THE BUDDY SYSTEM

This week was a BIG week for us.  We did 4 Tuesday, 9 Wednesday, 5 Thursday and 18 on Saturday.  This was a total of 36 miles for us this week – the most so far on our training. 

Tuesday, January 17-4 miles:  Wouldn’t you know it – yesterday the weather felt like spring and today its old man winter.  With that being said, we elected to run on the treadmill instead of fighting the wind and cold outside.  I shouldn’t complain too much because we have been extremely lucky with the weather this winter.  We all had great runs on the treadmill (if there is such a thing).  We feel very fortunate when we can get off the treadmill and feel good since all of us despise it!

Wednesday, January 18-9 miles:  YAY!!  I’m finally back to running with my peeps!  After running my last 3 runs on the treadmill, I was so excited to run with someone.  I was so giddy – felt like a little kid LOL!  It’s amazing how much easier it is if your mind is prepared for it.  Well, I wouldn’t say “easier”, just not as challenging.  Steve, Dawn and Stephen joined us for part of our run tonight.  Stephen is such a strong runner – he’s always a few blocks ahead of us.  Of course, it helps that he’s 18 – he’s got youth on his side J  Alison’s back continues to give her problems and hopefully a few more visits with Turpin will fix her up.  I’m thinking a massage at Healing Waters would do us all some good!!  Stormie wasn’t mentally prepared for this run so she struggled a little.  That’s where the “buddy” comes in handy – when one person isn’t feeling it, the other person is there to help pick you up.  Whether it’s running right beside you, talking to keep your mind off the running or making a pit stop with you – it’s much better to run with a buddy.  I don’t know how those runners do it alone.  I’m so thankful for my running partners.

Thursday, January 19-5 miles:  It was just me, Alison and Stormie on this run tonight.  While we know we’ll be doing the marathon by ourselves, we sure do miss our fellow runners on our training runs.  All of us felt “ok” during this run – not great, but not horrible either.  Sometimes the shorter runs are harder than the longer runs.  It seems like it takes us all about 3 miles before we feel like we’re in the groove of running.  Just want to say GREAT JOB to the girls training for a half who ran their longest run tonight of 8 miles – you girls did awesome and should be very proud of yourselves! 

Saturday, January 21-18 miles:  18 miles…I don’t even know where to begin.  Let’s start with the weather – the winter weather.  It was very, very cold but thankfully not too windy.  When we started at 9:00, it felt 4 degrees outside.  Really?  4 degrees??  I was completely stressed by the weather more so than running 18 miles.  Stormie made a mad dash to Wal-Mart to buy some last minute winter weather supplies – mittens, ski mask, hand warmers.  We were prepared and had multiple layers of clothing on.  We had a good group to start the run – Debbie, Andy, DeAun, Casha, Kitchel, Jeannette, Jen, Trey and the 3 of us.  While the girls ran between 4-7 with us, Trey stayed with us until mile 10ish.  We were joined at mile 7 by Dawn and Anna.  YAY – fresh faces J  Anna ran 5 miles while Dawn finished the route with us.  We were joined at mile 14 by Mitzi, Carmen, Cassie, Yvonne, Ryan, Cammy and John – once again it was GREAT having fresh faces especially for the last 4 grueling miles.  And when I say grueling…I mean grueling.  I just don’t know how runners do this – seriously???  18 miles???  My last 4 miles was tough but the last 1-2 was HORRIBLE!!  Why do I make these routes with hills at the ends?  Now mind you, they aren’t huge hills but the slightest inclines will kill your legs after you’ve already done 16 miles.  At one point, we turned the corner and I groaned because of the upcoming hill.  Dawn and Alison were with me and just smiled.  The last ½ mile was the worst for me.  I wanted to walk SO bad, but my running drill sergeants (Dawn, Alison) wouldn’t let me.  Dawn kept telling me I would feel worse if I stopped to walk and I tried really hard to convince her I thought I would feel better.  If it weren’t for them, I would’ve walked.  I’m not sure whether to say thank you or yell at them LOL!  They finally picked up their pace at the end and finished strong as I promised not to walk.  Ryan was there to finish with me.  When I finished, the tears came – tears of anguish, tears of anger.  I have never struggled that bad and it really upset me.  Of course, I didn’t cry for long because I couldn’t breathe LOL!  Oh and I also said rather loudly “That was *bad word* hard”.  I’ll spare you the word I said.  Now the doubting continues – how in the world can I do another 8.2 miles?  My legs were done – I mean done as in D – O – N – E  done!!  Alison and Dawn finished strong and Stormie was just behind me.  Alison felt good and could’ve gone on – really??  WOW – she continues to get stronger.  Stormie did awesome especially since she’s still not 100% healthy and she missed the 16 mile run.  She went from running 14 to 12 to 18 – she’s amazing!!  Oh how I wish I could write this blog and say I felt ready to run this marathon, but unfortunately I can’t.  We still have a few weeks of training left so hopefully I’ll be ready…YIKES!!! 

Quote for the day: "The power of people that believe in you and encourage you to chase your dreams is a tremendous gift"
- Unknown

Just keep on runnin'

I’M BAACCKK!! So excited to be back running this week! It’s amazing how you miss the pain that comes with running when you can’t do it J I also think we should’ve all invested stock into Kleenex last week because I went through 4 giant boxes!  Did you know that if you get the red ring around your nose from blowing it so much that you should put Neosporin on it? I had no idea, but it worked. Thanks Dr. Will!

This week, we have to fit in a 5 mile, 8 mile, 4 mile and a 12 mile long run. JB is leaving us and going to soak up the sun in Cancun this week, so we had to rearrange our schedule a bit.

Monday – 5 miles - this was a fast 5 mile run.  JB, Alison and I were joined by Lisa, Jamie and Jen.  What a blessing to be able to run in January on a 55 degree day! JB and Alison finished fast at around a 9:10 pace, followed by Jen (who did AWESOME!!) and myself and Jamie. Lisa finished a 2.5 mile run and she did awesome too! Good run.

Tuesday – 8 miles - With the upcoming colder weather, we considered running our 12 mile run this night, but thought we’d see how 8 miles felt first. Once again, we had amazing weather for our run. JB, Alison and I started at the old Jr. High building and were met by Jenny. On Washington, we were joined by Dawn, John and Anna. It’s always a blessing and a curse to see these faster runners. We are blessed to see them because we love them so much, but cursed because we know we are in for a faster run. Funny, we always talk about that, but we always keep up with them in some fashion. So… maybe we are faster than what we think? Although they probably slow down for us! Makes us feel accomplished either way. J After 8 miles, we decided going 8 was plenty far and we would hold off on 12 until Thursday. 

Thursday – 12 mile long run – Well, since it was freezing cold and blowing 30 mph, we decided to flip flop our runs so that we would do our 4 mile run tonight and then do the long run this weekend. Unless you’re superwoman aka JB who decided to run 12 miles on a treadmill!!! How the heck do you run for 2 hours on a treadmill? Only if you’re JB and you’re awesome! Wow… Alison and I did our 4 mile run on the treadmill and for me it was ridiculously hard. Alison said she felt good, and JB said it was brutal to run that far on a treadmill.  Feel like a giant hamster running in a wheel when we have to run on the treadmill with nothing to look at. It's so difficult! I guess treadmill running works on that mental strength that we'll need for that our 26 miles? Positivity!

Saturday – 12 mile long run – Gorgeous day to run this Saturday. We started at 9 am from the Jr. High. Myself, Alison, Kelli Barton, Jen and Jeannette began the route. Running down A street we ran into the 7 mile group and they were kicking butt!! So great to see so many running on Saturday mornings. Whether it's a few or 7 miles, good to get out and do it! High fives to Lisa, Carmen and Mitzi as they were finishing up their 7 miles. AWESOME! We were joined by Anna, Dawn and Jenny about 1 mile in. Kelli, Alison and I ran the full 12, the others ran 4-6 miles. We love to have people join in with us during our long runs as it gives us something to look forward to. Especially if we have new runners at the end of our long run, it helps the time/mileage go by much faster. We finished our 12 mile run in under 2 hours of total running time (we didn't include drink stops) Alison is still having back pain and trying to figure out how to make that better. Although Doc Gill says she needs to work on getting her butt muscles stronger :) Funny how certain muscles affect us in different ways? Kelli finished 12 with us and this was her longest run ever. She did awesome! And she helped motivate me at the end when I was dying. I did walk a few times this run. Wind was brutal, but I was OK with walking as I just felt like I had to at the time. Sometimes you just feel like you need to walk and it depends on how you feel mentally whether or not you beat yourself up about it. Sometimes when you give in to your mind telling you that you must walk, you kick yourself later. Other times, you accept what it is and move forward. Next week is our longest mileage week. We will be running a 4, 9, 5 and an 18 mile long run....AHHHHH!! Wish us luck :)

Quote for the Day:  "There's no magic to running far or climbing Everest. Endurance is mental strength. It's all about heart."
- Bear Grylls

In Sickness and In Health

This week was our 11^th week of training, and it was an interesting one.  Stormie developed a severe sinus infection which kept her from running all week.  She actually started feeling sick last Saturday on our 15 mile run, and ran it sick!!  Stormie, you are awesome!  Our schedule showed a 4 mile run on Tuesday, an 8 mile on Wednesday, and another 4 miles on Thursday.  We changed it up a bit and did 4 on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and did our 8 miler on Thursday.  Our Tuesday, Wednesday runs were nice – Jeanette joined us on Tuesday, and Dawn, Steve, Steven and Lisa joined us on Wednesday.  We finished both of those at about a 9:22 pace.  On Thursday, JB and I were both bummed because we were the only two running.  We always like to have someone else with us so they can talk to us.  About a mile in to the run we saw Jenny running towards us, and I believe we both cussed because we knew we were about to run a lot faster!  (I know….we are never happy).  At around mile 3.5 we see Dawn coming our way, and again knew we were in deep trouble with Jenny and Dawn both running with us.  That run actually felt good to both JB and I, as we finished in a 9:18 pace and commented on how “easy” it was. 

Saturday, I woke up not wanting to run at all.  In fact, I seriously thought about throwing in the towel.  I knew I couldn’t disappoint my partners, so I decided to load up on breakfast and get mentally prepared.  This is probably the most scared I have been before a run, as I remembered how I felt last week after the 15 miler.  We started our run at 8:00 and there were 15 runners at the start line!!!  I love our group!!!!  Kitchel, Kelli, and Trey did the first 8 with us and then Jeanette and Jen did the last 8 with us.  We ran the first 12-13 miles at a consistent 9:30 pace, but then slowed at the end, and finished at a 9:42 pace.  It actually was a better run for me than the 15 miler.  I felt pretty strong at the end and not so sore.  JB, on the other hand struggled at the end, but finished right there beside me.  (She is so tough)   For some reason, I feel like I have made it over the hump, and can finish this crazy thing.  When you talk to me after the 18 miler, it could be a completely different story!  It is so funny how, with running, some days you feel like you can run for ever, and others you struggle from the first step.

Next week, will be a recover week with lower mileage, so that will feel good.  Stormie will also be back with us!!  We sooooo missed her.  Until next time…..     

-Alison

Quote of the Day: "Some people think about making it happen and others make it happen."

- Unknown

Holiday treats and running

This week we had 3 miles on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday and 15 on Saturday.  Yep – 15!!  YIKES!!

Tuesday, December 27
Alison, Stormie and I met at Eisenhower for our 3 miles.  This run was a struggle for me.  It felt like we were sprinting the first mile, but when I looked at my watch we were going at a 9:30 pace.  It sure felt much faster to me.  I really overindulged through the Christmas holiday and I think my body was telling me about it.  When will we (I) learn that what we eat and drink directly affects our training??  Sure was hard to pass up the peanut butter balls and peanut clusters though.  Alison once again felt great and was off – she had to weave back and forth on the road so that Stormie and I could catch up with her.  Thank goodness Stormie was there with me to keep me going.  It’s amazing all the things that were going through my mind as to why I was struggling.  Of course I thought about all the candy that I had eaten and the beverages I enjoyed, but also I freaked out a little because I didn’t have my IPod.  Keep in mind that we haven’t been using our IPods, but I ALWAYS wear it just in case I need it.  Before the run I thought to myself, “it’s just 3 miles, don’t even take your IPod” – boy was I wishing I had it.  I won’t do that again.

Wednesday, December 28
Why?  Please tell me why!!  Why is one run so difficult and the next run manageable?  I really struggled during yesterday’s 3 mile run and was fine during tonight’s 7 mile run.  Of course, our pace during our run tonight was quite a bit slower than the 3 miles so maybe that was the reason.  I also feel like I don’t get into the groove of running until after about 3 miles so maybe that was the reason.  Or maybe it’s just all mental as most of the running battles are.  It’s quite a battle with yourself as you not only prepare for a run, but also do the run.  We rely on each other’s support when the battles become tough and hope that all 3 of us don’t struggle at once.  We’re starting to question our training schedule and are trying to decide if running 20 miles is enough.  Do we do 22 or even further or do we stick to the training schedule?  We’ve decided to call on our friends that have been through this and make our decision once we receive their input.  We’ve heard from almost everyone that’s done a full that the last 6 miles are brutal so maybe if we go 22 during training, the last 4 will only be the most brutal.  Are you kidding me – I’m thinking 26.2 miles will be brutal!

Thursday, December 29
MUSIC!!  We haven’t been using our IPods lately because we have been trying to talk more.  When you talk, it really does make the time go by faster and you don’t think about how your legs are tired.  We absolutely love it when we are joined by other runners (especially Kitchel) because we talk the entire run.  Although some don’t like to talk (Dawn) – we make them anyway. But…at mile 2.5 during the 4 mile run tonight, I decided to put my earphones in and crank up the music.  WOW – I have really missed my music.   I don’t put both earphones in, just in case Stormie or Alison talk.  I like to keep one ear open so I can hear them or hear oncoming cars LOL!  It’s just amazing to me what a little upbeat music will do to your run.  We all felt a little sluggish during this run and I think it’s because we had 3 straight days of running.  That’s what our training schedule calls for, but sometimes we have to change our days around.  This was the first time in a few weeks where we ran like this.  Alison was always a few steps ahead of me and Stormie and really kicked it in gear the last ¾ mile – she could see the end in sight and wanted to be done.  Let’s hope we all can finish that strong after running 26 miles and can pick it up the last .2 miles.   We’ve had a very strange week of running.  This is really the first time I can remember that we’ve all struggled so much.  Mine was more physical while Alison and Stormie have struggled mentally.  It’s really starting to become a reality what we are embarking upon.  We’ve asked for advice from our fellow marathon runners and we are glad we did.  Do we only (ONLY!!) run 20 miles as our training schedule says?  Do we try and run 22 just to help our mental issues?  Should we bump up our mileage starting now?  So many questions!!  We did receive some excellent advice from those who have done this before and some very encouraging and inspiring words.  I’m sure we’ll lean on them several more times during this journey.  If you think running a marathon is all about running, you are wrong.  You have to get your mind wrapped around it first, and then it’s just left, right, repeat…right Dave?

Saturday, December 31st:
Today was our long run – 15 miles.  This was our longest run EVER!  I’ve always tried to look at the long runs in 2 mile increments.  Our water stops are about every 2 miles so I just tell myself to make it to the next water stop.  We did the 7.5 mile route starting from the donut shop twice.  The first leg we were joined by Jeff and Kitchel. 9th street hill going to our last water stop.  I wanted to walk so badly and then I could hear Jeannette “you’re almost there – keep pumping your arms”.  I couldn’t stop then.  Or Kitchel talking Alison and I through mile 14 – couldn’t have made it up Lincoln Street or against the wind on C without Kitchel.
So now the doubting really starts to set in.  My knees were really hurting after this run – could I really run another 11.2 miles?  Not at this point!  Before this run, we were thinking (hoping) we could run the entire race and only walk through the water stops.  After this run, I’m thinking I’ll have to do some walking.  So does that make me a true marathon runner?  Will I be ok with myself if I walk some of it?  Does it really matter if I walk some?  It’s 26.2 for goodness sakes!!  I think this is where I should remind myself that if it was easy, everyone would do it.  It takes guts, courage, stamina and a little bit of insanity to run a marathon and we are going to do it!!  -- JB

Quote of the day: "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."
- Jesse Owens