Marathon Training: Hello Injury!

So I'm getting so close to the actual race day that I can FEEL it! I feel it way down deep in my right hip... where I have Bursitis! Wooo Hoo! My first running injury!!! No, I'm not celebrating. The other option is to whine like a bitch though so I'm going to laugh about it instead. IT'S HOW I ROLL. So what's Bursitis? It's an inflammation of the bursae around your hip joint... basically all the goo in your joint is ON FIRE!!! And I gotta tell you... it feels excellent! NOT. I noticed this early last week when my right hip was aching so bad I was limping. I then ran a 3 mile hill run and it really started hurting. So I talked to a medical professional (Ma) and was told to take 600mg of Ibuprofen three times a day to reduce the inflammation and rest until my 20 mile run (scheduled for that saturday). I wasn't sure if I was going to do my last long LONG run because of my hip pain. But by Friday afternoon my 3 days regimine of Ibuprofen was doing the trick and I knew I would be able to at least attempt the 20 miles.

So I did it! I ran 20 miles (again)! This time I was like a freakin' rock star though! I took 15 minutes off my previous 20 mile run time! The first time I ran 20 it took me 3hrs 56mins. This time I did it in 3hrs and 41mins! I didn't stop to walk at all. A few times my iPod went wonky and I had to slow down to mess with that but otherwise I WAS RUNNING! IDK why I have this issue with 'stopping to walk'. But I am really pumped that I did all 20 miles w/o walking. I have few goals with the actual race because it's my first. But one of them is to NOT HAVE TO WALK... accept for the water stations. I will walk the water stations!!! Because my running coach (Amber) told me that's a good idea. And I believe her. lol. But after that 20 mile run I feel so ready! I now have TWO 20 mile runs under my belt and am ready to slap on another 6.2 to the end of that total! Two weeks from Sunday!

As for the old hip - running 20 miles definitely pissed it off! If I were a smart body conscious person I would rest and let that heal. But I am not going to stop training NOW. Hello??? McFly!? I have two weeks to go! I'm not throwing in the towel b/c of some stupid inflamed goo in my hip! NO! I will run this mother. I am continuing my Ibuprofen regimin and that is helping tremendously. Sitting on ice packs helps. So I will continue to do those things until race day and while I will keep running these next two weeks are TAPER weeks! God I love the sound of that word 'taper'!!!

So what are my goals for the marathon??? Here's the short list:
1) Don't stop to walk (excluding water stations)
2) Come in in under 4 hours 40 minutes. I'd like to do it in 4:30:00 but I will see how I feel.

And that's it! I bought a new Brooks long sleeve running shirt yesterday along with my first pair of arm warmers. (like leg warmers for your arms). So I will be able to make a decision race day on what to wear. If' it's as mild as it has been I will probably wear my Under Armour compression capri's and a t-shirt. If it's chilly I can wear the arm warmers. If it's COLD (b/c there's a chance, mother nature can be a ho!) I can wear my new Brooks long sleeve shirt. So I'm all set! I'm ready! I have done all the planning and training I can. Right now I just need to take care of my hip and get ready for the race!!! We're going to the Bahama's this week but I will be bringing my running gear. I hope I get a few chances to run but if I don't I know my hip won't mind.

Running Song of the Week: It's a tie between - "Sexy & I Know It" - LMFAO and "Marry You" - Bruno Mars. I know the Bruno Mars song is super duper lame but for WHATEVER reason I was able to get through the last two miles of my 20 miler listening to just that song over and over. But I love that LMFAO song! It cracks me up.

Running Quote of the Week: "Everything you finish gives you strength everything you don't finish weakens you." Christopher Reeves

Marathon Training: 20 miles is LONG WAY!

Last week I entered a new relm of awesomeness! The 20 mile club. I have no idea if there is such a club but I'm creating one if there isn't. Running 20 miles is other-worldly. I was very very worried about my 20 mile long run because the longest I had run up to that point was 16. I did 16 twice and both times were less than stellar. Yeah I got it done but when I did those 16's I had to stop and walk, I felt tired, slow, and just never really felt like I was in my runner zone. Well that changed because I found my zone for the 20. I have a few theories as to what made 20 so much more enjoyable than 16. Number one is that the weather is so much more forgiving these days! When I ran 20 last friday it was in the 60's when I started and about 73* when I finished at 11:45ish. So the fact that I wasn't running in a Vietnamese Jungle was incredibly helpful!!! The second theory that I have is that I had three days of rest before my LR this time. Since I got back from Jamaica I have been running hard and a lot. I was in panic mode b/c going on vacation wrecked my endurance. So, frankly, I think my legs were tired. I've read a lot of running experts comments about proper rest and there is something to that!!! I don't' know that every week I should go out and only run 5 miles on a monday and then 20 miles on a friday but for that week, it worked! You can burn out your muscles by running TOO MUCH, and I think that was part of what I was dealing w/ during long runs. I was so concerned about getting my miles in each week that I didn't think about how hard that is on your body. 

So what I did for my 20 was I did out and back 5 miles, twice. The trail I used (Mopac East) has a really nice restroom at the trail head and lets just say I wanted to know I had a bathroom should I need one! haha. All I ever really allowed myself to think was "just go 5 miles". I ran out 5 miles. That went well! So I thought "just go 5 miles". I went back the 5 miles! Success! 10 miles, done! I took a pit stop and hopped back on old mopac and though "just go 5 miles". I was getting tired by 14 and I decided that when I made it to the end of that 5 mile stretch (so at 15 miles total) I would turn around and walk a quarter mile. I'd take that time to fuel (w/ my power bar gel, that I now LOVE and hydrate w/ the water on my fuel belt). So that's how I played it. I got to 15 and turned around and allowed myself to walk for a whole quarter mile. When I trained for half marathons I never allowed myself to walk. If I ever walked I felt so pissed at myself. Well not now. Not with this training. A full marathon is freaking HARD. If you know anyone who has ever run a FULL marathon you should hug them! You should tell them they are the most amazing human being you know! Because they are. They are the most amazing human being you know. Especially if they trained properly! (digressing). Anyway, after my fuel, water, and nice little .25 mile walk I was back at it and ready to tackle the very last 4 and three quarter miles! That was it! I was like... I can totally run 4 and three quarter miles! Especially after my little walk. I was recharged and feeling AWESOOOOOME! (sing that like Oprah).

Towards the end I was totally getting tired. I really did EXCEPTIONAL (in my book) until 18 miles. At that point I think I did stop to walk but I only allowed myself a 10th of a mile to walk. Between 18 and 20, my last two miles, I probably stopped 3 times to walk a 10th of a mile at a time but that was all. I did manage to run in the last .75 mile. I should say 'run' in quotes because it was more of a foot shuffle! haha. But I did it! I FREAKIN' DID IT!!! The feeling of getting a 20 mile run in and under my belt was phenominal! I felt like a damn Goddess! I felt like NOW I HAVE STREET CRED! NOW I CAN RUN THIS MARATHON.

And that's the best part. I had so many doubts before that 20 mile run. When two 16's went 'so-so' I thought, 'am i fooling myself? should i really try running a whole marathon? that's 10 more miles than those shitty 16's!' But now that I did 20 I know I can do the full. I don't care if I stop to walk a bit here or there. I don't care if I have to run a few 13/min miles. I don't care if I get passed by everyone on my running team. I don't care if a zillion other people cross the finish line before me! I don't care if anyone else does anything involving a marathon... I care about ME, what I have achieved, how hard I have worked, how much I have put into this and what a GREAT feeling it will be when I CROSS THAT FINISH LINE... because you know what... I WILL. And that's a fact, Jack. :)

Running Song of the Week: Wretches and Kings by Lincoln Park. I listend to it about 5 times during my 20 miler. (and I didn't listen to music the whole run.) but it makes me think of Katniss Everdeen (hunger games) and it makes me feel like I can do anything!

Running Quote of the Week: "Man is so made, that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish." La Fontaine