The Lazy Girl's Guide to Marathon Running

In Closing

Marcie — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:42:51 +0000

I want to thank everyone for visiting my blog. Three weeks later, I am happily owning up to my Lazy Girl moniker and have taken a break from long runs. There will be more runs in the future, I’m sure–I love crossing finish lines, and this year’s Chicago Marathon, for all of its trials and tribulations, made for a sweet victory. This weekend, Washington hosts its own Marine Corps Marathon, and I will watch, with only the smallest dash of envy, the runners take the city in ideal conditions (Washington has finally cooled to an autumnal 60 degrees). Perhaps Chicago 2008? It’s a little early to tell, but never say never. Happy training everyone!

The Aftermath

Marcie — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:06:03 +0000

So, perhaps, dear blog reader, you have seen headlines such as this or this or this. Who knew my very first marathon would make national headlines!

As many of you know, I was prepared for a hot race. After a nervous Saturday of eating pasta, chugging gatorade and lounging around the hotel, I was up and at ‘em on Sunday morning, wiping sweat off my brow as I lined up at the start. And I wasn’t even moving yet. It was about 74 and high humidity at 8am, and I knew that it was only going to get worse. I had prayed for clouds…and it was a brilliantly sunny day. Nevertheless, it was exciting to join the crowd, and exhilerating to be running with thousands and thousands of people. Chicago was spectacular, and so many people lined the streets to cheer us on. With one mile down…I only had 25.2 more to go, and my marathon was underway.

The first few miles were hot, particularly the long stretches along Lake Shore Drive with the sun beating down upon my head and not a shade tree or sun-blocking skyscraper to be found. I was more than a little uncomfortable, but the war zone didn’t really begin until I was at mile 16 or so–some of the water stations had run out of Gatorade, the medical tents were filling up, and many runners were resting / sitting / fainting at the side of the road. I had just passed the 20-mile marker when race coordinators and the police started announcing on loud speaker that the race was over, and, due to the fact that all paramedics were fully employed, we were required to walk.

Now, I had never heard of a marathon being cancelled before, and, after passing the 20-mile marker, I wasn’t about to throw in my towel on my first marathon. I wasn’t sure if I was still being timed, and I wasn’t sure if race coordinators were taking the finish line down, and I wasn’t sure if medals would still be distributed. But I was certainly sure that I was going to make it back to the Finish. And after walk-jog-limping those last six miles, I crossed the Finish in 5 hours, 43 minutes and 37 seconds. Certainly not the speediest time ever. And not the speediest time I was capable of, either. But, considering the conditions, I am pretty darn proud. And I even received a medal.

I’m back home, with quads that feel like anvils and some pretty sore abs and shoulders (amazing the body parts that manage to hurt after a long race!). Now, without a huge goal on my horizon, I am pretty eager to plan my next feat. (What should it be!?)

I am now a marathon runner. Or at least, a runner of one marathon. It’s been a great journey, and thanks to all of you who supported me along the way.

Triumphant pictures to come!

This One’s For the Children…

Marcie — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:01:03 +0000

Are you ready for a sappy entry? Grab your box of tissues (or gag accordingly) but I have some pre-race cheese:

People run marathons for a lot of reasons, and certainly races are known for a long list of causes. I’m pleased that I could be a part of a charity team. Some of you may know that I have raised money for Opportunity Enterprises, which helps physically disadvantaged children and adults. I’m really looking forward to seeing some of those people at Mile 19, Chicago’s Charity Mile, where they will help cheer the runners on.

I also find that it’s helpful to dedicate miles to friends, family, or even places. When I’m feeling tired (as I certainly will be on Sunday) I am going to think about people, places and things that mean a lot to me, in hopes that it will help push me on. (With 85 degree weather and thunderstorms predicted, I will need all of the help that I can get!) For the half marathon, I would dedicate one mile to one person, but I don’t think I will remember my list of 26, so everyone is getting a few miles each:

The Beginning

Miles 1-3: My dauchshund, Robin. She rocks!
Miles 4-7: My blog-buddies. Thanks for reading, guys.
Miles 8-10: Grandma and Lola

The Middle: This is when things start to get interesting…

Miles 11-14: G.
Miles 15-17: Mom, Dad, M. Thanks for the support
Miles 18-20: For New Hampshire, the best state ever.

The End…Just gotta get through this…

Miles 21-24: Melissa
Miles 25-Finish: These are my miles! Go lazy Girl!

Chicago, here I come!

Are you kidding me?

Marcie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:23:48 +0000

Hahaha! After months of training through the nasty heat and humidity, this is the kind of weather I have to run the race:

Chicago Weather, M-Day

Yikes!

The Last Week!

Marcie — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:00:10 +0000

Well, the news from the physical therapist was informative, but discouraging: I have low arches. Really low. I found this information comical, because I have previously gone through life thinking that I had high arches. Not so! I haven’t been paying attention to the shape of my footprints at the beach. My flat-footed-ness causes over-pronation (which also explains my previous bouts with plantar fasciitis) and the over-pronation causes my knees to roll inward when my muscles fatigue (pigeon legs!) which causes the knee to hinge in a funky way which causes the pain! Voila! There you have it.

I appreciated the thorough explanation, but perhaps one week before the marathon is the wrong time to investigate the aches and pains. The therapy session totally took the wind out of my sails. My body isn’t designed to run long distances! I’m starting with a huge physical handicap! I need to finish the race before they take down the finish line! Yikes!

But enough with the exclamatories. I will be doing my last run before the marathon this evening (and easy-peasy 3 miler) and perhaps a spin class on Thursday to keep me loose.

A Little PT in my Future

Marcie — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:35:18 +0000

Alright, alright, everyone can stop their nagging because this lazy girl is finally seeking some professional advice about her knee. I made an appointment with a physical therapist who specializes in running injuries. I’m actually kind of excited about it, because she’s going to have me run on a treadmill and really analyze my stride. No one has ever critiqued my stride, and I think it’s a good opportunity to see how I can improve my form. The appointment is on Saturday, and I will post about the results.

In other news, yesterday I received my race confirmation ticket! Just looking at it made me terribly excited. I got my number, and, little eager beaver that I am, I read the entire information booklet cover-to-cover. I checked out the start time. The mile markers for water breaks. How to retrieve my goody bag. The map of the race course…the 26.2 mile race course. 26.2 miles. That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? G, who is a Chicago marathon veteran, was narrating the nitty gritty details about each ache and pain at each mile marker. Yeah, yeah yeah. I get it. Running a marathon is hard. That doesn’t mean that I can’t be terribly excited about it.

A Hot Start to Autumn

Marcie — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 02:19:14 +0000

According to my calendar, it’s the first day of fall, but you can trust D.C. to keep the temperature burning as long as it can. Although humidity is down, it was a hot 86 degree day, and G and I have kept the air conditioner going. I let the afternoon lose some heat before I took off for my 6-miler; I left the apartment around 4pm, and I blazed through the trails of Rock Creek Park–not sure if it was some left over “umph” I had from my speed workout on Friday, or whether *gasp* I actually am becoming a better runner! I felt fast and I cruised through those 6 miles (relatively speaking, of course). A couple of times, I had to remind myself to take it easy. I am tapering, after all.

I have been surprised by a number of things as I have made the transition from casual jogger to a “committed” and “focused” jogger with a mission. One of these surprising things is that running tons of miles does not necessarily signify extraordinary weight loss. Amazingly, I’ve kept my calories consumed in admirable equilibrium with calories burned, but I will say that I have gained extra leg muscle, which is great. I feel stronger. And more patient with myself. And in addition to feeling stronger, I also feel like I have gained entrance into a community of people who know the value of a good long run. Sometimes I cross paths with familiar faces as I run up and down the canals at Georgetown, or out and around Rock Creek Park. I’ve never spoken to them, but they make up the scenery of my runs and become a part of the trail, a part of the journey. Running is both a method of exertion and relaxation. It’s a way to reset myself and and re-focus at the end of a long day at work, or the way to add a little peace to the weekend. It’s hard to worry too much about the modicum of my life when I am just concentrating on the next step, the next breath, the next hill, the next couple of minutes.

I Love Tapering

Marcie — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:02:33 +0000

Now, according to my sources, tapering is the time when you feed your body, rest, and let your muscles regenerate in preparation for the big race. I think I’ve taken this to a new level. I’ve interpreted the “feed your body” bit to mean, “indulge in all of the foods that you won’t be able to eat without gaining weight when not training for a marathon”: M&Ms, Kraft mac n’ cheese, stuff that in my book is normally accompanied by a huge guilt trip, is now no longer taboo. Perhaps it still should be. At any rate, I’ve been taking it easy, riding down escalators and refraining from running to give my knee some extra TLC. But I’m going to call a doctor today for a little consultation, hopefully go for a short jog tomorrow and pull in an 8-10 miler this weekend.

Report Back

Marcie — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:19:06 +0000

As I set out up the trails of Rock Creek Park North for my vaunted 20-miler, I felt good, and I felt prepared. I had my bag of Jelly Belly Endurance Beans, my lucky socks, a little bit of ABBA on my ipod and gorgeous 68 degree weather. I cruised down Beach Drive (closed to traffic on the weekends!) up to Bethesda, right on pace. There were a few (mossy) waterfountains along the path, which helped since I abandoned my fuel belt. (A side note here: how are you supposed to wear those things? or to be more specific, how do women with any semblance of hips manage to prevent the belts from sliding up to their waists? A disappointing purchase) Somewhere around mile 14, I stopped at a water fountain, took a good long swig, and as I turned to get back into a rhythm, I felt it–the stabbing pain in my knee, and the weird feeling that something hadn’t hinged quite right. I tried walking it out for 10 minutes, and while the pain dissipated, as soon as I tried to jog, my knee locked up again. My choices were: limp-run (a graceless and potentially dangerous option) or walk the 6 miles home. I chose the later. Does it still count as a 20-miler if I walked the last 6? I’m disappointed and a bit worried that similar things will happen in Chicago.

The Last Long Run

Marcie — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:03:52 +0000

I’m trying to think up mantras for this Saturday’s 20-miler–little catch phrases I can repeat to myself in order to coax those heavy legs onward. Right now, I like, go slow, go with the flow, go slow, go with the flow. I’ve realized that I have become a more successful long runner, now that I have eliminated the stress and pressure of running for speed. Of course, in my next half-marathon, I’d love to shave off some minutes, but with Mt. Everest looming in the distance, I think the only way I can forge ahead is to relax and take the run one step at a time.

I really can’t believe that my summer of training is finally drawing to a close. This is it! The last long run! I feel like I am a pioneer; each week I have covered distances longer than I have ever before run. I am forging ahead into my own final frontiere, and I am so excited about claiming my spot among the fraction of people in this world who have completed a marathon. I’m beginning to think about how the training has affected not only my body, but my mind as well. Has the Lazy Girl learned some discipline? Well, my training plan is covered with my scribbles: switching one speed run for a recovery job, postponing a 13-mile run, making up for tempo runs with a spinning class. I’ve made a lot of adjustments, but they are the adjustments that I’ve needed to make in order to stick with the program. But once I’ve begun a long-run, I’ve stuck it out to the last mile, taking it slow, taking in the outdoors, breathing and relaxing while pushing my body to keep going. Hmmm….famous last words. I better sign off now until I jinx myself and my 20-miler. I’ll report back on Saturday.