Marathon, for real!

Well, on October 7th I will be running 26.2 miles around my favorite city, Chicago, with one of my best friends!

I just spent the couple hours figuring out a solid plan for my marathon. I am loosely basing it off of Hal Higdon's Marathon training plan.  I say "loosely" because I have read that it is good to lengthen your training cycle. For example, instead of trying to get all your runs and workouts in in a 7 day period, stretching it out to 10, 14, or even 21 days.  This is essentially what I am going to do. I'm extending each week on his plan to a 2 week period. During that 14 day cycle I will get in 6 runs, 1 of which will be a long run, 4 strength workouts, 2 cross training workouts, and 2 rest days.

I have also learned that I train best when my schedule is pretty flexible. I like to be able to move around days, combine workouts, and sometimes skip them all together (yes, I realize the last one is not the greatest).  What I have decided to do this time is to plan out my major milage first. I have planned out when I need to be at specific mileage over the next nine months. I have also planned out a few triathlons that I would like to do between now and the marathon.  Beyond that, I decided to only plan my runs and workouts for January and February. That way I can re-evaluate how I'm coming in two months and make any necessary changes.

Basically right now I am working on building up my weekly mileage so that I can get to a point where I feel comfortable about working in runs over eight miles. I am also working back into a solid routine with running/workouts since it is now very difficult to run outside in the cold and dark.

I am also working on not killing the people at the gym that made it their New Year's Resolution to work out for the 15th year in a row, who take my treadmill during this crucial time, and will be nowhere to be found come February 1st. Its fine.

I am looking forward to this adventure!! I will continue to update on my training and progress!!

Number 8!

Number 8. Freshman year. My first race. Trideltathon.

Nervousness, excitement, anticipation. Having no idea what this race would hold, yet wanting to find out more than anything. The night before I tried to go to bed early. I actually woke up five minutes after my alarm was set for. I thought I had heard my text message tone, but I didn't have a message. Weird. Well about two minutes later my dad calls me. He was in the breezeway of South Carrick with my bike and helmet. So I quickly finish getting ready and getting my stuff together in a dark dorm room while my roommate continues to sleep.

Getting down to the transition area was super exciting, and super intimidating. I put my bike on the rack and organized my stuff in what I thought would be the most efficient way for transitioning.

Off to the starting line. This race is a 400 meter swim, a 6 mile bike, and a 3 mile run. And it's a pool swim, so everyone jumps in one by one. So, I stood in line, for 45 minutes, freezing cold, waiting to jump in the pool. When I finally did, I jumped in without my goggles on my eyes. After a few strokes I realized that my eyes were burning. Oh, right. No goggles, just chlorine pouring into them. So I stopped and put them on my face real quick.

On to the bike. So I transition, and I definitely put my helmet on backwards. Seriously? How do I do things like that? And then right after I get out of transition and on my bike, I stop, right in front of a crowd of fans, and put on my gloves. I just didn't care about my time that year. As I'm biking along, I decide to eat a power bar. I had heard that was a good idea. After about a little over half of my bike ride I start eating it. Then I decide it tastes like peanut flavored paste, and I throw it off the side of the road. I know, bad idea to litter. Well, my bike is from 6th grade and is from Toys R' Us. Just keep in mind that it is not a high quality racing bike. So I change my gears and start to stand up and petal hard. As I'm standing up, I'm leaning really hard to one side, and my gear jumps. SWOOSH, CRASH. Yes. I fell. Down. On the road, and I'm pretty sure I slid a little bit. My bike was on top of me and I was completely in shock. People are whizzing by going "are you ok?" Right, like they would stop anyway. But I was ok. Purely because of adrenalin. I get back on my bike, knowing I really wanted to finish. As I'm finishing the bike route I realize that I have a MASSIVE abrasion on my right elbow, and a pool of blood was starting to form. Thankfully I still couldn't really feel it. Well, I finished biking. And seriously debated not running. But only for about 1.5 seconds.

On to the run. My wonderful friend Keli Petty (who is now Keli Brand) was standing on the sidewalk and says "Hey! I'm going to run with you!" We had trained together and planned on racing together, but registration complications kept that from happening. And thank you Keli!! There was no way in the world I would've finished that run! Then, coming up the last huge hill, I hear Carrie SCREAMING at the top of her lungs. I seriously heard her a quarter mile away. It was awesome! And after that hill I was home free! I crossed that finish line so excited that I had actually done a triathlon. And not realizing the addiction I had started.

So there you have it! Number 8! Check back tomorrow for Number 7!

Trideltathon

So it had been 3 weeks since my half marathon. And I had run a grand total of 6 miles, biked 11, and swam half a mile. Freshman year of college was the first time I had done the Trideltathon and I've done it every year since (although that first year was such an adventure I'm not sure why I continued). So here I was about to embark on trideltathon number 4.

Well, GOOD MORNING 6AM. Awesome. Ok so lets just be honest here, my goal was totally only to have fun. I knew I was not going to get a good time, so I just wanted to enjoy the race.

At the last minute they changed the location to the outdoor pool. Well the pool was 74 degrees, which is actually wetsuit legal. And it was about 50 degrees outside. So braving the cold I stood in line for 35 minutes waiting to jump in the pool. I was actually the only person in line that kept my sweats on until right before I jumped in the water. Needless to say I kept getting comments about how great that idea was. Then I jumped in . . . and again forgot to put my goggles over my eyes. Yep, jumped in and started swimming with my goggles still on my head. Ha. I know you're shocked. While I was swimming, the only thing that was keeping me going was all the scripture I was quoting. Like let me just tell you that I've always loved memorizing scripture. There is no way I would be able to do anything in life without it. So as I'm swimming I was just clinging to Jesus. And let me just tell you, when you cling to Him, he never lets you down.

Well I finished the swim and ran to the transition area. Threw my shorts and my shoes on and hopped on my bike. Well the bike segment was half a mile longer this year. And there was a hill sequence that was really difficult. Again, I knew I needed Jesus at this point. And Lord thank you for coming through! For getting me up those hills and back to that transition area.
Swim down, bike down, 3 mile run to go.

As I'm coming out of the transition area my dad is yelling "GO MISSY! THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PART! YOU ARE THE BEST AT THIS PART!" Thanks Dad. Its a very interesting phenomenon to smile when you are in the middle of a race. Its like a reality check. Like knowing that when you finish that race you will still have wonderful friends and a wonderful family, regardless of how you do. That was a great way to start the run. And I did it without my ipod. That is an accomplishment in itself! I'm so dependent on that ipod its ridiculous. Well This time I had to depend on Jesus. And He is way greater than an ipod.
Well I crossed that finish line celebrating. Not because I had made a best time, not because I had finished in the top places. But because I had run a race with Jesus and He had given me victory. And it was fun. Yes, fun.

So needless to say this was not the best race of my life. But not the worst either. I didn't fall off my bike, like I did freshman year. And its not the last. And I can say that for the first time, I really ran this race on His Word.

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened by all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light."
Colossians 1:10-12

Another bib for my wall

So Sunday was the half marathon. This was the second half I was going to do. It shouldn't be hard right? I mean I've done this before. And last year I ran it in 2 hours and 7 minutes. Awesome. Just under a 10 minute mile pace. So this year I should run it at a 9 mile pace, and under 2 hours. Great plan.

10 weeks of training later . . .

Race day! whoohoo!! I was so ready to just destroy that half. Like kill it and beast up those hills. Lets go. Under Armor outfit: check. Hydrated: check. Sweet new playlist: check. Spectators ready to cheer: check. Olive Garden dinner: check.
So I walk down to the start line with my friend Julie, but then I lost her. I had to pee. The line was 187 people long. The gun goes off. ok i'll pee later. My playlist starts, OH its on shuffle! Now the art of race playlist making is very delicate. The timing has to be perfect. My pace has to be accurate, as well as the timing to match the terrain (like I need some Justin Bieber to get me up a hill, and some Lecrae to make me move on a flat, and some Matt Wertz at the beginning so I don't go too fast.) So needless to say I panicked a little. OK. Problem solved. But I still had to pee. Praying I would sweat it off. Good thing it wasn't really hot enough to sweat. But then God provided a port-a-potty, with almost no line. Problem #2 solved. And then I found Becky. Pure Grace. Mile 3. Time: 25:24. awesome. I am moving. oh boy. this actually could be a bad situation. Trying to ignore that fact, I continued up the next hill. Ok, so I have always prided myself in the fact that I BOOK up hills. Like thats my thing. I'll walk off and on during a race, but NEVER up a hill. Hills are mine. I destroy them. Well this first hill should have been an indication of the remainder of huge Knoxville hills over the next 10 miles. My legs quit on me. No more beasting. I was crawling. I would have walked it faster. Lord what is happening to me? I don't understand!! Thankfully there was a water station at the top. So at this point, which is about mile 3.5 I really started to struggle. 9.6 miles left. Oh no. Lord I'm gunna need some grace! So I focused on just getting to Cherokee Blvd. Well Cherokee didn't add any comfort or reassurance, or endurance for that matter. In fact about 100 people passed me. I knew my pride was driving me to keep going. The fact that I wanted to make this time goal so bad. I crossed the half way point just under an hour. Ok so maybe I could still do this.

But then I think God just really wanted me to rely on HIM. I had no more strength. But I have trained for this! I should be able to do this. Wow. Only now as I'm writing this (and He's bringing me to tears) am I realizing what He may have been doing. He was stripping me of all of those things I had become so dependent on. My training. My hills. My playlist. No, He wanted me to depend on HIM. and NOT put unrealistic expectations on myself. Dang.

Anyway. Mile 7 is straight up hill. yeah. I tried. Again, from a sprint to a crawl in about 3.5 seconds. But my family was at the top. Dad, Carrie, Dan, and Emily. Thanks guys! With signs that said "If I fake it I don't have it" and "could everybody please slow down" and the classic "Keep going you can do it!". Awesome. And then I saw Juile and Logan. Right behind me. Finally a little inspiration. So the next four miles continued to be rough. I wanted to cry. But then God made the sun come out! Can I just mention how many times I prayed that it wouldn't rain during the race! That it would be sunny!! Thank you Jesus! He did that just for me! BUT I WAS STILL STRUGGLING. Man story of my life. So skip to mile 11. The wall. And the hill. So my playlist is still going strong, Make War by Tedashii comes on. Awesome. One of the best "pump-you-up-for-a-run" songs ever. I start up the hill. "I can do this" and then you know who has the nerve to tell me I can't. To try to lie to me. To get me to give up! NO! I'm not going to live defeated. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." So simple, yet so brilliant. Yes Jesus. Help me Lord. Now I just want to finish. No time, no place. Lord I just want to cross the finish line. And God is faithful! I crossed that finish line. 2 hours and 11 minutes. I will not be defeated. No this race is a story of VICTORY!! V for VICTORY. Thank you Jesus.

Even through the pain and the struggle God still came through. He still provided. Always. It may not have been the way I wanted to finish the race, but it was the way HE wanted me to finish that race. Oh such is life. Let my plans fail Lord. Yours are so much better anyway!

Proverbs 2:7-8
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.