September 30, 2008 - 6 mile run

I woke up this morning and thought...I just want 10 more minutes of sleep. Fifteen minutes later I had another thought...new shoes! That's right! I bought my new shoes! And they made a huge difference! My left knee is still sore, understandably, and my right hip is tight but then again I have been running lots. It's amazing what cushioning can do for absorbing the pounding of running! I'm so happy. I did contemplate increasing my mileage this week but both Matt and Beth popped into my head stressing the importance of tapering. So I will, begrudgingly, taper. I finished the 6 miles today in 1:10:17.

September 29, 2008 - 4 mile run

This morning was a 4 mile run. I've decided to continue with my taper and consider last week gone. I struck out this morning with a knee brace and a knee strap on my left knee (yes...both) and a knee strap on my right knee. The run was refreshingly good. My form is awful and I had to spend mental energy correcting for it, especially my arms. My left knee was sore but held up. I'm really feeling the pounding of the pavement though. I'm not as enamored with my shoes as when they were new. But as of today they have 301 miles on them. That might have something to do with it! I made it two miles in 23:00 and I was excited about that. Somewhere around three miles though I stopped my watch and adjusted my knee strap. Apparently, I didn't turn it back on because when I checked my time at 3 1/2 miles it said 34 minutes. So based on my first 2 mile pace I was on track for a 46:00 final time and I don't think I was longer that 48 minutes. A very good run and very needed on a mental block level. I did have to watch out for the urban wildlife this morning though. A little yappy dog was being walked when I first started out. It's owner was shushing the dog and apologizing to me as I ran by. Then I saw a big raccoon lumbering about just after I passed the 2 mile mark but, thankfully, it crossed the street before I got to it. Not too long after that, a mouse or chipmunk darted across my path. Soon after that I saw another object a couple of blocks away. It wasn't moving so I was starting to plan how to get around it without bothering it. As I got closer, I realized that it wasn't an animal...it was a fire hydrant. Needless to say, I was able to run by that unscathed. I know, I know, I'm heroic. Finally, a biker nearly made me jump out of my skin because of his wandering head lamp. Plus, since I was listening to music, I didn't hear him coming up from behind me. Ah, early morning runs can be such an adventure in my imagination! I'm just so glad I enjoyed this run. It's been a couple weeks overdue.

September 27, 2008 - 4.46 miles

I only made it 4.46 miles today. At about 4 miles my left knee was giving me pain again. I walked a smidge but finished pretty well in 54:07. Despite not making it the 12 miles, I'm actually feeling encouraged about the state of my knee. It lasted longer than earlier this week! I'm hoping to go get some new shoes today. I had purchased a knee brace to try today but it felt odd so I ran with the knee strap instead. We'll see! 21 days until the marathon. If nothing else, I hope to at least finish!

September 25, 2008 - 2 miles

Set out for 5 miles.
Decided to be happy for 4.
Knee bothered me right away.
Changed to three miles.
Made it 2.04 miles in 25:03.
Walked 10 minutes home.
Marathon is three weeks away.
Really hoping my knee can hold out.
Really hoping I can boost up the training runs again.
And soon.

September 23, 2008 - 4 mile run

This morning I ran 4 miles. I'm switching around my mileage this week in an attempt to give my left knee some recovery. It held up pretty well this morning. My right hip flexor muscle was really tight but it loosened up after 2 miles. I'm been babying my left knee. Icing a lot, even at work, walking downstairs backwards, lots of ibuprofen, and wrapping it. I also didn't push it on my run this morning. While difficult to convince my upper body, lungs and heart that slower was better, I managed to stick to ~12:12 pace, finishing the 4 miles in 48:49.

I just did something stupid though. I had a meeting on the third floor at work. Going upstairs is fine on my knee, downstairs, not-so-much. But I was walking with coworkers and didn't want to go to the elevator on my own nor did I want to walk downstairs like a little kid or backwards. So I limped down regular. And now my left knee is screaming at me again. So much for babying it! Stupid pride! I iced some and have it wrapped for walking around at work. I'm not sure I'll get an 8 miler in this week. I'd rather not push it and have to bail on the marathon. I'll have to see how it goes tomorrow morning. I'm also seriously considering new shoes this week...no money budgeted though...but if new shoes would help my legs feel better it's worth swipping for.

September 21, 2008 - Ready to Run 20 miler

This morning was the Nike Ready to Run 20 miler. It was mentally and physically the most exhausting run to date. I ran it in 4 1/2 hours, 30 minutes longer than I wanted. But it was probably a miracle I finished at all because my left knee was screaming at me starting at mile 1 (yes...mile ONE). The weather was humid too. We started the run at a risk level yellow/moderate. At about 10:30 a.m., they updated it to risk level red/high due to the heat and humidity. I was not able to keep with the 12 minute group at all. I had to compromise because of my knees. During mile 17 I had to walk a little bit too. My legs were just so sore. They still are. The other issue was that I ran a large majority of the run by myself. I could always see someone but I didn't have anyone to pace with. Towards the beginning I did have Julie to run with for a few miles and that was great. It was nice and distracting to run with her. But she had to go to the bathroom and I kept going. Part of me wishes I had waited for her so I wasn't running so much on my own. I did end up seeing Melissa, Crystal and Candice later on but I didn't stay with them for very long. I still can't believe how hard this run was mentally. To run so long, in the heat, relatively alone fighting mental and physical blocks. Ugh. I don't want to do that again. So back to mile 17...I stretched a little bit and retied my shoes (which I stopped my watch for). And I walked a little bit. Not sure how much, probably about a quarter mile. I started running again when I saw the 18 mile mark. I crossed that and grabbed some ice. I didn't want to wait for them to wrap my knee so I decided to just run with it in my hands and use it to help cool off. The last two miles actually were okay. I think the walking and the ice helped. That and being so close to being done. Beth did absolutely awesome. I wish I could have run with her. The nice thing was I knew she be at the finish line cheering us on. And she didn't disappoint. She even taunted me with beer! It was nice to finish. I was disappointed in my legs and my time. And I did cry after finishing. It was just such a hard run. In so many ways. My brain isn't working so well right now because of exhaustion so it's hard to put into words. Seriously though...wow. Beth handed me a beer and I cheered up. Then she and I cheered more runners in. It's great to cheer people whether you know them or not. The photographer was amused by us. He even took a picture of me with my beer! =) I'm excited to see the picture although I had just run 20 miles so I doubt I looked cute at all. LOL.
The reality of endurance running hit home today though. Melissa finished strong but needed medical aid afterwards. Beth called one of Melissa's friends to come pick her up. The medics gave Melissa an IV and everything. They also suggested she go to the emergency room. Although since she was pretty alert, Beth and friend were allowed to take her themselves. I pray that she's okay.
Endurance running is hard: mentally and physically.

September 18, 2008 - 4 mile run/walk

Honestly, I really don't want to blog about this workout. But I committed to myself that I would write about my running and I'm hoping it will prove therapeutic. This morning was a disappointment to say the least. I got up at 4 a.m. to get ready to try (again) for my 8 mile run. I had a power bar and stretched and was out the door about 4:30. I decided to run in the morning because Matt has been have problems with his sinuses and feels worse in the evening. To be helpful, I thought I'd get up and run early so that I could have parenting duties after work (knowing full well I'd be tired). I guess my bad run could be due to getting up early. Or better yet, due to the fact that I woke up just about every hour last night, if not more frequently than that; worried about missing my alarm, worried my alarm would wake up Matt, and also because Matt was tossing, turning and coughing a lot. I guess my bad run could also be blamed on my right upper thigh still being stiff and in pain or that my left knee now hurts. Maybe, I could blame the fact that my body is tired and has been giving a lot to this whole running thing. And while I'm mindful that these things all factor into how my body will perform, I can't shake this feeling of disappointment. I had such a runner's high after Monday's run. I kept up with about a 10:50 pace! But now, I'm worried that I pushed myself too hard. Tuesday was supposed to be 8 miles...it was 5. So today, I tried again for 8 miles...only did 4 and had to intermittently walk/jog after 2 miles. I finished in ~54:29, which is slower than Monday's 5 mile time. And now, I'm faced with the 20 miler on Sunday. And I'm just not sure anymore. I was so confident in my training, in how far I've come and now...what if I don't have anything left? I feel like I went out for an easy run this morning and came back dragging a huge mental block.

My to do list before Sunday:
1. lots of stretching and hydration
2. eat some semblance of healthy food
3. let Tuesday and today's run go