Race Recap: 2013 Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon

Race Date: Sunday, April 28, 2013
Race Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This isn't going to be my normal format for a race recap. This race wasn't about me but rather running in the memory of all those who have been victims of terrorism on U.S. soil as well as getting the husband through his first on road half marathon. I ran this race in honor of all veterans, past and present, as I do all my races. However, this time I also ran for those runners who were unable to complete the Boston Marathon due to the tragic bombing that took the lives 4 individuals who were simply doing their job or out enjoying the marathon. I also dedicated the run to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing which occurred just over 18 years ago as well as to the victims of 9/11. Lastly, I dedicated this run to the victims of the Newtown, CT shootings on behalf of the marathon runners who were unable to run mile 26 which had been dedicated by the race officials to the victims of Newtown.

Dedication bib I wore on my back during the race.

This was my second time participating in the OKC Half Marathon. There was definitely a different vibe at this race compared to last year. There were at least 2 helicopters flying above the downtown area before and just after the race began. There were military members in uniform, sniffer dogs, bomb squad personnel with bulletproof vests on and access to the starting line was limited. While the overall buzz of a race still remained there was a certain restraint in the air. Everywhere you saw reminders of the Boston Marathon bombing...from the Runners United to Remember bibs to red socks (a call went out in the 2 weeks prior to the race for participants to wear red socks in honor of the Boston Red Sox who after the bombing in OKC made a similar gesture for OKC) to green shoelaces (something I read about only after the race).

One highlight of the race was the fact that the husband was running his first road race here. This would be his second of three half marathons required for entry into Half Fanatics. I was worried because prior to this he had only hiked the Bataan Memorial Death March short course (14.2 miles) and his longest run was only 6.5 miles. I had taken him on what was supposed to be a 12 mile long run the week before OKC and he quit at 6.5 miles...I really wasn't sure that he'd finish this race, but I was going to do everything I could to make sure he did even if we had to walk the last half. I won't lie, I was a bit exasperated that he didn't train properly or listen to my recommendations for training...but one way or another he was going to finish this race. I was thinking that we'd be lucky to finish the race in under 4 hours...I was in for a pleasant surprise.

We arrived at the Memorial at about 5:20am so that I could meet up with some other Half Fanatics so that we could take a group picture at around 5:45am. We had originally planned to do the photo at the Survivor Tree but there was a sunrise service happening at the time so we decided on doing the pic in front of the Memorial's chairs for the victims of the bombing 18 years prior.

Free expo pic!

My gear for OKC Memorial HM.

This was an amazing picture taken by an unknown
photographer as we waited for the rest of the group.
Photo courtesy of RNrunnerdiva,
a fellow blogger and Half Fanatic (3rd from the left).

Group pic of the Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs.
My husband has been fired until he takes a photography class!
RNrunnerdiva/Theresa has the black Nike cap on and
I'm next to her in the Team Red, White & Blue singlet.

After the pic was taken, we all went into our separate directions and corrals. The hubs and I took our place towards the back of the pack and awaited the start of the race. Now, I must admit that I always get teary eyed when the national anthem is played before a race or any event. This time I went into a full on crying fit. It was the first event...probably since 9/11...that I had heard the majority of the participants and spectators sing along with the anthem. I'm not talking just an under the breath sing along, but rather at full voice with pride and reverence. I seriously lost it when this happened. The anthem was followed by  168 seconds of silence to honor the victims of the OKC bombing plus another 3 seconds for those directly killed in the Boston bombing. I swear those seconds lasted forever...

Waiting for the start.

Finally the race started...the wheelchair athletes took off first at 6:25am with the first runners taking off at 6:30am. It took about 20 minutes for us back of the packers to finally cross the starting line. The hubs and I had driven the course the day before so that he would know what he was getting into. It actually was pretty funny because there were at least 2 other cars doing the same thing...hubs made the comment that we should have all just carpooled! The first obstacle in his (and my way) was the first hill/train overpass coming out of Bricktown. Gorilla Hill, which happens about mid-race, is way more tame that this particular hill. The plan for us was to walk up and run down any hills and that is just what we did. The old man was doing okay during the first 5 or 6 miles of the run but at that halfway point he started fading. I made him use one of his Honey Stinger gels as a pick me up and started pushing him more to keep moving and keep doing intervals versus walking more and more. I had, and always seem to, hit my stride after the first 3-4 miles. I was feeling good and it was taking some restraint not to take off ahead of him and wait until he caught up. There were several times that he looked at me like he wanted to kill me for pushing him and other times that he looked like he just wanted to stop...but I kept pushing and made him keep going.

Probably the one thing I was hoping to see on the course was a couple of girls who last year were handing out bacon and Snickers. Unfortunately, they weren't there this year. Down in a couple of the neighborhoods, they had the houses that that were handing out shots of vodka, Jim Bean and other beverages. This year at Gorilla Hill they had an inflatable gorilla as well...something I don't remember from last year. We kept pushing on with me taking off ahead of the hubs every so often to catch a pic of him doing his first road race. It wasn't until about mile 10 that I started having my usual calf cramping and fell behind him catching up with him during his walking breaks. By the time we hit mile 12 I was feeling alright just having to walk of the cramping early on just enough that I could run for short distances. By this time I was thinking how odd it was that I felt that this race was much feeling much shorter than it did last year! I don't know if it was because I was in a different role and running with the hubs or if I have just become used to doing the distance. As we came into the last 500 yards or so of the finish line, the cramping started up harder and I had to do more of a wog (walk/jog) than a full run because the faster I went the harder the cramping occurred. We made it over the finish line together in 3:11:56...much better than the 4 hours that I had anticipated.

My favorite sign of the race.

Hubs at the base of Gorilla Hill...really it's not that bad.

Hubs posing in the International District.

This is one of two races that I'll be doing annually...the other being the Bataan Memorial Death March. Next year my plan is to do the full marathon. At this point I have no idea what the hubs is planning to do. I think it would be safe to say that this is one of my most favorite races that I've done in my short running career.

Until next year, OKC!! Hopefully under better circumstances...

My Stand Against the Stigma of Mental Illness

A few weeks ago, I had officially added the Stand Up for Mental Health Campaign's header to my Twitter account and a link on my blog. I had already had the header up on Twitter for a couple of weeks prior to notifying HealthyPlace, the originator of the campaign, that I had done so. In that notification to HealthyPlace I included a brief outline of why I had added the header and of my background. I was asked if I would share my story either in a blog post that they could link to or in a story that theycould host on their page. I chose the former after reading this article about self-stigmatization which is something I haven't really done too much of...at least I think. I put myself out there for varying reasons...I've posted about my struggles in old blogs that I used to have or just venting on Facebook or Twitter, but it's just my nature and part of the career path that I chose...

I was diagnosed in 1997, about 2 months before I was supposed to graduate from my Masters degree program in nursing with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Like many of us with bipolar disorder I had been an outstanding student throughout my whole life. Then all of a sudden, in late September I became increasingly depressed. Near suicidal at that point. I was doing preceptored clinicals, working on a thesis, working full time at an outpatient clinic and being a military wife/mom to two elementary aged kids. Luckily I had already been in treatment for unipolar depression for a year or two and was
seeing a therapist who also noted my mood swings and recommended an evaluation for bipolar.

Within a couple of weeks the official diagnosis of Bipolar 2 came in. My first action was to
read An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. In this book, I found so much of me with a
lesser degree of symptoms as compared to Dr. Jamison. A lightbulb went off in my head and
that great "A-ha!" moment happened. Over the following years I would be able to retrace
my symptoms to my mid-teen years and so many questions about my previous behavior were
clarified. It was a year of finding out who I really was and the positive and negative
implications that my disorder had provided me with in my life.

I did manage to graduate with my master's degree that December with a lot of work and tears
and the dropping of my thesis course...thankfully it was optional. I went on to work as an
RN, never getting my license for my FNP because of the newness of the diagnosis and my own
fear of making wrong decisions if I was in a bad way. However, I did excel as an RN in different positions
but there always seemed to be a time that the stress just got to be too much and I ended up
resigning and taking several months off and even considering leaving nursing all together.

In 2004, after a 4 month or so hiatus from nursing, I began subbing at a clinical site for
the local nursing program. Teaching was something that I had wanted to do since I was in
licensed vocational nursing school so many years ago. I had found my niche. I came onto
the faculty full time the following Fall and the following year I volunteered to take over
the Psych/Mental Health component of the program for the upperclass students when the
previous instructor left.

This specific content was truly my niche. Teaching psych. I loved it. My interest in psych/mental health
had exploded with my diagnosis...my focus was primarily on bipolar and other mood disorders,
but I loved it all...the whole confusing lot of the DSM-IV-TR. While my goal was to teach
the students about the different diagnosis involved in mental health and their treatments
my personal goal was to help them learn to get over the stigma that the media and past
generations had built up about mental illness. I didn't want my students to be me when I was on my
psych/mental health clinical rotation in RN school...fearful and trying to avoid interacting whenever
possible.  I remember...my first question to the third semester classes was always, "Look around you...can you tell who might have a mental  illness?" Inevitably, they would all look around and appear a little blank as if to ask, "Why is she asking us this?" My next response would be to raise my hand and say, "I do!"

You see, I've never been shy about sharing my diagnosis. I've told employers almost from
the start even though I'm not required to by law. I've told co-workers not only for my own
good and patient safety but also so that they can be attuned to what's happening with me and call me out when things get a little stange (and they often did). Maybe it's only because I was in nursing but I'd
like to think that I'd be that open if I were working in a different field as well.

For me, personally, I felt that having the students know that I was battling what could be
a serious mental illness (I've attempted suicide at least 12 times in the past), that they
could see that it doesn't mean a mentally ill person could not be successful. I wanted them to
learn that they didn't need to fear mental illness. Granted, we're not all fully functional
but just the realization that a mentally ill person could look like me and be teaching a
class of 30-35 students about such a weighty subject could be an eye opener for some.

The students learned observations skills, communication skills and hopefully empathy from
not only classroom exercises and study, but also from observing me through  my good days
and my bad days. They learned to recognize when I had gone off my meds or when I was
becoming depressed or a little hypomanic. They were learning about mental illness in a
non-threatening way...OK, if you can just imagine nursing school being non-threatening.
But they were also learning to accept that I was a human being with a mental illness, no
different than any other human with a physical disorder. I just happen to have  an illness
that originates in my brain versus having diabetes which begins in the pancreas. They,
hopefully learned to understand that a mentally ill person is a human being...period...not
a monster or crazed individual to fear. Having this experience with me, I hope, prepared
them for our one week clinical at the state mental hospital where they had to
encounter more acute states of illness with a more open mind rather than fear; as well as for future encounters that they may have with the mentally ill.

Teaching gave me that opportunity to share not only my illness but to help, hopefully, break
the stigma of mental illness among the majority of my students. Granted, not everyone will
have made the connection, but I feel safe in saying that the vast majority did have their
eyes opened to the reality of mental illness while working with me. By the time I chose to finally
leave teaching in 2011 I was working on a second master's degree in Psych/Mental Health Nursing
and was within two semesters of graduating as a PMH NP as well as concurrently working
on a PhD in Nursing. Even though I have had to voluntarily remove myself from nursing due to a severe exacerbation of my symptoms between  2009 and 2011 I continue to do a guest lecture at the same nursing school each semester to try to help demystify mental illness and the stigma attached. That is the least I can do for now. At some point I'd love to start a support group through DBSA or NAMI but until I feel that I can be stable for a long period, or find a backup co-ordinator, that dream will have to stay
on the back burner for now. But no matter what, I'll continue to do what I can to help
break the stigma of mental illness and will hopefully one day be satisfied that I have done
everything I could to do so.

A Word on Tenacity & Bipolar II Disorder

"This is the nature of my particular affliction; without warning I can change from having the confidence of a world-conqueror to the diffidence (I just learned that word at this moment) of an abused dog. Of course, the underlying issue is the disorder itself, but even with that realization a dn comprehension of the falsity that fuels the feeling, it can seem like a massive undertaking to 'right the ship.'" ~ From Bipolar II and the Role of Tenacity by Steven Pace on PsychCentral.com To the Edge & Back blog

The blog post from which this quote comes from spoke loads to me considering my current frame of mind. People who know me from before I was diagnosed or when I am "well" know that I can be confident, driven, focused, grounded, etc. and can get things done.  But what many people don't see is what happens when the depression strikes. The severity of my loss of self-confidence, feelings of low self-worth and self-loathing, the lack of ability or the expectation of being unable to complete a task does waver to varying degrees but for the most part I can overcome and maintain at least some sort of tenacity. However, when the depression is overwhelming all that goes out the door. I go from that self-confident..maybe even sometimes cocky...individual to a whimpering idiot who cuts off almost all communication with the outside world and dives head first into a pool of self-pity, negative self-talk, thoughts of not being a life worth living.

I find that the older I get and the longer I have this disorder my ability to maintain my tenacity is growing harder and harder. For instance after two straight years of crying almost daily, being unable to hold it together enough to teach I tired of the fight. I had tried for those two years to hold things together but was unable to. I was ineffective as an instructor...felt ineffective as a human being. I finally came to the realization that I just couldn't do it anymore. I gave in and went into in-patient treatment for suicidal depression for the second time in my life. After about a week and a half in treatment I was discharged and realized that my life/career as a nurse was over. I gave in to applying for a disability rating increase review through the VA and now I'm 100% service connected disabled with an un-employability clause due my affliction being a mental illness. My tenacity for my livelihood of 22 years fell by the wayside. I finally let my nursing license go in January after it expired. For 15+ years I had fought going this route but in the matter of a month I jumped into that decision with no prodding.

I don't know if my drive or perseverance has just got up an left in almost every aspect of my life, but I am thankful that I started running last year and can find the strength to drive myself through some seriously stupid crap that I have done in the name of the run. Running seems to be the one thing that I do not lack tenacity with. Maybe it's because no one is counting on me...it's just me, myself and I. But without the tenaciousness I have for the run I would literally curl up and wither away because at this point that's all my life has become. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know, all I know is that is what keeps me going...

Since I Can't Sleep #2: I Can't Believe I Won Something!

Well, maybe this post title will be a lucky theme for me! In my original "Since I Can't Sleep" post, I was notified about winning a prize! Of course, since I hadn't been blogging regularly I didn't see the notification and I don't remember getting and email notifying me of a new comment from Blogger. Oh well! I'll be getting a doozy of a prize to help pamper my feet and those hard, dry heels I've dealt with for most of my life (started when I danced as a kid and running isn't helping much!). I'll be receiving the Emjoi Micro Pedi sometime in the next week or so and once I've used it awhile I'll post a review. Thanks to Valiant over at For the Love of the Run for picking me!! :D

Anyway...tonight I'm sitting in the little temporary lodging facility (TLF - basically a small 1 bedroom apartment) here at the Indian Hills Lodging facility on Tinker AFB, Oklahoma on the eve of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon/Half Marathon/5K (I'm doing the half...maybe the full in a year or two). Of course my alarm (the first of 3) is set to go off in 3 hours and 3 minutes with subsequent alarms going off in 15 minute increments (no, I'm not just hitting the snooze button). The loss of 1 hour due to crossing an eastern border is not fun. I've been in bed for the past hour trying to sleep and I dare not take anything (natural or man made) that might cause me to sleep through my alarms. I'm really half tempted to open up the sofa sleeper and see if I can fall asleep on it. But truthfully, although I'm tired I'm not "sleepy" tired. Maybe it's also the fact that I'm sleeping next to the A/C unit and getting the air blown on me. I wonder if he would notice if I turned it off? Or maybe it's the fact that we sleep in a king sized bed at home and here we're in a double. Or maybe it's the noise from is bi-pap (similar to c-pap) machine and the fact that he is that much closer to me in the bed. I really don't know, but I guess I'll give it a try again. 

Another sticker I have to add to my car...
with all the others that still need to be added!

Well, please wish me luck...between the inevitable lack of sleep (which will improve at the memorial/prayer service at 5:30am) and my left hip/pelvis/piriformis/ITB./whatever...being pretty achy I'm definitely not looking for PR. However, if you ever have the chance to visit the OKC Memorial/Museum I recommend it highly. We visited it a few years ago when we were in town and I was in tears the whole time...very moving! Tomorrow will be a new experience being there in the memorial at sunrise, the 168 seconds of silence,  the service and finally the race...I can't wait! The race report will hopefully follow not too soon after! G'nite!

AFTERTHOUGHT: 

Oh, did I forget to mention that we're in a thunderstorm watch until 2am with the potential for 3" hail, severe lightning and wind gusts to 70mph...and I can hear it starting outside now? Not the hail...yet...thankfully! Check out the wonderful race weather I can expect...I'm just planning for rain and packing an emergency poncho in my hydration belt since I'm not too fond of being wet...joy. Last year the rain threw down and the runners got pelted with large hail. I'm hoping it's not going to be a repeat!!

My reason to run today

Today marked the worldwide virtual run to remember Sherry Arnold, a Montana runner, math teacher, mother and wife who disappeared in the early morning of  Saturday, January 7, 2012 during her morning run. While two arrests have been made, her body has not yet been found. Her cousin, Beth Risdon who blogs at Shut Up + Run, started a movement to honor Sherry with a simple blog post and request...to go out and run/walk/cycle or whatever activity of a person's choice to honor her cousin on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Several of my running friends, local and online, planned to participate. Some of us simply to remember Sherry and some of us, like myself, to make the stand that safety is an issue for runners, perhaps especially for women who run solo...and that we shouldn't allow fear to keep us from doing something we enjoy. Watch this video about the virtual run from KTVQ in Billings, Montana.

Despite having woken up at 4:30am and spending the next 4-5 hours trying to deal with an upset stomach that almost stopped me from going on the run, I persisted and ate my usual light breakfast, took a hot shower to hopefully perk me up (which it did), and taped up my knees and turf toe. The run was scheduled to start at 9am but I ended up moving a little slow and didn't get out the door until 9:30. I had originally planned to drive out to the local Air Force base to run the 10 mile long perimeter road, but between being sick and a weather forecast with a freezing fog advisory, 22°F, wind chill of 11°F and winds for the east at 11mph, I decided that running a 5K route in the area of my house would be the best plan since I'd be relatively close to restrooms very close to the route and close to home should I begin feeling ill during the run.

I have to admit that the run started out pretty slowly as I tried to grapple with my rumbling stomach and the occasional wave of nausea. The tree branches and grass were fairly well covered with frozen fog. I had to concentrate on keeping warm and keeping moving. My initial intervals were pretty short...not even ¼ mile before walking for 100-200 feet. As time passed the nausea seemed to subside and I was able to get into a fairly regular pace with my run intervals increasing closer to half a mile. Once I hit this comfort pace my thoughts for why I was running, especially while sick, became the focus. My thinking began to focus on what I could do to make myself safer since I run solo about 97% of the time. I carry pepper spray on most of my long runs (when I can remember it) and I try to run in fairly well traveled areas (Perimeter Road on base is the most remote location I run on). Whenever possible I tell my husband which route I'll be on and try to leave it up on my computer where he can find it and if I'm running during the week while he's working and I'm going down that way I'll usually check in just to let him know where in my run I am and when to expect me home. At about this point I found myself hearing my Runstar app announcing that I had just surpassed the 5K mark. Woohoo!! I'm feeling pretty good, I think I'll try to keep going for the 10K.

As I began on the second loop I realized that I had forgotten my RoadID anklet, another item that I try to remember to put on before my long runs. This little gem provides basic emergency information plus is linked to an account online that emergency services can retrieve my medical history. I do, however, always carry my smart phone which shows my husband's phone number on the lock screen and also has an emergency information app on it listing my medical history. I began thinking if there was anything else that I could do to make myself even safer and I couldn't think of anything short of running in a group. I don't know enough local runners who run at my pace which is slower than most runners I know (they are probably at an 8-9 minute mile while I'm more at a 13 minute mile during training) and my run is faster than walkers than I know. Besides, I do enjoy my alone time to just zone out or think things over by myself. I do try to go to the local running club weekly meetup but I only do 1-2 miles due to time constraints although it is nice just touching base with people. There it is again...my Runstar app announces 6.2 miles and I'm just short of my house. Oh, what the heck...haven't been feeling sick lately let's go for the full 10 miles!

I turn around and decide to do the route in the opposite direction with some extra turns and such to reach the full 10 miles. I'm pretty much done thinking at this point having covered every talking point that I could think of. I'm plugging along when I start seeing individual young men at two different points walking towards me with hoodies on and the hoods pulled up over their heads and obscuring their faces. I then start going into alert mode...what are you going to do if you're attacked? Should you turn around and make sure you're not being followed? Frankly, just a little touch of mild paranoia. Obviously, nothing happened. But what if it did? How would I fight back? Kicking, screaming, swinging my frozen arms which seemed to be frozen into the 90° angle to keep proper form. I had left my pepper spray at home since I'd be running in town and on fairly well traveled roads. Unfortunately, that reaction is really something that you won't know about until it actually happens. I continue on my way turning a corner (one of those extra turns I had mentioned) and there's a man walking out of his garage who hollers out, "That's too extreme, this is not running weather!" to which I reply, "Any weather is running weather!" Again, my mind turns a little paranoid. What if this guy actually tried to grab me and drag me into the house? What would I do? Again, there was nothing that I could come up with for sure because the reaction would be instinctual. I realize that I can't let paranoia control me. I have to trust in the run and trust in my instincts to keep me safe. I hear the Runstar app call out 9.3 miles. I need to adjust my route a little again to make the full 10 miles. I begin to wonder what must have gone through Sherry's mind as she was being abducted. Was she terrified or had they tricked her into entering the vehicle? What was it that made her their target? Just the fact that she was a woman running alone? We will never know. As I turn onto my street, I have to turn away from home to get another quarter mile in. I pull out my phone and open the Runstar app to keep track of how much further I need. I shake up my sprint flask (a palm held 10 oz bottle) full of G2 to find that it has pretty much frozen into a thick slush which is totally undrinkable through the valve (good thing I wasn't thirsty during the run). Then as I pull into the driveway I said a silent thank you for getting me through this run and a wish for peaceful running for Sherry Arnold. You are safe now. Run happy.

100 Days Challenge:

• Day 42
• 10 mile run to honor Sherry Arnold in 2:13:52

What I Ate Today: (Still being updated)

• 1 whole wheat Bagel Thin
• 1 Tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
• 40 oz G2
• 2 sausage patties
• 2 fried eggs
• Spaghetti with meat sauce from Something Different Grill
• 2 slices of garlic bread
• Side salad with Ranch dressing (iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, croutons)
• 32 oz Pepsi

Alkalete Review, Day 5:

Still not noticing any significant changes. Some soreness post 10 mile run after 2 doses today. Two days of rest in my future aside from PT exercises and Aqua Zumba before the virtual half marathon. We'll see how ready I feel on Tuesday.

Goodbye Zumba! (For Now)

Today I made a gut wrenching decision. I'm letting Zumba go, at least for now, until I feel my pelvic malalignment issues have been permanently corrected. Up until I attended a couple of classes last week my pelvis/IT band has been feeling pretty good with only some slight aching. After attending the classes (regular studio classes) I began having increased pain to the point that I had to start sitting out some songs on the second day. Even now I have some issues with mild pain and tightness when I first start running even when running at a pace slower than my normal training pace of about 12-13 minutes/mile. My next half marathon is just over two weeks away, so I think that it is the smart move to stop Zumba now and allow as much recovery (between runs) as possible.It seems that the Aqua Zumba isn't causing me any problems, other than sore arms because I use swim gloves for more resistance, so I'll be staying with that. Luckily summer is headed our way in a few months so I'll be able to attend classes at the outdoor pool over the summer...woohoo!

So, what will I replace it with? Well, I should start training on the bike for the sprint duathlon in May. I still need to replace the MTB tires for semi slicks and my bike needs a serious tune up (it doesn't help that it's a cheap WalMart bike). I'm just not ready to fork over big bucks for a road bike...that won't happen until I find out how much I enjoy/or not enjoy riding. We have an elliptical but to tell the truth, I hate it. First of all my quads burn so bad within 10 minutes or so and well, I don't have the patience to stay on it...I think it's actually worse than the "dreadmill."

So, I'll have to decide fairly quickly. I definitely need some cross training in my routine as well as speed work (again something that I dislike). I wish our YMCA had a full on rowing machine...I've loved rowing in the past. I've read that rowing is a great cross training activity for runners as well. I could row almost forever I think. Maybe that's what I'll look for to add to the home gym in the future, a nice rowing machine. But that costs money. Ugh. Running is making me even more broke than normal!! Running is NOT a cheap sport...don't let anyone tell you it is!! LOL!

100 Days Challenge:

• Day 39
• 38 minutes of PT exercises for pelvic malalignment/ITBS

What I Ate Today:

• 12 oz non-fat, lactose free milk
• 2 fried eggs
• 2 sausage patties
• 8 oz Mongolian beef
• 1½ cups white rice
• 1 pound baked potato from Something Different Grill with
• shredded cheese
• bacon bits
• chives
• sour cream
• butter
• salt
• pepper
• 32 oz Pepsi
• 20 oz G2

Alkalete Review Day 2:
Yesterday was my 2nd full day on the Yoli Alkalete dosing. After doing a 6 mile treadmill run late last night I woke up today to my feet feeling okay but some soreness in the legs/hips. As the day has worn on, the soreness had eased significantly although I did do some PT exercises and the soreness increased somewhat. I was also extremely tired today and yesterday having to take an extended nap each day. Now, I'm not saying that the fatigue is due to the Alkalete as there is also a change in my body's self-regulation that I noticed yesterday. Tomorrow is an 8-10 mile run so we'll see how things are feeling on Friday. The testing continues.

Reflections of a first time half marathoner

Pre-race approx 0500.
It wasn't cold, my hands
are just always cold.

This past weekend has been a whirlwind of activity! I completed something that I thought I never would have done in my life, I met some wonderful people, worked with a great organization and got to visit the Happiest Place on Earth for the first time in something like 15 years.

For the past 5 months I have learned to run from scratch. My serious dislike of running has turned into a very much liking of the sport. I wouldn't say "love" but it's getting there. I've gone from the girl who avoided running in school like it was the plague to a person who misses running on her rest days. The change in my attitude just astounds me! I thought I had really gotten into Zumba after starting in May, even to the point of becoming licensed to teach; but this whole running thing is way more than that even! Today I registered for 3 more half marathons within the next 3 months. I mean, really...I did that?!?

The experience of racing for 13.1 miles was so different from the practice half marathon I did on my own a few weeks ago. I felt tired after I finished that but after finishing the Tinkerbell HM I felt like I could have run even more! My next half marathon is in 26 days and will be near my home elevation of 4,300 feet so we'll see how much of a difference the elevation  really makes for me.

So let me get specifically to discussing Tinkerbell, the race, itself. Having not ever been a participant in an event this big, it was a whole new experience. My only experience with an event this big was volunteering at the Nike Women's Marathon last October. The New Mexico/El Paso Team in Training team met in the lobby of the hotel a 3:45am to make sure everyone had their gear and was ready to go. We took some team photos and eventually headed for the race around 4:15am or so. Once we got to the staging area we all broke up to head to our corrals. I walked around to find the husband and we figured out where he would be during the race so that I could look for him. After a final farewell I headed to corral B to join the other runners. I walked around kind of blankly just trying to look for some of the ladies that I had met at the Facebook group meetup the day before. I happened to see a status update on Facebook from Melanie who was also looking for people in corral B...we were actually only about 10-20 feet away from each other. We hooked up and ooooh'd and aaaahhh'd at everything (this was the first half marathon for both of us) and finally when the race started we started to run together. It was a nice conversational pace...a little bitching and moaning at the first "hill" (an overpass...hey, I train on primarily flat roads) and watching as we passed others or (as was more common) we got passed...especially by the guys who had been relegated to corral C. We looked out for people we had just met, wing shirts made by one of our friend Alissa (Balancing Act Clothing) and hamming it up for the Brightroom event photographers spaced out along the course in Disneyland. As we came up to just past mile 4 we both saw our husbands at different times...I ran to Troy and gave him a hug and kiss for actually holding up the "Go Beth!" sign that I made for him at the expo. Then off we went along the streets of Anaheim...most of which I don't remember having ever been on in all the times I've been to the area in my life. We saw several funny, supportive signs held by spectators, spectators yelling my name (it was on my jersey & bib) and just the overall excitement of the race.

Around mile 6 or 7 we slowed down a little because Melanie had developed a couple of blisters, I tried to keep her spirits up...to keep the "bling" (race medal) in sight. Melanie was a trooper and kept on going! I've gotta give the lady some props because she was just off a very light month of training due to some medical issues but she knew what she wanted and she was going to get it one way or another. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen with us together. I told her, "We started together, we finish together!"

During mile 10 we were heading back into Disney's California Adventure, a park I have never been to, and into the last few miles of the race. The final push. Then there was the 13 mile marker...for some reason that last 1/10th of a mile seemed long! We pushed with whatever energy we had and crossed the finish line 1 second apart. After a big hug we parted ways until later that afternoon when I would deliver her some moleskin for her blister(s). In the excitement of the finish, during which I had held my fist up as if yelling "YEAH!" (I'll buy the event photo later and post it) I forgot to look for the husband in the Platinum ChEAR Squad area as I crossed the line. Ooops! Anyway, I picked up my medal, checked out at the TNT tent and finally found the old man over by the finish line. I promptly  took my space blanket (which I have saved as a souvenir) laid it on the ground changed out of my running shoes into sandals and downed my post race snack. We then went and got my medal engraved and headed back to the hotel.

Once at the hotel (we walked the 15-20 minutes or so...took longer than usual due to heavy foot traffic) I immediately went into an ice bath even though housekeeping was still cleaning the room. Played on the internet for about an hour and then headed to Disneyland. It's funny how things have changed yet stayed the same there. We hit most of the larger attractions but I was disappointed that the newly refurbished Small World was closed because they were taking down holiday decorations. The fireworks also were canceled due to technical difficulties...not that we were going to watch them anyway. At about 9pm my feet were so sore and my ankles were almost non-existent due to swelling. We called it a day and headed back to the hotel. Another hour on the internet, back to the room to finish packing and a few hours sleep before leaving for home in the morning. Seriously, that was a lot to fit into one day!

So, what have I learned with this experience?

1. runDisney races are FUN!
2. Running with a friend is FUN!
3. I really, really like to run!
4. I really, really need to buy a new camera to replace the one I can't find.
5. I'm glad I'm not a picture taker when it comes to Disney characters...would mess up my PR.
6. That I'll be doing more runDisney races in the future.
7. That I am ready for the half marathon distance, but I need to work on speed.

Well, I guess that's it for now but since I missed posting yesterday...I was just worn out after all the traveling...my updates for yesterday are included in this post.


100 Days Challenge:

• Day 30 (1/30)
• 30 minute walk on the treadmill 1.46 miles with legs/feet still sore from the half marathon on Sunday!
• Day 31 (1/31) 
• 2.31 mile run/walk with the local run/walk club in 31:54
• Hatha flow yoga class for 1:20

What I Ate (Yesterday &) Today:

• Yesterday
• Peach Yoplait yogurt
• Pre-packaged bowl of Corn Pops
• Low Fat milk
• 16 oz orange juice
• Quizno's regular size double cheesesteak sandwich + mushrooms
• Snack bag of pretzels
• 2 Chocolate chip cookies
• 20 oz G2
• 18 ozs of Pepsi
  
• Today
• 1 pack chicken ramen
• 16 oz Pepsi
• 16 oz G2
• 1 fried chicken breast
• 1 fried chicken thigh
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 4 Tbsp chicken gravy
• 1 cup green beans