Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today would have been my Dad's 78th birthday -- he passed away almost 8 years ago. It's always hard this time of year because I miss him SO much but there's also a strange comfort I get when I allow myself to stop & think of all the great memories I have and reflect on the man he was.

My dad was a runner. I know that doesn't sound very interesting in and of itself but it was where and how he loved to run that made him unique and brings a smile to my face. Dad was the maintenance man for our church, which was quite large both in number of members and square footage of the building. Dad paced out the sanctuary and knew just how many laps around equalled a mile. He would go into the sanctuary (not during worship services mind you), take off his shoes (I have always wanted to run barefoot!) and just run. With only the light that streamed through the stained glass windows, he would run and he would pray. Sometimes he'd be in there for hours but he never could seem to remember just how many laps he'd gone. He would be so intune with God that he'd forget to count the laps -- he just ran with God. Being a child and not a runner, I found this "ritual" to be quite silly and perhaps a bit irreverant. After all, he was running barefoot in the church building -- didn't our parents always say we should never run in church?!??!) Well, I'm no longer a child and I AM a runner so I must say, man, didn't he have it all figured out? Dad, I totally get it now!!!! How awesome to run free with your thoughts focussed on Almighty God as you reach out to Him in prayer. Did I mention that I totally get that now? :) He found a way to turn his love for running and his love for God into a way that drew him closer to God. But that's the way my dad was, everything he did, God was always the biggest part. Everything else was secondary.

I would give anything to run with my dad. Even if I had run with him as a child, I don't think I would have grasped the totality of what that would mean. Often when I run, I think of my dad and sometimes I even imagine he's right beside me. Especially when the distance is hard, it's my dad I think of. In my head, he escorted me across the finish line of the Little Rock marathon in 2008. Silly, huh?

While these are silly images I have conjured in my head to keep my dad's memory with me there is one thing that I can rely on. One day, when my life on earth is done, if the Lord find me faithful, I will get to run barefoot with my Dad in the presence of Almighty God! WOW!!! I can hardly wait!!!!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa

The Best Worst Half Marathon Ever

Several months ago, Mark finally caved into my constant begging a.k.a. nagging to run the St. Jude Half Marathon with me. Here we are at the start line, btw. Anyway, ever since I started running some 3 and 1/2 years ago, it has been my desire to cross the finish line with him, holding hands and raising them high in the air -- the perfect finish line photo. Well, today, I ran, er walked, er limped 13.1 miles with Mark by my side and we even posed for our finish line photo just as I had pictured it in my head.

It would have been a picture perfect race as well if only my knee would have held out longer. Sadly, it decided my race was OVER at mile 8 and then gave up altogether around 11. Now, mind you, I was not well trained for this race. The last 14 weeks have been difficult. I wasn't able to get my 10 miler in nor was I able to get in any weekly runs for most of the training period. I would have advised anyone else to "sit this one out" but not only was my husband signing up to run but we both committed ourselves to running it as St. Jude Heroes and raise money for the precious children who are being treated there. How could I possibly drop out? So I showed up at the start line and wondered what this day would bring. The 1st 5-6 miles were AWESOME!!! Although we walked alot when we ran, we ran fairly strong and averaged 13:30-14:00 minute miles. At 6, I began having a few nagging pains in various places but I pushed thru ok. More walking than running between 6 and 11 and then things began to deteriorate rapidly. Sometime after the 11 mile marker, my knee began throbbing and I couldn't put my full weight on my left leg as a result. Then the calf cramps hit the right leg and I was practically immobile. At that point, I didn't think I could make it to the finish but who drops out at 11.5 when you're that close to the finish? Mark grabbed my hand and was literally dragging me along while I winced in pain and begged him to let me quit.

When we saw the gates of AutoZone park, we began to jog. At the moment we entered the gates, BAM, calve cramps in BOTH LEGS! I came to a dead stop and the tears began to flow freely, knee still throbbing all the while. The volunteer at the gate says to me, "we've taken 2 runners out of here on stretchers. You're NOT going to be #3. YOU CAN DO IT!!" For some strange reason, I believed her and Mark & I headed to the finish, hand in hand. I was limping but I was going to make it. The photographer snapped our picture with our clasped hands in the air and we were smiling. As soon as we passed her, my calves cramped again just in time to see a 2nd photographer who captured me crying out to Mark that I was about to fall and him looking over at me. Oh well, at least we got one good finish line photo -- or should I say hope. Once past the finish line, one of the medical personnel asked me if I was ok and before I could answer, saw just what the problem was and began helping me work out the cramps. This process, I must say, is as painful if not more so than the cramps themselves. But his torture worked and I was on my way to THE MEDAL! Boy, did I earn that thing today!

So while this was by far my slowest, most painful half marathon EVER, I am as proud of this one as I am of my marathon finishes. I proved to myself that I can do anything if I possess enough desire and determination (and maybe a little bit of insanity) and Mark and I did this together! And we did it for the kids at St. Jude! I truly felt like a hero today.

Now it's time for some much needed rest and recovery because you know me...

Gotta run!
Lisa

There's still time to donate - please visit www.mystjudeheroes.org/rundream Thanks so much for your support!

Six in the City

Today I did 6 miles in downtown Memphis. Running by the river always cheers me up and today, I especially needed some cheer. This has been a particularly bad week for me. When I showed up for today's 6 miles, I fully expected to do 6 laps around the St. Jude campus, figuring I'd be lucky if I could even do half the distance. But my two teammates wouldn't hear of it. Morris would be running ahead of me and Lenore would be walking behind me -- I was literally book ended by the two of them. When I made it back to campus, I was in a lot of pain and was determined to call it quits at 5.39 miles. Morris would have nothing of that. He cheered me on and encouraged me not only to get to the 6 mile mark, but to add a lap around campus for a total of 6.39 miles. So tonite, even though I am quite sore and can barely walk, I feel like I really accomplished something today. Now, I just hope I can recover in time for our 10 miler next Saturday.

It has been difficult for me to accept my limitations of late and I have a hard time not looking out too far into the future. I don't have to determine today that my marathon days are over. I don't have to determine today that my half-marathon days are over. Today, I had 6 miles to cover. Today, I determined (with the help of my friends) that I could not only do it, but I could go just a little bit farther. Today, that's good enough for me because I...

Gotta run...

Lisa :)

4 Miler

While it's quite an accomplishment for me to blog 2 days in a row, I am most proud of this morning's 4 miler. I anticipated it wouldn't be much to write about since I ran a 5k last nite. I assumed I would be walking most of it. I didn't get to sleep until almost 1am to boot. When I arrived on the St. Jude campus, I was really not wanting to go the distance and when at 8:05am no one else had shown up, I thought I might just go back home and go to bed. Just as I was about to go to my car, Morris & Laurie showed up raring to go. Oh well, I thought, I'm just going to walk so it'll be fine.

But something happened out there that caught me completely by surprise. My body wanted to run! So, I ran. Now, I took walk breaks but I really felt like I ran more than I walked. My Garmin supports that theory. I am a slow runner but an even slower walker. I cannot seem to walk any faster than a 17:00 - 18:00 pace on my walk breaks. This is something I'd really like to work on but running always seems to be the area I prefer to work on. Now, these numbers are not speedy by any stretch of the imagination but for me at this time (I'm still in a major funk but I can see the light at the end) these numbers are quite encouraging to me. Mile 1 - 13:13; Mile 2 - 13:42; Mile 3 - 13:16; Mile 4 - 13:20. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Now to deal with the residual aches & pains but it is to be expected when you just...

Gotta run...
Lisa :)

True Blue 5k

You gotta love a 5k that winds thru the campus of your alma mater and "spits" you out thru the giant tiger's mouth after you cross the finish line!

Sorry for the blur -- the BB doesn't take the best photos. :(

This was a really weird race for me. For some reason, I felt really out of place. Perhaps it was because my last 5k was so disastrous. Perhaps it's because I haven't felt much like a runner lately. Whatever the reason, I felt odd but I was determined to "stick it out" and see if I could redeem myself with a better finishing time than the last 5k I did about a month ago. Besides, the more people watching I did, the more comfortable I became. I noticed all these "runners" who looked fit, dressed the part, doing these amazing stretches. They looked like real pros I tell ya with one exception, they had their bib numbers pinned on their backs instead of the front. I thought maybe that's what you do now -- after all, I haven't been participating in many races lately. Anyway, when it came time to line up at the start line, I made my way to the back of the pack. That is where I feel like I belong. I heard a guy mumble under his breath, "it goes on the front, doofus" and I was relieved. I hadn't missed the memo about the new rules about proper bib placement. As the race began, I enjoyed picking off "those" runners who started out way too fast and pooped out at mile 2. I wasn't fast mind you, but there's a lot to be said for slow and steady. While I didn't PR tonite (thankfully, I wasn't expecting to) it was a great run for me. I ran/walked in 40 minutes and some change. So while I may not be completely back in the game, I'm definitely moving in the right direction. YES!!!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa :)

ThermoBurst + Cool Temps = AWESOME 7 Miler

Wow! What a morning! The team & I decided to change our venue and meet at Shelby Farms for our 7 miler. It was downright cold at 7:30am! There was only 3 of us who braved the temps and the distance but we were so glad we did. There's something about cooler weather that just breathes new life into my running. A good friend of mine also introduced me to an energy supplement, ThermoBurst, which really helped too! I was energized from start to finish and even ran to my car afterwards! My usual, pre-run, Grande, No Fat, No Foam Latte was never able to do this! I felt so good that at one point, when my Garmin beeped to tell me it was time for a walk break, I actually uttered an, "oh crap" out loud. Now, I have been known to utter many "oh craps" when my Garmin beeps but those are ALWAYS when it beeps to tell me to RUN not WALK! I was so surprised by this -- when I looked at my Garmin, I was doing a 9:50 pace. I don't know how long I ran at this pace (probably not very long) but I was impressed that not only was I running that fast but I didn't want to stop!

It's runs like today that remind me why I love it so much. The weather was perfect, the scenery with the changing of the leaves was gorgeous and the lungs and the legs were completely in sync -- AWESOME! There's just nothing more that I can say other than...

Gotta run!
Lisa :)

Technology is awesome!

Sitting in the car rider line IthoghtI would try blogging from my BB. And I didn't even need my 11 year old to help!

Running on the River

Today was our 4th group training -- 5 miles. I have to say I was more than anxious about how this would go. After last week's 5k and the lousy weather we've had lately, I really didn't know what was in store. The weather held up nicely and we only experienced a few sprinkles about half way thru but they were a welcome relief as the temps weren't quite as cool as I had hoped for. I mapped out a route that was a "bit" more challenging than our usual, flat laps around the St Jude campus. We ran the Auction Street bridge over to Mud Island, did 3 miles on the trail parallel to the river (it was gorgeous, even on a cloudy day!) Then back over the bridge and back to campus. My 1st run up the bridge was tough. Here lately, I don't find my rhythm until after the 1st 2 miles. But, on the way back over, I ran the entire uphill and coasted (not walked) down the other side. I finished slow but strong. This was just the success I needed after last weekend which taught me that you must respect the miles. Whether they be short or long, if you're not prepared, it's gonna be ugly. The 5 miler today taught me that even though I have a lot of work to do, I CAN DO IT! Whew!!!

The rest of the team did awesome! Only 6 of our 18 members made it out today but what we lacked in numbers, we made up in enthusiasm. Everyone left feeling proud and accomplished -- the bridge was a killer. We felt like we climbed Everest! On an early, humid morning a speed bump would have been enough. I was very proud of them too! Whether I have a right to or not, I feel like a mother hen when it comes to my team. Their successes are my successes and their failures are my failures. Fortunately, there have been no failures -- this is a great group and they are more than willing to put the work into their training. It's exciting!

I had hoped that Mark would have been able to join us today. One of the greatest feelings in this whole process is that I will running this half marathon with my husband. But, unfortunately Ian came home from school yesterday with a cough and a fever. We suspect it's the flu -- we will be taking him to the Dr. shortly to find out for certain.

Hopefully, next week's report will be just as encouraging. I will no longer underestimate 3 miles so anything can happen. Stay tuned but for now...

Gotta run!
Lisa :-)

1st Group Training Session

Our 1st group training session was held Saturday at 8am on the St. Jude campus. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! There were scattered T-showers in the forecast but it was sunny and slightly cool at the start. We were scheduled for 2 miles -- 2 laps around the campus. Of our 15 members, 8 showed up -- a great turnout considering this is a holiday weekend.



Training went well and everyone had a good walk or run. What an inspiration to run at the very place we are raising money for. It has really helped my running to not only have a longer distance to be training for but a cause and a purpose behind it. Who knows, my marathon days may not be over after all.



I'm really looking forward to more group walks/runs and helping the kids at St. Jude. But for now...



Gotta run...

Lisa :)

www.mystjudeheroes.org/rundream

Kicking the Habit

Well, after reading another article on the dangers of tanning beds and hearing a very moving speech by a woman who lost her daughter to melanoma, I decided to make a change. I cancelled my monthly unlimited tanning package and am now on the road to a paler, more healthy ME! Considering I have frequented the tanning salon and poolside religiously for most of my life, this was a very difficult thing for me to do. I have not seen the true color of my skin for more than 20 years (except briefly while I was pregnant with Ian that is) As the color begins to fade, I am faced every day with a new "spot" that I never noticed before. Have all those years finally caught up with me? Needless to say, I have an appointment with a dermatologist on the 31st of this month. I originally had a few places I wanted him to check. But every day, I find another one -- I think I'll be asking for a full body scan! The good news is that this has breathed new life into my running. I have either run or walked every nite this week and I am looking forward to a 3 mile jog in the park with my son as soon as the sun goes down. I don't know if there is a correlation to my decision and my renewed love for running, I just know I have been waiting to get this part of my life back for a long time.

I don't know what the outcome of my trip to the dermatologist will be. And although I'm not scared, I am quite concerned. Until then, I will learn to love the new, paler me as I make my way back to becoming the strong, fit runner I used to be. Until then...

Gotta run...with sunscreen...
Lisa

Calling All Heroes!!!

Our team, Running Down a Dream, has officially been formed! Here's what you need to do: Go to www.memphismarathon.com and register online for the race of your choice (5K, Half Marathon (13.1 miles) or Marathon (26.2)) You will be asked if you would like to be a St Jude Hero - select "YES!" You will then be asked if you would like to join a team or would you like to sign up as an individual. Please select "Join a Team" and enter in our team name, Running Down a Dream. You will receive email confirmation within 24-48 hrs that will also contain instructions on how to access your individual fundraising page as well as access to our team page.

After everyone has had the chance to join, Christopher Beck with ALSAC has graciously offered to host a mini kick off meeting for our team! You will not want to miss this opportunity to meet Christopher and get some valuable information about how to conduct your fundraising campaign.

I am in the process of developing a website or some other form of communication (perhaps this Blog or Facebook or Twitter - I'm open to suggestions) to keep the team up to date with group training, fundraising tips and any other information that needs to be mass communicated. I'll send out more info as it becomes available. Remember, training for the Half officially begins the week of August 30th with our 1st group training session on Sat, Sept 5th. If you have an idea where to meet for that 1st session, we will be doing 2 miles so if you know of a good 2 mile route, please let me know. We'll determine the time when the date draws closer.

If you have any questions, need training schedules or have any other concerns, please let me know. And if you have friends, family members or co-workers who would like to join our team, please let them know they are more than welcome!

I am SO excited to begin our journey of getting in shape & raising lots of money for the kids at St Jude. Now that's what I call a win-win.

Gotta run...

Lisa

New Additions

After a 2 month hiatus, I decided it was time to try to catch everyone up. I say "everyone" lightly as I feel relatively sure that everyone most likely encompasses only a handful of people. I most likely have lost any followers due to my lengthy silence. Oh well, blogging is therapeutic and I am in serious need of therapy.

2 weeks ago, I received a call from Guardian Angel Pet Rescue that 2 Yorkies were on the "chopping block" and would be euthanized if a foster home wasn't found fast! Well, Mark & I love Yorkies so we agreed to take them in. Aren't they precious?

Baby Bear & Honey Bun

Well, it seems that they like it here, we love having them and Bandit & Teddy like them -- I'm feeling that fostering them will lead to something much more permanent. That will bring our dog total to 3 Yorkies and 1 Bandit -- 4 DOGS!!!!! That's just one dog shy of being white trash! What are we thinking?!?!? Obviously thinking is something we are NOT doing.

Now, to catch everyone up on my return to running or should I say my "desire" to return to running. The actual return has yet to take place. I can't seem to get back into it and it is very upsetting. When I do attempt to run or walk, it's great but the aftermath is brutal. For instance, this morning I did a very easy 4 miles in the park. Mostly walked and peppered in some running or rather some very slow jogging. I felt great! I met a girl in the park and we got to talking and the time just flew by. I had intended on a 30 minute workout but it turned into a 4 miler. I stretched afterward and used the Stick but now, an hour or so later, I can't put weight on my left leg. My knee cannot straighten out fully and my leg feels like my bones are made of rubber. This is not a new occurrance either. After every workout, no matter the distance or the intensity, the aftermath is the same -- I can barely walk. I move around like a 100 yr old who just had both hips replaced. Is my body telling me something that I refuse to hear? After all, I'm inclined to throw caution to the wind and do what feels right for the moment with utter disregard for consequences. (see above re: I NOW HAVE 4 DOGS!!!!!)

I realize this isn't much of a "catching up" post but in fairness, my life lately hasn't been much more than trying to get my endurance back and rearranging my house to accommodate dog crates. So for now...

Gotta run & I LOVE YORKIES...

Lisa

Meet my new running partner!

BANDIT - ADOPTED

It's official! If you go to Guardian Angel Pet Rescue's website and scroll down thru the available dogs, you will find Bandit. Guardian Angel Pet Rescue is a wonderful agency that rescues dogs & cats from death row and finds them their forever home. Bandit is a great dog even though Teddy isn't quite in agreement.

My running, that had started back up with a vengeance had sputtered to a small spark with all the gloomy, rainy weather of late. My back yard has become nothing more than a muddy murky swamp. Poor Bandit! He's been so cooped up. So I decided that today was the day to"kill 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak. I laced up my Asics and put the leash on Bandit and out the door we went. He did AWESOME!! In the beginning, he was practically dragging me but as we settled into a steady pace, we ran side by side. By the end of our 30 minute run, we were both exhausted. There were a couple of times when we got a little tripped up -- me over the leash and he over my 2 feet. Oh and of course, in the beginning, he had to mark every mailbox and sniff every yard but he quickly caught on. I thought it was a great start to what I hope becomes a common occurance.

So if you're in need of a running buddy of the 4-legged persuasion, please consider adoption. I'm sure glad I did!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Run Softly and Carry "The Stick"

I have learned over the years that if you want a boat load of unsolicited advice, you should get pregnant or acquire a sports related injury. I chose the lesser of 2 evils (or did I?) and decided to injure my already-not-so-good knee. Ever since I developed issues with my knee, EVERYONE seems to know what I should or shouldn't do, the right drug to take, cream to try, the proper stretches, etc, etc, etc. Now, it's not that I mind the advice. After all, I want to run and I want to do it without making things worse. The problem is that I've gotten so much advice that it has become virtually impossible to sift thru it all to find a solution that works for me.

But last week, I was talking to the leader of our walking group at work and she told me about one of her clients who had experienced the same calf cramps when her mileage ramped up to double digits as well as knee pain. Someone recommended The Stick and after trying it out, her knee pain completely disappeared and she ran a marathon with NO CRAMPING! Well that single testimony was enough to convince me to give it a try. I used it for the 1st time after my run last nite. I am pleased to say that I'm experiencing very promising results -- still have knee pain but not as much! I was also able to pinpoint several trouble spots or "triggers" that I was able to work out. And I slept GREAT last nite - no achy, sore legs. Hmmmm.

I decided to use it BEFORE my run today and wow what a difference! I did notice some areas that I wished I had hit before hand but those spots were the 1st I worked on after my run. Boy do I feel great. I'm still a proponent of RICE but I'm convinced that the stick should be in every runners gear bag. My only regret is that I discovered it's benefits after injury when I truly believe had it been in my bag of tricks pre-injury, well, I simply would not have had this issue.

But the stick was not the only factor that led to my successful run today. Today I decided to engage in mindful running. I have blogged about this before but I can't say enough about this technique. If you find yourself running alone, as I did today, it's great. Usually I use my runs to "work thru" my problems, solve world hunger, calculate complex algebraic equations and think about what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow. Mindful running forces you to dismiss such mental pursuits and focus solely on your running - your stride, your breathing, everything! Everytime I could hear my footfalls, I would imagine that I was running on a cloud and tried to "tread lightly." For the most part, this was an easy task as during most of this run, my heavy breathing drowned out the sound of heavy feet but still I focused on just my running and not my "drama-saturated" life. The time flew by. After a 5 minute warmup, 25 minutes of running and a 5 minute cool down -- I felt almost as proud as if I had run a marathon. Ok, not quite that proud but proud none the less. Tomorrow is a rest day but thanks to the stick and my rekindled love for the run, I'm looking SO forward to Thursday because I...

Gotta run!
Lisa

On The Road Again

For reasons other than filing my taxes, I have been dreading April 15th. April 15th will be exactly one month since I crossed the finish line in Little Rock and exactly one month since I've gone for a run. I've walked a handful of times and I took a few jogging steps for my photo-op on the Golden Gate Bridge but a full fledged run, nope, haven't done it. I've had a million & one excuses and honestly, they've all been valid. An injured knee is not something to take lightly. But, to be honest, the reason I haven't been running is because somehow, I lost my nerve. I can't explain what I'm afraid of any more than I can explain why it's so cold outside when it's supposed to be spring! But as the 15th approaches, I realize I'm more afraid of never running again than what will happen if I do. So with that realization, I headed out the door for a 20 minute run.

It was not spectacular. It was not fast. It was not without lots of aches & pains. It was, however, a new beginning and it felt GREAT! As I was winding down, I started thinking about an email I received from a very dear friend. I was telling him about the struggles leading up to, during and after the marathon in March. He candidly asked me if I thought I'd be interested in running if it didn't bring so many challenges. I had never really thought of that before & after only a second, I realized that he makes an excellent point. If running were easy for me, I would quickly become bored and move on. It's the obstacles & challenges that truly captivate me. So today, in those measly 20 minutes, I basked in the aches & pains and the huffing & puffing that comes with a month of the lazies. I vowed to start over, re-build my strength and endurance and enjoy the ride. Today I'm setting out to recapture what I thought was lost. I learned I haven't lost it, it just needs a little dusting off.

I am definitely back on the road again...YES!!!!!!!

Gotta run...
Lisa

Back to reality

"Running" the Golden Gate Bridge

It's hard to believe that 1 week ago I was in sunny California! The reality of my unpacked suitcase is like a harsh slap in the face and I am SO tempted to just go back to bed. I am having the hardest time adjusting my sleep patterns to the central time zone -- you would think I was in San Francisco for months rather than days.

I had hoped to post pix and blog from San Francisco but alas I packed the cord for my MP3 player instead of for my camera. I had also hoped to regain my running mojo while on this trip. After all, who wouldn't be inspired by this scenery? Well, as the running fates would have it, after a very long plane ride (boy was I stiff!) and then a "not-so-gentle" bump of my bad knee on a car door, running was no longer an option. I must now deal with another reality that a visit to an orthopaedic is most likely lurking in the near future. Another reason, as far as I'm concerned, to go back to bed this morning! Hopefully, I can find a Dr who will help my knee without telling me to hang up my Asics (a girl can dream, can't she?) Cuz we ALL know that I've...

Gotta run!...

Lisa

Big Blue Cow & the Daffodil "Ditch"

I had signed up to do the Daffodil Dash 5k today. I knew it was probably not a good idea considering it hasn't even been a week since Little Rock. Besides, what's 3 miles to a "marathoner" Ian had wanted to run this race with me so I didn't think twice about it. Then Thursday nite, his best friend's mom called to invite him to spend the nite Friday and spend the day Sat. What was an 11 year old boy to do? Well, it was a no brainer -- he planned to ditch me. His dad, however, would not allow it. So off I go to the race with my son in tow. By "in tow" I mean dragging him kickin' & screamin'. Ok, so maybe I'm being a "little" dramatic. When we get there it starts pouring down rain and the temps are in the low to mid 40's. Oh & did I mention he's in short sleeves? Yeah, there goes my nom for mom of the year! Normally, a cold rain with a throbbing knee less than a week after a marathon would not scare me away. But here I have this boy that I'm hoping will someday develop a love for running and I'm not certain that coming down with pneumonia will get me any closer to that hope. So, we picked up our shirts, crept shamefully back to the car and tried to drive away without being noticed. Oh the disgrace! But the boy, he felt no shame. He was happy to be leaving until he realized that if only his dad hadn't made him come to the race, he wouldn't have been here in the 1st place. Then he got an attitude. I know, an 11 yr old boy with an attitude, what a stretch. He was ticked that we didn't run the race and he was equally ticked that he didn't get to spend the nite with his friend. So I did what any mother would do in this situation & I took care of that attitude...I took him to Target and bought him something! Ugh...guilt is so powerful especially when wielded so artfully by a manipulative pre-teen with big brown eyes... So there you have it -- the race report for the race that never was.

Now, as promised, I leave you with some pics that my sister took in Little Rock last weekend. Enjoy!

Approaching the Finish Line!

Still Approaching the Finish Line!

Finished!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Long Awaited Race Report - No Photos Yet

While I am waiting for my photos (used a disposable camera instead of my digital), I decided to post a pic of the biggest finisher medal I have ever seen. You could serve a meal on this thing!

I decided I better go ahead & post my race report before the details start to fade rather than wait on my photos. 1st glance of the race photos, however, lead me to believe I may not be sharing photos at all but that's a post for another day. Can you say "big blue cow?"

The weeks & months leading up to this race have been difficult for me. Going into this race 20 lbs heavier than last year and problems with my knee made me think this would definitely be my last marathon. I just didn't feel like I was in the proper shape & this run would be my undoing. I am happy to report, however, that I WAS WRONG!!!!! Although I crossed the finish line with cramps in both calves and my left knee throbbing, I felt strong and confident that this was not my swan song.

Last year, my struggles started between 8 & 10. This year, my struggles started at 19!!! Can you believe that? At mile 15, I was ahead of my pace by 5 minutes. My plan was to cross the finish line in 6:30 -- that's an average pace of 15 minute miles. Totally doable, even for someone as out of shape as me. My strategy was to walk "Mt Everest", take is slow on the downhill and then make up the time on the out/back (it is very flat) At the 20 mile mark, I was dead on my pace. Now, I was thrilled to be on my pace but totally disappointed that at that point I had not made up any time as I had planned to do. It was here that the cramping in both calves started and refused to let up. Mind you, this is the farthest I have ever gone before without cramping but it was still frustrating. At 21 there were bananas and I was sure with some stretches & potassium, I would be good to go...NOT! At 22 I realized I was not going to make my goal but I was not upset. I was still doing better than last year and felt very happy for that.

Then came mile 25. I thought that I had hit the wall before but boy was I mistaken. At 25, I literally could not put one foot in front of the other. I wanted to lay down on the road -- I was absolutely spent. I have never felt anything like that before and I hope I never do again. I'm ashamed to admit that at mile 25, I actually considered quitting. I came to a dead stop & said to myself, "this is NOT worth it!" About that time, I hear a voice behind me say "nobody quits @ 25. 1 more hill and you're there." I turned to see where the voice came from & saw a man in a wheelchair. Not the hand-cranked, aero-dynamic kind you see at races mind you. This guy was in a regular wheelchair. He was feverishly cranking the wheels on this massive hill telling ME not to quit. I can't tell you what that did to me. I had no choice but to get moving and that's just what I did.

That was the longest mile I have ever endured in my entire life. I thought it would never end. When I reached mile 26, I still couldn't run. I resigned myself to the possibility that I would be walking across the finish line this time. There should be no shame in that I thought -- at least I'm finishing. But when I looked up and saw my wheelchair friend flying across the line, I started to run. I didn't even think about it -- I just did it. It wasn't fast and it was a little wobbly and it hurt like heck BUT I had a smile on my face.

Although I didn't make my goal, I did shave 6 minutes off last year's finish time. Although it didn't work this time, I still think my strategy was good. I'm thinking if I did this well for not being in the best shape, what will I be able to do if I AM properly trained and in shape. On the ride home, I began mapping it all out for next year. Yes, that's right, NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!

So, once again an unlikely marathoner has another finisher's medal on the wall and there's no obvious signs that I will be giving up this addiction any time soon because it all boils down to this...

Gotta run!!!!!
Lisa

8 days & counting...

Today was my last "long" run before Little Rock -- 6 miles -- piece of cake, right? WRONG!!! The 1st mile was rough. It was very windy and my legs felt SO tired. I about decided to call it a day but decided that I just couldn't let that happen even if it meant walking the whole darn thing. So I continued and decided to take in the sights of my surroundings rather than focus on the aches & pains. I enjoyed watching a hawk soar overhead, in search of its morning meal and tried to capture it on my cell phone but wasn't able to. As I made my way to the other end of the pond, I saw something I've never seen before -- a duck sitting in a tree.

I've never seen a duck in a tree before...

Close up

Ok, so maybe this is not that strange but it struck me as odd. Then I got to thinking, I'm like this duck in the tree. The duck looked really out of place to me -- ducks can fly so why should it seem unlikely for one to be in a tree. Like me, I'm feeling really out of place with this upcoming marathon. But why? I'm a runner and I've been here before so why should I feel strange? While I was pondering this question, my garmin beeped to let me know I had gone a mile. My pace was 13:00. Are you kidding me? A mile without a walk break and a fairly decent pace for someone who's nursing a very sore knee. I decided to keep running and didn't take another walk break until I reached mile 3. After a 1/4 mile walk break, I started running again. At mile 4 I looked at my garmin to find that I was off my race day pace by 1 minute!!!! WOW!!!! Mile 5, I made up the 1 minute deficit and finished at the 6 mile mark. It was in that moment I realized that ducks sit in trees and 43 yr old back of the packers run marathons! Bring it on Little Rock!

After a GREAT run, I had the privilege of taking a 2 mile walk with my favorite new mom, Susan, and her sweet little boy, Isaac. Wished I would have taken a pic of them instead of using up my cell phone memory on the duck...live and learn, I suppose...

Gotta run...

Lisa =)

Winter Wonderland

The view from my patio this morning.

Even taken from a cell phone, this is a pretty pic. But 24 hours prior, the scene was not so beautiful -- it was downright nasty. Having put off my 20 miler last Saturday because the weather was "icky", yesterday was do or die. Little Rock is in 2 weeks!!!! Friday nite, as I listened to the forecast for Sat, I knew I had made a fatal mistake by waiting. If I thought last week's weather was "icky" it was sure not to compare to what was in store this weekend.

I woke up Saturday with nausea and cramping. I'm on a new medication and boy am I experiencing every side effect. I headed out the door a little past 8am -- an hour later than I intended but still pumped. It was cold, windy and damp but not raining or snowing - so far so good. 1st 5 miles felt great -- had to dodge some puddles from the heavy rains the nite before but so far, the elements were not a problem. When I get to the park, it was practically under water, making it increasing difficult to dodge puddles. It would have been easier to swim in some places. My feet get wet -- it's unavoidable and certainly not a good thing. The wind picks up. Bad for me, good for the water as by the time I'm headed out of the park, the puddles are practically dried up. At 14.5 miles, it starts. The temps begin dropping, the wind picks up even more and it begins to rain/sleet/something! My face, which by now is wind burned, cannot handle this precipitation -- it stings! I decide to call it and head home. Home is either 2.5 miles or 5 miles, depending on which route I take.

Next comes the great debate. I know I need to get in 20 -- this is my last chance!!! But the cold, damp conditions have caused stiff muscles, throbbing knees and ankles and I honestly can't remember a time when I experienced this much pain. I opted for the 2.5 mile route and vowed to finish up on my treadmill. The closer I got to home, the more I hurt. I was literally chilled to the bone and there was nothing dry on my entire body.

When I got inside, I just started bawling uncontrollably. I left a trail of wet running clothes and gear that led to my bedroom, quickly put on something dry and did the one thing you should NEVER do -- I climbed into bed and shivered off to sleep. You don't have to be a seasoned runner to know that laying down after a run is a sure fire way to invite soreness to set in. And when you have it there to begin with, well, it's just a double whammy.

Fast forward to this morning. Yes, the snow is beautiful but the events leading up to it, not so much. The good news for me is that I'm FINALLY warm. The bad news, I can barely walk. While I didn't get in my 20 miles yesterday, the 17.5 I did manage to crank out felt like a marathon to me. So I might not shave any time off my finish at LR in 2 weeks but after braving the elements that yesterday threw at me, I KNOW I will cross the finish line. I'll do whatever needs to be done to earn that medal & that shirt -- afterall, that's what it's all about right? Clothes and jewelry!!

Gotta run...

Lisa =)

Quench Gum, Pepper Spray and the Pinewood Derby

Ok, so you're a little puzzled by my title, understandable. But, believe it or not, these items were key in my 18 miler success today. I'll explain.

Last Saturday, I "enjoyed" my favorite pre-run breakfast of peanut butter toast. Well, for some reason, that breakfast turned on me and my 16 miler turned into an 11.5 miler when I hurled in someone's front yard...TWICE! So this morning I did a HUGE no-no, I skipped breakfast. When I trained for my 1st half marathon, I ALWAYS ran on an empty stomach. When I trained for my 1st marathon, I was told in no uncertain terms, I should NEVER run on an empty stomach. Well, I did today and it was AWESOME! Not once did I ever feel nauseous. I happily chewed my Quench gum. Folks, if you haven't tried this stuff -- it is absolutely wonderful. And no, this is not a paid endorsement but Quench, if you're reading, call me and we'll talk...

After only 1.5 miles into my journey, I was startled by 2 dogs. Granted, they were someone's pets and not strays, but when 2 big dogs come out of no where, you don't pay much attention to whether they are wearing a collar and tags. I am a HUGE dog lover and normally would not have been scared but they were both barking, showing teeth and drooling! I stopped dead in my tracks and couldn't help but scream. At the same time that I was taking Pepper Spray out, a car came by and both dogs just froze. The driver of the car slowed down and kept looking back at me while I quickly walked away. When the dogs retreated back to their house, the driver, seeing I was ok, went on. Luckily, I didn't have to spray them but luckily, they didn't attack me. People, your dogs don't bite you because you're their owner. They don't know me and I don't know them -- keep them put up for goodness sake!

When my nerves finally calmed down, I started running again. And in the beginning, I took very few walk breaks -- it was amazing. My body seemed to drive this run. After last Saturday's run that was so mental and full of positive, self-affirmations, my body told my head "take a rest, we got this." I decided to end my 1st half at the church where Ian's cub scout troop was conducting it's annual Pinewood Derby. Although the race was over, I managed to show up just in time for a slice of pizza, a refill of my water bottle (with ice too!) and to see my son presented with a 3rd place trophy for the Weebelo's division. Not a bad mid run rest I have to say. I stayed just a short time -- I didn't want to get stiff. So off I went to finish out the 2nd 9 miles.

This had planned to be a blog about what an awesome 18 miles it was. Although in many ways it was the best 18 miler I've had in a long time, it was not without its challenges. At 11.5 the calves began cramping. This always seems to happen since it first happened in Little Rock. Sometimes it starts at 8 miles, sometimes at 13 miles, today it was 11.5 miles. It was so bad at times that I thought I would have to quit & call for a ride home. But I told myself that it didn't matter how long today took, I wanted and NEEDED to get all 18 in and well, I am proud to say, that's just what I did. Today, I found that person inside me that I thought I killed in Little Rock. But she was still there and I'm so glad she was. Today was the 1st time since LR, that I truly felt like I could do 26.2 again.

At 15 miles, I was running again. And even though I was averaging only 14 min miles by this time, I felt like a Kenyan! When the cramps would start, sometimes I could stop them by just slowing down. But, I never called it in and that's what I'm proud of most. Tonight, when I log today's run, I'm not going to log the time. I don't really care how long I was out there in terms of hours/minutes/seconds. I was out there for 18 miles -- yeah baby!

A couple of ibuprofen and some ice for the legs, I'll be good as new tomorrow but for now...

Gotta run!
Lisa

The Scale vs. the Start Line

This is a post that is long overdue. About a week ago, I had an epiphany - a virtual light bulb came on above my little peanut brain so to speak. Those who know me well know that my weight is something I'm very bothered by. For most of my life, my brothers "lovingly" referred to me as birdlegs. Then genetics decided one day to play a mean, nasty trick on me & bestowed me with thyroid disease and diabetes -- metabolism's double whammy. At the age of 40, having never had to battle a weight problem before (actually the weight became an issue in my thirties, but did I even really exist before I became a runner? hmmm) I decided to get off the couch & run. Like Forrest Gump, I just started running and I kept on... But, eventually the running took over (not complaining) and I quit making healthy food choices, blah, blah, blah... This post is NOT about how I got here - this post is about how I'm going to get THERE.

I'm a slave to the scale, or rather, WAS. Everyday I'd step on and if there was gain, I was depressed and the rest of the day was impeded with thoughts of "why try." If there was loss (rare, but it happened) I'd think of all the indiscretions of the previous day and say "if I could eat as much as I did yesterday and STILL lose, why, I can have cheesecake for breakfast today! Yay me!" Neither of these methods work by the way and any that you lose is quickly found again and those pounds have friends!!!!

On the drive home from work on Thursday a week ago, I was really giving myself a hard time about it. After all, I've run half marathons and marathons, I have discipline in this area of my life. Why don't I have any when it comes to this? Then the lite bulb went on and I started re-evaluating my approach. As with all moments of clarity in my life, they are always accompanied by some lesson I've learned from running and most often revolve around the marathon. You see the marathon is the greatest physical accomplishment of my life. I say "the marathon" because it's not one particular race, it's all the races (even Chicago) and all the training miles that lead up to it and all the recovery miles after it that make up this glorious event called "the marathon." You quickly learn that when you stand at the start line, you have to call your mind immediately into submission. If you stand there thinking, "I've got to run 26.2 miles!!!!!", you'll say to yourself, "no way, that's impossible" But if you tell yourself, I just need to make it to mile 1. When you get to mile 1, then goal then is to make it to mile 2. So basically, you run it 1 mile at a time - sounds a lot easier that way, right?

So, why not look at weight loss with the same mindset. Instead of standing on the scale and looking out towards how many pounds I have to go to reach my goal, why not focus on 1 lb. at a time. After all, who can't lose 1 lb a week? That sounds much easier. Then I started thinking that although it sometimes seems that way, the pounds did not show up all at once. They came on gradually. I began to think that 6 months should be my goal. Ok so let me do some math here: 1 pound per week for 6 mths or 26 weeks = 26 lbs. Hmmmm.....the marathon is 26 miles!!! I literally got chills. So there's my plan...

Fast forward to today, well, yesterday actually - weeky weigh in day is Fri. Remember, my epiphany came on a Thurs so I started on Fri. You can imagine my dismay when I saw that I had GAINED half a pound! Although I was disappointed, I resolved that I would NOT be discouraged. Not every mile is easy (in fact most are anything but) -- not every pound is going to be a given either. I looked at the past week and logically looked at things I did well as well as the areas for improvement. The "needs improvement" items far "outweighed" (pun intended) than the things I did well. Realistically speaking, that's good news. If I had done everything right and gained, I'm sure I'd be giving up today.

Anyway, sorry for the lengthy post but I felt I just had to share. Remember, keep your dream in front of you even if it seems farfetched and there's no better time than now, no better day than today to stand at the start line and take it one mile at a time...

Gotta run...
Lisa

Re-connecting with your past...

I LOVE Facebook!!! I have had so much fun reconnecting with dear friends from the past. It makes me wonder how we ever survived before cell phones and laptops!



Unfortunately, my attempt to connect with one particular friend ended in sadness and disappointment. I was excited to find her mom and 2 sisters on Facebook but my excitement was soon snuffed out when I learned that my dear friend Janet passed away 3 years ago. I felt like someone sucker punched me right in my stomach!! I realized at that moment how easy it is to let time get away from you. We all get so busy but is that really an excuse? How could I have let myself lose touch with someone who meant so much to me? All I can do now is to "resolve" not to let this happen again. I will cherish every moment with my friends and when I feel that time or busy schedules are causing those moments to slip away, I will remember Janet. I know I said I don't make new year's resolutions but I resolve that this year and every year I have left on this earth, I will remember what's most important -- relationships and I will put them first.



I heard it said once that the way to have true JOY in your life can be summed up in this simple formula:



J - Jesus 1st

O - Others 2nd

Y - Yourself last



Gotta run...

Lisa

Good-bye 2008!

I've never been one to make new year's resolutions. I believe if there are changes needed in your life, resolve to make those changes TODAY whether or not today happens to be January 1st, December 31st or anywhere in between. On Monday, 12/29/2008, I decided to make a much needed change in my running habits or should I say rather I decided to make some running habits. I had no substantial miles since the half marthon on 12/6 and I'm staring down a short 11 weeks until the Little Rock marathon in March! I tried to play catch-up with my training schedule but you can't go from 0 miles in 2 weeks to a 14 miler on Saturday. I decided to consult a very trusted source to see what I should do. Susan helped me to see that because my goal was too lofty, I was becoming frustrated and bitter and that was keeping me from being able to "get back into the groove." This was something I already knew, but sometimes it takes the opinion of someone you admire, trust and respect to really make it clear. So, I regrouped and found a new training schedule -- one that met me where I am right now rather than one I had to hurry and catch-up to. Monday, 12/29 was my 1st day on this plan and it was ugly. I was not discouraged. Tue, 12/30 was a little better but still not very pretty. I was not discouraged. So far so good.

Thursday, 1/1/09, the 1st day of the new year and my 3rd annual new year's day run tradition and everything just clicked. It's amazing how one really good run can erase all the bad feelings that have accumulated for so long. It's exactly what I needed to feel like it was all coming back to me. Fast forward to today, my 10 miler. It felt great! After 3 miles, I was really into it and feeling strong. At the 5 mile mark, my son joined me. And although he could only make it 2 more miles with me and I logged only 7, I really feel I'm headed in the right direction for the 1st time in a very long time. Besides, the day's not over and what's 3 more miles, right?

Like I said, I don't make new year's resolutions. But as we say good-bye to 2008, it's good to look back (as long as you don't look back too long) but it's even better to look ahead and resolve that this is gonna be a better year, I'm gonna be a better me and it's never to late to start over.

Gotta run...
Lisa =)