3:30:48

26.2. Treadmill.
I finally got it out of my system!!! Hard work for me, 6 days after Utah Valley Marathon. I can't seem to perform on race day and I just couldn't leave it alone. I stopped a lot due to melting ice, which would have constituted breaks so would have increased the time. However. I am happy. I proved I have the speed for that much distance. I got under the fantasy 3:33:33 time; maybe someday I can do it in "real life", not on the treadmill. After surgery, core work, weight loss, a cleaner house, more time to play with my friends, less cake, more protein shakes, that other trip....after this, after that.
Oh, and by the way...my 4:05 for UVM wasn't, which partially explains the above determination... Results look more like 4:16? I misunderstood that I started not 30 minutes late, but more like 16. I'm still confused, but I know it was slower than 4:05.

Flying in the Rain

I ripped the huge irritating tags off my travel pillow, prepping for a nice midflight snooze. Tiny white moshi beads, appearing as white powder on a commercial flight, erupted out of the hole. And kept coming. Try as I might to stanch their flow, I only succeeded in causing more to come out. I rang my call button for the flight stewardess, "Um...."

So started my trip to the Utah Valley marathon. Rushing off the flight I headed straight to the Expo in Provo to retrieve mine and Mark's race bib and timing chip. I turned on the rental car radio as I entered the ramp to I-15. "Stop and go traffic from 33rd south to 103rd south, due to an accident causing a two lane blockage". I could have ran it faster. It really was stop and go, mostly stop. The hour trip turned into a two hour trip, but I got there, showed off Mark's ID, and procured the proper appendages for our race. I then stuffed myself with the "pasta grand slam", consisting of a piece of pizza, rigatoni with Alfredo sauce, and a tomato red onion salad. Then I headed out, staring longingly at the gels, trying to figure out what I could ingest that would cause me to fly for 26.2. I was tapped on the shoulder and I turned, looking into the face of Debbie, a girl I went to nursing school with. She has apparently followed me on Facebook and knew all about my running tales and woes. "I'm just doing the half", she said, "I hope I finish before you."

I went to Stephen's house and went directly to bed, on top of a double air mattress. It was like sleeping on air. Seriously, it was great, as long as I stayed still, which staying still helped me sleep. It felt like I was on a surfboard on a still sea; as long as I didn't move, it wouldn't buck me off. I awoke at 2:48 am and went flying out of bed, remembering my ice packs take longer. I still did not plan enough time, however, and arrived at the buses late, at 4:15 am...which proved to be a huge mistake.

The buses somehow got lost going up the canyon, taking extra time to get there. Once we had disengorged, we were promptly told the port-a-potty lines were shorter up at the starting line and we needed to make our way there. There were nine. And there were more than 900 trying to get in. Above the port-a-potties we could see runners on the hillside, not waiting. We thought, no big deal, we have a timing chip on our shoe, we don't have to start at the gun. When I finally got inside, I heard the announcer say, "we are going to roll up the mats in 30 seconds. All runners who want to have their times recorded must cross the mats now." Then I heard loud booing. Small concessions were made, however, Mark and I ended up having to cross the mat, not ready to go. We crossed the mat for the marathon, the clock was started, and we took our first "rest' before our third step so Mark could get his stuff into his belongings bag. His hands were frozen, so we immediately lost a couple of minutes right off the bat.

I was very soon short of breath but not Mark. I hung with him anyway for five or six miles, stopping to tie my shoe and then catch up. My pack of techni-ice, pinned to my compression shorts, was very heavy and cumbersome. I also had two 10 oz Fuel Belt bottles weighing me down. I also wore my Boston marathon jacket because it was raining and I had forgotten my black plastic trash bag. I am also fat. I was heavy and I was short of breath and my morale evaporated, but not the rain. By 7:00 it was a downpour and everything we were wearing became very heavy; apparently my jacket was NOT waterproof.

But. It. Was. Gorgeous!~ And. I still got to mile 13 under two hours, thanks to trying to keep up with Speedy Mark. However, it had taken its toll; I had gone out way too hard and it felt faster than it was. It felt like 8 minute miles or faster to me, but they were in the 8:20s. Altitude? More weight? No sleep? I could make excuses all day. Stephen called me and my RunKeeper app on my iPhone failed so I had no idea of my pace. I called him back and told him I had changed it to a training run, that I was walking at mile 13. Basically I was regrouping. I envisioned my first 5-6 hour marathon. After a few minutes I dumped my Fuel Belt bottles, soaked knit hat, and soaked gloves. I was slightly lighter, and did I mention it was gorgeous?

I started jogging again, ever so slowly when I realized I was going downhill. And there was a tailwind, I'm not kidding. And soon I was flying, even blssfully flying. Still pretty tired, but I had trained long and hard doing fast downhill miles with encyclopedias propped under my treadmill, and it was paying off, big time. I promised myself I would walk through the aid stations and for five minutes at the end of every hour. That helped a lot with the uphills. I jogged up the hills and flew down the backsides, thinking I was doing a training run, that all hope of a PR was lost.

My hips started to really hurt (not the hernia, mind you, it was frozen and I was paying the cost in extra weight), so I popped two Excedrin and a gel as I entered the aid station at mile 17. Beautiful sheer cliffs up the sides. You can't beat Utah for gorgeousness and the rain was starting to let up. However, as I walked out of the aid station and finished the gel, I desperately needed water to wash down a too concentrated gel. I debated as I walked, finally turning around a quarter mile later, heading back to the aid station for water. I walked backwards, adding a half mile of walking! I then stopped, pulled off my sock that was causing a blister, retied my shoes, and redid my ice packs because the safety pins were poking into me.

I guess during all that time the Excedrin started to kick in because it helped a lot with the hip pain and I was off again...until about mile 18, when I slowed somewhat. I didn't do enough runs over 18. Stephen was a welcome sight at mile 20+, with a fresh ice pack, which he pinned on for me. What are brothers for, anyway? Mine are amaYYzing!
He tried hard to give me a sweatshirt, assuming I must be freezing in the cold rain, but I gave him my soaked Boston marathon jacket and my wallet instead. I felt so light after that, especially after I repinned the ice pack, discarding half of it. I determined to jog the last six miles in and it really was easy.

I had no idea of my time, assuming I was 4:15+. If I had known I was close to four hours I would have sped up. I saw my wonderful Tim at mile 24.5. He looked so good I jumped off the course onto the curb and gave him a big hug. He said, "Mom! Get going! Hurry up!" So I did, just for him, just a little.

At 1/4 of a mile to go, they threw in a steep hill. What the....!!!I jogged up it anyway. I can do anything with a quarter mile to go. I couldn't see the finish line but knew it was close. Basically they had us run zig-zags around the mall area. I didn't like that as I like to kick it in the finish line and it was hard to tell where it was, up until about 40 yards to go.

That was when I saw the clock. It said 4:34:52. I knew I had started 30 minutes late, so that meant I could still get a 4:05. So I picked it up and I think I went under right at about 4:35. I immediately called Mark but he didn't answer. I was a little disoriented....I couldn't get out of the chute to go to the car and the race officials were not very helpful. Everything was gone, as thought I had finished in 6+ hours. However, I managed to get my belongings bag and make it back to the car and back to Stephen and Karen's house. They were GREAT, getting me water and in a hot shower followed by a 17 minute ice bath, and then letting me try to rest.

How many minutes of delay did my equipment failure cost? The walking the wrong direction back to the aid station? The first few feet of fiasco? Walking and regrouping when I should have been jogging and regrouping? Who knows. Maybe I could have PR'd. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I got experience, much needed experience, and I had a great time. Really!

And I will never forget the tailwind and the flying. Never.

Snow!

Sunday morning, I woke up with a dream of a beautiful snowfall. I could hardly believe it, until I woke up. Monday morning, I woke up and looked outside and saw the rain coming down. I was tired and not excited to get soaked. I'd rather run in the snow than the rain. But, I put on my stuff and got out and got soaked for 4.6 miles. By the time I got showered, the rain had turned to sleet. Then, at 6:00, our family sat down together and we saw my dream, but this time it was real: A beautiful snow storm, and it was sticking! By the time the morning was gone, we had two inches of snow and a huge snow man in the back yard. This was the latest measurable snow fall on record at the airport. The previous latest date was May 18. Do you think I could be a weatherman?

This morning was dry and 38 degrees and a great day for running. I ran 4.6 again at an average pace of 8:16. Taking out the first mile, my average was under 8:00 per mile. Happy day!

Coachless

I am coachless and doing my own thing, which I don't think any coach would approve of. But I like it, and my confidence must be mine....I run very hard, but only run three days a week.

Today I added 16 treadmill miles to the mix, average pace 8:15, downhill. That totals 48 miles, a warm-up for Mark but a lot of miles in one week for me. And 30 of them around 8 min/mile pace. It's my only real training week to speak of between Boston and Utah Valley. And next week, after a long run Tuesday, I will start taper. Yes, I am sore! LOTS of downhill miles this week, in fact all but 5 of them. On the bright side, both my Achilles are very happy.

Stephen, will you hand me a frozen Fuel Belt bottle at mile 21? That would REALLY help....if you should happen to be around that area on Saturday June 12....

from Dreadmilla to the Bighilla

Obviously I have been Dreadmilla way too long and need to switch to Outdoorzy One. Went flying down Mt. Spokane the same pace as the treadmill, only to freeze my tush (and hands) OFF. I could not manage the frozen Fuel Belt bottles, much less the drinks I had hidden TOO well at the side of the road. Un-iced hernia, no drinks, not being sure I was going the right way, a sudden icy rain added to the headwind, and I was thinking bail out.
The original plan was about 22, obviously I did not make it. MUST learn to go slow at the beginning, even when presented with intoxicating downhill wonders...
Oh yeah, and I am sore, even after the ice bath. Very humbling after the whole treadmill schmeel.
I only have a few more workouts and then taper time again, even though I've basically been banned from running or tapering until a few days ago. I'm feeling it today. I got a little out of shape.

for Stephen

I was so touched yesterday when Karen called saying Stephen has been worrying about me! It really has been extremely difficult to stop running, to contemplate not being able to reach my goal, and it is making my other health issues worse. I crash without running, I really do. Increased meds, feeling lousy, no sleep, etc. Meds don't feel good. Running is better. I've had multitudinous issues, just trying to take a week off, which is why....

I cheated. I cheated VERY safely, on the treadmill, armed with mega ice packs in just the right shape, which I started applying immmediately. I had no pain and enough compression to strangle anyone's gut into submission! By the end of the run I was sporting a very thick lump in my compression shorts. No, I did not take a picture, sorry.

I have my appointment in an hour, so if I caused any damage, (which I didn't), the surgery can still be scheduled. I want it on both sides, since I'm convinced the right side has the same problem, even though the right hernia wasn't detected on ultrasound.

Enough rationale yet? I know I took a risk. But not running has its own set of problems...

I still have the encylopedias under the back side of my treadmill. Yes, I am still longing to run 3:33:33 at UVM on June 12. So I set the treadmill for 13.1 (remember, I can stop if it gets painful or scary in any way because I am on the treadmill, not in the middle of nowhere). And then I took off. 7.5 mph for .1, then 7.6 for .4, then 7.7 for .8, then 7.8 for ten minutes, and increasing .1 mph every ten minutes. I ended at 8.7 mph, (yeah I increased it every 5 minutes the last 30 because I had a lot left). And I ran 13.1 miles on the treadmill in 1:36:35. This puts me on the board for UVM, even considering the elevation change, I hope. Unless my treadmill REALLY lies...which is possible.

I needed to do this, knowing I may not get to run UVM.

Those are all the excuses I have. I must go get ready for my appointment/judgment day.

Update: Yeeeeeeehaw! The general surgeon convinced me it is fine to run. I have a small hernia, which is why it hurts so much (it's pushing harder on the nerve because there isn't much of a hole to give it room). He does hundreds of hernia surgeries a year and only sees the strangulated scary cases maybe once a year and then only with very big hernias. He says run away, just handle the pain. Utah Valley June 12, Grand Canyon June 19-26th, and surgery July 9. Lots of ice in my future.

I should do a push-up

or two. I have been banned from running, which I haven't listened to, but which I decided to start listening to when reaffirmed by my notable physician, Dr. Lisa Bliss. Look her up. (hint, she is most notorious, but not as a doctor).

Dunno though. I'm mad. What will I do with my life if I don't run? My poor fam. Hopefully the fix will come soon. Apptmnt with surgeon Tuesday...which will hopefully lead to appointment for surgery Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, but not likely, ha.

Feeling very discouraged...sorry for the bummer post.