Wrap, wrap, wrap it up!

My husband has literally been on me to do a "final" blog post recapping the race and wrapping up this blog on my end.  I think he is either 1. REALLY excited to hear what I have to say or 2. tired of pretending to be interested in my running and needs me to be done writing about it.  Probably both actually, but I have held off on my recap on purpose.  I had decided before the 1/2, that I would wait at least a week to give myself time to digest and not write when I still felt "on top of the world" after the race was over.   Then this funny thing happened...

1. The most important thing first, I RAN A HALF MARATHON!  Yes, that is 13.1 miles.
2. I did NOT feel "on top of the world" after the race...and that shocked me.

I expected to finish the race on so much positive adrenaline and really be pumped and happy and peppy.  I did not.  I felt like I had to drag myself across the finish line and felt like I was going to pass out directly after I did cross it.  In fact, I must have looked fairly bad because AJ gave me his (or whoever's water he was holding) and then kept telling me I was pale and I would not like the way I looked in the pictures because I was so pale.  I did feel better after walking around a little, drinking some Gatorade, and then finally getting a meal.

So...here are the things that went wrong with the race.
1. Left my iPhone arm band at home - had to stop in Rolla at AT&T store to buy a new one (that wasn't the same as my tried and true arm band) so that I had something to carry with me.
2. I didn't eat enough the night before.  BAD idea...but sue me.  I was nervous and I was afraid of having a stomach ache or bad digestive issues on race day.  Mostly nerves, but 7-8 bites of eggplant/noodles was not good enough.
3. Overslept on race day.  I had never used my phone alarm before and I set it for pm instead of am.  Thankfully Erin set hers, but it was enough to rattle me.
4. Bought oatmeal and a banana at QT the night before.  Didn't have a microwave in the hotel room.  Couldn't eat the oatmeal...only the banana.  Not enough food.
5. Switched my go to attire from a tank top to a long sleeved shirt at the last minute.  Got hot at mile three.  I missed my tank top.
6. AJ & Megan blasted off about mile three as well (with my Skittles in AJ's pocket).  That's about the time my stomach realized I had not eaten enough the past two days and I was HUN-GRY.  I needed a Skittles snack.
7. Hit a wall at mile 6/7 until 9.  And then again at 11 until the end.  Those few interspersed miles were torturous.

That seems like a lot to go wrong.  It wasn't all that bad, but it was all that bad.  I turned the last corner around the 13 mile marker thinking I had it made...I mean...only 0.1 miles to go, right?  And not only did the heavy breathing lady that I had been passing back and forth for the previous 5-6 miles stop running (and consequently cause me to stop running or run her over), but the last little bit was on an INCLINE.   Seriously?  I think I said, "Seriously?" out loud when I saw it.  Ugh...!!!

I felt like I had been hit by a bus after I was done and my calves cramped a lot which has never happened to me before.  But, I made it and I immediately said I would NEVER run another 1/2 marathon again as AJ & Megan staked claim on the date of their next 1/2 and loosely threw around the word "marathon" as well.  Oh, not I!  The next day, my quads and toes hurt.  I lost both of my second toe nails by the next day.  I did not expect all of this.

So, here I am, 8 days later.  I honestly don't know if I will run another 1/2, but I probably will.  Maybe not for another year or so, but I do know I will not quit running.  I love it too much.  The race was on Sunday.  I took Monday off and then planned to run Tuesday until the rain changed my plans.  I knew when I was disappointed that I missed running 2 days in a row that I sure wasn't ready to quit running.  I am enjoying running for fun for now, whatever that means.  I will attempt to run a longer run Friday (9 miles) with my friend Carol who is only a few weeks away from her 1/2.

So, on to the shout outs!

Shout out to:
-My wonderfully supportive husband who has put up with me and my running obsession over the past 9 months.  He is awesome and also aspires to be a runner too someday!  :)
-My running club friends - Carol, Sheri, Doug, Carol, Ken, AJ & Megan.  I honestly would have never been motivated enough to do this or would have logged enough to miles to do this without you.  Cheers to accountability!!
-EG - you rock!  I loved getting to spend the weekend with you and run 13.1 miles with you.
-My fellow halfers - Natalie, Aj, Megan, and EG (again) - Glad we could all rock StL together Salem-style as half-marathon first timers!
- Everybody that anxiously waits for me to start running at 5am so they can "like" my fb status, and also to those who roll their eyes and scroll on by when they see my facebook running status.  I know it's annoying, but again...it helps me stay accountable so thanks for indulging me.
-All my other family & friends who have been so wonderful to ask how I'm doing and keep up with my training and listen to me whine when I felt bad or just wanted to complain.  You're the best!!!

Reunited and it feels so...incompatible?

After 9 long months of separation, the Two Girls are finally together! Here we sit, on the couch, after an amazing dinner of fried fish, hush puppies, fried potatoes, mac & cheese.....oh, and a little bit of coleslaw as a veggie. Eagerly anticipating the event on Sunday, talk quickly turns to the race (especially since as we type this the Cardinals are losing...stupid Lynn) and our thoughts about it. 

It quickly becomes apparent that we may not be running the same type of race on Sunday. Here are our own thoughts about specific race aspects:

Clothing:
Dru: the less the better.  My typical, 50 degrees and over gear is a tank top and my broken in running shorts.  (Anticipated start time temperature - 60 degrees....ugh, hot!)
Erin: layers, layers and more layers! If it is colder than 70 degrees, I might consider wearing gloves and a hat. (60 degrees....brrrrrr!!)

Pace:
Dru: What's that?  I just want to finish.
Erin: I've been surprised to find that I'm getting faster the farther I run. No one is more shocked about this than me. I don't aim to run at a certain pace, I just find myself clocking in around 10.13 mins per mile fairly consistently.
Dru:  Crap!  That's fast.

Water Intake:
Erin: My race plan is to stop at each station, graciously accepting the Dixie cup of water or Gatorade. This is the one time during the run where I feel it's acceptable for me to walk for two reasons: 1. I'll be tired. I want a break. 2. I physically can't run and drink liquids. I'll choke. I look forward to the water stations so much I'm considering writing down the station mile marks on my hand so I know how much farther I have to run before I get a break.
Dru:  I think I'll be fine with no water breaks.  I'm afraid if I stop running, even for 30 seconds that one of two things will happen:  1. Someone will run over me from behind.  2. I won't want to quit having that water break and start running again.  So, unless I feel overly parched, I will just soldier on through the water breaks.  This will also give me a chance to catch up with Erin, who passed me minutes ago with her lightning speed.

Energy Intake:
Erin: My mom gave me some energy bean things. I'm fairly certain they are candy, but they aren't actual candy so I feel good eating them. I'm supposed to eat a whole bag before the run and another bag in the middle of the run. That sounds ridiculous. I'll have 3-4 before, and another 3-4 in the midst of my run. That should suffice.
Dru:  I hate to guess about whether or not the energy beans or candy or not, so I'm just going to cut the chase and eat a (small) pack of Skittles mid-race.  That should also suffice.
Erin: She's not kidding. She's really going to eat the Skittles....candy....no joke.

That wraps up the things we have a difference of opinion on. Luckily we are both looking forward to a deliciously carb-filled dinner and a VERY early night to bed on Saturday. We're excited, anxious, nervous, and just plain ready to get this done.

See you at the Arch!
Dru "remind me why i'm doing this again" Howard
Erin "is there beer at the end of this" Gollhofer

DONE!

Whoa, whoa, whoa....I know what you're thinking.  And the truth is I am NOT done running or even done training for my first 1/2 marathon, but mentally and pretty much physically I'm exhausted.  So, I am DONE thinking and worrying about it all.  Some might say that I should be more worried/excited since I am down to the wire and by this time next week, it will be "done" but for now, I'm just living in between reality and the dream of finishing this 13.1 miles alive.  The only things standing between me and it are a few short runs, tons of carbs and water, the trek to StL, AND (insert trumpeting music here) the race!

So, let me explain to you three things:  1. Why I'm mentally exhausted.  2. Why I'm physically exhausted and 3. Why I have to suck it up and get over it.

1.  If you know me, then you know that I stress and worry about everything.  I obsesses and contemplate and obsess some more over every detail of things.  I have more than likely been driving my running friends and my husband completely nutso over the last few months with questions and by constantly questioning and second guessing myself and my ability.  If you don't know me, well, for the last few months consider yourself lucky.  Otherwise, after this race, you should know me...I'm tons of fun (you know, if you enjoy the boring, old, married gals that are homebodies and afraid to leave the house with their children kind of fun)!  But this worrying is draining me.  I'm over it.  I decided that yesterday after my run with Megan - which I ran only about 3 out of the 5 miles we completed - I can run 11.5 miles, I can/will finish this race irregardless of how I've felt the last few days.

2. So, about the last few days.  My body feels like it's just giving out on me.  I'm so tired and running feels like so much effort and my back is hurting and I'm weak and...you get my picture.  I believe I have been training for too long (that and I had a stomach bug accompanied by aches and chills last week that kicked by booty).  Not that I have way overdone it with miles by any means.  It's just that I actually began a training schedule 5+ months ago.  Lesson learned, Higdon was right.  You only really need 10 or so weeks of training.  I'll remember that the next time...if there is a next time for this.

3.  Well, if it's not obvious why I need to suck it up and go on about my business this week, then I'll restate it.  I have LESS than ONE week to do this, ready or not.  So, I will.  I'm excited to be a part of it and have the experience.  I'm excited to see my friend Erin and I'm excited to actually be DONE.  So, I will focus on those things and keep remembering that I can and will do this!


Also I would like to add a final training word from AJ (which I should mention he asked me to post late last week...which also makes me currently unreliable and a procrastinator).

"Just  209 hours until the start of the race and hopefully in 211 hours and 30 minutes from now, Team 2 ½ women will be crossing the finish line. All the hours and miles of running are about to pay off as we hit the streets of St. Louis. Family & Friends will be able to track us via cell phones as we go from mile marker to mile marker and EVERYONE will know if I’ve taken a Porta Potty break at Mile 8…lol"

An Open Letter to My Shins

Dear Shins,

We’ve been together for quite a while now.  What has it been, 31 years? Yeah, that sounds right to me, too. I would think that our long relationship would afford me some more respect from you. It seems you do not feel the same way.

When we started training for this half-marathon, I thought we were doing it as a team. But, it soon became apparent that only one of us was in to win it. After 9 months of training your actions have become intolerable. I never know what to expect from you! This past Sunday I was able to easily run 6 miles. This morning, I could barely get through 1 ½ miles before you forced me to stop. As tears welled up in my eyes in the middle of the gym, I realized it was time for a confrontation.

So, here it is. I’m just a girl, standing in front of her shins, asking them to love her.

If I could, I would break up with you. But, that’s physically impossible. Even if it were possible I’d probably just meet another pair of shins, think they seemed cool and start running with them. So, I’ll stick with you but I’m going to need you to be a bit more supportive. 

I’ll continue to ice and stretch you. I’ll probably even break down this weekend and buy those hideous compression sleeves. With just 15 days until this run, I have to ask, will you be there for me?

Sincerely,

Erin

So ugly. (Not my leg.)

Battle Royale: Pilates vs. Yoga

(Disclaimer: This post includes absolutely no technical information on pilates or yoga. I am not a trained instructor. I’m not even particularly skilled at yoga or pilates. I have done zero research on the practice of either activity. I’m just someone who happened to take a pilates class on Tuesday and a yoga class today, all in an attempt to center my zen, calm my chi and keep my right shin from cramping throughout the day.  You’ve been warned.)

A few years ago Madonna made the erroneous decision to rap in one of her songs. As I recall, she rapped “I do yoga and pilates.” I decided to do both this week, since my gym offers classes during lunch. I’ve been working out with my trainer and have started running more with my new shoes, so I thought one or both classes would help stretch, tone and center me.  Here are my thoughts:

Pilates sucks. It was hilarious how bad I was at this! I thought I’d done pilates before but about 10 minutes into the class I realized it had always been a pilates/yoga hybrid. Piloga anyone? The reason this pilates class sucked, and why I now believe all pilates classes suck, is because I have the core muscles of someone who loves Pizza Hut. My abs are sponsored by cheese puffs. I did my best to lower myself down slooooowly, and then curl back up slooooowly, but the result was a lot of grunting and ungraceful rolling around.

Yoga rocks! This is a truly unfair comparison as I’ve been taking yoga classes on and off since college. (In fact, I took yoga for credit my senior year.  Shout out to my liberal arts college – Go Panthers!) So, I’m vastly more familiar with the moves and know what to expect. I love yoga! I love how it can be really relaxing at first, then super hard. And then how at the end we basically get to lie in a dark room and get REALLY close to taking a nap. I love that I’m encouraged to think about my energy, exuding positivity and calming my inner voice – all kinds of hippie stuff! It’s the best.

So, there you go. My super professional, highly scientific comparison of the practice of pilates and yoga. Namaste. 

Let's pretend that I look this cool doing yoga.



30 Days to 13.1 Miles

I awoke this morning at the ungodly hour of 4:30 a.m. with the panicked realization that today was September 21. If today is your birthday, then by all means you should be excited.  But, this date fills me with dread as it is officially one month until our half-marathon.

Where in the heck did this year go?!  When Dru and I wrote our first blog posts on January 5, I can still remember the fear I felt thinking about running 13.1 miles. Sadly, 8 months later I am still filled with fear!  This is for a variety of reasons.  Let me share them with you.

1. The farthest I have run in the past month is 6 miles. That is not even half of a half.
2. The farthest I have run in my entire 8 months of training is 9.3 miles. That is not even double digits in miles.
3. Last week when I ran my shin pain was so bad that I limped home…after only being able to run a mile. I actually shed tears. People stared. Ok, just one guy. Clearly he is a jerk.
4. Yes, I got new shoes.  But, now I’m so nervous about messing my shins up and not being able to run the ½ in St. Louis that I’m scared to do any training runs.

Clearly fear has taken over – both mentally and physically. Instead of getting up and running this morning, which a good runner would have done, I laid in bed and tried to let the sweet sounds of my dog snoring beside me soothe me back to sleep. 

It did not work. 

I am officially freaking out.

No sleep problems here.

This is great...I'll tell you why!

I am really getting into this "guest blogging" bit.  Firstly, because it gets me off the hook from actually writing my own thoughts about running, which, let's be honest....are getting pretty blah.  I  have come to the conclusion that I shouldn't write any more posts until I have something REALLY exciting to talk about.  Lastly, I love it because it's so interesting to read other people's thoughts on running and how it relates to them and you and life and so on.  But that notion leads me to believe we should have thousands of followers by now.  Sadly, we do not.  But, it's not because of our lack of wittiness or our failure to be awesome.  I think it's the actual running part that turns people off.  Touche non-readers....I was turned off from running for about 30 1/2 years of my life.  I get it.

Anywho, that being said.  I would like to introduce our newest guest blogger, Carol Walter.   I give Carol 1/2 credit for me signing up for the 1/2.  (I would like to assign credit to the other person who convinced me to do the 1/2, but I will do so when he guest blogs too...ahem, @Ken).  Back to the story.  On one of our short Saturday morning Salem Running Club excursions last winter, Carol was coming off of, what I believe was an extending running high, from just completing her first 1/2, supporting St. Jude's in Memphis, TN.  She and her family have been loyal supporters of this race and their cause for several years.  I digress, but I say it was an extended high, because several weeks later, she was still so excited she convinced me to kind of/sort of/almost think I could run 13.1 miles too by saying, "if I can do it, you can do it."  Yes, I am that easily convinced of things at times.  I'm actually surprised more people don't take advantage of my naivety, but Carol did, unknowingly, and I think I might be grateful (eventually) if I live through this adventure.

So, in the words of Carol...

As the “slow, old running partner” with Dru, I want to add my thoughts…..like you can stop me – HA! 

First let me say that Dru is awesome.  She is an inspiration and keeps me going and laughing most mornings at 5 am.  Since her half marathon is in October, and mine is in December, she is ahead of me in the “long runs” so the group often runs with me and then past my house to drop me off while they run further.  I’d say “off into the sunset” but since the sun isn’t even up yet, that won’t work.

Dru started running with me when I was training for my second ½ last March.  When I asked if anyone wanted to start run at 5am there was only one crazy person – DRU- who said yes.  I should have known then she was nuts! (Like the rest of us). PS – in light of the other “guest bloggers” I already have a 13.1 sticker on my car….and my husband and I always laugh how we run 5 miles then circle the Wal-Mart parking lot to find a close spot. 

Dru and I talk about important things like shoes (we both share the passion) and kids, and family and bathroom needs.  You KNOW bathroom needs always come up in running.  We now speak in “code”.

Then there was the morning I heard her scream from behind me and thought sure someone had abducted her.  It was the big dog – see previous blog posts.  Just know that she can yell really loud in a scary low voice that scares very large dogs and probably most the people sleeping in their beds in the surrounding houses.

I recently have re-injured an old stress fracture.  It is so nice to have running buddies who miss you when you’re sleeping in.  J  No, really the support is wonderful and I missed them too.

Running is a disease and it is great when you find others who share that disease with you.  Thanks Dru for being the best running buddy ever!!

Here’s to your HALF!  You still have to run with me every morning; the only difference will be that sticker on the back of your car in my driveway at 5 am.