Another Milestone

Tonight as I was getting to the Rose Bowl a Facebook alert popped up on my phone.  I looked at it and saw that a friend (another non-runner) has been inspired to partake in the fine art of torture that is running.  She said that she had run 17 minutes today.  My thought process went something like this: I don't think I've ever run 17 minutes straight.  I wonder if I can.  I think I can.  I'll do that.

Then this funny thing happened.  I started running around the Rose Bowl and just never stopped (I did stop half a mile in to stretch out my leg, but no walking).  I was working on pacing tonight and it was amazing how easy it was to run the full 3 miles.  Not too long ago, I was looking at the data from my app and realized that I'm running way faster than I can maintain (7-9min/mile) which leads to needing to walk.  So, with my phone in hand, I watched my pace as I ran tonight.  I averaged a 13 minute mile, which I realize is very slow.  I wasn't even winded most of the time and my leg didn't cramp (the two things that usually inspire a walking break).  It's amazing how much pacing makes a difference.

I'm not sure how much the cocktail of homeopathic remedies and drugs that I've been ingesting affected this evening's run.  I woke up this morning with much less snot and a much less sore throat.  I think I'm going to survive.  I may even make it all 13.1 miles.

Graph from run last week

Graph from today's run

Oh, the Stress

I was feeling okay about this whole race deal until I got sick.  I don't get sick often and am not pleased with the timing of this illness.  Why didn't I agree to a movie watching marathon?  Or a candy eating marathon?  I would be great at those.

I was just doing a little searching looking for how many calories running a half marathon would burn (just to get an idea of the energy expenditure).  I came across this anxiety producing gem "The death rate while jogging is about seven times higher than the death rate while sedentary."  Of course that's from the LiveStrong website, so who knows if it's true.

In effort to name and deal with the stress, I'm going to list the things that I'm worried about as of now, I'm sure google searches will produce more anxiety as the race day approaches.  In no particular order, I am scared of:

• rabid dogs on the course
• being picked up by the pace car
• not meeting the fundraising goal
• that my sinuses will still be filled with snot 
• not eating/drinking the right things while running
• not liking the music that's playing on the course
• falling on my face
• passing out
• rabid cats on the course
• having to make small talk while running
• finishing last
• not finishing
• not knowing how to eat/drink/consume the gel
• rabid squirrels on the course
• not being able to find my family/ride home after it's over and having to walk the 2 miles home
• not having cool enough clothes/hair  (it's the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon)
• that I haven't trained enough (I know this to be the case)
• and thanks to the LiveStrong site, death

A Run with Eleanor

I have a cold.  Last week Charlotte (the three year old) got pink eye.  Her pediatrician would not simply call in drops, so I had to take her to germland (much like Disneyland, but with fewer rides).  Two days after the visit, Charlotte's eyes were all better, but she started running a fever...and the snot, oh the snot. Charlotte, ever the generous child, has shared her affliction with Matt and me.  So, thank you Dr. Iwantyourmoney, for this gift you have given our family.

I decided to attempt a run this morning despite the snot.  Every once in a while when I am headed out for a run I ask Eleanor (the seven year old) if she wants to go.  She always says no, until today.  We took off, her on her scooter, me on foot.  I stuck a piece of flannel in my running belt thing to use as a handkerchief.

This run was actually quite enjoyable.  Eleanor was delightful.  She did get thirsty, so we stopped at a Starbucks and bought a bottle of water (I should have planned better where we would go by parks with water fountains).  It was a short (about 2.5 miles) run and somewhat slow, but what I needed for today.

I'm more than a little stressed about this race being only two weeks away.  I've started having the anxiety dreams--where I show up in the wrong shoes, where I'm trying to get to the starting line but can't find it, where I'm running the wrong way, where I fall down and break my arm but finish the race anyway like that gymnast.  You know, the usual dreams one has when facing a race they are completely unprepared for.  I've never run a race before of any sort.  Is there racing etiquette I should know?  The form said that there are stations for water and gatoraide set up along the course and one station with "gel."  I only hope this is hair gel.  Because by mile 8, I'm sure that's what I'll need.

A Hard Week, A Hard Run

This week was hard.  I could list my long litany of complaints, but that would take a long time and I just don't feel like it.  I was planning on doing short runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week.  But Monday was a holiday and we were having too much family fun.  I went on Tuesday.  The rest of the week too much was going on for running.  So, yesterday after only one short run this week, I ran 7.3 miles (ran/walked).  Now I am very tired.

My app told me that I was going 34mph at one point on the run.  Either it messed up or I've gotten a lot better at this running business.

This race is in three weeks.  I have so many mixed feelings right now.  Three weeks and I will be done!   But in order to be done, I have to run/walk 13.1 miles.  Today was my longest run and will be until the race.  I don't enjoy the running part.  I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

Dogs In Strollers

I cannot believe that I have been doing this running thing for three months now and I am still this bad at it.  When I saw the physical therapist last week, she told me that I should start "tapering down" since I was just a month away from the race.  I don't think she knows me well.  If I "taper down" much, I'll be going backwards.  She also told me to walk for 5-10 minutes to warm up before stretching.  I tried that tonight and had NO leg pain.  Amazing.  That was the first time in 8 years that I have exercised without pain in my right leg.

Unrelated, I really enjoy all the dogs on the walking track around the Rose Bowl.  I like the English bulldogs that sound like they are struggling more than I am.  I like the little dogs that look like any minute they are going to wind their leashes around their walker's legs.  My favorite are the dogs in strollers.  I count it a good run when I see one (and there usually is at least one).  These little dogs look so entitled and bored.  One day I passed a man pushing a stroller.  As I went past him, I saw in addition to the stroller he had a baby strapped to his chest.  I thought, "Oh, maybe it's twins," and as I looked back to see the baby in the stoller, I was surprised to see the other "baby" was a dog.  Tonight there was a woman pushing a rolly-walker thing with a dog wrapped in a blanket balanced in the middle.  What is with all these lazy dogs?  If I can run this with two legs (one of them not so great), surely these dogs could run with four legs.  Maybe I'll make an inspirational video for dogs, push them past the boundaries of their strollers.

100 Miles!

Today I ran/walked my 100th mile.  I think that's pretty huge, but it was such a discouraging run today that it didn't feel monumental.  I still celebrated with some boba milk tea, which I have decided is an excellent recovery drink.  

It was hot today, almost 80 degrees.  In addition to it being rather warm, there was something in the air that was irritating my nose.  Breathing through my nose was painful/sneeze inducing, which meant I kept breathing through my mouth.  So my list of complaints for today's run:

1. Too warm in the mid-day sun (the shaded areas were pleasant)
2. My nose hurt
3. My mouth got very dry because breathing through my nose hurt
4. My fingers swelled (very strange for me)
5. The ball of my right foot is sore
6. My leg hurt (as usual)

On Thursday I went to see another medical professional to discuss my fat leg.  Matt had found a physical therapist who is certified in lymphedema treatment.  Lymphedema is similar in a lot of ways to my constant swelling, so she was about to offer some insight.  Of course that insight was not what I wanted to hear: "Your leg will always be like this.  Exercise and compression stockings can help, but not heal."

The good news is she is able to fit me for a prescription compression stocking (after I call my friendly, fast-talking doctor and get her to sign off on the referral).  It will be ugly, but having one that is the right size/strength is very helpful.

I'm exactly one month from this crazy race, three months into the training.  

Connections

When I was in elementary school, every year we would do a Math-A-Thon.  I loved them.  I was good at math.  We would gather pledges for how many math problems we would do, then work the problems.  I'm sure I never gathered very much money, but I always finished the whole workbook.  The money went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  As I a kid, I knew that the money was going to help sick kids.

Last week my friend's five week old son was admitted to St. Jude's with cancer.  This is when I remembered the Math-A-Thons.  According to tradition (and Wikipedia) Saint Jude is "The Saint for the Hopeless and the Despaired." When St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened in 1962, most childhood cancers were terminal.  Now, thanks to 50 years of painstaking researching, my friend's son has a chance.  20ish years ago when I was working those math problems, I had no idea that I would be funding research that would some day help someone dear to me.

The amazing thing about giving money to help others is you never know how that will affect you.  I'm working to raise money for Oasis India right now.  Oasis India is a anti-trafficking organization that works with local officials to find and end human trafficking.  Less than two years ago, Oasis was involved in a raid that rescued 300 kids.  These children, over a third of them under the age of three, were being forced to beg for money and beaten if they didn't bring back enough.  The babies were often drugged and used as a begging prop.  These children are 'the hopeless and the despaired.'  There are 27 million people worldwide being bought and sold like property.  If you can give to help continue the work of Oasis, please do (this is the link or use the button on the right).  Who knows, you may be helping someone you love.

Running News:

I ran 4.5 miles today (okay, ran with walking breaks).  Things I learned:

• I run faster under overpasses because I've seen enough earthquake pictures to be scared of being under one during an earthquake
• I run faster when a homeless man is cat calling
• I like water fountains