Day 53 - 8 miles of sweat rings and lactation

Today's run was marginally better than yesterday's. My right shin still feels like it could snap with every step, but I think it feels a tad bit better. It's amazing what ibuprofen can do! I was only able to ice it twice today, but I kept my running shoes on and I didn't even notice the pain *most* of the day. I also started to get sharp, shooting pains/burning from my right toes around mile 6. It's like the pain makes it way down my legs and just settles in my toes for the remainder of the run. I really don't get it. I felt FINE during my long run on Saturday. Perhaps these are just after-effects? Who knows....but they have 19 days to vanish!!

I ran a new route today and it was loooong and boring. The head-on chilly wind didn't help a bit either. Guess it's time to start planning my routes according to the direction of the wind. You must remember, this is only my second winter running. I'm still figuring a lot of these things out! I wore the shirt that I had hoped to wear for M-day. I say "hoped" because it's a no-go right now! It fit fine. The color's great. But I look like I had lactated down the front of my shirt by the time I got home. I also had unsightly sweat rings in the crooks of my elbows, underarms, etc. If I can't find anything else, it will do.....but here's to hoping something better/more comfortable will be found!

Day 52 - Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad RUN

Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but I knew it was going to be a bad run when I was woken up at 3:00am by thunder and couldn't go back to sleep until 4:00am, just to be woken back up at 5:00am by crying children. Add to that a "stride-breaking" pain that shot down my right shin upon the first step, chilly wind gusts, a near fall thanks to a fallen walnut and a dingo that acted like he'd never ran with me before and my "easy" 5-miler was less than enjoyable. I have no idea what's going on with my right leg. This is a pain I've never felt before. All my other "issues" and complaints thus far I've been able to work through. This is the first time it hurt so bad to run that I contemplated quitting. I really thought my shin bone might snap in half. The good news is that after 3 or 4 miles, the pain subsided (only to come back the second I took my shoes off and walked around barefoot). It was also my first run with my new insoles, and while my toes still hurt, it was manageable. So I iced my leg 3 times throughout the day and took some ibuprofen. The pain is much less noticeable when I wear my running shoes, so they've only come off to sleep! I wish I could say I wasn't worried about it, but obviously I am. I'm a worrier by nature and the marathon is in 3 weeks! Looks like I'll be taking my "rest" days seriously this week.

Day 50 & 51- Hip Hip Hooray...20 Miles DONE!!

Gosh, I have not been a good blogger this week! The good news is that there's not much to report. I did end up getting some insoles for my running shoes. After scouring the internet and coming home with a "burning" sensation in my toes after Thursday's 5-miler, a "diagnosis" of a neuroma was made. The knowledgeable guy at the running store got me fitted for a pair of insoles (with a 60-day money back guarantee). Of course, he advised me to NOT wear them for the 20-miler today, but I have been wearing them around casually and they definitely make a difference. That said, I completed today's 20-miler without much pain at all in my toes. Go figure.
As for the 20-miler today. I was really dreading it. I was anxious and nervous. Turns out it was all for not. Although it was rainy/drizzly/foggy/humid the whole time, it was all in all a great run. With our multiple stops (thank you Tim Hortons and McDonald's) and a couple of doozy-hills, it took us around 3:52. Not too bad for my first 20-miler (remember one year ago I couldn't even run 2 miles)! I stayed on track taking my GUs, carried my water and sipped consistently, and took 800 mg of ibuprofen at about mile 10. The multiple potty and water refill stops were just what my feet needed to keep going and finish the distance. Our poor feet got a bit beat up with the soggy socks and all. I've gotta say though, my SmartWools really did well. I think I'll have a couple of small blisters on the sides of my feet, but nothing bad. Our feet definitely looked like they had been submerged in a bath tub for 4 hours, by the time we got home.
The post-run ice bath was breath-taking as usual! My calves are pretty tight and my bum hurts. Nothing a steady stream of ibuprofen can't help! As much as I would like to do a 22-miler next week to give me more confidence....my mind has been set on 3 weeks of tapering. And as I found out last week, if my mind's not in it....the run will be bad!! So I finish this week with a weekly total of 40 miles. My biggest yet. Perhaps it's not as high as it could be, but according to my training plan/book, it's just enough. That's what I'm looking for. Just enough to get me across that finish line. And based on today's run and our past 3 long runs, I think I'll have enough steam in the engine to go 26.2. Hooray for tapering! Here's a few more pics from the morning.

The family greets us when we return:


Mommy....where have you been?


Our toes....

My heart and prayers go out to my friend, Devon and her children....

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Days 48 & 49 - Blocked!

Tragedy of all tragedies...the hospital I work at decided to BLOCK blogger.com! I rely on work to get caught up on my emails, bloggy world and updating this blog! Add to that a home office remodel (on a whim) and I'm a bit behind. The good news is that there's really nothing to report. I did a slow 5-miler on Monday. Felt pretty good, besides the pain on the underside of my right toes. Tuesday I did 8 miles. I'm happy to report my shin pain *seems* to be gone (knock on wood). But dear God....the pain on the underside of my toes is ANNOYING. The weird thing is that the pain disappears as soon as I quit running. It has to be related to the biomechanics of running and/or my new shoes.

Another RANDOM event....the dingo and I were nearing the half-way mark of the 8-miler yesterday and he started getting sick. I slowed down to let him throw up and I notice a lady with a dog coming towards me. It's pretty dark at this time and she has a flashlight. As I get closer, I realize it's my BOSS. It was a bit awkard....but we were able to laugh about it today. Tomorrow will be my last run before our big one this weekend. 20 miles. After last weekend, I don't know what to expect....but all of our other long runs have gone well, so here's hoping that trend continues. Here's also hoping the humidity goes away!

Day 47 - Breakdown...

(I started writing this on Saturday....just now getting around to finishing it)
I've put off coming in here for hours now. Trying to process how and where the breakdown occurred. Did I go out too fast, was it too warm, did I not drink enough? The truth is...my mind (and heart) weren't there today. I gave in too easily. I gave in to the pain and I gave in to my weakness. Needless to say, I'm disappointed and now I have nothing but dread looking ahead to October 18th. Maybe I'm not cut out to run a marathon? Maybe my Dad was right....I haven't been running long enough (or had enough of a base) to start training for a marathon. Maybe that's why my legs and feet hate me so much. Maybe I needed this experience to make me stronger. To help me to rededicate myself to my training. To make me take better care of myself.
So here's how it all went down.....
Race time was 8:30am (3 hours LATER than we've been doing our long runs). Needless to say, my pre-run routine was messed up! BUT on the bright side, I had no tummy issues because of it! My sister picked me up a bit before 7:00am. We made our way to the base with plenty of time, parked and caught the bus to the starting line. It was in the low 50's at this time and pretty chilly! As we were arriving at the starting area, the marathoners were just starting out. Today, I was glad to not be going the full 26.2! We saw the F-16 Jets do their flyover and they were off! I got chills just thinking that in a month, that would be us! We hung out for the next hour and with a few minutes to spare, we made our way to the 9:10 pace group. I had no intention of maintaining that pace, but thought it was worth a shot. The mood was more serious (throughout the whole race, too) than in our first HM.
The opening ceremony for the half began, the jets did their flyover again and then we were off! It had warmed up a bit, as by 8:30 the sun was fully up. Right from the start, my belt/pouch began to ride up, DESPITE me taking advice from Heather at Run Faster Mommy, to pin it to keep it in place. Ugh, ugh, ugh. The first mile was nice and flat. Between mile 1-2 there was a decent-sized hill. All I could think about was my &*%$$#^ belt, though. I fiddled with it for the first 5 miles and when we stopped for a much needed pee break, I attempted to adjust it. Of course then I made it too tight. I felt pretty good at this point though, although we had been steadily going up a slight incline. Between mile 5 and 6 we hit another hill and I decided to take off the belt and just carry it. We averaged 9:08-9:23/mile the first 5 miles, according to Garmin (which I found out is a bit "off"). Around mile 6 was also the GU station. I took a Roctane GU about 30 minutes before the race, so this was my second GU of the day. Mile 6 was our slowest with the GU and hydration stations at 12:06/mile. From here on....it's pretty much a blur. It was hot and sunny, my calves hurt, my right toes began to feel like they were being pressed "up" and I just wasn't into it. Miles 7-10 we were running between 9:22 - 9:53/mile. Mile 8 had a long, drawn out incline (highway ramp). It was this point that I essentially just gave up. I gave in to the pain and had to walk. Miles 10.5-11.5 there were a handful of small hills, that just took it out of me. Our pace for those miles was 10:08-11:16/mile. I think I stopped at every single hydration station, just for the chance to slow down and take a break. Mile 11 we arrived back on base (to a heavy metal rock band). The end was near....but so far away! There were no more hills, but around mile 12 I needed another short walk break. I was hurting and tired and as I told my sister.....I didn't want to look like a "drowned rat" coming down the finish line straightaway! The last mile was essentially a big U-shape and there were spectators all along this part. I guess hubby thought I had dropped out of the race, because as we were coming down the backstretch to the finish line, he called me on my cell, wondering where I was. I searched and searched for them along the sidelines and finally found them! Braden had wanted to run with me, so hubby and the kids were stationed along the finish line straightaway, about 100 yards from the finish line. Braden held my hand as we ran to the finish line. He was so excited to run with me, but a bit disappointed when he didn't get a medal himself. I of course, gave him mine to wear! Our official time was 2:18:22. A slight PR from my first half.
We made our way through the finishers area. Braden loved all the food, water, chocolate milk, etc! I downed 2-3 bottles of water within minutes. I was apparently dehydrated, because I didn't end up peeing for 2 hours! I all in all, felt pretty good. My legs were tight and my feet hurt....but was else is new? We made our way back to hubby and Caroline and headed home for the day. I'm not going to lie. I was extremely disappointed with myself....not because of our finishing time, but because I couldn't push through the pain and fatigue. That said, the next morning in our newspaper, there was a follow up story about the runner who was recently killed while training for this race. I thought....how silly that I'm upset that I had to walk some of the race, when she didn't even get to the race! I should feel LUCKY that God gave me another day on this Earth with my family. Add to that the news that a friend/mother in my online parenting community lost her husband in Afghanistan and it gave me true perspective. Running is not the end all, be all.
So what did I learn:
1) I need to carry my own water with me. I hate having to anticipate the next hydration station.
2) I need to take my GUs every 45 minutes. I'm too drained if I don't!
3) I'm going to run with my iPod for the marathon. I was not in a chatty mood Saturday and I was just left with my own negative thoughts floating around my head. Distraction please!
4) I MUST figure out what is causing the pain on the underside of my toes. OUCH!
5) Spectators make a world of difference. With the race being held on an Air Force base, there were only TWO spectator spots.
6) I will not be disappointed with ANY finishing time for the marathon. I'm realizing it may take well over 5 hours....

So, here are some pics from the day:

Braden and Caroline with their race-day shirts


Waiting...waiting...waiting (Braden, Caroline and our friends' kids)


Our cheering squad is spoted


Braden running to the finish with us


Happy Family (I'm wearing the technical tee they gave us)

Day 46 - Expo!

So today was the eagerly awaited race expo....and I was sadly disappointed. This race isn't as big as the HM we did previously, and the expo showed it. I did get a Nathan Runner's Pak. It holds my cell phone and 6 or 7 GUs. Perfect (I hope)! I don't think I'm going to use it for this weekend's half....There's a GU station mid-way through and I think I will carry my own water for this race. It can hold an additional GU(s). I'm not quite sure about my GU strategy for this race. I'd like to stick with the every 45 minute routine that I've been following (hopefully training my belly too), but I probably don't need to re-fuel that often for such a "short" distance. Funny that 13.1 miles is now considered short!

As for my run this morning, the dingo and I set out on our 5 mile hilly route. I felt fine....the hills were a nice distraction from my aches and pains. My shins didn't hurt at all (and haven't all day). My feet are still adjusting to my shoes though. Our time was pretty good, considering I never stopped my watch once. Well, good for me!

Tonight I plan on making the kids and Daddy their race-day shirts. I've never done iron-on decals, so hopefully it won't be a huge disaster. The race shirt I got today is pretty nice. It's a short-sleeved technical tee in royal blue. Pictures to come, of course! Tomorrow night we're heading to our friends' house for a pasta buffet and carbo-loading. Should be fun! I really hope things go well on Saturday. The nice girl at the running store warned me that you can pysche yourself out for these "shorter" races. Kind of like when OSU is so busy preparing for Michigan that they overlook Northwestern (no offense, Gina). We'll see..... Hopefully I'll have a good race report on Saturday!

Fuel belt/pack recommendations needed!

I have an SPI belt that I run with occasionally. I used it during my first HM and it drove.me.crazy. I ended up taking the thing off and giving it to my Dad because I was so annoyed with it. Well, on these past few long runs, I've needed some extra storage space. My amphipod handheld is great, but it can only hold 3 GUs. I'd also like to be able to carry my cell phone, meds, etc. I don't think I will actually run with water on M-day. I think the hydration stations should be plenty (there are 21). Plus, if you carry your own water, don't you have to stop and refill your bottles? I'm talking logistics here (not really concerned about my finish time). So, the reason I dislike the SPI belt is because 1) it gets all twisty when full 2) it rides up to my natural waist and hurts my belly (like I need anymore belly issues). So, what do you guys use/recommend for carrying your fuel/necessities on race day? Any tips and recommendations for fuel/hydration on race day is appreciated! In closing....be sure to check out Marlene's Halo Headband giveway HERE!!

Day 45- 8 Mile

I hate 8-mile Tuesday mornings. I don't know why....I've been having good runs. It's just the anticipation of it, I suppose. Knowing that I have to get up just a tad bit earlier than "normal" to get my run in before hubby leaves for work. Knowing that 8 miles used to be my "long run" for fun. Despite this dislike, the weather has been delightful for running. We may even luck out and get some good running weather for our 1/2 this weekend.
My right shin continued to bother me all yesterday, so it wasn't a surprise when it bothered me for the first 2-3 miles of the run this morning. The balls of my feet....still hurt! I gave in and soaked my feet/shins in an ice bath bucket this afternoon. I have got to find something to make them feel better! I was hoping that by keeping my socks on, my toes wouldn't freeze up like they normally do. No luck....
I had hoped to get to JoAnn Fabrics or Michael's today to start on the shirts for the kids (for race day). Taking the kids there is an overwhelming process. It wears me out just thinking about it. Perhaps after naps? Gosh, it's only Tuesday and I'm exhausted.

Day 44

I eagerly awaited my 5:45am alarm this morning. I was excited to try out my new shoes!! It was dark and chilly (but I got a tad too hot in my long sleeves). Most of my quad/hip soreness was gone prior to the run (but has since returned...guess they needed a wake up "run"). Nothing exciting or new to report.

My shoes felt good. Much more supportive than my old ones. By the end of the run (and even now) the pain in the balls of my feet returned. I just don't get it. These shoes are like the cadillac of support! I really just think my feet need to toughen up. I never had problems with pain in the balls of my feet until the past 4-6 weeks or so. That just happens to coincide with serious mileage and shoes that were becoming worn down. As an aside....Do you ice the balls of your feet?? I tried an epsom salt soak on Saturday night, which did help some. I don't know. I hate to second guess myself with my shoe purchase. Although the Brooks felt more cushion-y, the "progressive diagonal rollbar" almost felt as if it were pushing my foot forward, putting even more pressure on the balls of my feet. They're both made with the same high-quality materials, they're both support shoes, they just have a different ride/feel. So we'll see...

My new Kicks!

So, after much contemplation.....I kept with the same shoe. My old ones were just very worn down. I tried on some heavenly Brooks (Trance 9), but the girl at the shoe store said she wouldn't recommend trying completely new shoes, this late in a training cycle. Just a bit of a bummer, because they felt like pillows, compared to the Mizunos. Hopefully new shoes will be the answer to my shin/calf/ankle aches. Apparently the Mizunos do start out slightly angled in the back....in an effort to compensate for women's wider hips, blah, blah, blah. Genetic shoe engineering at it's finest. I feel like I need to start searching for an orange shirt to wear on M-day, so I can match! Tomorrow will start week 12.... only 4 more weeks....holy cow!!

Day 43 - 18 down.... 8.2 to go!

We set out at 5:30am for our 18-miler today. My sister and I had a guest join us for today's run. We've recently become friends with a couple who actually happens to be distant relatives of my hubby. They have kids the same ages as our kids and they live really close to us. We have lots in common and they're a lot of fun to hang out with. Well, this couple has been running for 3 years. They've done a number of half marathons and just did their first full marathon in May. The husband (Mike) is training for the same half and full marathon that my sister and I are training for. The wife (Christina) was pregnant when training for this marathon began, so she's not running. I can't imagine training for a marathon by yourself, so I offered Mike to join us on our long runs. I think he swallowed his pride to have to train with two chicks and took me up on the offer.

We did the same route as a few weeks ago, just adding an extra lap at one of the parks. Coming up with these long run routes is HARD! Trying to find potties, drinking fountains, side walks....it's tough! Conversation came easy and the time seemed to breeze by. The only thing that bothered me was the balls of my feet. I decided to hold out on getting my new shoes until tomorrow. I didn't want to try out new shoes on an 18-miler. I'm pretty sure I'm NOT going to get the same ones as before. I need more forefoot cushioning and I'm pretty sure I supinate (but from what I've read I would just need a neutral shoe to help with that). Is it lame that I'm excited about getting new shoes? Anyway, I was pretty tired by the end of the run. We ran a bit slower today, but I also didn't stop my watch at every stop light or when I took my GUs. The every 45 minute GU seems to be a going well. I still preemptively take my full Immodium dose and only "eat" a Roctane GU before the run. I'm not sure how much water I take in over the course of these long runs (I start out with 28 ounces, but refill my handheld whenever we're near a drinking fountain). I don't feel dehydrated. I've also been feeling better post-run. I've embraced the ice baths for the good that they surely do! I had the kids all day by myself and had enough energy to entertain them! My quads might be a tad bit sore tomorrow. They're pretty tight when I go down the steps or go from sitting to standing. We'll see.... Aleve doesn't help me as much as good ol' ibuprofen. I may try an epsom salt foot soak tonight as I watch the Buckeyes (hopefully) beat USC. So with my 11th week of training completed, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend! Go BUCKS!!

Day 42 - Miles made up!

So my rainy Monday didn't prove to be the downfall of my whole training schedule after all. I trudged through three days in a row of running! Not a feat for most, but it is for me! I have to say though, my legs were tired and sloooow today. We got in our 5 miles, I iced my right shin and I'm already enjoying the feeling of getting to "sleep in" tomorrow. Oh yeah....if you're a parent of young children there are no "sleep in" days (and I actually have to work tomorrow)! It's a good thought, though! Thanks to LogYourRun, I've been able to keep track of the mileage on my shoes. I had to estimate the miles prior to starting training for the marathon, but I think I have a pretty realistic record. Currently, I have 417 miles on my shoes. That will take me up to 585 miles, by the time I finish the marathon. Yikes! I think the proof is in the pudding though.

Example A:

Now, I never really paid much attention to my shoes when I first got them, but I'm pretty sure they were level to begin with!
Example B:

No wonder the balls of my feet hurt! So with a heavy heart and $135 less in my bank account, I will head over to my trusty running store. Maybe my aches and pains will get some relief (if only hubby saw it that way)!

Day 41 - Catching Up

I was actually happy to get out of bed and run this morning. I guess not having to go to work will do that! The dingo and I did 5 miles....in the fog and humidity. Same ol' aches and pains. I must start doing my shin splint exercises and stretching!! Pace was a little bit better today. All in all, a good day for running!
I saw Braden off to his first day of preschool. I can't believe that next year I'll be taking him to Kindergarten! Caroline and I had some good mommy-daughter bonding time. She kept asking "Where's Bady?" in a really sad voice. After asking about 5 times, she finally got it and quit asking! We stopped for some Timbits and then did some shopping. She's my shopping pal already! After school we had lunch with my parents, the beloved "Mimi and Pops". Now it's my down-time, catching up online and with my DVR'd shows. Holy cow do I have some TV watching to do! Yes, my life is that lame.... Tonight we're going to my sister's step-son's Cross Country meet. Last weekend he broke the sophomore record! WTG Jake! At least someone in my family is speedy! Tomorrow will be my last run before the 18-miler on Saturday. Only 3 more long runs....

Day 40 - Rain Delay

I woke up yesterday to pouring rain and thunderstorms. The rain usually wouldn't deter me....but the thunder and lightening did! So I laid in bed trying to figure out what to do.... The indoor track that I sometimes use was closed for the holiday and I don't have a treadmill. I finally decided to do a 45 minute cardio workout with Jillian. I haven't been doing my Jillian Michael's videos like I used to, so it was a definite workout! It was nice to use different muscles. It was also fun to try out the heart rate monitor that goes along with my watch. I still had massive guilt as the day went on about missing my 5 mile run that morning. I called my Dad that night to get his opinion (which I really already knew) and he advised that "there's no substitute for getting the miles in". Spoken like a true marathoner! So I decided I would just run Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday this week. Works out well because Brady starts preschool on Wednesday and I've taken the day off to take him and pick him up. Otherwise I was looking at a 5am wake up call to run, get to work, come back and pick Braden up to take him to school and then go back to work. I was tired just thinking about that scenario....but I wasn't going to miss his first day of school. He's so excited this year!! So with all my running days off from work, I decided to trudge through them.

Today's 8-mile run went well. I didn't set my pace alarms on my watch, and I was definitely slower. It was also much more humid this morning though. I had a few aches and pains during the run, so I iced my shins/legs twice today. I felt almost completely recovered from the long run on Saturday. Perhaps taking yesterday off from running was a good thing! I've never run 3 days in a row (ever!) so I'm sure by Thursday I'll be feeling it.
We continue to make plans for the marathon weekend. I can't believe it's so close! We made reservations at Buca di Beppo for the night before the marathon. It sounds like most of our family (and a few friends) will be there to cheer us on. I'm not too excited about having the kids stay in our hotel room the night before the marathon....but I'm not sure the grandparents want them in their room, either! I might just have to make the kids shirts to wear for race day. I remember seeing kids along the course of the HM and it was so cool! It would be nice if I didn't have to do it....but I doubt anyone else would think to do it. Any ideas for the kids' shirts? Well, in less than 7 hours I need to be up to run, so I'm gonna sign off and try to get some sleep!

Day 39....and feelin' it!

Good or bad....this week's long run is DONE and I can start my weekend! Yahoo!! 17.7 miles according to G. We started out at 5:30am, after a rough night of sleep. Noisy kids coming home from the HS football game, a concert and a klutzy hubby didn't make for very good sleeping. Oh yeah, and a 2 year old needing to be rocked back to sleep. But anyway, I was ready for the run. We ran for almost 2 hours in the dark. Unfortunately, the time/miles didn't tick away as quickly as they did in previous dark runs! My belly hurt off and on (despite taking the usual 2 Immodium AD tablets and avoiding certain foods the day before) and it was just a looong run. My left knee bothered me the first few miles and then my legs just got progressively tighter. We took a few walk breaks towards the end for tummy issues, but otherwise we only stopped to take our GUs every 45 minutes. The post-run ice bath wasn't nearly as bad as last week. The ice melted much quicker this time, so I'm thinking the water wasn't as cold as usual! In any case my sweet Caroline "entertained" me for the 20 minutes I was submerged. We then spent about an hour all snuggled up in bed watching cartoons, while I tried to warm up. I picked up some new Nike socks yesterday that had more forefoot padding. I almost feel like Nike is a 4-letter word around the running community...I never hear/read of anyone who actually runs in Nikes. But I digress! I really liked the socks and my feet feel pretty good post-run. Not sure if they're just getting used to more mileage or if it really was the socks. Today's run was just over a mile more than last week, so not too big of an increase. This week's mileage topped out at 36 miles. A definite record for me! So looking to next week, we do 5 - 8 - 5 -18. Hopefully it will be another week of mindless running, plugging away at the goal! Have a great Labor Day!!

Day 38 - Apathy

Apathy is just the perfect word to describe my mood the past few days. My runs have been going fine. I'm annoyed at the aches and pains, but none of them are too severe. I look forward to the the long runs, just because that means I'll be one step closer to reaching my goal. I dread the post-run ice bath and DOMS that comes on Sunday. BUT, there is light! We'll get to spend Monday as a family, enjoying the best donuts ever, a great parade and a cook out that evening. Right now, I need to not focus on running so much. It has taken over my life....and I never intended it to be that way. I want it to be fun and relaxed. I feel like it's my job now. I hope some of these feelings are normal and a sign that yes, I've been working my butt off for the last 10+ weeks. I'm hoping this every-so-slight negativity doesn't creep into my long run tomorrow. I *need* to keep having good long runs, or I'm going to dive even deeper into the sea of negativity.
So, with that off my chest. Yesterday was a good 5-miler. No problems. Great weather. The dingo wasn't as cooperative as I would have liked, but everyone has an "off" day. We went to Target and I found what I hope to be the shirt I'll wear on M-Day. It's long sleeve and HOT PINK!! I want to make sure it won't chafe though. It's made my Champion (their C9 line) and supposedly compresson and moisture-wicking. We'll see..... Did I mention it's hot pink?! I want my family to be able to find me!! Tomorrow we'll start super early on our 17-miler, so my sister can get to her step-son's cross country meet. We're going a bit off the schedule, since we decided to throw in the HM on 9/19. Trying to make up some of those miles! Hopefully I'll have another good report.

How could I forget???? Go Bucks!!! Beat Navy!!!

Day 37 - Slacking...

I feel like I've been slacking in many regards lately..... Now, I didn't slack off on our 8-miler yesterday, but I didn't get up today to do my weight work out. And although it seemed like a good idea at the time (5:15am) I'm regretting it now. I'm starting to feel just the slightest worn down, despite having great runs lately. Usually I feel run down (emotionally) when my running hasn't been going well. I guess it's a combination of the physical and emotional conditions. It's weird....I've felt good on my runs, but then as the day progresses little aches and pains surface. Lately it's been my right calf and shin. I've never had problems there, so it's just odd. Is it the increased mileage, is it the culmination of training, do I need new shoes? Is it normal to have aches and pains in week 10 of marathon training? I mean, do all runners have little nagging pains that bother them? And most importantly, will these little pains turn in to big pains that will keep me from completing the marathon? These are the questions that are floating around in my head and it's overwhelming. I must remember to breath though....and take one day at a time.

So yesterday I got up bright and early to head out on the 8-miler. The dingo was decked out in his newly-acquired collar with flashing lights and I had on my LED light/magnet. I got a number of compliments on the dingo's collar from fellow early-morning runners/dog walkers/ etc. And while we're on the topic of safety, I went ahead and ordered a Road ID for myself. After last week's accident, I'm not taking any chances! The nice people at Road ID sent me a coupon to share, for a $1 off of any purchase, when you use the code: ThanksNicole536067.
So anyway, the run was uneventful...except I hadn't been clearing out the data from my workouts on my Garmin and it shut off about 2 miles into the run. Bummer! Luckily, I had mapped out my route ahead of time. My right calf/ankle/shin hurt for the first 2-3 miles and then the pain subsided. While it was hurting though, I decided I was going to take today off and try to let it rest/heal. Which is really silly because when I do my weight workouts, I focus on my upper body and abs. My legs don't even get that much of a workout besides the warm up...but mentally I thought it would be good just to rest everything. Since G pooped out on me, I have no idea what my pace was, but I felt good and had plenty left to give in the end. Tomorrow will be another 5-miler and then I'll start looking forward to the LR on Saturday. Gosh, marathon training sure has a way of making the week fly by!