Me vs The Treadmill

23 miles of rubber on rubber.
Mr. Treadmill put up a good fight, but my fight was bigger.
I won.

Training Update

I haven't posted for a while, so I wanted to record how my training has been going for the past few weeks. But first a few shout-outs. Congrats Dad on your first race (25k) since your quadruple bypass! Congrats Crystal on your half marathon! Congrats Ryan on WINNING the kids marathon! Good luck Melanie on your first marathon in less than 2 weeks! I love having friends and family who keep inspiring me to run.

Random picture. Good memories.
My first marathon about a year ago.

So my training is going well. My Saturday long runs have been particularly enjoyable. Well, except for one. I had a 16 mile run a few weeks ago that hurt (my knees and butt...). Then I remembered that I used to take ibuprofen before my 16+ mile runs. So I started that again for my other long runs, and I haven't had any problems. Wow. I used to get completely depleted during my long runs, but I haven't yet during this training. It's like I'm waiting for it. I just hope this means I'm getting stronger. Also, I tried the run/walk for my 20 mile run yesterday. I walked 30 seconds every mile (or so... I forgot to take a couple walk breaks). And then at mile 17 I took them out and ran all the way home. Y'all, it felt so good. You wouldn't think that a measly little walk break every mile would make such a difference. And I had so much energy the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do that for the Museum of Aviation Marathon on January 16, 2010.

I know it's still early in the training, and I'm sure I'll probably get burned out before too long. But I'm just enjoying it for now. I'm working on speedwork once a week. I'm hoping that's enough to help me with my sub-4 goal. Any thoughts?? I really think I can run a sub-4, it just freaks me out when I think about it. And I never run my long runs at goal pace. Should I?

I'm also keeping up with my yoga. I have two dvds that I use. This one is my favorite. I usually do this one on days that I don't run. It helps me be "supple". That's what Rodney says, anyway.

Well, that's it for now. Oh yeah, I'm planning on running this 50K race in March.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Chicago Marathon

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is tomorrow morning. I can't wait to watch the live reports online. If you go to runnersworld.com you can find lots of good information about the elite contenders. I'm a big Deena Kastor fan, so I'm excited to see what happens. She broke her foot 3 miles into the last Olympics marathon and hasn't run a marathon since then. I first heard about Deena Kastor when I watched the documentary Spirit of the Marathon.


I highly recommend this movie to everyone. Even if you have no desire to run. The movie documents the lives of several runners training for the Chicago Marathon. They highlight the training of very average runners and elites. It's a good movie if you're looking for a little inspiration.

Anyway, enjoy the marathon tomorrow. I'm sure I'll find a little inspiration for running my sub-4 hour marathon in January (especially since these runners tomorrow will be running close to 2 hours).

Happy running!

Update: Click here for 2009 Chicago Marathon results articles.

Long Run

Just wanted to blog that I had a great run today! 12 miles. Around mile 3, Travis came driving up beside me honking (he was on his way to school). I was very excited to see him. It broke up some of the monotony. Then I noticed a couple minutes later a guy standing on the sidewalk about 50 yards in front of me. When I realized it was Travis I was so excited. He had parked and gotten out to wait for me. He ran along with me (in his flip flops) for a little bit, then turned back to get in the car and continue on to school. He told me later that he yelled my name as I passed the library, but I didn't hear him. He said I was in the zone. I didn't realize he was at the library (I thought he was at the business building) otherwise I probably would have glanced that way (or stopped by) as I passed.

Other than the silly hills, seeing Travis twice made for a really good long run. I actually felt better at the end of the run than at the beginning. I think that's a good sign. I still have a few months of training, but I'm getting into the groove and really enjoying it. By the way, I tentatively decided to go with the Georgia marathon in January.

PS--Good luck, Melanie, with the rest of your training and with your marathon!

Or This One...

Here is a marathon in Warner Robins, GA on January 16, 2010. This one is looking pretty good. This is a flat course run on an Air Force base. It's also smaller than the other marathons I've done (around 200 participants). You can find participant comments about the race at this link. People who have run it say that there wasn't much spectator support. I don't think that will be a problem for me, especially since Travis will be there cheering me on. Anyway, I think I'm leaning more toward this one than Charlotte. I'm still open for suggestions...

Change of Plans

My brother, John, is getting married! Welcome to the family, Ally! It just so happens that they will be getting married the weekend of the Myrtle Beach Marathon. So, I've been looking for a different marathon to do that's in our area. I'm still looking and open to any options, but I'm thinking about doing the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte, NC.


I'm excited about it, because it's only a two hour drive from here. But, it's on December 12! That's only 14 weeks away. AHH!!! I haven't really started training hard core yet. My long run is at 9 miles right now. But I found a good 14-week training schedule and it looks like it'll work. I'll still be able to get at least three 20+ mile training runs in. The other thing about this race is that it's hilly for 26.2 miles. You can see the map and elevation chart here. I was hoping Myrtle Beach would give me my sub 4 because it's "flat and fast". I'm okay with hills. There are plenty here in Columbia to train on. I read a lot of reviews from people who have run the Charlotte race. Most people say that there are hills the whole way, but they're not too steep. And a lot of people got a PR--some of them by 15 minutes or so. I just have to remember that where there's a hill, there's also a downhill.

My fastest marathon so far is 4:18. So I need to shave off about 20 minutes to reach my goal. I really think I can do it this time. Of course, if I don't, that just gives me an excuse to sign up for another race... :)

And to Jen, I'm sure you'll be running circles around all of us soon enough!

I Guess I Was Caught...

(photo taken by Jenna at the Columbia, SC Temple)

So I've been busy getting married. Married life is wonderful! I know we're still in the honeymoon stage, but I really don't want it to end. We're having so much fun playing house and doing everything together. I realized the other day what a smart girl I am. I mean, I picked the absolute best guy to marry (I know... cheese). Seriously, though, I couldn't be happier. We don't have our official wedding pictures yet, but here are links to 2 blogs with pictures: Melanie and Jenna

I think this is my favorite wedding picture so far.
I love the different looks on all of their faces.
Travis and three of my brothers (L-R Scott, John, AJ, Travis)
(Adam was home in Houston taking care of Jen).

But I know I should probably get back to running. Actually, I haven't stopped running. I have just kind of cut back on mileage. I've been running about 15-20 miles/week. I've bumped it up to 25 miles. Last week my left knee was hurting and I took off two running days. It was really annoying me that I couldn't run (as it always does), so I started running again on it on Saturday. I discovered that the knee pain goes away (or goes numb) after about 3-5 miles. So, I'm just going to keep running on it unless it gets worse.

I don't have any races planned until February 13, 2010. I will be attempting to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon in under four hours. Whoa, I've got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. Not wanting to risk injury, I haven't been working on speed really that much since the last marathon in March. So I'll be picking that up again full force in the coming months. I think my key this time will be to make sure I get a few good 23+ mile training runs in. And I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the run/walk for this marathon, as well. I'll see how the training runs go.

I would love to run this marathon with friends and family, if anyone is interested. They also have a half marathon the same day. You can walk, run, skip, juggle (I've seen that) or whatever you want. Or you can stand on the sidelines and cheer! Runners always love good cheerleaders!!!! Jenna will be doing the half that day, so she's unavailable for cheerleading. :)

Anyway, I'm glad I'm back. Good luck to you all in your running/walking endeavors!

Running and Texas

Travis and I spent a week and a half in Texas.

I got to go running with Jen, my sister-in-law, near their house outside of Houston. It was fun running with her again. We explored through a wooded area near their house, almost got lost, ran into a bunch of spider webs, and soaked up the humidity.

Travis and I got to go running through The Woodlands one day. It was very hot and humid--the beautiful scenery almost made up for it.

In Dallas, we got to run with Melanie. One day we went to the gym and did speedwork on the treadmills. We were the only ones in the gym, so that made it more fun. We all got to run together, but still go at our own pace. Good stuff.

The next morning, we woke up early to go to the track. We all wanted to see how fast we could run a mile. So, we walked and jogged around the track a few times to warm up, then we got our cameras and stopwatches ready. Travis and I went first while Melanie took pictures and timed us. Then Melanie went after us, so we could take pictures of her and time her. It was really hard, but the fact that we only had to go a mile made it a little easier. After we all ran, we took another lap or two around the track to cool down, then went home. Here is a picture of Melanie on one of her laps. You can check out Melanie's blog for more pics.

I love this picture.

A couple days later, Melanie and I ran a half marathon. It wasn't an official one. So, we ran around beautiful White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX. It's a 9 mile loop, so we ran around once, then did a four mile out and back for the rest of it. Y'all, it was so hot. Luckily, it was pretty cloudy and the sun only caught us a few times. But, I'm pretty sure I've never sweated so much in my life. Anyway, the run was really good. We did a seven minute run with a minute of walking for the whole thing. The walk breaks are life savers. Here are a few pictures.

Pre-run. Tired. Smiling.

Post-run. More tired. Not smiling. Sunscreen and sweat attacking our faces.

A view of the lake behind us.

The whole week and half was fabulous. Travis enjoyed meeting everyone. By the end of the trip, he looked and acted Texan. Here are some fun pictures from the trip.

Travis wanted Texas barbecue, so we took him to Rudy's. Yum.
Apparently, Zoe enjoyed it, too.

We got to practice our gun shooting skills with my brothers. Isn't Travis stylin'?

Aunt Katie made brisket for Travis. He had never eaten or heard of it before. He liked the brisket at Rudy's, but decided hands-down that Katie's was the best.

We had a Branch Fourth of July breakfast. Travis broke the ice with a couple cartwheels, and was a hit with the kids for the rest of the trip.

Travis had only ever dreamed about Whataburger.

I think he liked it.

This is my favorite picture. Zoe and Travis became best friends.

First Trail Race

This is before we got to the mountain

After the race--ready for a long nap

I had my first trail racing experience a few Saturdays ago at Paris Mountain State Park (I cancelled my home internet, so it makes blogging a little more difficult). Travis and I had a fun time running and climbing and walking and resting along the 15k course. It was a pretty small race (under 200 participants), so we didn't get crowded on the trails. The weather was warm, but the shady trees took care of that problem. I loved most of the trail. I think it was the "mountain" part of the trail that I didn't love. We had about a mile of really steep mountain climbing. We had both done that part of the course before, so we were prepared. But it still kicked us in the rear. About half way through, we decided to take John "The Penguin" Bingham's advice and get our money's worth on the trail. We took almost the entire time the course was open to finish. It was wonderful. The best part, as always, was running through the finish line. The race director was even there to congratulate us and shake our hands.

I really am liking the trail running. My hamstrings, knees, and ankles were having issues for a while there after all the marathons, but lots of rest and easy trail running took care of that. I have started a training plan for a half marathon. I haven't signed up for a race, but I like having a schedule to follow to keep me in shape. The schedule actually ends on Saturday, August 1. That happens to be the day I'm getting married! I don't think I can reasonably fit it in that morning, but I'm thinking of enlisting some of my family members and friends to run an unofficial half marathon with me the morning before... Any takers??

Training for Paris Mountain

This round of training has been a little less than fabulous. I find myself ocassionally taking off a day here or a day there. It's getting more difficult to find the time to run. And yet, every time I go out for a run I say to myself, "Wow, I love running."

The 15k at Paris Mountain is only 24 days away. I haven't been there to train yet...I haven't been doing any extra hill training...I haven't been doing any special trail running...I haven't bought a pair of Brooks Cascadias (yet). I'm feeling very unprepared. I'm not worried about the distance. But I'm a little nervous about the hills and all the climbing that I have to do. I just haven't put in the training. I know I signed up with the intent to run for fun, but I like being prepared.

So I'm off to run...

When Nature Calls...

Crystal invited me on a hike to Table Rock last Saturday. It's amazing how a few hours in nature can make you feel like a new person. I was so inspired by it that I signed up for a trail race at the end of May. A 15k in Paris Mountain State Park--part of the Xterra Trail Series. I have really enjoyed the time off of training, but I'm ready to get back. And I'm ready for the trails. Wish me luck as I venture into this new world of trail running...

National Marathon 2009

This is how I felt at the end.

Let me start at the beginning ...

Crystal, Dad, and I woke up nice and early (5:15am) to get ready for our races. We actually got a really good night's rest, so we felt ready to go. Dad drove us to the Metro, which took us to the DC Armory where the start was. Here is a picture of us on the Metro. It was eerily quiet--filled with nervous runners and sleepy spectators.

Dad snapped a picture of Crystal and me as we walked through the 30 degree temperatures to the warm Armory where Scott (Smith--Jenna's husband) was waiting. We all chatted nervously about our goals and the weather and the course. As usual, it was really neat being surrounded by other runners experiencing the same feelings as us.

We got in line to go to the bathroom with about 25 minutes until the start. We were cutting it close. Here is a picture of the bathroom lines. This is very typical at large races.

After the bathrooms, we headed toward the start line. Scott was in corral 4, Crystal and I were in corral 8 (the last one). We told Scott we would be sending speed vibes his way. He was attempting to qualify for Boston. You'll have to finish reading this post to find out if he did (just like I had to finish my race before I found out).

Here is a picture of Crystal and me passing over the start line (about 7 minutes after the gun went off). We look so happy...

I posted earlier that I would be trying Galloway's run/walk method for this marathon. I wasn't feeling 100% for this race, because I had just done the Myrtle Beach Marathon. So, I was really excited to try this approach. I made it to the first mile marker in just over 10 minutes (the crowd was too big to fight my way through, but that was probably a good thing--to keep me from starting off too fast). I started walking right at the mile marker (one minute at each mile marker) and was praying that these walk breaks would really work--that I wasn't just wasting time. The first few miles were really good. I'm usually pretty tight and uncomfortable for the first 3 miles or so of a race, but I wasn't at all this time. I walked a lot the day before and I think that helped loosen me up.

After a few miles, I started feeling a little sluggish and things started hurting. It wasn't anything new--it just wasn't what I wanted to be feeling on race day. I was actually gradually getting a little bit faster through the first half. But, it was taking more effort than I knew I should be giving in the first half. The first half of Myrtle Beach was pure joy. This wasn't.

The walk breaks were heaven, though. I felt wonderful after each walk break and found myself passing a lot of people once I started running again. My plan was to cut out the walk breaks when I got to mile 18, if I was feeling strong. By about the half marathon mark, I was pretty sure that I would be run/walking to mile 20. I wasn't feeling strong. In fact, here are a few pictures of me at mile 13. I gave a couple thumbs up for the camera. Then, as I passed, I turned around and decided to tell the truth. "I'm hurting, Dad!" I don't think he believed me because I was smiling. Looks can be deceiving.

After the half marathon mark, I started feeling better. It was a wonderful surprise. Maybe it was because I took my first gel at that time, or maybe it was because everything had just gone numb. Either way, I was getting happier and trying to just savor the running atmosphere and the beautiful city. Around mile 14, I kind of got stuck in my thoughts and was just kind of plodding along. And then, I heard my name. Jenna and her kids were waiting for me around mile 15. I was so excited to see them! I didn't think I would see them at all during this race, because I figured they would be chasing Scott around the whole time. I threw my arms out and ran straight to Jared (my 6 year old BFF) for a hug. And I kept on running.

I honestly don't remember much for the next few miles. I do remember crossing over a really long bridge that seemed forever to get across. I wasn't sure if I was slowing down, but I knew things weren't getting a whole lot better. So, when I got to mile 20, I knew that I would be run/walking to at least mile 23. I was really fine with that, because I didn't have a time goal and I was making pretty good time at that point.

Mile 23. Hunger and fatigue and light-headedness hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked for a few minutes and cried in frustration. I wanted somebody to give me a handful of pretzels. That's all I wanted. I knew the pretzels would give me energy. I wasn't sure what to do. I had never experienced this before. I didn't feel like I could finish. I had three miles left and I didn't think I could finish. There is nothing more frustrating than that. I had used up all of my mantras and was left to just this: "I am strong. I am strong. I am strong." I kept telling myself that over and over until I finally started running again. I used the "towel" to wipe the tears out of my eyes and pushed on. I don't know what happened in the next miles.

I saw Ryan and Christopher (the two oldest Smith boys) somewhere in mile 25. I thanked my lucky stars when I saw them, and then I proceeded to walk. I wanted to run all the way in with them, but I knew I had to get one last walk break in. I started running again when I reached them. I told them they had to get me to the finish line. I told them to not stop talking until we got there. They told me about Crystal (finished the half with a 10 min PR in 2:25!). They told me about their dad qualifying for Boston (3:21!). They told me how much further I had to go. Then Scott met us right before mile 26. He kept talking. He told me everything they had to eat at the finish line. He told me about running with the mayor of DC (and beating him in). Then, all of the sudden, they were gone. I was on my own for the finish. I saw the finish line and heard the announcer. I finally knew that I would be able to make it. I passed through the finish line and ran straight into the man who put the medal around my neck. I held onto his arms for a minute or so. I didn't say anything. He told me to hold on, you finished strong, congratulations, good job, you deserve this medal. And then, he gently pushed me along. Someone handed me a big, soft pretzel covered with salt.

Coming in at the finish

I found the gang and got hugs all around. I was so happy to see Dad right there at the end. I knew he wanted to be out there running. He said he almost started running when he heard the start gun go off.

My time was 4:18:19. Exactly 20 seconds faster than Myrtle Beach. I walked over 26 minutes and was feeling pitiful and still beat my time. I am a fan of Jeff Galloway.

I was wanting to run the Nashville Country Music Marathon in April (just so I could say I did 3 marathons in 3 months), but now I'm feeling like I need to rest. Quality over quantity. I want my next marathon to be under 4 hours. I am pretty confident that with a solid training plan and lots of rest and recovery, I'll be able to make my goal in the Fall.

Here is a re-cap of my thoughts on this last marathon.

Things I was experimenting with:

1. I didn't bring any fuel with me. I knew they would have gels at miles 13 and 20, so I wanted to see if that would be enough.

2. Run/walk method.

3. I ate half a powerbar and a whole banana and drank half a bottle of water and half a bottle of gatorade for breakfast. I think these were all good choices.

4. I went with no time goal.

5. Seeing if I could handle two marathons in just over a month.

Lessons learned:

1. Fuel, Fuel, FUEL!!!!! I needed more than two gels. I was craving pretzels or peanuts. My peanuts have worked in the past, so I'm bringing those along next time. And I think I'll start the gels around mile 6 or 8 next time.

2. Run/walk method. Jeff Galloway is an inspired man. I had the worst race of my life (inadequate preparation/insufficient fueling) and made my best time. And I felt great afterwards (walked around DC for 5 hours that afternoon).

3. I did not get any black toenails (this was a first)! I'm still not sure why. Possible reasons: a. new socks b. walk breaks c. my toes have been too beat up to care anymore.

4. Getting a good walk in the day before helped loosen me up for the start.

Here are the official race results.

Jenna, Jared, and me

Dad

.

DC Bound

I'm leaving in a few short hours for DC. I went to bed late last night and woke up early this morning. Did I get everything packed? Did I bring the right shoes? Do I have everything ready for the sub? What am I supposed to be eating today? Tomorrow? Am I ready?

Yep, it's race time. See you all on the other side!

Lisa

This Is Who I Am

Running has become such a big part of my life. It's one of the major things that defines me right now. Which is kind of weird because I haven't been running very long. But, I'm addicted. I can't stop. I keep signing up for races. I can't stop that either. If there is any way I can possibly fit a race into my schedule, then I'm there. There's a huge feeling of excitement and anticipation and anxiety before a race (weeks and even months before a race). I thrive on that feeling. The closer I get to a big race, the less sleep I get. I wake up early and just lay in bed thinking about the next race or the next long run. When someone asks me how a training run went, I honestly don't know what to say. I could spend 2 hours answering the perfectly harmless question ("Oh, you know, it started off pretty rough. The first 2 miles are always the toughest for me. I mean, I walked and stretched beforehand but it's like my legs didn't really wake up until after 2 miles. They just felt kind of heavy and tight. But, after mile 2 it was pretty good. I did get a little hungry after that and I just wanted to quit running and go eat, but I ran through the hunger and it eventually went away".... and on and on). Seriously. And I know these kind friends really don't care to know the details. But, I can't talk about a run without giving the details. Sometimes Crystal and I will go to lunch or something just so we can talk about running without feeling bad for the other people who are with us (who really don't care about how many black toenails Lisa has now, etc--and I don't blame them). But, thank you to all of you wonderful friends and family members who patiently listen (or tune me out--that's fine, too). I'm not sure if this running thing is just a phase I'm going through, or if it's the real deal. But, I've found something that I really enjoy. It gives me time to meditate and think about the deeper things in life (okay, that's only when I'm not thinking about how much this body part hurts, or what I'm going to eat when I finish running, or how much further I have to run, or I hope that person sees me and doesn't run into me, etc). It gives me little goals to work toward. Those goals are constantly changing with each race. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of a long, hard day. It gives me confidence that I can do hard things. This is who I am right now. And I'm very happy.



PS--I'm running the National Marathon in Washington, DC this Saturday (race day forecast predicted to be 51 degrees/partly cloudy).

PPS--Read my brother's blog, I Keep Running, for a more eloquent explanation of the running experience.

Reedy River Run

I had a great run on Saturday at the Reedy River 5k. I won’t bore you with details this time. All I want to say is it was hot and it was hard, but I beat my fastest 5k time by 16 seconds.

Here are the official race results.

Chip time: 24:38

Pace: 7:59 min/mile!

I finished:

41/1263 women

5/205 women age 25-29

196/2105 men and women

I enjoyed running this race with three of my great friends—Crystal, Jenna, and Jaelyn! We had a great time being nervous together at the start. As I looked around at the crowd, I don’t think I saw anyone else as (openly) nervous as we all were. Three of us were running with a specific goal and that always makes things a little more interesting on race morning. So much fun! I encourage everyone to get out there and walk or run or do something that makes you happy!!

One Year Ago...

This Saturday I am running the Reedy River Run 5k in downtown Greenville. This will be one year since my very first race. It was actually this exact race that I ran with Megan and Melanie. It was a first for all of us. All three of us had gone through a 5k training program. Megan and I basically trained together, while Melanie trained on her own in Charlotte, NC. None of us were runners, so we were all starting out fresh. By the time of the race, Megan and I had run 3 miles maybe once before. Melanie told us AFTER the race that she hadn’t completed the program, yet. She was a couple weeks behind us. So, the race was her longest run to that point!

Melanie, Mike, and Zoe drove in on Friday. You should have seen us. We were all a nervous wreck. We had never raced before. We were all concerned about what to wear, what to eat, what to drink, how early to get there, how to put the timing chip on, where does the bib go, how do we pace ourselves, etc. I remember I woke up around 5am (the start wasn’t until 9:20am). I was so nervous. I absolutely could not sleep (I think it has become a habit for me before my races now). So, we finally got everything ready and left way too early. We got to the start just in time to stand in the freezing cold for about an hour.

Since we were there so early, we got to see the start of the 10k race. It was really neat watching the elite runners at the front before they started. They were stretching and sprinting back and forth. They looked like the real deal. We got more nervous. While we were waiting for them, I looked across the street and saw someone that I recognized. Crystal—that girl from the stake. We waved to each other, but didn’t know each other well enough to strike up a conversation. It’s a year later and now we’re planning races together that are states away!

It was finally our turn to start. We made last minute stops at the bathroom and said goodbye to Zoe and Mike. Then, we pushed our way into the crowd of runners. They signaled the start and nothing happened. I just assumed that when they said go, everyone would start sprinting. No, it took a minute or so to even get moving, then it took a couple more minutes to make it to the start line.

The three of us stayed together the whole time. All I remember about the beginning is that when we got to the first big hill, Melanie started sprinting up it. As in, she was passing everyone. It was pretty funny. But, we eventually got into a pretty good rhythm. I just remember how neat it felt to be part of the race.

We knew we were nearing the finish line, so Melanie told me to get out my phone and call Mike. She wanted him to be waiting for us at the finish line. Every time I race now I think about that. Talking on the phone during a race.

We knew that we were getting to the end, so Megan sprinted off ahead of us after the last turn. But when she saw that the finish was so close, she stopped and waited for us to catch up and we all ran in together. It was AWESOME! There were so many people. We could barely get through the people to find Mike. I remember the three of us were SO proud of the accomplishment. We ran our first 5k in 35:38. We had no concept of if that was a good time or not. And we didn’t care. All we cared about was that we finished.

So, one year and lots of races later, I’m coming back for more. It’ll just be me this time. I’m thinking of blowing up pictures of Megan and Melanie and carrying them on sticks as I run.

You Can Do It!

Since I couldn't really find a marathon training program that lasted 3-4 weeks, I decided to figure out my own plan. I've been getting lots of advice from friends and family members (how long should my long runs be, what about speedwork, etc). I've also been looking through the Jeff Galloway Marathon book.

I got it when I first started running, but haven't looked at it in a while. So I picked it up one night last week and I haven't been able to put it down since then. I have known about his run/walk method, but haven't been a huge fan of it. But, I got really excited about it last week as I was reading all the success stories. So, I'm going to try it for this next marathon. I will pretty much walk for one minute every mile during my long training runs and during the marathon. He says when you get to mile 18, if you're feeling good, you can take out the walk breaks and run the rest of the way. By putting in consistent walk breaks (and not cheating by shortening them or skipping any), you will supposedly have more energy supplied for the end. I am really excited about experimenting with this method. I'll try the walk breaks for the first time this Saturday on my 20 mile run. If anyone has any success (or otherwise) stories about this, please let me know. I love hearing how other people train.

Training for National Marathon

I have 3 1/2 weeks until the National Marathon in DC. Crazy. What was I thinking? But, I am very excited about it. I'm not quite sure yet what my goal will be for this marathon. I might take it easy and run the first half with Crystal (she's doing the half marathon--even though she said she would never do a half marathon again!). Or I might try to match my last time. Really, though, I have no idea what my legs will be ready for at that point. My number one goal, of course, will be to enjoy the race. I've been successful at accomplishing that in my last two marathons, so I don't think it will be a problem this time. Plus, it's through the streets of DC. What's not enjoyable about that?

Here are some pictures from the Myrtle Beach Marathon.

Before the race

I'm at the back of this pack (mile 16)



Somewhere at the end

Cold, hungry, happy, tired

In the hotel lobby looking up the results

You can find official race pictures here.