tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57210451864384232072024-02-08T05:29:21.458-08:00Running WildUrban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-7310346995461945092011-09-06T12:35:00.001-07:002022-11-20T14:13:32.304-08:00The New Haven Labor Day Race 2011<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did the New Haven Road Race again, nope, not the 20k just a measly little 5k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a Half coming up in 2 weeks and I don’t want to be the mess that I usually am after a super long race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes super long is a Half I cannot even imagine doing a Full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to the New Haven Green way early, walked all over watched them set up stuff and saw some friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got free bread did some running to warm up once they closed the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so interesting to see people drive and then they can't go where they want so they just stop and ask the policemen for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never knew cops were part GPS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Okay it’s getting close to gun time soon,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m at the start and I start choking up cause that is what I do every race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea when that started, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think after returning from an overuse injury when I could not run for months and was in rehab <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at least 2 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then every race since my return I cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a sap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mayor talks, there is the national anthem and we are off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mile one was okay I did it and felt fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pass the water stop there is no water just empty cups all over the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember when I did the 20k last year they ran out of water at the end and I needed it some sooooo bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not believe there was no water again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come to a spot there was oil over the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was insane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now everyone is complaining and slipping and I just try to run over dirt or leaves to get that junk off my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water station<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coming up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Horary!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have water after all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea what that first water stop was I do know sometimes the locals hand it out so maybe that was not an official stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guzzle and run some more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humidity kills me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s humid, it’s killing me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pushing it so hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I am doing 10 min miles if I am lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the start <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>40 seconds passed before I crossed the starting line so I really don’t know what I am officially doing,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>later I learn the Garmin showed a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10:19 pace with 40 seconds of walking to cross the start so really I did a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9:40 mile and that is amazing for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t hold that pace, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the next one was 10:46 which is much more my style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last mile was 10:29 not horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I didn’t beat my best<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>race time ever but I am only 10 seconds off from my best time there ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kinda think if I only pushed it harder a little more I could have done better but all went well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t puke so that is a bonus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great friends, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>great weather, great day, great race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Running is cool</span></span>Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-90430532438340425492011-08-18T04:35:00.000-07:002011-08-18T04:52:44.916-07:00Stratford Summer Series 2011<span style="color: #222222;"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">At the height of the summer about 20 runners will meet every Wednesday at 6pm. The cost is stupid cheap, 20 bucks for 4 races or 7 bucks a piece. It “runs” 4 weeks in a row and on the last week we have a picnic. Over the three years I’ve been doing it I have established tighter relationships with other people who have the same addiction. Bad name girl that I am actually can remember certain names now. Funny thing I noticed and it’s the same everywhere, it’s kinda interesting when you see guys hitting on girls who fit their “I want you” format. I myself have a few guys in that criteria but sophisticated people such as myself never admit to liking anyone. Perhaps because once the prey catches on to those human motives you usually never see them again. Running scared? Perhaps. Where the heck is this going? I was talking about summer races wasn't I? Ok back to that. 3 years ago I won a trophy for 'back of the pack' and I was crazy happy. I WON A TROPHY! It didnt matter why, I think I blocked that part out. I called my runner boyfriend and rambled on and on about the awesomeness of the day. Mister Marathon didn’t get it at all. I did the series last year and nearly puked at least two weeks in a row in the same spot on the course; runners probably understand that. This year was pretty special for me. I won a first place female trophy..yes from last to first, and ten months ago the cops thought I was dead, the doctors told my family to make preparations, it was really bad. The fact that I am back doing anything is very cool. I love running. I love the Summer Series. I love the fellow runners there (not in that way, I am not a slut). Heck I love being alive. Next race is in 3 days, blog? Maybe. Crash on the couch afterwards? Definitely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span>Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-1865034698028304812011-07-03T05:59:00.001-07:002011-07-03T06:25:41.296-07:00Running On Faith. The Fairfield Half Marathon 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I ran another one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This race was harder than the last one for several reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was mostly hills; I hate hills, it was June 26th; much hotter than the October 9 race, and oh yeah I went through that pesky coma, brain trauma, broken jaw, broken wrist, titanium face implants, <span style="color: black;">right homonymous hemianopsia</span>legally, (which in English means blindness that is caused by brain damage) and optic nerve damage, the day after the last race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay sure maybe I am being a wimp but all those little things combined makes for one tougher Half Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how does a suppose-to-be-dead girl get conned into running the hardest Half in Connecticut you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that brain damage part had something to do with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not making sense a lot of times, and many missing memories, when a friend suggested we do the race together AND she would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">drive</i> me there, I was very agreeable, probably even enthusiastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The missing </span>memory part was the culprit, forgetting how hard the last one was, plus now I had something to prove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The day after my first and only Half a reporter told me the accident I was involved in was heard over the police scanner as a fatality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cops aren’t right all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was taken to a hospital and the doctors told my family I was not likely to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doctors aren’t right all the time either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus I am not very fond of a big time specialty doc at Yale who said I would not get any better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I have. </span>Hey I ain’t no slacker Buck-O but back to the race, this is not a blog on coming back from the dead, that will be another blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start training, my friend Kelly and I plan to run 8 miles of the hardest part of the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go to a place with a parking lot and crazy enough it’s where my pediatrician office was. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has long since relocated to doctor heaven. When I was a kid going there was a big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get out of the car, Kelly pees in the parking lot so she won’t have to do that on someone lawn later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over an hour and a Gu later we finish, it was tough. 5 weeks to go, no problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next week it’s her, me and Elizabeth, a super fast runner friend of Kelly’s. Park in the same spot and their off, they run so far ahead of me I occasionally see them in the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being slow and mostly blind stinks more than usual today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Midpoint Kelly pees at a secluded side of the road near a bridge, I caught up to her but she gone again, next I see super fast Elizabeth find a porta potty, I keep running as hard and as fast as I can and pass the WC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Run, run, run, it was probably only a minute but I was ahead of Elizabeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I hear the tap tap of running shoes on the pavement, tap, tap, so much faster than my thud thuds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She passes me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at her she is focused, got her running face on and that is the last I will see of her until I make it back to the car to find them both stretching and waiting for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4 weeks to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next week a benefit concert is thrown for me so I can pay some hospital bills. I can’t run with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elizabeth is now out of the race do to a running injury!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s the best one. Then another one of Kelly’s friends is out due to injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a coma, in critical condition just several months prior and I am more healthier than them??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I check the race website, it’s sold out but I am not listed as a runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no this is not happening!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I send an email; no reply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I contacted my bank, the check was cashed so I should be fine but I had major brain trauma and this is causing more trauma for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took some time and more e-mails but I got my conformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be bib number 700, my friend Kelly who registered way before me was 2792.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes no sense I know.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kelly and I do another run of a different part of the course, this time she parked at the library because although we wanted to park at the beach where it would start the beach wanted 20 bucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said we were runners doing a practice run, hint hint, there were only two cars in a lot that would hold hundreds of others, but who’s counting, nudge nudge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing. I woulda paid a couple bucks, no way would we will pay 20. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly peed at the library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use to pee a lot more but I cut back on my water intake since I did some research and learned I was drinking too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However I sometimes get the pre-run poo, that’s so lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now down a half bottle of Kaopectate and so far it works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our run was tough, I pushed it at the end since I knew where the end would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only did 8 miles instead of the 9 we set out to do, it should have been much easier than it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 weeks til race day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was our last run together. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a few 5 milers and gym workouts but no more long runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both had a good attitude, we would finish even if we had to walk to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elizabeth drove, she couldn’t run but she wanted to support our efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off the exit an hour and a half before the race and traffic was at a stand still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly we made it to the lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now onto bib search and vender booths for free stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alone Elizabeth and I talked about running the Chicago Marathon and we would convince Kelly to do it also. It's pre-race line up so Kelly returned and we made our way over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girls start one place guys another, then we all join up after a mile or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the gun and we’re off.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile One.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too fast!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to do a 12 min mile pace but did a 10:30 pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is too easy and awesome, plus live music from different bands played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Two: Guys joined girls, still running awesome-ish<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Miles Three: I slow down just a tad, still a nice pace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Four: First hill, it’s long but I can do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I slow down even more<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Five: Oh crap, nothing but hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly and I hook up, she said she was with me the whole time I had no clue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Miles Six and Seven: I think all I am doing is taking walk breaks up these stupid hills, aren’t they suppose to go down too?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How come I don’t notice the down just the up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must need a Gu to think clearer. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Eight: People are packing up their lawn chairs and heading to their cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roads are half open and cars are driving too fast near us. Apparently all the fast runners have finished, most people do not like the slower ones <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Nine: Crappy guitar player doing an awful solo, I play guitar so I know he stinks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I run as fast as I can to get out of listening range…maybe that was his intent, or maybe he’s fine and I just need more Gu<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Ten: DJ and people hold up funny signs cheer us on, Kelly and I dance our way past the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have lost out minds and we swear we will never ever do this again. What were we thinking signing up?! This is so hard we vow only to do 5k's from now on.</span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Eleven:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh crap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally feel the hill going down, muscle spasm big time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How the heck am I going to finish in this much pain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My thigh totally spasms up but I still ran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has never happened before and I have been through so many different aliments over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile Twelve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kelly says she has to slow down, I tell her no, run on your ego, she repeats she has to slow down, I tell her no, run on my ego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pick it up our pace we must be lunatics. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mile 13.1 I literally sprinted to the finish and pass two people. I cross the finish line and an EMT worker seeing me hang on to the edge of something, I have no clue what, asks if I need medical attention I say no, I move down and lean over something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another worker comes over and says they have oxygen and I can get looked at in the ambulance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I am fine just give me pizza.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Kelly and I grab some watermelon and lemonade, I down 3 slices of pizza way too fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very cool race once it was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the middle of the race I couldn’t believe how hard it was but it’s over so I am okay with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the days go by the race seems more fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More days pass and I am signing up for another one Sept 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah I do forget how hard they are and how much I don’t want to do them when I am in the middle of doing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t the brain damage, missing memories at all, it’s just my personal craziness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-866601648806579562010-11-21T19:56:00.000-08:002010-11-21T19:56:07.056-08:0010-10-10I am not sure when my sister died it might be October, I will find out, she was what my age is now, 45. I was born 10 years earlier than her. On October 9th I ran a half marathon, I had one of the best days of my life. It was in Hartford right near the place I used to go see Elton John perform a lot of times and he is my main man. It was very cool to do it and I got some free stuff when I picked up my bib number, a cool shirt I was going to wear after the race. I went, I ran, I made friends, I wrote about it, I could not wait to do it again. The next day I have no memory of or the following weeks. From what I was told I was on an old road I used to go on all the time as a teenager near an old place I lived, I was on my motorcycle, I wore my race shirt, my running jacket, and a leather over it. I do not know what happened but I almost died. I was told a story how it was not my fault but I do not know. They rate brain injuries something like 3 to 15. 15 is normal 3 is the worst they rated me a 5. A 5. They had a surgeon ready to operate when I came to on my own and they sent him home. They put me back into a coma, wired my jaw, operated on my face and arm, my vision is bad, not normal but I pray every day. I could-should have died. Just like my sister. I am still here fighting my way back. I have to make it. I started running again but with the wired jaw and all the medicine that is in me it's harder....much harder. I will be back. I will honor my sister and everyone that has supported me during this. And I will one day... run a marathon. It will be long and hard. Stay tuned. Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-39005667672289788722010-10-09T16:44:00.001-07:002010-10-09T16:44:47.935-07:00Hartford Half Marathon 2010. My First Hardware<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My first<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hardware. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I must have done great because I got a silver medal after I finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That honor occurred after they rolled me in a sheet of tin foil like a skanky, sweaty, giant burrito (yum) but before a man with bananas looked at me a said “ooou <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> better take two.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am noticing a theme to these distance races, there’s usually someone concerned for my welfare at the end or sometimes even at the half way point, I’ve heard comments <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such as: “Oh you’re never gonna finish, you don’t look good”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only guess what the world sees as I run by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my imagination I am running like an elite, all tucked in, arms high and tight, perfect stride but the reality must be something MUCH different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another example happened on the grassy knoll; historically those are always trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stared at the ground under my feet and wondered how I was going to get down there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not the most eloquent maneuver in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once planted a fellow Halfer says “You look how I feel.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That pretty much established he wasn’t hitting on me, we exchanged other pleasantries and as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat there trying to figure out how to get my tinfoil under my butt with the least amount of movement a man in a motorized wheelchair rolls up and asks if I am in need of medical assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>??!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the hell must I look like!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Halfer friend says I’ll stay with her until she can stand up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really want to see any race photos of me if they are out there yikers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT I am way ahead of myself here, I’m already at the finish line and I haven’t even picked up my bib number yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story is lengthy and if you’re not a runner I recommend you stop here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not be offended. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One week before the race </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been having big time trouble getting anything more than 6 miles out of my legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was determined to run 10 miles and run them I did but ended up with a muscle injury in my right calve or is it calf?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still in post race delirium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway at the time I thought it was only sore and would go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No big deal. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wednesday: T minus 3 days</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to get 3 miles on the treadmill and crapped out by mile 1.5 what’s worse: I’m limping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect since it hasn’t healed maybe it is a different form of shin splints than the ones I have grown oh so well accustomed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m screwed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thursday: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EXPO opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(my very first EXPO at that)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I was driving to Hartford to get my race pack signs flashed on the highway about the road closures for the Hartford Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not crying because I am afraid of my injury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cry because I am a sap and so happy I am running that day AND they are closing the streets for me! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Filled with emotion and loving everything, I have come to the decision that even if I have to walk the race route I’m going to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’m last, I’m last but I am going to enjoy it no matter what happens. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I haven’t been to Hartford in a while apparently the Hartford Civic Center is so long gone that pedestrians have never even heard of it at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I’ve time warped into the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The XL Center is the new Civic Center, er well not exactly, they moved the entrance to confuse the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opt for street parking, they have a new system where you pay and get a ticket that says how long you are allowed to stay there and put it in your car window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure 45 mins would be plenty of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sign says save $2.00 off garage rates, who doesn’t love a bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole peeling and propping the ticket confounded me, I’m old school ‘quarter in the meter’ type gal, but I finally got it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once inside, the EXPO was great. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped at all the booths, spent a fortune on everything from running sleeves to a beer glass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always wanted running sleeves, they look cool, all my favorite women running heroes wear them, well except one racers who rip them off at the sprint to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care for her too much, she cried when she came in 3<sup>rd</sup> and ever since then I thought she was spoiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, 3<sup>rd</sup> and you cry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me a break, you give females a bad name and I cry at road signs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back at the EXPO <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a free cowbell, orange sunglasses, a box of rice, band aids, deodorant, tasty samples of rice, humus, and chocolate, (not in one bowl). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the best thing was finding the sports medicine booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Me and my gimpy leg hopped up on a table and rolled up my pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thanked my lucky stars I had just shaved my legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new best friend, the sports therapist, assessed my injury and immediately ruled out shin splints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh happy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told I had an injured muscle and luckily avoided tendentious by not forcing out any more miles on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gave me a chart of stretches, told me to ice 3 times a day, plus once on race day and I’d be fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have kissed her if she were a dude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I better get going because it’s got to be 45 mins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I was leaving there was someone selling some sort of ionizer gizmo for 30 bucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked stupid but they made me take a balance test. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have horrible balance, simple walking and I can get wobbly, oh sure that’s after a few cocktails but still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a weaken state, I bought it hoping it came in handy at the post race whiskey celebration party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok now I know it is right around the 45 min mark I make a dash to the door and there is not a meter maid in sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to my car and there is a freak’in ticket for 25 big ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well saving $2.00 off the garage parking really wasn’t such a great deal now was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at the times on my ticket and what the recorded time I parked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been gone for 2 hours?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have been in a wormhole because it seemed like 47 mins tops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is some sort of time vortex in Hartford, I am convinced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Totally bummed, this blew my whole happy running EXPO vibe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I knew parking would cost me $25.75 I would have never bought a $30.00 drunkenizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the drive back home the sign announcing road closures stimulates no emotions from me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am disgusted with myself for blowing the meter so bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friday T minus 1 day</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pasta for dinner, no alcohol,(me no alcohol of a Friday??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get out.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to sleep really early, set the alarm for 5am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do my stretches and icing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I experience wild vivid dreams of the race and trying to find parking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep waking up and checking the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My alarm clock has a light on top you hit to see the display in the dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday Race Day</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wake up on my own and the clock says 5am. Why didn’t the alarm go off?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get up, make the bed, brush my teeth look at the clock again and it says 3:45am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh that dreaded wormhole time warp is following me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I hit the light to see the time I also hit the view alarm button.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lay back down but I’m too wound up and my mouth is minty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>give in after almost an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rocky Theme is playing in my head sans raw eggs for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving to Hartford I hope I have given myself enough time to find parking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my dream I had to scale something like the Hoover Dam in order to find a spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure how I was supposed to park on the Hoover Dam that’s why it was a dream. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can be a nervous traveler if I’m not exactly sure where I’m going and it’s manifesting in my subconscious. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off the exit I pull into a paved lot right across from the park, there’s a guy that is charging $10.00 but I have to leave my keys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later on I found out that they closed all the streets around the lot, anyone parked there must wait until the streets are reopened at 2pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you parking gods who guided me to the parking garage I used when I went to Elton John concerts numerous times, (in wormhole numbers that would be thousands).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event parking 5 bucks sweeeee-eet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is attached to the Civic Center er XL Center so I can use a proper bathroom before I head to the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once at the park I pass a row of porta potties and start dry heaving from the smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh great the race hasn’t even started and I’m already almost spewing fluids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m nervous. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sit on a bench and try to do a crossword puzzle but I can’t focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I give up and check my bag with UPS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>40 mins to gun time I wander around a little bit but decide to just get to the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s me and about 30 people milling around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have pace markers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lined up at the 10 min mile marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can run a 10 min mile, I didn’t plan on doing that now though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted a 2:30 time and to do that I had to run a constant 11:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not making that same mistake I made in New Haven when I ran the first two miles at 10:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m at the starting line where <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always cry, I got choked up but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t cry. That was odd but I think it was because I seriously thought I would have to walk a good portion on the race because of my injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t feel like a race, I wasn’t in top form, I had eeked out a couple 10 mile runs just prior to race day. I had no expectations of grandeur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skip to the whole rigmarole with the mayor and the anthem and the wheelchairs start and we’re off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leg seems okay, I had not even tested it out with a jog today out of fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am happy my body is functioning properly and I am holding back my pace for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile One</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile one happened so fast I barely noticed it at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart monitor said 150’s and I’m a 165 on average, my Garmin watch also records pace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were to guess, since I was purposely holding back and not even trying I’d say I ran a 11:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran 10:35.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wormhole.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Two</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another nothing mile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mile two was over and we hardly got to know each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really holding back because I wanted to have gas in the tank at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart rate finally got up to the mid 160’s alls normal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I ran 11:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran 10:29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wormhole.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Three.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel this mile a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My short runs are four miles so three I notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My head: 11:30 for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In real life: 11:13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Wormhole is closing. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Four.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Felt this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t really hard but not invisible like one and two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must be 11:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In real life: 11:11 Wormhole paused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Five.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lot’s of cowbells on this road, it’s nice, the people support us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water AND Gatorade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a big fan of five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note to self get more 5 mile runs in so this is easier next time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my head:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11:35<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In real life: 12:17<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wormhole is in retrograde.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Six.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow it’s amazing how many people have cowbells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six sucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate six.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my head:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11:50<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In real life:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11:46.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the few times what’s in my head matches what in reality. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Seven:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was a booth and people were handing out cowbells and sunglasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where would I put a cowbell?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already had sunglasses on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pass on the swag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care what my time is I just want this over with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11:23</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Eight:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The person in back of me picked up a cowbell and it sounds like I am being chased by a pack animal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect if I turn around to see Donkey ala Shrek or a random cow hot on my heels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This continues the whole mile. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am ready to rip it out of his hands and throw it in the bushes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate cowbell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never have before but I really hate it now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must be rid of this annoyance it’s ruining all the pain I am feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take a walk break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care if I ever finish just let Elise MOO’ve on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time 12:53</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Nine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure where I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s at this distance my mind goes blank and it’s all autopilot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure this is very hard but I’m zoned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there were a murder to happen in front of me I could not tell you what happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call this my running coma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re heading into the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s beautiful, oh wait I almost forgot how hard this is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a man handing out GU’s from his backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s surreal, like hooking up with a drug dealer in a park, not that ‘d ever done such things, but instead of crank you mainline gel packs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12:38</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Ten:</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cowbell - “Just three more to go” “You’re almost there” Cowbell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a man standing with his own cowbell, not an ING orange one but a super duper extra loud one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I run faster to get away from him.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12:08</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Eleven</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It feels like the home stretch, I think it’s almost over but I’m in a coma what do I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere in my brain my hips are signaling they desperately want to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not speaking to my hips or anyone right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12:09</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Twelve</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have no memory of mile twelve I have entered the wormhole myself. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12:31</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mile Thirteen.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay now I am awake and I’m going to start running for the big kick at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With one half a mile to go my front abdominal muscles “all” decide to cramp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was never known for my leg strength, I can not arm wrestle, or do more than two pathetic pushups and that’s after training my upper body for a year but my abs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please, in grammar school I’d challenge guys to punch me in the stomach until I realized you don’t get asked to dances that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could do sit ups forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still easily can do 300 crunches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why in the name of heaven are my abs cramping???<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s horrible pain like a side stitch but all in the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hips, those of whom I have ignored, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are joining in with my abs and I am in total misery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot sprint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My legs and lungs, the problem children of the bunch are saying go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This blows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12:27</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last 10th</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make the turn into the park and it’s like I’m a freakin rock star…oh wait<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a rock star, hundreds of people are cheering me on,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel no pain I finish strong with a 10:15 pace .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am wrapped in tin foil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-60708485185912907322010-09-12T15:01:00.000-07:002010-09-13T08:27:24.653-07:00Urban Legend vs Running Legend.The plan was to run The Lordship Runabout, a race I’ve run every year since I started this madness. That may sound like a lot of times but I’ve only been doing it three years. It’s a small local race that draws less than 100 people and most of them high school track and cross country kids. At the first 10th of a mile I am already out of the pack by the first quarter mile I can’t see them anymore. Freaking kids and their youth, blast them. I double check the website for the gun time and I notice it says SUN. Sept 11. Well it’s hard to screw up Sept 11th, I was darn sure it today, which means I missed the race. Sure I was bummed, but also rather relieved since my pre-race training consisted of getting polluted with the crazy girlfriends on Friday night and I was still severely hung-over. Now I could take it easy at the gym or do some maintenance miles. On a whim I scanned a running website for other events and the closest was Waterbury. It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek at the race flyer right? Wow, I couldn’t believe it! Bill Rogers was racing in Waterbury! Anyone alive in the 70’s whether you watched running or not you couldn’t get away for this guy. He is the one who single handily popularized running and got launched into the role of super human mega star after he won Boston and New York back to back. I was about 10. When you’re 10 and you live through events like this it becomes part of the mystique of childhood. It brought me back to laying on the floor in front of the tv rooting him on and my mother yelling at me, I was too close to the RCA I’d ruin my eyes. I inched myself back and when she left the room I inched myself forward again. I wanted to be a runner, I was going to run a marathon, I was completely mesmerized by Bill Rogers. Once the race was over that phase lasted about one hour and then I heard Elton John on radio, it was back to wanting to be a flamboyant piano player. <br />
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Thank heavens the race was at 1:30pm. I needed every minute to recover from the cheap low-shelf mix tini drinks the girls forced me to down on Friday night. My expectations for a decent time were low but who cares heck I was going to meet Bill Rogers. Registration was to open at noon I got there at 11:45 and Bill was already at a booth talking to fans. After I registered I made my way over and said hello, and he asked if I wanted an autograph picture and I said “Of course, how much are they?” “They are free.” In this day of celebrities selling their autographs and squeezing every nickel out of their fans, “free” was the nicest word one could ever hear. No one should ever make money off giving a fan an autograph, there is something sad and wrong with selling your autograph to someone in line to meet you. The fans made the effort, they waited, and they love you or at least like you, give them one lousy autograph. I was lucky to have a chat with him and just like all the articles say, Bill is the nicest guy in the world. While I was busy gushing over him, the living legend, he was more concerned on what distances I liked to run and if I was going to run Litchfield. He took a look at my shoes and said “oh you’re a neutral you don’t pronate that’s good.” I kept trying to tell him how in awe of him I was and he kept wanted to talk about what races I’d done and what a good cause this one was. I took my precious autograph photo and moved to the side where I recognized his brother. You can’t miss him, he’s got a crazy demented beard, all grey in two long braids. I began to chat with him about the Runners World article that came out about 6 months ago. He said it made him sound like a drunk, he wasn’t happy with that portrayal. We then discussed the importance of drinking fine scotch or whiskey for the next 20 minutes. I told him of my sad mistake on Friday drinking sub quality booze. He was disappointed in me, I should have known better. The conversation moved to alternative distilling processes. I wanted to take these guys out to the bar after the race but I only had 20 bucks on me and I’m sure that wouldn’t even cover the first round for us. Plus I’m certain I would end up sleeping in my car or in jail afterwards. <br />
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I was nervous; I peed four times in one hour. I was afraid I’d line up with the walkers by accident. And then they made the announcement: “10 minutes to start runners take to the street.” This is one of the parts I love, the Rocky Theme plays in my ears when this happens. That slow walk to the starting line. I could not hear the race director at all, he was announcing something I probably needed to know like if the streets are open to traffic or if there is a big hill or landmines we need to dodge. I hoped there would always be someone in front of me I could see so I wouldn’t need to make any course decisions on my own. The starting corral is when I cry, sure nuff- I cried. It didn’t last, the second the gun went off I forgot all about crying and thought a lot more about breathing. 6 mins into the race I looked to my right and Bill Rogers is running next to me. I thought maybe my Gatorade had been spiked with LSD, it was an incredible dream. I’m 10 years old, I’m inside the RCA and I’m running next to that guy from the marathon. He paced with me for 2 minutes. You could tell he was leisurely jogging so that everyone got a chance to run with him, he would crisscross the streets for no reason just to kill time and then he was gone. If I had been doing the Lordship race I’d already be all alone on the road and looking down trying to follow the teenager’s sneaker prints. I ran the first mile 9:35 which for me is amazing then Friday caught me on Sunday. 10:30 and 10:40 for the next two miles. I finished with the same time as my last 5k so no complaints. <br />
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After the race, I wandered around and waited for the awards. Bill handed out the trophies and took pictures with everyone. I ate my token bagel with the free bottled water and I was really happy with everything. As I was leaving a man was sitting in a wheelchair had his family around him and they thanked me for coming. The race was to benefit Bob Veillette, a former runner and local hero who had a stroke and is now paralyzed below the eyes. The money goes to pay the expenses to keep him at home and not a nursing home. Bill Rogers picks a lot of his races for the cause. Seeing that man’s family around him today I think Bill picked a great cause. <br />
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Race time 32:11Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-4477363163307403882010-09-09T15:37:00.000-07:002010-09-09T15:37:52.907-07:00The Run After The RaceI highly recommend running a 20k because it makes running five miles a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, it makes cake and everything else not stick to your thighs, the calories just disappear. It’s the best magic trick ever. I’ve been eating like a pig and I haven’t gained an ounce. Ah the benefits of running, no fear of the scale. <br />
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Day three after my big race and the first time I’m using my legs for anything more then to hold a bowl of ice cream while achieving full recline position in the Lazyboy. I will admit I did go to the gym yesterday for some upperbody work. I have trouble with the rest and recover part of this game. Taking one day off feels like a year sometimes. I might in fact be addicted to the soreness of day after workouts. A constant state of muscle recovery is paradise for me. I must be part masochist. <br />
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Anxious to get back out on the roads I want to make sure everything is firing properly. During my 20k I had some glute/hip issues and if I’m not careful it could end up bursitis. I had that plague two years ago and in physical therapy for months. I could have used some of the other kind of therapy to get me through. When I’m down with an injury my life is over; if there is a runner on the road I nearly cry or curse the running gods who have smote me. “Have pity on me Atalanta, let me run again and I shall build thee a beautiful temple.” Hey when I can’t run I’d do anything to get it back. But today is not about injuries or paying homage, no, no, no, today is a glorious day. One should note it must be physically impossible to still be high on endorphins from a race that was 3 days ago but damn I still feel awesome. I’ve been severely happy ever since my post race nap. <br />
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Today I suited up for my run, I-pod, heart monitor, GPS, runners tag to ID the body, compression shin sleeves, special synthetic runners socks, compression shorts that go under my running shorts, sports arm band for my car key, but the most important piece of equipment, something that I would give up all that other stuff for, the one thing if I ever forgot it could be devastating, a disaster, a real problem if I need it, no not pepper spray, the numero uno piece of running gear is… toilet paper. Luckily, I didn’t need it today but you just never know. <br />
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I decide to do 5 miles at the beach, not actually on the sand. A nice little course I made up, only one hairy area that crosses a big four way stop, I can only outrun cars in my dreams. I set off, the wind is against me but it’s not too bad. I have the biggest smile on my face, greeting walkers and bikers keeping a steady pace. Ah the joys of running again. After a few turns the wind still in my face but it will be at my back on the way to home plate. The route is on parts of 5k courses I did this summer, race markers are still on the road. Along the water are beautiful views. I sometimes spend too much time looking at the ground and not looking at the amazing world we live in. Lordship has some badass scenery. At the waters edge the wind is still against me. I thought by now it would have shifted. I feel like I am pushing myself but I also know I am not running as hard as I could and I don’t want to. I’m one minute under 5k pace I’d like to stay here forever. I’m headed towards the home stretch and the wind is still against me, I must be surrounded by some sort of wind vortex. It’s okay nothing is going to ruin it today. I see a female jogger running towards me, I wonder if she is experiencing the strange wind phenomenon too? I also wonder if she’s another race junkie. As we approach each other there’s an awkward moment, will she smile, ignore me, if I wave will I look like a dork if she is not looking at me?? We both do the limp hand raise and smile and it feels good. She shares the runners secret knowledge that running is always hard and it hurts and we’re both masochists because this pain makes us happy. <br />
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I’m at the last half mile where I like to kick, I kick. I glance at the GPS every few seconds and note that it must not be working because I’ve only gone a tenth of a tenth of a mile. I kick harder and I’m still against the wind. I don’t want to know what the heart monitor says , it reads 175, hey that’s not too bad for me, other people would be at the cardiologist but I’m fine with 175 I’m not even nauseous. I’m still kicking. How come the last half mile is two miles? The race announcer does a play by play, “She passes the finish line ladies and gentlemen an amazing record breaking time.” I am wrapped in the winners tape. <br />
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I will never win a race, it’s not a defeatist’s attitude, it’s like knowing you won’t fly if you jump off the roof. I have a slow pace, I work at it, I’ll get better and that’s all fine, it’s important to have goals but I would not trade a fast pace for the love I have of running. I used to get that same rush when I played guitar jamming with my LPs. Music could pull me out of the darkness and give a sense of salvation. Not to say that I don’t have my moments of bliss playing the guitar now but it’s become my job and when you do something because you need the money it’s not the same anymore. No one is ever going to pay me to run and that’s fine with me. <br />
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Think I’ll register for a Half Marathon now.Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-74329408767212026582010-09-06T20:52:00.001-07:002022-11-20T13:23:23.828-08:00New Haven Road Race 20k 2010Sept 6th Monday 2010. I have never been healthier or stronger in my entire life. The fact that my sister died when she was exactly my age, practically to the day, is forefront in my mind. Irony? Injustice? Luck of the draw? I’m not sure but I have a sense that anything I do from now on is all a bonus. It could have easily been me instead; we have the same DNA after all. <br />
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8:40am I set out to run 12.4 miles for the very first time. I have never gone that distance in my life and there’s a real possibility I’d just not be able to do it. I logged a few 10 mile runs, not easy or pretty mind you and I suffered finishing those. What would the extra 2.4 miles do to me? Too late now, the hay was in the barn, it was stacked and the only thing left was to run the race or burn down the barn. I had a reasonable goal, 2:30:00; I had a plan, 12:00 min mile pace for the first 6 miles, finish strong with negative splits. If I didn’t go out too fast I could do it. <br />
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Tony and I planned to meet jokingly at the 3rd porta potty from the left but as I parked the car and checked my voicemail, his mom had taken a turn for the worst and he wasn’t coming. I started getting my gear ready. I remembered my friend Paul says don’t worry about digestive problems just keep going, well that’s what I was afraid of so while I was taking the last a swig of Kaopectate I got a phone call, which I missed. I hit re-dial; it went to Barb’s voicemail. We left messages back and forth, since neither of us can figure out how to answer a phone call in voicemail, yeah we’re both rocket scientists sometimes. In the end I found out my friend was here. Perfect. <br />
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I barely slept at all last night. I was so nervous and excited but I felt good. I felt alive and I had race day nerves. New Haven was jammed packed with people, most of them running up and down the streets. I started to jog towards The Green and a runner passed me, he had that Kenyan thing going on, long legs, skinny, oh yeah and black. He made a 7 min mile look like it was a leisurely stroll. The Green was full of people, tents and toilets. I found Barb and we chatted and joked around and the next thing I know, Barb mentions that I might want to go to the starting line. It was almost gun time!!! I couldn’t believe it all this preparation and I almost missed the start because I’m so into the atmosphere of the race. <br />
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The line-up always chokes me up. Ever since I had to take months off for recovery from an over-use injury I generally cry at the starting line. I looked around and saw many friends amongst the crowd of 2300. (3200 for the 5k) After the national anthem I lost it, tears full bloom. Kaboom, a loud cannon went off; I mean ear splitting loud, it nearly scared the crap out of me if not for all the Bismuth Subsalicylate in my gut. We were off. I continued to cry for the first mile. I normally don’t do that, I normally focus on running my butt off but I was trying to take it easy, remember I wanted nice slow 12 min miles in the beginning. We were all in a pack it was great, there was the roar of running shoes hitting pavement, like horse hoofs on a racetrack or rain on a window, it was this intense amount of rhythmic energy moving down the street as one. <br />
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Mile One: 10:24. What the hell happened to 12:00?? I was screwed already. The first mile was too easy, it was glorious, I was elated and I was running it at my 10k speed. I would pay later on for sure. I tried to slow down to at least 11:30 <br />
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Mile Two: 10:30. I am my own worst enemy. It still felt so good and right and I was strong. Besides crashing into the guy at the first water stop it was all a beautiful dream. 10:30 was never so easy but I must must slow down.<br />
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Mile Three: 10:54 I have run 5k’s slower than the pace I was holding. I am a fool. At this point it should be noted that there are some people not so amused with the 20k runners. These fine upstanding citizens have important appointments to keep with their drug dealers or need to report in to their parole officers but since all the streets are closed they are having a melt down. I heard a few such drivers make some comments, honk horns, yell at police and one such prince decided to take matters into his own hands. A large black man in a silver SUV, that I hope to god the traffic guard got his license plate, nearly hit me and others, right at the start of Ella Grasso at one of the cross streets. He drove into the race path. Simply amazing. I overheard some guys behind me comment on the friendly New Haven locals. All over New Haven people were so supportive, all the neighborhoods we ran though had their own flavor, the people were inspirational and this guy has to be a dick. As it turned out further on down Ella Grasso at another cross street I see a silver SUV stopped, this time there is a police officer doing the traffic. I really hoped it was mister dickhead trying to get back. <br />
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Mile Four: 10:51 If this was a 4 mile race I would be happy with this time….it’s not. I will pay. <br />
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Mile Five: 11:25 Finally I have slowed to a reasonable pace. I mean for me that is, for others this pace would be walking. In fact, yes it’s true someone power walked by me. It was surreal, like in a dream when you are running as fast as you can and not going anywhere and the monster easily catches you, he is on you and going to do something terrible, you keep screaming “wake up, wake up, wake up; this cant be real.” Ok it wasn’t that bad, but when someone WALKS past you and you’ve trained for 3 years it is a nightmare all the same.<br />
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Mile Six: 12:11 This is what I did not want to happen, I did not want to slip below 12 ever and here I am letting my pace slide off the cliff. The coolest thing about mile 6 was that on this race course they have bands almost every mile. I turned the corner approaching a bridge underpass and I hear my brother n laws voice wailing on Summer Time Blues but I don’t see him. I assume he must be under the bridge but when I get there… no Tom. ??? I keep running, come out the other side and there’s Tommy Baby. I yell; arms up; he yells back; it was great. He then says over the PA “This aint easy what you’re doing, I give you a lot of credit. You’re all heroes today.” That little adenine rush lasted 60 seconds, as soon as I passed him I thought and now it gets hard. I just ran faster than my first 10k race and I am only halfway though. I was only 2 mins slower than my PR 10k. I am an idiot. I will be punished for certain. <br />
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Mile Seven: 11:44 Ok maybe I can squeaked this out after all, I am sub 12 if I can hold this pace til the end I will be stoked. I am hallucinating; who am I kidding. I don’t remember anything about mile seven unless this is where Donna passed me. She’s great, she gave me the thumbs up sign as she took off. Donna always does that to me, not the thumbs up part, the passing me part. I have never beaten her. I always lead the first half of the race she always passes me the 2nd half of the race. If I ran a 12 in the beginning I would be running with Donna at the end. I will not be running with Donna again today. Somewhere on Long Wharf is the last I will see ever of Donna until the race tent. <br />
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Mile Eight: 12:26. Ut oh. 12:26 and it hurt too. If 12:26 pace hurts at mile eight I have entered into my own personal hell and will not emerge until mile 12.4. Eight was not great. Eight was awful. And then like a vision from the heavens there standing on East Street, all alone, er I was all alone too, the pack had long taken off, where was I? Right- all alone with a big smile and a camera TONY! Holy shit! Wasn’t his mother dying in the hospital? Was she dead? Last rites? And he’s here? Um I want to ask but this is no time for chit chat. I yell Tony! He yells Carole! We are happy, he tries to take my picture but in our excitement he accidently shuts his camera off instead. I can’t hang around for it to reboot. <br />
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I am running, running, running and throughout the race I think of certain things, certain people, certain memories. I picture my bird Pook who passed away this year, she’s on my shoulder flapping her wings pushing me along. I am starting to have moments like this fantasy memory things. I run past a religious supply store and bam it hits me, those in my family that have passed on. My sister died about 12 years ago, her body deteriorated and was wheelchair bound. In the end she couldn’t feed herself, she still liked to have a cigarette but needed people to hold it up to her mouth. I am running 12.4 miles today and she’s been dead about 12.4 years. I’m her age. Nuff said, it’s a big day for us. This is what happens to me and I imagine happens to a lot people. I get lost in my head, I go somewhere that I wouldn’t go if I wasn’t completely drained from the physical world and what could be the edge of death. I thought of relatives, lovers, bosses and friends and think about what could have been or what might be and then somewhere I wake up; the reality of the situation kicks in, all I think now is what the f*ck am I doing? I’m never going to make this. Right now I am running in the worst section of New Haven, I know this section because I used to live here and they used to shoot into my house on a nightly basis. An old black woman comes to me on a corner yelling "water" in my head she is a Haitian Voo Doo High Priestess bearing a dead chicken but in reality she only has a cup of questionable water, looks a little brown, I say "no thanks" and she says “oh you don’t look so good.” Has she just cursed me with a spell?? “ You never gonna finish.” Little does she know at this point I am surrounded by the bright white light of protection. I am strong, I have trained, I have hay in my barn. I reply confident “Oh no. I WILL FINISH” I chuckle to myself. Her voodoo has no power over me. She doesn’t know who she’s messin with. I know that she could not run 12.4 miles but I can. She is trying to discouage me because of the limitations in her own life and projecting them on me. But she forgets. I am not her. I am me. And whatever my doubts, and however many times I thought I could just walk back to The Green I know I will finish no matter what the ‘little me’ or anyone else said about me. <br />
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Mile Nine: 11:59. It took 9 miles but I finally hit my goal pace. I remember hitting nine thinking just a 5k or so to go. I can do a 5k in my sleep it’s time to kick it up. The other thing I remember about nine is I ran through a Puerto Rican section of town and suddenly I wanted to be Puerto Rican. HOLY TOELDO! The energy the enthusiasm, the music, the party, the total feel, Yaozoa! I was so pumped up after that I wanted to hug everyone, I wanted to personally thank them, I wanted to get drunk with them all later. Any year I don’t run NH I am putting on a load of bronzer and setting up camp at mile nine waving the PR flag. <br />
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Mile Ten: 13:19 Hello walk run. Hills and pain. Ten Ten Ten, let me never hurt this bad again. I believe this was my wall. A was trying to do math in my head about splits and projected finish times...No way....I couldn't even recite the alphabet, I was shot. <br />
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Mile Eleven: 11:42 After the 13.19 slump I picked it up. I think this was the really cool part. I ran in the middle of the road through East Rock Park. It was beautiful. Shade, trees, the baseball field I practiced softball on 20 years ago. I loved mile 11. Plus it was downhill and then……….BAGPIPES. <br />
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Miles twelve: 11:49 God make those bagpipes go away. I ran as hard as I could to get them away from me. Now it hits me if I ran 12’s at the beginning I’d be clocking 10’s here. I’d look awesome. Uh no such luck I look terrible. I remember Tony caught up to me a couple times en route, the second time I saw him I hugged him, I was soaked with water, sweat, Gatorade, snot, Gu’s, yeah ewwwwl comes to mind. So gross. Tony is the best! I still wanted to ask about his mother but now didn’t seem like the right time. I wanted to crank this mile I had a plan to rock it. But I was spent. There were people handing out ice and I thought they were sent from heaven. Some guy paced with me and said let's sprint to the end. I said “Cool, I can be talked into anything.” Off and on we paced with each other and then I saw Meg, my running partner from earlier this year. She was playing guitar, doing a solo, no clue what she was singing but I yelled MEG! And she yelled CAROLE! Is that you! You’re doing great!” I’m telling you there is nothing better. It pumped me up. I ran hard to the end. I crossed the finish line. I was queasy and looking for water and………they ran out. But better than water, Barb met me right when I needed her. I was shot, she was so cool, walked me to the food tent, found me a bottle of water I sat down and Tony walked up. He found me in 6,000 people. What a guy! Although I was disappointed I didn’t see about half of my friends, it’s cool seeing the ones I did. And his mother is okay after all. It was a day I’ll never forget. I went home ate a lot, showered, slept for a couple hours and feel like it’s the best day of my life. Alls good in this section. So ask yourself: What will make you feel like this? What will push your limits and inspire you to take an hour to write out your experience? Find something that will better yourself, that will lead you to the person you always dreamed you’d be and live the dream. I never thought I could run 12 miles and I did. We can do anything. <br />
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I almost forgot...2:24 I hit my goalUrban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-21412181311390882982010-08-12T08:43:00.000-07:002010-08-12T08:43:08.326-07:00August 12th 2010Miles logged 6.5<br />
Ran a 5k race last night at 6pm so I was certainly not well rested. In fact I ran the 5k over a minute faster than the week before and had a gag reflex 25 mins in and had to stop to dry heave, not fun at all. I had a couple wines and got to sleep around 11pm, too tired to make it out at dawn so I didn't hit it until 9am. The temps have been in the 90's but this morning it was only in the 80's however it was so humid it didn't matter at all. The first part of the run my legs were like logs they didn't loosen up until mile 3. Mile one I ran at 12:25 and I thought I was standing still. I felt so sluggish I was happy with that time. Mile two was 12:09 I felt a little better. Mile 3 and 4 have some inclines a hill I did 12:30 each, mile five is run past Subway headquarters and I love that stretch so I kicked it up a litte 11:50 the fell back into the 12:30 pace for the end. I took 8 o of water which I oly drank half and 1 GU a chocolate. I normally don't do chocolate but this one gave me a little kick I liked. I am pretty concerned that I haven't run a 10 mile run in 2 weeks and running 7 miles seems to be all I have been able to do in this heat. Pre-run feul bagel with peanut butter and a gatorade.Urban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721045186438423207.post-45238442020462690852010-08-10T08:58:00.000-07:002010-08-10T08:58:09.191-07:00The first postingI decided to start a blog. I'm not really sure what blogs are besides the rambles of self absorbed indivuals who feel the need to share what they feel are important details and ponderings of their very unimportant and mostly insignificant lives. (Oh and if you have a blog I am not talking about you, you are very important.) Why am I joining in this practice? Well it's not that I care to share anything Earth shattering, I already have a pretty good sense that my opinion doens't matter much and I feel no need to rant about the driver that cuts me off or the injustices in humanity. I just want to keep track of my fitness training. It's purely self indulgent. I ran 10 miles yesterday in 90 degree weather and I thought it was the the hardest thing I'd done in a while but I recovered nicely, I'm not sore and I regained the 2 pounds I lost in water and I was in the gym at 8am this morning. I'd want to keep track of what I'm doing so if something goes wrong (or right) I know what lead up to it. If you're reading this I'm a terrible speller and I am a comma splicer. I like grammar and all but I'd rather not have anything corrected unless of course I say something so wrong it's funny. Humor rules. <br />
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Todays works outs. lunges/squats 30 mins. <br />
ABS: supermans 60 sec x 3, ball passes 3 x 15, ball leg lift 3 x 20 (3 sec easy), hanging knee tucks 3 x 18<br />
Biceps: ISO FM 20lb curls 3 x 18, 30lb barbell curl 3 x 12, Cyber X 25lb curl 3 x 12 (too hard) <br />
Triceps: Rope 171/2lbs 3 x 15, ISO FM 20lbs 3 x 15 Tri Press 70lbs 3 X 12 (easy) <br />
All 30 sec rest invervalsUrban27http://www.blogger.com/profile/09777919096489321597noreply@blogger.com0