This has been a great running week.
It began when I returned from Colorado on Tuesday. I crammed in a run in the evening - just 3.5 miles. It wasn't the greatest, but it was OK, considering I had been traveling for the better part of the day and had survived on scant airport provisions.
On Wednesday, I decided to run after my board meeting at Emelyn's pre-school (8pm) but decided instead to go to Ben and Jerry's with some friends. It is no surprise that I was glad to eat ice cream instead of run!
Thursday was an odd day for me. Pollen.com has voted Eugene, OR as #1 in grass pollen and allergens in the air this week, so I have been battling sneezing fits and itchy eyes all week, but Thursday was even worse. As a result, I hadn't eaten all day. I'd just plain forgotten due to a busy schedule and no appetite. After work, Tia and I attempted to run, but I had zero energy and we ended up walking about as much as we ran (if not more).
Friday, I did some cross training. I figured it had been a while since I'd done anything other than run, so a half hour on the eliptical would do some good.
Saturday, I attended a baby shower and planned to run afterwards. As I was leaving the shower, a huge pain made its way into my stomach and gut. The kind of pain to indicate that I had eaten something that didn't agree with me. I drove home, lied down for 20 minutes and didn't really feel any better. I decided to run anyway, thinking it might actually make me feel better (I've come a long way) and if not, I'll know quickly and just walk/crawl home. I donned my Marine Corps Marathon t-shirt as a sort of "insurance policy" to keep me moving forward and headed out the door. Much to my surprise, I DID feel better as I ran and was able to keep going. I ran a quick 4 miles in the late afternoon heat and sun. Quickly showered and went to see Get Smart with a friend, enjoying a celebratory large soft pretzel with cheese sauce. A little guilty pleasure.
On Sunday, I charted a course for 8 miles. I woke up, made a smoothie, did some stretching and turned on Meet the Press while I prepared myself for the run. As I was reminded how much I miss Tim Russert, Brian Williams attempted to forge ahead with the program Tim had prepared before his untimely death. This wasn't exactly the frame of mind I needed to embody prior to a run that was probably going to take ninety minutes, so I promptly headed out the door with a heavy heart, my ipod, and some water. Oh - and my Marine Corps T shirt. I figured I could use all the help I could get, though it was still early in the day and only 55 degrees.
As I scrolled through the play-lists on my iPod, I selected the 90's music album, which was automatically sorted for me by those ingenious folks at Apple. Before I knew it, I was rocking and rolling down the street, The Boss streaming in my head. How fitting that my Springsteen favorites came up while I was still feeling blue over my beloved Tim Russert (who was his #1 fan). Glory Days, My Hometown, Born to Run (love that one!), Born in the USA - the list goes on. Something about the Boss this morning just put my feet on fire. I ran and ran and ran and felt great the whole time. Sure, I did have a moment when I thought: "Ugh! I've only been running for 25 minutes! I've still got an hour to go!", but I kept the goal in mind: completeing the marathon with 4 girlfriends who were training across the continent with me, whilst Bruce Springsteen's "Champs like us, Baby we were Born to Run" went through my head.
I also made a new discovery: I had not been pushing off enough with the ball of my foot when completing my running stride. I hit with the heel and rolled the foot, but stopped sort of bouncing up. Instead, I'd leave the job to my ankle, which COULD have been causing some of that leg pain. Trying not to pre-occupy myself with form too much and succumbing to distraction, I kept it in mind and eventually realized that I had been in fact putting too much stress on those ankles and tendons by shoving my foot up instead of springing from the ball of my foot.
As a result, I was able to really move. Plus, I didn't have any knee or leg pain and I had a lot more energy. It was great. Before I knew it, I was back home in 80 minutes. I had a couple of 45-60 second walking breaks to sip water and munch on a half of a clif bar, but otherwise, I had a pretty steady run. Felt fantastic. If I felt like slowing down at any point during the run, my T shirt reminded me of my mission and I just simply kept running. It was that simple. Plus, with pals like Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, Martine McBride, and the Dixie Chicks, along with inspiration like Tim Russert, the Track and Field Olympic Trials (in just a few days here in EUGENE!), and my dear family, I just couldn't go wrong.
This week, I'm going to need to do some good planning. Greg and I will be in Sunriver, OR from Thursday through Sunday (he'll be competing in a Half-Iron Man! GO Greg, GO!). The altitude there is high - not as high as Denver, but nonetheless, the oxygen is much thinner. Therefore, I'll need to cram in runs of 4, 3, and 6 or 7 miles before leaving, and then do ten when I get home on Sunday evening. I'll focus on cycling while I'm in Sunriver as a good cross training tool and there are miles and miles of bike paths, so I'll have Emelyn in tow and we will enjoy visiting the many playgrounds and pools at the resort in two-wheel fashion.
I'm so excited to be able to run with Greg and Emelyn this week! I've missed them so much! Can't wait to pick them up from the airport tomorrow!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
New Gear, New Venue, the Running Continues....
OK. So I know I vowed to blog more and have blatantly failed to follow through with said promise. To make things easier on all of us (for me, less guilt. For you, fewer expectations), I'll take that promise off the table. I will simply blog when I have enough time to devote to good posting. I may have to update you on an entire week in one blog. Conversely, I may be able to blog two or three times per week. Time will tell and we shall see. My hope is to get back to blogging more frequently, as I am able to capture the essence of runs if I blog soon afterwards.
Enough said on that.
Let me start where I left off: During my last post, I'd just finished a great 5 mile run with Tia and was looking forward to a 4 and 6 miler over the weekend. I didn't actually accomplish those goals entirely.
On Saturday, we decided to take a family bike ride to Eugene's annual "Bike Day" celebration. We donned our helmets, loaded up the kiddo in her bike trailer, and headed out. It was a lot of fun. I haven't ridden my bike yet this year, so it had all of the elements of a perfect start-of-the-season inaugural run. Not too short, yet long enough to wake up those sleepy quads. I decided it was OK to forgo the run for this because it technically was cross training, which I hadn't done in a while.
Sunday, then, I set out for 6 miles. I took a route that I thought was a full 6 and happily headed out the door into the BEAUTIFUL summery sun. It didn't take long for me to feel great. Now that I can begin runs at a decent pace, I can really start to see why people love running. The feeling I get once I hit a certain stride and let it level out is mostly indescribable. To be clear - this is not the "runner's high", but rather just a good feeling of freedom and accomplishment; good health and endurance. I took a route that goes down my street, cuts down through Portland street. I then hit 24th and followed it all the way to Agate. There, I headed North and ran through the University of Oregon, past the Hospital. I then turned South and headed back towards 24th, Portland, and then to my house. I love this loop. I think it's my favorite run that doesn't include the bike path along the river (at which point there is no contest as to favorites). What made this extra special on this particular Sunday is the UO's Prefontaine Classic track meet.
As I began to head down Agate street towards campus, I felt the urge to slow down a a little. My initial spark had worn down and I was settling into a slower pace. This downward trend would cease, however, as I began to see hordes of people walking towards me. As I closed in on campus, I discovered the source: The Prefontaine Classic track meet. Literally 100's of people were exiting Hayward Field. As I darted through them, I was smacked with motivation. Perhaps I just felt fast, but I seemed to be running at record (ok, my record) speed through the crowds, inspired by the tremendous college athletes inside the stadium.
This literal "spring" in my step continued all the way though campus. Once I began to run South again, towards my house, I slowed a bit back into a ten minute mile pace. I was curious to see how this run would turn out in terms of time. I knew I had run a little faster than normal, but I have noticed that I feel quicker than I turn out to be. This is partially because of stop lights. I have to wait sometimes 2 minutes for one to change, so it's difficult to say how that impacts my time.
When I came back to my house, I was SHOCKED to see my stopwatch: 50:55. Flabbergasted, I knew this couldn't be. There was no way I could have run 6 miles in 50 minutes. As soon as I had a moment, I checked g pedometer and learned that I in fact had NOT run 6 miles, but rather logged 5.3. It had been a while since I did 6 and I completely forgot that I have to expand this route a few blocks once I enter campus area. So better luck next time. I didn't do too badly, though, once I take out those stop lights. My time is increasing. I still have a lot of work to do on endurance, though. I do notice fatigue after running a decent pace. My hope is that I can work towards maintaining faster paces.
After Sunday's distance snafu, I knew I had some work to do throughout the week. My goal was to run 3.5 on Tuesday, 3.5 on Wednesday, 6 on Thursday, and then 7 on Saturday morning, before hopping on a plane to Denver.
I had also thought a lot about jogging strollers. It would be nice to have the flexibility to run with Emelyn if needed during these 3 and 4 mile runs. We do have a jogging stroller of sorts - Our bike trailer has a running conversion kit. It's a nice, light, easy to maneuver stroller, but with summer within reach, I know we'll be taking her on more frequent bike rides and it will be a nuisance to keep switching it from Bike to Jogger. In addition, she's essentially sitting in a giant box, far from me and the outside. She would enjoy the runs more, too, if she were out in the open more.
SO - I began research on jogging strollers and determined that they are expensive! I didn't feel right about spending $200+ on a stroller that I wasn't sure she would like, AND I wasn't sure I'd be using a year from now (you know - A Year Before the Gear!). Luckily, my good friend Colby had one that they didn't use much and offered to sell it to me for $25. I tried it out with Emelyn for a "test run" on Tuesday afternoon. It was a different experience than running with the bike trailer/jogger in that it's heavier and less easy to steer. BUT - Emelyn liked it a lot. She even fell asleep! I also liked that I could hear her better and didn't have to stop completely and walk around to the front just to hear what she says to me ("mommy! That truck is RED - Just like my box of raisins!". We did a nice, quick 3.5 mile loop on Tuesday afternoon, which then helped me decide to keep it and pay Colby the $25.
On Wednesday - I pushed/ran with the stroller to the Daycare, picked up Emelyn, and continued on a 4 mile loop. It was so much fun. Armed with snacks and a drink, she happily sat in the stroller, telling me about her day while I shoved us onward. There was a slight upset: A bitten tongue at mile 3. We worked through it and kept on going. The stroller isn't perfect, but it gets the job done - and the price was unbeatable. It's only a 40 pound capacity, so I will have it probably for a year anyway. When she grows out of it, I'll then make the decision to buy another one if I'm still running, or not. It's perfect for what we need right now.
Thursday was a new adventure for me. I knew I needed to cram in a 6 miler, but I didn't have anytime. Each Thursday evening, Greg and I attend a parent education group class called "Birth To Three". This is a bright spot in our week. We've been with the same group of folks since Emelyn was 8 weeks old. It's remarkable to see all of the kiddos change and grow, and also invaluable to be able to share parenting tips with others who have children the same age. That being said, I needed to keep Birth To Three on my calendar, AND squeeze in a run. After some coordination, I decided to RUN to Birth To Three. I charted a 5.5 mile course (time was of the essence) and headed out after work. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I was loving it. I had asked Greg to bring my gym bag in so I could change my clothes when I arrived to class.
Here's a perfect example of how something can seem so great in your head, but falls a little flat when it comes to fruition. As I was running along, I felt pretty good. Seemed to be enjoying myself. I started at a faster pace and kept it up for a couple of miles, after which I settled into a ten minute mile pace. All was going well. I had felt a little later than I wanted, so I knew I'd be late to Birth To Three. Once I crossed the bridge and was very close to Birth To Three, I decided to cut across and get there sooner, as opposed to completing the remainder of the loop. Only problem: When I cut through the path, I had no idea where I was.
Oops. I was certain the path would lead me directly to the stadium, which was across the street from our class, but it did not. I led me into a large field with tall grass. I was running on a "sort of path" that was no more than beaten down tall grass. I followed it until I saw people running. I followed them as best I could, assuming their path would meet mine and luckily it did. I don't know how much distance I added to my journey, but I'm thinking I did about 6 miles total and I was 25 minutes late to class.
When I arrived, Greg was already there and still getting Emelyn settled. I asked one of the childcare ladies to let him know I was there so he could bring my gym bag to me. Greg appears shortly thereafter with a look on his face that said "Oh boy. You aren't going to be happy with me". He then begins to explain to me that when I said "Do you mind bringing my gym bag in with you", he thought I meant to bring it into our HOUSE and completely missed that I meant to bring it to class. So there I was - wearing a sports bra and a pair of very short spandex shorts, sitting in a metal folding chair in a circle of parents who are talking about many parenting topics, among them, hehe, the value of good spousal communication.
I wasn't able to cram in my 7 miler on Saturday morning like I had hoped. I decided to do it in Denver, though knew when I arrived in the Mile High City and was winded just going up the steps that it would probably not happen. I did run today with Greg. We did under 3 miles and it darn near killed me. Running at Altitude is an interesting, humbling experience. Greg would say things like "Breathe deeply through your nose, not your mouth" and I'd do my best to reply "I can't breathe through my nose". I finally decided to stop running for real and just do a jog/hop sort of thing which helped with my lung capacity, but created other problems with pain to my body for running like that.
Very funny. I'll be glad to get back to Sea Level, that's for sure! So - I'll be doing lots of running this week - and hopefully blogging as well - as I'll be alone! Greg and Emelyn are staying here in Denver for another week, and I head home tomorrow. I won't know what to do on my own, so Tia has planned many things for me, most (or all) of which include running.
Enough said on that.
Let me start where I left off: During my last post, I'd just finished a great 5 mile run with Tia and was looking forward to a 4 and 6 miler over the weekend. I didn't actually accomplish those goals entirely.
On Saturday, we decided to take a family bike ride to Eugene's annual "Bike Day" celebration. We donned our helmets, loaded up the kiddo in her bike trailer, and headed out. It was a lot of fun. I haven't ridden my bike yet this year, so it had all of the elements of a perfect start-of-the-season inaugural run. Not too short, yet long enough to wake up those sleepy quads. I decided it was OK to forgo the run for this because it technically was cross training, which I hadn't done in a while.
Sunday, then, I set out for 6 miles. I took a route that I thought was a full 6 and happily headed out the door into the BEAUTIFUL summery sun. It didn't take long for me to feel great. Now that I can begin runs at a decent pace, I can really start to see why people love running. The feeling I get once I hit a certain stride and let it level out is mostly indescribable. To be clear - this is not the "runner's high", but rather just a good feeling of freedom and accomplishment; good health and endurance. I took a route that goes down my street, cuts down through Portland street. I then hit 24th and followed it all the way to Agate. There, I headed North and ran through the University of Oregon, past the Hospital. I then turned South and headed back towards 24th, Portland, and then to my house. I love this loop. I think it's my favorite run that doesn't include the bike path along the river (at which point there is no contest as to favorites). What made this extra special on this particular Sunday is the UO's Prefontaine Classic track meet.
As I began to head down Agate street towards campus, I felt the urge to slow down a a little. My initial spark had worn down and I was settling into a slower pace. This downward trend would cease, however, as I began to see hordes of people walking towards me. As I closed in on campus, I discovered the source: The Prefontaine Classic track meet. Literally 100's of people were exiting Hayward Field. As I darted through them, I was smacked with motivation. Perhaps I just felt fast, but I seemed to be running at record (ok, my record) speed through the crowds, inspired by the tremendous college athletes inside the stadium.
This literal "spring" in my step continued all the way though campus. Once I began to run South again, towards my house, I slowed a bit back into a ten minute mile pace. I was curious to see how this run would turn out in terms of time. I knew I had run a little faster than normal, but I have noticed that I feel quicker than I turn out to be. This is partially because of stop lights. I have to wait sometimes 2 minutes for one to change, so it's difficult to say how that impacts my time.
When I came back to my house, I was SHOCKED to see my stopwatch: 50:55. Flabbergasted, I knew this couldn't be. There was no way I could have run 6 miles in 50 minutes. As soon as I had a moment, I checked g pedometer and learned that I in fact had NOT run 6 miles, but rather logged 5.3. It had been a while since I did 6 and I completely forgot that I have to expand this route a few blocks once I enter campus area. So better luck next time. I didn't do too badly, though, once I take out those stop lights. My time is increasing. I still have a lot of work to do on endurance, though. I do notice fatigue after running a decent pace. My hope is that I can work towards maintaining faster paces.
After Sunday's distance snafu, I knew I had some work to do throughout the week. My goal was to run 3.5 on Tuesday, 3.5 on Wednesday, 6 on Thursday, and then 7 on Saturday morning, before hopping on a plane to Denver.
I had also thought a lot about jogging strollers. It would be nice to have the flexibility to run with Emelyn if needed during these 3 and 4 mile runs. We do have a jogging stroller of sorts - Our bike trailer has a running conversion kit. It's a nice, light, easy to maneuver stroller, but with summer within reach, I know we'll be taking her on more frequent bike rides and it will be a nuisance to keep switching it from Bike to Jogger. In addition, she's essentially sitting in a giant box, far from me and the outside. She would enjoy the runs more, too, if she were out in the open more.
SO - I began research on jogging strollers and determined that they are expensive! I didn't feel right about spending $200+ on a stroller that I wasn't sure she would like, AND I wasn't sure I'd be using a year from now (you know - A Year Before the Gear!). Luckily, my good friend Colby had one that they didn't use much and offered to sell it to me for $25. I tried it out with Emelyn for a "test run" on Tuesday afternoon. It was a different experience than running with the bike trailer/jogger in that it's heavier and less easy to steer. BUT - Emelyn liked it a lot. She even fell asleep! I also liked that I could hear her better and didn't have to stop completely and walk around to the front just to hear what she says to me ("mommy! That truck is RED - Just like my box of raisins!". We did a nice, quick 3.5 mile loop on Tuesday afternoon, which then helped me decide to keep it and pay Colby the $25.
On Wednesday - I pushed/ran with the stroller to the Daycare, picked up Emelyn, and continued on a 4 mile loop. It was so much fun. Armed with snacks and a drink, she happily sat in the stroller, telling me about her day while I shoved us onward. There was a slight upset: A bitten tongue at mile 3. We worked through it and kept on going. The stroller isn't perfect, but it gets the job done - and the price was unbeatable. It's only a 40 pound capacity, so I will have it probably for a year anyway. When she grows out of it, I'll then make the decision to buy another one if I'm still running, or not. It's perfect for what we need right now.
Thursday was a new adventure for me. I knew I needed to cram in a 6 miler, but I didn't have anytime. Each Thursday evening, Greg and I attend a parent education group class called "Birth To Three". This is a bright spot in our week. We've been with the same group of folks since Emelyn was 8 weeks old. It's remarkable to see all of the kiddos change and grow, and also invaluable to be able to share parenting tips with others who have children the same age. That being said, I needed to keep Birth To Three on my calendar, AND squeeze in a run. After some coordination, I decided to RUN to Birth To Three. I charted a 5.5 mile course (time was of the essence) and headed out after work. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I was loving it. I had asked Greg to bring my gym bag in so I could change my clothes when I arrived to class.
Here's a perfect example of how something can seem so great in your head, but falls a little flat when it comes to fruition. As I was running along, I felt pretty good. Seemed to be enjoying myself. I started at a faster pace and kept it up for a couple of miles, after which I settled into a ten minute mile pace. All was going well. I had felt a little later than I wanted, so I knew I'd be late to Birth To Three. Once I crossed the bridge and was very close to Birth To Three, I decided to cut across and get there sooner, as opposed to completing the remainder of the loop. Only problem: When I cut through the path, I had no idea where I was.
Oops. I was certain the path would lead me directly to the stadium, which was across the street from our class, but it did not. I led me into a large field with tall grass. I was running on a "sort of path" that was no more than beaten down tall grass. I followed it until I saw people running. I followed them as best I could, assuming their path would meet mine and luckily it did. I don't know how much distance I added to my journey, but I'm thinking I did about 6 miles total and I was 25 minutes late to class.
When I arrived, Greg was already there and still getting Emelyn settled. I asked one of the childcare ladies to let him know I was there so he could bring my gym bag to me. Greg appears shortly thereafter with a look on his face that said "Oh boy. You aren't going to be happy with me". He then begins to explain to me that when I said "Do you mind bringing my gym bag in with you", he thought I meant to bring it into our HOUSE and completely missed that I meant to bring it to class. So there I was - wearing a sports bra and a pair of very short spandex shorts, sitting in a metal folding chair in a circle of parents who are talking about many parenting topics, among them, hehe, the value of good spousal communication.
I wasn't able to cram in my 7 miler on Saturday morning like I had hoped. I decided to do it in Denver, though knew when I arrived in the Mile High City and was winded just going up the steps that it would probably not happen. I did run today with Greg. We did under 3 miles and it darn near killed me. Running at Altitude is an interesting, humbling experience. Greg would say things like "Breathe deeply through your nose, not your mouth" and I'd do my best to reply "I can't breathe through my nose". I finally decided to stop running for real and just do a jog/hop sort of thing which helped with my lung capacity, but created other problems with pain to my body for running like that.
Very funny. I'll be glad to get back to Sea Level, that's for sure! So - I'll be doing lots of running this week - and hopefully blogging as well - as I'll be alone! Greg and Emelyn are staying here in Denver for another week, and I head home tomorrow. I won't know what to do on my own, so Tia has planned many things for me, most (or all) of which include running.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Honor. Courage. Commitment.
You may have given up on reading this blog by now, as it's been almost two weeks since my last post. I can explain. There were two forces keeping me from blogging twice each week. One was my very inspiration in this whole quest: my dearest Emelyn. We have been transitioning her into a "big girl bed" and it's going a little different than I expected. The bedtime ritual takes longer than usual, which cuts into my evening blogging. By the time I put her to bed, I've got to go to bed myself because it's usually nearly 10pm by the time I leave her room.
But I can't blame Emelyn entirely. I was also stricken with a fever and cold virus last Wednesday and it put me out of commission for several days. I was shocked, really. Who gets a fever in late May/Early June anyway? Apparently I do. I RAN on the day of the fever - at 5am. I even told Greg that I didn't feel well and my body was achy. I just assumed it was due to the time of the run: 5am. I honestly thought my congestion was because of allergies. I had switched medication and the Dr. informed me that it would take a couple of days to begin working. Boy was I wrong. High fever, aches, congestion, coughing, etc.
So - enough lamenting and whining. I have been running - though I did take a week off for illness. I am pleased to report - the runs I have done in the past couple of weeks have all been encouraging.
What's more - I received a very fun item in the mail a couple of weeks ago. When I registered for the Marine Corps Marathon, I of course had to order the training T shirt. It says "Marine Corps Marathon" on top, the USMC emblem in the middle, and then "In Training" on the bottom. It's a pretty nice shirt. Moisture wicking fabric, etc. I wore it for three out of four runs in a 4 day period, all of which happened over Memorial Day weekend.
The shirt had a few effects on my running. The first one was the sheer motivation I felt just wearing the thing. I was sort of taken by the sense of honor I assumed when I put it on and headed out the door for the first time. I instantly felt "tougher" (for a lack of a more descriptive term) and more capable. I really felt like the shirt itself was a sort of tangible relic that embodied my last 5 months of effort. In addition, I was down right PROUD to be wearing the USMC Emblem - the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. I was proud of the Marines I know and of their families for the sacrifices they make. I was proud for Greg's service in the Marine Corps. I felt a stern sense of purpose for running this marathon - more so than ever before.
The Marine Corps mantra is "Honor, Courage, Commitment". I thought about this as I left my house wearing it for the first time. My decision to run the marathon took some courage. A non-runner entering a runner's sport is no easy feat, let alone going to the "Big Show" of a marathon (I love "Bull Durham"). There is no doubt it's taken Commitment. Not only is this effort spread out over ten months, but the runs themselves take time - especially the longer runs. I've made a large commitment to the time it takes to train. Greg has made a commitment to cover Emelyn duties during my runs at any time. I feel honored to live in a place where training is easy. I feel honored that my family is so supportive and has the faith in me to do this. I am truly honored that you all read my blog and follow my progress. Honor. Courage. Commitment.
As I ran in the shirt, I noticed that even when I felt tired and like slowing down, the shirt would keep me going - especially if someone was coming towards me. I couldn't let strangers see me in my Marine Corps Training T-shirt showing any sign of weakness. Sort of a silly "Hawthorne" effect. And then there was the sense of pride I'd feel when people recognized the Marine Corps Emblem. They'd almost always do a double-take to see if their eyes deceived them. They were usually Men over the age of 50. Any sort of Marine Corps signage (or any military for that matter) is sort of a rarity here. There is a small reserve center, but you almost never see anything to do with the Military in Eugene. Not that people are negative towards the military at all - it's just that it's almost non-existent.
Funny how a T shirt can be so motivating.
My running is continuing to improve. I had virtually no pain during runs and my pace is picking up. Beginning a run is actually enjoyable now, and I have no anxiety just prior to running. Even my friend Tia can see an improvement! We ran together yesterday for the first time since the week before the half marathon (she ran the full) a month ago. When we left my house, we chose to do a loop that allowed us flexibility. We could do either three, or five miles if we felt like it. We felt so great, we decided on 5. It was great. We really scooted. No stopping for me to massage legs, and I didn't even beg her to let me bring my iPod. It was really fun! We may be doing a half marathon in Coburg together on July 13. It's not too far away, so I will need to step up my running program a little, but it shouldn't be a problem. I think I've got some endurance stored from the original training I did for the Eugene Half Marathon.
I'm excited for the weekend. I ran quite a bit over the past two weeks, but none at all for one of those weeks. Yesterday, I did 5, today I did 2. Tomorrow I don't think I can run at all, but will do 4 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. Can't Wait!!!
But I can't blame Emelyn entirely. I was also stricken with a fever and cold virus last Wednesday and it put me out of commission for several days. I was shocked, really. Who gets a fever in late May/Early June anyway? Apparently I do. I RAN on the day of the fever - at 5am. I even told Greg that I didn't feel well and my body was achy. I just assumed it was due to the time of the run: 5am. I honestly thought my congestion was because of allergies. I had switched medication and the Dr. informed me that it would take a couple of days to begin working. Boy was I wrong. High fever, aches, congestion, coughing, etc.
So - enough lamenting and whining. I have been running - though I did take a week off for illness. I am pleased to report - the runs I have done in the past couple of weeks have all been encouraging.
What's more - I received a very fun item in the mail a couple of weeks ago. When I registered for the Marine Corps Marathon, I of course had to order the training T shirt. It says "Marine Corps Marathon" on top, the USMC emblem in the middle, and then "In Training" on the bottom. It's a pretty nice shirt. Moisture wicking fabric, etc. I wore it for three out of four runs in a 4 day period, all of which happened over Memorial Day weekend.
The shirt had a few effects on my running. The first one was the sheer motivation I felt just wearing the thing. I was sort of taken by the sense of honor I assumed when I put it on and headed out the door for the first time. I instantly felt "tougher" (for a lack of a more descriptive term) and more capable. I really felt like the shirt itself was a sort of tangible relic that embodied my last 5 months of effort. In addition, I was down right PROUD to be wearing the USMC Emblem - the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. I was proud of the Marines I know and of their families for the sacrifices they make. I was proud for Greg's service in the Marine Corps. I felt a stern sense of purpose for running this marathon - more so than ever before.
The Marine Corps mantra is "Honor, Courage, Commitment". I thought about this as I left my house wearing it for the first time. My decision to run the marathon took some courage. A non-runner entering a runner's sport is no easy feat, let alone going to the "Big Show" of a marathon (I love "Bull Durham"). There is no doubt it's taken Commitment. Not only is this effort spread out over ten months, but the runs themselves take time - especially the longer runs. I've made a large commitment to the time it takes to train. Greg has made a commitment to cover Emelyn duties during my runs at any time. I feel honored to live in a place where training is easy. I feel honored that my family is so supportive and has the faith in me to do this. I am truly honored that you all read my blog and follow my progress. Honor. Courage. Commitment.
As I ran in the shirt, I noticed that even when I felt tired and like slowing down, the shirt would keep me going - especially if someone was coming towards me. I couldn't let strangers see me in my Marine Corps Training T-shirt showing any sign of weakness. Sort of a silly "Hawthorne" effect. And then there was the sense of pride I'd feel when people recognized the Marine Corps Emblem. They'd almost always do a double-take to see if their eyes deceived them. They were usually Men over the age of 50. Any sort of Marine Corps signage (or any military for that matter) is sort of a rarity here. There is a small reserve center, but you almost never see anything to do with the Military in Eugene. Not that people are negative towards the military at all - it's just that it's almost non-existent.
Funny how a T shirt can be so motivating.
My running is continuing to improve. I had virtually no pain during runs and my pace is picking up. Beginning a run is actually enjoyable now, and I have no anxiety just prior to running. Even my friend Tia can see an improvement! We ran together yesterday for the first time since the week before the half marathon (she ran the full) a month ago. When we left my house, we chose to do a loop that allowed us flexibility. We could do either three, or five miles if we felt like it. We felt so great, we decided on 5. It was great. We really scooted. No stopping for me to massage legs, and I didn't even beg her to let me bring my iPod. It was really fun! We may be doing a half marathon in Coburg together on July 13. It's not too far away, so I will need to step up my running program a little, but it shouldn't be a problem. I think I've got some endurance stored from the original training I did for the Eugene Half Marathon.
I'm excited for the weekend. I ran quite a bit over the past two weeks, but none at all for one of those weeks. Yesterday, I did 5, today I did 2. Tomorrow I don't think I can run at all, but will do 4 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. Can't Wait!!!
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