26.2

 The day I have been focusing on for almost a year has come and gone.  I can't believe it, but I did what I set out to do.  I ran a marathon.  I honestly didn't know that I could do it, but I trained and prepared and succeeded.  I remember when running 3 miles would feel long.  Now, anything less than 20 will feel short.


Before I describe the day, my emotions and results, I need to back up a couple of weeks.  My training plan called for one last long run of 20 miles, and then a taper with long runs of 12 miles and 8 miles.  My 20 mile run went fine - I ran the only section of the Mount Vernon trail that I had not yet run from Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon and back.  It was boring but I did fine, averaging a 10 minute mile pace.  The next week, I set out for 12 miles again on the Mount Vernon trail but adding a stretch of the Capitol Crescent Trail in Georgetown.  I felt great, averaging a 9 minute mile pace the entire 12 miles.  When I got in the car, I noticed a slight pain in the top of my left foot but didn't think much of it.  The pain increased the next day, hurting when walking.  I didn't try to run again until Thursday, and had to stop after only 2 miles.  The pain started on top of my foot and radiated to my instep.  It's safe to say that I freaked out at this point.  Nine days until the marathon and I couldn't believe this was happening to me.  Turned out it is quite common to have injuries such as this in the latter part of marathon training.  At this point, I didn't know if the injury was tendonitis or worse (stress fracture).  I hoped it was just tendonitis, but the only thing I could do was rest and wait.  I did just that...stayed off my feet as much as possible, iced lots and lots, and took Aleve each night to reduce swelling.  I tried not to think about it, but truthfully I was consumed with it.  I didn't try to run again until the next Tuesday...and only with minimal success.  I tried wrapping the foot a couple of different ways, and there was still pain after a little bit of running (i.e. less than one mile).  I went to the MCM Expo on Thursday to get my bib, etc. and still had no idea if I would be running on Sunday.  I was so disappointed.  The day I was waiting for an entire year and I might not be able to fulfill my desire to run a marathon.  After all the training and hard work, I felt like I was being punished for something I didn't mean to do.  The truth is, I was so tired of the training and I felt that marathon training is not sustainable for me...so in my mind, this marathon was the only one I would be running and I didn't want to miss it.  I know there are many other marathons, but I didn't think my mind could handle another set of lengthy training only to not know if I would be injured again at the end.   When I went to the MCM Expo, I stopped by the KT Tape booth.  I spoke with the guy about my pain and he suggested another taping method.  He would have taped me but his partner was not yet there, but the taping method was simple and I knew I could do it myself with ease.  I tried when I got home, and walked on the treadmill...even running about a mile with some pain, but it was bearable.  I was still uncertain though.  The next day, I was eager to try the new taping method on the streets.  James ran with me, and we kept an easy 10 minute mile pace and I was able to run for almost 4 miles.  The pain subsided and my foot seemed to warm up as the run went on.  I was sore afterwards, with pain when walking for the next 12-18 hours though so I still didn't know if the foot would hold up for 26 miles.  My nerves were at fever pitch, but I prepared for the race and knew I had to give it a try.  My favorite quote from Runner's World arrived on Friday morning...

"There is no time to think about how much I hurt.  There is only time to run."

How true, and appropriately timed!  What this two weeks taught me is that I truly have developed a love of running.  I am emotional just typing this.  I missed it.  It was a good break, but I was ready to run.  I wanted to run, I needed to run.  It keeps me in check...keeps me balanced.  I knew that regardless of whether I could run and finish this marathon, I have now become a runner and it feels great to know that.

Race morning arrived.  I was still nervous, but I was excited.  This was a course I love, with spectators almost the whole way, and the excitement of running with so many people.  I soaked it all in.  The National Anthem, the flyover, the crowds, the cool of the morning, just everything.   The weather was dicey, with the threat of a hurricane looming.  It was perfect though...50s, cloudy, and not a drop of rain on us runners.  The only negative was a pretty strong headwind that affected most runners, including me for the last 10 miles.

The gun went off, and it took almost 10 minutes to cross the start line.  And my race had begun!  I started out cautiously, measured and let my foot warm up.  There was some pain, but nothing unbearable and it didn't get worse so I suspected it would be fine.  I forgot my watch, so I couldn't pace myself the way I wanted to...and my MapMyRun was off with distance so the pace was off.  All in all though, I knew I was running consistently and I was conserving energy because I knew this was more than I had ever run.  My one mistake early on was not drinking or eating enough as I felt a bit lightheaded and dizzy around Mile 14-15.  Increasing my food and drink though seemed to help and I overcame that feeling.  A marathon is mostly mental, and I fought through it many times throughout those 26 miles mostly in the last 10 miles.  It was also physical near the end with my muscles burning and willing me to stop, but I would not...could not stop.  I knew I would make it, I would not give up.  I loved the spectators...my 6 spectators especially who walked 6 miles to see me 4 times on the course.  James and the kids, my parents and Annie cheered me on and picked me up at points when I was doubting.  I needed that, I knew I would and I'm so grateful that they made it through the course to see me.  I loved the Marines, slapping me five as I ran by.  I loved the course, with its diversity and sights.  I loved running in a group of people, though they were strangers we were all in it together.  I especially loved the finish, and the Marine putting the medal around my neck.  I ran a marathon!  I still have to remind myself that I did it.  I set out with a goal to run a marathon in 2012, and I did it.  Time isn't really important, but it will stick in my mind.  I finished in 4 hours, 31 minutes and 37 seconds.  My foot wasn't even really an issue...by the end, so much hurt and I was thinking about so many other things that my foot was the least of my concerns.  I do think it was tendonitis, and rest did the trick.  I am so happy, and so proud of myself for this accomplishment.  It is one that I will remember forever.

Many people have asked....will you run another marathon?  Before I did it, and also for a few hours afterwards, I said no.  This was a 'bucket list' check, something I could say I did and move on.  The intense pain I was in immediately afterwards was enough to make me ask why, oh why would people do this to themselves more than once?!?!  But time fades those pains.  I liken it to childbirth...and most women have more than one child so obviously the pain fades.  I'm now 3 days post marathon, and I feel pretty much back to normal.  My muscles are still sore, but nothing major.  Going down stairs is the hardest, but that pain is easing.  And now I'm not ruling out another marathon.  I won't say yes at this point, but it's not a definite no either.  I still think marathons and their training are hard on a body, and I prefer a half marathon distance.  I'm making up my race calendar for 2013, and I know it will include many halfs...but I'm not ruling out another fall marathon.  What I do know is that I'm excited to be done with this race, and I'm looking forward to more running!

Nine

Keely celebrated her ninth birthday last week. She brought cupcakes to school, but unfortunately got sent home before the in-class celebrations due to a case of head lice.  Talk about a horrible birthday present!  She was disappointed but they saved the cupcakes and celebrated a day late.  We celebrated at home that night with ice cream cake and presents - roller blades from Mom and Dad, and a bead set from Quinn.

We continued the celebration this weekend with a visit from Nana, Papa and Annie.  Papa was a surprise visitor, and the look on Keely's face when he walked in was priceless.  He was supposed to be camping all weekend, but he cut out early for his granddaughter's birthday celebration, and to see me finish my first marathon and took the train to DC on Saturday afternoon.  When Keely found out initially that he was choosing camping over her birthday, he asked what she wanted for her birthday.  Her answer...you!  She knows how to get someone wrapped around her little finger, that's for sure.  So he couldn't deny her that, and he exhausted himself to get here to spend the night with us.  We ate tomato soup and naan for dinner, her choice - and pasta primavera for me to continue my carbo-loading, and then celebrated with cake and presents.  She got some accessories from American Girl, and Annie bought her a Halloween costume.  So now my baby is 9, a fact that she and I both lamented.  She says she doesn't want to grow up, and that time goes too quickly.  She's very right, but I did promise her that she wouldn't feel any different once her birthday came and went, and she admitted I was right. 

I can't believe she is 9 already...the last year before double digits and now halfway through her childhood (presuming she goes to college when she is 18).  She continues to be a challenge, but her personality is contagious - she's spunky, smart and fun to be around (most times).  I still am not looking forward to her teen years, but hope we have some time before the big drama hits...the calm before the storm, so to speak.  Apropos as the rain falls and winds whip up from an impending hurricane as I type this.  The days will be up and down, but I will enjoy the ride with my baby because she's right, time does go fast and I'll miss her when she's not with me each day.

Well Checks

Today, the kids went to see their pediatrician for their annual well checks.  This is a pretty routine visit, but it's always fun to see how they've grown and where they stack up on growth charts compared to others their age. 

Quinn is 56.5" tall and weighs about 78 pounds.  He's in the 50% for height, and the 60% for weight.  Very proportional, and pretty much average for other 11 year old boys. 

Keely is 51.5" tall and weighs about 55 pounds.  She's in the 30% range for both height and weight, and the nurse called her petite.  Keely didn't particularly like that, but in all honesty being petite is a compliment and not something she should be mad about.

The biggest drama of the visit was us learning that Quinn could get two shots that he needs for middle school.  My original plan was to come back early for their next well checks and have him get those shots in the summer prior to starting middle school in September.  However, the doctor informed us that since it was less than one year before starting middle school, he could get those shots now and then we wouldn't have to worry about coming back early.  This sounded good to me and James, but Quinn was not happy.  He didn't have much choice though, so we said yes to the shots while we were there. The last time he got shots, he was about to enter Kindergarten, 5 turning 6 and he hated shots.  He screamed like a baby, and it was a very traumatic experience.  He'd never been a good shot getter.  But that was many years ago, and these two went a lot smoother.  He got one in each arm, and held my hand through both but they were quick and mostly painless.  Another sign that my baby is getting older, and one step closer to middle school!

Busch Gardens

A while ago, we decided to take the kids to Williamsburg on Columbus Day weekend, primarily to visit Busch Gardens as a combined birthday gift for them.  We hesitated to book, well I should say I hesitated to book anything for a number of (largely unimportant) reasons but we finally decided to head down on Sunday morning, stay Sunday night and drive back Monday.  We booked the hotel, and were all set - the only snag in my mind could have been the weather.









Well, Mother Nature didn't want to cooperate with us...at least not entirely.  I tried to persuade James several times to change our plans, head down a day earlier or something...but he resisted, and it worked out fine.  He owes me a big 'I told you so'!

  We left about 8:30 on Sunday morning as planned...driving through drizzle that turned into a downpour the entire drive.  The good news is that there was no traffic, so aside from driving through rain we made great time and made it to Williamsburg in just about 2.5 hours.  James was watching radar, and assuring me (I was driving) that there was nothing behind the current line of rain so it should be stopping and we would be in the clear.  We were all hungry so we stopped at one of the umpteen pancake and waffle houses to eat brunch.  When we left the restaurant, the rain was slowing a bit so we decided to head to Busch Gardens and take our chances.

It was still raining lightly as we parked, but as we entered the park it stopped and we had 5 hours of clear albeit cold and cloudy weather.  All I cared about was that it stopped raining, so we were thrilled.  It was quite literally the perfect storm...a Sunday in October with undesirable weather.  There was a small crowd at the park, but nothing like it would be on a warm sunny day.  We had little to no lines for any rides, and we were able to ride each coaster 2-3 times with minimal waits.  The final count (just coasters) was 10 for Quinn, 9 for me and Keely, and 7 for James.  James sat out on a couple, he admitted he is getting old...and I was just happy to keep up with the kids the entire time...the last time I was on a looping roller coaster was when I was in college, about 15 years ago!  We rode Loch Ness Monster, Apollo's Chariot, Verbolten, and Alpengeist.  Keely only missed hitting number 10 by 2 inches...she was just barely (actually 0.1" under) 52", we were able to sneak her onto Apollo's Chariot twice but she was 2" short for Alpengeist.  We also went on a number of smaller rides.  Without lines, we did all of this in about 4.5 hours.  Quite incredible, and frankly it will be hard to go back to BG and actually have to wait in lines for these same rides on another day.  The park was decorated for Howl-O-Scream, the annual Halloween event so it was festive and fun to walk around.  We had a blast, and were all exhausted.  After we left the park, we headed to the hotel and hit the pool/hot tub for some R&R and to warm up.

On Monday morning, it was raining lightly again...surprise, surprise.  And it was cold.  We braved it for a bit and walked around Colonial Williamsburg but the kids weren't into it and we were all cold.  We hit the outlets on our way out of town...a Loft outlet (Keely's comment was that it was my 'heaven' when we walked in) and New Balance outlet where Keely was able to score some new kicks for Girls on the Go.  We made it home in under 2.5 hours, and were glad to be back home.  It was a quick trip, but we had a blast and I'm sure we will do it again!

11

One week ago today, Quinn celebrated his 11th birthday.  The birthday celebrations began the Friday before and lasted an entire week.  He is one lucky boy!

The pre-birthday weekend kicked off when Nana, Papa and Aunt Annie came to visit on Friday afternoon.  We let Quinn decide Saturday's main activity, and he chose to visit the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum (commonly called Air and Space 2, because the one downtown is number one).  I had never been to this one, but James and the kids went when we first moved here primarily because we were staying in a hotel very close to it.  Annie took Quinn on the simulator as one of his birthday gifts, and they had a blast even going upside down.  We got to see the newly retired space shuttle Discovery which is now housed in the museum.  It's pretty impressive to see such a large plane, and one that has gone to space so many times up close and personal.  I only wish you could go inside!  There is even a control tower that gives you 360 degree views of the area, as well as a chance to listen in on the actual air traffic control of Dulles Airport which is just to the north of the museum.  All in all, a cool place to visit - and at only a cost of $15 for parking, even more worth the trip! 

Saturday night, we let Quinn choose dinner - BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, and salad.  Then we had cake and presents.  His cake is always his own choice and design...this year a marble bundt cake with chocolate frosting, and his name and age spelled out in gummy worms.  Quite tasty, although I could have lived without the gummy worms.

Sunday he had another birthday meal, thanks to Papa - his choice a full rack of ribs.  This boy can eat more than me already!

On his actual birthday, he brought cupcakes to school to celebrate with his class.  It struck me as I was decorating his choice of funfetti with sprinkles that this is the last year he will be bringing a treat to school...next year he will be in middle school.  Wow!  Another sign that he is getting older, as if there weren't enough of those front and center.  We didn't do anything special that night, since he and Keely have guitar lessons but he did get a few more presents...all in all, he had a great haul with  an xBox game, movies (The Hunger Games, and The Avengers), Legos (who knew he could need even more of those?!?!), game (Anomia...for him and Keely, and fun for the whole family!), money, and from us a long board.  Quite a lucky boy!

But that wasn't the end of the fun.  On Friday night, he had his two best friends over at our house for a night of fun and a sleepover.  They had pizza, played games and watched The Avengers with movie style popcorn and M&M's, cookies and brownies...and stayed up until about 2 AM.  It was a long, crazy night.  They were up before 8 AM, and I made pancakes for breakfast.  Quinn had a lot of fun, but he was exhausted (so was I to be honest!).

And that was that.  The week long birthday celebration came to an end, and now we have an 11 year old.  It's not as dramatic as having your child enter the double digits, but another year gone by quickly just the same.  He's a smart, quirky, intelligent kid and I'm proud of the young man he is becoming.  I love being around him...he's calm, easygoing and fun...and I can't wait to watch him continue to grow and change.