No ticket to Bean Town today

Marathons are funny.

Marathons are hard.

There is a reason it takes people six swings at it before many get the time they need to go to Boston and live the dream.

The weather was perfect.  In fact, it was beautiful.  My head was on straight.  I was feeling good.

The first half of the race we were on pace, if not a touch fast.  21 minutes in, toe number 4 and five both went numb.  54 minutes in, toes number 3 went numb.  Just remained positive and tried to put it behind the door.

Once we hit Fort Snelling and started running around the lake on a dirt path our times slowed.  It was lonely down there, not a lot of spectators and the run was getting tough.   Then you get to run up a 1.5 mile incline back out, this added insult to injury.  The quads started yelling uncle along with T-odd who was telling us we needed to pick it up and there was not alot of time to give away.

Around mile 19 we got a shot in the arm by seeing our families, these things could not be done without them.  My friend Kuan was on his bike and followed us a long bit of the way and Vincent showed up to cheer Laura on.  I was hoping to get a free dinner invitation to Vincent’s, but no luck.

I’m not sure what mile it was that Laura and I knew this wasn’t going to happen, maybe on the slow incline up, 19, 20, who is to say?

My legs started cramping severely during those last 6 miles.  It was not just my quads, but then my calves got into the action and then came another hill.  Where I ran with my feet locked into a flexed position due to cramping…THAT WAS AWESOME.  But guess what, no toe pain OR bunion pain, they all went back to normal.  Or maybe the cramping just over rode it, does it really matter?

It’s at this point where I am saying to myself, it’s not for lack of training, it’s not because I gave up, it’s not because I am not digging deep enough. 

My mantra for the first half was what Adam told me right before I went to bed, “Whatever you do, don’t give-up.”  My mantra for the second half, “Pain is only temporary!”  Over and over and over.  I came to peace with the fact that I was digging as deep as I could today and that will be good enough.

In the end T-odd finished strong, Laura pulled away and worked her magic like only she can.  And then I saw them, the rest of the running group (plus Becca) waiting almost at the top of the last hill.  They ran me in and they cheered me on and without them I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it under 4:00 hours. 3 hours, 59 minutes and 46 seconds to be exact.

Still a PR, so I can’t get too upset.

Marathons are funny.

Marathons are hard.

And for me, marathons take a village.  Hats off to you my village.

Thanks for being there, every last one of you:

Adam, PJ, KP, CT, Roxi, Jay, Becca, Nana, Papa, Ted, Lovie, JC, Teddy, Megan, Jen, Erika, Nathan, Sam, Pete, Ann, Elie, Finn, Kuan, T-odd’s mom and sis and Laura and T-odd.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

He is coming as fast as he can to tell his friends to stay away from this kid.  He eats them for breakfast.

Positively thinking my glass is half empty

“The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals.”

Hal Higdon

This Sunday is the Minneapolis marathon. The many miles and many hours of training are now done and gone.

We have done everything we can do to ready our bodies for this race, specifically for the goal we are looking to attain. The goal, 3:45.

What’s with 3:45 you ask? That is the Boston qualifying time for old hags like Laura and I. So, when we turn 40, we can be there with bells on. It doesn’t matter to me that it typically takes people 6 attempts before they hit qualifying time. We’ll just disregard that study.

Like I said, we have readied our bodies. T-odd will be pacing us, holding us up with all his witty banter, keeping the monsters at bay and telling us to stop bitching. Mrs. B will be running too. Our families and running buddies will be there like beacons of hope at the top of the hills and around the most important corners.

My mind on the other hand…that is a different story. It gets real dark in those corners when there is pain.

So I just keep telling myself:
It’s going to hurt.
But I have trained.
My toes will start going numb around mile 5 with a burning tingle and move on to utter agony by mile 13.
But I know it is going to happen.
My bunion will be screaming from the start.
But my hot podiatrist and I have done everything we can for it.
I will be exerting myself and pushing myself harder than I ever have at this distance.
But I gave birth naturally to three kids and still lived to tell the tale.
I will get dizzy and tired and think I can’t go on and want to stop.
But I won’t.
I know all these things and will let them go one at a time as they come up, there will not be any surprises (ok that’s a crock of shit).
We have trained hard.
We have trained well.
We can do this.
We will do this.

YES WE CAN!

Let me hear you say it people…

Put a fork in it

Today marks the day of my Dad’s 12th round of Chemo, the final round. A day to celebrate, be happy, take note that things are going well. His bone scans are better than when he started nine months ago, yet another cause to roar.

It hasn’t been an easy road. Chemo is a drain and the longer it goes on the harder it is to rise back up to its next invitation. But to know that he gets a break is worth a cheer. The thought of a touch more energy…fabulous.

The agony for me is in what lies ahead. The unknown. The monthly visits to the cancer center to see if you are going to get hit in the stomach again. To see what the next course of action is.

But today is a day to put those thoughts away. We must celebrate this day and this moment, for we have made it through this tunnel, all the while watching my Father tell cancer to Fuck Off!

Way to go Dad!

Sweet bunches

Get out there and smell the lilacs before they are all gone!

Last in the long line

Today was it, the last day of preschool for KP.

We, our family, has been going to this preschool for six solid years.  We have gotten to know the teachers well and they have gotten to know us and our kids, each one of them with their very own special personalities.

And on the last day I realized KP had no idea what was going on.  We never really talked about it, it just came. In fact it came so fast that I did not give it too much thought.

The group gift was purchased, I gave my money and then this morning I thought I should maybe do something a little extra special SINCE WE HAVE BEEN WITH THEM FOR SIX YEARS.  I thought maybe a plant, a nice thoughtful note, something…extra.

Instead I did nothing and when it came time to leave at the end of the day after the wonderful slide show, the handing out of certificates and the picnic, KP didn’t even want to get his picture taken with his teachers.

It was almost like walking out of school and just telling everyone to SUCK IT!

I guess he’s ready to move on.

Just funny

The other day during a morning run, T-odd told us about the new tri top he purchased for the upcoming season.  Then he went on to tell us about his struggles gettting it on.

It got even more funny when he blogged about it and added photos.

Lets here it for my mother!

As most of you know my mother doesn’t really align with me on my LOVE of working out.

But after all these years, today we had this conversation:

Mom:  What are you doing today?

Me:  Going on a bike ride with Todd and Courtney.

Mom:  OH Honey!  It’s so hot and soooo windy.

Me:  dead silence on the other end of the phone.

Mom:  But that means you will get a really good workout in.

School Work

Yet another story about bacon.

She writes, “Everyday I eat three bacon strips and I drink one cup of orange juice.”

Year long photo project: 3 of 3

KP turned five, as you know, last Friday.  That said, I have embarked on his 5 year photo project, which I love to do and gives me a reason to have my camera at the ready everyday.

I decided when CT turned five that I would do a year long photo project, a photo a day, of each child of their fifth year.  Then ultimatly, I would compile it into a book for them.

I can’t believe I am at the end of the line.  The books have not been made yet.  I want to give them out once each one has theirs complete.  In fact, CT’s photos have not even been compiled yet.  God bless flicker, it made it so much easier to keep it all organized with PJ’s project.

So off we go.  But I’m already wondering if I should do it all again at 10.

What will they be doing then?  What will they look like?  How much will they change?  It’s amazing the change you see throughout the year when you’re looking through a lens.

You should try it.