My second chance

A few weeks ago, I received an email from my employer. They were giving away 10 free entries to the Chicago Marathon. All I had to do was post a picture of myself doing something active on Instagram and tag it with #inspiredtorun and #healthiestlife.

My employer is one of the largest employers in the Chicago area, and I didn't think I had a chance. But I decided that if I won, it was my time to run, and I would do it. So I posted this picture:

because waterskiing is cross training, right?

...and forgot about it. Until last week, when one of my coworkers posted a picture of the Fitbit she had won through the contest. I figured that I didn't win, felt briefly sad, but then started to think about next year. I started looking ahead to spring and fall marathons. I even talked about it with my trainer. Quietly, I was actually making the decision to run a second marathon.

Tuesday, I came home from work and was checking my facebook when I saw this:

Who's that waterskiier? My heart started to pound and I couldn't breathe. I had to read the caption multiple times. Because guess who won? Besides 9 other people? Yep, me!

My husband asked me what was wrong. I must have been gasping for air. Shocked. And also, I never win anything! Well, anything big, that is!

I told my husband and he came over to look. "You don't have to run it, you know," he said. I explained my logic to him. But instead of discouraging me, like he did when I signed up in 2011, he told me that was fine. Then he asked me what the entry fee was, I told him. $185. "Nice," he said. Pretty good prize, I think!

Ok, so that hurdle was cleared.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind just swirled with thoughts:... marathon training already started 2 weeks ago...I'm behind in my training...no I'm not, because I already have a strong base (minus the 4 weeks I took off for my injury)...how am I going to train for this? While Hal Higdon's novice 2 plan trained me adequately for the marathon, the high mileage took a toll on my body. In the past, Becky told me she could train me for another marathon, and my longest run would be 16 miles. Oh, so appealing. I get to run the marathon for free!

And so it went. Flight of ideas...isn't that a psychiatric diagnosis? Aren't we runners all crazy? Maybe some of us more than others.

Today I went for my weekly CF training with Becky. We were wrapping up our 6 week heavy lifting and in between deadlifts, we talked about my training. Basically it boils down to this: less running, more lifting/intervals/HIIT. She'd like me to come more than once/week to work with her. I think it will be worth it.

I tried conventional marathon training for my last marathon, and you can read about that outcome here. I'm not saying it was the training. Certainly up until my 20 miler, I felt well prepared physically. My 20 miler went off without a hitch in 3:18. But the day of the race? It was 80 degrees and sunny. My nerves were frazzled. And I fell apart.

Do you believe in second chances? In fate? Really, how weird is it that this happened? I feel like this is a gift given to me to prove to myself that I've got it in me to run a marathon the way I know I can. Non-runners tell me that just running one is good enough. True. I thought that myself. Until I didn't live up to my expectations. But I want to cross that finish line strong. Smiling. And able to enjoy that post race beer. It is Goose Island 312, after all...

I'm already thirsty!

I've done the race before and I know what to expect--the course, the crowds. This time will be different though. I'm stronger than I was 3 years ago--physically and mentally. I have the support not only of my family and friends, but of my circle of running friends, none of whom I knew before. They'll all be there because they are running it too. And I have a trainer who believes in me and believes strongly in what she's doing. Marathon training should not be one size fits all. But that's what these training plans are. There's no science behind them--they're written by runners who have run marathons and found a formula that works for them. And a lot of marathoners don't have the miles on their legs and feet that I do. I've been running for almost 25 years. That's a lot of wear and tear! If there's a way I can get to that finish line without breaking down my body, let's do it.

Yep. Let's do it!

Frontier Days Stampede Race

It has been a long time since I ran anything shorter than a half marathon--with the exception of the CARA 10 miler. Actually the last time I ran a 10k was 10 years ago, and it was this very same race. I don't like to run shorter races for one reason, economy. Since I normally run 6 miles on a training day, it doesn't seem right to me to pay to run a distance that I already run. Of course, I don't race every time I run 6 miles, so there is that to consider.

But since I missed my half marathon in May due to injury and my recovery is going well, I figured I'd run this one. It is my hometown race and I knew I'd see a lot of people I know there. Plus we stayed home this weekend--we are usually out of town over the 4th. My boys begged us to stay home so they could hang out at the festival with their friends.

Surprisingly, I had trouble sleeping last night. I was a little keyed up about the race, I guess. We had a dinner of ribs, which isn't the best pre race fuel. I only ate 3 ribs, so there's that. And I kept telling myself, it's only a 10K.

I drove to the race and was stunned by how difficult it was to find a place to park. One of my friends was riding her bike down to the race and I started to think it was a good idea. I finally parked about 6 blocks away--granted, this is Arlington Heights, not downtown Chicago. I walked to the start line and found myself standing next to one of my neighbors. We made small talk and when the gun went off, I thought he'd take off. Meanwhile I was waiting for my Garmin to get a signal. No such luck. We crossed the start line and away we went.

He ran with me for a few blocks and then pulled ahead. I dropped back into a comfortable pace, trying to take that first mile slow, since I had to run by feel and not by Garmin. I turned up my music and moved along. Interestingly, my neighbor was only about 10 feet ahead of me. At mile 2, though, I passed him.

The race meanders through the neighborhoods. Both the 5K and the 10K runners run together for the first 3 miles. The course isn't packed, but there was a lot of maneuvering to get around slower runners for the first 3 miles. After the 5K runners turned off to the finish, the road opened up. It was at that point that Spotify decided to crap out on me. I ran in silence for a few minutes. I thought I would try it music free. But I really do depend on my music for pacing and to push me, and so I pulled out my phone and restarted the song while I was still running. Thankfully, it was Never Enough by Eminem, which was just the push I needed. I saw another one of my neighbors directing runners.

All along the course, I saw people I knew, which was really fun!

At mile 4 I stopped to get water and catch my breath. I didn't want to do it, but I was running fairly fast, a little out of my comfort zone, and I wanted to get myself back together. Knowing it was a 10K, I was really pushing my pace. After about 20 seconds, I started running again. There were a couple of slight downhills, which really helped me recover and get back into a groove. When I saw the final turn to the finish, I kicked it into high gear. This is only the second race that I have had that final burst of energy at the finish and it feels amazing! I crossed the finish line 53:31, chip time 53:16. Good enough for 2d in my age group. But it wasn't a PR! In my race 10 years ago, I finished 53:08. Only 8 seconds slower in 10 years? I'll take it!

I headed to the snacks and looked for my neighbor to congratulate him, but he was no where to be found. The post race spread was amazing. I grabbed a coconut water, which is my new favorite recovery drink, and a couple Core Power chocolate drinks, which are my go to protein drinks. Delicious! There was fresh cut watermelon and other fruits, kefir, bagels (of course), and water.

I found my friends Karen and Jim, who own the training facility where I work out with Becky. We snapped photos and compared race notes. I headed over to check my results, but was disappointed to find out they weren't complete. I waited and waited, still no results. :( I also ran into my boys' orthodontist, an avid cycler and runner, who crushed his 5K with a time of 20:something. That is smokin' fast, and this guy is around my age! I waited for a while to see if my results came up but they never did, so I finally went home. But as I left, the kids race was starting and it was about the cutest thing I have ever seen. "Be sure to follow the policeman", the announcer said. These little guys were flying down the block and back. Awww....

All in all, a fun time. I just might have to do it again next year!

Unexpected reflections

You never know when you will be inspired--or by whom.

This morning, I went to the local running store to pick up my race packet for tomorrow's 10K. While I was there, I ran into the owner of the store. I asked him how he was feeling and if he was back running. He shook his head.

About 5 months ago, this avid runner and supporter of the local running community was closing up shop for the night when he collapsed. He was rushed to the emergency room and was found to have an aortic dissection. An aortic dissection is when there is a tear in the aorta, one of the large arteries that carries blood from the heart to the body. There are many causes for aortic dissection, including genetic factors. I asked the owner if it was genetic and he said that yes, his father died from a massive heart attack, and his nephew, age 27, died suddenly last year of heart related causes. He never had himself tested, because, as he put it, he felt a sense of invincibility because he was a runner, because he had completed all types of challenges, and most recently was training for an adventure race in Belize. He had done some training with the Navy Seals and was pretty much able to keep up with them, and so he felt like he had nothing to worry about. Interestingly, the race was scheduled for 5 days after he became ill. He was ready to roll, training was complete. What if this had happened while he was in Belize, in the mountains, on the course? Certainly it would have been a very different outcome.

Luckily for him, the local paramedics got him stabilized and to the emergency room, where he was treated and later cared for in the ICU. Many cases of aortic dissection progress so fast that treatment is futile. And that's what hit me when I was talking with the owner-- he said to me that he is lucky to be alive. Truly! Yet when I was talking with him, I didn't get the sense that he felt completely lucky. I missed that spark in his voice. He just seemed kind of flat, and even admitted to me that he's just lost his mojo. I asked him if it helps, being around runners in the store and at races, and he said it does, a lot.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about our conversation since I left the store. All the what ifs in my head. All the stupid aches and pains and minor injuries that we, as runners, complain about. What if you suffered a health problem so severe that you could NEVER run again? And for this guy, what about the irony of owning a business that caters to runners and being told you can never run again? A community of people that you belong to, all participating in an activity that you have done for your entire life, that you love, that you can never do again? And yes, he's alive but what a sacrifice he's had to make, giving up an activity that we all know gives us so much joy, so many rewards, not to mention health and fitness. And now, a new found fear of mortality.

And that's the other thing. We as runners all push our limits. We push each other to push limits. So how much is too much? When you read stories about runners who drop dead at the finish line, does it make you pause and think about your own mortality? Do you think about your own health? Or do you think that would never happen to you? I have to admit that I think that! I'm a woman, I'm fit, I eat right, and I've been running most of my life. I have been told that I'm at very low risk for cardiac disease. And I push my limits because it does make me feel invincible. When I get hurt, it reminds me that I'm human and that I need to reevaluate my goals, reevaluate what it is I'm doing here.

Because yes, at this point in my life, I run because I can. But I also run because I want to push my limits. To prove that I'm not old. That I can still do this stuff. But today's conversation was a reminder that I also need to take care of myself. And be grateful that I can run.

You know, everything in moderation. It is my mantra.

As for the owner of the running store, my heart is broken for him. I don't care what a brave face he puts on, he's hurting inside, and it shows. I hope with time, he'll be able to accept what fate has handed him. I can only imagine how hard that must be.

This guy...

I don't think I've ever featured a book on the blog but today I implore all of you to read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163

I've seen a lot of runners and facebook pages ask the question: What is your favorite running book? I have to admit that I loved Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  But if I had to pick a true favorite, I have to say that Unbroken is not just my favorite running book but one of my favorite books of all time. Unbroken, is a running book for the masses. My dad just loved this book. When I talked to my dad today, we talked about Louis Zamperini, the subject of Unbroken, who died earlier this week at the age of 97.

97 years old! Can you imagine that? Especially after the life that Mr Zamperini lived.

Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini, a track standout at USC who set a record of 4:08 for the mile--a record that stood for 15 years. He was an Olympic hopeful who enlisted in the Army Air corp during WWII after the Olympics were cancelled. His plane fell into the ocean and he was captured by the Japanese and placed in a concentration camp after 47 days at sea in a life raft. Did you even know there were Japanese concentration camps? Most of the stories told about WWII focus on the cruelty of the Germans but the Japanese were just as rotten to their prisoners. There was physical torture but according to Zamperini, the mental torture was far worse. His torturer was later charged as a war criminal. But Zamperini said his athletic training helped him stay strong during his internment:

“For one thing, you have to learn self-discipline if you are going to succeed as an athlete,” he said. “For another thing, you have to have confidence in yourself and believe that no matter what you’re faced with, you can deal with it — that you just can’t give up. And then there’s the aspect of staying in shape. And humor helped a lot, even in the gravest times.”

Mr Zamperini was released from the prison camp in 1945. He was married for 54 years and raised 2 kids.

His story is being made into a movie. But don't wait for the movie. Read the book--you know the book is always better than the movie. Zamperini's mental toughness, which he attributes to athletics, is truly inspirational. Courageous and spirited, Louis Zamperini was a true American hero. And the perfect subject for a post on Independence Day!

License to thrill

I came home from my wonderful weekend getaway to find an unpleasant surprise in the mail. I received not just one, but two red light camera tickets. To those of you who live in a much more civilized part of the world, red light cameras are a money making scheme in the guise of "traffic safety". If you stop for less than 3 seconds at a red light before you make a right hand turn, the camera snaps a picture of your license plate and it's guilty as charged. As you might imagine, these red light ticket cameras are a huge money maker for the towns that use them. The cameras are popping up all over the suburbs and the city of Chicago. People hate them so much that some towns around here (including the one I live in) refuse to install them. The cameras are owned by a private company, and they too make a hefty profit. The good news is that these tickets can't go on your driving record. So I've got that going for me.

But apparently, I'm hell on wheels, since I got two of them in a week, in two different towns. At $100 a piece, this is a costly mistake on my part. I need to remind myself to count one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand every time I stop at a red light. Or I could check my phone while I'm waiting. But that's illegal! Or just not turn at all. That'll show them. Yes, I'm bitter. Can you tell?

My husband lectured me on my driving. This is what I heard:

Do you ever just tune out your spouse? As if I didn't feel badly enough. Think of all the things I could do with $200? That would have covered the entry fee to the Chicago Marathon this year! When I told my father, his response was: "those damn bastards!". My dad always says the right thing to make me feel better.

But believe it or not, this post isn't even about my leadfoot driving ways. I have been giving all of this a lot of thought. And all that thinking leads me to this:

Do you run like you drive? Or vice versa?

Are you Speed Racer?

Or are you Cautious Clay?

I drive to work on a really busy suburban arterial road. My commute is truly a test of patience. Along the way are a lot of shopping centers, gas stations, offices, and other miscellaneous businesses. People are pulling in and out of entrances along the road all the time. Going painfully slow while they look for an address or a store, slamming on the brakes, and often not signalling a turn. I find myself changing lanes to avoid people turning and pulling onto the road. Sometimes I change lanes because people are going too slow. Or too fast, when I have someone tailgating me. At times, it reminds me of an obstacle course. Or....

A race course? Indeed it does. When you run a crowded race, do you start out slow, letting people pass you? Or do you zig zag between people, jockeying for a smooth patch of pavement? Do you hate getting behind a slow pack of runners, and stew while trying to find an opening so you can get ahead and back on pace? Do you get annoyed at people who are pushing your pace while they are trying to get around you? Have you ever gotten behind someone who stops suddenly and you have to maneuver to avoid slamming into them?

OMG, running a race is just like driving!

I'm sure by now you've figured out how I race. I'm so glad there aren't surveillance cameras on the course. I'd probably get a ticket. Or two. Only if I don't stop long enough when I'm turning right...

Who motivates you?

It's been a while since I've written anything on the blog. Life, it seems, has taken over. Summer is really busy...not so much for me, but for my 2 teenage sons. My oldest has a part time job, and my youngest, who will be a freshman in high school this fall, has daily football camp. Which he needs a ride to and from--twice weekly. I'm carpooling with another mom on the days that I work in the morning. So basically on the days that I have to drive, I get up early, go running, drive him and his friend to camp, come home to get myself ready for work, pick them up, bring them home, and head off to work. When I get home from work at night, they're gone with their friends. It's a new phenomena for my husband and I, and I'm not sure I like all this newfound alone time. As I write this, my husband is snoring on the couch. Living the dream, I am.

I miss my down time. But most of all, I miss my boys and all the fun times we used to have together.

But last weekend, we went off to the north woods of Wisconsin, as a family, and had a fabulous time. 

We went to my parents' summer home. We ate. And we sunned. We boated. And ate some more. But we were also really active.

We kayaked:

And we did this: Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP): 

So what does this have to do with running, you ask? And what does this have to do with motivation?

Would I be able to do all this with my teenage boys if I didn't run? Running, cycling, yoga, and lifting weights gives me the energy to keep up with them; to be able to spend time with them doing things all of us enjoy. I've always said I don't want to be that mom who is sitting on the sidelines. I want to be able to keep up with them.

Truthfully, I don't run just so I can keep up with them. I run because I want to run, because it makes me feel good. I took in a couple of beautiful runs while we were in this amazing place. I love to run. I run for me. But as my sons grow older and want to spend more time away with their friends instead of me, I need to find things we can all enjoy together. And keeping physically active allows me to do these things.

While we were paddleboarding out on Green Bay, the wind shifted. I struggled to paddle back to shore. the wind kept blowing me back and at times, I felt a little panicky. I used my mental strength, honed from years of running long distances and pushed through to get myself to the pier. Later, I asked my boys if they got a little nervous that they weren't going to make it in. My oldest just kind of rolled his eyes at me. But my youngest nodded. 

"That was tough," he said. We smiled at each other.

Yep.

Who motivates you? Or what motivates you?

Girl talk

I love bad joke eel...sorry.

One of my friends recently posted a recap of her Ragnar relay experience. She commented that was on her period during the race...which made things that much more challenging. I bet! Logistics, pain, just yuck.

Another one of my friends was running a marathon and passed out. She was on her period.

This got me thinking about running and periods. Just Google menstruation and running and a ton of blog posts pop up. This is a big topic. For women. Men, you can be excused.

So what's a woman runner to do?

In my practice as a PNP, I do physical exams on kids of all ages up to 21. With girls, starting at age 9-10, I always talk about periods. Pre-puberty, I get to do a lot of what we medical folks call "anticipatory guidance", and we talk about changes to their bodies and what to expect. Most of the girls are pretty receptive, and I'm always surprised how much these young girls already know! I try to keep the discussion positive, but let's face it, who looks forward to bleeding every month? Periods are part of life but something that women love to hate. One thing I always say is that every woman gets their period and it's a club that no one really wants to be in. Truth!

I mean look at all the nicknames for it: Aunt Flo, Flo, on the rag (hate that one!), my friend (with friends like that, who needs enemies?), that time of the month, the curse...one blogger called it "riding the crimson tide", but she's from England and I'll excuse her for that! Anyways, none of them were really positive. Because really, what is so great about bleeding for 5-7 days every month? Some lucky women have a really easy time with their periods. But I have found over the years that is the exception. Most women have pain, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and mood swings with their periods. It's tough for women because advertisers really stress how their products can help you take your period in stride and go about your everyday activities as if nothing was bothering you.

Full disclosure: I always had bad periods. When I did get my period (every 6 weeks if that), it wasn't heavy but I had terrible cramps. Sometimes I vomited from the pain. Luckily, ibuprofen came out around that time, and once I was able to choke down those giant pills, I had some pretty good pain relief. It wasn't perfect, but I could function. I tried oral contraceptives and that definitely helped but I didn't like the idea of taking daily medication, and after several years, I stopped taking them. For several years after I gave birth, my periods weren't too bad. They were regular, and I could get by with ibuprofen on the first day. But in my 40s, everything changed. My periods became more and more painful again. Running became difficult, and I started having trouble even running 3 miles most days because I was so fatigued. I was diagnosed with a uterine fibroid and about 6 years ago, finally had a partial hysterectomy to remove it when it became so large I had trouble urinating. 

Eight weeks after that procedure, I ran 5 miles pain free and haven't looked back. I feel like a different person. Not only do I not get a period anymore, I have so much more energy. I'm running faster and farther than I have in years. I packed up all my pads and tampons and gave them to my friend, the mother of 2 girls. We laughed about it, but she told me how lucky I was not to have my period anymore. I completely agree.

I don't advocate such an extreme procedure for horrible periods, but for me it was life changing. Many of my friends who are in their 40s who have had similar issues have also undergone a procedure called uterine ablation, which basically compresses the uterine lining and reduces monthly bleeding. If you're done having kids, why not? Quality of life is a big deal here.

Jenny Hadfield wrote a great blog post on running and menstruation. Being an elite runner, she was really concerned how her cycles affected her training. She began keeping a symptom log and found that there were some key changes to her HR and pace during certain days of the month. Typically, the last 2 weeks of the month were more challenging due to cyclical hormonal changes. Interesting, because although I no longer get my period, I do still have my ovaries and so I do go through a monthly cycle. I just don't notice the extreme ups and downs that I did prior to my surgery.  She also talks about a "cut back" week if you are one who experiences bad cramps and /or heavy bleeding. Which is a great idea unless you are training for a race or your race just happens to fall at "that time of the month". Since women bleed 1 week out of the month, there's a pretty good chance that a race may occur during your period.

Another great article was published in Competitor magazine earlier this year. The article (written by a man, I should add) is more technical but talks about the physiology behind the cycle and why women should train differently than men. Turns out that depending on what time of the month it is, your heat tolerance could be lower due to fluctuations in hormones. Women are more susceptible to heat related illness than men. The author states that training helps improve a woman's ability to tolerate hot conditions. Anemia can be an issue in all runners, but especially women who bleed heavily during their periods. Anemia can contribute to fatigue because red blood cells carry oxygen to the brain and if you have less of them, well, it just makes sense. Glucose metabolism is also affected and he advocates a high carb diet. Hooray for carbs!

Seriously?

Do you notice changes in your running related to your period? What do you do to alter your training, if anything? Do you plan your races around your cycle?