Off to Dallas for a Half Marathon

This weekend, we are traveling to Dallas to run in the Dallas Running Club Half Marathon. Although it will be my third half, it will be David, Mindi and Jonathan's first! Mindi and Jonathan have put in a lot of miles and dutifully stuck with their training plan to get to this point. David has been running, but his training has not been guided by a plan. He's in great shape, though, so I am sure that he will do well.

Six weeks from Sunday's race, I will be running in the Dallas White Rock Marathon. I cannot believe the marathon is only 6 weeks away. It seems like I just started running yesterday, and now the journey to 26.2 miles is getting shorter and shorter. Coupled with the fact that I will be changing jobs and moving during all this, I believe an adventure awaits. However, I will complete the race, even if I have to crawl over the finish line.

This weekend should be a lot of fun. We'll be with friends, and we will get to eat some good food in the big city. That's one of the best things about all of this running - I get to eat what I want and I don't feel the least bit guilty.

The race has pace teams, so I am going to try to run with the 2:00 pace team to see if I can finish the race in under two hours. My best time so far is 2:01:54, so I am hoping for a good day so that I can cut two minutes of my PR. Although David has never done a half marathon, I fully expect that he will rise to the occasion and kick my butt in this distance, too. That's the price I pay for being married to an athlete. No matter what happens, I am looking forward to participating in a big race (4,000 people have signed up for the half) and seeing what it is like to run around White Rock Lake, which is (obviously) part of the White Rock Marathon course. Here's the course map:

I am taking along a camera, so I will post the photos from the race once we get back into town. I am also taking the movie "Spirit of the Marathon" to give us some inspiration before the race. Keep us in your thoughts on Sunday morning while you are sitting in front of the TV drinking your coffee -- we envy you!

More Inspiration from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

I will admit it. I like to watch Oprah. I DVR the show every day, because you never know what you will get - a new book, a sad story, and sometimes something inspiring. Yesterday's show touched my heart. There was an inspiring story about a little boy born with a rare condition that required both of his legs to be amputated at a young age. You can see a summary of his story here on pages 5 - 8. Although Texas Scottish Rite Hospital was not mentioned in the Oprah story, the story did mention that this little boy's family raised money for the hospital that provided him with his prosthetic legs. I kept rewinding the story and watching it over and over, when I finally realized where I had seen this inspiring child. He was the "Junior Race Director" for the White Rock Marathon in 2004 and you can see more of his story here.

If you have been thinking about donating to TSRHC and sponsoring me in the marathon, I hope you will decide to take action. The money goes to wonderful children who have so much potential to do great things in this world.

Other Tidbits from My 18-Mile Run

18 miles. I have only now come to the point where I can try to learn something from that gruesome run in the wind this past Saturday. Here are some of the things that have been on my mind since my longest run ever:

• First things first -- I ran 18 miles!! That's crazy, because some days I don't even drive 18 miles. In addition, I ran all of those miles in conditions in which I do not even like to drive my car. I can truly say that I am proud of myself for pushing through the pain.
• Continuation of the GU Challenge. This week, I tried Vanilla Bean, Espresso Love, and Lemon-Lime. Vanilla Bean and Espresso Love made the cut. Even if Espresso Love tasted terrible, I would probably keep in the line-up for the mere fact that it has double caffeine!
• I need to learn how to apply sunscreen. Have you ever gotten one of those funky sunburns, where it is obvious that you attempted to apply sunscreen while talking on the phone, loading the washer, and applying lip balm all at the same time?? I have one of those now. It is lovely.
• Reapply Body Glide--Often. I wore the same sleeveless top to run my 18 miles that I wore in my 17 mile run. I had no chafing on my 17 mile run. On my 18 mile run, the chafing under my arms was nearly unbearable. I had to run in an uncomfortable "arms way too far away from my body" position that was awkward and basically ineffective. I either have to carry a mini body glide or wear sleeves, because chafing is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
• Running really is an analogy for life. So many times on a long run, I literally have to say to myself, "just make it to the next light pole" (and the next, and the next). It is such a good analogy for taking things one step at a time, which is wonderful for me because in my life I am often running in a hundred different directions trying to be everything for everyone. Over the weekend, David and I made one of the biggest decisions of our lives: we have decided to move to Fort Worth, Texas. I accepted a position as in-house litigation counsel for a corporation located there. The opportunity is amazing, and it literally fell into my lap. It was difficult to tell family and friends and people at work that I was leaving, but I used my get-past-one-light pole-at-a-time philosophy, and I am less stressed than I ever thought I would be. It will be interesting to see how I handle all of the marathon training (including 20 and 22 mile runs) while trying to move. However, I have committed to the marathon and the one-step-at-a-time approach, so I know in the end it will all work out just fine (or I will have a nervous breakdown, but I am hoping for the best)!

On another note -- those of you out there anonymously reading this blog (and I am hoping there are some of you), please know that I am feeling like a complete loser with my lack of blog comments! I would love to hear from you...

If You Are a Glutton for Punishment. . .

...then you should have been on my 18-mile run with me this morning. It started out well because I was running with the wind, but once I turned for home after mile nine, the wind was hitting me full force for the entire last nine miles. The only good thing I can say about today's run is that I finished it. It was one of the most painful things I have ever done, and I am frankly surprised that I didn't just lie down by the side of the road and cry. There was some positive self-talk during the run, but I also let myself acknowledge just how terrible it was. The weather reports say that the wind is blowing 25 mph from the NE, with gusts up to 30 mph. Running into this for 9 miles is like running up a hill for nine miles. It was unbelievably painful. My legs and body ached. Last week, I ran 17 miles at 11:03 pace, but the wind slowed my pace this week down to 12:01. Crazy. However, I will say that it gave me some perspective. You know you are progressing in your training when you are looking forward to a half-marathon as a "short" week! Later, I will post more about what I learned in this run, but that's all I have the energy to talk about now.

My Longest Run Ever

Seventeen miles! Today was the first day I felt like a marathoner. Before this morning's run, I was a half-marathoner. After today's run, I feel more confident than ever than I can finish the marathon. Seventeen miles was definitely not easy, and I sure didn't break any speed records on this run. I tried to focus on long, slow distance and staying healthy and injury-free. I wish that I could say that I am solving the world's problems when I am out on my long runs, but I spend most of my time reminding myself to put one foot in front of the other. I thought I would summarize my run today, if for nothing other than to reveal to the world just how simple my thoughts are on a three-hour run:

1. I am a serious runner. Today I actually felt like a serious runner. I have been pretending to be one up until now, but now I truly believe that I can finish the marathon. No, I am definitely not fast, but I think today showed me that I won't come in last! Once I hit mile fourteen, I felt so awesome! It is so great to run a distance for the first time, and that feeling made the last four miles much better than all those miles in the middle. Sure, it hurt, and there were (many) moments when I asked myself why I was out running on a morning when I could have slept in, but finishing a distance I had never finished before made up for all of that. I was so pumped that I could actually maintain a running motion at mile 15 that I actually sang some of the songs that came on my iPod.

2. Speaking of Songs on My iPod... Long runs give one an opportunity to listen to a lot of the music in her iTunes library. Most of the songs on my iPod Shuffle are great for running. However, although I enjoy the song, I intend to delete "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. I hear that song, think about my breathing (or lack of it), and that's not a good thing when you are running 17 miles.

3. The GU Challenge. I have been using Clif Shot Bloks for my fuel on long runs (I love the Margarita with Salt flavor). However, I purchased a variety pack of GU a while back. GU is easy to carry, so I thought I would give several flavors a try on today's run. I took out Tri Berry, Just Plain, and Strawberry Banana. I don't know anyone who thinks that any supplement like this is "good" in the sense that they eat it for a snack, but Just Plain and Strawberry Banana were the "good" choices for today. Tri Berry is officially retired. That flavor is just too sweet for me.

4. Drivers. What's with these people? I run on a two-lane access road on a highway. The highway is busy, but I don't think there has ever been a traffic jam on the access road of this highway, especially on the route between Amarillo and Canyon. I realize that the vast majority of drivers who pass me on my Sunday morning long runs think that I am crazy. Frankly, they may be right. However, do they really have to drive as close as possible to the right side of the road? I try to be a courteous runner -- I run against traffic, I try to wear something in a highly visible color, and I run close to the edge of the road. I am not out in the street or in anybody's way. Would it hurt these people to change lanes? Do you have to drive in the same lane I am running in, when the other lane is completely open and there are no cars for miles? Is it laziness or do you just not like me? Even if you don't like me, do you want to have hitting a pedestrian on your conscience? Seriously, just get over--that's the best thing for both of us.

5. Truckers. (still drivers, but they deserve their own category). Most of these people drive along and mind their own business. But a small percentage, typically one per run, loves to honk his (or her, but probably his) horn at me. Why do you do this? Maybe I look hot to you while you are driving 70 m.p.h. or more down a highway, but I promise you that I am not. I am sweaty, I stink, and if you tried to talk to me, you would think I had a bad attitude. I realize that you are probably bored, but you are going to give me a heart attack with that dang horn of yours.

That's about the extent of my thoughts from my run. Now I need a nap...

Why Do People Run Marathons?

I recently Googled the question "why do people run marathons"? Maybe it is because I am asking myself why I chose to participate in an event that requires months of grueling training (including a 17-miler coming up on Sunday). However, the results were often humorous, so I decided to share.

The Serious: "Are Too Many People Trying to Run Marathons?" (NPR). Here are my favorite comments from the article:

There's no question that running a marathon without proper training is just plain foolish. When Lance Armstrong ran the NYC Marathon last year, he was quoted as saying, "Even after experiencing one of the hardest days of the Tour nothing has ever left me feeling this bad...[it was] the hardest physical thing I have ever done." Even though he was in terrific shape for cycling, he hadn't put in the necessary running miles. I've run two marathons now, and I'd like to think I'll run one again. But you've got to train. And if necessary, you've got to stop. It's a serious business. Sent by Sarah 12:43 PM ET 11-02-2007

Yet again, a cautionary tale about the dangers of running - this, even though, as a group, runners are in far better shape than the general population, generally enjoy running, and feel better when they run than when they don't. Eight people may die running a marathon? If 430,000 people run marathons in given year, that's a death rate of 0.00002%. That means a marathoner is more likely to be murdered than to die during a marathon. Sent by Vic Mortimer 9:33 PM ET 11-02-2007

Absolutely. At one time the marathon was considered a serious competition for people who had trained for years and were extremely fit. Now it is a social gathering of people with their water belts, gels, tech gadgets etc. Many of these people have everything but fitness. I would like to see strict performance standards to enter the marathon. If people want to do their silly jog/walk routine they can do it any day of the week anywhere they want. While even highly trained athletes can suffer a tragic death as evidenced by yesterday's US Olympic Trials, unfit people are putting themselves at serious risk. Sent by Ken 7:24 AM ET 11-04-2007

You could die on your couch...when are people going to quit protecting others from living their life the way they choose? If someone wants to attempt a marathon let them. Sent by Brad Jessee 4:41 PM ET 01-16-2008

The Funny: "Not Hating Just Saying: People That Run Marathons" This result was too good not to share, and now I know what normal people think of me when I say I am running a marathon:

I'm not hating, but people that run marathons are lame as hell. Now, I'm not talking about Olympic runners and Kenyans and s*** - they are cool. Basically, because they win and they do it for a living. No, I'm talking about your girlfriend that ran the Boston Marathon last year because she thought it would be fun. Fun!? You know how I know you suck? You think Marathons are "fun." This is how these "fun" events work. First, you get to pay like $60 to $100 just for the opportunity to have a fun-filled morning. And when I say morning, I mean like 5AM to 9AM on a f*****g Saturday. The only time you have fun at 5AM in the morning is if you're still up, you're still drunk, and you know in a little while you are about to go to sleep. That, coupled with the fact that you know that you won't have to wake up at a b******t hour in the morning so that you can run until you feel like you're going to die. And you pay for this s**t?

Now, there are those out there who say, "Hey, it's not necessarily fun to run a marathon, but I just wanted to see if I could do it." Ok fine, point taken, but you could do that s**t for free, you don't need to pay somebody $60. Go run right now. In fact, just take off from wherever you are right now and never come back so we don't have to see your dumb ass ever again. You know who else just wanted to run? Forrest Gump...and you know what? You kind of remind me of him, especially when he was running and that guy handed him that rag with dog s**t on it and he washed his face with it...you s******e.

It's not like you are even going to run with a bunch of cool people at these things, I mean they all think like you...and you suck. You are the type of person that wants to run a marathon so you can tell people that you are training for one and then after the race you tell people that you ran one. You think that is some cool s**t to tell someone, even though secretly any non-marathon runner is thinking about what a jerk and a waste of space you are.

Seriously, have you ever been to a really broke ass country? Do you see people jogging? Probably not, but let's say on the off-chance that you do. Do you think they paid money to have the right to run? If you see someone running in a third-world country...you better run with them, because that means some s**t is going down. That's probably why Kenyans are so good at marathons - they only have one speed when they're running: Stay Alive. Let's put it this way, there is no f*****g Nicaraguan Marathon every year. And if there is, it's because some douche from Seattle or somewhere started one for him and all his friends to go to.

Not to mention that the people that run marathons are such terrible people that they try to mask their evilness through charity. There are a whole bunch of marathons that are for a cause, like raising money for cancer or some terminal illness that we haven't found a cure for yet. Now giving these charities money is a good thing, and these people need it because a lot of the people in need can no longer walk or run. But just give them the money! Don't make it so that in exchange for your donation, you make them watch you do something that they couldn't do in their wildest dreams! You are a******s for rubbing it in their faces! That's like giving a midget $20, but only after you make him watch you ride a roller coaster first. I'm not hating on people that run marathons, I'm just saying.

Red Raider Road Race 10K

Although I went to Texas Tech School of Law, I will always be an Aggie at heart (even if we are having a bad football season/decade). However, we live a lot closer to Lubbock than we do to College Station, so we went down to Lubbock for the weekend to run the Red Raider Road Race 10K. Our friends Mindi and Jonathan were running their first 10K, along with several members of her family, so it was fun being there to support all of them.

The course was two loops through the Tech campus - other than the numerous curves, it is a fast course. The West Texas Runner's Club did a great job with the event; the course was well-marked and there was adequate water. The weather was overcast and humid, although definitely not hot.

David had been talking all week about how he had not been running much and did not feel prepared for the race. Between all this talk and the several beers he had on Friday evening, I thought I might have a shot to beat him in Saturday's 10K. I thought wrong. It was just not my best race day. Or, maybe, if I am being honest, it is that I absolutely hate the 10K. This was only my second 10K, and I hated the second the same as the first. The distance is too short to run slow, but too long to run fast. In other words, it is awful. I would actually prefer to run a half marathon to a 10K. That's how much I don't like the 10K. People tell me that this race is the best indicator of fitness, which is probably true. However, that doesn't make it any easier, or make me feel any better when I don't improve my time.

David finished the race with a time of 49:38, his personal record. How does he do it? I thought the beers the night before might drag him down, but it actually helped him do better than ever. The guy doesn't even wear a watch. Crazy. I eat a special breakfast, wear a ridiculously expensive GPS watch, and engage in an extensive pre-race routine. David shows up, jogs around and stretches only because he is bored, and does awesome. I don't dislike him. I envy him. He actually won the Clydesdale (190+ pounds) division on time, but finished second with age-graded results.

I am definitely not disappointed in my finishing time of 51:49. It was not a personal record, but I did the best I could. I placed third in my age group, so that is something that makes me proud. I experienced something in this race that I have not experienced much before -- the desire to quit. Races are usually really fun for me, an excuse to run and run hard. However, on Saturday it took everything I had to put one foot in front of the other. I kept telling myself to speed up, but my poor legs could not get the message. The marathon will most likely make me feel this way, so I might as well get used to it.

Mindi and Jonathan ran a 1:03:45 and a 1:03:46, respectively. Congratulations to them on finishing their first 10K! I am sure they would both agree with me that the 10K stinks! To see all of the results of the race, click here.

Die Hard!

I ran in the rain this morning. Not in a drizzle or a sprinkle, but in the rain. I left my house at 6:00 a.m., put water out, and went to Mark's house. It was pouring, flooding, and lightning and thundering. Of course, all I wanted to do was turn my car around, drive home, and get back into my cozy bed. Trust me -- I would have done this if I had not already committed to running with Mark. Mark is a die hard runner; he ran a marathon on is 50th birthday, and has qualified for and run in the Boston Marathon (translation: he can kick my butt and he's way faster than me). However, I can usually talk him into running with me on his long runs when he needs to run "slow" (translation: my normal pace).

He was supposed to run 20 miles this morning, starting at 5:45 a.m. I was to meet him at his house at 6:15 a.m. to do the last 15 miles with him. When I arrived, he had not started running due to the thunder and lightning. We decided to get in as many miles as we could. We set out with the intention of running to the Amarillo High School track. However, we quickly switched to plan B (driving to the AHS track) when we realized that almost all of the intersections were flooded, and the risk of injury was just too great. When it was all said and done, we got in 10.5 miles. Not too bad, considering that it poured rain almost the entire time, and the track was beginning to flood.

I am disappointed not to get in the entire 15 miles, but I am more proud because I got out there and ran as much as I could in less-than-perfect conditions. I feel die-hard knowing that I went out and ran even though I could have stayed in bed. Maybe I did not get in all my miles this morning, but I learned that I can push myself even when the conditions are not the best.

Here's me doing my best to smile and taking off my soaking-wet socks after my morning run:

Burnout . . . or Laziness?

I haven't run much this week. Between a grueling 16-hour workday on Wednesday, and recovering from that trip on Thursday, I haven't been very productive in any area of my life. I skipped my Wednesday and Thursday runs, and I don't feel like I should log any miles today, since I am running a 10K tomorrow and 15 miles on Sunday. I found the quote below, and I just have to admit that this constant running can sometimes get on my nerves, especially when things are crazy in other areas of my life:

"Training can get on a [wo]man's nerves. There's no profit or use in denying it." - "Alf" Shrubb

It isn't that I don't enjoy running, or that I want to quit. I want to run this marathon more than I want to do anything else right now. However, it is easy to forget that it isn't all about the race; rather, it is about putting one foot in front of the other on those days that I am all alone, or after a long day at work. I feel guilty about missing runs, but I know everyone does it, and it is part of the experience of training for a big race like this. I just cannot let it happen too often...

What is My Inspiration?

Runner's World Magazine recently published an article about pace teams. The article actually inspired me to sign up for the Clif Bar Pace Team for the White Rock Rock Marathon. I signed up for the 4:15 finish team, but I am secretly hoping to finish faster than that. My friend Mindi and I discussed this article over the weekend, so I read the article again when we returned from our trip. The part of the article that stands out for me is the discussion of the areas of focus for the last five miles of the marathon. My longest run before the marathon will be 22 miles, so I am going to have to use my head and my heart to finish those final miles. Here is what I hope I will have the presence of mind to think of during those last five miles of the marathon:

Mile 21: Focus on the work I have done to be at this point in the marathon and how the work is paying off at that moment.

• I have run consistently for over one year.
• I (will) have completed three half marathons.
• I followed a training plan.
• I took care of my body through rest and good nutrition.

Mile 22: Focus on my personal support system - my husband, my parents, my sister, my friends - who helped me make it to that moment.

• For everyone who donated money to sponsor me in the marathon.
• My husband, who was there for me day in and day out, supporting me through good days and bad.
• My parents, who taught me from the beginning that I could do anything I put my mind to doing.
• My sister, who ran her first half-marathon last year and inspired me to start running.
• My friends (especially Mindi) who listen to all my running stories and feed my running obsession.

Mile 23: Focus on my personal hero, someone who has been through something much harder than a marathon, and think about the strength it took that person to get through their ordeal.

• A week ago, I might not have been able to name this person off of the top of my head, but a lot can change in a week.
• A family friend tragically lost her husband last week when he was murdered in their home.
• She is in her early twenties and has managed to get herself out of bed each day and is already planning several different memorials to to her husband.
• If she can find the personal strength to do this, I can finish this race.

Mile 24: Focus on a time in my life that I demonstrated great strength in some area of my life other than running. Tap into that strength and remember that only one tenth of one percent of the U.S. population finishes a marathon every year.

• I overcame the bowed tibia and fibia in my right leg. I was a competitive athlete in high school and now I am a marathoner.
• I am running this race to benefit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, where there are many patients, current and former, who are unable to run a marathon.
• I passed the Texas Bar Exam. I would definitely rather be running 26.2 miles that taking that stupid test again!

Mile 25: The last mile! Every step I take gets me that much closer to the finish line!

• I can run a mile in my sleep!
• Get out the tissues -- here come the tears!

A Weekend of Fun & Relaxation

This weekend, we went with friends to Angel Fire and Red River, New Mexico. We spent Saturday at Oktoberfest in Red River and got the opportunity to eat lots of great food and sample all kinds of beer. I got in two tough runs in the mountains. The air up there is thin, and the hills are at times unbearable, but the scenery (occasionally) took my mind off of the pain. It was nice to get away and enjoy the cool temperatures and the beautiful fall foliage with good friends.