Take it on the Run

Not much to report

I meant to go out for a longer run this weekend... but I didn't.  It was my birthday weekend though, so I was a bit distracted by friends, family and delicious food. 

My mom sent me a few more pictures from the Half Marathon:

Here I am freezing after completing the race.

And here is a photo of Sara and I at Bin 36.

I will run tomorrow morning.

Chicago Half Marathon

Yesterday, in a constant stream of rain, I completed the Chicago Half Marathon.

Before the Race:

I began preparing last week, making sure that I didn't consume any alcohol, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.  I laid out all my materials Saturday night, made coffee for the morning, and ordered a cab.  I was up at 5 to eat a salted bagel, drink coffee and water, and out the door at 5:45.  When I arrived it was still dark and still raining.  I had packed a few garbage bags that served as a poncho and shoe coverings. 

I made my way to the AIDS Marathon tent and greeted other runners and coaches.  My parents found me along with our friends Bette & Dave.  They wished me luck and my dad took the bag I was going to check.

Sherry, Jeff and I decided to run separately due to varying interests in whether we wanted to walk parts of the course or not (I ended up running the whole thing). At about 7:10 I made my way over to the start line.  Jackson Park was a wet, muddy mess.  It took me quite a while to work my way through the pace sections.  I finally gave up trying to reach the 2:10 pace section and was content starting in the 2:20 section.  There was no way to advance any further, and my shoes were already soaked.

The Race:

I crossed the start line about 10 minutes after the official start.  Within minutes the rain felt wonderful, as I suspected it would.  It rained for the entire race (or more accurately, it rained constantly from Friday evening to Sunday evening, flooding parts of Chicago and requiring the city to call a "state of emergency" in the metropolitan area).  While the no sun/low humidity combination was the best I could have asked for, there were a few unanticipated consequences:

1) I underestimated how heavy water-logged shoes could feel.  It felt as though I was wearing ankle weights and it took an unanticipated toll on my knees.  I noticed a few people had placed a strip of duck tape over the mesh portion of their shoe (over their toes).  I have no idea if this works, but it seemed like a wise attempt.

2) My running shorts, which have always been very comfortable, surprised me with their behavior.  When soaking wet, they apparently have a tendency to ride-up -- which was not something I really wanted to think about during the race.  While I'd probably look a bit silly, I think I will have to invest in the skin-tight variety next time I do such a long race.

The AIDS Marathon organizers were fabulous; They planted a group to cheer every 2 miles or so, giving high-fives and yelling my name.  It was a nice motivator.  Additionally, my parents, my uncles, Bette & Dave and Nick (though I sadly didn't find him until well after the race) were cheering along the way.

I ate one Shot Blok at the start line, and three others along the way after mile 7 (where I took a quick bathroom break).  I also consumed my water bottle full of water with a bit of Gatorade powder, as well as a bit of water from two water stations.  Though I'd probably look a lot sharper without it, I really like having my water belt with me.  It is great for storing food, and the water stations get so congested that it's nice to be able to largely avoid them (and the resulting bed of crushed cups).

I kept my 10 minute pace well, making sure to start off slow (avoiding a repeat of my 10K experience).  The whole race felt pretty easy, amazingly.  I think the sun is what affects me most when running.  Around mile 10 I started to get nervous that my leg muscles were going to cramp up, but though they felt on the verge, I somehow avoided it.

The Results:

I finished right on schedule with a time of 2:12:26.  (You can see my results here) If you deduct the 2 minutes or so that the bathroom break took, I was almost dead-on the 10 minute/mile pace (the final pace they gave me was 10:07).  I didn't stop to walk once.  I kind of wish I had run a bit faster.  Clearly, the point was simply to finish, but other than being a bit sore when I was done (and very sore later in the day), I felt great when I finished -- and like I could have gone further.  I guess beating my time is a good motivator to run another half marathon.  Overall, I finished basically right in the middle in place 5606 out of 10854.

Walking through the gates past the finish line, I ate an apple and a banana (all the bagels were wet.. ew) and drank some Gatorade.  I also posed for a photo, which I'm sure looks absolutely stunning.  By the time I made my way over to the AIDS tent to meet my parents, I was so cold that I was shivering and my lips were turning blue.  I eventually found Nick and we headed to the bus.  3 methods of public transportation and over an hour later, we made it home.  I took a hot shower. 

My parents came by to pick us up and we met Jack and Dave, Bette and Dave, and an old high school friend, Sara, for brunch at Bin 36.  Sara has been a runner for a long time, and she is quite impressive.  Her time was 1:35:15 (that's a pace of 7:17!). My parents drove us home and Nick and I watched A Fish Called Wanda.  I was in bed by 10. 

While I luckily sustained no lasting injury, my body definitely feels a bit fragile and I looked positively elderly getting on and off the buses this morning. 

The half marathon was a great experience.  The AIDS Marathon training program helped to prepare me and I highly recommend them. Thanks to many generous individuals, I was able to raise $1,640 for AIDS prevention and care. I used to hate running and was barely able to run a mile outside.  5 months later I have transformed into someone who felt quite comfortable running 13.1 and I'm not ready to give it up yet. 

I'll be running the AIDS Run/Walk 5K next weekend with the Chicago AIDS Foundation and I plan to continue with my weekly runs while the weather holds out.  I'll continue to use this website to track my weeks and report on races, etc. 

Thank you to everyone who helped to support me through this process!

Total run: 13.1 miles

Half Marathon Weekend!

Well, it is finally here.  I run the Chicago Half Marathon this Sunday.  I'm a bit nervous, mainly because I feel like I've been kind of slacking off on my long runs this past month.  Hopefully, since the 12 mile run went okay, the 13.1 will as well.  It looks like the weather will be on my side - cool, overcast, and a bit rainy.  This will be a big improvement over the hot, sunny, muggy day we had for our 12 miles.

I'm excited for the race.  I really couldn't imagine running 13 miles when I began this website last April.  I'd like to once again thank all of my sponsors and my coaches with the AIDS Marathon.

12 Miles!

At practice this morning, the AIDS Half Marathoners completed the longest run we will do before the event on September 14.  We ran 12 miles, just shy of the 13.1 miles we will run for the Banco Popular Half Marathon.  (This run also put me past the 200 mile mark for training mileage.)

Though we met an hour earlier than usual, we got a slow start for some reason.  By the time Sherry and I were sent out, the sun was hot, there was no breeze, and the humidity was stifling.  Everyone agreed that this was by far the worst weather we have endured during the entire training season.

We basically ran from McCormick Place down to 67th street -- and back.

To make the weather worse, I had forgotten my hat during my 5:15 departure from home.  The sun on my face and the sweat in my eyes quickly depleted my energy and my hydration level.

The last 2 miles were rough.  I was tempted to suggest that we take a 2 minute walk break, but Sherry was doing great, so I decided to run it through.  We came in 8:30 minutes ahead of our pace, which is really only about 45 seconds fast per mile. 

It felt so good to be done.  The AIDS Marathon staff greeted us with balloons, food, gatorade, and a medal. Save some mild knee pain due to lactic acid build-up and cuts from my sports bra, my body seems to be in good shape.

Not everyone had such a successful day. Many people dropped out of the run with injuries or due to heat stroke.  A few were even whisked to the hospital.

What a disappointment to get this far and then have an injury deter you from your goal.

Total run: 12 miles

Training: Day 7

We ran 6 miles on Saturday morning.  The weather was great:  low humidity, breezy and about 75F.  The run was amazingly easy.  That just goes to show how much the weather can affect things.

So far I have tried the lemon & lime and the margarita with salt shot bloks.  I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that the margarita flavor is the clear winner so far.

On Friday I went to my fundraising meeting.  It wasn't particularly helpful, unfortunately.  They suggested in all earnestness that I plan a bikini car-wash... sigh.

I need to think of something soon.  If I know you and you haven't donated, brace yourself for some begging in the coming weeks.

Total run: 6 miles

Feeling Down

I have to be honest.  I am thinking of dropping out of the AIDS Marathon portion of the race and signing up on my own to do the Chicago Half Marathon. 

I barely have a quarter of the $1,500 I need to raise as of today.  I know there are still 5 weeks to go until the July 15th deadline, but I really can't fathom how I will raise an additional $1,100 by then.  I've asked everyone I know that I am able to and I have had some very generous responses.  However, I haven't received the number of responses I was counting on. 

I'm rationalizing by imagining that I am in a unique situation:
1) I'm young and my peers don't have much expendable income, and perhaps more importantly..
2) I work in nonprofit development. 

My coworkers make the same sort of lousy wages that I do (as nonprofit work goes). And to top it off, it is my job to fundraise on behalf of my organization.  It would be tacky and unprofessional of me to approach any of my business contacts for a personal donation knowing that those funds could have possibly been rerouted to the organization.

I'm trying to sell a few things on ebay and etsy, but that won't lead to any major money. Other fundraising efforts that I can think of would only net me a few hundred dollars at the very most.  Personally, I am completely unable to take on any more of a financial burden than I am already dealing with, so making up any significant difference myself is out of the question.

I would be very sad to stop training with the AIDS Marathon group.  While I do know how to train now, I find it daunting to think about doing so completely on my own. It's also daunting to think about running the actual marathon alone, without my pace group and other new AIDS Marathon friends.  But at the end of the day, I don't really think I have too many options.

To make matters worse, my left hip and shin have been hurting since my 5 mile run last Saturday and as a result I have been resisting the urge to train, knowing it will just get worse.  I was hoping the pain would be gone by now, but it doesn't look like it will disappearing as rapidly as I had hoped.  The risk of not even being able to run the marathon makes it all the more difficult to consider my fundraising predicament.

If I were to drop out I would be very embarrassed, especially in light of those who have so generously donated.  While it certainly isn't a negative thing to have raised $400 for people living with HIV and AIDS, it is impossibly to deny that those donations were of a personal nature and that I am in some way letting donors down.

Additionally, if I do drop out, do I keep training until July 15th and run the risk of having more friends and family donate knowing that I may not run with the AIDS Marathon and run the risk of the Chicago Half Marathon filling up, or do I cut my losses and make the decision soon? 

If anyone is actually reading this blog, and especially if you have been in a similar situation, I would be eager to hear your advice.  I'm not feeling too optimisitic at the moment. 

Training: Day 3

Yesterday was my third Saturday morning run with the AIDS Marathon group.  Sam picked me up.  It sounds like our other driving partner, Bob, is unfortunately out of the marathon due to heel spurs. 

We ran 3 miles-- timed--to determine our pace groups.  The pace groups will practice together at their designated ability level from here on out, and are also expected to run the marathon together.

I ran the 3 miles in 26.54 minutes, which put me in the 10 minute mile pace group (they add about a minute to your time to determine an easy training pace).  Only two people ran the 3 miles faster than me, which was a surprise.  My pace group is made up of myself and another woman.  If I had been 6 seconds slower, I would have wound up in the next (larger) group and a 10 and a half minute mile training pace.  I'm thinking about just switching into this slower group as I'm not sure that I can keep up the current pace with longer distances.  We'll see.

Oh, I was also elected Pace Group Leader because I have a newer watch...

4 miles next week.  Yikes.  We will be starting the interval training next week (I'll be running 6 minutes and walking 1 minute), so that should make everything a bit easier.

Total run: 3 miles

Training: Day 2

This morning Sam picked me up and we went to our second day of training.  Bob didn't join us this week because he has heel spurs.  We ran 2 miles with the group, at a pace that was a little too slow for me.  I barely broke a sweat and never quite warmed up in my new shorts (which feel great). 

I was a little dehydrated, so I was glad to have my hydration belt.  I'm glad that I went with this particular brand and design.  It didn't feel as awkward to run with as I had expected.

When I came home I ran around the block, showered, and went back to bed.  I was so out of it last week, that I think a nap should be part of my routine.  A few hours later, Nick and I went to Argo Georgian Bakery for some delicious khachapuri.

Total run: 2.25 miles

Fundraising!

In order to participate in the half marathon as an AIDS marathon runner, I need to raise $1,500 by July 15. I'm a bit worried about this goal and I would be extremely grateful to anyone who would like to help me reach it. 

To donate, follow this link, or click on the fundraising thermometer on the sidebar.  This will take you to the AIDS marathon website where you can easily donate online.

I Signed Up!

Well, not that I'm surprised, but the presenters convinced me to sign-up through the AIDS Marathon at the meeting tonight.  I am runner number 0440. They suckered me in by telling us that we would receive $20-off the $95 registration fee if we signed-up that night. 

The $1500 that I will need to raise before July 15th is extremely daunting, as are the 7am training runs that begin May 3rd, but overall I am excited about my decision.  I think the fundraising aspect will help to keep me motivated and I will be proud to have raised money for such a great cause.

Total cost: $75