Marathon Mom

Last night's run started out with the intention of being an easy run, well I took off with Cathy, Jerusha , Kevin, Robert, Russ, and Igor and we started chatting. Half of this group is doing IM Florida in under 2 weeks and the rest of us have recently finished events so an easy run on a hilly course was the plan. Well 47 minutes later we were finished with our 6 miles, too bad I wasn't racing a 10K I think I would have been close to a PR! So much for easy, but that's usually what happens. Throughout this short run much of the talk was on the upcoming Ironman and past Ironmans . I watched the live finish online at IM Canada in August and IM Madison in September . I was inspired, maybe its time to move beyond marathons and become even crazier. I keep thinking, I can do this! First I need to get over my fear of biking and getting injured again, then I need to actually finish a triathlon. Maybe an Ironman in a few year, what greater accomplishment. So on November 3rd, I w...

I don't think this picture quite captures the heat and my struggle at TCM last weekend. Yes, I look tired, but this was at about mile 26, so that is to be expected. I think at this point I was just happy to have the finish line within sight and know that the race from hell was finally reaching an end!

I ran (if you can call it that) marathon #7 on Sunday in unseasonably hot and humid temps. They announced it was the hottest start to TCM ever and not to start if you were at all unprepared, ill, dehydrated great way to scare the runners. I made it past Lake Harriet and had to slow, the heat was awful. I actually got to the point that my goal was no longer to get a Boston Qualifying time, but to finish on my feet, not vomit and not be taken of the course. Well I accomplished the second goal in 4:23, my slowest marathon since the last fateful TCM in 2003 which resulted in 2 stress fractures in my foot. Maybe I just shouldn't be running on the TCM course. 8 1/2 until Honolulu Marathon, now the focus changes...

The weather Gods must hate me! The past 4 marathons that I have ran have all had bad weather. I have run in rain, unseasonably cold temperatures with ice on the ground , wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour and high humidity. And now the forecast for Sunday keeps getting worse. It started out as thunderstorms and 40s, now were at thunderstorms and high 70s. Please make this stop, I need good weather! I guess the lesson here is, a sure way to garuntee bad marathon weather is to have me sign up for it. I apologize to all the runners out there.

Anyone who has ever run a marathon will understand this. You train hard for months, averaging 50-60+ miles per week and running n early everyday. You eat to keep up with this training and people look at you like you're crazy, for 1) the amount of miles you run and 2) the amount of food you can eat and not gain, even lose weight at times. Then all of a sudden you cut this training nearly in half and try to keep your sanity. You just want to get out and run, but your know it will only hurt you on race day. It is a constant battles between mind and body. On top of this you are so used to eating a zillion calories and need to remind yourself to cut this down a bit so that you won't be a giant by race day. This is what the expert call tapering, runners call it madness. If you are a runner or have ever lived with a runner you know why.

Thought I would give this a try. A way for me to track my training and be accountable to anyone who wanted to follow along since my next marathon is for charity and so many of you are supporting me in this adventure I am undertaking. The next couple weeks will be pretty easy leading up to Twin Cities Marathon (#7) and then the focus will turn to Honolulu and continuing the fundraising fro the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.