First, for those that think marathon runners are crazy, you might want to check out tonight's NOVA on PBS. Yeah yeah... not a lot of people watch NOVA. But they have an interesting episode airing tonight on the mind of a novice marathoner. Check your local listings. In Dallas, it's on at 7 PM. Here is a link to the show if you miss the airing want to catch it later:
NOVA
Second, I want to share something I'm supporting for the White Rock Marathon. A few weeks ago, my friend Harold called me up and told me about a project he's working on. Last year, Harold and a group of people organized an Aid Station at Mile 25 for the White Rock Marathon as it ran past their church in downtown Dallas. In 2 weeks they were able to pull together 350 volunteers - including a band.
This year, the church has a new pastor. The new pastor has decided that handing out water on a Sunday morning demonstrates to the world that it's OK to not be in church on a Sunday morning... and that's not what the church wants to promote. Unbelievable!
So Harold's group is moving forward. They want to open up their Aid Station to all churches. He has a new spot to setup, and the White Rock Marathon officials are fully supporting them. They're even going to place a Channel 8 camera at their station!
Anyway, to market their group to the various churches and volunteers, Harold asked me to build them a website. It's been a while, so I kinda threw all of this together over the weekend. Keep checking because it'll continue to improve/grow:
http://www.finishstrongdallas.org
And to answer the question that people ask me almost every-other-day: No, I don't plan on running the full or half marathon at this point. If I change my mind, I will let everyone know.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Marathon videos...
A fellow marathoner read my blog and sent me some really cool videos that she recorded DURING the race. Do you get that? She was running the marathon and carrying a video camera! The footage is excellent, and I appreciate "Wendysity1" for sharing her vids with me.
The first one I want to show is what it looked like at an Aid Station without water:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZTI7Cw0rM
That video was picked up by CNN, NBC, and Runners World.
If you'd like to see her marathon video, please click on:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGm0l2tD7o
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SHqnsHi27o
Finally, there are plenty of other videos and comments on her blog:
http://vendelascity.blogspot.com/
Enjoy, and thanks again Wendy!
The first one I want to show is what it looked like at an Aid Station without water:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZTI7Cw0rM
That video was picked up by CNN, NBC, and Runners World.
If you'd like to see her marathon video, please click on:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGm0l2tD7o
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SHqnsHi27o
Finally, there are plenty of other videos and comments on her blog:
http://vendelascity.blogspot.com/
Enjoy, and thanks again Wendy!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Back from the Windy City...
Well, I'm back. I'm working on getting the pics up to my web site. I can't believe I took almost 200 pictures! Geez! I gotta say that Chicago was a great city. We had so much fun, and barely scratched the surface on places to visit or restaurants to try. However, I think we did a pretty good job of it.
Personally, I'm still a little down about not being able to complete the race. I have read numerous stories about what happened in Chicago. There seems to be 2 camps: Blame the officials or blame the runners. Obviously, I fall into the "blame the officials" side of things.
You see, I did everything that was required of me. I trained. I didn't decide to get up and go run a marathon that morning just on a whim. Becky and I have been dedicated to this cause. We put in countless hours and miles in adverse conditions. We ran in Dallas in hot and humid temps just like these (see any of my running blogs below). And we did this by listening to our bodies and being responsible. We didn't push ourselves beyond what we could do... we planned each and every run.
Even on our worst runs, we would say, "At least Chicago will be cool and not humid." We also said that it will have water every 2 miles. That's how we trained. We would run about 2 miles and hit the water fountains at White Rock Lake. So even though the conditions were bad, we still expected water to be available for us.
That's why I personally blame the organizers. The Hawaii race official was there and he said they have water stations every mile because they have, traditionally, the hottest marathon. They also start at 5 AM. The Chicago officials push the blame on the runners for taking 2-3 cups of water and in a lot of cases, pouring the water over their heads.
Why are we getting blamed for that? This is normal when you run in extreme conditions. You have to cool yourself. People were at the hospital with body temperatures of 107 degrees. You also have to drink more than a dixie cup of water when you're pouring sweat. I just don't get it...
Anyway, I'm probably going to go for the White Rock Marathon on December 9th. I've pushed too hard and too long for this to just go out and end on a "Fun Run," as they turned the Chicago Marathon into.
Believe me... there wasn't anything "fun" about that...
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Still in Chicago...
Read my blog below... then click on this link:
http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=164426
As God is my witness... there was no water. The race officials say "we had adequate supplies of water." Well, explain that to me. I was at the 2nd water station and the tables were overturned. NOBODY got water. The 3rd water station around the 6-mile mark I received about a Dixie cup full of water. Ok, "Race Official," you tell me: How would you feel after running 6 miles in high temperatures and high humidity how YOU would feel when you get to these stations? That's about 1 hour of running and you have NO water. To quote most people who endured what I did for the race, "The people of Chicago were incredible... the race organizers were pathetic." How in the hell do you drop the ball like this? The Chicago Marathon is touted as one of the best "organized" marathons and you don't have water for people who run a 10-minute or slower pace? That's ridiculous! We have trained for at least 6 months... you say that you had "adequate" water at the stations? Well, run what I did. I didn't have water at the 4 mile station... I witnessed numerous people drinking CHOLORINARTED water in Lincoln Park... and when I got to the 6-mile station they gave us next to nothing. It wasn't until the 8-mile station that I received what I needed... and that was after going through it TWICE!
This as absolutely the worst planned marathon I have ever heard of. How in the hell can you put something like that on at the 3oth Anniversary and not have a better plan for water stations? You KNEW it was going to be hot! You KNEW the humidity was going to be high! Why didn't you add more water stations instead of the 15? You increased the participants this year from 40,000 to 45,000. Did you not prepare? Did you not think that the added amount of runners would deplete the aid stations? Especially in this heat?
A lot of people have said, "You prepared in Texas. You ran in the heat. You ran in the humidity? So, what was the problem?" The problem was I planned on having water every 2 miles... not having to beg for water from home owners, spectators, and anyone else that was along the way. To think I was looking at pond water and thinking, "I can drink that!" is deplorable...
So my goal this year was to run a marathon. Thanks Lasalle Chicago Marathon... you defeated my goal... and thousands of others!
http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=164426
As God is my witness... there was no water. The race officials say "we had adequate supplies of water." Well, explain that to me. I was at the 2nd water station and the tables were overturned. NOBODY got water. The 3rd water station around the 6-mile mark I received about a Dixie cup full of water. Ok, "Race Official," you tell me: How would you feel after running 6 miles in high temperatures and high humidity how YOU would feel when you get to these stations? That's about 1 hour of running and you have NO water. To quote most people who endured what I did for the race, "The people of Chicago were incredible... the race organizers were pathetic." How in the hell do you drop the ball like this? The Chicago Marathon is touted as one of the best "organized" marathons and you don't have water for people who run a 10-minute or slower pace? That's ridiculous! We have trained for at least 6 months... you say that you had "adequate" water at the stations? Well, run what I did. I didn't have water at the 4 mile station... I witnessed numerous people drinking CHOLORINARTED water in Lincoln Park... and when I got to the 6-mile station they gave us next to nothing. It wasn't until the 8-mile station that I received what I needed... and that was after going through it TWICE!
This as absolutely the worst planned marathon I have ever heard of. How in the hell can you put something like that on at the 3oth Anniversary and not have a better plan for water stations? You KNEW it was going to be hot! You KNEW the humidity was going to be high! Why didn't you add more water stations instead of the 15? You increased the participants this year from 40,000 to 45,000. Did you not prepare? Did you not think that the added amount of runners would deplete the aid stations? Especially in this heat?
A lot of people have said, "You prepared in Texas. You ran in the heat. You ran in the humidity? So, what was the problem?" The problem was I planned on having water every 2 miles... not having to beg for water from home owners, spectators, and anyone else that was along the way. To think I was looking at pond water and thinking, "I can drink that!" is deplorable...
So my goal this year was to run a marathon. Thanks Lasalle Chicago Marathon... you defeated my goal... and thousands of others!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Hell on Earth... a.k.a. "The Chicago Marathon"
I don't know how to begin this... it's the day after, and I'm still in a "fog" as to what I went through in yesterday's Chicago Marathon. I guess I'll just start from the beginning.
Chandra and I met Becky and Kevin at the gear check area around 7 AM. The temperature seemed to be in the 70s, and the humidity was up a bit. But, nothing unbearable. We found the spot that we wanted to pace ourselves (4:45), and stood around with the thousands before the start. The atmosphere was festive, the runners were excited, and the music was blaring. We were both nervous, but excited.
When we crossed the Start Line, it was already 20 minutes into the race. We started jogging north through the city. Within the first mile, as we were running under bridges and between the buildings, I was feeling extremely heated. The windy city was lacking in any sort of breeze. I was just hoping it would get better as we came out of the buildings.
We came across our first water station at mile 2. Becky asked if I wanted it, and I said I'd wait until the next one (mile 4). That's about what our training called for, so I didn't want to deviate. Well, as we were approaching, I told Becky, "Ok... I REALLY need some water." Unfortunately, it was not going to happen.
We came to the station and all of the tables were turned over. I quickly realized that meant they weren't serving. Thousands of cups were on the ground, and they had no water... no gatorade. It was so deflating... and defeating.
Around mile 5.5 I was having serious problems. I was getting dizzy, I was drenched in sweat (probably as soaked as I look after 12 miles!), and I felt my system was starting to shut down. I told Becky I needed to walk, and I'd catch up with her at the next water station. This was when I started seeing "strange" things that would become normal later in the race: Tons of people were running to decorative water fountains (the ones you toss pennies into) and were drinking the water! THAT'S how thirsty everyone was!
Around 6 I came across a water station. I'm not trying to make light of it, but it looked like most people (including me) were walking around with empty cups just begging for any fluid as if we were in a concentration camp. I got about half a cup because they were yelling stuff like "That's it! No more!" They'd tell us to keep walking to the end of the table, but there was nothing.
So I just kept running... but was going VERY slow and walked multiple times. Becky and I hadn't hooked up, so I knew I'd be doing this on my own. As we came into Lincoln Park, I was suffering big time. I literally was thinking, "I know Chandra/Kevin are at Mile 12. I can quit there." Yeah... quit! That's what was going through my mind because I, along with hundreds of other runners, were having serious problems.
At mile 8 there was another aid station. It's in an area called "Boys Town." This was supposed to be a very entertaining part of the race - with guy's dressed as cheerleaders and lots of music and huge crowds. Well, while that was going on I saw tons of people doing random acts of kindness: Handing out bottles of water to strangers, bringing out hoses to pour for runners, etc. When I got to this aid station, I actually went through it twice. I was so low on my electrolytes. I just filled up and kept going. Walking/running. Around mile 9 I saw my time and realized I was at least 20 minutes slower than I normally run 9. Oh well. I still had the thought that I was going to quit.
Around 10 I hit another aid station. This was the first one that I felt, "Ok... I'm feeling better." I drank some gatorade here (a rarity!) and made sure that I said "Thank You" to anyone who gave me water. The volunteers had no idea how thankful we were...
Well, I was feeling good going into 11 and now I was getting into the "zone." At 12, back in the city, I ran into Kevin and Chandra. They started screaming and I ran to them to receive new sweat bands and a bottle of water. They told me Becky was about 15 minutes ahead of me and that she wasn't pushing for a time... just to complete. Well, seeing them pumped me up! I left and was like, "I can do this!"
Shortly thereafter I hit the halfway point: 13.1. It was great and then I could go, "Less than half to go." Now we were out of the city again and this is where it started getting strange. I saw numerous people on the side of the road lying around. They were either being attended to by EMS folks, or were about to be. I saw one lady on a stretcher and she was as white as ghost.
While this seemed strange, I just kept going. And like I said earlier, it became the "normal." I'd just be running and constantly seeing scenes like this. Ambulances were constantly screaming their sirens, people would be just lying flat on their backs, and of course... no water! You'd go through these neighborhoods and people were bringing out water from their homes in pitchers. Garden hoses were being strung into the street to either spray runners or fill their cups (which you had to start carrying because they were running out of cups!). It was incredible.
But oddly enough, I felt fine now. I was running carrying a bottle of water and I'd drink from that between aid stations. And at the aid stations I'd drink as much as I could get. People were incredibly encouraging, too.
So I kept going. 14 came and went. When I hit 15 I thought, Ok... 11 to go. That was the same thought when I hit 16 - just 10 left. I really thought, "Ok... no problem. I'm doing this." My knees were sore, but I had it all under control.
Then, just after 16, I came to this intersection and I noticed all of these people yelling at these cops because they wanted to turn right. I thought, "What... they aren't letting them go to the toilets?" And then I'd see them point and say "Keep going straight." So, I just kept following the hundreds of people that were around me.
Well, a few blocks into this stretch we noticed there weren't any spectators. Everyone started looking at each other and talking: "What's going on? Did we miss a turn?" Then someone said, "They said to just stay straight and you'll go into Grant Park" - where we started/finished. I looked down and I was about 16.5 miles. I was like, "What? You mean we're not going to finish the race?"
Nobody knew what was going on. All we knew is we weren't on the course anymore. We were running through the streets of Chicago and avoiding cars! The hundreds thinned as people became disappointed... and then I realized it was me and about 5 others. We'd be running down Jackson street and people would look and start clapping... although they looked at us very confused because they knew we were off the course.
I was SO mad... since I didn't know what was going on, I just thought that they had diverted us the wrong way. My pace picked up to keep up with these other runners because I had no idea where I was. Just before we entered the park, a guy asked me at the light, "Hey, is it true? Did they cancel the race?" We all looked and thought, "Oh... maybe that's what's going on."
I then ran with this group through the starting line... imagine that! We're running the opposite way. People started saying stuff like, "You're going the wrong way!" Well, we ran past the gear check area and then passed people handing out the medals and the fruit and the drinks to the runners who were completing the run. All the while, people saying "You're going the wrong way" yet we were doing what we were told to. After running through the Finish Line the wrong way, we went pretty far out and then turned around to go back through it.
So, I got my medal. I ran just over 19 miles. People were saying, "Congratulations!" and I felt like it was hollow. I also realized I was at least an hour earlier than Becky was to arrive (3:55) and I didn't know how to contact Kevin or Chandra.
I ended up going to a runner reunite section under the letters Q-R and waited there. I didn't know their numbers, so I thought of the one number I knew: Rob's. I borrowed a phone and called him in Dallas to call Kevin to tell him where I was. As I stood there for about 30 minutes, I turn around and there is Cara! I couldn't believe it! She wasn't supposed to come down until later that day, but she wanted to see the ending. What an ending she saw!
Well, we finally all met up. Becky said that when she got into China Town it was like a war zone. There was no water for her, and people were dropping like flies. As most of you know, someone died yesterday and it was at mile 18. Really sad. I just gotta think that it could have been prevented.
I'll write more later... but so far that's what happened. Oh, and go to the Chicago Tribune to see the pictures and read the stories of how bad it was:
www.chicagotribune.com
Chandra and I met Becky and Kevin at the gear check area around 7 AM. The temperature seemed to be in the 70s, and the humidity was up a bit. But, nothing unbearable. We found the spot that we wanted to pace ourselves (4:45), and stood around with the thousands before the start. The atmosphere was festive, the runners were excited, and the music was blaring. We were both nervous, but excited.
When we crossed the Start Line, it was already 20 minutes into the race. We started jogging north through the city. Within the first mile, as we were running under bridges and between the buildings, I was feeling extremely heated. The windy city was lacking in any sort of breeze. I was just hoping it would get better as we came out of the buildings.
We came across our first water station at mile 2. Becky asked if I wanted it, and I said I'd wait until the next one (mile 4). That's about what our training called for, so I didn't want to deviate. Well, as we were approaching, I told Becky, "Ok... I REALLY need some water." Unfortunately, it was not going to happen.
We came to the station and all of the tables were turned over. I quickly realized that meant they weren't serving. Thousands of cups were on the ground, and they had no water... no gatorade. It was so deflating... and defeating.
Around mile 5.5 I was having serious problems. I was getting dizzy, I was drenched in sweat (probably as soaked as I look after 12 miles!), and I felt my system was starting to shut down. I told Becky I needed to walk, and I'd catch up with her at the next water station. This was when I started seeing "strange" things that would become normal later in the race: Tons of people were running to decorative water fountains (the ones you toss pennies into) and were drinking the water! THAT'S how thirsty everyone was!
Around 6 I came across a water station. I'm not trying to make light of it, but it looked like most people (including me) were walking around with empty cups just begging for any fluid as if we were in a concentration camp. I got about half a cup because they were yelling stuff like "That's it! No more!" They'd tell us to keep walking to the end of the table, but there was nothing.
So I just kept running... but was going VERY slow and walked multiple times. Becky and I hadn't hooked up, so I knew I'd be doing this on my own. As we came into Lincoln Park, I was suffering big time. I literally was thinking, "I know Chandra/Kevin are at Mile 12. I can quit there." Yeah... quit! That's what was going through my mind because I, along with hundreds of other runners, were having serious problems.
At mile 8 there was another aid station. It's in an area called "Boys Town." This was supposed to be a very entertaining part of the race - with guy's dressed as cheerleaders and lots of music and huge crowds. Well, while that was going on I saw tons of people doing random acts of kindness: Handing out bottles of water to strangers, bringing out hoses to pour for runners, etc. When I got to this aid station, I actually went through it twice. I was so low on my electrolytes. I just filled up and kept going. Walking/running. Around mile 9 I saw my time and realized I was at least 20 minutes slower than I normally run 9. Oh well. I still had the thought that I was going to quit.
Around 10 I hit another aid station. This was the first one that I felt, "Ok... I'm feeling better." I drank some gatorade here (a rarity!) and made sure that I said "Thank You" to anyone who gave me water. The volunteers had no idea how thankful we were...
Well, I was feeling good going into 11 and now I was getting into the "zone." At 12, back in the city, I ran into Kevin and Chandra. They started screaming and I ran to them to receive new sweat bands and a bottle of water. They told me Becky was about 15 minutes ahead of me and that she wasn't pushing for a time... just to complete. Well, seeing them pumped me up! I left and was like, "I can do this!"
Shortly thereafter I hit the halfway point: 13.1. It was great and then I could go, "Less than half to go." Now we were out of the city again and this is where it started getting strange. I saw numerous people on the side of the road lying around. They were either being attended to by EMS folks, or were about to be. I saw one lady on a stretcher and she was as white as ghost.
While this seemed strange, I just kept going. And like I said earlier, it became the "normal." I'd just be running and constantly seeing scenes like this. Ambulances were constantly screaming their sirens, people would be just lying flat on their backs, and of course... no water! You'd go through these neighborhoods and people were bringing out water from their homes in pitchers. Garden hoses were being strung into the street to either spray runners or fill their cups (which you had to start carrying because they were running out of cups!). It was incredible.
But oddly enough, I felt fine now. I was running carrying a bottle of water and I'd drink from that between aid stations. And at the aid stations I'd drink as much as I could get. People were incredibly encouraging, too.
So I kept going. 14 came and went. When I hit 15 I thought, Ok... 11 to go. That was the same thought when I hit 16 - just 10 left. I really thought, "Ok... no problem. I'm doing this." My knees were sore, but I had it all under control.
Then, just after 16, I came to this intersection and I noticed all of these people yelling at these cops because they wanted to turn right. I thought, "What... they aren't letting them go to the toilets?" And then I'd see them point and say "Keep going straight." So, I just kept following the hundreds of people that were around me.
Well, a few blocks into this stretch we noticed there weren't any spectators. Everyone started looking at each other and talking: "What's going on? Did we miss a turn?" Then someone said, "They said to just stay straight and you'll go into Grant Park" - where we started/finished. I looked down and I was about 16.5 miles. I was like, "What? You mean we're not going to finish the race?"
Nobody knew what was going on. All we knew is we weren't on the course anymore. We were running through the streets of Chicago and avoiding cars! The hundreds thinned as people became disappointed... and then I realized it was me and about 5 others. We'd be running down Jackson street and people would look and start clapping... although they looked at us very confused because they knew we were off the course.
I was SO mad... since I didn't know what was going on, I just thought that they had diverted us the wrong way. My pace picked up to keep up with these other runners because I had no idea where I was. Just before we entered the park, a guy asked me at the light, "Hey, is it true? Did they cancel the race?" We all looked and thought, "Oh... maybe that's what's going on."
I then ran with this group through the starting line... imagine that! We're running the opposite way. People started saying stuff like, "You're going the wrong way!" Well, we ran past the gear check area and then passed people handing out the medals and the fruit and the drinks to the runners who were completing the run. All the while, people saying "You're going the wrong way" yet we were doing what we were told to. After running through the Finish Line the wrong way, we went pretty far out and then turned around to go back through it.
So, I got my medal. I ran just over 19 miles. People were saying, "Congratulations!" and I felt like it was hollow. I also realized I was at least an hour earlier than Becky was to arrive (3:55) and I didn't know how to contact Kevin or Chandra.
I ended up going to a runner reunite section under the letters Q-R and waited there. I didn't know their numbers, so I thought of the one number I knew: Rob's. I borrowed a phone and called him in Dallas to call Kevin to tell him where I was. As I stood there for about 30 minutes, I turn around and there is Cara! I couldn't believe it! She wasn't supposed to come down until later that day, but she wanted to see the ending. What an ending she saw!
Well, we finally all met up. Becky said that when she got into China Town it was like a war zone. There was no water for her, and people were dropping like flies. As most of you know, someone died yesterday and it was at mile 18. Really sad. I just gotta think that it could have been prevented.
I'll write more later... but so far that's what happened. Oh, and go to the Chicago Tribune to see the pictures and read the stories of how bad it was:
www.chicagotribune.com
Friday, October 5, 2007
Forecast calls for heat and humidity...
For those that are following me on Sunday during the run, know this: It's going to be "business as usual." Becky and I have been talking during our runs saying, "At least Chicago won't be this hot or humid!" Last year, Becky ran in temperatures in the 40s.
Not this year. The temps should be in the 80s with "high humidity." I'm not sure of what they call "high" in Chicago, but for me it's anything above 50%. Here is an article that explains it all... especially when it says at the end that the spectators will have good conditions. Ha!
Also, the Cubs will be playing at noon. They say it's going to be a "traffic nightmare." This is a good article, too:
Finally, I'm getting ready to leave. Wow... can't believe it. Words can't describe what I feel as I'm leaving Dallas for this challenge. When I finished the 1999 White Rock Marathon, I always looked back at it as one of those "life" moments. I also thought, "Ok... been there/done that." I didn't think I'd ever put the effort into doing this again. Yet, here I am. This has been an awesome year. A challenging year. But one that, hopefully, will culminate with a joyful run through the streets of Chicago. I hope to soak up everything. Every mile... every cheer. Thank you again to those that have read this blog... encouraged me... and "run" with me. Our training is over. It's time to run the race.
"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." Hebrews 12: 1
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Questions...
I've been asked a lot of questions lately. Most of them seem to be around one central theme:
"Are you ready?"
Am I? Good question. I've been thinking about it. Obviously, as noted below, there's nothing else I can do. Quantitatively, I've logged a heck of a lot of miles. To prepare for a marathon, the training program has you running two separate plans: Buildup and Marathon Training.
The Buildup portion consumed about 344 miles of my time. That was the running and cross-training totals I completed from January through May. And, as most of you know, I ran a Half-Marathon in April. So, I wasn't even ready to start the Marathon Training portion of this plan at that point. The hard part hadn't even arrived yet.
The Marathon Training program is brutal. It took place during the heat of the summer. Specifically, the heat of the DALLAS summer. While it was a milder summer than usual, I still had to endure heat and humidity. To fight the heat, we ran at 5:30 AM every Sunday morning. To reach that time, I had to wake up around 4:00 AM. Whew... glad those days are over!
This stretch of running took place from June and actually ends tonight (when I run my 4 miles). I logged almost 500 miles during this span. Unfortunately, that's about 100 or so miles less than what I should have run. Hmm...
The difficult part of the Marathon Training is time. It takes a lot of time to say, "Hey... I'm gonna go out and run 16... 17... 18 miles." When we ran our 21-miler a few weeks ago, it took us 3 hours 52 minutes. Think about how long that is: You could sit through about 2 movies!
I've also gone through 3 pairs of shoes, 3 iPods, about a hundred band-aids, 5 toenails, gallons of sweat, and of course... 1 bloody stump of a nipple (Hey, they grow back!) Even as we speak, I'm heading into the race with only 3 toenails on my right foot.
I've also been asked if I'm nervous. YES! I'm scared to death! I've never run in Chicago, I don't know what the course will be like, I'm hoping the 21 miles was enough to carry me into it, and I'm totally watching everything I'm eating and drinking right now "hoping to find an edge."
They say the night before the race is the most difficult to sleep. Well, this week has been rough. I keep thinking about it which prolongs the insomnia. I hope that I will have a fantastic run - one in which I look up and suddenly go, "Hey... we're over 20 miles and I feel great!" But if that doesn't happen, I've been given some awesome advice: Just adapt and make the best of it.
Nothing can be accomplished with worry. I can't make it better. I can't prepare any more. So why worry? Why focus on the negative. I need to focus on the positive! I've had an amazing year! I can't emphasize enough how much of a stress-breaker it is to run off your day! And to me, what started out as a way to lose weight has turned into a competitive thing of "I want to finish what I started." So, Sunday I will know.
Beyond the race, I'm looking forward to my vacation. I'm looking forward to being with my friends and sharing some good meals and beverages. I'm especially thankful to those that are making an extra effort: Specifically Chandra, who is flying up to cheer us on! Cara is also driving in from the suburbs of Chicago to hang and cheer, too! So overall, I'm excited... and thrilled... anxious!
So where am I? Am I ready? Am I nervous? Am I going to make it?
"Are you ready?"
Am I? Good question. I've been thinking about it. Obviously, as noted below, there's nothing else I can do. Quantitatively, I've logged a heck of a lot of miles. To prepare for a marathon, the training program has you running two separate plans: Buildup and Marathon Training.
The Buildup portion consumed about 344 miles of my time. That was the running and cross-training totals I completed from January through May. And, as most of you know, I ran a Half-Marathon in April. So, I wasn't even ready to start the Marathon Training portion of this plan at that point. The hard part hadn't even arrived yet.
The Marathon Training program is brutal. It took place during the heat of the summer. Specifically, the heat of the DALLAS summer. While it was a milder summer than usual, I still had to endure heat and humidity. To fight the heat, we ran at 5:30 AM every Sunday morning. To reach that time, I had to wake up around 4:00 AM. Whew... glad those days are over!
This stretch of running took place from June and actually ends tonight (when I run my 4 miles). I logged almost 500 miles during this span. Unfortunately, that's about 100 or so miles less than what I should have run. Hmm...
The difficult part of the Marathon Training is time. It takes a lot of time to say, "Hey... I'm gonna go out and run 16... 17... 18 miles." When we ran our 21-miler a few weeks ago, it took us 3 hours 52 minutes. Think about how long that is: You could sit through about 2 movies!
I've also gone through 3 pairs of shoes, 3 iPods, about a hundred band-aids, 5 toenails, gallons of sweat, and of course... 1 bloody stump of a nipple (Hey, they grow back!) Even as we speak, I'm heading into the race with only 3 toenails on my right foot.
I've also been asked if I'm nervous. YES! I'm scared to death! I've never run in Chicago, I don't know what the course will be like, I'm hoping the 21 miles was enough to carry me into it, and I'm totally watching everything I'm eating and drinking right now "hoping to find an edge."
They say the night before the race is the most difficult to sleep. Well, this week has been rough. I keep thinking about it which prolongs the insomnia. I hope that I will have a fantastic run - one in which I look up and suddenly go, "Hey... we're over 20 miles and I feel great!" But if that doesn't happen, I've been given some awesome advice: Just adapt and make the best of it.
Nothing can be accomplished with worry. I can't make it better. I can't prepare any more. So why worry? Why focus on the negative. I need to focus on the positive! I've had an amazing year! I can't emphasize enough how much of a stress-breaker it is to run off your day! And to me, what started out as a way to lose weight has turned into a competitive thing of "I want to finish what I started." So, Sunday I will know.
Beyond the race, I'm looking forward to my vacation. I'm looking forward to being with my friends and sharing some good meals and beverages. I'm especially thankful to those that are making an extra effort: Specifically Chandra, who is flying up to cheer us on! Cara is also driving in from the suburbs of Chicago to hang and cheer, too! So overall, I'm excited... and thrilled... anxious!
So where am I? Am I ready? Am I nervous? Am I going to make it?
Ready or Not, Here I Come!!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Just A Few More Bumps and We're Haulin' the Mail...
As most people know, one of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. I'm a HUGE fan of the space program - it still amazes me that we accomplished what we did by sending Americans into space, landing on the moon, etc. It just goes to show you that if you set a goal, with dedication and hard work, you can accomplish anything.
With that said, before running the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon back in April, I was standing in the corral with Jason and Chandra. Here we were, looking out at a sea of 21,000+ runners in front of us, and we were slowly approaching the starting line. As we were walking, I thought of all of the training I had done since January to get to this point. I looked at them and said, "Just a few more bumps and we're haulin' the mail." Both of them looked at me with that "deer in the headlights" look. Chandra said, "What are you talking about?"
If you remember in the movie, all 3 astronauts are sitting there waiting to blast off. There are some sounds going on with the rocket, and that's when Tom Hanks utters that line. Do you know what that meant? Think of it this way: The 3 of them had trained extensively for this mission. They had practiced and practiced their various responsibilities before the mission. They knew each other's roles so perfectly, they could predict what the other person would do in any situation.
To be lying on their backs and hear that phrase meant it was over. There was no more training to be done. They were simply waiting for someone to push the button and send them out on their mission. In essence, they had completed their training.
Well, that's where I am right now. There's nothing else I can do to improve my marathon training. At this point, I'm basically done. I ran a 6-mile run tonight. Tomorrow I'm running 2. And Thursday night I'm running 4. So that's it... a meager six miles is all that separates me right now before I cross that START line. After that, I'm haulin' the mail!
What a journey. I'm sure a lot of people thought I was crazy when I said I was going to run a marathon this year. Heck, if I heard "me" say that I'd go, "Yeah right... keep talking fatty!" I remember after making that exclamation on New Year's Eve and then actually struggling to run 1.5 miles two days later, I thought, "Oh man... can I even do this?"
So here I am... on the cusp of running my 2nd marathon. Can I do this? Have I trained enough? Will my knees hold up? Will I disappoint my running partner? Will I see that Finish Line? These are the questions that are going through my mind this week.
And Sunday I'll have all the answers. But I do know this... just a few more "bumps" and it's time to blast off... and COMPLETE this mission! Oh, and one more thing: Thanks again to those who have supported/encouraged me this year.
You've been my Mission Control!
With that said, before running the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon back in April, I was standing in the corral with Jason and Chandra. Here we were, looking out at a sea of 21,000+ runners in front of us, and we were slowly approaching the starting line. As we were walking, I thought of all of the training I had done since January to get to this point. I looked at them and said, "Just a few more bumps and we're haulin' the mail." Both of them looked at me with that "deer in the headlights" look. Chandra said, "What are you talking about?"
If you remember in the movie, all 3 astronauts are sitting there waiting to blast off. There are some sounds going on with the rocket, and that's when Tom Hanks utters that line. Do you know what that meant? Think of it this way: The 3 of them had trained extensively for this mission. They had practiced and practiced their various responsibilities before the mission. They knew each other's roles so perfectly, they could predict what the other person would do in any situation.
To be lying on their backs and hear that phrase meant it was over. There was no more training to be done. They were simply waiting for someone to push the button and send them out on their mission. In essence, they had completed their training.
Well, that's where I am right now. There's nothing else I can do to improve my marathon training. At this point, I'm basically done. I ran a 6-mile run tonight. Tomorrow I'm running 2. And Thursday night I'm running 4. So that's it... a meager six miles is all that separates me right now before I cross that START line. After that, I'm haulin' the mail!
What a journey. I'm sure a lot of people thought I was crazy when I said I was going to run a marathon this year. Heck, if I heard "me" say that I'd go, "Yeah right... keep talking fatty!" I remember after making that exclamation on New Year's Eve and then actually struggling to run 1.5 miles two days later, I thought, "Oh man... can I even do this?"
So here I am... on the cusp of running my 2nd marathon. Can I do this? Have I trained enough? Will my knees hold up? Will I disappoint my running partner? Will I see that Finish Line? These are the questions that are going through my mind this week.
And Sunday I'll have all the answers. But I do know this... just a few more "bumps" and it's time to blast off... and COMPLETE this mission! Oh, and one more thing: Thanks again to those who have supported/encouraged me this year.
You've been my Mission Control!
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