Chuck Norris Never Ran a Marathon [Austin]

Only three weeks until Austin!!

I'll start by saying the third member of our trio was out today :(  Sadly, someone has been spreading the funk and she's under the weather, but no worries...rest is the second most important part of training!

This week's mileage was: 5 - 10 - 5 and 20 today.  Lindsey and I met at a Baptist Church in Ruckersville and ran and ran and ran and stretched and ran.  The run was much more flat than what we're used to in town but slow rolling hills were still in abundance.  I had a lot of time to think (4 hours to be exact - hence my motivation to blog)...and I started making a mental list of things running has taught me.

So, without further ado, and in honor of our 20 mile run today....the top ten things running has taught me:

10) Never skimp on a good pair of sneakers - your feet will thank you later, your wallet will forgive you.

9) There is no better way to learn your way around a new town or discover something new in an old one.

8) Food (carbs) are your friend.

7) Cars are not your friend.

6) Training is like a second job; it requires LOTS of time and planning but when it's gone, you don't know what to do with yourself.

5) I really do "hit the ground running"...and I have the scars and bruises to prove it.

4) There is not tolerance for runner's high.

3) Sweet frogs frozen yogurt is the best recovery food.

2) I am a worrier and would be even more insane if I did not.

1) To love and thank every part of my body for carrying me through the miles.

This week in training is the start of tapering down.  So after today we are officially "mentally prepared" for the marathon and these next two weeks will allow our bodies to rest...we'll see.

 

Mark your calendars.  Prayers will be appreciated on February 19th :)    

     

View from the run this morning (:

Eye of the Tiger (Lindsey)

For efficiency sake I'll cut to the chase... recent knee pain finally got the best of me and I had a minor freak out last week that I wasn't going to be able to run the marathon. After being assessed by my friend Rachel's trusted trainer, Adam, I am back on track... with probably more pain that when I started but at least I know it's good pain.

What I've learned this week...

Adam has rocked my running world. Basically from one session he determined that I'm not running off of my toes, utilizing my gluets and hamies like I should, but instead I hobble around in a half stride, using only my quads. Seriously, imagine an old man, hunched over, shuffling his way over the finish line - that is me in a nutshell. yikes! This completely makes sense. I've been wondering when my line on my thigh would return (the line I used to have in high school when I ran track) and if I would ever get any definition in my legs with all this training. Turns out if you aren't using muscles, they don't just suddenly appear. oops. I'm glad this was caught but now it's an uphill battle to fix my stride and get me in shape in the next month for the marathon. (cue the Rocky music). I am on a mission though and Adam has given me the tools to kick my own butt (literally).

Something else I learned this week - I've been stretching all wrong. Double oops. Static stretching shouldn't be done before a run as it can actually weaken your muscles. Before runs you should warm up with "dynamic stretching" to get and keep the muscles warmed up. see video below:

Better late than never I say. We still have our 20 miler up in a couple weeks... ek! But I'll be glad to be running with my buddies again. I missed them this weekend for the 18miler. Kudos to them for completing it!

We are getting close... I feel like we are at the part in the movie where the music plays and then there is a montage of scenes of running, lifting weights, etc. I'm actually getting excited for the part where the movie transitions to the epic last battle (marathon) and the hero(s) overcome great physical challenge.

Song of the week - Eye of the Tiger by Survivor 

32 days to go

Love song of a Runner (Lindsey)

"So this is the New Year/ and I have no resolutions..." (Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year)

Every year I take stock of the my past 365 days and set a list of goals for the following year. I believe self reflection is critical to growth and making for a happy and healthier life. So when I strapped on my shoes this morning for my 16 mile jaunt (groan) I set out to compile that list.

What did I come up with? Not much of anything. I actually spent the first 3 miles of my run cursing myself and my camel pack: myself for being such a crazy person for signing up for a marathon and my camel pack for leaking down my back. (My pack is pretty finicky. If I don't close the cap just right I get leakage.) Needless to say, it wasn't a fun start to my run.

But I kept going... why?

Zach, my sweet husband, accompanied me this morning on my run. He knew I was nervous and that I had a difficult time last week running on my own. Despite a recent lag in time since his last long distance run, he took on the challenge to keep me company. During my first 3 miles of cursing and self doubt, Zach took every stride with me and encouraged me to keep going. When my camel pack started dripping down my back he offered to carry it instead of me so I could be comfortable. I didn't hand it over because I'm stubborn but his offer melted my cold and angry heart. After that the miles ticked by under our feet.

My mind began to wander about running and it's impact on my relationship with Zach. It was difficult when we were first married to coordinate time to be together with our work schedules, school, hobbies, and sports. We are both pretty active people but our schedules never seemed to overlap. When we moved to Charlottesville for Zach's residency I picked up running races with Heather (see first post). I think running with Heather sparked Zach's interest in running races with me. Perhaps he saw that if we could do it, then he could do it too or maybe he was fed up and wanted to find some way for us to do something together. I'm not sure, but whatever got him over the first finish line in Williamsburg has been a blessing for me and for us. Since then I've had someone to push me out the door when I don't want to go and someone to understand what it's like to be so tired that you can't make it out of bed for the rest of the day. He's been my cheerleader and my running partner. Even when he's sprinting by me to meet me at the finish line, the fact that he's there means a lot. I think it's brought us closer. I know that he's proud of me and he knows that I'm just as proud of him. We help each other meet our goals. (Am I making you feel sick yet?) Sorry for all the sap but I thought it was worth it to share.

Whatever my New Years resolutions end up being and whatever life hands me to deal with this year, I know I can make it because I have my running buddy.

For those of you contemplating resolutions for the year: how about this year you tie those shoes on and step out the door with your significant other? See how far you can go together? See how close it brings you...

Most poignant song from my mix today: All I Need by Radiohead.

Days to go: 47 days