Minutiae

The original goal - set way back on Thanksgiving of last year - of this whole training endeavor was to run a half-marathon on March 27. Much has gone on in the interim. Plans made, plans changed, plans remade. But yesterday, I accomplished that original goal. I ran in the Raleigh Rocks half-marathon and indeed ran the entire 13.1. Even at around mile 6 when I felt the need to shed my fleece and readjust my ipod armband, I did not break my pace. Even on the mega hills around the art museum, I may have run reeeally really slow, but I ran. In the end, I mustered the energy to sprint across the finish line at about 2 hours 12 minutes. The race website still hasn't posted the official results, so I don't yet know my chip time, or where I fell in my age group. But none of that really matters. I met my goal and I have to say I am quite proud of myself. And my husband, who dutifully got up at 6:15 with me on a Saturday and had to find things to occupy the >2 hours between start and finish, was there to capture the moment and give me a celebratory hug at the finish line.

So, since I will be repeating this effort in a couple of months, and doubling it a week later, I figured it might be good to reflect on the little things and lessons learned from this event:

• Carb-loading with pasta the night before was well-intended, but I should consider choosing a less greasy, less cheesy option in future.
• Breakfast of an english muffin w/ almond butter, banana and green tea (about an hour and a half before the race) was perfect.
• Decision to use the restroom one last time at the convention center (where registration was held) was not the best idea, but worth the wait in the insanely long line.
  
• Clif margarita flavored shot bloks were great! The forethought of putting them in a sandwich bag so I didn't have to fight with packaging as I ran, made them even better.
• I now know that I will spill most of the water/sports drinks from the hydration stations ON me, so I need to avoid those stations serving RED anything!
• The knee band I wore worked better on my ITB issues than the conventional brace I had been wearing.
• My $10 orthotics proved they were worth every penny and not a cent more.
  
• Must invest in sunglasses that don't slip down my nose as I run - but not those ugly sporty wrap around kind. Ugh.
  
• Sunscreen - brilliant! (I still can't believe I remembered to put any on.)
• When layering, don't safety pin the number to any under layers. This makes it far more difficult than necessary to shed that outer layer. (I didn't break pace, but it took me at least five whole minutes to get it off and get everything readjusted.)
• Playlist was spot on, but barely long enough to last the whole race with a few skipped songs and no repeats. (And, I'll have to double it for the full marathon - argh!)
  
• Identify a few runners to pace with during the first 2/3 of the race, and then focus the last 1/3 on passing them. ;-)

My next races on the calendar: 10K on April 18, half-marathon 5/16, full marathon 5/22.

Not going that extra mile

Every Friday feels like winning a battle - a triumph over the various and random forces that feel like weights on my ankles as I fight through the rest of the week . Traffic jams, long lines, coffee stains, shedding pets, even PMS, they all disappear at 5 o'clock Friday. It really is magic. And yesterday was even more magic-er (sic) because it's SPRING! Yesterday's run was only 3 miles, but it was 70 degrees, sunny, and the air was filled with the scents of early flowers and fresh cut grass. It was lovely, it was indeed a little bit magical, and it made me want to run a few extra laps around my little adopted running neighborhood.

But, I didn't. Nope. As tempting as it was, I remembered a tidbit of expert running advice I read early in my training: Don't go the extra mile.

3 miles is the shortest distance I run these days, but from my prior reading, I knew that going that extra mile wouldn't really pay off. In my head, it may have seemed like an opportunity to breathe in the fresh air and feel the sunshine for another mile. But, in reality, it would also shave off the remainder of my Dunkin Donuts large latte high and render me too exhausted to enjoy my weekly Friday celebration. And, with a 16 mile run looming for this Sunday, overdoing it always poses the risk of derailing my training schedule.

So, I didn't go the extra mile, not even part of it. Being the overachiever that I am (though I like to picture myself as a rebellious slacker, I must admit my true tendencies), that little gem of advice has an extra sweet ring for me. It's like a pass to dial it back a notch or two - something I am rarely willing to do. Like that other advice to actually rest and not run a couple of days a week, not going the extra mile is something that imposes sanity on my otherwise insanely busy life.

Today happens to be one of those 'rest' days, so it's time to go work on the kitchen, write a paper, take my advanced stats quiz, switch over the winter/summer wardrobe, walk the dogs, do the dishes, and.......


p.s. One week from today is my first half-marathon - on the same date of the original race my Mom and I were supposed to run together. I'll be running this one solo, and I'm thinking it should take me about 2 hours and 40 minutes. We'll see.

Birthdays, Shot Bloks and Breast Exams

Damn, this is a busy time of year. Forget work and school, it's all the freaking birthdays!! Between Jan. 28 and Mar. 4, my mom, dad, brother, husband, sister-in-law, father-in-law and 3 close friends ALL have birthdays! Don't get me wrong, I love them all and I don't need to be convinced to celebrate, but it just gets exhausting. So, for me, spending gobs of money and eating a ton of rich food does not end after the holidays. I just get about a month off before the REAL most wonderful time of the year. Fitting in our never-ending kitchen renovation AND sticking to my running schedule has been a real challenge these past few weeks, but I'm almost out of the woods. After this Thursday, I will have three glorious birthday-free months..... with only two baby showers.... so far.

Ok, new topic, no more whining. My best latest running discovery has to be Clif Shot Bloks. Particularly the 'margarita with sodium' flavor. One of my Facebook friends recommended them to me and I am absolutely certain they were the only thing that allowed me to complete the 14 mile run last Saturday. I ate one cube about every 20-30 minutes (as I watched TWO complete movies) and by golly, I made it through. I was more than a little sore for the next two days, but that's beside the point. Margarita Shot Bloks rule!

So, I guess that leaves the breast exam. Yeah. Two days after my last race, I had my 'annual', during which my doctor found a small, hard reason to refer me for a mammogram and ultrasound. As you can guess, I freaked out for the following week and a half, right up to my appointment with the radiologist last Thursday. My poor husband, the only person I really told, was also extremely worried and incredibly sweet, buying me flowers and offering to go with me. In the end, they found absolutely nothing. Hallelujah. Turns out it was dense tissue (insert 'dense' jokes here). Four days later, I can already laugh about it - though I was absolutely, completely terrified - particularly the fact that, in addition to envisioning wigs and a prosthesis, I was trying to figure out if I could delay surgery or chemo or whatever until AFTER the marathon. Is that not insane? Well, whatever. I'm healthy. I may be dense, but I can run really, really far.

Oh, and for any 'mature' ladies that may be reading this - mammograms? Jeeezus, painful!! I totally get it now. The tech said to me on my way out, "we'll see you next year!" Uh, doubtful. Think I'll be waiting until the 35 mark on that one. But, thanks.