Words to live by...

This past week of training has been a little challenging. It’s only week three and the mileage hasn’t been difficult, but my allergies have been killing me! It’s hard to run when you can’t breathe. I’m also really concerned about my pace. The mapping site my running partners and I use most, www.mapmyrun.com and the pace calculator seem to be a little off. According to the site, I’m consistently running an 8:15-8:20 pace. That can’t be right, because my breathing would be much more labored in the distances I’m covering. I have to get this sorted out or I’ll have a big shock and disappointment on October 12^th.

Physically, my very minor plantar fasciitis and my knee pain, which I’m self-diagnosing as my medial collateral ligament (MCL) strain, aren’t debilitating yet. I know they’re both something I need to pay close attention to when I wake up in the morning and they both ache before I’ve even gotten out of the bed. My pain preventions steps:

§ I got shiny new shoes for my birthday (thanks JC!)-Asics Gel Nimbus 9.

§ I’m trying to ice my knee 1-2 times a day.

§ I take NSAIDs to keep the inflammation at bay.

§ I’m working on further strengthening of my quads with 45˚ light leg extensions.

§ I’m trying not to wear flip flops every day.

I’m know I need to be smarter with my body in training for this marathon because I’ve experienced the pain that comes from abuse and ignoring the warning signs and it ain’t pretty.

Emotionally, I’ve had a much better week. Last week, I was an emotional basket case. Everything that is going on in my life (or isn’t) hit me like a ton of bricks. I think I’m going to chalk it up to hormones, because I was so out of control inside. Very unlike me. Thank God for my ability and love of running. Sometimes I think it’s the only thing that keeps me moving forward. The opportunity to put everything behind me and concentrate on my foot falls, breathing and enjoyment of being outdoors is incomparable. As Dr. George Sheehan says, “Running becomes and addiction that has positive rather than negative effects.” Amen, brother.

Being alone with music while I’m tackling the hills and covering the distance has a significant impact on me too. For some reason, I’m addicted to lyrics and try to use them to fit my mood at that moment. Two lines from Edie Brickell (did you know she’s married to Paul Simon?) were worth noting this week:

“…don't look back, look up and then look around”

“I know that when I get back on my feet I will walk away from misery.” Or , more appropriately for me, run.

This week’s words to live by.

Chicago 2008...here I come!

Did you ever do something that had you smacking your forehead and wondering what the hell you were getting yourself into? That’s me. Two weeks into training for my second marathon in 4 years. 2008 Chicago, here I come…again. The pain from the 2004 Chicago marathon wasn’t tattooed into my brain deeply enough, I guess. I’ve decided to do it again because of peer pressure and my sometimes annoying, genetic gift of fierce competitiveness. Mostly I’m terrified of the inevitable pain I’m going to endure. I’m definitely not a Kenyan and my body was not built for this, even though I’m an athletic chic. But there are a few things that keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

One, I fell in love with Chicago the one and only time I was there. Any excuse to go back is excuse enough for me. Train 18 weeks and be guaranteed that with every step, my knees are going to feel like someone is beating me right across the joint with an iron pipe for the entire 4 hours. Sign me up. Chicago’s a fantastic city and I can't wait to soak it all up again. I’ll do anything to get back.

Two, I'm looking forward to spending countless hours during the next 16 weeks planning, talking and running with my girlfriends. I look forward to those long run days when the miles seem to fly by as we vent our frustrations of the week, talk about our future dreams and laugh about the ridiculousness of our family responsibilities. It's much cheaper than paying a therapist. Unless we all need knee and hip replacements before retirement age.

Three, I missed the after party on the Navy Pier in 2004 because, well, I literally couldn’t put one foot in front of the other from the extreme post-race knee pain. That bummed me out. This year, I’ll be there even if my pals have to help me shuffle over there.

But most importantly, I’m looking forward to the marathon because I’m thrilled to raise money for Girls on the Run as I step closer to my goal of 26.2. More on this groundbreaking program in future posts…

So, here’s my blog. My journey to Chicago in 2008 and a few more details about why my running matters to me and where I hope running shoes will take me. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. Maybe someone who needs inspiration will find my words and will see from my experiences that we only have to look inside ourselves to find what it takes to be the best we can be. And you’ll also see that my journey is definitely an ongoing process. Two steps forward and one step back…