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.

Photo Montage

As promised, here is our photo montage documenting 21 miles. I'll be sure to write captions so you can follow the story.

Imagine over 200 people doing silly-appearing exercises to warm up for the big graduation run.
We kind of looked like fireflies in the early morning light. If you look realy close, you can see a hint of sunlight.

The 10:30 group making sure to get in a 'before' shot and honor the Cougar and Tomi (aka Gwen & Dan).
They were off running the Chicago marathon today, which they rocked.

Around mile 2: One last pick by the dinosaur.

Around mile 5: 1st Hydration station with Bob. He and Kelton are the best!

Mary, me, and Megan. Obviously enjoying the break.

Around mile 6: Heading towards downtown.

Around mile 8: Still heading towards downtown.

Around mile 11: A sight for sore eyes. The Arch was the turn around point.

Around mile 13: Taking in City Garden.

We were told to spit and dip our foot in the river. Hmmmmm......

A little unsure of what is going on but it worked.

Around mile 14: Go Cards!

Still around mile 14: Who wouldn't want a pic with Piniocchio?

Then it got quiet for the next few miles. This was in the thick of mile 20. Obviously we're happy to have made it home :)

Almost there!

Mile 21: Feeling like champions and ready for race day.

Here was our loop.

And that is the story of our 21 miles. Thanks to Paul for being a fantastic coach and photographer. The run would not have been nearly as fun without him or anyone else.

So how am I feeling today? Fatigued and achy. Yesterday I actually felt pretty good and ran on adrenaline through the evening hours. I've definitely paid for it today though. All morning my legs ached but I've worked through that with ibuprofen and getting up and moving. In a bit I will use the foam roller. Now I'm mostly tired but I'll survive. It's nothing horrible. Honestly, if I wasn't tired I would worry ;)

Tour de StL

We had quite the Tour de StL this morning. I mean when you're trying to pound 21 miles of pavement, you have to. I'm waiting on pics from our fearless leader Paul. As soon as he sends them out, I will add them to the blog. We had our typical Forest Park dinosaur shot. There was also the first water stop, the Arch, City Garden, the River Front and of course our finishline.

So I definitely had some nerves over the past few days. I had it narrowed down to either the impending 21 mile run/marathon or wedding stuff. I think I figured out which one had me stressed more. Can you guess? I'll give you a hint, it wasn't running ;). Well only a little running. I did wake quite a few times this morning. I was excited/nervous, kind of like the first day of school. I wasn't tired when I woke though. In attempt to be well-rested, I did have to bypass the end of the Cards game. Fortunately I woke to good news from the text messages I got. Although, some number I don't know texted me.....weird. Atleast they were a Cards fan. In regards to the stress though, all is good now, so no worries.

I survived the 21 mile trot. Really, once you get past 17 it's all the same. The legs were tired and achy but my mind felt good. I could have run 5.2 more miles but only if I had to; I was totally okay stopping. What made this run so challenging? The cityscape. We had to stop at quite a few stop lights. At first they were welcomed but by the end, stopping meant we had to restart. That got tougher and tougher as the mileage got higher. Oh and those crazy sidewalks. Beware of uneven sidewalks and random holes. That could have really been disasterous. From what I heard about last training session's run, this one went much more smoothly. No one got lost and no one face planted. Win.

All in all I have to say I feel pretty good going in to the taper period. My body is tired but it doesn't hurt. However, as I type that statement, I sit with ice on my legs and downed 3 ibuprofen. :) But in all seriousness. I think I can do this. I hope I can do this. Remember this isn't just for me- this is for all of our loved ones who have fought, are currently fighting, and unfortunately will have to fight cancer. Little Lou was definitely on my mind this morning during my run. I know he would be proud of my efforts. I wasn't able to talk to him over the past few days, so I passed the message on to my parents to let him know that I ran 21 miles for him this morning. Doing this for someone else makes it much easier to do something of this magnitude.

Well I need to jet and start my afternoon/evening activites. As soon as I have pics I will post them.

Thanks to the Ball clan for sending a donation to the ACS! That was a nice e-mail to see after finishing this long run; it just brought everything full circle :)

The nerves are setting in

It's about 16 days from race day, not that I'm counting, and the nerves are beginning to set in. I'm not sure why they are starting now. All along I've followed the plan and dealt with the higher mileage as if it was no big deal. I was hoping to continue to do so but I think that plan is out.

Earlier this week I received the race packet info. Reading it definitely made me nervous but also excited. In case anyone is interested in the course route or other information, click HERE. And the more people ask about the race or talk about their experiences, the more nervous I get. At times, I can actually feel butterflies in my stomach. But knowing myself, I tend to get really nervous about things far in advance and by the time the event gets here, I'm cool as a cucumber. Let's hope that is the case.

Another thing that has me a little nervous is this graduation run tomorrow. This has received a lot of hype over the past few weeks and I'm not quite sure what to expect. There might be crazy outfits and celebratory drinks. Hopefully Mary will make some of her yummy cookies or cupcakes to share. Tomorrow will be a big day. If I can do tomorrow, I can finish the race. Then again, all along I have been able to add on 2 additional miles no problem. Sure you can tell it's a farther distance but what is 19 compared to 17? Not much different.

The high mileage over the past few weeks had shifted my focus of why I had signed up for this race but I'm going to bring it back home. All is well with G-pa H's treatment. He should be finishing up right around race day. G-pa L started his treatment last week but it has been a rough start. I hope that things will settle and that he can get back to it soon. In about a week I'll start creating my shirt for race day. If anyone still has ribbons, please call or get them to me by next Sunday. I don't want to miss out on wearing anyone's honoree.

Today is off to a day of rest. I slept until about 6:45- woo hoo! How was I able to sleep that late? Well I don't have to run on Fridays and I'm off today :) You know, my nerves could also be coming from the fact that we're looking at wedding venues today. Yep- that must be it. As I typed that statement, the butterflies came back. I'm sure it will be fine. I just hope these people are not crazy energetic wedding coordinator-type people. I just want to see the spaces and have my questions answered. The careful analysis and decision process will take place in the safety of my own home. All right, I'm out to start the day.

Have a good one! If you happen to be up early tomorrow morning, or not, I would appreciate any positive thoughts you can send my way. After all, I expect to be running for almost 4 hours tomorrow.

A week later

Oh my goodness- another week has gone by. I feel like I blink and it's over. Well get yourself a tasty snack or night cap because this is going to be a long post.

Let's think back to last Thursday. I had the day off from running but it ended up being pretty packed with work and class. I think I got home around 9:00, had some dinner and went to bed. I needed to be nice and rested for that solo 19 miler. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about it.

Friday was an absolutely perfect morning for a run. I will be a very happy and successful runner if the weather is like that on race day. The sky was blue, the sun was shining (but not hot), and there was a nice breeze. Basically it was a perfect, crisp, fall day. So as to not get too bored, or run countless circles, I opted to try out some new routes. During the first part of the run I felt very productive- thinking about what meals to plan for the upcoming week and just other random thoughts. By mile 5 my brain started to feel foggy. I took that as a sign to start fueling. My strategy from that point forward was to have 2 Gu Chomps during odd-numbered miles. That worked out real nicely. Not too hungry, not too full and I had something to look forward to.

Around miles 6 -7 I could feel my bladder turning in to a camel pouch. I wasn't quite sure where to go. Then at mile 8 I saw a park official unlock the bathroom- score! I got a sudden burst of energy, kind of like finding a hidden treasure, until I actually saw the bathroom. Ewwwww. It obviously hadn't been cleaned and there were no doors on the stalls. Talk about awkward. I locked myself in, popped a squat and moved out as quickly as possible. I had some extra pep in my step the next few miles because I didn't have all the fluid sloshing around :)

Around mile 10 I found a water fountain. Couldn't have been better timing, because I was starting to get low on my stash. After filling up my dad texted. I decided to call him back because I'm totally capable of talking and running but definitely not texting and running. No one seems to understand why or how I can call them while I'm running, so let me tell you:
1. I do not run fast, so I am totally capable of carrying on a conversation.
2. I'm out and about for a long time. It's a good use of time and it gives me some company.

Around mile 13 the legs started to get fatigued. I knew this would pass and sure enough it did. By mile 16 I had psyched myself up for the finish. This was a great learning experience because unfortunately that excitement had worn off by mile 18. Lesson learned, don't get too excited before the finish. I want to have energy to finish off strong. All in all this milestone of a solo long run was a success. I finished 19 miles in 3 hours and 15 minutes. Not too shabby.

Then it was time to scramble to get ready to head to Chi-town with the girls. What a fantastic girls' weekend it was to celebrate Jacquelyn and Mike's wedding. The wedding, the weather, and the environment was simple stunning. A special thank you to Jake & Caroline for letting us shack up for the weekend!


This would be our group of friends taking over the dance floor.

 All in all it was a fantastic weekend but travel like that leaves you whooped. Luckily the weekday mileage has started to drop. Monday was an easy 6. Yesterday the running didn't make it in to the schedule. Instead I chose to cook a family meal and enjoy some Cardinals baseball. I thought I could squeeze a quick 5 in but the errands and prep time took a little longer than anticipated. In spite of the extra time, my mac 'n cheese was TOTALLY worth it. Check out this healthier version of mac 'n cheese, courtesy of Cooking Light, that contains butternut squash. Creamy, lighter Mac n Cheese MMmmmmmmmmm. Josh even liked it. Yes that's right. Josh ate squash and liked it. Awesome.

This morning Gayle and I met up for an early run. It was dark for 90% of the 7 miles we ran. It was so great to have company, plus she had a headlight that lit our way through some of the darker areas. Again I was supposed to run 10 but that didn't quite happen. Instead I chose to do bridal stuff. What?! You heard me right. I was creating a comparison worksheet for the venues we will be visiting this Friday and Monday. Nothing more, nothing less :)

Well I think that's about it. I told you this would be long. I'm going to try to squeeze a run in tomorrow morning before work and class. And then it's time to prepare for the graduation run on Saturday.

Special shout out to Megan and Megan. Thank you for supporting the American Cancer Society!