Filed under: Encouragement, Lindsey, gym, pain | Tags: elvi, elvis, fitness, half marathon, health, i.t. band, injury, Lindsey, marathon, mastis, patrick, runner's knee, running elvi, spark
It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten on the blog. That’s because I wasn’t able to run the marathon, and it was too hard to write about what I considered a failure. While attempting to run 14 miles on a Saturday long run, pain in my leg became too intense. I got half way around Forest Park and had to stop. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t even walk. Patrick had to run to the car and pick me up.
I took a week off from running, but it didn’t help. Eventually, I went to the doctor and learned I had runner’s knee and had injured my I.T. Band. I started physical therapy, but it became obvious I would not be able to make the marathon. And because the injury was so bad, I couldn’t do a half marathon either.
It’s taken me months, but I’m finally ready to begin running again. I’ve learned a lot from the journey. I’ve always been a sprinter, when it comes to running and everything else in life. I did not pace myself. I approached every run like a race. And I did not stretch properly or enough.
I love to focus on beating my time and have realized a half marathon race is more suited to my personality. Patrick and I are already registered to run the 2008 half marathon in Vegas. We may even join the running Elvi. We are also looking to run another half marathon before the December race.
I’m glad things turned out the way they have because I’ve learned many important lessons about running and about my personality. During the course of our training, we ran three 13-milers, so I’m very excited about running an “official” half marathon!
I’ve also focused on other areas of health and fitness. Yoga has helped my injury and I’m now focusing on becoming more flexible. I’m also taking classes at the gym, using the elliptical, and I have a personal trainer to help modify my workouts so I can gain strength. I’m also using the pool at the gym for a full body challenge.
And, I’ve created a series called “Spark Your Health” to motivate others to get in shape and eat well. I report and anchor on WSIL-TV and this series runs Monday nights. This series is based on the SparkPeople site. More than 700 viewers have joined the online Spark Challenge Team I created online. It’s so inspiring to reach out and help others accomplish personal goals.
Everything is on the up and up. I’m anxious to start running, but it’s still too early and too cold to officially start training. I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and advice. I can’t wait to start blogging about my new journey to half marathon success!
It’s 2:30 p.m. and I’m extremely tired. Patrick and I decided (or had no choice) to run on Sunday. We both felt very sick on Saturday and had to postpone the run. We both had very trying weeks. I only ran about three miles the entire week because I was so busy and stressed. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to finish today’s 15 miler because I didn’t get in my practice runs. But, I did it!
Patrick woke up at 5 a.m. He used several different methods to get me to wake up, including beating on a tambourine. That helped me get into a good mood, but I was still nervous about running. We got to the park around 7 a.m. and ran the first four miles together. I thought I was going to give up. My knees and my feet didn’t hurt, but it was a struggle to keep going. After about seven miles I felt great.
I found my mind wondering while I ran. At times I would find myself thinking, “how did I get here? I don’t remember passing the Planetarium or the stables.” I lucked out when it came to traffic. There were minimal cars and I hit all the green lights– or little blinking signs that looked like people encouraging me to walk.
Unlike Saturdays, there were very few runners. And almost no one said hello. My music gave me encouragement. Then, after a lap and a half, I saw Patrick. He decided to run the last lap the opposite direction of myself. We waved and even high-fived when we saw each other which helped keep me going. The last two miles were horrendous.
I didn’t think I could finish, but I knew the faster I ran, the sooner I’d be done. I just kept pushing it. I found myself praying for my Yia Yia who is in the hospital, and for Patrick’s niece who is having some medical issues. I also prayed that I would be done running soon. I could see the finish line (aka, some bushes, the racquetball courts and a Band-Aide pasted to the ground. Okay, I couldn’t see the Band-Aide, but I knew it was there.)
As soon as I was done, I felt very emotional. Patrick told me about mile 14. Apparently mile 14 is a very difficult mile to get through. I went through it just fine, but as soon as I was done, it caught up with me. I couldn’t catch my breath. I stumbled to the Visitor’s Center and gulped down some cold water from the fountain. I was heading to the bathroom when I felt faint. I thought I might tumble over. I even saw stars. I had to hunch down and try to catch my breath. I still couldn’t.
I went into the restroom and washed my hands and face with cold water. I was still breathing very heave and a woman in a stall asked me if I was alright. I told her I was fine, I had just ran a very long way. She said, “okay.” I went to the car and got my water bottle. I stretched and ate a banana. Finally, I could breath again. I grabbed the water, the bananas, and some bagels and headed back to the Visitor’s Center to wait for Patrick. We cooled down for nearly 45 minutes in there before going home.
Then we went to my favorite place! Red Robin’s. The only bad thing is they don’t have their nutrition information online. But after running 15 miles, it doesn’t really matter. All we care about is an endless bowl of fries with mayo-bbq dipping sauce, and juicy gourmet burgers with glasses of ice water. It was a great day!
I need some inspiration this week, because I want to get excited about being in the Las Vegas Marathon! So, here’s a video clip from last year’s Las Vegas Marathon.
I did it! I ran six miles! Patrick and I woke up early Saturday morning and headed to Forest Park. Shortly after we began running, we were passed by several groups of runners who shouted, “Good Morning, Runners!” I felt so encouraged. It’s the first time I’ve ever been recognized as a runner, and to be recognized by other marathoners made my day!
Patrick forgot his music, so I kept my headphones off. We ran together during the first stretch. Just before we came across steep hills, Patrick gave me some advice. He told me to look down at the path and not up at the gigantic hill. He also told me to press on hard and tackle the hills. I did. I passed him up. He says I took off, but I felt that I just focused. He caught up to me around mile five. It was great to have him by my side.
It was so nice to hear birds, activity in the park and the gentle sound of passing cars. Some parts of the park were quieter than others. As the day grew on, the sun began to rise, and the other runners quit greeting us. It was all about finishing at that point.
As soon as Patrick caught up with me at mile five, we high-fived. That was a very, very bad idea. My body automatically began thinking it was done. I felt the rush of being happy to have accomplished five miles, that I nearly forgot I had one more to go.
The last portion of the run was straight with a slight downhill slope. I dislike straight courses because it feels never ending. It’s hard not to look ahead and see an endless path with no finish line in sight. The only thing that kept me going is thinking I saw the finishing point. Because I have never run the park before, I didn’t quite know how much longer I had to go.
When I finished, Patrick was about a minute behind me. I took off for the visitor’s center for some air conditioning and cold water from the fountain. I felt pain and happiness. I am so happy I completed my first big run. It’s given me confidence.
That night, Patrick and I celebrated our anniversary by going to the Melting Pot. We had the “Big Night Out,” which is a four-course meal that includes cheese fondue, salad, a surf & turf plate, and desert. We had Wisconsin Cheese to start with, followed by a California Salad, then an assortment of lobster, shrimp, filet mignon, fresh tuna, chicken, and beef. To cook it, we used our fondue pot and marinated the meal in Coq Au Vin. For desert, we had “Amaretto Meltdown,” which is a flambéed white chocolate with an assortment of fresh fruit and cakes. We were so stuffed by the end of the meal we both felt sick. But it was worth every bite!
Conditions: 70-something degrees.
Results: 6 miles; 1:06 hours
What I’ll remember the most: Encouragement from fellow runners!
We hit the alarm only once this morning, because we knew it was going to be hot. We ate some breakfast, then drove into the city to run Forest Park. The park is 5.65 miles around, so we backtracked a 1:45 in the beginning. The runners at 8:00am we so nice and encouraging when we started, but as the morning went on, people were less friendly. I started the run with the 15/2 pace (run 15 minutes, rest 2) but towards the end, I was running when I could, then walked for a bit. I finally caught up with Lindsey at Mile 5, where we hi-fived each other, knowing there was only a mile left. But that was a mistake. We celebrated too early, and that last mile seemed to have taken forever to do. Lucky the last mile was under some shady trees. We didn’t have any water during the run, so by the time we got back to the car, we were relieved and refreshed…of course I did waste some…
Conditions: 85 degrees and hazy.
Results: today: 6 miles; total: 15 miles; time: 1:07:58; pace: 11:16
Thoughts: Feels great to be running Forest Park again. This is my home base.
What I’ll remember the most: The smell of those horses from the St. Louis Mounted Police. Blech.
