Oh, iPod. How I love thee.
Sarah's last post got me thinking about my running playlist and just how much I enjoy listening to music while I run. It really is how I get my groove on, since frequent visits to the clubs is not really appropriate for my stage of life. :) When I first started running, I remember googling sample playlists and song suggestions so that I could build up my repertoire. I'm still changing it frequently, but I thought it would be fun to list my playlist for others like me who are looking for ideas and also just to have record of it years from now when my kids will know Pink only as a color. I did a post a few months ago about some of my favorite praise and worship songs to run to, so this is my list of my current favorite booty-shakin' music. *Disclaimer: It's typically all about the beat for me. Sometimes I don't even know what half the lyrics mean, which is probably a good thing... :)
"Low" by Flo Rida (also known as "Apple Bottom Jeans". Ooooooh yeah....)
"Club Can't Handle Me" by Flo Rida
"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
"I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
"On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez
"Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez
"The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga
"Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry
"California Girls" by Katy Perry
"Love Stoned" by Justin Timberlake
"4 Minutes" by Madonna
"Hung Up" by Madonna
"Getcha Hands Up" by Press Play
"NY2LA" by Press Play
"Get Me Bodied" by Beyonce
"Womanizer" by Britney Spears
"Disturbia" by Rihanna
"Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna
"SOS" by Rihanna
"Pon de Replay" by Rihanna
"Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige
"Give it to Me" by Timbaland/Nelly Furtado
"Stronger" by Kanye West
"Raise Your Glass" by Pink
"So What" by Pink
"Mercy" by Duffy
"Somebody to Love" by Justin Bieber
"Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall
"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha
I also have a few totally random songs on my playlist, including some country choices ("Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland, "Up" by Shania Twain, "All-American Girl" by Carrie Underwood...) and a slew of Michael Buble songs (my favorite of his for running is "Baby, You've Got What it Takes." LOVE!).
Just listing these songs makes me start to do a little dance. It might be will-power that gets me out the door to run, but it's turning on my music that actually makes me go. I can't wait to see what songs get added with Sarah's upcoming Marathon weekend playlist!!! The beat goes on!
Oh, and one last little side note: 10 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeee!!!
-Christie
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Getting to the Details
Here's what we've been working on this week:
Saucony Grid Cohesion 4! LOVE 'EM!
OHHH!! One other detail I need is SONGS!! For our traveling play lists, and for my running play list!
Suggestions??!!?? I'd love to hear what you run to!
- Our shirts. Let me just say they're probably the coolest shirts you've ever seen. HOWEVER, Christie ordered hers first, and apparently we ordered a teensy bit too small... So, if you love them as much as we do there may be a size Small up for sale :)
- (Sarah) has been working on our "packet pickup" and "on our way to the race" play lists. :) :) :) Yes, its important. And yes, Pat is already dreading rolling down the street in Christie and Josh's parent-mobile to "Low" by Flo-Rida :)
- Got some new shoes!!
- But, I think the main thing we've been doing this week is chilling! I have been a little lazy! I was so sore after that 22 miler that I really gave my body a break! Maybe not what a coach or running veteran would recommend, but it seemed like what my body needed!
OHHH!! One other detail I need is SONGS!! For our traveling play lists, and for my running play list!
Suggestions??!!?? I'd love to hear what you run to!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
How I went really far without really going anywhere...
At the end of my last post, I had accepted the reality that my 22 miler was completely out-of-the-question.
However, Saturday morning I got the crazy idea that for every minute Sarah spent on the road running her 22 miles that day, I would spend a minute on the bike, elliptical, or treadmill at the gym. I mean, we're a team after all! Since my knee didn't hurt at all when I walked, I figured I might as well log some significant mileage, even if it wasn't actual running and even if it wasn't the full distance.
I started at 4:40 pm and sent Sarah a text saying "Let's see if I can make it until 8:40. HAhahaha!"
At 10:11 pm, I sent her a text that said "22 miles. Done."
I'm still not quite sure how it happened. It was just like giving birth...it was like I was in some alternate universe, where time had no meaning and all I could think about was the end result. I didn't mean to do it. Really, I didn't. Even thinking about going for 4 hours (the amount of time Sarah would be running) was a tiny bit of a joke. But about 2 1/2 hours into it something inside my head clicked. This was already an incredibly stupid and crazy idea. I was already waaaaay outside of the realm of normal, so why not just step it up a notch? Why not just scratch the timeline and go the distance instead?
And so I walked. And walked. And walked. I watched whatever was on the gym TV almost the entire time: "50 First Dates", "Iron Chef" (Canadian lobster...the challenger actually won!), and my personal favorite, "I Faked My Own Death" (?!?!?). I stopped once to go to the bathroom (and then to foam roll and stretch for about 20 minutes, as once I stopped my muscles immediately tried to shut down) and once to switch from the treadmill to the elliptical for my final 5 miles. Other than that, I just kept moving. I texted Josh at one point to tell him I had decided to go for the entire 22 miles and would be late getting home. He responded "That is really crazy, Christie." I replied, "Crazy stupid? Or crazy but within the realm of reason?" "Not sure," he said. My reply: "Me either."
Regardless of the level of sanity (or lack thereof), words cannot convey what that 22 miler meant to me. So many times throughout our training, I've pictured the moment I finish that 22 mile run. It's the ultimate climax in marathon training. The "now I KNOW I can do it" moment. And up until Saturday evening, I didn't think I was going to have that moment. It made me feel so far removed from the race. Honestly, taking away the chance to have that moment was like taking away the heart of training. I didn't realize just how important it was to me until I began my last 5 miles on the elliptical. It was the first time I turned on my iPod, and the music coupled with the adrenaline of knowing I was in the final stretch (and that I was actually going to do this!) gave me a 2nd wind like I couldn't believe. Multiple times I got teary eyed. It took everything in me to resist the urge to jump off and do a little dance on the gym floor. I told my husband to pop open some champagne. I was about to accomplish something ridiculous, and by gosh I was going to celebrate.
Today is the 6 month anniversary of my "real" running. While I had run a few scattered miles last winter, March 20th was the day I logged my first 3 miles on my Half Marathon training program. Here I am, on September 20th, looking back in awe wondering how in the world I got here. It's such a great reminder of my favorite running mantra: "If you do it, it will come." I am not some star athlete. I was not born to do this. I have not been doing it my whole life. I did not use to do it, took some time off, and decided to start up again. I started from scratch, struggling with every step, hating the thought of running but loving the idea of being a runner. I just continued to put one foot in front of the other, and here I am, 2.5 weeks out from running a marathon. I never, ever, e v e r thought I'd be here. Yet somehow, here I am. It blows my mind. And as I told Sarah this afternoon, if nothing else, it makes for a really good Christmas letter. :)
From here on out, nothing really matters. Yes, we are supposed to still run 4x a week. Yes, we are supposed to do an "easy" 12 miler next weekend. But neither of us really cares. We just ran (or power-walked :) 22 miles. We have officially trained for a marathon. We did it! We did it! We really, really did it!! Helloooooo, taper. We've been expecting you. :)
-Christie
However, Saturday morning I got the crazy idea that for every minute Sarah spent on the road running her 22 miles that day, I would spend a minute on the bike, elliptical, or treadmill at the gym. I mean, we're a team after all! Since my knee didn't hurt at all when I walked, I figured I might as well log some significant mileage, even if it wasn't actual running and even if it wasn't the full distance.
I started at 4:40 pm and sent Sarah a text saying "Let's see if I can make it until 8:40. HAhahaha!"
At 10:11 pm, I sent her a text that said "22 miles. Done."
I'm still not quite sure how it happened. It was just like giving birth...it was like I was in some alternate universe, where time had no meaning and all I could think about was the end result. I didn't mean to do it. Really, I didn't. Even thinking about going for 4 hours (the amount of time Sarah would be running) was a tiny bit of a joke. But about 2 1/2 hours into it something inside my head clicked. This was already an incredibly stupid and crazy idea. I was already waaaaay outside of the realm of normal, so why not just step it up a notch? Why not just scratch the timeline and go the distance instead?
And so I walked. And walked. And walked. I watched whatever was on the gym TV almost the entire time: "50 First Dates", "Iron Chef" (Canadian lobster...the challenger actually won!), and my personal favorite, "I Faked My Own Death" (?!?!?). I stopped once to go to the bathroom (and then to foam roll and stretch for about 20 minutes, as once I stopped my muscles immediately tried to shut down) and once to switch from the treadmill to the elliptical for my final 5 miles. Other than that, I just kept moving. I texted Josh at one point to tell him I had decided to go for the entire 22 miles and would be late getting home. He responded "That is really crazy, Christie." I replied, "Crazy stupid? Or crazy but within the realm of reason?" "Not sure," he said. My reply: "Me either."
Regardless of the level of sanity (or lack thereof), words cannot convey what that 22 miler meant to me. So many times throughout our training, I've pictured the moment I finish that 22 mile run. It's the ultimate climax in marathon training. The "now I KNOW I can do it" moment. And up until Saturday evening, I didn't think I was going to have that moment. It made me feel so far removed from the race. Honestly, taking away the chance to have that moment was like taking away the heart of training. I didn't realize just how important it was to me until I began my last 5 miles on the elliptical. It was the first time I turned on my iPod, and the music coupled with the adrenaline of knowing I was in the final stretch (and that I was actually going to do this!) gave me a 2nd wind like I couldn't believe. Multiple times I got teary eyed. It took everything in me to resist the urge to jump off and do a little dance on the gym floor. I told my husband to pop open some champagne. I was about to accomplish something ridiculous, and by gosh I was going to celebrate.
Today is the 6 month anniversary of my "real" running. While I had run a few scattered miles last winter, March 20th was the day I logged my first 3 miles on my Half Marathon training program. Here I am, on September 20th, looking back in awe wondering how in the world I got here. It's such a great reminder of my favorite running mantra: "If you do it, it will come." I am not some star athlete. I was not born to do this. I have not been doing it my whole life. I did not use to do it, took some time off, and decided to start up again. I started from scratch, struggling with every step, hating the thought of running but loving the idea of being a runner. I just continued to put one foot in front of the other, and here I am, 2.5 weeks out from running a marathon. I never, ever, e v e r thought I'd be here. Yet somehow, here I am. It blows my mind. And as I told Sarah this afternoon, if nothing else, it makes for a really good Christmas letter. :)
From here on out, nothing really matters. Yes, we are supposed to still run 4x a week. Yes, we are supposed to do an "easy" 12 miler next weekend. But neither of us really cares. We just ran (or power-walked :) 22 miles. We have officially trained for a marathon. We did it! We did it! We really, really did it!! Helloooooo, taper. We've been expecting you. :)
-Christie
 |
| Toasting while waiting for my ice bath to fill up :). Cheers! |
Sunday, September 18, 2011
21 or 22 Miler Recap :)
I think my Garmin may have had an aneurysm because I mapped my run and drove it and both said it was 22 miles. But alas when I went to log my run this morning it says 21!!! I couldn't see for the last 4ish miles last night and didn't care enough to look once I got inside- all I could think was 'ice bath, ice bath, ice bath!'
But, pretty sure it doesn't really matter.
Becauseeeee.....(drum roll...).....(pause for effect....)... I DID IT!!!
I did it. I DID it! I did it?
Craziness.
My original plan was to run Saturday morning. But, Friday afternoon I got this headache that felt...weird. Took Tylenol, but it didn't do anything (which is unusual for me.) I called my doctor and he said it sounded like a migraine! (WHAT!!??) Told me this nice cocktail of drugs to take and said it should be gone by morning. Right...
I woke up at 3am to the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I tried to get up to get more drugs, and I must have made some distressing sound because Pat was up immediately. Somehow he knew it was bad, prayed for me, got me a washcloth and while I was crying and felt like my head was literally exploding he held me. At some point in the night he told me there was no way I was running in the morning, and I knew he was right. I wasn't even sure it'd be gone by the morning. Finally the drugs kicked in and I fell asleep. Woke up in the morning and still had it a little bit. I was so frustrated! I had mentally prepared to do this last big run!
At some point in the later morning I made the decision to go for it that afternoon. I just wanted to be done!
I set out at 3pm. I had to plant my Nuun bottles all over the place. I'm planning on running the marathon without my water belt so I wanted to do this big run without it as well.
Got back home and got the dog leashed up, said a quick prayer, sent a text out that said something to the effect of 'if I survive this it will ONLY be because of Him who gives me strength!' and off I went!
The plan was to run the first 2 hours with my trusty road dog, Bogey. He can do 10-11 miles, but that's the most we ever take him. Its such a mental thing for me to have him. So we set out. Not too bad! I alternated listening to music and not. I was feeling GOOD! I had my directions written down (did I mention 54 TURNS!) So, there were a few neighborhoods up here I had to have it out- the turns were confusing!) Then about mile 5 I had to go to the bathroom. Bad. Son of a... Thankfully some wonderful construction site had a porta potty set up!!! Looked around to make sure the neighbors weren't watching and Bogey and I ducked it! Bogey was confused and didn't like it :) But, I felt a million times better!
Kept on trucking and a few miles later I saw in the distance this dog in the middle of the road. Cars were having to stop for him. We get closer and he sees us and I see his hackles rise and he heads towards us. And of course, my pepper spray is in the cupboard at home. I picked up a handful of gravel and chucked it at him. Nothing. Kept growling and stalking towards us. Bogey isn't a tough dog, so he was curling around my legs. Cool, Bogey. So, then I grabbed a big rock and chucked it at him. I missed, of course. But, that stopped him. I got my toughest, meanest, loudest voice and told him to get. And THANK GOD he did. Went into a yard and the guy came out and called him and I yelled at the guy that his dog almost attacked us, and we were on our merry way.
Right around halfway Pat and the kids met me to pick up Bogey the scaredy cat. They brought me a Nutri-Grain Bar and water. I downed it, gave my babies kisses and went back out. Solo. Just a woman and her thoughts... and a car honking and screaming... Oh, they were looping back by me :)
OK, now it was 'put your big girl pants on' time!
Got to 13.1 and had a little 'Woop Woop' celebration time :)
At around 14 miles the course got very hilly. I decided to walk up the steep ones and use that to take my ShockBloks. On one of these hills an old man on a bike passed me and it just pissed me off... not enough to run up the thing, but pissed me off none the less.
At 17 miles I had The 5 course to hit. Its an almost 1 mile downhill (in gravel) and then ridiculous hills. The downhill was not smart. I don't know what I was thinking! It was so unstable, and bumpy and I kept tweaking my ankle! Got to the uphill part to walk and walking up it was hard. I called Christie for a little encouragement. She was putting her time in on the treadmill, so we talked and joked and got me to the top.
This was it. The end. I had to finish strong and leave it on the pavement, as Christie had said. I didn't want to have regret or an excuse when it came marathon time. So I pushed. The last mile I was sailing. I don't know how fast because I couldn't see my garmin but I know it was around a 9 min mile if not faster. I rounded the corner to my house and got tears in my eyes. The end. I sprinted and hit the finish and stopped my garmin, and shook my head. The end. I finished. I was strong.
I still don't believe I did it. Maybe it was a dream, or I made it up?
But, you know what? I really did. My body hurts enough this morning that I know it wasn't a dream.
I'm a runner. I'm tough. I finished something. I am stronger than I thought.
I saw my shadow a couple times in the streetlight and I saw two shadows. At first it scared me and I thought someone was behind me. Don't really know what it was but in my heart I pretended it was the One I had prayed to through the whole thing. The One I knew had been with me through every step. The One who has been with me through it all :)
God is so good. I couldn't love Him more. He fills my cup and makes my life have meaning. I couldn't have gotten through this training without His strength and endurance!
On to TAPER!!!!
But, pretty sure it doesn't really matter.
Becauseeeee.....(drum roll...).....(pause for effect....)... I DID IT!!!
I did it. I DID it! I did it?
Craziness.
My original plan was to run Saturday morning. But, Friday afternoon I got this headache that felt...weird. Took Tylenol, but it didn't do anything (which is unusual for me.) I called my doctor and he said it sounded like a migraine! (WHAT!!??) Told me this nice cocktail of drugs to take and said it should be gone by morning. Right...
I woke up at 3am to the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I tried to get up to get more drugs, and I must have made some distressing sound because Pat was up immediately. Somehow he knew it was bad, prayed for me, got me a washcloth and while I was crying and felt like my head was literally exploding he held me. At some point in the night he told me there was no way I was running in the morning, and I knew he was right. I wasn't even sure it'd be gone by the morning. Finally the drugs kicked in and I fell asleep. Woke up in the morning and still had it a little bit. I was so frustrated! I had mentally prepared to do this last big run!
At some point in the later morning I made the decision to go for it that afternoon. I just wanted to be done!
I set out at 3pm. I had to plant my Nuun bottles all over the place. I'm planning on running the marathon without my water belt so I wanted to do this big run without it as well.
Got back home and got the dog leashed up, said a quick prayer, sent a text out that said something to the effect of 'if I survive this it will ONLY be because of Him who gives me strength!' and off I went!
The plan was to run the first 2 hours with my trusty road dog, Bogey. He can do 10-11 miles, but that's the most we ever take him. Its such a mental thing for me to have him. So we set out. Not too bad! I alternated listening to music and not. I was feeling GOOD! I had my directions written down (did I mention 54 TURNS!) So, there were a few neighborhoods up here I had to have it out- the turns were confusing!) Then about mile 5 I had to go to the bathroom. Bad. Son of a... Thankfully some wonderful construction site had a porta potty set up!!! Looked around to make sure the neighbors weren't watching and Bogey and I ducked it! Bogey was confused and didn't like it :) But, I felt a million times better!
Kept on trucking and a few miles later I saw in the distance this dog in the middle of the road. Cars were having to stop for him. We get closer and he sees us and I see his hackles rise and he heads towards us. And of course, my pepper spray is in the cupboard at home. I picked up a handful of gravel and chucked it at him. Nothing. Kept growling and stalking towards us. Bogey isn't a tough dog, so he was curling around my legs. Cool, Bogey. So, then I grabbed a big rock and chucked it at him. I missed, of course. But, that stopped him. I got my toughest, meanest, loudest voice and told him to get. And THANK GOD he did. Went into a yard and the guy came out and called him and I yelled at the guy that his dog almost attacked us, and we were on our merry way.
Right around halfway Pat and the kids met me to pick up Bogey the scaredy cat. They brought me a Nutri-Grain Bar and water. I downed it, gave my babies kisses and went back out. Solo. Just a woman and her thoughts... and a car honking and screaming... Oh, they were looping back by me :)
OK, now it was 'put your big girl pants on' time!
Got to 13.1 and had a little 'Woop Woop' celebration time :)
At around 14 miles the course got very hilly. I decided to walk up the steep ones and use that to take my ShockBloks. On one of these hills an old man on a bike passed me and it just pissed me off... not enough to run up the thing, but pissed me off none the less.
At 17 miles I had The 5 course to hit. Its an almost 1 mile downhill (in gravel) and then ridiculous hills. The downhill was not smart. I don't know what I was thinking! It was so unstable, and bumpy and I kept tweaking my ankle! Got to the uphill part to walk and walking up it was hard. I called Christie for a little encouragement. She was putting her time in on the treadmill, so we talked and joked and got me to the top.
This was it. The end. I had to finish strong and leave it on the pavement, as Christie had said. I didn't want to have regret or an excuse when it came marathon time. So I pushed. The last mile I was sailing. I don't know how fast because I couldn't see my garmin but I know it was around a 9 min mile if not faster. I rounded the corner to my house and got tears in my eyes. The end. I sprinted and hit the finish and stopped my garmin, and shook my head. The end. I finished. I was strong.
I still don't believe I did it. Maybe it was a dream, or I made it up?
But, you know what? I really did. My body hurts enough this morning that I know it wasn't a dream.
I'm a runner. I'm tough. I finished something. I am stronger than I thought.
I saw my shadow a couple times in the streetlight and I saw two shadows. At first it scared me and I thought someone was behind me. Don't really know what it was but in my heart I pretended it was the One I had prayed to through the whole thing. The One I knew had been with me through every step. The One who has been with me through it all :)
God is so good. I couldn't love Him more. He fills my cup and makes my life have meaning. I couldn't have gotten through this training without His strength and endurance!
On to TAPER!!!!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Reality Bites
I have a list of peppy, fun blog posts I've been wanting to do but keep putting off for one reason or another. I was going to do one of them today, but instead it looks like I've been fed a large serving of reality for lunch. So that's what I'm going to dish up here as well!
I've only run twice since my 18 miler (during which I hurt my knee around mile 8 or 9 and walked from mile 13 on). The first time was last Friday and really doesn't even count, as I honestly went 0.1 miles (less than 60 seconds). Although my knee doesn't hurt at all when I walk or do normal activity, the second I started to run it killed. So I stopped immediately and decided to give it more time. This week I wanted to try for 1 measly 3 mile run. Endurance-wise I felt awesome, which was such a relief! But 1.5 miles into the run, my knee was burning and tightening up. After texting with Sarah (yes, we do this while running :) to see if I should stop or continue, she encouraged me to push through to 2 miles and then reevaluate. I'm so glad I did, as by then it had started to loosen up a bit and was feeling a little bit better (though definitely not normal). By mile 3 it was super tight again, but I finished it and was really glad I did, as it showed me that I didn't die (and come Marathon day, that's what really matters, right? :).
I stretched, foam-rolled and iced that night, and the next morning (yesterday) it was definitely sore. Today it feels better again, where I can't even tell I'm injured just by walking around and doing my normal day-to-day stuff. I've been really wanting to still do my 22 miler this weekend, thinking after 2 weeks off (with the exception of that one 3 mile run) I should be good to go. Right?!?
This morning I had a playdate with a friend of mine who ran the Portland Marathon 5 years ago. She told me that she, too, injured her knee during her 18 mile training run and ended up having to walk the entire marathon. She said she felt totally normal when she walked, and that she tried to run a few times after her 18 miler, but every time she did it ended up feeling worse than before. It all sounded a bit too familiar to me. And snapped me right back to reality. There's a chance that I might not be able to run the race. And it's an absolute certainty that I won't be running my 22 miler this weekend.
Based on my oh-so-scientific Google searches, I'm going back and forth between "Runner's Knee" and an IT band injury as the culprit. Either way, recovery time (if treated early on) is between 3-6 weeks. I injured it 5 weeks prior to race day. So even if I didn't run another mile between now and October 9th, I still might not be fully healed.
Time to take it one day at a time and trust in the Lord to pull me through. During today's pep talk with Sarah (or I should say my early afternoon pep talk, since I've been needing so many lately) she reminded me of 2 things: 1) Although freakishly similar at this point, my friend's story is not my story, and 2) We know God has a plan for this training and race and that He wants to use it for His glory.
Reality might bite, but thankfully, I believe in modern day miracles. :)
-Christie
I've only run twice since my 18 miler (during which I hurt my knee around mile 8 or 9 and walked from mile 13 on). The first time was last Friday and really doesn't even count, as I honestly went 0.1 miles (less than 60 seconds). Although my knee doesn't hurt at all when I walk or do normal activity, the second I started to run it killed. So I stopped immediately and decided to give it more time. This week I wanted to try for 1 measly 3 mile run. Endurance-wise I felt awesome, which was such a relief! But 1.5 miles into the run, my knee was burning and tightening up. After texting with Sarah (yes, we do this while running :) to see if I should stop or continue, she encouraged me to push through to 2 miles and then reevaluate. I'm so glad I did, as by then it had started to loosen up a bit and was feeling a little bit better (though definitely not normal). By mile 3 it was super tight again, but I finished it and was really glad I did, as it showed me that I didn't die (and come Marathon day, that's what really matters, right? :).
I stretched, foam-rolled and iced that night, and the next morning (yesterday) it was definitely sore. Today it feels better again, where I can't even tell I'm injured just by walking around and doing my normal day-to-day stuff. I've been really wanting to still do my 22 miler this weekend, thinking after 2 weeks off (with the exception of that one 3 mile run) I should be good to go. Right?!?
This morning I had a playdate with a friend of mine who ran the Portland Marathon 5 years ago. She told me that she, too, injured her knee during her 18 mile training run and ended up having to walk the entire marathon. She said she felt totally normal when she walked, and that she tried to run a few times after her 18 miler, but every time she did it ended up feeling worse than before. It all sounded a bit too familiar to me. And snapped me right back to reality. There's a chance that I might not be able to run the race. And it's an absolute certainty that I won't be running my 22 miler this weekend.
Based on my oh-so-scientific Google searches, I'm going back and forth between "Runner's Knee" and an IT band injury as the culprit. Either way, recovery time (if treated early on) is between 3-6 weeks. I injured it 5 weeks prior to race day. So even if I didn't run another mile between now and October 9th, I still might not be fully healed.
Time to take it one day at a time and trust in the Lord to pull me through. During today's pep talk with Sarah (or I should say my early afternoon pep talk, since I've been needing so many lately) she reminded me of 2 things: 1) Although freakishly similar at this point, my friend's story is not my story, and 2) We know God has a plan for this training and race and that He wants to use it for His glory.
Reality might bite, but thankfully, I believe in modern day miracles. :)
-Christie
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
"It is a shame for a woman to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable." -Socrates
I've found a bunch of inspirational quotes that I'm LOVING :)
Thought I'd share...
-Sarah
Thought I'd share...
- "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." Neale Donald Walsch
- "Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated."
- "Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret."
- "It never gets easier. You just get better."
- "A year from now you will wish you started today."
-Sarah
Friday, September 9, 2011
Hebrews 12:1-2
Sarah and I seem to be on hiatus again. :) It's possible that we skipped all of our "short" runs this week. We were scheduled to run two 5 milers and one 9 miler. So a total of 19 miles. And we did exactly 0 of them. She did her 18 mile run on Monday, so she needed days off to recover. I have been allowing my knee to heal after hurting it on my 18 miler run last Saturday. So it wasn't exactly due to laziness. But I admit that after I got hurt last weekend, one of the first thoughts to go through my head was how excited I was to have to miss out on some weekday runs. :)
Last week my dear friend, Jinger, (who inspired me toward and ran with me during the Half Marathon in June) told me that during her marathon training a few years back, it was right around 5-6 weeks pre-race day that she experienced burnout. This comforted me so much because I realized that was exactly where Sarah and I were. I know that as we approach our final few weeks of training (only 4 more to go!!!!), we will get our 2nd wind and bursts of nervous anticipation and excitement. But these past few weeks, I've definitely been feeling a bit over it all.
This morning during my quiet time I came across a "Good Luck" card Jinger had given me the day before our Half Marathon. In it she referenced a verse I know and love, Hebrews 12:1b-2. The part I know by heart says "Run with endurance the race set before you..." I turned to it in my Bible to re-read the entire passage. Here is what it says:
"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God."
WOW. How could I have missed all that?! What an amazing reminder of what Jesus did for us. He set His sights on God's incredible plan of redemption and love and endured death by crucifixion because of it. And even though He had moments where He would have preferred a different route (Matthew 26: 36-46), He kept His eyes on the "finish line" and completed the ultimate test of endurance, faith, and love all in the name of the joy that would come in the end.
Good grief, I think I can roll myself out of bed, look to Jesus, and run 2 miles this morning. I feel a revival coming on. :)
-Christie
Last week my dear friend, Jinger, (who inspired me toward and ran with me during the Half Marathon in June) told me that during her marathon training a few years back, it was right around 5-6 weeks pre-race day that she experienced burnout. This comforted me so much because I realized that was exactly where Sarah and I were. I know that as we approach our final few weeks of training (only 4 more to go!!!!), we will get our 2nd wind and bursts of nervous anticipation and excitement. But these past few weeks, I've definitely been feeling a bit over it all.
This morning during my quiet time I came across a "Good Luck" card Jinger had given me the day before our Half Marathon. In it she referenced a verse I know and love, Hebrews 12:1b-2. The part I know by heart says "Run with endurance the race set before you..." I turned to it in my Bible to re-read the entire passage. Here is what it says:
"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God."
WOW. How could I have missed all that?! What an amazing reminder of what Jesus did for us. He set His sights on God's incredible plan of redemption and love and endured death by crucifixion because of it. And even though He had moments where He would have preferred a different route (Matthew 26: 36-46), He kept His eyes on the "finish line" and completed the ultimate test of endurance, faith, and love all in the name of the joy that would come in the end.
Good grief, I think I can roll myself out of bed, look to Jesus, and run 2 miles this morning. I feel a revival coming on. :)
-Christie
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
This whole marathon thing is losing its novelty.
Patience is not my thing. I like things that are:
Luckily, I've just recently decided to become a trooper. :)
This run was kind of scary for me. Christie hurt her knee on her 18 miles, and my husband came home from his 20 miler with a bum knee, too. I posted this video on my facebook page as I headed out for my own (seemingly) doomed run.
This is how I felt as I was strapping on my water belt, pepper spray, ipod, garmin & copious snacks/gels.
Off I went.
It wasn't bad for the first 6ish miles. Same old. I was doing a new route so that's always nice (See above) :)
Once I got around 6 miles though my right hamstring began to cramp. I've had tons of issues with cramping during this whole training. I usually just stop for a sec and stretch and its OK. Tried this a few times and was realizing it just wasn't cutting it. I called Hubs at one point to see if he had any ideas. He gave me a couple stretches to try... as I looped back to my car I decided to dump my water belt and just keep my water bottle with Nuun. (First time running with Nuun and I LOVED it!!) I took a good 5 minutes at my car to stretch and felt a little better heading out again. But, as I got to around 13 miles I was having to stop ever half mile or so and stretch. I was also walking for short periods, but soon saw that not only did that not help the cramping it was just making my run take longer :)
It was at this divine time that Christie called :) I was a little worried that I was pulling my hamstring. I had no idea what that meant though, so I asked her what she thought. Josh was there and they've both pulled their hamstrings and said it was a sudden pain from a specific movement. That I was in no danger of that :) This made all the difference! I knew I could just push through it if there was little chance of making things worse. It was just this huge fear that I was making something worse. So, I hung up with them, called upon my new trooper self, and spent the next 5 miles praying my heart out :) I can say without a shadow of a doubt if it wasn't for Christ picking each foot up for me there's no way I could have finished this run!
I was discouraged when I got home. Even cried to the hubs. What if this is what my body does during long runs?? I cant stop every mile of the marathon to stretch!! I just felt like even though I finished the run I didn't do as well as I wanted to.
This is new for me. Is this being a competitor? In the past I never would have cared that I walked for a bit. (In all honesty it was probably 3/4 mile total I walked, but still...) or that I had to stop over and over, but now... it kind of makes me mad! I want to do better.
I finished in 3 hours 19 min, which means I was at a 10:56 pace. BUT, I stopped my watch every time I stopped to stretch. :) Kinda cheated :) I think you could add on a good 20 min to that time for all the stretching on the side of the road I did. Oy.
But, we're done with 18 miles. Wow.
When I drove through Starbucks on my way home the little kid (he was probably 20. Good land, what an old woman I sound like!) in the drive through asked me what I was up to. I said, "Just got done running." And he said, "How far?" "18 miles," I say. "Pish! Child's play." Says the kid.
And I laughed the whole way home. Because if I had said 8 miles he would have said, "WOW! That's far!" But, its like 18 miles is so far out of the realm of understanding for someone whose never done it. It sounds far, but you have no idea just how far and how long until your feet gone each and every step.
It's kind of cool to be on this side. :)
-Sarah
- New.
- Exciting.
- Immediately gratifying
Luckily, I've just recently decided to become a trooper. :)
This run was kind of scary for me. Christie hurt her knee on her 18 miles, and my husband came home from his 20 miler with a bum knee, too. I posted this video on my facebook page as I headed out for my own (seemingly) doomed run.
This is how I felt as I was strapping on my water belt, pepper spray, ipod, garmin & copious snacks/gels.
Off I went.
It wasn't bad for the first 6ish miles. Same old. I was doing a new route so that's always nice (See above) :)
Once I got around 6 miles though my right hamstring began to cramp. I've had tons of issues with cramping during this whole training. I usually just stop for a sec and stretch and its OK. Tried this a few times and was realizing it just wasn't cutting it. I called Hubs at one point to see if he had any ideas. He gave me a couple stretches to try... as I looped back to my car I decided to dump my water belt and just keep my water bottle with Nuun. (First time running with Nuun and I LOVED it!!) I took a good 5 minutes at my car to stretch and felt a little better heading out again. But, as I got to around 13 miles I was having to stop ever half mile or so and stretch. I was also walking for short periods, but soon saw that not only did that not help the cramping it was just making my run take longer :)
It was at this divine time that Christie called :) I was a little worried that I was pulling my hamstring. I had no idea what that meant though, so I asked her what she thought. Josh was there and they've both pulled their hamstrings and said it was a sudden pain from a specific movement. That I was in no danger of that :) This made all the difference! I knew I could just push through it if there was little chance of making things worse. It was just this huge fear that I was making something worse. So, I hung up with them, called upon my new trooper self, and spent the next 5 miles praying my heart out :) I can say without a shadow of a doubt if it wasn't for Christ picking each foot up for me there's no way I could have finished this run!
I was discouraged when I got home. Even cried to the hubs. What if this is what my body does during long runs?? I cant stop every mile of the marathon to stretch!! I just felt like even though I finished the run I didn't do as well as I wanted to.
This is new for me. Is this being a competitor? In the past I never would have cared that I walked for a bit. (In all honesty it was probably 3/4 mile total I walked, but still...) or that I had to stop over and over, but now... it kind of makes me mad! I want to do better.
I finished in 3 hours 19 min, which means I was at a 10:56 pace. BUT, I stopped my watch every time I stopped to stretch. :) Kinda cheated :) I think you could add on a good 20 min to that time for all the stretching on the side of the road I did. Oy.
But, we're done with 18 miles. Wow.
When I drove through Starbucks on my way home the little kid (he was probably 20. Good land, what an old woman I sound like!) in the drive through asked me what I was up to. I said, "Just got done running." And he said, "How far?" "18 miles," I say. "Pish! Child's play." Says the kid.
And I laughed the whole way home. Because if I had said 8 miles he would have said, "WOW! That's far!" But, its like 18 miles is so far out of the realm of understanding for someone whose never done it. It sounds far, but you have no idea just how far and how long until your feet gone each and every step.
It's kind of cool to be on this side. :)
-Sarah
Monday, September 5, 2011
I'm too excited to sleep!
Today is my day to sleep in. It's one of the big reasons I decided to run on Saturday morning, even though there were multiple signs telling me to stay home. But now that it's here, I just can't sleep! I'm too excited for Sarah, who is out there right this second doing her 18 miler!!!! I just KNOW she is going to rock it!!!! Oh, oh, I feel a cheer coming on... if I had my old pom poms right now they'd totally be up in the air...
Go Sarah go, Go Sarah go, Go Sarah, Go Sarah, GO SARAH GO!!!!!!!
Go Sarah go, Go Sarah go, Go Sarah, Go Sarah, GO SARAH GO!!!!!!!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Whole New Meaning to "Finish Strong"
What a day, what a day, what a day...
As Sarah said in her previous post, I did my 18 miler today. I don't think I need to explain just how crazy that is. 1 8 m i l e s. Enough said.
Before I get into the details of this morning's run, I need to backtrack and describe my week. I ran Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the nicest way I can say this is that running and I did not get along. At all. My slowest paces EVER, and I cut out short on 2 out of 3 runs. After my Thursday run, I sent Sarah a text that said something along the lines of "I hate my Garmin. I hate the music on my ipod. I hate my routes. I hate running!!" Like I said, I was a real peach this week. ;) She called me within seconds, and after letting me whine and complain, she worked her magic and had me cracking up about I don't even know what in no time. I hung up feeling such an overwhelming appreciation for her...a feeling I've had countless times! Sarah Jean Green...no one could ever compare to you! I am so, so blessed!
I didn't officially decide to do my long run this morning until pretty late last night. I mapped out my (ridiculous) route, plugged in my ipod and my Garmin, set out my clothes, and went to bed. I woke up at 5:40, wrote my route on my hand (the list had 2 full columns this time!), got my gear, and headed to my starting point. Once there, I strapped on my water belt, turned on my Garmin, and set across the first street. Then I noticed my ipod was dead. WHAT?! My computer must have been in a weird sleep mode or something when I plugged it in. Whatever the case, it had nothing. I stood on the sidewalk contemplating what to do. I thought about running without music. But I knew I would die having nothing to listen to for 3+ hours. I thought about skipping it and going Monday instead. But I had gone to bed early, missing out on an in-home movie night with my hubby, and had already missed the chance to sleep in. I didn't want that to be for nothing. So I decided to head home and plug in my ipod...again...for a quick 30 minute charge.
Finally got back to my starting point just before 7:30. Once again, I strapped on my water belt, turned on my ipod (now working), and started up my Garmin. Immediately it started blinking at me: "Low Battery." I STILL don't understand this one, as when I plugged it in last night, I watched as it said "Charging" and saw the little battery icon filling up over and over again. Maybe these things were signs that I should have headed home and rested for a few more days after my crappy weekday runs, but if so, I didn't listen.
As I started to run, I was amazed at how great I felt. Sarah had given me so much encouraging advice that morning as I was waiting for my ipod to charge. One of my favorites was when she said not to think about all of my training as being just for the marathon, but to remember that all of my training got me HERE. To the day of the 18 mile run. That thought was eye-opening to me. As I ran my first mile (9:24), I remembered the first time I ran a full mile straight and what an accomplishment it was. When I hit mile 3 (9:01), I remembered my first full 3 mile run, and all the pride I felt as I came home and told Josh that I did it! My Garmin lasted me 6 full miles before dying, and my average pace for the entire 6 miles was 9:17. My fastest 6 mile run ever. I felt incredible, and I was SO excited to see how it would end up!
All was good until about mile 8. After my Thursday run, I had complained to Sarah that my body was hurting for the first time since my foot injury in July. My shins and knees were mad at me, and I didn't know why. We talked about how running such a slower pace the past 3 days could have thrown off my muscles, as I had been literally dragging my feet, running with completely different form than my body is used to. At about mile 8.5 this morning, my left knee started to ache. It certainly wasn't unbearable, but it was annoying. I really didn't think much of it, and I continued on my way. My mile 11, I was walking quite a bit and stopping to stretch for extended periods of time. My mile 13, I decided that I absolutely could not run another step. It didn't hurt to walk, but one stride of running and I would wince in pain. It was KILLING me. It felt like my entire knee was on fire. Although I wanted so badly to run this whole thing, especially given my strong start, I knew that I was bordering injury that would put me out for good, and there is no way I was going to let an 18 mile training run rob me of the joy I will feel when I cross that 26.2 mile finish line.
I thought about calling Josh to come pick me up. But I remember Sarah telling me to "finish strong," so I did. I walked every single step of my course from there on out. Yes, I made one wrong turn and actually accidentally shortened my run by about .4 miles, but after 3 hours and 40 minutes of moving, I finished what I started. And I did it with pride. When I texted Sarah to tell her I was out for this run, I told her that I wasn't upset about it. And I really and truly wasn't. I was happy. So happy. And so, so proud. I had trained so hard to get to this point. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning, and I was walking down the beautiful streets of Lake Oswego with the sun shining down on me and a perfect breeze. I felt like a "real" runner because I now had the wisdom to know that "strong" can mean different things at different times. Some days it means giving it your all no matter what comes your way. Other days it means bowing out of something that could have been good in anticipation of something so much greater. I may never remember today's run. But I will always remember finishing my first marathon. It gives me goosebumps just to think about it!
I never would have made it through today's 17.54 mile "run" if it wasn't for Sarah. Thank you, bestie, for giving me the encouragement I needed to lace up my shoes this morning, and the inspiration I needed to keep them tied until I finished the whole darn thing. I cannot wait to cheer you on Monday morning as you rock that run for the both of us! I love you so much!!
-Christie
As Sarah said in her previous post, I did my 18 miler today. I don't think I need to explain just how crazy that is. 1 8 m i l e s. Enough said.
Before I get into the details of this morning's run, I need to backtrack and describe my week. I ran Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the nicest way I can say this is that running and I did not get along. At all. My slowest paces EVER, and I cut out short on 2 out of 3 runs. After my Thursday run, I sent Sarah a text that said something along the lines of "I hate my Garmin. I hate the music on my ipod. I hate my routes. I hate running!!" Like I said, I was a real peach this week. ;) She called me within seconds, and after letting me whine and complain, she worked her magic and had me cracking up about I don't even know what in no time. I hung up feeling such an overwhelming appreciation for her...a feeling I've had countless times! Sarah Jean Green...no one could ever compare to you! I am so, so blessed!
I didn't officially decide to do my long run this morning until pretty late last night. I mapped out my (ridiculous) route, plugged in my ipod and my Garmin, set out my clothes, and went to bed. I woke up at 5:40, wrote my route on my hand (the list had 2 full columns this time!), got my gear, and headed to my starting point. Once there, I strapped on my water belt, turned on my Garmin, and set across the first street. Then I noticed my ipod was dead. WHAT?! My computer must have been in a weird sleep mode or something when I plugged it in. Whatever the case, it had nothing. I stood on the sidewalk contemplating what to do. I thought about running without music. But I knew I would die having nothing to listen to for 3+ hours. I thought about skipping it and going Monday instead. But I had gone to bed early, missing out on an in-home movie night with my hubby, and had already missed the chance to sleep in. I didn't want that to be for nothing. So I decided to head home and plug in my ipod...again...for a quick 30 minute charge.
Finally got back to my starting point just before 7:30. Once again, I strapped on my water belt, turned on my ipod (now working), and started up my Garmin. Immediately it started blinking at me: "Low Battery." I STILL don't understand this one, as when I plugged it in last night, I watched as it said "Charging" and saw the little battery icon filling up over and over again. Maybe these things were signs that I should have headed home and rested for a few more days after my crappy weekday runs, but if so, I didn't listen.
As I started to run, I was amazed at how great I felt. Sarah had given me so much encouraging advice that morning as I was waiting for my ipod to charge. One of my favorites was when she said not to think about all of my training as being just for the marathon, but to remember that all of my training got me HERE. To the day of the 18 mile run. That thought was eye-opening to me. As I ran my first mile (9:24), I remembered the first time I ran a full mile straight and what an accomplishment it was. When I hit mile 3 (9:01), I remembered my first full 3 mile run, and all the pride I felt as I came home and told Josh that I did it! My Garmin lasted me 6 full miles before dying, and my average pace for the entire 6 miles was 9:17. My fastest 6 mile run ever. I felt incredible, and I was SO excited to see how it would end up!
All was good until about mile 8. After my Thursday run, I had complained to Sarah that my body was hurting for the first time since my foot injury in July. My shins and knees were mad at me, and I didn't know why. We talked about how running such a slower pace the past 3 days could have thrown off my muscles, as I had been literally dragging my feet, running with completely different form than my body is used to. At about mile 8.5 this morning, my left knee started to ache. It certainly wasn't unbearable, but it was annoying. I really didn't think much of it, and I continued on my way. My mile 11, I was walking quite a bit and stopping to stretch for extended periods of time. My mile 13, I decided that I absolutely could not run another step. It didn't hurt to walk, but one stride of running and I would wince in pain. It was KILLING me. It felt like my entire knee was on fire. Although I wanted so badly to run this whole thing, especially given my strong start, I knew that I was bordering injury that would put me out for good, and there is no way I was going to let an 18 mile training run rob me of the joy I will feel when I cross that 26.2 mile finish line.
I thought about calling Josh to come pick me up. But I remember Sarah telling me to "finish strong," so I did. I walked every single step of my course from there on out. Yes, I made one wrong turn and actually accidentally shortened my run by about .4 miles, but after 3 hours and 40 minutes of moving, I finished what I started. And I did it with pride. When I texted Sarah to tell her I was out for this run, I told her that I wasn't upset about it. And I really and truly wasn't. I was happy. So happy. And so, so proud. I had trained so hard to get to this point. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning, and I was walking down the beautiful streets of Lake Oswego with the sun shining down on me and a perfect breeze. I felt like a "real" runner because I now had the wisdom to know that "strong" can mean different things at different times. Some days it means giving it your all no matter what comes your way. Other days it means bowing out of something that could have been good in anticipation of something so much greater. I may never remember today's run. But I will always remember finishing my first marathon. It gives me goosebumps just to think about it!
I never would have made it through today's 17.54 mile "run" if it wasn't for Sarah. Thank you, bestie, for giving me the encouragement I needed to lace up my shoes this morning, and the inspiration I needed to keep them tied until I finished the whole darn thing. I cannot wait to cheer you on Monday morning as you rock that run for the both of us! I love you so much!!
-Christie
Go, C, GO!!!
As I'm sitting here on my couch with my cup of coffee and KILLER cramps, Christie is out running her 18 miler with a dead Garmin and an about dead Ipod!! Tough girlie! So proud of you, woman! When you first tried to sell this insanity to me this day was the day I couldn't imagine... when we'd be heading out for 3 hours and 15 min of running!!! We are here! I'm praying for you right now- praying for strength, encouragement, enjoyment, and that God would make time go so fast for you :)
Friday, September 2, 2011
I think I can, I think I can...
I am always daunted by these long runs.
This is what I've done to get ready for this weeks longer-than-FOREVER run:
This is what I've done to get ready for this weeks longer-than-FOREVER run:
- Ipod shift-a-roo. Took all my slowish worship/love songs and added a lot of booty shakin', lots of partying and sin talking kind of music. I'm telling myself I'm not listening to the words. In all honesty I'm not because I cant understand them... but, the beat makes my feet move faster. Which is always nice.
- I'm going to try putting Nuun in my water bottle. Its electrolyte replacement, and I'm hoping it'll help with... something. :) It probably tastes like that stuff they give you when you have to do your pregnancy glucose test, but if you tell me it'll make the run better- bottoms up!
- I've slacked. I cut out one of my short runs... I've been tired. PMS is definitely to blame, so I'd rather give my body a little rest than push it... who wants to be an overachiever, right??
- Encouraged Christie. I think we both play off each others B.S. la-tee-da encouragement :) It works for us. :)
- Once again reminded myself to take it one week at a time. Enjoy the moment... I mean, when else in my life am I going to be trying to map out an 18 mile course??
This will be my mantra tomorrow morning :)
Hope you crazy kids have a wonderful, fun filled, safe Labor Day Weekend!
-Sarah
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