Exciting Stuff Is Happening!!

FINALLY feeling great! Got a new med and it's like a miracle...Discovering MIX1 at one of the half marathon expos was also a huge plus. I have one in the morning and another around 4pm and I feel more energetic. I plan on continuing that through out the summer.

Now that I feel "on track" no pun intended...I feel ready to take on the full marathon once again. I have a personal trainer!!!!!!! Heather Butcher who owns TriFitSports here in SW Florida has taken on the challenge of getting me to qualify for the ultimate goal of running Boston!!! I am very excited!!! I was talking with my husband one day about wanting to qualify and he said if I was seriously ready I should call Heather. I think I was sending her an email before he finished the words...lol. My husband's support has always been so important to me. This gift is amazing and I am so thankful for the opportunity. Without his confidence in me and his words of wisdom I don't know where I'd be. Love him!!!!!!!!

Marathon training won't start until Aug since I plan on running Space Coast in November, but after meeting with Heather, we decided to get a jump start with some speed training for the next 8 weeks. That gives me a chance to work on the nutrition part of training too. I'm really curious to see how fast I can get with this 8 week training. I'm getting ready to embrace the pain!

Finally broke the 26 min 5K barrier!!!

This is me at the finish line of the Lamarque 5K...notice the JOY on my face as I realize I came in at 25:37!!! I am still grinning like a dork and I don't care!!!!!

I ran it in my Vibrams. I love them! When I run in my regular shoes after the Vibrams I feel like I have wooden blocks on my feet. I'll be buying the New Balance minimals right off the belt in March. Hoping to run a half mary in either those or the Vibrams for the Sarasota First Watch Half Mary in March. So far I've done 6 miles in them with out any problems. Happy with that.

This weekend is "Kim and Kristi's Awesome Adventure". We have the Warrior Dash 5K
up in Lake Wales on Sunday and we are FIRED UP! There are mud puddles 2-3 feet deep, fire pits, logs and BEER! You get a hat with viking horns with your medal at the finish!! We'll get before/after pictures. We've been signed up for this for MONTHS!

Feb 27th is the Gasparilla Half in St Pete. Then March 13th is the Sarasota First Watch Half .
Sprinkle a few 5Ks in there. I'm looking for a 10K. I've never raced one. That's on my "to do" list!!

Still trying to figure out this colitis thing. Makes me crazy. Something that seems to work one day will knock me over 3 days later. If anyone reading this knows anything about running with colitis please feel free to give some tips. Doc said long distance doesn't usual go well with colitis but...what's "long distance" anyway??? Some people flip when I say I ran 3 miles...lol The trick will be finding fuel for long runs. It's been a hit or miss...

Happy running everyone!!!!!

Disney Half Jan 10, 2011

I ran this half with my Sole Sister Kristi. I think Disney has great events but I had sworn off doing their races after that Mini Mouse 15K a couple years ago. They're VERY crowded, expensive and too confusing getting to my car at the end. With the issues I've had I hesitate to spend big money on races I may not be able to do.

BUT (always a but) Kristi needed a relay partner for the Wine and Dine last Dec...I ran that as a freebee and then guess what??? Got another chance for a Disney freebee for the half! I was excited to run it with Kristi...even though she's as directionally challenged as me finding her way around...haha! We always have a great time. She's been an absolute God send...she keeps me positive when I'm not feeling well and have to stop.

Here's the not-so-good part. By the time we found out I'd be using this bib number it was too late to change the info...we had to start in corral "G" with the walkers. Please let me say that I think it's WONDERFUL to see anyone out there doing a half mary, I don't care how long it takes them. BUT (yep, another but) for someone who usually starts in corral "B" it was really tough getting through the crowds. I spent so much energy dodging people. Zig zagging, running on grassy slopes and getting cut off while people were stopping short for Disney character pics was frustrating. Some people were even holding hands while walking. I couldn't get through.

I tried speeding up when I saw a window but that was a disaster since I haven't quite figured out the nutrition part of running long distance with colitis. I crash and burn anywhere from 8 to 10 miles and this race had no exceptions. I should have gone out a little slower and paced better. There's a saying about hindsight...nuff said bout THAT.

Finished with out a PR. 2:23. I ran the last half on valuim with a 2:21...LOL...I did finish it. I will (try) not to complain. Kristi got a PR!!! 2:08!!!! Very proud (jealous, same thing) of her!! xxxooo
At the expo, I bought an MP3 player...it comes with a silicone arm band that snaps on like those snap bracelets the kids had years ago. It's hot pink (my color) and uses a mini chip. I have been unable to find this chip. They only had MICRO or REGULAR sizes, so irritating. I emailed the company and they're sending me the chip for free! NICE! I cannot wait to get it and try it out. If any of you have one of these, let me know what you think!!!

Christmas Eve!!!

WOW!! This year just FLEW by!! I can only wish I could run that fast! Ha!! The new year is just around the corner and I am SO ready! I have a renewed confidence in myself for meeting a few specific goals. #1 is qualifying for Boston, of course, but I plan on having fun along the way. Kristi and I are doing the Warrior Dash in January for starters. It's 3.25 mile obstacle course through mud puddles, tunnels and who knows what else!!! You get a hat with horns at the end!! Then it's back to serious distance training.

I've had a couple pain free runs and it feels great! Finally finding out what the problem has been is a relief. Finding foods I can eat to sustain long runs is the new battle. I am trying out a protein shake mix today to see how that goes. It's a whey powder...should be fine. One thing I can't do is the GU Chomps. BUMMER! I love those things! I don't know if it's the sugar or the caffeine (seriously???) I can drink coffee but chocolate hurts within 10 minutes. I can eat turkey just fine...too bad tryptofan makes you sleep!! (actually, it aids your body in making vit B...which is good for muscles!!!) Trial and error I guess! Maybe shedding a few lbs will add speed...I'm so lazy when it comes to speed work! UGH!

Gotta run (haha!) I have a few last minute Christmas things to do...I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends this weekend!!! Here's to a new year, new goals, new joys!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Running In SW Florida In December

It's freezing. Seriously. It's 32 degrees here this morning! There was a reason I never did any running when I lived in Massachusetts, and this temp is it. Luckily I can wait until this afternoon when it'll get to about 55 for my run, but I feel bad for my northern runner friends.

I have been running very regularly the last couple months. Had a few bad days but I found the PERFECT running partner and she's been so supportive on the tough days. I told her I was her box of chocolates since she never knows what she's gonna get with me...lol. Kristi and I trained together for a half mary in St Pete Nov 21st. We had a realistic goal for 2:09 but a hopeful goal closer to 2. Our long runs were strong and we were ready for this race!

1 week before the race, I had a doc appointment. He's a GI (gastro) specialist who does a test for stones in the bile ducts. When I got there he said it was not stones, he felt that I had a spastic colon. SEXY! Ugh...so he put me on a pro biotic and Librax to calm things down. For those of you who don't know what Librax is (and I didn't bother to question) it's a muscle relaxer and has some sedative qualities to it. You see where this is going, dontcha??? Within 3 hours the pain I've lived with for 5-6 years subsided. I was sooo happy!! It was a miracle!!! So I FAITHFULLY took it 3X a day right up to race day.

At mile 8 I felt sluggish and "weird". I had my fuel belt and was drinking Title Run (awesome stuff) so I was confused about why I seemed dehydrated. I kinda mentioned it to Kristi. By mile 10 I was hitting the wall. I was so shocked, I couldn't believe it. I told Kristi I needed to walk a minute. She refused to leave me (makes me cry). I knew I had to ditch her or I was going to screw up the race for both of us. As we came up on a crowd I ducked behind them. I saw Kristi trying to find me but I hid until she finally ran on. Then I could walk.

My legs were like lead jelly. It felt like I did when I hit the wall at mile 23 in that marathon a couple years ago! I walked and drank the rest of my bottles, I even stopped for water and Gatorade. I was able to start running again by 11.5...then I heard the crowd screaming around 12 miles. I took off, not fast but I was running. That finish line was so beautiful!! I heard Kristi screaming for me and I ran to find out her time. She did it in 2:09:22! I was soooo proud of her! We would have loved to finish it together but I can live off the joy of her finishing in our goal time very happily! WooHoo!

Fast forward to 2 days later with me at the doc for a recheck. I'd had a couple things happen I don't want to advertise here in blogland, but it prompted a colonoscopy. I know, it just gets sexier by the paragraph! But when I told the doc I'd just run a half mary...he's a runner too...he looked at me funny and said I basically ran that race on valuim. He would have told me not to take it a full 24 hours before a race of any kind, never mind a half mary. He couldn't believe I finished it. So now my 2:19 seems pretty flippin fabulous!!! LOL...it's a PR too, might I add. YAY!!

Ok, so colonoscopy was done last Thursday. We have a diagnosis after 6 years of BS. I have colitis and a spastic colon. No wonder I was dehydrated. And my weight goes up and down by 10 lbs constantly. Not to mention all the nutrients that weren't being absorbed. Sheesh. My guess at food allergies was pretty close, but by avoiding certain foods I never would have fixed it myself. The avoid list is a long one and it differs for everyone. Beer is out but it's worth feeling sooooo awesome! Chips (sigh), fried foods, salad, seeds and nuts are common trigger foods so I've been starting with those until I see my regular GI doc today.

I am so relieved to finally know what's going on. Running with colitis can be a challenge but HEY...I L-O-V-E a challenge. That's why I run.