Category Archives: Running Experiences

Personal Running Experiences

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The Fast Marathon

Feeling great at mile 9!

Feeling great at mile 9!

After completing my half ironman, I decided it was time to return to the marathon.  My last attempt at finishing a marathon was derailed by a lower back injury.  I started participating in triathlons because it gave my body a chance to heal.  Well, it worked for a while… until I returned back to running full-time.  It was right after my first 20-mile training run when the pain decided to rear its ugly head.  The pain wasn’t in my back this time.  It was in my knee.  The first knee pain I have ever experienced during my duration as an athlete.

Crap.  The pain postponed training for a while, but I was determined to get to that marathon finish line.  I rested, iced, elevated and compressed like nobody’s business.  I cut back my mileage significantly for a full week and skipped one of my scheduled long runs.  I made a visit to my doctor who told me that it was probably bursitis.  I wasn’t so sure, but she was the doctor (I later found out that she was incorrect).  She told me that the pain would subside if I rested.  When I informed her I wasn’t planning on resting, she told me that she would refer me to an orthopaedic doctor if the pain didn’t go away in a few weeks.

I returned to running full-time with a few setbacks here and there.  Sometimes my knee would stiffen.  Other times it would throb for the first few miles, but then just go numb for the remainder of the run.  My knee would pop as I attempted squats or weaken as I went up and down the stairs in our multi-level home.  Then there were times when I would feel nothing at all.  I wondered if my knee had magically healed itself.  Then the achiness or stiffness would return.  It was kind of ironic that I suffered most after sitting for long periods of time and felt better after finishing a run.

As the day of my last long training run approached I began to worry that I wouldn’t make it through.  Yet, it ended up being the best 20-mile run I have ever had.  My knee was achy for the first 5 miles, but then the pain lessened with each mile.  Then, the following week I had to cut a run short because my knee felt weak while my other leg became afflicted with soreness due to the burden being placed on it.  It was like a never-ending roller coaster ride.  I never knew what each day would bring.  I only hoped that I would be feeling 100% on the day of the marathon.

I thought about my goal the night before the marathon.  I really wanted to achieve that sub-4.  However, I knew I had to be realistic about my knee.  The next morning I felt okay.  I couldn’t be sure of what my knee was going to do until I started the marathon.  Then I began to worry about the other things that normal marathoners worry about.  Would I be able to stay hydrated?  Would I take in enough nutrition to avoid hitting “the wall”?  Would I have the mental capacity to complete 26.2 miles?  I forgot about my knee until I started running and realized that it wasn’t hurting.  I wondered if it was going to be kind to me that day.

Indeed, my knee was kind to me that day.  My lower back was a bit achy and my quads felt  like they were going to explode at one point, but I could handle all of that.  I could take in the normal aches and pains associated with running a marathon.  In fact, I felt so good physically that my mind followed.  Initially, I feared that I had started off too fast.  I was chugging along at a decent pace.  After reaching the half marathon point, I was able to see that the 4 hour pacing group was nearly 2 miles behind me.  It made me believe that my goal was possible.

I felt so confident at mile 14 that I decided to change my goal.  At mile 14 I heard a large group of runners coming up behind me.  Then I saw it.  The sign said 3:45.  It was the 3:45 pace group.  They came up behind me and I latched on with a relentless grip.  At mile 15 I was still holding on.  At mile 16 I couldn’t believe I was still running so fast.  At mile 17 I believed that I could do it.  At mile 18 I was awesome.  At mile 19 I continued to hold on.  Then something happened at mile 20.  I lost the group after we passed through the water station.  They slowed down, but then quickly picked up a pace I couldn’t maintain.  I wasn’t about to give up, but I sure did struggle.  I watched them slowly fade away.

Then, a lifeline came at mile 22.  My friend joined me on the course and encouraged me to keep moving.  I ran as fast as my legs could carry me.  I kept my mind in a tranquil place.  The miles went by and then I could see it:  the finish line.  The relief swept over me and I knew that I had achieved more than the goal I was hoping for when I started the marathon.  I finished in 3:46:54.  It was a time that well surpassed my last marathon time by 45 minutes.  I was only 6 min 54 sec from qualifying for Boston.  Now I know that goal is within reach (unless they change it again of course).  I never imagined it would be.

I postponed my visit to the orthopaedic doctor because I didn’t want to hear any news that would cause me to avoid the marathon.  I decided that the perfect time to visit would be 2 days after my marathon because I assumed that I would definitely have symptoms.  Well, my knee didn’t quite cooperate.  Not only did feel just fine during the marathon, but it felt normal the day after.   I thought for sure that today would be the day.  I started my morning by running 8 miles.  Then I went to the doctor.  Nope.  Nothing.  He poked and prodded and did find one sensitive area.  We explored x-rays and talked at length about my symptoms.  The doctor eventually came to the conclusion that I have Chondromalacia Patella.  He did a good job explaining it to me.  In simple terms, the cartilage in my knee is getting soft.  That isn’t the best scenario, but it isn’t the worst.  There are ways to fix it.  I told him I wasn’t planning to stop running anytime soon.  Actually, I have another marathon in 3 weeks.  I won’t expect my knee to cooperate, but I suppose I never know what is going to happen until it happens.  For now, I will just enjoy my moment of glory.

People say that they can’t do certain things because of genetics.  Well, as you can see, genetics hasn’t been working in my favor but that doesn’t mean I am going to stop trying.

 

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Divided by Food

Yesterday when I went to pick up my daughter from Kindergarten she had chocolate around her lips.  When I asked her what she had eaten she told me it was a chocolate rice treat that was given during snack time.  I was a bit perplexed and asked her if it was for a birthday party.  She told me no.  I saw the list of snacks (to be provided by parents) and I did not remember seeing rice crispy treats on the list.

Needless to say, I wrote an email to her teacher later that evening.  I inquired about the snack and why it was given to the students.  I really felt like the annoying parent, especially when she replied that it was a rice cake.  So, a parent was asked to bring in rice cakes and they decided to bring in the chocolate version?

I’m sorry, but I don’t understand parents who insist on bringing extra sugar into the schools.  When I was a Kindergarten teacher I was always annoyed when parents brought in those huge, frosting loaded cupcakes for their child’s birthday.  Not only did I have to deal with the mess, but I had to deal with the sugar-high students that blossomed shortly afterwards.  It is most upsetting because the other parents of the other children have no say at that point.  At least at a birthday party they can regulate sugar consumption.  Save the cupcakes for the parties!!

You know what?  I don’t care if I am the annoying parent who gets ostracized from the rest of the group.  I wasn’t meant to be a room mom anyway.  I am not trying to say that I am a very strict parent and don’t let my children eat sweets… I just like to be the one to regulate it!  It is great if they learn healthy habits at home, but then it is reversed when they go to school.  That just leaves them confused and more prone to peer pressure.  And who needs peer pressure that revolves around food?  We have enough issues with peer pressure in other areas.  My oldest daughter wonders why her friends drink soda when I won’t let her touch the stuff.

It just makes my job even more difficult.  I enjoy baking at home and I try to teach my children that it is better to know the ingredients that are in your treats and to try alternatives to make them healthier.  I encourage my children to explore tasting new foods like kale, quinoa, almond milk and tofu.  My oldest daughter understands the difference between healthy food and unhealthy food, but will she always make the right choice?  Not when the junk food tastes so good.  I have my own battles with food.  Can you imagine how difficult it is for a kid?

Well, I can tell the teacher not to give my daughter any snacks.  Then my daughter will feel left out and she is quite the emotional child so that probably won’t go over well.   My children will always come first, but it is hard when either decision will affect them negatively.  Sometimes I think I am the only one who feels this way.  I will admit that my children don’t always eat healthy at home, but I sure as heck try to keep them on the right track.

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Dairy or No Dairy?

One of the many yummy vegan desserts I made! This is from minimalistbaker.com

One of the many yummy vegan desserts I made! This is from minimalistbaker.com

That is the question (one of many questions about food).  Some people believe (and have researched I might add) that dairy isn’t meant for human consumption.  Just read “The China Study” by Dr. Campbell and you will begin to question everything you eat.  It is tough to live that way, though.  Thinking about every piece of food you put into your mouth (and let’s not forget your kids’ mouths!).  At one point I questioned meat and I made the decision to cut it out of my diet.  Yet, there was something good to be said about consuming seafood so I kept that on the menu.  I’m not sure what my reasons were for either decision, but I guess they were good enough because meat and I have not made contact in over 17 months.  I felt good not eating meat any more so all I really wanted was just that: To feel good!

Back to the dairy.  We all know that dairy causes inflammation (there are a few foods on the list… not just dairy).  How many times did your parents tell you not to drink milk when you had a cold?  It caused all of that mucus build-up that was not fun to bring up.  Our bodies do not want inflammation.  And of course we all know that the human species is the only animal that drinks milk from another species.   Weird (but we actually do a lot of weird stuff in comparison to other animals).  In most cases, people can’t even digest dairy properly.  My husband is severely lactose intolerant so he either has to ingest a handful of lactaid pills or skip the dairy.  Babies have been known to react negatively to cow milk as well.  Then they are prescribed soy formula (which is a whole other can of beans I won’t get into here).

Needless to say, I don’t do much light reading these days.  It kind of drives my husband crazy, but I choose to be informed rather than ignorant.  Therefore, I decided to give a dairy-free diet a good try.  I did not consume (well, there were some bumps in the road I will discuss later) dairy for the entire month of August (still trying to get through today, but I am on a roll).  It was pretty easy to bring my husband on board since I already mentioned his intolerance.  The kids, on the other hand, kind of did their own thing, but they were privy to some new vegan recipes.

The most challenging part of the whole diet was the fact that I couldn’t enjoy a real pizza.  And, for some reason, all I craved was pizza.  I tried the dairy-free cheese pizza and the pizza without cheese, but it just wasn’t the same as good ol’ regular greasy, cheesy pizza.  I did find one that suited my palate okay.  It was Amy’s gluten-free, dairy-free pizza with spinach and a rice crust.

It was tougher than I expected.  I had to read bread labels, granola bar labels, cereal labels… pretty much all labels.  Surprisingly, almost all processed foods have some type of milk product.  Take a look yourself the next time you go shopping.  I went back to making my own vegan protein bars and baked goods.  Baked goods.  Yep, any time I went into a coffee shop or the bakery section of the grocery store  I just stared at the baked goods.  Hey, I think I might have lost 2 pounds this month.

I did mention some bumps in the road.  I couldn’t control everything, especially when we went out to eat.  Maybe the restaurant cooked the food in butter (even though I was the annoying customer who said no meat, no butter, no cheese please!) or I consumed something that I didn’t realize had milk in it. There was one time I think I really made a mistake.  I remember getting sushi rolls from the grocery store one day, but it took me 3 days to realize that I might have eaten rolls that contained cream cheese without even thinking about it.  Then it was back to making my own veggie rolls at home.  Goodness!  I sure did spend a lot of time in the kitchen this month!

So, what is the end result?  Ironically, this month I had a cold for about 3 weeks.  I haven’t been sick in nearly a year.  Coincidence?  Probably.  Do I feel better?  Not sure.  My husband says that it would take longer than a month to find out how a dairy-free diet affects my body.  He is probably right.  There are aspects of the diet that I have enjoyed.  Specifically eating healthier overall.  I have limited options when we go out to eat and that means that I have to spend more time making my own food.  This means I know exactly what I am putting into my mouth.  There are some new vegan recipes that we have enjoyed as a family.  My daughters love vegan mac and cheese.  They will pile it on their plates and eat seconds.  My oldest is more open to new things so I will admit that it has been a challenge for the younger two, but I have a feeling that they eat way more vegan dishes than their preschool and Kindergarten friends.  I don’t mind being “that” parent.  You know, the veganish parent.

What’s next?  I have decided that I will continue to limit the amount of dairy I consume.  However, I will be open to the occasional cheese pizza or food item on the menu that contains some dairy.  Yet, my home cooking will pretty much remain dairy free.  I enjoy finding new recipes to try out and I don’t really miss cheese on my sandwich or real butter on my bread.  Of course there is the issue of friends.  At our last dinner gathering my friend told me to bring the dessert because she had no idea how to make a dairy-free option.  It’s all okay though.  They know to bring their own meat for the grill when they come over.  Friends who are accepting of our interesting ways are the only friends we want to keep around anyway.

So, the next challenge won’t be a food challenge.  For the month of September, my oldest daughter and I will be doing core workouts every day for the entire month.  If we complete our workouts every day, then we will reward ourselves with a lunch date (vegan or not) at the end of the month.

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Up the Mountain and Over the Pass We Go!

The calm finish line before the storm...

The calm finish line before the storm…

The Trailer Trash gang was our secret competition.  It was really only because we knew everyone on that team (they are part of our running club).  I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that our teammate’s husband was on that team.  They thought they were so cool with the beer cans hanging off the doors, the string of white lights around the roof and the half-naked blow-up doll strapped to the back.  Sometimes we would also make fun of other teams just so we could feel better.  “You Got Chicked” was annoying just because they were so fast and then there was the tye-dye gang (not quite sure what the theme was there).  I really didn’t understand the girls AND guys wearing the tutus because half of the time we would see them running with the tutu in their hand.

But we had to focus on getting our own asses over the pass (that is the tagline for the Wild West Relay so excuse my language… I can’t even wear my very expensive technical shirts to the YMCA or at home).  The morning hours came much too quickly.  I was lucky if I even passed out in the back seat of the van for 2 hours.  It is kind of hard to sleep like a roly poly, especially when seat belts are sticking into your side.

Not only that, but some drama had played out in the other van while our van was attempting to rest.   Something about someone getting sick and delirious.  I don’t want to go into much detail, but I will mention that our van was assigned with picking up the slack.  What’s one extra leg right?   One of our teammates had a very short leg on this segment, but that soon changed.  He was given an additional leg to add to the 2.4 miles making it a total of around 8 miles.  Then another teammate volunteered to take one of the most treacherous uphill battles of the course.  We had it all under control.

The wee morning hours were a tad on the chilly side, but of course that all changed by the time it was my turn to run again.  And the drama that we were faced with earlier only seemed to intensify.  As I was waiting to start my leg, we were approached by the highway patrol.  They informed us that a section of the next leg (the one after mine… the one our sweet teammate volunteered to take for the other van) was going to be shut down for an hour.  Runners would be able to get through, but not vans.  He informed us that this shut down would happen in one hour and 5 minutes.  That means that I had to run my 6.7 miles in that amount of time if we were to make it through before the road closed.  But wait, I couldn’t even leave yet.  Our teammate hadn’t finished her leg yet.

The clock was ticking and we were watching the road.  After a few minutes passed, we came to the decision that the van would just have to wait until the road re-opened which meant that our other teammate would have to wait for it on the other side.  That meant that there was no rush for me to finish my leg.  Our teammate arrived a few minutes later and I was off.

A nice drop for the first half mile and then it was all uphill from there.  At least it was a relatively nice uphill because it wasn’t too steep and it stayed steady for those 6 miles.  It was my third leg in 25 hours or so, but I was feeling great.  So great, in fact, that I wondered if I was going to keel over before I reached mile 3.  I thought it was stupid to run so hard in the beginning, but I always think that.  I guess I really haven’t learned a thing after all these years of running.  But you know what?  I have developed some type of mental toughness.  I can push in the beginning and somehow keep pushing all the way to the end.  And that is just what I did.  I kept pushing.  I glided past 4 other runners and continued up the hill with ease.  I talked myself through each section until I finally saw the sign: “One mile left.”  I still had three-quarters of a mile left when I saw the end of my leg where my teammates were waiting.  I had to keep pushing because I didn’t want to look bad in front of them.  I trudged up that last hill to high-five my teammate.

The next thing I know my teammates were shouting “Get in the van!  We still have time!  Get in the van right now!”  I was delirious, but somehow managed to run over to the van and jump in like some kind of secret agent.  I was confused at first until they told me that I had finished the run before the road was scheduled to close.  They had a look of shock on their faces like it was totally unbelievable that I could run so fast.  Honestly, I was shocked too.  That was by far my best leg of the race.

We drove up and over the pass and through the construction and I realized that I had much empathy for  our teammate who was currently running.  Not only did she have to deal with the steep incline, but she had to run through a harrowing construction zone.  When we arrived at the next exchange I was finally able to get out for a proper cool down and to do some stretching.  We waited for our teammate to round the corner of the steep hill.  We were hallucinating most times because we assumed every runner was her.  Eventually it WAS her and we were done!  Our van had done its job for the relay!  Now it was time to head to the finish line and wait for our other teammates so all 12 of us could cross the finish line together.

Oh, but we had some time to kill.  We decided that it would be best for us to head to town and grab a cooked meal.  Yes, that was the best plan we had all day.  As we ate our most delicious meal ever, the clouds started to roll in.  By the time we arrived at the finish line it started sprinkling.  As the minutes ticked by and our final teammate was due to arrive, the weather turned treacherous.  Tents were flying across the field and the finish line tipped over.  The rain started pouring just as we spotted our teammate.  We all ran as fast as we could to get across the finish line.  No one was watching because they were all huddled under the tent.  Oh well, at least we can say that our finish was truly climatic.  We grabbed our treats and ran to the van.  The dreaded van that we would have to sit in for another 3 hours in order to get home.

Best. Experience. Ever.  Yes, I will probably do it again.

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Dark Roads, Creepy Sounds & More Porta Potties

The Exchange: The runner coming in is super excited, while the runner heading out is dreading what lies ahead...

The Exchange: The runner coming in is super excited, while the runner heading out is dreading what lies ahead…

By the time we headed out on our second set of legs, I was tired of porta potties.   It seemed like I always had to wait in line and for what?  To pee in a nasty, smelly hole.  Then I had to run out and slather myself in hand sanitizer.  I try to avoid porta potties at races at all costs.  Not only can I run 26.2 miles without stopping at a porta potty, but it also appears that I can make it through 70.3 miles without using one.  However, I was unable to hold my pee for 30 hours.  The worst is when I am at the park with my girls and my middle child has to go to the bathroom really bad.  I would rather have her pee her pants on the speedy drive or walk back home.

Enough about those dang porta potties!  We were off on our next mission.  To run as fast as we could before the darkness rolled in.  Well, I already knew I was screwed because I was sixth in line.  It was going to be pitch black before I ran my leg.  I was kind of jealous of the person who ran at dusk and then at dawn.  But then again, that is when the wild animals like to roam free (well, I know it is a bad time to go swimming because sharks love to hunt at dusk and dawn).

However, I was definitely NOT jealous of the hills that my teammates had to run.  Switchbacks and pure elevation gain were the theme of the runs leading up to my leg.  Even driving on the road was insane because the van was up and down and all over the road.  I almost thought that the runner would catch up to us before we made it to the exchange because we were driving so slow.  I kept expecting my back to give out while riding in the van… not during a run.

Sure, it was pitch black at 11:00 PM when it was my turn to get out of the van.  However, it appeared that the terrain was being kind to me because I only had one mile of steep climbing followed by some mellow inclines.  My teammates pushed me out the van and told me to get on my merry way.  They said something like “you are okay, right?” and then they took off into the darkness.  I was left with my headlamp and flashing red light with not a soul in front of me nor behind me.  Where did all of those runners go??

I trudged ahead moving quickly because the adrenaline (caused by fear) started to kick in.  I heard sounds coming from all directions, but I refused to shine my light into the surrounding hills for fear that some beady eyes might be glaring back.  Next thing I know I hear music.  It was getting closer coming up from behind.  I looked back and saw a white light bobbing up and down.  It got closer and the music got louder.  It was some dude wearing tye-dye pants and a long sleeve tye-dye shirt with his classic rock music blaring.  I said “nice outfit” as he quickly passed me.  As he took off out of sight I thought about how smart it would have been to bring along some blaring music.  Darn it.  I was alone in the dark once again.

As I came up the steep hill I saw flashing red lights in front of me.  They got closer as I huffed and puffed up the hill.  Yep, it was two runners.  I passed them, but then wondered if I should slow my pace to stay near them.  Nope, that wasn’t an option for me.  I kept going and once again I was alone.  There is only one mile marker during these legs.  It is the one that tells you that there is only one more mile left.  I fell in love with those signs.  When I saw that sign on this leg I wanted to hug it, but I figured that might be a bit awkward.  I kept going and finally saw a very large group of people next to a bar.  There were so many people (I didn’t quite understand why) that I had trouble finding my teammate.  Finally I was spotted and I was very relieved to offer a high-five.

Now it was time for our van to rest while the other van took over.  I wondered if I would even be able to snooze because of the adrenaline pumping through my system.  We drove over to the high school and parked the van.  A few of us slept in the van, while a couple of runners slept inside the high school.  Let’s just say I was thankful to have claimed the back seat of the van.   But hey, I was the oldest person in our van so I should have some special benefits, right? However, I was lucky if I even got 2 hours of sleep, but at least it was something!

Let’s just end this post with some things NOT to say to a runner as you drive past them in your van (because if you do, then the runner may find you later and punch your lights out!):

“You are almost there!” (especially when you tell them this at mile 2.5 of a 6-mile leg)

“It’s all downhill from here!”  (as you are going down a hill only to find 2 more miles of uphill)

Too be continued…