a final summary

Even though Brent pretty much summed things up, I wanted to do it again, complete with photos taken from more detailed posts that you can see here, here, here, and here. So why yet another post, you ask?? Because we ran a marathon, that's why! And the marathon blog, of all places, should have it documented. Plus, I wanted to pass along some tips to April, who will be running the Bear Lake Marathon in only a few weeks.

Tip #1: Run with Dana. If she's not available, then latch on to some other person keeping your same approximate pace and tell yourself that you won't walk if they won't. A running partner rules!

Tip #2: Keep 5 Gu packets handy. This really helped me stay energized during the race (another tip I gleaned from Dana).

Tip #3: Bodyglide. Enough said.

Tip #4: At around mile 20, you may start to have an out-of-body experience (aka: "I'm not sure how my legs are still moving, but they are"). Keep going!

Tip #5: After it's all over, you may feel sort of blah ("yeah, yeah, I ran a marathon. Now let's find some lunch asap!") But rest assured, your mood will pick up the following day ("Boo-Ya! I ran a marathon, baby!")

Anyway, congrats again guys! And good luck April!!!

Brent approaches the finish

Dana & Lacy cross the line

Way to go, Jamie!

I almost forgot Tip #6: eat a Creamcicle immediately afterward

I'm thinking this is the new Paula Radcliffe shot... (see Marathon Mom pic to the right)!!!

I was thinking back to Chicago (Oct 2007) when Dave and I watched hoards of people pick up their marathon packets for the race the following day. I remember thinking that they looked just like regular people--not particularly buff and/or skinny--and that if they could run a marathon, so could I!

So to all of you who are wanting to someday run one--trust me: if we can do it, so can you!

help!

So, I haven't run a single mile since the marathon. At first it was for the sake of recovering. Now I just can't find the motivation. Am I the only one with this problem???

Goodbye Puffy Blue Jacket... Goodbye

So yesterday when I ran with Jann (hee hee.. I love an accidental rhyme..) anyway, I ditched my puffy blue life-preserver jacket that I've worn on all my long runs. It was perfect for the winter training but is now a little much for the weather. The zipper pockets on this baby are perfect for all my gear and it never chaffed me up of course. I got it at the Gold Mine-- a thrift store in Hailey, Idaho-- and never really used it that much until I started running. It was a jem.. Anyway, I ditched it at some stop sign figuring I would go back and get it later... well, since I didn't really want to move for the rest of the night it just didn't happen. Today I drove around looking for it and she was no where to be seen. I'm sure she's still out there, but we were on roads I don't know and my brain is oatmeal while I'm running.
Oh... after checking my voicemail at 2 am.. after a long session of catching up on everyone's blogs, I got this message from Jann saying that her "garmin" or something (it's a GPS watch that tells you how far you've ran) was accidentally turned off so we went 21 miles by the time we got home instead of 18 like we thought. I actually planned on going another 2 miles so she was calling to tell me it wasn't necessary.. but of course I got it a little too late. I was so excited I did a cheerleader kick. Too bad I was so stiff it was barely past 90 degrees and my back was all hunched over (flashback from cheerleading tryout days... huh Lace..) Yay! I'm really relieved because I hit a major wall at around mile 16... which was actually mile 19 so that makes so much more sense. Anyway, I'm really pleased it turned out that way so there's less of a jump on the big day.
Also, Jann thinks she might know where puffy blue is... so maybe there's still hope!!

Last Long Run Before the BIG day!!

So thanks so much for your encouragement and advice everybody--especially to Brent for the last comment- I realized that there are quite a few things I was neglecting to do-- hydrate myself-electrolytes--all that. Oops!
So for my last 20 miler I went with a girl from my ward who ran the Salt Lake City Marathon and she booked it!!! She's one of tiny speedy runner girls...whoa! It really helped push me. I had to walk some of it and she was so patient. It really helped to have a running partner for the first time. I also got some actual running shoes...Mizimos or something and I LOVE them!! I brought gu and those shot blocks... I perfer the gu- and wore non-cotton clothes... yeah, that helped a lot!!
Jann, who I ran with brought a camelback which helped a lot too!! So many things were better about this run. We talked the whole time, got started earlier in the day, and the pace was quick so it really did go by faster. I was glad to hear the advice to walk if you need to. I always feel so guilty for doing it but my body has to sometimes.
I'm wondering that if after awhile my tailbone, hips, knees, and ankles will stop aching if I keep running? I think I'm not stretching enough or something. My muscles are fine- I rarely have sore muscles, but my joints get so achy. I've already noticed it getting a lot better with my arch supports and with taking glucosomine sulfate. I'm so relieved today is over!!! Any advice for the last bit of training or the Big day is really appreciated. Thanks!

19 miles and the meltdown...

So two Saturdays ago I ran 19 miles.. my farthest to date. I actually really enjoyed the first 16. I ran up from the mouth of the canyon to the end of south fork (9 miles uphill- gulp) and then on the way back I was doing fine until just the very end when I started thinking maybe this whole marathon idea wasn't such a great one. Anyway, I finished up not at 20 miles like I'd hoped, but I finished nonetheless- hooray! So I'm really excited to hear about you all and the marathon.. I just need to stay inspired for 4 more weeks, but man! I'm struggling. Saturday will be my 20-22 miler... yikes!! It's okay... it's going to be awesome...it's going to be okay... I have to keep reassuring myself.

It was so good to see you Lacey and to meet Dave and little Peeps. She is SOOO cute with her super blonde hair and blue eyes. What a little darling! I'm so proud of you! Way to stick to a goal until it's accomplished. Hopefully in a month I'll be giving you all the details of my Bear Lake Marathon. Keep you posted.

By the by, I want to hear everyone's advice for me and Mark... Let us know all your secrets to success! I also want to hear what everyone will be tackling after this big adventure- so keep a postin' if you can!!

Success!

Lacy, Dana, Jamie Lee (and me)...we made it! I'm forced to rely on others for photographic evidence, so hopefully that will be forthcoming soon.

Meanwhile, lemme just say the course was beautiful, the atmosphere was great, the weather was warm, and we had a great time.

I don't know if you want a play-by-play, because I could sum it up thusly: We ran, and ran, then we ran some more. And then when we weren't at the finish line, we ran. We crossed the finish line, and then we were done.

After finishing, though, I proceeded to gorge myself on creamies...the best popsicle on earth.

the time has come

I subscribe to this marathon e-mail/newsletter and thought I'd pass along this motivational gem sent to my inbox shortly after running the 20:

"Anyone can run 20 miles. It's the next six that count." Barry Magee, marathon bronze in Rome, 1960

Well, if that isn't a comfort, I don't know what is!

Good luck to us all! We will come out conquerers (for me, that means just finishing--no matter the pace)!

Let the great carbo load of 2008 begin!

So, the time has come, kids. A little over 72 hours until the marathon. Now comes the time when I fuel up with lots of good carbs like oatmeal and whole wheat tortillas and so on and so forth. I plan on eating a banana wrapped in a tortilla smothered in oatmeal this very evening. Just kidding.

But on a serious note, chillins, electrolytes electrolytes electrolytes. I can't emphasize that enough. *cough* *electrolytes* Drink the gatorade, hydrate yaselves, stretch dem muscles, and get ready for an amazing day on Saturday!

P.S. I'd stay away from dairy as it has a lot of lactose, which leads to lactic acid buildup, which causes the muscles to be sore.

just in case you forgot....

we're running a marathon in 5 days! I really can't believe it. On Saturday, as I was running my five miles, I was thinking: next week I'll be running 21.2 more of these... and then I'm going to have a Coke because two months ago, Dave and I swore off soda until after the race. I can't wait. Yesterday at church, our Sunday School teacher was asking us about hard things we'd accomplished and what helped us get through them. As I shared with the class, here are my motivating factors for finishing the marathon:

1. The shame of not finishing

2. The aforementioned tall glass of ice-cold Coke awaiting me afterward

3. The six months of training behind me

4. Being able to check "run a marathon" off my life's To Do list

Written at the top of the training schedule: At first glance, the task may seem insurmountable but experience and research shows the body, given proper rest, has the capacity to adapt quickly.

Isn't it amazing what a combo of the human body and spirit is capable of?? A marathon = a miracle, in my opinion.

See ya'll Saturday!

Next Adventure

So, I am thinking about running the Sedona Marathon on Feb. 7, 2009. I checked out the website and it looks like it will be a very scenic run. I know I just finished the 1/2 marathon, but I feel like I need to be training for something else. Greg thinks I am crazy, but for some reason I have been on a high ever since I finished the race. It has been great to see all my hard work payoff.

I will be thinking of you marathoners next week. Good luck with the race!

down in flames

I don't want to admit this to Lacy but I don't think I can run the marathon with her next week. You see last weekend I was doing sprints as part of a physical training session with my Reserves unit and if I didn't pull me freakin' hamstring. The bad boy went "pop!" and I went "oh crap!" I've been limping around for five days now and there is no relief in sight. So, Lacy my love, I will be there in spirit but this guy probably won't be able to run. I hate for you to find out this way, but I didn't have the guts to tell you over dinner.

Whiskey Row Marathon

Well, we did it! Lacy and I successfully finished the WR 1/2 marathon. We did not find out until the night before that the first 6 and 1/2 miles were uphill. This first half of the race was brutal, but as you can imagine, the second half was great since it was mostly downhill. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect, sunny and cool once we actually started running. The town of Prescott is so quaint and friendly, I am definitely returning next year (maybe for the full marathon). The food after the race was delicious and we were both starving. It was a great experience and Lacy and I had tons of fun catching up.

Good luck to all of you on the upcoming SLC marathon! I cannot wait to hear about it.

The Half

Lacy reminded me that I totally missed reporting the events of the SLC half marathon. I may be banished from this blog though, seeing how I have only ran 2 miles since the race.

When my and my sister reached the 3 mile mark of our race, we just looked at each other and laughed since most of our family and friends were participating in the 5K. I have to be honest in saying that I hestitated to even post anything, since most of you run 13 miles on a regular basis. I guess you can laugh thinking of me the next time you run this distance.

Besides the gospel choir at the beginning and the cobblestone path through gateway at the end, I give a pretty good rating to the SLC race. The first 8 miles were a gradual downhill through residential neighborhoods. Thankfully, I didn't have to use the port-a-potty during the race and besides walking through the water stations, we didn't stop! That was my main goal. Our time was 2 hours and 20 minutes, which actually surprised our family. My joints were sore the next 2 days since the farthest I had ran before the race was 9 miles. I didn't train as I probably should have.

After doing the race, I am really glad because I pushed myself farther than I ever thought I would. However, I don't know if I am addicted to the long races. Do any of you think that you will do another half or full afterwards? My sister (on the left) is convinced that she will, but I'm not so sure.

more foot trouble

So last Saturday I taped a blister area I'd recently picked at (this is such a dumb thing to do, I know (the picking, not the taping), but I literally can't help myself). I think I taped it too tight because after the 20 miles I had a blister the size of a peanut there, which I could feel toward the end of the run, which I think then made me run weird and now my foot really hurts. Along the top arc from my big toe to all across my foot, it feels like I've fractured my bone. I hope I haven't, though. Because if after all this training I can't run the big one, I'll really be T.O.ed.

I'm treating myself to an early mother's day gift and getting a new pair of running shoes before I pick up Erin on our way out to Prescott for the Whiskey Row! Is it wise to run a half-marathon in brand-spanking-new shoes?? I'll be sure to let you know.