Air Force Half Marthon (Round 2) Recap

Race:

The Air Force Marathon (round 2)  Round 1, 2011 can be found HERE

The Air Force Marathon was supposed to be my BIG DEBUT into the world of full marathons, but sadly two weeks prior to race day my knee had other plans. Regardless of not being able to run, I still had to make the trip back home since I, mama J agreed to play host hotel for Kim and S. Now the decision was do I cheerlead or run the half? After a lot of back and forth internal struggle of rest or have fun- have fun won out and I decided to pace my brother for the 2nd year in a row to attempt his sub 2 hour finish.

Race Day:

The conditions for start of race were perfect. 48  with practically no humidity when we left my house at 5:30 am (despite half marathon not starting till 8:30, we had to accommodate for S running the full + traffic to get on base) 

Although I LOVE running in 40s and 50s, its not the best to stand around in, so we were all bundled up. I got made fun of because I didn't want my flood velour pants in the photos, so I kept pulling them down to my ankles for photo ops- apparently S thought it was funny and took a montage of me pulling down my pants- I'll spare you and just show one

can barely see them in this photo

We had a lot of time to kill so we wondered around, took a photo with a cow, found some fellow bloggers, cycled through the port-o-potty's with NO LINE (there are seriously over 100!) etc until it was time for half mary to start

Kim, Jess, Jill, me

Although I follow Jess and Jill's blogs, this was the first time ACTUALLY meeting them--- I was shocked at how tiny they were... Kim, I'm so thankful that you don't make me feel like a giant :)

After we all parted ways, my brother and I headed near the 2 hour pace group. We saw a few people i knew from HS and Eric made the comment that I don't live there anymore and I ran into more people I know than he did (he still lives in Dayton)- what can I say, little sister is popular haha jk.

Before the National Anthem started they had 4 guys jump from an airplane and parachute down with flags- its actually quite neat, however pictures don't capture the beauty

The Marathon start had a B2 stealth something or another fly over- its a quiet aircraft so I know a lot of people were disappointed there wasn't more noise or another fly over for the half. I think since this race I didn't care about as I was just there for my brother and to be social, I was easy to please.

Once the race started I made sure we kept an easy pace, but still enough to just bank a few sec per mile for cushion- we settled in at about an 8:56 pace for the first few miles. Since Eric didn't want to run with music- I felt obligated to not run with music as well. I tried to do most of the talking- updating him on my knee, love life, upcoming races etc. I even did the unthinkable and talked with many fellow runners during the race.

Somewhere around mile 3.5 just after a water station we turned right onto a road. Once we were running on it for some time a guy (volunteer?) comes running with a walkie talkie yelling at everyone that they are going the wrong way and they need to turn around---- seriously?!?! Commence clusters and chaos! There were literally hundreds of people all colliding and trying to get back on the right track. Regardless of it you're out there for a PR, or just to have fun- it was annoying.

The road wasn't very wide so not everyone could fit- I was constantly having to bob and weave through people, and the big problem now is you have the people who are running a slower pace that are now in front of you.  So even though the extra .4 miles that was tacked onto our race was early enough in the game, it mentally defeated Eric and I noticed that it was now harder for him to keep pace. I decided to change my game plan and instead of running right with him, I would be his  rabbit and run ahead of him.

Perfect timing to play bunny because shortly up ahead I saw Kim running. I've never actually ran with her so I came up from behind her and attempted to slap her behind (didn't get it right the first time, but the second time later in the race was perfect). It was such a cool experience to not care about time and be able to run and talk with a friend. I kept bouncing back between her and Eric for next couple of miles.

Right around mile 5 it was like a blogger reunion and we caught up to to Jess and Jill as well- although the mis-direction was considered a "tragedy" to a lot of people  it was a slight blessing for me as it gave me opportunity to actually have fun while I run. Too often I just zone out, don't talk to people, and push myself too hard---- today was the exact opposite. We stopped briefly to say hi to my parents, Tracie, and Joseph

Proof that we ran together 

Kim said she tried to call out to MaryJo (my mom) but she was too busy looking at me- I think its hilarious it was captured on photo (sorry Kim) 

Show his son some love before we leave 

After we said goodbye to our folks I think thats when the wheels came off. I made a comment how we would really have to step up our pace and how we couldn't go any slower to get to the 2 hour mark. My brother can be a disciplined runner, however, I think there is work to be had (which just comes with time) in the mentally toughening up department. I remember I said something to him around mile 6 or 7 about our pace and he said he was fine and thats when I knew to not worry about pace anymore. 

Pretty much up until mile 10 we played leap frog with Kim- it was fun, annoying, something to do to pass time, and I think it helped Eric not focus on the pain in his right knee (runs in the family, pun intended). There is one large hill in the race and while we're going up it I passed Kim and told Eric he needs to pass her- she jokingly increased her wingspan and said no---I like that kind of joking around... I NEED that in more races. 

We passed my parents again around mile 11 - the last 2 miles were a struggle. I'm not good at motivating people apparently and I think Eric was getting tired of me trying to unsuccessfully do it. I noticed how short his stride was and I even tried to be funny and tell him to act like a slut and open up his legs--- the guy next to me laughed, but no reaction from Eric. 

The last mile in this race is REALLY long- you enter the runway, run ALL THE WAY DOWN it, turn right for a brief straightaway, then run back on a parallel runway. Although its lined with flags, planes, and spectators, it just takes forever and the hard part is you can see the finish line the entire time. 

I stopped my watch at exactly 13.1 just to see what our time was- 2:02 and change... when we actually crossed the finish line was a different story- 2:06 and change (you can obviously see how much I cared about time with this one)- 

Our total mileage was over 13.6, so it was a long one for sure. We were actually one of the luckier ones--- the really fast people had a different turnaround mishap right where my parents were standing after mile 5 and with those extra loops people averaged anywhere between an extra 1 mile - 5 miles. Apparently there was a lot of cursing and they had to cover Joseph's ears from all the profanity of the confused runners (can you blame them?)

Overall I had a a good time- yes it sucks we missed our goal and that the last few miles were progressively slower, but it was a GORGEOUS day, I got to spend time running with some friends that NEVER happens, and got to accompany my brother for his second half marathon. 

Added bonus, right after coming out of finishers line with my food I run into my best friend from college, Kim. Her husband was running the half- doesn't she look amazing for having a baby 2 months ago?

All in all I'm glad I defaulted and ran a half that day instead of the full. My knee was screaming the last few miles and there is no way I could have kept up that distance without crawling. Because this race is in my backyard, I'll most likely do it again, however I either want to run it for real, or do the full. Despite S's mishaps which you can read on Kim's recap HERE, he did recommend this as a good course to tackle the full. For another good read but a slightly different experience check out Jess' recap HERE (and as a side note, if you ever have the opportunity to meet her in person, DO IT! She is so vivacious and fun to be around- I thoroughly enjoyed our first meet up!) 

5 things friday (all firsts)

 

Not a lot of running been going on in my world since my disaster of a double header in Iowa and Nebraska,- infact I haven't ran since.  So what has been going on in world of Lisa? A lot of "firsts" for me...

 

1. I went to my first pro bull-riding event compliments of free tickets from Becca

 

 

After being in the company suite for a few minutes the security guy came up and said he could get us passes to the PBR party barn (not that we really like PBR, but it would be neat to get to see the action UP CLOSE)

 

I surprisingly had WAY more fun than anticipated, and glad that Becca invited me- thanks B!

 

2. I saw my first ever PIG race at the Tennessee State Fair as well as my first minature horse!

 

It was hilarious and adorable... and short. They should do multiple races- but I guess that might be considered animal cruelty.

 

 

I couldn't help but think of DONKEY from Shrek--- so cute.

 

3. I was able to convince my friend Herb to have a "Call me Maybe- Harvard" dance party during trivia night (unfortunately pics just don't do the hilariousness any justice)

 

Don't know the dance? First off- where have you been? second off- you need to watch it- i promise you'll want to do the dance next time you hear it..

 

4. I found my FIRST Haribo flavor I just didn't like...

 The Vampire intrigured me when my friend, Tricia, gave them to me (straight off the boat from Germany)- turns out the body of the vampire is black licorice flavor, gag me. I tried to give the bag away at work and no one would take it, so I ended up just putting a post it note saying "FREE" in the kitchen area.  I think my mom felt bad at my disappointment, so when I got back into Ohio late last night I had these bad boys waiting on my bed

 

 That would be 2 3lb bags of Haribo original flavor... yup 6lbs total!! (and an owl for my desk bc I love owls)

 

5. Tomorrow is the Air Force 1/2 and Full marathon. I'm playing host for the first time to Kim an dher husband S then on Sat night we're haivng a cookout and I get to meet Jess from Run with Jess (sorry I'm having difficulty linking up)

 

What are your firsts?



August Rewind

This is probably the longest I've waited to write a monthly recap- I've been so bummed about my knee I just haven't felt like writing about running aside from my race reviews.

Onto the Breakdown 

Total Mileage:  63 miles, literally half of what I ran in July. Due to dealing with my knee, I really cut back on mileage hoping that rest will help with recovery.
September Mileage: considering I'm still trying to rest my knee, no predictions for mileage. This will be a re-cooperation month so that October I can go full swing.  

Highest Mileage week: 25. What's sad is it was a 21 miler and a 4 miler. I was expecting to easily get a 40 miler week

September: again no real big goals here. I'm assuming my biggest mileage week will be last weekend in September with the Bourbon Chase relay.  

Races Planned / Completed: 1/2: Completed State #31, Utah, Legacy Midnight Half my first half marathon run at night.

I wanted to run Nashville's Tap n Run 4k, but poor planning on my part I had my 20 miler that morning and the race was 5pm same day--- obviously it didn't happen.

September: I cancelled my marathon that was this upcoming weekend, so the only other race that I will be doing is the Bourbon Chase relay at end of the month- excited to have my brother join me in his FIRST relay ever :) 

Accomplishments for July:

• Ran my first 20 and 21 miler- longest runs to date. 
• Started my new job- although extremely busy, I absolutely LOVE my new role at my company :) 
• Slowly learning to listen and obey my body (this is huge for me) 

Current Book: My brother's girlfriend, Tracie, actually wrote a miniseries awhile back called "The webster grove" series collectively as a whole, but each 'part' had its own unique title. For awhile they were only offered as e-books, but in the last several months she had some made into book form and gave me a copy of all the series bound together for one book--- OMG I couldn't put it down. The premise is about a new girl in school who eventually starts to date one of the teacher's- lots of twists and turns in the story development. Although I knew Tracie was incredibly smart, I was blown away at how well she could write and develop characters and scenes- such a GREAT story.

Shortly after finishing the book I went home and she had a copy of her most recent book, Sweet Nothings which I read in a few hours. I'm a sucker for romantic stories- hers are fun and light-hearted, just makes you feel good after you're done.

Since she doesn't have any more books out, i'm in the market to find a new read. All suggestions welcome :) 

Current Excitements/ Obsessions:

- Having Kim and S stay with me this weekend in Dayton for the Air Force Marathon- haven't decided yet if I'm going to run the half with my brother, or not run at all and be a race cheerleader. 

- Planning a trip to San Diego

- Finalizing double header in October with Kim and Alma! 

Current Goal

- Since I have to take it easy with running, I decided to not just sit around and mope and focus on what I CAN do. I'm hoping to add some yoga into my life since its supposed to be so great for runners. Work offers several classes throughout the week, so I have no excuse to not try it. I need to get back into kettle bells as well. 

Current Dislikes: Not being able to run pain free :( No idea how long this will last, so depending on how long it lasts, there may be another trip to the doctor. 

August had its ups and downs. I finished my first 20 and 21 miler relatively pain free, however my double header in Iowa & Nebraska proved that I can't do a full marathon on this knee. This is my first time backing out on a race, hopefully my last for awhile. September should prove to be an interesting month- so heres to hoping everything doesn't get worse. 

Logan View Raider Run (Nebraska) Race Recap

Race:

State # 33- Nebraska

Stats:

Time 2:04:04

Overall: 15/42

Gender: 4/22

Before:

After a painful and de-motivating half marathon completed in Iowa, I was not looking forward to having to run through more corn fields in Hooper NE the following day. Since our Iowa half didn't have ice, I managed to snag some from the hotel and iced my knee after lunch and for part of the trip to NE while Kim drove. It's a long and boring 4.5 hour drive from Clear Lake, IA to Freemont, NE where our hotel was. 

Half-way through the drive L texted me something about how the entire course was on gravel--- WOW seriously, the whole course?!?! Pity party of 1 the rest of the drive. We met up with her at the hotel, then ventured off to Logan View Public Schools for packet pickup and FREE spaghetti dinner. 

Kim and I chowed down on our spaghetti, garlic bread, and cookies, but apparently L doesn't like spaghetti so we also went to Vincenzo's Italian Buffet afterward (yes Kim and I ate again- double headers require extra fuel haha) 

Due to the higher heat temps in the morning + water stops were every 3 miles, we decided it would be a good idea to pick up some water bottles to be able to run with so we don't die. I highly recommend Smart Water as it has the handy dandy top that is easy to flip vs. a traditional twist off cap. 

Race day

"I don't want to race, I don't want to race, I.DON'T.WANT.TO.RACE" was constantly going through my head in the morning. It's not particularly a good sign when you have trouble going down 1 flight of stairs on your way to run a half marathon. 

Between my knee, my weird new stiff arch pain, heat, gravel roads and the elevation, I knew I'd be lucky to break 2 hours. 

Despite not wanting to run this morning, I tried to put a smile on my face because this will be the only time I'm in Nebraska, and I get to be here with my two matchy matchy buddies

Randomly enough at this uber small race, there happened to be a few marathon maniacs and 50 staters racing (they did the marathon, which I cannot imagine doing on this course) 

As we go line up on the sidewalk chalk line, I happen to make a friend who I never caught his name so we will call him yellow shirt man, ysm for short. Turns out he lives in VA and happened to be in town for weekend visiting wife's folks so he thought it would be a good way to get in base training for his first full, marine corps. His PR was from the previous week, 1:59 and asked what I was shooting for and if we could run together. I told him I'd be lucky to break 2 hours and he said that was a good time for him considering the conditions. 

After a quick prayer they did the "on your mark, set, go" and we were off. YSM was keeping a decent pace and we were talking about random items- turns out the Omaha Zoo is the best zoo around--- the skeptic in me has a hard time believing anything in Nebraska is deemed "best ____ around", but I could be wrong. Shortly into the run I notice that the dirt ground is severely uneven and I found myself having to work kind of hard to bob and weave to find even ground. In this process I tire out super quick and just tell YSM to continue onward since he's aiming for a certain time. 

For once in a LONG time I actually entered a race with no goals in mind--- technically thats not true- I wanted to beat the day before's mileage of 1.8 miles before giving up... unfortunately I failed and at 1.77 I gave up. The first mile was all down hill and then the marathon split off--- there was no one in front of me (catchable distance) and no one behind me. I was literally by myself the entire race from mile 2-12. 

I didn't realize how hilly the course would be, or how much running on gravel would suck- add on top of that having to be fully engaged in looking at footing on the ground to know when to shift the side of the road and I was mentally just not with it. 

If you look really closely, or blow up the photo, you will see a black speck right where the arrow is pointed... that was the same guy who was in front of me the entire race (who I eventually did pass)- not a lot of motivation here to pick up the pace. 

That was pretty much the entire view of the course- add in some cows occasionally, some hills, and a tiny tiny patch of beautiful black eyed susans, and you can pretend that you saw everything that I did. (this patch lasted about 30 sec) 

Although the water stations were sparse, they did have some of the best NON-watered down gatorade I've ever had in a race. I only made it shortly pass mile 2 before having to get rid of the water bottle I carried, so I was appreciative and took my sweet time at every stop. Sidenote- how in the world do people run with a water bottle in their hand, I could not stand the constant feel of it sloshing around. Mad props to Kim who lasted 10 miles with it. 

At the turnaround I noticed I was 3rd female (shows how pathetically small it is with as slow as I was running). I remember YSM telling me that top 10 get place medals, so I really didn't care if I kept it or fell back. I waiting till I passed Kim and L on the turnaround before taking my shirt off- had a sneaking feeling if they saw me they would have laughed and snapped a photo. Now taking my shirt off this go round wasn't this amazing magic that it was the day before, but it definitely did help as well as cooling off. 

I'm pretty sure I got progressively slower, walked a lot more, and my feet were REALLY bothering me. I noticed my black speck getting closer in view, and finally right before mile 12 he hit a MAJOR wall and starting walking up the monster hill bent over so he was a complete 90 degree angle- given my stellar speed it took me a LONG time to finally pass him, but when I did I asked if he was okay and he just looked at me, weird. During this process I got passed by a girl and now I was in 4th- whoop di do. 

With about .4 mile to go we hit normal pavement, HALLELUJAH! We did a loop around the school and then the meanest thing the race director could have ever done- she made us run on even MORE uneven ground in the grass following a chalk line (think cross country days) and then we entered the track and had to run 300 meters before the finish. I had an older guy catch up to me and you could tell he felt bad about passing me in such a small race so close to the end, I told him it was okay and he beat me by 10 sec. 

No parties, no music, no announcer, just some buckets with flags designating the chute, a clock, and a medal hander outter. whoopee. 

I made my way to refreshment table- grabbed an orange, chocolate milk, and chatted with YSM who got a new PR (on such a tough course)! I hobbled to the car, took off my shoes, put shirt back on, and walked over to the medics to get some ice. Yet again, NO FREAKING ICE. What is with these corn states and not providing ice. Luckily I saw Kim coming in the distance so I couldn't mope for too long, had to put my cheerleader face on.

Since L doesn't have a blog, you get to see her finishing. Great shot of the finish line 

Once we all finished we got some refreshments and slowly ventured off to the hotel. 

Kim and I had minor brain farts and we're thinking it was a 2 hour drive back to des moines airport- problem was once we hit the road and plugged it into gps it was 3 hours. High anxiety the entire trip trying to bank time since my flight boarded at 2:45. Funny story- my flight got delayed, delayed again, and then I was told there was no way I'd made my connection and no possible way to get to Nashville till the morning- what a crappy ending to an already crappy weekend. 

Delta put me up in a swanky Best Western, luckily the king was oober comfortable- then my flights the next day were upgraded to first class (first time) From Des Moines to Atlanta I got to sit next to the Iron Man race director and some of his crew / officials--- what a great experience an oppty to pick their minds. 

State #33- done. Worst double header thus far-done. Am I ever coming back to these states- not a chance.

This weekend was the most I've ever ran 9 mins during a race, and the first time in over a year I've seen a 10 min mile on my watch- can only improve once I heal! 

Mile 1  7:43

Mile 2  9:13

Mile 3  9:34

Mile 4  9:33

Mile 5  9:06

Mile 6  9:14

Mile 7  9:10

Mile 8  9:34

Mile 9  9:23

Mile 10 10:04

Mile 11 9:56

Mile 12 9:55

Mile 13 9:28

Mile .25 8:25

Seawall to Seawall (Iowa) Race Recap

Race:

State # 32, Iowa. 

Stats:
Official time 1:54:05 my first time in 1:50s since March :(
Division Place:  6/10
Gender Place: 11/69

Iowa is one of those states that I was less than thrilled to visit, so I managed to somehow convince Kim to spend her labor day weekend with me doing a double half mary weekend in Iowa and another equally exciting state, Nebraska!

Since there wasn't  a lot to do in Clear Lake, we got our kicks at the World Market in  Des Moines before making our 2 hour BORING drive up to Clear Lake... have you seen anything so glorious?!?!

The Before:

Best Western was the host hotel and it just so happened to be within a 5 minute drive to the start line. There was no address for where the start line was, just that it was 'at the seawall'. We decided to scope out the area Friday night to see where we needed to go, however were disappointed that we still couldn't find the elusive 'sea wall'. Naturally Kim and I were suspecting something quite obvious, and it was only on race morning that we found out the below structure was considered the "sea wall" - crazy Iowans don't know the difference between a barrier and a wall. 

If you're looking for entertainment on a Friday night in Clear Lake- apparently you have to go to the football game because downtown, is not the place to be

Otherwise you could just rent one of the village bicycles and take that for a spin.... thats how I like to spend my nights, cruising around town

After our tour we grabbed some dinner at the Bennigans attached to our hotel and attempted to call it a night. We ended up chatting till just shy of midnight about relationship history(s) as well as Kim educating me on some information that I can let her share with you since both my parents read my blog ;) 

Race day:

As said earlier, we didn't realize that small retaining wall was infact the sea wall, so we had to ask a guy walking his dog if he knew where the race start is--- gee, how could we miss it?

Once we established where the start was, I realized I left my newly purchased knee brace at the hotel, so we had time to drive back to get it and still take some photos before race start

we had to make sure to get a pic with the seawall.

*as a side note- we were supposed to be "matchy matchy" with purple skirts, but I'd like to take a moment to recognize that Kim forgot hers. Despite my many travels, one would think I'm an expert when it comes to packing. Quite the opposite is true and I ALWAYS forget something. Although Kim not bringing her skirt meant we couldn't match, I was thrilled that it wasn't me this time, end side note*

After a prayer from a local pastor (a sign you know its a small race) the air horn blew and we were off. Due to continued knee pain, the fact that this was race 1 of a double header weekend, AND that my marathon weekend was in 2 weeks, I knew I wanted to take it easy. The problem with taking it easy is I didn't realize how fast Iowans are and I clocked my first mile at 7:36- surely I knew I'd pay for it. 

I made it to a whopping 1.8 miles before I fell apart. My right knee started throbbing, my left arch was bothering me, and the heat was causing me to sweat more than normal, BURNING my eyes- at this point I knew any goal I had of placing in this race was a fat chance. 

The first few miles were through some neighborhoods, and then we were graced with the lovely sights of cornfields and creepy windmills... as an added bonus, NO SHADE. 

Due to heat, they made sure there were water stops at every mile, which I happily stopped at and took a breather, stretched, wiped the sweat off my face etc. 

The combination of knee pain + sweat burning my eyes made them water thus I felt like I was crying for a few miles- thank goodness for waterproof mascara :)  I kept trying to wipe my eyes on my shirt, but it wasn't enough and I had to keep lifting it up every min or two. 

Finally at mile 5 I did the absolute unthinkable, something I have NEVER done during a race, let alone during daylight (except in highschool)- I took my shirt off and ran the rest of the race in my sports bra. I know you're probably thinking "so what?" but for me my stomach is the one part of my body that I'm super self conscious about (after I got over my membership card to the IBTC), so the last thing I want is to be worrying if my stomach is jiggling while I'm running.  

Let me tell you.... it was FAN FREAKING TASTIC! Right away I cooled off and it was nice to just be able to carry my shirt and wipe the sweat away as it came--- it did nothing for the knee pain though. 

Right when I got to mile 6 is when I lost the mental battle- I wasn't even half way done and I was wondering if I could finish the race. I made my mind up there that the marathon was out of the equation if I was this miserable when it would be less than 1/4 of an actual distance. As soon as I made the decision I  ripped off my knee brace since it obviously wasn't helping, then facebooked the marathon was a no go--- it's not official till its facebook official right? I knew by putting it out there, I couldn't retract my decision and too often I'm stubborn enough and forgot about the pain once its over and I couldn't put my body through that. 

Next few miles sucked and then somewhere around mile 9 my gu kicked in. It just so happens my power song came on which gave me the mental push I needed to pick back up the pace and push through the pain a bit. Once I got a good rhythm going, the knee pain was manageable and I started passing people that has all passed me during my many, many, many walk break b/n miles 5-8.

It's weird because as the miles ticked by, the knee pain subsided a little bit, but the pain in my left arch was increasingly getting sharper- such an uncomfortable feeling, almost like a bruised arch? Looking back I'm not sure if the knee pain was less or if it was just there was a new pain to focus on. 

The last few miles were run alongside the lake vs. cornfields, so that made it more tolerable. It's been awhile since I've done this, but that last mile + .18 was pure guts as I had ZERO left to give and my pain threshold was wearing thin.

I crossed the line and started to limp toward where everyone was congregating in hopes to find some ice. One of the volunteers had to chase me down to give me my medal. Turns out, NO ICE on premises, ugh. I grabbed a banana and peach and made my way toward the car to take off my shoes, ifitness belt, and grab some sun glasses.

Literally the second I took off my shoes I developed HUGE charlie horses in both of my feet, what is going on? I managed to stretch a little, cheer Kim on, and carefully walk barefoot over to meet her at the finish area, no way was I putting shoes back on feet.

I was happy the race was over and more so that I was able to rally and actually finish stronger than I thought I could. The big question lingering was how in the world was I going to do this tomorrow on a hillier course with hotter temps?!?!

Mile 1 7:36

Mile 2 8:02

Mile 3 8:08

Mile 4 8:23

Mile 5 9:01

Mile 6 9:34

Mile 7 10:06
Mile 8 9:16

Mile 9 8:07

Mile 10 8:58

Mile 11 8:43

Mile 12 8:23

Mile 13 8:22

        .18 7:31

State #32, Iowa, done. Next up, #33- Nebraska. I thought Iowa was boring, Nebraska has it beat!

No more marathon

This past weekend I was able to venture to the less than stellar states of Iowa and Nebraska to complete a double header, state 32 and 33 for my half marathon quest. Although the recaps are coming it can be boiled down into a very quick synopsis:

It sucked. 

My knee gave out both days before mile 2,  1.8 miles on day 1, 1.77 miles  on day 2 (yup I checked my watch) For those who are wondering what is going on- I have plica inflammation in the knee. Kim R thought it was PICA when I first told her, and apparently that would mean I eat chalk- so a brief explanation on what it actually is: Quite simply is the inflammation of synovial (plica tissue) in your knee. Symptoms and pain wise, it mimics what a meniscal tear or patellar tendonitis would feel like.   Although you can run in terms of not having to worry about any more damage, you have to be able to endure the pain. I'm pretty good with pushing through pain as I did it for 3 months worth of races when I had ITBS in 2011, but unfortunately this pain is much worse, and unlike ITBS, it doesn't go away as soon as I stop running. This pain lingers for a few days and I look quite pathetic trying to go down any stairs (up is fine), as well as attempting to  walk without a limp. (its really quite sexy)

Although I am stubborn, I'm also not an idiot. it's one thing for me to push through and go ahead and complete another half marathon on a double header weekend because I know my body can at least get through it, however I've never ran a full marathon before. Yes I've already completed my 20 miler and 21 miler,  but running a race is not the same thing as practice runs since I go out at a faster pace. So as much as it pains me to do it, I'm pulling the plug on the Air Force Marathon in two weeks.

My focus has always been on the 50 state quest and I decided to do a marathon just for fun and to say I did one- unfortunately I'm not going to jeopardize future races just so I can have bragging rights to finally completing a marathon (that would be stupid on my part)

The only thing that will make my knee better is rest, and unfortunately its been a month of me minimally running (pretty much my LR on weekend, MAYBE 1 short run during week) and its only gotten worse. I'm hoping that the Air Force Race director will let me drop down my registration to a half (both full and half sold out months ago)- depending on how I feel that day I might go easy and pace my brother at his attempt to break 2 hours. Otherwise it might be a first and I'll just be a race cheerleader for all those that are running.

Eventually I may get a marathon under my belt- next time it will NOT be an early fall one so I can at least have better training temps than this past summer, but for the time being, I have no immediate plans to run one. I'm trying to remind myself that this summer was not a waste because I was still able to learn a lot about pushing myself beyond what I thought I could do and when I'm back 100% I will use that for future races.

Have you ever had to make a tough race decision?

This is actually the first time I said no to a big race that I've been working toward for months- I'm just glad that I did the double header otherwise I would have went into marathon blind and probably would have had my first DNF