Let the rain wash away all my resolve

Laziness came back with a vengeance today. But in all honesty, I did get a lot accomplished... I was very productive on the job search front.... plus I made time to enjoy the day (I watched a movie!) So the day wasn't a total waste by any stretch of the imagination. Plus, it was raining outside, which is fine, because running in the rain is awesome, but at the same time it is a huge deterrent to actually wanting to go outside in the first place. I was going to run around 1:30pm, then Andrew showed up unexpectedly to hang out for a bit before his class - which was such a great surprise!! - but by the time he left, I decided to continue resting and dedicated myself wholeheartedly to job-searching for the rest of the day.

I also made up my mind about the marathon. At this rate, I doubt I'll ever be ready in time. I found out there's a 10-miler that day, which runs the same course as the marathon, just for the first 10 miles. I think this will be a much more reasonable, much more realistic goal. I can definitely run 10 miles, and I can even work towards a faster time over the next 5 weeks. This way I can continue to run at my leisure without feeling super-guilty about every day that goes by without a run. In the meantime, I can enjoy my time off from work, dedicate myself to looking for a job, and focus on getting things straightened out at home.

I am happy with my decision.

Marathon training (or something like it)

I have a marathon coming up in 5 weeks. Yes, FIVE WEEKS. I haven't even officially started training yet, and I'm still holding on to some strange bizzare glimmer of hope that I'm going to be able to run 26.2 miles on March 28th, 2010. Am I crazy? or just very determined? You be the judge.

It's not like I'm even conditioned like I was last time. Before the Philly Marathon, although I was very lackadaisical in my training efforts, I still ran whenever I felt like it, which turned out to be 3-4 days each week, and when I wasn't running, I was cross-training: boxing, kick-boxing, Pilates, Yoga, weight-lifting, you name it, I did it. I was in the second-best shape of my entire life! (The best shape I was EVER in was about 4 months out of college, when I belonged to 4 gyms, taught classes at three of them, and was gung-ho about everything and anything fitness... that year, my entire Christmas list consisted of exercise equipment and workout clothes. No lie.) So, anywho, here I am today, no where near the base fitness level I achieved in fall '08. I have a lot of work to do just to get caught up to that level. Before I can even dream of beginning hard core marathon training, I've got to get a solid foundation of weekly mileage and cardiovascular fitness... and I'm quickly running out of time!! I know I found myself in a similar predicament last time, when I had my wake-up call approx 6 weeks before Philly, butttt - I repeat - back then I was already in awesome shape without even realizing it. I exercised obsessively every day, I pushed myself to the limit on a regular basis. Now I don't do any of that... heck, I'm lucky if I force myself out the door for a run twice a week. That's about the extent of my glorious fitness regimen right now.

This past week was the first week that could actually classify as "training." Up until this point, my weekly mileage has been pretty stagnant. For at least the past two months, I've been running about 6-7 miles. I seriously can't remember the last time my weekly mileage broke 7. Then, this week, I kind of jumped right in. On Wednesday, I ran 5 miles. On Thursday, I ran 6 miles. Then today, I ran 10 miles!!! That's right, TEN MILES! I know experienced distance runners will scoff at my excitement, but to me this is tremendous! That is my longest run so far this year... this season... quite possibly since I've moved to NJ (with the exception of the Philly Distance Run in Oct..) this is HUGE, people! So my total mileage for this week was 21 miles.

So today I set out to run 10 miles and that's exactly what I did. It's not as simple as it sounds. Around miles 1-2 I was thinking "this sucks, this was such a bad idea. I'm already tired & out of breath, and overdressed in too many layers so I'm over-heating. It's going to be dark before I get home... Turn around and go back now before you slip on the ice or get hit my a car. You'll never survive... this was such a terrible, terrible idea"... then around mile 4 I started to get my groove and thought to myself "this really isn't so bad. just take it easy. slow & steady wins the race... or in this case, slow & steady finishes the long run without dying. maybe, just maybe, you CAN do this" ... by mile 5 I was cruising along but still scolding myself for leaving the house so late & fearing for my life by running at sundown... on a happier note it was Saturday so I didn't have to worry about the typical rush-hour cars clogging the road during the 5-o'clock hour... at mile 6 I was really getting the hang of it and was almost hesitant to stop, but I was getting hungry so I needed to re-fuel, plus I wanted to check my progress and the time. I checked my phone & was thrilled to discover that I'd been running for an hour so far! I ate a few sports beans and proceeded... around mile 7 I thought to myself "this is it! the final stretch! only 5k left!" and miles 8-9 were consumed by thoughts of "this is it... almost there... don't stop now... keep on going... my nose is running... and I really could use some more sports beans... but I'm not stopping for anything until I finish..." I followed through right to the end and sprinted all-out in the apartment complex! Boy, am I ever proud of myself. Maybe this marathon actually is within my reach. Yes, I'm still holding on to hope that I will be marathon-ready by March 28th, 2010. I guess you can call me crazy-determined. A few lofty goals and a little insanity never hurt anyone. Let the madness begin!

I did it!!!! -Philadelphia Marathon 2008-

I did it!!!!! woohooo! I still have trouble believing I actually completed my very first marathon. Everyone keeps saying its such a huge accomplishment, but to me, it really doesn't seem like that big of a deal. I just went out for a (somewhat) leisurely very long run. So what if it was 26 miles? No big deal or anything. I really took it easy & went at an easy pace, I took my time and paced myself, I was very optimistic going into the race, and terribly excited as I lined up at the starting chute.

The entire thing was such an emotional experience. I was so filled with emotion that I broke down in tears immediately after crossing the finish line. It was so incredibly moving to run by all the spectators lining the finish chute and see everyone out there showing their support and cheering us on at the very end. The energy was contagious & I felt my speed pick up directly in proportion to the level of cheers around me. I'm not really sure what came over me, I was just so overcome by emotion, at the fact that I survived and I actually did it!! I was crying so hard after I finished, that I crumpled to the ground. I was convulsing in streams of tears. Some lady was kind enough to stop and pick me up, she asked me if I was okay, if I was hurt, and if I needed to find my family. Then she put her arm around me and walked me over to the massage tent where it was warm, and she comforted me the whole time, and let me borrow her phone so I could call my parents.

I was actually quite nervous at first. I legitimately felt sick to my stomach with dread for a few weeks leading up to the race. I knew deep down inside that I did not train as much as I should have, I did not run as far or as often as I could have, I did not push myself as hard as I should have, and I was in no shape to perform my absolute best in the marathon. All that aside, I knew deep down inside that I was perfectly capable of doing this race and there was no doubt that I was going to complete it. There was no question about it. That's the easy part. Now, completing it with a PR... that's an entirely different story altogether!

For the last week leading up to the race, I had a terribly sore throat. It was incredibly painful! It hurt to swallow just about everything, even plain water. I subsisted almost entirely off of tea with lemon, honey and cayenne pepper in varying amounts. (I read somewhere online that the cayenne pepper is supposed to clear your sinuses, but all I got was teary eyes and a burnt tongue.) As a result, I didn't get to properly fuel or hydrate as I knew I should have. I was really nervous about that, coupled with the fact that I didn't run AT ALL the entire week before race day, which wasn't such a hot idea either. Yes, I did get plenty of rest (8 hours every night!) but in all honesty, considering the lack-luster intensity of my training regimen, I really didnt need that much rest time. I really could have ran the entire week with minor tapering and still been sufficiently rested for the marathon. I also hoped that resting would help the sore throat heal faster. No such luck.

The night before the race, my throat was like sandpaper covered in miniature razorblades. Swallowing water was next to impossible and it hurt just to talk. Imagine me sitting at the dinner table with my parents who haven't seen me in so long, with them yapping away and asking tons of questions, me having a lot to tell them, but barely being able to eek out a word here or there with minimal discomfort. I went to bed extremely early. Sunday morning my throat was even worse! I swear I coughed up a tiny bit of blood in T-3 hours to the starting line.

It was FREEZING! We began the race in 27 degrees, and by the time I crossed the finish line, it was a whopping 30 degrees! Of course, after running for 4+ hours, I didn't notice the cold at all, but as soon as I stopped for a bit and let my body temperature drop, I definitely got the chills. At that point, no mylar blankets and no amount of warm, dry clothing was going to help me.

I got a medal! Everyone gets a medal just for finishing, but it is still awesome!! It's a good quality medal, and such a cool memento to have from the race and commemorate my accomplishment.

After the super-kind woman walked me to the massage tent, I stayed there and got a free massage. It was wonderful. I had to wait in line in the freezing cold long after I'd cooled off for almost an hour, but it was so worth it. The woman had a magic touch - she knew exactly where to focus - on my glutes and hamstrings. My glutes were killing me!!! I am seriously going to hurt tomorrow I'm sure.

Aunt Linda came to watch me! It was awesome to have her there along with my parents, cheering me on at the 19 mile mark... and again at the 21 mile mark! (the course went out & back at one point during the second half.) The crowds were pretty sparse throughout most of the marathon course. They arranged sections ahead of time called "cheer zones", where spectators could all gather to cheer together and get a clear view of the runners... so whenever we ran past said "cheer zones" it was simply awesome. The energy of the crowd carried me forward, and the running felt truly effortless, like I was floating along, whenever I passed a crowd of spectators. It didn't matter if it was mile 3 or mile 20... whenever I passed a crowd, I felt like I had just begun and could keep running forever. Which made it that much harder when we hit the long stretches of no spectators at all. Miles 14-19 and 21-25 were by far the longest stretches and the most boring parts of the entire course. This part was very scenic, running along the Schukyill River out to Mannayunk & back, but it was such a drag.

Mannyunk was awesome, with the crowds lining the streets, spectators cheering loudly, offering everything from beer, to cookies, brownies, and oranges, and the band playing right at the 20-mile turn around mark. The energy was incredible. It was by far the best most exciting part of the entire course. and right there in the middle of it all was my aunt & my parents! My dad even recruited a few surrounding people to cheer for me as well. I loved it.

I only wish that more of my friends could have come out to watch. I know so many people in Philly & South Jersey, yet not a single person made it out to cheer me on. Poor planning, lack of planning altogether, inability to get out of bed at 8am on a Sunday, and inability to find me on the course. Desirae Brown did come though!! she drove all the way down with her bf, but got stuck in traffic that was re-routed around the course & I never got to see her. She apparently was sitting alongside the course & saw me go by though! I also received so many text messages & phone calls that morning wishing me good luck!!

It was so cold that the foghorn froze at the start! The mayor had to speak a verbal countdown to get the race started. They did a tiered start... I think that's what it's called... when they let runners go off in waves? I read that this was something new they tried and it seemed to work well, it definitely alleviated over-crowding early in the course. However, it still delayed my start. It wasn't until about 15-20 minutes after the scheduled start time that I actually crossed the starting line. In the meantime, I was standing in line trying to stay warm and limber as my HR slowly dropped in the sub-freezing weather. I was surrounded by runners with similar sentiments.

At one point, just before the start, a woman with a camera and notepad who looked like a reporter came up to me and asked: "have you run this marathon before?" to which I replied "no, this is my first time." I thought this would interest her because 1) it is the truth and 2) it might be interesting to get a first-timer's perspective on the whole marathon gig. but no such luck. she responded "oh. well good luck!" and moved on to seek out her next prospective interviewee. I was heartbroken. I was SO close to being in the news! I guess I should take it as a complement. Perhaps the way I was dressed with my shorts layered over my leggings, my nifty fuel pack, headband, and Philly marathon long sleeve tee-shirt, coupled with the way I bouncing around the starting chute, perhaps all that coupled together screamed "experienced marathoner right here folks!" in which case I should be extremely flattered.

It was even so cold that the water froze on the ground at all the water stops! Every single time we approached a water stop, all the volunteers yelled "watch out for the ice!" I heeded their warnings & drastically reduced my speed to save myself from an unsightly fall on the ice. My strategy proved effective until the very last water stop. By the time I got there, I was so exhausted & famished that all I could think about was water, water, water, water... I was so completely focused on the outstretched hand in front of me offering that liquid manna, when just as I reached out to grab that glorious cup, my foot hit a slick patch of ice and slipped right out from under me. I dropped straight down into a hurdler's pose. Immediately, a bunch of runners gathered around me asking if I was okay and offering to help me up, it was touching to see so many people stop their marathon progress to make sure I was all right. I wasn't hurt though. I just got right up again, drank my water and kept on running!

My fueling strategy worked out very well. I bought a small, lightweight waist pouch at the expo the night before the race. I had planned on running the entire marathon with a plastic bag of candy & dried fruit in my hand!! How naive. That definitely would have screamed "beginner" to everyone around me, and probably would have been terribly annoying after a while. I brought gummie bears, sweedish fish, dried cranberries, dried cherries, and orange sports beans. I stopped every time I felt like I needed a little nourishment, and every time I stopped, I ate a few pieces of everything (a mixture). I ate more sweedish fish earlier in the race because they have the most sodium, and saved the sports beans for later in the race when I was famished & really needed the extra push. My sore throat miraculously disappeared mid-way through the race & I easily gulped down water at about 6 water stops, maybe more, to be honest, by now I can't remember such details. Just like I can't remember exactly what miles/times I stopped to re-fuel. I need to work on eating while continuing to run, it will save me SO much time.

I had to stop 3 times to stretch. It was so cold, and I was so late that I had time to warm up before the start, but no time to stretch properly. I thought I would be okay, but the lack of stretching caught up with me around mile 10. My hamstrings were so tight, I almost thought I was going to have to give up & finish with the half marathoners back at the art museum. I stopped for a good 2-3 minutes to stretch my legs, then resumed running. Less than a mile later, I realized I needed to stretch more effectively, stopped again & dedicated a solid 5 mins or so to loosening my overly tight muscles. It was enough to get me past the mid-way point. I flew through the crowds at the Art museum then dragged myself along the long stretch from 14-18, slowing practically to a walk here and there, for about 1 or 2 miles, picked up the pace again as I approached Mannayunk, and really started moving around the hairpin turn, then dragging myself once again along the longgg Schuykill stretch... the only good thing about it was that it was easier to cope with mentally knowing that I was on my back towards the finish! I had to stop again around mile 22 or so, just before the water stop where I slipped & fell on my ass. I stopped for a long time, stood in the grass, laid down on a wall and really stretched. I didn't think I was going to finish, my hams were so tight. I just plowed on through. Those last few miles were the longest miles ever.

All in all it was an amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again. Next time I will be absolutely committed to training the way I'm supposed to. I'm incredibly optimistic. Now that I know I can actually survive the marathon & do decently well with minimal preparation, I know that I could do so much better if I actually focused on training and really worked at it! I now have 2 goals: breaking 4 hours and qualifying for Boston. I'm going to use Philly as my qualifying race, because it's supposedly a great course for PR's and Boston qualifiers. In the meantime, I need to find a marathon to run this spring. And in the short interim meantime, I'm going to keep running... because that's what I love doing. I've always loved it, and this marathon experience just solidified that for me. I was so excited all throughout the race, I kept thinking, this is awesome, this is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. This marathon will be the first of many. I am officially a marathon runner! cool. I absolutely can't wait for the next one!

Running for a Cause: The Food Trust

For my first marathon, I wanted to run for something bigger than myself. I looked at all the major charities, like Team for Training, and the MS Team for the Cure, but the major problem with most of those is I don't feel personally affected by any of them... *knock on wood* but I've been very blessed to have healthy people in my life, and no one very close to me has ever been affected by leukemia & lymphoma, aids, diabetes, cancer, etc... granted, my grandmother did die form cancer, and one of my cousins currently lives with cancer, but overall I don't feel that passionately about it to the point where I want to dedicate my running efforts to raising money for the cause. I wanted to run for a cause I TRULY believe in and TRULY feel very passionately about.

I believe wholeheartedly in good nutrition and exercise. So I did some searching online, and that's when I discovered the Food Trust. The Food Trust is a NFP located in Philadelphia that focuses on easy access to affordable, nutritious food for everyone, everywhere. Now here's a cause I can really stand behind!! I firmly believe in the life-long benefits of healthy eating, especially wholesome, nutritious foods. It was a perfect match! I kicked the idea around for a while, waiting to see how my marathon training was progressing before I committed to anything. In the meantime, I wrote to the Food Trust and asked them for help, suggestions, etc... I told them what I was planning on doing and they were beyond thrilled. They offered to help in any way they could. They even sent me a tee-shirt in the mail, along with a packet of newsletters that I could send to my prospective donors. Encouraged by their enthusiasm and support, I wrote an e-mail to all my friends, family, past co-workers, contacts, and acquaintances asking them to donate to the Food Trust. I think what they are doing is truly incredible, and more cities should model organizations after them! Regardless of how much $$ I raise, my main goal was to get the word out about the Food Trust. My hope is that with increased publicity, more people will be aware of the increasing problem of poor access to healthy nutritious food in low-income areas throughout the United State.

So, without further adieu... here's the letter:

Dear Friends,

In approximately one month, I will be running the Philadelphia Marathon in Philadelphia, PA. This is my very first marathon (26.2 miles!), and along with my commitment to training, I am raising awareness for The Food Trust, a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia that works to ensure everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food.

The Food Trust is working to lower the rates of diet-related illnesses, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes, by improving access to healthy food in low-income communities. In addition to operating 30 weekly farmers markets across Philadelphia, The Food Trust partners with over 100 schools and educates children about healthy eating. Their school-based programs, including the state-funded Kindergarten Initiative, have already reduced the incidence of childhood obesity by 50%. The Food Trust also works with city and state officials to increase the number of grocery stores located in lower-income neighborhoods through the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. (To learn more, visit www.thefoodtrust.org.)

In my opinion, The Food Trust addresses a glaring issue in modern society and espouses an extremely worthwhile cause - one that I care deeply about helping. As a runner and certified fitness professional, I subscribe to the "food as fuel" mentality. I also advocate eating healthy, wholesome, fresh, whole foods brimming with essential nutrients. It pains me to see the lack of access to fresh food in society today - and even worse, a lack of knowledge about the importance of good nutrition.

I wanted to run my first marathon for something larger than myself. That is why I chose to promote The Food Trust through my training efforts. I believe that given the right resources and widespread support, the Food Trust is leading the way in eradicating the nutritional crisis – and all the resulting health problems - in America today. I invite you to join me in supporting them and hope you will consider making a donation on my behalf. You can go directly to the website: http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/donations/index.php.

Although I've been a runner for years, 26.2 miles is extremely intimidating and it is going to take hard work and commitment to get there. I am blogging my progress: http://community.active.com/blogs/julierunsphilly. Check back often for updates! Thanks for all your love & support.

In good health,

Julie


PS – Please spread the word!

A Reality Check

so it's been a while since I updated. to be perfectly honest, I've been completely exhausted. training is going pretty well. at least I thought it was going well until today... I've ran or cross-trained every single day for the past 9 days. I was very excited to be getting back into a routine.

the problem occurred today when I decided to look at a legitimate marathon training schedule. I have 6 weeks left. At this point, I'm supposed to be up to 30-40 miles per week. I haven't run more than 20 miles per week in the past month...

I AM SCARED that I'll never get up to the mileage I need & still have time to taper before the marathon. I'm not sure what to do. Should I jump up to 40 miles next week and pick up the training plan from that point? or should I gradually increase my mileage and do whatever I can, but peak at 30 miles per week? when should I start to taper? I want to make sure my muscles are fully recovered before the marathon... I've only done 2 "long" runs up to this point... a 12-miler and a 15-miler. I still have to fit in at the very least ONE very long run of 18 or 20 miles (ideally, I should have done anywhere from 2-5 of these over the past 4 months), and I have to do this before 2 weeks prior to the marathon. yikes! I know my fitness level is gradually improving, but I'm fearful for my running ability and the pre-marathon timeline. this training business is turning out to be a much bigger commitment than I ever anticipated.

A good place to start: The Beginning

it begins...

I woke up today absolutely determined to go for a run. There was no question that I would go. I packed my bag and was mentally prepared to go out at exactly 12:00 noon. I was 100% resolved. Then, it rained. I'm not talking like a light misty rain either, this was the kind of torrential downpour where you look out the window and can't even see through the raindrops, it's just a sheet of water. You pity the poor fool who gets stuck outside and swept away in the inevitable massive flood that ensues. It was unbelievably disappointing.

But I was determined to go.

There was no way I was running outside, so I snuck in the NYSC across the street and did a short interval treadmill workout. YAY!!! I was so psyched that I went, and now I'm all charged to keep going. As soon as I finished, I was on such a high and remembered exactly why I love running in the first place.

So today unofficially marks the beginning of my "training". I put that in quotation marks because to be perfectly honest with you I'm not following a set training plan. There are a few reasons for this. First, I don't think I can stick to a pre-set program that someone else lays out for me, and if I tried and missed a day or two, I'd be so upset and disappointed in myself, so I'd rather not set the expectations that high. Secondly, I'm determined to make this work in my own way, on my own time, There are very few things I get to do anymore where I call the shots and I am in control, so I want to design my own training program. Besides, I want this to be fun, and I need to be able to comfortably fit in all the miles without sacrificing too much. The plan is to fit in the running around my lifestyle, not to re-arrange my life around my running. Ideally, I want to find some sort of blend, where running just becomes part of my life. Experienced runners may read this and sadly shake their heads, thinking that I'm doomed for disaster, but I'm determined and hard-headed enough to make it work. Finally, I don't really know what I'm doing. Sure, I know a lot more about running than most people out there... after all, I did high school cross country, I've done countless 5K's and 10K's since then, and I've been a casual runner on & off for the past 10 years. I get a lot of good tips and ideas from reading Runner's World, Running Times, and Marathon & Beyond. I also have a network of family, friends, and coworkers who've recently completed marathons and have loads of first-hand advice. After all, they've been there before. I'm armed with all this knowledge, but when it all comes down to it, this is a completely new experience, unlike anything I've ever done before, and I have no idea how it's going to turn out. I like that uncertainty - it's kind of exciting.

So I'm just going to run with it and see how it goes.