A day to gain perspective

With a day to evaluate the race and a night to sleep on it, I have a much better perspective this morning than I did yesterday.

We wanted to be in a racing environment where others were also running and perhaps there would be people cheering. When we arrived to check it, I was totaly intemidated. Everyone looked like they belonged and I felt like I didn't. Mistake number 1. I let that get to me way too much. At the end of the race, my shoes had cut my heal and bled onto my shoe, I had blisters 3 inches long and I was chilled to the bone. But we did it and that's all that matters.

Yesterday, I too was mental defeated and was starting to ask a lot of questions. One of us asked somewhere before mile 5 if the wind was worse or the snow was worse. I can't honestly answer. But, we did decided to train for a marathon in the winter, in St. Louis where the weather varies daily, sometimes by more than 30 degrees. So, we can't expect anything less than snow one day and tank tops the next.

It's the ability to have a run like Saturday and then get out there the next day and do it again that will make this journey so much more rewarding when we are done. If it were always easy, everyone one would do it. We've come this far and we have realized that what does not kill us, will only make us stronger. It's a new day, and a new week and from the beginning we've been saying we are only gonna take it day by day, run by run and sometimes mile by mile. So on Tuesday we hit the roads again to start our 9th week of training. This time with new shoes for me and a much better attitude than Saturday.

Frostbite Series - 13.1 miles

We ran in an actual race today for our training run. It was a half marathon (13.1 miles) through Forest Park, called the Frostbite series. It was about 33 degrees, but not cold enough to get actual frostbite. The real bite was the 3 inches of slush that covered the race course. Within the first minutes our shoes and socks were soaked through. My sweatpants were not ideal for this weather because as you can see in the picture, the moisture from the slush wicked all the way up my pant legs. While we only ran 1.1 miles farther than last Saturday, it really felt like a million mile difference. I was wet, tired, and mentally beat up today, but I finished. It was a tough day and I'm still upsest about the whole idea of it, so I'll have to leave it at that.

Jan 29, 2005. 1/2 marathon race. Forest Park. St. Louis, MO. Official results not posted yet, but our time was 2 hours 33 minutes.

Runner's High

"A friend of mine runs marathons. He always talks about this "runner's high." But he has to go twenty-six miles for it. That's why I smoke and drink. I get the same feeling from a flight of stairs." LARRY MILLER

This is a funny quote that a friend sent to us. Training for the marathon has caused us to make sacrifices, and partying is definitely something we have had to cut back on. But it's true, we do get a natural runner's high after our runs. Sarah touches on the idea briefly in her last entry below. "Runner's high" is a term used for the state which is experienced by many runners during or after a prolonged run. Runner's compare it to the way getting high on drugs might feel. I've heard it described as wonderful, addicting, feeling invincible or euphoric.

I'm not exactly sure what to think of my "runner's high" yet. After our shorter runs, of course I feel content and a feeling of accomplishment and overall happy with myself, but after my long runs I have a rollercoaster of feelings. At first, I'm relieved to be finished, then I'm exhausted. Then about 30 minutes later it kicks in...I'm giggly, my mind is racing, my heart is pounding, my confidence is high, I'm singing at the top of my lungs to whatever song is on the radio....I CAN CONQUER THE WORLD! And then it ends, abruptly, as quickly as it rushed in, I crash hard. I'm lethargic, crabby, nautious, my head hurts, the pain in my muscles and joints begins to catch up with me, and I'm oh so thirsty - I can't even think straight - I try to find my way to a bed, a chair, a couch, heck I can lay on the floor.

So that's what people are raving about? Well, I'm not addicted to it by any means. And as mother nature would have it, it's actually the effect of your body pumping out endorphins in order to compensate for or alleviate the pain that your body is under when you push it to its limit. So hopefully my body will build up its supply of endorphins so that it can keep me 'high' long enough to never feel the pain. Maybe then I'll be able to truly enjoy a glorious Runner's High.

Mood Changes

When I got home from work tonight, I would rather have given blood 4 times than put on my shoes and run. (For those of you that know how miserable giving blood is for me, that says a lot about how much I did not want to run.) I walked in the door and told Evan that I had already run my 3 miles, clearly a lie since I'd been at work all day and wearing a skirt and heals. He didn't believe me.

I changed out of my work clothes and not even thinking about it, put on socks and a running top. That was it! I was going running. I kept telling myself as I ran I'd be happy when I finished. Walking through the door 32 minutes later I was in considerably better spirits than the first time I walked through the door today. Running affects my moods, for the better 90% of the time. No matter how much I dread it to begin with, I never regret running when I'm done.

Happy Friday! Another rest day before the half marathon in Forest park on Saturday. Hopefully there will be no tornado's this weekend!

Da Shoes

A good pair of shoes can do wonders. I highly recommend a store called Fleet Feet where they evaluate your feet and running style to recommend the best type of shoe. These shoes will have more miles on them in 18 weeks than I've ever put on any shoes.

3 miles, no big deal

Monday= Rest. Begining to become one of my favorite words.
Tuesday=3 miles.
We each ran on our own. I'm growing tired of the streets of U City and need to find another place to run. That's my goal for the week. The 3 felt really good. It was almost perfect weather, a little too warm for my taste. I'm used to running in the cooler temperatures. I wore my old shoes to see how they feel on my feet after months of my not-so-new-anymore new shoes. I need to get another pair and I really liked the New Balance so I think I'll go with more of the same.

Keep an eye on our schedule below which shows our distance each night. We really packing on the miles!

The Schedule

Our Marathon Training Schedule

Athens

Greece - where it all began. See 'Origin of the Marathon' below.

Origin of the Marathon

Who would be crazy enough to run 26.2 miles? Well who was crazy enough to invent this race and why?

In 490 BC, the first battle for democracy was fought at the Greek village of Marathon. Though overwhelmingly out numbered by an invading Persian Army, the citizen-soldiers of Athens prevailed and in so doing preserved the classical Greek way of life that became the foundation of western civilization.Legend has it that, when the battle was won, the Athenian messenger Phidippides ran twenty-four miles to Athens, carrying news of that stunning victory. The modern marathon commemorates his feat. He had strength only to deliver the message before he collapsed and died.
Click here to read the full history of the legend. History of the Legend of Marathon

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." - Doug Larson

Those who came before us

What's the buzz about marathoning? Will Ferrell has run one, Oprah, and even P. Diddy. Well, in April of this year Sarah and I are going to find out.

Here is a list of people close to us that have completed marathons. We like to call upon their names to inspire us to keep going...

• Monica Wohlberg (Kona, HI & Chicago, IL)
• Sarah Francois (1/2 marathon - St. Louis, MO)
• Jim Welsh (2 marathons)
• Allison and John Dirksen (Chicago, IL)
• Kelly (Barker) Kerns (more than 2 marathons)
• Rich Bender (2 marathons)
• Mike Roseman and Emily Conover (San Diego)
• Lorie Plengemeier's husband Glenn (millions of marathons I think)
• Claretia Spencer (2 marathons)
• Hope Bollig (St. Louis MO)
  
  

The next day

The day after the long run.....
Yesterday was a bit on the miserable side but what an accompolishment! When trying to decide if we should turn around and "try again tomorrow" or finish what we started, we decided that tomorrow (Sunday) it would probably be just as nasty out and we would feel so good to be inside all warm and FINISHED with our run. So we trecked on.

Wouldn't you know, today is still cool (below freezing) but there is absolutely NO WIND! Oh well, I'm glad to be done and have the hard part of the weekend over.

Sunday's are supposed to be cross training days. You do something else active and give your legs a rest from running. I have not been very diligent about the cross training days, I'll admit. Last night whenI went to bed I figured there was no way I would get my bod
y to do anything remotely active in the morning, but you'd be amazed at what a good nights rest and some Tylenol can do for you!

Today was lifting arms/back and a nice brisk walk. Nothing much but Holly is right, it does wonders! Tomorrow is we rest. Can't complain about that. The weather looks good for the week. No more huricane's in the forecast.
Check out the local weather

More on Tuesday most likely!

12 miles - Almost 1/2 a marathon!

Great job Sarah! We did it, 12 miles - almost a 1/2 marathon. We woke up at 6 a.m. to 15 degree weather and 30 mph winds. I was very skeptical of the weather & the unfamiliar course. About one mile into the course (when garbage cans we're being blown across the street) I seriously considered falling down & crying. The wind was cutting right through me & pushing me one step back for every step I tried to take forward. Then it started to snow, then my nose started running like a waterfall, my lips we're numb, and my frozen skin was tingling. I thought, "I'll humor Sarah & pretend I'm going to run 12 miles, but really she's lucky if I make it halfway."

I really was amazed - we kept pushing ourselves and finally made it halfway out & the only way back to the warm car was to keep running. Thank God the wind was at our back for the majority of the way back & suddenly it wasn't so bad. 12 miles - no biggie.

Yes my knees hurt, I have a headache from dehydration, my skin is windburned, I'm nautious and my body really aches - but hey it didn't kill me so it must be making me stronger. We defeated our own self-doubt, the weather & hills, and in the end kicked @$$. We are total complete ROCKSTARS!

What I learned today....

So, I think it's improtant to use your interests as an opportunity to learn new things. What have we learned form this experience so far? Lots, but I can't remember it all right now. I'll tell you a few things though:

Marathon training is expensive. Or at least more than I thought it would be. Think about it....new shoes, socks, atire. Not to mention, food, gatorade, bandaids. Every week it's something else. I THINK I need a water bottle belt, a knee brace, reflective clothing. The list goes on.

I CAN run for more than 30 minutes at a time. In fact, I can run for over an hour at a time.

Putting vasaline on your feet will (sorta) help against blisters. Same apparently applies if you have a problem with clothes rubbing and causing iritation.

The Cool-Max running tops at Target do not fit as their size indicates. Even the large doesn't cover your whole tummy. Anyone know where to find cool max tank tops that do go down all the way?


More to come as we learn new things!

Sarah

The first entry

So, we decided to log our training efforts now that we are almost half way through our training period for the St. Louis Marathon. Details:

Date: April 10th, 2005
Where: St. Louis MO
Who: Holly Martin & Sarah Keibler

Check out the website for the St. Louis Marathon
http://www.stlouismarathon.com/stl_marathon/

Click here for a picture of the course...