Foreign Objects

My feet are always sore after my long runs. That's why I didn't think much of it when the bottom of my left foot was burning during my drive to Atlanta Sunday evening. I figured I tore a callous or developed a small blood blister. No worries, right?

When I settled into my hotel room, I examined the bottom of my foot and saw a wavy black line, about 1 inch long, under the skin of the ball of my foot. Weird. It hurt to the touch and walking didn't feel super either.

I suffered through the pain during the deposition on Monday. After a few glasses of vino, I searched my hotel for a needle and a match so I could perform a drunken inspection of what I assumed was a weird blood blister or a piece of wire. No luck finding that needle, and once I sobered up a bit I decided that gangrene was not conducive to marathon training.

I got an appointment with my nurse practioner Tuesday afternoon and she delighted in the prospect of breaking the monotony of flu tests with an enthusiastic dig into my bare foot. The shot of lidocaine HURT and then I had to hold really still while she sliced open my foot with a scalpel (that needle probably wouldn't have been very effective IF I had been able to locate it) and spent several minutes trying to tweeze out the foreign object.

You will NEVER believe what she found...A DOG HAIR!!! Her theory was a dog hair was in my toe sock on Sunday, and as I pounded out 22 miles I was also pounding a hair into the ball of my foot. Of course, I saved the hair. How else can I get anybody to believe me??

On a somber note, I recognized the hair. Athena. And I cried.

22.5

So, today I ran 22.5 miles. I am not going to gloss over this...it was rough. I started out at 5am and I felt ok. In fact, I felt ok for the first 15 miles or so. Somewhere around 17 or 18, I got so tired. My feet hurt, my hamstrings were tight, and my butt was sore. Running is the ultimate therapy for me, and my brain was in hyperactive mode. Unfortunately, therapy was quite intensive today, and I was very emotional the last 2.5 miles. I usually feel this euphoric sense of accomplishment after a long run, but today I felt so despondent. I cried all afternoon, and I have no idea why. My legs feel fine, I am not injured, and I only have to run 3.7 miles longer in order to complete a marathon.

Still, I ran continuously for almost 3 hours and 45 minutes today. I could have watched an entire football game in the time it took me to run that distance. Wow. I have earned my rest day tomorrow.

No Dogs, No Kids, No Problem!

Ahhhhhhhh. Peace and quiet. Michael and the boys are in 96 for the day. Zeus and Willow are boarding at the vet in anticipation of our trip to Charlotte tomorrow for the Panthers/Eagles game. I have a grande nonfat, no whip, extra hot, pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, my trusty laptop and the Florida football game on tv. What more does a girl need but some guilt-free ogling of Tim Tebow???

I survived my oyster poisoning earlier this week and finished a 2:02 13.1-miler this morning. I am super pleased with that time considering I was running in the dark dodging potholes for the first hour, and I was suffering through some major cramps and yucky girl issues. I do NOT have a time goal for the marathon in October, but I am getting really excited that I could possibly run a sub-4 hour marathon at some point in my life. Maybe Marathon No. 2!

I am so happy to be a homebound hermit today. We have to take separate cars to Charlotte tomorrow because I am making my 3rd trip this month to Atlanta. I will be home around midday on Tuesday, but then I fly out to Fayetteville, Arkansas early Wednesday morning for a 3 day trip. I really love my job, but I am really happy to have some hermit time today.

Have a great week everyone! I am signing out now so I can ogle Tim Tebow without any other distractions.

Bad Oysters

I'm sick. I went out to dinner last night with my ATL attorney and I think I got bad oysters. I started feeling yucky before I went to bed. Hot flashes, nausea and tummy pain. I assumed I was just really tired and nervous about the day ahead. I woke up a few hours later with a fever, more nausea and stomach craps. I spent the night in the fetal position on the floor in my extremely trendy bathroom at the W Midtown. Somehow I pulled it together to work today, and now I am crashing back in my hotel room. I guess I am just hoping for bad oysters and not something worse. I have been popping tylenol all day to fight the fever...and I guess bad oysters don't give you a fever. Ugh. No running today. So, I might not have any injuries to hamper my marathon training, but a stomach bug is certainly doing the trick. Advice, running friends???

Whatever whenever!

I have a new favorite hotel...The W Atlanta--Midtown. I had the pleasure of spending two nights at the W this past week, and I am heading back again on Monday night. The decor is ultra modern, my bedspread was PURPLE, Bliss toiletries are stocked in the rooms, techno music blasts in the elevators, the halls smell like spicy incense, and the restaurant looks like a futuristic harem. Oh, and when you call the concierge, you reach this fabulous man who answers the phone...with attitude..."Whatever whenever!" I love it.

I also love that the W is about 2 blocks from Piedmont Park in midtown Atlanta. No need to seek out a treadmill when I travel to the ATL!

My running schedule is turning into "whatever whenever". Mornings, afternoons, whatever mileage I can fit in...so frustrating. I am very consistent with my weekend runs, but I am having hard time getting more than 3 runs in during the week. Too tired, too busy, too lazy. If I could just quit my job and hire a cleaning service, I could take the boys to school and run for hours without any obligations or other distractions. Ok, so that is not going to happen, so I think I am stuck with 4:3am runs. Too damn early, but the consequences of NOT running are serious enough to get my cookies out of bed in the morning.

I ran 20 miles again yesterday and it was fabulous! I was out the door by 5am and finished around 8:15am. I still find it amazing that I head out in the pitch-black wee hours of the morning and come home to bright sunlight. I learn so much about myself on these runs. I tend to be really hard on myself. I expect Stacy to be perfect and I tear myself down for every mistake I make at work and at home. These long long long runs remind me of how strong I am...that I can persevere and make it through pain, fatigue, frustration, and even a little bit of hopelessness. Those of you who run long and have hit Mile 17 or so with no more fuel in the tank know what I am talking about!

Not quite as life-changing, but I also learned that I don't necessarily need my ipod on long runs. I cut my i-pod off when I was running through a particularly dark, desolate and creepy section of Shady Lane and I realized 3 miles down the road that I hadn't cut it back on! Well, 7 weeks until the Marine Corps Marathon. Run hard, my friends!

The Grind

Michael and I have a deal: he will get up with Willow for her middle-of-the-night potty break, and I will get up with her at 5:30am for breakfast and playtime. She tortures/hangs out with me in the bathroom during my shower and Michael takes over around 6:30am so I can finish getting ready in peace. Our little labrador retriever puppy is wearing us out!

Willow has dramatically changed my running schedule. I am way too tired to run at 4:00am. I tried for a few weeks and it killed me. The past few weeks I have been running at 6-7pm. I am surprised to report that I have been enjoying my evening runs and staying up a little later with Michael. I am faster in the evenings and I work off the day's stress. Michael and I eat an uncomplicated dinner after the boys go to bed and I don't have to rush off to bed myself around 8:30pm.

Still, the daily grind is taking its toll on our family. The boys are back in school and we have a ridiculously busy schedule. I used to enjoy so many hobbies,
but I have to accept my limited amount of personal time. I haven't picked up knitting needles, my sewing machine, craft paper, etc. in months. I make time for reading and running, and I am surprisingly content.

Speaking of running, I had a great long run this week. I did 20 last Saturday, so I took a "rest" and ran 13.1 yesterday. I was so pleased with my time! I beat my best half-marathon time by 3 minutes...I ran 13.1 in 2:04. Not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, but I am getting faster and healthier with every week of training. The Marine Corp Marathon is October 25, and I am also a member of a 12-person relay team across the state of Florida in mid-November. This week I started checking out winter marathons...maybe Marathon No. 2 in Tampa on February 28th? The 10th and last running of the Gasparilla Marathon could be cool...Maybe I am getting ahead of myself as I still have to run my first marathon, but I can't imagine Saturday mornings without a long run.

First 20 Miler

This morning I ran my first 20 miler! So many things came together to make this a successful run, and I don't want to forget any of it!

*Spaghetti O's with Meatballs are the perfect pre-run dinner. Cheap and easy on the tummy.
*The water you drink today is the water you sweat tomorrow! I drank water all day on Friday, and I woke up hydrated.
*Cliff Bars are easier on my stomach than Power Bars. I ate a Cliff Bar at 4:00am.
*Earlier is better. I started running at 4:55am. The sun didn't come up until almost 7am. In fact, I finished my run around 8:15am--traffic and heat were never factors.
*Gas stations on Rosewood Drive are my friends. I went through over 64 ounces of fluid. My water belt only holds 32 ounces, and I made two stops on Rosewood for Gatorade. I never felt dehydrated.
*Chocolate Outrage GU is the nector of the gods. Seriously, I love this stuff! I usually take Sharkies or sports beans out on my long runs, and Saturday was my first GU experience. I am a believer! My 20-miler Saturday was easier than my last 13-miler.
*Nike should be put of business for making changes to the Nike Air Span. I have 5 pairs of shoes I rotate through. 2 Span 5s, 2 Span 6s, and 1 pair of Zoom Triumph. The Span 5s are the best and I am saving some miles on one pair for the marathon. Why ruin a good thing?
*It is ok to cry on a long training run. So many things go through your mind when you are out running...by yourself...for over 3 hours. I saw a black lab and ran a few miles in memory of Athena. And I cried. I spent a few miles sorting through an issue at work. And I cried. I spent a few miles thinking about the blahs I have been dealing with lately. And I cried. And finally, I spent the last 5K thinking about how blessed I am to have strong legs and a determined spirit. And, yes, I cried.
*I can run 20 miles without bonking, and the marathon is only a 10K longer. Most of my daily training runs are 10Ks, and I realized Saturday that I will be able to finish the Marine Corp Marathon. What an amazing feeling!