Back again after a year's break from this blog, but not from running. Julie and I decided to run the Flying Pig Marathon again this year...well, Julie decided and then I agreed...and then before I could change my mind she already registered. So we started training again in January.
We had the best winter weather training EVAH! Warmest winter on record, no snow to speak of and only one or two days where it was icy, making it difficult (but not impossible with my new Yak Trax :))
Still, it seemed like a long training season, but we were infused with excitement in April when we got chosen to be in the Nike Womens Marathon in San Francisco!!!! Super excited about that.
Our training was marred with Julie's stomach issues...the running part was fine, but the poor thing had to find a bathroom several times during most of our runs...no pun intended. :) And I put some excitement in to our 18-mile training run. I had a horrible cold (and probably a slight flu) in the morning, but didn't cancel because I knew we wouldn't be able to schedule another long run in anytime soon. I felt bad pretty much right from the start, and the Eden Park hill that is usually pretty easy for us, was extremely difficult. I was breathing hard and could barely make it up the hill. I just wanted to get the run over and done with! This time it was my turn to have to make several bathroom stops, and on number 4 or 5, I got a surprise of blood (it's a runner's thing)...but not what I needed right then. When we had about 4 miles to go, I tripped and almost fell. Was able to stop myself, but then a little while later I tripped again...this time going down hard. My wrist immediately hurt, and I later found out that it was broken in two places. I got to enjoy a bright purple cast for a month. The surgeon told me not to run until I got it taken off, and while I pretended to listen to him, it didn't stop my training (I had a marathon to train for, for goodness sakes!!)
Julie went on a strict super bland diet two weeks before the marathon, and we unbelieveably didn't have to stop to use any porta potties on race day.
And race day was PERFECT! The weather forecast was for a hot and humid day, but we got lucky -- it wasn't nearly as humid as they predicted it would be. (The organizers were so worried about the heat that they let people defer their run till next year if they wanted to). We started in a faster corral (E), and got off to a much faster start than in years past. We started out running 10-minute miles. I was so happy about that...Julie was, well, sort of happy about it -- I figured if we could get a few fast miles in, it would help us with our time when it got hotter and muggier (which, yay!! it didn't do!). So we just kept up these 10-minute miles..the second 6 miles (the HILL MILES!) was even a bit faster than the first six miles.The Eden Park Hill seemed So Easy! I was feeling great! The crowds were amazing, as usual, and we were making great time. We saw Judy around mile 9 again and we both got a big hug from her. We saw Jeff and Jim again in Hyde Park! A fun surprise sighting! And running through Hyde Park is a blast on top of that!
My only issue was the bottom of my left foot - what started as a slight annoyance got worse and worse until finally after about 13 miles I had to stop and take my shoe off -- I was hoping my sock was just bunched up weird...but straightening it out didn't help out any, so I just kept on running. Every step was pretty painful and I tried to run more on the side of my foot that flat on it. Ugh.
We saw Jeff and Jim again in Mariemont, and Jim had a nice cold Dos Equis waiting for us! We had our nice, cold sips -- it tasted so good! We kept on running and saw them a half mile later. They are goofy, but were having fun!
Around mile 20, Julie needed to slow down a bit. She encouraged me to go ahead, and since I was feeling pretty good, I decided to try to run a while at my "comfort pace". It took a while, but I eventually was ahead of her enough that we couldn't talk any longer :( It was lonely running by myself, but I also felt happy to be running at my pace, and I know she was happy to be able to set her pace as well.
About a half mile after we separated my foot got worse -- all of a sudden what I now know to be a blister got huge -- it felt like I was running on a bumble bee...and then I think it must have popped (sorry for the grossness of that image!) It felt weird and hurt just as much, but at least it was better than that 30-seconds where it just felt huge and weird to step on it.
I saw Jim and Jeff at the 21.7 party zone and explained that Julie was just a minute or so behind me. I got my final hug and went on my way. The last miles were hard, but not painful. I was tired and just wanted to be done. I longed for each water stop where I could slow down and get something to drink. Around mile 23 they handed out cold, wet towels, and they were awesome! I think I was running faster than my comfort zone, but I just kepy thinking how happy I was that I didn't have as far to go as Julie did! After all that running, you just want to be done. I kept up the 10 minute pace, and the last mile, the cheering of the crowd helped me do a 9:57 mile. I had no idea I was running that fast -- it felt like I was crawling!
My final time was 4:33!!! Twenty-one minutes faster than last year. I was so thrilled! I got my medal and a cup of water. Then I elevated my legs for a minute...then I remembered I could greet Julie as she finished so I got up and headed back...I was almost there when I saw her -- she had just finished -- in a time of 4:40!!! We both had PR's and both ran just about as good as we could. So happy to have run it the way I hoped I could!
And in two more weeks we start to train for San Francisco!!!!
P.S. I took my sock off after we met up with the boys and Eliz & Amy, and I asked if there was anything on the bottom of my foot -- the facial reaction from all was pretty telling - a huge blister, blood, all sorts of fun things! Can't believe I ran almost a full marathon like that!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Thursday, May 5, 2011
WE DID IT!!!!
Okay, so I didn't get a good night's sleep, but I managed a few hours, and just reminded myself of the article Pam read that said hardly anyone gets a good night sleep the night before a marathon -- many are travelling, too excited or too nervous to sleep. I had a good night the night before, and that had to pull me through the day.
We popped out of bed ready to get ready!!! We immediately went to our large picture window and saw not one rain drop on the ground! We had dodged a bullet. The weather forecasters were w-r-o-n-g. We were going to have a rain-free day; we just knew it!
We toasted bagels and lightly spread peanut butter on them (the healthy kind for Julie - the yummy kind for me). Got out the Glide, got dressed, and visited the bathroom... Julie got her pre-texts ready to send at different mile markers, and we had fun editing what she would report.
Just as we were getting worried about Pam & Elizabeth showing up, there was a knock on our door. There were there and ready to roll!!! (well E was ready...Pam, still not so much!)
Still no rain coming from the skies -- so cocky were Pam & Elizabeth that they left the plastic ponchos in Tom's car. Julie and I left ours in the room, and we all headed downstairs to walk to the Start! EXCITED!!!
Stepping off the elevator, we notice people fussing with plastic ponchos -- putting them on, as if there is RAIN outside...and a short walk toward the front doors confirmed it for us. We walked outside, and the rain was coming down fairly steadily. We had about a half mile walk to the start of the race. Julie and I ran back upstairs to grab our ponchos, and Elizabeth & Pam got plastic garbage bags from the hotel staff. Off we walked, all covered up, following the throngs of runners to the start (hoping that whoever was in the front knew where they were going). :)
As we made our way slowly to the start, we tried to figure out how to get to our corral (or pig pen as they called them that day). Before we could get to the right place the race started, so we just walked in where there was an opening and headed toward the start.
Elizabeth was NOT going to let me and Pam hold back a second or two so as to finish with a better time. She insisted we all lock arms and go thru the start together. Off we went! It seemed a slow start because there were just so many people. I felt like we couldn't run our pace as we threaded our way around walkers and runners that were slower than we were. But still, off we went, filled with excitement (or dread, in Pam's case).
Over the bridge in to Kentucky while the rain steadily fell on us. After running with the ponchos for about a half mile, we all, one by one, got rid of them -- easier to run without them, and we were going to get wet so might as well just embrace the rain.
There were some brave souls cheering us on in the rain, and a few bands that played in the shelter of awnings and between buildings. They were great fun to listen to!
The rain slowed down eventually, but I'm not exactly sure when. I don't remember it bothering me, so it must have been pretty early on.
We approached mile 5 looking for Jeff & John as well as Julie's kids Liam & Caitrin. We noticed Jeff & John on the left side of the road. What a welcome sight! We gave them high 5's and big smiles and went on our way.
At about the 5.05 mark, who do we see again, but Jeff! He tore down the street to greet us a second time. He is a nut.
The Mile 5 fluid station appeared and Julie found her kids. Liam gave her a big hug and twirl while Caitrin reminded her that she doesn't like Gatorade! What a fun stop for her, and seeing everyone definitely pump us all up as we headed up toward the major hill of the race. It's never as bad as we think it's going to be, and gets easier each time. Pam was feeling good, Elizabeth was going strong, and Julie and I were running up the hill excited to reach the overlook. We got there and once again enjoyed the beautiful view of the river, bridges and Kentucky. It's prettier on a dry, sunny day, but it was still nice...and nice to have the major hill out of the way.
The next few miles were fun -- lots of twists and turns, and I knew we had friends to find around mile 8 so that gave us something to look forward to.
Judy from IHN was right where she said she would be -- outside St. Ursula church in her bright pink outfit. I screamed her name and she excitedly cheered us on while we waved to her. Her smiling face was such a welcome sight.
Next we were on the lookout for Mary Reckman. Mary told us she'd be the one screaming and jumping up and down, and she did not disappoint. When I saw her and called out her name, that is exactly what she did. We ran over for hugs and thanked her for being so supportive.
Off we went, knowing the next time we'd see friends or family wouldn't be until around mile 16 in Mariemont. So we had to find something else to keep us going.
Miles 9-16
Pam started to feel tired and a little sick around the 9-mile mark, so we walked for a bit. Back to running, and around mile 10 we get a great surprise --Jeff & John make a surprise appearance! Needed it, needed it, needed it! We had been walking on and off, but were happy to be running when we saw them!
The next miles were tough. Poor Pam felt worse. We tried doing the 10/1 method, but it didn't help. She finally found a bathroom to use (thank you to those lovely people in Mariemont who let her use their home!) Hoping that would be all she needed, we started running again, but she still felt bad. We changed to the 5/1 method, but she couldn't keep up with that either. I can't imagine trying to run while feeling so sick to my stomach.
We spent the next few miles running and walking. We were greeted by the Parish clan at mile 15 -- always a welcome, smiling sight! Then we saw Jeff & John at mile 16 -- where they handed us Chocolate Buttercreams -- not really what we were looking forward to, but why not! They went well with the beer we were given around mile 11! (maybe THAT's why Pam got sick...???)
Despite Pam feeling so bad, miles 9-16 were so much fun. The crowds in O'Byronville, Hyde Park and Mariemont are the best! High Five's, screams of encouragement, fun and creative signs, bands playing, fluid stations competing to be the best (voted on by the runners). It was all just amazing. Just like my first marathon, I was smiling almost the entire time!
Things got worse for Pam, and after much deliberation and encouragement from Pam, Julie & I left her and Elizabeth -- feeling guilty and also somewhat relieved. We told them what we were going to do, and Pam was happy to see us go and actually thanked us. We took off and ran...using all the pent up energy we had from the last several miles. We ran 10-minute miles for the next several miles. It felt great. Lots of room to run and lots of energy to use up. The next thing we knew we were on the short stretch of Columbia, sharing the road with cars! Leaving Columbia, around mile 20, I think we had used up all of our 10-minute mile energy! But we still felt good and continued to run at a good pace. We even forgot to "hit the wall" at mile 20. :)
Eastern Avenue began...so we knew the stretch ahead of us was going to be long.
Between miles 20 and 21.5, we were excited to be close to finished, but felt our bodies start to complain a little. Stories were hard to tell or even to listen to. We started to hear lots of noise up ahead -- it was the 21.7 party zone. I was pretty sure we'd find Jeff & John there cheering us on, and sure enough, we did! Always, always, a happy sight! So nice to see them and to know that the next time we saw them we'd be near the Finish Line!
The next few miles hurt (although in retrospect, I can't recall the pain...I just know that I wanted it to be over with!). We walked through some water stations -- extending the walking time with each one. Adding leg stretches to the end of our walks. Every mile marker we hit we talked about what that run was like for us during the week -- okay, just our regular 6-miler, okay just to Loveland, okay, just as far as we ran to our car after Elizabeth got hurt -- oh no! That seemed FAR!! Once we hit 24 we didn't stop we saw the light at the end of the tunnel and didn't stop again. We were too tired to talk or even listen to each other, but we kept up a good pace (confirmed by the spectator who shouted, "Great Pace, Ladies!"
After we passed Mile 25, it seemed like it would go so quickly...then, what seemed like a while later, we passed 25.2...still another mile! But unbeknownst to us, we must have picked up the pace, because we ran that final mile in 10 min 21 seconds! After going about a half mile Julie said, Oh Patrice, we still have far to go. I lied and told her that I thought it was only another 2 or 3 tenths -- In reality, I had NO IDEA! Somewhere along this last mile, the course went UP HILL. Really? Was that necessary??? :) We looked down and forged ahead. Soon the "Finish Swine" was in sight, and we also saw Jeff and John cheering us on from the sidelines! Welcome sights, both! The crowds at this point were AMAZING. Screaming and cheering us on. It was awesome!
Julie decided to sprint the last little bit -- didn't even give me a warning -- just took off like a bat out of hell, bound and determined to beat me...which she did, by a second! Her first marathon was a success! And so was my second marathon. All along I hoped to beat my time of 4:54:57, but after all the stopping we did in the middle of the race, I didn't think that was possible. I thought we might come in under 5 hours, but just barely. As it turned out, I ran it in 4:54:17, and Julie right in front of me at 4:54:16. Happy, Happy, Happy!!!!
The best part was how great I felt afterwards. I didn't have near the soreness of my first marathon. I could sit for a while and then stand up with no pain at all. My only problem was blisters on the bottoms of my feet, which hurt while we ran, but healed up quickly.
I am ready to do another!
Pam & Elizabeth ended up finishing strong as well. Pam finally got over her stomach problems, and they ran strong the last miles of the race -- meeting up with a cute young runner who asked if he could pace with them. They helped him finish and they all looked great!
We popped out of bed ready to get ready!!! We immediately went to our large picture window and saw not one rain drop on the ground! We had dodged a bullet. The weather forecasters were w-r-o-n-g. We were going to have a rain-free day; we just knew it!
We toasted bagels and lightly spread peanut butter on them (the healthy kind for Julie - the yummy kind for me). Got out the Glide, got dressed, and visited the bathroom... Julie got her pre-texts ready to send at different mile markers, and we had fun editing what she would report.
Just as we were getting worried about Pam & Elizabeth showing up, there was a knock on our door. There were there and ready to roll!!! (well E was ready...Pam, still not so much!)
Still no rain coming from the skies -- so cocky were Pam & Elizabeth that they left the plastic ponchos in Tom's car. Julie and I left ours in the room, and we all headed downstairs to walk to the Start! EXCITED!!!
Stepping off the elevator, we notice people fussing with plastic ponchos -- putting them on, as if there is RAIN outside...and a short walk toward the front doors confirmed it for us. We walked outside, and the rain was coming down fairly steadily. We had about a half mile walk to the start of the race. Julie and I ran back upstairs to grab our ponchos, and Elizabeth & Pam got plastic garbage bags from the hotel staff. Off we walked, all covered up, following the throngs of runners to the start (hoping that whoever was in the front knew where they were going). :)
As we made our way slowly to the start, we tried to figure out how to get to our corral (or pig pen as they called them that day). Before we could get to the right place the race started, so we just walked in where there was an opening and headed toward the start.
Elizabeth was NOT going to let me and Pam hold back a second or two so as to finish with a better time. She insisted we all lock arms and go thru the start together. Off we went! It seemed a slow start because there were just so many people. I felt like we couldn't run our pace as we threaded our way around walkers and runners that were slower than we were. But still, off we went, filled with excitement (or dread, in Pam's case).
Over the bridge in to Kentucky while the rain steadily fell on us. After running with the ponchos for about a half mile, we all, one by one, got rid of them -- easier to run without them, and we were going to get wet so might as well just embrace the rain.
There were some brave souls cheering us on in the rain, and a few bands that played in the shelter of awnings and between buildings. They were great fun to listen to!
The rain slowed down eventually, but I'm not exactly sure when. I don't remember it bothering me, so it must have been pretty early on.
We approached mile 5 looking for Jeff & John as well as Julie's kids Liam & Caitrin. We noticed Jeff & John on the left side of the road. What a welcome sight! We gave them high 5's and big smiles and went on our way.
At about the 5.05 mark, who do we see again, but Jeff! He tore down the street to greet us a second time. He is a nut.
The Mile 5 fluid station appeared and Julie found her kids. Liam gave her a big hug and twirl while Caitrin reminded her that she doesn't like Gatorade! What a fun stop for her, and seeing everyone definitely pump us all up as we headed up toward the major hill of the race. It's never as bad as we think it's going to be, and gets easier each time. Pam was feeling good, Elizabeth was going strong, and Julie and I were running up the hill excited to reach the overlook. We got there and once again enjoyed the beautiful view of the river, bridges and Kentucky. It's prettier on a dry, sunny day, but it was still nice...and nice to have the major hill out of the way.
The next few miles were fun -- lots of twists and turns, and I knew we had friends to find around mile 8 so that gave us something to look forward to.
Judy from IHN was right where she said she would be -- outside St. Ursula church in her bright pink outfit. I screamed her name and she excitedly cheered us on while we waved to her. Her smiling face was such a welcome sight.
Next we were on the lookout for Mary Reckman. Mary told us she'd be the one screaming and jumping up and down, and she did not disappoint. When I saw her and called out her name, that is exactly what she did. We ran over for hugs and thanked her for being so supportive.
Off we went, knowing the next time we'd see friends or family wouldn't be until around mile 16 in Mariemont. So we had to find something else to keep us going.
Miles 9-16
Pam started to feel tired and a little sick around the 9-mile mark, so we walked for a bit. Back to running, and around mile 10 we get a great surprise --Jeff & John make a surprise appearance! Needed it, needed it, needed it! We had been walking on and off, but were happy to be running when we saw them!
The next miles were tough. Poor Pam felt worse. We tried doing the 10/1 method, but it didn't help. She finally found a bathroom to use (thank you to those lovely people in Mariemont who let her use their home!) Hoping that would be all she needed, we started running again, but she still felt bad. We changed to the 5/1 method, but she couldn't keep up with that either. I can't imagine trying to run while feeling so sick to my stomach.
We spent the next few miles running and walking. We were greeted by the Parish clan at mile 15 -- always a welcome, smiling sight! Then we saw Jeff & John at mile 16 -- where they handed us Chocolate Buttercreams -- not really what we were looking forward to, but why not! They went well with the beer we were given around mile 11! (maybe THAT's why Pam got sick...???)
Despite Pam feeling so bad, miles 9-16 were so much fun. The crowds in O'Byronville, Hyde Park and Mariemont are the best! High Five's, screams of encouragement, fun and creative signs, bands playing, fluid stations competing to be the best (voted on by the runners). It was all just amazing. Just like my first marathon, I was smiling almost the entire time!
Things got worse for Pam, and after much deliberation and encouragement from Pam, Julie & I left her and Elizabeth -- feeling guilty and also somewhat relieved. We told them what we were going to do, and Pam was happy to see us go and actually thanked us. We took off and ran...using all the pent up energy we had from the last several miles. We ran 10-minute miles for the next several miles. It felt great. Lots of room to run and lots of energy to use up. The next thing we knew we were on the short stretch of Columbia, sharing the road with cars! Leaving Columbia, around mile 20, I think we had used up all of our 10-minute mile energy! But we still felt good and continued to run at a good pace. We even forgot to "hit the wall" at mile 20. :)
Eastern Avenue began...so we knew the stretch ahead of us was going to be long.
Between miles 20 and 21.5, we were excited to be close to finished, but felt our bodies start to complain a little. Stories were hard to tell or even to listen to. We started to hear lots of noise up ahead -- it was the 21.7 party zone. I was pretty sure we'd find Jeff & John there cheering us on, and sure enough, we did! Always, always, a happy sight! So nice to see them and to know that the next time we saw them we'd be near the Finish Line!
The next few miles hurt (although in retrospect, I can't recall the pain...I just know that I wanted it to be over with!). We walked through some water stations -- extending the walking time with each one. Adding leg stretches to the end of our walks. Every mile marker we hit we talked about what that run was like for us during the week -- okay, just our regular 6-miler, okay just to Loveland, okay, just as far as we ran to our car after Elizabeth got hurt -- oh no! That seemed FAR!! Once we hit 24 we didn't stop we saw the light at the end of the tunnel and didn't stop again. We were too tired to talk or even listen to each other, but we kept up a good pace (confirmed by the spectator who shouted, "Great Pace, Ladies!"
After we passed Mile 25, it seemed like it would go so quickly...then, what seemed like a while later, we passed 25.2...still another mile! But unbeknownst to us, we must have picked up the pace, because we ran that final mile in 10 min 21 seconds! After going about a half mile Julie said, Oh Patrice, we still have far to go. I lied and told her that I thought it was only another 2 or 3 tenths -- In reality, I had NO IDEA! Somewhere along this last mile, the course went UP HILL. Really? Was that necessary??? :) We looked down and forged ahead. Soon the "Finish Swine" was in sight, and we also saw Jeff and John cheering us on from the sidelines! Welcome sights, both! The crowds at this point were AMAZING. Screaming and cheering us on. It was awesome!
Julie decided to sprint the last little bit -- didn't even give me a warning -- just took off like a bat out of hell, bound and determined to beat me...which she did, by a second! Her first marathon was a success! And so was my second marathon. All along I hoped to beat my time of 4:54:57, but after all the stopping we did in the middle of the race, I didn't think that was possible. I thought we might come in under 5 hours, but just barely. As it turned out, I ran it in 4:54:17, and Julie right in front of me at 4:54:16. Happy, Happy, Happy!!!!
The best part was how great I felt afterwards. I didn't have near the soreness of my first marathon. I could sit for a while and then stand up with no pain at all. My only problem was blisters on the bottoms of my feet, which hurt while we ran, but healed up quickly.
I am ready to do another!
Pam & Elizabeth ended up finishing strong as well. Pam finally got over her stomach problems, and they ran strong the last miles of the race -- meeting up with a cute young runner who asked if he could pace with them. They helped him finish and they all looked great!
Pre-Marathon Fun
Wow. So much to tell.
We had a short, last training run on Friday, and then we headed down to the Expo. Always a fun and exciting part of the marathon. We loved the ceramic pigs and piggy balloons. Our team photographer made sure we had pictures to mark the occasion, even if the pigs weren't in them!
We picked up our bibs and timing chips and then spent some time shopping and looking at fun running gear. Julie & Elizabeth bought sporty new hats -- Julie's had FINISHER embroidered on it -- We were sure it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy! We also stocked up on GU, other nutritional snacks, cute piggy ponchos (in anticipation of rain on race day) and then bought Pam's 26.2 magnet -- again, sure she would need it in a few days.
We picked up our official T-shirts, backpacks and posters and spent time admiring all of our goodies.
On Saturday, Julie and I, along with Jeff and John had a great pasta dinner at Bravo's. It was a beautiful day (a beautiful day to run a marathon too!), so we requested outdoor dining. It was so lovely to be outside and enjoy the company of good friends, while enjoying good food. A glass of wine would have made it perfect, but that wouldn't have been smart the day before the big run. (Oh, but it would have tasted so good!)
Before we left, Julie wanted me to go through her backpack to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything :) Shorts-check, Running Bra-check, T-shirt-check, Running Shoes-check, Running Socks-check. She was all set! I grabbed my backpack and toaster (!) and headed toward downtown.
We meandered our way from the Hyatt parking garage to the registration desk...taking longer than we felt necessary, but finally checked in and got the keys to our room - No. 833. Up the escalator, down the hall, and finally to our room. We opened the door, and the first thing we both see is a commercial wet-vac sitting in the entry of our room - we walk in and got accosted by the strong smell of bleach. Upon further inspection of the room, we find wet carpeting and the toilet running. Julie called the front desk, who offered to send up a janitor. No thanks...we want a new room. One that doesn't smell like bleach. We are, after all, running in a marathon the next day.
They finally agreed to move us, and sent up a bellboy with the key to room 1810. We filed back on to the elevator and went up ten floors to our room. Upon walking in, we both said. This is a smoking room. The smell of smoke permeated the room -- this would not due -- we are marathoners after all, and we don't want to inhale smoke all night. :)
I called downstairs...well, by now they were getting to know us -- and explained how room number two was unacceptable as well. After several minutes on hold we were told they were moving us to a King Deluxe room, and off we went to meet the bell boy again for our new keys. This time we took the elevator down to room 1608 and found a room with no offending smell and a beautiful view of the Ohio River. Success! About 40 minutes after we checked in!
Next up, preparing for Sunday. We unpacked our things. Put the toaster in place. Placed food on the desk and tried to remember to sip water in between.
We pinned the bibs on our shirts -- tried them on -- saw they were both pinned up too high and had to lower and re-pin. Next the timing chips had to be attached to our shoes. Finally we were ready. A few calls to John, Jeff, Pam & Elizabeth, and as night fell, we got more and more excited. Placed a wake up call with the front desk and set our cell phones...just to be sure.
Lights out, but then another hour of gabbing before we finally said good night. Let's hope for a good night's sleep...
We had a short, last training run on Friday, and then we headed down to the Expo. Always a fun and exciting part of the marathon. We loved the ceramic pigs and piggy balloons. Our team photographer made sure we had pictures to mark the occasion, even if the pigs weren't in them!
We picked up our bibs and timing chips and then spent some time shopping and looking at fun running gear. Julie & Elizabeth bought sporty new hats -- Julie's had FINISHER embroidered on it -- We were sure it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy! We also stocked up on GU, other nutritional snacks, cute piggy ponchos (in anticipation of rain on race day) and then bought Pam's 26.2 magnet -- again, sure she would need it in a few days.
We picked up our official T-shirts, backpacks and posters and spent time admiring all of our goodies.
On Saturday, Julie and I, along with Jeff and John had a great pasta dinner at Bravo's. It was a beautiful day (a beautiful day to run a marathon too!), so we requested outdoor dining. It was so lovely to be outside and enjoy the company of good friends, while enjoying good food. A glass of wine would have made it perfect, but that wouldn't have been smart the day before the big run. (Oh, but it would have tasted so good!)
Before we left, Julie wanted me to go through her backpack to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything :) Shorts-check, Running Bra-check, T-shirt-check, Running Shoes-check, Running Socks-check. She was all set! I grabbed my backpack and toaster (!) and headed toward downtown.
We meandered our way from the Hyatt parking garage to the registration desk...taking longer than we felt necessary, but finally checked in and got the keys to our room - No. 833. Up the escalator, down the hall, and finally to our room. We opened the door, and the first thing we both see is a commercial wet-vac sitting in the entry of our room - we walk in and got accosted by the strong smell of bleach. Upon further inspection of the room, we find wet carpeting and the toilet running. Julie called the front desk, who offered to send up a janitor. No thanks...we want a new room. One that doesn't smell like bleach. We are, after all, running in a marathon the next day.
They finally agreed to move us, and sent up a bellboy with the key to room 1810. We filed back on to the elevator and went up ten floors to our room. Upon walking in, we both said. This is a smoking room. The smell of smoke permeated the room -- this would not due -- we are marathoners after all, and we don't want to inhale smoke all night. :)
I called downstairs...well, by now they were getting to know us -- and explained how room number two was unacceptable as well. After several minutes on hold we were told they were moving us to a King Deluxe room, and off we went to meet the bell boy again for our new keys. This time we took the elevator down to room 1608 and found a room with no offending smell and a beautiful view of the Ohio River. Success! About 40 minutes after we checked in!
Next up, preparing for Sunday. We unpacked our things. Put the toaster in place. Placed food on the desk and tried to remember to sip water in between.
We pinned the bibs on our shirts -- tried them on -- saw they were both pinned up too high and had to lower and re-pin. Next the timing chips had to be attached to our shoes. Finally we were ready. A few calls to John, Jeff, Pam & Elizabeth, and as night fell, we got more and more excited. Placed a wake up call with the front desk and set our cell phones...just to be sure.
Lights out, but then another hour of gabbing before we finally said good night. Let's hope for a good night's sleep...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
3 MORE DAYS!!
Unless the weather gods decide to spare us, it looks like we'll be running in thunderstorms for at least some portion of the day. There is now a 70% chance of thunderstorms in the morning. So I've wrapped my head around that fun fact that and am just searching for the f-u-n in all of that!
I am excited about the people who will be there to cheer us on. Julie's kids, Liam and Caitrin will be manning the 5-mile water stop. I can't wait to see them. They are always smiling and cheerful, so I know they will be a welcome sight.
Judy from IHN will be near St. Ursula church on McMillan -- around mile 8 -- after we've gotten to the top of the hill. Her sweet face will cheer me up, for sure!
A little further down the road, Mary Reckman will be at the Marathon/half marathon turn point, and has promised she will be the one jumping up and down and cheering us on the loudest. And I believe it. Mary is incredibly supportive -- This morning she stopped by my house and taped a good luck poster to my front window. Love that girl!
The crowds in Hyde Park and Mariemont are always great, and hopefully we'll also see various husbands and boyfriends along the way. We'll see, as the rain might scare them away too (wouldn't blame them!)
Tomorrow's our last trainig run (a little 3-miler) and then we're heading to the Expo to pick up our packets. Hope my next entry will be all about our wonderful experience!
I am excited about the people who will be there to cheer us on. Julie's kids, Liam and Caitrin will be manning the 5-mile water stop. I can't wait to see them. They are always smiling and cheerful, so I know they will be a welcome sight.
Judy from IHN will be near St. Ursula church on McMillan -- around mile 8 -- after we've gotten to the top of the hill. Her sweet face will cheer me up, for sure!
A little further down the road, Mary Reckman will be at the Marathon/half marathon turn point, and has promised she will be the one jumping up and down and cheering us on the loudest. And I believe it. Mary is incredibly supportive -- This morning she stopped by my house and taped a good luck poster to my front window. Love that girl!
The crowds in Hyde Park and Mariemont are always great, and hopefully we'll also see various husbands and boyfriends along the way. We'll see, as the rain might scare them away too (wouldn't blame them!)
Tomorrow's our last trainig run (a little 3-miler) and then we're heading to the Expo to pick up our packets. Hope my next entry will be all about our wonderful experience!
Monday, April 25, 2011
The countdown begins
Six days until the PIG! We are ready!!! Well, sort of. E still recovering from her nasty, freak fall, and Pam still wishes she was back on her cruise. Julie and I are way too excited...I'm sure our excitement will dim around mile 18 or so! And for sure during the first few miles...Hate those!
We've had a ton of rain -- forecast for Sunday had been 60% chance of rain, but just changed today to sunny with a high of 79. Wish it would be cooler, but guess it won't be too bad when we start out early in the a.m.
Still figuring out the hotel situation and who will be down there to cheer us on.
We've had a ton of rain -- forecast for Sunday had been 60% chance of rain, but just changed today to sunny with a high of 79. Wish it would be cooler, but guess it won't be too bad when we start out early in the a.m.
Still figuring out the hotel situation and who will be down there to cheer us on.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Downtown!
I guess it wouldn't be a marathon training season without getting lost downtown at least once! Julie & I started our 18-miler at Sawyer Point. Pam couldn't join us because the poor thing was on a cruise, and Elizabeth had to work. We ran the same basic route as our 15-miler downtown several weeks ago, but we added 3 miles near Hyde Park so we could get 18 miles in.
Well that was our plan anyway.
I'll start at the beginning. We started out f-a-s-t! Julie wanted to get going to warm up and that we did. The first few miles felt hard, but eventually we made it to 7th avenue where I felt like I was finally in a running groove. The hill came next, and it's always a pleasant surprise that it's not as hard as I think it's going to be. We were rewarded at the top of the hill with a beautiful view of the city. We stopped for our usual photo shoot! (I'm sure Julie will insert a photo here!)
On we went through Eden Park and O'Bryonville with a quick stop at Bob Ronker's for water. Imagine our surprise when it was closed! I looked at my watch and saw we had run from Sawyer Point to there in 69 minutes -- 7.5 miles! I knew we were running fast, but that was a great surprise. Luckily for us the owner of the store heard as at the door and let us in for a quick drink of water. (He let us in, but not happily... They are so much nicer at the Running Spot in Loveland)
Then we were on our way, with Julie totally captivating me with a story as we ran through Hyde Park, and up Madison to Erie. Here's where I added some extra miles -- and also where we took a wrong turn (totally my fault!). We were supposed to turn right to get to Delta, but we turned left...and ran...and ran...and ran...until I started to get an uneasy feeling that we should have come to Delta already. But we kept on running, thinking it's going to be the next block. We were in an area that had very few cars driving by and no one outside. Finally we saw a car coming and waved for the driver to stop. They reluctantly opened their window and told us they had no idea where Delta was. Not a good sign. So then we stopped someone else, and she also wasn't sure, but pointed out a mailman down the road and suggested we ask him. Off we ran to the mail truck to find a nice, young man who confirmed to us that we were running in the wrong direction, and that we were off by 3-4 miles. DARN!
Hard to swallow that little piece of information, but we turned around and headed in the opposite direction. We saw another mail truck and stopped to ask him...Just to be SURE. He confirmed what the first guy told us, but said Delta was more like 5-6 miles away. WHAT??? So we were going to end up adding 10 miles to our 18 mile run...Why that's more than a marathon!!! What to do!!!!???? Well, desparate times call for desparate measures, and I told Julie I was going to stop someone and ask them to drive us back. Yep, the runner's equivalent to hitchhiking -- begging someone for mercy. I saw a Lexus SUV coming out way and took a chance -- A kind, elderly lady was so surprised that we trusted her! She was sweet and mentioined that she had just "run" the mini heart marathon, "but she just did the 5K walk...but could have gone further." Cute. She got us back to the point where we took a wrong turn and we were on our way to Delta again...which came up in under 10 minutes.
Far from feeling defeated, we were on our way again and happy to see Delta so soon! It seemed the the next several miles flew by until we got to the dreaded Eastern Avenue. For some reason, it seemed easier for me this time around. For Julie it was more difficult, but we made it back to our car, thankful we had parked on the east end of the parking lot.
We both felt good -- I seriously haven't felt that good after a long run ever. No soreness whatsoever. I am happily looking forward to the marathon. We're going to have a blast!
Well that was our plan anyway.
I'll start at the beginning. We started out f-a-s-t! Julie wanted to get going to warm up and that we did. The first few miles felt hard, but eventually we made it to 7th avenue where I felt like I was finally in a running groove. The hill came next, and it's always a pleasant surprise that it's not as hard as I think it's going to be. We were rewarded at the top of the hill with a beautiful view of the city. We stopped for our usual photo shoot! (I'm sure Julie will insert a photo here!)
On we went through Eden Park and O'Bryonville with a quick stop at Bob Ronker's for water. Imagine our surprise when it was closed! I looked at my watch and saw we had run from Sawyer Point to there in 69 minutes -- 7.5 miles! I knew we were running fast, but that was a great surprise. Luckily for us the owner of the store heard as at the door and let us in for a quick drink of water. (He let us in, but not happily... They are so much nicer at the Running Spot in Loveland)
Then we were on our way, with Julie totally captivating me with a story as we ran through Hyde Park, and up Madison to Erie. Here's where I added some extra miles -- and also where we took a wrong turn (totally my fault!). We were supposed to turn right to get to Delta, but we turned left...and ran...and ran...and ran...until I started to get an uneasy feeling that we should have come to Delta already. But we kept on running, thinking it's going to be the next block. We were in an area that had very few cars driving by and no one outside. Finally we saw a car coming and waved for the driver to stop. They reluctantly opened their window and told us they had no idea where Delta was. Not a good sign. So then we stopped someone else, and she also wasn't sure, but pointed out a mailman down the road and suggested we ask him. Off we ran to the mail truck to find a nice, young man who confirmed to us that we were running in the wrong direction, and that we were off by 3-4 miles. DARN!
Hard to swallow that little piece of information, but we turned around and headed in the opposite direction. We saw another mail truck and stopped to ask him...Just to be SURE. He confirmed what the first guy told us, but said Delta was more like 5-6 miles away. WHAT??? So we were going to end up adding 10 miles to our 18 mile run...Why that's more than a marathon!!! What to do!!!!???? Well, desparate times call for desparate measures, and I told Julie I was going to stop someone and ask them to drive us back. Yep, the runner's equivalent to hitchhiking -- begging someone for mercy. I saw a Lexus SUV coming out way and took a chance -- A kind, elderly lady was so surprised that we trusted her! She was sweet and mentioined that she had just "run" the mini heart marathon, "but she just did the 5K walk...but could have gone further." Cute. She got us back to the point where we took a wrong turn and we were on our way to Delta again...which came up in under 10 minutes.
Far from feeling defeated, we were on our way again and happy to see Delta so soon! It seemed the the next several miles flew by until we got to the dreaded Eastern Avenue. For some reason, it seemed easier for me this time around. For Julie it was more difficult, but we made it back to our car, thankful we had parked on the east end of the parking lot.
We both felt good -- I seriously haven't felt that good after a long run ever. No soreness whatsoever. I am happily looking forward to the marathon. We're going to have a blast!
Elizabeth returns...
Our March 30 run saw the return of Elizabeth to the running trail! We are happy to have her back! Our plan was to do another 18-miler using our 5/1 method to ease Elizabeth back in to running and to see if Julie's legs would cramp up again (they didn't! Yeah!).
Jeff drove us up to the Y (tight squeeze in our Honda, as I forgot we didn't have Elizabeth with us the week before!). Amy joined us for the first 8.5 so she could run off some of those fancy drinks she had on her cruise.
My take on running this method is that I love it toward the end of the run, but I find myself thinking about that 5 minute beep too much - as opposed to just running without thinking that I will have the opportunity to stop in another minute or two. A part of me feels like we are cheating, but if our time is about the same (or even quicker) why do I care? (And yet I do!)
The Y to Loveland and back run is so easy and convenient, but it's so boring, especially during the week when there aren't too many other runners out there.
I can't really remember much about this run! I should have written sooner. At the end of it, Pam (yes, Pam!) suggested we go another mile out and back so we can have our 20-miler done. Julie felt up for it, and I went along for the ride (not too thrilled to do so I might add). Elizabeth took a pass on it, but she did great for not having run in 4 weeks. It was a difficult two miles for me, but I made it. Julie & Pam felt great and had little or no leg pain the rest of the day. I wish I could say the same!
I'm sure there are other things to talk about, but I just can't remember much about that run. will try to add more later. Ladies, feel free to add your comments!
Jeff drove us up to the Y (tight squeeze in our Honda, as I forgot we didn't have Elizabeth with us the week before!). Amy joined us for the first 8.5 so she could run off some of those fancy drinks she had on her cruise.
My take on running this method is that I love it toward the end of the run, but I find myself thinking about that 5 minute beep too much - as opposed to just running without thinking that I will have the opportunity to stop in another minute or two. A part of me feels like we are cheating, but if our time is about the same (or even quicker) why do I care? (And yet I do!)
The Y to Loveland and back run is so easy and convenient, but it's so boring, especially during the week when there aren't too many other runners out there.
I can't really remember much about this run! I should have written sooner. At the end of it, Pam (yes, Pam!) suggested we go another mile out and back so we can have our 20-miler done. Julie felt up for it, and I went along for the ride (not too thrilled to do so I might add). Elizabeth took a pass on it, but she did great for not having run in 4 weeks. It was a difficult two miles for me, but I made it. Julie & Pam felt great and had little or no leg pain the rest of the day. I wish I could say the same!
I'm sure there are other things to talk about, but I just can't remember much about that run. will try to add more later. Ladies, feel free to add your comments!
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