I ran a marathon!!

Well, I did it! Today I completed the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon. 5:46:16 is my official time. I observed much and learned little during those 26.2 miles. Here's some of it:

1. People of all types run marathons and 1/2 marathons. Most of them are smelly and some of them make really strange noises.
2. It was totally worth the $100 I spent on Brooks running apparel to get their VIP Porta Potty pass. It was only at the starting line, but it was awesome.
3. I was in the VIP Porta Potty when the National Anthem was being played, signaling that the race was about to start. So, I was up by the start line and not 1/2 mile back in corral 25 where I was supposed to be. So, I just jumped in with corral #3. They were all a lot faster than me. A LOT.
4. I saw 3 things that I feel has made my marathon experience complete: A guy peeing on the side of the road, a guy with bloody nipples, and a guy puking at mile 16. Seems like the women were doing just fine.
5. I totally enjoyed running with rock bands on the course, even if they were mediocre at best.
6. Around mile 5 (or 7, or 8, I can't really remember), we ran past Central Catholic High School. They had their band out there, and their cheerleaders... and a huge blow-up rattle snake with smoke coming out of its mouth. I found myself wondering if I'm the only one who finds it highly ironic that the mascot of Central CATHOLIC High School is a SERPENT.
7. I found myself behind one gentleman in particular several times. I was able to recognize him because he was running with no shirt (which he really shouldn't have been doing anyway), and because he seemed to have a large amount of stuff in the pocket on the back of his shorts, which caused them to drop just enough with every step that I became almost mesmerized by the crack, crack, crack, crack...
8. It is GREAT running with spectators who have funny signs, are cheering you on and offering you candy. I would like to ask for some volunteers to be spectators at my 4am runs. Anyone? Anyone?
9. The most popular sign seemed to be: Run like you stole something. Amusing only about the first 3 times.
10. My favorite sign: Running takes balls. Other sports just play with them.
11. What MORON thought it a good idea to make mile 26 to 26.1 UPHILL??
12. I'm not sure I'll ever run another full marathon. Definitely 1/2 marathons. But full marathons hurt. A lot.
13. I felt fine until about mile 18. Miles 22 through 25 were the hardest. I pulled out some strength the last mile. Not sure where that came from.
14. It was only because of my husband that I found the strength to sprint to the finish. Seeing him at the end was the best part.
15. I couldn't have done this without the support and encouragement from my family and all my wonderful friends! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
16. I can finally put that 26.2 sticker on my car!!

I'm a terrible blogger.

I haven't posted anything on this blog in over a year. Here's why: last year my marathon training fell flat on its face the minute school started. I, of course, was too ashamed to admit that in a public forum. But I'm over it now. Because it's a new year and the third time's a charm, right?

This year is my third attempt at the marathon. And I've actually been doing really well with all the training! I've been getting up at 4am on school days to run, so I've been able to keep up with it. It sucked at first because 4 am is ridiculously early, but I've gotten used to it. It's like my little slice of solitary time with the universe. No one's awake. It's eerily silent. There are hardly any cars. Even most of the neighborhood dogs are asleep, which means I don't get yelled at every time I pass certain houses.

There are, however, some disadvantages to running that early. I've had fortify myself with a slew of gear for running in the dark: hi-visibility reflective vest, little lights to clip to my shorts... ok, perhaps not a slew, but I have definitely had to add to my running attire. Running at 4 am also makes one tired much earlier than usual. I'm normally ready to crash at about 8 pm, but can almost never get to bed before 10. So, I'm tired a lot. But that's ok. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

It's really not bad at all. The running has been going great. My longest run has been 18 miles. I was supposed to 20 last week but was apparently coming down with something flu-like because I've been sick since. So, I didn't make it last week, but I'm resting and relaxing and will get back into it tomorrow to be ready for Saturday's 22 miles!

I read through my old posts before writing this one. It's weird to me that I was struggling so much with 3 mile runs 2 summers ago! I am regularly running 5 or 6 miles now, and those are starting to feel easy. My heart rate, which used to hover around 170 at the end of a run, is now barely up to 150, and that's after sprinting the last bit. I've lost almost 40 pounds since January, my legs have almost magically turned into hard muscle, and I'm finding that most of my pants now require the use of a belt to stay up.

I finally feel like a runner! Now, if I could just get rid of this irritating virus, or whatever it is...

Treadmill Marathons - The Wave of the Future!

I was scheduled to run 4 miles on Wednesday. But, I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Tuesday night and didn't get to bed until 4 am. Not a chance I was going to get up early and run, and even less chance that I would run outside in the heat of the day. Some can hack it, but not me. So, I decided to run at the gym on the good ol' treadmill!

It was so nice!! The gym was nice and cool and the treadmill had little fans just for me! I could watch Divine Design while I ran! The track was so soft compared to asphalt and concrete! I didn't have to watch out for and steer clear of tree branches or broken bottles or dirty litter boxes! It was great! The four miles went by in a flash and I hardly felt winded when I was done! I'd forgotten how nice it was to run on a treadmill in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment!

Today was another 4 mile day. I went back to my usual routine of waking up early and getting out to run by about 8 am. So much harder! So much hotter! So many more obstacles! Ugh!

Why can't the marathon be on treadmills?

It's Brush Pick-up Time!!!

Yay! I love running next to huge piles of brush and trash! Especially when it's sticking out into the road so I have to veer to miss it or risk loosing a lot of blood! It was so neat seeing the things people want to throw away strewn along the side of the road! Things like: chewed-up couches, disgusting mattresses piled high enough to reach the clouds, first generation TV's, garden hose reels that have been broken into pieces suitable for use as a lethal weapon, and (this is the BEST one!) litter boxes - COMPLETE WITH DIRTY LITTER!!!!!!

Ahhh...

It's just sad that the next time I go out to run the trash will (hopefully) all have been picked up. What will I look at then?

Birthday Cake

My birthday was last weekend, so, of course, I ate ice cream and birthday cake and had two big, yummy dinners and lots of wine. It was fabulous! Unfortunately, all of that indulgence does not help my marathon training attempts. I did go to our very first group run of the season, last Saturday, on my birthday, the 4th of July. I got up at 6 am to make it there by 7. We did a time trial and I ran a 10:43 mile! My best ever! That's all the running I did all weekend, unless you count the trips to and from the bar. So, Monday, I was supposed to do 3 miles. I managed it, but barely. I felt really sluggish and tired. Tuesday was a rest day, but I went to the gym anyway and did some time on the elliptical machine and some yoga. Wednesday I was supposed to do 4 miles. I did 2 and had to walk 1/2 a mile before running another mile. I didn't get the 4 miles in. I couldn't believe the weekend's activities were still affecting me! I can't imagine that it would be anything else! Thursday, I did complete the 4 miles that I couldn't do on Wednesday. Thursday I felt good, really good. But, I still feel like I missed out Monday and Wednesday.

Note to self: do not eat birthday cake before race.

I drew a picture! It's of the route I run in my neighborhood. The red X is my house, though it's more to the left of where the page ends. The loop is about 1.1 miles. Today I ran it 3 times and walked it once. I thought I'd share where I go when I run. I'm a creature of habit, so I usually run the same way every time - see the red arrows. I know you're supposed to vary your routine so your body doesn't get used to the same thing, and I do. I don't run every day. 2 or 3 times a week, I go to the gym and do the treadmill or the elliptical machine. My favorite machine right now is the TreadClimber - what a great, low-impact workout that is! If you have one at your gym, I highly recommend it. I also get some variety by attending group runs with my training group, We Run San Antonio, on Saturday mornings. We run out in the hills of Helotes. I hate the hills, but they're good for me. And it's really pretty out there. And usually cooler than at my house in the middle of the city. Cooler is always good! Our first official training run is this Saturday, July 4th, which, coincidentally, is also my 30th birthday! Crazy, huh? I'm not sure how this 30 thing happened...

I also enjoy making lists, so here are some things I saw on my run this morning:

1. Lots of squished frogs. I always see them on my runs out here. Luckily, they're not very fresh. I think they live in the Big Drainage Ditch, but I'm not sure why they come out at night to be run over by cars...
2. 6 other people walking/running the same course! They were all very friendly and we wheezed good morning to one another. Unfortunately, 4 of them were running/walking on the right side of the road instead of the left. I wanted to discuss the safety implications of this decision with them, but I felt it wasn't the right time.
3. Two giant, empty cans of Fosters in paper bags. Australian for trashy.
4. Huge, 6-foot-tall weeds all around the outside edge of the Big Drainage Ditch. I wondered how the heck they got that big when we haven't had significant, normal rainfall in 2 years, and no rainfall whatsoever in at least 2 months! And, how come grass and flowers and plants we want don't grow more like weeds? What's up with that? I have native plants in my garden and I still have to water those suckers every day! Is someone secretly watering the weeds at night? Will the city ever cut them down? Sometimes they scratch my hands if I get too close.
5. Two CPS employees sitting in their truck beneath a tree. Taking a break, maybe?? From what? It was 7 am!! They were there for about 20 mintues.
6. Some houses with really nice cars, yet really crappy yards.... interesting.
7. An old man tinkering with his outdoor A/C unit. Poor thing, I hope he got it working or called someone. No one wants no A/C in this heat! We went through that a couple of months ago when it was only in the low 90's and it was miserable then!
   

I find that keeping my mind on things other than the slight burning sensation in my quadricepts helps me run farther. So, there you are. Next time, a discussion of music. :)

I'm melting...

The heat is making me nervous. I try to get out to run between 7 and 7:30 am, and it's already really hot. It's only June and we've already had many 100+ degree days! I'm nervous about August. I'm not into running in 90 or 100 degree weather. And the treadmill at the gym just isn't the same. When I go back to work, I'll have to do most of my running in the evening, or get up at, like, 4 am to run in the morning. I'm just not all that into the 4 am thing. But even at 8:30 and 9:00 at night, it's still in the 90's!! However, I'll do it if I have to. Going back to work was one of the things that derailed me last year. I'll have to make sure I fit my training in no matter what. Anyone have any tips for beating the heat when training for a marathon? You'd think I'd be used to it by now, having lived most of my life here in Texas...