Post Marathon Blues

So, I ran a marathon.  I trained for 16 weeks, devoted countless hours to the road, gained a "family" of runners (and a few support folks), learned the ins and outs of hydration and fueling, experienced many of the not-so-attractive parts of running, showed up at the start line, ran 26.2 miles and finished.  The cherry on top was that I finished on my own two feet, upright, and lived to tell about it.  

I accomplished something that most people will never dream of; statistics say that only 0.5% to 1% of the population ever completes a marathon.  That's pretty crazy when you really think about it (or maybe it means that I'm crazy).  Nonetheless, the feeling when you finish is beyond words.  

Now that it is all over and done with, it feels like something is missing.  I feel kind of lost, without a lofty goal in mind, bored, and generally unmotivated. I could care less if I ever ran again, and find it difficult even to motivate myself to make it to the weekly Team Adrenaline workouts.  And from what the rest of the marathon crew reports, I'm not alone.  It's crazy to think that we went from a moment of greatness, to very little motivation at all.  Thinking of that in itself makes me even more depressed.

I was surprised to find out that feeling this way after a marathon is not uncommon.  In fact, if you Google the term "post-marathon blues" you actually come up with a plethora of articles.  Is it weird that the fact it has a name makes me feel a little better?  I know, I'm weird like that.

So after reading up on it quite a bit, I've come to the conclusion that I need a new goal.  Now my problem is deciding what goal to chase after.  Running faster or longer both come to mind.  A triathlon is something I've been thinking of as well.  My indecisive mind can't quite come to a conclusion yet, and any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Guess Who's Back!?

So the last time I was on here was February.  In the 9 months since I've been on here a lot could have happened:

• I could've gotten pregnant and had a baby.

• The average person could have grown about 4.5 inches of hair.

• I could've trained for and ran a marathon.

Only one of those things really happened, and no, I do not have two kids now.

Regardless of what could have happened in 9 months, the important thing is that now, I'm back! (cue Eminem)

I'm running low and sleep and laptop battery, but I can at least give you a brief run down of what I've been up to:

• Supervisor of Special Education Certificate - Finished!

• Tough Mudder Ohio - cold, wet, misery

• Vacay 2014 - Salvo, NC

• 40 Before 40 List - I actually crossed a few things off!

• Beast on the Bay - talk about improvement!

• M - 5 going on 15

• Marathon - I ran a marathon, that's right, 26.2 miles!

I'll get into more detail later, but wanted to announce my triumphant return to blogging (before something else caught my attention again).  Expect to hear more from me soon!

Enjoying the little things

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” ― Audrey Hepburn

It's been over a week since I last posted, and what a whirlwind of a week it has been. 

I had my three week checkup with the foot doctor and was told that I was cleared for activity again.  I made a point to get to Team Adrenaline that night, I couldn't wait to work out with everyone again.  I don't know which I missed more, the work outs or the people.

We had planned a run around Findley Lake and then a stop for ice cream.  I originally planned on riding my bike, but was thrilled to be able to run it.  I ran the entire 5+ miles and felt great.  That is when I made up my mind to still run the half marathon on the 16th.

I finally got into my classroom Wednesday and Thursday and started to sort through the mess of unpacking.  In a way, having to move my classroom for a year has been a blessing.  I've been able to clean out and go through things, a task I never would have gotten to otherwise.  Even though it is work, I don't really mind it. 

I participated in a Zumbathon Thursday, two hours of Zumba with some great friends.  And Saturday we worked out at the beach to get ready for the Beast.

To say I looked forward to getting back into things would be putting it mildly.

With Tim enjoying a little time off, we've also been spending a lot of time as a family.  We made good use of his birthday gift and roasted marshmallows.

The biggest event in our house this week was M's birthday.  I still can't believe that my baby is 4!  I never believed people when they talked about how fast kids grow until I had one of my own. 

We got M the bike she had been begging for.  Her tricycle was getting a little too small for her to really enjoy it.

She is still getting used to riding her big girl bike.  So far we've only had one major crash, straight into the pine tree.  We've even made it around the block once! 

We had M's birthday party at Claytopia this year.  As much as I loved planning the big parties in the past, this party was probably one of my favorites.  It was easy, which is always nice, but still a lot of fun. 

 

 We actually had more trouble with the adult table than the kids.  Leave it to my mom and my aunt: dumping water, spilling paint

 

After, we had one tired birthday girl.

The week was capped off with a picnic with some of my Team Adrenaline friends.  There were turkeys:

 

And minion cupcakes....

 

 

And of course, there were shenanigans.

 

 

Overall this week helped me to appreciate the little things in life.  Good friends, a happy family, the ability to move without a boot again. With the beginning of school creeping closer and closer, it is my plan to enjoy these little things as much as possible before my time is again devoted to lesson planning and IEP writing.  





Challenges

"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict." - William Ellery Channing

I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach walking into the doctor's office.  That feeling of impending doom that something bad was about to happen.  The pain in my foot had gotten progressively in the last three weeks; so bad, that after a short 3 mile run Monday morning I could put no pressure on it at all.  I had known something was wrong, and I ignored the problem until I no longer could.

The X-rays confirmed what I was already sensing was wrong.  A stress fracture.

As relieved as I was to learn this was not all in my head, it was a huge blow.  Six to eight weeks in an air cast.  No running.  As the doctor sat and explained everything to me I went numb.  Thank goodness he gave me a packet with all the information, because I honestly heard nothing for the last portion of my appointment.

I held it together in the office, just shook my head and promised to come back for a follow up in three weeks.  Then, with my brand new fashionable footwear, I hobbled out the door.

It wasn't until I got home that I fell apart.  Thank goodness for Tim.  He kept calm and reassured me I was going to be fine.  Still, all I could think was that all my hard work of the past several months was about to be reversed. 

The first place I wanted to go was the TA workout I would be missing.  I felt the need to tell them in person.  Then it was on to my parents (they had air conditioning and this stupid boot is hot!).

As a couple hours went by I calmed down.  This isn't as bad as it could be, and I'm not down for the count.  I'm just going to have to change what I'm doing.  I was really bummed that I won't be able to run in the 5k while on vacation next week (love running in new places) or the Half Marathon in August (what I've been training for).  Still, if all goes well I should be able to get back to training before the Beast on the Bay, and although I won't be at my best, I can still participate.  After going through two months of change for Challenge Erie I should be a pro by now, but the thought is scary. 

So now it's time to change things up a bit.  Instead of running, I'm going to try some other forms of exercise.  I found a great deep-water running plan written for runners with injuries.  Plus, I've been saying I want to get back into swimming.  I can still bike and a friend even suggested trying rowing.  I can still work on my abs and arms.  Luckily I have some amazing support through my friends.

Just What I Needed

“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”  ― Roald Dahl

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not typically a morning person.  I can sleep till noon with the best of them.  However I have noticed that with the recent heat and humidity of summer finally arriving, waiting until the afternoon to get my workout in only left me hot, tired, and drenched in sweat.  Because of this, I wasn't getting my entire workout in.  Instead, I would do what I could, and then retreat to the cooler recesses of my basement to recover.  So, when it was suggested we run in the morning, I was intrigued (although not quite excited).

I've spoken before of the amount of peer pressure that has played into my running and exercise habits.  Groups are frequently getting together to complete different runs or workouts.  Pictures and comments are always posted, and you don't want to be the person left out.  I will admit, this was part of my motivation for waking up this morning at 5:30 to go run.

Once I got up and enjoyed the sunrise, it really wasn't so bad.  I was tired, but I would live.  I had a good feeling about this run, and I was looking forward to some new scenery.  I decided to stay positive, even if I really wanted to climb back into bed.

For breakfast, I kept it light.  I had eaten a lot the night before and was still feeling the after effects of my new obsession with Salt & Pepper potato chips.  I grabbed a banana and decided to try out some coconut water before the run.  My hopes were that this combo would help curb the nausea I still tend to experience after longer runs.  I had never had coconut water before, I can't say that I will ever willingly have it again.  It just wasn't for me (although I didn't get sick after running!).  With that, I was off. 

I was meeting a group of people to run around Findley Lake.  To get in some mileage we would be running around the lake twice, for a total of just over 10 miles.  Being so early in the morning, it was still cool enough that I could enjoy the run and not focus all my attention on wiping sweat out of my eyes.

The run, for the most part, felt great.  I did, however, have some issues with my left ankle and knee that kept me from finishing as strong as I would have liked.  I'm hoping that it was just a combination of less training than normal and the terrain, although I'll be keeping an eye on how they feel tomorrow.

This one is for you Eloise!  Thanks for finding my "good side"!

As always, it was the wonderful group of people that helped to make this run what it was.  I can say that there are very few people who can get me out of bed, much less exercising, before noon.  With such a positive atmosphere, it's hard not to feel good about getting out and moving on an early Sunday morning.  I will say it is something I'd be willing to try again.  The mood was contagious and spread throughout my day.

So I just wanted to say thanks ladies (and CJ), let's do it again some time!

Nauseous and Tingly

"I was nauseous and tingly all over.  I was either in love or I had small pox."- Woody Allen

That about sums up my experiences after the long runs I have been completing.  True, I'm still madly in love with my husband, but after a long run seems like an awkward time for that to surface.  And I can assure you, I do not have small pox (I just had my physical, figured they would have caught it there).

One problem that has plagued me after each distance run I've done has been an overwhelming sense of nausea I get about 10-15 minutes after finishing.  I first noticed it after the first wine run I participated in.  First comes the nausea, then my fingers and toes get a little tingly and numb.  Since then, I've noticed that it only happens after I've run over 6ish miles.

This past wine run was by far the worst, leaving me in the back of a van on the ride home contemplating whether I could use the bag from my wine as a barf bag.  It was also at this time I realized I wasn't the only one with this problem, as a few of the other girls reported a similar feeling.  I decided it was time to get educated on why running made me want to puke.

Looking into there could be a variety of reasons for why I felt so green after running.  The obvious was dehydration.  I ruled this out pretty quickly, noting that we stop for periodic water breaks and I make sure to hydrate before and after my run.  I also make sure that I eat a bit an hour before the run, making sure my body has enough fuel to get through the run.

The one thing that did strike me as a possible cause would be an electrolyte imbalance.  When I run, I make sure to hydrate, thus replacing the water that I am losing through sweat.  What doesn't get replaced is the salt that I'm losing through sweat.  When this happens, it creates an imbalance in my electrolytes which could lead to nausea during or after the run.  Seeing as I'm now running about 2 hours at a time during my long runs, this is a definite posisbility.

So what do I do?  The one suggestion that seemed most plausible would be to drink a sports drink like Gatorade instead of water while running.  These types of drinks help to provide additional electrolytes to replace the ones that I am losing.  I've decided that I'll try this first before persuing any other options. 

So although the nauseous, tingly, feeling could signal love or small pox (thanks Mr. Allen!), in my case, I'm thinking a lack of electrolytes seems like more of a likely culprit.

Want to know more?  Here are some decent articles I found on the topic:
Livestrong: What causes a nauseous feeling after running?
Military.com: Nausea during workout
RunningAHEAD Forum: Nausea after running

Adventure #7: Finishing the sign

Bob Dylan once said "Behind every beautiful thing, there's some kind of pain."  This weekend's adventure really helped to show me how true that really was.

This weekend's run was the last run in the series of wine runs organized by a friend of mine.  I missed the first two, but have been on the last few, and plan on completing the two missed runs within the next few weeks.  This week's run, the longest of all, was daunting.  According to the sign, it was to be 10.8 miles, we had already learned that sign had a tendency to be a bit off, so I knew it would be over 11.  Up until this point, my longest run was last week at about 10.3 miles.

We couldn't have asked for better weather.  It was gorgeous!  Sunny, a slight wind (which felt like 30 mph gusts by the end), and warm enough that people were comfortable in tank tops, but not sweltering.  I was also pretty excited because the more I have gotten to know the people that I was running with, the more I liked them.  All signs were pointing to a great run.

As we got started, I was surprised at how good I felt.  Knowing it was going to be a long one, I decided to stay back from the leaders, and keep a slower but steady pace.  Reaching the first water stop, I was surprised at how good I was feeling!

Between the two water stops, there were about 5 or 6 miles.  It seemed like 100!  It was just one long, straight road, but luckily the girls around me kept up some great conversation.  By the time we hit the second water stop, I could feel my legs tightening up quite a bit and my feet were starting to get sore.

Stopping for water a second time was probably a mistake.  Once I stopped, I started to feel how sore I really was.  I'll definitely remember this for next time!  Once we left the second water stop is where things got tough for me.  I was heading into the unknown territory of 10+ miles, and my body was screaming at me, "What the heck are you doing!" 

Through all the discomfort and pain, the one thing that kept me going were the two wonderful ladies who stuck with me.  They were beyond fantastic, reminding me to breathe, providing positive words, and helping me to make it through the last push.  In fact, by the final 50 yards, I was sprinting as hard as I could!  The feeling of reaching that parking lot was unlike any that I had during the past wine runs.  I had just done something that I never imagined I could do.  I was tired, and quite sore, but also flooded with a feeling of accomplishment.

As we headed into the winery to taste, you could tell I wasn't the only one feeling a little discomfort.  As soon as you entered the winery, you went down a flight of stairs, which we all took very slowly and strategically.  The winery itself was gorgeous, making the run even more worth it!

In all, we ended up running 11.7 miles.  It was tough, but proved to me that the half marathon I signed up for in August is not far out of reach.  Along with an incredible sense of accomplishment, I also walked away with two bottles of wine and one of the coolest tan lines ever!  In the end, it was worth the bit of pain that came along with it.

Adventure #6: Running in the Rain

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."  This past week has truly tested my dancing limits, as I have encountered more and stronger storms.  Between issues with coworkers, trying to balance grad school on top of work and home, some unpleaseant medical news, getting ready for several big events in May, end of year hecticness at school, and trying to still be an attentive wife and mother, this week left me exhausted.  By the end of the week, I had to make time to sit back and recognize that a lot of things I could not change, and I needed to make the best of things.

Throughout the week, my Wine-Running friends had started chattering about the next winery up on the sign.  According to the sign, it was 10 miles, but I knew that avoiding major roads it would end up being longer.  My last wine run had claimed the prize of being my longest run at 8.8 miles.  Could I do 10 miles?  I figured the only way I would find out would be to try.  I knew that with such a great group of people surrounding me I was in the best possible scenario: either they would cheer me through it, or support me if I couldn't make it.  Plus, after the long week I had, I needed a good run.

Going into the run, we all knew the forcast wasn't fantastic, rain was headed our way.  I figured, it's time to "dance in the rain."  Sure enough, within the first few miles of our run, droplets started falling.  However, instead of focusing on the rain, I was focusing on the thrill of running and the awesome company.

What made this run even more fun was that at different points along the way we picked up people, some people left, and overall the run had a very relaxed feel.  I didn't feel any pressure to be first or run with the pack leaders.  I was free to run at a pace that was comfortable for me, and with every step a little more of my stress washed away (with the sweat that the rain also helped rinse away!).

Around mile 8 I started truly questioning what I was doing out there.  My feet were tired, my knees were aching a bit, and I had a killer cramp in my left shoulder.  Seriously, who gets a shoulder cramp from running?  This girl.  Still, I knew that one way or another, I had to keep going.  Luckily, it was just about that time that some great support came in a fellow wine-runner.  Conversation is a great "I wanna quit" killer.

As we turned the corner to head to the winery, "the home stretch," I tried to speed up, but found that I was pretty tapped out.  It seemed like I was chasing that building forever, but finally I was there. 

As I ran into the parking lot, the only thing on my mind was the fact that I had done something I never imagined I could do.  I no longer cared about the drama at work, the things that needed done, or any of the other worries that filled my head earlier in the day.  The run had helped to clear my head.  During the run I danced in the rain, and what's better is I didn't have to do it alone.

Mister Blister

If you recall, I had quite the unpleasant souvenir from our run down the Bayfront.

This wasn't just any ol' blister, this thing was massive and quite painful.  A mixture of short socks and new shoes proved to be quite detrimental to my efforts.  Shoes with any type of back were out of the question.  I needed to find a solution or it was couchville for me.

 I tried normal Band-Aids, they lasted maybe an hour at most.  My sweaty feet needed something with a little more oomph.  So I upgraded, Sports Band-Aids.  They lasted maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, and left a big ugly sticky spot around the edge.  It was time to turn to the big guns.

That's when I found these wonderful things.  I was skeptical at first, but after going for a run and having no problems at all, I'm sold!  True, they were a bit expensive, but after a week, my blistered feet are feeling so much better and I haven't had to skip a run.  Because I'm prone to blisters, these will definitely become a mainstay in my gym bag!