Almost there

So it's the day before the race and I am extremely excited/nervous. I am beginning to regret advertising the fact that I am running this marathon. That way, if I didn't finish the race, I could do so quietly, without having to worry about people asking, "How did you do?"

But I had to advertise for the ASPCA--and I am glad I did! Thanks to all of you, we have raised $650 for the ASPCA. My grandfather also pledged $60, for a grand total of $710--or about $27 per mile.

All the physical preparation has been done--now I have less than 24 hours to get in the right mindset. I know when I'm on the race course I'll recall a memory from two years ago, standing outside Central Park, watching thousands of runners streaming toward the finish line at the New York Marathon. I thought, "I want that to be me." Since July, I've been working toward that goal, and tomorrow it will be a reality.

Thank You!

Sometime between now and my last post I reached my donation goal!  Thank you all so much!

However, it seems I have some mystery donors:)  The donation widget links directly to the ASPCA, and unfortunately, doesn't notify me who has made a contribution.

Thanks to those who have let me know so far--and to everyone else: identify yourselves!

9 days to go... 

"Daddy, Why Is Her Face So Red?"

In addition to raising money for the ASPCA, I bet you didn't know I was providing another public service.  It's true: I am a huge source of entertainment for the children of Park Slope.

Several weeks ago, I was wearing my knee brace/ACE bandage.  A little girl in a stroller kept pointing at my leg saying, "Boo boo!  Boo boo!"

After a long, grueling run one Sunday, I was headed home when a little boy looked at me, looked at his dad and asked, "Daddy, why is her face so red?"

Then just last week, I was wearing my fuelbelt when a little kid asked his mom why I had so many water bottles.  "She must be running a long way," she said.

A long way indeed.  This past Friday I reached the peak of my training and completed 20 miles!  It was a very rainy morning, preceded by a very rainy night, and I was predicting flooded pathways and a lot of misery.  But it was actually not that bad!  Only one part of the path was completely flooded, and the rain tapered off after the first 90 minutes.  The cool, moist air was very refreshing, and I was able to complete the full distance without any walk or stretch breaks.  And I didn't even get a single blister, thanks to some fancy new socks and a great little product called "Body Glide."  (It sounds a little racy, I know, but it's just this waxy stuff that you roll on like deodorant that prevents friction.)  So now I begin my taper, which just means I cut back on mileage until the race so that I am well-rested.  I bought my tickets for the Detroit marathon last night and I am starting to get nervous!

After my long run on Friday, Neal and I hopped a plane to Detroit/Ann Arbor for the Michigan game and to visit friends (and a new baby!)  Neal was joking with our friends, saying, "Ha ha, Steph ran 20 miles this morning.  What the hell did I do?"  

I know he was joking/paying me a compliment, but it got me thinking.  I really hope people don't think I'm bragging when I talk about running.  It's just something I love to do.  And I hope everyone has something like that--whether it's a spinning class, thirty minutes on the elliptical or a long walk with their dog.  As Bill Bowerman (the Nike guy) said:

"If someone says, 'Hey, I ran 100 miles this week.  How far did you run?' ignore him!  What the hell difference does it make?...The magic is in the (wo)man, not the 100 miles." 

Total distance covered: 220 miles

Days until race: 19

Feeling Good

Well, this was a really good week!  (Finally!)  In addition to my long Sunday run, I squeezed in three shorter runs and two core workouts.

I woke up at 7:30 AM this morning, got ready, and set out for 16 miles.  My strategy, instead of listening to music for three hours, was to intersperse music with podcasts.  My current podcast of choice: This American Life.  What can I say?  I have a thing for Ira Glass and his nasally voice.

For those of you who've never heard of This American Life, I highly recommend it.  It's an hour's worth of human interest stories, and each week has a different theme.  

You would think that it would be weird or difficult to work out to talk radio--but for me it worked perfectly.  I had to run a slow, steady pace for a long time, and the stories took my mind off of the task at hand, as well as the various aches and pains that cropped up.

I'm a bit tired and out of inspiration at the moment, so I thought I'd close with a quote from a book I'm reading, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by the extremely talented novelist Haruki Murakami, who also happens to be an avid runner:

"For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor.  Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself.  At least that's why I've put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level.  I'm no great runner, by any means.  I'm at an ordinary--or perhaps more like mediocre--level.  But that's not the point.  The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday.  In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be."

Total distance covered: 170 miles

Days until race: 35 (starting to freak out)

Sodi-ummm....

So, 15 miles yesterday.  It was really, really tough.  It was pretty hot out, so maybe I can partially blame the heat.  I shudder to think of adding another 11.2 miles...and am starting to doubt I can really do this!

So, I'm limping home from the park, and I touch my arm and it feels kind of--gritty.  I think, well, maybe it was dusty on the trail.  Then I reach up and touch my cheek--and it's unmistakable--I am covered in salt.  I had sweat so much my whole body was literally crusted with salt.  

I know, gross.

I remembered reading somewhere that certain people are "salty sweaters," so I started doing some research on the internet.  I learned a lot about knowing your sweat rate, and how to measure how much you sweat, so you know how much fluid to take in when you run.  (They recommend weighing yourself before and after your runs to calculate this.)  Then, I came across a definition of hyponatremia.  According to the Mayo Clinic: 

Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium in your blood is diluted by excess water.  Hyponatremia may result from medical conditions that impair excretion of water from your body, or by a significant increase in water consumption, such as by athletes competing in marathons and other high-endurance events.

If untreated, hyponatremia can result in coma, and even death.  The symptoms--such as dizziness, diarrhea, and vomiting--are very similar to symptoms of dehydration, or not taking in enough fluids.

I went on to read that "salty sweaters" need to take precautions, as do women, and "back of the pack" (aka slower) runners since they are on the course longer, and as a consequence may take in too much fluid.  Salty, female, and slow: three strikes against me.

My mom and dad are probably freaking out as they read this, but it's good that I learned about this now.  Now when I hydrate on long runs--and in the marathon--I'll make sure to take in enough, but not too much water.  Also, I will swap out some of my water for Gatorade instead.  Gatorade has sodium, as well as electrolytes and all that other stuff I never realized I needed.  I always just liked the way that Fierce Melon tasted!

Total distance covered: 142 miles

Days until race: 41

Self diagnoses: 1

"Ohhh boy"

It's been a rough few weeks since I last posted.

I lost my Nany (grandmother) last week and it's been a very difficult time.

Running can be therapeutic, yes, but you still have to be into it.  And the last few weeks my heart and mind haven't been in it.

I got back from Michigan on Wednesday night, and had a nice short run on Thursday evening.  But Friday I was in an awful mood, and just couldn't will my body to move.  I spent one mile choking back tears, and decided to call it a night and walk home.

Saturday I went back to the gym and did my core routine (I try and do this at least twice a week, in addition to my running.  But of course, this has fallen by the wayside too.)  I was determined to re-dedicate myself to my long run on Sunday.  I signed up for this race, dammit, and I have to follow through.  And if I don't get in the miles I am going to be in a world of hurt come October 19.

So today I set out to run 14 miles.  It had been two weeks since I got in a quality long distance run so I knew it was going to be difficult.  And, "Ohhh boy" (to quote my grandpa), was it ever.  I ran out to Red Hook, couldn't find the track, then ran back to Park Slope and Prospect Park.  I did some figure 8's around the park, looping down one path and back around the other.  By the end of the run (nearly two and a half hours) I had two enormous, matching blisters on both my insteps.

And so it goes.  Yet despite the blood, sweat, and blisters--training for a marathon has nothing on the grieving process.

Until next time...

Total distance covered: 120 miles

Days until race: 49

Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Last week (Aug 4-10) was a rest week (i.e. fewer miles), which worked out very well since I was in Chicago for a long weekend.  There was a lot of eating, drinking, catching up with friends--and oh yeah, getting pooped on by a seagull at the beach.  But not a lot of running!

However, when I met up with my friend Erin on Sunday, it was decided we'd go for a run together on Monday morning.  I was a little nervous, since I always run alone, and didn't want to slow Erin down.  (I don't run alone by choice, necessarily.  I just don't know many people here in NY, and virtually zero whose idea of a good time is grinding out a 10-miler on a Sunday afternoon.)

Erin is running the Chicago Marathon Oct 12, a week before my race.  This is her second marathon, and she's done many other races in between.  Erin is probably the most motivated person I know, and I credit her with getting me started running a dozen years ago.  At age twelve, I remember her pushing us to run suicides up and down my street.  You know, just for fun.  We ran track together in junior high, and when we got to high school, we attended the cross country meeting together.  I ended up joining; Erin opted for basketball.

I ran cross country for one year only, and years later I do regret not sticking it out.  At the time, I just wasn't ready, physically or mentally, for the sport.  Every time I made progress, I would get hurt.  (an easy feat for a lanky 16-year-old whose bones were growing faster than her muscles)  The most memorable incident was my near concussion at running camp after an unfortunate Ultimate Frisbee collision.  

But back to the Monday run.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and we ran along the Chicago lakefront.  Erin's sister joined us for a bit, and it was really nice to have company other than my iPod for once.

Then it was back to NY, where I was under the weather for a few days, and I only managed 5 miles during the week (a speed workout).  Saturday, I did an 11-miler along a completely different route.  Across the Brooklyn Bridge--beautiful view, but a terrible path due to too many gawking tourists--and into Manhattan.  Lafayette St and Park Ave were temporarily closed to traffic, and I ran all the way up to Central Park to do a few laps around the reservoir.  More beautiful views, though the path was flooded in most places.  All in all, the run was very pretty, but better in theory than in practice.

Total distance covered: 91 miles

Days until race: 63