Twenty Miles... CHECK!

Today was the day.

Back in February, I put all of the long weekend runs on my calendar and I have been dreading May 28th ever since.  Why?  Well, a 20 mile run seems really, really long.  And seeing that on the calendar and knowing that it was going to be "the day" eventually, well, I think you can understand.  People don't just run 20 miles.  It's a long run.  But I bet you were already thinking that.

My parents graciously agreed to let our kids come and visit them today (thanks Mom and Dad!) so that Gary and I could run/jog/walk/limp the 20 miles together.  It took forever to get the kids up and moving out of the house this morning.  And truthfully, we weren't all that excited to get started, so we didn't push them too much.

After dropping off the kids at 10:30am, (I was hoping for a 9am drop-off,) we got in the car and tried to figure out where we were going to run.  We normally run the trails at Bunker Hills Regional Park, but after the disastrous 18 mile run there a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't excited about hanging out there for 20 miles.  We decided to head to Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and we ran around some of the lakes there.  I had a map that showed the distances around each lake and the distance between them, so we decided to park on the west side of Lake Calhoun and then do a bunch of little runs and come back to the car between each run for water/gels/powerade.

The first 3 miles around Lake Calhoun went well, as did the next 5 miles when we ran around Lake of the Isles.  We managed to meander around all the people who were out with their dogs and taking up the whole path while walking really slowly.  (So much more complicated than the empty trails at Bunker!)  The second run around Lake Calhoun was not feeling as good as the first time and we took our first walking break at 10.5 miles, but at least we found some guy who was handing out free bottles of Vitamin Water!

By the time we got back to the car, Gary wasn't feeling great and I wasn't feeling much better, but we were off to Lake Harriet.  There was a lot more walking and less talking.  But the really bad part was when we headed off to do our final 2.87 miles around Lake Calhoun.  Gary told me to stop talking to him (normally I'm the one telling him to "Shhhh!") and he had to really concentrate on just running.  I wasn't feeling terrific, but I'm positive that Gary was having a harder time than I was having.  I could feel the blisters on my feet blowing up like balloons, but I was more worried about Gary falling over and looking like this.  (For the record, it's called "Very funny marathon finish" but there's nothing funny about it.  It's incredibly admirable that these two women were willing to leave everything behind and completely empty their tanks in order to finish their race.)

Anyway, we FINALLY got to 20 miles and we stopped where we were and headed right to the car.  We stretched.  We drank.  We stood still and were thrilled that the run was over.  Wow, did I really just do that?  It's so strange because it really seemed so much easier than the 18 mile run.  I know that we didn't run the entire time, but I'm pretty happy with how we did and more importantly, how I felt when we were done.  I wasn't completely spent and while I wouldn't have been thrilled with running 6 more miles, I felt like I could have finished that if I needed to.  In all, we were moving for 3:32 which averages out to about 10:35/mile.  If we stay that same pace for the marathon, I'll be really happy with the outcome.

Now, the most interesting part of the day... I've done some reading about recovery after long runs and I decided to give an ice bath a try.  I was too wussy to actually add any ice, but I did fill up the bathtub with only cold water (we measured the temp and it was a chilly 54 degrees!) and I sat there for about 15 minutes.  Gary was really wussy and wouldn't get in the tub, so we'll see who's feeling better tomorrow!

And to celebrate that we were still alive after running 20 miles?  Well, we went to Texas Roadhouse!  Yee haw!

A Minor Miracle

It rained yesterday.  Like a cats and dogs type of rain.  And I chose to start running outside about a half hour before that rain started.

Stupid decision.  Obviously.  (Thanks for that stellar advice, Gary.)

Not only was I soaking wet, but my iPod was also soaking wet.  So wet that it turned off on its own while I was still running.  I didn't come in the house and finish my run on the treadmill because my shoes were so wet and I thought that if I waited until today, maybe they'd be dry enough that they wouldn't make me have prune feet after running in them.

So I went to run this morning and realized, my iPod didn't work.  At first I thought maybe just the sensor on my shoe got wet and that was why my run cut itself short yesterday.  But after checking things out more, I don't know if the sensor was wet because my iPod couldn't even find the Nike+ transmitter that is absolutely necessary to track my run.  ACK!

If you've paid any attention to my running history, you know that I don't run if I don't have my Nike+.  I just can't do it if I don't have some sort of physical record of my run.  I've amassed 2033 miles with my Nike+ so I can't stop using it now.

Well today I was faced with a dilemma.  I really, really needed to get a run in today while Oliver was at preschool.  I had 10 miles that I needed to make up from this weekend.  But I really didn't want to run without my Nike+.

Well I did it.  It was a minor miracle that I was able to do it without my trusty Nike+.  I checked my google maps about 7 times before heading out for my run so I would know exactly where I was running and how far it was going to be.  Surprisingly I wasn't too freaked out about not having my Nike+ with me to keep track of how far I'd gone or how fast I was going...  It helped that I was running a very well traveled course and I knew a ton of spots along my run to help me mentally keep track of my miles.

And it also really helped that I found a website where I could cheat a bit and input my time and distance and it would make it look like I had actually run with the assistance of my Nike+.  (Score!)

TC 10 Mile!

One of the main reasons that Gary and I ran the TC 1 Mile last week was because we knew that 1000 random finishers would be chosen to get automatic entry into the TC 10 Mile in October.  The TC 10 Mile is for those people who are too lazy to train for the full Twin Cities Marathon.   Well, that's not true.  But it's a nice distance for people who can't/don't want to run a full marathon.  The other reason we did the 1 Mile was so that I could prove to myself that I'd improved my time over last year.  Uhhhh, that didn't really pan out.  Anyway...

Gary and I first attempted to register for the TC 10 Mile in 2008, but we weren't chosen in the lottery.  Bummer!  The next year, we got in via the TC 1 Mile lottery.  Running that race was pivotal for me.  It was, of course, emotional.  It also forced me to push myself even more.  Running a 5K or a 10K was a big deal when I first did it, but running for 10 whole miles... well, that seemed impossible.  So when we did the 10 Mile in 2009, it was a big deal.

After all this Grandma's Marathon training, I knew that I had no desire to train for another marathon this year.  However, I told Gary that if we got chosen to run the 10 Mile that I would totally be up for it.  Well... we got in!  So after I recover from running my marathon and take a little time off to relax, I'm going to try and start working on speed a bit to see if I can't beat my 2009 10 Mile time by a few minutes.  We finished in 1:37 something, and really, if I finish in 1:36 or less, I'll be happy.

Just for fun, here's a photo of Team Mullen at the race expo in 2009.  Aren't our kids cute?

Every moment can't be fantastic

I ran today.  It was a beautiful (somewhat windy), sunny day and it felt great to be outside.

It was a huge contrast to the last two runs that I had.

On Thursday, I ran the TC 1 Mile race.  Last year I finished in 7:42 and my goal for this year was to finish in 7:41 or less.  Despite feeling like I was running all-out, I finished at 8:16, more than 30 seconds slower than last year's finish.  It killed me.  Mentally, I think it really broke me.

Saturday's 18 mile run was brutal.  I don't think I felt good until I was done.  I had to make a port-a-potty stop at mile 5.  I had to stop and put band-aids on my feet at mile 6.  I had a little emotional breakdown at mile 12.  I walked entirely too much for all of miles 13-18.  Then again, I finished, so I know I should be happy.  I've mentioned before that I felt like I had a mental block about doing the longer distances.  I could see myself running 15-16 miles, but nothing more than that.  So combine that with my really disappointing 1 Mile time... it was a recipe for disaster.

So where do I go from here?  I'm not sure how it'll go.  But maybe it's a good lesson for me to remember as the marathon gets closer.  I'm going to go through a myriad of emotions during the marathon.  At some moments I'll feel absolutely wonderful and at some moments I'll feel like I can't move another inch forward.  I have to remember that every moment of the marathon will bring something new.

A friend posted this video today (after recently finishing her first marathon!) and it was a good reminder (and also slightly entertaining!) to help me keep in mind that things will not always be pretty, but I can get to the finish line nonetheless.

A little pep talk

My two children are obviously very different.  Katherine is social, Oliver is shy.  Katherine loves to be out, Oliver likes to be at home.  Katherine is a leader, Oliver is a follower.

So it's not surprising that the two of them respond completely differently in conversation about the same thing.  Specifically I'm talking about running.

I've mentioned before about how Oliver is not very encouraging when I'm looking for a little motivation.  When I say, "Ugh, I really don't want to go run right now."  Oliver responds with, "Then just don't run."

We are supposed to run 18 miles this weekend.  I was just talking to Gary and saying that maybe we should cancel the babysitter for this afternoon and switch our run to tomorrow afternoon instead when the weather will be a bit less dreary.  And after he shot me down, I had a little emotional breakdown and came inside the house.

I called Katherine over to me for a hug and I said, "I don't think I can run a marathon, Katherine."

What did she respond with?  She didn't take on her brother's attitude and say, "It's ok Mom, you don't have to."

She said, "Of course you can do it, Mom!"

Yes, both of my children have their own unique personalities and quirks.  And today, I'm thankful for Katherine's spirit that believes in me even when I don't believe in myself.

Is it supposed to feel like this?

I have never trained for a marathon before, so I don't know if what I'm feeling is normal.  But I do know this:  I feel tired.  Not just like I feel like I don't get enough sleep.  I'm physically tired.  Epecially when I run.  I just finished the longest 4 mile run of my life.  I seriously felt like it was never going to end.  I just shouldn't be that hard.  Four miles should be easy peasy compared to 15 miles, right?  And last Saturday when I did my 12, that first 5 miles felt never ending and my I needed to actually push myself to just get my legs moving.  I can see why that might be necessary after running a while, but it shouldn't be that hard to go out and run the first few miles.  My whole body feels like it's working so hard to keep going and I don't love feeling like I'm going to fall over and die.


I went to the doctor a few weeks ago to get some blood work done in the hopes that I'd find out that I had low iron level or vitamin D or hemoglobin or something that would explain why I'm feeling so tired.  Everything turned out just fine though, so I can't blame my physical condition on sub-par blood work.  I think the doctor thought I was crazy when I was complaining about feeling tired while running 10 miles.  (Duh, you're running 10 miles, of course you're tired!)  The doctor did give me a prescription for an inhaler because she said maybe I have exercise induced bronchospasms based on me saying that sometimes I just feel like I can't take a deep breath after running for a long time. Still haven't picked up that prescription... I just don't think that's the issue at all.

So what is it?  Am I hitting the proverbial wall?  Am I just being a wuss?  How do I fix it?  What if I don't fix it in time for the marathon?  Questions, questions... 

Get in Gear Recap

The weather forecast said that it would be rainy with winds of 15-25 mph and possible thunderstorms.  As we were driving to drop off the kids and the rain starting pelting the car windshield, I didn't have high expectations for the run.  However after running four previous Get in Gear races, we knew that the weather would probably be bad.  There's only been one year when we had good weather.  The worst year was when we had little ice pellets hitting us in the face as we tried to run straight into the wind.  So a little rain was probably better than that scenario, right?

We had 16 miles to run, so we had to not only run the 13.1 miles for the race, but we also had to throw in almost 3 miles on our own.  Good times!  We decided to run from the parking lot and skip the shuttle bus ride, so we were able to get in about half of our extra miles.  (Judging by the line for the buses, we made a good decision!)

14.6 miles to go...

The race started right at 9am and we started slowly running with the huge mass of people.  It wasn't raining much, just drizzling a bit.  Thank goodness for my snazzy hat!  I brought my ipod with me to measure my distance but thanks to the stellar capabilities of the Nike+, my readings were inaccurate.  I was wearing my new shoes and I thought I had calibrated the sensor, but clearly I did not do a very good job.  Anyway...

Where was I?  Oh yes, running in the rain.

We saw some interesting things along our way.  We both loved running behind the two people who were wearing shirts that said "Dad" and "Daughter".  (Gary decided that he'd like to have shirts like that for Katherine and him, although when he asked Katherine about it she said, "No way, Dad!"  Oh well.)  There was a woman who showed up quite a few times on the course and she had a sign that said, "You're the best you!"  Loved that sign. 

After we hit the mile 8 water stop, Gary stopped to stretch and I decided to pull out my headphones and start listening to my ipod instead of just carrying the good for nothing thing in my hand.  "Rhythm of Love", "Rolling in the Deep", and "Gone Daddy Gone" turned out to be excellent songs to run to.  It was a good distraction because by the time we got to mile 10, the raindrops were falling hard and the run was getting pretty miserable.

5 miles to go...

As we were headed towards the finish line of the race, I knew that I had the dreaded Ford Parkway Bridge looming ahead.  That bridge has been my nemesis every year we've run the Get in Gear.  There was one year when it was so windy that I could barely move.  I was making running motions, but was hardly going anywhere.  It would probably be easier to run across the bridge if there wasn't a hill right before running across that bridge.  We trudged up the hill and up the bridge.

2.4 miles to go...

As we started across the bridge, I realized that there was only a cross wind.  How fantastic!  I put my head down and concentrated on moving across the bridge.  Once I got across the bridge, it was just a half mile until the finish.  Down a hill, and up a hill... and we were done!  I got my medal, grabbed a bottle of water, and motioned to Gary that he should keep going.

1.4 miles to go...

I was ready to quit when my iPod said 16 miles, but we still had .75 miles left according to Gary's GPS.  (The one that I bought for him... how silly of me!)  So we kept running around in circles at Minnehaha Park.  Down by the falls, up a trail, circling around the pavilion where the snacks were.  I was soaked.  My feet were squishing in my shoes.  My legs were hardly able to move.  My shoelaces were both untied.  But FINALLY, I hobbled across the grass and made my way to the snack pavilion and Gary said, "16 miles!"

Thank goodness for the little cartons of chocolate milk (my new favorite post-run recovery drink) and boxes of Pearson's Salted Nut Rolls.

I'm also extremely thankful for my parents.  Without them, Gary and I wouldn't have been able to run together on Saturday.  Not only are they willing to let us drop the kids off at 7am on a Saturday morning, but they make pancakes and french toast, and take them to soccer games.  A few weeks ago, my mom told me that she was proud of me.  It meant a lot to hear her say that.  I'm so grateful to have supportive family members who are willing to help me try and achieve my goals.

So anyway... 5th annual Get in Gear... CHECK!

Oh, and did I mention that I ran 123.76 miles last month?  WOWZERS!