Boston Marathon 2018

I qualified for Boston 2018 back in Indy in 2016, which might as well have been an eternity ago. I had just started tamoxifen a few months before Indy and was feeling fine ... and then a couple of months after Indy the side effects hit. I managed to finish Boston 2017 but was worried about going through another marathon training cycle. I took fall 2017 off from a marathon to see if some rest would help going into training for Boston 2018. It didn't, but I managed to get through the training. I didn't hit the mileage or paces I wanted, but I got through training and made it to the start line in one piece - yah! I knew it'd be ridiculous to have a big time goal like a PR or BQ so I just told myself goals were to finish (which would be a big accomplishment with how I've felt) and then see if I could get a sub 4.

After having fun in Boston with my family, meeting elite runners, and enjoying delicious Italian food in the North End all weekend, it was finally race day. Back in 2016, I was put in touch with someone who lives at the start line in Hopkinton and have gone to his house the past three years instead of Athlete's Village. It's so nice to have a place to hang out and relax in and was a Godsend this year with the weather. We were able to dry out there and then just relaxed until it was go time. Quick walk to the start line and it was time for me to start my 5th Boston Marathon. I was excited but also apprehensive and just praying God would get me through one more marathon.

I hadn't worried much about the weather since I was more worried about whether or not I'd even finish and I was probably one of the few people who didn't mind the weather forecast - cold, rain, wind. I hate hot weather so I was okay with the forecast. Of course, I didn't realize how miserable the weather would actually be, but I'd still choose it over the 90-degree heat of Boston 2012!

I decided after the 1st 5K to just take the race one 5K at a time. I knew I could get through it if I just broke it into 5Ks. My friend, Chris, saw me at mile 10 and we started running together. I was so happy to see him because I was struggling and it helped me immensely to have a friend to run with. Despite the weather, the Wellesley girls were still loud and proud and you could hear them way before you could see them. Once you pass them, you know the Newton Hills are coming up soon. Chris and I got separated around mile 19 and it was time for me to finally make it up Heartbreak Hill without walking. I've walked part of Heartbreak every year I've run Boston and one goal I had this year was to run the entire thing ... and I did! I knew there was a chance it was my last chance to do it so I just put my head down and got to the top.

Once you get through the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill, you get into the Boston University part of the course. This area is normally a huge party and packed full of people. The weather scared some of the crowds off as it was tame compared to the past years, but the crowd support was still great. That's the thing about Boston - the weather can flat out suck and people will still be out there cheering on the runners.

After the BU section, I knew I only had a few miles to go and that my mom and sister would be on Boylston cheering me on - I was just hoping I would see them! The crowds and noise picked up as I neared Hereford, which helped me to keep moving. After the right on Hereford, I started scanning the crowds for my mom and sis ... and there they were, bless their hearts, cheering in the downpour. I ran over and gave them a quick hug and then was off to finish the Boston Marathon.

I crossed the finish line in 3:55:04, far from my PR, but under the one time goal I had set for myself. I was hit with emotions as soon as I finished. Boston has held a special place in my heart since I started running marathons and this was my last one. I've been through a lot in the past few years and it just hit me that my Boston chapter was coming to a close.

My Boston Marathon journey ...

I qualified for my first Boston in my 3rd marathon and my first Boston greeted with 90-degree heat that I didn't handle well at all. I wanted so badly to requalify but ran into heart problems in the fall of 2013 and underwent two heart procedures. I worked my butt off and got another BQ ... just to be told my BQ wasn't fast enough and that I'd miss out on Boston 2014. So, I kept working hard and got another BQ (at Erie) that put me into Boston 2015 and Boston 2016.

As most of you know, I found out two months before Boston 2016 that I had breast cancer. It worked out where I was able to run Boston followed by surgery a couple of days later. I ran Boston 2016 with cancer, not knowing what the future held. I requalified there, which led me to Boston 2017. Boston 2017 was a celebration of getting through cancer hell. I had a bad race, but I was cancer free ... as opposed to the previous year where I ran with a tumor. Boston 2018 finished off my handful of Bostons that I've wanted. 

A lot of people say I'm inspirational, which I guess I kind of get, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of people would do what I've done with what my life has dealt me. Yes, in less than a three-year time span, I had two heart surgeries, lost my job, lost my dear Bella, and was diagnosed with breast cancer. You can either succumb to the valleys of life and let evil win or you can dig deep and rise up.

There were times during the race where the rain was a downpour and the wind was blowing me sideways and I found myself laughing and just looking up at the sky with smile. I am so blessed and God has been so good to me.



Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me  all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - Psalm 23

Monumental Marathon 11.5.16

Since I've started running marathons, my goal has always been to run sub 3:30.  I've come close but just have never been able to run it.

I slept well the night before and felt pretty relaxed at the start. The start was super crowded and I figured the first few miles would be slow going, but I was actually already at goal race pace by mile 1. We ran by the Colts stadium, which was pretty neat and then worked our way to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. This area was really pretty, but it was still crowded and I ended up running on the outside of the circle instead of the tangent like I normally try to run.

I started looking for Jason after this, expecting him to be around mile 4, but I never saw him. I knew our friend, Benji, was supposed to be at mile 6 so I started looking for him after not seeing Jason. I like having people to look for, as it helps pass the time and gives me something to think about other than if I'm feeling good or not.

The 3:25 pacer was up ahead of me and I had decided to just keep him in view and not try to stay with him. I didn't want to run too hard too early and blow up. I figured if he was still in sight around mile 18 then I would try to catch up with him. I hit the half split in 1:42:32 (7:50 pace) and was feeling decent. I never felt great or horrible during Indy - just always felt okay. Around mile 14, I decided to go ahead and pass the 3:25 pacer

The race went through the Broad Ripple neighborhood, which was fully of pretty homes to look at - I often look at houses when I run, so I appreciate courses that have a lot of them! Miles 17-18 went through the Butler campus and Greek Row. Miles 19-20 went by the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens and the Indy Museum of Art, which was a beautiful area - definitely my favorite part of the course. I was still feeling strong at the 20-mile mark so started to pick it up. I saw Benji and he ran some miles with me, which helped me to keep chugging along. I knew by then I was finally going to get my sub 3:30 - what a great feeling after years of hard work. I crossed the line in 3:22:01 - over a 9-minute PR just a few months after finishing up radiation!

Erie Marathon at Presque Isle 09.14.14

Back in May, Liz ran the Nashville marathon, but wanted to run another one within a few months, so who does she get in touch with?  Me!  She knows I have a hard time saying no to a marathon road trip.  We decided on the Erie Marathon at Presque Isle.  I was worried about summer training and listened to my cardio doc's warnings.  I decided to keep up with marathon long runs, but do 5K speed work so I wouldn't have to do long intervals in the heat/humidity.  My tempo runs were shorter than usual, but I increased the intensity.  I had no idea how Erie would go after this training, but I didn't have a big goal.  After Carmel, I just wanted to feel good the entire race, so I set two goals - to run sub-4 and to not throw up.

Road trip!

Race days rolls around and temps were expected to be mid 50s for the entire race.  Can't complain about that!  Liz and I got there really early as advised and had no issues with traffic and parking, which is something I always worry about on race day.  Another thing I worry about is if I'll have time to go to the bathroom 2-3 times.  Well, 7:00 AM was approaching quickly and lines were so long.  I realized I'd have to forgo one last trip and just stop at the port-a-john I saw at the 5K mark.  Race starts and I realize I can get to it before mile 1, so I took advantage of the pit stop and still knocked out an 8:30 first mile!

Talk about pretty views!

To my surprise, I settled into a low 8 minute pace.  By mile 3, I knew it was going to be a good day.  I just felt calm and knew that God had some great stuff planned for me.  I have to admit I kept telling myself until mile 25 not to get ahead of myself, but then I would just reply to myself that I felt great and it was going to be a memorable day.   I realized a guy nearby was pacing a girl to 3:35, so I decided to just tuck in with them and see what happened.  My goal for the halfway mark was 1:50.  I figured 1:50 gave me a cushion to still go sub-4 if I started having issues, but it also put me in a good position if I was feeling good.  I hit halfway just under 1:47 and was feeling good so I decided to pick it up.

The course was beautiful (2-loop course with shade and water views), the volunteers were great (best ones I've ever seen at a race), and the miles continued to go by easily and I was passing people left and right, which was a huge mental boost.  I thought about my sweet Bella.  I thought about how Liz would be surprised to see me so early.  I thought about my friends who run so many miles with me.  I thought about how proud Jason and my family would be.  I thought about how life flourishes when you trust in God and the path he has planned for you.  These thoughts kept me moving.  I started to get tired, but knew I'd be close to 3:30, so I just kept pushing it and telling myself to keep moving.  I finished with the last mile in 7:45 and crossed the line in 3:31:02.  Mind blown. 

Happy girls!  Liz rocked a sub 3:27!  PRs and BQs for both of us!

I cried when I finished.  A year ago I wasn't sure how much I would be able to run going forward.  I was told that I would run slower and run shorter.  I thought that PRs and BQs were years away, if they ever happened again, but I have always kept a little sliver of hope.  It's amazing what happens when you trust in God, never lose hope, and then just run for the love of running.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

Race notes:  Ran w/orange Amazon water in handheld; 3 honey stinger chews every other mile starting at mile 7; pancakes for lunch and pizza for dinner day before along with lots of water plus Amazon water with salt;  Gatorade day before and morning of; bread & PB plus cuties and part of Odwalla bar for pre-race breakfast.

Black Mountain Monster 6-hr Recap 5.17.14

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." - Thomas Carlyle

I had been wanting to run a 6-hr race for a while and the timing and price of the Black Mountain Monster worked out well.   I had set a goal of 36 miles, 2 loops per hour.  I thought it was a solid goal - not unrealistic, but challenging.  With temps being cooler than expected, I though 36 miles was definitely runnable.

I really had no idea what to expect in terms of the course.  I had seen a few pics of the course, but that was it.  I LOVED it.  It was such a mix of terrain and scenery that it never got old.  There was some grass running, packed dirt running, a little bit of pavement, wide trails, and some non-technical single track.  There was a section where we ran through a field of tall trees; I loved entering that section every loop.  My least favorite part was the grass section towards the end of the loop, right before the course dropped and took a right hand turn around tent town.  For some reason, I just didn't like it.  I didn't mind the grass part right at the finish, but maybe that's because I knew that section signaled another lap complete.  I loved the course though and it's definitely one of my fave courses now. 

Photo Courtesy of Willie and Sarah

I knocked out four laps in 2 hours and had a little bit of a cushion to stay on my goal of 36 miles.  I had to stop after 4 laps to take off my calf sleeves and change socks.  I was afraid I might get too warm with my calf sleeves on so decided to take them off.  My Brooks socks were too thin and I could feel a hot spot forming on the ball of each foot.  I slathered on more Vaseline and went with my Balega socks since they are thicker.  One of the best decisions I made; my feet still look like non-runner's feet!  That break though ate up my cushion and I came in a little after the 3 hour mark to finish 6 laps.  So to reach my goal, I would have to pick up the pace and that wasn't happening.  My legs had no pop to them all day, not even at mile 1.  They had been feeling blah all week, but I thought rest would take care of it.  No such luck, so I concentrated on my mantra that I had in my mind all week leading up to the BMM.  Continuous forward movement. If I wasn't going to hit my mileage goal, I would at least keep moving the whole time.  

When I finished lap 8, I saw that the lead female was also at 8 laps, but it turns out she had come in a while ago and was closing in on lap 9, so I knew first place was out of reach.  She and I ended up running my lap 9 and her lap 10 together and knocked it out fairly "quickly".  Talking about clothes and running definitely helps the tired miles pass by easier.  We came in from that lap with 55ish minutes left in the race.  I came across Jason and we switched to a jog/walk and then to just a walk.  We were both tired and I wasn't feeling too hot; also, by taking more time, I didn't have to decide whether or not to try for more after that lap.  If we had come in with 20 minutes left on the clock, I would have probably tried for another mile and maybe even pushed for two, so it was better that we took our time and finished with just a few minutes left on the clock.

Photo courtesy of Ray Krolewicz

Jason and I ran about 3 laps together; the first one, a middle one, and the last one.  Poor thing had to listen to me again talk about how I wanted to throw up, but I promised him I wouldn't cry this time.  He finished with 27.9 miles and I finished with a 50K.  I ended up being 2nd female and was pleasantly surprised with a $50 gift certificate to a running store.  I thought maybe I'd get a medal at most, so scoring money for running shoes was a nice bonus!  We had a couple of friends running and they did great; Sarah ended with over 50 miles for the 12-hr race and Chas ended up with a 50K for the 6-hr race.

Why else did this race rock?  Aid station was awesome.  The watermelon, pineapple, and crispy bacon all hit the spot.  The shirts are pretty cool too; I love the glowing monster eyes on the shirt.  It had a fun, low-key atmosphere, which I love.  Plus, they encouraged runners to bring food for a local crisis center and animal shelter.  Did I mention the course?  Would love to be able to run it more often.

Photo Courtesy of Willie and Sarah

So, while I'm happy about finishing 2nd and logging my first 50K as a heart runner, I have to admit there's still a little bit of disappointment in my head.  Yes, happiness and disappointment regarding a goal can coexist.  My goal was something I should have been able to run and I just didn't have it come race day.  I don't think anything in particular went wrong, other than my legs just didn't want to go fast.  I stayed away from Gu/gels and my stomach felt better.  I did take 2 s-caps and am not sure if that's what hit me on the last lap or not.  I'm going to cut those out too for future races.  Despite the disappointment, I can't wait to see my doc's face when I tell him I've run a marathon and 50K since he last saw me!      

"God is within her; she will not fail.  God will help her at break of day." - Psalms 46:5

 

Carmel Marathon Recap 4.12.14

This post is a mix of emotions for me, so it jumps around a bit.  I've always been faithful and put my trust in God, but it wasn't until a church service a few months ago that it really hit home that He is the ultimate healer.  A woman (and her two daughters) testified to how prayer had healed her of her illness.  I fought back tears because I wanted so badly to be healed and be back to normal.  Something clicked in me that day and I realized that God would heal me.  It would take a lot of hard work on my end, but I knew He would be with me and would give me the strength and energy I needed.  I have been asking him repeatedly to use me as a testimony to what He can do. 

When I was cleared to run in December, I decided to slowly start ramping up and begin marathon training in January.  I figured if the training was going well and I thought I could finish a marathon then I would sign up about half way through the training.  I knew from my doctor's warnings that my paces would be off and not to expect to be close to my old times.  I ran a 5K in January and was 2 minutes off my PR with little training, so I found that encouraging.  I felt really good at a 10K in February, plus marathon training was going well, so I signed up for the Carmel Marathon in Indiana.  I bonked at a half marathon after signing up for Carmel, which was disappointing, but I didn't read too much into it because I ran it on tired legs.  I was happy to see that my heart rate held constant during the half even when I got tired because that was a concern of mine going into the marathon.  I was afraid as I got tired that my heart rate would run even higher.  The half was a good test for that and gave me a little peace of mind. I had a cardio appointment a few days later and my doctor was shocked at how well I was doing.

I was really happy with how training went.  I followed the Hansons Marathon Method and ran more miles for marathon training than I ever have (just under 700 miles).  I really enjoyed the plan and went into Carmel feeling very optimistic that a 3:35 (BQ) or better was possible.  I had hit all the training times for a 3:30 marathon, but set my goal at 3:35 since I wasn't sure entirely what to expect with my blood pressure/heart rate.  A PR seemed like a very lofty goal, but a BQ seemed reasonable.  

My only concern going into the race was a low back issue from traveling in a car for 10 hours a few days prior.  Thankfully, Jason's friend, who we were staying with, is also a chiropractor and let us use his office so I could get adjusted.  That gave me a decent amount of relief and made me feel like I could make it through 26.2.

Race day came and I felt ready.  Not many people knew I was running and that was how I wanted it.  Temps were in the mid to high 40's at the start, but were expected to climb into the mid to high 60's fairly quickly.  I had plenty of Powerade gels and had my Ultima/salt mix in my handheld, so I felt good that I would have the race fuel I needed.  I quickly settled into race pace and felt like I was just jogging; the miles quickly ticked away.  I took a gel at miles 4.5 and 9 and made sure to stay on top of hydration.  I had been tracking right in front of the 3:35 pace group through mile 12 and dropped back into the group to have company for a while.  We hit the halfway mark in 1:47:20, which was right on goal.  I was feeling decent, but knew the last half would be tough.  

I finished my bottle around mile 15 and refilled with just water because I knew Jason would be at mile 18 to give me a new handheld with my mix in it.  I hadn't taken a gel since mile 9 because I had no desire to intake anything (my stomach felt a bit bloated by mile 10).  By mile 16, I couldn't hang with the pace group anymore.  My desire to hang on was overtaken by my desire to throw up.  A wave of nausea hit me around mile 18 so I sat down for a minute or two with a cop and took a s-cap in hopes that would help.  I had a layer of salt on me so I was worried that my sodium level was low.  Once the nausea passed, I kept on trucking because I knew Jason was nearby.  He ran a mile with me and I managed to jog for about four miles until somewhere around mile 22 when the tiny string that was holding everything together finally snapped.  After running for over an hour wanting to throw up, I finally did.  I sat down for a bit and started moving again once I felt okay.  I knew I didn't have too far to go until I saw Jason again.  My goal was to make it to him and then walk the last two miles.  My upper body was so tight that I couldn't do more than walk because breathing really hurt, but I knew I could finish.  I threw up again at mile 26 and all I wanted was to be at the finish line. 

Mile 26

I finally finished, way off goal pace (4:27:04), but I finished and I am grateful for that.  Back in September, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to run marathons again, so each day I'm able to run, whether it's a good run or a bad run, I'm thankful.  I have no idea what went wrong.  I know I needed more fuel, but just couldn't take any in by the halfway mark.  I'm not sure if I had too much salt, or not enough, or maybe I drank too much.  If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know as I need to figure out what went wrong!  (Notes on the race - I would run it again.  Shirts & medals were nice.  Good snacks after the race.  Great course - really pretty parts & *should* have been fast!  No gel/gu on course and powerade was red, which stains.)

HUGE medal!

God still has a lot of work and healing to do with me.  I know He's working in me, for me, and through me.  So, while I may not like how Carmel ended, it's not "The End".  It's part of my journey, part of my testimony, and the best is yet to come.

"But the Lord stood with me & gave me strength." - 2 Timothy 4:17

"God is within her, she will not fail; God will help her at break of day." - Psalm 46:5

Chocolate Blueberry Protein Bars

Dry Ingredients:
Dash of salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 T. nutmeg
1-2 T. cinnamon
1-2 T. ginger
1-2 T. maca powder
2-3 T. cocoa powder
Less than 1/4 c. xylitol/coconut palm sugar
1/4 c. chia seeds
1/4-1/2 c. protein powder
1 1/2 c. flour

Add-Ins:
1/4 c. chocolate chips1/4 c. frozen blueberries

Wet Ingredient:
1 c. applesauce

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix in add-ins.  Mix in applesauce.  If too wet, add more flour or protein powder.  If too dry, add more applesauce.  Stir well.  Bake in lightly greased 7x11 glass pan @ 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Notes:

-I try to use as much organic ingredients as possible.  The higher quality your ingredients, the better the bar is for you.  

-I use whey protein powder, but if you want to use a plant-based protein, that should work too.  You can add more than recipe calls for.  I plan on adding more in my next batch.

-Amount of xylitol/sugar just depends on how sweet you want it.

-You can use whatever add-ins you like.  I just love blueberries and chocolate. 

-I love the little Boreal blueberries from Trader Joe's.  They are pesticide free and are tiny which works well in bars.

-I use a blend of flour (1 c. Wholesome Chow organic gluten free all purpose baking mix and 1/2 c. of wheat) and I like the consistency it gives (somewhere between bread and a cake).  It's not gluten free, but you could leave out the wheat flour and replace with extra 1/2 c. of the flour you use.  The all purpose baking mix contains tapioca which helps to bind the ingredients.  If you use just straight flour (like brown rice or coconut), I would add in an egg (or tapioca flour/starch or a flax egg) to help bind.

Year in Review: 2013

I had set a lot of big goals for myself for 2013.  I wanted to run a sub 4:30 50K, sub 3:30 marathon, sub 1:40 half, and sub 21:00 5K.  I got off to a great start by running a 4:24:50 at the Frosty 50K in January.  That was followed by a marathon PR of 3:33:39 at Myrtle Beach.  It wasn't the sub 3:30 I wanted, but it was a PR and BQ and I had Richmond in November, which would give me another chance at my goal.  I ran a 20:38 5K and set a new goal of sub 20:00.  This was all by May, so I was feeling good about reaching all of my goals by the end of the year.

The Boston bombings happened, so I signed up for the Lehigh marathon to get a better time before Boston registration opened.  I figured I would need more of a cushion, so I spent the summer training and was feeling confident enough in my training that I thought I could run a 3:25 at Lehigh.  I was sick a few weeks before the marathon and my training runs were rough, but I didn't think much of it (I should have).  Lehigh came around and a DNF was logged.  Shortly after, I realized something was going on with my heart.  

September was spent wondering if I'd get into the Boston marathon while also wondering what in the world was going on with my heart.  Turns out my time was 17 seconds too slow, so there would be no Boston marathon on my 2014 schedule.  As disappointed as I was, I had bigger things on my mind, like my health.  I made the decision to defer FATS 50K and Richmond marathon since I didn't know what was wrong with me.  After a treadmill stress test revealed I was having SVT, I was set up for a cardiac ablation in October.  I still had issues after this, so I had a second ablation in mid-November.  Issues followed, so monitors were worn and more doctor visits were scheduled.  

December brought bad news.  The issues I'm having are due to an autonomic dysfunction; my blood pressure won't get high enough when I move around, so my heart rate is running higher to help bring it up.  I'm the only patient my doc has seen who has had SVT and the autonomic dysfunction.  SVT is curable (thanks to the ablations); the AD isn't.  Thankfully, it's not lethal and the best thing I can do for it is exercise.  I won't be able to run as fast, but the doctor encouraged me to exercise, exercise, exercise.

Training will be harder and slower, but it will be done.  I don't have plans to race much in 2014.  No PR goals are being set.  I won't know if I'll be able to handle a marathon for a while; I have to see how the mileage build up goes.  I'll mainly be logging miles, getting back into shape, and being grateful for the ability to be active.

Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12:12