No longer a WANNA BE!! Just a MARATHONER!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/07/2010
• Time: 10:09:06
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Calories: 791
• Distance: 6 miles
• Average Pace: 10:00/mile

Didn’t intend on having hills incorporated til later in training but now I’m ok. Just iced the muscle for a lil while just in case

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/03/2010
• Time: 20:02:42
• Total Time: 00:33:36.00
• Calories: 399
• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Average Pace: 10:49.82/mile

My osteoarthritis kicked it in my right shoulder, thru my elbow to my wrist and affected the operation of my thumb at times today and 2 Motrin didn’t help, BUT…

THAT’S OK!! I thought if I run it’ll take my mind off my shoulder for a little while and it did.

I’m feeling much better after a Pacifico, a heating pad, and some nice conversation. At to preoccupy the pain

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/01/2010
• Time: 19:59:03
• Total Time: 00:31:42.00
• Calories: 376
• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Average Pace: 10:13.29/mile

Finally built up to 3.1. Felt good no pain

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/31/2010
• Time: 07:30:00
• Total Time: 00:32:26.00
• Calories: 385
• Distance: 3.11 miles
• Average Pace: 10:26.09/mile

I took a lot for me to stop .7 before what wouldv liked to run tonight. I’m still happy with the distance. Give it a rest then try again for 3.1 on Sunday.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/28/2010
• Time: 18:13:16
• Total Time: 00:30:11.00
• Calories: 318
• Distance: 2.58 miles
• Average Pace: 11:41.75/mile

Ran my first run of the year last night. I’ve been nursing an injury from the LV Marathon and didn’t want to keep reinjurying it.

It felt good. Although I’ll admit I was really gunshy! But I was able to run this small run slowly and pain free. Gonna try for another small run tonight.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/27/2010
• Time: 17:23:15
• Total Time: 00:17:18.00
• Calories: 144
• Distance: 1.4 miles
• Average Pace: 12:20.74/mile

Tried for 4 today, but only got out .5 before my ankle started buggin’. So I relaxed on it.

See you all next year!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/27/2009
• Time: 04:53:07
• Total Time: 00:20:22.00
• Calories: 134
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Average Pace: 13:34.48/mile

As you can see I haven’t made a post in over months. This is because I haven’t done anything to report. On the last post of Oct I pulled my tensor fasciae latae AND my sartorius muscles. I am no stranger to overtraining injuries, I was thinking that I was going to assume the title of President of Overtraining Injuries. But none of my other injuries, strained MCL, pulled IT band, strained ACL, amonsts others did any of the injuries take more than 2 weeks to heal. I was FREAKED out to say the least. My mom had already paid my entry fee and reserved a room at THEHotel in the Mandalay Bay hotel as a Christmas present. But I had to have faith that everything would be ok. I wrote 3 things on my mirror 1. I will not stumble when I run (Prov 4:12), 2. By His stripes I WAS healed, and 3. I am renewed in body like never before.

As the days and months passed I continued to keep my mind from trailing had a little help from someone constantly telling me that the temps were going to be in the low 30’s. If you know me at all the slightest breeze and I freeze. So I started to worry not only that it has been 2 months of NO ACTIVITY, I mean NO cross-training of any kind. I couldn’t it hurt too bad and then I didn’t want to take a chance of running even a little run in case I hurt something again and had no time for recovery. So I ate protein with very low carbs as to not gain too much weight. I actually lost 5 lbs. I never really stopped worrying about the temp. I couldn’t control it so why freak out. So I just prepared for it. I knew my legs would eventually go numb, so I bought UnderArmor HeatGear pants and a ColdGear long sleeve top, fleece band for my ears, two pairs of those $1 gloves from Walmart, and those little heaters for your hands.

I was not as nervous for this marathon even though it was my nemesis (Las Vegas 2008 was supposed to be my first marathon, but got a OT injury). I got to sleep around 10:30-11:00pm and woke up at 3:00am. Well….maybe 3:10am. Needed to snooze at least once ;-)  I took a hot bath to loosen up my muscles for stretching, and then took a shower to completely wake me up. When I turned on the Weather Channel I saw the temp was 39 degrees. All I wanted to see was a 40 and my mind would’ve been fine. Ahhhh, whatever. Can’t control!! I stretched and stretched and stretched. Then I donned ‘THE GEAR’. Ate a pear and waited for a fellow marathoner.

We walked through the hotel to where the start line was. I was begging to stay in the hotel as long as possible. LOL I check the temp again from my iPhone and it was 34 freaking degrees. I asked him, ‘Are you happy?! You got your freezing temps! To which I got a reply of..’I kinda was hoping it would rain’. I just laughed as we walked through the door that leads outside. I gasped!!! O-M-G-O-S-H!!! THIS SUCKS!!! We used the port-o-potties and then headed to our corrals. He was in 5 and I was in 19. We talked for a bit and then it was time for me to go to my corral. Gave each other a hug of good luck and then I jogged to my corral to hopefully get myself warm. I got to my corral and started to stretch. It was fairly empty and I was freezing and could not feel my fingertips. I decided to go back into the hotel for a little while, and did some more stretching. Met up with my mom and my son, who after about 10 mins walked me to my corral. It was 6:15am and the gun had already went off. There was a wave start so I had time, but Holy crap!! There was no room. I barely squeezed into the entry. I left and went to corral 11 and shortly after I was off. The last thing I said to my mom was ‘Oh crap!! I have to pee!!’

I felt great! I was still filled with nervousness that things would begin to seize shortly, but I kept with my race schedule. Run 7 minutes walk 1 minute, and every walk break take a dab of my energy gel (brown rice syrup and blue agave syrup. 40g of carbs per ounce). My legs went numb as I expected but I was staying warm. I was zoning out again focusing on my music and just thinking of random things that happened in my life, things that I would like to happen in my life, and things that people have told me to keep me positive.

I was also pushing back the fact that I still had to pee, but everytime I saw a row of port-o-potties there was a line of like 10-15 people. I wasn’t about to use marathon time to wait, so I told myself that I would just have to wait until the 1/2 marathoners split off, then the lines wouldn’t be as bad. But I was in luck I looked ahead and saw two chicks running off the course towards a Jack-in-the-Box. I was like WTH! But I had to pee, so I detoured over to it also, just as I was entering the bathroom the two girls were coming out saying **in a whiny voice** “There’s no toilet paper!” I said, “Is there SEAT COVERS??!!” They said, “Yes???” Well alrighty then!! After that I was golden and ready to go. Got back on the course. There were a few times where I was draggin and my feet felt heavy and my toes were freezing, but I had little pep talks with myself and kept going. I was out to cross the finish line that was my goal. It wasn’t about time or pace as it has been for me in the past.

I rounded this corner and on the other side of the street I saw the mile marker for 23. Boy was that a mind screw!! I was like WTH! My watch was screwed up as far as distance and I zoned out on the last mile marker, so I had no clue where I was. Next mile marker I saw on MY side of the street was 15!! My mind just went out of control and my body started running slow. My feet felt heavy. Two miles later I got my mind back into control of my body, and got back onto the 7:1 ratio. Sometimes walking a 15-30 secs longer, but no over doing it.

I was finally at mile 20 I checked my watch and my time was 4:01. I couldn’t believe it!! I was only 6.2 miles away and I started talking to myself. “Holy crap Dar! You could to this thing in like 5:00! If you maintained a 10:00/min pace. Then I had to back it off and tell myself that it is not about time! It is about the finish line. I was finally at mile 23 and saw the wonderful Luxor hotel! That is what clicked that I only have a 5K left. My muscles were sore, and it took my mind to overcome that first step after my walk breaks. I was at mile 25 and decided to walk a little longer than normal to save myself for ‘running over the finish line’.

Then it was time to run again and I saw the finish line sign and kicked it in to high gear. I crossed that finish line with arms raised high and proud!! My CLOCK time said 5:53 and for me that was 23 mins quicker than San Diego, so when I saw my CHIP time I was jazzed!! 5:25!!! That is 49 minutes quicker than San Diego.

I know I shouldn’t, but I mentally kick myself saying, “Dang Dar! What COULD your time have been? Ya know…if you didn’t OVERTRAIN!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/06/2009
• Time: 06:15:00
• Total Time: 5:25:22.00
• Calories: 2694
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Average Pace: 12:25.34/mile

…But this is purty much what I said yesterday ~

RW Daily Kick in the Butt

I pretty much know how to train, but I need to pay more attention to smaller details, like recovering better, and to the signs my body gives, whether it’s fatigued or ready for more mileage on a given week.

Deena Kastor, American record holder in the marathon (2:19:36)

I need the proper amount of down time after running a marathon and then the proper training. This is all something I can do on my own. But as is stands now I continue to push myself, because life gets in the way and then I try to make up for it with driving myself with speed or time and get hurt or injured and have to take time off. Then I get angry with myself for trying so hard. WHY??!!

I accomplished something on May 31, 2009 that many people will never have the opportunity in their whole life to do..I crossed the FINISH LINE of a MARATHON.

I truly and honestly think about this when I run. The people who can’t walk or run. And the people who couldn’t run before, but do now and have become my inspiration for running.

I would’ve never thought in my wildest dreams any day prior to two years ago that I would say that let alone say it twice. And there WILL be more to come. But it doesn’t make sense to continue to damage myself. If I want to continue to do this thing they call a marathon…I once again need to train SMART. I want to do this RIGHT and not HALF ASS!! Technically that is what I’ve been doing and I only cheating myself.