Nine Excruciating Miles on a Treadmill...

So I am too lazy to get out of bed early for my Sunday morning long run, which is ridiculous, because I went to bed at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Then the excuses started coming -- I need to drink my coffee while it is hot, the men's Olympic marathon is on TV and that only comes around every four years, it is hot outside, etc. etc. etc. Honestly, I did have a headache, but my laziness was getting the best of me.

Finally, at 4:00, David and I made it to the gym. I decided, based on my Saturday run, that it would be too hot to run outside for 9 miles at that time of day. I got on the treadmill and started running. I often run on the treadmill during the week when I do my 3-mile runs and lift weights, but this was a little different. I needed 9 miles. I put on my iPod and set out my water bottle and cranked up the treadmill. By mile two, at 10-minute pace, I was already bored. Have you ever noticed how much faster a 10-minute mile seems on a treadmill than on the road? Maybe it is because you are going nowhere fast.

There was a Lifetime movie on one of the TVs, so I listened to my music and watched the screen. The movie starred Kimberly Williams Paisley, who played the daughter in the "Father of the Bride" movies. I didn't hear any of the words, but I tried to occupy myself by creating the lines in my head. This didn't help, either. Gym attendance is pretty sparse on Sunday afternoons, so there weren't many people around me, and the ones that were around came and went as I ran on and on and on like a gerbil on his little wheel.

Despite the gym amenities such air conditioning, ceiling fans, and television to keep me occupied, I will keep running outside as much as possible. On the treadmill, it is easy to make the decision to stop, leave the gym, and get in the car and go home. On the road, once I run 10 miles from my house or car, I have to run the distance back. In that circumstance, I might as well run because I have to get home somehow. I may not want to run, but being that far from home is definitely motivation to pick up the pace.

My TSRHC Story

Last week, I sent out cards to all my friends and family asking them to sponsor me in my marathon and make a donation to TSRHC. I am happy to report that 3 friends have already donated a total of $145 to the hospital. My goal is raise $2,500 for the hospital by December 14, 2008, the date of the marathon.

I am a former patient of the hospital, and I decided to make the White Rock Marathon my first marathon because it benefits TSRHC. Although I do not walk around telling my TSRHC story to everyone, I have always been truly passionate about the place. I became a patient at the hospital after I was born with the bones in the lower part of my right leg bowed upward so that my toes touched my knee. My parents searched the country for the best doctors to help correct the problem. Over and over again were told to go to TSRHC. My mom still has notebooks of letters she sent to and received from doctors all over the country.

My parents applied, and I was accepted as a patient. As an infant, I had my first surgery to correct the problems with my right leg, and I spent several months in a full-leg cast, followed by some time in leg braces. After recovering from the surgery, I learned to walk and lived a normal life. However, it was clear that a second surgery would be required because my right leg was significantly shorter than my left. In the meantime, I played sports and did everything the other kids my age were doing. My family and I made regular visits the hospital in Dallas, where my doctors monitored my growth.

Following my 6th grade year, I played in a basketball tournament, and then my family travelled to Dallas so that I could have my second surgery. I had this surgery on my left leg; the doctors fused the growth plates so that my left leg would stop growing, but my right leg would continue to grow. This helped to reduce the length discrepancy in my legs. The surgery was successful, and after recovering, I returned to school and sports. I continued to visit the hospital until I was released as a patient at the age of 18. However, the hospital's generosity did not stop there. TSHRC also awarded me an academic scholarship that helped me pay for my undergraduate education at Texas A&M University.

TSRHC provides first-class medical care with some of the best physicians and surgeons in the country. Amazingly, they provide all of this free of charge, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. The hospital also goes above and beyond, helping former patients pay for higher education. These major undertakings cannot be accomplished without charitable donations and fundraisers such as the White Rock Marathon.

Being from Amarillo, I am concerned that people do not know much about the hospital and are hesitant about donating to an out-of-town charity. However, I lived in Amarillo when I was a patient. The hospital's mission is to provide these services to Texas children, not just those from the Dallas metroplex. The services of TSRHC reach well beyond the metroplex. To learn more about the hospital, its services and its mission, visit http://www.tsrhc.org/.

La Luz Lunacy

It is Wednesday now, and I am finally getting over the craziness that was the La Luz Trail Run. David and I travelled to Albuquerque to run in this with several other people from Amarillo. Several people we were with had run this before, but David and I were novices.

In 2001, Trail Running magazine named La Luz as one of the twelve most grueling trail races in the United States. The course begins with a 1.8-mile stretch of mountain road at an elevation of 6,100 feet, and is followed by 7.2 miles of dirt single-track trail. The rock slide portion of the trail begins at approximately mile five, and includes several large boulders that block the trail. The race finishes at Sandia Peak, which has an elevation of 10,678 feet. Did you read that??? I said ROCK SLIDE!! This was the craziest thing I have ever done. The 1.8 - mile portion of road is a mountain road; i.e., winding and steep. When you finally get to the trail, you still have 7.2 miles to go, and lots and lots of elevation to gain. The first 4 or 5 miles is not too bad, but once those are done, the rock slide begins. It is literally a trail of loose rocks and boulders. Needless to say, I did much less running here and much more walking and climbing.

When I finally made it to the last mile, I thought to myself, "I can run a mile in my sleep." However, the thin air obviously made me delusional, because I typically do not run an entire mile straight up hill. Nor do I climb a flight of stairs at the end of a 9-mile run. I literally had to talk to myself out loud during this last mile to tell myself to pick up my feet and keep moving.

Now that I have had a few days to let the race events sink in, I realize that this race was a great mental toughness exercise. There were runners on the trail who said that this is comparable to a marathon, so finishing the race definitely gives me some confidence that I can endure and finish something that is very difficult, as I am sure the marathon will be.

I finished the race with a time of 2:38:19, and David finished with a 2:44:27. Will we do it again next year? I guess that depends on whether our decision-making skills improve between now and then....

An Excellent Mile

Last Saturday, David and I ran in "Paul and Mike's Excellent Mile" at Thompson Park in Amarillo. When I signed us up several weeks ago, I figured this would be a short, easy race. Somehow I forgot that this required sprinting an entire mile. When we entered the park, we saw the start line and the markers for 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of a mile. Crap! It took a while to drive the course! What would it be like to run it??

I also made the rookie mistake of signing up for the "fast" heat. The race consisted of a heat for runners under 6:30, over 6:30, and for kids. I chose under 6:30. When the over 6:30 crew took off, and I saw many people who I know are faster than me running in that heat, I got really nervous. Almost everyone in my heat was male, fast, or below the drinking age.

The gun went off, and within 20 seconds, I was in the back of the pack. David, a born sprinter, took off. I ran as hard and fast as I could. My lungs and legs were burning like crazy, but I started catching up with David. As we passed the 3/4 mile marker, I knew I could catch him, but I also knew I needed some strategy to actually beat him. I decided to be as inconspicuous as possible while passing him, but he quickly saw that it was me. However, I thought that I still might be able to take him. All of a sudden, I heard footsteps approaching closely behind me, and I know it is him. Not only did he pass me, he also passed the guy in front of me. He got a second wind, and wound up with a time of 6:12. I had a 6:26, which made me really proud. I have been teasing David that he would have never recorded that time without me passing him. He owes me a thank-you!

The race brings up an interesting topic -- how do people run with their spouses?? I read these inspiring articles about husbands and wives crossing the finish line together at marathons, and I know this will never be me and David. David and I would be sprinting to the finish to "win." We have always had this healthy level of competition between us; it just makes things more fun. We are happy for one another for doing well, but we just want to beat one another, which makes it difficult for us to train together as well. It is best for us to train on our own and then attend events together. The world seems more peaceful that way...

The Heat is On

Last weekend, David and I travelled to the Quartz Mountain Resort near Altus, Oklahoma to attend the Quartz Mountain Music Festival. Pepe Romero, the world-renown classical guitarist, performed at the festival. David is a classical guitarist, and he truly enjoyed watching Pepe perform. In addition, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday!

Several people told me that it would be hot and humid where we were going, and I tried to adequately prepare. On Saturday morning, I ran six miles with no problem, and I did not carry water. It was definitely more hot, humid, and hilly than I am used to on my typical runs in Amarillo, but it was not unbearable. This made me over-confident for how I would feel on my 10-mile run scheduled for Sunday morning. I set out around 7:00 a.m., and the first three miles were not too bad. I ran for what seemed like an eternity and managed to run only 8.5 miles. Fortunately, I was smart enough to carry water in my Camelbak, but I ran out of water before my miles were up. The humidity and heat were ridiculous, and the hills numerous, and I ran out of steam at 8.5 miles. Thinking that I would make up the remainder of the miles when we returned to Amarillo, I got ready and we had breakfast. About an hour after breakfast, my stomach began hurting and did not stop.

I went to bed early Sunday evening and got up at 6:30 on Monday morning. After doing my hair and make-up, I had some cereal for breakfast. I was not feeling bad and had every intention of making it to work. After my cereal, while filling my travel coffee mug, I became nauseous. A minute later, I was running to the bathroom to throw up. I was sick and unable to eat for most of the day Monday, causing me to miss work and my workout. It even affected my strength and energy on Tuesday, and I took that day off as well.

It could have been food poisoning, although David and I ate similar things and he did not get sick. I truly believe that the heat got to me and made me sick. On days like Monday, all I can say is that I am thankful for the dry climate and breeze of Amarillo! I am heading out for a run today in Amarillo, and even if it is hot, you won't hear me complain.

For more information on heatstroke and heat exhaustion, visit this Runner's World article: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-370--12030-2-1X2-3,00.html.

To Skirt or Not to Skirt . . .

Have you seen these new running skirts? These are getting so popular that Runner's World published an article on the topic in its July 2008 issue. You can see more Runner's World discussion on these skirts at http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-371--12738-0,00.html. Before I read the article, I swore that I would never wear a running skirt. There is something about running in a skirt that is contradictory to an athletic event; in my mind, true runners do not wear skirts.

The article made some good points, such as the fact that the skirts don't ride up. Anyone who runs much has fought the dreaded upward crawl of their running shorts. When this happens to me, I am quite thankful for the miracle product that is Body Glide (http://www.bodyglide.com/). However, I just cannot imagine running in a skirt. I wear skirts to work, but these all come to my knees. I do not own a mini skirt that I wear in public, so why would I run in one? The skirt seems to take the seriousness out of the sport, but maybe I am just too serious. I am thinking about buying one and trying it out. If I do, I will let you know.

Weight Gain

How is it possible to run/exercise more than I have in my entire life and my clothes are tight? I have spent the last month trying to convince myself that my pants are tight because I am getting more muscular. However, the ruse is up. I am gaining weight, and it is happening because I am eating too much. I wonder if this happens to a lot of people when they start running? The appetite increases and you eat more, i.e., you eat too much. Maybe it is the dessert. I am still eating similarly to how I ate when I wasn't training, but now I am allowing myself to snack and eat dessert more often.

I envision runners as long, lean calorie-burning machines, and that's what I want to look like. I want to be healthy and not too skinny, but I sure don't want to run 15-25 miles per week and worry that my pants won't fit! The plan is to not do anything about this until after we return from our vacation to Chicago (we leave on the 4th!). When we return, maybe I will start lifting weights and limiting my desserts. I also want to try yoga. I am working on positive self-talk ("this is a learning experience," "everyone goes through this"), but I need to see some improvement quickly because I am getting discouraged!