I'll write more about the race when I get more caught up with the rest of my life, but for now:
It was a dark and cold day, a little too cold for me. Despite some other sub-optimal conditions, I finished in 5:41 (pace of about 13 min) and aside from some residual soreness in my hamstrings, I'm feeling pretty good.
Race results broken down here: http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/race/nwm08.html#/graph?user=4695
Photos from the official photographers here (though one is of the wrong person...): http://brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=41309&PWD=&BIB=4695
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Purple Hair!
Anya dyed her hair purple and it looks AWE-some! I forced her to go outside and let me take some pics to post here.
She flies out to San Fran tomorrow morning super early. Be sure to send your good vibes her way this Sunday!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Less Than One Week!
One of the more illuminating aspects of doing something totally out of your normal lifestyle (like, say, training for a marathon) is you start finding out all kinds of things about your body's weak points.
For a couple of weeks I've been getting headaches after running for a while. I assumed it was something to do with the cold, but they've been getting worse. My worst one was on Saturday. I was supposed to do an easy 6-mile run and quit before I'd finished 5 because my head was hurting so much it was making my teeth ache. It was 75 degrees. I was a little suspicious of the headaches because they're always concentrated in one part of my head, more or less where there are sinus cavities on the right side. I was also getting worried that after all this work, I wouldn't be able to finish the race because of some random headache that appeared out of nowhere.
I finally did a little research and discovered that sinus headaches sometimes manifest as dental pain because there is a sinus cavity underneath your eye that reaches almost to your teeth. To make matters more fun, that particular sinus has to drain upward, meaning that it's very difficult to drain while standing up. I hadn't been feeling congested, so I didn't think sinus problems could be wreaking that much havoc on my head, but when I saw the location and the possibilities for pain it made sense. I have a long history of sinus problems, so I immediately attacked it with a combination of claritin, sudafed, and use of a neti pot. Yesterday I ran 4 miles and not only did I not get a headache, but I could tell that my breathing was much more effective so I wasn't nearly as tired as I'd been during my recent runs. Fingers crossed. I'll pack a lot of medication and hope it continues to work.
I have three more runs before race day: Tuesday, Thursday, and a 20-min run with the team Saturday morning. Homestretch!
For a couple of weeks I've been getting headaches after running for a while. I assumed it was something to do with the cold, but they've been getting worse. My worst one was on Saturday. I was supposed to do an easy 6-mile run and quit before I'd finished 5 because my head was hurting so much it was making my teeth ache. It was 75 degrees. I was a little suspicious of the headaches because they're always concentrated in one part of my head, more or less where there are sinus cavities on the right side. I was also getting worried that after all this work, I wouldn't be able to finish the race because of some random headache that appeared out of nowhere.
I finally did a little research and discovered that sinus headaches sometimes manifest as dental pain because there is a sinus cavity underneath your eye that reaches almost to your teeth. To make matters more fun, that particular sinus has to drain upward, meaning that it's very difficult to drain while standing up. I hadn't been feeling congested, so I didn't think sinus problems could be wreaking that much havoc on my head, but when I saw the location and the possibilities for pain it made sense. I have a long history of sinus problems, so I immediately attacked it with a combination of claritin, sudafed, and use of a neti pot. Yesterday I ran 4 miles and not only did I not get a headache, but I could tell that my breathing was much more effective so I wasn't nearly as tired as I'd been during my recent runs. Fingers crossed. I'll pack a lot of medication and hope it continues to work.
I have three more runs before race day: Tuesday, Thursday, and a 20-min run with the team Saturday morning. Homestretch!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Brrrrr!
Anya yelled at me for not posting. So here's a post.
It has gotten chilly here in AA very suddenly. I run in the mornings and always check the temperature before I go out (I think the lowest temp so far has been 26 degrees), but it's super hard after you have just been throwing on a t-shirt and shorts all summer to start to think about weather-appropriate clothing again. Anya went for a run the other day and walked back into the house after about two minutes to get a jacket. Undoubtedly, I think this is one of the most annoying things about running in the fall: relearning what clothes go with what outside temperature. I am just starting to pin down what my classification system is again. For example: if it is above 35 degrees, shorts are still ok. At 54 degrees, I need to switch to long sleeves. 45 degrees deserves a headband and socks for mittens.
I definitely still need to work out the kinks though and every once in a while I find that I have too much clothing and/or accessories after about a mile. This is why I have an excess clothing tree at about that distance in my run. What is an excess clothing tree you ask? Well, it is this young tree on my run that has a bunch of low branches that I can tuck my extra shirt, mittens, headband, etc. into as I go by. Then, on my way back, I pick all that stuff up again. That way, I don't have to carry it all for most of my run. Of course, occassionally, I forget to pick the stuff up on my way back and it kinda just hangs out there on the tree for a day or so. I was telling Anya about my excess clothing tree the other day and she thought it was pretty funny. I'm not sure why. Personally, I am very appreciative of him. He takes good care of my stuff. (And yes, the tree is a boy.)
It has gotten chilly here in AA very suddenly. I run in the mornings and always check the temperature before I go out (I think the lowest temp so far has been 26 degrees), but it's super hard after you have just been throwing on a t-shirt and shorts all summer to start to think about weather-appropriate clothing again. Anya went for a run the other day and walked back into the house after about two minutes to get a jacket. Undoubtedly, I think this is one of the most annoying things about running in the fall: relearning what clothes go with what outside temperature. I am just starting to pin down what my classification system is again. For example: if it is above 35 degrees, shorts are still ok. At 54 degrees, I need to switch to long sleeves. 45 degrees deserves a headband and socks for mittens.
I definitely still need to work out the kinks though and every once in a while I find that I have too much clothing and/or accessories after about a mile. This is why I have an excess clothing tree at about that distance in my run. What is an excess clothing tree you ask? Well, it is this young tree on my run that has a bunch of low branches that I can tuck my extra shirt, mittens, headband, etc. into as I go by. Then, on my way back, I pick all that stuff up again. That way, I don't have to carry it all for most of my run. Of course, occassionally, I forget to pick the stuff up on my way back and it kinda just hangs out there on the tree for a day or so. I was telling Anya about my excess clothing tree the other day and she thought it was pretty funny. I'm not sure why. Personally, I am very appreciative of him. He takes good care of my stuff. (And yes, the tree is a boy.)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Closer and Closer
I ran 13.6 miles today, and my pace was about 12.8 min/mile. Unlike last weekend's run, this one was alone and involved some hills. I'm feeling like I'm in good shape for finishing the marathon.
Two weeks....!
Two weeks....!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Quick Update
I didn't run at all after Saturday, so I made myself go out today. The cold was making me want to stay in and be domestic. But actually, it was really nice. I ran 3.21 miles in 35 mins, which puts me at 10:48. I stopped while I felt good, and I don't feel any more tired now than I did earlier. So maybe I just needed an exercise break. I'll do 12-14 this Saturday, and then serious scaling back (6 the following Saturday).
Seriously, guys, it's getting close!!
On another note, I had to pay the remainder of my $3900 today. By the time the charge goes through I'll be around $1400 short, but I can keep fundraising for another month and then be reimbursed. Although of course I would have liked to keep my contribution lower, I've been really touched by people's generosity, and I feel like the experience I've gotten is invaluable. I have some fundraising stuff in the works, and I'm hoping that at the end I'll pay for the equivalent of my plane ticket and hotel and nothing else.
Seriously, guys, it's getting close!!
On another note, I had to pay the remainder of my $3900 today. By the time the charge goes through I'll be around $1400 short, but I can keep fundraising for another month and then be reimbursed. Although of course I would have liked to keep my contribution lower, I've been really touched by people's generosity, and I feel like the experience I've gotten is invaluable. I have some fundraising stuff in the works, and I'm hoping that at the end I'll pay for the equivalent of my plane ticket and hotel and nothing else.
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