Girl Running

Hang in There

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 23:22:00 +0000

Just a quick post to say I'm still alive, not running again yet, just trying to keep my head above water in my new job. Things are slowly starting to settle down. I should be back to normal by next week...*fingers crossed*.

And I promise to have the 3rd & final installment of my 1/2 marathon up by the end of the week!!! :)

Thanks for reading/following...promise my writing & running will become more frequent soon. (Sometimes life just happens)

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Sorry for the delay...now back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Saturday morning we got up and headed for a nice big breakfast at Kouzzina by Cat Cora. I loaded up on potatoes, waffles, and muffins. Yum!

Afterward we walked over to the Epcot back entrance (aka - International Gateway) and picked up our Finish Line Party tix. It was a relatively painless process, other than the long wait in line, and the fact that Disney had originally told everyone to pick up these tix at your hotel concierge, then the concierge sent us to the Guest Relations booth at Epcot, and the guy there said 'yeah...they're wrong, but I'll get the tickets for you anyways'. Grrr Disney...grrrr.

While at Epcot we took some pics of the finish line for that night!

We then headed back to the room for some rest. I would spend alllll day in bed. It was boring, and I kept trying to nap, but I was never successful. I was too amped up/nervous about the race!! It was the longest....day....ever.

Finally at 7pm I got dressed...

...and headed over to the buses to make my way to the start. Hubster and Twiu walked me to the bus, they took a pic, then I was off!

(I later heard there were outrageous lines for the buses to the start from Boardwalk - I must have gotten there just in time because I waited no more than 5 minutes.)

I got to ESPN Wide World of Sports and it was PACKED! Hubster had decided not to come to the start with me, and now I'm glad. It would have been difficult for him to see me start, and I heard the spectator buses took forever to get back to Epcot.
I just sat around, listened to the entertainment, hit up the port-o-lets, and waited for the start.

I may have snuck in a picture with Minnie before the start. :)

Right at 9:30p they started herding us towards the corrals. I had no previous race time to post, so I was placed in the last corral: D.

This was fine by me. I knew I was doing the Galloway walk/run for the race, so I didn't want to be in the way of any runners. I was probably about 200-300 people from the very back of the race (10,000 runners!). To give you a preview of the finish - I finished ahead of 3,500 runners....so I passed a LOT of people! lol

Here is the view from my starting point looking forward. There is a bend in the road and the start is REALLY far away.

After waiting for what felt like forever (thank goodness I had peed!!), I saw the fireworks announcing the start!!

(This is how far away we were! This was looking to my left)

Finally coming up on the Start:

And we were off!!

Stay tuned, the 3rd and final installment to come! (I'm stretching this out because I have no running to blog about. :( I haven't been a good runner girl...I've been so caught up with my new job. But I'm getting back on track this week. Need to get training for the Turkey Trot!)

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:51:00 +0000

On Thursday I got off work (old job, for those keeping track lol) and Hubster and I headed down to Orlando to check in at the Boardwalk resort, one of the host resorts for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I had to drive the 1.5 hours back home Friday morning to shadow someone at my new job for a bit, so that was a little sucky, but def worth it. (Allll that to come in a separate post - focusing on the race now.) While I was away Hubster enjoyed a little time alone, and some Disney mini-golf.

Friday afternoon, after I got back to the resort, we headed down to the buses for the expo. Since Boardwalk was a host resort they had direct bus service to the Wide World of Sports complex - nice! There was no line for the bus, and it arrived pretty quickly. Usually Disney transportation is annoying: hot, crowded, and slow. But they were using an outside bus service, so they were nice, quick, and air-conditioned. :)

We arrived at the expo around around 5pm and it was pretty crowded. They probably could have used a little more signage to direct people, there were lines everywhere, not really sure if 1/2 of them went anywhere. We finally managed to find the expo entrance and headed inside.

After asking 3 different cast members we found the packet pickup. It took about 20 minutes to complete that, check my D tag, and pick up my shirt. (Should have gotten a small, oh well - medium usually fits me, but this time it ran large.)

Hubster and I walked around the expo, there were a lot of 'blog famous' brands there: BondiBand, SpiBelt, Running Skirts, One More Mile, YurBuds (got some of those...wow they are amazing!), etc. Names we all know and love around the blogo-sphere. There was also a Disney booth with lots of Wine & Dine gear. I loaded up here. :) Jeff Galloway was spotted, and we enjoyed a quick chat with him. He was popular here of course.


My loot from the expo

After putzing around and spending all my money we decided to head back to the resort and grab some dinner. Again, it was an easy trip back, and we grabbed a bite outside on the Boardwalk at Big River Brewery. A lot of people were doing easy laps around the Boardwalk/Beach/Yacht Club area. Stretching for Saturday maybe?

Race Day to come next.... :)

What a Change!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:37:00 +0000

I've been MIA this week and with good reason. I haven't shared the info, but since it was officially official today (how do you like that grammar? lol), I can tell...

I recently interviewed for a job that I thought I was a total long shot for....and got it!! So the last two weeks, on top of preparing for and running in the half marathon, I've been wrapping up at my current job and preparing for the responsibilities of my new job. I'll go in to more detail when I have a little time, but first I'll be sure to post a race-recap from the Wine & Dine last weekend.

Till then, I ask you just bear with me. I'm not missing, just temporarily unavailable. :)

I finished!!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Chip Time: 3:00:31

Garmin Time: 2:57:11

More details to come later! :)

Checked in, Ready to Run!! Wine & Dine Update

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 00:35:00 +0000

Well, here we are, at Disney. I've been to the expo, spent ALL my money, and picked up my packet. I'm #5847 in case anyone is tracking. Since you know I'm such a garb-junkie, here is my obligatory loot pic:

I picked up some Disney Wine & Dine merchandise, as well as a pair of YurBuds! Those guys were so nice, and the product proved itself right there at the booth. If you get a chance go check out their website here. I picked up a pink pair and love them. I also ran in to Jeff Galloway again. Always such a pleasure to speak with him. I had the opportunity to thank him for his guidance in training for this half marathon. (Of course I was all giddy and nervous like a school girl again!)

After this race I'll be posting some videos from Jeff Galloway regarding his walk/run training method. I'll be using the method again for my Princess 1/2 Marathon in February. I hope you'll stick around to see the progress there.

I'm so excited! I can't believe my first 1/2 marathon is tomorrow!!!! I've had a good yummy dinner, and have a carbo-load breakfast booked for the morning. This is it....the day I've been waiting for. It's here. Wow!!!!

Running Away

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:05:00 +0000

There is a difference between 'running away from your problems' and 'putting on your running shoes and leaving your problems behind'.

Thank you running therapy, sometimes you really are my sanity saver.

Weekly Wrap Up 9/19 - 9/25, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 01:59:00 +0000


Me & Hubster at last year's Epcot Food & Wine Festival

- What I'm Grateful For -
1) Date night with the hubster! He took me out shopping (I purchased nothing, he got a shirt), then for a fancy dinner (McDonalds fries and a chocolate shake...best combo on earth), and then to see Wall Street at the local twin cinema (It's actually really nice, a newly renovated cinema in our downtown district that serves beer! Beer + Movie = goooood!).

2) A different schedule. My work schedule was a little different than usual this past week. Since I picked up a weekend shift I then worked Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Every other day is nice when you work long shifts.

3) One week until the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon!!!! I've been waiting for this for a year and now it is almost here!

4) A great opportunity to pair with RunDisney to showcase new training videos from Jeff Galloway (the official training consultant for RunDisney) right here on my blog! Keep an eye out for them. I've used his training method to ready myself for the 13.1 miles and have loved every minute of it.

- What I'm Looking Forward To -
1) Um...the half marathon next weekend!!

2) Running my last 'training' run tomorrow (6 easy miles), though we have to get out there at 6:30am so hubster can make a tee time and 9. Oh the things we do for love lol.

3) Getting my dog Gizzy groomed on Tuesday. He's quite stinky and mangy right now.

- Goals For The Week -
Running -

Goal Last Week: Run 1.5 miles without walking - this will be where I stay until I'm recovered from the 1/2 marathon and go in to my 5k training for winter/spring. - Completed!!! So excited about this!
This Week: No increase/improvement. Just do 2 - 1.5 mile runs to help clear my head and calm my nerves leading up to the half.

Personal -

Goal Last Week: Scrapbook our trips to Washington D.C. & NYC - never happened, so I'm re-doing it as my personal goal this week, along with re-organize my closet AGAIN....since it's all mine now!! :)
Goal This Week - Get last weeks goals done!! lol

- Long Term Goals -
Running - Able to run 3 miles without walking.
Personal - More at ease and organized in my life. (ie, more 'flow', less stress)

Attention All Disney Wine & Dine 1/2 Marathoners!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:44:00 +0000

All of your race info is up and ready to be printed/downloaded!
Just go to: Run Disney Website
You can download/print:

Please let me know if you're running! I'd love to meet up before/after the race!

Two Weeks, 9 miles

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:46:00 +0000

Just two weeks until the Wine & Dine half marathon! And can I just say, running 9 miles knowing you're tapering down is soooo much easier than running 9 miles knowing you have to run 11 the next weekend! Not 'easy', but 'easier' today. :)

Bring it on Disney!

Weekly Wrap Up 9/12 - 9/18, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:04:00 +0000

- What I'm Grateful For -

1) Getting the opportunity to see how our justice system works, and playing a role in it by being a juror in a criminal trial. Found a man guilty on 6 counts, and found out afterward that he was a repeat felony offender and has 2 more trials in the works right now. Talk about making the right decision.

2) Getting some time off work to serve on the jury. With my health problems lately, the stress they cause me, along with work and all of its stress, I'm exhausted to the point that even after 8 hours of sleep I can barely hold my head up by noon. And when I get home I'm too tired to think. Having a few days to sit and rest (during the trial) made me feel a lot better, re-energized. Let's see how long it lasts.

3) My hubster - he is always amazing, but this week he really went above and beyond. Thursday night I came home to a full meal prepared by him (steak, lobster, etc) and a lovely bottle of wine, accompanied by permission to watch 3, that's not one, not two, but THREE, episodes of my new fave series 'The Tudors' on Netflix! Talk about relaxation. Then I come home Friday night to find he has relocated all of his clothing (and his dingy dresser) to the guest room closet, giving me my own walk-in closet...all to myself...just my stuff! I can't wait to re-organize it with all my new-found space!

4) I'm also grateful to have finished 12 miles last Sunday, and my last training run before my 1/2 marathon. Along with this, I'm grateful to every single follower that read and responded to my blog post about it. Slow runners rock!! (And fast runners too, as long as they'll hang back and run slow with me.)

- What I'm Looking Forward To -
1) A new week, two days off in a row, and maybe some new opportunities.

2) Getting 1 week closer to the Wine & Dine Half Marathon!! Woot woot! (That's a shout out to my friend Twiu...her celebratory phrase is 'woot'...don't ask.)

3) An easy taper run of 9 miles tomorrow. Slow and steady now. Taking it easy, not pushing the envelope. Time is irrelevant at this point. It's just about stretching the ol' legs.

- Goals For The Week -
Running -

Goal Last Week: Run 1.25 miles without walking - completed! And I felt like I could keep going if I had really wanted to!
This Week: Run 1.5 miles without walking - this will be where I stay until I'm recovered from the 1/2 marathon and go in to my 5k training for winter/spring.

Personal -

Goal Last Week: Scrapbook our trips to Washington D.C. & NYC - never happened, so I'm re-doing it as my personal goal this week, along with....
Re-organize my closet AGAIN....since it's all mine now!! :)

- Long Term Goals -
Running - Able to run 3 miles continuously.
Personal - More at ease and organized in my life. (ie, more 'flow', less stress)

Three Things Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Thank you thank you thank you for all of the comments on my previous post. I am so grateful to have such support, receive such inspiration, and to see so much similarity between me and all of my readers (you!!). I am getting around to responding individually to all of you. Each of you expressed something personal and supportive to me. Thank you again for all of your words.
I've been MIA today and will continue to be tomorrow. I'm serving on a jury! I'll give some more details when it's over...remember...can't talk about it! :)
I went to see my cardiologist Wednesday, I have nothing new to share, as he shared nothing new with me. He did write a prescription for anti-motion sickness medication (ie, Dramamine basically) to help my symptoms, but that's about it. I'm a little confused by this recommendation, as I really don't believe my dizziness is vertigo related. But we will see.

I'll be back Saturday with my weekly wrap-up. Until then, keep running! :)

Something Needs To Be Said: I'm Slow

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:44:00 +0000

*Warning - this post may be long, but I'm having some bloggy backup and need to get this all out today, thanks for hanging in there with me. If you feel this post will help someone you know that is a new/slower runner, please feel free to share/repost. *

Do not let what you can't do interfere with what you can do. - John Wooden

I need to start at the beginning. I began writing this blog as a beginner runner for beginner runners. I'm still new, and that's perfectly fine for me. I want this blog to be a place where other beginners can see that what they're going through is normal. That they probably won't start out at, or reach, an eight-minute-mile right away (or ever in their first year!). That being new and being slow is O-K. That walking is not something to be ashamed of. I read a lot of blogs/articles/etc from 'elite' or 'experienced' runners that put down walking breaks, jogging, or anything over a 10-minute-mile. I just think this sends out the wrong message to a new runner, and is one of the reasons so many new runners give up the sport early on. I've been told I'm not a 'real' runner. That anyone can 'walk' 13 miles, that it's not something to be proud of. And what I have to say to all of that is: bullshit.

I went out on a 12 mile long run today and beat myself up, broke down in tears, because I felt like it wasn't worth finishing if I couldn't keep a fast pace. Why?? What put that idea in my head? The answer is: other people. Why do I listen to them? Because I have no one to tell me not to, no one (other than my amazingly supportive hubster) to say it's ok to be slow, it's ok to push your hardest and still finish a half-marathon in 3 hours. No one out there tells people: Hey! You're out there training every darn weekend, building your mileage, sweating and 'wogging' (that's walking and jogging for any new readers) your heart out, BE PROUD! Too often new runners are only given information that leads them to believe they're not 'normal' if they are over a 10-minute-mile, that they aren't 'real' runners, and are just 'in the way' of all the 'real' runners on the race course. Well let me give you some reasons why we ARE 'real' runners:

We're slow, so we put in more time than faster runners during our training. But we also get our money's worth at races - enjoying the course longer. :)
We're new, so not only are we pushing our body to do something hard, but also pushing it to do something it has NEVER done before. We're in uncharted territory here.
We're dedicated - you think it's easy being out amongst the fast runners and having to walk? NO - we aren't enjoying it, but we aren't giving up either.
We're determined - we know we're at the back of the pack, we know we'll be amongst the last to finish, we know the faster runners will have eaten most of the bananas and drank all the free smoothies by time we get to the finish, and we also know that we'll have the fewest people in the cheering section because we're last - but we run on. We don't give up or give in. We keep going.
We're proud - or at least we should be. It's not easy keeping your chin up and saying 'I run a 12 minute mile' when you're amongst a group of runners, but we're proud enough of what we've accomplished that we do it.

So what, in all of that, makes me a 'fake' runner? Nothing.

I have really enjoyed reading the works of Jeff Galloway and John Bingham since I started running. In fact, if you're a slow/new runner looking for some amazing support and inspiration, I highly encourage you to do two things:

Research and implement the Galloway training method into your runs
Go out and purchase John Bingham's 'The Courage To Start'

These are two things that have helped me exponentially in my running.

All in all I just want to say, it's ok to be slow. You're not alone. In fact, I'll bet there are a lot of runners out there that are slow but too ashamed to admit to it. Instead they just allude to distances completed, not times.
But please remember, what you're doing is amazing. Running is NOT easy. It is a struggle, but it is also an adventure. And we're just going to enjoy the adventure a little longer than those other, faster, runners.

"In many races, the better the time I was having, the slower my time would be." - John Bingham, 'The Courage To Start'

"When I focused exclusively on how fast I was running, I stopped noticing everything else. I ran right by some beautiful sunrises. I ran through the serenity that had attracted me to running in the first place. Being a faster runner didn't make me enjoy running any more than I had when I was slower." - John Bingham, "The Courage To Start"

PS - I'm not saying all 'elite' and 'experienced' runners share in these feelings towards us 'newbies', I'm just pointing to the fact that a majority of running information out there for beginners is aimed at people who can already run a 10 minute mile. I have learned, and continue to learn, a wealth of information from my more experienced friends/blog buddies, and I'm eternally grateful to them all for their support.

Run slow my friends, run slow. :)

PSS - I finished my 12 miles today, at a 14m/mile pace. It was hard. I cried. And I wanted to quit. But my hubster helped push me through. I'm done with my training for the 1/2 (which I will be walking a lot of and am perfectly fine with) and am ready to enjoy two weeks of shorter runs. I'll see some of you at the Wine & Dine on 10/2!

By the way - If you are not already a follower, you need to check out Busy Running Mama . She is an AMAZING person, and is hosting a great giveaway. Please go show her some blog love and become a follower! :)

Weekly Wrap Up 9/5 - 9/11, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:18:00 +0000

- What I'm Grateful For -
1) A short week at work! Love 3-day work weeks.

2) Getting back to my long runs and completing 11 miles last Sunday!! (read about it HERE)

3) That tomorrow is my last training run for the 1/2 marathon!! Taper baby! :)

4) My mom - and the fact that she is an amazing southern cook. Paula Deen could learn a thing or two from her. She lives a few states away from me and I rarely get to see her, but she shipped me a case of her home made strawberry & pear jams and they are like food for the soul....yumm yummm yummmmm...

Hello Gorgeous!

Me, you, and a cinnamon english muffin.....delish!

- What I'm Looking Forward To -
1) My 12 mile run tomorrow. I'm excited to complete it & my training for my 1/2 mary!!

2) My cardiologist appt on Wednesday - and finding out more about my heart condition.

3) Having some time off to catch up on blogs Wednesday! (I haven't been able to get caught up lately!! I miss my blogs.)

- Goals For The Week -
Running

Run 1.25 miles without walking at least 1x this week.
Last week's goal: Run 1 mile without walking - completed!

Personal

Scrapbook our trips to DC & New York from last year
Last week's goal: clean out closet - completed!

- Long Term Goals -
Running - Able to run 3 miles continuously.
Personal - More at ease and organized in my life. (ie, more 'flow', less stress)

Doing the Double-Digit-Dance!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:49:00 +0000

I finished my first Double Digit Run!! :)

Sunday's Facebook Status Update: 11 miles, 2:30 (didn't wear the Garmin, wasn't truly timing this one). Hardest, slowest, wettest (hello rain & squishy shoes!), and longest (physically & mentally) run yet. Fast? No way. Fun? Absolutely NOT. Finished? You bet your a$$!

That is probably the best summary I can give you of my LR Sunday.

My view for 11 miles.

Notice the rain clouds??

Here's how it went down: I was supposed to do a 10-miler 2 weeks ago, then I got side-tracked with all these health issues. So I was finally cleared to 'cautiously' start running again. Long story short, my last LR was 9 miles, that was 3 weeks ago (and when all my bad symptoms started), and I've only run 1 mile since then. So what's the smart thing to do?? Jump right back in at 10 miles, then decide half-way through to make up for a lost week and push for that 1 extra mile to hit 11. Ha!

First of all, 11 miles is REALLY far to me. Ok, it's REALLY far to most everyone in the world not insane enough to try to run it. Second, not having run in 3 weeks can really beat you down.

I walked, a lot. And I'm ok with that because I knew I'd feel a little weaker from my heart issues. I was very good, slowing down when I got dizzy, keeping very hydrated (poor Hubster had to bike back to the trail head to refill my water bottle 2 times....such a good guy). The first 3 miles were really rough this time around, but then I got a second wind after my first lap (it's a 3 mile course) and felt great for miles 3-6. Then I started feeling it pretty bad again from 7-8. And then.....DOWNPOUR! I had my first run through a ~~rainstorm~~ monsoon. It felt amazing. However....wet shoes are not fun to run in for 3 miles! So 8-11 I was dragging my heavy-arse shoes along 'squish squish squish squish' and my clothes were absolutely STUCK to my body! But man, it felt great to cool off in that rain. I felt so bad-ass! lol

Me, testing out my Wine & Dine gear,

about 5 minutes before the rain let loose on me!

At the very end, about 10.5 miles in, my right leg cramped up from my butt to my ankle. It hasn't bothered me since Sunday, so I'm thinking it was just exhaustion, cause believe me....I left everything I had out on that trail. I was pretty darn sore most of Sunday & Monday, and have a little lead-leg going on today, but other than that I don't think I'm too bad off for jumping back in the deep end from my 3 week hiatus.

Next week is my 12 miler, and last 'building run' until the 1/2 mary. I then go down to 9 miles, then 6 miles, then the 1/2 mary! (I'm trying not to call it a 'race', cause at this point it's a miracle for me to even finish it!)

I also found a new stride (I know I know...don't change things right before a big event, but I swear it came natural and it helped!) that I can't wait to try on my short runs this week. I'll tell you more details later in the week. :) (Hint - I picked it up after reading a RW article)

Weekly Wrap Up 8/29 - 9/4, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:03:00 +0000

Ok, so we're going to try something new here at Girl Running. If you head over to my new page HERE you'll see what it's all about. Now I'm just going to jump right in...

Weekly Wrap-Up 8/29-9/4, 2010

- What I'm Grateful For -

1) Bloggy Friends! Last Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with several Central FL running bloggers. Thanks to Robin at Running Circles Around the Turtles/Own Your Journey for organizing the meet up. I was in a bad spot with my running (see previous posts here, here, and here about my medical problems) and these ladies (and one guy!) really lifted me up out of my funk. I'm eternally grateful and can't wait for the next meet up!

2) Views like this from the Waldorf Astoria Orlando we stayed at last Saturday night:

3) Kind of good news from my doctor regarding my health and running!

4) The ability to cook delicious food like this Chicken Tikka Masala I made last night - I <3 Curry!

Yes, that is a picture of MY dish! Yummmmy

- What I'm Looking Forward To -
1) Most of the day off on Monday! I work a kennel shift in the PM, but it's only a few hours. (At my work we all take turns going in to take care of the pets boarding with us on holidays.)

2) A new week, a new menu! I love cooking new dishes and trying new recipes. Each week is a new adventure in the kitchen.

3) Sunday's paper - my friend Twiu has really gotten me in to couponing lately. Every trip to the store is like a game show challenge....what coupon combos can she think of next??


Not my best, but an average savings. :)

- Goals For The Week -
Running -

Push myself in one short run this week. Run at least 1 mile straight on road.

Personal -

Clean out my closet. (This sounds fun!)

- Long Term Goals -
Running - Able to run 3 miles continuously.
Personal - More at ease and organized in my life. (ie, more 'flow', less stress)

Verdict Is...

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:08:00 +0000

Ok, there is some good and some bad news. But over all, it is mostly good.

I am not done with doctors yet. I have an appointment with a cardiologist in two weeks for a 'walking blood pressure test' (ie - stress test). My doctor wants to get the 'all clear' from a specialist before he writes everything off as just something crappy I have to live with.

What we know for sure right now: I have an arrhythmia, and I tend to have palpitations. They suck, it makes me feel like poop, but it's not life threatening. He also said that he is 99% sure I'm having random drops in blood pressure that are causing my nausea and dizziness to occur so frequently. (This is the reason he wants me to see the cardiologist.)

Good news: I can run. Well, he wasn't jumping up and down shouting I'll be an Olympic marathoner, but before I left I made him answer me honestly: Can I Run? He said yes, but as soon as I get any symptoms I have to stop. He did say there is no reason I can't do the 1/2 marathon October 2nd. (tears of joy!!)

Bad news: I have to be extremely cautious with my running. The arrhythmia causes a shortage of oxygen to my muscles, making me weaker already. Running can make it worse since I'm depleting my oxygen, electrolyte, and potassium stores. Mix that with a random and sudden case of low blood pressure and I could become very light headed, possibly passing out. So I have to run with someone near me until I see how my body responds. This means going to the gym or hubster is going to get a lot of use on his bike. But luckily he has been riding along with me for my LRs anyways, so this isn't anything new for him. :)

I'm thrilled for what I think is good news. Yes, I have some limitations, and no, I won't ever be able to run through the hills of Mexico alone like Caballo Blanco, but....

I Can Run!

This whole experience has made me so much more appreciative of running. To have something almost taken away from you makes you realize just how much it means to you. Yes, most of the time the actual act of running sucks, and goodness knows how many times I've bitched and moaned that I didn't want to be out there doing it. But to be faced with not having the option at all, that is worse than any bad run I can imagine. So bring on the road, the sweat, and the tears. I'm ready to get back in training.

12 More Hours

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Well...this is it. The final count down.

Thank you all so so so much for your care and concern. I feel comforted knowing that I'm not alone, that an entire running community is behind me. I'm nervous, scared, a little apprehensive about tomorrow's appointment.

I'm trying to keep my mind positive. I mean hey, this could be a 'walking' blog if it were medically necessary right? You all wouldn't abandon me because I'm a walker I hope.

Thank goodness my appointment is in the morning. I couldn't wait 16 or 20 hours. No way.

I'll be back tomorrow to post any and all news I get, good or bad.

In the meantime...here is a pic of my two pets: Gizzy the dog and Tiger the cat...as you can see, they're close lol.

They always make me feel better. :)

Update: Still No Running

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:20:00 +0000

I went in for my echo tonight and the finding was that I do have pretty regular palpitations.

First off, that procedure was pretty painful. Having that little scope shoved up in my ribcage and breastbone was not pleasant at all. But I'm glad they did the procedure.

I go back Wednesday for a follow up with my doctor. I am keeping my fingers crossed for really good news. In the mean time I've been wearing my sad face. I know that all this isn't that serious for my health, but it could be serious for my running - and in all honesty....

that scares the shit out of me.

Taking the news as best I can...

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:07:00 +0000

Well, you can officially call me cyborg-MJ now. I'm currently sitting here hooked up to electrodes on my upper body, part of a holter monitor, as they send info into the little box clipped to my jeans. If I start to feel any symptoms I'm to push a little button on the box and also write down the symptom & time it occured.

Why am I doing this strange experiment?
For the last 3 weeks I've been feeling pretty odd. Dizziness, lightheaded, nausea, etc. I've continued my running as planned, since I don't really get the symptoms while training (except on my long runs, then I get a little light headed past 6 miles). I finally had enough when over the weekend in Ohio I had several bouts of nausea that were so strong I though I was really going to throw up.

I went to see my doctor today (he's my super-awesome-also-a-runner-FNP-but-I-still-call-him-doctor guy) and he did some blood work to rule out any level issues, an EKG, and a CT scan to rule out anything wrong with my head (ha!). The only thing that came back abnormal was the EKG, so that's the direction he went. After looking at the read-out and listening with his stethoscope, he determined I have a cardiac arrhythmia. At this time he believes my ventricles (the lower chambers that pump oxygenated blood back in to the body) aren't pumping at regular intervals and also aren't pumping together. This is causing my body to not receive the highest levels of oxygenated blood. It's not incredibly serious or life threatening, but it does give reason for all of the symptoms I've been having, and could have some effect....wait for it....

on my running. :(

As of right now I'm just on restriction until a few more tests are run and the results from the holter are reviewed. (I have to wear it until 12noon tomorrow) He wants to do an ultrasound on my carotid artery & heart to make sure there is no narrowing or blockage. If everything looks clear, and all that is wrong is the arrhythmia, then I am free to resume my running. However, I will always have a little more trouble with stamina due to the lower levels of oxygen in my blood. So it will always be a struggle for me, but I still want to be out there on the road!!

It's been pretty hard staying positive today. As most of you know I was supposed to run my first 10-mile training run this morning. I was super pumped about hitting double digits. But it didn't happen, and won't happen this weekend either. I'm out for at least a week. But I've re-arranged my training schedule, it just means one less week of tapering before the 1/2 mary on October 2nd. I kindly explained to my doctor that he MUST be a miracle worker and have me back up and running by next weekend or I'd trip him at the next 5k we ran together lol.

FYI - His second concern, once he finds out exactly what's going on, is to figure out why it became so bad suddenly in the last few weeks. I've had most of these symptoms on and off for a few years, but they just started occurring more frequently this month.

So please keep me in your thoughts, and keep your fingers crossed. I have a lot of running left in me, I want to be able to get out there and show the road what I've got.

Ohio/Cedar Point/Wedding Report

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:40:00 +0000

We're back from an amazing weekend in Ohio. Everything went very smooth getting up and back. We flew up on Friday, drove the 2 hours from Detroit over to Sandusky, OH and stayed at a very cute little B&B by the waterfront:

This was our first time staying at a B&B and I really liked it. There were three rooms for rent in the house and Hubster's family took up the whole place. It was us, his parents, and his brother & sister-in-law. We all get along great so it was fun having the whole family under one roof.

Friday evening we went over to Cedar Point and I rode Millenium Force and all the usual rides...including....wait for it.... Top Thrill Dragster!!

I'm in the second row back, closest to the camera. You can't see his face but my FIL rode it with me. Everyone else in the family chickened out!! We're talking the second tallest & fastest roller coaster in the world my friends! It was amazing!!! So glad we were the 'brave ones' and rode it. Of course we bragged about it for the entire trip. :)

Saturday morning my MIL, SIL & I went out for a nice short run along the waterfront. We took our time and ran along the docks overlooking Cedar Point. The weather was perfect and cool. We finished up 3 miles then walked over to a local farmer's market for some fresh fruit to have with breakfast. It was a lot of fun.

Saturday night the wedding went off without a hitch. It did rain, but that is a sign of good luck so we're not counting that as something bad. :) The reception was a lot of fun and my SIL & I definitely burned off a lot of calories dancing!

Hubster & I at the reception - taken on my phone to quality is crappy.

I'm glad to be home, not looking forward to work, and will miss the peacefulness (and amazing breakfasts) of the bed & breakfast we stayed at. But I have a 10 miler to look forward to Wednesday morning!!

O-H-I-Go!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:24:00 +0000

It's time for another adventure. We're headed to Ohio for a friend of the family's wedding. Very excited, I've never been to Ohio!

Plan to hit up Cedar Point while we're up there. (Hubster keeps going on about some ride called Millennium Force?? Hmmm) I'm packed and we're headed out the door.

Don't worry...I've got the essentials....

See you all in a few days! :)

Weekend Wrap Up: Race Report, Long Run, & Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:27:00 +0000

Finally here it is! (Hey, work gets in the way. Send me some $$ via paypal and we won't have this problem....kidding! maybe hehe)

Saturday was the Run for Rescues 5k to benefit our local animal shelter. I showed up early (ok, I showed up at 6:30a for what was supposed to be a 7:00a race according to the flier) so I offered to help set up for the vendors. After helping out for an hour, and noticing a lot of other runners wandering about aimlessly, I decided to just head to the starting line and wait. And wait......and wait. I think the race started at 8:30a. (my Garmin should have a watch feature!) It was hot, bright, and miserable out on the trail we ran. There were also a lot of dogs in this run (soo cute!) and they were all pretty miserable in the heat and on the hot paved trail. Lesson for the organizers next year: start on time. :)

It ended up being a pretty great run, adequate aid on the trail (for humans & dogs!) and I met a few awesome people.

One lady was running her first 5k ever. She'd been training since the beginning of the year and was excited to get an 'official' time. I told her she was lucky, no matter what time she finished she was guaranteed a PR! She shared with me that she was recently diagnosed with MS and doesn't know how long her body will allow her to do activities like running, so she is wanting to push it to find out all she is capable of, and to enjoy the sensation as long as she can. Wow...what an inspiration!

I also met a second woman, a little older than the first, who was running her first race since going into remission for breast cancer. She was an avid runner in her younger years, and during her chemo she would close her eyes and re-imagine all the races she had ran, step by step. It was her escape. Since finishing her treatments she started training to run again, she's now up to "running for a song, walking for a song" and proudly finished the 5k in 51 minutes. Before the race, she shared with me that during her runs, when she feels like it's getting 'tough', she thinks of the people she saw while getting chemo, the ones who will never run, the ones who can not breath. "I run for the people who can't breath" she said. It gave me chills and definitely teared me up.

During the run I thought about both of these women, and it really helped me push myself. It also helped that the first woman was right near me the whole run! When we got close to the finish line I let up a bit, waited for her to get beside me, and we ran it in together. She finished in 34:17, me in 34:20! I set a PR and she had a great first 5k finishing time! I hope I encouraged her as much as she encouraged me.

Me Post-Race

One of the many puppies there

(Note: I ran this 5k using the Galloway method in 2:1 run/walks. I finished ahead of a lot of people who were continuously running the whole distance - there's something to that Galloway method!)

Sunday morning I got up and headed out for my 9-mile long run. I still can't believe I finished this one. Things I learned on this LR:

You should not try to PR in a 5k and then run your longest distance ever the next day - your body will hate you!
Having both G2 & water as hydration options is a good idea.
Running is hardest in the First & Last mile - everything in between is easy-breezy.
My right hamstring is evil.
You should not make your spouse your coach - your exertion induced anger is not appreciated by them.
Every once in a while Florida has a 'nice' summer day.
Even 'Lassie' can be mean.
There is not a single part of your body that won't sweat - and somehow drip in your eyes.
Sometimes running doesn't give you energy, sometimes all you want to do is sleep for the rest of the day afterward - and that's exactly what I did!

I finished my LR with a pace of aprox 12:30. I feel great at that pace and am very excited for my upcoming half-mary!!

Wanna See Something Cool??

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Haha...thought you'd appreciate that. :)

Run for Rescues 5k tomorrow (benefits the local animal shelter)
And 9 miles on Sunday!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Monday Mish-Mash

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:21:00 +0000

First off, wow! Thank you for all the kind words and support you gave me for reaching 8 miles. This is why I love keeping a blog. Not just to look back on for myself, but to give and receive support from fellow runners/bloggers who know exactly how hard I've worked, how much I give, and how much it means to reach such a distance. You've all had your own little hand in helping me along the way. I can't believe how close my Half-Mary is getting, and I'll be thinking of you guys along the 13.1. :)

Second, whew what a day....I needed to end Monday with some of this....


Recipe HERE

And some of this....

yummmm

Have you ever noticed how strange the 'captcha's are when commenting on blogs?

Here's a list of some I've run into:

arnobs - as in 'those aren't boobs, those arnobs'

blimper -like 'lifer', but for very fat people

confulis - when confucius became confused, it was a state of 'confulis'

fakertsm - the practice of faking

homoo - a gay cow (soooo not PC...I know)

nymocunk - too dirty to explain

opoot - what you say when you fart

spron - tron's spawn

xygfeuck - again, too dirty to explain

And finally, my Favorite Running Song of the Week: 'Love the Way You Lie' by Rhianna & Eminem

Btw....did you know this is my 100th post???
Yay!!!