Rachel's Marathon Blog

Tackling the first marathon...

Saturday, January 29, 2005

running and personality types

Yesterday I felt completely out-of-sorts. I had a good, physically draining Pilates session but no running (I don't run every day), and as the day wore on everything seemed to be putting me in a bad mood-- bad weather, bad traffic, bad meetings, bad movie selection at the video store. I tried telling myself that I had nothing to get upset about and no legitimate reasons to feel mad at the world, but to no avail. I was glad to get the day over with.

Today, by contrast, was terrific, and I can't help but wonder if running was that magic bullet that started things out right. I went for a six mile run and the weather was fine-- partly sunny but not too hot, breezy, just the right weather to cruise along in a tank top and shorts and feel perfectly comfortable. Later some friends and I went to a cultural festival in honor of the novelist Zora Neale Hurston. Isaac Hayes of "Shaft" fame was singing live, there was jerk chicken on offer, people dressed in colorful outfits, and lots of cool Afro-centric art and jewelry. While the rest of the South experiences ice storms, the weather in Florida continued to be balmy and nice.

I sometimes wonder if running attracts a particular personality type. While I try as hard as possible to give the impression of being a laid-back person, I know deep down that I'm very anxious, and I've found that running is a good thing because it forces me to chill out. Running reduces my anxieties, boosts my moods, and somehow makes it easier to handle whatever curve balls life throws me. The more serious I get about running, the more it seems to have this effect. Is this true for others who love running?

Friday, January 28, 2005

goodbye marathon weight!

This was the first full week of classes at the college where I teach, and since I'm not yet an old hand at teaching, I feel extremely stressed at the beginning of the term. I spend several hours preparing for a single class, rereading the books I've assigned because I can't remember their content, thinking of clever visual aids I could bring into the classroom to keep everyone awake. Our email accounts are flooded with notices about meetings, places we need to be, lectures we really should attend, committees we should consider joining. Students are dropping and adding classes like mad, and when they leave your class, it's hard not to take it personally. I'm constantly trying to strike a balance between being tough but not so tough that everyone is afraid to take my classes. All of this is very stressful, but when a class goes well, I feel great. As I was commenting on April Anne's website, it's almost like experiencing a good run. When they're bad (classes or runs), it lowers your mood for the rest of the day.

I have very little energy for running at the end of the day, so I try to run early. It's amazing how much energy that gives me to start my day. Now that school's back in session, I have access to free strength training, yoga and pilates classes again, which is a nice perk. I've managed to lose seven of the ten marathon pounds so far, and my strategy has been to find foods that will help me make it through the day without feeling too miserable and hungry. I've discovered the amazing power of oatmeal-- it doesn't have too many calories and seems to be the one thing I can eat that will keep me going for several hours without getting hungry. I like the slow-cooking oatmeal as opposed to instant.

I'm also discovering which lean cuisine-style frozen dinners I can take for lunch that have relatively few calories and don't taste like a few rubbery noodles with ketchup on top. (Favorite so far-- Healthy Choice Chicken Fettucine Alfredo-- 280 calories), or else I just eat yogurt. I've cut down somewhat on my beloved carbs, but it seems to be working. And next weekend is the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa, where I'll try to run a half marathon, so that will give me the excuse to bring back the carbs for a few days. I believe a few other RBF'ers are running in one of the many Gasparilla races next weekend-- let me know if you're going to be there.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

small milestones, two weeks since Marathon

I had a small running milestone of sorts today-- I ran ten miles by myself. Since all my long runs prior to the marathon were with other runners doing Team In Training, I had never really gone that far on my own. Back in 1999 I remember running 7 or 8 miles alone once. Somehow I had convinced myself that running long distances alone would be boring, and that I would only be entertained if I had someone to talk to. I loved running 3-5 miles alone, but it stopped there.

Today I was testing the waters for a half marathon in Tampa that's in two weeks. If the IT band in my knee started bothering me during the run, I wouldn't register. But although I sort of became aware of the IT band around the fourth mile of my run, I stretched a bit and it never really started hurting. I wonder if that's okay-- slight discomfort but no pain.

The weather changed during the run, but this time I was prepared. Clouds and temperatures of about sixty gave way to clear skies, wind, and a drop to the low fifties. It was very comfortable, except for the wind toward the end. Hardly anyone was out on the trail-- I think there was a 5K going on somewhere. I listened to my beloved iPod the whole way (dance music, hip hop, and reggaeton today) and generally just felt good about life.


Thursday, January 20, 2005

pilates

I took a four-day break from running when I still felt the IT band bothering me on my first four mile venture since the Disney Marathon. I've been following the ITB exercises I found on Jon's web page, which are supposed to strengthen affected areas to prevent injury... On Tuesday, I went to a pilates class, and I was amazed at how good it felt. Difficult, but good. I had done pilates before, but I want to go more regularly. A few of the exercises we did were actually similar to ITB exercises, and overall, I could really feel how the whole pilates regime strengthens the core, which is not separate from legs and feet but integral to their effective functioning. I like the pace of pilates too; it doesn't bore me. Yesterday I ran 3 miles for the first time since Saturday and had no problems. I'm hoping for similar luck today-- then maybe 10-12 miles on Saturday?! Still trying to test the waters for the half marathon in Tampa for early February... but I don't want to go if it's somehow going to interfere with marathon recovery.

I mentioned before that I'd gained 10 pounds since marathon training began in October. This is apparently a common phenomenon for some, but it's no fun when all your clothes get too tight, despite the fact you know you're in great shape. Interestingly, four pounds disappeared right away, which could have been water weight/carbo loading. I've been working on the rest of the weight for about a week now. Diets are a drag, but I'm trying to avoid sugar and simple carbs, at least until I can get back to where I was before. Someone told me if you eat immediately after running in the morning, it staves off mad cravings later in the day, and I actually found that to be the case...

Monday, January 17, 2005

running book recommendations

Time for a new running book to devour... I can feel myself longing for a new perspective on running.

But which to order? Chi running? Running injury free? Glover's The Competitive Runner's Handbook?

Some recent purchases of my own: I loved Bob Glover's The Runner's Handbook, which was like an encyclopedia to answer all my questions about marathon training. First Marathons was nice, but the stories started to blend into one another after awhile, and it seemed like too many of the "first marathoners" were "average" people who mostly ran their first marathons in superhuman times. ("There I was, overweight, addicted to cigarettes, never exercised since high school gym class. Six months later, I crossed the finish line-- a Boston qualifying time of 3:37!") I picked up Hal Higdon's Run Fast at the Disney Expo, which will be useful as I work on my speed, but I'm looking for something more.

So what's your favorite book on running? Any suggestions?

Saturday, January 15, 2005

recovering from Disney

Thanks so much for all the comments about my marathon. It was fun to write about it. I was glad I had a busy week at work, since many say that a post-marathon letdown frequently happens after the event has passed.

For the first two days afterward, I experienced the normal soreness in the quads and hamstrings, plus a pain on the outside of my left knee that had been bothering me during the race but was something I had never felt before. I did no running until Thursday, when I ventured around the neighborhood for a little run. I was only able to go one mile-- the knee and feet began to hurt, so I decided running wasn't a good idea.

This morning I met up with my running partner, Susan, and we did an easy four miles. The weather's finally a bit cooler (in the 60s as opposed to 80 every day), so that felt nice. I had hoped to go for six miles but as soon as I felt the new knee pain again I stopped. It's not an unbearable pain, but I'm still not recovered, and it's frustrating that pain disappears elsewhere and then reappears in a new location.

I want to run a half marathon in a few weeks and am wondering if I'll be okay for that. Would I need to force myself to run it slower than I'd like, if it's been less than a month since the marathon? They say that one should take a day of recovery for every mile run in the marathon, but what constitutes hard training, aside from speed, hill work, etc? Distance? Running too fast? No matter how much I read about running, I'm still never quite sure I'm doing it right, because sometimes speed feels good, and the next thing you know, you're injured...

I'm so excited that I met a cool running partner through Team In Training, someone who's serious and wants to keep running together. It's hard to move to a new place and not know any other runners, especially when nobody in your life runs. After our run, we went out for bagels and coffee, which was nice. The RBF is a great venue for sharing that love we all have for running, but it's nice to have people who understand it out in the real world, too!

Friday, January 14, 2005

Disney marathon photos

Here are some links to a few marathon photos... Note how as the sun gets brighter the marathoners seem to look progressively more pained... Note that I'm not including my own "late stage" photos... too unflattering!

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Post-marathon update

I finished. My chip time was 4:46. I set out with a goal of running in 4:30, but as the race went on, my only goal became to finish without throwing up. Running this marathon was the most difficult, arduous task I have ever accomplished in my life. I don't know why I expected it would be easy. Training was fun-- despite the occasional worrisome injuries and runs that didn't go so well, I really enjoyed watching the long miles increase. I felt great during my first half marathon-- the weather was perfect, my pace was at a 9:27 minute-per-mile the whole way, and I ended up with enough energy to run the extra five miles needed for practice.

But the marathon was a different story.

It started out innocuously enough. The night before, all the Central Florida Team In Training participants checked into our Disney hotels and went to a banquet at Epcot to load up on pasta and listen to speakers. Back at the hotel, I set my alarm for 2 a.m., as the bus was picking us up at 3. Three hours of fitful sleep. After a bagel breakfast, I attached my chip, put on my Team In Training jersey with "Rachel" painted across the front, strapped on the GPS, and headed out the door. When we got to the staging area, a large parking lot in Epcot, we wandered around for hours, checking out the other runners, talking, speculating about how the race would go. After walking to my starting corral, my running partner Susan and I waited for the gun to go off. She was wearing a pace band, and I had the GPS.

At 6 a.m. the race started. It was 60 degrees, still pleasant for running. The first mile or so was slow as there were hordes of runners to get through. 24,000 in all, and often the half and full marathoners ran together. We tried to keep a conservative pace-- we were supposed to aim for 10:18 the first mile and we ended up being around 10:10. The next several miles were a similar story. I felt great, loaded up on gels every couple miles, and drank the Gatorade offered by the volunteers. The sun came up, and at one point our Team In Training coach found us and ran with us for a little while. The first 14 miles flew by. At mile 13, just after running through Magic Kingdom, I saw my husband, who was volunteering along the course, and that gave me a big boost. Then my knee and feet started to hurt, in places that had never bothered me before. No problem-- I kept running. At mile 14, my partner needed to use the bathroom. That immediately put us behind schedule by a good minute and a half. We panicked at first and tried to make up for it (big mistake), but as the sun started to bear down harder, I realized that I absolutely couldn't keep the same pace with my friend. I felt sick to my stomach. I told her to go ahead, and at mile 17 we parted.

It wasn't improper nutrition-- I didn't hit the wall. I still could feel that I had energy, but the sun, 80 degree temperatures, and all the gels in my stomach started to make me feel horrible. I doused myself with water at every stop, I ate a salt packet, and I never passed up the opportunity to have a First Aid worker slather green icy pain gel on my left knee. But after Animal Kingdom, which must have been around Mile 16, we were not in any amusement park until the end. Actually, there was MGM, but it seemed to go by all too quickly. I heard a song I liked in MGM and that made me wish I had more music to help me pick up the pace. We were just running under the sun on boulevards that all looked identical. A few spectators and marching bands were stationed along the way, but that didn't make it any easier. I tried thinking of my friend with leukemia in whose honor I was doing the race, and how my own struggle was entirely self-induced. I had to finish for her sake.

By now I was breaking up the running with frequent walk breaks. 80 degrees, probably hotter on asphalt. "You live in Florida, you must be used to it," people said, but I told them that no, it hadn't been that warm during a run for months. I tried to keep up with the same groups of runners who seemed to be stopping and starting as much as I was. I caught up with one guy I'd seen throughout the race and asked him what time he was shooting for. "About 4:20," he told me calmly. "One 10K to go." He was stopping and starting as much as I was, and I'd seen my goal evaporate, but I didn't tell him I thought we were way off. I concentrated on following an older man whose t-shirt proclaimed, "I love you, Rachel." Wasn't a message meant for this Rachel, but it would do. Run, walk, run, walk, try not to get sick. Need something to eat. Not just gels and oranges. Banana, that'll work. Nestle crunch bars? Ugh. Free power gels? I took another and held it, sticky and half-opened, for awhile before finally flinging it down. If I ever saw another gel it was going to be the end of me. Try to run more than walk. 1 mile of running and you can take a walk break. Okay, .75 and then a walk break. And then any other walk break through water stations. More water over the head-- that felt good. Follow the woman in the Tinker Bell costume. Pretend she has some pixie dust to give you energy. Tinker Bell is also taking walk breaks, her gauzy skirt looking wilted.

Finally the miniature empires of Epcot beckoned. I don't know how I made it through the last 9 miles. By now there were more spectators, and I got a lot of "Go, Rachel!" which cheered me up but didn't ease how badly I felt.

At the very end, I caught up with a Team In Training runner I sometimes saw at group runs. I had heard she ran a 10K with an 8:30 pace, same as I did a year ago, so I'd always thought we might finish at the same time. Lo and behold, there she was. I wanted to tell her this but I could barely speak. Gospel choir. Gold robes swaying back and forth, a joyful noise. I could no longer appreciate the entertainment. Mile 26. How long is that .2? Why does my GPS read 26.67? Are the measurements off? Are they trying to torture me? Finally I crossed the finish line. They snapped my photo. Gave me my medal, took my chip, and I stumbled off to the Team In Training tent. I saw my running partner-- she had finished 6 minutes before me, so she must have been having a tough time as well. I borrowed her cell phone to call my husband, who had just arrived in all the chaos and got an automatic text message from Disney that I was done, before he could make it to the finish line. I didn't care. I was so happy to see him. One of my friends from work showed up too. I almost started crying. I was so glad to be done.

The rest of the day I just felt relief. I could not eat anything for several hours, as bad as I knew this was for me, I just felt too sick. I walked around the resort with Susan and we talked about how tough it had been, rehashing every moment of the course as we tried to stave off the inevitable soreness. Finally I ate half a cheeseburger and some salty fries, which tasted wonderful, considering how much salt I'd lost. Later there was a beer, a victory party, and a lot of sleep.

Reflecting on the whole experience, I can't believe how difficult it was, and a part of me wonders if all marathons are that tough, or if it really was simply the stress of trying to run in 80 degree weather. Of course I'll have to find out, and the only way to do that will be to run another one. A different one, not Disney. I'm thinking New York, since I used to live there. Susan wants to keep training together, too.

The Disney race director, when asked to describe marathons, said, "It's like repeatedly hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. When you finally stop, it feels really good."

I am dead near positive I won't become one of those people who runs a marathon every weekend. Half marathons seem like a more manageable distance for me, and I feel fine running for that length of time. However, having now had the experience, I am already coming up with things I'd do differently next time. Maybe I would do a longer training run of 22 or 24 miles. Maybe I wouldn't eat so many gels, but try to get in some real food. But hindsight is... well, you know. I'm not beating myself over the head about any mistakes I might have made-- you don't ask for imperfect weather, either, but you just do your best. Kind of like life itself. I'm still proud. All this week, I've been walking around with the knowledge I ran a marathon. Or rather, I've been stumbling around as stiff as Fred Sanford, knowing that I accomplished something wonderful and insane that only 1% of the population experiences. Now I've got to step back and assess the damage to my body, the weight gain, the nagging injuries, the time spent away from family, and ask myself whether I will do it better or differently next time.

I'll post links to pictures soon...

Friday, January 07, 2005

one last update...

One last update before the Disney Marathon, then I'm off... I woke up in the middle of the night with a slightly sore throat. I had a hard time sleeping after that, but I managed. I'm still not sure whether it's psychological or the real thing, but I have been taking many doses of Cold-eez, Zycam, and lots of citrus fruit, so hopefully I can ward it off.

I went to the Disney Expo today with my running partner to pick up our race packets. The expo was so exciting-- full of running gear and goodies, advertisements for other marathons, and little Mickey Mouse dolls decked out in runner's clothes. (I resisted buying Mickey but did break down and get an overpriced long-sleeve t-shirt with the marathon course map on the back). Our complimentary shirt was a pretty sleek long-sleeved cool weave shirt that I could actually run in. But-- this weekend it will be at least 80. At least I'm used to training in warm weather, although definitely not at my best... not sure how that will feel for those who come from colder parts. This is my first year in Florida, and boy, is it strange how warm it is most of the time.

And most exciting of all, I got to meet Hal Higdon. I bought a copy of one of his books just so I could get him to autograph it, which he did, drawing a little set of Mickey Mouse ears next to his name. He was a slight, unassuming man and seemed very nice--he's running the half marathon tomorrow. I was surprised his table was not mobbed with people.

I'll be staying at Disney all weekend-- strangely, it's somewhat far away from much of Orlando, so Team In Training is putting us up in the resort... Thanks for the good luck wishes!

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Taper madness...

SO MUCH ENERGY!!!! Last night I had trouble sleeping. I usually rely on running to wear me out a little bit, and with the reduced mileage, I'm bouncing off the walls. When I was a kid I would get so excited about my birthday I'd make myself sick. Calm... down..... Breathe...

My friend in whose honor I'm doing this race is having her bone marrow transplant this very weekend. How ironic that it's happening the same time as this race.

We got an email from our Team in Training coach with an article from Jeff Galloway on recovery. I was surprised-- after a marathon, for the long run he says you can run 8-12 miles the next weekend, 12-16 miles the weekend after, 8-12 after that, and then, 28 days later, if you wanted, 20-26 miles... Could a regular marathon be just another long run? I felt strangely excited when I read that... although I still don't even know what a marathon feels like or whether I'll enjoy it...

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

last minute questions

To photograph or not to photograph? I can't decide whether to take a camera along with me on the marathon or not. How do those of you who take pictures as you run do it? (Oliver?) I can't imagine holding a camera while also worrying about opening gel packets, drinking water, etc. I don't like running with a fanny pack, and I've got one of those pairs of shorts with about 5 mesh pockets in it, but none would be large enough to hold a camera. Any ideas?

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

5 days to go...

I went to the doctor's yesterday for a physical and found out that I've gained 10 pounds since I started marathon training. Before I started training, someone gave me an article about this phenomenon, claiming that distance runners are actually malnourished and don't get enough protein. I thought I was getting plenty of protein and avoiding too many carbs, but alas. I've always been good about staying consistently around the same weight, so I'm not happy about this new development. It's not all muscle, either, because I can see my clothes getting tight in non-muscle-y places...

If we're evolutionarily wired to run long distances, my body must be storing up for the long journey it thinks it's going on in search of nuts and berries for the winter.

Oh well, at least I have my health. I'll think about those extra pounds after the marathon.

Monday, January 03, 2005

peanut butter smoothie

I am completely enamored with this recipe for a chocolate-peanut butter smoothie, which is delicious. I believe is intended to replace a meal for the Zone diet, but runners can use it for a power-protein boost that tastes great. I'm all about protein and carbs this week for my taper:

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Smoothie
1 cup 1% milk
2.5 T cocoa powder, unsweetened
2/5 Tblsp fructose (I used 6 packets Splenda, but you should sweeten to taste)
1 3/4 Tblsp peanut butter (any kind will do)
27 g. whey protein powder (1 scoop whey-- preferably natural flavor rather than vanilla)
2 cups crushed ice (Recipe calls for one cup, but I find this does not make it frothy enough)

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Mmmm....

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Seven days and counting...

Today was the last time I would officially meet with my Team In Training buddies for an officially scheduled run-- an 8 miler. We are in the taper, which is going really well, as I have tons of energy and no visible signs of injury. Temperatures were comfortable in the low 60s, and the sun was just rising as we ran past the orange groves and horse pastures on the trail where we always meet. We were taking it easy.

Our coach gave us some last minute tips, but I still have so many questions. I know not to start off too fast, but how fast is too fast? Are the pace calculators that predict your marathon time based on other races accurate? Should I wear my Forerunner GPS? Am I going to hit the wall after Mile 20? Probably these questions will only be answered once I actually experience a marathon. Until then, it's unknown territory. As an article in today's NY Times, about having children, says, "It's like a lot of things: you make it happen, then it happens to you.