It's Here

In just a few hours I'll be on a flight to Philadelphia.  No turning back now.

Weather is supposed to be decent, slight chance of rain.  But it will likely be in the 50s for the race which sounds pretty perfect.

Deep breaths.  Game time.

Clickety Clack

After my last, lengthy run, I took a couple days off as I was having pretty rugged hip pain.  I resumed running over the weekend and this week my left hip is "clicking".

::begin mild panic::

I made a last minute appointment with my physical therapist to discuss this.  The determination is that it's my IT band slapping back and forth over my hip joint.  In its normal range of motion, it isn't supposed to drag over the bone, so the band is too tight.  Luckily most IT band injuries come with knee pain, but mine is isolated to the hip which supposedly means it is the easiest to treat and serious injury is unlikely.

My instructions are no more running before the marathon and to spend time every day stretching and using warm compresses.  Yoga was recommended as well as swimming and/or rowing to keep my cardio up.  Oh, and daily ibuprofen.  Of course.

So I guess this is it folks!  No more runs until the big one and a looming, angry IT band.

22 miles

I ran my final, long run yesterday.  I haven't really been updating because I've been too busy with work / travel to really talk much about training.

Overall I think it's been easier to train for this marathon, mostly because I'm so used to it by now.  The runs aren't necessarily easier, but getting myself motivated to run after a long day of work seems (somewhat) easier.

Yesterday I ran for nearly 4 hours.  I'm brutally sore today and for some reason even more nervous about the marathon.  I know I've run this distance before and that I can do it and it's possible...but I haven't forgotten how tough it is, mentally or physically.  Yes, I ran nearly the distance yesterday, but it's really those final 4 miles that make you dig deep.

I've run just over 300 miles training for this marathon and feel more prepared than I did for Big Sur.  My good friend just signed up for the LA marathon and wants me to run it with her...it would be in just over 3 months so I'd roll right into training again.

It's oddly tempting since I've never run in my "hometown" before...but after spending half a day running and on my feet yesterday, it's also pretty easy to think to myself "no f-ing way".

We'll see.  Maybe after Philly I'll be dying for another :P  that does seem to be the trend these days...

Poor, poor joints.

50 miles left to run before Philadelphia.  Game face.

The longest yard

880 yards to be exact.

It never ceases to amaze me how terrible the stretch between mile 1.5 and mile 2 can be.

Too Hot to Run?

I've been dealing with a new issue lately that I've never had when training for a marathon...it's hot.  Really hot.  LA recently had an extended heatwave where nights were in the 70s and during the day the temperatures were in the mid to upper 90's.  I've never liked running in the heat, but since I need to keep up with a training schedule I haven't had much of a choice.

No matter how hard I try, I still fail epicly at waking up early enough to run and then get ready for work.  So after work is the usual winning option.  Running at night when it's humid and hot is simply miserable.  I waited until almost 10pm to run, and I was still coated in sweat and had muscle fatigue and cramping when I usually don't.  I felt tired faster.  Hills that aren't usually challenging were a struggle.  These are all very normal reactions to running in heat so I was expecting it, but man does it suck.

When planning my long weekend run, due to work and other scheduling, I ended up running at roughly 3pm.  The temperatures were in the 80s and there were no clouds.  I read a few blogs and websites about running in the heat.  There are a few "hardcore" runners that simply say to suck it up and run and your body will tolerate it and it's never "too hot" to run, it's just an easy excuse to make.  Well, good for those men/women.  I sucked it up and went running out near the beach so at least there would be a breeze and it was awful.

The run lasted one hour and 40 minutes and when I got home, despite drinking a liter of water during the run, and being well hydrated before starting, my body was seriously pissed.  I had lost several pound of water weight which I had to replenish and I got a post-run reaction I've never had (runner's trot...sorry if that's TMI.  oops!)  Thank god I made it home.  But still....wtf body!  This has never happened before. And yes, while in the end I survived and still ran a respectable pace for 11 miles, there's just no way I'm subjected myself to that again whether my body can "tolerate it" or not.

Ups and Downs

Last week was a weird one for training.  The week started out roughly, with a chilly, windy run on Monday that I shortened because I simply didn't have the right gear.  By the time Thursday rolled around, I was so busy with work I had skipped my run on Wednesday.  I used the gym at work on my lunch break Thursday to get a quick 4 miles in.  I was feeling pretty good until Saturday rolled around.  For whatever reason, my knee was just not dealing very well with running.  It could be that I was trying to break in my new shoes, or it could be that I was just constantly running hills.  Either way, my knee felt terrible and I shortened my run yet again.

Some ice and ibuprofen later, and I was feeling fine.  I ran tonight and felt great.  So...who knows.  I'm just going to go on as long as I can with my knee - I think it should be fine, I really just need to focus on weight training on my days off.  I'm not going to read too much into it.  I remember having knee pain all through m previous training so this is likely just part of the experience.

New shoes!

After glancing at my running spreadsheet, I realized that I had over 460 miles on my Brooks Adrenalines that I had purchased during training for the Big Sur Marathon.  I suppose training for that, as well as training for the Eugene Marathon probably put some heavy miles on them.  Whoopsie!

I opted to try out a store which advertises the "shoe dog" which will analyze your balance, stride, etc.  In the end, none of it was really new info for me and I ended up being recommended the shoes I already have.  I ended up getting a different brand, however, due to better fit/feel.  

Drumrolllll:  the Asics GT2000

 

Musings

I'm relieved to say that PT has noticeably helped me!

I'm just rounding out my second week of training and my knee hasn't been bothering me at all.  I've got a much more aggressive cross training schedule this time around which has me pretty excited.  Between hikes, bike rides, and hill repeats hopefully I can avoid pissing of my meniscus again.  I'm also taking some fitness classes at a studio near my apartment which will also help out.

Wednesday night I was supposed to run 4 miles and ended up running 6.  I'm running a little slower than I have in the past, but am trying to run a mile or two extra than the training schedule to help lower the risk of hurting myself on long runs.  It's still really frustrating that the first 3 miles are so crappy.  I guess it's something I'll never really get over.  I just have to keep in mind that in 30 minutes or less, I won't feel as miserable running.

I found out last night that my friend is considering the LA Marathon.  It made me really excited to hear someone else going for a long race!  I've definitely realized that training for a race is something that motivates me more than just "keeping in shape" which is good/bad.  In the long run, I don't think it's wise to keep running marathons for the sake of my joints, but maybe half-marathons await me in the future.

Pop Goes the...meniscus?!

So after that one glorious post about being 1 month into training for another marathon, I ended up dealing with some knee pain again.

I made it about 12 weeks into training until it became unbearable and I decided to see my doctor.

Sure enough, he ordered an x-ray and MRI and I was told that I had a partial meniscus tear.

::boom::

That was it, folks.  He offered a cortisone injection if I wished to carry on with the marathon, but I opted to back out of training and forgo the marathon in favor of my knee healing naturally.  I've been going to physical therapy since April and my knee is now completely healed!  An MRI confirmed and I'm finally good to go again.

Which brings me to the point of this entry: I'm pleased to say that in lieu of running the Eugene marathon this year, I'll be running the Philadelphia Marathon in November!

I'm in my second week of training and I'm feeling great.  My doc gave me clearance to run as far and fast as I wanted back in June and I decided to try and finish what I started and run a marathon for charity.

Here I come, Philly!  I've missed you these past (oh my) 6 years since I've lived there.  Looking forward to a chilly race and running in support of Team Lemon!!

If you're interested in donating, please check out my race page:

http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/114757

Getting back in the groove

I honestly wasn't sure I was ever going to run another marathon after finishing the last one.  Despite the amazing runner's high afterward and the incredible feeling of accomplishment for completing a 26.2 mile run...my knees were remarkably sore after the race.  Even my lungs were sore.  My muscles recovered pretty well but my joints were swollen and angry for a while.  I'm sure some people get right back on the horse, but I took about 2 months off from running.  I just had zero desire to run for a long time.

Eventually, I looked around at races and decided that I needed to give my knees a break...which meant that I could still train for races, but probably shouldn't do a lot of hills again.  Not to mention the extreme slant in most of the road for the Big Sur marathon which put a lot of pressure on one leg or the other.

In the end, I found a pretty flat race that has a small attendance (also important for me), and a lot of places where people can cheer for you.  Big Sur was beautiful and at different points it was so quiet you could just hear the ocean and the footsteps and breathing of those around you.  While amazing, that can also be a very lonely experience, particularly when it's getting late in the race and you could really use some encouragement.  I suppose you really just need yourself to be motivated (in theory) but I don't think I'd mind some additional voices once in a while, haha.

Anyway...I'm a month into training for my second marathon already.  It seems kind of wild but it has all come back very easily.  It seems much more organized this time around.  I know what to expect and just get home and run.  There are good runs and bad runs and none of it really surprises me anymore.  It's been an interesting balance between work, taking classes, as well as training for a marathon...but I think I've finally got a good schedule where I can actually still have a life on top of everything else (shocking!)

As Promised...

...the Big Sur marathon experience.

After months of writing about preparing for the big run, I neglected to actually write about the experience itself.  This was nearly 9 months ago, but the memory is still as fresh as ever.  Here goes:

The day started with a rousing wake-up at 2:30am.  Yes, 2:30 and the race began at 6:30am.  Rough.  The reason for this is that you must take a shuttle bus down to the starting line.  You travel the course of the marathon in reverse and it takes about an hour to get there as the road is narrow and windy.  In addition, the buses must have enough time to turn around and get off of the course before the race begins.

We boarded at bus at 3:15 am and arrived to the starting line roughly around 4:30 with 2 hours to kill before running.  We huddled together and stayed warm, snacking on the available bagels and bananas and trying to drink enough coffee to stay warm/get yourself to poop.

Eventually it was time to shed our warm layers and get in line to start running.  My adrenaline was off the charts and I was trying to maintain focus so I didn't churn out 7 minute miles in the beginning and tire myself out.

The first wave was off and my two friends and I lined up on the starting line.  I heard the gunshot and began running down the road and suddenly the weight of the race and all of the anticipation just lifted away.  The first few miles were freezing cold and my hands were nearly purple until mile 5.  And then the winds.  I'm not sure if this year was worse than previous years, but the headwinds were terrible.  Also it felt as though from mile 6-mile 9 we were just at a constant incline.  Straight into the cold, wet wind.  I managed a pretty quick initial 10k, maintaining just over an 8 minute mile pace.  Slowly the winds let up and I was able to see Hurricane Point, the two-mile long, 5% grade hill that stretches the last 4 miles before you reach the half-marathon point.  I could hear the drums thumping at the base of the hill and my heart rate increased and I could feel myself focusing for what lay ahead.  If you haven't yet, watch some YouTube videos of the Taiko drums at the base of this hill.  The sounds of these drums will forever stay with me, not only for the anxiety it brings for the hill, but as a motivation and driving force that leads thousands of runners up and over Hurricane Point.

The next two miles were just brutal.  40mph headwinds and rain blowing in my race.  I kept my head down and just looked at the ground and tried not to look up at the expansive hill in front of me.  Runners around me chanted "what goes up, must come down" and I found that to be a nice thing to think about as my calves burned.  The feeling at the crest of the hill was substantial.  I was not prepared for the exhiliration of reaching the top of Hurricane Point.  My legs were relieved and I was smiling.  I knew that over half of the race still lay ahead but getting through the hill was an amazing feeling.

I cruised down the other 2 miles of the hill, down to Bixby Bridge where the infamous grand piano player rests.  I didn't stop for pictures but looked around and tried to take in the sheer beauty of my surroundings.

At this point I was feeling pretty good.  Finished the half marathon in just under two hours and was heading into mile 14.  Things were feeling pretty great until mile 16 which was a long, drawn out hill.  This is not what you want to be experiencing after the 2 mile slog up Hurricane Point.  Needless to say, I made it through and tried to keep my head strong for the last 10 miles.  (Yeah I know.  10 more miles, wtf??)

I honestly don't remember much through miles 17-20 other than the delicious snacks that were provided and how the course "seemed" to be gentle rolling hills which, while sometimes frustrating, kept things interesting.  There were bands along the way and I was still smiling for the cameras that I saw.  I was still running near the 4 hour pace group at this point which I hadn't expected, but was a big motivating factor.

Enter:  Carmel Highlands.  I know that everyone bitches about this point of the marathon because it's the end of the race and you really don't want to be running up these short, super steep hills.  I was hanging tough until about mile 23 and the pain in my quad was unbearable.  My right leg was nearly quivering and I slowed down to a quick walk to try and alleviate the pain but that was simply not enough.  I kept thinking "don't stop Nicole just keep moving!!" but I couldn't.  I needed to stretch desperately.  In the end, it's good that I did.  But wow.

I stopped on the side of the road to stretch and my legs felt like they were being electrocuted.  My calves, quads, and hamstrings were on fire.  Leaning over to stretch was the most painful and simultaneously glorious feeling in the world.  I stretched out my quads for a few minutes and started to walk, and then run again.  I lost a lot of time, but it saved the race for me.

The final few miles were hilly and painful.  I now understand why they tell you that the final 10k is the absolute worst.  Despite all of your training, it's really your head that gets you through it.  You have to stay mentally tough and just tell yourself you can do it, even when your legs are brutally exhausted and all you want to do is just stop and lay on the ground.

Mile 25 was a half mile uphill and a half mile downhill.  I ended up walking a little on the uphill just because my legs simply felt like jello.  On the downhill I could see the sign for "Mile 26" and suddenly I was re-awakened.

I resumed a quick running pace and as soon as I could see the finish I broke out into as much of a sprint as I could muster.  The pain lifted and I felt like I was running on air.  I crossed the finish line and high-fived the attendants.  I walked forward, legs like jelly, toward the tent where all of the food is, congratulating my fellow runners.

I honestly couldn't believe it was over.  And the runner's high afterward was truly something I had never experienced before.  (and the pain in my legs the next day was also something I had never experienced before.  Think of the Tin-Man from the wizard of Oz)

Final time: 4:21:19.  Just under 10 minute miles (avg) for the entire course.

I couldn't be happier with my time - my "secret" goal was to finish in under 4 hours and 30 minutes and I was super happy I was able to do that on such a hard course.

Eugene, Oregon

Well for some masochistic reason, I've decided to do another marathon.

This time, however, it won't be nearly as insane as the last one in Big Sur.  Doing the big bad hilly marathon was quite the way to go for my first marathon ever, but I decided to choose another pretty, scenic one this time in an area that isn't super hilly and will probably, dare I say it, be fun.

April 28, 2013:  Eugene Marathon

I'm pretty pumped.  Training has begun and it's just like old times.  Or something like that...

Also I totally realized I never wrote a post about actually running  the Big Sur Marathon.  That will be coming soon...I have to stir up the memories I suppose, haha.