Post Break Up Run

So most of you know that I broke up with marathon last weekend and had a brief affair with the half marathon. It was sort of bitter and I was not sure we would be able to make up or not. I think we are ready to make up but I am going to move on with another marathon : ) I have been liking a new song for the past few weeks and felt like it would be a good running song. Today on my long run I listened to music for the last 4 miles and this song came on and it was just what I needed! The marathon might have gotten the best of me last weekend but I am coming back STRONGER! I think I have a new favorite running song! Here is to coming back Stronger for the Derby marathon and killing the next 5 weeks of serious marathon training!

You know the bed feels warmer,
Sleeping here alone,
You know I dream in color,
And do the things I want.
You think you got the best of me
Think you had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone.
Think you left me broken down
Think that i'd come running back
Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean i'm over cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me myself and i
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean i'm lonely when i'm alone
You heard that I was starting over with someone new,
They told you I was moving on, over you,
You didn't think that I'd come back, i'd come back swinging
You try to break me but you see

Wanted to Wear my Zebra Flats

This past weekend I headed to Atlanta to run a full marathon! I was prepared for the run the be a training run and then do better (hopefully sub 4 hours) at Derby on April 28th. Trained pretty smart and headed to Atlanta ready to have some fun. Monica and I had a great trip down and did EVERYTHING right. Rested well, no alcohol, carbed up, ate plain foods etc... Except for one thing! This girl wore her "cute" zebra flats for the drive down and the two days before the race. By the end of the day Saturday my right arch was a little sore and tender. Slept with some biofreeze on with hopes of nothing coming of it.

Two girls ready to enjoy 26.2 miles of Atlanta at a 9:15-9:45 pace! Let's just say that plan was shot down pretty quick when we found at Atlanta was hill, after hill, after hill, after hill, after, hill.... you get the point.

Weather for the day: HOT and HUMID! Yeah I saw a shirt that said something about that; little did I know. We were drenched in sweat within minutes of running and our breathing was labored. Long story short.... we were miserable. On top of that my right foot kept feeling worse and worse. By mile 9 it was completely cramped up and I was not feeling like I had 26 miles in that foot. Finally mile 11 I told Monica I was done! Tried to make the best of it until mile 13 and I called it a day as a half marathon. Could we have finished? YES

Would it have been a personal worst? YES! By MANY minutes!!!!

Is it worth it to do permanent damage to my foot??? NO!

I have the Derby marathon in 6 weeks and I was not willing to give up running that race. It is in my home state and will hopefully have better conditions for running a sub 4 hour marathon.

I appreciate all the words of encouragement and those people that understand it was the smart decision to make. Unfortunately I have heard a few negative comments about my "quitting" the race but those people are not runners and for sure not marathon runners. They will never understand that I have one set of feet and I can't risk a permanent injury. There will be MANY more marathons, hopefully 45 more, and I was not ready to be sidelined for weeks to finish a race I was not super passionate about. Sorry if some people view that as a "weak" excuse or "quitting". I did not second guess my decision or cry about it for over 40 seconds. I listened to MY body and went with it.

The trip was a major success! Road trip with Monica. Great time at her sister's house. We relaxed, ate great food and went for a boat ride on Lake Lanier.

We both enjoyed some sights of Atlanta.... Olympic Park, CNN building and just having some good kid free fun! We had some great meals and enjoyed every minute of our girl's weekend!

Trying to be Optimistic

Past few weeks of training:

Cut two longs runs short (dead tired and belly issues)

Continue to have belly issues during even short runs

Realize there are SERIOUS HILLS at Atlanta

Forecast is upper 70s for race day

I fall and hurt my knee, bruise elbow, jam finger and cut hand

Ran my 20 miler the weekend before the race

So I am going to great, right, RIGHT?!??! Okay honestly I have been going into this race as a training fun the whole time. I would like to keep sub 4 pace for as long as possible and then stop killing myself and bring it in strong without setting back my next round of training. I have sub 4 on the radar for Derby on April 28th. Granted I would take a sub 4 marathon any day of the week but I am just not feeling it for Atlanta. But I was also not feeling West Virginia and ran a strong 4:03 there. So either way I am just going to hold out for a good weekend in a new city and make the best of it!

See everyone after I am finished in Atlanta! Hoping it is not a personal worst : ) I think that should be my main goal. Which is anything better than 4:27 so that is semi doable unless the heats and hills decided to taking a beating on me. Anyone know where my sunscreen is?

Stupid Move?

So one essential part of marathon training is the taper. Well I have been tapering for a few weeks not by choice. On Feb. 18th I had a GREAT 17 mile run and planned to take the next week "off" with just 12-13 miles and that was a wonderful plan. We had a strong 12 miles and were prepared to knock out 20 miles on Feb. 3rd. That would give me one weekend of taper before race weekend. Well my stomach revolted! I was shut down at 12 miles and could not finish my 20 mile run. I did finish it the next day and I can say that a 20 mile weekend is almost as hard as one 20 mile run.

So that left me with a taper run on the 10th and race day on the 18th.... well I am stubborn. I told my running partner we were going to run 13 to 14 miles. But without telling him I woke up early and had ran 6 miles when I got to him that morning. I kept my secret for the first 7 miles but around mile 15 for me but mile 9 for him I was starting to slow. I told the guys I was actually running 20 and asked them keep it slow for me. I was able to finish 20 miles at a 9:10 pace and felt pretty good until the last half mile.

Stupid move? Physically I am not sure what it will end up doing to me. I recover quick to be honest and I promise to keep it really easy this week. I am also getting a massage so that should help out. Mentally it was the best thing I could have done. I feel like I completed my training and I have never felt so relaxed on a 20 mile run. I am hoping the mental edge will take over. I need to work on the mental aspect of my training much more than the physical part.

The weather is looking warm for Atlanta with a mid 50 start and mid 70 finish. Hopefully the 30% chance of rain will decrease and just give us some cloud coverage to keep us cool. The goal is to have fun, treat it like training and come back home on a mission to train my butt off for Derby. Then this girl is changing it up! Going to get a gym membership for the summer and work on not being a weakling as well as keeping 3 to 5 pounds off!