I realize that it has been quite a while since I posted, but today I have completed a 2 month run streak that began on August 1. For the past 61 days now, I have run at least 1 mile every single day. As I am training for a half marathon in a couple of weeks, and a marathon in February, I do not run the same distance every day. Instead of taking a rest day, on my "off" days I just jog a light mile. My longest run so far has been 11 miles - until tomorrow, when hopefully I'll do 12. All in all, I am just under 200 miles for the 2 months, and should hit that mark tomorrow.
Complicating this whole run streak has been my back. Having never really had back problems at all until this year, I'm learning that being 40 actually feels like 40 sometimes. After seeking treatment from the chiropractor and having no luck, I did talk to my orthopaedic doctor and he was able to locate the source of my pain - the S.I. joint. Look it up. I can't say I know much about it, but it is a part of the pelvis/hip area. Anyway, he prescribed some meds and physical therapy, and I had my first PT on Wednesday. As the physical therapist was taking me through some initial tests, he said, "you're probably going to hurt worse after this." Unfortunately, he was not kidding. I haven't hurt this bad the entire time. This truly is the first time in 61 days that I have wondered about being able to keep up the run streak. I do believe that what the PT is doing will work and help, but getting to where it is pain free again will not be easy. Yet, today I still got out there and ran. Not far - only 2 miles - but still, I ran.
I've learned a lot of things about myself in these 61 days. Running is becoming almost as normal to me as taking a shower - which also happens to be something that I do every day. Seriously, a couple of times in this streak I have not done it in the morning, and my day just feels strange until I get my run in. I feel that even more than before, it helps me clear my thoughts and level me out. I've also noticed that while my back does hurt, amazingly enough, I've really not had any other pains elsewhere. When I would run only 3-4 times a week, it always seemed like something would hurt - my foot, my shin, my shoulder, etc. But so far through running every day, it's almost like I'm oiling the joints each day and it truly is becoming easier.
Tip for beginning runners: Do not just jump into a run streak, no matter how enthusiastic you may be. Take some time, and build up a bit of a base. I know that when I first started running I WAYYYYY over did it, and I ended up with 2 stress fractures. Build up your base first - go slow and not real far. Add little by little to you mileage, but make sure you do not go hard 2-3 days in a row. If you go hard one day, take it easy and maybe run/walk if you need to the next day.
Tip #2 for beginning runners: Inevitably, some idiot will let their dog out without a fence or a leash. You will get chased at some point. Fortunately, when this happened to me a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of something from when I worked for Carolina Power and Light many years ago: if a dog is coming at you, bend down to the ground and act like you are picking up a rock and throw it at the dog. Almost universally, a dog will turn away when they see you do that, which will buy you a little more time to actually look for something to throw. They may still bark and they may charge again, but almost always this will keep them off of you. Proof? I've had to use it twice in the past 2 weeks - once with one dog, the second with 2 dogs. If you're lucky, you'll actually find a rock to toss in their direction (don't hit the dog - he's just being a dog and really does not mean you harm).
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Run through the wind ... and back
I am proud to say that I am presently the owner of a 33 consecutive day run streak. Considering that a month and 2 days is not long enough to actually be called a "streak," I realize that is not a big deal, but for me it is a start. When I set out on August 1, I knew that I would face days with some challenges. I knew that I would eventually face weather difficulties; I knew that I would face health/injury issues. I did not know that I would simultaneously face weather AND injury issues.
Last Saturday Hurricane Irene hit the NC coast. Though we are a couple of hours inland, we still had some strong winds and rain throughout much of the day on Saturday. I had hoped to actually get up early enough to beat the wind and rain and go run, but it came sooner than I thought - in fact, rain and winds began picking up Friday night. Saturday morning I woke up and realized the power was out, though the ceiling fan was still moving above my head - thus I deducted that the power must have just gone out around 6:30 Saturday morning. The power did not return until around 7:00 PM Tuesday night.
Saturday was an interesting day. The boys and I would occasionally go out on the screened-in porch to watch the storm, and just the sound of the roaring wind through the trees was amazing. Every now and then the gusts would really blow, and it was fantastic to watch the trees bend and bend, only to stand tall again. I was really beginning to think that the streak may come to an end on day 27. However, as the afternoon wore on, the rain was starting to let up a bit, and the wind was not quite as bad. Our boys were starting to go stir crazy (and so was I), so I said, "Hey guys - how about we go on an adventure and let's go run a mile!" Jacob quickly bought into the idea ("We get to run through a hurricane?!?! Awesome!). Aaron was not so sure, mainly because he still has a cast from his broken wrist, but it did not take him long to decide to put a plastic bag over the cast and go for it. So we got all ready, and out into the wind and rain we went.
We only ran one mile, but come on - it was in a hurricane! Well, maybe more like tropical storm winds, but still. We live in an older, established neighborhood, and said neighborhood has a lot of old, large trees. Several of these trees were unable to maintain the fight against the wind and had fallen in battle. As we attempted our run, we had to climb over and through some of these fallen trees, as well as dodge downed power lines. It really was quite a thrill, even if running into the wind made it extremely difficult. The funniest thing was when we would see someone looking at us - looking at us like we were fools, which of course we were.
Sunday morning when we still did not have power, I knew that we would not be having worship services. Yet, I still got up dutifully early (thanks to my cellphone alarm), and went for a quick 2 mile run. I say quick, but it really was not quick. Every single street in my neighborhood - every.single.one. - had at least one tree blocking the road. Some of these trees were over a hundred years old. I began to really realize the how bad some of the damage was. Incidentally enough, some neighborhoods in our area never lost power and barely had any branches in their yard. Yet, our day was a long one, as when I made the decision to cancel worship, I told people to go out and worship God by helping a neighbor. So I figured that since I said that, I better be one who did it. The boys and I got our work gloves on and off we went through the neighborhood. We went to every house for 3 blocks cleaning up branches - large and small. One lady came out and told my guys that they were answers to prayer, because she had had surgery a couple of weeks before and she knew she would not be able to clean up the mess. I think that really made them feel good - I know it made me feel good. Unfortunately, all the bending, lifting, and pulling some of the larger branches and small trees did not help my back issue that I spoke of last week.
I wouldn't say that I re-aggravated it, because in reality it never really got much better. But I definitely irritated it a bit more. After 2 cold showers on Sunday (remember - no power) and holding some ice packs (that were still cold due to the freezer that was quickly melting), they seemed to help some, but not much. Fortunately we are very blessed to have some wonderful friends who lets us come and stay at their nice air-conditioned and electrified house Sunday and Monday nights. I ran in their neighborhood Monday and Tuesday, but my back was still bothering. I began to be able to pinpoint the exact location of my pain - directly at the top of my back left hip. After running again on Wednesday in my own neighborhood (because we finally had power), I realized that I would need to try the chiropractor one more time. Ran Thursday and again today, and had my appointment with him this morning. He says that I need to strengthen my core. He says that because I have a weak core, I am off-balance. So he says to me, "You know what you're going to have to start doing? Walking." I said, "Ugh - I was afraid you were going to say that." Then he proceeds to tell me that exercise, such as walking, will help strengthen my core. I realized that he didn't quite grasp that I am in the middle of a running streak, and so I said to him, "Well I run every day." He then asked me how often I ran, and I said again, "Literally, I run EVERY day." To which he replied, "Hrmm. Do you do any crunches? That'll help."
So . . . that was my last appointment for this particular problem. I will follow his advice and smartly work on my core. I've known for quite some time that I should work on my core and that it would help my running, but knowing something and doing something are two completely different things. I've looked up some stretches that I plan on doing, and I will continue to put ice on it when I am sitting around, and I will work on my core. But if the pain persists, Monday I'm calling a Doc. But I also still plan on running. Every day.
Seate Streak: 33 days
Last Saturday Hurricane Irene hit the NC coast. Though we are a couple of hours inland, we still had some strong winds and rain throughout much of the day on Saturday. I had hoped to actually get up early enough to beat the wind and rain and go run, but it came sooner than I thought - in fact, rain and winds began picking up Friday night. Saturday morning I woke up and realized the power was out, though the ceiling fan was still moving above my head - thus I deducted that the power must have just gone out around 6:30 Saturday morning. The power did not return until around 7:00 PM Tuesday night.
Saturday was an interesting day. The boys and I would occasionally go out on the screened-in porch to watch the storm, and just the sound of the roaring wind through the trees was amazing. Every now and then the gusts would really blow, and it was fantastic to watch the trees bend and bend, only to stand tall again. I was really beginning to think that the streak may come to an end on day 27. However, as the afternoon wore on, the rain was starting to let up a bit, and the wind was not quite as bad. Our boys were starting to go stir crazy (and so was I), so I said, "Hey guys - how about we go on an adventure and let's go run a mile!" Jacob quickly bought into the idea ("We get to run through a hurricane?!?! Awesome!). Aaron was not so sure, mainly because he still has a cast from his broken wrist, but it did not take him long to decide to put a plastic bag over the cast and go for it. So we got all ready, and out into the wind and rain we went.
We only ran one mile, but come on - it was in a hurricane! Well, maybe more like tropical storm winds, but still. We live in an older, established neighborhood, and said neighborhood has a lot of old, large trees. Several of these trees were unable to maintain the fight against the wind and had fallen in battle. As we attempted our run, we had to climb over and through some of these fallen trees, as well as dodge downed power lines. It really was quite a thrill, even if running into the wind made it extremely difficult. The funniest thing was when we would see someone looking at us - looking at us like we were fools, which of course we were.
Sunday morning when we still did not have power, I knew that we would not be having worship services. Yet, I still got up dutifully early (thanks to my cellphone alarm), and went for a quick 2 mile run. I say quick, but it really was not quick. Every single street in my neighborhood - every.single.one. - had at least one tree blocking the road. Some of these trees were over a hundred years old. I began to really realize the how bad some of the damage was. Incidentally enough, some neighborhoods in our area never lost power and barely had any branches in their yard. Yet, our day was a long one, as when I made the decision to cancel worship, I told people to go out and worship God by helping a neighbor. So I figured that since I said that, I better be one who did it. The boys and I got our work gloves on and off we went through the neighborhood. We went to every house for 3 blocks cleaning up branches - large and small. One lady came out and told my guys that they were answers to prayer, because she had had surgery a couple of weeks before and she knew she would not be able to clean up the mess. I think that really made them feel good - I know it made me feel good. Unfortunately, all the bending, lifting, and pulling some of the larger branches and small trees did not help my back issue that I spoke of last week.
I wouldn't say that I re-aggravated it, because in reality it never really got much better. But I definitely irritated it a bit more. After 2 cold showers on Sunday (remember - no power) and holding some ice packs (that were still cold due to the freezer that was quickly melting), they seemed to help some, but not much. Fortunately we are very blessed to have some wonderful friends who lets us come and stay at their nice air-conditioned and electrified house Sunday and Monday nights. I ran in their neighborhood Monday and Tuesday, but my back was still bothering. I began to be able to pinpoint the exact location of my pain - directly at the top of my back left hip. After running again on Wednesday in my own neighborhood (because we finally had power), I realized that I would need to try the chiropractor one more time. Ran Thursday and again today, and had my appointment with him this morning. He says that I need to strengthen my core. He says that because I have a weak core, I am off-balance. So he says to me, "You know what you're going to have to start doing? Walking." I said, "Ugh - I was afraid you were going to say that." Then he proceeds to tell me that exercise, such as walking, will help strengthen my core. I realized that he didn't quite grasp that I am in the middle of a running streak, and so I said to him, "Well I run every day." He then asked me how often I ran, and I said again, "Literally, I run EVERY day." To which he replied, "Hrmm. Do you do any crunches? That'll help."
So . . . that was my last appointment for this particular problem. I will follow his advice and smartly work on my core. I've known for quite some time that I should work on my core and that it would help my running, but knowing something and doing something are two completely different things. I've looked up some stretches that I plan on doing, and I will continue to put ice on it when I am sitting around, and I will work on my core. But if the pain persists, Monday I'm calling a Doc. But I also still plan on running. Every day.
Seate Streak: 33 days
Friday, August 26, 2011
Before the storm
For whatever reason, my run this morning felt like one of the toughest in quite some time. 7 miles, but the humidity felt worse than anytime during August. I was completely drenched today. Seriously - I looked like I had run through a sprinkler when I was done. I had to wring my clothes out before I hung them up out on the line - it was just plain nasty. And I could feel the humidity just draining the energy from me. However, at the end of the run, I can proudly say that I have completed day 26 of my run streak.
This past week has been difficult. My back issue that I complained about in the last post really began to worsen last Friday. We went to a movie last Friday afternoon, and when it was over I was so stiff and in pain I could barely get up. Saturday morning, however, I faithfully trudged my way through my compulsory 1 mile to keep the streak alive. Sunday felt a little better, but again, I only did 1 mile. Monday too. Tuesday I picked it up a bit as I was starting to feel better, and I did 2 miles. Wednesday I really was starting to feel better and I did 5 miles - but then as the day wore on, my back began to holla' back at me. So, taking my cue from earlier in the year, I called the chiropractor. I know, I know, I know - a lot of people think they are quacks, and they may be. But I can say this, I felt a difference in my low back pain after I was seen on Wednesday afternoon. And yesterday I was already feeling better. Maybe it is a mental thing, but even if it is, at least I don't have to hurt now the way I was. Can't say I have fully drank the kool-aide, but I'm getting there.
Keeping the streak alive tomorrow may prove difficult. Hurricane Irene may have some bands stretching this way tomorrow, and they are presently calling for quite a bit of rain. I have run in the rain before - but really only because it started raining while I was out. Only one time have I consciously chosen to run in the rain, and that was because my kids were still having soccer practice in the downpour and I needed to run - so I ran while they practiced. One possible rain plan is for me to utilize the hallways at the church. From end to end, our church buildings are almost a city block. It may be that tomorrow if it is really raining and the wind blowing that I go across the street and run from one end to the next and back . . . and back . . . and back.
Seate Streak: 26 days
Streak miles: 82.1
This past week has been difficult. My back issue that I complained about in the last post really began to worsen last Friday. We went to a movie last Friday afternoon, and when it was over I was so stiff and in pain I could barely get up. Saturday morning, however, I faithfully trudged my way through my compulsory 1 mile to keep the streak alive. Sunday felt a little better, but again, I only did 1 mile. Monday too. Tuesday I picked it up a bit as I was starting to feel better, and I did 2 miles. Wednesday I really was starting to feel better and I did 5 miles - but then as the day wore on, my back began to holla' back at me. So, taking my cue from earlier in the year, I called the chiropractor. I know, I know, I know - a lot of people think they are quacks, and they may be. But I can say this, I felt a difference in my low back pain after I was seen on Wednesday afternoon. And yesterday I was already feeling better. Maybe it is a mental thing, but even if it is, at least I don't have to hurt now the way I was. Can't say I have fully drank the kool-aide, but I'm getting there.
Keeping the streak alive tomorrow may prove difficult. Hurricane Irene may have some bands stretching this way tomorrow, and they are presently calling for quite a bit of rain. I have run in the rain before - but really only because it started raining while I was out. Only one time have I consciously chosen to run in the rain, and that was because my kids were still having soccer practice in the downpour and I needed to run - so I ran while they practiced. One possible rain plan is for me to utilize the hallways at the church. From end to end, our church buildings are almost a city block. It may be that tomorrow if it is really raining and the wind blowing that I go across the street and run from one end to the next and back . . . and back . . . and back.
Seate Streak: 26 days
Streak miles: 82.1
Friday, August 19, 2011
Lordy, Lordy, I feel . . .
Lordy, Lordy, I feel 40. If you are younger than let's say 35, then one of the blessed things that you get to look forward to in the years to come is that almost every day somewhere something on/in your body hurts. Not necessarily a debilitating hurt, but as you roll out of the bed in the morning and your feet hit the floor for the first time, something will let you know that you are alive. Maybe it will be your foot, as the plantar fascia stretches when you place full weight by standing. Maybe it will be your ankle that hurt 20 years ago, but every now and then it will just mysterious have flashback pains. Maybe it will be your shoulder, where you had just a little too much fun playing Wii bowling the day before. But more than likely, one of the areas that will hurt at some point as you age a little is your back. Sometimes you can tell it's going to be one of those days before you even roll out of bed, and in fact the process of simply rolling out of bed causes enough bite to make you want to just stay in bed.
I will confess to having been blessed with a relatively good back. I have friends who started having back problems in their 20s, and I must say that I have been quite fortunate. A few months ago as I prepared to go for a run, I "snorted" to clear out my nostrils, and a pain gripped me around my torso like a bear hug. I still went and ran, but not long after I finished the run I was on the phone scheduling my first ever chiropractor appointment. 3 treatments later, I was good as new (they said one of my disks has become misaligned, and when I snorted one of my ribs was knocked out of place. Mularkey? No idea, but I know I have not hurt there again, nor have I had any pain in turning my neck, as I had been for a while before). So I was a little taken aback (pun intended) last night when I began to notice a little pain in my lower back (completely different area). I sat with a heating pad for a bit before bed, but when I got up this morning it still was hurting, and I felt stiff. Pretty sure it's just a muscle strain, but it is something I'll be paying attention to over the next few days.
All that said, today I completed day 19 of the Seate Streak. 5.18 miles with a 9:09 per mile pace. That per mile pace really took a hit when I decided that I needed to walk a little bit. I am having difficulty slowing my pace down. Some of you may read my pace and think that already is pretty slow, but for me it is faster than what I need to be running. A 9:00 mile is very comfortable to me, but I feel that to be building for the longer distances, I need to find a comfort a bit slower, and if I still feel good I can speed up. I may start trying to do a little run/walk to manage my pace better, because too many times I look at my watch and see an 8:30 or 8:45 pace, and I know I need to slow down. This week I did sign up for the Neuse River Bridge Run Half Marathon in October, and the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February. As my mother-in-law is moving close to Orlando, I am still considering doing the Disney Marathon (and maybe even the Goofy Challenge if the registration isn't full by the time I decide - if you aren't aware, the Goofy Challenge is the Half Marathon on Saturday, and full Marathon on Sunday. 39.3 miles over 2 days. Many people run/walk the half so that it doesn't take too much out of them before the Marathon.)
Seate Streak days: 19
Seate Streak miles: 60.4 (avg. 3.18)
I will confess to having been blessed with a relatively good back. I have friends who started having back problems in their 20s, and I must say that I have been quite fortunate. A few months ago as I prepared to go for a run, I "snorted" to clear out my nostrils, and a pain gripped me around my torso like a bear hug. I still went and ran, but not long after I finished the run I was on the phone scheduling my first ever chiropractor appointment. 3 treatments later, I was good as new (they said one of my disks has become misaligned, and when I snorted one of my ribs was knocked out of place. Mularkey? No idea, but I know I have not hurt there again, nor have I had any pain in turning my neck, as I had been for a while before). So I was a little taken aback (pun intended) last night when I began to notice a little pain in my lower back (completely different area). I sat with a heating pad for a bit before bed, but when I got up this morning it still was hurting, and I felt stiff. Pretty sure it's just a muscle strain, but it is something I'll be paying attention to over the next few days.
All that said, today I completed day 19 of the Seate Streak. 5.18 miles with a 9:09 per mile pace. That per mile pace really took a hit when I decided that I needed to walk a little bit. I am having difficulty slowing my pace down. Some of you may read my pace and think that already is pretty slow, but for me it is faster than what I need to be running. A 9:00 mile is very comfortable to me, but I feel that to be building for the longer distances, I need to find a comfort a bit slower, and if I still feel good I can speed up. I may start trying to do a little run/walk to manage my pace better, because too many times I look at my watch and see an 8:30 or 8:45 pace, and I know I need to slow down. This week I did sign up for the Neuse River Bridge Run Half Marathon in October, and the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February. As my mother-in-law is moving close to Orlando, I am still considering doing the Disney Marathon (and maybe even the Goofy Challenge if the registration isn't full by the time I decide - if you aren't aware, the Goofy Challenge is the Half Marathon on Saturday, and full Marathon on Sunday. 39.3 miles over 2 days. Many people run/walk the half so that it doesn't take too much out of them before the Marathon.)
Seate Streak days: 19
Seate Streak miles: 60.4 (avg. 3.18)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Embracing 40
This morning to celebrate my 40th birthday, the alarm went off at 5:30 so that I could get up, have a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, and head out for a 5 mile run. I am pretty certain that 10 years ago I would not have even imagined this would be what I would have done when I turned 40. Ten years ago I weighed at least 30 pounds more than I do now and I was struggling with asthma, enduring bronchitis at least twice a year. Today, I very rarely have any sort of issue with my asthma and I have not been really sick in . . . I can't remember the last time I was sick. Fact is, I am in better shape and health than I was ten years ago - heck, probably even better shape than I was 20 years ago, though I'm sure I'm not as fast now as I was then.
These facts were not lost on me one bit this morning as I ran. It's just funny, because while I may be 40, I don't feel at all like what I used to think 40 would feel like. Granted, what we consider to be old is relative. It's like in the church how some people claim that they like "traditional" music. That word "traditional" is truly relative, because for my 2 sons "traditional" music for them is what others would consider "contemporary." Likewise, when I was 19 I had a friend that was in his 20s, and I thought he was old. When I was in my 20s, I thought my friends in their 30s were old. My view on what age "old" is changes by the day.
One great thing about turning 40 is that I am now in a different age group for most races that I run in! No longer am I the old guy in the 30-39 age group - I'm now the youngest in the 40-49 age group!
Today was supposed to be a nice, slow run. It was supposed to be a slower pace, and I was going to judge that based on my exertion level. So I was surprised to find that it was only 4 seconds per mile slower than yesterday. Definitely feeling like this run streak is making me stronger.
Seate Streak: 16 days
These facts were not lost on me one bit this morning as I ran. It's just funny, because while I may be 40, I don't feel at all like what I used to think 40 would feel like. Granted, what we consider to be old is relative. It's like in the church how some people claim that they like "traditional" music. That word "traditional" is truly relative, because for my 2 sons "traditional" music for them is what others would consider "contemporary." Likewise, when I was 19 I had a friend that was in his 20s, and I thought he was old. When I was in my 20s, I thought my friends in their 30s were old. My view on what age "old" is changes by the day.
One great thing about turning 40 is that I am now in a different age group for most races that I run in! No longer am I the old guy in the 30-39 age group - I'm now the youngest in the 40-49 age group!
Today was supposed to be a nice, slow run. It was supposed to be a slower pace, and I was going to judge that based on my exertion level. So I was surprised to find that it was only 4 seconds per mile slower than yesterday. Definitely feeling like this run streak is making me stronger.
Seate Streak: 16 days
Monday, August 15, 2011
Fall into Summer
This morning it really felt like Fall out there on my run. I have noticed that when it is nice outside that it will not be until about the end of the first mile that I will need to wipe the sweat off of my brow. If I wait and run later in the day, I barely make it to the first half-mile. Today, it may have even been later as I was truly enjoying the beautiful morning. This morning stood in such contrast to last night when we were in the midst of torrential downpours as a thunderstorm battered our area. I was concerned that I might run into some huge puddles on the streets, but I was able to avoid them for a nice, smooth 5 miles at a 9:03 pace.
Presently I am at day 15 in my run streak. Yesterday I could not get myself out of bed in time to go run before church, and then I was concerned about the possibility of evening storms, so I went running yesterday after lunch. In the end, I made an excellent choice, because by the time we did get home last night from picking up our boys who stayed the weekend at my parents, the storms were raging. I need close calls like that one to remind that if I am going to try to keep up the run streak, then I will definitely need to do all that I can to get the miles done early in the day.
Today on my run I did notice my first bit of "pain" that I have had since I began running the streak. Embarrassingly enough, I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with my running - instead, I think it came as the result of Jenn and I playing some Wii bowling on Saturday! Hey - when you're 39, even the small things can hurt sometimes! My dad and sister were asking me yesterday about "don't you need a day of rest?" Not to be arrogant - trust me, I don't have much of anything to be arrogant about - but when someone who runs a lot runs only a mile, that is a rest day.
Presently I am at day 15 in my run streak. Yesterday I could not get myself out of bed in time to go run before church, and then I was concerned about the possibility of evening storms, so I went running yesterday after lunch. In the end, I made an excellent choice, because by the time we did get home last night from picking up our boys who stayed the weekend at my parents, the storms were raging. I need close calls like that one to remind that if I am going to try to keep up the run streak, then I will definitely need to do all that I can to get the miles done early in the day.
Today on my run I did notice my first bit of "pain" that I have had since I began running the streak. Embarrassingly enough, I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with my running - instead, I think it came as the result of Jenn and I playing some Wii bowling on Saturday! Hey - when you're 39, even the small things can hurt sometimes! My dad and sister were asking me yesterday about "don't you need a day of rest?" Not to be arrogant - trust me, I don't have much of anything to be arrogant about - but when someone who runs a lot runs only a mile, that is a rest day.
Friday, August 12, 2011
First step
Today I was reminded how true it is that the first step is the hardest. I don't know about you, but some days are harder to motivate myself than others to run. It used to be that I looked forward to my weekend runs, but lately I can't say that I have anticipated them all that much. In fact, some days it seems more like a chore. Yet, even chores must get done (at some point). This is why I'm glad to have started the run streak - gives me that little extra motivation to get out there and just get it done. At present I am not training for any race in particular, so I am just maintaining my conditioning - so that means that if I really don't feel like running far, then I don't have to.
Knowing that all it takes to maintain a "streak" is that you must run at least one mile every day, as soon as I take that first step out of the house I know that I have already added another day to my so-called-streak. No matter how bad I may feel, I know I can run a mile. After all - I've felt worse - say for instance around mile 19,20, or 21. I know it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet, but there is a sense of accomplishment for running every day for the past 12 days. Especially proud of the days that I ran at times other than early AM - which were last Friday and Saturday, and then this past Monday. Since the streak began I have averaged 3 miles a day. I realize that is not all that much, but I know if I keep up the streak that average will increase significantly as I begin training. Looking forward to cooler weather (I'll look back at this post in February and think "WTH?")
Seate Streak: 12
Knowing that all it takes to maintain a "streak" is that you must run at least one mile every day, as soon as I take that first step out of the house I know that I have already added another day to my so-called-streak. No matter how bad I may feel, I know I can run a mile. After all - I've felt worse - say for instance around mile 19,20, or 21. I know it hasn't even been 2 weeks yet, but there is a sense of accomplishment for running every day for the past 12 days. Especially proud of the days that I ran at times other than early AM - which were last Friday and Saturday, and then this past Monday. Since the streak began I have averaged 3 miles a day. I realize that is not all that much, but I know if I keep up the streak that average will increase significantly as I begin training. Looking forward to cooler weather (I'll look back at this post in February and think "WTH?")
Seate Streak: 12
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Seate Streak
I did not realize that it has been quite as long as it has been since I last posted. Since the MB Marathon back in February, my running has been pretty inconsistent. I'd run at most 3-4 days a week, and low mileage - usually nothing more than 3-4, but occasionally would do 5-6. I did run a 5K back in May with my son Jacob, and he beat me (of course), but I did come in first place for my age group - which should not be too surprising since there were not very many runners in the race (and NO, I was not the only one in my age group). I think I got intimidated by the heat of the summer early, and in June I logged a total of 10.2 miles. More than any nagging injuries (though there were a few), I had more excuses than anything. In my typical idiotic way, however, once it really started getting hot in July is when I started back trying to regularly run. Problem was I was still only running about 3 days a week.
It's about that time that I coincidentally read/heard in 2 or 3 different places about "running streaks." No, this is not "streaker running," which implies a lot less clothing than what I run with. A "running streak" is when someone runs for at least one mile every day. Every. Day. I came across articles about individuals who had completed running streaks of 20-30 years - running every single day for 20-30 years through whatever kind of weather. The articles spoke of people running on a treadmill in the middle of winter just to keep their streak alive. I read one article about a man (a United Methodist minister actually) whose wife's water broke, and he begged her to let him go run just one mile to keep his streak alive, which he already had going for several years. Just happening upon the articles over the course of a couple of weeks in July was like seeds being cast in my mind. I kept thinking about those articles and thinking about all the excuses I come up with to not run some days. Funny thing is, almost every day that I run I actually do feel better for the rest of the day. I'm more awake in the morning even though I awaken at 5:30 to get my run in before it gets hot. When my nose is congested, my run helps break up all that snot (now you know you're glad you read this). Mentally I feel refreshed after a run, because on my run I've either thought through all of my problems, or I've completely mentally checked out (I actually had to look at the map on my computer from my Garmin today to see where I had run - I could not remember!). So the idea for a "Seate Streak" began to form in my mind at some point in July.
This year I celebrate a "milestone" birthday - I'll turn 40 next week. I began to think about the possibility of starting a running streak on my birthday and see if I could do it for one year. But then Monday, August 1 rolled around. And then Tuesday, August 2. And then Wednesday, August 3. Next thing you know I had a run streak going. Friday I slept in and skipped my morning run, but as the day wore on I kept thinking about it, so Friday night around 6:30 I went for a run. Saturday I had to go help set up the soccer fields, and again was tempted to skip my run since I slept later than I should have - but again felt convicted and went and ran just before noon. Sunday was no problem, but then Monday came. I was the proud owner of a 1 week streak, and it came crashing on Monday when I hit snooze too many times. I thought maybe I would run at lunch, but by lunch it was already MUCH too hot. I thought maybe late afternoon, but by then it was CRAZY hot! I lamented to Jennifer that my streak was over, but that I would start the real streak on my birthday, and she said, "Why not go for a short run tonight after VBS? It's only a mile and it won't take you long to do that." So Monday night at 9:00 I went out and ran (did 2 miles). And the streak is still active today.
One thing I need to be careful about with this "Seate Streak" is that I do not want to over-do it. I vividly recall the 2 stress fractures that I had a couple of years ago from over-doing it. So I am being careful with my mileage and pace. On the days that I would consider my "rest" days, I am doing only about a mile or so. At first I thought it wouldn't even be worth it to put on my shoes for only a mile, but I have found that even that can be satisfying. I have to take my son to the orthopaedic doctor on Thursday to check on his broken wrist, and I'm going to bring up the streak and my past stress fractures to him. The big difference between now and when I had the stress fractures is then I was still pretty new to running - and I was running like crazy - hard/fast miles trying to become the runner I was in high school. At some point I began to realize that I will not run 5 minute miles again, and I'm OK with that. So now I can run and relax - breath in the scenery, and pray. I hope to be realistic with this streak and not become obsessed to keep it alive, but I see this as one way to keeping me accountable.
Seate Streak: 10 days
It's about that time that I coincidentally read/heard in 2 or 3 different places about "running streaks." No, this is not "streaker running," which implies a lot less clothing than what I run with. A "running streak" is when someone runs for at least one mile every day. Every. Day. I came across articles about individuals who had completed running streaks of 20-30 years - running every single day for 20-30 years through whatever kind of weather. The articles spoke of people running on a treadmill in the middle of winter just to keep their streak alive. I read one article about a man (a United Methodist minister actually) whose wife's water broke, and he begged her to let him go run just one mile to keep his streak alive, which he already had going for several years. Just happening upon the articles over the course of a couple of weeks in July was like seeds being cast in my mind. I kept thinking about those articles and thinking about all the excuses I come up with to not run some days. Funny thing is, almost every day that I run I actually do feel better for the rest of the day. I'm more awake in the morning even though I awaken at 5:30 to get my run in before it gets hot. When my nose is congested, my run helps break up all that snot (now you know you're glad you read this). Mentally I feel refreshed after a run, because on my run I've either thought through all of my problems, or I've completely mentally checked out (I actually had to look at the map on my computer from my Garmin today to see where I had run - I could not remember!). So the idea for a "Seate Streak" began to form in my mind at some point in July.
This year I celebrate a "milestone" birthday - I'll turn 40 next week. I began to think about the possibility of starting a running streak on my birthday and see if I could do it for one year. But then Monday, August 1 rolled around. And then Tuesday, August 2. And then Wednesday, August 3. Next thing you know I had a run streak going. Friday I slept in and skipped my morning run, but as the day wore on I kept thinking about it, so Friday night around 6:30 I went for a run. Saturday I had to go help set up the soccer fields, and again was tempted to skip my run since I slept later than I should have - but again felt convicted and went and ran just before noon. Sunday was no problem, but then Monday came. I was the proud owner of a 1 week streak, and it came crashing on Monday when I hit snooze too many times. I thought maybe I would run at lunch, but by lunch it was already MUCH too hot. I thought maybe late afternoon, but by then it was CRAZY hot! I lamented to Jennifer that my streak was over, but that I would start the real streak on my birthday, and she said, "Why not go for a short run tonight after VBS? It's only a mile and it won't take you long to do that." So Monday night at 9:00 I went out and ran (did 2 miles). And the streak is still active today.
One thing I need to be careful about with this "Seate Streak" is that I do not want to over-do it. I vividly recall the 2 stress fractures that I had a couple of years ago from over-doing it. So I am being careful with my mileage and pace. On the days that I would consider my "rest" days, I am doing only about a mile or so. At first I thought it wouldn't even be worth it to put on my shoes for only a mile, but I have found that even that can be satisfying. I have to take my son to the orthopaedic doctor on Thursday to check on his broken wrist, and I'm going to bring up the streak and my past stress fractures to him. The big difference between now and when I had the stress fractures is then I was still pretty new to running - and I was running like crazy - hard/fast miles trying to become the runner I was in high school. At some point I began to realize that I will not run 5 minute miles again, and I'm OK with that. So now I can run and relax - breath in the scenery, and pray. I hope to be realistic with this streak and not become obsessed to keep it alive, but I see this as one way to keeping me accountable.
Seate Streak: 10 days
Thursday, March 3, 2011
"Old Man" Runs Again!
I recognize that in the grand scheme of things, 39 is truly not old. When I was 19, I thought 25 was old; when I was 25, I thought 30 was old. Yet now that I'm 39, I have come to the realization that 39 (or even 40!) is not old. That being said, as young at heart as I may feel, sometimes being a runner can make me feel old.
For about a week after the marathon, I walked funny. There was a grimace on my face every time I had to stand up. When I would get up from my desk and start walking, I'd have to start slow, and once I got going I could go a little bit better. I have 80-year-olds at my church who get around better and faster than I did that week! Adding to the muscular discomfort was a pain in my hip - which my orthopedic doctor at my church said was likely "bursitis," which just sounds old!
By this past Monday, my hip was feeling a bit better, but I wanted to give it one more day of rest before I ran. When my boys got home from school, one of them didn't have any homework (for once!), and he asked, "Hey Dad - you wanna go outside and play?" He is 13 now, and I'll take any invitation to still play with my sons that I can get, recognizing those days are not as numerous as they once were. So I took the rest of the afternoon off, and outside we went. We had a great time running around, throwing the football, and even doing some soccer drills. He wanted to work on his speed for soccer, so I had him do some sprint drills barefoot. After doing a few sprints, he sort of challenged the "old man," saying something about how he could probably beat me now. When he is in mid-season form with soccer, he could probably run a faster mile than me, but I felt like I still had him in sprints and anything over a mile - so I took that challenge. Having not run since the marathon, I lined up against him for about a 75M sprint - and I beat him (not as badly as I had hoped, but I still beat him!). It felt fantastic to just burn it out! We jogged back to the start, because he thought it was an anomaly, and this time he got a great start and jumped out to a quick lead. When I started gaining on him he started cutting over to cut me off, so I cut back behind him and passed just at the end. We did a total of 5 sprints, and it felt awesome - especially because I won 4, and had 1 tie. I also felt great about my speed, and I knew that my hip was good - so I knew that I would resume running the next morning. In a little bit my other son finished his homework and he wanted to come out and play with Dad - and soon he wanted to run sprints against Dad. Again, I was loving it! I showed him also how fast the "old man" was. I was worn out after our sprints, but I felt great.
I felt great . . . that is until I rolled out of bed the next morning to go run. As my foot hit the floor I realized that the funny walking, slow moving "old man" was back! My quads and thighs were not happy with me, nor was I happy with them. My glutes were being a maximus pain also! I swear, the pain felt almost as bad as the day after the marathon! Obviously, distance running utilizes different muscle fibers than sprinting, and my legs were really educating me. So once again, there I was this week - grimacing when I got up from my desk, moving slowly at first and then speeding up as I got going.
This morning I was able to push through the soreness that is still there. I went out for my first "run" since the marathon - a nice, cool 5 miles. I did push the pace a little more than my 2 runs the week before the marathon - I just wanted to see what I could do. I wouldn't say that I went all out - I just wanted to run at a comfortable pace, but pushing just a little more than an easy jog. Ended up with an average pace of 9:13 per mile, and I really did feel good. My quads and thighs were still letting me know that they were a little grumpy, but they mostly cooperated. No hip pain to speak of, but unfortunately I did feel my right achilles again. Not really concerned about it yet because it wasn't really pain, just sort of a little tightness and it was letting me know it was there. But it is something I will be paying attention to, and this time I will go see my ortho doc if it starts bothering me again.
On a side note, I'm considering entering the lottery for the NYC Marathon. Odds are long that I would be able to get in, but this is #1 on my bucket list. This would not be the "perfect" year for me to run in it because of my schedule this year, but I figure if I get in then maybe that is simply Providence.
For about a week after the marathon, I walked funny. There was a grimace on my face every time I had to stand up. When I would get up from my desk and start walking, I'd have to start slow, and once I got going I could go a little bit better. I have 80-year-olds at my church who get around better and faster than I did that week! Adding to the muscular discomfort was a pain in my hip - which my orthopedic doctor at my church said was likely "bursitis," which just sounds old!
By this past Monday, my hip was feeling a bit better, but I wanted to give it one more day of rest before I ran. When my boys got home from school, one of them didn't have any homework (for once!), and he asked, "Hey Dad - you wanna go outside and play?" He is 13 now, and I'll take any invitation to still play with my sons that I can get, recognizing those days are not as numerous as they once were. So I took the rest of the afternoon off, and outside we went. We had a great time running around, throwing the football, and even doing some soccer drills. He wanted to work on his speed for soccer, so I had him do some sprint drills barefoot. After doing a few sprints, he sort of challenged the "old man," saying something about how he could probably beat me now. When he is in mid-season form with soccer, he could probably run a faster mile than me, but I felt like I still had him in sprints and anything over a mile - so I took that challenge. Having not run since the marathon, I lined up against him for about a 75M sprint - and I beat him (not as badly as I had hoped, but I still beat him!). It felt fantastic to just burn it out! We jogged back to the start, because he thought it was an anomaly, and this time he got a great start and jumped out to a quick lead. When I started gaining on him he started cutting over to cut me off, so I cut back behind him and passed just at the end. We did a total of 5 sprints, and it felt awesome - especially because I won 4, and had 1 tie. I also felt great about my speed, and I knew that my hip was good - so I knew that I would resume running the next morning. In a little bit my other son finished his homework and he wanted to come out and play with Dad - and soon he wanted to run sprints against Dad. Again, I was loving it! I showed him also how fast the "old man" was. I was worn out after our sprints, but I felt great.
I felt great . . . that is until I rolled out of bed the next morning to go run. As my foot hit the floor I realized that the funny walking, slow moving "old man" was back! My quads and thighs were not happy with me, nor was I happy with them. My glutes were being a maximus pain also! I swear, the pain felt almost as bad as the day after the marathon! Obviously, distance running utilizes different muscle fibers than sprinting, and my legs were really educating me. So once again, there I was this week - grimacing when I got up from my desk, moving slowly at first and then speeding up as I got going.
This morning I was able to push through the soreness that is still there. I went out for my first "run" since the marathon - a nice, cool 5 miles. I did push the pace a little more than my 2 runs the week before the marathon - I just wanted to see what I could do. I wouldn't say that I went all out - I just wanted to run at a comfortable pace, but pushing just a little more than an easy jog. Ended up with an average pace of 9:13 per mile, and I really did feel good. My quads and thighs were still letting me know that they were a little grumpy, but they mostly cooperated. No hip pain to speak of, but unfortunately I did feel my right achilles again. Not really concerned about it yet because it wasn't really pain, just sort of a little tightness and it was letting me know it was there. But it is something I will be paying attention to, and this time I will go see my ortho doc if it starts bothering me again.
On a side note, I'm considering entering the lottery for the NYC Marathon. Odds are long that I would be able to get in, but this is #1 on my bucket list. This would not be the "perfect" year for me to run in it because of my schedule this year, but I figure if I get in then maybe that is simply Providence.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Myrtle Beach Marathon Race Report
My friend David called me out on Facebook. David said that he knew that no matter what I said about potentially dropping out or not running the marathon, if I started he knew that I was going to finish. I have got to admit - in my heart, that's exactly where I was at. I knew that I would be disappointed if I didn't finish, and I also knew that I had a whole 8 hours to be able to finish it if I had to take that long. However, I was truthful in saying that IF I actually hurt something, or feared that continuing would cause or worsen an injury, then I would drop out. I knew that I would hurt - is it actually possible to run 26.2 miles and not hurt? I just knew that something would have to be really hurt - or falling off - for me to stop.
It was a great weekend for Jennifer and I. Mom and Dad had the boys for the weekend, and it was quite nostalgic for us as almost 18 years ago we went to Myrtle Beach for our honeymoon. Myrtle Beach is also the place where I had an incredible experience that led to me responding to my call into ministry, so this was all in all a neat trip. We took off mid-morning Friday and got down there in time to enjoy a great healthy lunch, got checked in early at the hotel, and then went to the runner's expo to get my bid and race packet. It is always so exciting to go to these race expos - you see so many cool products, but also you start to see so many people who are also just as excited and nervous about the daunting task that is before you. After driving around a bit, and driving past the hotel we stayed at for our honeymoon, we had time to go back and rest and relax for a bit before heading out for supper. I'm always nervous about what to eat the night before a race - you want to load up on carbs, but I don't want to eat too much or eat something that is going to cause problems later. We had in the race packet a listing of restaurants that had specials for the runners, and so we settled on one Italian place that had all you can eat spaghetti. When we got there, the place was so packed we couldn't find a parking space anywhere. So we tried plan B. Hearing there was a 50 minute wait, we tried plan C - Thorny's, which was sort of a steakhouse kind of place. I ate some amazing Chicken Alfredo, and loaded up on carbs (and fat in the alfredo!) and it was awesome. Pefect. No problems - just right. It really hit the spot.
Hit the sack early because I knew that I needed to be up by 4:30 the next morning in order to be able to eat something at the hotel before I went out to get the shuttle to the start of the race. I also knew that I needed to be out to catch the shuttle somewhere around 5:00, when they started running the shuttles for the 6:30 start time. I knew this because before I went to bed I read in some of the race information that they "strongly discouraged runners to use the race shuttle." Strongly discouraging the use of public transportation? You mean you'd rather have 7,000 driving to the exact same location at about the exact same time? That made me nervous, so I knew I wanted to be on one of the first shuttles. After eating some eggs and a bagel and having a cup of coffee, I headed out to the bus stop feeling like a kid waiting on the school bus for the first day of school. You remember that feeling? Wondering if you are at the right place? Why am I the only one out here? Is the bus ever going to come? I hope I like my teacher - oh wait, I digress. The race packet info said a shuttle would arrive every 15 minutes, and they were pretty close to that - I only had to wait about 30 - which seemed like an eternity. After all, I was still nervous about starting a race that I fully expected to quit. ;)
The bus dropped us off pretty close to the start, and after a little bit of confusion, I followed the herd towards the start area. I couldn't believe how fast the time seemed to be flying, and before I knew it, I was having to go get lined up. Before I lined up, however, I had been doing something that I had read that you should do before a race - and no, I don't mean pray - which I still did plenty of. I had been drinking a Powerade (not my preference, but it was what they were serving on the course). I drank half the bottle as soon as I rolled out of bed, and I finished the bottle just before I got in the race line up. Mental note to self - don't drink that much of anything before a race again. Ever. Considering my lack of training, I decided to line up with the 5:00 pace group.
Considering my lack of training, allow me to expound upon that for a moment. If you have read any of my posts, you may know that I have been dealing with some achilles tendonitis for a while now. As I look back on my training log, the last time that I actually ran 4 times in one week was the week of December 12-17, and that week I ran a total of 36.8 miles. The next week I only ran twice as my tendon was really bothering me for a total of 12 miles. The first week of January I ran twice for a total of 9 miles, and I knew I was in trouble. The next week I ran one - January 13 for 4.2 miles - and I quit in the middle of the run because of the pain. I did not run a step again until last Monday, February 14, when I ran 5 miles, and then again the next day I ran 6. If you know anything about training for a run like a marathon, that lack of mileage is not a good way to prepare to run 26.2. There is usually some sort of taper as you are cutting back a bit before the marathon, but not like that. Last week as I began to even think about the race, I said to Jennifer, "How arrogant do I actually have to be to be able to think that I might be able to do one of the single hardest things I've ever done in my life without even properly training for it? I'm an idiot to even think I could do it!" But yes, if you know me at all, you also know that yes - I am an idiot.
Back to the race - at the start I met a new friend - Jason Parker. Jason was running in his first marathon, and his goal was to simply finish - and considering what I just described, that was pretty much my goal also! Jason and I ran together and kept each other company for a little over the first half of the marathon. He was awesome - great company, we kept each other laughing, just a neat dude. That's one thing I love about running in these races - even I don't know a single person, you can make a new friend like I have with Jason or Scott from a previous race. I almost broke out in tears when I saw Jason run past his family. This guy was a real inspiration to me - to hear how hard it is to train in the midst of his busy work schedule, but he truly gets it done. Just remember Jason - God IS looking out for you!
I took a gel pack with me, and I hit that around mile 9 or so, and besides having to stop at least 3 times during the first half to use the restroom/bushes (darn Powerade!), I was feeling really pretty good. Yes, I knew my achilles was there, but it wasn't screaming at me - only a mild whisper. Crazy thing is that the more I ran, the less I felt my achilles. Maybe that's because the pain was shifting to other places, such as every muscle tissue in my body. Jason and I parted ways somewhere around mile 14 as he was starting to tighten up a bit. I was nervous that if I slowed down or started walking that I might begin to have problems, and then begin thinking about quitting - so I kept going. I've learned that some of the greatest battles of the marathon are not fought with your body, but with your mind. So in my mind, I would not even think about stopping or quitting.
I met some other great people - Delaine was a MB local who knew this course perfectly. She was awesome, telling me that we only had a few more miles running into this strong headwind, and then we'd turn and run up a hill (that was a pain - other than that hill - it was really flat). She encouraged me that once up the hill, the wind would be at our back for the rest of the race. At mile 17.5, I pulled out my phone that I took with me so that I could call Jennifer when I decided to quit, and I sent her the following text - "Mile 17.5 feeling good." I KNEW at that point that I was going to finish the 26.2, and I began to get emotional. It's kind of tough to start to break down and cry when you still have 9 miles to go, but at that point I knew that I could do it.
I've heard it said that a marathon is two races - a 20 miler, and then a 10 K (6.2 miles). At mile 20 I knew that my PR was well within my grasp if I could continue at the pace I had been running. Alas, that was not to be. The last 10K kicked my butt. It was much more solitary - not much talking with anyone, and fewer spectators. It even felt like the 2 miles between water stations grew farther and farther. I eventually decided that it was more important to me to finish than to set a PR (this time), so I began to walk a bit. I would set a point ahead of me and then try to run some more for as long as I could. By this time my thighs and hamstrings were screaming at me that I had asked more of them than I should have. I kept promising them that if they just got me to the finish I would give them a break, and so they would shut up for a little bit before screaming and hollering some more. During one of my walking bits, I texted Jennifer again "2.5 to go. Hurting and walking some, but I know I will finish. Can't believe it." Just typing that sent me into more tears - thank goodness I had on big dark sunglasses, and plus I was sweating, so maybe it didn't look like tears. The reality was really hitting me that I was going to do it. Yes, I had done one before, but still it was an amazing feeling of accomplishment. I knew that yes, I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I also knew that those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40:31).
When I saw on my Garmin watch that I had run 26.2 miles, I so desperately just wanted to drop, but unfortunately, I had about another third of a mile to go. Too bad they didn't use my GPS when they laid out the course! Crossing the finish was euphoric. Simply amazing. I don't know what else to say about it - but I knew that I had just done one of the most amazing things in my life. I still can't believe what an idiot I am, but I am an idiot that knew the moment that I crossed the finish line that I WILL run another marathon - and I WILL train properly and injury-free - I hope.
I applaud the race. Great race, great atmosphere. Strongly encourage this race. Definitely plan to do it again. So . . . who is up to run with me next time?
It was a great weekend for Jennifer and I. Mom and Dad had the boys for the weekend, and it was quite nostalgic for us as almost 18 years ago we went to Myrtle Beach for our honeymoon. Myrtle Beach is also the place where I had an incredible experience that led to me responding to my call into ministry, so this was all in all a neat trip. We took off mid-morning Friday and got down there in time to enjoy a great healthy lunch, got checked in early at the hotel, and then went to the runner's expo to get my bid and race packet. It is always so exciting to go to these race expos - you see so many cool products, but also you start to see so many people who are also just as excited and nervous about the daunting task that is before you. After driving around a bit, and driving past the hotel we stayed at for our honeymoon, we had time to go back and rest and relax for a bit before heading out for supper. I'm always nervous about what to eat the night before a race - you want to load up on carbs, but I don't want to eat too much or eat something that is going to cause problems later. We had in the race packet a listing of restaurants that had specials for the runners, and so we settled on one Italian place that had all you can eat spaghetti. When we got there, the place was so packed we couldn't find a parking space anywhere. So we tried plan B. Hearing there was a 50 minute wait, we tried plan C - Thorny's, which was sort of a steakhouse kind of place. I ate some amazing Chicken Alfredo, and loaded up on carbs (and fat in the alfredo!) and it was awesome. Pefect. No problems - just right. It really hit the spot.
Hit the sack early because I knew that I needed to be up by 4:30 the next morning in order to be able to eat something at the hotel before I went out to get the shuttle to the start of the race. I also knew that I needed to be out to catch the shuttle somewhere around 5:00, when they started running the shuttles for the 6:30 start time. I knew this because before I went to bed I read in some of the race information that they "strongly discouraged runners to use the race shuttle." Strongly discouraging the use of public transportation? You mean you'd rather have 7,000 driving to the exact same location at about the exact same time? That made me nervous, so I knew I wanted to be on one of the first shuttles. After eating some eggs and a bagel and having a cup of coffee, I headed out to the bus stop feeling like a kid waiting on the school bus for the first day of school. You remember that feeling? Wondering if you are at the right place? Why am I the only one out here? Is the bus ever going to come? I hope I like my teacher - oh wait, I digress. The race packet info said a shuttle would arrive every 15 minutes, and they were pretty close to that - I only had to wait about 30 - which seemed like an eternity. After all, I was still nervous about starting a race that I fully expected to quit. ;)
The bus dropped us off pretty close to the start, and after a little bit of confusion, I followed the herd towards the start area. I couldn't believe how fast the time seemed to be flying, and before I knew it, I was having to go get lined up. Before I lined up, however, I had been doing something that I had read that you should do before a race - and no, I don't mean pray - which I still did plenty of. I had been drinking a Powerade (not my preference, but it was what they were serving on the course). I drank half the bottle as soon as I rolled out of bed, and I finished the bottle just before I got in the race line up. Mental note to self - don't drink that much of anything before a race again. Ever. Considering my lack of training, I decided to line up with the 5:00 pace group.
Considering my lack of training, allow me to expound upon that for a moment. If you have read any of my posts, you may know that I have been dealing with some achilles tendonitis for a while now. As I look back on my training log, the last time that I actually ran 4 times in one week was the week of December 12-17, and that week I ran a total of 36.8 miles. The next week I only ran twice as my tendon was really bothering me for a total of 12 miles. The first week of January I ran twice for a total of 9 miles, and I knew I was in trouble. The next week I ran one - January 13 for 4.2 miles - and I quit in the middle of the run because of the pain. I did not run a step again until last Monday, February 14, when I ran 5 miles, and then again the next day I ran 6. If you know anything about training for a run like a marathon, that lack of mileage is not a good way to prepare to run 26.2. There is usually some sort of taper as you are cutting back a bit before the marathon, but not like that. Last week as I began to even think about the race, I said to Jennifer, "How arrogant do I actually have to be to be able to think that I might be able to do one of the single hardest things I've ever done in my life without even properly training for it? I'm an idiot to even think I could do it!" But yes, if you know me at all, you also know that yes - I am an idiot.
Back to the race - at the start I met a new friend - Jason Parker. Jason was running in his first marathon, and his goal was to simply finish - and considering what I just described, that was pretty much my goal also! Jason and I ran together and kept each other company for a little over the first half of the marathon. He was awesome - great company, we kept each other laughing, just a neat dude. That's one thing I love about running in these races - even I don't know a single person, you can make a new friend like I have with Jason or Scott from a previous race. I almost broke out in tears when I saw Jason run past his family. This guy was a real inspiration to me - to hear how hard it is to train in the midst of his busy work schedule, but he truly gets it done. Just remember Jason - God IS looking out for you!
I took a gel pack with me, and I hit that around mile 9 or so, and besides having to stop at least 3 times during the first half to use the restroom/bushes (darn Powerade!), I was feeling really pretty good. Yes, I knew my achilles was there, but it wasn't screaming at me - only a mild whisper. Crazy thing is that the more I ran, the less I felt my achilles. Maybe that's because the pain was shifting to other places, such as every muscle tissue in my body. Jason and I parted ways somewhere around mile 14 as he was starting to tighten up a bit. I was nervous that if I slowed down or started walking that I might begin to have problems, and then begin thinking about quitting - so I kept going. I've learned that some of the greatest battles of the marathon are not fought with your body, but with your mind. So in my mind, I would not even think about stopping or quitting.
I met some other great people - Delaine was a MB local who knew this course perfectly. She was awesome, telling me that we only had a few more miles running into this strong headwind, and then we'd turn and run up a hill (that was a pain - other than that hill - it was really flat). She encouraged me that once up the hill, the wind would be at our back for the rest of the race. At mile 17.5, I pulled out my phone that I took with me so that I could call Jennifer when I decided to quit, and I sent her the following text - "Mile 17.5 feeling good." I KNEW at that point that I was going to finish the 26.2, and I began to get emotional. It's kind of tough to start to break down and cry when you still have 9 miles to go, but at that point I knew that I could do it.
I've heard it said that a marathon is two races - a 20 miler, and then a 10 K (6.2 miles). At mile 20 I knew that my PR was well within my grasp if I could continue at the pace I had been running. Alas, that was not to be. The last 10K kicked my butt. It was much more solitary - not much talking with anyone, and fewer spectators. It even felt like the 2 miles between water stations grew farther and farther. I eventually decided that it was more important to me to finish than to set a PR (this time), so I began to walk a bit. I would set a point ahead of me and then try to run some more for as long as I could. By this time my thighs and hamstrings were screaming at me that I had asked more of them than I should have. I kept promising them that if they just got me to the finish I would give them a break, and so they would shut up for a little bit before screaming and hollering some more. During one of my walking bits, I texted Jennifer again "2.5 to go. Hurting and walking some, but I know I will finish. Can't believe it." Just typing that sent me into more tears - thank goodness I had on big dark sunglasses, and plus I was sweating, so maybe it didn't look like tears. The reality was really hitting me that I was going to do it. Yes, I had done one before, but still it was an amazing feeling of accomplishment. I knew that yes, I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I also knew that those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40:31).
When I saw on my Garmin watch that I had run 26.2 miles, I so desperately just wanted to drop, but unfortunately, I had about another third of a mile to go. Too bad they didn't use my GPS when they laid out the course! Crossing the finish was euphoric. Simply amazing. I don't know what else to say about it - but I knew that I had just done one of the most amazing things in my life. I still can't believe what an idiot I am, but I am an idiot that knew the moment that I crossed the finish line that I WILL run another marathon - and I WILL train properly and injury-free - I hope.
I applaud the race. Great race, great atmosphere. Strongly encourage this race. Definitely plan to do it again. So . . . who is up to run with me next time?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
To run or not to run? MB Marathon . . .
Way back in the summer I knew I was looking for another marathon to sign up for. Over the past few years (last year excluded), I had heard good things about the Myrtle Beach Marathon - most importantly, it's flat. So I signed up, booked the room, got someone to fill in for me in church on Sunday (even though it is a Saturday race), and was all good to go. That is until about 6 weeks ago when I began experiencing some pain in my right achilles tendon. So for a couple of weeks I would run a little, and rest more. Finally, I decided I need to take a full week off to recuperate my achilles. That one week turned into 4 weeks before I felt no pain. So this past Monday I went out and ran for the first time in 4 weeks - a good 5 miles. Nothing fast, nothing fancy - just a plain, simple 5 mile run - and it felt good! Yes, I did notice a little tightness, and I could feel "something" in my achilles - but I wouldn't call it pain. Tuesday morning I got up and again went running - this time feeling even better, and I ran 6 miles - and that's when it happened. I began to wonder to myself if I could actually still try to run the marathon this Saturday or not? I had all but already decided that I was not going to run it, but we were still going to go for the weekend just to get away - and plus I could at least pick up the tshirt that my non-refundable registration paid for. But now I got to thinking, what if I simply went out there and started the race? And what if I just simply ran until I either hurt too bad to continue, or just decided I had had enough?
So I have decided. I am going to lace up for the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Saturday. We'll see what happens - I really do not expect to actually finish. How could I? I've only run a total of 11 miles in the past month? But I know this - I'm at least going to go out there, make some friends, and have a great Saturday morning run for however long I want to run - and it will just happen to be in the middle of several thousand other runners.
So I have decided. I am going to lace up for the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Saturday. We'll see what happens - I really do not expect to actually finish. How could I? I've only run a total of 11 miles in the past month? But I know this - I'm at least going to go out there, make some friends, and have a great Saturday morning run for however long I want to run - and it will just happen to be in the middle of several thousand other runners.
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