Looking for other "athletes" to support each other

Sorry guys...lots going on so I'm slow to update.

I RAN 18 KILOMETERS ON SUNDAY!!!!!

Yup, 18. Today I'm sore, and my leg has been hurting me, so I booked with the chiro, but it went well otherwise.

I do get blisters as often as I get my headaches, but it's been worth it. My stress level is at an all time high, so I really need the release.

Less then a month until the big run!!!!!

I did another 18 or more run today. Got it in before the rain started.

I have been injured, but I took it easy this week and logged my kilomeres by walking fast rather then running.

I think I only have two more training runs and then it's the big day. It could be three...but I'm too wiped to get up to check...lol

I'm very excited to be so close to my goal, but worried too because my leg is injured. I think it will be ok though.

If I can complete this with all that's going on...then I can literally do anything!

Hope everyone else is managing to get some sweat time in too!

Only 15 more days until the big race!!!!!!!!!

I have been having issues with my right leg, and my botox is wearing off, so my head has been bad, but I've still been managing.

I have a very long run on Sunday, then taper down to the race day on the 27th! Wow.

Good for you! Weather has been conspiring against me lately. Best laid plans have been flushed right down the toilet. Hopefully next week will be better for me.

Did my 20 kilometers this morning. Was double-booked so I needed to wake at 6:30 to fit it into my day. I didn't sleep much, so now I'm really feeling it.

One more short "long run" and then it's race day.

I need support folks.

I am so close to my goal, but my head is again out of control.

I need to get a few more runs in before the 27th.

Nothing major, just 4 miles each.

But my head is SOOOOO bad right now.

I got my botox injections bumped up, but I couldn't get them bumped to this week, as I also get the facet blocks and if I get that doen this week I won't be able to run...so I need to wait until after the race. Ouch.

That's so great Milo! Hang in there and hope your head decides to settle down without needing injections. Just to get you through this race.

Things always seem to go like that, but I hope your head decides to cooperate for the last bit of training and the actual race.

I'm not worried about the race so much, as it starts at 7 am, and I can take a gravergol the night before and it should still be working when I wake.

I'm worried about getting the few extra runs in.

I got my bib and chip today. Other then a typo, I'm pleased. Can't believe the big day is only one day away!

Ok....it's the eve of the big day.

I have had too many setbacks, but regardless, I am feeling excited about tomorrow.

Everything that could go wrong has....and I still feel positive.

Worst is my head being out of control. I'll take a gravergol shortly and that should carry me through the race tomorrow.

Next, almost as horrific is that my period just started and I am in no way prepared to run with it. It changes everything about the day right down to what I'm supposed to be wearing. I won't go into detail on that one to spare you all.

Next, it is forcasted to rain tomorrow. It is certainly not supposed to rain. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a light rain. I HAVE NOT trained in the rain. I do run in it, but did not do any of my long runs in it. This is because blisters are already bad for me and rain makes them worse.

Also, the weather is oddly cold, further confusing me as to what I'm going to wear. You are not supposed to change things up for the big day, but I have no choice.

There is more.....but why bother to go on....as it will all be ok in the long run right?????

I'll update with my race review when I can. I'm doing this for all of us...so let's hope we all do GREAT!!!!

It's done!

My time was 2:38:29. I know it's not a fast time, but I'm very impressed with it.

I'm VERY, VERY sore and I've triggered a nasty migraine, but seriously, the overwhelming sense of achievement is outweighing the pain. (Thank god for pain meds)

I can't believe I did it.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I don't know what that will be, but I'll be around, so feel free to ask. This topic has pretty much died, so I'll leave it now, but please start it up again should you want to.

Happy sweating folks!

Milo,

Just read this whole thread for the first time (so ignore my question on the other side, I know now). I found myself rooting for you, watching the dates to see if you were closer to the big day, and getting anxious to find out if you made it with all the stress you've been under.

It made for fun, exciting and uplifting reading. Thanks for keeping the post alive, and

CONGRATS!

Thinking about you, Milo!!!!!! Congrats on your big day!!!
Can't wait to hear about it!

Tea

Wow, way to go!

Hooray Milo! Glad it went well for you!

I know, big day comes and so many obstacles thrown in the way. Way to work around them and hope you don't end up with a 3 day rager.

Thought I'd share what I wrote for my run review for my running forum:

I’ll admit, my pre-race jitters were plentiful in the hours leading up to my first half marathon. I’d only done one other run, the SunRun, which really didn’t feel at all like a race but instead a small group of about fifty thousand people on a 10 kilometer stroll.

I’d done all my reading about how to prepare for your first race and had completed all of my training as laid out for me by my trusty running books. I felt overweight but prepared. The two months leading up to the race brought about a highly stressful run-in with cancer as it made itself known to my partner. I’m a stress eater, and had the extra ten to fifteen pound on me race day to prove it. I’m also a person that suffers from severe, chronic migraines, so I’d fought hard to get all my training in amidst terrible, terrible migraines. I popped a migraine medication the night before in preparation, as I knew the long run would trigger my head yet again and popping a pill the night before would hopefully stave it off for the actual race.

Although prepared, I was not ready for the wet and cool weather. A last minute costume change had me really second guessing my preparedness. Of course, the extra weight meant that oh-so-cute lululemon running skirt was a no-go anyways. I donned my steadfast running gear, and oversized black coolmax from Costco and my trusty back up shorts. I laid everything out the night before, including the last-minute additions of the arm warmers and running cap that I ended up forgetting anyways.

Apparently I suck at directions because my ride ended up at the supposed address and it was an old empty stadium. I got dropped off there anyways as I figured I was early enough to wander around and find the actual stadium while I warmed up my still sleeping muscles. Turns out I was fairly close and I made it in time to line up for the porta-potties with every others race participant that day. Half hour later I made it in to the porta-potty only to be faced with performance anxiety. Well that was a waste of a half hour wasn’t it?

Off to the start line I go. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know which direction we would be running, so I really didn’t know where to line up. I aligned myself with a few older portly women, figuring I couldn’t be screwing up the race order if I started with them.
I was too busy trying to figure out said order that I pretty much missed the gun. No problem there though, the surge moved me in the right direction and off I went.

I took great pride in ditching my sweet jacket on the side of the road, neatly labeled with “Scotiabank Half Marathon 2010” on the label. I felt so proud thinking about it’s new owner finding it and seeing what I’d written and maybe even guessing about who had written this and why.

Running, running running. The kilometer markers went by in a blur. A slow blur, but a blur none-the-less. I know this is the part where I’m supposed to give you an actual play by play of the run, but I’ll be honest, much of it was a blur. I touched each marker I could reach as I passed by, my pride growing stronger and stronger as the numbers grew. I clearly remember cursing the runners who had told me over and over to start with the Scotiabank because “it’s all downhill”. Downhill my ass. Sure there was plenty of downhill, but no one bothered to mention there were plenty of rolling inclines too. Thankfully, I’d done my proper training and I managed ok.

On the beach stretch I started wishing I had been able to perform in my earlier port-potty experience. I’d scouted out several bushy stretches on the downhills, but the fear of falling over a cliff kept me from darting into the bush. I did my math at every port-potty, counting the people in line and dividing by number of potties. I finally came across a near empty group, lined with all first timers like me. Could I have made it without the break? Sure, but let’s face it, I wasn’t competing in the Olympic time trials here folks, so a two minute pee break wasn’t going to bench me right?

Onward I ran past such lovely groups of volunteers handing out much needed liquids, not many spectators, but each that I saw carved a little notch into my heart. Remember, this was my first time seeing signs saying “Your feet hurt because you are kicking butt” and “Mom you are our hero”. Pretty neat experience, I have to say.

Then came the bridge. Yup, plenty had warned me about this bridge and how horribly it’s placed in the race. I watch an older lady fall off to the side as the paramedics swooped in. I quickly dismissed the idea of doing the same and reached deep for that last bit of energy. Seems I used too much energy on that damn bridge as marker nineteen came up and I was fully depleted.

Lucky for me, there was a kind-looking older lady also running out of steam next to me. My “always take care of others” nature took over and I made it my business to help her cross the finish line. Taking the focus off me and placing it on her gave me the last bit that I needed to cross. Lord knows what gave me the right to take on such a task, but it carried me across the line, a step behind her, my hand on her back pushing her ahead of me to finish. The stranger and I made it through at 2 hours, 38 minutes and 29 seconds.

Yup, I cried, just for a second or two before they put the medal over my head. I had actually done it. I’d completed what I had set out to do six months previous. I was soaking wet, some rain, some sweat but mostly from the e-load that I had lugged around with a leaky lid for no apparent reason. I got my hugs, my congratulations, posed for a few pictures then raced over to our illegally parked truck (parked by my partner who is from a small town where things such as towing do not exist).

A very sticky hour or two later (e-load is very sticky when applied to the body in large amounts) I was in the shower, screaming from the pain as the hot water hit all of my rub burns. My feet will never be the same, and I proudly say that I removed over three cc’s of disgusting, bloody liquid from my blistered feet. Both feet were a gorgeous mess, my right worse with my missing toenail completely surrounded by painful, cushiony goodness, my other three toenails screaming that they too would soon be gone forever.

Did I wear my medal to bed? No, but I did place it on the lamp at my bedside and it was the first thing I saw when I woke from a really crappy sleep this morning. My poor body screamed out in pain with every movement through the night, keeping me from reaching the much needed deep sleep. I’ve a migraine that won’t stop that started shortly after the run and I can barely walk today but my pride resurfaces with every single muscle ache.

Will I put myself through this torture again? Absolutely, as nothing has ever made me feel so alive. Nothing has ever made me feel more in control of my health and migraines then training for this run. Will I ever get to experience the same feeling I got from my first run? Probably not, but I’ll push myself through this all over again, you know, just in case it feels even a little like it did yesterday.

Inspirational!

Thanks for a great post, Milo...Congratulations!!!!