A Marathon Takes Dedication '15

Tomorrow is Nov 14. 
holy f*ck.  Tomorrow is Nov 14?

It is the day I have been waiting for FOR SIX MONTHS. I can't believe it took so long to get here, and yet, I cant believe it's tomorrow already.

Runners are athletes, and athletes are slave to rituals. So today I'll drink Lime NUUN and cranberry all day, I'll have tomato soup for lunch (generic brand, loaded with sodium) and I'll take a nap... Ok, so I already did that.

And tonight I'll eat dinner from the restaurant I always eat at the night before the race. I'll order the same boring meal and I'll pick at it until I feel full enough. I'll lay out my clothes and go to bed.

Rituals. 

I am a slave.

That said, I've never run a marathon without a dedication before, and I'm not going to start now.

I used to rattle off my dedication mile by mile, but that limits me to "about" 26.2 people, so I'm not doing that this time.

I dedicate this marathon to My Wives

T - because you're always here with wisdom, soothing words, and the gentle reminder of BadAssery. #AndAllthethingsUnsaid.

DeNiece - thanks for pushing me on these mid week runs for month after month. I would be a different runner without you beside me. #DamnYouMiriam

Ann - who's never run even a step with me.

SpeeDee - whether we run together or not, no matter where our feet take us, I love knowing you are out there on the same roads I run.

Giulia - just cos I love you babe.

I dedicate this marathon to The Support Crew

Gentlemen British- I don't even have words. If I could pick one I would choose "wholehearted", and hope that conveys all the gratitude I feel.

3R, TheProfessor, and the other GOTR -you guys are with me when I run, whether you know it or not. After all, my mantra to keep running when sh*t gets real is "Tom's tire. Beer."

Shanz - it's the little things in life. I sure am glad our paths crossed.

The rest of The Support Crew who encourage me, read my blog, send messages, inspire me, share your success and your failure, whether near or far, in "Chicago", WA, DC, MD, CA, FL, or three streets away - I love you - Thank You.

I dedicate this marathon to My Coaches.... Ah my lovely wonderful beautiful sexy coaches... I could never do any of this without you.

Karasmatic - the most beautiful coach ever, Thank you for hanging with me for nearly every Sportbackers MTT mile.... You made those miles fly! Thank you for pushing me, making me laugh, and inspiring me to believe in myself. I've never had as much fun at MTT as I did this year. #waiting #TPfromHeaven #Chafing. 

You are a rockstar.

Burch - mmm... Maybe just a simple "Thanks" for reminding me of why I do this the way I do. #TX

Coach Black - you're kinda like the Jedi Master... Or the Sith Lord, you choose. I hear your voice in my head when the miles get tough. And it sucks, but I run anyway. #YouPeople

Q - always on the side lines, and always appreciated. And no matter how much time passes- I love that we still finish each others sentences.

Harry Potter - Gah. Where to start? Maybe we have to go back to last December when you smacked me in the forehead for shelving my own dreams for someone else. Yes. That. Thank You. The handprint lasted all season, and I love you for it.

I dedicate this marathon to My Kids.. 

The three of you together are an unstoppable team with three different strengths combined. You always remind me that our combined efforts are better than our individual endeavors. 

B'nut- thanks for imagining I'm "The Best".

Gfly- thanks for reminding me that "there is no charge for awesomeness".

Charlie Foxtrot- thanks for tucking me in at night when I'm tired and cranky. 

And finally, I dedicate this marathon to The Big Dog... to you I am beyond grateful. I appreciate you, and all that you do for me. I love you. 

Aging Up

My birthday came and went. I celebrated 29 again, for those who wonder. This is getting a bit awkward given that my 15 year old is, in fact, 15. I’m not a person who gets morose about aging up a year, I am a beautiful woman in many respects, and so far I am aging as I expect. My mother is a beautiful woman, this gives me hope for my future. I do think about aging, as I think about health, as I think many badass mother runners must. But I don't fear "getting old".

Perhaps that's because I'm young still. Or perhaps it's because I trust my body?

Maybe it’s time to age up? 29 is a ridiculously fast BQ time, and not that I’m attempting a BQ any time soon, it’s still crazy to compare myself to those folks. Maybe I should just embrace my 39^th year as a 39 year old.

This is, as many of you know, The Year of The GBA 5K.

Which is why it’s only logical that I have signed up to run a marathon this fall.

Ummm... yeah. Well. #thathappened.

It’s my last year in my 30’s. I started running in my 30’s. And besides. The marathon and I always have unfinished business. Even when we don’t. There’s always room for discussion and improvement. Even when I meet my goals.

I want to run.

For some reason, I allow myself sometimes to get sucked into other people’s goals to the exclusion of mine. This year, I signed up to run this race alone. And by Alone I mean Alone with 1000 of my BFFs at Sports Backers Marathon Training Team. 

But truly, I am not training with my usual posse. The gang has all gone looking for their own goals. That isn’t to say there won’t be miles run together, but when the fall arrives, it’ll be me on the line.

I think this is good for me. The best races are the ones I remember that I have to run alone.

The marathon training team “group” starts running next week, and I’m looking forward to another year with my favorite coaches and runners. I’m going back to my origins, and rejoining the Green Team. I’ve missed my coaches, and wonder why I allowed myself to get so distracted last year. 

I try not to dwell on that.

I sat tonight with my friends ~  some who run and some who don’t  ~ and we discussed our fall plans, and I mused aloud that I had lost my fecking mind, and prolly I don’t even want to run a marathon in November.

Of course, they laughed at me, claiming I was talking nonsense, even as I shrugged off the moment with “don’t listen to “her”, that must be the wine talking. When I’m sober I feel certain that the marathon is something I love.”

Someone remind me of that in October.

But I seriously do love this sport. Even when I’m loving on my bike, I’m a runner at heart.

And so another birthday has come and gone, and it was a great birthday, celebrated with new friends and young friends and “old friends” who aren’t old. And even though another year has come and gone and my 30’s are 364 days from being a memory, I’m ready to enjoy and savor every single one of the 364 days.

Besides, nothing reminds me of my youth and vitality more than signing up to run 26.2. It’s like my “New Year” all over again.  I can’t picture a life without 20 mile training runs and the juicy hamburgers I celebrate the miles with after. OH! And the beer.

Can’t forget the beer.

Today was a GOOD day

Yesterday I ran my long run for the week with Sports Backers Marathon Training Team.

HELLZ TO THE YEAH!  

I haven't RUN MTT in a long time.  Wow.  A long time.  I forgot how cool it feels to join a pack and run with 890 other like minded people.  I forgot how fun it is to listen to the people around you talk about running.  To see 100 familiar faces.  To search through a thousand and miss one.  To yell at Those People.

And yesterday I remembered what it feels like to borrow the collective energy of a thousand people to run through the streets.

I ran with TMB, SpeeDee, and Amy.  T & I share a brain.  We run in step.  If one of us pulls away, the other knows they'll be back.  If one of us walks, the other walks without comment usually because we are thankful to be walking for a few steps.  And there were a few walk breaks - thank god.

The air was thick yesterday.

We had some course discussions and such.  We made new friends... sort of...  In fact, some DUDE offered to give me ADVICE on cutting THIRTY MINUTES OFF MY MARATHON PR. (insert laughing here)
He said this without asking my current PR.
He said this knowing nothing about me or my running history.
Maybe I should have given him my number... I guess, I mean, after all, who wouldn't want to get a BQ in October... also, there will be a follow up post for the men folk who read this blog on "how not to pick up a runner at marathon training team".

Moving forward, I'm not 100% sure I'm convinced that my SATURDAY TEAM is the RIGHT TEAM for me, but I'm going to give it a try for a few weeks.  I intentionally chose a team that is training to race SLOWER than my original GOAL.

Why
would 
you 
do 
that?

Well.  When I decided to race a marathon in 2014 I didn't realize I wasn't going to get "better".  I had some idea that I was chasing a SUB 4:00 GOAL.  Right now I am chasing a FINISH WITHOUT HATING YOURSELF FOR RUNNING A MARATHON GOAL.

I don't know what I can and can't do with my lungs in this condition, and being left behind by the pack week after week while gasping for air is scary, disheartening and depressing.  Or is it defeating?  Regardless, I'm not going to be d'anything'd when I have the power to make new friends and run a touch slower on my long runs each week as needed.

Sometimes when you put 80 people who run in a group, everyone spends their long runs RACING each other.  I'm not even kidding.  I love MTT, but this is a truth of Marathon Training Team.  I chose my team because I have a prayer of keeping up with Team En Feugo, and I don't want to be sucking wind on my long runs trying catch up to people who are determined to leave me.  A slower team will ensure that I am running my long pace runs at a slower pace.

In theory.  Yesterday around mile 5 I had a break away where I maybe got a little ahead of myself.  whoops.  By mile 6 I was sad...

So yesterday I ran 9 miles on my road to my October marathon.  I struggled a little, but my chest never hurt.  It wasn't the best run ever, but it was a good run because it was with people I love.  It was "The Previously stated Goal" MRP + 50 seconds.  Not bad, considering the walk breaks sprinkled in.

Today I couldn't sleep.  I'm studying for boards and I woke up really early.  I thought, I know what to do with this energy.  I hopped in my car and headed downtown to meet the SUNDAY teams of MTT for 6 miles.

And here is why today was SO VERY VERY GOOD:
I ran hard, and didn't have any kind of breathing trauma or crisis afterwards.  NONE.  I didn't feel like I was straining beyond the stretch of a hard run.  I didn't feel like an asthmatic.  I didn't feel my airway collapsing or narrowing.

I felt like a runner!

I averaged an (insert pace here) for 6 miles!!!  I ran in the (insert pace here)'s for the first 3 miles with a fast friend, and then I backed off and ran the rest with a new friend, Not Clinton, who said, "Yay!  You can run with me next week!"  She was supportive, unbothered by my loud breathing, and likes dogs - which since I have a new puppy - works for me.  It was Original Goal MRP - 29 seconds.

Part of me is like, I can't wait for next week, to hop on the MTT train and ride the wave.  But the other part, the part that knows today was special, says, make sure you savor what it felt like today.

And I do.

~Savor the Run~

An Open Letter to my 10K PR

Dear 10K PR,

I know, you're feeling neglected.  The last time I talked about you in a positive way was March of 2010.  And it wasn't even a big brag.  It was a "1 second PR because the Witch Dr said I wasn't allowed to run faster than that."

Most of the time I start out with, "10K PR is kinda old...", or, "well, 10K PR is 54:54, but I haven't run one in a while....".  I'm sorry for that 10K PR.  I really am.

It's not that I love 8K PR more than I love you.

Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
Fast, flat, fun... come run it with me!

It's just... that... I love 8K PR more than I love you.

You're a little long in the tooth.  (gasp)

And that's fixable.  I know exactly what I need to do.  I have a race all picked out.  I need to train for a race specific goal.  I need to let the long slow distances of the marathon go for a while and focus on shorter distances.

Not because they're easier.

They're not.  Truly, each race holds its own challenges.  A marathon is freaking hard.  Well, someone's going to have a stroke when I say this but, in my opinion, a 5K deserves respect too.  And as such, so does a 10K.  So from now until April I'm going to focus on you 10K PR.  Because you deserve my attention.

You are worthy.

I know what needs to be done.  And I know where my weakness lies.  Accountability with speed work.  So knowing this, I signed up for the A10K training team with RRRC.

I remember when all I wanted was to finish a 10K without dying.
(hey, some goals are loftier than others)
I remember when all I wanted was to finish a 10K in less than an hour.
(and not have my running partner go into labor on the course)
I remember when all I wanted was to finish a 10K in less than 55 minutes.
(and finished that race in 54:54)
....today. All I want is to just run as hard and well as I can at the 10K distance.
(Well that's a little vague).  

10K PR, you and me, we're going places together.

regards,
gba_gf

meddling kids

In 1969 Hanna-Barbera premiered what would become one of my all time favorite TV shows, Scooby Doo.


I idolized the characters, loving how smart they were, and as a small child, was always impressed at how the BIG REVEAL went down at the conclusion of every show.  And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling kids.  My phases of adoration went through the series characters, from Scooby, of course, to Daphne because of her awesome clothing choices, and onto Velma because she was so super smart...  I was never a fan of Fred and Shaggy until the live action film made in 2002.

running a marathon feels a lot like this...

Some of my favorite episodes still air once in a while on Boomarang and Cartoon Network, and it's funny (sick) how often I see the show and remember exactly what/how it ends.  One thing that always got me was the color choices on the clothing for the characters.  Those colors were....fab.


I always feel, when I'm out running, that I'm a bit like Velma.  I mean, seriously, look at her.  


And then, look at me.


Every year our clothing choice for MTT is made for us.  We wear a matching Team Uniform.  It's technical fabric, light weight, and printed with the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team logo on the front.  1200 of us run in these identical shirts so that the 100 coaches (give or take) who line the course on race day will recognize us and help us out as needed.  


The shirts are always bright.  The one year they chose a "normal" primary color (blue) apparently it was a ~fail~.  Since then The Man has always selected horrific wonderful unique colors like:


Virginia Tech is better than the other one Orange - Listen, all I'm saying is that if you look at the orange, it's more Hokie than Hoo.


Sea Foam (or is that Sea Sick?) Green - an odd minty shade that definitely had a touch of sea-foam mixed with a bit of "under the weather" and a touch of SNOT.


It's all Sunshine and Daisies Here Yellow - Your'in good company with yellow (this was the color last year, it was great, I actually didn't hate it).


and this year,


CREST TOOTHPASTE GREEN... a color that isn't made in nature.


As soon as I saw it I thought... if Daphne ever raced a marathon, this would be her color choice.... but what would she wear with it....?  Duh, purple.  And then Velma would argue the merits of wearing Tall Socks, and Daphne would agree.... and the next thing you know, Daphne's race day marathon outfit would look exactly like mine.


Toothpaste & Berries.


I didn't like the way the top fit, so I altered it with a small gather in the bust.


The skirt is Lululemon - there's another story with that, but I'll tell you about it after the race.


The tall socks are Running Skirts "Run Love" compression socks, because let's face it....  I love socks almost as much as I love my run.

So there you go.  


I am channeling Daphne from Scooby Doo.


well, either that, or I'm channeling the Mystery Machine.  


...I really think it could go either way.


And seriously, no matter how you look at it, I should be visible in race day... which will make stalking me easier.


Or, if you're stalking online, it won't matter what I'm wearing.... my race # is 2297.  

SUNDAY FUNDAY MTT!

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.  

~Oscar Wilde

Today my posse will show up at my house in a few minutes and we will drive down to Sports Backers Stadium in my beige mini-van.  Our destination won't be realized until November 12, 2011 when we stand at the start of the Richmond Marathon.


Today marks the first official day of marathon training. We will meet the coaches and other participants for Sports Backers MTT 2011.  While only about 300 (plus or minus) of the 1100 MTT participants will be part of the SUNDAY FUNDAY crowd, it's still interesting to think about this many people moving toward the same destination.  


26.2


The large team is broken down into color group "sub teams" of about 70 - 100, and the GBAs are going to be on Team YELLOW this year.


I believe that good things are bound to happen whenever you put this many runners together in one place....


Because remember?  

Runners are weird... 

...and I am a runner.