October 2005 Archives

I got a shiney new toy!

My ongoing efforts to keep running exciting post-marathon ... I think this is going to make me superfast ... like qualify for the olympics fast!

It took a great deal of willpower to get me out of bed on Sunday morning to run. It was dark, rainy and cold, and although there were many days during this hot summer where I longed for mornings like this, it was a real battle to get out of my warm cozy bed. I have been really tired since Chicago, I think the marathon, the travel and heading back to a really busy week at work has taken it's toll. All I wanted to do was turn off the alarm and ignore the world for 4 hours, but I knew if I didn't run, then I would put it off for another week/ month/ eternity ...

We did 8 miles and surprisely, it felt okay, until the last mile. My right hip/butt was tight, then it started to hurt. I have booked a massage for tomorrow, hopefully that will sort it out. I have also registerd for the 10k at the end of October, need a running goal, or I will start staying in bed on a Sunday morning!

Here's a pic of D and I in the Team Tent after the marathon, I didn't realise just how short I am ... or should I say how tall D is!

this morning at 8.30am I took my legs out for their first post marathon spin, an easy 5k, and you know what it was great!

I've never been particularly superstitious, but since I'm not running I need something to fill my time ...

Yesterday, I had to attend a conference in Toronto, about a 2 hour drive from home. Normally I would go up the night before, stay over in a hotel and wake up at a civilize hour. But after spending 5 days in hotels last week, I have fallen in love with my own bed, so decided to drive there the morning of. All of this seemed like a great idea, until 4.45am Thursday morning when the alarm went off!

I got into my rental, a brand new Impila (work makes us rent a car for travel) at 5.50am made a quick stop for an extra large coffee to keep my eyes open and headed out. After 2 hours and 45 minutes of driving in traffic, fog, drizzle and darkness I arrived at the conference venue. Walked into reception, asked where to go and they said ...

"Oh ... the conference has been cancelled ... didn't you get the email"

"email?" (with tone ... like yes I got the email but I thought it was a joke so drove here anyway)

"yes, they sent an email out on Tuesday telling everyone (universe except me) it was cancelled"

wasn't the receptionist fault plus I was too tired to climb over the desk and strangle her, I probably would of made it halfway over then fallen ... not the same impact really!

So ... look on the bright side ... could always go shopping! Except, stores are closed for another 1 1/2 and spend entire months salary already in Chicago. Still looking at bright side ... drive home and go back to bed!

Get back in rental and head home. 45 minutes into return journey, car in front runs over tire reminents, which then become air bourne and hit me. Very large bang ... hmmmm ....

Finally get back, and stop at gas station to refill car. Stick corporate card into gas thingy ... and it gets stuck! While nice gas station employee attempts to remove card I strolled about, then I see it the front bumper has a massive crack in it, like someone took an axe to it! How can a tire do that much damage. Eventually ... like 30 minutes later I get gas and card and leave. Returned damaged car ... thanks, I wrecked your car! Went home and crawled into bed ...

Other than that, I feel good, no aches or pains, didn't enjoy getting up or down from a seated position on Monday and felt slightly bruised on Tuesday. Only real side effect of marathon is tiredness, I could sleep for a week if I had the time.

Lacing up the running shoes tomorrow, taking legs for their first post marathon spin ... I'm really excited! Never thought I say that during mile 22!

Chicago ... what can I say ... you are amazing. This city knows how to put on an event. Kudos to Chicago, I love ya!

Where to begin ... okay, the roadtrip to chicago was great, my grapes were taken away at the border and I spent a small fortune at an outlet mall, niketown and the expo. Ate like an Italian king, watched the Sox win while downing a few beers in a Chicago bar.

Okay the bit about running ...

Sunday morning alarm went off at 5am, had a great nights sleep, felt energized, excited and ready to go. We got a taxi from our hotel (about 2 miles from the start) I wasn't putting in any extra miles before hand. Arrived and was instantly in awe, the organization was amazing. K and I got interviewed by channel 7 news, I felt famous, if just for a second. Then headed to the team tent and met up with the rest of our group.

At 7.40am, after some group bonding, some laughing and a toilet break, we headed to the starting area. D, V and I were together and hoping to run 4.30, we found our pace group, which had 650 runners in it! We decided to get closer to the front so push forward. The atmosphere was electric, t-shirts, gloves and hats flying over head as people were stripping down. We were barely walking, just a slow shuffle until we crossed the mat, then instantly we were running.

mile 1
It was crowded but you could run, my heart was pounding out of my chest. The three of us did a lot of weaving in and out of people ... in fact I did this until mile 18. The pace band had mile one at 10.17, normally I start out slow and pick it up around mile 3, I figured this would naturally happen at the start since it was so crowded, we would have to go slow until it thinned out. We hit mile 1 at 10.16. hmmm didn't feel that fast.

mile 2
can't see anything but heads and backs when I look up and feet and clothing when I look down. There are thousands of spectators lining the streets, I am smiling and woo hooing! First waterstop, run to far left at the end grab a gatorade and water to dilute it, walk for about 5 seconds then back at it. V, D and I glance at the porta-potties, they are 8 deep in line so we decide to wait. There is so much going on, you are concentrating on getting through the people, watching your footing there is still clothing everywhere and getting in position for the corners, we've made four turns already. Feel great, heart still pounding. Mile 2 marker 10.15, wow including waterstop 3 seconds ahead of pace band!

mile 3
finally start to relax and take in everything around me. Lots of people have things written on their shirts, their names, people they are running for and funny sayings, this is one of my favourites "when I signed my I thought they said it was 2.62 miles". Somewhere during this mile we lose V, she disappears into the thousands of runners. D and I are still together weaving in and out. I have warmed up so discard my long sleeve top along with a thousand others piled up on the side of the road. We reach mile 3 at 10.14.

mile 4
I tell D I need to pee, he does too, but when we get to the next waterstop the porta-potties are busy. D, the perfect gentleman, suggests we wait till the next waterstop, I tell him I'm good with an alleyway or bush, he tells me to pick one. Up ahead there is some lovely shrubbery calling me, I dart off the road through the crowd, D following behind. As I get in position another women is behind me, she says she is following me, as we both sit down, two guys come running in, the first screams "eyes up!" as I finish and go to leave, I count 8 people now visiting! Mile 11.09 ... with pee break only 45 seconds behind pace band.

mile 5
it is still really crowded, we are trying to run in the middle of the road. This seems like a logical place to be, it's the flattest part of the road, however with all the weaving in and out of people, I am suddenly on the right then on the left ... it's a four lane road so this is alot of area to cover. I swear I actually ran 29 miles by the end! D and I start talking to people, wow this is awesome. I want to take everything in, but there is so much going on, I am really disorientated as to where we are on the course, I think we are heading north, we haven't turned for a while. The pace feels good, maybe a little fast, but I can't seem to control it. Mile 5 come in at 9.55 ... hmmm what happened there.

mile 6
have found a grove, but it belongs to someone who is faster than me. I know in my head I should slow down, but it just physically isn't possible. This is the first sign that my brain and legs are not connected and do not communicate with one another. mile 6, 10.11

mile 7
just after the 6 mile marker is a waterstop. As we stop D says "I need to get a something out of my shoe, I'll catch up with you" what I heard was "blah blah blah blah" I am not looking up, but looking down at the thousands and thousands of cups on the ground, it's sticky and slippery. So when I look up, I don't see D, I look around don't see him, up ahead I see a tall guy with a white hat and shirt just like D, I zig zag across the road through 400 runners to get to him ... it's not him ... I look around again, there are hundreds of white hats, I can't see D anywhere. Mile 7 10.45 ... waterstop and searching for D.

mile 8 - 13
it all seems like a blur I know I was running, still chasing men in white hats. I do remember thinking it was going by really quickly and I wasn't taking enough of it in, like the sights and music. I was averaging 10.10 - 10.20 per mile.

mile 14
half done, yippee back into downtown, have given up on finding D. All this weaving around people is now pissing me off, I am deperately trying to stay in the middle of the road, it is not very successful. Mile 14, 10.12

mile 15
brain blip ... somehow caculated that I only had 9 miles left to run. Pictured my favourite 9 mile route at home, was very happy for about half a mile when I did the math again and realized I had 11 miles left ... wanted to kill myself.

mile 16
legs suddenly feel tired and tight. Kept running, but remembered that the coach said if something is bothering you fix it right away, so I decide to stop and stretch. This feels awesome when I start back. Mile 16 11.30

mile 17
check watch, only 1 minute down on pace due to stretch break, feel motivated, will get 10 seconds back with each mile, I love Chicago, I love marathons, I love mile 17, I think this is going to be my fastest mile yet! Mile 17, 11.21 ... what the *&#$ ... huh

mile 18
obviously something wrong with watch, cause legs feel like they are moving at superhuman speed. Mile 18, 11. 30 ... I hate running, when this is done I'm not running anymore.

mile 19
At the 30k mark I am 5 minutes faster than my finishing time at ATB in March woo hooo! My legs are tired again, my feet are burning, there are a lot of people walking, maybe I should walk. Before now, I would run to the end of the waterstops and get a drink and walk for 10 - 30 seconds and start running again. It is around mile 19 that start walking at the beginning of the waterstops. Mile 19, not sure it's to hard to figure it out.

mile 20
missed the mile marker, have panick attack, think it is taking me 15.45 and still not done a mile. Lady beside me reads my mind and tells me we have passed the 20 mark. I am obsessed with mile markers now, it is all I am thinking about. My feet are sticking to the road from all the gatorade and gels ... maybe that's why I am slower?

mile 21
pace band got ripped off! Who cares what time I do, it's my first it'll be a PB no matter what! I am just going to enjoy this. Then I realized I had 5.2 more mile to enjoy, smile left face.

mile 22
Also know as the worst mile of all! I hate running, and bridges, this isn't flat they lied, marathons are stupid. I am NEVER running again.

mile 23
only 5k to go, I can do that, 5k is nothing ... wooo hooo I'm going to do it! Everything seems to hurt, okay all I have to do is run to the 24 mile maker and I can walk, I can do that. pass by an area where they are giving out shots of beer, there are empty cups everywhere and it smells like beer ... I want to puke.

mile 24
tap on the shoulder, it's D, he has found me! I am so happy I could cry! We walk and talk for a minute then decided to run to the 25 mile mark. I feel wonderful, in a crappy I'm going to puke my feet feel like balls of fire kinda way!

mile 251
how long is this mile, I don't think they measured it right, this is longer than a mile.

mile 26
the sweet sweet finish. the finish line was breath-taking! The most wonderful sight I have ever seen!

It is finally sinking in and my body and mind are returning to normal again. It was amazing, harder than I thought it would be (not that I though it would be easy) I knew I would hurt, but I thought it would of been later, like around 23. I can now say with great pride and a huge well earned smile ... I am a marathoner!

Will I do another one ... absolutely!

I have just arrived home ... a little tired, a bit sore, but completely elated ... because ... I am a marathoner!

Tomorrow when I enjoy sitting for longer periods of time I will post a full report, but for now I will give you the really really condensed version.

40,000 people singing the nation anthem while 6 helicopters circled over head is a great way to start a run. It is actually indescribable, I'll work on it tonight while lying down.

It took us just over 10 minutes to work our way through the sea of clothes, bottles, gels and gloves to get to the start.

D and I ran together til mile 6, then got separated, I spent mile 6 - 12 running after every 6 foot guy in a white hat and white shirt (approximately 10,458 of them) none of them turned out to be D.

Stayed on pace (10.17 min/mile) for the first 16 miles ... then my legs got really tight, so I stopped to stretch, at 17 I was down a minute, so I figured I get 10 seconds back each mile and finish on schedule. Everything front the waist up was on board with this plan ... however legs had different plan.

Mile 21 reality check, 4.30 was not going to happen unless I got airlifted out, so ripped off pace band, felt liberated and free then realized I still had to run 5.2 more mile.

Mile 22 sucked, mile 23 began feel happy again, mile 24 tap on shoulder it was D ... we were reunited ... yipppeeeeee! Mile 25 was actually 158 miles long.

The finish line ... glorious 4.52.

It was amazing, every step, every mile. I never thought I wouldn't be able to finish, I did think my feet were going to ignite into two large fireballs. I promised myself 14 times I would never run another marathon, and 88 times that I would never run again period ... hmmm las vegas is that too soon to do another one!

I can't say enough wonderful things about chicago, the spectators and the volunteers, they were utterly amazing.

4 days to go ... obession alert has been downgraded to a normal level ... calm has been restored. First, thank you to everyone for all the support, advice and encouragement over the last 18 weeks, I wouldn't be feeling as positive and prepared without it!

Second, it occured to me that I have never posted a pic of me on here, so this is me ... taken last night at the pasta party.

And lastly, before I begin to pack, Brent aka "the marathoner" sent me this pic, which made me laugh. If you are the guy in the pic and not busy on Sunday morning and still have the sign ... chicago needs you baby!

okay ... I'm off to the windy city, won't be posting again til Monday night ... good luck to everyone running this weekend.

after 18 weeks of training, a practice marathon, 8lbs of gels, 500ltrs of gatorade, wrong meals, right meals and a pair of new shoes I should have some idea of how to run my first marathon. I kinda do, but there is so much information bouncing around my head, I really need to streamline it and focus.

I spent most of yesterday going over the last 18 weeks and what I've learned from my own runs and what advice has been given to me by the coach and other marathon runners, then I read blogs about first marathon experiences, like Brent's a must read.

So this is my plan (it's long, I'm obsessing, the marathon part is at the bottom) ... please feel free to add stuff, tell me I'm an idiot (you won't be the first) or offer your opinion ... I welcome it all.

Monday - 6 days to go
Obsess about plan, what to take to Chicago, make 21,456 lists of lists I need to make, control excitement with obsessing ... don't run have a rest day

Tuesday - 5 days to go
last workout with the group, 2 x 2 miles at marathon pace
pasta party with training group, eat lots, drinks lots and obsess with equally obessed people
start drinking 2 litres of water a day

Wednesday - 4 days to go
morning run with D followed by delicious carb loaded breakfast
massage ... yippee
pack, then repack, then double check .... obsess about what I've packed
drink lots of water

Thursday - 3 days to go
8am, K and I leave on Chicago 2005 Marathon Road Trip ... woo hooo
3pm, get to outlet mall just outside Chicago ... woo hooo shopping at Niketown and adidas outlet
no running today, due to shopping
still drinking lots of water

Friday - 2 days to go
head into downtown Chicago, check into incredibily overpriced hotel
no running today, legs will get used walking around Magnificent Mile
yummy dinner, maybe a glass of wine and meet up with some other runners, scout out place for dinner for Saturday night.
still drinking water

Saturday - 1 day to go
8.30am easy slow 4k run with running buddies followed by eromous breakfast
shower, change and head to Expo
get bib number and t-shirt
spend huge amounts of money on Chicago Marathon merchadise, sign up with Pace Bunny group
I am putting a time limit of 2 hours for the expo!
back to hotel, drink more water, stare at purchases
4pm head out to get dinner, plain and simple pasta
6.30pm back in room, lay out clothing while drinking more water
7.30pm in bed watching tv, resting and drinking yip more water!

The big day
Pace
I am going to take the first 2 - 3 miles fairly slow, or at least try, once I get warmed up and comfortable I think I am going to aim for a consistent pace, since Chicago is pretty much flat this should in theory work. Also, I am going to try and run with a pace group, this will also help with keeping me on target. I would love to run with one of my training buddies, but with 39,000 other runners this will probably be difficult.
Waterstops
... they are every mile in Chicago, I plan to do every other one, alternating between water and waterdown gatorade, going to left side at the far end of the waterstop (tip for this months Runner's World)
Gels
at the start
mile 6
mile 12
mile 18
mile 22 ... depending on how I feel

most of all, enjoy the day, take it all in, remember to smile at the finish line ... no matter what!

I can't believe it is less than a week til chicago, I am so excited! You could feel the buzz in the air at this mornings run. Everyone was talking about the marathon, giving advice, deciding on meeting places, telling stories. Have I mentioned I'm excited!

To recap on the week, this taper thing ... I've heard of taper rage and madness ... but I suffer from taper tiredness. I have never been so exhausted in my life, and I am doing almost nothing. It started last Saturday, when I couldn't get my tired arse out of bed and decided to skip the run, Sunday's run was a disaster, from then on I felt like it was the middle of the night for the rest of the week. I got all my runs in Tues/Wed/Thur ... but they weren't easy or fun. My legs felt twingey and heavy and I had zero energy, on the nights I didn't run I did nothing ... next day .... no difference still no energy.

On Friday night I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for 20 hours, but I have a theory that running a little on Saturday morning loosens my legs for Sunday and I have a better run ... plus there is always breakfast after Saturday runs ... a great reason to get out of bed! After a short 4.5k with D, a delicious breakfast, ludicrious amounts of coffee and lots of Chicago talk I headed to the gym for a weight workout with Mary (my best friend who doesn't run, swears she never will no matter how much I up sell the whole idea, but is there to cheer me on everytime at Port Stanley). The rest of my Saturday consisted of naps and movies, again no friggin energy. By 9pm I couldn't even keep my eyes open, this tired thing was now getting annoying and a little worrying.

Met the group this morning for our last long run, an easy 8 miles, didn't even wear a watch, just going to enjoy the morning and the company. Felt great, woke up before the alarm, energy seemed to have returned this morning. The Saturday run is key for me, I could feel a huge difference this morning, legs weren't tight or twingey, I felt comfortable.

The run itself was uneventful, but effortless, it just felt great to be out there and not worry about anything ... we talked non stop about ... Chicago ... have I mentioned I am going to Chicago.

I'm going to CHICAGO BABY!

Still feel good this afternoon, the tiredness seems to have gone or maybe the excitement has overpowered it. I am going to work on my plan of attack for the marathon today, will post it tomorrow.

Oh and Brent is running Twin Cities today! Wooo Hooo, can't wait to hear how it went.