My road is always paved with good intentions. I was so drained on Friday after work, y'all. I mean like the life was sucked out of me. I didn't even get home until 8:15pm. That's a long a$$ day. I had planned on doing a 4-mile walk or heck...I would have even been satisfied with hitting my new exercise bike, but alas...I was burned out, so I went to bed at 9pm with no exercise.
I had thought to surprise myself by getting up at 5am to go ahead and get my long WALK in. When I woke up and put the dogs out, it had already started drizzling. By the time I let them back in - it was a storm. Ugh.
I went back to bed.
When I finally did get back up, it was HOT, HUMID, STEAMY, and every other adjective you can think of to describe miserable conditions for outdoor training. I decided to do my missed 4 miles. I only ended up doing 3 and the last mile was just awful. I felt defeated. I then hit my exercise bike for 30 minutes before showering and dressing for family lunch at BJ's Brewhouse.
After our lunch, I went to get a facial at Visage Salon and Day Spa. I had purchased a Groupon for a 50% discount a couple of months ago and was excited to use it. I really loved the relaxing music playing in the room and the fact that my esthetician didn't try to sell me the products that I knew I wouldn't buy. Once my massage was over, I did something I've never done. I cheated on my hair stylist. I've been going to Leena for 13 years now, but I just couldn't deal with my overgrown bushy mop-top any longer. Visage also had a hair salon, so I asked if they could squeeze me in and I only had to wait 15 minutes to become publically acceptable once again. I don't have a picture, so sorry, but really I didn't do anything extreme - just cut a couple of awful inches off and then had my layers "tuned up".
I wanted to get up at 5am again on Sunday for my long WALK, but I stayed up too late on Saturday night (bad Kim) and managed to head out for my WALK around 7:15am. It was already ridiculously hot and humid, but so what? I mean it's going to be this kind of weather for The Hottest Half on 8/14, so I might as well get used to it. This was the first time I used my new camelbak. The night before I filled the bladder with water and added 3 Nuun tablets and then put it in the freezer. Maybe I should have put it in the pack first because it was a real struggle on Sunday morning to get the frozen bladder in the pack. =/
I looked ridiculous....overkill for a walker, but whatever, I mean the camelbak prevented me from having to hit home for additional hydration before my 8 miles were through AND this is imperative for me because I have a bad habit of hitting home and not resuming my mileage.
The first mile was ROUGH. I was having some major issues with my calves being super tight. I had even foam rolled and stretched before going out. 1/3 of the way through my first mile, I pulled over to stretch my calves against the curb. They still hurt, but I kept on going. They loosened up during my second mile and I could finally speed up. I did really well until I hit the 6th mile and then I struggled for the last two, but not because I was hurting...it was because of a lack of fuel. I just wasn't hungry in the morning before I headed out, so I choked down half a Clif's bar. I didn't bring anything with me, so I ended up burning 1157 calories only having had 120 in my system before I left out. I know for this coming Sunday's 10-miler that I will need to plan out my fueling better - in other words, make arrangements to eat something halfway through my WALK. Oh...and in case you were wondering, I did drink the entire 72 oz out of my camelbak by the time I hit my front door. I was kinda bummed about this because I had hoped the 72 oz would be enough for the entire half marathon, but...apparently that won't work.
I immediately took off my shoes and socks once I got inside...RELIEF! I then noticed chafing! CHAFING! I didn't think about my arm hitting the strap from my camelbak. Doh! I will know where to Vaseline it up next time! I took this picture of myself with my phone cuz the battery was dead in my camera. There was one small area on my shirt dry. Weird. The rest of me was soaking wet. I couldn't wait to hit the shower and use my minty wash to cool me down.
After I was all clean, I got dressed for my MUCH needed massage. It could not have come at a better time. I went ahead and made an appointment for another one after this coming Sunday's 10-miler!
I grabbed lunch at Lenny's Subs. I was ravenous at this point. Then I took my lunch to my parent's house and hung out with them until later when my mom and I met older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay at the movie theater to see Friends with Benefits. Probably not the most appropriate movie to watch with one's mother, but it was hilarious!
All in all, it was a lovely weekend - once again rejuvenating me for the week ahead.
I totally had a bad attitude about this race. It's not like me to have a bad attitude about a race. It started out with the fact that I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks and unable to run do to a bronchial cough and major congestion. Then my bad attitude grew wings and took off from there. I found out there were only 375 registrants. Pretty sure this is the smallest race I've "run" yet - and it was a half marathon! BUT then I found out it was capped at that amount and that there was a waiting list...that made me feel a little bit better. I have to admit I thought it was awfully cute that there was an Expo. I mean my two Rock 'n' Roll half marys had Expos, but The Houston Half (that hurt me) didn't have one and the RunGirl 13.1 I was signed up for but couldn't run (because of the pelvic stress fracture) didn't have one.
I'm a bad blogger. I totally forgot to take a picture of the Expo. =( I was uber impressed. There were a few local businesses pushing their products - kettle corn, I believe, and a massage place, amongst others. The thing that turned my frown upside down was the packet pick-up. In my head, I had decided this was a rinky-dink race that wasn't even going to have a tech t-shirt. I knew they had gender specific shirts (which I appreciated), but I was wrong...it's the best tech shirt I've received yet! Normally a packet pick-up comes in a paper envelope or a plastic bag. This one came in a purple reuseable bag - something you could use for grocery shopping should a girl choose to go green. There were all kinds of awesome swag goodies inside. Check it out! Yep, a reflector for night running, a water bottle with the race logo, sports beans, 2 Gu packs, and a Chomps pack. Best swag bag to date! So...total shift in attitude.
Race morning I made arrangements to meet up with my race buddy Melissa in the parking lot of the high school located across the street from The Bridgeland Community. Once there, I completed gearing up (accidentally leaving my visor behind - MISTAKE #1) and we trekked over to the porta-potties. It took us about 30 minutes or so to get through the line and then we stretched and grabbed a place at the start. This was where I found Bobbi Jo! Remember her? We did the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago half together last year - my very first half!
Now I decided I was walking this whole race - something I've never done before - because I had not run in 3 weeks, I was still a bit congested, and I have another half marathon in 8 days. I had a goal in mind of 15 minute miles, but secretly, I knew I could maintain a faster pace - at least for half the race. Since I wasn't running, there would be no sloshing around of my system which meant I should be able to make it without a bathroom break AND I did just that. I knew without a bathroom break I might just have a chance of PRing the race (sad, but true story since I'm THAT slow of a runner -ha!).
I started off incredibly strong.
Mile 1- 14:33
There was a water/Gatorade station around 1.5 miles. I bypassed it. MISTAKE #2.
Mile 2- 14:28
There was a water/Gatorade station just past mile 3. I grabbed one DIXIE cup (yes, that small) filled with the most watered down Gatorade you could ever imagine. MISTAKE #3.
Mile 3- 14:29
Mile 4- 14:22
Just past mile 5 there was another water/Gatorade station. The Gatorade wasn't quite as watered down, I grabbed two Dixie cups. At the start of Mile 4, I could tell I was developing a blister on the upper edge of my right heel. Courtesy of wearing brand new socks, perhaps? MISTAKE #4
By now the wind had picked up, but it was a weird wind. Sometimes it was hitting us dead on. Other times it was coming at us from the side. Since there were so few people in this race, most were runners. I was with a group of about 8-10 walkers. There were 5-6 behind me. As the mileage grew, so did the gaps. Eventually I was alone.
Mile 5- 14:43
Around 5.5 miles or so, I passed Melissa and then Bobbi Jo as they had done the turn around and were headed back in the opposite direction. It made me feel good that I wasn't TOO far behind them considering I was walking. I couldn't wait to get to the turn around - this was an out and back course as described in the information packet. I figured with having the drink station at Mile 5 and the advertised drink stations every 1.5 miles, that the turn-around would surely have another drink station. I WAS WRONG.
Mile 6- 15:04
Wind was still very much an issue. It was HOT outside. This course offered no shade at all and remember I left my visor in the car. I could have cried when around 6.65 miles or whatever when we did the turn around and there was no drink station. This meant I would have to wait until I go back to the one that was at Mile 5 - which would now be Mile 8 to have another drink. I was dying.
Mile 7- 14:54
As soon as I saw the water station ahead, I got my Larabar out of my Spibelt and started eating it. Now, I had made the executive decision to bring a Larabar instead of my usual Clif's Shot Bloks because my Larabar had 200 more grams of potassium in it and I was trying to avoid Charlie Horses - MISTAKE #5. The only flavor I had was Chocolate Brownie. I was overheated and despite the fact I was chewing gum, my mouth was dry. Trying to eat the Larabar was like trying to eat dirt or mud - it was disgusting and so hard to digest. When I hit the drink station, I discovered they were out of Gatorade. They handed me two Dixie cups of water. I took them, gulped them down, then went behind them to the table and just started slamming Dixie cups like I had been in the desert for years without water. I had to have taken another 6 to 8 of them.
Mile 8- 15:44
I was trying my best to ignore the blister. My mouth still felt so dry. I knew I just had to make it another 1.5 miles until the next drink station. My pace was slowing. I kept trying to will myself to go faster.
Mile 9- 16:43
I was getting hit pretty hard by the wind. It was a weird feeling. On one hand, it felt really good, but on the other, it was getting harder and harder to walk through it. I started feeling dizzy. I got to the drink station and they still had lots of VERY watered down Gatorade left, but they actually had some bigger cups. Some kids handed me two Dixie cups. I slammed them. A woman handed me a larger cup. I slammed it. They could tell I was dehydrated. Another woman filled up two more of the larger cups for me "for the road". I slammed them both and kept going. So many times I just wanted to pull over and just stand there, but I told myself to just keep going.
Mile 10- 18:06
I started feeling that all too familiar twinge in my left calf. I didn't understand it. I ate two small bananas with breakfast. I had a banana every morning all week long. I hydrated all week and even had 32 oz of water in the morning before the race. I swapped out my usual plain oatmeal from the cannister that I make every morning for the pre-packaged crap (as recommended by some peeps on the internet because of the sodium content). I tried to ignore it and kept going. I felt so alone. At this point I knew there were still 4 people behind me, but they were so far behind me that I couldn't see them anymore. The two that had passed me were so far ahead of me that I couldn't see them anymore. There were hardly any cops out at all - just a bunch of cones where we were supposed to make our turns (or so I thought).
I just kept telling myself I had to make it to 11.5 miles or so for the next drink station and then I would be okay. My Garmin was showing 11 miles, but I never did see the mile marker. I was confused. I know I was walking a lot with my head down because of the sun, so maybe I missed it? I just kept walking, but so slowly now.
Mile 11- 18:58
At some point, I crossed paths with another girl. She was one of the people who had been behind me. Yes, you read that correctly...we CROSSED paths. She asked me which way to go. I was confused. We were passing each other. Up ahead I saw a yellow-shirt wearing volunteer on a bike. I called out to her and asked where we should be going and she pointed to the right up ahead - not the direction I was heading. I then asked her where I was supposed to be coming from and she pointed in the direction the other girl came from. OH NO! I had somehow gotten lost. I trudged back up the road and turned right and saw a mile marker in the distance. Imagine what it did to my head and heart when it read - Mile 11.
Mile 12- 21:41
My Garmin was reading 12 miles. I had somehow managed to walk an extra mile! At this point, I had gone 2 1/2 miles without a drink and the drink station was another 1/2 mile up the road. My calves started seizing up. First the left. I would stretch it and try to walk again. Then the right. I would stretch it and try to walk again. They asked me if I wanted a ride. I said no. I had to finish. For the next half mile, I pulled over several times to stretch my tortured calves. They must have radioed ahead to the drink station because as I approached it, one of the volunteers met me and asked me if I was okay. She said she was a nurse and heard I was having trouble. I explained that I got lost, it had been 3 miles since my last drink, and that my calves were in bad shape. She hurried me over to the drink station and they put wet towels on my neck and started giving me cup after cup of ice cold water (they had also run out of Gatorade). They asked me if I wanted a ride. I told them that I needed to at least complete 13.1 according to my Garmin. I said I would accept a ride after that. The nurse, her name was Anita, said she would follow along in her car and I should just come to her when I had hit my 13.1. My calves didn't seize up on my anymore once I had that water in me. They were still so sore, but at least not seizing. I finished up the 0.6 miles remaining and then let Anita take me to the finish line. Once there, I briefly explained what happened to the race director and asked her if I could cross the finish line. She said, "well you sure did do your half marathon, now didn't you!" I said, "yes, ma'am"! and then she crossed it with me and a little boy handed me the medal.
Mile 13- 23:52
Mile 0.1- 19:09
They explained to me they still had water left, but that they were out of cups. I was desperate for more water. A man had an empty water bottle. I didn't care that it had his germs. I filled it, slammed it, refilled it, and slammed it again. Then I felt like I wanted to throw up. I then hobbled to my car - pretty far away - and had to wait for my calves to stop screaming before I could drive home.
When I switched out my running shoes for my flip flops, this was the loveliness that awaited me:
I've never had a blister like this in my entire life. The only other time I formed a blister while running was during my first 10K - HEB's Bayou City Classic - last year - when I didn't know about moisture wicking socks and just wore regular cotton socks.
So, yeah...this was a PW - personal worst. I stopped my Garmin at 13.1 and my time was 3:39:27. Whatever the official time is will be worse than that given the time it took to drive around avoiding the closures and my time explaining to the race director, etc.
Lessons learned:
#1 - remember the visor
#2 - get drinks from all drink stations
#3 - get the appropriate # of drinks based on the size offered
#4 - don't wear new socks
#5 - don't switch out products that have been tried and true
#6 - start carrying some type of Electrolyte drink on me
#7 - pick up the pieces / suck it up - many more races to come
Finishing Song: Gnarles Barkley's Crazy
I think I've also determined that my issues with my Charlie horses come from dehydration after all. I hydrate plenty the week before the race. I just dehydrate during. I usually don't drink the electrolyte drink offered during a race as I try not to drink my calories. I made the exception during this race since I didn't have anyone passing me off drinks and I was trying to avoid Charlie horses. Unfortunately, skipping the first drink station, the fact they didn't have a water station where they should have (at the turn around), and my getting lost amounted to three 3-milers without drinks, all leading to my demise. During the Houston Half (that hurt me), I didn't experience Charlie horses at all. I took water at all the drink stations and my siblings met me at various spots along the course with G2. It was a hot/humid day that day, as well.
One of these days, I'm gonna get this whole fueling/hydration thing right. One of these days...
We all know by now that I'm plagued by those dreaded Charlie Horses during long runs - like half marathon length. Now granted...Saturday's Hippity Rock Half is going to be a little unique to me in that I'm specifically going out with the intention of speed walking that bad boy from start to finish because my side pain and plague prevented me from the proper training to run it (not to mention I'm still a bit congested - blech).
Since my Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half, I did my research and ultimately determined that several factors could be to blame. It's possible I'm not getting enough potassium in my diet. It's possible I'm not getting enough magnesium in my diet. It's possible I'm not properly hydrated. The last one seems a bit weak to me considering I was on top of my game for the Dallas RnR when it came to hydration. I took That Pink Girl's advice and drank water "like it was my job"! This leads me down another path - perhaps I just plain sweat too much and therefore lose too much sodium. I am quite the sweaty girl, don't ya know?!
So, let's break it down by category, shall we?
Potassium What does it do? It works with sodium to maintain the balance of water in your body.
How much do we need? The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for potassium in adults is 4700 mg per day.
What should we eat? We all know bananas are rich in potassium. In fact, a medium banana has 491 mg of potassium in it. Other foods rich in potassium include (but are not limited to): beets (blech), brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, lima beans, honey dew melon, skim milk, orange juice, baked potatoes, raisins, cooked spinach, tomato products, winter squash, and fat free plain yogurt.
Some say if you eat a healthy diet you probably consume the appropriate amount of potassium naturally. It can also be said, however, that athletes require more potassium than the average Joe.
Magnesium What does it do? What doesn't it do is more like it! Magnesium helps with your body's consumption of calcium. It assists in relaxing muscles and clotting blood. It activates B vitamins in your system and is needed in bone, protein, new cell, and fatty acid formation.
How much do we need? The RDA for women over the age of 31 is 320 mg of magnesium per day. The RDA for men over the age of 31 is 420 mg of magneisum per day.
What should we eat? Halibut (blech), brown rice, whole wheat flour, oat bran, almonds, cashews, artichokes, most beans (black, navy, white, pinto, refried, etc), chickpeas, okra, cooked spinach, etc.
I'm not sure that eating a whole bunch of beans is a good idea pre-race, but I can definitely handle brown rice, nuts, and anything whole wheat.
Sodium What does it do? Sodium helps balance the fluid in your body.
How much do we need? The RDA for sodium is 2400 mg. Ultimately how much or how little you intake is a balancing act. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Too little sodium can lead to overheating, dehydration, and/or exhaustion.
What should we eat? In this case, it's more like what SHOULDN'T we eat. Processed foods incorporate sodium as a preservative. In other words, the fresher the food, the less sodium content. I think it would be safe to say that the majority of Americans have no problem getting enough sodium in their diet.
So where does all this information lead me...I'm not really sure. I should be consuming enough sodium to handle my extreme sweating. I mean let's face it - it was between 51 and 54 degrees throughout my Dallas RnR. If sodium depletion was an issue in that temperature range, then just think how horrific it will be in the upper 90s I will face while running my Hottest Half in mid August. Yikes! I think it's probably a safer bet that my potassium and magnesium levels are subpar.
What's my plan? I'm gonna take a multi-vitamin every day (I'm bad about this normally). I'm going to stretch before and after each workout. I'm going to use my foam roller daily. I'm going to drink H2O "like it's my job". I'm going to focus on consuming fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and whole grains to get my potassium and magnesium consumption to the appropriate levels. I'm going to conquer the Charlie Horses, by golly!
I'm gonna attempt to PR this half marathon despite the fact I won't be running at all. It's possible, I'm motivated, and yes...I'm that slow of a runner that I can probably walk faster - ha! Stay tuned!!!
I have been drinking water all week long like I'm being paid a sponsorship to do so. The KIMpossible from 2 years ago would not recognize herself today, that is for sure! As I have mentioned before, I was so THAT girl who could go the entire day without drinking a single beverage. so true. so bad.
I wanted to set myself up mentally and physically for a killah 9-miler, so here's what I did on Friday in preparation for Saturday's run:
1) Carbo loaded - though typically I limit my bread carbs to 2 of my 3 meals, I allowed one with each of my meals. For breakfast, I had a PB&J sammy on whole wheat bread. For lunch, I had a hamburger patty (no bun) with a side of homemade BAKED sweet potato fries (the fries are considered a bread carb on South Beach). For dinner, I bought myself a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A. Of course there were healthy sidekicks (fruits and/or veggies) with all of these meals.
2) I drank plain water all day long with the exception of the last two 16-oz cups which both had the added bonus of Nuun in them. I figure a little extra electrolytes could only benefit me in the long run.
3) I foam rolled some areas of contention. My calves seem to get tight lately on my runs, so those got foamed out first. My upper back and shoulders are always an issue, so they were foamed out next. For good measure, I finalized the process with my knees only because my left knee has been suffering from some minor runner's knee as of late and I didn't want my right knee to feel left out.
4) I took an Epsom salt bath. That Pink Girl does this before her really long runs. Though 9 may not be considered "really long" by some, for THIS girl at THIS point in the game, it is.
5) I lotioned up my legs and shoulders with this product I remembered I had bought soooo many years ago from Origins for tired legs. Why I could have possibly thought I needed such a product years ago when I lead a relatively inactive lifestyle is beyond me, but I'm thankful I still had the product in my possession and that it still appeared to have its original potency. It had that subtle spa-menthol smell and a definite cooling effect. I figured it was a preventive measure.
6) I had a nice long talk with my monsters (read: my dogs) about how I desperately needed 7 to 8 hours of sleep. I told them how proud I was of them for allowing me the courtesy of 7 straight hours without interruption the night before (Thursday night) and how grateful I would be if they allowed me this privilege once again. I then made sure I did my part by getting my booty to bed at a decent time.
Of course, the best laid plans seem to always be ruined...the dogs woke me up at a ridiculous hour to go potty. So much for our heart-to-heart. I noticed when I put them out that it was drizzling and humid out. great, just great. I wondered if I should postpone my run until Sunday. I decided just to go back to bed. We slept for another hour and then they were STARVING. Poor things...you should really feel sorry for them since we all know how mistreated they are. So, they ate and I decided to go ahead and take my thyroid pill. Then we resumed sleeping. When we woke up again au natural, I made myself a nice breakfast of oatmeal - 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup of water, 1 TBSP Splenda brown sugar, and an unmeasured amount of cinnamon. Delish! I added a banana and it was the perfect breakfast! I don't like to eat and run, so I hopped onto FB for a while, before gearing up, sayin' my prayers, and heading out.
It was much much cooler than I realized (apparently a cool front came through in between my interrupted sleep), so I felt a bit chilled in my tank and capris, but I knew I would warm up turbo fast. I swung by the ol' mailbox at 2.5 miles for a drink and then resumed my run. I swung by the ol' mailbox at 5 miles for a drink and some Clif's Shot Bloks and then resumed my run. I swung by the ol' mailbox at 6.5 miles for a final drink before heading out to complete my run. I did need to stop and stretch at 7.5 miles because the wind was killing me at this point. It was so gusty that it was making it so hard to run. I then continued on my jaunt to complete my 9 miles. Did you notice I never once mentioned intervals? That's because I didn't do them. My body hates them, I'm sure of it. I decided to forgo them and to just run the mileage and my body responded so much better to this technique.
I expected to be sore and uncomfortable like I was last week when I ran my miserable 8, but I wasn't. I actually feel great. I chalk this up to preparation and prayer, honestly. I'm also proud to announce that 4 out of my 9 miles were completed at a sub-13 pace. This is such an improvement for me. I also managed to take over a minute off of my average pace from last week's 8 miles. How crazy is that?! There is definite improvement in the air, my friends, and that makes this girl VERY happy.
After my run, I showered QUICKLY to get to family lunch. I once again used that tired legs lotion - you know, just in case my legs decided to give me trouble later.
Yay for BJ's Brewhouse and their delicious turkey burger (subbed veggies for the fries, of course)! I also added a side of their chili because I was starving having burnt 1228 calories during my run.
In other HAPPY news, I had to go to an INCONVENIENT Academy to pick-up my race packet for the Bayou City Classic 10K which is on 3/12. Traffic was horrific trying to get there for some reason and I was in a truly foul mood by the time I arrived. I decided to peruse the Clearance Section whilst there and low and behold I found ONE Nike Dri-Fit Tank in my size for $9.88 (normal retail price $36.99). Um..SCORE! That practically made my day.
So...a good weekend and counting! I'm wishing the same for all of you! =)
I made a decision BEFORE I raced my half marathon that when I finished it (starting today, Monday, 10/25), I was going back to South Beach, Phase 1 for two weeks.
Question #1: Why wait until after my half? Well...I don't know how a lack of bread or fruit carbs is going to affect my body during intensive exercise. I was unwilling to risk a possible negative effect on a race of that magnitude (or...a race at all, for that matter). I am willing to risk it for a long Saturday training run.
Question #2: Why is it necessary to take the step backward at this point in the game? Well I've been quite stagnant in my weight loss for a LONG time now. I've also found myself eating way more than is necessary and even eating off of my diet plan (during non special occasions) using that age old excuse that "I've earned it because of the running". This is a dangerous game to play, by the way. I've been having big time cravings for the sugar and more often than I care to admit, I've caved into the cravings. I don't need to be eating that junk. This leads me to the decision to remove the cravings which means returning to the basics.
Question #3: How can I handle running without carbs? Naturally carbs exist in most food that we eat, so I'm not opting to have a meal plan without carbs for a 2 week period, but rather I'm limiting where the carbs are coming from. I can fuel before my runs with a protein shake, eggs, and/or Canadian bacon (as an example). I can fuel during my long runs with string cheese, nut butters, and/or nuts. I will eat veggies (which have carbs) with each meal. I will consume dairy products (which have carbs) with each meal. Where there is a will, my friends, there is a way.
Question #4: Won't it be hard to go back to Phase 1 after having been on Phase 2 for well over a year? Yes, it will be hard. Isn't that the point? For so long when it felt like everything else was spinning out of control in my life, I was able to control my food. I don't feel like I have that control over my food anymore. I'm taking back the control.
I'm still a good 50 to 65 lbs heavier than I need to be. I think sometimes it gets frustrating to know that I've worked hard for over a year to lose over 100 lbs just to know that isn't good enough or long enough. I then find myself letting that frustration get the best of me. I started a journey back on July 6th of 2009. It was not a mission I took lightly and it is not one that I will quit. It is a life long journey. There will be hills, there will be valleys...I am the constant and I am strong. I can do this. I will do this.
Today didn't go as I had hoped. There are two road I could travel right now. One path leads down a road of negativity filled with tears, doubt, and all those bad things that fill my head trying to destroy my spirit. The other path leads down a road of tears (cuz I'm still sad), perseverance, stubbornness, and all those things that make me want to pick up the pieces and try again. I'm gonna go down that second path, if you don't mind, but it's still a struggle. Thankfully, there is another opportunity on 12/12 with the RunGirl 13.1 to try to get this right.
I'll bottom line it for you and then I will take you through all of the events of today. Sometime just short of mile 7, there were policemen that made us turtles take a shortcut. In other words, we were not showing signs of finishing in the 3 hour time limit, so they cut our run short approx. 1 1/4 miles. My initial instinct was just to stop running and walk the remainder. My second instinct was to run to my sisters and brothers-in-law who were so awesomely out there supporting me and then have them just drive me to the finish line so we could cheer on our friend Melissa, in other words...QUIT. My third instinct was to suck up the shame that washed over me and carry on. I followed my third instinct, but with a little less skip in my step and a little less pride in my heart.
I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I tossed and turned quite a bit allowing the nervousness to bother me. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, though. I woke up at 4am. The dogs were insistent they were famished - I had my doubts since it was about 2 hours before their normal feeding, but whatever! I had a breakfast of a half a multi-grain bagel with Justin's maple almond butter and a banana. My friend Jon had suggested drinking NUUN the night before, morning before, and then again after the run. I had already had some the night before, so I drank some with my breakfast. I got all geared up, and went to pick up my friend Melissa. We found a parking spot in a $20 parking lot once we got down town. I didn't care as it was close to the start/finish line. I received a text message from one of my employees letting me know he couldn't go out of town, so I had to make a call to another employee trying to fix the situation (nice). After a frustrating phone call, I think it got squared away. Then, there was some parking lot drama, but I don't really feel like getting all into it. Let's just say a mood was set. I'm used to people being all happy and friendly on race day.
Melissa and I got in the LONGEST LINE EVER to use one of the 12 port-a-potties that were available (in the dark). Afterwards, we stretched and headed to the back of the lined up crowd for the START. This was Melissa's first Half, by the way. =) It was nice to have a friend there!
Craig providing "free" high fives
We started. It seemed pretty uneventful. I was just listening to my tunes and running. The first few miles are always so hard for me...it's hard for me to get my muscles ready to cooperate. They had water around every 2 miles, and as I mentioned in my last post, my plan was to walk through the water stations. I did this. I knew my family was planning on cheering Melissa and I on around Mile 3, so it gave me something to look forward to (that and I knew they were going to have a little cute bottle of G2 for me). I was super excited when I saw them around 3. They had a sign for me which made me smile, but I was wondering if they had made one for Melissa. I figured it had to be on the back of my sign. I greedily drank my G2 and then continued running. Between mile 4 and 5, they had another water station and I saw an empty port-a-potty, so I jumped in and out as fast as possible. I also threw back 3 bloks from my Clif's Shot Blok pack and grabbed a cup of water from the station which was just a head. A little while later, I saw a dude coming back on the opposite side almost pass out...it was scary, but a medic was on it! I saw my family again just after mile 5, but this time I didn't take them up on their offer of contraband. I did notice there was no "Go Melissa" sign on the back of mine, so then I was thinking they were rude. ha! I found out later they had a whole bunch of signs. They did actually have a sign for Melissa and they had a "free high 5" sign, too. Brother-in-law Craig was really getting into it! I think next time he will bring a sweat towel and some hand sanitizer!
I remember hitting the half way point and being disappointed in my time. I knew stopping at the bathroom hurt me, but I had to go! I also knew that I WAS HOT! It was way hotter than it's been and it wasn't helping. I just continued running regardless. Up in the distance was the 6-10 turn around, but the policemen didn't let us get that far. They made us U-Turn at the Memorial Loop. At first I was confused like I had misunderstood the map, but then I realized what was going on and then well...I made a decision to stay in the race in body, though my spirit was somewhat broken. My miles started getting slower and slower, I started feeling more and more defeated. It took everything in me not to give up. Melissa ended up passing me (again). She must have been confused by this. I explained what happened. At some point I should have taken 3 more bloks, but I didn't. I was just blah, so apparently I was showing me. =/ When I passed my family after mile 9, I explained what happened to Linda and she told me that I was still doing it and to keep going!
It was a hard race - because we were moving around Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, there were several hills. We do a little bit of training for these in my group, but I hate them and I could feel these hills attacking my left hamstring. Thankfully, my feet felt fine (despite me making the cRaZy decision to wear my new shoes). A couple of times I got some all over body tingling - not sure why, and then my feet tingled too, like they had fallen a sleep. Weird. I got a little light headed once and made myself walk for 30 seconds. I walked 2 or 3 more times for 30 seconds a piece during various times throughout the race - while going uphill.
When I saw the 13 mile marker, I booked it to the FINISH line. Finishing song - Flo Rida's "Low"!
Oh and props to everyone who offered me up songs to add to my iPod for the race - it brought a special little smile to my face if/when your song suggestion made it to my ear! I saw my family and Melissa right before I crossed the line. That made me happy! I was handed my medal right away. Where was water? None to be found by the race peeps. Cathy gave me a G2 which I chugged and then Melissa and I took some pics like this one:
Then Cathy, Jay, Linda, and Craig went to find a restaurant for us all to have lunch at while Melissa and I went to go find our finisher's shirts and some water. We had the worst time finding water. The first bucket we came to was empty. We had to ask where we could get some. Most races hand you a beverage when you finish a race, I'm just sayin'. Eventually, we found some. I got greedy. I grabbed a Sobe Life Water 0, a grapefruit juice, and a water. I quickly drank the grapefruit juice and the Life Water, and then I felt like I was going to be sick. While I was getting us drinks, Melissa went and got our shirts. We then headed to the car and we were thankful to change into our new shirts and to put on our flip flops. We were also thankful to discover that our $20 parking lot was FREE! Yay!
We met up with my siblings and their spouses at Grand Lux (one of my fam's favorites) and had a much needed lunch.
The weird thing is that my knees don't hurt AT ALL. Both thighs are KILLING ME and then there is the left hamstring which is just a mess. Maybe the new shoes fixed the knee issues?! Hmmmm...
So, two paths to choose from and as I've mentioned...I'm gonna go positive here. I'm not giving up. I might not have done what I set out to do today, but I did something AMAZING and I'm going to be proud of me regardless of the outcome. That's the path I choose.
Special shout out to Melissa for kicking booty on her first half!!!
Special shout out to Cathy, Jay, Linda, and Craig for their love, support, and hydration provisions!
Here are some more pics:
Jay is holding the sign
action photo
Jay is holding the sign
action photo
While at Walgreens buying drinks, Linda found me Granny Panties with pockets...she thought I could put my iPod in them while running. Cathy was holding them up for the pic! gotta love my family! =P
Linda had her camera ready to capture the moment I opened my panties with pockets present. =P
As I have mentioned several times, my 2nd half marathon is coming up THIS SUNDAY! Yikes! I'm nervous, anxious, and excited! I feel infinitely more prepared than I did for my first one which was the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half on August 1st.
This time, I know what 13.1 feels like. It's far, y'all.
This time, I'm on my home turf. Let's hear it for home court advantage!
This time, I have way better endurance. Yay for training with my running group!
This time, I have set some realistic, achievable goals.
This month's Runner's World actually had an article about establishing goals called "Good Targets". The article discusses three different possible goals - one could be just to finish - another could be to PR (or even to PR with a specific time) - and still another could be some performance type goal not related to time. I read this article thoroughly and really let it sink in. I wish I had the luxury of just setting a non-time related performance goal, but unfortunately a concern of mine has to be time as this race has a 3 hour time limit which means a PR for me by default if when I finish this race in "legal" time.
I thought in spirit of this article, however, I should set a goal in each of the categories.
1 - Just Finish! Seeing as I completed a half marathon already...um...I'm just going to run with faith that this won't be an issue...
2 - Banner Day! Well, I'm not going to do Runner's World's proposed fancy calculations. My goal is simple - to PR with a 3:00:00 finish. This means taking 24:39 off my previous time. Doable? Yes. I'm better trained for this race and I've been running my long runs with an average of a 13:23 pace. A 3 hour half marathon is an average of 13:45 pace. Let's just say there is a bit more motivation and a whole lot more encouragement to BOOK IT! during an actual race than a long Saturday (or Sunday) run! I'm also going to be wearing my Garmin and a pace bracelet to help keep my eye on the target!
3 - Best Effort! For Chi RnR, I employed my 4 minute run/walk interval method for half the race until I got plagued with the charlie horses and then I power walked the remainder of the race. In a way, I kinda feel like I gave up. I'm not going to give up on this race! Since the 3rd or 4th week of training with my running group, I have dumped the interval method and focused on running my mileage outright - only stopping for water and/or bathroom breaks. My Best Effort (non-time related performance goal) is to run the entire 13.1 miles with the exception of walking through the water stations (which will be located approx. every 2 miles).
I know that in order for me to be successful, I must be properly hydrated and fueled. Here is my plan of action:
Younger sister Linda is going to pass me off G2 (can't make myself drink full sugar Gatorade and still taking Amanda's advice regarding drinking some calories for energy) during the race. Since I figure I will see them at least twice during the race, I figure that drinking those electrolytes combined with drinking water at each of the water stations should take care of the hydration issue.
Of course, I will be eating a good breakfast before the race - most likely a bagel with almond butter and a banana. I will be carrying with me a pack and a half of Clif's Shot Bloks. Truth be told - one pack is probably enough, but I'd rather have too much than not enough. I will be taking 3 bloks at mile 4, and another 3 at mile 8. If I feel the need for another boost, I reserve the right to hit it up at mile 11 or 12 - whatever it takes to get me to that finish line IN LEGAL TIME! =)
So there you have it - my goals and my plan of action! Oh...I almost forgot my music! I posted on Twitter and Facebook that I was looking for some suggestions for tunes to add to my iPod. I got some great ideas and have already started switching out some of my music for some fresh vibes!
I've got this! I know I do!
Okay, so onto other race related things...I picked up my Race Packet today at Luke's Locker. Lamest Swag Bag EVER! There was no swag. How disappointing is that?! I mean would it have killed them to get someone to donate a lip balm?! a granola bar? a key chain? something? anything? I like to feel a little love when I open up my bag. I felt nothing. We don't get our finisher's shirt until we finish (which is totally cool with me), so that bag was way too empty for my taste (bib w/ d-tag and a couple of slips of paper). Party foul, Houston Half, party foul!
While at Luke's Locker, however, I did decide to let their shoe experts help me *finally*. You see, when I first bought myself my running shoes (in December), I just got them from the New Balance outlet mall. While the sales associate that helped me was very nice, she wasn't very knowledgeable (or if she was...she didn't offer up the help) like the dude at Luke's did. I explained to him the issues I've been having with my feet - pain on the side of my left foot, black nails (oh joy), soreness, and other such issues, and he said he could help. He measured my foot and had me do a couple of things to determine stuff and brought me out a pair of Brooks Glycerins. Oh my how I liked the way they fit before he even tied them. He had me run on the treadmill and then proclaimed they were too short and went and brought me back a half a size up and then a pair of Asics something or another. He tried the Asics on me first - they felt good and I ran with them on the treadmill. Then he tried the upsized Brooks on me. Oh what a difference...I felt like I was running on a cloud. I had asked him about how to tie them since I sometimes feel like I'm tying them too tightly and they are hurting me and he showed me a new way to tie them. Sold! I'm going to run with them tomorrow morning - just 2 or 3 miles - super excited!
What a difference from my nervous nelly million posts prior to my first half, huh?! ha!
Oh...shout out to younger sister Linda for signing up for RunGirl 13.1 (12/12/10)! Sooo excited to be reunited in race with her as our one and only was back in March with our 10K H.E.B. Bayou City Classic. Yay!
I didn't exactly have the best run yesterday. It wasn't terrible, either. I just had these high hopes of it being this great pre-cursor to my half that's coming up next week. I know I'm putting so much pressure on myself and I know that it isn't really all that fair, but...well...here's how it all went down....
I got to the park a couple minutes late (oops), but that's okay because I wasn't the only one and my team was just standing around and sharing some stories. Some of the guys had run the 10 for Texas race the week before and were recapping. They explained what we were to do...run 3/4 of a mile warm-up, then 1/2 a mile counting our steps. I had missed the week (due to my whole food poisoning issue) when my team first did that. That's hard, y'all. Have you ever tried to count your steps?
Next, we were to head from Meyer Park around the fishing lake over to Collins Park out to Cypresswood Drive and run past TC Jester and out to Kuykendahl and then back. We were then supposed to finish it with a timed lap. We were told there was water placed out for us and where it was, BUT (and this is the part that sucks) I got confused and didn't find it (more on that in a bit).
Before heading out to Cypresswood, Collins does have a bathroom/water fountain house, so I did stop to take advantage of this as I did not know how far away the water was and/or if I was going to have to use the bathroom. It always makes me nervous to leave the park because it's awkward if you need to use the bathroom. I mean if you are in a race, at least there are port-a-potties in case of emergency, you know?! Anyway, this was all at mile 3 according to my Garmin and I was quite thankful I at least had drank that water.
I then headed out to Cypresswood. Shortly thereafter, my coach passed me on a return trip (he was JUST putting in 5 after having done 22 the day before - can't even fathom that). He reminded me how to pump my arms and once I put it into practice, I started flying (well...for me, anyway). Seriously, though...I was maintaining sub 13 miles and feeling great! Funny how when we had done our 7 miler how far away TC Jester seemed and now...eh...not to bad at all! I love that! I will say it was much cooler out than that 7 miler day, too, though, but still! So, we were told that we would have to cross the street and there was a little park and the water was on a park bench. I thought this was perfect, so I planned on eating either my Larabar or some of my Shot Bloks with the water. I kept going and going and going and finally I hit Kuykendahl. I was totally ready for some water.
So, I got there and crossed the street into a subdivision...a little bit up the road, I saw what looked like a park...as I approached it, I saw that it was all closed up with a sign that said private park. I couldn't see any gate open or any water on any of the park benches inside. I stopped and stood there and honestly just wanted to cry. My Garmin was at 5.75 miles and I knew I was going to have to run 2.75 miles back to the Collins water fountain. I went ahead and took out my Banana Bread Larabar...ate it hoping it would give me energy...and then a fresh piece of gum hoping it would somehow hydrate me...and I wished I had been smart enough to throw a couple dollars in my Spibelt because there was a gas station on the corner (I will definitely not leave home without a $5 with me next time). I then started a much slower run back to the park...I was defeated.
When I finally made it to the Collins water fountain, I surely gulped gallons (slight exaggeration) of water from the fountain. I was so thirsty. I had gone 5.5 miles without water...I was now at the 8.5 mile mark and ONLY had 2.5 miles left to go on this jaunt. I (still) slowly headed up the trail in Collins back towards Meyer Park. I finally made it to Meyer and headed to our picnic table. It was our breakfast day - our coach had made us oatmeal with egg and raisins. He had brought bananas and honey for us to add into it. I had thought he would have been gone by the time I got there, but he was still there along with one other girl. I told him I never found the water. We went over where it was supposed to be. Apparently I misunderstood...it was at a little park off of TC Jester, not Kuykendahl - he said that way we could get the water twice - once going past it to Kuykendahl and once heading back to Collins. Well that only makes sense...too bad I'm a dum-dum! He told me I didn't have to do the timed lap, but I still had 1.1 miles left to go to hit my 11, so I gulped down my entire bottle of G2 (taking Amanda's advice that maybe I needed some calories coming from my drink - although it probably would have helped earlier in my run - ha)! My coach said he would have oatmeal ready for me when I got back. Um...okay. The last thing I want when I first finish running is food. I headed out do to my lap, but at the 1/4 mile mark, the charlie horses started making their presence known. I continued to the 1/2 mile marker and they were just there at the surface threatening every few steps...I finally said "screw it" and ran on the path that lead back to the table not caring if it shorted me the 11 (which it did - I only got 10.8 in total).
My coach insisted on the oatmeal, so I had some. It actually did hit the spot and the bananas were good for the charlie horse issue, I'm sure. He gave me some water since I had finished my G2 before my last little bit of run and then the three of talked for a while.
I'm left not feeling as confident for my half next week as I did after my 9 miler a few weeks ago due to my poor hydration issues the past couple of weeks. The only thing that gives me some comfort is knowing that the race offers up hydration stations every 2 miles and that my race plan is to walk through each and every station taking full advantage of the opportunity to hydrate.
So, one thing you can bet your bottom dollar on this week - you won't catch me without a bottle of water in one hand at all times! I'm not taking any chances!
Special shout out to my friend Lauren who is running the Nike Women's half today in San Fran! Wish her well!
You know what is frustrating? It's my lack of energy. I read so many articles on fueling while racing. I read so much about proper hydration. I read, but I don't practice these things. I think that's what kills me in running AND recovery. I did those 10 miles on Sunday and then I haven't done anything since. This isn't good for several reasons.
First of all...um...HELLO...I have a marathon in 3 1/2 months.
Second of all...I have a goal of 85 miles for this month and I'm only 1/4 of the way there with half the month left.
Third of all...I need my muscles ready for the next big run (11 miles) and the only way to get them prepared is for their homework to be complete. You see...my weekly runs are sort of like homework for my long runs, if that makes sense.
I know part of my problem is that when I fly I retain water (still dealing with that issue, by the way). I know another problem is that my left knee is bothering me on and off (rar!). I'm not quite sure what's going on there, but I'm thinking it's best to not run on it tonight (as was my plan). I know yet another little issue is that I get a wee bit discouraged when I realize how difficult it is for me to complete bigger week day runs than 3 or 4 miles a pop considering how long it takes me to run a mile. When I read tweets or blogs from faster runners who finish their 10 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes knowing full well it took me almost twice that time to do my 10 miles, it leaves me feeling a tad bit inadequate and disenchanted. I know it isn't a fair comparison, but it's the head game I play.
I guess what it boils down to is that I want to be as prepared as possible for this race, but I don't really feel like I'm doing my part.
So, what to do, what to do?
I went to Academy during my lunch break to peruse the options for fueling. I bring with me Clif's Shot Bloks on my long runs, but I don't always remember to use them. Hmmm...nice consistency, huh?! So, I bought some Larabars and my plan for this Saturday's run is to have a Clif's Shot Blok and a Larabar on hand. I'm not opposed to eating both if that's what gets me through my run feeling all energized and whatnot. I was majorly lagging the last 2 miles of Sunday's run which I chalk up to improper hydration and improper fueling.
I need to drink even when I don't think I'm thirsty. My problem isn't that I hate water. On the contrary, as I've mentioned before...I primarily drink water. I order iced tea in restaurants, I drink a glass of milk a day, I very rarely partake in a diet soda (probably not even one a week), I drink Powerade Zero during and after my long runs, and the rest of my life I drink water. So, what's the problem? I have been known to go the entire day - including all meals - without drinking a drop. Nice, huh?! BAD KIM! It's a tough habit to break. I'm not that bad anymore, but it is a struggle to remember to drink and then to keep drinking.
I need to eat even when I don't think I'm hungry (while running and immediately following my runs). Clearly, in general, I have no issue with eating any other time in my life. =\
What do you do for fueling during your runs?
How do you stay properly hydrated?
