Cancelling my Gym Membership

OK, so even though last night was a perfect night to run, Bill and I went to the gym to cancel our membership. Seriously, we haven't been in like 3 months, so we are just throwing that money down the drain.

So we planned on doing our final workout and then cancelling.

I got on the elliptical for an intense workout. My endorphins were pumping. I felt great. (OK, I also felt really gross. Because I was really sweaty. It was so bad that this woman got on the elliptical next to me, gave the guy next to her a dirty look, and moved to the other side of me. I wanted to be like "Nope! It's not him! It's me!...I know it smells like a gross old man, but it's me." I felt sorry for her.) ANYWAY I felt GREAT. I was like "Wow! This is really getting me out of my running funk!"

Then I started to feel sad. I didn't want to quit the gym.

The gym gives me cross-training. It has the weight machines I need to make sure I don't have knee problems. And it has treadmills for when it's too dark out to run.

Bill finished his workout first and came over to me on my elliptical. I was racing! (2.6 miles in 30 minutes...not a lot for running, but those stupid ellipticals never get you ANY mileage...so that was a good number). I grabbed the handles and pulled closer to him so I could talk to him. "I have a proposition...how about we don't quit the gym?" I listed all of my reasons.

I know. It was probably a stupid mistake. But we are really going to try and go every other day. I think that is reasonable.

So Thursday is the next gym day.

If I'm not blogging about it on Friday I will quit for real. :)

Confession

Yes, I haven't really been running much lately. I haven't even really been thinking about running lately.

I've just been so busy. Which means that I actually SHOULD be running because it is good for me.

I signed up for a subscription to Runner's World though...does that count?

It is going to be very hard for me to run tomorrow, because when I get busy like this, the thing I look forward to the most is sleeping in. Even if I set my alarm with the best intentions, I wake up before it even goes off and turn it off. So tomorrow is going to be difficult. Because I really really want to run. I also don't have my group to get my butt out of bed (OK, not literally. I WAS part of a rowing team in college and about 8 of us had to call this one girl to make sure she really actually was up so that we could have practice. But I meant more in a figurative sense...just having set practices makes me go to them.)

It's ridiculous. I AM JUST NOT MOTIVATED.

I actually thought about joining the tail end of the Thanksgiving Day 10k group, but I would miss most of the practices because of all the travel I am doing for work.

I need to find a good solution.

How does everyone else stay motivated?

A Wet Run

Ok. I DO love running in the rain, don't get me wrong...but Monday was quite possibly the wettest run I've ever had. I have been totally slacking on my runs lately. So I made up my mind that on Monday I was doing the 5 mile loop at Lunken. Even as I looked out the window at my office into the torrential downpour, I forced myself to schedule it into my evening. I even IM'ed Bill at the end of the day: Are you up for a rainy 5 miler at Lunken?

He said sure, so when I got home before him, I made sure I got my running clothes on so that I couldn't back out. Then it was starting to get late, so I called him to make sure he wasn't going to back out. He was stuck in traffic :( We decided that I should head out since we had no idea how long it would be and it was already 6.

It was so so so gross out! It doesn't help that there are these big dips in the pavement by the road that fill up with water. INCHES of water. I felt like I was running on an obstacle course (I had to run with really high knees). I was also splashing water all over myself. Oh well, too late now. Then the rain picked up. Needless to say, I was the only person on the course. I was running it backwards, which I was glad for, because it seems to go faster that way for me.

THEN it started getting dark. Fast. I forgot how dark it's been getting lately. AND I was in the middle of the wooded part. So I started running a lot faster. I kept expecting a call from home. Bingo. Right on time. I didn't even say hello, just "I'm almost done! Less than a mile to go!" Bill told me it was getting dark. I said "I know. I know. That's why I'm running super fast!" I could tell he was worried.

Well, I guess adrenaline gets you going. I clocked a 47:21 for a little more than 5 miles. I guess I can do my 9:09 mile for my 10k if I want. I even have 5 more weeks to go!

Needless to say, I will be waiting for the time change before I go running in Lunken at night again. And I'll probably stick to the roads at night unless I can run with Bill.

GRRRRR...Foiled Again!

Of COURSE I am travelling again tomorrow, which means that I will have to miss our running group happy hour! I am so bummed, because I felt like this was a really great way to say goodbye to everyone. :(

This training group has been the most fun for me.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that this was my third training group. Believe it or not, I don't tend to be very outgoing until I feel really really comfortable with things. Since this was my third group I kind of knew how things ran (ha ha) and was able to introduce myself to people without feeling like a freak. :)
As a result, I of course, met more friends. And NOW I don't even get to say goodbye to those friends!!! Arghh.

Plus, I just want to hear everyone's Columbus stories. I looked up my running friends' times and it looks like they both did great! Hurrah! I'm so proud of them!

It's hard to believe that at this time last year I thought training for a 10k was some serious mileage. A marathon had not even crossed my mind until late December!!!
NOW I consider myself a marathoner (which is still a little funny to me. I mean, would you consider yourself an artist if you had only done 2 paintings?). Don't get me wrong, I AM a marathoner. Especially since I am (at least mentally) preparing for my third. Crazy.

Work-Life Balance

Forget about me not WANTING to run lately. My schedule lately has made it difficult for me to even find time to run! It is so crazy. I find that it is at these times that I actually need running the most...to help clear my head or just to get all of that pent-up energy out of me after sitting at my desk all day.

So what have I been doing at home (when I actually am home)? Lifting little eight pound weights in front of the TV. I know. It sounds stupid. But it is better than nothing. :)

Also, training for a 10k is not very rewarding for me...which is completely stupid. Because although my marathon time has improved to a 10:30ish mile, my 10k time last year yielded 9:09 miles the entire time! I should be excited to try to improve on that AND to try and get out of my marathon pace and start working on speed. That IS what keeps me wanting to train. I would be embarassed if after all the work I've put into running this year actually made me slower for my 10k.

Ah, it is competition that keeps me going. Even if it is competition with myself. Runners are a weird group of people that way. (Because I know at least 2 other runners with the same mentality. That leads me to believe there are even more).

I was going to do an easy 4 miles with my group on Saturday, but they decided not to meet up. I will FORCE myself to do them on my own. Even if it is running the Lunken loop by myself.

Oh, and here's some weirdness: I have been waking up with the WORST charley-horses. The only thing I can think of is that it is because I have stopped running regularly.
Ha! My body is probably telling me to stop being lazy, too.

Anyway, I wish the BEST of luck to everyone doing Columbus this weekend! It looks like it is going to be really great weather (ok, a LITTLE warm, but hey, everyone trained in this crazy summer, right?).

Boo! Running Slump

I may be a Type A Personality, but I am definitely a Type B Personality when it comes to working out. Yes, once again I am in my running depression. I really, truly, fully meant to run last night, but it didn't happpen. I just don't feel like doing it. And the mornings? Forget it. Sleep seems so much more important.

And really? I should have run last night, because tonight is out of the question since I am having people over. Tommorow is out of the question because I am traveling. I guess I will have to do Thursday.

On top of that, I need to make Thursday my "long run" because Saturday everyone is only doing an easy 4 miles. Now, of course, "long run" means 6 miles since I am now training for the Thanksgiving Day 10k, but even so, I am totally unmotivated. I guess I am just one of those people who needs a training group. Otherwise I just won't do it.

Back to Running

Oh it felt sooooo good to run on Saturday. EVEN THOUGH it was in Lunken! I really, seriously didn't have any issues with that stupid loop that I usually hate.

Maybe it was because it was so cold that I could actually see my breath. But it was probably because we all talked the ENTIRE time. Everyone wanted to know about the Chicago marathon and everyone in my little mini-group (me, Erik, Lindsay and Sarah) wanted to share our stories. Hearing them again (and in the context of a bunch of runners who didn't run Chicago) they really are truly amazing stories. It also just felt physically good to run again. I think the whole thing was a really good dose of mental and physical therapy. :)

5 miles also felt like nothing. I think I could have done 5 more without a problem.

But my mini-group wanted to go on to breakfast and I couldn't object. Especially when it was IHOP!

It is kind of sad because I know I won't see some of them again. I have to skip practice on Tuesday, and Saturday only a few people will come for the short 4 mile run because they are all heading off to Columbus.

I decided not to run it, even though I want my time really really badly. I was confirmed in this decision when I went to dinner Saturday night and my shins hurt. Even though I walked 8 of the miles of the marathon, I guess my body feels like I did the whole thing.

Now I am going to set my sites on the Thanksgiving Day Race which is only a 10k. It will be hard to train (mostly) on my own, but then again, it is only a 10k.

I am already mentally planning my marathon schedule for 2008!

Media Mishaps: The Chicago Marathon

I don't know if anyone has been paying attention to all of the media coverage on the Chicago marathon. I have, and a LOT of it really angers me.

When I turned on the TV in my hotel room Monday morning, there was a short little blurb on CNN Headline news about the whole thing. The gist of the story? It was too hot, many runners had not trained for warm weather and were not ready. Also? Runners need to stay hydrated when it's hot out because their blood can't get to their skin properly.

Really?

I kept waiting for them to say: and this was difficult since the marathon ran out of water.

And I don't know about anyone else out there, but there was absolutely NO WAY for me to train in cooler temperatures this summer. Therefore, I trained in hot temperatures. Therefore, I feel like I was prepared. That's why I was walking when I got too hot. That's why I assume other runners were doing the same thing. We knew to walk because we had experienced conditions like this. Let's stop blaming the runners.

Quotes like these have been peppering articles:

"Some experts now wonder whether a more critical look should be taken of the runner, who in the face of the brutal conditions may have lacked a little 'common sense.'" – ABC News, Experts: Mind Over Matter May Have Played Part in Chicago

"In the Stuart Smalley division, race organizers decided to end things for those not at the halfway point by 11:30 a.m." – The Suburban Chicago News, Ending marathon early was right call

And the worst article I read? Mike Downy's No One Forced Anyone to Run...where he says "This is a professional competition that the public sometimes confuses with a company picnic."


I can't count the number of articles I read that are blaming non-elite runners for not being smart about their race. Editorial after editorial says that we should not run. Obviously, these people do not understand the sport of marathoning. A lot of the non-elites were probably better prepared for the marathon. We weren't pushing ourselves and we knew when enough was enough. I sat in countless clinics listening to what I should be doing and how to prepare myself for training. Needless to say, my training group was extremely helpful in this. I seriously felt like I was well-prepared as I'm sure everyone else in my training group felt. I know some people are stupid, but I'm not thinking it is enough to make a sweeping generalization. After all, how could the rest of us have finished if that was true?

Of course, Jeff Galloway understands. He was quoted in an article called Does Marathon Need Stricter Entry Requirements? as saying: “[Marathon runners] are adults and they have to be expected to take responsibility for their health and safety,” Galloway said. “But if you put a cap on it, you’re going to keep a lot of people who have the opportunity to improve the quality of their life from participating and gaining this wonderful set of experiences along the way.” Thank goodness Gary Cohen had the decency to interview a true running expert.

Do I think they would prevent non-elites from running next time? Personally, no. The $110 entry fee from 45,000 runners is too tempting. Not to mention all of the revenue we bring into the city from our hotel rooms and restaurant bills.

And bravo to Time! Of all of the articles I've read on this whole thing, they have the most true account. It's called When a Marathon Goes Wrong and you can read it here .

To Run or Not to Run

After much deliberation I have decided not to run. :(

See, a bunch of people in my running group are doing Columbus next week to make up for Chicago. I really really want to. I mean, I KNOW I could have kept the pace if I had water and it wasn't so darned HOT. I would probably have done a 4:45 and that would be a 30 minute improvement from my first marathon.

HOWEVER, I want to continue this whole 2 marathons a year thing. I figure with my knee already a little sketchy (if it still hurts by December I have to talk about surgery), it might not be a good idea. Besides, I got to finish the race, so its not like I didn't do 26.2 miles. Even if 8 of those miles were walking. So I don't know if my body would be up to it.

It makes me kind of sad and kind of angry though, because I want that time so badly.

I am trying to be smart about it all though.

I am definitely planning on the Pig this May! Let's hope that their 10 year anniversary is better than Chicago's 30th!

I have been having nightmares about the marathon every night. The whole thing just keeps replaying in my head. It has been EVERY NIGHT SINCE THE MARATHON. Yuck. I would like to just get back to a normal sleep/dream cycle. I'm hoping that just getting back into running this weekend will help that all go away.

Tomorrow I am running with my marathon group again. My mini-group is going to be there too, and we are going to go out to breakfast afterwards to exchange stories. I am looking forward to it! But it's funny, now that the marathon is over an 8 mile workout actually seems like a lot :)

I'm Famous!

OK. Not the most beautiful picture of me, but I figure that it was about mile 22 at that point, so I think I have an excuse.

Chicago Marathon: Miles 19-26.2

I first heard the marathon was over by one of the volunteers at the water stop. He said "The marathon is over. From this point on it's just a fun run." That I kind of had to snort at. I have never heard of a "fun run" being more than 2.5 miles. Running 26.2 in the heat (or 19 at that point) is NOT fun. I almost didn't believe him.

Then another volunteer said the same thing a little down the road. "The race is over, folks. Just treat it like a training run." I know I had heard it twice at this point, but really I was having a hard time believing it. I mean, come on, not only is it one of the World Marathon Majors , but it was also the 30th anniversary. Then I guess I realized how many sirens I was hearing throughout the marathon, and the police presence that was suddenly everywhere (like the guy in the middle of the road telling us to start walking). Then, at about mile 20 I actually did see more policemen. This time they had bullhorns. They were telling us the marathon was over. There was no more water. We needed to stop running. We should report to the next aid station to board buses to go back. It was crazy and no one knew what to do.

It was a little creepy, because people were still celebrating and cheering us on.
The cheerleaders at Charity Mile were still doing a routine to "Mickey", the dancers were still dancing in Pilsen. I mean, I was still enjoying it, but it sort of had a creepy "national disaster" type feel to it. The helicopters overhead yelling "The marathon is over. Please stop running." did not help.

Everyone around was just asking "Do you think we're going to get our medals?" I turned around and said "we'd better." Then we talked about how pissing off thousands of runners who have trained months for this and had to walk the rest of the way, by not giving them their medals would NOT be a good idea.

At some point, the firemen opened the hydrants. I was SOAKED. And I suddenly realized "Wait. This is the coolest and most hydrated I've been during the entire race..." And I was being directed NOT to run. Forget it. I was running. I ran off and on, making sure I felt okay and was hydrated.

Everyone was STILL cheering. I feel like it was with even more intensity.

When I got to mile 22 it was blocked off by a bus and some barricades. They were rerouting people. I saw some girl go through the barricade. I followed her. There was NO WAY I was not finishing! They kept yelling at us to stop. Everyone started chanting "BULLSH*T! BULLSH*T!"

I just kept thinking, 'if they think we're going to stop, they do NOT understand the mentality of people who run marathons'.

Finally at mile 24, a cop told us we could finish if we wanted to, we should walk not run, and we WOULD get our medals. Actually, the police and firemen were great. They were just trying to help everyone. One cop car came by and the cop said into the bullhorn "Dr. Phil says stop running." That also made me laugh.

The crowds were treating us like we were heros.
People were still soaking us, and offering us water, and wet sponges, and ice and even wet papertowels. It was so cool.

When we made it back to the Loop I was like "OK. I've got to run this." Especially since I JUST got misted by the huge misting firetruck. I probably would have walked faster at that point, but I had to do that last .25 miles.

I finished at 5:50:11. Ha! So much for my 4:45! But I was proud of myself anyway. And I wore my medal all day.

Chicago Marathon: Miles 8-18

It was soooooo hot! I was seriously starting to count how many miles I had left, which was pretty bad, seeing as that I was only at mile 8. The only redeeming thing was that I knew I was entering Boy's Town and I had heard that this was one of the really great spots on the course. I was already looking for the drag show. This year, they had a bunch of men with toy guns dancing to RuPaul's "Supermodel". It was AWESOME! It made me laugh and smile which made me forget how I wanted to stop, which was good.

By this point though, there was already a lot of talk about missing water at the aid stations, so I vowed to get water whenever I could.

I still had 3 miles to see my family.

At the next water stop I saw lots of Gatorade but no water. I ran past the Gatorade. The volunteers kept saying "the water's down that way". But I kept running and all I saw were empty tables. No water.

Luckily there was a girl who showed up next to me with a water bottle. She asked if I had gotten any at the last stop and when I said no, she handed it to me. I thought that was so nice, and passed the bottle onto another guy who didn't get any after I had some.

At mile 11 I see Bill and my family. I was glad that just Bill came up to me. I didn't want to freak out my family...I told him "they don't have any water for us!" I think I sounded kind of more desperate than I wanted to. He gave me a water bottle. He said they knew about it. He had gone to Walgreens and bought a bunch of water and was handing it to the runners. How sweet! I also told him I was walking a little bit of every other mile because it was just too awful. I also told him that I was "Plan C-ing it". My goal now was just to finish.

I later realized Bill was not the only one being kind. The spectators were wonderful. They were bringing hoses into the street to hose us down, bringing us water from their houses and restaurants and bringing us bags of ice. Not to mention they were cheering us all on. I was so glad I wrote my name on my shirt. Everyone who read it cheered me on by name. Even when I was walking. One lady cracked me up when she said "Come on Emily! It's okay to take a break, girl, it's okay. Just don't take too long of a break. Get back to running, Emily!" If you walked by the bands playing and they saw your name, they worked you into the song they were singing. :)

Surprise! I saw my family at mile 16! I was so glad! I didn't think I would see them until 25, so it was a really great surprise. Bill said I looked a lot better. I felt better at that point. I was much more hydrated because the last two water stops had water AND people were passing around bottles by that point. I was back running again!

I have to admit, I did feel a LITTLE dizzy a few times. But every time that happened I stopped, and walked, and rehydrated. It was not really that different than my training runs this summer. As long as I had water and paced myself I was okay.

At the next water stop they had cups but no water.

Sometime between mile 18-19 I heard someone talking about them shutting the marathon down. I also saw a cop standing in the middle of the road. He was yelling at us. I thought he was saying "STOP WALKING! STOP WALKING!" and it was making me mad because I kept thinking 'Hey buddy, you try running 18 miles in this heat without walking.' In light of everything that happened afterwards I think he might have been saying "START walking!"

Chicago Marathon: Video

This woman's video pretty much shows everything that I saw. In fact, when I was in Lincoln Park I was right by the guy in the testicle suit (I know, I know, just watch the video), so she was actually pretty close to me at first. She must have ended up ahead of me though. Anyway, its a good example of what actually happened.

PS (10.11.07): This video was shot by i-reporter Michelle Ganter...I just realized that this is the same woman who shot the CNN Photo I was in. So I really MUST have been right by her.

Chicago Marathon: Mile 1-7

OK, one of the big perks of running for a charity is that you get a special tent. Team CdLS' was the "Trophy Tent". This tent has free food and beverages, their own masseurs, and (most importantly) their own port-a-lets. Totally worth it! It was nice to get ready in a fairly calm environment where you don't have to worry about those things. I had prepped myself by cutting out red meat and alcohol for the past two nights. I was coated in Body Glide. I had taken my secret weapons: Immodium and Tylenol 8-hour (to reduce my core temperature and prevent inflamation). Most importantly, I was well hydrated.

The one thing I forgot?
Tums.

Yes, the Immodium helped tremendously, but I think all my nervousness was then diverted into my stomach. Luckily my team captain, Beth had an extra.

We took our team photo and made our way to the starting line. I felt really bad about not being able to meet my Roncker group. But I had no way to get in contact with them. I parted with my family and lined up behind the pace leaders for the 4:45 group. Then I hear my name being shouted. It was Lindsay and Sarah! Hurrah! We chatted about all of our nervousness. Funnily enough, a man standing next to us was also from Cincinnati! They decided to run with the 5:00 pace group because of the heat, so they headed back. I had my ipod with me, but just as a security thing. I didn't think I would use it.

It took 18 minutes for me to get to the starting line. I was a little nervous because in the glacial-paced moving I got pretty far behind the pace leaders. It ended up not being a problem because I caught up with them once we started moving.

It was SO CROWDED!!!! I was right up next to one of the pace guys. He kept weaving, and it was kind of hard to track him for awhile. I was concentrating on staying with them so much that I didn't really enjoy the sites. :( Mile one. I looked at my watch. 10:06. Uh, thought we were supposed to do a 10:52. Then I realized that they had to make up a lot of time because of the water stops.

I had no idea how they were going to do these. Well, at the first one they blew a whistle and we all walked through it. Apparantly the pacers were amazed at how crowded and crazy they were. They started freaking out about keeping the pace. They said we lost a lot of time there. Despite the fact that we were pacing fast, I felt great. I even felt like we were going a little slowly.

Next water stop. No water.

WHAT?

People were outraged. My paceleader (Ken) said they had never seen anything like this before and hoped this wasn't a foretelling of things to come. They figured that people were taking 2 cups instead of one and that no one had expected that.
(Ha! Then why did I get an email on THURSDAY saying: * Be sure to stay hydrated during the race. Make note of aid stations and prepare to utilize them. You will need to drink more to compensate for the rapid depletion of your body's fluids in the heat...they KNEW it was going to be hot. Come on!) Some man was like "I'm going to write a mean note. This is ridiculous!" and the lady by him was like "I'm sure you will be one of 30,000.")

The thing that almost made ME cry though was a little clink I heard and then a smashing sound of electronics being trampled. My ipod was gone. I know, I know, I've gotten my use out of it. But really it was more of a sentimental thing. My husband got it for me as a present when I started seriously running and had it engraved with a message and everything.

OK. I was now extremely hot.
The sidewalks were swamped with spectators. It was so cool! Everytime we went by a big group they yelled "GO 4:45!" and we cheered back.

We ran by a clock at 9:30 and it said "89 degrees." Ugh.

By Lincoln Park (mile 7ish?) I was having a hard time keeping up with the pace group. I think other people were too, because our group had diminished a LOT. I dropped back.

Hardly any water at this stop. I think I got one of the last cups.

It was tough because there was a little uphill and it was just so hot! It was a really beautiful part of the course though...a little oasis in the middle of the city. People were jumping into the fountains and lying down in them before continuing on the course.

I didn't feel too bad about dropping back at this point. I saw a lot of people from the 4:30 pace group, so I knew I was in good company.

I was dying to see my family again, but knew I had 4 miles to go.

Chicago Marathon Weekend: Saturday

Saturday was so hot! I (kind of) slept in, ate a huge breakfast at the hotel buffet (still fat-loading), and went for an easy 1-miler at 9:00 just to shake my leg-antsyness off. I'm glad that I did, because it ended up being a LOT hotter than I thought it was, so it kind of mentally prepared me for what I thought I would face on Sunday. Unfortunately, since we waited so long to book our hotel we were all the way out in Rosemont (by the O'Hare airport). So every time we wanted to go into Chicago it was an hour on the blueline. It wasn't THAT bad, but it did eat up a lot of our day.

We went to the expo, which was a lot of fun. They of course had every kind of energy bar known to man that they were handing out. I didn't actually eat anything there because I was being really good about not eating anything I didn't know about. I did however, try the Gatorade Endurance formula that they were going to have on the course, just to see if I would like it. YUCK! GROSS! No Gatorade on the course for me, just water.

When you got into the expo they had a huge video drive through of the course which was really cool. I was getting very excited.

I also found two new companies whose sportswear I loved! One was One More Mile . They had a bunch of funny shirts that said things like "Will Run for Beer", and "This IS my Race Pace", and "Chicago. Been there. Run That." Running Divas also had a lot of cute stuff including "marathongs" which I just thought was funny.

After the Expo, we already had to head out for our early dinner with Team CdLS at Lou Malnati's .

It was so fun to meet the team. They were all very very nice. Beth, the team captain, gave me a big hug when I got there. We had a very nice dinner and everyone introduced themselves. Even though we were a very small charity team (I think there ended up being 21 of us?) we were very very close to our $50,000 goal, and they think that more donations will be coming in. It was also nice to be on a team where everyone was really really passionate about the cause. If I end up doing Chicago next year I would definitely consider running for Team CdLS again!

After dinner I was exhausted. We headed back to Rosemont (with a little pit stop in the middle...come on, I drank like EIGHT glasses of water at dinner). Then I had a ton of pent up energy. My parents came back to our room to make signs and I was running around like a little kid showing them everything I got at the expo. I was SO PUMPED UP.

I did finally get to sleep though.

So Much To Say...So Little Time

Yes, unfortunately, I DO have to actually do real work today. I will probably have about 8 posts about Chicago! After all, how many marathons actually get CALLED OFF in the middle?! So, hopefully I can get some posts in at lunch today. Stay tuned...

HA!

NervousExcitedPumpedAntsy

Yeah. Today is my last day of work and I'm already finding it hard to concentrate. I am very excited. I've already had some trip ups in my plans...

Since I'm running with a CdLS Foundation, we are meeting in the Charity tent...which is fine, but it means I won't get to meet my little mini-group I run with. So I emailed them last night wishing them good luck. Sarah emailed me back though and said she wouldn't accept that they couldn't meet me. So we now have plans to meet up after I meet with my charity. It will be great if I can do both. BUT, if I don't get to meet up with them I cannot let it get me down. I figure I MIGHT even see them somewhere along the 26.2 miles. Who knows?

The second trip-up is that it is supposed to be 86 degrees out. Now, I've only looked at Chicago weather once this week, and it was on Tuesday. I was kind of bummed because it said thunderstorms, but I was kind of okay with it because it was supposed to be 60 degrees. I also told myself that it was way too early to tell. Today the forecast says 86. Ha! I mean, I know I can do it, it's just not what I thought I'd be running in when I thought 'Chicago. October.'

BUT I am still super excited. Especially since this is my first World Major.

Packing is tonight. Leaving is tomorrow. Whoo-hoo!

Final Group Run

Last night we had our last group run. It was sort of melancholy.

Plus, I was stupid. We had a happy hour at our work right before. I was smart by only drinking one drink. But I was stupid because I stuffed myself with stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped asparagus, rich cheeses, and roast beef on toast with creamy horseradish. Very good at the time. And I thought, well it is only four miles. I should be fine. Ha ha! It is still running. And that is some rich food.

So BESIDES that, it was a good run.

My mini-group of four was a little slaphappy, making corny jokes and talking about Chicago as we ran. Four miles really felt like nothing. It felt like a really good way to stretch out my legs. Very enjoyable. It almost made me want to run four miles every day after the marathon. But I know how that goes from past experience. I HATE three-milers. I think I was just feeling euphoric. And a little sad.

I asked my mini-group 'so is this it? I mean, since everyone is running in different marathons I guess there is no official "end"?' We guessed so. :(

We made plans to meet up before the race though. I hope we all end up doing that! I would be great to run with all of that moral support! Plus, I want my family to meet my running friends!

It's getting exciting! I'm thinking about packing tonight!

Things I Learned From Coach Joe F

We had a little information session last night before our group run where Joe gave us some last minute pointers. Most of them I had heard before, but some of them were new to me. Like:

• Tylenol 8 hour - Joe suggested taking this before the race. Not only is it an anti-inflamatory, but it is also a fever reducer, so it will reduce your core temperature.

• No flip flops! - I hadn't really thought about this one, but who knows? I probably would have worn my flip flops the day before, thinking they were the most comfy shoes I could wear. Joe's concern is that they have no stability, so it might be the stupidest thing you could do the day before the race.

• No red meat two days before - He said this one was kind of optional. Some people do it, some people don't. He just knows that personally for him, red meat is not a good idea.

• Gas-X - I wondered about this after seeing 'The Office' last week. (Dwight accidently slipped Toby some Immodium instead of Ex-lax to throw the race. Toby runs down the street and says 'You know, I usually have to stop to go to the bathroom by now, but I feel great!). This is a good one for me, because no matter what I do, before a big race my stomach feels AWFUL. (Sorry if that was too much information).

• Know what you're drinking - at Chicago they will be having Gatorade Endurance at the water stops. It apparantly tastes different than regular Gatorade. AND even though Gatorade Endurance is what we have at our stops at the Running Spot, we apparantly water it down way more than is directed. (This totally explains why the Gatorade at the Pig upset my stomach and why I told Bill ' I don't know what was up with that Gatorade, it was so nasty. I'm okay if I never have Gatorade again.')

• Fold your cup if you're moving - this is the most efficient way to drink on the go. Smash the top of the cup in half to make the opening smaller and suck down the water/Gatorade. That way you don't pour it all over yourself or get a lot of air (which happens to me and then I burp for the next mile).

• Make sure you drink water (not Gatorade) with your GU. Your body needs water to digest them, and if it doesn't have it, it will take hydration that is stored in your body already. Not good.

• Don't run again until you don't hurt! - I know, a no-brainer. But I can see myself thinking that I need a good recovery run to speed up the healing process. Joe said it wouldn't be surprising if you need a whole week to recover.

I am totally ready!

Ipod Question

Has anyone ever run Chicago? If so, how much is the 'no ipod' rule enforced?

I only ask, because in the Pig, there was a rule, but no one followed it. After much discussion on my blog I decided to take mine with me, and I was fine. I don't remember the exact Pig wording, but the Chicago rule sounds much more intimidating:

No Electronic Devices: The use by participants of video or audio cassette recorders or players, TVs, CD of DVD players, radio transmitters or receivers, ipods, cell phones, computers or any similar devices in the competition area shall not be permitted. Failure to follow these official rules, as may be amended, will result in immediate disqualification, loss of prize money (including bonus prize money, if any), and ejection from the race course.

I don't really want to be ejected from the race.

And I want my medal.

I'm actually okay with not running with my ipod. When I did my 20 miler I actually only listened to it for a few miles. BUT, if this is just some arbitrary rule like it was in the Pig I am going to be MAD if I don't have my ipod. I was planning on bringing my little shuffle with me and just shoving it in my skirt pocket just in case. I know I am a big baby when it comes to running with music, but really, it does make it a lot easier for me. Especially since there is a point in the marathon towards the end (so I've heard) that it is very difficult for people to get to, so there is almost no crowd support.

I can sing in my head of course, but it's not the same.

Down to the Wire

OK, so I am only semi-freaking out about Chicago.
The problem is, that I was sick this past week. So I only got 3 miles in. I am really itching to run, but I know that my body was way too weak, and running would have only made it worse. The good thing is, that I was sick this PAST week and not the upcoming one. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't run in the marathon on Sunday.
I am still in recovery mode...but I am down to a cough and stuffiness, which beats everything I've been dealing with this weekend.

Tomorrow I have a nice and easy 4 mile run with the group. I am looking forward to seeing my little mini-group one last time before the marathon.

We also have a clinic before the group about marathon day strategies. I am planning on packing my bag Wednesday. (I am always freaking out about this stuff way to early, just in case I forget something).

I am also fat-loading this week which will be fun. Today's lunch is Mediteranean (all those fats that are good for you) and tonight is fondue (some of those fats that are bad for you). I am supposed to feel lethargic and bloated by the end of the week, but my book assures me that it will pay off in the long run. I am also supposed to stay away from too much fiber. This all is starting to sound pretty gross :(

Oh yes, and did anyone catch the season premiere of 'the Office'? They had a 5k fun run and the one guy was all worried about chafing his nipples. He was also wearing a lot of technical gear and was downing GUs even though it was only a 5k. Pretty funny.