Grin Meets Grimace

"There's a fine line between a smile and a grimace..." -Sam

And I crossed it by about two miles ... The training group ran 18 miles in total today. We started with 5, did a 15K race (although most of us didn't actually race it) and finished with another 4. The weather man predicted a clear morning but must have forgotten to let mother nature in on it because it poured buckets. Having no experience running in the rain, I didn't really know what to expect. I found out. It's wet.

I'm not really sure how far I ran this week. Tuesday I was at my parents and ran a little over 4 hilly miles. On Wednesday and Thursday we were in Lake George (work not pleasure) and I ran for an hour each day on an un-mile-marked bike trail. But something clicked this week. I don't really know how to explain it, but my pace improved and it felt good. The 18 miles today was no different. It just wasn't the struggle to finish I've had the past couple of weeks. (Even with shoes that weighed 5lbs a piece by the end of our soaking!) By the way- thank you Mark for steering us back- would still be running around Fulton without you!

Well now that I've given myself a good pat on the back, I'm sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow! But I made it 18 miles, its too late to give it up now!

PS. I was instructed to add a correction. Sam is actually 57 not 55 as I stated in a previous post. Right Sam? Now Jodi would call this passive-aggressiveness.

*In actuality Sam is 54, but I'm betting this print is still too small for him to see!

Toe Run or Not Toe Run

I've decided to keep running. Yes, despite the fact that last week my second toe on the left foot began feeling, well weird. On initial inspection I thought it was the callous on the end of the toe. So I peeled it off (to no avail). On closer scrutiny, I realized that the toenail was turning a bluish purple. Slightly manic, I immediately went to the Internet, where I diagnose all my maladies (who needs a doctor?). So, its becoming clearer that I did not research this whole marathon thing beyond how far I need to run week to week... black and blue toenails that fall off are quite common among runners. And the best news, most of the time they grow back!

Yesterday was my long run. 16 miles complete! I ran with the training group out of the "Y" again. Well, not really with the group. Much of the group was way ahead of us. By the end the whole group was way ahead of me. Sam hung back to make sure I finished. Which I did, and that's all that matters. It was a hilly route yesterday, which I understand the running group trains on part of the course every Tuesday (why they thought this novice ought to try it is a question I am still pondering). For someone who barely made a much easier 14 miles, I think I did pretty good.

31 miles in total this week. And on full assessment this morning, the toenail is heading south, my quads are killing me, my snapping tendon is back in my right foot when I walk downstairs, and I have a contact rash in my armpits and thighs (yes I am officially allergic to myself!) that itched all night long. Can't wait to get started on Tuesday!

Oh- for all of you "far-far-away" folks, I applied for and got a school nurse position for September. Don't be so shocked - I was never mean to your kid(s)!

Am I a real runner yet?

I ran this week. I ran and ran and ran. I can't really think of anything else I accomplished. Three nights this week I watched the clock, anxiously waiting for Caine to get home, all geared up, so I could get outside and run. Yesterday, I had a problem weighing heavy on my mind and needed to run, my skin was crawling with the need, but I didn't cause it was a down day, and I slept crappy because of it. It's consuming me. Am I a real runner yet?

29.8 miles this week. Having started 7 weeks ago (I think) with a grand total of 8 miles, I am pretty impressed, if I do say so myself. Today we ran 14, actually I am the only one who ran 14. Pretty good right? Wrong, everyone else did 16. I'm okay with it though, cause I actually ran the whole darn thing this week and in 144 minutes which works our to just over 10 min miles. And best of all, I now know that I can run a half-marathon (and not poop my pants! ;)

Don't sweat the small stuff...

But make sure your still sweating. Lesson of the day. I decided to do the long run with a running club (although, I was informed that they are not a club, just a group of people who have been running together for 10 years) in Fulton today. 12 miles. Should have been relatively simple; it was cool, low humidity and much less hilly than the 11.5 I did two weeks ago. Sam, who is 55 mind you, has organized these Saturday practice runs to help prepare for the October 12 marathon. Over the course of the first 6 miles our group of 4 talked about just about everything and I joked about how overprotective my mom was. For instance, if I say my knees hurt after running, my mom has decided I better quit. Sam said "You can't sweat the small stuff when your running." Well at 9 miles, I decide I'd better stop blabbing, cause I wasn't feeling that well and falling a little behind. At 10 miles, I began feeling salty (a general coating of dried salt all over my body), what generally happens when I'm starting to get dehydrated. Sam took several walking breaks with me for the remaining 2 miles, at which point I started getting cold. Cold after running (ok run/walking) 12 miles? Well the nurse learned something new today, cold = dehydrated. Well, I made it but I feel like C-R-A-P. So Sam helped me troubleshoot and the plan for this week is: try wearing his water belt instead of my camelpack, step up my runs during the week, sleep and drink water on Friday and hopefully survive 16 miles next weekend.

The half marathon is looking better and better.

P.S. There are going to be portajohns at the race! This girl is not pooping her pants.