Marathonging with a Drama Queen

After my 3 mile run on Wednesday, I noticed that my achilles tendon in my right foot was super sore. I didn't remember doing anything to it, but I just couldn't seem to stretch it without it hurting... Not a huge deal, but I just popped some ibuprofen and went to work.

At work, I went about my day as usual, but all throughout my day, the soreness never really went away. And with each passing hour that my foot was still sore, I slowly became slightly more depressed. "What about my long run on Friday? 18 miles!" I would be so effed if I couldn't run.

By the end of the day, the pain was still there and after coming home and jumping in the shower, I looked down at my foot and noticed that my entire right ankle was swollen.

WHOA.

What the hell man. I didn't do ANYTHING to you. You're just doin' me wrong Mr. Foot. Way wrong right now.

I had no idea why my ankle blew up like a balloon and like I said before, I don't remember doing anything to it. But why was my ANKLE swollen when my achilles tendon hurt? So weird! So annoying!!

I took yesterday off to rest, but I am SO SICK of taking days off. Why can't I just run like a regular person?! This injury, or whatever it is, is really testing me. Lately, I've been thinking more and more about just giving up. Training for this marathong is SO time consuming, and my body is always so tired. My entire running schedule is structured around my work schedule, and work has me putting in a lot of hours. So really, I run at the ass-crack of dawn, or really late at night. I'm just so exhausted of battling with reasons why I shouldn't run.

Anyway, after not running yesterday, I decided to run today and then do my long run tomorrow. My parents keep telling me to get it checked out by a doctor, but really, what's a freakin' doctor going to do. "Well, Ms. Lee, it looks like a case of hyperexcercisingtivity with an acute case of nooneissupposedtorun26miles-itis. I recommend rest for 2 weeks."....REST. Eff rest right now.

I just want to get through February. I don't care what limbs I lose until then, but until February arrives, I simply just can't take any more time off. These long runs are so crucial to me because it's helping me mentally, and it's teaching my body how to recover from a long run.

I don't know. Maybe I'm completely wrong. This is, after all, my first marathong. All I know is that this foot needs to be amputated, but I'm stuck with it. I may as well teach it a lesson and get through these next few weeks. I don't have much time left until this marathong...

When Nature Calls (EXPLICIT MATERIAL. READER BEWARE)

The title of this entry pretty much says it: I HAD TO PEE.

I logged in a 10 miler today and to prep for it, I drank a TON of water last night. I've been feeling so sluggish and totally wasted (not the drunk kind) on my runs that I wanted to try and get back into it and feel good.

Anyway, I get up this morning and begin gearing up. And I always leave a last minute bathroom stop in my routine to make sure I'm "empty" before a run...especially a 10  mile run where there are 0 bathrooms. Maybe  couple port-o-potties, but nothing I'm willing to stick my bum into. GROSS. So I use the potty (my potty, not the port-o-potty) and head out the door.

I start running and, I am just NOT feeling this run right off the bat. I'm slow, my muscles kind of hurt already, and I'm just not happy to be out. I get about 1.5 miles into the run and all of a sudden, "UH-OHH".

I should have been in one of those incontinence commercials. You know, you're going through your daily routine, happy music playing in the background...you're laughing with your friends... then the camera pans over to just you with the facial expression that says, "Holy $#&@, I'VE GOTTA GO!" Good lord, that was SO me.

So I get this "feeling" and I tell myself, "You know what, Tiff. Just run faster. It'll make your body forget that you have to go!"

Totally logical, right?

I decide to run faster and pick up the pace, no problem. In fact, I feel like my method of just continuing to run is actually working. When I played lacrosse in college, I would forgo MANY trips to the bathroom due to my fear of getting on my coach's bad side. And normally, when I would "hold it", I was able to continue on with practice and totally forget about having to go. By the end, I'd finally remember, "Oh yeah!"

So my logic was actually working for me.

I was about 2 miles in when I decide to stop. My muscles weren't feeling right, and I just wasn't comfortable, so I decided to stop and stretch for a bit. As SOON as I stopped, "UH-OHHHH!!"

Holy crap, what the hell. FML, this sucks! I've gotta think of something! ANYTHING! OMG! WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?! Oh man oh man oh man oh man....

No bathrooms. No port-o-potties. All I had around me was a nice long running trail, and mother nature's lush green trees, plants, and bushes...






YES. I DID.

And don't go and start JUDGING me for taking care of business because you know what? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. The hopelessness! The desperation! THE DESPAIR!! You just do not know....so don't you TELL ME NOTHIN' (snap with the shaniqua neck moving side to side)!!

I know this blog will probably gross some, if not all, of you out, but since I'm still posting it, I obviously don't care (I do, but not enough to not write this...ha).  I felt it was a necessary part of the journey to record, because gross or not, I can guarantee that about 90% of all athletes have had to go pee during a practice, or a training session. I can also guarantee that ALL of my college friends have peed outdoors at one time or another, so REALLY, NOT A HUGE DEAL. It'll just be a funny story to look back on and laugh at.

And look at you guys! You're lucky enough to laugh at it with me too!!

So laugh it up, everyone. But I'm just 1 more run closer to my marathong... :)

The Holidays (aka the Enemy)

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday consisting of friends, family, and many good times!

I haven't blogged for almost a week now, but sadly, not much has happened since my last entry. I've been getting over a cold, so I haven't been able to run much. In fact, I skipped my long run (16 miles!) and I skipped a few short runs. All in all, I've managed to stay out of my running for shoes for a total of 4 days and I recently just got back into it all yesterday with a 5 mile run and again today, with a 3 mile run.

I didn't think it would be that bad getting back into the swing of things, but HOLY SHNYSKEES, Christmas really did me in. I traveled into the Bay Area for Christmas this year and was able to see my family. On the menu: PURE AWESOMENESS with a CRAP LOAD of DELICIOUSNESS. I think I had about 100 lbs of all of that on Saturday.

Anyway, I geared up for a 5 mile run yesterday, and headed off to run down by the river. I was only like, 3/4 of a mile into the run and I was just SO NOT feeling it. I felt sluggish, slow, and it felt like my muscles just didn't want to function. The only thing I had to blame was... the delicious food! I was just surrounded by sweets, fats, carbs, and everything else you could imagine! So now, I'm sitting here, chugging on my H2O, and eating only veggies and carbs because I have a 10 miler scheduled for tomorrow, and I"ll be damned if I'm comfortable.

I hate so badly how what you eat has a direct correlation to how you feel when you perform. I mean, my actual PERFORMANCE was the same. I completed by run at the same pace, but I just felt like poop. And right now, with all the left overs surrounding me, it's so hard to just eat right!

We'll see how this 10 miler goes tomorrow. The good news is that I'm about 90% over my cold and ready to run again. Let's hope for the best!

HAPPY RUNNING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Ah...Ah..ACHOO!

Welp, it's official. I've caught a cold.

The onset of everything was so weird, though. Sunday evening, I went out shopping, did my normal thing, came home and felt a small tickle/scratch in my throat. I thought to myself, "I"ll just start taking Zicam and some Vitamin C. That should do the trick." Afterall, I've got Christmas coming up where I have to see the fam, and it's pretty much a busy week in general. No time for colds!

Monday came, and I still had that scratch in my throat. I went to work as usual, but by the end of the day, I became a freakin' mouth-breather because I couldn't breathe through my nose! I was so stuffed up, my head hurt, and my body started aching. You want to know the first thing that popped into my head when I realized this was more than just a scratchy throat?

"WHAT ABOUT MY RUN TOMORROW!? 10 MILES!"

Yes, now that I've been training for this marathong, all I think about is running. It nearly stresses me out. My boss even told me that I obsess over it. Not in a good way either. It's like, all I can think about during the day is the run I have to get up for the next morning, which, let me tell you, is the ASS-CRACK OF DAWN. And once I finally finish that run, I feel somewhat accomplished for the day, but by 10am, I begin to think about the next run. It's like a freakin' DRUG. Except I don't actually enjoy running. But all I can think about when I'm not running, is when I get the next "fix" of running. I can't wait until this marathong is over.

Anyway, all I could think about Monday was how sick I felt and what I should do about my 10 mile run the next day (Tuesday, today). Should I run? Should I sleep? If I run, I could either sweat the germs out of my body and maybe it'll make me feel better, OR I could possibly make it worse. But skipping a 10 miler is kind of a big deal to me. I don't want to go through my entire Tuesday thinking that I could have maybe finished it. I'd probably just complain all day that I didn't run and I would feel like I'm truly not preparing for this marathong. And trust me, my co-workers are already tired of how much I talk about running. I could only imagine what their faces would look like if I complained about skipping this run.

After all that thinking, I made a decision: I was going to run. And I did. 10.03 miles today at 4:54am. Stupidly early, but I did it. And side note: I totally got lost. I was lost enough to have to pull my phone out of my pocket and GPS myself to find out where I was. I went about a mile out of the way of my route. OOPS.

So here I am, feeling just as sick as I felt on Monday, but I am 10 miles closer to finishing the marathong training. I almost think that if I skipped this run, I would have felt worse. Hopefully, I can get over this cold ASAP because I really can't afford to skip much training.

I remember my days back in college when I played lacrosse. During the sick season, there would be a few of us who would have to keep out of practice because we were sick. I think back on that now, and after enduring so much running and torture to my body from marathonging, I would NEVER have skipped practice knowing what I know now about feeling sick and wanting to stay active. It's sort of crazy what you're willing to put your body through when you want to achieve something athletic.

Anyway, I plan on taking tomorrow off. I am scheduled to run 3 miles, but I think I should just really kick this cold. And 3 miles is skippable. To me anyway. We'll see how long this cold lasts, but hopefully I'll be back and healthy as ever.

SO to anyone feeling sick right now: SUCK IT UP YOU FAT PANSIES. I JUST RAN 10 FREAKIN' MILES TODAY.

O.M.G. (OH-MY-GU)

I totally thought of that title while on my 16 miler today. I thought it was pretty clever. Maybe not.

Anyway, today, I logged in 16 miles. 16 MILES! That's the most I've ever gone so far, so I have to say, I'm quite proud of myself. In addition to that, it was actually probably the best long run I've logged in so far.

Last week, I ran 14 miles for my long run and I was EXHAUSTED almost the whole time. And the entire time I was running, all I could think about was how I was only running 14 miles (half of the real race) and I was so butt tired. How the hell was I going to survive the marathong?! Well, silly me, I didn't think of it at the time, but I hadn't even thought of endurance supplements for my long runs. The last time I had GU was back in July, I think, and I had it on a 12 mile run. I didn't really feel a difference, and I just felt like I was consuming calories and not really expending them. But today, I ate a GU pack (Vanilla Bean: pretty tasty) 15 minutes before I started running, and then at another pack 45 minutes after that, and then one more 45 minutes after that.

Being able to compare how I felt last week, at 14 miles, with just water, to today, at 16 miles with water and GU... OMG. OH MY GU. It was like I was a completely different person. I actually felt GOOD running. Normally, I always feel like I wish I hadn't decided to run the marathong, but today, I was energized and kept a good pace! Of course, 16 miles is 16 miles, regardless of how much GU I consumed, and my legs and feet still are sore, but the time I spent running wasn't miserable. And that is awesome.

I managed to run a sub 2 hour 1/2 marathong and kept an average pace of sub 9 min for the entire run. Maybe not fast to some of you crazy runners, but for me, I'll take those numbers. Today was exactly what I needed to regain some of the motivation I lost over the last few runs of twisting my ankle and dealing with crappy weather conditions and blisters and all. Hopefully I can take this feeling and carry it on into the next couple of months. Come Januray, I'll be running 20 miles-ish and probably REALLY wishing I didn't decide to run this race... but we'll see!!

To run? Or not to run? That is the Question.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Sacramento, CA
3 pm PST, Thu., Dec. 16, 2010

... STORMY WEATHER HEADED OUR WAY TOMORROW MAY PERSIST INTO NEXT WEEK...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hear the words "RAIN STORM" and my first thought is "G D it. What about my long run on Saturday?!" Weather.com says that we've got a doozy of a storm a-comin' and now all I can think about is how I'm going to survive my 16 mile run on Saturday. I'm really starting to dread Saturday mornings now that my long runs are increasing in miles pretty quickly. By mid-January, I'll be at 20 miles....20 MILES!!! Now comes the part where I start to wonder why I decided to do this in the first place.

OH! Real quick: My friend Ryan recently ran a marathong in Hawaii a few days ago and did so awesome!! It was his first marathong and the totally AMAZING part of it all: HE DIDN'T EVEN TRAIN FOR IT. I hate people like that. What the hell is up with people just being BORN with the ability to do amazing things? It's like, all they have to do is EXIST, while us normies have to spend all this time training for stuff. Makes me totally neurotic, but I'm so proud and jealous of him! And Hawaii no less! Anyway, GO RYAN!

Okay, back to it: RAIN STORM!

I've got 16 miles to take care of on Saturday and my concerns are endless. What will I wear? (Not a fashionable, "OMG what will I wear!?", but a concerned thought, "Crap, what will I wear?"). Should I bring a change of socks? It's going to be a wet run and I totally developed this blister on my left ring toe from my Wednesday run. If my socks are wet the whole time, I might get more blisters. Should I even bother trying to bring my music player? Electronics in the rain are a bit sketchy and I don't want to ruin my device. So many questions!

I even thought of driving home home (the Yay Area) to see if I could run in a rainless part of town, but it's going to be raining there too. I totally wish I could teleport somewhere where it was completely dry...ugh. The rain just makes me dread running SO much.

I honestly don't even know where I'm going with this blog entry today. I'm just SO exhausted from this week's running already (I even skipped today's 3 miles). Because it gets so damn dark in the afternoon so quickly, I've resorted to running in the early morning. It's still just as dark in the morning, but at least I'm running with daylight coming instead of going. Anyway, I've been getting up around 4:45am every day just to suit up and get out the door by 5am. These runs wouldn't be so bad, but now that I'm about half way into my training schedule, I'm having to run a good amount during the work week. 

This Wednesday I woke up at 4:30am. It took a little longer to get ready because I had to prep to run 9 miles (pants, shirt, jacket, watch, shoes, water bottle, and headlamp...yes, a headlamp. I want to be seen out there!). Now, I know that 9 miles is only about a third of the marathong, but 9 miles on a work day...in the morning... that's a lot to ask of a person. By 6:30am, I had already been up for 2 hours, logged in 9 miles, and hadn't even gotten ready for work yet. It was like my day was already half over.

The run itself was pretty calm and quiet. I don't bring headphones with me when it's dark, because then I can't see possible attackers. And if I can't see them, I can't reach for the pepper spray in time. By the way, I've never had to use the pepper spray, but I HAVE reached for it. It turned out, the mysterious man driving slowly by me in a white pick up truck at 5am was only the paper boy tossing newspapers out his windows. Anyway, I decided to run to Sac State and back, which wasn't that bad, just quiet. 

So I ran 9 miles on a Wednesday, which I think is a pretty large feat for myself. Unfortunately, I'll be running 10 next Wednesday, and 12 the Wednesday after that. With all this running during the week, I have become SO FREAKIN' TIRED. My schedule has me running 6 days a week now, but I almost think that's excessive. Hell, what do I know? I've never done this before! But seriously, my legs and body are kind of aching and my feet are always on the verge of cramping. I have no clue how I'm going to handle running even longer distances in a couple weeks. Why did I want to do this again?? I think I need to see a shrink. 

It's only7:20pm right now, and I'm already brewing my Sleepytime tea. I seriously don't know how marathongers do this... How do marathongers have normal working jobs AND have time and energy to train? This is just so hard... I'm actually getting cranky about it... BUT I'm already half way there, I may as well just finish it out, right?

MEE HUNGRYYY

So, I think running has slowly produced a hallow abyss that is now known as my stomach. My appetite lately has been completely insatiable and I can't ever feel full!! I imagine with all the miles that I'm logging in, that I'm burning a lot of energy and calories and, of course, that's why I'm always hungry.

But seriously. I went on an avocado binge earlier this week. AVOCADOS. That is NOT normal.

I went to the grocery store thinking that these avo's would be a delicious addition to my turkey sandwiches with havarti cheese and dijon. Nope, I just decided to eat them whole (I took the pit out, though).

Today, I've eaten 4 tangerines, 2 bananas, about 3 cups of pasta with sauce, 1/4 cup of steak, about a cup EACH of steamed carrots, zuchinni, and yellow squash, a slice of havarti cheese, a bag of popcorn, a nutrigrain bar... and I'm always looking for something else to eat!!

Anyway, my main staple right now is pasta and steamed veggies, but I'm thinking I need to add some variety into my diet. I'm not huge on cooking, so I'm always looking for quick meals that I can do at home. So this entry today is mainly a request to any athlete out there for simple ideas for quick meals!

I'm looking for cheap, healthy, energy filled ideas. ANY SUGGESTIONS? WHAT GIVES YOU TONS OF ENERGY?? I need to go grocery shopping again soon too...

Fun Facts About T.Lee

SOME FUN FACTOIDS ABOUT ME AND RUNNING...ENJOY

Average Miles Per Week (right now): 41 miles

Pre-Run Routine: Ibuprofen, Banana, sometimes Oatmeal (peaches n cream)

Post-Run Routine: Ice, Water, Food

Song I could listen to forever on a run: Bass Head by Bassnectar (If you run, download it. If you work out, download it. If you drop Ecstasy and go to raves, download it.)

Running Shoe of Choice: Asics Nimbus (Yes, like Harry Potter's broomstick)

Quick Energy Fuel of Choice: Power Bar Gu - Latte

Assault Prevention Device of Choice: Police OC-17 Magnum Pepper Spray

Most Inspirational Runner: Shalane Flannagan (2008 Olympic Medalist and 2010 NYC Marathong top finisher...the NYC marathong was her FIRST marathong ever!)

Most Inspirational Athlete: Michael Jordan (because he failed so many times before succeeding)

Post Meal Food of Choice: ANYTHING carb-y

Weather Conditions of Choice: morning, 50 degrees, 0mph winds, overcast

Percentage of the day that I spend thinking (stressing) about running: 40%

Why I run: TO FINISH.


TELL ME YOUR OWN FUN FACTS! COPY, PASTE, AND POST YOUR OWN FACTOIDS! I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!!

No...effing...way...

I have a bit of extra time before work, so I wanted to tell you guys....I FLIPPING TWEAKED MY ANKLE...A-FREAKIN'-GAIN.

I'm telling you... training for this marathong is getting me more and more frustrated and it's getting harder to stay motivated. It's a combination of crappy weather conditions (I will NEVER be training for another marathong in the winter...NEVER AGAIN), and injury, and it's sucking...hardcore. I'm lucky I haven't caught anyone's winter cold... yet (knock on wood).

So my story is basically, I went for a run while I was still in Colorado. This was 3 days after my horrible 12 miler and I figured, any run after THAT monstrosity of a run just had to be better. The temperature was a bit cooler, but I had my warm clothes, so no big deal. I decided to take the same route as I did on Friday (12 miler), and just go 2 miles out and 2 miles back.

WELL. Around the first mile and a half, I turn that corner and I see a bus approaching the bus stop, so I decided to kick it up a notch and pass the people waiting before they boarded the bus. I begin running just a tad faster and just as I'm passing the whole bus stop filled with people along with the actual BUS filled with people... MY ANKLE GIVES OUT. WTF.

At this point, the pain is all too familiar, and I just hobble off to to the side, hoping that not everyone would be staring at me. I couldn't look up out of sheer embarrassment. How does one run... in a straight and forward direction, in broad daylight, with nothing in the way, trip and hurt herself??! I was so frustrated that after the pain somewhat subsided, I turned around and went back to the house. F*%& THIS SH@#.

I wanted to amputate right then and there.

I was able to jog back and things are a little okay now. I logged in a 3 mile run today and the foot felt okay. I took some time off to let the ankle rest, and now I feel like my body is more out of shape from all the stoopy rest I've been doing. Everything just seems to be getting more and more frustrating...

BUT, the show must go on, the world must keep turning, and I must keep running. I have a 14 mile run to log in tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

HAPPY FRIDAY, HAPPY RUNNING!

Altitude+Wind+Cold+Dehydration = One AMAZING run

I just remembered that I was totally going to take a picture of myself running in the cold and snowy weather to post on my blog, but it didn't snow...This blog needs some spice!

I went to Colorado Springs this past weekend to visit a friend (SHOUT OUT), but of course, just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean I get to skip training for the marathong. The plan was, I would fly out Friday, and get my 12 mile long run over with ASAP so that I could just enjoy the rest of my stay without the stress of thinking about running. That was the plan...

I knew going into it that I was going to be a possibly tough run considering the elevation that I would be at. In California, the elevation is around 20 feet. That's what this one website said anyway (YES, I looked it up). And where I was going to run...6008 feet. Tahoe is 720 feet and people warn me about that place... Anyway, my mom (SHOUT OUT) even emails me to make sure I "use caution" when I work out there...whatever that means. I'm either going to be okay about it, or be stoopy about it and give up. So I get to the house, change into my running gear, fill up the water bottle, and head out the door.

Then, like an old school Batman & Robin episode.... WHABLAM! This gigantic gust of wind starts blowing up a storm and I'm thrown back a little. "Okay...a little wind didn't hurt anyone. Let's do this!" I should have taken that as an omen, because I was about to have the worst run of my entire life...

I start running, the wind is starting to really pick up. I lead forward a bit more to try and take this wind monster head on, but I still seem to stumble back a little. At about mile 3, I start cursing under my breath a little bit because I'm getting frustrated. I'm in a place I don't know, the wind is blowing, like, 80 mph (no joke, that's what weather.com said), I'm 5988 feet above Sacramento, and to top it all off, I'm a bit dehydrated. FML. I almost called my friend to say, "I can't do this, come pick me up". ALMOST.

I turned the corner around mile 2 and looked ahead: It was uphill. WTF! I'm barely going negative 3 mph and I still have so far to go!...OMGFMLWTFetc. I pushed against the wind as I continued to try and run, but to no avail, I was slowing down and my legs were hurting. "I can't...I just can't...these are the worst conditions ever!" I continued to complain to myself as I just kept pushing.

I kept trying to stay motivated by telling myself that after this run, I won't have to do another long run for another week. Of course, I could just skip the whole thing, but then I'd feel horrible about not finishing the stoopy run and feel just as worse as I did at that moment in time. Might as well just trudge along...or quit...or keeping running...or quit...or keep running...

The wind died down a little bit towards the end of my run, but not by much. I ended up having to walk a few times because I was expending twice as much energy trying to run against the wind, but traveling at the same speed. Overall, this run was the BALLS. And to add some frosting to this cupcake, I forgot to start my Nike+ watch a few times during the run, so I didn't actually log in a full 12 miles. I RAN 12, but it only looks like I ran a bit over 10. BALLS I TELL YOU.

The one good thing to come out of it, though, is that I finished. 12 miles...less than half of the marathong I plan on running in February, but still. I finished. Under the worst of circumstances (and they WERE the worst), I was still able to continue running and not give up. To me, that will give me just another mental edge in the marathong. With every run I log in, I'm not only preparing my legs and lungs, but I'm also preparing my mind for one of the hardest mental challenges that anyone chooses to face. I'm really happy I finished, and I'm really proud that I didn't let mother nature bring me down....because good lord, she was kicking my ASK (Not a typo, read my other posts...you'll get it)!

To all you runners and goal getters out there (and that should be everyone): Set your mind on something and just get it. Even if it's just ONE run. No matter how small the goal is,  if you want it bad enough, nothing should stop you. The road might suck, but the finish line is great :)

Nike+ Makes You Feel Totally Crazy AWESOME

IT'S OFFICIAL: I've logged in 200 (200.91 to be exact) miles since my last race in May 2010!!

I use the Nike+ system to log my miles, and I'm so happy it does! This marathong isn't until February so it's nice to have a little bit of good feeling between now and then. For my ABA homies: This is some pretty awesome intrinsic intermittent reinforcement.

BOOM.

What to Wear this Winter

Writing daily will NOT be my thing, I'm just super excited about my new gloves and this new website I found...

So my boss (SHOUT OUT) took me to Costco today because I needed these gloves for running (I don't have a membership...she does. She's not, like, my chaperone or anything). Lately, the circulation in my hands (or should I say LACK of circulation in my hands) sucks. The temps and the wind right now really make my bones hurt...seriously. Anyway, if you plan on running this winter, check out the gloves. They were only $10.

ALSO: My cousin (SHOUT OUT) works for Running Warehouse and they've got some totally sick gear for any type of runner. If you're looking for awesome gear, brand names, and good prices...check it. I just bought some awesome new kicks (Nike Lunar Swifts), some spandee pants, and a sick looking Asics jacket. LOVE IT.

Okay, so on another note.... I just found this AWESOME website for you runners.

Do you ever go on a run, then totally regret wearing what you decided to wear because it turned out to be way too hot or way too cold? Happens to me all the time. I like to be pretty warm and comfortable when I run so I tend to pack on the layers like an onion. I'm talking, tank top, short sleeve, long sleeve, jacket, etc. Oh, and pants too. Don't worry, I wear pants.

So anyway, this website lets you choose what the weather conditions are like. You enter the temp, whether the sun is out, if it's windy, and you also select how you like to feel when you run. Press the magical button, and VOILA! You've got your outfit... check it out, TIS AWESOMENESS.

WHAT TO WEAR

HAPPY RUNNING AND HAPPY GOAL-GETTING

Knowing When to Freakin' Rest Already!

FIRST: I'd like to make a correction from my first entry "Pilot: 2nd Airdate". It was brought to my attention from a source who will remain anonymous, that the time in which my boss (SHOUT OUT) finished her first half marathon was NOT 2:17, but in fact 2:15. Slight error, but it has now been corrected (Are you happy now?).

SECOND: I've had numerous people message me about my blog (even though they might not be following... FOLLOW ME PEOPLE), and I just wanted to say right off the bat, that I really enjoy these messages. Getting messages and posts really motivates me to keep going and keep running (cuz lord knows all I want to do sometimes is just stop). This chronicle, although young and in it's early stages of development, has already seemed to catch a few eyes and it's really cool to know that my words are entertaining and maybe even a little inspiring. I hope that it gives others out there some motivation to go out there and work towards their own personal goal, running or otherwise.

Okay, enough sappy crap. The real reason I write is because I think I'm funny (and totally humble about it). The weird things that go through my mind when I run are sometimes crazy, but they also make me laugh and I"m hoping they make you laugh too. Or at least smile. You don't have a heart if you can't crack a smile when you read this.

So on with today....

Today, I logged in 7.31 miles.  I was SUPPOSED to run 3... so why the crap would I run 4.31 miles over my scheduled run??

No, I didn't lose track of time. That would NEVER happen on a run. I ALWAYS know when it ends. I don't do this for fun people... and no, I wasn't enjoying myself so much I just couldn't stop myself from running. Again, I DON'T DO THIS FOR FUN PEOPLE.

I logged in extra miles because I had to rearrange my workout schedule this week. Why did I rearrange my workout schedule? Well, I did this so I could accommodate my PARTY schedule. You see, I'm making a trip out to Colorado to see a friend (SHOUT OUT) this weekend and normally, I do my long runs on Saturdays. The training regimen I do right now consists of long runs on Saturdays, followed by short runs on Sundays, rest Monday, short Tuesday, medium Wednesday, cross training Thursday, and short Friday (you didn't pay attention to any of that, but its okay). Anyway, I had to bump my long run (12 miles) from Saturday to Friday for this week because I plan on partying.... and who wants to run 12 miles hungover? Who wants to run 12 miles period!?

So in effect, I had to run Wednesday's medium run TODAY to make sure I could do my long run on Friday. I'm literally getting off the plane Friday, driving for an hour and half, getting out, and running 12 miles. I'm a crazy betch. I'd just like to point out, though, that this commitment totally shows my dedication not only to the marathong, but also to partying. A good runner AND a good friend.

But that isn't what I wanted to talk about today. Today, while I was running, I started thinking about all the injuries runners get. You've got shin splints, patellofemoral syndrome, ITB syndrome, bursitis...the list goes on. For me, I've been lucky enough to avoid all of that so far. What I haven't been able to avoid, however, is a sprained ankle. Yes, somehow, I've managed to acutely injure myself (acute meaning that I DID something to myself as opposed to chronic which means that it's an overuse thing. Sort of like, sprained ankle vs. shin splints).

Picture this: You're outside. Decked out in the most comfortable running gear. The temperature is a cool 60 degrees and the sun is out with not a cloud in the sky. The road ahead of you is clear without a distraction in sight.

NOW, picture the exact opposite. Because THOSE were the conditions I had to run in last last Friday. It was POURING rain, freezing, completely dark (the street lights just suck), and there were leaves and sticks, and crap strewn all over the ground. I drove home from work and contemplated running on the treadmill at my complex's gym.

Nope, just kidding. I hate the treadmill.

I pulled up to my apartment and just sat in my car. Since I hate the treadmill, I either run outside or don't run at all. I thought about it....really thought about it. If I didn't run, I'd be skipping a run for an already accelerated training program and I don't have much time to get ready for this marathong. I guess my decision was made at this point: I was going to run.

I did one last check on weather.com to see if the rain would let up any time soon, but no such luck. I laced my nike+ running shoes on (it's a shoe that holds a sensor in the sole so that you can log your miles), and put my newly acquired water wicking jacket on over my under armor turtle neck. I stepped outside and immediately thought of going back inside..... NO. I can't. This marathong is too important. I just had to suck it up and get out there. Someone once said that half the battle is just showing up (I really can't remember who said it...)...and there I was. Showed up.

I started to run and thought, "You know, this isn't too bad. It's kind of fun..." I was 2 miles in when I totally changed my mind. There I was, running...putting one foot in front of the other and all of a sudden- WAH! I stumble over some debris on the sidewalk and roll my right ankle. "WHAT THE F-!? GEEZ! OW! STOOPY (aka stupid)!..." I coudn't believe it. It only hurt a little and I felt more stoopy than in pain at that point. I limped for a bit (but not before I stopped my watch) and was able to shake it off and run again.

I thought everything was all good for the next half mile. I was cruising, trying to just get back home (because the RAIN WAS HORRIBLE) when all of a sudden- BLHWAGHAOA! I roll my right ankle AGAIN!! This time, all my weight falls right on top of it and I actually screamed in pain. I was lucky no one was around.

Anyway, I'm standing there, soaked, hurt, and totally frustrated. WTF, I was just trying to be a dedicated runner and do the right thing by running despite the horrible weather conditions! I tried to walk on it... NOPE, not happening. This sucks. I reach into my jacket to get my phone- crap, I didn't bring it. I didn't want it to get wet. At this point, I'm not just screwed...I'm F--KED. I couldn't walk, I didn't have my phone, it was raining, it was dark, and I was still a half mile away from my apartment....

There was only one thing I could do at this point....CRY.

Just kidding, I didn't cry. But I did feel like punching myself. Seeing as how I didn't have any other option, I just limped. Even if it took me an hour, the only thing I could do was limp home. And that's what I did...

I finally got back home, jumped into the kitchen (you'd think I'd jump into the bathroom, but this was closest part of my apartment that I could drip wet) and assessed the damage. I unlaced my shoes and pulled my shoe off. OW. I peeled my soaked sock off my foot. DOUBLE OW. I look at my ankle. DAYEM THAT THING IS SWOLLEN. Seeing as how my ankle was in a state of shock, I did what any avid runner would do. I called my daddy.

After a conversation with both my parents (If I call my dad, I get put on speaker phone so my mom can hear. If I call my mom, it's speaker phone for my dad too), I iced and just kept thinking how the hell I was going to do my long run the next day. I'm a runner, damn it! This marathong is going to come and go whether or not I was ready for it and I would prefer to be ready! I iced, and decided to see if I could maybe run on it, so I did a trial run in my apartment. NOPE, not happening. I couldn't do it, it hurt so freakin' bad.

To sort of put an end to this post, I texted my cousin (who has run, like, 5 marathongs, including Boston!) and asked for some advice. I was worried that by skipping a run...especially a long run, it would be completely detrimental for my training. I just want to do this right, you know? She said rest. REST REST REST.

For the runners out there: There comes a point when you have to decide if continuing to run is going to hurt your game more versus if you rest. For me at this point, my cousin was right. I just had to lay off the running for a while. I was not happy about this. But not because I love running- I hate running, remember? I was SO not happy because Thanksgiving was coming up and running meant burning calories. And burning calories meant zero guilt or regrets about eating anything and everything (I ended up eating that way anyway).

So anyway, I rested for about 3 days, tried to run, then realized I needed to rest some more. All in all, the time I spent resting sucked. I felt lazy and a bit like I was shirking my duty to this training program. But since then, I've managed to PR on my 5K TWICE and my 10K, which has been cool.

So lesson learned, a little time off can actually be beneficial. For me at that time, rest seemed like the most illogical concept to me. If it wasn't on my already printed training schedule, I wasn't going to do it, plain and simple. But I'm glad I listened to my body a little and let it rest and get my ankle better. My ankle is still a bit wobbly, but I can run. At right now, that's all that matters.

Turkey Trotting

You know you're a runner when you begin to attribute completely obscure ideas to running. For me, this happened when I got into my car this morning to go to work.

I walked up to my car and let out a distasteful sigh while I rolled my eyes because my car was covered in ice. The temps here are getting frigid and it's starting to affect my daily routine of waking up way too late, throwing clothes on, and hopping into my car and just driving off. Now, I have to wake up way too late, throw clothes on, and hop into a frozen carsicle where I have to sit and wait for the defroster to kick in and do it's thang. That took about 10 minutes this morning.

Anyway, I sat there waiting for my car windows to defrost when out of the corner of my eye, I see what I thought was a dog running by. Then, another one goes by. Then another. And another! What the hell... I mean, I know that my apartment complex has this "we welcome all dogs and animals policy", but this was at 7:15 in the morning. I would hardly believe that a pack of dogs would be running through the complex at this hour.

So, I peel my eyes away from my phone where I'm checking my email only to see NOT dogs...but a whole entire herd of turkeys just streaming by! A herd? Is that what their called? A pack? A gaggle? No, that's geese I think. Whatever. A BUTTLOAD of turkeys. And I'm talking...STREAMING by...like, on a mission, or a mecca. Yeah, a mecca. Those turkeys were headed to the promised land of all the most indulgent and richest birdseed they could feast their beaks on.

Now, you might be thinking, "What the hell are turkeys doing running through your apartment complex?!". Unless you're my running partner, who lives in the same complex (SHOUT OUT), I wouldn't expect you to think this was a normal happening. But it is. Sort of. Turkeys live here on the property, so it's totally normal to see them running around and eating and pooping (their poops are just like bird poops...but like, 5 times bigger; fun fact). But I've never seen them like this.

As I'm watching them stream by, I see this one turkey trailing in the back of the buttload. The first thing I notice about this little guy: His left leg swings out as he runs and it sort of makes him do this wobble-run. It was as if he had a knee in his right leg, but not in his left leg. OR it was like he was knock-kneed. It was like watching an oopma-loompa run, except THIS oompa-loompa was the runt of all oompa-loompas and had to try even harder than ALL the other oompa-loompas just to keep up. Poor little guy. THEN I thought, what if I ran like that?

What if what I was watching was the turkey version of a marathong?? You had the strong turkeys in the front. These were the runners who trained hard and were veterens of the sport; or they're the Shalane Flanagans of the sport (look her up, she's AMAZING). Then, you have the turkeys in the middle of the buttload. These runners were good, but not the best, but still held their own. THEN you have the little runty oompa-loompa all the way in the back, desperately struggling to keep up. He was definitely a first-timer.

Watching those turkeys made me think: "What if I'M struggling in the back of the buttload with a knock-kneed leg that swings out during my marathong? What if I just can't keep up?"

Okay, well, those that know me know that I'm obviously physically not like that, but STILL. Self-confidence is everyone's own worst enemy and it's probably number 1 on my list of enemies. Well, that and my mom's white chocolate cheesecake. But more importantly for this blog, my number 1 enemy is self-confidence and this runty back-of the-pack turkey is my metaphorical self-confidence.

If I don't have the self-confidence to just KNOW that I can do this, then I'll never be able to finish. I just have to accept the fact that I'm NOT Shalane Flanagan (look her up, she's AMAZING), I'm not even middle-buttload worthy. I'm just me and I'm just running because I can. Finishing a marathong is something that not a lot of people do in their lifetime, and hell, it's my first one, so I'll PR for SURE! (Personal Record aka best time ever)

Pilot: 2nd Airdate

OKAY. ROUND 2.

I deleted my older posts from today and have officially decided to chronicle only my training days to prepare for a marathong. I figure, this content is actually worth looking back on. The other crap....well, it was just that. Crap. I decided to keep the title of the blog because what I've managed to learn over the past 10 months since I started running, is that all of my problems have been totally alleviated by one thing: running. Through running, I've managed to put structure into my life, I've managed to eat healthy foods, feel better about myself, reduce my stress level from work, etc. So even though I absolutely HATE the act of running, it's still brought so much to my life. 

SO, onward with the show!

My best friend and I have decided to run a marathong. Well, that's not the whole story. My running journey really started all the way back in March of 2010. My boss had just finished running the Shamrock Half Marathong that month and came to work daily with stories of training, weight lifting, runs, etc. Now, let me put one thing out there that everyone should know before I continue on: My boss, a GREAT boss, possibly the best boss I've ever had... well, she was the LAST person I'd ever imagine running...and running a half marathong no less. When she first told me she was going to run a half marathong, I said, "Oh cool!" but thought to myself, "There is no way she's going to stick with that". Nothing against her, I just couldn't picture her committing to this enormous feat...running 13.1 miles.

It was the day after she finished (2:17 was her time, I think), I couldn't believe it. She ran 13.1 miles...all at once. WTF. The most I had ever run up until that point was 5 miles, and I thought 5 miles was like traveling to another country and back.  But she did it, and I was inspired. 

My boss's only athletic background was being on the dance team in high school. Me? Basketball from 7th-10th grade, Lacrosse from 10th-college. Surely if SHE could do a half marathong, I could. She invited me to train with her for the Parkway Half Marathong in May 2010, and off I went. 

My boss ended up getting injured and didn't run that half marathong, but I made a new friend along the way who became my running partner. For 2 months, we ran short runs during the work week and long runs on the weekends. It was tough. We gradually increased our miles from 6-10 during the long runs and my knees were sore after every run. Despite my body going through a whole new type of hell, I never felt in better shape.

The Parkway Half Marathong came and went, and I"ll be sure to talk about that whole experience in a later post, but the result was amazing. I ran 13.1 miles...all at once. And I couldn't be more proud. All throughout college, I played lacrosse and was NEVER a distance runner. I was quick on my footwork and I could beat out most people if the race was kept to under 80yds. Running distance was and is NOT easy. But I did it! 2:07... my goal was to beat my boss's time. I did.

After that race, I was quick to sign up for another halfie....the Disneyland Half Marathong in August. Long story short, the group I was supposed to go with fizzled and I ended up not running. Hopefully next year, because I hear it's totally awesome.

All of that history brings me to where I am today: Training for the Surf City Marathong in Huntington Beach, CA on February 6, 2010. My bestie and I had originally decided on the half marathong, but then saw that the price for the full marathong was only $15 more. Why not get our money's worth, right?

Well, here we are. Moreover, here I AM. My best friend lives half a state away from me, so we can't train together. And even if we did, she'd kick my ASK (that wasn't a typo. It's from a youtube.com clip....search for "kick my ask". You'll get it.). I've got 10 weeks to prepare for a 26.2 mile run. W...T...F...

So far, it's been pretty good. I'm working on my tempo and PR-ing on my 5Ks and 10Ks. What really sucks is that it's getting cold and rainy. What sucks even more is that I reFUSE to run on a treadmill. So I basically running outside in whatever weather Mother Nature decides to throw at me.  It should be interesting though....training for my first marathong during the winter (GREAT DECISION).  Whatever the result is, though, I'm excited for the journey....should be a good one.