Those 26.2 and me

It is different to see it now from this side of the wall, now I know :)

I had no internet connection at my mother's house, then went to an internet on Monday wrote all my report and it was deleted when I tried to post it... At the moment I know the high has ended but still I will try to write my report as emotive as possible :)

On Wednesday we arrived to Panama to stay a night, my mother wanted to see it and what could I say... There I did walk more than I'd wish.

Friday in Mexico city after picking up my bib number and watching the new route started feeling some nervous. On the new route they included at the beginning five bridges and at the end you had to cross three of them again.
I got scared of my ITB aggravating by crossing them. Friday night I woke up at 1 am thinking of crossing those bridges. Checked my HR in the middle of the night to confirm it was much more higher than predicted, above 25% instead of 10%, resting. Altitude was scaring me too. I didn't talk to my family about my fears, (only to Luis by phone) instead I started telling them not to expect too much of me, I think my mother even was scared by the event.

Saturday night leaved all the gear ready. It included my camel pack. I decided to use it despite knowing the weather was pretty cold for me, thinking of drinking from it more comfortable than from what they will give on the race. But, what did I know about cold weather?

Sunday 5 am. Walk up and leave home at 5.45. I used pants and a t-shirt on my shorts as it was very cold for me 53F= 11C. It took us long to find a place to park the car, it was so crowded!! My mother looked nervous to go alone, so I stayed with them until all we walk to the entrance at Hermanos Rodriguez Sports City where the race was going to start. It was still dark, sun rises at 7.20!! We said goodbye and as I was kissing them I thought, when I find you again, I'd have run those 42.19 kms. I crossed the corridors where all the runners were getting together, which is behind the launching slips. There were other women around and it was almost 7, time when women were about to start. (Men started 7.15, don't ask me why, I think men hated to find us there hindering the road latter) People started saying women had already started, yes, I was starting late for my first marathon despite my watch said I still was 15 minutes ahead. All women around started running to the starting line, fast. At least I was ready, so started too. Garmin was on...
Around me there were some women too, so I wasn't alone there. My hands were freezing, it was a foggy morning.
In front of me there was a woman running in a strange way, I approach to her and say hello, start talking to her to find out she had polio but didn't stop her for running 15 marathons already, she also said she has many injuries. Knowing her at the beginning was very inspiring of course.
I left her behind as I felt I was loosing to much energy talking. I was sweating.
My heart rate continue being extremely high, around 165 but as I was feeling my legs strong just tried to keep going as slow as possible to avoid being depleted from the beginning.
When I find the bridges I climb them walking with no regret. As I get down I had nothing to report!
Kept going and around mile 5 I was looking for my father who said he was going to be around there. That gave me another thing to think about. I couldn't find him anyway. I made a stop to the bathroom in a restaurant. I was starting feeling the urgency of going but there were not bathrooms for the race... This will give me serious technical problems later.
Mile 10 I was not enjoying the run, never thought of dropping down, but it was hard to keep going. Certainly the high HR was taking its toll. Suddenly around mile 14 a thought came to my mind. For some reason the last weeks what I found out on movies and magazines was that running a marathon was a painful experience. I started thinking about pain and what it really means. Thought about different sorts of pain, from the people I know. My husband's experience came to my mind. All the time he has fallen or suffer at work and has never complain or give up. This thing, the marathon was nothing compared to real pain. Tears wanted to come to my eyes, some of them made it. Immediately from I don't know where I had a photographer taking pictures of me crying, poor guy. Certainly he thought I was crying because I was suffering about running or something! As the same time it happens I realize that crying is a huge effort. I can feel how from my neck the tears have to be squeezed! Control myself and from that moment I am enjoying the run. It is incredible how after programming my mind I could continue with out even thinking about it. Then I should say my marathon really started about that. Now that I remember me, I was there just programmed to keep going to the end. Even stopped watching my monitor or Garmin. Happy.
Nobody told me it is so nice keep going after mile 18 and it is even easier to do it.
I can see the lovely smiles of me daughters watching me, I can just do it!
On the edge of the street people were cheering so nicely. Some even were offering lemon slices, cookies, coke, candies. I accepted some of them besides the water and gatorade stations. Now I know my stomach supports anything after real long runs. But it will be even better if an available bathroom would be close.
I have to walk but I feel I need to recover doing it and there is no pain anywhere.
Around mile 20 I pay attention looking for the wall an just find a little bench that easily jump and just keep going.
An angel was waiting for me at mile 21. My sister was there to join me for this last effort. It is very nice to see her.
Technical problems are starting giving me real problems, I need to use the toilet. REALLY. Seems like all what I ate this last hours want to get out. My hands and feet are swollen, it is horrible.
My sister tells me about places where to go but they look too far and don't want to leave the road. I am so focused!
Finally we find the right place. Now we are over 39km mark. After leaving the toilet I feel much better! I can run again, slowly but that is not new and over the end is great.
I pass people around me. All they, most men, are walking and turn their faces to look at me. I am so close and feeling great! On my face there is a great smile. I cross the line and this is it, the marathon is done and I am feeling so happy.

Oh, yeah, about time! I ended in 5.50. An eternity I know but still happy as the experience was something awesome.
To see some pictures go here. My number is 1010.

Now, Wednesday night I am in Cancun, my recovery is going great. Monday and Tuesday my legs were stiff. Now they feel just great. I will keep drinking a lot and recovering. Thanks for your thoughts, they helped me a lot, before and during the marathon.

How to know

After reading turnip's post my mind has being spinning about why am I doing the marathon for the last days... Even more when people around me say so many strange thing about running it, like for example that is inhuman to run for 5 hours, that there is no sense on doing something like it. Some others even say running 5 hours is not that bad :) a Dominican friend told me she thought it was going to last for days! How to make them understand that this challenge despite being so hard just to even think about it, will certainly take me in to a great high...

I've been thinking about when and why I started my long runs last September. It was a combination of discovering information about running and feeling how it is to achieve some points. Discovered myself enjoying long runs a lot. I even thought when is the point to decide to run or not a marathon... Should it be before knowing how it is to run long or just as taking it as a challenge and do it because you want to know that you as many, can do it... That could take us to the point where you define runners who are more competitive from the ones who enjoy, don't you think? Still I am just about to know how it feels to make a real long run and what I expect from it is the great sensation it gives you to make your first long run.

This week I am focused on fueling and hydrating properly, I am feeling strong and running well. The weather there is very cold for me, but wish it can help in some way, will see... There the temps are around 10 in the morning, there is no humidity. Those are my advanteges. The odds are the altitud... not that bad! 2-1

These days my mind is being very positive, knowing that I can do it and feeling strong. Planning mental strategies and understanding why I want to do it, I am just convinced.

The last details for the trip are ready. I will be in Mexico city on Friday morning to pick up my bib# and from there I will be taking it as easy as possible there in my contry... trying to avoid all that delicious food and stopping myself to go around... I will have the chance for that and more on Sunday!!

The sad part on my marathon is that my husband Luis is staying in the Dominican. He has to be at work, can't travel again for this dates... I will miss him so much, you just can't imagine...
Your good wishes and nice words will reach my even from as far as Australia, this my first marathon will be such a great experience and a lot of that I have to thank you guys!!!

Only good news

Saturday morning I finally knew about the new route that the marathon will have. I could feel my hope renewing and could enjoy the idea of becoming a marathonist! In fact this is not a new one, the first 16 marathons were there and the route was just recently changed. Now it is officially the route we 14,000 people will follow to run the marathon... Sweet words!

Running has been great this last days. It is like everything is on its place and my legs are strong and happy to be there. The last change on shoes had meant a huge benefit as now I don't have problems with my left hamstring or ITB. As Lore of running advises, seems like the other pair were very rigid... I had used that model for a while but I can see now that from one version to the next many changes can happen. Impossible to try to understand how this people who are supposed to understand the importance of the shoes don't aloud us to stick to one pair. Despite we know we have to change them very often. Sigh.

The last long run of the was a 12 miler last Friday. It went very well, I enjoyed it and felt happy.
In a review at the moment I check my numbers and they say I ran 85% of the scheduled runs. At least I can say on my defense that the runs were cancelled to avoid further injuries, it wasn't because of being a slacker :)

Yesterday I had a glorious run of 4 miles. I put no effort and accomplish good pace and felt very strong.

The same happened this morning in my 6 miles run. What I want to report is about Garmin. It ran out of energy, but as I was going to use it to walk with a partner later -a friend wants to learn to run and I am walking half an hour a day with her and Garmin is very useful to set up laps for jogging and walking-, so I went back home and left it charging.
I went back running to end the last two miles, but felt my arm strangely light. It was that Garmin was not there. Its weight is enormous, I found out. It was like its black presence weighted more than I could know. The training ended nicely.

I've been some busy with my mother and that don't let me enough time to write my blog. I've been trying to upload some pictures, but you know the usual blogger problems... Well next time.

Goal: To enjoy

This is what I thought this morning when started running. I've thought many times about Thomas's post and that helped me to remember that nothing is happening if I run the marathon or not. This is something that I want, not that I have to. Running is not an obligation, is a great source of enjoyment in my life.
I wanted my enjoyment back and I found it.
A very important thing to accomplishing this was not to focus at all on pace. Go with RPE and avoided to watch Garmin as less as possible. It is a tool an sometimes it rules my runs and don't let me get my main goal, which is enjoying! I know that will drive me to the next points which are consistency and all the rest.

So, this day I don't know how mental it was, but I could enjoy and felt great. No pain appeared and could run with damped air. Pace and time were good. Completed 9.5 miles. Happy, happy.

Thanks for your advises. I am listening to them and will apply them. I will go for 12 on Friday:)

After four days of rest

I am much better!

I wasn't completely inactive, trained legs in the gym. It's been a while since my legs doesn't hurt, this time they did! That was on Wednesday and Friday.
Sunday morning started 2.5 miles outdoors. It was hard with the damped air, but the leg was surprisingly good. Inserted legs workout and climbed up to the treadmill for the resting 2.5. Still I think I should not use to much weight and increase reps.

I was running! I was feeling so happy with this!

I am thinking the problem last Tuesday was increasing speed and hills. I will not attempt to train that at this stage. I used my soft shoes and I was like over clouds.
Now, I've lost my last and longest run of the schedule but I still have 3 weeks to go. I will try to do a long run this Friday again. Normally the schedule calls for a 12 miles run but that will mean that my longes run was 5 weeks before the marathon. I will still have two weeks for the taper. I'll try 16 to 18... What is your opinion please? The marathon is on august 27, three weeks from now.
Took today off... I was very sleepy this morning after the 7 hours drive from yesterday.
My mother is here! We are very happy :-)

Update

Yes you guess it, this is not going right yet, but I didn't want to complain about it, I'm still alive!
As Speedygeoff commented not only because of running fast you can get injured but for running longer, maybe I'm not friend of 18, who knows...

This week I am supposed to be running 20 miles as a long run, not sure yet if I should even attempt to do it. My left knee flexors are hurting. Maybe I should start calling it by its proper and scary name ITB. Sigh.
Yesterday I went for a 10 miles run and I was doing fine. I even made some speed laps and hills, I was on the treadmill. I step off to go to the bathroom around the 6.5 mile and when I came back it started. I was stretching, walking, trying. A couple times in that order. Stopped at 9.5 miles.

Instead of the recovery run of today, I headed the gym for a serious lower body work out. I wanted to give to my knee and extra day off. I hope I can be ready on Friday for this long run. Included specially exercises for hamstring and calves.
I had this idea after I read RW article "How we turned a slacker into a finisher". It came just in the right time. I liked so much this article and its recommendations. It gave me hope.

Next Sunday I'm driving to Santo Domingo to pick up my mother. We are very happy that she is coming. She will stay here with us until all we together go to Mexico city for the marathon. If it happens.
It will be the first time she is close to me while I go to run. This is very weird for her, she is always recommending me not to force myself "that badly". People that she knows from her work that have run half marathons say it is very hard. She is has told me several times how I need a real trainer to teach me how...
It should be the natural reaction to unknown, in fact is funny.
I mean I LOVE she is coming -don't get me wrong, in fact it is the best part in this hoildays for me and my family-, but she won't help a lot with motivation. At least she will be only for the taper.

Now that I say only for the taper, in fact I didn't find the training that bad, how to avoid saying this if I decreased my weight training? The only real bad part in fact is being injured... running is always good!