Race Day: February 14, 2010 / www.lifesouth.org
I promised updates when I announced I’d be running a 1/2 marathon in celebration of surviving breast cancer for five years. (Running 13.1 miles does qualify as a celebration, right? Or should I have gone for the shopping spree, pampered pedicure, yummy dinner at a fancy restaurant?)
Well, here’s update No. 1:
Training is going well, and up until last night when I hopped up quickly from my chair to answer the phone after an 8.5-mile run and realized that for a moment, I could see nothing but darkness and could not respond to the caller (I think that’s called nearly passing out), there really have been no problems — no soreness, tightness, issues with breathing, nothing. Well, my knee is kinda achy today, but I think that’s related to the whole nearly-passing-out thing — here’s the scoop on that:
My tri-athlete-inspired dad sent me some powder recently, and he urged me to mix it with water and drink it after my long runs — I can sip it throughout the run, too, but I must drink it afterward, he said. It’s intended to:
- Improve energy and endurance
- Prevent cramping and dehydration
- Restore electrolytes
- Improve glycogen resynthesis
And I have chugged back the drink on most of my long runs — but not yesterday. Not sure why, I just got caught up in a family game of Uno, I guess, and never did mix the thing up. I suppose that’s why I got all weak and wobbly when I raced for the phone, and why my knee feels funky today. OK, OK, lesson learned. I’m like that, you know. I do things my own way, thinking everything will be just fine, and then I realize that someone else might actually know more than I do. Like the clothing thing. My sister keeps telling me I need some marathon-appropriate gear so I can get all layered and then shed some skin as I warm up on my cool-weather jaunts — because those short shorts I wore in 40-degree temps yesterday just didn’t do my any favors, and it’s very likely that my 7:00 AM race on February 14 will be a bit chilly.
So, while it may seem like my training is not going as well as I report, it really is. I mean, I once was a 3-mile-only girl, and now I’ve conquered more than 8 miles at one time. That’s huge in my book. Plus, I’m feeling so strong on some runs, I just know I could keep going (but I don’t, except for that one time, because I want to stick to the schedule), and, well, I just feel really good about it all. I can truly visualize myself crossing the finish line, and most important in all of this is that I’m pushing my body to perform — the same old body that was knocked out by chemo and folded onto the living room floor with blood counts so low only a blood transfusion could help. Yep, that one. Amazing what the body can do — as long as the person attached to it follows the rules.
Next run: powder drink and some new functional fashion!
Tags: 1/2 marathon, update
Congratulations, 8.5-miler!
Under Armor makes some really excellent cold weather gear that looks good and works SO well. I have a pair of long pants and a mock turtleneck that I wore in both my half marathons. They kept me warm during the chilly start but not overheated when I warmed up. BRILLIANT! I warm them for an outdoor workout the other day and remarked to Dave how much I love them. They work in temps from 30 degrees all the way up to 50+ — and like your beautiful cousin Annie, I’m a big sweat ball. Under Armor rules. You won’t believe how great you feel in the right clothes!
Mel — Going shopping today, so I can be properly outfitted for an early and COLD morning run tomorrow! Thanks for your advice, appreciate it!
Congratulations!! What a fantastic goal–we look forward to reading future updates!
Congrats! Way to go…