I ran the marathon!!

I did run the Baltimore Marathon last Saturday!!!  I'm proud of myself for finishing, not happy with my finish time but I'll get over it and I can always run another marathon in the future.  I'll update more in the future.

Me happy



Me in pain, I did something to my adductor muscle...



Maybe....

For those that still follow... I think I'm going to run/jog/walk the Baltimore Marathon this Saturday... wish me luck!

No more marathon (at this time)

Its been awhile since I've blogged and I don't really feel like going into what the last few weeks have been like but here is my current facebook status:

Marathon Update: I have decided it is in my best interest not to run the marathon I have been training so hard for in October :(. This decision took lots of thought and input from many people but ultimately it is what is best for me. I have decided to run the Elizabeth DiNunzio Memorial 5K Fun Run/Walk at the Mount that weekend so I will be at Mountfest.
http://www.msmary.edu/give-to-the-mount/giving-opportunities/race.html
Maybe I'll update more later.

Fail

Annapolis 10 miler this weekend = cancelled

First week back at work (without kids) and running = fail because i was so tired

Plan to run this weekend = expecting to fail

fail fail fail.... teaching and training are not going to go well together

Goal = Finish

16 miles complete!!!!!!!

wouldn't it be nice to look like
this at a marathon finish line?

I would have liked a faster time but I need to just realize that my goal is to FINISH the marathon!!  Over the past year (and even further back) my body has been through complete hell!  I need to realize and accept that while I think its cool that my body is able to train and do this less than a year after "brain" surgery, that does not mean it still doesn't have needs and issues.  I cannot and should not be pushing it too hard, maybe when training for a future marathon I can.  But for right now, my goal is to finish with a smile.  I need to stop comparing times and I need to focus on me.  My body is amazing and I am so glad that I have recovered from my surgery without complications and I am so lucky that my whole tumor was removed.  I've also has nutrition issues in the past and I think its cool I'm doing well with that too.  My mood is amazing and I'm just all around feeling well.  I do have my tired and not motivated moments but I think that is normal for everyone during periods of life.  I am happy overall but I'm not happy every second.  There is an overall and long term happiness that I think I have and then there is an in the moment happiness and I think no one can say they are happy all the time.  Anyways, I just need to get my priorities for the marathon in line and not let anyone or myself believe otherwise.

Annapolis 10 miler next weekend!  I am so excited that my mom is coming with me!!!!!  I am beyond excited actually!  It means a lot to me that she is coming, words can't describe my happiness surrounding that.

First day back at work tomorrow after summer vacation.  Professional week this week and then the kiddos come next Monday (the 29th).  I am so excited for this year!



Motivation is low again...



So this week hasn't been so great training wise.  I ran 4 miles on Monday while home visiting my parents but then went on a 3 day mini-vacation with my best friend.  We did soooo much walking around Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg but I did no running.  I set my alarm both mornings to run but just didn't want to.  Then I was going to run Thursday when I got home but no, I was too tired.  Friday I told myself would be a rest day regardless of what running I did because I was planning to get up and run 16 miles this morning.  Well, that failed because I reset my alarm and then eventually turned it off.  I ended up jogging/walking a slow 7 miles in the afternoon.  Tomorrow I will attempt the 16 miles again but honestly my body is just insanely tired and I don't exactly know why.  I think it has entered anxiety and stress mode with the start of the school year coming.  I wonder if I should have skipped getting an early set up of my classroom and ran with my running buddy, Nicole, instead on Friday.  Ultimately my job matters more to me than the marathon.  Or rather, not being stressed out about my job means more to me and so setting up my classroom early was important for that.



this is not what i want to be
when my students arrive
for the new school year...



I really am just tired which is a not so fun way to start the school year on Monday.  I see one of my doctors Monday night so I'll try to remember to get a lab slip so I can make sure all the normal stuff is alright (ie. electrolytes and other random stuff).

14 miles! My longest run ever!

Yesterday I hit a new milestone and ran my longest distance ever - 14 miles!!!  And I basically ran it solo.  Prior to this, the longest I've ever run was 13.1 at the Harrisburg Half Marathon in September 2009.

Ok, he wasn't that old and
I didn't actually look too closely
at him but he was at least
25 years older than me

So, my 14 miles run.... I was at my parents' house so I ran on a trail near there.  A change of scenery is always nice.  Its actually a trail that I would have to do Saturday runs on for cross country in high school.  So anyways, it didn't start too well and mentally I just wasn't into it.  The first half I did in like an hour and 15 min which wasn't impressive.  I walked some.  Then it started to rain so I got paranoid and had to make a phone call home so my parents could rescue me if it thundered.  It didn't but I still hate rain.  On the way back I did my best to run but mentally I wasn't feeling it, not until mile 10 when an older man passed me as I was walking up a hill, he told me to pick it up and that I could do it.  So I started running and just stayed a little behind him.  When I would fall back just a little, he'd look back and make a motion with his hand to keep up.  So I eventually started running next to him.  So part of mile 10 to mile 13 I ran with him.  We talked and it was very nice.  He gave me tips for marathon training and it was just nice to keep running.  The fact that I could talk at that point shows that my walking issues are all mental and that physically I should have been running.  At some point he told me that I could go ahead if he was slowing me down and I said "no, you go ahead if i am slowing you down." He said I was actually speeding him up so we slowed down a bit.  Somewhere in our convo we asked each other how far each of us was running.  Its weird where I started on the trail and stuff but anyways, he tried convincing me to run 2 extra miles with him so I could hit 16 miles instead of 14.  I kindly said no (which I know regret).  So for the last mile he told me to eat a gu and go ahead.  I did but I waited at the mile marker I finished at and as he passed it (cuz he was still running further), he gave me a fist bump and wished me luck.  I don't even know the guy's name but it was so awesome to have him.  I keep thinking I should have stuck it out and done the 16.  O well.

So I did the 14 miles in 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 7 seconds.  Basically 11 min/mile.  My legs didn't hurt when I stopped and I wasn't wobbly like I was with the 13, I so should have pushed harder.

This week I'll be on vacation so hopefully I am able to get out and run.  I will tell my friend she needs to make sure I run.  I'm planning to do 16 on Saturday but it looks like I'll be doing that solo again, boooooooooo!  I need cheerleaders.

Running and Wipe Out

So I went into a funk Saturday night and stayed in bed most of Sunday and Monday which means I didn't get my 7 miles in on Sunday.  I was a little disappointed in myself but really I knew that getting out of that depression was more important.  I did get out last night and did 3 miles on the treadmill and then came home and ran 4 miles outside.  I just didn't feel like running on the treadmill so I just stopped.

Today I could have run during the day but I like my Tuesday night gym treadmill runs too much.  Why? Because Wipe Out is on the TVs!!  I love watching Wipe Out and running, lol.  I've been mixing up the treadmill workouts though.  I've been doing the hill and random workouts. And the TV distracts me which is ok once in awhile.  I know I need to be in tune but its nice to just zone out on the TV.  I ran 5 miles tonight.

Goal for tomorrow is 3-4 miles.  Cross on Thursday or Friday and the 14 miles solo on Saturday.

Feeling Up!

So my previous posts have been kind of down-ish.  Or at least prior to this week, that was what I was feeling.  Prior to this week I was debating whether the marathon was really a good idea for me and whether I could really do it.   Well, this week I've run 3, 4, and a 13 mile run!!!  They have all been really awesome.  I really had to push myself for the 13 but I didn't walk, only stopped half way to eat a gatorade fit mini bar thing (very good), and stopped twice to tie my shoe and wait for Nicole to tie her shoe.  I am so glad I have her to run with because it was my wanting to stay with her that kept me going yeseterday for the 13 miler.  I pushed myself to always keep her in my sight.  I did lose her with 1.5 miles left, she went over a bridge and disappeared but I figured with only 1.5 miles left that was not an excuse to walk. So it was a good week!  I did cross today and am hoping to get 7 miles in tomorrow.

Things that helped me this week:

1. Heat was down!!!!!!!!
2. My calories every day have been between 2500 and 3000 (closer to 3000 really, no lie).
3. I've been drinking gatorade mixed with water A LOT!!  I've been trying to replace my diet soda with it.
4. Overall mental state has been better - self doubt has been lowered.  And I've been using my CBT skills (google it) to get through my worries of "what if"s regarding running and other life things
5. Loving where I now live - adding to overall life happiness

This coming week I am planning to do 3-7-4-14.  Nicole and I might not run the 14 together though so we'll see how I do with that by myself.  I think it will be a good to try it by myself though.

On the 28th I'll be running the Annapolis 10 miler.  A friend of mine transferred her registration over to me.  I am very excited and my mom is going to come!!!!!!  That makes me very happy.  My mom has run a few marathons and I think its cool that she's supporting me through mine.  I can't wait, she'll also be at my marathon as well.  The 10 miler will also be a good mid distance run like 6 weeks before the marathon.  I just hope it isn't too hot.

Finally!!! A good run!

So I came home from babysitting today and was totally tired.  So I took a nap but I set an alarm to get up and run around 7:30pm.  Of course the alarm went off and I didn't want to get out of bed so I just reset it for later.  But after lying there and thinking I realized that:

1. if I continue sleeping I won't sleep tonight
2. i'll probably feel more up to run if I get out of my comphy bed

Yay for me!  I ran 15 minutes (and a few seconds) one way and 15 (and a few seconds) the other way.  I was fairly confident with my pace that I would be at least 3 miles in.  I got about 3.25 in a little over 30 minutes.  That was good, I'm happy.  The weather is finally a bit better outside.  Hopefully it just keeps getting better.

So, this weekend I went on Operation Hydration and I think it was successful.  I drank tons of gatorade and water (and caffeine free soda).  And I ate pretty regularly.  My body is showing physical signs of being better hydrated and my run tonight went really well.  Maybe this will help with my running rut.  Operation Hydration caused a 4 pound weight gain but I know it was mostly water and I think it is what my body just really needed.  If I am really going to run this marathon, I need to stop caring about the number on the scale.