Two Half Marathons In A Year. I Still Can't Believe It.

Hitting the wall at mile 11.5 or so, but still trying to have fun.  I look like I could kill someone at that moment.

I am typing this as I am sitting on the plane flying home from Vegas.  Less than 24 hours ago I crossed the finish line; I was still running at this time yesterday (well, run/walk intervals to be fair).  I’m not going to lie --- it was a miserable experience.  It was really cold.  It started to rain (in the desert mind you).  They ran out of water and Cytomax.  The course was crowded and didn’t really have port-o-lets.  Hell, they ran out of medals.   If I had been one of the people to finish and not get a medal I would have been pissed.  It was cool running on parts (recall, I say PARTS) of the Strip at night but with 44,000 runners it was way too crowded.  Plus, starting a half marathon at 5:30 p.m. is really tough.  It screws up your eating for the day, hydration, etc.

I didn’t have a great race.  In fact, I was slower than I was with a torn Achilles tendon.  That said I finished. I am flying home without crutches and without needing surgical repair of my body.   I never stopped despite hitting the wall at mile 10 or so and getting terrible cramps all over my legs (that conveniently hit at the same time) around mile 11.5-12.  When I synced my watch with my computer I had to laugh.  The last 3.1 miles took, in essence, 53 minutes; I wanted to run more of it (well, really any of it) but the cramping was terrible.  I was dehydrated and I didn’t use GU.

Don’t get me wrong.  I had an amazing time in Vegas.  I spent time with friends, watched my Badgers win the first Big Ten Football Championship, relaxed, and slept pretty well.  As much as people always say it is YOUR race and not to think of anyone else --- let’s face it, that is horse shit.  We are all competitive people and we (especially me) don’t like it when we don’t do our best.  I know that I am never going to be a 2:10-2:15 half marathoner.  I have natural abilities and no matter how hard I work that is not going to be my speed.  But based on my training runs and how I felt after them I really thought that 2:30-2:40 was realistic and very doable.  That is why I am upset.  Mind you no one in my group had a good race, which makes the “pain” a little better, but it still sucks.

In the grand scheme, though, I am taking it in stride.  I look back to last year at this time.  All of this was still a pipe dream them.  I had signed up for the half in Toronto but there were, admittedly, still doubts whether I would do it.  Fast forward a year and I have finished 2 half marathons; one after surgery.  Two this year.  Most people don’t ever do one, much less two.  Yes, I can improve and do them better, but I did them.  I set out to do them and didn’t quit.  I did them faster than some people and slower than others, but I finished both of them.  I increased my life expectancy through exercise and pushed myself in ways I never thought possible.  I learned that sometimes it is OK to quit, and that you may even save yourself some pretty severe injuries by doing so.  I could have quit after my surgery.  That would have certainly been easier.  It may have been less painful and I may have spent a lot less time icing various body parts after runs, but it wouldn’t have been the same life experience.

Through this journey I was able to raise money for charity, simply through the act of running.  I apologize to all of y’all who continuously told me that you were trying to make donations and there were issues with this link for Atticus Circle.  They keep telling me that they are working on it.  It is a great organization and I believe in it strongly.  I encourage others to pick a nonprofit you believe in and raise money for than organization through running.  Even though the race is over I would love it if you would consider making a donation to Atticus Circle (www.atticuscircle.org).

I’ve laughed a lot through this journey --- and my friends have laughed a lot at me.  I’m an easy target.  I am a bit neurotic and like to be prepared.  I had enough GU, Cliff Shot Blocks, Gatorade, Propel, water, BioFreeze, calf compression sleeves, hats, gloves, etc. for everyone in my group this weekend.  (In hindsight, it’s a shame we didn’t bring more of it with us to the race as we could have used it on the course.)  I read about new running gear and I buy it.  I’m an easy sell in that regard.  In the last year and a half I have accumulated more running gear than most can imagine.    Despite the gear and being made fun of, I have legitimately laughed with my friends while going through this.  Last night as we hobbled into the hotel --- dehydrated, sore, hungry, etc. --- we couldn’t do anything but laugh.  It was laughing that only we will share as we were there in the moment. 

This was my last race of the year.  I’m going to take a month off of running now to let my body finally heal.  I’ll start up again in January.  There will be another 10 mile race in May.  I think that distance will be much better for me.  There will be some 5Ks and 10Ks thrown in there.  No half marathons for a while, though.  I don’t need them to say I’m a runner.  What I have learned in the last year is that even though I may not “look” like a runner I feel like a runner more often than not.  I get out there and do it, which is more than most people will ever do.  I finish races, albeit more slowly than most, but I finish them. 

Next year I am going to focus on form and figuring out how to run these things in a way that I don’t hit the wall.  I am also going to really focus on the shorter distances and getting faster at those shorter distances.  I have seen the improvement in that regard and want to continue on that path.  Plus, its much easier and less time consuming to train for those distances.

I know this post has been random.  I am sitting on a plane and there is, frankly, a lot going through my head as I think about the last year in terms of my running.  I’ve put in a lot of miles.  Some have felt amazing and some have really hurt.  I peed my pants during a race last April.  I tore my Achilles during a race last May.  I ran two 5Ks with my college roommate --- and I assure you that 18 years ago neither of us ever imagined we would have done that.  I ran two half marathons.  I went an entire year without gaining any weight.  I raised $2600 for Atticus Circle simply through running.  I became someone who can’t sit on a couch for days on end and do nothing; I need to exercise.  When everything is said and done, I guess that isn’t so bad.

Below are some photos from this weekend.

Pre-race.  It was freezing outside so we stayed inside as long as we could after checking our gear.

Start line waiting to start the race and trying to keep warm.

Wisconsin Pride, especially after winning the Big Ten Championship the night before.  ROSE BOWL!

Finish line.  Mylar and medals.

More mylar and medals.

Wisconsin pride extended beyond the race.  Post race.  Back at the hotel trying to hydrate and eat something.

Who Would Have Thought

I remember it all too clearly.  It was a Saturday in early April.  I had just flown into Chicago early that morning.  The week had been a long one and I was working on little to no sleep.  The next day was my first "test"; I would be running the 8K Shamrock Shuffle with my friend Gen.  I had been getting over initial issues with my achilles and thought I was on the mend.  The Toronto Half Marathon was 2 months away.  The Chicago Marathon was 6 months away --- literally.  I was excited to be in Chicago with my friends and at the prospect of running.

I met Gen and Brooke for lunch.  Gen mentioned this half marathon in Las Vegas that she wanted to do.  After all, they would shut down the Strip for the race.  Why not?  I told her that I was in.  After all, it wasn't until December 4 and it was only early April.  In the coming weeks I continued to have issues with my achilles.  I finished my first half marathon over Memorial Day in Toronto but tore my achilles in the process.  Surgery followed.  The Chicago Marathon was not longer an option as a result, but Vegas was still in the picture.  In fact, I signed up for Vegas while I was on crutches after the half marathon in Toronto --- I was just back home but hadn't had surgery yet.  It was something that was going to help push me.

There was surgery, there were casts, there was PT.  My achilles improved and my confident waxed and wained.  I moved from New Orleans back to Wisconsin and encountered new challenges in terms of life (as well as amazing new things).  Training was up and down with both good and bad days.  But, here I am.  Tomorrow morning I get on a plane to go to Vegas.  On Sunday I will compete in my second half marathon during this calendar year.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would do this.  I almost have to pinch myself.

As I left the office tonight my colleagues were wishing me luck.  The last few weeks they have been amazing and incredibly supportive --- especially this week as I have battled the stomach flu and have worried about hydration levels.  I'm nervous about the race.  I know that I will finish it but I worry about my time and getting it done in the way that I would like to.  I suppose there will always be another opportunity if I don't do what I set out to do with this race.

In the process I've come across some amazing people.  In fact, just today I was incredibly surprised by a woman named Mandy who works with the Yurbuds company.  (As an aside, this company is amazing and really cares about its customers.  If you do not already use its products I encourage you to as they are the most amazing earphones for runners ever invented and that is not something that I say lightly).  Mandy went out of her way, when she didn't have to, to make sure this company stood my its product and get me new earphones so that I wasn't without on Sunday.  My earphones had broke last week and this is a company that is standing by its product and replacing it even though I couldn't find the receipt.  People usually don't do that anymore.  Many and Yurbuds, though, went out of their way because they wanted to help me make sure that I have a great race on Sunday.  That meant so much to me.  My trainer current trainer in Milwaukee (Matt Bartz) and my former trainer in New Orleans (Liberdy Welsh) are two more incredible people who have been a part of this journey.  Without them I don't know that I would have "gotten up" after some of the bad runs and they encouraged me to stick with it.

There are the incredible people who have donated money to Atticus Circle in support of my run.  These people have believed in me enough to donate money to this incredible organization.  They have done so without question because they know that it is important to me.  I am very thankful and appreciative and am sincere when I say how lucky I am to have them in my life.

Then there are the 4 amazing women who are crazy enough to come to Vegas and run on Sunday.  I am so excited to spend time with them this weekend and relax.  I am thanking them in advance for being brave enough to watch the Big Ten Championship Game with me on Saturday night and being willing to don Badger clothes in the process.  I am thankful that they have followed through and are going to Vegas with me to run.  I love that these are some of the only people who will be able to get me to stay awake past 10 p.m.

December 1 of last year I never would have imagined that a year later I would be able to say that I finished to half marathons in 2011.  Anything is possible and I'll see you at the finish line on Sunday night.