One Week Ago Today...

We were in Chicago, participating in an event that we had all trained for and looked forward to for 9 long months. It’s 10:57 right now and at this time last week, the marathon had not yet been cancelled. It was, however, definitely chaotic by this time last week. Water and Gatorade were in short supply but high demand. Thank you Julie and Trina for spotting me at mile 11 and giving me a full water bottle to run with. That definitely saved me!

At that point, my knee pain had already kicked in so between that and my dehydration, I was no longer “excited” about being a part of the marathon. I was on the verge of tears. But I kept going, walking quite a bit and running when my knee felt o.k. I remember coming up to Halstead and seeing the mass of runners ahead of me turning right. But, by the time I got there the barricades were up and the officials weren’t allowing us to go that way. A more hydrated, level-headed Cincha probably would’ve broken through the barricade (as other people did) but I didn’t and took the course that I was told to take. I think I was one of the first groups of people to be redirected because when I reached the “Finish Area” and started running towards the finish line (from the opposite direction) I had race officials screaming that we were going the wrong way!! “What are you people doing?” they asked. They had no idea why we were trying the cross the Finish Line from that side. But, I crossed the line after completing 19 miles (according to my Garmin) and walked back towards the Finish Area. Got my medal, got my Finisher’s picture taken (woo-hoo) and headed towards to the fountain to meet up with my friends.

At this point, I was having trouble walking. My knee was very stiff. I finally made it to the fountain only to stand there for several minutes without seeing my friends. I had no idea where they were. I didn’t know where Pam was in the race. How long would it be before we all found each other? I’ve never run with my cell phone, so I didn’t have any way to contact anyone. I felt very alone among all those hundreds and hundreds of people. I found a bench to sit down. A dear, sweet elderly lady sat down beside me. She was so upset for all of us. She was obviously there to cheer on her own friend/relative, but she was genuinely upset for me. I finally asked if she had a cell phone I could borrow. She did and when I asked if she had nationwide calling she said, “It doesn’t matter. Just use it.” I almost broke down right then and there. But, I called my friend Julie to let her know where I was. She was pretty close at that point to the fountain. When we finally found each other, I did lose it. I laid my head on her shoulder and cried. And cried some more. I couldn’t hold it in.

And it took me a few days before I could think about it without tearing up. And that’s why it’s taken me so long to blog about it. I just couldn’t. But, now I’m better. I’ve been focusing on trying to heal—emotionally and physically. There are so many people in this world who may never even have the opportunity to run in a marathon. People like Kayra’s niece and my friend Julie’s dad who is battling colon and liver cancer. How lucky am I that I have been blessed with good health and the ability to walk and run?? So, I thank God every day for that health and I keep going. I keep my eye on the prize.

Yesterday was like a day of mourning for me almost. It was the first time in weeks that I didn’t get up at 3 or 4 a.m. and go run. It was also the first time in weeks that I didn’t get to see all of you!! That was really sad. I hope everyone is doing o.k. and that you’ve dealt with the pain and disappointment of last Sunday. I, personally, am NOT going to let what happened turn me away from my dream. I will complete a marathon by the time I’m 45.

I am a runner. I am a marathoner. I am a Finisher.

Why Do I Run?

- Because at times, it’s as if I have learned to fly
- To feel my feet skim over the ground
- To feel my heart swell in my chest
- To feel invincible
- To be free
- To avoid pain
- To feel pain
- Out of love and hate and anger and joy
- Because I crave it
- To be as healthy and strong as possible
- To prove to myself that I CAN
- To get to know my body better
- For the people who love me

We all have our reasons for running, for training for this marathon. Some of us probably didn’t even realize our reasons until we were halfway finished. Maybe some are just now realizing why we are doing it, less than 2 weeks from the marathon. No matter what your story or reason, I think we can all agree that we’ve become better people. Healthier people. Stronger people—mentally and physically.

We’ve met some really cool people and made great new friends who do things like send text messages during the week just to see how my knee is doing. Or meet for lunch so we can get to know each other better. These friendships will remain long after the marathon ends. And that is very cool.

Mark, Robin, Matt, and Scotty. You guys are the best. Thank you so much! And thanks to many of my fellow MM’ers who kept me going on Saturday mornings when all I really wanted to do was go back home and go to bed. Just seeing everyone out there week after week was so inspiring. I am very proud to be a part of this amazing group.

Of course, I have to thank Wayne “The Man” Jimenez. He is awesome! Between my shin splints and now my knee, he’s seen quite a bit of me. But, he is always willing to do whatever it takes to keep me running—and is genuinely glad to do it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I, like a lot of you, came into this “marathon training thing” with some baggage. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve allowed other people to make me feel worthless, insignificant, and even unworthy of love. So, even though I’ve gotten past those feelings, I guess a part of me wanted to do this marathon to show “them” that I AM special and significant. But, even if they don’t recognize it, I DO. And really, at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Knee Update

Saw Wayne this afternoon. He really thinks my problem is due to tight hamstrings. Of course, there's no time for me to get my "hammies" stretched sufficiently before the marathon. But, he thinks I can get more aggressive with my stretching and see an improvement.

He also wants me to take it easy this week--no running today, do my XT on Wednesday and a 30 minute jog on Thursday. Then, I'm to run with the group on Saturday and see how the knee feels. If it's still hurting after that, then we'll probably set me up to see the doctor. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. :-)

19 : 14 : 20 : 52 (The countdown clock at the time of this posting.) :-)

Hugh Is My Hero!

22 miles. Wow. 22 miles. And I owe finishing to Hugh. My knee starting hurting somewhere around mile 6 or 7. Not as badly as last weekend, but enough to make me grimace several times. Hugh fell in behind me at the beginning of the run and within a few minutes we were talking and getting to know each other a little better. I explained to him that I was NOT planning to do the Spillway side--too many hills and I thought my knee just didn't need that. Pam mentioned to me that she didn't want to do Spillway either, so she had decided to do the boat launch a couple of extra times.

I think several people decided the same thing. Hugh and I decided to do Fox Bay twice and the boat launch 3 times total. And thanks to my Garmin, we were able to calculate all of this mileage to ensure that we got in our 22. So, after the 3rd boat launch trip, the Garmin said we'd been 20+ miles. So, we knew we were good to head "home." And when we hit 22 we both let out a scream! It felt great!

But, I can tell you that I don't know if I would have made it without Hugh. Just having someone beside me to talk to and keep me going was great. We did 3:1 intervals which was just what I needed for my knee. I know I slowed Hugh down (between my bathroom breaks and my stretching at every water stop) but he was such a good sport. I think my company may have helped him, too. :-)

I came home and got in a tub of ice water. But, even that didn't help much this time. I could barely walk. I took about a 45 minute nap, which helped me tremendously. I didn't feel quite as stiff when I woke up from my nap but by bedtime, I was hurting again. I didn't sleep well either.

I'm much better today, but still very stiff. I decided the best thing to do was go for a walk. So, I walked in my neighborhood for about 30 minutes. The first 10 minutes were VERY slow but I finally got my muscles loosened up some and was able to walk at a normal pace. I sent an email to Wayne for advice. The marathon is 20 days away!!! I really DON'T want this knee pain during the marathon. Because I may not be as lucky as I was yesterday. It may be so bad that I can't finish. That would be devastating. You all know what I'm talking about!!

Anyway, I guess I'll wait to see what Wayne says. And, in the meantime I'll continue stretching, icing and swallowing Ibuprofen. I'll keep you guys posted. Hope everyone has a good week. We are so close!

Knee Problem

Saturday's run was really tough for me. (I knew I'd jinx myself with that last blog of mine. :-) ) I did pretty good through the first 5 or 6 miles. I stayed with the group, I call "Carey's Cuties", until the water stop at the Baptist prior to heading to the lake. From that point on, I just couldn't do much. My knee was really hurting. I had to walk more than I ran and when I did run, it was pretty painful. So, I only did one loop around the lake and headed back. I talked to a couple of people afterwards and they thought I may be having IT band problems. (I immediately thought of Kim B. during the 20 miler.)

So, I went home and emailed Wayne. Spent the rest of the weekend icing and eating ibuprofen. Saw Wayne Monday and the good news is that he thinks its "runners knee." Of course, then I started thinking of Wanda, who had to have a cortizone shot for hers. Yuck. But, Wayne thinks that if I'll stretch more (I have really tight "hammies") I should be able to get through this.

I ran yesterday afternoon and did 3:1 intervals. The knee felt pretty good. Felt a little bit of a twinge, but nothing serious. Ran this afternoon on the treadmill (since I had a hair appointment to get to) and the knee felt really good. But, that's to be expected, right?

So, I'm looking forward to Saturday in some ways and I'm nervous about it in other ways. I really hope my knee acts right. It's supposed to be cooler Saturday morning so maybe that will help us all have a really good run.

And, finally I received my marathon confirmation yesterday (as I know a lot of you have, too). It was very exciting! October 7 will be here in the blink of an eye. Yay!

See everyone on Saturday! Blog on, marathoners.

Really Great Run

I'm not sure what's going on but I came home this afternoon and had a really good run. I'm not complaining by any means. It was really nice. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself for Saturday's 10-miler.) My right knee has been bothering me just a little bit ever since the 20 mile run but today it felt good. Even my shins, even though still sore, felt better than usual. It was cooler this afternoon than it has been so maybe that helped. No need to question it, right. Just enjoy it!!!

I'm getting ready to watch the Colts/Saints game. I'm pretty torn about who to cheer for. I really like both teams but I'm really a die-hard Saints fan. Have been ever since Archie played there. Am an Ole Miss fan for the same reason. I just hope it's a good game tonight. No one-sided scores, please.

Gotta go shower and eat before kick-off. Actually, I have the TiVo set and I like to let it "get ahead" a little bit so that I can fast-forward through some of the commercials. :-) See you all Saturday!

P.S. Shameless plug for my daughter. She has a little business that she's trying to start up--a frame-making business. She calls her style "Shabby Chic." Maybe that's not original, I don't know. But here's a couple of pictures of her work. I, of course, think she's most talented. ;-)

Ready For A Long Weekend!

This week has been pretty good for me but I am definitely looking forward to a nice long weekend. I work a compressed schedule so I'm off Friday and with the holiday on Monday, it will be like a mini vacation. Yay! :-)

Had a great lunch with Christa today--yummy Keifer's! Came home this afternoon and mowed the lawn, which I thought about using as my cross-training. But, I have done so good this week that I decided to suck it up and actually do some real cross-training. So, I headed to my workout room and rode the Life Cycle and lifted some weights. I must say, it felt pretty good.

I'm looking forward to Saturday--mainly because it's a "short" run. (I still can't believe we call 10 miles short.) Pam loaned me one of her finger lights so I'll definitely be using it on the trails. Hopefully the weather will stay nice for us!

I Stand Corrected...

OK. So I've been going through it in my head. Did I really run that much faster yesterday than during the 18-miler? It didn't really feel like I did. I mean, maybe a little for the first couple of miles, but then I thought I slowed down.

So, I double checked my Garmin stats. Apparently, I didn't look at it correctly this morning. (I was probably still asleep.) Anyway, it turns out that I DID run slower yesterday. By at least 1 to 1.5 minutes per mile on average!!! Now I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse about my run yesterday. :-/

So, what DID I do wrong yesterday? Maybe nothing, huh? Maybe I was just having a bad day. Maybe I'm beating myself up for nothing. Today is a new week and that's what I'm going to focus on.

And, on that note I'd better go do some cross-training... :-)

Yesterday's Run Was Better Than...

...absolutely NOTHING!! A few of you (Mandy, Kim, Carey, Micah) will get that "joke." I ran with them a little yesterday and I was trying to motivate us by naming things that didn't even compare to how good that running felt. You know, things like chocolate, a free trip to Hawaii, even sex. Well, I'm here to say that ALL of those things are much better than yesterday's run. :-)

I felt pretty good until about mile 12 or 13. I started feeling really tired but kept on going. At the 14.4 mark (according to my Garmin), at the Lakeshore water stop, I honestly considered stopping. I felt that it was more mental, though, than physical so I knew I had to perservere. I'm glad that I did, but those last 5 miles were TOUGH. My 4:1 intervals went out the door. They pretty much turned in to "run for as long as you can" intervals, which turned out to be 1 or 2 minutes at most. And, as I'm coming up Spillway, about to cross Old Fannin to head back to Lakeshore, I can't help but be disappointed in myself for having to walk so much. I should be finishing strong--like I did for the 18 miler. What went wrong?? I mean, the weather was cooler yesterday, I remembered my water bottle so I think I stayed hydrated better, my shins felt good. So what gives?

Well, thanks to my Garmin, I'm pretty sure I know what happened. I started out too fast. (I started fast on my 18-miler too but for some reason that was o.k.) Call me crazy but prior to the run, I was actually excited about running 20 miles. I had been looking at the chicagomarathon.com website last week and that really pumped me up. I guess a little too much. I just ran too fast, too early. So, even though I'm disappointed in my run yesterday, I think I learned a valuable lesson. Start slow. Force myself to start slow. Set my Garmin, if necessary, to beep at me if I go faster than a certain pace. Whatever it takes! I don't want to repeat yesterday's performance in Chicago!!

I'm proud of everyone out there yesterday--no matter how many miles you completed. It's definitely a mental battle from here til Chicago. But, we can do it!! Stick with our weekly training, keep hydrating during the week and take it slow on Saturdays. Those 3 things will be top priority for me until October 7.

Hope everyone has a good week. See you all next Saturday.

We Gotta Hang In There...

We are so close to reaching our goals. I know it's been hard lately (with the heat) to stay on track, but we can do it. I ran across these quotes and thought that now might be the perfect time to post them:

"It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again."

"Don't let go of your dreams. If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go."

"Within each of us is a hidden store of determination. Determination to keep us in the race when all seems lost."

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

"All of us have our own fears but these fears have one thing in common; that they are meant to be overcome."

"The man who can drive himself farther once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

So, bring it on Mother Nature. We can handle it because WE ARE MARATHONERS and we are AWESOME!!!

See you all Saturday!

New Best Friends...

Charlie and Abby are, as you can see, getting along very nicely. It took a little while, but they are finally best friends.

This week has been pretty good for me. Let me tell you, I was pretty dang sore after the 16-miler last Saturday. But, I got in all my training this week. Even had another deep tissue massage yesterday. Not as bad as the first one, but still pretty intense.

Btw, I had gone to see Wayne a couple of days before the big run last weekend. He put some inserts in my shoes and that really seemed to help my shins. Thanks, Wayne! :-) So, if you are having shin issues, please go see Wayne. I know he'll be able to help you.

I wanted to post some good quotes that I found a while back. I think they are just what we need at this junction of our training. See you all tomorrow!

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination." Tommy Lasorda

"Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory." Ghandi

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordon

"Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great." Niccoló Machiavelli

"If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." Denis Waitley

Happy Birthday, Devin!

So, this was what I was doing 19 years ago. I can't believe my baby is 19 today. That old cliche, "They grow up so fast" is soooo true--in the blink of an eye. She and I have definitely had our ups and downs over the last 19 years but I wouldn't trade those times for anything (well, maybe the bad times). She is my very precious gift from God and I am so thankful for her.

So, once she gets off work at noon today, we'll go have lunch and hang out for a little while before she goes to see her boyfriend. Mothers kind of lose their place in the priority list when a boyfriend comes into the picture. :-)

Got up this morning and did my training. My shins were better after my massage last week but they are slowly getting sore again. I'm thinking a trip to Fleet Feet may be in order to see if there's something I need to try (i.e. different shoes, inserts, etc.) I probably should've scheduled another massage, but my week is kinda crazy. Birthday stuff today, Braves game tonight, Geyser Falls tomorrow. And, there's no way I'd get a massage on Friday and then try to run 16 miles on Saturday. I'll just keep stretching and hopefully Saturday will be o.k. for me. (Tim, you may be on your own Saturday if I have to slow down some. :-))

Hope everyone is having a great week and I'll see you all Saturday, rain or shine!

One More Reason to Say "Ouch"

Had my first deep tissue massage this afternoon. OMG!!!! I'm proud to say that I didn't cry but there were a couple of times that I really wanted to. (I do believe my eyes "watered" however because I had big black circles under both eyes when I looked in the mirror afterwards.) Oh, yeah. Said a few choice words during the massage, too. Couldn't help it. BUT, I can already tell that my legs/shins feel better. The real test will be Saturday, I guess. I'm not expecting miracles, of course, but hoping for some improvement. Thanks Deb B. for recommending this guy.

I am soooo glad that tomorrow is Friday. It's been a long work week. Looking forward to seeing everyone Saturday. Tim, don't forget to DO NOTHING tomorrow. :-)

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch

The first one is for my left shin, the second for my right shin and the third is for my right foot. I'm not sure if there was any part of my lower legs that wasn't hurting Saturday! :-) Since it was raining when I left my house, I didn't take my Ipod. I knew it was going to be tough without it. Thank God for Kim and Carey. I ran with them for a good bit of the time and they really kept me motivated. It would have been much harder to do the 15 miles on my own. Thank you, thank you!

I came home and got in a tub with ice and water. If you haven't tried this, you really need to. You will be amazed at how good your legs will feel later in the day. And, once you get used to the cold water it really isn't that bad.

Charlie, the kitty, is doing really good. She and Abby, the Golden Retriever, are getting along very well. We bought a toy for Charlie--a fuzzy bird that actually makes a bird sound when it's moved. Well, Abby likes it more than Charlie. We've caught her on more than one occasion with the bird in her mouth. Not sure how long that toy will last. :-)

Hope everyone is having a good week. I'm really proud of everyone who toughed it out in the rain Saturday. Even though I was hurting, I think this was the first time that I've truly known "I can do this." 26.2 miles here I come!! See you all Saturday!

And her name is...

...Charlie. Actually, it's "Charlotte Bronte" in honor of the English author. For those of you who may not know what's going on, let me fill you in. Yesterday after my run, I had cooled down and was standing around talking to Kim, Carey, Micah and Debbie. I noticed Heather heading towards the "finish line" with something tucked under her arm. Once she got a little closer, I could tell that it was a kitty. I walked over to investigate and found a sweet, wet, shaking kitty. Heather found her (we think it's a girl) on College St. by the gas station. She couldn't leave it there, and despite being highly allergic, Heather ran the rest of the way with the kitty tucked safely under her arm. Well, Christa was sitting there and said something like, "Cindy, you need to take this kitty home." And, once I held her I knew Christa was right! :-)

The picture above is right after we gave her a bath to rid her of fleas. We stopped counting after 40! She was a brave little girl. We decided to acclimate her to one area of the house at a time. So, during the day she is in the kitchen/dining room area with access to the laundry room (food, water, litterbox). Charlie isn't quite sure yet about Abby, our Golden Retriever. There was quite a bit of hissing and growling at first, but today seems to be better. Abby is being really good with Charlie and respecting her boundaries. She learned that from Dante (but I'm sure those sharp little claws of Charlie's are a bit scary.)

Of course, a trip to WalMart and Petsmart was necessary to purchase kitty food, toys, litter, etc. This "free" kitten is costing me a bundle. :-) Guess I'll take her to the vet tomorrow to get checked out and get her shots.

Last night, we put her in the hall bathroom with her new bed and a couple of toys and maybe I was just tired but I did not hear a peep out of her all night. I was expecting lots of crying--being in a new environment--but she was a precious little angel. Let's hope tonight is more of the same. I'll keep everyone posted on how she's doing over the next few weeks. Thanks Christa for encouraging me to take her home. I think she's going to be a very nice addition to the family! :-)

One last picture...

Things Are Going Good

So, I did my 6 miles Saturday and felt o.k. afterwards. I had some pain but not too bad. I DID slow down some and I walked a few times. I did my XT on Sunday and ran on the treadmill Tuesday. I decided to take Mark's advice and call Wayne J. What a super guy!!! I saw him today and he said I do have shin splints, but they're not bad. He gave me some additional stretches to do morning and night and told me to keep icing and taking ibuprofen. He said I did NOT have to stop running--unless the pain got a lot worse. I was glad to hear that. So, I will be very diligent about stretching from now on. :-)

I will not be at the run on Saturday, unfortunately, as I am headed to SanDestin. But, fortunately, Kim and Carey will be there, too, so we are all planning to meet up around 5 a.m. Saturday morning. I hate that I'm going to miss the group run and especially the party that night, but I know everyone will have a great time. I'll think of you all when I'm lounging by the pool or walking along the beach. :-)

Good luck to everyone Saturday. WE ARE MARATHONERS!!!

A Little Worried....

My legs have been bothering me for the last couple of weeks. It's mainly my left leg and I'm really hoping that it's not shin splints. I've been icing religiously and taking ibuprofen but I'm still in pain. I went to Fleet Feet this afternoon, just to be sure it wasn't a "shoe thing." The shoes I'm in are the right ones; my gait is fine--no rolling in of my ankle. He said, "Maybe you should go see a doc." NOT what I wanted to hear. But, I know that if I continue to have pain, I will need to do just that. I certainly don't want to seriously injure myself at this stage in the game.

So, my plan is to run my 6 miles tomorrow at a slower pace. Probably do intervals rather than try to run the entire way. See how my legs feel after that. I'm going to do more cross-training next week than usual and continue to ice. Try to give my legs a break from the pounding. Keep your fingers crossed for me! :-)

Hope everyone has had a good week. See you all tomorrow!

OK, call it Blogger's Block...

I said I was going to start doing better in my last blog. But, here it is 2 weeks later and I'm just now blogging. Just not sure what to say about my lack of motivation. Luckily, I have more when it comes to my running. :-)

Let me just say that Saturday's run was TOUGH. I'm really glad to see other people blogging the same thing. And thanks Scotty for your note on the message board. I had to walk quite a bit more than I usually do and I'm sure it was the heat. My shins are bothering me some too this week. I had trouble about a month ago and started wearing new shoes (same brand just newer) and that really helped. But, I think it's too early for these new shoes to again be the problem. If it continues, I'll probably make a trip to Fleet Feet. For now, I'm icing and loading up on Ibuprofen. :-)

This afternoon I ran with Debbie Brashier. It was really hot!! Thanks, Debbie, for being willing to walk more than you probably would have normally. I came home and got in a tub of cold water--it felt great. I think it's a good night to go to bed early. :-)

See everyone Saturday for our "short" run. ;-)

"It's been 22 days since my last blog..."

I can't believe that I haven't blogged in 22 days!! Things have been kinda busy for me lately--I've had two business trips to D.C. My training is going good, too. Not sure why I haven't blogged. My friend Pam mentioned my "vacation from blogging" the other night and that made me realize that I actually missed doing it. I've been reading everyone else's blogs but just didn't put in the effort to write my own. Hmm. Wonder what that says about me? :-)

This past Saturday, I was out of town and couldn't run with the group. I hated that, too, because I really look forward to seeing everyone. I think I do better with the group, as well. So, I had to put in my 10 miles in Vicksburg. My friends suggested the Military Park. OK. I've read Mark's blogs enough to know that there are some "hills from hell" in there and I wasn't sure if I wanted anything to do with that place. But, I decided to give it a shot. I mean after all--I AM a marathoner... I was pleasantly surprised with the way I ran. I felt strong and the park was really beautiful. I got there early so it was still cool. (The shade in places really helped, too. ) Some of those hills were very tough and yes I HAD to walk. I wouldn't want to run there every Saturday, but it was a nice change. I will say that my IPod was a really good thing to have.

Today, I got up at 6:45 and did my run. It was o.k. I still struggle with "runner's stitch." I seem to have it more often during the week than on Saturday's. I wonder why that is. Anyway, after my run, I ate breakfast and did some work in the yard. Later, we're supposed to go down the street to a pool party. That should feel good! :-)

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day. I look forward to seeing everyone Saturday, bright and early in Clinton.

Who Put That Hill There??

Yesterday's run was great. Except for the final hill. Man, that was kinda tough. Who put that stinkin' thing there? :-) I liked the trail part of the run--especially the shady parts. Lewis and I stayed together for a while during the trail run. He's a funny guy. It made the run easier. There was a guy in front of me for a few minutes who said that he'd love to run a marathon, but his wife "won't let him." I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly, so I asked him again. I didn't really want to get in this guys business, but I also couldn't believe what I was hearing. He said that he runs 3 or 4 times a week but his wife would never let him train for a marathon. I felt sad for him but at the same time felt very thankful to have such a supportive family. Training for a marathon DOES take a lot of time and commitment, but if someone's dream is to run one, then they should follow that dream!! (Just my opinion.)

It was really good to see everyone out there giving it their ALL. Can't wait to go to Chicago! :-) I'm going out of town this weekend, so I won't be at the group run on Saturday. But, I will get my mileage in! Blog on, everybody!

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” Frank Loyd Wright

Looking Forward to Saturday!

Well, I haven't blogged in several days. Some days I just really don't have much to say, you know? But, I have been doing good with my training the last few days. After Saturday's run I was afraid my shins were going to really hurt. 7 miles is a freakin' long way to run!! :-) But, I actually felt strong afterwards and my shins have been doing o.k. I'm still icing and taking Ibu, but I really don't think I need to worry. I just came in from doing my 30 minutes X-Training on the Life Cycle.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday. I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. Not sure what the weather will be like--hot I'm sure. :-) We need rain but I'd rather it wait until we're finished to start.

Well, I hope the rest of the week is good for everyone. See you all Saturday.

"Attitude ... is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill... The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."

Getting Better...

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment to my last blog. This group is awesome! I can say that the hurt has lessened some this week, but there have still been plenty of tears. But, we've been able to also smile and laugh when we remember Dante and some of the things that we loved about him. Today will probably be hard, though, because we're supposed to pick up his cremains. :-(

My "crud" seems to be better but not completely gone. My training this week has definitely been affected by it. I ran outside twice this week and both times were tough. My legs felt a bit weak and my lungs were burning. Plus, the dreaded side stitch reared its ugly head. I've got ice on my shins at this very moment. After my run yesterday, I noticed that my legs were pretty achy, so I came home and got in a tub of cold water. That helped. I iced my shins a little while later. I'm hoping that this isn't the beginnings of shin splints. So, I'm going to run tomorrow and see how I feel. If necessary, I guess I'll rest for a few days. But I'm hoping I don't have to.

Hope everyone has a great Friday. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!!

Heavy Heart...

Where do I begin? The past several days have been very hard, emotionally. My 16-year old cat, Dante, started acting odd a couple of weeks ago--wasn't eating as much as normal, throwing up, staying under beds more, etc. I took him to the vet a week ago last Friday. He pumped him up with some B12 and fluids and sent us home with some hairball remedy. (His symptoms apparently suggested that he may have a hairball that he was having trouble "coughing" up.) Anyway, he really didn't get much better so we took him back to the vet last Wednesday. His diagnosis this time was that it was probably intestinal cancer--but he wanted to try one last thing. He said if he wasn't better by Sunday, then it most likely was cancer and there really wasn't much we could do--considering Dante's age.

Well, the medicine didn't work and on Sunday we had to make one of the hardest decisions ever. I know it was the right decision and the best thing for him, but OMG was it hard. I can't really seem to stop crying. I know it'll get easier with time, but right now it just hurts. I just wasn't ready to let him go.

And, on top of all of that, I've been sick since I came home from Atlanta last week. Diagnosis was strep throat so I'm on antibiotics for 10 days. It didn't keep me from running 6 miles on Saturday--just didn't do it in Clinton as I was one of the few who didn't read my email. :-) I showed up at the Rez, along with a handful of other people who didn't read their email. It was o.k. though. I came home and ran 6 miles on the treadmill. I actually felt pretty strong. But, it's always easier on the treadmill.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. I did my running outside and it was tough. Maybe because I'm more congested than I was on Saturday--I'm not sure. I had to do run/walk intervals. So, this afternoon I chose to do my running on the treadmill. I did 3 miles in 30 minutes, so I was pretty pleased. I just wish I could perform as well outdoors!!

I hope everyone's past few days have been better than mine. I'm looking forward to running with the group on Saturday---7 miles!!!!! Wow. We are actually doing this, you know?! See you all Saturday. (I'll be sure to check my email this time...)

I'm Back...

I just flew in this afternoon from Atlanta. The trip was good and we learned a lot of valuable stuff. I'm a little tired and I think I'm getting sick. A co-worker of mine, who was in Atlanta also, was quite sick. I think she was contagious! My throat is pretty sore and I'm a little stuffy. That's how hers started, too. :-( But, I'm going to keep a positive attitude.

I did run while I was in Atlanta. Yay, me! :-) But, I'm pretty tired and I've just come from taking my kitty to the vet so I doubt if I'll get my XT in today. I will be ready pretty soon to just get in my own bed and get some good sleep. (I never sleep very well in a hotel room.)

I hope everyone is having a good week. Stay focused and don't let negativity anywhere near you! :-) We are marathoners!!!!!!!!

What a Day!

Wow. Yesterday was an amazing day. I made it to the Rez on time :-) ---unfortunately, so did the rain and lightning. (I read Mark's blog that said things cleared off in 20 minutes, so I hate that I didn't stick around.) But, I really needed to go by my office and do a couple of things that I failed to do on Friday, in preparation for my trip to "Hot-lanta" on Monday. So, I did that and headed home--getting rained on the whole way. It was still pretty nasty when I got home, so I waited a while (to let the lightning ease up) and then I did my 5 miles on the treadmill.

The first mile was a little slow but I seemed to start feeling my groove after that. Robin is right--it seems that if I can stay focused until I reach mile 3, then things start feeling good. I ran my 5 miles in a little over 55 minutes. I did my stretching and then I did something that I had also heard Robin say--I got in a tub of cold water!! I did NOT add ice, however. :-) I took Robin's advice and got in first and then ran the water. Man, it was cold. But after a few minutes, it really wasn't that bad. And I really do believe that it made a difference later in the day. My legs weren't really even tired. So, I think I've added a new component to my routine after a long run.

Yesterday afternoon, I ran in the "Run from the Sun" 5K. The weather was perfect, as it turned out, even though I was a bit chilly before it started. I was afraid, after running 5 miles earlier, that I might be too tired or that I'd have to walk quite a bit. But, I felt really strong. In fact, the pace I ran was much faster than any other pace I've run so far. I felt really good at the end and I kicked it up a notch. I think I remember seeing the board say "30:28" as I ran under it. That was amazing to me. I was really proud of myself.

I saw several MM members there and actually got to meet and talk to a woman who ran Chicago with the group 2 years ago. She is a very cool person. She set a goal for herself to run a marathon on every continent--and she did it! Wow. How cool is that? My cousin, Kinta, who walked 5K yesterday introduced me to her. Kinta and I lost an aunt to melanoma a few years ago, so we both ran/walked with her in our hearts.

Enough for one blog. I've got to go pack for my trip. And, yes, I'm taking my running clothes and shoes--the hotel has a very nice fitness room according to their website. :-) I probably won't be able to blog again until I get back. Hope everyone has a great week and I'll see you all Saturday!

Hump Day!

Today was another crazy day at work. There's so much to do and of course everything is "top priority." Yesterday, I came home and ran 50 minutes on the treadmill--about 4.5 miles. I felt really strong when I finished. On Monday, my legs were a bit achy so I was concerned that my run yesterday would be difficult. But, it wasn't. I'm really happy with my progress.

Today I came home and mowed the lawn. I knew it was a cross-training day, but my yard was looking pretty bad. So, I decided to cross-train by pushing a mower around the yard. :-)

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. See everyone Saturday!

Typical Monday!!

Today was definitely a typical Monday. I've been working on a project for a couple of years and everything is finally coming together. I've got to go to Atlanta next week and this week will be totally crazy because of that.

My plan was to leave work a few minutes early and come home and do my 50 minutes of running. But, I had to go by the bank, and the tax assessor's to get my car tag, AND the grocery store. I still had plenty of time to run but my legs have been bothering me today, so I decided to ice instead of run. I'm feeling a bit guilty about that, but I really don't want to injure myself. Tomorrow will be a better day! :-)

I signed up for the Run From the Sun 5K run on Saturday. I'm sure I'll see some of you there.

Cooking salmon for dinner tonight so I'd better get started. See everyone Saturday!

Nice and Chilly!!

This morning's run was good. COLD but good. :-) This past week I only ran once, so today's run was a little harder than last Saturday's. The main problem I seem to continue to have is that dreaded "side stitch." Some days, I can run the entire distance without getting one. Other days, like today, I get one and it just seems to stick with me. So, today I had to walk several times. But, that's o.k. I finished strong!

I enjoyed today's meeting. I was glad to see Lori Fulton back out there--yay Dr. Fulton. :-) I'm very excited about going to Chicago and crossing that finish line. There have been things that I've done in my life that I'm really proud of and I know that crossing the finish line in Chicago will be in the top five. ;-)

Gotta go eat some lunch now. And my grass needs mowing--but that may just have to wait until Monday! :-)

I Finally Got My Blog On!!

Well, guys, I've finally broken down and set up my blog. My friend Pam said, "It's about time." But, she's only blogged once so I don't feel so bad! ;-)

Growing up, I was always outside playing--whether it was playing football with the neighborhood boys or softball with the Pearl Youth Association. But, I've never been a runner, even though I've always wanted to be. I just never had enough confidence, I guess, to think that I could actually do it. My side would start hurting, or my legs got tired. There was always an excuse.

Then, I got old. :-) And my excuse was just that--it's too late for me to start now. I have always tried to at least walk, though. And, I do weights (not like I should) and I have a Life Cycle. But, for some reason the beginning of the year brought about a change in me. I decided--I guess as part of my "New Years Resolutions"-- that I would start running. I set a goal for myself of running a marathon by the time I was 45. Well, that gave me almost 2 years. I thought, "It will take every bit of that time to get ready for a marathon!!"

Then, something wonderful happened. I was leaving my house for work one Thursday morning when I noticed a newspaper in my driveway. (I only subscribe to the weekend paper.) So, I picked it up and threw it in my car. At lunch, I pulled it out, started reading and right there on the front page of one section was a story about "Marathon Makeover." How freaky was that? So, I decided to go to the meeting on Saturday. I mentioned it to my friend Pam, who already knew about my "resolution," so the two of us decided we'd go together to the meeting. We both joined the group.

Now, it's 10 weeks later and I'm feeling really good. I do have bad days when I get discouraged. I was feeling sorry for myself last week and complaining to my best friend. I had just completed a fairly easy 45 minute run on the treadmill. But, I was complaining about how much harder it is for me outside. I usually have to walk some rather run the entire time. She quickly reminded me that just a few short weeks ago, I couldn't even run 2 minutes without sounding like I was having a panic attack (heaving breathing and lots of moaning)--and she would know because she witnessed it. :-)

She really did help me see things in a whole new perspective. My gosh, I'm running 4-4.5 miles now!! That's amazing to me. And, even though 26.2 miles is MUCH more than what I'm doing now, I feel in my heart that I can do it! We all can. :-)

Well, that's enough for one blog session. See you all on Saturday!