Susan and Kelly Train for a Half-Marathon

Did that really happen????

2009-10-11T09:45:00.006-04:00

Well, we made it through, it's over, and I have to admit that I had a great time! The whole party in Baltimore atmosphere made me forget that I don't like running very much! I can now see why people get addicted to these events. There is always something you can do a little better, a little faster, and the people are great. The day started with the overachieving marathoners waking me up by all the hooplah for their start just outside the hotel room window. This picture doesn't do justice to the number of people who were there for the start. I watched them take off as I ate my breakfast, mostly thinking that this can't really be happening. Karen, Perry, Susan, Raf and I started out from the hotel together. One of the biggest challenges of the day was finding our way to the start line for the half-marathon and getting through the port-a-potty line. After separating to take care of our business, somehow in that mob, I turned around a few minutes before the start and there was Susan! If you look in the picture, you can see her in pink in the crowd over my left shoulder! It was a great feeling to have support on the sidelines and right there in the mob with me. Susan and I have never run together so I really enjoyed that first mile we ran together.

I thought along the way that there were so many things along the route that I would have like to take pictures of, but I knew I'd need to keep my focus on moving my feet if I was going to do this, so my Blackberry was left in the hands of Raf and I fought through the withdrawal. I'm so glad Susan took some pictures. Baltimore is an interesting place full of all kinds of people. Here are my highlights:

- I didn't even use my iPod for the first three miles. I chatted with Susan, people watched, and just took it all in for a bit. As you know, I usually hate the first two miles, but this time it was great!

- The path led us around Lake Montebella which was a great scene. The entire lake was surrounded with runners. It was a bit of peace and calm in the middle of the city that I don't remember ever seeing before.

- My time for the first half was WAY better than I ever expected. Less than 12 minute miles!

- Right around mile 7 I had to have a talk with my right knee. It started complaining and I was not happy. I said, "Look knee, we are going 13.1 miles like it or not. If you cooperate we can be done in around 3 hours. If not, this could take all day." After a little adjustment of the knee strap, we were off. Those knee straps continue to be miracles in my eyes!

- Somewhere along the way there was a band playing "I Want You to Want Me". I like that song, so while I wanted to stop and listen, I figured it made more sense to pick up the pace a bit and bop along while I could still hear it.

- The people who came out of their houses to watch and cheer (and on one block heckle) were a great distraction and made the time go by fast. I barely remember looking at my GPS watch through miles 6-10 because there was so much going on along the street. Baltimore has beautiful buildings and great scenery, even in the tougher parts of town. Of course, the high 5s from little kids along the street was the best! The block with African women out dancing in the street made me laugh out loud. They were having a blast. Check out Susan's pics for the Eye of the Tiger guy. He cracked me up. That's one of those songs on my iPod that motivates me. For some reason, I found the man in a tiger suit dancing on top of his car way more amusing than motivating.

- I spent a little time running behind a guy dressed in a Miller Lite beer can costume. I thought of Susan during that time. I knew she would chase the beer man. Around the same time, an older man in a powder blue tux ran past me.

- While I greatly appreciate the support and kindness of the guy passing out 400 pounds of gummy bears, it didn't take me long to realize the hazards of squished gummy bears on the road while it's raining.

- Around the 10 mile mark, my body realized that I've never actually run more than 8 miles at one time before and decided to start cramping up in every moving part. Nothing painful, just really stiff and making me much more aware of every step.

- A lot of you were there via the iPod music that made me think of people, times, memories, stories that kept me going. A little Hinder, a little 80's hair band, all good.

- There are a lot of hills in Baltimore. I never noticed that before. I sure noticed them this time! The good news is you can run faster downhill as long as you avoid the squishy, wet gummy bears.

- I walked more than ran the last two miles. I wanted to make sure I could run across the finish line. My legs were getting harder and harder to move. My feet were starting to hurt more than I expected....... It was all about just getting it done somehow at that point.

- Seeing my cheerleader on the side of the road about a quarter mile from the finish made me smile and made my feet keep moving. Thanks Raf!

- I wanted to walk SOOOOO bad at the end. My legs were like dragging tree trunks, but there were so many people along the sides cheering and jumping around that I felt too guilty to walk!

- The finish line was heaven! I was surprised by my time because I really slowed down the last couple miles.

I'm very proud of the change in me - in my head, in my body, in my determination since this process started. I was SO out of shape a few months ago. While I still have a long way to go to be a real fit person, I'm getting there. Parts of me are sore today, but not nearly as much as I would have expected. It was a great day spent with family and friends. Anything that brings us together is worth some effort. There will be another half-marathon in the future......stay tuned!!

Two months and 23 days ago...

2009-10-10T20:09:00.014-04:00

...I stumbled, almost dead last, across the finish line of the Rockville Twilight 8K and for no particular reason immediately thought, "Hey! Why not run the Baltimore Half-Marathon?" Today, Kelly and I did! This Blog has told you the story in sweat, blood ,and pictures of how we trained--or sometimes, just didn't train. But despite the dropping temps, the wind and the rain squalls, we pulled our aching feet across the finish line of the Baltimore Half-Marathon today, Kelly, in 2:59 and me 3:31. Maybe no records were broken but like the song says (from Rascal Flatts, "Stand"):

Every time you get up and get back in the race,
One more small piece of you starts to fall into place.
Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of.
You might bend, till you break cause its all you can take;
On your knees you look up, decide you've had enough!
You get mad, you get strong;
Wipe your hands shake it off:
Then you stand, Then you stand.

Personally, I was a bit disappointed in my time (16 minute/mile), until I reconsidered that (a) the entire course is ONE BIG HILL, and it goes UP, and (b) I spent an inordinate amount of time texting, Facebooking, and taking picture with my Iphone. Even in the friendly, party-atmosphere of the Baltimore Running Festival, going ANYWHERE on foot for 3 1/2 hours is excruciatingly BORING for me, the poster child for Adult ADD.

Here are my real-time FaceBook updates...

So, first and foremost, an appreciation to son Jack & FaceBook friends Marianne, Kim, Rosemary, Laurann, Ellen, & Julie for motivating me with texts & FB comments DURING the race! And an enthusiastic "Thank you, Jesus!" to my husband, Jesus, for meeting me at the finish line with a warm sweat shirt & an even warmer hug & a kiss.

Photo highlights along the way included the official start of the Marathon - daughter Becky is down there somewhere. This was her second year in a row, and she finished in 3:42...in other words, she did 26 miles in the time it took me to do 13. Clearly she did not inherit her running prowess from her momma. However, my dad, Jack Zimmerman, was a high school cross-country running star, so it just skipped a generation!

Here's me waving optimistically moments before the start of the half-marathon....

Note: the wire under my shirt is my "hidden" Ipod earphones, not a pacemaker...

One of my favorite photo moments came about half way along the Half-Marathon route, with this cleverly understated advertising:

Once again friend-of-the-event Stuart Seigler manned his Now Famous Gummy Bear Station at 28th and Guilford, approximately Mile 23. With 400 pounds of Gummy Bears, up from 120 lbs. in 2005 and 320 lbs. last year, he promised to be there until the least-fastest runner passes. He was really cool guy, friendly, and a bit insane, just like Baltimore!

Not long after Gummy Bear Guy was Eye of the Tiger Dude who stands on top of a car in a tiger suit all day and plays Eye of the Tiger on a taped loop. I bet the neighbors hate him. Runners love him, tho! Between conversations and photo ops, it's a miracle I got to Mile 24 at all!

Speaking of Mile Markers, here's my photo collection:

Sadly, it also came across the news reports not long ago that a 23 year old young man collapsed and died early in the Marathon at Mile 23. His core temperature was 108 degrees. It's a sobering reminder, as this Blog comes to a close, that you can never count on more than the present moment to enjoy life and live it for all it's got to offer. Maybe running for 3 1/2 hours does not seem like the most enjoyable way to spend a Saturday, but every single experience that keeps you appreciating the here and now is one to be sought after and treasured. And in the end, it's all about knowing you have kept the faith and given it all you got.

And so it is fitting, that rather than closing the entry with yet another "Look how tired and silly I am at the end of the run!" photo, I close with this banner I saw on a church fence coming down the final mile 25. I remembered seeing it last year, and now I'm glad I stopped to snap the image.

To all the family and friends who put up with the Blog and the whining: thanks for helping me finish this course. Now, go out and follow your own!

See you at the Frederick Half-Marathon in May!!!!!!

Kelly Ran for the Ta-Tas

2009-10-03T20:34:00.010-04:00

Today was my first organized running event - the Run for the Ta-Tas 5k benefitting the New Hanover County Breast Cancer Center. A lot of things hit me today at this event. The main things being:

1. I really should done a few more of these before I signed up for the "big one".

2. Running has its own culture that I am trying to figure out, but I think I like it other than the whole quest for pain part.

3. When your A.D.D. is out of control and you have lost your knee strap thingys AGAIN, headbands work pretty well and no one even notices.

4. I have SO much to be thankful for.

It was an emotional event which I didn't really stop to think about until I was there. As I walked past the "In Memory Of......." sign that people were signing, I had to stop and take a minute to be thankful that those I know who have fought breast cancer are still with us and going strong. I love you Aunt Gail and Mrs. Hermann (Deidre's mom)!!

As I walked around before the run started, my warped sense of humor started to come back and I started laughing at the idea of everyone with numbers pinned to their shirts. The organizers claim this is to keep track of times and who is running, etc. I think it's more for identifying the bodies along the road of those who overestimated their running abilities. We also all had the shoe tags, supposedly used for tracking your time. I think they use it to locate the women who inadvertantly made a right at the movie theatre and ran straight for my favorite corner in Mayfair - the one with Coldwater Creek, J Jill, Banana Republic, Talbots, Chicos....... I was distracted from my personal entertainment by a very nice couple who started up a conversation. He is the runner, she is a retired teacher who was there to cheer. He is a long time runner full of stories about his adventures. Nice people.

Let's get the obvious questions out of the way first. Yes, I finished still vertical. No, I did not take any shortcuts (though it was tempting). No, I was not the last one to cross the finish line. While I did not blaze any trails, I did finish somewhere around 35 minutes, which while on the slow end for the group, was actually the fastest I've ever moved my body 3+ miles without wheels. My comfortable pace where I can breathe and move my legs is around a 13 minute mile. There's just something about large numbers of people running past you that makes you move a little faster! The men started 3 minutes after the women (play on running after the tatas of course). As the first group blew by me, I decided they were truly overachievers who use dinky little 5ks to make them feel fast. :) After about the first 1/2 mile, I noticed two other women who were moving at about my pace so I decided to keep an eye on them and use that as a measure of my slacking. Turns out we stuck together the whole way, back and forth passing and catching up, not wanting to be the one left behind. As we ran, the one woman had friends running also who shouted encouragement back and forth and I thought that was a great thing. The retired teacher I met before the race was waving and yelling to me around the 2 mile mark which was very kind. Near the end, one of the friends who had already finished ran back to where we were and got her going for the last 1/2 mile. While I thought that was a very nice thing to do, I also wanted to kick him in the shin for making her run faster because I was supposed to be keeping up with her! As we neared the 3 mile mark, the third woman in our little pack grabbed me by the arm and said, "Come on, we got this, run!" It was then I decided that maybe I should look into joining a running club. I need to meet people and I surely need some help with the motivation in this sport. After I crossed the finished line, the nice man I met before the run was there and told me he had to make sure he saw me cross the line. Nice, nice people. I just saw a preview clip of the evening news on tv and they have video from the run. Felt good. Very, very good. This picture here in the car is about when I realized it's still sunny and warm in NC and sunscreen would be smart. I was also thinking of the hours of soccer games without a nap!

So now this leaves me worried about next Saturday. It's so much more psychological than physical for me. The first two miles are ugh, what am I doing. Then I kinda get in a groove and it's ok. I know it will be ridiculously hard and I will be in pain and I'm in WAY over my head. BUT, I also know that the crowd will help my feet move and that I am WAAAAYYY to stubborn to do anything but get through this. I'm sure it won't be pretty, especially with rain in the forecast, but by this time next week I will have finished 13 miles, taken lots of Advil, and started the after celebration with friends in downtown Baltimore. Please pray. As for now, no more running until the big one, another trip to Dick's for knee straps, and a reminder to pack sunscreen which I did NOT think of today. We get on the plane Thursday afternoon. Here we go!

Kelly's Final Countdown

2009-09-29T19:46:00.003-04:00

Here we are! A little more than a week to go and my last long run finished today!!! Ran at the Jacksonville gym again today for 8 miles before I ran out of time. It just amazes me that it's not that hard any more. Sure it makes me really tired, my feet are sore, and I have absolutely no energy left in my body, but the process is not that bad. The knees seem to be fine now with the miracle straps from last week and my body seems to miss it when I don't run for a few days. Imagine that! The hardest part now is finding a way to get through the boredom after about 4 miles. Today I cranked up the music and did a lot of daydreaming. At the six mile mark I exchanged some text messages with Susan which is quite dangerous when you have coordination issues. That entertained me a bit. Then I started getting really hungry. That will teach me to skip lunch on a long run day. Of course, since it was my Tuesday run in Jacksonville, I had some nice folks to look at which also helps. Much to my disappointment, Red Shirt Guy and White Shirt Guy stood me up. OK, maybe I didn't even talk to them last week, just watched them, but they should have known anyway right?? Well, just when I was about to quit for the night at the 7.5 mile mark, I saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye (pull up bar of course) and there was Red Shirt Guy. In a red shirt. Which of course distracted me for the last half mile as I tried to determine if he only owns red shirts........or if he read the blog.........

As for financing the sport, who would have thought it would be so expensive. I was, um, too tired to notice the speed limit change on my way home and I got to meet another nice police officer. Not even the short running shorts and tank top helped. Well, I guess I did smell kinda bad......

So here's the last week leading to the grand finale. Saturday is the "Run for the Ta-Tas" 5k for breast cancer in Wilmington. On Tuesday, I will run a couple miles for my stress management, but taking it easy. On Thursday afternoon, we get on a plane and head for Baltimore. Friday is a health expo at the Inner Harbor where we have to pick up our "stuff" (whatever that is I have no idea) and then Saturday is the big day! At this point, I know I can make it, I know I will finish, I know it won't be fast, and I'm just hoping I can walk onto the plane on Sunday to go home. Better than anything is that I get to spend some time with my sister Karen and my evil friend Susan who got me into this in the first place.

Greg, I have earned my chocolate. Now if I can just get someone to bring it to me.......

Twelve fewer miles to run...

2009-09-28T14:24:00.005-04:00

Today, as God is my witness, was my last long run in preparation for the race. I ran the hills around my house in rural Maryland. Note the local folkloric signage!

A lovely day, and the run went well. Instead of waiting to chug Gatorade at the 6 mile mark, I started drinking it as I ran, and that worked very well. I even found I could anticipate a hill by drinking some before and it gave me enough energy to shuffle to the top like the little engine that could.

Today's half-way pitstop was the bathroom of the Little Bennet Regional Park Golf Course..as you can see, the surroundings were far superior to the usual PortaJohn...

Not much else to report. Those last miles are still so incredibly boring, and underarm chafing ("Ewwww. TMI!") continues to be an annoyance. Mostly, though, I'm happy with the race-day togs I took for a test run today... The cut of the shirt lets my tattoo show, and hopefully it will inspire me...and the one or two stragglers in the race who are behind me and get to see it...to persevere.

Next 10 days, some shorter (MUCH shorter) hill runs and fun at Zumba and BodyPump. And then the happy days of gentle pre-race carb-loading. Oh, the anticipation! See you in Charm City!

"It's a Miracle!" shouted Kelly.

2009-09-22T19:41:00.002-04:00

Less than three weeks to go. Today I feel good about it. Tomorrow may be another story. I didn't run much last week and I can't even remember why. The days fly by and I lose track of what happened when. This week's "long run", on paper, was supposed to be 11 miles. Yeah right. Apparently the people who make the training calendar are not single moms with full time jobs, a 45 minute commute and 4 days a week of soccer! Oh yeah, I promised no whining this week. Like a true runner, I did stop at Omega Sports between soccer games and spent more money on cool running shorts, a shirt that wisks away the sweat, a fanny pack water bottle thingy, and some Glide to keep my chafing parts from chafing. I asked if they had bionic knees, the answer was no. Gotta find a new store! Then I bought YET ANOTHER iPod because I lost the one I just bought. Fabulous!

Now back to that 11 miles. How?? So, I figured I could save an hour if I ran at the gym rather than driving somewhere with trails. Running was the perfect plan for Sunday because I was FRUSTRATED with my laptop and the iPod and most everything that morning. I had something to burn off! The first 3 miles were great! I think I can actually say now that a 3 mile run is almost EASY!! Can't believe I'd ever say that! Then it went downhill fast. My phone was vibrating away and I decided to ignore it. After a few more calls, I figured I should check since I'd left my darling children home alone. (No worries, they are old enough.) Well, it was a crisis of grand proportion requiring 3 calls and a text in 5 minutes. NFL Sunday Ticket was not working and the Ravens game would be on in 3 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! After a deep breath, and another mile to run off the frustration, therefore protecting the life of my oldest son, I gave up and went home. The 11 mile run turned into 4. It was a good 4, but 4.

This week I have class for work on my Greg days so no Greg. I promised him I'd go to the Jacksonville gym while I was away and he gave me a list of weight trainy things to do and advised me to find a muscly marine to help me. Um, well, I lost the paper. Don't tell Greg. BUT, I did go to the Jacksonville gym today. It's right down the road from my afternoon school so I was there, changed, and on the treadmill by 3. It was raining so no outside running considered. My goal today was to see how long I could run without taking a walking break. The other day, when talking to a much more experienced runner, she told me that if I can run 9 miles, I can make it 13 somehow someway. There's a plan. Problem is, I haven't really "run" more than 5 miles. My 8 milers were a lot of walking - remember the failing knees? Anyway, I was going to see how far I could go without walking with the idea of not settling for less than 3 miles straight and hoping for more, but being careful of the knees. I stopped at Dick's and spent MORE money on knee strap thingys that are supposed to keep my legs attached. Well, right about mile 3, a very attractive person of the male species (known from here on as Red Shirt Guy) walked by my treadmill, jumped up onto the pull up bar and knocked out 20 in a matter of seconds while looking like he was lifing a feather. He was weight training happy go lucky and I was enjoying watching him. :) So before I knew it I was at mile 4. And guess what??? NO KNEE PAIN!! NOTHING HURT!! The $30 in knee strap thingys was a true miracle!! Woohoo! So I thought maybe a little more. Then another person, White Shirt Guy (which soon became transulcent from sweat white shirt guy-nice), got on the treadmill next to me and I was suddenly motivated to run a while longer. Around mile 5 my iPod was playing Rocky music and White Shirt Guy mysteriously started air boxing while running. ??? Strange, but hit me as quite funny at the time. I had to suck up the laughter and focus on breathing. White Shirt Guy was NOT going to outrun me. Well, ok, yeah, he was in WAY better shape so I was hallucinating at that point. The air drumming that he started soon after made me have to stop and tie my shoe so I wouldn't fall off the treadmill laughing. Before I knew it, I was at mile 6. Well then, Red Shirt Guy was bench pressing right in front of me so what's one more mile.......and Walah - 7 miles and I felt fine. No pain, just hungry and out of time. The lesson of the day is...wear the miracle knee strap thingies and find the right distractions and you can run on an on! Some Advil and some icing and I can still walk like a normal person tonight. Nice.

So same time, same place Friday Red Shirt and White Shirt Guys, please??? Better yet, see you in Baltimore in a couple weeks?????? :-)

Susan has gone the distance...inadvertently.

2009-09-20T19:24:00.005-04:00

My training schedule called for 11 miles today and 12 next Sunday, with a week's rest before the "big day." I gave myself the option of quitting at 11, or going to 12 if I felt good (haha). I did manage to make it to mile 12 with only one interval of walking. HOWEVER, then I realized that my walking 3/4 miles south on the canal path, backtracking from the car to get to mile marker 30 to start, and then having to walk (crawl) the 3/4 miles to get back to my car had put me over the 13.1 mile race day distance. Sadly, I was too numb to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

All in all, except for the unrelenting feeling that my toes were broken, the cramps in my calves, the need to stop periodically to stretch out any and all muscles related to tight and screaming hip flexors, the puky feeling from gulping down 1.5 Gatorades at mile 6, and resisting the desire to rip the ear plugs from my ear and throw my Ipod into the stagnant canal, well, gee, it was just great. Jesus NTSOG was just lovely as well, and called me every 15 minutes or so the last hour to make sure I was still alive. At least, I think it was my husband, Jesus. I was so delusional at that point it might have been the real guy.

Here are today's photographic rendering of the run:
First, at White's Ferry at Mile 6, gulping down Gatorade and still optimistic about "only" 6 more miles to go...

Here we are, thinking that we had survived 12 miles, when in fact, it was 13.5. Please note the euphoria.

And finally, back in the car, hydrated and pretending that the protesting sciatic nerve in my right leg was not making me writhe in pain...

And, by the way, daughter Becky went for her long run of 24 miles today and came back without any feeling in her right leg... so I guess the pain and misery is normal. Oh , yay. Who invented this sport?

Post note to Kelly's Post

2009-09-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

I think it's a mile 8 thing. It took me two tries to finish 8 miles. Conclusion: Running 8 miles is STOOOPID.

Kelly thinks running is STUPID!

2009-09-13T21:02:00.009-04:00

Though I have not planned for my classes tomorrow, I have decided to blog instead because I have some things to say. The first and most important one being that RUNNING IS STUPID!! I had the best of intentions today. I did some research during the week and found Greenfield Lake Park with a lake that looked nice and scenic for a long run. The trail around the lake is 4 miles so two laps would be lovely. The kids could go ride bikes while I ran. It was a beautiful day. Then real life kicked in. First my electonics curse continued. I can't find my iPod. So I thought I could put my running tunes on my phone, but alas I can't figure out how to make my laptop recognize that my phone exists. Which is how I lost my contacts off my phone - another story. So I had to steal my child's iPod. Not the same. Then my children had no interest in spending time at the park with me so I went by myself, which turned out to be a good thing. I'd had a rather emotional afternoon for various reasons and need to run some of it off. So I drove to the park, sat in my car and tried to find some motivation. I did this thing I saw on Oprah one day that I do when I need some extra support. Birdwalk....There was a psychic on Oprah that said you can communicate with people through music, that when you need a message you should ask for it through the next song on the radio. The day after I saw that show, my mom passed away. I came home from the hospital, flopped on my bed, and knocked the clock radio over. Freebird started to play..."I'm as a free as a bird now..." It became a thing for me then. end of birdwalk...... So anyway, I said give me a song and Keith Urban came on. Now I love Keith Urban, but this particular song had a direct connection to my bumpy afternoon. (There is at least one person on a ship 7 time zones away who gets the reference.) So I sat in my car and cried for a few minutes and then made myself run.

The first two miles, my mind was definitely winning over body. I just kept thinking running is stupid and it was stupid for me to think that I'd get my body ready for this half marathon in time. As I explained to Raf on the phone later, running is complete disrespect to those who invented the wheel you know. I wanted to go back to the couch. The next two miles were better. My body was tired enough that I was starting to lose focus on the things in my mind. At mile 4, I had a run in with a stupid little chihuahua. He ran up to me all happy and nice. Then when I went to pet him, he growled at me like a doberman. Stupid dog. On mile 5 I passed some nice looking guys, and thought about turning around to run the other way and follow them, but that would be a bit obvious so I decided not to. Then my stupid knee decided that it didn't want to be a joint anymore, it wanted to be more like a rock. Then many things became stupid. I'll run to that stupid tree, walk to the stupid fence, run to the stupid armory with the stupid camo trucks,..... You get the point. I stopped to take this picture at the Fragrance Garden because I wondered if sweaty runner is what they had in mind. Yeah, I'm not looking very happy there. The guys that passed me on mile whatever became stupid too because they were moving much faster than me and didn't look sweaty. The stupid people on the bikes were smiling which annoyed me. My knee worked off and on so I ran when it would move and walked when it wouldn't. Guess that's what happens when you don't take your glucosamine!!! Stupid too. At mile 6, I stuck the stupid iPod in the waistband of my pants and it soon fell out through the leg of my shorts which led to a graceful attempt to remove it while running. Yeah, stupid. At mile 7, Journey started on the iPod which was NOT stupid and I could run again. That's when it was proven that your body can do more when the music is right. So 8 miles finally happened and I was done. Good thing because the sun was setting and I wasn't sure I knew where my car was.

Now for the less bitter segment. :) While I failed to appreciate the humor when Raf texted me at mile 7.5 to see if he should call 911, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had also been texting my kids to make sure they had icepacks ready for me. Kyle had even made his lunch already! Since my stupid icemaker is broken, sorry, I am sitting with a bag of frozen peas on my knee. Guess what's for dinner tomorrow???? thanks raf

I promise to have a better attitude and better music for the next run. Promise. I'm also signing up for a local 5K - Chase the Ta-Tas. Kinda funny. All the women start first and then the men start a few minutes later, hence the chase part. Might be the one time running slow pays off!! I will run to support breast cancer and to honor the strength of those who have beat it with much more character than I had running today. This one is for Deidre's mom, who has been wonderful to me for years and deserves a break already!!!!

Until next time.....

Susan takes a week off

2009-09-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

Thankfully the doctor cautioned me to take a break from long distance running this weekend to give the Cipro a chance to do it's job, as well as to recover from the unfortunate flu-like symptoms that followed the flu shot, as well as a week of generalized burning the candle at both ends and sleep deprivation in general. No problemo, doctor-sir. See you next time...

Kelly Returns to the Blog

2009-09-07T21:25:00.004-04:00

Obviously going back to work got the best of me for the past couple weeks. A whole new schedule and the start of soccer season for the kids makes training for a half-marathon an even bigger challenge. Though I haven't been blogging, I have been training and running. Still going to the gym and training with Greg a couple times a week and running when I can. I'm now lifting 30 pounds more on upper body workouts than my first week weight training! I've also figured out that I can run during soccer practices which makes me a fabulous multitasker. I can't remember much of anything beyond that for the past couple weeks..... Yesterday's long run was the longest distance and the longest continuous time running so far for me - 8 miles!! Going into it, I was thinking I have a month to go and there is NO WAY that I would be ready. Then I found my way to the Gold's in Gaithersburg, MD and told myself to suck it up. My visit to MD this time was full of mixed emotions for many reasons, and I needed to win this mind over body battle. The first 4 miles are actually not so bad anymore. In that much time, nothing is hurting and I haven't lost focus yet, the exertion still feels therapeutic. From there on, it's not so pretty, but it gets done! I've learned to play lots of mind games with myself - finish this mile and then walk 2 minutes, run through two more songs, one more infomercial on the tv, etc. Oh yeah, and try to resist the urge to pick up the cell phone and order things from the infomercial. See your mind and body are so tired that the amazing weed whacker looks like a must have after 20 minutes! While I was hurting and icing from the knees down last night, and whining every time I had to go up or down steps, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. As the miles get higher, the joints get fussier. More advil, more ice, more glucosamine and more Rocky songs into the iPod mix. :)

So while this week's training is full of lots of milestones, I think my personal reflection is more about life than running. Yesterday when I ran my 8 miles, I thought a lot about it also being the 9th anniversary of my mom's death. There were so many things that she wanted to do that she didn't get to. She lived through some rough times, health problems and managed to still care about people, usually too much for her own good. Everything that reminds me of my mom reminds me that I am not guaranteed any amount of time and I need to make the best of it. For those who have lived through the past couple years (and more) with me, you can reflect with me. As much as it's hard to admit, I spent much of the past 5 years + in my own withdrawn world. I not only didn't run, I barely moved from the couch or recliner. I put everyone else first, I worried what everyone would think, I let everyone else's needs control life, I hated to be selfish, I thought looking out for me was not being a good person. I don't know what clicked in my head, but over the past year I have come to see that taking care of me makes the people around me more happy also. The changes I've made physically and psychologically are priceless. I can admit that after three years of better living through chemistry, I am now free of anti-anxiety medication and feeling better than ever. For all of you that pushed me, listened to me and gave me new challenges, like this dern running thing, I am forever grateful.

Next weekend - 10 miles!!!!! ouch

Susan: A Great Weekend!

2009-09-07T18:55:00.005-04:00

Lot's of positive vibes this weekend, starting with a PR at the Kentlands 5K, and finishing a 10-mile training run strong (albeit in pain), punctuated by a dim-sum lunch with a buff Kelly (thanks to Evil Greg, her personal trainer) and our fellow ESOL Avenger Galit. Good times!

Perfect weather and a scenic, shady course for the Kentlands 5k. I was just so "thrilled" to find out that by registering for it, I was automatically enrolled in all Maryland Senior Olympic qualifying events this year. I had a nice conversation before the start, back at the end of the pack, with a 76 year old woman and a 62 year old woman. The 76 year old said she started to run 30 years ago when she was 47. She agreed that starting later rather than younger probably saved her knees and joints. She ran strong and, of course, they both beat me. ;-) On the other hand, they both only run 5Ks, and I like to think that my round and well-nourished frame is better suited for the endurance of long-distance runs. Haha. Rationalization is one of my strong points.

Onward to Sunday's weekly long run, and back to the C & O canal for 10 miles. I inspired (nagged) Jesus to go to "If the Show Fits" for a new pair of running shoes yesterday, and he met me at the 5 miles points at White's Ferry for the 5 miles back. Nothing remarkable about today's run. I got a new set of aches in my ankles that were painful for the last 2 miles. In fact, I ran the last 3 miles with pebbles in my shoe and the ankle aches so out-pained the pebbles that I never bothered to stop and shake them out. Also I was afraid to stop. Here are the required photos: Jesus getting ready for his maiden run at White's Ferry, and me holding on to the sign back at Edwards Ferry after 10 miles so I don't fall down in a groaning moaning heap.

See you next week, and happy to see Kelly. Only 3 training weekends to go for "moi." I'll do an 11 miles and a 12 miler and then a week off before that real fun begins.

Road trip

2009-08-30T22:05:00.003-04:00

...or how to successfully survive a 9-mile run.

The key is to plan as if you were really going on a road trip in your car. First, you need to plot the route and the rest stops. I'd read that the point of weekly long-runs is to get your body used to the time and length of running long distances, not train for hills and speed, so I chose the C&O canal towpath (don't worry. It was a perfect low-humidity sunny day-no thunderstorms in the forecast.) It worked out that a one way trip from Edward's Ferry to White's Ferry, was the perfect 4.5 miles (round trip = 9 miles, for you math challenged). The turn-around at White's Ferry offered bathrooms and a store to buy Gatorade and water. I'd learned after that 8 mile run that turned into a 6.5 miles hobble that you're supposed to start Gatorade/carb replenishment after about an hour of running. OK then.

Here's a stunning portrait of me at the 4.5 mark, thanks to an incredulous lady who, despite being accosted by panting, sweat-crazed lunatic with a water bottle, an IPhone and an Ipod shuffle attached to various partsof her body, agreed to snap a picture to commemorate her half-marathon training. Yes, I look just like I always do. No glow, no aura of good-health or sunny endorphin-brimming smile. Looked pretty much the same at the end, too, except much more releived.

Like a road trip, I also provisioned myself with my IPhone, including the Pandora application which plays a continuous stream of my own personally programmed Internet music channel. I took my Ipod shuffle for good measure, because sometimes, you just need your old familiar work-out music to motivate and soothe you. I carried my trusty fanny-water-bottle-holder-pack, complete with money for Gatordade, my driver's license in case I died along the trail - to identify my body-- and my car key. Also, my big brimmed cap, in case the weather report was wrong again. This time I was NOT going to try to run in the rain with water streaming directly onto my glasses and making poor visibility worse.

My little toys were all useful, did not add significant weight to my run, and kept me endlessly entertaining adjusting and readjusting them through much of the run.

The only really bad part of the run started at mile 6.5, when it just got HARD. Not painful, not exhausting: it just required that the act of keeping going required my full concentration. The little brats on bicycles who had passed me once going up and once coming back had obviously moved the mile markers, or hidden them because I seemed to run forever and still not find them. That's OK,though, cause the first time they passed by me, I was singing the explicit version of EMINEMS "The Real Slim Shady," closing on the lyrics, "Fuck it, let's ALL stand up!" when their little pack of Brady Bunch family togetherness on color coordinated bikes and matching polo shirts came flying by from behind me and almost knocked me to the ground. I can only hope they heard the verse about knowing what a woman's clitoris is....

In the end, finishing the 9 miles was all a mind game. 3/4 of my brain kept whining, "This is too HARD," over and over again, until fortunately, the other 1/4 got fed up,slapped them all upside their faces, and shouted, "Duh, it's hard. What did you think? You're running NINE MILES, assholes! Shut to f@#$% UP AND KEEP RUNNING!"

Suffice to say I made it and drove home happy and proud--until I tried to get OUT of the car and found that all of the happy, endorphin-brimming muscles had cooled and stiffened into their original form and were now pain-wracked slabs of flab. Sigh. See you next week...only 1 month left to train.

y

Susan calls a moratorium or...

2009-08-22T12:36:00.003-04:00

...excuses, excuses, excuses.

I made it to the gym once this week for Body Pump and some walking. The rest of the time I challenged myself to see how much really heinous food I could scarf down. I believe that 5 cream filled donuts at one sitting was this week's PR (hey, a PR is a PR!).

I know I am in trouble when I start eating in the car and whatever package of crap I am chowing down on never makes it home.. Other casualties of the basic food groups this week included entire bags of Twizzler Cherry Bites, Hershey Almond Chocolate Minis, and those caramel thingies with the powdered sugar inside. And a huge jar of mixed nuts. And my personal favorite, PIZZA! But don't worry, no vegetables, fruits or low-fat products were hurt in the massacre.

However, the free-fall descent into obesity and self loathing seems to have been halted rather rudely (THANK GOD!!!) by meeting Anna's boyfriend's family when, coincidentally, we all ended up at Uno's Chicago Pizza and Grill for dinner last night. She is a fitness goddess who enjoys going to the same gym as mine after work and on Saturday MORNINGS. Mercifully I have never run in to her. Note to Kelly: She is a "Chipper Jen" type. Also she qualified for the Boston Marathon on her 40th birthday (and every year there after, it seems) at the Baltimore Marathon. Anna introduce me as her mom who is training for the Baltimore Half-Marathon. At the time I was hoisting a handful of french fries to my mouth. Very auspicious start.

And so, rather than hoping my daughter breaks up with her boyfriend in order to save face, I have jumped (OK, not jumped, more like shuffled) back on the fitness wagon. Fortunately, there is a Chipper Jen in everyone's life, annoying us and prodding us to do our best, or even our worst, but just...as the commercial say, DO IT!

Kelly's Observations and Milestones

2009-08-15T20:49:00.003-04:00

I've learned that long run days are the best time to think about what to write for the blog. While I'm running along trying to remember to breathe, I think about what I should write. The problem comes when I start thinking I need to write down my brilliant ideas before I forget them. Not so easy to do while running!! Anyway, here are the thoughts for today.

Observations:

This continues to be an expensive sport. I went out and bought an iPod Shuffle today hoping that having one that clips to my shirt will be less hazardous to me and the iPod by limiting the number of times it drops and shoots across the gym off the treadmill.

Don't give your trainer attitude. He is only then more inspired to add more reps, more sets, more weight, and more exercises...and he tends to remember the ones you hate the most. Oh, and never say, "Bring it on....". While I only pay for 30 minutes, he has been kindly keeping me busy for close to an hour each time.

Don't roll your eyes at the trainer when he says, "Marilyn Monroe did these to keep her boobs perky!" He adds another set.......

When you are watching music videos on the tv while listening to your iPod, it becomes pretty entertaining because the music doesn't match. Like today, the Rolling Stones were on the tv, but I was hearing Journey's Don't Stop Believing in my ears. Just made me laugh. OK, maybe that's only funny when you are running in place for an hour.

I have learned that wearing tight, gray cotton shorts to run is not a great idea. By about Mile 4, you are covered in sweat and look like you have a problem with incontinence.

Inner thigh chafing due to wet shorts begins around Mile 5.

Around Mile 4 also comes the underarm chafing, which causes you to run the Chicken Dance half marathon training for the rest of the way as you try not to let your arms touch your body.

Remember that the treadmill automatically stops after an hour. Let's just say this sudden stop was not one of the most graceful moments of the long run today.

Around Mile 6, my right hip, knee, and ankle remembered that I am not a runner.

If you only do weight training on weight training days, you run much better on running days.

Now for the milestones. I felt GREAT during today's long run. I went into it with a plan to try to eek out 5 miles in a decent time. For some reason I wish I knew, running was not so hard today. I didn't get sore or tired until the Mile 6 mark. THIS IS MY LONGEST RUN SO FAR!!! I ran 6 miles in 79 minutes which is about an average of 13.2 minutes per mile. If you remember when we started this blog, I was averaging about 15 minutes per mile. Yahooo!!! Progress. Now back to my ice. I really like the ice packs that strap on. Not to mention my pedicure still looks great!

AAAAARGH! or Susan Meets "The Wall."

2009-08-15T19:47:00.004-04:00

So today I found out what the term "Hit the wall" means, and I am not amused. At 6.5 miles, with 1.5 to go to the scheduled 8 -- the EASIEST 1.5 I might add: on the home stretch... the legs just stopped running. Did they ask me? No, they just refused to do any more of that running nonsense. Since they had no choice, they were kind enough to keep walking until we all made it home, but clearly, they had had enough of me and the whole training for a half-marathon thing.

I should have known it was coming. At mile 5 I was on my way back home on Lewisdale Road and thinking how lucky I would be if I got hit by a car...and the ambulance would come and give me a ride to the hospital. My sports bra felt like a vice. My stomach was queasy and I was fervently wishing I hadn't eaten half a bag of M&M's for lunch. The whole"run 8 miles today" concept seemed like a damn stupid idea, given the hills, the temperature, the sun high in the sky and the sweat dripping into my eyes. The only GOOD thing was that my knees didn't hurt...oh yay.

...and that's all I have to say about week 4 of the Beginners' Half Marathon Training Schedule. I did two shorter runs this week - 3 and 5 miles - so not all was lost. Hopefully next week will be better; next week's long run is also 8 miles, so with luck I'll have cooler weather...and less rebellious legs.

Kelly- MOTIVATE ME!!!!!!

Got ice packs?

2009-08-10T23:28:00.003-04:00

I am becoming very fond of my ice packs. I have named them Desi and Lucy and they spend most evenings and some mornings and afternoons perched cozily on my KNEES. Desi is on the left knee, the one that hurts like @#@%&#, although the nice man in the running store insists that it is not injured, just adjusting to lengthier runs. Desi looks over at Lucy, who is sitting on the one still-functioning yet also whimpering knee and yells: "Lucy, you got some 'spainin' to do!" His point being, as far as I can make out -- fortunately, I am both bilingual AND an ESOL teacher, so I can decode his screams--that she told him that just one more mile isn't that far, and he believed her. Or something. They (and me) both need a shot of "Vitametavegimin."

I finally made it to the gym today after a 4-day absence. Walked and ran two miles before Body Pump where I destroyed any remaining elasticity that Desi and Lucy had restored with squats and lunges, and then back on the treadmill for actually running another 3 miles. Yahoo! I am back on the training schedule.

The nice young lady working out beside me at Body Pump also had a knee brace on like mine. I call mine Cho Pat, since he also hangs out on my knees with Desi and Lucy, and I want us all to be friends. Actually, Cho Pat is the manufacturer's name, but I think of Cho Pat as an over-achieving Asian student who is striving for a 6 on his AP Calculus exam in seventh grade. Or get to the finish line of the half-marathon before my knees give out for good. Here is a photo of Desi, Lucy and Cho Pat chillin' with Sam Adams, another close, personal friend, after today's workout.

The nice lady and I bonded when it turned out she had gone to the doctor today to find out she was also suffering from "runner's knee." She started running back in January. She actually started to do her squats and lunges with a full weight load until I told her that was probably not a good idea. I think she was grateful for any excuse that would keep her from continuing to grimace and moan in pain in front of the full length mirror, so we both finished the sets without weights. It still hurt like #%@#%.

Well, fans, the next long run is scheduled for the weekend: 8 miles. The new Ipod Shuffle is locked and loaded, but fortunately (or not) the training schedule calls for another "short" 3.5 miles run between now and Saturday. I will try to catch up to Kelly's quickly evolving pace. Or not. I am old, and I am fairly certain that the AARP membership card contains a pace waiver for the elderly competing in any race over 10 feet. Or maybe I am thinking of a "pace maker," another useful piece of running equipment I may need to look into soon.

Kelly's Updates

2009-08-10T15:53:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I posted an update and some were suspecting that I had stopped training. I am still going - just took a mental break for a while spending time with visitors. Many thanks to those visitors who have been supportive and not complained at all when I left them (or dragged them with me) to go to the gym. I did discover though that a half marathon is equal to running from Castle Hayne on 40 to my house. YIKES! The furthest back I can remember is last Thursday. Deidre and I went to the gym to run together. She has better stamina than me so it was a good motivation to keep my butt moving. Two weeks before my time for 3 miles was 45 minutes. On Thursday my 3 miler was cut down to 40 minutes, mostly by actually jogging and not walking most of the way. Friday the kids and Raf waited patiently for Deidre and I to go to the gym again so we could all go to the beach. It was upper body workout day with Greg. Then I thought about running for the first 30 seconds on the treadmill and quickly decided NAH!!! Instead I went for working on the leg muscles and walked 45 minutes with the incline cranked up between 8 and 10. Later at the beach, I foolishly challenged Zach to race me to the pier. Well, he took off and left me in the dust (sand I guess) instantly, then mocked me by running backwards in front of me. He's lucky I couldn't catch him! Anyway, at least I jogged to the pier and back to the group without dying. Later I learned the lesson of running in bare feet and spent some time with ice on my poor, arthritic toe. Saturday and Sunday were rest days with just walking around the aquarium and downtown Wilmington. Today it is 100 degrees here, but I ran anyway. Shew! It sure was tough running in the air conditioning while watching the hot people outside through the window! :) Greg stood me up - guess he forgot we changed the time. We will have words on Weds!! So today's task was to see if I could cut some time off the 3 miler. BINGO!! Today's 3 miler time was 38:40. Today's run felt great, mostly because I actually RAN most of it instead of walking. I ran a non-stop mile (yeah I know, I signed up for 13.1) for the first time which did more for the psychological part of this training than anything. My calves and shins are fighting me as much anymore. I see progress, I feel progress, I just might make it........

Susan just keeps going and going...like a damn fool.

2009-08-06T21:39:00.004-04:00

After the comfort and success of running 7 miles in the relative safety of my neighboring country roads - as opposed to running alone on an isolated canal towpath in a thunderstorm- I drove around the local countryside like a stalker, noting mileages. I figured out there is a variety of combinations of routes all the way up to 12 miles. That last 1.1 mile is just gonna have to be run at the Half-Marathon on faith---and insanity. I know this is of no use to anyone but me, but here is my spiffy map. See it and be amazed.

And then because it makes no sense to be logical, after all that effort, I drove to the gym, to do some miles on the treadmill. Yes, friends, there IS a treadmill in my basement, but my feet, knees, and legs in general hurt so much figured that I would warm up on the treadmill at the gym and then do some weight training. Oddly enough, once I started on the treadmill NOTHING hurt... I ended up walking/running 5 miles. I DON'T GET IT. When I'm passing out on the couch watching endless reruns of Law and Order, House, and NCIS everything throbs and I despair of completing even one mile of the 13.1. I wish there were some rule of thumb to tell you which pain is a pain that will go away by exercising and which pain signals that your kneecap will become unscrewed and go rolling across the floor if you as much as bend over to tie your sneakers on.

I am too old for this...

2009-08-05T20:14:00.002-04:00

If it feels this crappy after running only 7 miles, how is it going to feel after 13.1???? I miss Advil, 'cause Tylenol doesn't do it.

Susan runs 7 miles, thanks to Dave

2009-08-04T19:54:00.005-04:00

Long run today, and I tried out a new route around the neighborhood. The bad news is that it includes about half a mile on a back-country commuter road, but there appears to be plenty of shoulder room most of the way and leads to two good smaller roads for more mileage. I made the 7 miles OK, in spite of much internal whining and complaining. That short conversation with the nice salesman in the running shop yesterday turned out to be more useful than I realized. I now know that the aching knees afterward is just a sign that yes, I exercised. If it doesn't hurt during the run, probably I am not injuring my precious self so "quitcherbitchin..." Interesting things I observed today were:

It's hard to get out of the house in the first place when you are wearing spandex running shorts, a stupid looking pink fanny pack laden with a half-frozen water bottle, a sweatstained cap and the ever-wonderful old-lady upper arm wings.
For the first mile, all I can think of is the panoply of irritations, aches and pains that are clamoring for my attention: achy knee, itchy shorts, scratchy throat, heel pain signaling possible plantar fasciistis, wishing I'd brought gum, dull pain where the thigh bone meets the hip, hunger, etc etc. Oddly enough, these all disappear by the end of the the second mile.
It helps to remember that not long ago even walking for thirty minutes was something I had to work up to.
It also helps when you notice that the same hills that once loomed like mountains are now just bumps to go up and then, go down on the way to somewhere else.
Running without music would be INSANE. And oddly, the Theme from Rocky usually pops up in your Ipod Shuffle just when you need it to keep going. Today, it was the third song...
Water is very very good -- if nothing else drinking it keeps you from dying of boredom.
Knowing that the next day you will be going out for an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet is also a good motivator.
Since I started running and "racing" (and I use that word loosely) for the first time 15 years ago I continue to notice that the last mile is fast, and even fun, no matter what the distance. Funny, huh?
It is difficult to ice your butt. So I have not included a photo here. Lucky for you.
.

OK, race fans, only 9.5 weeks to go. This morning I didn't think I could run 10 yards today...and look what happened!

Kelly's Back in the Saddle Too

2009-08-03T21:03:00.002-04:00

I'm so glad Susan posted her weekend training regime. I feel less guilty now. I spent the weekend icing my back, drinking mojitos and hard root beer floats. I did walk/jog a little on the beach Saturday just to look cool. Went back to the gym today and Greg made me feel bad. I swear I could not walk Friday, but he somehow makes me second guess my choice to let me back recover. He was kind enough not to make me repeat the lower body routine that did my back in in the first place. He did a fabulous job, I must admit, of giving me a circuit to do that stretched my hip and back and made it feel much better. I took it easy on the treadmill with 2.5 miles of walking. Tomorrow I am going to try to get back to at least 4 miles since I have no weight training. My shins are already protesting the thought......

Back in the saddle again.....

2009-08-03T20:16:00.002-04:00

After not making it to the C&O Canal towpath for a 7-mile run the second day in the row, I made a mental health detour to If The Shoe Fits, the running store in Fredrick, for a specialized knee stabilizer and other running detritus that I could probably live without, but really, why? I had a lovely conversation with the salesman of my own age-persuasion, obviously a "real" runner. He explained that my knee pain was not caused by real knee problems, but rather by my increasing weekly long-run mileage and not to worry about it, especially since it doesn't hurt WHEN I run, just afterward. I bought the "Cho-Pat Dual Action Knee Strap" anyway, since it has such a cool name and I gotta have SOMETHING to get me through those Body Pump squats and lunges.

He also recommended a fanny-pack water bottle holder that looks stupid (as all fanny packs do) but feels good running, even with a full bottle of water. It will hold my panoply of electronic equipment as well. He had good advice about where to do long runs, and seemed to think that running the Baltimore Half-Marathon was a peachy keen idea for a person of my advanced minutes per mile. He said, "If you think you can do it, then you will." Basically, in one way or another he confirmed that my training plan is on the right track. I was hoping he had a magic trick or two, but no...run, rest, and listen to your body seems to be the basic plan.

Then off to the gym for Body Pump, some weights for the hip flexors, and a 3-mile walk on the treadmill. Now it's home to ice - alas, no more Advil for moi-and NCIS repeats. On the way home I mapped out a 7 mile run in the neighborhood. Maybe tomorrow....if the weather holds.

OK, Kelly. Your turn.

Heavy lifting...

2009-07-31T22:43:00.003-04:00

....of the bottled kind. Happily, today is indicated as a day of rest. Unhappily, I reviewed the Jeff Galloway marathon training book and apparently, even for us elderly types, day of rest does not mean watch TV and drink beer. It means, don't run, but walking and cross training are OK.

Oh well. Time for that tomorrow. Sunday is a long run - 6 or 7 miles. The knees feel good today and the hips are fine. Legs are feeling strong. Have to say, though, I'm not exactly a Glamour fashion "Do"wearing my former running shoes as regular foot wear with skirts during the day, but they keep the joints healthy. And that's the priority until October 8.

Ok, back to the heavy lifting. :-)

Kelly's Update

2009-07-31T14:20:00.003-04:00

After seven hours of driving to Virginia and back, I knew I had to go to the gym and at least walk the two miles that were on the plan for the day. I mean, Susan ran so how could I not go??? It was the hardest two miles yet! Shin pain and overall blech, but I got it done. Woke up this morning for my workout with Greg unable to move. My lower back refused to cooperate. PAIN! I remember on Monday feeling something in my hip and lower back as I was doing leg presses......... So today, there is no running. For exercise, I walked into the spa for a pedicure! My feet are happy, at least for the day! And I love the fancy shoes they give you. I promise to get at least some walking in tomorrow - preferably on the beach!

Where is the love?

2009-07-30T22:01:00.004-04:00

So, some days in training are not as motivating as others. I made it to the gym and sat around outside playing with Facebook until I talked myself into going inside. Only 2 miles on the training plan today..you would have thought it was 200. Everything hurt BEFORE I even started. The left knee is better but just for spite the right one started. And you know how the song goes, "The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone?" Well RIGHT THERE is where an annoying new ache has developed.

So I walked for about 20 minutes, and then did the two miles using a modified Jeff Galloway technique of running 1 mile and walking a minute and then running the other. Then I walked a bunch more for pure cussedness. And then, I was so aggravated I did some weights. But motivated? No, just pissed.

Also, taking an IPhone into the gym is a STUPID idea. Between missed calls, beeps and bells of mesages arrving, the music kept cutting off, and it's insane trying to use the controls when you're on the treadmill. Note to self-get a new ipod shuffle ASAP!

Oh well, sorry to whine. Maybe next time will be better. Anyway, running outside is so much eaier than running on a frickin treadmill. Thanks for listening.

Susan says..

2009-07-29T21:04:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting here still icing my knees and taking Advil because all the running books I've read say OLD PEOPLE who train for long distance races should take a day off after running to "recover." Like I really needed a book to tell me that. Meanwhile, I am getting worried that Kelly's Blogs are getting funnier than mine... but I have to admit that while I listen to music, play on my Iphone and watch captioned TV on the treadmill, too, the one thing I don't do is read a magazine....so yeah, she IS more ADD.

Kelly's A.D.D. Training

2009-07-29T19:42:00.002-04:00

The gym time continued with the upper body workout and 4 miles on the treadmill today. As I hung in this contraption where you put your arms into straps and then dangle (looking like someone who lost hangman) so you can do leg lifts, and possibly grow a few inches at the same time, I was thinking that people who are really into this stuff are a bit crazy. Who invented this contraption? It is kinda fun to watch people hanging there though. Anyway, upper body days are no picnic, but WAY easier than lower body days. I always love when Greg throws in some exercises with the big Pilates ball. I have to concentrate so much on not falling off the ball, I sometimes forget how much it hurts!

Today I also had the realization that I may never be able to actually run OUTSIDE. I'm doing great inside, the 4 miles today was not too bad at all. The treadmill becomes a paradise for my attention deficit self. I pick a machine in front of a tv with closed captioning. I have my cell phone in one cup holder, my iPod in the other. The gym has wireless so I can check my email, Facebook and Googletalk while I'm running. I find a magazine just in case. There is usually at least a little good people watching too. Then I spend an hour so distracted by the world around me that I, again, forget it hurts. Sometimes I focus by staring at the digital display and clearing my mind. If I'm not too tired, I can do mental math and calculate how far I will be able to go if I run a certain number of miles per hour for however many minutes. Today I realized that if I get a treadmill next to someone who really CAN run, I can entertain myself by pretending like we are competing. Even better when it's a nice looking guy. Today, the guy kicked my butt. So all this to say that when I finally start running outside, I'm not sure I will ever be able to create the level of distraction that I trained for! Not to mention that on the treadmill, when I drop my iPod and it flies across the gym, some nice person always brings it back to me. When this happens on the street, I think bad things will happen!!!

Susan's Running Adventure

2009-07-28T20:41:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to Kelly for motivating (i.e., SHAMING) me into running today with her Blog entry.

Lately I've been using visualization of the actual half-marathon to get/keep me going. Since I criss-crossed Baltimore last year to watch Becky run her marathon, I am able to "see" myself at the start of the run (happy happy, loud pulse-throbbing music, cheering crowds), on the last big hill of the course (AKA "The Hill That Causes Middle-aged Wannabe Half-Marathoners to Stop Running and Call a Cab"), and running down Charles Street over the finish line, straight to the free beer tent. Today I was also armed for the first time with my cool new GPS watch - which I couldn't remember how to use - and my iPhone for music -since my Shuffle fried during the thunderstorm in the rain on Saturday. I was pretty sure I was going to get struck by space alien death rays, by carrying so much electronic equipment on me. Definitely I'm going to have to go out and get a new Ipod Shuffle; this will be the FIFTH since my running career began two years ago. That whole thng about not getting them wet and throwing them in the washing machine is getting SOOOO yesterday.

I tried a nifty new route by running two connecting long country driveways back to the highway. About halfway along, some sketchy fat lady starts waddling out to me to tell me that THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND TO STOP RUNNING. So much for my theory that Frederick people are nicer than MoCo ones. I guess that she was worried that I weighed so much I would damage her gravel road. I politely gave her my best Kyra Stedgwick, The Closer, "Thaaaank yew...." and ran off into the sunset. It's not like she could chase me, oh please.

I also ran the loop around the neighborhood where both Jesus' and Alfonso's cousin Jorge live, and said "Hi." I never get over the irony of ending up living 1 mile away from the one Mexican relative who knew me when I was married to each of them. Too weird.

Anyway, I made it safely home after the prescribed "3 mile" run. Stretched until I felt like a rubber band and am icing my knees. Time now for dinner, Advil and a trip to the store for kitty litter - the latter not being related to running at all, but if I write it down I am less likely to forget it, being old and all....

A New Week of Training for Kelly

2009-07-28T09:28:00.002-04:00

This week started out strong and then my motivation started to fizzle. Sunday I ran/walked 4 miles on the treadmill and felt great. On Monday, Greg cancelled due to his trip to SC, and I never made it to the gym. Today I made up my missed training with Greg and it was a struggle! I wasn't motivated but luckily Greg doesn't care. These are the days when I remember why I pay someone to work with me. I would have quit wayyyyy sooner without someone there with no mercy! After leg lifts, bench steps, squats, dips, and leg curls....ugh.....I was sentenced to 20 minutes on the stairmaster. I think Greg has my number. As he was sending me to the stairmaster he said, "I'd like for you to get 20 minutes for the calves, but after what we've already done, you'll be lucky to get 5." Oh no he didn't!!!! See, now I HAVE TO do 20 minutes just because he said I can't. AND I DID! So there. :-) So now treadmill today. Tomorrow will be an upper body workout so I should be able to run after. I'm tired just thinking about it.......ouch.

Susan's Report, 7/26

2009-07-26T16:49:00.002-04:00

I spent today duct-taping plastic sheeting to the place where my rear window used to be, icing my knees and taking Advil. Tomorrow: A new knee brace and Body Pump. Oh, yay...

Kelly's First Post

2009-07-26T11:36:00.002-04:00

So Susan has not only convinced me to run this half marathon with her, but also to blog as we prepare. I suppose it will make it harder for me to chicken out if there is written evidence!

I have started this new challenge like all good challenges should....shopping! I have new workout clothes, new music, ordered new running shoes, socks, and a book about middle aged women who decide to run. Maybe it can tell me why! I suppose for me it is a personal challenge. I need something to motivate me, push me, keep me going. This should work!

Today was a much needed rest day from the workouts. My body was sore from my trainer upping the weight and number of sets the past week, and the effort to add some running into my treadmill time. Back on the treadmill tomorrow. I am going to start recording how long and far I can go each time to measure progress. Got my new music and playlists ready to go!

Susan: A very expensive run and fear is a great motivator

2009-07-25T21:43:00.007-04:00

Today was "long" run day, in this case, 6 miles, and it cost me over $500.

Note to self: If you are paying over $100 a month for your iPhone service plan, you should probably go ahead and use it to check the weather before you start running on the C&O Canal towpath.

So, I am coming up on mile 4, tired and bored to tears, and wondering how I ever thought that I was going to finish two more miles when Boom! The heavens open up to the lovely accompaniment of wind, thunder and lightening... and where am I exactly? Oh yeah, on a tree laden TOWPATH with the canal 3 feet to my left and the Potomac River 5 feet to my right. And I'm wondering, WHERE exactly am I supposed to go to be safe???? The Girl Scouts were not clear about this when I was a kid, so I run faster. Two phrases repeat themselves over and over in my head: "Oh SHIT!!!!" and "Please God, I don't want to die like this."

Note to self: Fear of getting hit by lightening or a falling tree limb will give you abundant energy for running a new PR!

Finally, though, the bridge over the canal back to the car is in sight. But hey, where is the car? Oh, there it is but it's kinda hard to see with a TREE coming out the back window. A damn TREE LIMB fell on my rear window and broke all the glass.

On the bright side, I barely noticed those last two miles. On the other hand, my Ipod shuffle died in the rain and some doofus actually took the kneestrap that I left on a fence because it was chafing.

And that's the story of how a lovely run on the scenic C&O Canal towpath, cost me $500 but got me a new PR.

We begin our journey

2009-07-24T23:18:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Susan and Kelly's excellent journey to the Baltimore Half-Marathon on October 11th. Apparently there is also some lame Marathon taking place at the same time/place, but this is all about US! Meanwhile, I am getting bored with posting Facebookk Updates like: "Planning to run 10K today. I hope I survive," and I'm sure FB readers are tired of reading them.

These are random photos to document the fact that we have a long way to go to even get to the Start line.

These blurry photos show me, last week, before, starting and having crossed the Finish line at the Rockville 8K Twilighter at a sound-barrier blasting pace 0f...oh heck, I'm too embarrassed to say.

Kelly is going to post her own photos, as she is a mere 360 miles away in North Carolina. I'm sure she is actually training to RUN the entire distance to Baltimore to get here.

She and I will post Before/During and After photos here and self-indulgent whining about the fun we are having getting ready. Hopefully the quality of our photos will also improve.