I Bet You're Wondering How it Went

So it's now Thursday evening and the race was 5 days ago. I bet you're wondering how it went! Well, the whole marathon experience is by far one of the coolest and most rewarding things I have ever done. Let's take it back to the start. I'll try to walk you through the experience and supplement my description with the few photos I have. Around mile 3 I do remember commenting that I wish I had a video camera attached to me so that I could look back and remember everything. As weird as it sounds, that 4.5 hours went by really fast and I felt like there was a lot that I may have missed.

Josh was soooo excited to wake up and be on the train by 5:40.

We look really awake. Guess that's not my good side.
I don't think I was terribly nervous yet, but I was really mad that the driver was not on time from her 'break'. Didn't she know we had a race to get to? Funny thing was then she wouldn't really stop at the stations. Doors would open then close. I guess the Rock 'n' Roll (RNR) Race was messing up her typical Sunday flow.

This was about 1.5 hours before race time.

Most of the 10:30 team met up for a pre-race pic. Seeing them made me feel like it was a typical Saturday long run.

As Josh and I stashed our gear, I saw this sign. That's right: Rock the Race.

After we got our gear stashed we hit up the portapotties. If you see an available portapotty, you use it. Ironically as we headed towards the starting area, we heard that oh-so-familiar whistle of Ed Luecking. We got to meet up with Sheri and Ed pre-race. They were well prepared for the event- bikes and warm clothing. They knew how to navigate the city in spite of all those street closures that really irritated some of the locals.

I think the shirt turned out well. Thanks to all of you who donated. Your loved ones had 26.2 miles of honor :)

The start of the race was a little panicky. I made a last minute portapotty stop- I was terrified of really having to go on the course. Stopping by myself separated me from my teammates. I had to cram myself in to Corral #11. I can only imagine what cattle feel like when they are going to be inoculated or tagged. During the national anthem I strategically looked for Paul's bald head. Bingo. I was able to squeeze through to the front and meet up with my team. Just in time for the race to start. Whew. Now I can relax and really act like it's a typical Saturday long run.

The start was so cool. Tons of people and cheering. The wave start really cut down on the need to weave in and out of people. We passed by the stadium and through the streets of downtown. For a brief mile I imagined this is what the Chicago marathon must feel like. Then we headed up Washington. The crowd was fantastic and so were the bands. Around Grand Center there was an impromptu red carpet and paparazzi station sponsored by the YMCA. Who wouldn't feel like a star. By mile 5 I felt like I had settled in to a pace but I also started to feel a blister. Through my 18 weeks of training I never once had a blister. Why today? And why at mile 5? Grrr. My coach stayed back to keep pace with me and Kim. Everyone else had sped ahead. So much for running the first half together. It really was okay. They were all feeling great and on race day you have to do what you feel. I was just afraid of starting out too fast and hitting a wall later on. Even though we were keeping a slow pace, some of our mile splits were under 10:00. Too fast for me ;)

Around mile 5.5 I saw Caroline and Sarah. They were right where they said they would be and wearing the colors they said they would. An easy find :) Around mile 6.5 I saw Ed, Sheri, Jenny and Cole. They were sandwiched among quite a fun crowd in The Grove. A short 1.5 miles later the course split the marathoners from the half-marathoners.

Josh got to mile 8 wayyyyy before me.

Go Josh Go. Only 5 more miles!

This is where I saw my family and more friends. Mom, Dad, Mal, Jaime and Colleen. Wow what a huge crowd! Seeing all these people really lifted my spirits. I hope this can carry me through lots of miles. I had settled in to a good pace but honestly it felt like so much more effort than any other long training run.

We're almost a third of the way through. Holla!

To The Hill we go. And boy were we in search for another portapotty.

Once the courses split, Kim, Paul and I were on the lookout for a portapotty. We felt one more stop and we would be good to go. Mile 9 on The Hill was just the spot. Great hydration station and no line. Miles 10 on were familiar territory. I had run most of the second half of the course at some point in my training. Maybe this is why the second half didn't phase me too much. It was still difficult, but I'm thinking it could have been much worse. We hit the half marathon point and it was sort of anti-climatic. Kim commented, if we were only doing the half, we would be finished. Awesome. Too late for that now ;).

We pressed forward through South City and had some nice surprises. Some people were passing out gummy snacks, others Popsicles or pixie sticks. How sweet for all these people to hang around outside for a few hours and encourage runners to keep going. I loved seeing people 'tailgating' and having mimosas. I also loved all the signs. "Worst parade ever." "Stop reading this and run." "Next time ask me before you run down my street." "It's ok to poop yourself." At mile 22-"Do you still think this is a good idea?" I'm sure there were lots of other great ones that I missed.

The bands and cheerleaders were phenomenal as well. I felt like they were perfectly stationed. From that day forward I will always think of mile 16 with Kim when I hear the song "I'm Sexy and I Know It". As we came jammin up the umpteenth hill I was pleasantly surprised to see Jaime and Colleen. I thought I would have to wait another 4 miles before seeing a familiar face. What a great surprise :)

When we got to mile 17 we caught up with Dale. He said he was having a rough day. Paul decided to stay back with him, so Kim and I pressed forward. We finally saw our other team members as we circled around Carondelet. They were movin and shakin. By this time I was so ready for a hamburger and to take my shoes off. The thought of that blister kept coming to the forefront of my mind. Grrrr. South City was full of hills. Kim and I started to sing Gwen's song every time we trudged up another. "$*&# @^! %^$#& get up that hill and jam."

Just as we conquered another hill and caught up with another team member, my family and friends resurfaced around mile 20. I was thinking &$$*%# still 6 to go. But apparently they thought I looked great for being 20 miles in. At least I can put up a good front :)

Not flattering but this is the reality of 26.2 miles.

And there we go. Only 6.2 to go. That's just a 10K!

At this time I saw my "Uncle" Bill. He popped up out of nowhere and he was a great supporter to see along the way. Kim and I also saw Jeff, our fundraising contact for the American Cancer Society. He ran a couple blocks with us and that was so motivating. We had been holding our pace the entire time. I could tell Kim really wanted to push it but I just didn't have it in me, yet. She decided to hold back a few more miles with me and then kick it in to gear around 22. Ironically crossing over in to the unknown of 21+ miles wasn't so bad. There was a boom box playing "Everybody Hurts". Oh yeah. That says it all.

Again as I was trudging up a hill, Caroline and Sarah popped up again. They helped me get to the top of that hill. Tower Grove was another great cheering section. Lots of loud, fun people. There was also a loud lady who wanted everyone to know that she was none too pleased about her road being closed. If I wasn't so determined to finish, I would have tackled her. Well maybe not, but lady get over yourself. This is a huge event for the city and it brought in a lot of revenue. Chill out for another hour and it will all be over.

I digress. At mile 23 people were sitting out in the street on their loungers. Boy did that look comfortable. They told me to keep going. At this point I was catching up to a lot of people who were walking. This was kind of a barren part of the course. No bands, few spectators and few runners. It was kind of like a ghost town. You could tell it had been packed before; there were tons of cups to prove it. But now, it was almost eerie. Kim had sped away, so it was just me and my thoughts for the last 3 miles. I started to get teary around mile 24. I was actually doing this. Was I uncomfortable? Yes. But did I want to stop? No, not until I was finished.

Lafayette Square had great cheering sections and hydration stations. It also housed my friends and future family. Caroline and Sarah popped up one more time. I nearly cried when I saw them. Half a mile later Josh's aunt and uncle were waiting with smiling faces. How could I not finish strong? Only 1.2 miles to go. Oh my gosh I'm finally here. I started to pick up the pace. 1. I was ready to be finished. 2. It was starting to get hot. The sun was beaming down and there was a bit of shade during that last mile. What really helped me was a member of the American Cancer Society meeting to run me in the last mile. How cool. I headed up hill and rounded the corner alone. I started this journey alone and I would finish it alone. I could hear my loved ones cheering me on as I finished.

In the home stretch.

So excited.

Crossing that finish line was the best feeling in the world. I did it. I did it. I only had a moment to relish it and then I heard my name being yelled. Turning to my right I saw my running team. They had all just finished. It was so great to be able to see them at the finish. We celebrated a successful race and then it was time to celebrate with friends and family.

Call me a marathoner

My mom brought me my chocolate milk. It was soooooo good. All race my mantra was "I run for chocolate milk".

Here are my cheerleaders:

You all ROCK!

We then headed to Llewellyn's for a post-race meal and hang time. The perfect ending to a very awesome day. Was it a perfect race? No. Like I said earlier, for some reason this was much more challenging than any other long run. I had what felt like a HUGE blister on my left toe and I felt uncomfortable during a good portion of the race. It wasn't pain, it was just discomfort. Inspite of these difficulties, I accomplished my goal. That's the beauty of the beast. You never quite know what kind of day you're going to have. But you adjust, you make it work, and you get er done. I crossed that finish line and I raised money for the American Cancer Society. Mission accomplished.

Here We Go!

The day has finally arrived! It's 5:30 on a Sunday and I'm actually happy to be awake. It took a warm shower for me to feel that way but I'm finally excited. Josh- he commented he would normally still be sleeping for another 4 hours. I know deep down he is excited, he just doesn't show it like me.

Well we're on the metro headed downtown to check out the madness. Here goes nothing!

Why Would You Ever Run 26.2 Miles?

I've been asked this question several times. Why would you ever want to run a marathon? Well.....why not?

Training for a marathon and raising money for the American Cancer Society has been one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences I've ever gone through. Training for a marathon has pushed me to new limits. It has forced me to overcome the fear of the unknown. It has helped me better deal with the unknown. It has taught me patience. It has taught me perseverance. It has given me faith. It has broken me down. It has built me up. It has introduced me to new friends and strengthened friendships with old. It has given me camaraderie. It has given me a purpose.

Did I know this is what I would get out of training for a marathon? Absolutely not. This has been more than anything I could have ever anticipated. So much more.

Here are some great inspirational things my coach, teammates and others. Please enjoy.

“Every morning in Africa, an antelope wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest antelope, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or an antelope – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – African Proverb

"If one can stick to the training throughout the many long years, then will power is no longer a problem. It's raining? That doesn't matter. I am tired? That's besides the point. It's simply that I just have to." - Emil Zatopek



Letters from all of you- sharing stories and words of encouragement

 "So, the Cardinals have come from 10.5 games down in the wildcard standings to 1 game up in the World Series, all in a matter of weeks. A miracle? Probably, but a very well planned and executed one. Just like the feat you are undertaking this weekend and have trained for for months. No wonder baseball and marathons are the most used sports for life analogies!"- Jeff Shaw

"The perfect run – The wind at your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends by your side." - Aaron Douglas Trimble


Flowers from Casey and Caroline :)



"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham

There have been ups and downs through this all and I can only hope it finishes on a high note. I know as my marathon experience concludes, it is definitely a high point for the three individuals I'm running for.

Sadly Beth will not be able to attend the race festivities with Lindsay but that's because she feels well enough to travel to go see Megan! That's so fantastic that her strength and stamina are back for a girls' weekend. I hope you gals have a great time and please know that I'll be thinking of you :)

Grandpa Hal has finished his radiation. He is worn out but otherwise feeling fine. He is so grateful to have that experience over with. Now it's time to recuperate and wait to see how effective the treatment was.

Grandpa Louie is back at home and getting stronger every day. Today I went over to get my stash of Cardinal birds- long story- and he looked so much stronger than just a week ago when we were decorating my shirt. I can tell he is so proud of this experience. He got a little choked up telling me goodbye and good luck. It brings tears to my eyes (yes I have tears welling in my eyes as I type this) and a lump in my throat to think about it.

At tonight's American Cancer Society dinner, I found out I was one of the top fundraisers. At this point in time $3,006 (it's not too late to donate, so share the link: ACS Link). I owe it all to YOU! Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way- whether it was kind words, a note, a donation, words of wisdom for the weekend, anything. You all have made the journey worthwhile. I'm sharing this honor with all of you :)

Well I think that's it for tonight. I'm ready to get some shut eye, or at least try. For those of you watching the Cards game- make sure they win!

T minus 10 hours til the start of the race!

Let Me Tell You About Today

If I remember correctly, I left off last night feeling very excited about the upcoming weekend. It's amazing how much your emotions can change overnight, literally. I woke up feeling so nervous and almost panicked. Looking back I can't quite figure out why....

The day started with me waking up before my alarm. I'm usually okay with it if it's right before the alarm is set to go off, but this morning I think I was rolling around a good half hour before the alarm went off. Boo. Double boo because Emma can sense when I'm awake, which means she thinks it is time to eat. Well this morning I rolled out of bed, started some laundry, and fed Emma. Breakfast burritos hit the spot last night but unfortunately we used all the eggs. This wouldn't normally be a problem but it is when you need a single egg to make cookies for your running team. This meant an early morning run to the store to grab some eggs. Since I was out, I decided to treat myself to a carbo-loaded treat from Panera. I chose the Ribbon bagel and my favorite hazelnut coffee. So yummy and it supports the cause I'm running for- cancer. While I munched on my breakfast, I continued the laundry and baked the pumpkin cookies. I was okay at this point. I was just happy I was able to get all this done and get to work by 8:30. The problem was, I could feel my energy and anxiety building as I rode the train to work. I couldn't tell if it was all the coffee I had to drink or if it was related to the race.

Walking in to work everyone started to ask me about the weekend and all I could say was "I'm so nervous" or "I feel like I could throw up". Oh my gosh. Really. How could I be so dramatic? It's still 2 days away and it's just a marathon. There are way more intense things in life. But for me, in this moment, this is intense and it is unknown. After much reflection, I decided that's what it is. I felt this nervousness each time we bumped up the mileage. And each time I pulled through. It's the unknown that bothers me. I think it is that way for most human beings. We love familiar territory. (un)Fortunately, this weekend is for sure unknown territory. But you know what? Everything will be just fine. I can only say that now after spending 5 hours volunteering at the expo with Kim and after sharing some pasta and good conversation with my 10:30 team. They remind why I enjoy running those long distances so much :)

The nerves were out of control- I could barely focus at work- until I finally made it to the expo and checked in. Most everyone there was so excited, happy and friendly. Notice I did say most everyone. The excitement and friendly faces finally put me at ease. Getting my bib number (10067 in case anyone is interested in following along), tee and swag also put me at ease. That's right. They had a tee and swag station. It is the Rock and Roll Marathon so the lingo and atmosphere were appropriately matched. They played some really great music. Our work station would play name that artist, and if we were lucky, we could catch people breaking it down (me included).

After our shift we hurried to meet up with our running team. While I was en route to the party, my grandparents called to wish me well for the race on Sunday and let me know they'll be thinking about me. I told them I'll be thinking of them. Afterall, they are my inspiration for taking on this challenge. By the time I made it to the party I missed the official chow time but didn't miss the good conversation. Paul had put together a video montage of our year. Sooooo funny. There were several stories and memories for each picture. It really has been a fantastic 18 weeks. I got some great last minute tips from my teammates and I'm benefiting from the hot pad Amy gave me. She has been having back issues this week too and these heating pads are really helping her. I slapped one on before beginning to blog and I plan on wearing as I get my good night's rest. I hope it works for me as good as it's worked for her.

I'm so happy the nerves are gone. I honestly think the worst of it is over. I tend to psych myself out way in advance of things and by the time the event gets here, I'm calm as a cucumber. I don't know why this weekend would be any different. So here's to hoping the rest of the wait cruises by. Now that the nerves are gone, the fatigue has set in.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. It's sure to be inspirational, or at least I hope so :)

Nighty night.

Race Week Is Here!

Race week is here! Well it's been here for a few days, I can't forget because my coach sends us a countdown e-mail every day. Every day brings me closer to the big event. It's weird to think that I have trained 18 weeks for this. Eighteen weeks can seem like a long time. I mean, for those of you who are (or have been) pregnant, that would be almost half of your pregnancy!

Well let's take it back to Saturday. Saturday was our last training run. So crazy. It was a very brisk, dark morning and it was Coah Paul's birthday! We thought we would honor him by wearing his signature accessories- a bald head and a visor. Oh it was so funny to see 12 people show up wearing bald head pieces and white visors. He got a tickle out of that. I'm still searching for a copy of that picture; I'm sure we looked ridiculous. Well after that grand entrance, we recieved our words of wisdom and then warmed up downtown where the race is set to begin/finish. You could feel the energy and excitement. I can't imagine what kind of energy will be present this Sunday.

The run was very quick. I mean, I barely had time to warm up before we finished. I almost wished we had run farther so that I could at least break a sweat.

There was a sweet surprise waiting for us at the end of our run- personalized cupcakes. Mary is a-mazing! She baked cupcakes, made chocolate in the shape of running shoes and a little flag marker that said "FFTT 26.2". Soooo cute and sooooo yummy. Just what I needed after the run. Well that and a latte to get my milk in and try to warm up. It was weird to run only 10 miles but I was so thankful because I had to get home and get ready for Kristy and Nick's wedding. It was a beautiful day- the ceremony, the weather and of course the company.

Sunday was a super busy (but fun) day! Josh and I went to visit Louie. He has made it home from the hospital and is working to gain his strength back. He really enjoyed getting to look at pictures from Jill's surprise birthday and my running experience. After all, I'm running for him :)

In the mean time, Joyce helped me arts and craft my shirt for race day. She is the ultimate craft person. I'm so thankful for her help. What took her 3 minutes, probably would have taken me an hour ;)

I can't wait to rock this shirt this weekend! It is so great to see how the ribbons pieced together but what is even better is to read each individual ribbon. Just a friendly reminder, get your ribbons to me by Saturday or give me a call and let me know what to write on the ribbons.

After visiting with Louie, we headed to my parents' to grab a bite and do some wedding discussions. I think it's safe to say we'll have a date and a venue by the end of the month :)

Next we treked out to Millstadt for some fall fun with Caroline, Danny and Katy. Wagon rides, apple picking and pumpkins being shot from a cannon!

Later in the evening I took Emma for a walk. That's when I felt it. A strange discomfort in my lower right back....I think it is a muscle spasm. I've had them before. But why am I having them now that running has slowed? Grrrr.....so I ran an easy 3 miles on Monday but then decided to take a few days off and try to rest up. This morning I tested the waters again with a very easy 3 mile run. I can still feel it a little but it is much better. The running is officially ceased until Sunday, so let's hope the R&R has me fixed by Sunday!

Well I think that's it for tonight; I need to start paying attention to the Cardinals game :) I'll be sure to blog tomorrow though- there is lots going on! Plus I want to share some of the inspirational things I have received from people. This is going to be a special few days and I want you to feel it too.

Go Cards!

The Excitement is Building

Today I received 2 e-mails and a snail mail about the race. The excitement is definitely starting to build but at the same time it all feels so bittersweet.

I must say I feel very happy not to run and cram so much in to each day but at the same time it is kind of a bummer to look down at my pedometer and see the lack of steps I've taken over the course of the day. I don't have the sense that I've accomplished everything I need to for the day. Even though I haven't run as much this week, I'm still pretty tired. Maybe my body is playing catch up?

It is very exciting to think this is our last group run because that means the race is just around the corner, but at the same time it is so sad to think that I won't be getting up super early on Saturdays to run hours on end with some of the greatest people I know. At least I've heard there are reunion runs to look forward to :)

I finally got to spend time with Lindsey last night and get an update on her mom, but unfortunately we had been brought together by the death of our friend's grandfather. It was heartbreaking to see our friend grieving for her grandfather but yet we were all able to share in the joy that Lindsey's mom has been such a fighter through all of her treatment. She has had some definite ups and downs but it sounds like she is really on an upswing right now. It was bittersweet to find out I will not be able to share this race experience with Lindsey or her mom but that is because she feels up to taking a road trip to visit our friend Megan. You can't argue with that :)

If you were to ask me a few weeks ago if I would ever do something like this again, I probably would have said no. Crazy as it may sound, as of this moment in time, I would definitely consider going through this experience again. What really kept me going throught it all was knowing that I was in this for all of our loved ones who have been affected by cancer. My small act of sending out letters on behalf of the American Cancer Society resulted in an unanticipated outpouring of support. This helped me feel as if there is something I could do to help out, and I'm sure donating provided some of you that same satisfaction.

Another great experience about marathon training is that it really teaches you a lot about yourself. I don't know if it's all the time you have with your own thoughts or the fact that you are constantly pushing yourself to new limits. Either way it has been a truly enlightening experience.

Tapering Time

It's finally here- tapering time! I mean I've kind of realized it's here but not really. This morning I only had to run 6 miles, instead of 8 or 9. Tomorrow I only have to run 5, instead of 6 or 7. But my body has not quite caught up to this concept. Yesterday I took it pretty easy- this involved walking and bathing the dog, lots of housework and of course more foam rolling. Today was an easy 6. I guess it was pretty easy. My body didn't feel too broken down. I didn't need any ibuprofen today. You know what has been the most lingering discomfort? The knot in my right scapula area. Weird. I guess that means I held a lot of tension during the long run.

I can also tell my body has not caught up because I have been incredibly hungry today! I ate breakfast around 5 then had a snack after my run around 7. I ate another snack around 10, lunch at 1 and some fruit at 6. I couldn't get home to dinner fast enough. The worst part was sitting through 2.5 hours of class as smells of a buffet wafted in. Brutal. But I'm home and fed and ready for bed.

I've been told I may feel cranky and bloated from not running. Apparently this is the least favorite time for those serious runners. Well call me an amateur because I'm totally digging the lower mileage- I mean I might even be able to sleep a bit ;)

Here are a few more pics from the weekend.

Here is an update on Louie- he's still in the hospital but getting better every day. He's a tough nugget. Definitely an inspiration to others and to help me get through the impending marathon. It's not too late to donate to the American Cancer Society. Donations will be accepted even after race day. So spread the word.

On that note, I'm going to grab one more snack and then hit the sack.