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!
After Saturday’s run, I was sore. I was sore on Sunday and on Monday, but this morning I woke up and I was cured! I only had slight pain above my left knee. When I went to run late this afternoon, I ran hard. For the first lap–2.2 miles– I was floating. I didn’t feel the ground. I had sunglasses on, so I felt like I was watching a movie. Someone else was running, sweating, feeling pain. Not me. I knew I was making great time. I made myself take a walking break after 15 minutes. Because I felt so strong, I was afraid I may overdo it. After that, it was lap two. I started to feel my legs cramp up during the walk, and when I began to run again, I was going much slower. I felt pain in my knees, my shins. I felt the sweat and the sun beating down. But I continued on. By the time I was rounding out lap two– the final lap– I regained my strength. I finished the 4.4 mile course in just 36 minutes. I ran 8-minute miles! Let’s see how I do tomorrow!
Filed under: Cheat Meal, Lindsey, Long Runs, Road-Running, Travel, pain, video, water bottle
Patrick and I spent the week in Southern Illinois. On Saturday, we carb loaded and headed out to run. This time, we ran a portion of the Tunnel Hill trail. The trail is actually an old railroad bed, so it’s flat and very long. We began in Vienna (pronounced Vie-Anna), and ran to Belknap and back.
Neither of us ran this week. I tried a bit on Friday, but didn’t get too far. Luckily, we were able to finish the 16-miler. We loved running this trail. It felt good to run a softer surface. There are extremely small rock fragments over dirt. And, there were mile markers on the trail! The scenery was also nice. We started off seeing corn fields, ran over several bridges, through a tunnel, saw some horses, ran next to the Cache River Wetlands, which looks like a bright green swamp, and close to a huge tomato garden. There was a detour and we had to run on the road. It was dangerous. A rickety car was inches away from me as it passed going about 65 miles an hour. It didn’t get over. If anything, the driver tried to get close to me to perhaps scare me. It did. I’ve had to cover too many incidents as a reporter where someone gets hurt or even killed because a driver it trying to make a point or be funny. On the way back, I ignored the detour signs and continued on the portion of the trail that was closed. I had to jump over two ravines and cross the railroad tracks. I felt much safer than if I would have had to go on the road again.
I was extremely thirsty during the run. I continuously gulped down water while I was running, and chugged it when I walked. I did a good job at keeping myself hydrated throughout the run, but I really wanted more water. At times, it felt like my heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t catch my breath. I decided to take longer walking breaks, and at one point, I probably walked for 10 minutes straight. I just couldn’t breathe well. Finally, when I was ready to run, my legs began to cramp up. Finishing was difficult. Although I could see the end of the trail, I couldn’t keep my body going. I had to walk.
During the run, I thought some of the twigs on the ground were jumping. I also thought I saw a horizontal street sign in middle of the woods. It was actually a branch of extremely bright leaves where the sun was beaming down. Other than that, my mind didn’t play many tricks on me. But I did find some of the comments from passing bicyclists annoying. Because I run faster than Patrick, I’m usually about a half to an entire mile ahead. I’m also in the zone with my music turned up loud. I kept having to pause my music and ask the bicyclist to repeat what they were yelling at me, which was always something in the neighborhood of: “Slow down, so that guy can catch up! You’re going to fast,” and so on. I kept thinking something bad happened to Patrick, and I would slow down and look back and try to see if he was alright. I love humor, but it’s distracting when you’re in middle of a 16-mile run. Why can’t they just say “Hi! Good morning!” and move on?
I finished running in 2 hours and 45 minutes. I immediately went to the car and drank a bunch of ice cold water. I ate a banana, stretched, and waited for Patrick to get done. I could tell he was in a lot of pain. I had trouble walking for the rest of the day. In fact, it’s been more than 24 hours and I’m still having trouble walking!
After our run, we got all dressed up for the Inspiring Women’s Gala at SIUC.
Sometimes, I want to give up. I think running a marathon would be nice, but could I ever complete a full marathon? And what about completing the marathon between four and five hours? Will I just give up and walk, or give up and duck into a casino? After listening to so many women talk about what’s inspired them to keep going, I felt much stronger. One woman joined the Peace Corps when she retired! I found myself thinking: “I want to be like her!”
Plus, the entire evening was extremely special. Patrick and I were invited to sit with our friends at WSIL-TV, and we had a great time together. (All of us happened to wear black dresses!) Everyone was dressed up. When I say it was fancy– I mean it. Take a look at the butter: (It’s in a shape of a flower)
And this is just a sample of what we could have for dessert:
The next day, we went on an adventure in Cairo, Illinois! I’ve been wanting to take Patrick to Cairo for some BBQ, for about two years now. Today was the perfect time to take him there. I took him “downtown” and showed him where all the hustle and bustle used to be:
We could park anywhere, get out, and do just about anything. There was no one around! Makes us wonder why there are so many stop signs?
I even showed Patrick where an entrance way used to be to a major store. Now, you can just see a little bit of the intricate tile-work where the doorway used to be. Patrick acted like the building was still there:
Then, I took him to Fort Defiance State Park, which is between two bridges; one to Kentucky and one to Missouri. It’s as low as you can go in Illinois.
After that, we had BBQ!
After all that, we were tired! And… my legs still hurt!
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!
So, I didn’t run 10 miles. I was supposed to, and thought I did, but I didn’t. Here’s what happened: we ran a different way on the trail at Creve Coeur Park. Because there are several trails, it’s easy to go on the wrong one. That’s what happened. Instead of running 10 miles, I may have only run nine. And the worst part happened during the run. A certain stretch of the trail is on rock. If I don’t look down, I could trip. I was finding the run difficult, so I looked up at the leaves falling off the trees above. It happened. I tripped and rolled on my ankle. I wasn’t sure how bad I was hurt, but it went numb right away. I tried to take it easy for the rest of the run. Afterwards, I realized it was sprained very bad and I’ll have to stay off of it for a while until I recover. I hope it’s better in time for next week’s run. 
At least I got my snow cone:
I wanted to quit so bad. My ankles hurt from the get go. Finally, when I warmed up I needed to use the bathroom. Because I was running around Campus Lake at SIUC, I thought I could quickly use the bathrooms by the beach. No can do. They were locked. I decided to try to continue running, albeit very uncomfortably. My stomach was cramping, and even my shoulders hurt. Something was wrong with my left shoe. It felt like they were on too tight. I stopped a couple of times to re-tie them and move my sock around. It didn’t help. It especially hurt while I was rounding around the trail. When I got done, the top of my foot right below my ankle, felt bruised. The trail was crowded and it seemed like I was going to run into people almost every second. I cut my run short. I don’t even know how far I ran. The first lap was great, but when I took that non-existent pit stop, it threw my whole game off. I ran for 45 minutes and called it a day. I just hope that this weekend will be better. I know today’s run is very important. Oh well? There’s nothing else I can do. I’ll just focus on this weekend.
I had absolutely no motivation to run today. I just wanted to stay inside and veg out. I’m wishing I did. I hurt my foot during my last six-miler. In fact, I think I sprained my foot. Sounds odd, but I have shooting pains in my foot about every few steps, and after I ran today– the pain got a lot worse. It hurts to walk. I’m quite nervous about this injury because we’re supposed to run 12 miles on Saturday and I want to do a good job.
I also need to start stretching after runs. Sometimes I’m so happy to be done, I forget. Patrick is much better at remembering to stretch. Plus, I ran on the road and I think that’s a lot harder on my feet. And, I ate a big meal earlier today. I waited a couple of hours before I ran, but it wasn’t long enough. I felt the food sloshing around my stomach and I cramped up bad. It was hard to finish running and I just wanted to lay down afterward. Luckily, when the run was over, my stomach quickly recovered.
I’ve got my mind set on Saturday’s 12 miler. Wish me luck!
Finally!!! Temperatures were under 90 degrees! In fact, we began our 5-mile run at 7:30 a.m., and it was only 75 degrees! We started out at the Visitor’s Center just like last time, and then ran the entire park. We stopped a little bit short because the park is 5.6 miles around.
I put my headphones on at the beginning of the run and listened to some Bobby Darin music. I didn’t hear or say “Good Morning,” because my music was on. After a mile, I took my headphones off and started to say “Hi,” which made the run a bit nicer.
I tried to keep up with Patrick because I wanted to run the entire park without stopping. I’m a better runner when I run fast and then take a walking break. After getting about half the park done, I decided to take off. I found this run quite difficult and I’m not sure why. I actually find it easier to run in extreme heat. I think it’s because I push myself hard to finish faster when it’s hot. I have the mind set, “The faster I run, the sooner I’ll be done.”
Because it was so nice in the morning, I wanted to walk, relax, and take in the atmosphere. I just didn’t want to run. And, I couldn’t think of anything to think about. Usually I think about one particular subject which occupies me through the run. On this morning, I could only think about wanting to have something interesting to think about. Besides enjoying the beauty of the park, the run started out boring.
I also started to know the layout of the park, which means I knew what to expect. It makes the run seem longer when I know just how much further I have to run. People on bikes were passing me up so fast. I had to keep an eye to make sure I didn’t get run over. The park was quite packed.
I was also in pain almost the entire run. Everything hurt. My right ankle hurt first, and then my calf. My shoulder hurt during the middle of the run. I had a headache near the end. My left big toe was in extreme pain. I didn’t get any cramping though. That was nice. I was just really happy– and tired– when the run was over.
Then, it was onto Six Flags. We were taking Patrick’s sister Ellen and his niece Erin to the park as Ellen’s birthday present. Erin was afraid of many of the rides, so she ended up waiting for us and waving the whole time. But she enjoyed herself. Her favorite ride was the Scooby-Doo ride and the bumper cars. Ellen and Patrick loved Mr. Freeze. I love the Buccaneer, which is now– sadly– called the Joker. It was so much more of a thrill when it felt like the entire ride was going to fall apart. Now it’s all safe. Bummer.
The entire experience made us miss Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. I did find the rides and some of features of the shopping better. Although Six Flags had entertainment shows, we didn’t have enough time to see them. Even if I enjoyed the rides, while standing in line I kept thinking about the price of all the merchandise, food, and even parking. And, if people are sick of standing in line, at Six Flags, they could pay $ 25 extra and jump the line. So much for teaching kids about patience.
Here’s a comparison:
Admission:
$ 44.99, Six Flags
$ 37.95, Holiday World
Parking:
$ 15 per car, Six Flags
Free, Holiday World
Sodas:
$ 9.50 and $ 1 per refill, Six Flags
Free, Holiday World
Water:
$ 4, Six Flags
Free, Holiday World
Suntan Lotion:
Bring your own, Six Flags
Free suntan lotion stations, Holiday World
Food:
Around $10 a person for a burger and fries, Six Flags
About $5 a person for a burger, fries and a cookie, Holiday World
To Get In:
Go through medal detectors, get bags inspected, have an endless amount of people trying to sell you trips, Six Flags
Just go in, Holiday World
If Holiday World were closer, we would have gone there. It would have been a 3-hour drive one way and that would have been too long to take the girls. Although at Six Flags, I felt like I got a work out. We couldn’t find some the entrances to the rides, so we kept walking around and got a real workout. But after running 5 miles in the morning, I would have rather had more of a relaxing day. We did have fun. The girls will be talking about it for months to come.
For our cheat meal, we ate at Johnny Rockets in the park. Patrick and I had double-cheese burgers with fries. It was so hot and what was horrible is that there was no air conditioning or fans while we were trying to eat. We wanted a shake, but they were six bucks a piece. And we couldn’t find bathrooms. We ate our food without washing our hands. EEEWWW! You think they would have been requires to put a bathroom INSIDE the eating facility. We walked around for about five minutes after our meal looking for them. We finally found bathrooms about 400 feet away.
We ended up eating Dippin’ Dots at the end of the day. I got my wonderful chocolate mint, and Patrick had Cookies and Cream. By the end of the day, we were tired. We ended up falling to sleep pretty early. We can’t wait to get the pictures printed from our day at Six Flags and give a copy to the girls and Patrick’s mom.
I think of so many neat things to write about while I’m running, and then I come home and I can’t remember one. I really pushed myself today. I wanted to push myself yesterday, but that didn’t work out so well. I was so inspired after learning Patrick had ran an entire three miles without stopping. I wanted to do the same, but I couldn’t. The humidity was choking me. Yesterday, I did notice beautiful Monarch butterflies near the lake. In fact, whenever I run around SIUC’s Campus Lake, I’m always having to dodge butterflies.
There were less butterflies today, but I think it’s because I ran much later in the day. I was trying to wait until it was cooler outside. My car thermometer say 98 degrees. The forecast called for temperatures in the 100s. After I got out there, I didn’t care. I wanted to run 10-minute miles and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me.
Instead of jogging, I ran. In fact, I may have been sprinting a bit. I felt strong for the first quarter mile, and then I was out of breath. I just wheezed and kept going. I was making great time. I had forgot the course is 2.2 miles around. I went around it twice and was focusing on finishing in 40 minutes. I ran 4.4 miles in less than that time. I ran my first true 9-minute miles!
Although I’m extremely proud of myself, I’m feeling the effects. My stomach is bubbling and aching, and I’m a bit dizzy. I feel like someone punched me and I just want to throw up. Near the end of the run, I had got goose bumps and felt a bit cold and numb. I had trouble catching my breath after the run. But I find myself believing it was all worth it. I’ve got my mind set on running the Vegas Marathon in four hours. I’m doing whatever I can to achieve my goal.
