too excited too soon

I'm starting to remember why it was I chose to stop running track my freshman year of highschool...those lovely things that help our legs to bend...yea, my knees are shot to all hell after that 17 mile run last saturday. I'm not sure what the diagnosis is at this point but this pain is excruciating. Not only does it feel like someone took a hammer and whacked me Nancy Carrigan style, but its making it extremely difficult to walk and I have no intention of getting knee replacements any time soon. I've decided that my choices at this point are to be done with the long runs and just concentrate on the short ones (up to 14 miles) until the marathon or to be done with the long runs and just concentrate on the short ones until the marathon. I'm guessing this is the point where I listen to God (and my body) and just run shorter races after this marathon. Don't get me wrong, I have EVERY intention of getting through this marathon. I'd rather deal with the pain after the race than deal with the regret of quitting a mere 46 days before the race. If I have to walk a little so be it. It's 26.2 mile for heavens sake. Who actually runs the whole thing anyway? (juuuuust kidding). Heck, some people don't even drive that far in one day.

Bring it on pain! I WILL defeat you.

did all that really just happen?

Welp, I'm at a complete loss for words this afternoon when it comes to my run this morning. Not only were Mickey and I able to make it out on actual pavement at 7 am, but also managed to run 17 miles in temperatures reaching no more than 23 degrees. Our noses were running like crazy, my hair was frozen, and I even managed to notice what looked like snowfalkes on Mickey's eye lashes. Oh, not to mention my frozen face which made it impossible to talk. It was absolutely miserable, but the fact that we got through it is what I'm most proud of. We stopped a couple times just to catch our breath, and normally I'd be somewhat mad with myself, but I'm pretty sure huffing and puffing non-stop for 2 hours and 45 minutes in the freezing cold isn't so good for your lungs. There were points where I found myself getting frustrated...not with Mickey (who by the way is a trooper for continuing to run with blistering feet and those moments when I thought he was going to stop breathing)...but with the fact that I knew my body wasn't doing too hot, and as funny as it sounds, stopping only made it worse. However, I don't think anything could have been worse than running in the conditions we ran in. At one point I just remember laughing at myself and asking why it is I chose to live in the midwest and why in the heck I was training for a marathon hahaha. But thats what I absolutely love about all of this...is the fact that no matter how much I tell myself to hate it, no matter how much I question why I chose to do it, I will always finish and look back and KNOW that I can make it through anything. Plus, I'm just nuts for choosing to do this, so there's another reason for ya :)

I do have to admit something though. After my half marathon I thought it was a piece of cake to run those long runs by myself, as long as I was healthy, especially after my experience of running a race with an almost broken ankle. Yet, today wasn't so easy and I thank God that I had Mickey with me. We're a pretty great pair if you ask me. There have been days when I haven't been able to make it through a run and there are days when he can't make it through a run. Yet, we have each other and as mad as we get at each other when we're trying to find the strength to keep each other going, I am so thankful that it is him that chose to do this with me. When it comes to this marathon, he is my rock, and I can't wait to see what the next 50 days until the marathon brings...AHHHH!

slowly but surely

Some good news (finally)... after a good 3 weeks of resting my hip, and a 16 mile "run" on the elliptical last saturday morning, I've forced myself to get on that treadmill and just run, no matter how long it takes me. The last 2 runs have been pretty good. I started monday off with a 5 mile run and although it wasn't at my usual pace for the fear that I'd aggravate my hip, I finished. I tried to go faster than what my hip would allow me, but once I felt that pain I had to slow down. Then, last night I did an 8 miler on the treadmill and while I managed to run a bit faster than Monday's run, I was still trying to be cautious. 

All in all my body is holding up pretty well these days. The ankle pain is gone but that bursa infested fluid filled sack thing is still in my hip. I'm hoping that after some rest this weekend I'll be able to actually run outside starting next week. Although, the treadmill is doing pretty well for me these days considering I don't want my body to have to get so used to running in frigid temperatures before I have to be right back out there in the blistering humidity...plus I get to watch movies while I run :) Aside from all that though, reality is starting to kick in. I booked my ticket for the marathon yesterday and thank goodness for PTO in the working world or else I wouldn't be able to spend those 2 extra days in florida...on the beach....in the sun...relaxing!!

no other choice

I wish I could get out there and actually complete my training runs with REAL running, but for now i'll just have to stick to the elliptical (lucky me).  I'm still feeling some soreness and a bit of swelling in my ankle and I'm sure once I start running again my hip is going to pop every which way, but this cross training thing is much better than just sitting there and doing nothing (I've already copped out on a total of 6 weeks worth of training...uh oh...time to get this butt of mine back in gear, NO MATTER what it is I have to do). It hasn't been TOO bad this week...5 miles monday, 10 wednesday, 5.5 yesterday...but what the heck am I going to do when I have a 16 mile "run" tomorrow morning on a machine that doesn't get me anywhere and doesn't allow me to look at anything except treadmills for 2 1/2 hours?? (What I would give for my 16 mile follow up post to be about the beautiful scenery that kept me occupied while I was trekking across southern Indiana hahaha.)  Guess I just have to take it for what its worth, bite the bullet, and know that in the end this cross training is going to benefit me rather than destroy me. Hopefully I'll be back out there before I know it...but in the mean time I'll be racing the clock to design Kaity's logo for her new photography studio!! So everyone: when its up and running and she's famous, you best buy her prints...and admire the savvy graphic design behind it all ;)

65 days until the big day!!