorated when I was done. For the first time in ages, I had no pain, no aches, no twinges of any kind while running. A total high. The frozen sleet made for some slow going around town, but I ran the whole way with Jim and the time just flew.

twenty

...minutes on the elliptical. Long story short, after spending a ridiculous amount of time looking for a parking spot at the gym, it turns out it was closed for a big swim meet. So I ended up at a different gym, without a pool, where I was able to squeeze in 20 min on the elliptical, some stretching, some lifting, and a jillion ab exercises before I had to scoot on in to work. I am planning on running with the group tomorrow, though I'll probably end up running with the 1's or 2's, instead of doing 11 miles with the 3's.

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.

1000 meters

Everything I've heard about taper is true. You think it's going to be a walk in the park, but really, everything hurts and it sucks. My knees hurt, the tendonitis in my foot won't quite go away, heck, even my shoulders are tight and tired. Things that never hurt, not a single ache or twinge, are acting up and saying enough is enough. So to humor my creaky parts, I figured I'd take a day off from work, sleep in, and head to the pool. I am, or used to be, an avid swimmer. Even while enormously pregnant, I was swimming 2000-2500 yards twice a week. So replacing a run with a swim should have been a relaxing diversion. If only I had been swimming more than once since Max was born.

I knew I was in for it when I stepped out on to the pool deck to find that it was set up for long course! Okay, no big deal. I hopped in and started with my standard 100 free, 200 kick, 100 stroke warmup. Man, that first 50 just seemed to take forever. My stroke is all herky-jerky. The last couple months of pregnancy, I had no body roll to speak of, and frankly, I still don't. My left arm is big and burly from hossin' the baby around, but my right seems weak and uncoordinated. I couldn't keep my fingers together, and my wrists were getting tired. I was in fine cardiovascular shape, but my body needs some more practice before it remembers how to swim.

I quickly abandoned any idea of doing intervals, and just pushed on through to do my 1000. Today, I have a whole new set of swimming-induced aches, keeping my running-induced aches company. Ay, caramba.

8 miles

It was supposed to be 12, but since 4 were with the stroller, I figured that 8 was close enough. IronMo was on this side of the country, and came down to do her 20 with me. Whee! We ran 4 together (she was pushing Max in the stroller) then I turned back and she went on. It was great fun, and I am so excited that we'll get to run together on 11/11. The only downside is I got a stitch in my side (first of the season!) because we were talking up a storm.

We both overdressed, and I was really hot and sweaty after pushing the stroller over DWR and Plank Road's undulations. In fact, I did about as much walking as I did running. Not surprisingly for taper, I felt a little creaky. It's as if every ache and twinge from the whole season is having one last hurrah.

Max was a great passenger, and only pulled off his shoes and socks once.

Zero miles

Taking another day to let my foot heal after Saturday's 20. It felt stiff and downright old when I woke up this morning, but is feeling more limber now. I'll test it out Wednesday morning. Saturday, I'm planning on doing my 12 with (drumroll please) IronMo! She has no idea what a feat of endurance my marathon is going to be. It's going to be a challenge for a Boston qualifier to slog it out with someone who's crossing her fingers for 5 hours.

20 Miles - take THAT, Dick Woods!

We started in inky predawn darkness. Shooting stars were raining down over us. It was flippin' freezing, and I had on only shorts and a t-shirt. By the end (but that was more than 4 hours later) I was plenty warm.

Claudia, Jim and I set out, and were soon joined by Kelly, who was only doing 8, since her marathon (Marine Corps) is next weekend. A mile into the run, we saw some headlights up ahead and moved to the side of the road. Then, a horrible crashing, scraping noise. It was still pitch black, so all we could see were the two headlights, which had stopped in the road. DWR is pretty narrow - barely room for two compact cars to pass, and no shoulder on most of it. So we slowed to a walk until we got closer to the lights. We discovered a pickup, stopped in the middle of the road. It was, or had been, towing a thresher (I think it was a thresher, it was something farm-y). But it had been towing it on the truck bumper, not a proper trailer hitch, and the bumper had come off the truck, and now bumper and off-kilter thresher were stranded in the middle of the road. We squeezed past it and continued on.

We ran down Plank Road after mile two. We did the whole section, 3.5 miles to 250 and back. It's all pavement, and it felt like marshmallows compared to the stony gravel of DWR.

Somewhere around mile 12, Jim was way ahead of me, and Claudia way behind. A dog, and by dog, I mean fluffy white canine that came up to my waist, loped out into the road. He sniffed around, and looked up at me with pleading eyes. I was walking at this point, but started back to a run, inviting the dog to join me. He declined, and stopped in the middle of the road, and watched me run off into the distance.

Jim, Claudia and I met back up at the water stop at 13 (mile 6 on the DWR stretch). Claudia was hurting, but we continued on, did the .5 mi that brought us to our turnaround point, and then headed back. We were DONE, we just had to get back the 6.5 mi to the parking lot.

Claudia was way behind us, and at the 4 mile water stop (that is, with 4 to go), we waited a bit to see if we could see her. I couldn't stop for long, as my foot was hurting worse when I was stopped than when I was running. So we decided to get back to the cars as quickly as possible, and then drive back up the course to find Claudia.

Those last 4 miles were a doozy, and after the 2 mile water stop, my foot was really hurting, and my legs were dead. It was mostly downhill, but my heart sank at the sight of even a gentle uphill - all I could think about was having to schlep my bum foot up that hill. With about a mile to go, I just quit running. Jim stuck with me, and we kept on walking. One foot in front of the other, right?

With less than a half mile to go, a car pulled up next to us - it was the course volunteers who had Claudia with them in the backseat!! They asked how we were doing, and I indicated my foot hurt. They asked if I wanted a ride, and I said no way, I came here to do 20, and I was doing 20.

The last 200 yards or so is a nice downhill into the parking area. Jim and I picked it back up to a run, and entered the parking area triumphantly. There was lots of cheering (Claudia, the water volunteers, and some other runners were still there), high fives, and pats on the back. It was over 4 hours since we had started - way, way off a 5 hour marathon pace.

I still hope to do a 5 hour marathon. My last 3 long runs (14, 17, and 20) have been less than ideal. Heat and humidity (14). Driving rain and cold (17). Hurt foot (20). I'll rest my foot over taper, let my body heal, and hopefully I'll be a well-oiled machine by Richmond, and the weather will cooperate. Plus, I'll have IronMo with me. I'm holding on to the 10:30 pace I held at the last track workout. I know it's there inside of me somewhere, and I only need 11:27.

Foot update #2

And then it started hurting again. So I wasn't miraculously cured. But it wasn't hurting as badly. I skipped my run this morning, and made my way over to the shop after work. I ran laps around the store, in sock feet, in my shoes, in my shoes with different inserts, in shoes with the same inserts. Three salespeople listened to my tale of woe, and finally the great and powerful Oz himself took a look. Mark assured me that my inserts were fine, and then gave me a good dose of perspective. Running seventeen miles in the wet and the cold is bound to make something hurt. So I walked out of the shop with the shoes and the inserts I came in with, and headed home to take another dose of Advil.

Foot update

Yesterday I wrapped it up in an ace bandage, and when I wasn't laying on the sofa with it propped up, I was hobbling around. At bedtime, I took a big dose of ibuprofen, and left the ace bandage on. I couldn't sleep. A searing pain overtook my foot, accompanied by cramping. I pawed off the ace bandage, and managed to fall asleep. This morning when I awoke...I was cured. My ankle's sore from compensating for it over the past week, but the lump is almost gone, and there's no pain at all. Weird. I'm still going to try to take it easy this week - my big 20 mile run is Saturday, and I don't want to jeopardize it.

8 Miles

Frosty morning. We started in the pitch black. There was just enough moonlight to be able to avoid potholes. The sky lightened and the sun began to rise somewhere around mile 2. The light was filtered by the turning trees, and dappled the frosted pastures with silver and gold. At water stops, steam rose off our bodies. It was tranquil, and passed by far too quickly.

Yes, my foot still hurts. But I was able to keep an 11:30ish pace without pushing too hard.

1215 Miles

Well, not exactly. Mama's gone to Dallas for a conference! No running today - just a lot of flying and sitting around. I did read the new Runner's World, which had a bit about running in, of all places, Dallas. And then I left it on the plane. It's just as well - I'm resting for a few days, if you can call schlepping around the conference center resting. My right foot really, really hurts and has a lump on it. Am I freaked out? You betcha. The upside is, other than the sharp, excruciating pain in my foot, I was surprisingly un-sore after my big run on Saturday.

Max's papa called a while ago, and apparently bedtime did not go well. That hurt worse than the lump in my foot.

Seventeen Miles

ROCK ON!!!

Today's run was wonderful on many levels. I ran the whole thing with Claudia and Jim. I was powering up hills for about the first 2/3. I did the 17 miles I set out to do. I felt like I'd accomplished something significant when I was done. I got a chocolate mint Clif Bar.

But it was not without adversity. Two words: Driving rain. Oh, and one more: Cold. I ran 17 miles in the driving rain and the cold. I am not kidding or exaggerating. It was about 45 degrees, and the radio was rife with flood warnings on the dark and winding drive over. I was completely soaked by the end. Heck, I was completely soaked by about three miles into it, despite sporting my brand-new fluorescent "water resistant" top layer. My feet were so wet that at the end, they were white and wrinkled. I have blisters on the bottoms of my toes. I wore a fleece toque the whole time, and still had a few moments where I was shivering. My legs got so cold that they started cramping up with about four miles to go and I walked/run-shuffled to the end. The last three miles were the longest @$#%^#&^ three miles of my life. Longer than the last three miles hiking out of the Grand Canyon.

I can't imagine that I'll feel any happier or more emotional at the end of 26.2.

Sunday evening update: 36 hours later, my shoes are still wet.

Four miles*

*with stroller

Max's papa had Important Work to do this morning, so I took the boy with me on my run. I do this rarely, despite having not one but two jogging strollers. We set out in the big ole purple Baby Jogger II with the 20" wheels. It was a bit nippy, so I put socks and a hoodie on Max. He pulled off his socks before we even got out of the subdivision.

I surprised myself by actually getting a rhythm going while pushing the stroller. And all that extra weight meant a great upper-body workout. Max got to watch birds ("buh") and cars ("buh") and trucks ("buh") go by, so overall it was a win-win.

When we got home, he was all tuckered out. I gave him a snack and some water, and put him down for a nap. He slept for almost two hours, and woke up with a sweaty head and one side of his face all smushed.

Track workout - 9? 10? total

Today's track workout was the reward for last week's awful run. Mark was there, and gave us a pep talk, and the lowdown on the run. A 2 mile warmup, then 6 laps, down a hill, "surge" up the hill back to the track, then 4 laps, hill surge thingy, 3, hill, 2, hill, 1, 1-2 mile cooldown. I was way faster than I thought I'd be - at an easy pace, I was still doing 10:30 miles. 10:30? Me? What? How'd that happen? I mean, I was really trying to go slow. But there I was, at 10:30. Huh. Such a difference from last week when I struggled to do 12:00.

Of course, it was all put into perspective when I was "surging" (read: huffing and puffing) my way up the hill and the guy who won the Pepsi 10K blasted past me. Oh, *that's* what Mark meant by "surge." Yeah, mama don't surge.

But what really mattered was that I felt powerful. Not only that, but it was just a lovely day to be running. It was cold this morning - tights and fleece and see your breath cold. It was really difficult to get my butt out of my heated seat and into the cold, dark morning. But the first several laps around the track had a vista of pink and red clouds as the sun rose over the pregnant clam. The view alone was worth getting up at 5:30.

I also had a chance to chat with an old airline buddy - he's training for Richmond, too. I hadn't seen him in years, until last week on Dick Woods, there he was! Since our company went under, he's been with JetBlue, down at the bottom of the seniority ladder. But JetBlue's treating him right, and hopefully he'll be upgrading to captain again sometime soon.

Coupla short runs

Monday I was still sore from Saturday. Today I was just running short on time. But I gave it my all - I banged it out with headphones on. IronMo and I are ironing out the details of race day. Uh, nothing else to report.

Oh, the new inserts are okay. They're thicker than the old ones, so I have to lace my shoes differently, and I don't have it quite right yet. How could something so simple be giving me such fits? Did I mention that I was the LAST kid in kindergarten class to learn to tie my shoes? When Asics starts making serious running shoes with velcro closures, I'll be first in line.

14 Miles

Wooooohoooooo. I did it. This is the farthest I've ever run. Please don't remind me that it's nearly twice as far to finish a marathon. I'm still basking in the glory.

It was warm and humid again. Not hot, but definitely no snap in the air. At least it was overcast, so the sun wasn't beating down on us. I started out with Jim and Claudia and Chris, but I just wasn't feelin' it. I walked up a hill or two and felt really dejected. I caught up with them at a water stop (though at some point Chris went ahead, and I didn't see her after about mile 4), and ran the rest of it with them, on and off.

Everyone was having kind of a crummy run - bad chi on Dick Woods today, I guess. But we slogged through it together. We all kept apologizing for having to slow down or stop, but everyone was just waiting for someone else to cave so we could slow down, too. It took nearly three hours to complete it - THREE hours!! But I was in good company. Jim and Claudia were actually doing 13, so with 2 miles to go, I popped off down Plank Road for a half-mile.

Plank Road sucked.

It was one giant downhill, which meant one giant uphill on the way back. I didn't mind being alone - despite being tired and sore, I felt pretty chipper. With just 1/2 mile to go, a car pulled up alongside me - it was Claudia and Jim! Claudia had been hurting earlier, and with less than 1/2 mile to go, just couldn't go any more, so Jim ran back to the start, got his car and picked her up. They made sure to cruise out a little farther, to make sure I was still doing okay. A few minutes later, we all rendezvoused at the finish, and ate our Clif Bars. Everyone milling around had some complaint about something. We were a big bunch of whiners. But it was good to be done with it.

When I got home, the baby was napping, so I had time for a shower. I put it on as cold as I could stand it, and, for the first time ever, actually sat on the built-in seat. I had to sit down to take a shower. I felt cleansed from the inside out when I was done.

Even though that run was painful physically and mentally, it was a great confidence booster in a twisted way. That run sucked. It hurt. It was uncomfortable and NOT fun. But I did it.

One foot in front of the other.

Off today, but important updates

I went to the shop and got some new insoles for my shoes. They're comfy and supportive. At least they were for the 10 yards of jogging I did on them in the shop. Anyway, they'd better work, as my old insoles went in the trash at the shop inside the box the new ones came in. Oopsie.

And I got my Phase II program from Mark. Very reassuring. He gave me props for doing this while still nursing. I'm certain he went home to Cynthia after reading my questionnaire and said, "You will never believe what this crazy lady is doing." Anyway, he left my weekday runs pretty much up to me, and my weekend runs pretty much as I'd figured a few days ago. He put a big star by the last long run, circled it and noted "Very Important." Um yeah, I get that.

My game plan is: no more day care special, no more coxsackie. The weather is fab-yoo-lus, and we're down to the wire. I am reaching the point that instead of freaking that I'm not going to be ready, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - my goal is right there. It's not like back in June when 7 miles seemed like 7 light years. 26.2 scares me just a little, but IronMo will be there! And support people! And water stops!! And junk food!! And spectators! And other poky runners. This town is full of really serious runners, and they tend to scare us poky folks away. It takes a lot of cajones for me to go out on Saturdays. Looking at last year's results, there were over 700 finishers with times at or above 5 hours. SEVEN HUNDRED. That's about 20% of the field. I'll be as fast or faster than 20% of the runners in Richmond.

One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

Five miles

Game on, my friends, game on.

Very few miles

In the past 10 days, I have run very little. Maybe twice? Yes, Max and I were both sick. Again. I had a terrible cold, and just when I was out of the woods, Max came down with Coxsackie virus, aka, hand foot and mouth disease. Yum. Poor fella had several near-sleepless days and nights, and was refusing to eat or drink. He's finally back to his charming self, and I swear, swear with all my heart that this Saturday, I will run 14 miles. Yes, indeedy. Even if I am sick and throwing up and have blisters on my throat, feet, and hands, I will haul myself down Dick Woods Road and back because I am SEVEN weeks away from this marathon and feeling like a real pansy. IronMo sent me a lovely and reassuring email, but I am sure that in the back of her mind she's thinking I am crazier than she is. Training for a marathon with a small (or should I say "small," since he's 22 lbs) baby is ludicrous, especially when you're still nursing and always exhausted to begin with. But without this goal, my "nap when the baby naps" inertia would be overwhelming and I'd still be soft and out of shape. I do enjoy being a hot mama. And I adore being strong and focused and in shape.

Here's the deal:
9/23 - 14
9/30 - 10
10/7 - 16
10/14 - 10
10/21 - 18-20
10/28 - taper
11/4 - taper
11/11 - twenty-six point two

Game ON!

Pepsi 10K (6.2 miles, plus warmup)

I had a great run - I ran the first 4 with Claudia - Jim was just ahead, and finished in just under an hour. I started out feeling a little sheepish for having missed the long run last weekend (and two weeks before, and two weeks before that) - Jim did 20 miles! Holy crap. But with 2 months to go, I think I'll be okay. I think that having the break has been good - I missed some of the hottest weeks of the summer, and got recharged and rested. Starting training in June for a November marathon is a little bit overkill. I see that now.

Before the race, I jokingly said I'd run it in 67 minutes, but estimating that I'd actually do it in about 70 -75 minutes, which is about an 11:30 pace. Claudia is still getting over her injury, so we started out together. We did the first mile in something crazy, like 10:05. Don't laugh, you hard core folks. To me, a 10 minute mile might as well be a 4 minute mile. We continued at a fairly good clip until just before mile 4. There was a long hill just before the turnaround at mile 4, and when we came around the bend and saw just how long we had to go until the turnaround, my legs just died. Claudia went ahead, and I walked up the hill a bit. I got my second wind around mile 5, and was passing people left and right (okay, so I passed a guy who must have been 70 and a couple of people jogging with headphones who may or may not have actually been part of the race) all the way in to the finish. That was fun! It was a small race (250 entrants), so I was by myself in the chute. There was lots of cheering and I felt like I was winning!

And then I looked at the clock: Yippee! 1:06:40 - that's 10:45 per mile, and 20 seconds faster than my joking, pie-in-the-sky time. Whoosh!

I gobbled up a whole wheat everything bagel, and milled around with Jim and Claudia. There was a drawing for door prizes, and I won one! I had my choice of a travel mug, $5 and a sticker from C-ville Coffee, some schwaggy stuff like t-shirts, or, a round of golf (plus cart) for 2 at Birdwood. I took the golf, figuring that Max's papa might enjoy it.

Jim, Claudia, and some others were heading to Panera after. I really wanted to go, but, as I put it so eloquently when they invited me, my boobs needed to get home.

Who knows? But I ran fast.

I started out on my regular 4-ish mile route, and about a mile into it, realized that I'd forgotten to wheel the garbage can up to the curb, like I'd promised my husband. Ooops. So I turned back, did my chore, then ran into the adjoining neighborhood, intent on shaking up my routine. I ran as fast as I possibly could for as long as I could. Which wasn't very long. But I felt very speedy and buff. I gave some extra kick when I passed the kids at the bus stop, just in case they cared. Sadly, my shirt clashed with my shorts, so they were probably more dazzled by my bad fashion sense than my speed.

I'm supposed to do the Pepsi 10K this weekend. Sounds like fun, and it starts an hour or so later than my usual run, so I'm definitely in.

And for weeks, I've been crossing paths with another woman runner, we'd wave and say good morning, she with her headphones, and me with my flushed face. It turns out, she lives just down the street from me, has 3 boys, and is automatically cool because she is French. She's faster than me though, so I'm still partnerless for my weekday runs.

3.5 miles - shake it like a polaroid piiiiiicture!

I rarely run with headphones. But it was just that kind of morning. So I ran and had a blast, I shook it like a polaroid picture, loved my lady lumps, and elevated my soul. I made furtive glances to see if anyone was looking and skipped for a hundred yards. I took it down a notch with Otis Redding, and cooled off while John Mayer made me feel good about myself.

Holidayless Weekend - 0 Miles

Another Saturday missing its run. Max and I both had a cold this week. Friday evening, I wasn't sure if I would run Saturday morning or not. Then the power went out (thanks, Ernesto!). By bedtime, it wasn't back on and I was preoccupied thinking about the stash of breastmilk in the basement freezer. I decided that if the power came on in the night, I'd run. Otherwise, I'd be scurrying to move the milk to cooler climes before 7 months of daily pumping had to be dumped down the drain. The power came on at 6:40am, 25 minutes after the start of the run, and about 20 minutes before I was going to pack it up and drive really really fast to my parents' house. It was for the best - I spent much of the night tossing and turning with sinus pressure and congestion. I had a terrible sinus headache, and was grateful to be able to sleep in. Just over two months to go - I am freaking out a little. I just hope the next couple of months don't contain the run of illness the past six weeks has. I'm spent.

More encouraging is Max's foray into solid foods - he's an amazing eater. He's gradually dropping feedings, and for the first time in months, I'm not famished 24/7. I've resolved to actually start using the freezer stash (which stayed frozen solid during the dark and stormy night), so I've dropped my nightly pumping session. I'm holding steady at 115 lbs, but my body's still changing - none (and I mean none) of my clothes fit any more, so a shopping trip is definitely in my future.

I realized on my last run that I need a new pair of shoes - I bought these when Max was just 2 months old! The arch support is slowly collapsing, and I really felt it last weekend. So tomorrow, back on the wagon, and a trip to the shop for the shoes to get me to Richmond.