Country Music Half Marathon

There really is nothing quite like an early morning in a beautiful city with 30,000+ other sweaty people. :) I had pretty high expectations for this run, and Nashville did not disappoint. It is such a lovely city full of lovely people; and I really enjoyed running on an unfamiliar route because I had very little idea what was coming around the next corner.  The weather was beautiful (if a little warmer than I was hoping for), and running with Daniel and my brother, Michael, made it really special.

The course itself was much hillier than I was prepared for, so I'm not going to lie - around mile 9 I shed a few tears.  But I did it!  According to my official results, I ran an average pace of twelve and a half minutes per mile, but because of a few stops (some necessary, some to see my peeps), my real pace was closer to eleven and a half minutes per mile, which is perfectly fine with me.  I'm just so happy I was able to run the whole thing with all those hills!

Here I am running up the very last hill (my family was waiting for me at mile 12.5 -- Thanks, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Aunt Kristie, Elli and Cara!).  I was sooooo happy to see them and hug the girls, but after a few moments I realized how badly I needed to get to the finish line, because I started to feel like I could collapse.  No worries, I made it safe and sound, though!  (thanks, Dad for the pic!)

All three of the runners were pretty glad to put those hills behind us, and I think the whole family was grateful to put all the crowds behind us for a few days of this:

 

28.5 Weeks

Wow, the last month went quickly!  I love that March is just around the corner, and with it - Spring!  The weather has been absolutely beautiful here, so Elli and I have been getting outside to the park or zoo almost every day.  Love!

G-Baby is about 14.8 inches long and weighing in somewhere between 2 and 2.5 lbs.  S/he can now blink and already has sweet little eyelashes!  Can't wait to kiss 'em!  This baby is very active, and I think must be sitting sideways right now, because I often get jabs on either side of my belly at the same time.  We have another sonogram at our next appointment, so we're looking forward to getting another peek at Baby.

I am so excited to be in my final trimester, and so far I've still been feeling pretty good.  Most of my symptoms are just plain funny right now, although soon they'll become more annoying I'm sure.  I am waking up quite a bit during the night from either discomfort or needing to use the restroom, but I've been able to go right back to sleep, so that's not so bad.  Bending over to tie my shoes is becoming more challenging.  I had to lean the seat back in the car to give my belly a little more room.  And I am starting to grunt like I'm lifting heavy weights when I roll over from side to side.  Speaking of exercise, I am still "running," if you count 3/1 minute run/walk intervals at a 12 min/mile pace.  :)   This part of pregnancy is hard, because it's really all downhill until after delivery and recovery.  I miss "real" running so much, but I can't do anything about it.  Oh well! Hopefully this last trimester goes as quickly as the others have! 

So, the reason I took pictures in the middle of a week this time is that I have to wear a heart monitor this week and just thought it should be documented.  I've had a few episodes of tachycardia (my heart beats really really fast for no particular reason), which prompted the doctor to send me to a cardiologist.  He thinks it might be a condition called Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, which if you have to be diagnosed with a heart problem, is not a bad one to have.  The baby will not be affected (although it can be hereditary, so we'll have to get his/her heart checked out after birth), and I shouldn't have to do anything about it until after the baby is born.  My EKG showed the typical WPW pattern, but the doctor wanted to run a few more tests to be thorough.  So, I have to wear this lovely contraption for the next 76 hours, somehow keeping my sweet two-year old from playing with it.  In addition to the two sensors you can clearly see in most of my maternity tops, there are three more of them on my belly.  So attractive.  Oh, and I can't take a shower... which the doctor did not mention until after they hooked me up.  I might have showered this morning had I know that little detail.  Plus, I get to wear the monitor hooked on my pants, which would be easier if my waistbands weren't all elastic.  :)  

In other cardio-news (we seem to be having a lot recently around here), Elli had her follow-up appointment with the pediatric cardiologist, checking on the hole in her heart.  As expected, it has completely filled in, and she does not show signs of WPW on her EKG.  Praise God for her sweet, healthy heart!

Daniel's First Half Marathon

What a weekend!  Daniel and his dad have been training for the past few months to run in this year's San Antonio Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon, which finally all became worth it on Sunday when they ran the big race!  They ran in memory of his cousin, Glory, and raise money for the charity her brother started after her death - RACE Charities.  (If you're interested in giving, please email me at meg.faye@gmail.com.)

Daniel exceeded his expectations and ran the race in 1:49:18, and that even includes about a three minute delay from an unscheduled train.  This picture is at about the three mile marker and unfortunately, this is the only picture I got of him running... because he ran so much faster than he expected, we missed him at the other two spots we were hoping to see him.  (Sorry, hun!)  I'm so proud of him!

Elli was an absolute trooper the whole morning!  There were a few moments she got tired of being in her stroller, but she was very interested in all the runners and caught on quickly that we were looking for Daddy and Papa.

Daniel's dad ran with Daniel's cousin Jeromy, and they finished with a great time of 2:13:06. 

Jeromy brought Elli some RACE Charities gear, and boy was she a cutie!

Daniel and his parents after the race.

Elli and Papa

The four runners: Daniel, his uncle John, cousin Jeromy, and dad.

Daniel and I.

The whole gang: Daniel's Mom, Daniel, me, Uncle David, Jeromy, cousin Eric, Dad, and Uncle John.  And Elli down in front.

Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon

I almost titled this post - "Things I'll Do Differently Next Time," because, apart from the immense satisfaction of finishing the race, I came away with so many valuable lessons for next time! But before I break it down,

I want to again say THANK YOU to everybody who supported my run with Team in Training. I found strength in thinking about my grandma throughout the race. There were also several Team in Training alumni and coaches along the way cheering for everyone in the purple jereys. I was so encouraged as I thought of all of you, cheering from a distance. I am so happy to report that, thanks to several donations this past week, I was able to meet my fundraising goal. Thank you all so very much!

Okay... here are my race stats:

Half Marathon Time - 2:38:34
5K time - 30:27
6.1 mi time - 1:05:35
15Km time - 1:47:21
Average Pace - 12:06 (yikes... that's so slow!)

And the breakdown:
The starting line!
There's just nothing quite as exciting as 30,000 people who have worked so hard to get to this day! I had soooo much adrenaline at this point.My starting buddies: Ruth, Diane, and Kari. Ruth and Diane are in our community group at church, and since they had all run the RNRSA before, I asked to tag along for my first time. They were so helpful and fun!
Miles 1-3
I started out running with the girls, and we were doing pretty well. I had run a 10-miler with Diane before, so I thought I'd be able to keep pace with them. I felt awesome for this stretch. Again... the adrenaline was pumping! There were so many cheering fans, a few great bands, and lots of distractions as we ran through downtown.

Miles 4-7
This was my least favorite portion of the race by far. Around 3 miles, I started to not feel so great. I slowed down, and eventually sent my running buddy on ahead because I was slowing her down. At mile 4, I was really crashing. I stopped, stretched, ate a ShotBlock and drank some Cytomax. Once I had at least sort of caught my breath, I started again, taking it very slow. The course is generally pretty flat, but the worst hills were of course in this section. I did some walk/run intervals for a little while, but I really didn't feel back in the groove until around mile 7 or 8.

Mile 8.5
Daniel and Elli were waiting for me here, and boy, did I need to see them! Here are some pics Daniel captured of the race while waiting for me. The roads were this packed the entire way, which was very motivating to have so many people beside me!And here I come! I kind of snuck up on him, so he didn't have time to set up a picture, you know... probably because I was running so fast. ;) That smile is genuine, by the way. I was so happy to see them!
Elli telling me what she thought about all the action.These next two are from earlier in the morning. Daniel told me that she was just smiling and giggling at all the runners. This girl loves a crowd, let me tell you!
On the lookout for me, I'm sure. :)Miles 8-10
I felt pretty good during this stretch, although still running really slowly. At one point, my left hand started going numb. I knew it was probably nothing, but this had never happened to me before, so I stopped to ask one of the paramedics. He took my pulse and asked me a few questions, then said I was probably just low on sodium. He told me to make sure I got some Cytomax at the next water station and in the meantime to "lick myself." I'm sure I must have given him the strangest look, because he assured me, "No seriously... lick yourself... your sweat has sodium in it." I gingerly touched my tongue to my hand, hoping that would make him happy, said thank you, and went on my way. Gross. But, he was right, and I was relieved when, after some Cytomax and Gu, the numbness went away.

Miles 11 -12.85
As we neared mile 11, more and more people were lining the streets and cheering us on. They also had some coaches in the middle of the road with loudspeakers, trying to motivate us. Some of them wore goofy rock 'n' roll costumes (Elvis and Ozzie), but my favorite was a man with some kind of African accent, shouting "It's all mental now. YOU can do it! YOU can do it! YOU can do it! It's all mental." With every YOU he would point his finger right in the face of whoever was closest to him. It struck me as kind of funny, but also was a reminder I needed! Around mile 11.5, I could see the Alamodome (the finishing landmark) so I thought I was so close, but then the course deceptively wound around for another mile or so before I finally turned towards it. Besides the increasingly loud crowds, they also had wet sponges in this stretch. I hadn't even thought about wanting one, but it felt so good!

And finally ---
THE FINISH LINE!!!
The last .25 miles were uphill! Seriously... who planned that? I was completely caught off guard and nearly burst into tears, but just kept running... er... okay, shuffling to the end.
I have never been so happy to cross a line in my life.
We immediately received our medals, and then were ushered into the recovery area, which was full of snacks and drinks. Meeting up with Daniel was the best feeling... I was soooo happy the race was over and so happy to sit down and talk with him.

So, overall, I will think of this as a great first half marathon. Next time I would definitely like to improve my time, but despite that, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed the experience, which was my first goal. I'm already thinking about where I should run my next one.

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Notes to myself (and anyone else who cares) for next time:
1. Start slow! If you think you're running slow, run slower. I wish I had worn a watch so that I could have better kept track of my pace. Also, I don't think I want to start a race with anyone unless I'm 100% sure they're wanting to go at my pace. That way there won't be any pressure to go faster than I want.

2. Get more sodium. I guess some people actually bring little packets of salt to eat along the way. That doesn't sound very appetizing, but I bet it helps!

3. Train with more long distance. Although I followed what my Team in Training coaches told me to do, I think it will work better for me to do it a little differently. Instead of three weeks of tapering, I think two would be sufficient. Also, I think I need to do longer distances on my "easy" days. Maybe some 6 and 7 milers instead of the 4 and 5's they had us running.

4. I need to do more strength training. Especially for my legs, because I did have some knee and hip pain.

5. Be aware of tension. My shoulders and back are incredibly sore today, which did not happen for any of my other long runs, so I must have been tensing up pretty bad.

6. Wear sunscreen. Sunday being halfway through November, sunscreen didn't even cross my mind. Recovering was bad enough without having a sunburn as well!

Team in Training

What a fabulous weekend with Elli's Papa and Nona.... perfect weather and lots of special playtime! But more on that later....

Sunday is my half marathon, and I could not be more excited! I have no idea if I'm really truly prepared, but I'm more than ready to give it a shot! Many of you have given so generously to LLS, and I wish I could give you all a big hug and say thank you in person! I am happy to say that so far I have raised $1790! Woo hoo!!! Thank you so much!

As awesome as I feel about having raised that much money, I am still $210 short of my goal. Only $210! I would really like to finish my race on Sunday knowing that I have accomplished not only a half marathon, but my fundraising goal as well. Many of you have already given, but if you would like to help me complete my goal, you still can! Even the smallest donation would help me get a little bit closer.

Here is a picture of my grandma, in whose honor I am running, holding Elli for the first time. I'm excited that I will get to see her so soon after the run!

"This is it, Mr. Frodo..."

As I ran through the pouring rain to complete my sixth mile this morning, I was reminded of the scene in Lord of the Rings when Samwise Gamgee, after halting in the middle of a cornfield, explains that if he takes one more step, it would be the furthest away from home he'd ever been.

I have only run two 10K's (6.2 miles) in my life, so beginning next Saturday, I will be weekly setting a new milestone as I gear up for my half marathon November 15. Not unlike Sam, I am looking forward to this challenge with more than a little hesitation. Do I really have 13.1 miles in me?

We're going to find out!

I love our apartment and the complex, but unfortunately it's not the most runner-friendly of neighborhoods. There are several other apartments and houses surrounding us, but they are all in gated communities, which means I can't access them. So, in order to take Elli on a run with me, I have to drive somewhere, which is just a pain! On top of having to drive, our city does not have the greatest sidewalks, at least around where we live. They disappear at random times, and they are not in the best of shape, making for a bumpy ride for Elli. Needless to say, I haven't been running as much as I want to or should be.

On Thursday, I was very excited to find a beautiful, paved trail about a mile from our apartment. Sadly, there are no sidewalks on the way to it, so I do have to drive there, but it's a really nice trail, and I can see running there with Elli in her stroller. We ran there on Wednesday, and then Daniel joined us for a walk on Friday evening.

This is how Elli prefers to ride in her stroller. I have tried just about everything to get her to sit up straight, but for whatever reason, she likes to lean to one side and chew on the strap.
These live oaks are everywhere here in south Texas. I think they're eerily beautiful, like the trees you might find in Sleepy Hollow of Harry Potter.
Cactus (cacti?) are everywhere here, but I had never seen one in a tree before! I didn't even know they could grow there!

The creek bed. It's been a long time since there's been any water in here. Supposedly it does rain here, but I'm not convinced.
Here's your sign for higher ground, in case there's a flood, because apparently when it does rain, there are lots of flash floods. And these are from our walk on Friday. These pictures are somewhat deceiving because it was getting close to Elli's bedtime, and she was pretty serious for most of the walk. We managed to get a few smiles our of her, though!