Too Much Too Soon

For those of you who don't already know, I had to back out of the marathon this year because of patellofemoral pain syndrome. During a 16 mile run I overexerted myself and hurt my knee. I kept hoping it would get better but after a few visits to my doctor and physical therapist we decided running 26.2 miles would not be a smart decision for the future of my knee.

At first it was almost a relief to not have to train anymore, (for those of you who have never trained for a marathon... its an intense time in your life). But after hearing Jenny, my running buddy, mention how she accomplished 20 miles, I was really sad I wouldn't be finishing what we started together. I am so proud of her for sticking with her training... running 20 miles alone is an amazing feat! How do you occupy yourself for 20 miles??

I found a friend to run in my place and the money everyone donated is still going to a really great cause! I want to thank everyone who donated for believing in me. It really meant a lot and got me through some tough miles! I will be there the day of the marathon cheering on Jenny and all the other runners wishing I could finish right along side them! Good Luck Marathoners!

Running Buddies

So reading my past few posts one might think I am uber positive about this marathon. Well that has all changed in the last week or so. I have hit a proverbial wall so to speak. Between the heat, increasing milage, and VERY early runs I find myself cursing this ridiculous race! I mean who runs 26.2 miles anyway?! Well I signed up for it and you donated to my cause so the answer to my question is me... unfortunately. The point of this blog post is a positive one though, I promise! Without my diligent and dedicated running bud Jennifer J. I would still be a puddle of sweat at mile 6. She pushed me to run 12 last Saturday in that unbearable heat. I hated her for it, and cursed her name every minute of every mile, but we finished and I am so proud of us! So here is my point: get a running buddy who will push you even when you think you can't go on! Thanks Jenny this ones for you!

I'm in Humidity Hell!

Seriously, why is Chicago always so humid? It makes training very hard! It has been very hard to train with all the rain storms and hot hot hot humid weather. They say its always cooler by the lake... well that's a lie when the humidity is 80 percent it sure is not! Its very hard to stay positive when you are melting into a puddle on the lake front. Has anyone ever tried those cooling necklaces? I am thinking of investing in one... or maybe just jumping in the lake!

Well this week was hard for me. I have been training for about 4 weeks now and I've sort of hit a wall. With the marathon still being very far away and the summer only getting hotter, my air conditioned apartment and pool right next door are looking way better than my running shoes! But today my body woke me up at 5:55 AM and said, "You need to move, girl!" And I did! I went out and ran 10 miles before 8:00 AM! I was so glad I did because by 8:00 AM it was HOT! I even have a nice farmers tan to go along with my run!

The Power of Positive Thinking

Today I ran 10 miles! Yay me! I really had a hard time getting motivated today because I have kind of skimped on my training this week... oops! In my defense there were a lot of "last week" activities going on at school and after school! But basically I only ran 3 miles this week and weight lifted once. Oh well, that's life! But what has really helped get me through the miles is a book I am reading called The Non-runner's Marathon Trainer.  I decided to read up after hearing Mike (my sister's boyfriend) talking about the books he was reading to prepare for the big day. I have to say this book has been a great motivator! Along with great tips from people who went from couch to marathon, the authors focus on the power of visualization and positive thinking. During my half marathon training I kept finding it harder and harder to increase my mileage. Now I understand why: I was looking at everything negatively. "Oh crap I have to do 10 miles today!" is what I would think to myself all day before reluctantly going out to run. And the run sucked every time... so did my time! Now I tell myself to look forward to my runs. During the runs I keep reminding myself how strong I am and how much stronger I am going to become! It has really helped! I even ran 7 miles today without my music! I NEVER thought I could run without my music, but it was great and the miles just melted away! 

THANK YOU!!!

WOW!! It has only been 2 weeks since I signed up for the marathon and pledged to raise $1000. So far I have raised $1,227!! I just can't thank everyone enough for your generosity... and the fact that you actually think I can do this thing! (Kris, I am going to need that race day pep talk... aka kick in the rear!) I am going to continue raising money because I think this is a great cause, and as a teacher I know more research in the field of autism is needed to discover causes, treatment and prevention of this disability. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support and donations! I hope its not just Maggie, Sandy and my dad reading this!

P.S. I recruited a running buddy! Jennifer J. Steinborn was suckered into the marathon as well! She is running for the American Cancer Society! Let the training begin!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Seriously, all this rain has put a major damper on my training schedule! Ok, to be honest I love any excuse to not workout so I am love/hating this rainy weather. Let me give you a little synopsis of my first week of training so far:
Monday: rest (I nailed that one!)
Tuesday: run 3 miles. I decided to go to yoga sculpt instead (even trade, I think!) Doing good so far!
Wednesday: run 3 miles. I decided I had worked hard at yoga sculpt and needed another day of rest! (This is where it begins to go downhill...)
Thursday: run 3 miles. No excuse... I just didn't do anything! (See I told you!)
Friday: Rest day... nailed that one of course!
Saturday: run 6 miles. Finally, at 5:00 PM after watching a movie with some extremely skinny girls in it, I decided to go down to our gym and run! (Success!!)
So now tomorrow (Sunday) I am suppose to cross train, which means ride my bike 6 miles. Please send me some words of encouragement. As you can see, laziness often gets the better of me!

Pain is NOT temporary

Well, Sean and I did 5 miles today and suffice to say it was not my best run... Its amazing what 2 weeks of sitting on the couch and eating girl scout cookies can do to your stamina! I swear I really just ran and half marathon! We were passed by multiple people, and at one point Sean started running backwards. Its going to be a long hard summer, and running buddies will be more than welcome! Here is the link to my training schedule if you are interested... and since I have 2 followers that's Sean and Sandy = ( Marathon Training Schedule
Yes, it does say Novice...