Galloping Green Beans, Batman!

Things we do for a discount.

Thanksgiving 2005 saw Ted and I in Jenkintown for a holiday-themed 5K. Thanksgiving 2006 saw us at the same race--this time a bit more festive.

As Dave's gift for being inducted into the National Honor Society, Ted and I paid his entry fee into the Gobble Wobble 5K. This event served double-duty--not only did it give Dave a chance to run another 5K, but it provided Ted and I with the opportunity to serve Dave humble pie. This 5K was not a 30-person race where he was guaranteed to place. This 5K consisted of almost 500 runners on an anything-but-flat course. He still ran it in 23 minutes...but hardly was a threat to the winners, who were finishing in 16 minutes.

The entry form allowed for a 10% discount to groups of 3 or more, and promised prizes for the most creative group name and costume. The discount attracted us, and I told the boys we had to come up with a group name to get the discount. And it had to be creative. Nothing with a turkey--everyone does turkeys. This had to be different.

After much discussion and brainstorming, someone came up with Green Beans. And to make the running theme? The Galloping Green Beans.

Enter the costume contest. We will dress in green. We will dress in green and it will be obvious we are the Galloping Green Beans.

After it was all said and done, we ended up spending more on the green attire than we saved with the discount. We even had face paint (which came off fairly quickly into the run). I didn't account for rain, and had to wear a non-green hat, but I think that hardly mattered. We were one of the winners, and each received a chocolate turkey.

So I guess it was worth it. I didn't do too good--I think I was still in the half marathon mentality, where pacing is key. By the time the 5K was over, I was just getting started.

But we got a chocolate turkey. And that was worth the 10% discount.

Everyone else was...shall we say...green with envy?!?!

Three beautiful words...

I DID IT!!!!!

Which I'm thrilled to pieces about, considering Friday afternoon I figured I would die if I walked up a flight of steps, let alone run 13.1 miles. Saturday I felt better--my Friday night prayers had consisted of promises of not worrying about a goal time...I just wanted to finish the race and have fun doing it.

Saturday we went down to the Health Expo, and Ted and I were both thrilled to have the honor of meeting Sarah Reinertsen in the American Express VIP Tent. As Amazing Race fans, the event meant that much more, and I practically had to pull Ted away from all the questions he was asking her (but she was such a nice person). After collecting the race packet and browsing the expo, we headed back home. I felt pretty good--I guess being out and about helped, but I stopped at CVS and purchased nasal strips and the new cough strips to carry with me.

Sunday we were up at 5:30, and out the door at 6:00. Dave came along to cheer with Ted, and we got down and parked and up to the art museum with an hour to spare. I positioned myself back in the end of the pack, so it took me almost 10 minutes to get to the start. We didn't hear the start gun or anything, we just started moving.

Bottom line is I finished and had a great time doing it. My goal time always was 2:30, which I felt was generous. My chip time ended up being 2:32, which isn't bad considering 48 hours prior I was curled up in a ball on the couch and felt miserable.

Ted and Dave saw me off at the start, then met me at 30th Street and ran a few blocks with me before turning around and heading back. That meant a lot.

A few observations throughout the race:
1) Thank you to the two female marathon runners whose T-shirts read "26.2 miles--not as easy as your boyfriend was last night". A good laugh is helpful during the race.
2) Congratulations to the elderly man wearing the "50 State Marathon Club" shirt. I told him he was my hero.
3) It's amazing how Saturday night on South Street is still present at 9:00 Sunday morning--I think I got drunk from the smell of stale beer.
4) I never thought I would need body glide. Right now I have two red, raw, sore areas from the elastic on my sports bra that are yelling otherwise.
5) Thank you to the frat boys cheering along 34th Street (how I remember those frat houses). I cheered as I ran by, which made them cheer, and which made the elderly man next to me turn to his wife and say "I don't think they're cheering for us." But it's amazing how college boys look so much younger than they used to...
6) I was surprised at the lack of water tables from mile 10 out...maybe I just needed the water more, but I thought there would be more. Same with the people--if you are a spectator...go to West River Drive (Martin Luther King Drive) and cheer there...it was a very lonely and hard few miles.
7) The Finish Line caught me off guard. From the map I studied, I figured I'd run up by the art museum and back around the oval before finishing. So I wasn't expecting to continue in front of the art museum and do a hard U-turn to finish. I would have kicked it in sooner had I realized that.

I saw a lot of marathon runners opting to finish the half instead of the full--Congratulations to everyone who stuck it out and went on to Manayunk. I'm not sure I would have had the will-power if there was an end right in front of me.

The finish line wasn't as exciting as I thought it might be, either. I guess they wanted to move the "chip removal station" and medal distribution on down to minimize congestion in the shoot. I honestly wasn't sure the race was over--if racers weren't stopped in front of me, I may have kept running. But I'm honestly not quite sure why that was so confusing for me.

Anyway, so once I figured where the chip removals were, I took care of that, got my medal (bless her heart, she asked me if I finished the full or half, and I wanted to hug her for thinking I looked like someone who could have run a 2:30 marathon), and my foil blanket (which I was very, very thrilled and excited about--always wanted one of those), and met Ted. He gave me a hug--and I broke down in tears. He and Dave were both "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I just shook my head no and smiled...I was just tickled pink.

It's funny to think back to last year this time--I did the 8K. At that point, it was my longest race to date. And I felt like I had moved mountains. Now here I am, with a half marathon under my belt. And I enjoyed it, and I felt great (up until about mile 11--then I hit a wall and was very slow and had to stop many times and stretch to keep going). I felt a ton better than I did when I finished Broad Street (I chalk that up to shoes that were broken in and the gels, neither of which I had at Broad Street).

This really was my favorite race. Congratulations to everyone who ran yesterday--the marathon, the half, or the 8K. It is an accomplishment to do that, and you should be proud of yourself--regardless of the distance.

It's that Weekend

It's time. And who am I to say I must enter this marathon/half-marathon weekend with no drama and stress or anything happening to alter my race time?

Anything....like a head cold?

It started Wednesday night, as I was commenting to Ted that my toe-nail was feeling better. "It's not black--I think it's a keeper," I informed him. That was followed by "Boy my throat is kind of scratchy..."

Yesterday I had software partner meeting in the morning and took a sick day in the afternoon. It's a classic sinus and head cold, complete with the lovely post-nasal drip which I seem to get constantly. I am injecting myself with vitamin C in one arm, while the other is popping pills and throat drops. I feel tired and groggy...and terrified that I won't be better by Sunday morning.

I'm torn on what to do. If I feel like crap Sunday morning, running 13 miles won't make me feel better. But is it right to not even try it? Would I rather start and not finish than not start at all? I can't believe I'm even considering this option...I should plan on finishing it, and be happy with the finish line, regardless of the time. I very rarely get sick, and the timing on this one sucks.

On the up side, Good Luck to ShoreTurtle and Kivster who will be gracing the start (and finish) lines with their presence this weekend. The weather looks beautiful, and hopefully I won't be under it.

Cushioning a Toenail

I've never had a black toenail.

This rite of passage into the world of distance running has always escaped me, and I have spent years reading about the greats and comparing their first black toenails, a side effect of a strong distance run, wondering when my turn would come.

I sit here today with a sore toenail. It is not yet black. Because I do not know much about toenails, I don't know if it will become black or not. It started when Dave and I ran a 10-miler Saturday while Ted biked. He did very good, and we stayed side-by-side the entire run. Sunday I woke up a bit sore, and very irritated, wondering why I ever thought I would be able to run the half next Sunday. But my toenail is what really bothered me.

This morning I had a 5-mile run, and the toenail is still sore. If I touch it, it feels like a pin. When I walk, I have to be careful it doesn't hit any part of my shoe. I would kill for some flip-flops right now.

My biggest complaint is the timing. If this were a normal week, I'd take it easy until the toenail started to feel better. But should I forego my last one or two runs before Sunday to coddle my toe? Or do I just need to take a deep breath and push through the pain?

Normally, I'd be more excited about the possibility of joining the "Black Toenail Club". I've been waiting years for it. But I did NOT want one six days before my biggest race to date.

And it's not even black yet!!!! Advice!?

Miracle Pudding

Where have you been all my life!?!?

My run yesterday was not really considered a "long run". It was 8.5 miles, but two hills literally were steep enough to be considered "unnatural" for the human body to run up. I'm sure I resembled a penguin in certain stages going up those hills.

I had heard wonderful things about running gels. I had seen them used during Broad Street. But for some reason, I never got them. I don't know why--maybe I thought I wasn't enough of an "endurance" athlete to warrant their use? Like they were something you had to "earn"...kind of like you can't just sit around the house and drink Gatorade while watching TV...you actually have to earn the right to drink Gatorade.

But last Friday I caved and bought two gel packs. I had decided the half marathon on the 19th (which I am officially registered for...Go Maggie) did warrant their use, and I had better try them out before the race to make sure there weren't any catastrophic side effects to them. I took two--one at the 3.5 mile mark, and one at the 6.5 mile mark.

Ted came to get me at the end of the race (I ran to his mother's driveway, and he picked me up there). He actually was a little early and pulled up beside me with about a mile to go and a bottle of ice water. "You are looking good, that's a good trot!" he said, and I ran beside the car, telling him what wonder stuff the goo was and how I loved it and what did I EVER do before it??? I think I could have kept going. It was really amazing.

In fact, I'm really kind of surprised they aren't illegal....

Crap. In My. Belly.

I don't have a sweet tooth.

I can sit in front of a bowl of candy and be fine. It doesn't tempt me.

So why have I been doing nothing but stuffing my face for the past week with sugar? Candy corn. Sweet Tarts. Nerds. Chocolate. Twizzlers. Laffy Taffy. If it's there, I'm eating it. And I don't know why!!!

Besides causing extreme confusion, my sugar overload made my 5-mile run this morning not as exhilarating as it should have been. Sure, the 28-degree temperature could have played a role, but I think it's the lump of processed sugar trying to break down in my stomach. Here has been my daily routine all week:

AM: Come into work with my standard coffee (black with three Sweet-N-Lows...this has been my drink every day for years).
Mid-AM: After a piece of left-over Halloween candy from the admin's desk at work, I pull my cereal from the refrigerator for breakfast.
Late AM: Getting hungry. Lunch is in an hour and a half...what to do? Head over to the offices across the building where our CTO has stashed a whole bag of Willy Wonka delights.
Early Afternoon: Eat lunch, "treat" myself to a piece of chocolate for desert.
Mid-Afternoon: Feeling kind of blah. Sure could use a pick-me-up. Scrounge around the production department for left-overs...find the cookie jar.
Early Evening: Leaving for the day--but I have a 45-minute commute ahead of me. Better take a piece of candy for the road.
Evening: Time to make dinner. I'll eat a cookie while I bake.
8ish that Night: I now have a good, old-fashioned belly ache...the kind that you used to get when you were 10.
9ish that Night: The sugar has worn off. I crash. Hard.

This entire realization came to me last night as I ate a malted milk ball...then realized I didn't really remember opening the bag. I don't know why I eat this candy! Ted was always the sugar-person in the relationship. I leaned more towards carbs and salty snacks...Ted was thrilled with the candy. Now I'm giving him a run for his money. Or candy.

Today is my "NO MORE CANDY" day. Four days of binging is plenty. I brought in left-over packs of animal crackers from home to help curb those candy cravings when they hit (which have been every half hour or so). I have to do this not only for my physique, but my training. Because there is $70 that says I'm running the Philly Half, I might as well try my hardest and watch what I eat...and I'm sure Candy Corn is not on the training plan.