Merry Christmas

It's My Blogiversary.....

Today.....I have been writing all about my running adventures for one full year. My very first post was a recap of a 10K race that I had just done. And I just kept going....

When I started running, back in July 2011, I was training for my first half marathon. I completed that training cycle and ran across the finish line of that Half in November. At that point, I knew it was a done deal. I was in love with running and this was not going to be a one and done kind of thing. In order to keep myself motivated and accountable....and because I wanted to be just like this girl....I decided to start my little blog.

One year later, I am still going strong. Despite the fact that I've actually been out of commission for the past (nearly) 5 months. I actually feel pretty proud about that. I was determined to keep at it....even when I didn't have anything much to say...I didn't want to let my handful of readers down and I knew that if I kept writing, even just a bit here and there, that I would be glad that I did.

Because the day that I will get to run again is getting closer. Unfortunately, it's taking much longer than I thought it would. This is a stubborn injury....one that I'll probably have to deal with for the rest of my running career. But I am determined to have one....I just love it too much.

So thanks for bearing with me readers...I appreciate it! I'll be back in action, hopefully better than ever in the near future....and will be celebrating many more of these Blogiversaries.

A few of my favorite posts from the last year:

Luck of the Season -- This was my first experience grappling with a less than stellar training cycle. It was good to get out the frustration while simultaneously giving myself a break.

Mercer Island Half Recap -- My second half marathon was awesome. And I knocked nearly 10 minutes off my time.

Wear Blue: Run to Remember -- I joined Wear Blue last April....here's why I was inspired to join this amazing group.

Heroes Half Recap -- Half marathon #3....this was the day I met a really really cool runner chic. Who then invited me to be on her....

Ragnar Relay: NW Passages....It's ON! -- team...Little did I know.....

Long Run...In Pictures --  This was one of my favorite posts....a little hometown love and a long run...what's not to love?

Seattle Rock and Roll - Wear Blue Mile -- My first time running a race with the larger WB group. Amazing experience and still my favorite race to this day.

Sea of Blue -- I posted quite a few on this particular race...this picture post was also one of my favorites...along with my first post after the race....It was such a moving experience. Can't wait until next year!

Ragnar: Odds, Ends and Awesome Stuff -- I wrote many posts about Ragnar...but this one collected most of my favorite moments in photo form....

How Do People Do This? -- My first post where I start to realize that denial re: the injury wasn't going to get me anywhere......especially if I planned to run there.

The Results Are In -- Official diagnoses of a labral tear in my left hip and a wicked case of upper hamstring tendonitis. And just like that....it's temporarily game over.

Finisher - Marathon #1 Done -- Except for this. Ha. I got permission to walk some of this race that I'd registered for prior to said injury but ended up walking the entire thing. Fortunately, it didn't set me back on the injury...and I can say that I've now completed a full marathon. And since I walked the damn thing, I'll likely knock a couple hours off my time when I actually get to run one!!

The Show Must Go On -- Speculating on the NYC Marathon that was scheduled right after Hurricane Sandy battered the NJ and NY coastlines. Then it was cancelled.....

Progress....Real Progress -- The patience is starting to pay off....I am getting there. I plan to return better than before....but it's slow going.

Thanks for reading this year!!

Make Yourself Monday

 Free....I hope to free myself from this injury soon.....

Make Yourself Monday

Extraordinary....

November: In Which I Get Closer to Running Again.......

Which, yay! I can feel it, taste it....whatever. Point is, I am making progress!! That I can feel.

November raged in with a ginormous 'Frankenstorm' on the East Coast. Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey and the outlying areas of NYC just before Halloween. Less than a week before my #1 dream marathon was scheduled to take place.

One of the many crazy Post-Sandy flood pictures

In the aftermath, NYRR and the city of New York decided that the marathon would go on. Which resulted in a backlash so loud and impossible to ignore that Mayor Bloomberg decided to cancel after all -- less than 48 hours before it was supposed to start - after most of the international runners had already arrived. While the final info regarding refunds and automatic entry to next year is still not clear due to haggling with the event's insurance company, this will likely affect the Marathon for years to come. Good did come out of runners descending on NYC anyway -- thousands of those that did arrive helped where they could and some of them held their own informal 'race' in Central Park anyway. 

Runners headed to Staten Island on what would have

 been 'race day'. Source.

That was only the beginning of the month! What an eventful November....right after all this brouhaha, we had the election, AKA Nerd Christmas, an actual real holiday I just made up. I was totally captivated along with the nation watching people decide on the future of our country....God, I love Presidential election years! Except for the commercials......those can go away and never come back.

Since I was so preoccupied, I probably didn't mourn quite as much about missing Ragnar LV Ultra with my girls. It was, however, very cool that one of my amazing teammates, April offered to run her first leg in honor of Wear Blue and a fallen soldier. She ran those miles in honor of Army Spc. Sarina Butcher, who was KIA on November 1, 2011 serving in Afghanistan. 

You will not be forgotten.

This month also brought two holidays that provided an opportunity to reflect and say Thanks. For both Veterans Day and Thanksgiving  I wanted to let our Troops know that they are appreciated and that we honor their service to our country. And for Turkey Day especially, I wanted to recognize Military Families and their sacrifice as well. 

Following my absolute favorite holiday, I got to continue participating in my newest Thanksgiving weekend tradition- the Seattle Marathon. No running for me this year but I spent a couple days volunteering and had an excellent time. It was great to be a part of it, despite not actually running....but speaking of running...

I am that much closer to it. I started PT back up this month and it was nice to find that I am actually healing and moving closer to being 'back'. Still have a month or so before running will start again, but I am working hard. Doing my exercises religiously and now walking 3x a week to start prepping my body to being able to run again. I cannot wait. I can't believe it's been 4 months now. But we are getting there....slowly but surely! 

Overall, November was a pretty eventful month! Onward to the very last month of 2012. Hopefully this will not be the last ever month in review.....but if the Mayans are right and we are all gone after the 21st, it's been real people. Ha.

Make Yourself Monday

Love it....running on a beach sounds nice about now.

Progress.....Real Progress

I am finally feeling it. The 'it' being closer to running again. Yay!! I am finally healing and feeling like I am getting stronger too. Working with my PT has brought a better understanding of my body and it's particular structural issues, if you will.

Mainly, I've discovered that 1) My core is not strong. At all. 2) The lack of engaged muscles deep in my abdomen and pelvis allowed my pelvis to shift slightly with the continual force that running was putting on it. 3) The miss-aligned pelvis and lack of core strength caused an imbalance and overuse of the left leg, which led to the injury.

To 'fix' this, we've been focusing on core strength. I've been doing a set of exercises at home that are targeting the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. I already feel more balanced and stronger. It's been really helpful to learn how each part of your body is engaged while running and we've been working to stabilize the core so that when my body is balanced on one leg (which it always is while running), I am in line and my muscles are engaged properly.

We've started incorporating walking back into the picture. I will be spending the month of December walking to build back up to being able to run again, likely after Christmas. Boo ya! I was assigned a 3-5 mile walk over the last couple days and it was so nice to get out there, listen to music and just let my mind wander. Oh how I've missed that so much.

The plan is to continue PT twice a week through December. In January, we'll go down to once a week as I am able to start building my base back up. A few weeks after I am consistently running again, we'll go to once every other week for a couple weeks and then as needed. But once I am running again, she is going to give me a pretty detailed plan on building the base and smartly increasing my mileage back to where it was. I will also be focusing on being more well rounded so that I can keep my body healthy to keep doing what I really love. Strength training, yoga and incorporating warm ups and cool downs, which I've never really been good at doing. All of that will hopefully keep me injury free and prevent a relapse of this awful injury.

Yay for progress!!

Make Yourself Monday

Love it....

Marshaling the Course

Stray observations from the course:

1) Some people run really funny. Like arms straight down at their sides funny.

2) Marathoners come in all shapes and sizes. For reals.

3) I want to be badass enough to win a whole marathon sometime in my life. A bit after I got to my post, I saw the first three ladies running by looking all badass.

4) Some bikers are assholes. Closed course fools. Don't make me use my Mom voice on you.

5) I can't wait to start running again. Injuries suck.

Volunteering at the Seattle Marathon

One year ago, I ran my very first half marathon. It was cold, rainy and windy. I was nervous as hell and had no idea what to expect. Running to the finish line was an indescribable feeling. I felt powerful and strong and completely spent. I also hyperventilated just a bit and was swallowing more than a few tears.

One year later, I have to sit this one out. Stupid injuries...But the next best thing to running has to be volunteering...I spent the better part of yesterday handing out bibs at the Expo and will spend several hours today on the course as a course marshal. I had such a good time yesterday...It was fun to see all the different runners and you could totally tell the people who are experienced and who is a newbie....One girl was super excited and had so much nervous energy, I got a kick out of being the 'more experienced' one who offered some advice and encouragement. I even had my own little brush with a local quasi-celebrity, Allen Shauffler, KING 5 News anchor (our local NBC affiliate). And of course, I was super stupid...I was all "I know you!" and started looking for his bib. He's all "The question is, can you spell it?" Ha. I totally could and found it lickety split.

I was on the first shift so I was able to strategically place myself at the S-T table so I could check in my friends Bill and Mike. I also got too see a friend from high school which was nice....And I learned that as a course marshal, I have to hold a stop sign...so I decided against doing signs. But the weather seems like it may hold up...no rain in the forecast. Just cloudy and in the 40's all day. So I definitely need to dress warm. What to wear....I have a ginormous volunteer t shirt that I might wear....but it will likely be covered by a warmer layer so I might not. I also want to wear Blue....so my fellow runners know why I am yelling so loudly at them.

Anyhoo, I've got to go get ready to head out soon....more to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. It's the best one because it's all about family and food and you don't have to buy stuff. The only thing I don't like about Turkey Day is the fact that it's generally understood that it's the 'official' kick off to the Christmas season. I am not a fan of that holiday for many many reasons, best told over a cocktail. But mostly, I resent that as soon as the orange stuff and candy is put away, it's all candy canes and trees with lights. My birthday is Dec. 7th and the rule in my house is that there is absolutely positively no Christmas decorations until after said date. Hell, if I didn't have a kid, I probably wouldn't have a tree at all. But I digress....

I am not a super good cook, nor do I enjoy it as much as I wish I did. But on Turkey day, that rule does not apply. I actually love cooking this meal. It's my favoritest favorite of all. Like last meal before being executed favorite. And I'll be getting started on all that soon! We will do a little 'kick off to Christmas' activity tomorrow - we plan to go watch the Macy's Holiday parade downtown Seattle and then watch the tree lighting at Westlake that evening. But there will be NO shopping. Black Friday is a terrible terrible day and I will never ever be into it. 

Post Turkey Day activities, I plan to be a part of the brand new Thanksgiving Weekend tradition that I started last year. And it's the PERFECT addition because it has nothing to do with Christmas and involves running!! Woot woot - I plan to return to the place that started it all for me- my first Half Marathon last year, the Seattle Marathon on Sunday. And my little blog didn't exist then so I don't have a fabulous race recap to link to....but I'll be writing all about my volunteer experience this year! 

That's right - since I am not able to run, I am going to be there anyway because I just can't stay away. I have a few friends doing it and even though it's not an 'official' Wear Blue race, there will be many of my fellow Blue runners out on the course and there to support them. I will be volunteering twice - on Saturday at the Expo handing out bibs and on Sunday at the actual race - as a course marshal. I am super excited b/c I think that means I get stationed somewhere out on the course and I get to cheer people on all day. I already have my signs all planned - I can't wait to make them!

All in all, I think this will be an excellent weekend. We don't have to go anywhere, I get to eat my most favorite foods of all and I get to hang out with a bunch of runners! But this holiday is my favorite for another reason. It's a chance to reflect on just how fortunate we are and to be thankful for the wonderful friends and family in our life. I am thankful for so many things....the health of my family, a daughter who makes me laugh and burst with pride on a daily basis, and that I have a good job that pays me enough for us to have the things we need....

But as much as I am thankful for all these things specific to me, I am also aware that there are so many out there who are facing really difficult holidays. Families with a missing member at the table, men and women away from those families as they fight to keep up safe worlds away from here in the dessert. I am so grateful for the sacrifices these families make every day, but today especially, on a holiday that is all about family, it's got to be tough. I will choose to remember these brave men and women and their families this holiday and will be actively thankful for that service. 

Thanks for your giving. And to all of you reading - to you and yours- Happy Thanksgiving from me and mine.

New PT Plan

Update on the injury. I've been pretty quiet this month, mostly due to the once-every-four-year-occurrence of Nerd Christmas, AKA the election. It's my superbowl and I get so darn excited that everything else sort of fades into the background for me. But we've put it to bed for the time being, so time to refocus my attention.

Since my injuries were officially diagnosed in late September, I was on a fairly strict rest regimen, with the notable exception of walking 26.2 miles one Sunday last month. I wasn't going to PT and I wasn't doing my assigned exercises either. Full and complete rest. And you know what? It was really what I needed.

I was allowed to start back up on PT the last week in October but the gal I usually see was on vacation until a couple weeks ago so I just held off until she was back. I had my first appointment in over 2 months last week and I am pretty pleased to report that major progress has been made. I was starting to feel like things maybe weren't moving in the right direction...but during my apt, as I was telling Lexie all about how I felt, I realized just how much progress I'd made. She reminded me that when I last saw her, I was in pain just at rest and that sitting all day was very uncomfortable and just plain hurt sometimes. I was also icing my arse about 5 or 6 times a day.

Flash forward to today and there is no longer any resting pain or pain when I am sitting!! That is pretty major. That means that were are doing the right things to get this inflammation down. That was step one....

Moving to step two is all about strengthening the muscles of the pelvis, abdominal floor, hamstrings and glutes so that my pelvis will stay in alignment and the tendons will be better supported. We will also continue to focus on reducing inflammation and trying to stimulate new cell growth. The final step will be to reincorporate running gradually and under Lexie's supervision to make sure that my core is strong and that things are staying aligned and loose.

The plan until the end of the year is as follows:

• NO running. Walking is ok as long as I am not in pain and no more than 4 miles 
• PT Exercises - continue these as assigned. Focusing on abdominal floor, hamstrings and glute strengthening. Light stretching and foam rolling is ok.
• PT Appointments - continuing twice a week until the end of the year, then we'll reduce to once a week as running is gradually reintroduced. During PT, we'll be focusing on ultrasound, massage and  making sure my core is aligned and that I am engaging it properly during my home exercises.

I am determined to be a runner again. My doctor told me that perhaps I should find another sport. I thought, no - how about I find another doctor! When I told Lexie that, she said not to fear- I can run again. But I may not be able to train like I was and may have to be ok with doing way less racing than I did over the last year. Classic case of Too Much Too Soon. More on that later....

Make Yourself Monday

Celebrating a year of change since my inaugural 

Half Marathon last November. Woot woot!

Make Yourself Monday...on Tuesday

A day late and a dollar short. 

Story of my life.....

Thank You

 Happy Veterans Day

To those who have served, who continue to serve and to those who have the made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country, thank you. It's not enough, this simple thanks, but it's important to say.

To those that have served and have had their lives indelibly changed in the process - Thank You.

To those that are still serving, who are risking their lives and honorably representing the United States, both here and abroad - Thank You.

To those that have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in service to our country - Thank You.

I will be taking a walk today in honor of US Service Members, both past and present. My small way of honoring the fallen and those still fighting, as well as their families, who've also signed on to serve their country.

 "On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month..."

 Happy Veteran's Day - to all those who have fought and are still fighting - Thank You for your service.

Ragnar Relay: Las Vegas -- Running in Honor of...

 Army Spc. Sarina N. Butcher

Spc. Butcher was KIA on November 1, 2011 in Paktya Province, Afghanistan when her vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device. She was 19 years old. Also in the vehicle was 26-year-old Spc. Christopher Gailey. From Military Times:

 

"The Oklahoma National Guard says Butcher is the first female Oklahoma National Guard soldier to be killed during wartime and also is the youngest Guard member to die in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. She joined the National Guard in April 2010. Gailey enlisted in the National Guard in 2004 and was previously deployed to Iraq in 2007. Both were assigned to the Tulsa-based 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team."

Butcher came from a military family, following in her grandfather and brother's footsteps. Aside from being so young, she was also a mom to a 3 year old girl, Zoey. She joined the National Guard in order to help support herself and her daughter, and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. She was awarded numerous awards in her short service and was posthumously promoted to Specialist. She is survived by her parents, step-parents, brother and daughter Zoey.

 

 My Ragnar teammate April has graciously offered to run her first leg in honor of Wear Blue. Her first leg is 12.6 miles and she'll be running those miles in honor of Spc. Butcher's service and sacrifice. Thanks April! Run strong! Run to Remember! 

The Ragnar Relay That Wasn't....

In less than 24 hours, my awesome girls will be running 200 miles through the desert. I am still heartbroken that I won't be there running with them....Team Make Me A Sammich is a kick ass team of 6 ladies that are running in somewhat crazy conditions in Las Vegas. It starts at 8500 feet up at a Mt - where it's supposed to be in the 30's in the early morning when they start. Oh and there will be high wind warnings early that morning as well.

The days will be warm. Much warmer, perhaps even as high as the 70's. And then back down to cold at night. And since it's an ultra, the first 4 legs are run by only 2 people. And they lose about 4000 feet of elevation in those 4 legs. I was supposed to be Runner #1 originally. Roughly 3 half marathons in 36 hours. Ha. Can you imagine? What in the world was I thinking? My super speedy friend April is running that one. And she is going to rock it.

Stretch it out girl! I love how not flexible our friend 

Aaron is on the right....hehe

April graciously offered to dedicate her first legs to me and Wear Blue. So I've got a soldier all lined up for her....More on that soon!

So to the ladies of Team Make Me A Sammich - Honey Badger, #meanjess, and Flygirl - run your hearts out. Have fun. And enjoy every second. I'll be cheering you on from here!

October: In Which I "Complete" My 1st FULL Marathon

I began October knowing that I was going to be on complete rest and that PT was on hold for the time being. Then I completed my first full marathon a few days later. I had been mentally preparing myself for about a month that I wouldn't be able to run it and was resigned to the idea of walking just part of it and not finishing. I was trying to get excited but wasn't really feeling it. But we had planned a whole weekend....so we went anyway.

I planned to only walk a few miles and then bow out. I ended up walking the entire thing. I am a finisher. Boo ya! Perhaps because I was walking in honor of this guy....

Army Command Sgt Major Kevin Griffin, KIA 8/8/12

 I packed with only walking a little bit in mind and didn't prepare for the day at all. I ended up incredibly hot, in the wrong clothes, ill prepared to fuel my body and sunburned. But I did it.

We did the whole 26.2 miles taking turns carrying the flag. Every step was worth it and I am so glad I ended up doing it. I also think not deciding till the last minute helped me actually complete it. It felt so surreal the whole time and I didn't ever really get a chance to freak out about walking that many miles with no training. Or preparation of any kind, really.

Overall, I loved the Portland Marathon and there's a very good chance I'll be back for a rematch next year....And this time I will run it, I'll knock hours off my time and I won't feel quite so horrible the whole week afterwards.

Total Miles for October: 26.2

Make Yourself Monday

NYCM. Canceled.....

“It’s clear that the best thing for New York and the best thing for the marathon and the future is, unfortunately, to move on,” said Ms. Wittenberg, the chief executive of New York Road Runners, the organization that operates the marathon. “This isn’t the year or the time to run it. It’s crushing and really difficult. One of the toughest decisions we ever made.” Source.

Since Thursday night, I've been watching to growing public outcry - on social media that then migrated over to the regular media as the news spread. As early as Friday morning, Mayor Bloomberg was holding firm on his decision. As the day progressed, more intense backlash, that included many local politicians and involved municipalities, grew and grew and abruptly at about 5:30 pm, it was called off completely.

Finally, some common sense prevails. I do believe that financial considerations were the chief reason they decided to move forward in the first place. And when it became clear that people were not going to stand for that and the uproar got too loud to ignore, they finally stood up and did the right thing. Nice work people. Sometimes, you have to remind the decision makers of how things really are. In this case, that means increased awareness of the huge pockets of need still out there in the city and outlying areas. Staten Island, where the race begins, was hit so incredibly hard. And there were many members of that community on the news crying out for help, much like the hardest hit victims of Katrina in N.O.

The adults finally stepped up and did the right thing. And I have no doubt that the runners that had already arrived in the city will at the very least spend some money while visiting...hopefully that will help mitigate some of the revenue loss the city was counting on. There are some great ideas and ways to help as well - if you can't use your hotel room, runners can donate it to a displaced NY'er via race2recover.com.

 I've also read of runners meeting up at any church south of 42nd Street to be deployed to help folks still without power/food/water in lower Manhattan. People that are gathering folks' pre-race warm clothes (that are typically discarded at the start) to donate. People are coming together. And fortunately, I think this might help just a tiny bit with what they had hoped to accomplish by not canceling the race in the first place -- bringing folks together to give a helping hand and trying to use the race platform to do good and help with the recovery. But not actually further taxing a city already brought to it's knees by actually holding the race. And I read a later statement made by Ms. Wittenberg that said that resources and supplies that were being brought in for the race are being re-deployed. So that is good.

I am a total politics nerd and very much a news junkie. And I've always been really interested in watching how crisis communications is handled - by both the government and private organizations. The fact that it intersects with my other love - running, makes it all the more compelling. And this has been a study in what not to do in so many ways. Optics are important and so are priorities. The decisions made during this disaster will have some lasting effects. It will be interesting to see how that all plays out.

The Show Must Go On.....Or Something Like That.

Like the rest of the country, I've been watching the devastation in the New York/Jersey area non-stop since Sunday....It's been a horror show to watch all the ruin and misery. And even though I am all the way across the country in Seattle, it's affected my employer, since they are headquartered in Manhattan and our office there and on Long Island are still without power. Aside from property damage and the loss of a habitable home for a few, everyone is ok and safe at this time, thankfully.

Hurricane Sandy batters the eastern seaboard. Source

In running news, this week of natural disaster has been book-ended by two very big and prestigious marathons. Things started out last Sunday with the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. This was Wear Blue's official East Coast race debut - which means - Wear Blue Mile!! Fantastic introduction of this awesome group to a whole bunch of new people. The weather was threatening but the building rain and wind held off until it was pretty much over. At which time, everyone got stuck in DC since airports starting shutting down in advance of the coming storm. The WA contingent of Wear Blue staff got stuck but being the resourceful gals they are, they rented a car and drove down to Ft. Bragg in NC. There, they were able to get a flight out of Raleigh and make it home in time to celebrate Halloween with their kids. Just in time...with one of the ladies' husbands deploying in a matter of days, I am so glad they made it home so she could spend that precious last bit of time with him.

On the other end of the week is the expected New York City Marathon on Sunday. Some of you may remember that I really really wanted to get into this marathon for my first one, but I was denied. Just as well, since it's turned into a PR-nightmare of a shit-show. And if I'd actually been registered, I think I would definitely defer to next year.

To recap, just in case you've been living under a ginormous rock or were in a coma, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on Monday night and completely decimated the Jersey shore, including the boardwalk in Atlantic City and much of the barrier islands and outlying peninsulas protecting New York City.

 Atlantic City. Source.

 
Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power, extremely dangerous conditions abound and there is still wide spread flooding. Oh and the 108 year-old subway system flooded in lower Manhattan.

That is several feet of water....Source.

All of this in the run up to a very big election and the New York City Marathon. And after a few days of rampant speculation and angst among the registered runners, over 20,000 of which are coming from outside the US, it appears that official word is that it will continue, with adjustments made. Mary Wittenberg, CEO of NYRR, host of the marathon, said in a statement yesterday that the decision was ultimately up to Mayor Bloomberg but that they would like to proceed as planned. Following that statement, Mayor Bloomberg confirmed in a press conference that they'd continue as planned since the city was resilient and it would lift spirits and help things get back to normal. Oh and money. The marathon brings in approximately 340 million dollars to the city's economy.So there's that.

Ms. Wittenberg was on the Today show this morning defending the choice, much to Matt Lauer's disbelief and attempt at some rather pointed questions. My very unscientific assessment of the comments following this NY Times article seem to be about 90%+ negative...as in are you out of your ever-loving-mind? It's not an easy decision - that is for sure. There are many competing reasons why or why not - some more valid than others, in my opinion. I've been following the arguments and they go something like this:

Let's do it. The people of New York and the city itself could sorely use the community spirit a race like this inspires - a real celebration of the human spirit, etc etc. And these crazy runners will bring millions of dollars of much needed revenue to the city right now. Also, marathoners train hard for these races and people spend a lot of money on this one in particular (including travel) so that is not fair to them to cancel at the last minute. And...they didn't cancel after 9/11....New Orleans still had Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina. (To which I'd point out that neither of which was 5 days later...)

Are you out of your ever-loving mind? The reasons here are significant and can't be understated. First responders and emergency personnel should not be diverted to keep a race course and runners safe at this time as they are desperately needed elsewhere. The course may or may not be safe for runners, it's in very poor taste when they are still finding bodies of storm victims in the wreckage, and a significant portions of Lower Manhattan and Staten Island are still without power and diminishing supplies of fresh water and food. There are super long lines for gas, which they are rapidly running out of. And then there are just plain old fashioned logistics. Otherwise known as how the hell is everyone going to get around? Very limited transportation options at this time, if they can even get to the city. Airports are just now reopening and it'll take weeks to get things back to normal there since there were something like over 18,000 cancelled flights during the storm and it's aftermath.

I am sure I am leaving many things out -- this was just a quick summary of what I've been reading. I haven't really had a strong opinion either way until now. As a runner who hopes to do this race one day and who will also get up early to watch it if it does indeed happen this Sunday, I was more curious than anything else. I wanted to see what NYRR would choose to do and how the politics/optics of the situation would play out. I felt uneasy with the idea of them planning to continue but was pretty sure that pragmatic and common sense leadership would prevail and the right decision would ultimately be made with the good of the people in mind.

After more thought, and paying close attention to the messaging coming out of this very unfortunate crisis, I think they should cancel or postpone the race. 'It just doesn't seem right' isn't really that eloquent, but it fits. This event, while exciting and typically a great rallying event for New Yorkers, is also very taxing on the city in normal circumstances. Under the current one, it's hard to imagine them pulling this off with any measure of success. The backlash has started and it's pretty intense. I have to say that I agree. I think that this is the wrong decision and sadly, I think that money has a lot to do with it. I've read that the race has insurance that would cover refunding entry fees if the race were cancelled. But a lot of money has already been spent on this race that can't be recouped.

The Charity partners that benefit from fundraising, the vendors that have rented space at the expo, security considerations, supplies purchased, not to mention the hefty sponsorship fees that would need refunding....that money is already committed or spent. Much easier to delay communication so that people are forced to decide on their own if they will cancel and defer to next year than to do the hard thing and call it off. No refunds if the participant cancels. That may be a cynical reading of this, but I just don't buy the spin they are throwing out there on using this already scheduled event to help the recovery and  a platform to raise 'awareness'. It seems, as the backlash grows, that I am not the only one to reach that conclusion. There is a lot of talk of the runners wanting to help out while they are here, and perhaps some will and it will be great. No way to know, I guess.

In any case, the show, as it were, may indeed carry on. But at what cost? I'll be watching to see what happens. I am curious if the backlash will cause second thoughts and it will be cancelled after all....or if it will happen with negative consequences. I might be surprised and find that it goes off relatively well and that getting back to normal and demonstrating that quintessential New Yorker spirit was just what the city needed. We shall see. Only thing certain is that I'll be watching how it all plays out.

Make Yourself Monday

Hurricane Sandy style....to all the runners out there hardcore enough to complete the Marine Corp Marathon Sunday under the threat of a hurricane...You are HARDCORE for sure!

Make Yourself Monday

Fearless

Make Yourself Monday

Love it!

Post Marathon Recovery

Day One felt like this

So did much of Days 2 and 3. I finally started to feel human again yesterday, but I am fighting a cold and I'm completely exhausted. Day 5 - today - I wore shoes again for the first time (blisters aren't super painful any longer) and can walk up and down stairs without making an awful face or grunting. So that's good.

The other good news is that my injuries don't appear to have been aggravated too much. No significant extra pain in either my hip or upper hamstring....just a general soreness that is frankly a lot duller than I expected it to be. I really thought I might have set myself back but it doesn't appear to be so! A couple more weeks and I'll start up PT again. We'll develop a different plan based on this diagnosis and hopefully I'll able to start walk/running again in a couple months. Last weekend really made me miss everything all the more. I am thinking about volunteering for the Seattle Marathon next month since I can't run it....It's time I started to give back and what better way to do it. right?

Portland Marathon Race Recap

Finisher!

This was my first 'destination' race, even though it wasn't very far. We left for Portland on Saturday morning, arriving about lunchtime. We were able to do an early check in at our hotel, which was really nice but quite far from downtown - it was at the airport. But there was a train stop a block away that went right downtown Portland so we hopped on that after getting settled in our room. The Girl had some birthday money to blow on tax-free shopping so that and hitting the expo was the grand plan for the day. 

We got downtown, and after a brief stop in the wrong area of downtown, we figured out where we were going. We were starving so we found food first and then I peeled off to meet up with Jess and D at the Expo.

It took a couple tries to get this picture. The old man we asked

 had a hard time figuring out how to use an iPhone 

camera....which incidentally, kept happening to us.

After hitting the expo, we went our separate ways until our planned dinner...we were late getting reservations made so after striking out at four different Italian restaurants, we had to settle for a brewery....

At dinner, I was still planning to walk only about 5-7 miles. Little did I know that I would decide to do something totally crazy - like actually walk the whole thing with no training whatsoever. I tried to get a decent nights sleep, but that is virtually impossible sleeping next to someone who snores. So a few hours of non-sleep later, I was up and getting ready for my planned DNF. I caught the first train downtown that ended up being FULL of other racers....I was earlier than our planned meet up time so I had my second cup of coffee. Again, not at all in the 'I'm about to walk 26 miles' mindframe....But the thought was starting to occur to me. I was mentally trying to talk myself into it at that point...by the time Jess, D and Mike showed up, I was all, I think I am going to try to walk the whole thing. Jess was excited and that sealed the deal. I couldn't let her walk the entire thing by herself, injured, carrying a 5ft flag. I still planned to stop if the injuries started bothering me.

Representing Blue! 

We had our Circle of Remembrance by calling out the names of the fallen soldiers -- a reminder of who we were running for. Then it was time to split up into our separate corrals. D was up front in B corral, Mike started in G I believe,and Jess and I started in Corral F. The corrals were all split up on separate blocks so we weren't able to hear the National Anthem at the beginning, which was a bummer. We finally rolled across the start at about 7:25am or so. 

 Have no idea which mile this was at....

I am still smiling though....

The first 8 miles or so flew by pretty quickly...we did an out and back along the river, walking mostly, yogging some of the time. There were bands all along the course, cheer squads and a lot of spectators. There was also a good deal of aid on the course, which - thank god - because I was so unprepared, I was totally reliant on what they had to offer. 

We also got to see everyone at some point or other....We saw Deidra twice on a couple out and back portions; as well as Mike and April, our Ragnar teammate. That was really cool since there were so many people....the flags totally helped with that! Easier to spot. 

As I mentioned in my "I can't believe I actually did that" post, this whole experience was very surreal and didn't feel like it was actually happening. If every single part of my body wasn't screaming at me right now, it might seem like a crazy feverish dream....since I did everything so very very wrong. Wrong clothes, no preparation, and made do with what I had in front of me...All the things you aren't supposed to do were done, but I survived it. 

We got through the first half and I still felt pretty good. My hamstring and hip didn't hurt anymore than normal so I decided to keep going past the 13 mile mark....and past that, there was really no turning back. After mile 16, you hit the first bridge, St. Johns bridge. The next 8-9 miles were on the other side of the river and I knew it wouldn't be easy to get back if I stopped there. Plus my phone had already died, so I wouldn't have been able to call my sister to come rescue me anyway....

Headed up the killer hills to the bridge, approaching Mile 17.

 

This picture is a result of the nice lady coming to 

the rescue of another iPhone challenged runner....

We made it over the bridge and by then it was H-O-T hot. Mid 70's and I was still in my long sleeve shirt. This next 8 miles or so was in a residential area and there were at least a couple nice folks who turned on their sprinklers in the street for us. I ran through both of them and dumped at least 4-5 cups of water on my head during the last 10 miles. I was definitely hitting the wall by this point. My energy was dropping significantly, I was really thirsty and the blisters on my feet were getting more raw. But we just kept plodding along....passing mile markers slowly but surely. 22, then 23...then finally 24 and were back over on the other side of the river after crossing the final bridge.

At this point, we were yogging more than walking since it hurt less. Jess kept getting shooting pains in her knee and was limping a bit, so she felt better walking. I sort of shuffle/dragged my feet beside her and we finally made it to mile 25. Right at that corner, I heard my sister and daughter screaming our names...I looked over at them in a daze and immediately burst into tears and almost started hyperventilating.....but seeing them was exactly the boost I needed to finish the last 1.2 miles. We rounded the corner at mile 26 and both of us held the flag the last .2 of the race across the finish line. Until this point, we were taking turns carrying it, switching off whenever one of us got too tired. 

We crossed the finish line and it was so nice to be done.....I was exhausted though. And almost burst into tears again when they said they didn't have medals right then and water was a half block away around the corner. I seriously almost lost it big time. I hobbled over to get water and again was defeated when I was handed a half full dixie cup. Seriously? No bottles of water? They got some medals finally (they had taken them all for some reason to the new finish line they were setting up since it was nearly the end of the regular course time) and I was able to stop by the medical tent to get some ice packs saran-wrapped to my arse. 

The post race food was pretty sad by then...all the fruit was brown and the chocolate milk was slightly warm. I guess that is what happens when you finish after 7 hours. We picked up the rest of our swag and got the hell out of there....by then most people were gone. And we all had long drives ahead of us to get home....

 Smiling or grimacing? You be the judge...

Overall, I thought the race was well organized, the volunteers were superb and the Pirate Band was by far the best on-course entertainment. I didn't love the on-course fuel, but when you don't bring any of your own, anything is better than nothing.....I would have loved Gatorade instead of the awful pink stuff they were calling Ultima (which I only drank b/c it was hot and I need to replace electrolytes in bad way) and gels of some kind instead of pretzels and gummy bears. But I survived. 

Overall stats- which I am writing out, since screen-grabbing is in violation of their 'copyright policy' (which, really?) and I really don't feel like risking a $150,000 fine.

Finish: 7:08:41 (Tag time; 7:27:19 Gun time)

Avg Pace: 16:21 (not too bad for walking)

Overall Place: 6374 of 6518 (ha!)

Women: 3251 of 3360

F 35-39: 557 of 565

Splits:

5 km: 43.13

10 km: 1:30:48

8.9 mi: 2:12:52

Half: 3:20:21

17.5 mi: 4:41:44

21.1 mi: 5:42:18

Finisher - Marathon #1 Done

We carried the flags the entire 26.2 miles. 

I still can't believe I did it. I really truly planned to walk a maximum of 5 or 6 miles. I even packed for that - leaving no room for the possibility of even trying to walk more. But somehow, that morning, being around all those runners, knowing Jess was going to do the whole thing walking and what we called 'yogging' (a sort of shuffling jog) I decided to just go for it and play it by ear. The first half of the course was a few loops through downtown Portland and some industrial areas and I figured I'd see if I could make it to that point and do a gut check then. We were feeling good so I decided to keep going.

By the time we got to mile 16, it was like, this is it - this is the point where there is no turning back. It was only 10 more miles and I knew we could do it. My hip and arse (that upper hamstring area just below my bum where the tendons are super angry) felt pretty ok so we just kept plodding along. The walking was tough, I am not going to lie. Your foot moves around in your shoe differently, which for me, means blisters. So there were times where the yogging was less painful, as long as I kept my stride really short. And miles 23-26 were really really tough. The last mile was the longest mile I've ever yogged. No lie.

St. Johns Bridge....about 2/3 of the way there!

It felt surreal the whole time. I still couldn't believe I was doing it, even as I wincing with every step....And I was so unprepared. First off, because I planned to keep the miles in the single digits, I wore my long sleeve Wear Blue shirt and my thick heavy WB hoodie. It was super chilly at 6am, but by about 11am, the sun was out and it got really really hot...definitely hit the mid 70's, which is very very unusual for the Pacific Northwest in early October.

By mile 1 - the hoodie was off and around my waist, forcing me to re-pin my bib. But luckily, I knew we were going to see Erin around the 2 mile mark and when we saw her I yelled hi and basically threw my sweatshirt at her. Thanks for taking it Erin- You are, hands down, one of the best race pit crew people ever.

Other things I did wrong: I brought no water bottle or fuel, I didn't train at all (oy vey), I didn't dress properly for the weather (was kicking myself the whole time for not wearing my short sleeve WB shirt and forgetting my hat), I didn't wear sunscreen so my face is pretty sunburned. In addition to not training, I also wasn't fueling with walking a 26.2 in mind- ate crappy this last week, didn't pre-hydrate like I normally do, and didn't carbo load very much at all. Also, I forgot to start my RunKeeper app at the start and remembered around 1.5 miles in. Once I did start it, we decided to run without music (which I can proudly say I did for the entire 26.2 miles, also another first) but a couple hours in, I looked at my phone and had only 9% battery left. So I just switched it off. I had no idea of our pace or exact time the whole time - we just kept going (aaand another first!).

Despite all of that - I did it. I finished a marathon - walking, injured and carrying a 5ft American flag for about half the time. Every painful step was walked in honor of Command Sgt Major Kevin Griffin - who died in Afghanistan after proudly serving our country for the past 24 years.

Serious swag here - 2 shirts, a beautiful medal, a commemorative 

coin, a pendant and a rose! I also loved the personalized bib!

Seeing my people at mile 25 was also really awesome. We got to that spot and my sister, daughter and my daughter's friend were standing there screaming for us and taking pictures. I was having a really hard time at that exact moment and seeing them made me burst into tears. My girl was proud of her mama and the love gave me the boost I needed to get through that last super long mile. What a day. I feel like I am going to die today, but I did it. Full recap to come!

First marathon - Done!

Make Yourself Monday

Portland Marathon - Walking in Honor of...

 Army Command Sgt Major Kevin J. Griffin

Command Sgt Major Griffin was killed on August 8, 2012 in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in a suicide bomb attack. He was the most senior enlisted soldier for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Griffin, 45, of Riverton, Wyo., and was a Bronze Star recipient who first enlisted in the Army in 1988.

Also killed in this attack were Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, N.Y., and Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga., USAID foreign service officer Ragaei Abdelfattah was identified as the other victim. 

As a command sergeant major, Griffin was one of the brigade's senior leaders and provided leadership and guidance to the 4,000 man brigade. A 24 year veteran, Command Sgt Maj Griffin had served three tours in Iraq and previously served in Kuwait and the Balkans. He is survived by two children, one of whom, Sgt Dane Griffin, followed in his footsteps of serving his country.

I really wish that I could actually run the full 26.2 miles in honor of Command Sgt Major Griffin. It would be an incredible honor. I hope that he understands why I'll be walking instead. Thanks for your service to this country.

I Wear Blue: Run to Remember.

PDX or Bust...

I am going to try hard to not be sad and have a good time this weekend. Even though I will no longer be running, we are still headed down to Portland for the marathon. It will be festive and fun and my friends will be there. But if I am being honest. I am having a hard time getting excited. Part of it is that although I am heartbroken I can't do this first marathon, I never even got to start training for it, officially anyway. So it feels a little hollow.

And I am a bit scared that I am going to over-do the walking. My running friends are pretty hardcore. Jess is determined to finish and I think she'll definitely push harder than I will want to. Heck, she might be feeling so good she decides to run some or all of it. My hip is feeling better but I am terrified of doing something worse to my hamstring tendons. I haven't been in a ton of pain, but I can tell they are tight, as is the hamstring itself. Maybe I'll do a bit of gentle foam rolling before we go. I just need to be strong and stop when my body tells me to. I anticipate that this means it'll be about 5-7 miles total. We'll see how that goes...

Part of the reason we decided to still go is that it was my baby girl's 15th birthday yesterday and we'd planned to make a weekend getaway out of the trip. We had a fun mom/daughter day and then we had a not-so surprise party for her. My sister arranged with one of her best friends to have a bunch of her friends meet at the cupcake shop downtown. And we were already having our girls day so we stopped in to pick up cupcakes and 'Surprise!'....except it totally wasn't. iPad messaging fail -- stupid iMessage. I was texting one of the other girls' moms about the party and the whole exchange popped up on the iPad at home that little Miss Birthday Girl happened to see. Oh well....It was still fun though. So off we go....marathon/birthday weekend festivities to commence forthwith.

 

Happy Birthday Bird! I am one proud mama....

September: In Which I Confirm I'll Be Out of Commission For Awhile

Pretty dismal month. A whopping total of zero miles logged. And a confirmation that something was actually wrong with me. Started the month knowing that I needed to see my doctor because I wasn't getting any better after three weeks of PT. Initially, my PT thought we should rule out a pelvic stress fracture. 

But alas, the x-ray showed healthy bones. Next up - MRI. It took over a week to get authorization from my insurance company but it finally came through and I made my appointment. In between all this waiting, I sort of disappeared for a bit...But I am here and alive. Just a tad depressed and cranky.

The experience of my first MRI, complete with hip injection of Iodine and MRI contrast solution wasn't super pleasant. And I was pretty apprehensive about whether anything would actually turn up on it. Well that turned out to be a needless worry. A few days later, the results were in.

I have a "superior lateral and posterior acetabular labral tear", which is a fancy medical way of saying that the labrum (the thing that goes around your hip socket that keeps your thigh or femur in place) is torn. But that's not all! Oh no, there is more fun to be had here. I also have "significant tendinopathy at the hamstring attachment"....which is fairly self explanatory. The tendons attach your hamstring to your pelvis, and when they get angry and inflamed, it's called tendonitis or tendiopathy (essentially the same thing)....

I obviously will not be able to run the Portland Marathon this weekend. My doctor gave me the ok to walk until I am in pain...so that won't be very long...anticipating about 5-7 miles, max. My awesome friend Jess coincidentally also has a labral tear so she is walking/jogging as well so at least I'll have company. The rest of the gang will be running still so hopefully I'll be able to watch most or all of them cross the finish line. And we'll have our group dinner Saturday night so I'll get to catch up as well. October is bound to be mile-less -- I'm on at least 4 more weeks rest, then I can possibly start PT again. I will try not to completely disappear.