It’s Dec 13, and my training has…

….not yet begun.

Um, the Boston Marathon is in 4 months and 5 days (the Dana-Farber team web site so kindly provides me with a countdown each time I log in) and I have not started to train. My teammates following an 18-week plan have started. (As I’ve read in their blogs!)

 Bad, bad me. 

This is quite unlike me. In past years, I’ve started at Thanksgiving. Or  Dec 1. Worst case has been Dec 15. Definitely no later than Dec 15. I’ve obsessively crossed off each run with a pink highlighter and then logged each in my special training planner that I bought just to record my runs.

There’s no planner this year. No pink highlighter.

This time around, I am going with the old “I’ll start after Jan. 1 ” training method. 2010 sounds like a good year for running. So, I’ll wait until then to lace up my Sauconys…

Since my 7-in-7 series ended with a bang on Nov. 15, I have been doing most of my sweating at the gym. I crank the elliptical up to level 25 hills, put my ipod on and lose myself in the pages of US Weekly and People (thank you to Arlington Health & Fitness for having a stellar magazine selection). Often times I end my workout with a spin on the arc trainer, again slow and hilly. I look at the people on the treadmill and then I look away.

I don’t want to run.

But, I have to. And to make sure I run,  BFF and I have registered for the Derry Boston Prep 16-miler on Jan 24.  This will be my 4th time running Derry. It’s a bitch of a race, with its hills and usually freezing temperatures and oh yeah, in 2008, they had to delay the start because of snow.

Good times up there in N’Hamshah.

Speaking of BFF, he is one skinny dude. He has lost more than 12 lbs so far on our 15-lb challenge. I am not far behind with 8.8 lbs gone. (I am so loving that I now need a belt to hold up my new skinny jeans!) Together, we have shed 21.7 lbs since mid-October with about 14 more to go between us. He has been a good boy and kept up with his running.

Again, bad, bad me.

But, I don’t have a super crazy goal for Boston. Not trying for a PR or a sub-4 or a BQ or anything really. There are two things I want to accomplish on April 19: I want to have fun. And I want to make it to Shifter’s p0st-marathon party for the first time. 

So, what’s my plan then? Well, I am going  to aim for 8 miles this weekend at the first DFMC group run. Cross your fingers! If I make it, then I’ll try to run more the following week. If I don’t, um, I’ll cross that bridge…

In all seriousness, I do need to figure out a way to bring running back into my life, into my new lower calorie life. Every time I train, I tend to gain weight. Some of it from muscle. Some of it from real hunger that comes with the high mileage. Some of it from the “I just ran 15 miles so I can eat a house” thinking. It takes a few hours to run 15 miles but I can eat those calories back in about 20 minutes (think: burger, fries, wings and 3 Magners).

I am not gaining this weight back. Period. I promised myself this would be the last time. I’m getting off this rollercoaster. Leaving the amusement park for good.

I know it’s about balance and moderation. I am not so good at either of those things.

BFF keeps reminding me that in 4 months (and 5 days) this will all be over. Then, I can live my happy life on the elliptical and arc trainer reading about Tiger Woods’ 917th affair.

He’s right. It will be over soon enough. In the meantime, I need to start.

PS Plans are underway for our “Beyond the Finish Line Marathon Bash” on Jan. 29 at the Rattlesnake. The party will start at 530p and there will be a $10 door cover to support Dana-Farber. Save the date!

‘Tucky Runnin’

I’ve learned some new things so far during my short time in Kentucky.

When you’re from around here, you’re real “tucky” (that’s like the south of Boston equivalent of “townie”). Places and people that are on the Kentucky/Indiana border are known as “Kentuckiana.”  There are actually a bunch of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants down here in Louisville. (And a big Whole Foods —  who knew?)

At the start of a local Thanksgiving road race, they play the Kentucky state song.

OMG.

After listening to words I’ve never heard before (and then probably the most butchered version of the National Anthem ever), we were off….and up and up and up and up and up in Iroquois State Park. This race could have been renamed “How to Run The Biggest Negative Split of Your Life.”

Basically we ran straight up for 2.5 miles and then ran straight down back to the start.

 Having essentiallly stopped training in the name of dieting, the 2.5 miles up were pretty hard. But the down was as sweet as punkin pie.  In the end, I banged out 5.10 miles (I am going by my Garmin, as this race did not have clocks….or enough T-shirts or Gatorade or well, much of anything) in 44:54. My splits were 9:24, 9:16, 8:42, 8:44 8:05 and 7:20.

I love it!

After the race, I found Tamara in her car waiting for me — drinking coffee, reading deep philosophy and smoking butts. I am thankful to have such a good friend who drove me to a race (I could not have imagined Thanksgiving without one) and thankful to have continued the day with a nap, some alcohol and more calories than I have consumed in the past six weeks combined.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

PS My thoughts are now turning to actual Boston Marathon training (Gasp! And yes, the raison d’etre of this blog!)….Stay tuned for the link to my Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge web site and SAVE THE DATE of Friday January 29 for a blowout fundraiser at the Rattlesnake on Boylston Street. BFF and I hope you will come out for some drinks and chow — all in the name of an amazing cause. The race is on to raise $10K in 2010 for marathon #10!

262 miles later…

Saturday Nov 14, 2009, 10:06 pm

Naples, FL. New Bedford (x2). Boston-BAA. Providence. Hartford (x2). Atlanta. San Francisco. Hollis, NH. Frederick, MD. Nashville. Boston-Run to Remember (x2). Washington, DC. Lowell. Hampton, NH. Manchester, NH (x2) And tomorrow….Newton will make half marathon #20. The moral of the story: Believe in yourself. I started with one lap around a track in ‘95, and here I am, a million incredible roads later….

OK, so I am plagarizing from my own Facebook page. But I like seeing my 20 half marathons lined up like that.

Another way to look at it: 262 miles of half marathons run, a crapload of money spent registering for them, getting to/from them, buying kicks to run in them, and springing for assorted drinks/dinners/brunches to celebrate them.

I’ll admit I was sort of kidding this summer when I said I was going to get to 20 half marathons by the end of 2009.

The joke was on me, I guess.

Yesterday’s Chilly Half Marathon was a kick-ass day. Not only did it mark my 7th race in seven weeks, but I actually felt GOOD running it. Borderline GREAT… even though it was raining pretty steadily (and some water got INSIDE the screen of my Garmin, Idon’twanttotalkaboutit) and I hadn’t slept much the night before (due to my addiction to Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Sex Addict Rehab).

BFF and I met at Newton South High School (my Dad’s alma mater) at 0630 am.  This was a last-minute plan. BFF was running in the stead of my other trusted race partner who had been sick all week with the swine.  I asked him to run on Saturday afternoon. He is such a good friend that he agreed —  even though he was planning to use Sunday to rest. We got our numbers, hung out in our cars for a bit and then lined up with the small crowd. There was no song and dance at the start. I think someone said go — because we were off….

The course took us through Newton — up and over Route 9,  into the Highlands, over to West Newton, down Comm. Ave, through Newton Centre and then back to the school. BFF and I stayed together for 8-ish miles and then he took off, after I snagged some gummy bears from his fanny pack. (I make him do all the heavy lifting).

I glided along, feeling strong, lean (in my own reality) and like I am getting back to business with this running stuff.

I never felt like puking. I passed a bunch of people during the final mile. They had little brownies at the finish.

I am not complaining.

It turns out that BFF finally bested 2 hours in the half marathon this fall, after trying three previous times. I didn’t even attempt that and was happy with a solid 2:03 and change. After the race, I broke down and broke my diet and enjoyed a big huge bottle of Magners…. and two Mimosas and….

This weekend, I got a lot of really nice comments and messages on Facebook. Angie wrote that I am a machine. Heather posted on my wall that I am her hero. (Yikes.) Someone I don’t know well sent me this: “I’ll be cheering for you each day, because it takes a strong person with determination and discipline to do what you do.”

Shit, Kristina  (aka http://marathonmama.competitor.com/) even called today from the supermarket asking ME for advice on which boullion cubes to buy.

I am not a machine or a hero or a sodium expert. As I wrote in my first blog entry, I am  just a girl, who in 1995 decided she was tired of being fat, and was ready to be a runner.  

I am going to get all sappy for a second (and I am allowed to because it’s my blog!): Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Don’t wait for your ship to come in….swim out it.

If you always do what you did, you’ll get what you got.

Thank you to everyone for your support and kind words throughout my 7-in-7 adventure. It’s only the beginning of this blog, though. It’s called TEN FINISH LINES because I’m preparing for my 10th marathon finish line on April 19, 2010.

I have one more race this fall (a Turkey Day 5-miler down in Lousiville, thanks Tamara!) and more weight to lose and then the big show to start training for….

I’ll be back after my adventure in Kentucky. **

** And no, to my friend who asked, we are not planning to eat KFC on Thanksgiving.

 

 

A quick update…

I had a break in the 7-in-7 schedule last weekend.

The only race I ran was to the bars of several Cambridge and Somerville watering holes as part of a marathon birthday scavenger hunt. Oh, how I have missed my Magners! It was all in good fun, but I was back on track the very next morning.

This coming Sunday is the final of the seven races — the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton. It will mark my 20th lifetime half marathon, and my 5th since Oct. 4. I set out reach 20 half marathons by the end of 2009, and well, here I am!

Booyah!

On the stomach front, I am going to the GI doctor today to spill the sad tale of my post-marathon pukefests. I have been fine since I started with the boullion cubes but decided it was a good idea to have someone else who knows what he’s talking about to tell me I am OK ingesting tons o’sodium.

On the weight front, I am happy to report that both my training partner/BFF and I have been kicking ass and taking names. To date, he has dropped 4.5 lbs and I have lost 4. 8 lbs. 

He has been spending hours and hours on the treadmill and elliptical, feeling the burn. I have been eating the bare minimum to live and running, well, not at all.

And I am winning!

OK, so I have been doing some elliptical and running a little with clients and during bootcamp. But, NOT working out like I usually do. Very interesting, this whole weight loss thing, very interesting. Two years ago, I stopped exercising like a maniac,  overhauled my diet, lost a bunch of weight, started running again and set one PR after another in every distance. I was on fire. Less of me equals faster me.

I hope that happens again in 2010!

Full race report coming after Sunday’s half….if you’re in Newton for the 7:30 am start, give an extra cheer for the runnahs!

The Golden Gate Bridge is long but the course was short….

Yesterday, I ran the US Half Marathon in San Francisco.

 Or, make that the US 12.93-miler.

Yep, according to my trusty Garmin (which once belonged to KP, thus it has always been tenderly loved and cared for), the race I ran yesterday was .17 short of a half marathon. Being the running nerd that I am, I ran that .17 past the finish line, with my medal clanging against my chest and my shoelace half-untied after removing my chip.

Three thousand miles is a long way to fly to run 12.93 miles.

Apparently I was not the only one to realize we ran a short race. I posted on the race’s Facebook page, and soon after, others did as well. The race organizers have been curiously silent on this topic. Hmmm….

Otherwise, yesterday was a great day here in sunny San Fran. Armed with an extra hour of sleep, I headed to the start line for the 7 am gun. There wasn’t really a gun, or the National Anthem, or a real bag check but…we started and followed Marina Boulevard toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

We ran along the bay and through the parks and fields near the bridge and then up, up, up and finally across the Golden Gate. It was foggy and long….really long. I kept telling myself I would take a walk/water break at the end of the bridge and as the songs on my iPod ticked by, I wondered if I was on the Bridge to Teribithia or something.

Finally we looped around and there was a water stop. (The water was not handed to you, you had to stop, reach over the table and grab a cup. Again, not being a nerd, but I sort of wish ING would buy every race in the world because those banking peeps know how to put on a good event!)

Back across the Golden Gate we went and I looked down at my Garmin to see I was running 8:44 pace at mile 8.44. It’s the little things that keep you going, I guess. I also tried to count the signs that reminded folks that jumping off the bridge “is a tragic and often fatal situation” but I lost count after eight.

Being the good samaritan that I am, I called out the actual splits to those running around me as we headed toward the finish. I saw some people kick it into high gear when we passed the sign that said “Mile 12.” We were at mile 11.7. Oops.

At the end of the race, I got my medal and no mylar blanket. I ran that extra .17 like a loser and then collected soy milk, Lara bars and some weird sparkling caffeined water in a glass bottle. When I asked a volunteer with the St. Jude Hospital charity if I could grab a bottle of juice from their table to get a little sugar in me, he started to give me the shpiel about running the race next year on their team. When I told him I already run with a charity in Boston and was just looking for a quick hit of the sweet stuff so I didn’t end up horizontal, he asked me for my contact info so I could be on his team next year.

I walked away. Er. Could I just get a frickin’ juice? He had 100 bottles in front of him.

You may think I’m sounding negative and maybe I am a little jaded after having run so many road races. The race course was beautiful, the medals are kick-ass and the shirts are cool (and eco-friendly, having been made from recycled polyester, to which someone asked “Am I really wearing a disco shirt from Studio 54?). But there were so many places for improvement in this race, from the expo to the quantity of port-a-potties to the post-race spread.

This race for me was a chance to reconnect with my Left Coast friends and enjoy San Fran. I spent today power walking by the water and strolling down Chestnut Street. I could see myself happily living here.

But, it’s back to Boston tomorrow…and a week off from racing. Up next on Nov. 15: my 20th lifetime half marathon and the 7th of 7 races in my  7-in-7-week series. Repeat that 12 times.

 * For those who are wondering, I did not puke yesterday. With three boullion cubes in my system, I was high on sodium and think I am onto something here.

 

 

 

Five down, and what to do when your tank is empty at mile 5…

No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be

– John Mellencamp

Today was my favorite race of the year.

The Canton Fall Classic, a scenic, hilly as hell, awesome course, in my hometown. There’s nothing like pounding the pavements of the streets you have traveled thousands of time. You know every curve, every dip, every hill, well, almost…

It’s been a few years since I’ve run this 10K, and I forgot that the big-ass hills came during miles 3 and 4. I told my friends to save gas for the big hill at the end. The last incline is at mile 5. Then it’s a fairly flat 1.2 miles to the finish. Ooops.

Anyways. The running gods must have felt really, really bad about last weekend’s Nor’easter during the Bay State Half Marathon. Today was a perfect running day. Ideal. Amazing. Shorts and a t-shirt in late October. Sun. The remains of fall foliage. Sigh.

I took today’s race as a test. It’s been about a week since I started my BFF weight loss challenge and I have to say — I FEEL GREAT! I can totally see a difference already in my face and body and I am focused beyond belief. I even chanted an old Weight Watchers saying to myself yesterday as I ordered a tea (no sugar, thankyouverymuch) at the bakery counter at Whole Foods. Who needs cookies, I thought? Thin feels better than food tastes. (Yes, clearly I am drinking some Kool-Aid but for now I’m going with it!)

I’ve consumed between 1100 and 1300 calories/day for the past week.

Guess what? I need to eat more to run races.

The first 5 miles of today’s race were fine. I started with the lovely Miz Amy and we ran the first mile in 9 and the next four in sub-9. When I saw my parents at mile 4.35 (they were like the only spectators on the course), I yelled out, I feel low on energy. At mile 5, I decided to walk a tenth to regain my strength. I ran again for half a mile and then walked for .05. At that point, a guy near me said, “C’mon, you can do it, only a half a mile to go.”

Ew.

I hate when people butt into your business during a race. (Please only ask me if I am OK if I am horizontal and puking). After checking my Garmin (a sign, I should think, that this was not my first race!),I said back to him “Actually, there’s seven-tenths to go, and I am on the fifth of seven races in 7 weeks and this is my town and I am testing out a new diet, so this is a planned walk break, thanks for playing.”

He looked surprised and said “Oh, so this race must be chump change to you.”

“Yep,” I said.

And then I passed him.

I finished the race in 57:02, which is a 9:11 pace. Certainly not my fastest but hey, I will take it. I felt lighter and faster because I was running without a small dumbell worth of weight attached to my body. But, I need to balance that speed with enough energy to carry me through the distance. Next week, I definitely need to eat a little more before the half mary in San Fran. This will not be a green light to chow, but rather, up the day before and morning of carb intake a bit.

After the last race (Nov 15), I am going to take a month or so to focus solely on the weight loss. My BFF, Steve, is already moaning that he is starving. He’s sending me cranky texts and he joined a gym this week so I know he means business. And I do, too.

As I was walking back to my car after the race, two girls behind me were talking about the hilliness of the course. One, was wearing a shirt from the Boston Prep, a 16-mile insanity in Derry, NH. I have run it the past three years and intend to be there once again. They were saying how they should come back to Canton this winter to train for Derry.

Cool. I liked these girls.

I chimed in about the Derry shirt, and say I wear mine when I know the race ahead will be a challenge. (I wore my ‘09 shirt last week in the rain in Lowell). The shirt shows that you are a “tough cookie” I told them and gives you “tough cookie” power to make it through the miles ahead.

If only you could eat that cookie…

 On a side note: I received the fundraising packet for Dana-Farber in the mail this weekend! I will offiically start fundraising around Thanksgiving. Yet, if anyone feels extra generous at the moment, and wants to be among the first to donate to my $10K in 2010 for #10 challenge, GO FOR IT!

http://www.rundfmc.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=321295&lis=1&kntae321295=DA33B27E4C7C4C4B96D40B12CF6EA819&supId=98372571

Thank you…and more from me after the US Half Marathon in San Francisco.

Cali, here I come!

On the running gods…and other ramblings

The running gods were in a funny mood yesterday.

Most people sign up for a fall New England race to run by foliage, breathe in crisp autumn air and sip warm cider by the fireplace post-event (or something  like that). 

Back in the summer, the pancake flat Bay State Marathon and Half sure sounded like a good idea to lots of people, especially those trying to qualify for Boston. Hell, I signed up for  the half months ago. What’s another 13.1 miles, even if in less-than-scenic Lowell?

The joke was on us yesterday. Of all the days the running gods (yes, I do believe in them!) could have created for the race, they chose a Nor’easter. Rainy, windy, cold and later on, snowy. On October 18. Not December 18.

Running is such a fickle sport. You train your ass off and then on race day, a million things can (and often will) go wrong. From the weather to your stomach to your shoelace to your allergies to your mood, something can get in the way of all of your hard work. It’s heartbreaking.

But, we signed up for this life. We keep going back for more and try again…race after race. We know that one day, the running gods will smile down on us and make it all fall into place.

I write this not for me, but for my friend Kristina (who was visited yesterday by my sometimes race buddy, the Puke Fairy) and all the other  Bay State runners whose goals were squashed just a little by the weather.  If the race was Saturday, they probably would have hit those Boston qualifiying times or PRs or whatever they were shooting for. Ditto for today, a clear October day. Alas.

As for me, I made it through another race without seeing the contents of my stomach on the sidewalk in front of me.

I had no need for speed (2:06:50 official time, although my Garmin had me at 2:04-ish) but  did not throw up. The goal for me was to run the whole thing and regain some confidence in my body.  Mission accomplished.

So, here’s my scorecard for the 7 races in 7 weeks series:

10/4 — Smuttynose Half,  Hampton, NH — DONE — PUKE

10/10 — Hartford Half, Hartford, CT — DONE — NO PUKE

10/12 — Tufts 10K, Boston, MA — DONE — NO PUKE

10/18 — Bay State Half, Lowell, MA — DONE — NO PUKE

To paraphrase Meatloaf, three outta four ain’t bad.

Still to come: Canton Fall Classic 10K (10/25), US Half Marathon (11/1) and Chilly Half Marathon (11/15).

Today marks the start of my bet with my running BFF, Steve. We have challenged each other to drop 14 or so pounds by Jan. 1 so we are at our ideal weight as we start to train for Boston. Fifty bucks and a whole lot of gloating is at stake.

Game on.

Cause I’m bigger than my body gives me credit for…?

The good news: I finished the Hartford Half Marathon yesterday. I did not throw up.  I was able to eat, drink and celebrate with my friends. I can say I’ve done 17 half marathons. Because I have!

The not-quite bad-yet-does-not-have-me-jumping-for-joy-news:  I walked 6 miles of the race. I came in at 2:27:31, 35-ish minutes off my half marathon PR. It is much harder  — mentally and physically — to walk than I thought.  I have realized that my heart and mind want to push so much harder but it’s my body that’s holding me back.

First, the good. I would not have traded those post-race moments for anything yesterday. I was vertical as I got my bag and took some water and went through the Whole Foods tent of deliciousness. No one had to hold my hair back and there was no chance I was headed to Hartford Hospital. I was smart. I broke the race down into segments of walking and running.

Here’s what I did:

Miles 1,2,3 = RUN

Miles 4,5,6 = WALK

Miles 7,8 = RUN

Miles 9,10 = WALK

Mile 11 = RUN

Mile 12 = WALK

Mile 13 and .1 = RUN

When I say walk, I mean power walk. I was hoofing it, swinging my arms, squeezing my bum and walking with a purpose. Walking hurts. My shins were killing, I had blisters on my soles and I felt tired. The running came as a relief. When I ran, I felt light and airy, sort of like when you get off of a treadmill and first walk on solid ground. I flew through the running miles, clocking 8:40-ish pace.  It was actually funny at the later miles when I transitioned to running. Since I was surrounded by people doing 11-12-ish pace, I saw a few look around in wonder as this girl in pink flew by in sub-9:00 pace. Where did she come from, they asked? I elbowed a few through the especially narrow paths by the Connecticut River but hey, it was my time to run!

Now, the less than good. My body has limits. Ugh. As someone who likes to push, push and push some more, it’s hard to accept the fact that your physical being gets in the way of your hopes, dreams and goals. I didn’t want to walk yesterday. But, I had to because of my body. It just doesn’t seem fair that last year, I could run a 1:52:06 half marathon in Atlanta, finishing 401st out of 4,807 female  runners.  What is different now? My digestive system is less tolerant. My weight is up. My confidence is shaken.

I am working to get through this — to figure out what causes me to get sick. This weekend (as hard as it was), I had V8 and two boullion cubes pre-race.  (Confession, I needed three pieces of Halloween chocolate to get those cubes of salty yuck to go down). I drank very little (just a few tiny sips) during the race. I sucked it up and walked. As for my weight, well, it kills me to go back and look up race results from 2007-early 2008 when I was &# (!?!?) pounds lighter. 8:17 pace for the Larry Robinson 10-miler. 8:02 pace for the Thanksgiving 8K in Charlotte.  4:11:19 in the Boston Marathon. Who was that runner and how can I get her back?

I want her back. And I am going to do it. My running buddy/BFF Steve also wants to make some changes. We will both be lighter, a lot lighter by Jan 1, when the hardcore Boston training begins. I will continue to experiment with my sodium, potassium and fluid levels during races. I am commiting here and now to get more sleep, more water and fewer cookies.

Maybe you think I’m being too hard on myself, not giving myself enough credit for what I have accomplished. We are all our own toughtest critic but I truly believe there is more inside of me,  an untapped pool of something, that wants to come out. The question is: Will I allow it to? Or will I get in my own way?

Up next: The Tufts 10K tomorrow (race #3 of the 7) and then the Bay State Half Marathon (#4) on Sunday. I’ve not decided my strategy for that one in terms of running/walking. I also will find out later this week if I am in for the Chilly Half Marathon on Nov 15, what was set to be my last race in the series of 7. I was too late to register, and am resting comfortably on the wait list. If I don’t get in, I will find another race.

I want a new stomach…

I haven’t looked up the definition of an addiction but in my head, it’s something that you love to do that’s maybe not so good for you. Like drinking. It’s fun to drink while you’re doing it, but in the end, drinking usually makes you feel pretty bad.

And running. I most often love to run while I am running. But, in the end, running usually makes me feel pretty bad. OK, really bad.

Take today. Because I am obsessive/always up for a challenge/bored with the norm/a little over the top (ahem), I decided to run 7 races in 7 weeks “for fun.” Five half marathons and two 10Ks between today and November 15. It would give me a chance to travel, see friends, run in different cities, get to 20 lifetime half marathons and just enjoy the sport without the pressure of the BOSTON MARATHON.

This morning, I headed up to Hampton, NH for race #1, with my trusted running buddy extraordinaire/BFF Steve. Our plan was to take the race easy. Steve is running 3 half marathons in three weeks and I didn’t want to kill myself on the first of seven races. The course was flat, the weather was perfect and there were drinks and food to be had in honky tonk Hampton all afternoon.

For the first 8 miles, we ran fast but not because were trying to run fast…it just felt right.

We knocked off the following splits:

8:50

8:45

8:48

8:43

8:59

8:57

8:58

Then, as Steve was somewhere behind me, I decided to slow it down…was feeling OK…

9:15

9:11

Then, as my friend and fellow bootcamp trainer Jesse passed me (Congrats to him on his first half!), I said to him ”I’m not feeling so good.”

10:00

9:30 (got some water)

11:46 (uncharacteristically decided to walk a little bit; I don’t think I have ever walked in race before!?!?!?)

9:44

9:28

Er, talk about a positive split.

Per my Garmin, I clocked 13.1 miles in 2:02:21 (I don’t believe any official race time where there is no official start line/chip mat). This is not a bad half marathon time, albeit 10+ minutes off my 2008 PR of 1:52:05. I am OK with 2:02:21.

But I was not OK with another Pukefest.

I coined the term Pukefest in 2004, after I vomited more than I thought was humanly possible after the Marine Corps Marathon. Then, in 2006, I topped that performance after the Boston Marathon. Repeat in 2007, 2008 and 2009 — not only at Boston but at the Cape Ann 25K and now the Hampton Half Marathon. The races are gettting shorter and the vomiting is getting worse and more frequent.

Here’s the deal, er conundrum. I never puke in training runs. I run fast on training runs, on the hills in Newton, on the hills of Arlington, on any hills I can find. I run strong, I feel strong. I love it. Steve jokes that he’s tired of looking at my(cute) bum while we run because I am usually in front of him (Note: I am also YOUNGER!).

When I go to a race, everything changes. At one point in my life, I did stress about my finish time or setting a PR. But now, I am about quantity and not quality. I run to see the country, to meet new friends, to drink Magners, to breathe the air, to see the ocean, to wear my new running shorts, to be good to my heart — for a thousand other reasons than to set a record or best a time or beat Steve.

Yet, on race day, a funny thing happens. When I take in water or Gatorade, it sits in my stomach. It swishes around and does not spread out through my body. So I feel thirsty yet have a bouncy tummy of liquid. I start to get dehydrated and nauseous (today, the smell of other sweaty runners passing me made my gag!) and when I finish the race, I am a mess. I drink water and it joins the rest of the fluid in my stomach. Since I am nauseous, I feel sick and start to dry heave and then throw up — conveniently all of that water and Gatorade. I then drink more to hydrate and keep throwing up until finally, finally (usually 2-6 hours later), it passes and I keep down some Sprite and a bagel. And then I am starving.

Welcome to my happy running world.

Why this only happens in races and why this keeps getting worse as I become a stronger runner is a mystery to me. All I know is that is SUCKS to be sick and it SUCKS to spend the hours after a race throwing up and moaning instead of celebrating with your fellow runner peeps.

Next week, I run the Hartford Half Marathon and I am NOT spending all of Saturday in the lovely Marriott puking my brains out. There are friends to see (one from 6th grade!) and meals to eat and bars to visit. I am not wasting my time or money throwing up in an empty Klondike ice cream sandwich box (as I did today).

I do not need to be brave. I do not want to be a hero.

My plan: I am going to run the first 6 miles of the half marathon. I will walk the next 6 miles. I will run the final 1.1 miles and then I will enjoy the spread in Bushnell Park that Whole Foods so graciously provides.  I challenged myself to 7 races and I am not backing out. I am just changing my plan of attack. I will see what happens, and then decide what to do on Oct 18 at the Bay State Half Marathon. I do not want to be yakking in Lowell. That city has enough problems without my dinner from the night before on the sidewalk. **

I am also going to drink more water this week (not Coke Zero or Fresca or Vino Verde) to see if I can be hydrated enough going into the race to need less water during the race. I am not usually a big water drinker. But I am going to force it down this week.

If anyone has experienced the crazy stomach stuff that I go through, please share your tales. Maybe we can start a support group or something.

In the meantime, I will carry on as I always do. Let’s see if my increased water consumption leads to a Pukefest-free run in my old stomping grounds of central Connecticut.

Stay tuned….

** As I lay moaning in Steve’s car today, I heard kids say “Mommy, Mommy, ew, there’s throw up on the sidewalk.” Sadly, my tofu and broccoli dinner was quite visible, as was the egg I had for breakfast.

2010 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge – you’re on the team!

And so was the subject line of the email that popped into my inbox at 1:23 am today.

And so is the start of the journey to my tenth marathon finish line.

I happen to be awake at 1:23 am and I happen to be drinking a Magner’s (my favorite post-training run beverage). I was sitting at the bar at the Asgard with my friend James when my Blackberry flashed and buzzed.

“Hold up,” I said to James, who was in the middle of a “I-gave-a-girl-my-heart-and-she-gave-me-a-pen” tale. “I got into the Boston Marathon! I’m running again with Dana-Farber.” So, basically, I explained, this means I will likely be spending the night of April 19 in the ER, alternately puking, begging for apple juice and being hooked up to IVs.

Excellent.

So, here we go again. Marathon #10. The grand finale of my love/hate affair with the 26.2-mile monster that has so many times sucked out my heart, my soul and my digestive system.

I’ll back up a little. I’m not a natural athlete. After getting my ass kicked in a Marine Corps bootcamp (and realizing I was actually sort of strong) I started thinking about distance running in 2001. I saw a story in Runner’s World about warm weather races. I asked my Mom if she wanted to go to Naples, FL with me in January 2002 so I could run the half marathon. “Can’t you run 13.1 miles here?” she asked. Sure, I guess I could. But it would be more fun (and warmer) to run in Florida. Off we went, and knowing nothing about how to run for a long time, I pulled off a 2:05:29. After the race, I put my tootsies in the Gulf of Mexico, ate a lot of food and wore my medal like proud fool.

Hey, this was fun!

I got home, and signed up for the New Bedford Half in March 2002. Crazy wind and stinky fish sandwiches? Awesome! I barely blinked when my friend Alicia asked me if I wanted a free number to run the Boston Marathon in April 2002. She and three guy friends were running it. I thought one of them, Dave was cute, I told her, so count me in. And as a bonus, I could email him for training advice.  The perfect motivation!

We trained that winter in Newton. I wore cotton. I had never heard of Gu, Garmins, wicking fabric or orthotics. I didn’t do speed work or change my diet or work with a coach. I just ran. On Marathon Monday, I spent much of the race running next to another Judith and we laughed and chatted the whole time. It took me 4 hours, 31 minutes and 23 seconds and I loved every minute of it. My parents snapped pictures of me mid-air , literally leaping from joy as I pounded up mile 20. That night, I drank with friends at T’s Pub on Comm. Ave, and I ate ice cream for breakfast when I woke up the next morning.

Those were the good old days. Fast forward 7 1/2 years, 8 more marathons, 15 half marathons and scores and scores of races. I’ve run 5Ks, 8Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks, 25Ks, 30Ks…you name it, I’ve covered the distance. Running has taken me to  places from St. George Utah to Frederick, Maryland to Nashville, Tennesse to Manchester, New Hampshire. This fall, it will take me to San Francisco, California!

Running has also taken me into a new orbit of life. The more I ran, the more runners I met. I joined a running club in 2004 with my friend Jim. I started reading every page of Runner’s World. I learned about things like electrolytes and negative splits and hill workouts. I experienced the runner’s high, and extreme running lows. In October 2002, I hobbled through the Chicago Marathon in almost 6 hours with two bad knees; and spent months in physical therapy. Two years later, at the end of the Marine Corps Marathon, I found myself on the ground near the Iwo Jima Monument being tended to by a man in uniform, and eventually in an ambulance to the hospital.

While running has given me so much, it has not been an easy relationship.

I didn’t run a marathon in 2005, and when I had a chance phone call that year with DFMC Coach Jack Fultz, I explained that I still wasn’t over the trauma of Marine Corps. He encouraged me to think about the Boston Marathon again — as a member of the Dana-Farber team. I did, and on April 17, 2006, I took my place in Hopkinton with 500+ other DFMC teammates. I ended that day (after crossing the finish line, of course!) in the Beth Israel Hospital. Let’s just say that marathon will forever be known to me as “Pukefest ‘06″ — the worst of my worst days with running.

I kept with it, and since then I have worn the DFMC singlet three more times and raised about $24,000 for the cancer institute. In 2008, I ran a personal best of 4:11:19 (due to some intense training, a clean diet, lots of sleep and a general good attidude) and raised $8,200. This year, after running a disappointing 4:46:37 and landing in the emergency room once again, my Mom begged me to stop.

She offered me $1,000 to not run in 2010. As the IV dripped into my arm, I said no. She upped it to $3,000. Nope. One more time, I said. One more marathon. I am going to make it to 10 marathons and five for Dana-Farber. I am going to raise $10,000 in 2010. Then, I’ll retire.

Today, Sept. 25, 2009, is day #1 of my journey. For the next 7-ish months, I am going to document the process of training for my 10th finish line and raising a boatload of money. There will be other races along the way – five half marathons this fall (to get me to an even 20 halfs), a possible “Bermuda Triangle Challenge” and of course, crazy favorites like the Derry 16-miler Boston Prep and the Stu’s 30K. There’ll be sub-zero training runs and sore hamstrings and fundraisers and ice baths and Magners. Lots of Magners.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure.