Taper time

Well dear friends, I am halfway through my taper time. For you non-distance runners out there, the taper is the time 2-3 weeks out from the marathon our mileage is severely cut back to rest up for race day. In the peak weeks of my training (before the 20 miler), I built up a lot of endurance and depleted a lot of my energy stores. This time is used for my body to repair itself, build up my glycogen stores, and mentally prepare for the race. The point is to rest, but not too much. This figure from another running blog shows visually how tapering can help your body for race day. 

Taper!! From runningnut dot com

I've heard many stories or people getting through their taper, enjoying their taper, and making themselves crazy during their taper. Having built up to our peak mileage, having to cut back leaves people with a lot of antsy energy. I've fallen into each of these categories at some point!

My body is definitely enjoying the break from the high weekly miles, maybe a little too much. I've been feeling a little under the weather the last few days, so I'm hoping I get all of this out of my system before race day. I have been drinking lots of Emergen-C, hot tea, Gatorade, and water, and getting lots of rest. I admit that every tiny twinge I feel freaks me out, but overall I'm feeling pretty good. I just need to maintain the same level of focus I have been for the final home stretch. The most important thing for me to do is follow the training plan and stay consistent. No use trying to work on speed, throw in a little extra mileage, or do an extra work out. You can't cram for a marathon, the hard work is done and behind me.

Tomorrow is our last group long run (6 miles...I remember when that was our long run in the beginning!) before the race. After that, there are a handful of 4 mile runs and then finally RACE DAY! In the next week I will be posting more information on the race, where you can spectate on the course, how to track me during the race. Another tip from the panel I attended last week was to go through your old training logs, so that you can remember how far you've come. Keep your eyes out for more to come!

I apologize in advance to anyone and everyone I speak to in the next nine days because I will not SHUT UP about the marathon. I will be obsessing about weather reports, what I'm wearing, a minor muscle ache in my quad, hydration, eating. Just remind me to stay excited and enjoy myself. I'll thank you later. 

Race day checklist

Because I'm a Type A personality (you knew that, right?) I have attended no less than 1 seminar on the marathon, received a checklist from my trainer, talked to every marathoner I know, and read countless articles to better prepare myself for marathon day. There's a Plan A and a Plan B in the works. Because, you know, you have to be prepared and then be ready for not being prepared. I'm notorious for forgetting my phone, wallet, keys, race bibs, grocery list, etc, so this is why I like to make lists so I hopefully don't forget any of these things. 

My race day list includes many things, including all of my hydration needs, race bib, watch, body glide, wallet, clothes to change into for the post-race party, compression socks, etc. But most importantly is what I'm going to wear for the race. It's hard enough to pick what to wear every day, but try picking out what you want to wear for your first marathon! There's a lot of trial and error that went into finding the perfect long distance running clothing, at least for me. I've got to find something that's comfortable and gets the job done, whatever job that may be, without chafing, riding up, etc. From the top down, hats, shirts, shorts, socks, and shoes, any bad item can make for a frustrating run. 

Top: You may remember I posted about my favorite tanks earlier this summer. Well I've got some runners up now to choose from, one from Moving Comfort and one from Athleta. They both have really great support up top, fit very well, and have pockets. Of course, the snag is that it's recently been a little bit colder and who knows what the weather will be like on race day, so a tank top might not do it, especially if on race day I have to mill about at the start line for an hour. People usually recommend wearing a junky t-shirt or getting tube socks and cutting off the feet to make armwarmers so you can just take them off and chuck them after you're warmed up, so I might do that. 

Bottoms: I have a favorite pair of Adidas running capris that I've worn for many races, but they don't have any pockets (which is why I love tanks with pockets!)

Head: Some people go the sunglasses route, and others hats/visors. I still have never tried sunglasses, so I'll just stick to hats. I really like wearing my Red Sox hat at races (as evidenced by the sweat rings it now has), but it gets too hot during the long distances to be practical. I've been sporting a black visor, that's probably what I'll wear on race day. I will also put my name on my visor, on bright pink duct tape, because one tip I've heard from so many people is to have your name visible so people can cheer you on. 

Socks: My favorites are Balegas. I've never had a blister (knock on wood) and their short socks have a little tab the protect my heel from chafing. They're about $10 a pair but worth every penny. 

Shoes: The newer of my 2 pairs of shoes are the Saucony's that I posted about a few weeks ago. Unless I feel any pain, they'll be my goto for the race. 

Not so coincidentally, this is the outfit I wore for my last half marathon! So if you're looking to cheer me on during the race, look for a lady dressed like this, except her bib # will be 50108. Also be nice to her and remind her to smile because she's going twice as far as she did that day:

Marathon veterans, anything else I'm forgetting?

No one likes a Negative Nancy

So this weekend, I finished my longest training run, 20 miles! A lot of people from our team turned out, it was pretty inspiring. We did a loop that went south, then back, then north, then back, so we end up passing by teammates multiple times on the course. I liked that. Also, spending 4 hours alone with my thoughts was something, and I think I really turned a corner after this run, and am filled with confidence that I can run the marathon. Here's some of what I focused on or learned this run:

I can run it alone.
For the last few runs I have been going with a buddy, which made the time go much faster, but she is actually must faster than me so this weekend she went with a faster group and I was by myself. On race day I have to be by myself, so I was glad to have the practice and be able to be my own motivator. Before she came along I was doing a lot of walking still, so I'm glad to have gotten through this one without walking. 

I don't have to be fast. 
For the first few miles I could see the faster pack in front of me and struggled to keep up. Then finally, I just let them go. I know they're faster than me. I know it. I just stopped caring. I have to run at the pace that I know I can, and stop trying to constantly catch up with people I can't hang with. There will always be people faster than me, and I'm not out to beat anyone, I just want to finish. As long as they don't shuffle me off the course and I finish on my own 2 feet, I will consider it a success.

I can finish. And maybe do better than I think. 
For some reason, every time I did the math for my projected finish time in the marathon, I would always round up--by a lot. I'm not sure if it's because I wanted a goal I knew I could break, or if I just expected myself to fall apart and do a lot of walking. I put myself in the last corral, without even doing the math, even though I probably belong in the one before that. Finally, after running 20 miles, I actually feel like I can finish without falling apart. 

Focus on Form
One of our trainers really resonates with me, and he gave us a few tips before the run. He talked about our posture, form, and staying positive. I forgot half of his tips, but the one on form really stuck with me, and I would pick it up whenever I got tired. When you're running, your arms should be going straight front and back, not across your chest. When I'm tired, I tend to get poor form, slump over, and drag my arms across my chest. So I would focus on my form when I knew I was tired, it helped me get through some rough patches. 

SMILE
I think the trainer's best tip was to SMILE! Having a positive attitude is so important. The camaraderie on the lakefront path on Saturday was awesome, so many people were out there running their 20 milers. It really does change your attitude to see so many smiles rather than exhausted faces. At my last half marathon, I tried to have a really fun race, smile for all the cameras, and give the thumbs up as much as possible. Maybe it's no coincidence that I had a great race! 

I am my biggest believer
It is finally dawning on me just how mental distance running is. You may remember my post about the little devil on my shoulder. Well, there is no room for him any more. I can do this, and I just may surprise myself how well I do it. It's funny when people would ask me how my last half marathon went I would say, "Great!" but when they asked me about my time, I would say, "Well I'm really slow, so just under 2:30." I don't know why I feel the need to tell everyone I'm slow, finishing a half marathon is a huge accomplishment! No need to front load with an apology. I have to be my biggest cheerleader. 

When I got back from my run, the trainer said, "You did it! How did it feel?" And without warning, I started to cry. Because it went well. And this was the first time I actually felt it and now I believe it. I can actually do this, I am going to run the marathon.  

To my biggest supporter: Tim

I know Tim loves it when I mention him in my blog, so Tim here's a whole post just about you!

They say behind every successful man is a strong woman, or something like that, but behind this strong woman is a supportive man: Tim. You are the best. 

Tim was the first person I asked back in May if running the marathon was a good idea or not. His response: "Why the hell not!" Not sure either of us knew what we were signing up for, but it's been a long journey. Just like me, Tim has lost his leisurely weekends. He's also gained a grumpy, tired, and often hungry fiancée and a Saturday 5am wakeup call. We joke that Tim is my athletic supporter, but he really is. He has come almost all of my races since we've been together, holding my bag, taking pictures, coming out onto the course to see me, waiting around for anywhere between 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, listening to me decrompress afterwards, and of course on many occasions, sharing celebratory brunch. He is who I look forward to seeing at the finish line, and it always makes me smile. I am very excited that he will be there to cheer me on during the marathon. The course even goes by the site of our first date! I will be very thankful to see him, my parents, and other familiar faces on the course. 

He has also been incredibly encouraging during training. He adds another layer of accountability for me when I tell him the game plan for the day. Tim is a great cook and loves to do it; it's nice to come home to a prepared meal, especially since I haven't felt much like cooking lately. He gets the pot of hot coffee ready on my way home from my long runs, so I can jump into the ice bath as soon as I get home. And of course he listens to me because I probably don't shut up about all of this, since it has consumed my life.  

On a few occasions, Tim has even run with me. Those times mean so much to me, especially since I know he hates it.  I try to make sure I only ask him to do fun races or things important to me, like the Terrapin 5K earlier this summer for my birthday or the Run Like an Antelope race in Memory of my sister Megan. He even let me sign us up for the Santa Hustle 5K in December--they give you a Santa shirt, beard and hat!

Tim and I at the Ravenswood Run

Tim has had to go along with a lot of my crazy ideas, and I love and appreciate him for that. A good sport doesn't even begin to describe him. He is truly a great partner, on top of being a good listener, caretaker, and my personal chef. He has been there so much for me in the past few years, I can't imagine how it must feel on his end to be asked for so much. Relationships are about give and take, and we've both had our share on either side of the equation, but lately I've been the taker. I ask him to take care of my blind cat while I'm away and I drag him (a true blue Yankees fan) to Fenway Park every April. He has met everyone in my huge family and bonded with many of them over good food and brews. It always made me so happy whenever I heard him joking around or laughing with Mom, Billy, Dad, Rusty and Megan, I know he fits in! He was supportive of me when I decided to get tested for the BRCA genetic mutation, listened as I weighed the options for having a mastectomy, was by my side at my sister's funeral, sat in the waiting room for hours with my Mom when I had my double mastectomy, again when I had my reconstruction, and listened to me whine about the tissue expanders in the meantime. I feel like I have asked a lot of him, but he's been there every time.

I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. He's my perfect fit. Here's to a long and healthy rest of our lives together!

Race Report: Chicago Half Marathon

This Sunday I ran the Chicago Half Marathon with a time of 2:26:26. Overall this felt like a really good race, I ran the first 5-6 miles much faster than I've been training lately, and my pace was better than my recent long runs. I still see room for improvement (you know, when I'm not training for a full marathon...) but I was very pleased with the results. The weather was perfect, cool, breezy, and a bit sunny. The race course was also great--most of the race was on Lakeshore Drive, the volunteers were great, and there were plenty of spectators lining the course. And I love having my name on my bib, plenty of people out there encouraging me by name!

Rant time: Unfortunately, I was almost late to the start. We bought tickets for a race shuttle, still requiring us to wake up at 4:30 to get there for 5:30. (Tim is so awesome, by the way, for doing this.) They didn't send enough shuttle buses the first time around, so we waited for the next round. Well...the next round didn't come for at least another forty five minutes. We boarded and from the chatter on the bus radio is was clear there was chaos, none of the drivers knew what was going on and how to get us to the race because of the race street closures. So our driver parked about a half mile out and said "Want to get out here?" At this point we got out because goodness knows if we ever would have gotten there otherwise. I got the start just on time, with no time to warm up or stretch. I was a little angry, but at least I didn't miss the start. I do wish that the shuttle service was more organized, not only because we paid for it, but because the race organizers encouraged taking the shuttles and public transportation, and they provided the service, you'd think the service would get you to the start on time. Rant over, I hope they work out these kinks for next year. Because otherwise, it was a great race. 

Made it to the start line.

Finisher!

At the beginning of this year I never dreamed I would be training for a marathon, let alone run 2 half marathons in the process! And thanks again to Tim for getting up at 4:30am to cheer me on. He's a good egg, huh?

One month left!!

The Chicago Marathon is in 1 month. 

How did we get here?? Well, four months of hard work, that's the first answer. But with one left to go, the race is clearly in sight. With every long run I get more and more confidence that I can actually do this. I just have to stay focused and keep training, and get excited. I admit, I'm getting really tired of the long runs, and am starting to count how many more times I have to wake up at 5am on Saturdays/Sundays (down to 5, I can count them on one hand!), and since we're in our peak weeks, I'm pretty tired a lot. Although my back doesn't hurt much anymore (I really only feel it sometimes when I'm exercising or get up from bed), I'm still getting the usual aches and pains. The end is in sight though!

This weekend instead of my usual long run with the team (18 miles), I am running the Chicago Half Marathon. Initially I was a little nervous about running 13 rather than 18, but one of my trainers told me to just run my race, don't worry about adding mileage, and don't slack off. Kind of funny that a 13 mile run seems like a breather from the 18 my team will be doing! The forecast for Sunday looks like it's in the low 70's and sunny (hooray!) so I'm looking forward to a good race to get me back on track, and kickstart me into the home stretch. 

Also, I'm going to keep in mind the following tips from an article in Runner's World for half marathon and marathon training tips. You can't cram for a marathon, so now is the time to be consistent.

And in the meantime, enjoy this video to get you pumped up for the marathon: 

26 Donors for 26 Miles

As my training is ramping up for the final push (we are in our "peak" three weeks), our team fundraising is also ramping up. I'm almost at my fundraising goal for Bright Pink, and as a way to push me over the top I'm going to have my 26 miles "sponsored" by my donors (I stole this idea from one of my training mates, can't claim credit!). For me, this is a way to both thank you for your generosity, and to inspire me when I need a little something extra on the course.

The idea is that I will get 26 donors and I will dedicate a mile to each donor. I'm either going to memorize the list or laminate a little card (in my experience ink runs when wet with sweat!) to carry with me during the race. Before the marathon I'll also write up a little bit about each sponsored mile. So far this is what the list looks like:

Mile 1: Laura Amodeo
Mile 2: Sue Milkman
Mile 3: Ed Medeiros
Mile 4: Mom & Billy
Mile 5: Terri Sacco
Mile 6: Beth Martin & Al Sarrantonio
Mile 7: Thayer Preece
Mile 8: Tim
Mile 9: Erin Walker
Mile 10: Lisa Freeman
Mile 11: Maureen & Bill Chace
Mile 12: Jen Golenia
Mile 13: In Memory of Megan 
Mile 14: Jen Chin
Mile 15: Kate Carr
Mile 16: Maura Chace
Mile 17: Tofer Carlson
Mile 18: Steve Nazaran
Mile 19: The Cirillos
Mile 20: James Camara
Mile 21: John & Judy Lally
Mile 22: Noelle Miller
Mile 23: Marianne Montgomery
Mile 24: Madeline Sola
Mile 25: Mike & Lucy Warenski
Mile 26: Adam Epstein

And the last 0.2 will be my personal donation which is the change I've been collecting at my desk at work, as I (hopefully) SPRINT to the finish line!

I might shuffle people around, but you get the basic idea. Want in?? There's a few more spots left! 

As always, thanks for reading and thank you for your support!

**UPDATE: THANK YOU!!! All of my miles are sponsored!! You can still donate on my fundraising page here and I promise I won't forget about you during the race!

Hi Megan

Hi Megan:

I miss you so much. There's almost no way to describe it. It feels like the last time I saw you was yesterday, but also so long ago because so much has happened since then. I wish every day I could talk with you, and about nothing and about everything, but I have to settle for my memories and one-sided conversations. My biggest regret is not saying everything I wanted to all the time and during the last times I spent with you, so better late than never. 

First of all, I finally did something I'm sure you would be happy about, I had a mastectomy. I know your own journey to mastectomy was a tough one and we talked about that a lot, I'm certain you agreed that it was the right choice for me. After you passed away I read through all of your breastcancer.org posts and talked to our friends and I realized this was one thing you hoped for, that I took all of this more seriously and took care of myself. So I did. Thank you! I wish I could have learned the lesson any other way, but I still learned it. Mom and Tim were a great help to me while I recovered. It's really not so bad, all things considered (except those damn drains!). I just had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Kahn yesterday. Everything looks good and next up is entering the screening program for ovarian cancer detection.

I also signed up for the Chicago Marathon. Crazy, right? I can't believe it. I didn't really start running until the time Mom, Billy, and I watched you and Rusty at the 5K in Somerville, and then you all came to Chicago and we ran in the zoo. Now I'm doing this! I kind of can't believe it. I ran 16 miles today, and the marathon is in 5 weeks, right before your birthday. Mom and Billy are coming out, I'm very nervous/excited!

I love everything you ever gave me. The yarn you gifted me that I can't really bring myself to use, project bags you made me, the dutch oven you bought for me--everything. I asked Rusty last September if he would send me the Aidez sweater you were working on so that I could finish it. You were so close to being done. I finished the last bits and wore it all over the place last fall, and I can't wait for the cooler weather to come around so that I can wear it again. I feel a little bit guilty for stealing it but it really means a lot to me to be snuggled by your stitches. It would have been too big for you anyways ;) I also am severely behind on finishing that sweater for Rusty. I'm sorry! I promise I will finish it. 

Well maybe the biggest news of this year is that Tim and I are getting married (!!) He proposed in July, in front of all our friends (of course) and it's going to be next July at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford. We are so very excited, I know you'd love it. He gave me Mom's old ring from Dad, it's so pretty. He's actually moving in tomorrow, too. I wish so much that you could be there and help us plan the wedding. But we're saving a spot for you, don't worry. Rusty will be there too, Tim asked him to be in the wedding. 

Speaking of Rusty, he and your friends are amazing, they're organizing a 5K for you--Run Like an Antelope, how perfect. There are so many people coming out, you have inspired so many people to start running. People who know you, people who don't, people who love you and some that have never met you. Even Virginia from Gather Here! I don't think she'll ever forget the time you spilled a homebrew beer on the table at Pints n Purls. Rusty is also amazing. I wish I saw him more but we haven't been home a lot. He showed us a good time last April, we got to hang out with him, Poster, and Reba during our regular Patriots Day visit. And he came out for Tim's birthday, the Timtacular. We're all doing our best, but it's hard without you. 

I think about you all the time. Every time I hear Pink Floyd (You should have seen the  Olympics Closing Ceremonies, there was an awesome rendition of Wish You Were Here), The Dead, Ani DiFranco, or Phish. Every time I see Éphémère in the store or on tap. Every time I see something you made me. Every time I go somewhere we've been. Even helping Tim homebrew. I miss swapping recipes and talking Weight Watchers. I miss chatting with you. I've gone through our old chat logs, listened to old voicemails. There's all these things that didn't seem important at the time but they're all I have left so they mean everything. I've looked through pictures, but we have hardly any together as adults, it makes me sad. I'm sad we'll never have any more. At least we have some cute baby pictures, we were darn cute.

This year has been such a bittersweet one, because there has been a lot to be happy about, but every time I'm really happy it also comes with a dose of sadness, because I can't share it with you. It doesn't seem real, I still can't believe you're gone. But today we're celebrating your life, and Tim and I are off to celebrate it in the best way we know how, with some good food and beer :) Don't worry, there's Ephemere on tap. 

Miss you loads, love you lots. 
Jocelyn