Shamrock Marathon Race Report.

Here we go with the good ol' race report. This might be long so I apology's ahead of time and I'll try not to bore you :-)
I road down to Va Beach with the best group of girls! Teaka and her friend, had fun riding down, traffic was a bear but all I had to do was break out the chocolate :-) and we were all in a good mood again!! We settled in to our rooms and went to dinner. Saturday was awesome as well, I got to sleep in, we went to packet pick up at about noon, enjoyed some of the great weather and get to bed early that night.

Sunday morning I got up at 4am and it must be said that I've never gotten up at 4am with so much easy in my life. I was feeling great, well rested and ready to run!! I met Wanda down at her room for some breakfast and we all road down to the race start. The walk was a little bit long but not to bad, a nice warm up. I got settled and ready in the Team Z tent, tried to just relax and chill out a bit.

Time go get to the race start. I met up with Wanda again and we met up with Jason, and Mark and a few other Zer's. After chatting it up for a few, it's time to start running as the group of people start moving forward.

My first 10 to 13 miles ROCKED, I was on time, running strong, enjoying the view, the best part of the first half was running on the board walk. That part wasn't long, it was a short part of the run but absolutely beautiful!!! I love the beach!!! I kept looking for the Team Z tent at the half way point but didn't find it. It was getting warm out, but I took in plenty of fluid, and nutrition (GU's and Bee's chews), but I wasn't used to running in warm, beautiful weather. Between mile 15-17 I hit the wall hard!! At about mile 18 or 19 Linda Rumsey came behind me gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and help me by chatting with me (thank you so much guys!!!), I forget who else was with her (I'm sorry) but they were helpful and nice to see as well. It was such a huge surprise to see her and so inspiring!!! My legs were starting to cramp like I've never felt before, my hips hurt, my groin muscle was starting to get tight and it was starting to get boring. Then at the very moment I hear some noise of a crowd, even through the music that was was in my ears, I turned the corner (still running at this point) and BAM!!! A sea of yummy-ness, men in there military uniforms cheering everyone on :-) that helped!!! I gotta say though, that military base was so hard and so boring, no crowds (except for the yummy-ness that one time), nothing interesting to look at (refer to previous yummy-ness comment), I could wait for this to be over. At the end of the Military base (mile 22) there was another water stop and by that time I was stopping every so often to stretch out my pained, hot and tired legs trying to keep it together. A nice very helpful, pretty cute banana (guy in a banana costume) came and walked with me and help me stretch out. If I wasn't in so much pain I would've had to flirt with him ;-), he was very helpful too. So was the cute Gecko. So out of the base I go, walking as fast as I could go, trying so hard to run but it wasn't there, I could not longer run so I thought that I'd walk until that last mile so I'd have some energy to run into the finish. At mile 23 I was losing my emotions again, and a lady was there cheering and telling us that we're almost there and I cried, she walked with me for a second as she said that it was going to be ok, asked if I was ok, I think I had her crying by the time she left me. I was in so much pain and just wanted to get to that finish line, I was thinking of everyone at the finish, everyone at home that I wish was there, I was thinking about my crossfit training, ANYTHING to help me get to that finish line in one piece. I felt like I had to stop every 20 steps to stretch at this point, it felt ridiculous and it was pissing me off. Finally I was at mile 25, I stopped, I stretched again, I took my headphone out and shut my Ipod off and I started to run, I dug deep and kept on going, turn to the left and then turn to the right and I was on the board walk!! Run, run, run!!! I see Teaka and her friend running to me with such great words to me and ran part way to the finish with me as I lose all emotion I cross the finish line!!!!! In tears and pain I bent over put my hands to my knees and just thanked God that I was done in tears and took my medal. The volunteers told me nicely to keep walking, so with Teaka and her friend's help I walked through the finishers shoot (I guess that's what its called), they picked up my finishers T-shirt and food and stuff. Then I heard Coach Ed call my name and came over...the whole finish was such an emotional process this time. I also ended up at the med tent because I could barely walk, I pulled my groin muscle and I think that i was just exhausted. I spent about 15 minutes maybe, in the med tent, came out and it was so cold (the clouds come in at about mile 23), Teaka and friends have gotten my stuff from the team tent and we went back to the hotel, I got a quick shower and we were on the road home after we stopped for food :-). The rest is history :-) Thanks for driving us all home DJ!!!!!

What did I learn from this marathon? 1) Flatter is NOT always better. 2) Weather has a lot to do with cramps and race conditions. 3) Music from my Ipod helps! 4) Even if you feel awesome at the beginning and you feel like you can crush your last marathon time, it can change in an instant. You can be doing everything right, everything to your plan, but sometimes your plan doesnt work and you have to resort to speed walking, stretching every 20 steps, ANYTHING to get to that finish line. I still finished 2 minutes behind my Marine Corps marathon time. Weather can put a wrench in your plan, and you may have to adjust your plan as the miles pass. Your thoughts, friends, coach's and training can pull you through when you need it. Don't stop thinking of the good things, keep positive and you'll make it to the finish line!!! Cry if you need to...it feels good!

Finish time; 6:33

Marathon anyone???

Well the week after the Paleo challenge ended I still have done OK. I've added somethings back into my diet this week because my marathon was coming up and I needed to carb up, but not to much.  I still like eating CLEAN, so I'll continue.  This week is my taper week and so I havent done much, no Crossfit after this last weekends workout, I've taken the dogs for some nice walks and caught up on other things that slip by when your training so much, like laundry and house work. Monday I'm going to go back to Max Muscle to see if my numbers change, to do a before and after.
Lotsa stuff going on the weekend. I'm going down to Va Beach today and will test my eating out healthy style, I'll have fun and I'm interested in seeing how I'll feel during and after this marathon. I hope I feel better, seeing how I'll be at the beach and want to enjoy some of the after party :-)
I hope to have a long entertaining blog on Monday. I'll write something while I'm sitting on the couch with ice strapped to my knee's.

Check back soon....

Write it down. Your goals, your dreams your accomplishments.

So they say that you should write your goals down and tell people because THEN you'll most likely accomplish your goal. It's true, ya know. For example, write down that you want to loss X amount of weight, I did it! I told everyone that I wanted to run in a races starting with small 5k's to 10 milers and I did it! I told everyone that I wanted and could do Triathlon, the look on peoples faces was priceless but I did it! Then comes wanting to do my first marathon and I did that! When it comes to CFW I said that I wanted to be able to do push ups and now I can, not a TON but that's not the point, it's something to improve. I've wanted to do pull ups and now I can and slowing moving through that assistance bands. This stuff isn't easy people! It hurts, it's frustrating, blood sweat and tears, sometime more tears and pain but if you'd ask me if it's worth it I'd say TOTALLY WORTH IT!! It take time and rest when you don't want to rest, sometimes I think that I need more rest than others but that's what works for me. I'm not always positive and sometimes needs a sanity check from my wonderful friends, new and old, the more tired I get the more help I need I've noticed. So have I struggled? Yes! But I've written most everything down or told some one no matter how crazy they may think I am. I wont ever be the fastest but I'll be damned if I'm going to quit, I'll finish!

 My goals now have changed a little bit (or have they). This year I want to get more toned up, I want to get my nutrition right and get faster and tackle new and existing fears. Seems like I've been trying to work on the for years but this year I will get better. I can control this part of my life, I'd like to find the right person to marry too but I can't control that now can I, THIS; training, my body, myself, I CAN control. I wouldn't say that I'm a control freak BUT....hmmm well I like to be in control :-) Don't you? I want my arm to get better, it's a SLLLOOWWWW process and incredibly frustrating but it's nothing that I can't accomplish and work through. Do you ever wonder sometimes why you can't listen to yourself and take your OWN advice when you'd down and pissed off? Sometimes you just have to take the weekend off and decompress and start fresh and strong on Monday, this was my weekend off, even though I have a marathon in two weeks, sounds like a good time to recover and decompress before the big race.


So how am I going to get better? By getting enough rest and recovery, by doing CFW, by going to my Triathlon team training, but surrounding myself with athletes, the healthy community and by meeting new people and by having fun. To stop worrying about the small stuff, stop being sad with what I don't have or have lost. Start looking at what I do have and how far I have come and to the people that I have lost, well to the people that I have lost, I think that they would be proud of me too, and/or kicking themselves for losing me :-)


It's true, my confidence in myself has soared, sometimes it sounds cocky but I am damn proud of myself and sometimes I want to celebrate that. For those of you who know me know that I haven't always felt so good about myself so a little bit of cocky-ness, ah, no big deal. Because sometimes I'm not so happy with myself and that feeling sucks, sometime I have to lift myself up. I've worked damn hard for this body and it's not my problem if others take my comments the wrong way.


After this paleo challenge I'm going to keep this blog, just change the name if I can. This blag can help me, and maybe even help others. I like to read the comments left by friends and share my stories. If I type it or write it down I'll accomplish it, or I'm more likely to accomplish it :-)


**And now for the big news. Saturday morning I signed up for my first Half Ironman Triathlon that will take place in up state NY on July 11th.

Bad day's happen...

...Today happends to be one of mine. This week has been hard at work, I've been running out of food and unable to go to the store for more. Choices have been hard to come by.  Today, I've made a couple of bad choice, I didn't have enough for lunch and someone had potato soup she had brought in for people, I was stressed out and hungry and I had some, it was so good too.  I also had chocolate....so needless to say today was a test of many things in life and didn't do so well.  I also had Subway for dinner.  GOD what a bad day...not because I consider Subway a cheat meal but because today was so busy and stressful that if i hadnt planned it an off day it would have been an automatic all day.  I'm not even explaning my feelings correctly for crying-out-loud.  I'm going to bed to wake up to a better day tomorrow....Goodnight....

Ps. my body still feels stronger all around, but my arm still hurts. I needed these past two day's off!!