Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Los Angeles Marathon XXI

The night before:
Apparently there is much debate about whether or not an athlete should carb load before a big event. My bible (which I followed religiously) told me I should carb up all week, and if I felt like I hadn't eaten enough carbs that on the night before I should eat a particularly carby meal. Since I feel like I could never eat "enough carbs" I decided to go for a nice Italian meal. I wanted to go early (6pm is early meal time in LA, for some people it's even considered a late lunch...) and was unpleasantly surprised by the shit-tastic service we got from a normally delicious and low key restaurant. It probably didn't help that I had been sitting in the auto shop all day with my car, so waiting an hour and fifteen minutes for food was not on my 'things to do' list. I've crossed that restaurant off my list. Il Capricio - if you were wondering.

The morning of:
I woke up at 3:45AM and kind of tossed and turned until 5:30AM. I was fretting about what to wear, if I should eat, was I going to have to go number 2 during the course, etc, etc. Finally I got dressed and Louie came to pick me up. He dealt with my nerves and my non-specific directions as best as he could. I am a trial.

The Line Up:
I met Eric, Dave, Karma and Joe at the corner of 4th and Fig, which was a block away from the start line. It was freezing. I was wearing shorts. Goose bumps and white legs. Sexy.

Eric gave me some pointers and tips and before too long we heard the gun and Randy Newman's "I Love LA" playing, and we were off. Sort of. The start line is packed about a block and a half deep, so we walked until we crossed the actual start line and then Eric and Dave took off, and Karma and I puttered along.

Mile 1 through 6:
It is an amazing thing running with 25,000 strangers. You can only hear their footsteps and clothing and see the mass of heads bumping along in front of you. I did my best not to over run the first six miles, just took it slow and hydrated at every water stop. Karma had to pee at about mile 3 or 4, so I was alone running along, and at mile 6 I decided I need to pee to. I lost about 5 to 7 minutes in line for the portapotty, but wasn't about to drop trou like the crazy people and pee beside a building. When I started back up again, I picked my pace up a bit, but not too much, I wanted to make up time, but I wasn't terribly worried about it.

Mile 6 through 13.2:
People were out everywhere cheering for the runners, calling out the names they could read on people's bibs, banging pots together. I started using my iPod around here, just to pass the time. I could have done it with out, but I figured since I was carrying it, I might as well listen to it. In two places "Eye of the Tiger" which is on my iPod was being played live, but the "On Course Entertainment." I expected to feel really tired at the half way mark, but the only thing I felt was a little mental twinge. I was tired, but the mental image of doing what I had just run, except with more hills, made me a little... weary. I used the techniques my training bible taught me and that went away pretty quickly. At some point Karma reappeared, and we ran together for a while. I slowed down a bit and she kept going. Around here I took 2 more Advil and got drank/ate a Cliff Shot (the Vanilla flavor is delicious.)

Mile 13 through 19:
There were a few small hills to contend with, but nothing like what I had been training on, so that was a total relief. In fact, if anyone wants to train in Los Angeles for the marathon, I highly recommend Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park. Our hills are killer. We started moving through neighborhoods I'm very familiar with on this part of the course, because of my commute to and from work, so that was nice. Running up Wilshire Blvd, there was a big cold wind blowing right in your face, then it would switch and be at your back, I almost put my wind breaker back on, but before too long we were on 6th Street and the wind was gone. At mile 18 they had a "Salonpas" pain relief station, where they sprayed some kind of Ben Gay type solution on your legs. It might be a pure placebo effect, but it felt great. Then I got just passed mile 19 and a group of my friends were there cheering me on. I was so happy to see them. Louie took a few photos.

Mile 20 through 26:
Wow. This is a blur for me because as they say, the last six miles are the last half of the marathon. You know you can finish, you just don't know how. I saw a man in the middle of the street, he had collapsed and a couple of people were trying to help him. I'm not sure if he was one of the two people that died. I kept going. I walked a few times in this last six just to give my knees some relief. I was also getting worried about my left foot. I was experiencing some numbness in the pad and two of my toes. At mile 26, Karma and I reconnected and I started to push pretty hard.

Mile 26.2:
There is no way for me to describe running up Flower seeing the finish line, knowing that the past sixteen weeks had led up to this one moment. I crossed. I got a little choked up. They took off my timing chip and I half limped to get my medal. I kind of had to lean down because the woman was so short. It felt heavy around my neck. I had finished it.

Post Marathon:
After the medal you run the gauntlet of water, gatorade, shiny blankets, cliff bars and I devoured one and a half. (Which is probably why I got a little sick when we got to the car.) Louie was there with flowers and I was ready to start planning my next one.

I can't believe how awesome it feels to do this. I love it and will do it again.

Monday, March 20, 2006

THE MARATHON

Scheduled: 26.2
Actual: 26.2
RPE: 7

I have a long post planned for this, but there are some highlights I want to remember right now.

Running the first four miles it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement and out run yourself. People are passing you, and you want to keep up, but you listen to your weeks of training and pace yourself.

The first eight miles are as easy as your 5 milers usually are. The excitement is still there and you know you've got a lot left in you.

Hearing people you don't know shout out your name is really amazing. I wish I had that in my every day life. Just walking down the street having someone say, "You can do it, Tamara!" would make me a lot happier person.

The halfway point sort of made me depressed. I knew it was going to feel that way because I know how hard running 18 miles is, but I was depressed nonetheless.

The Salonpas site at mile 18 was heaven. I don't know if what they spray on you really works, but it gives your brain the idea that you can finish. Only 8 miles to go.

Seeing my friends and boyfriend at mile 19 was so awesome. I didn't think I wanted people there to cheer me on, but I was so happy to see them, and I felt so good that mile that it was just... amazing.

It's true what they say about the last 6 miles being the last half of the marathon. I had to walk a bit those last six miles. Not as much as I wanted to, but I did walk. There was so much pain. My left foot was numb from the pad of my foot to my big and pointer toe. I thought I was doing permanent damage. My knees were in agony, but I just kept moving. Kept struggling through.

Crossing the finish line was so incredibly emotional. When the tiny woman put my medal on I got a little choked up. I haven't ever felt acheivement in that way. I usually just let success go unrewarded, but this... this felt like I... I don't know, like my work paid off, like I deserved a medal. Amazing.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Week 16: Run 2 - MARATHON WEEK

Scheduled: 3
Actual:3
RPE: 3

Awww.... my last training run. It was kind of awesome because DA saw me running and it gave me a little preview of the cheering section I'm getting for the marathon.

Tonight I do a 3 mile walk. Then Sunday, I run 26.2 miles. Check back here Monday or Tuesday for a full update on how it went.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Week 16: Run 1 - MARATHON WEEK

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 4

I wanted to push this one a little harder than I normally run because I'm feeling soooo stressed about the marathon. It went by so quickly. Glad it's almost over, but also a little sad.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Marathon Week

This is it! I run the marathon on Sunday. I'm so nervous and tired and ready for it to be over with. I cannot tell you how exhausted I am. I'm supposed to be gathering strength and feeling strong, but I feel beaten down. I need to just relax and hydrate and eat right, but... those are all things I'm not that good at doing when I 'need' to do them. Forced relaxation is tough for me. I can relax just fine when it isn't 'required.'

I think I'm going to go throw up now.

Week 15: Run 4

Scheduled: 8
Actual: 8
RPE: 5

I don't know. I'm getting really nervous about the marathon. This run was HARD. I'm wiped out, I'm ready for this all to be over with. I'm glad I'm doing this, yes, but also ready for a big long break.

Week 15: Run 3

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

This was such a pleasant run that I ran an extra mile. It was cloudy and crisp, and a perfect morning. Highly enjoyable.

Week 15: Run 2

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 4

I was dragging ass on the first part of this run. But by the end I felt really good.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Week 15: Run 1

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3

It was such a relief to only have to run 3 miles last night. I was so sick of the amount of time I was spending outside in the cold running.

To continue with the litany of ailments, I think I bruised the bottom of my foot while wearing heels. I don't know for sure, but it does hurt, thankfully it didn't bother me while I was running.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Week 14: Run 4

Scheduled: 9
Actual: 10
RPE: 4

See below. I am so glad the marathon is almost here. This training... oof.

Week 14: Run 3

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

It is safe to say I am burned the fuck out. I did this run on Sunday, after I did Run 4. I just couldn't bring myself to put running clothes on Friday night. Just. Couldn't. Do it. So, since I knew I was going to be in a slinky dress, I decided that I would run on Sunday morning instead and I would feel better about putting my body in a dress that I could not wear a bra, or even a 'sliming undergarment' (read: girdle) in.

So, I ran 4 instead of five. I ran 10 on Saturday instead of 9. It all evens out. And, I'm just absolutely tired of training. I have never trained for something before. I was on the Basketball team in high school for 2 years, and the most training we did was two weeks of practice before games started then it was scaled way back. And b-ball practice is fun, because for the most part you aren't doing line drills. You're learning plays and skills. What was my point? Oh yeah. I haven't trained for anything before. Nothing that I couldn't test out of. Have you guys ever taken a computer training course for work? I did once at this hotel I worked at when we went from what was basically a DOS based system to windows. I learned it in one hour. We had a week of training. By the end of day one, my training person told me I should stop and just help everyone else. Which... what was my point? Oh yeah. I can't test out of this training. The marathon is in two weeks. I'm nervous. But also sick to fucking death of running.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Week 14: Run 2

Scheduled: 8
Actual: 8
RPE: 4

Hmmm. A few weeks ago, at Christmas time, I thought 8 miles was sooooo hard. Now, I can do it without really blinking. I do get frustrated with the time commitment on these longer runs, but after I'm done, I'm so smug. This run felt really good, especially after not running for 4 days.

Week 14: Run 1

Scheduled: 5
Actual: Zip
RPE: NA

I have had a tough week, time wise. So I had to skip this run. I'm hoping to make it up (I allow myself make-ups, I'm not mean like a grade school teacher, "NO MAKE-UPS!), but if I don't, I'm not going to beat myself up over it.