Run, walk, skip in the Miracle Marathon for Children

The Miracle Marathon is a unique charity event to benefit a Children's Miracle Network hospital.  For my participation, I've selected the Children's Hospital in Washington DC.  I've been blessed to have not needed the services of Children's yet, with my 4 children, but have heard of the good work that they do.  I've also participated in other events that have benefited the hospital, including Ben's Run in memory of a young boy who was treated there before he passed away from an infection related to his leukemia.

Aside from the charitable aspect, this is probably going to be pretty much my one shot at doing a marathon. I've worked up to 5ks, a mere 3.1 miles, and that's a fair challenge. I even have a sprint triathlon and a swim/run duathlon in my race record. But marathon?  26 miles all at once? I've established my "marathon a month" as an exercise milestone, with the goal of running 26 miles over the course of a month, every month. It generally takes me 12-13 days, all totaled, and I admit, I don't always complete it.  So this is a great push for my own personal goals. Win, win for everybody.

So, what is it? Twenty-seven days to finish a marathon - plus an extra mile for all the kids that it benefits. Walk, run, skip, hop, swim, somersault a mile each, whatever works for you, and then on the last day, Oct. 12 , join with everybody else participating for the final mile, finishing at 2:27 pm (EST).

Join me in supporting this cause to benefit children all over the country. You can join my team, Piddlin' for Miles, or make a donation. I've set a fundraising goal at $270, so I'd appreciate - and so would the hospitals - your support.  Thank you!

My Miracle Marathon kit!  Including a pedometer to track my miles

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Currently...Catching up on Randomness

I'm all over the place these days.  My to-do list has about a dozen different categories and 55 items.  On this Monday morning, I'm trying to corral it all.  What am I currently up to?

Being so very proud of my 3rd grader and her Girls on the Run team for running their second 5K yesterday.  This is our second season to have a school team.  Some of the girls on the team are not athletic in any sense, came to the program loathing the idea of walking across the school parking lot and looking down at their feet when they talked. They were all smiles as they crossed that finish line and it was a thrill to see how proud they were of themselves.  My son figured he'd been to all the practices, he might as well finish the season with his sister and also joined our team for the final race. Thanks to GOTR and particularly, Montgomery County, for a great race.

#GOTRMOCO5K - race #2 - done!

Trying to find a tinted, sunscreen included, face moisturizer that covers and/or heals blemishes. Is that really so much to ask for? That's what all the beauty product articles and blogs say a woman needs, especially as she reaches a certain age. So I find myself sitting on the floor of the drugstore and wandering the aisles of the make-up stores, reading the label of every moisturizer, trying to color match to my skin (depending on the brand, I'm light to medium, dark, natural, tan, or tawny) and not spend $100 per bottle (yes, there is a financial limit to my narcissism.)

Current moisturizer/sunscreen options I'm trying out.

Still sorting out my feelings about the Billboard Music Awards Michael Jackson hologram. I was, am, and will continue to be a huge Michael Jackson fan, from ABC to Off the Wall and  Thriller to the very end. But that hologram of him singing a song from a post-humous album. I wasn't particularly excited or emotional because it wasn't him performing, it was the image that computer folks and musicians and choreographers came up with. Now, the idea that his people have found music that he never released, that's pretty cool, but I was a bit confused hearing a couple songs on the radio, thinking "dang that sounds like Michael Jackson, but what song is that?"  But as for videos? Just play one of the classics like Thriller or Smooth Criminal, or his performance on Motown 25, that'll be fine.

Being careful not to upset my poinsettias that have actually survived this long! I do not have any kind of green thumb. Despite loving flowers and wishing for a garden full of blooms, I usually stick to simple, black-thumb-proof spring bulbs (although even they don't do to well in my shady yard) and water garden plants. But I always feel challenged to try to keep the beautiful Christmas poinsettias until the next year. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by mentioning them. This winter, after the bright red leaves all fell off, I moved the plants to a less trafficked room in the house, periodically water them whenever the planting soil is dry and every now and then, my mother throws some eggshells in the pot. That's it. So far, so good. But I'm open to any suggestions to ensure they make it another 6 months.

My post-Christmas poinsettia - look, there's still leaves!

Catching up on the hundreds of emails I need to respond to about my writing, PTA, sorority, and kid activities. Let me go pour another cup of coffee and get to that.

What are you currently up to?

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We Did the GOTR 5K - Now Keep on Running!

For all the grown folks who are sitting on the couch, wishing they could run/walk/crawl to the finish line of a 5K and explaining all the reasons why you can't do it, take a note from our Girls on the Run (GOTR) team - you can do it!

When we started back in September, the girls were a bit skeptical.  Run how many times around the school field?  We started there with a simple math lesson: the school field is 1/6 mile, our goal is 3.1 miles, 3.1 times 6?  They thought we had pretty much lost our minds as they collected their popsicle stick lap counters and laced on their bead mile markers.  It wasn't long before they got bored of running laps and were ready to hit the street.  Our little band of 25 girls, teachers, and coaches became a familiar sight around the neighborhood at 3:30 p.m.

The color of the year: orange

Indoors, we talked about standing up for ourselves and being positive.  We talked about personal affirmations, finding personal characteristics that we could take pride in.  We pushed the girls to go beyond "I am awesome" and "I can do anything" to get to "I am a good pianist" and "I'm helpful to my mother" and "I'm beautiful."  I do believe that for some of them, it was the first time that they admitted "I am good at math" out loud.  We encouraged them to cheer each other on and say "good job" as they ran past each other on their laps.

Girl Power!  Our GOTR team getting ready to go

For the past ten weeks, twice a week, we've been meeting and talking and running.  Yesterday, we met early in the morning, dressed in our orange GOTR t-shirts and our blue and gray bandanas and gloves, representing our school colors.  Our families came out to run with us and to cheer us on - moms and dads with cameras, younger siblings in strollers, brothers and sisters with signs.  When we crossed the finish line, each girl felt a true sense of accomplishment - she really did this!  And I did, too - this was my first 5K that I've actually run the entire distance - a personal best for me.

Our ribbons of team & GOTR colors

Now that it's all over, I hope the girls will take this feeling of accomplishment with them.  Perhaps, like me, when they are in the midst of something that feels impossible, they'll remind themselves, "hey, I finished that 5K, surely I can do this."  Sometimes it just takes doing one great thing to give you the confidence to do another great thing.  I hope that these girls will keep on running.

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Running A Marathon A Month

I just finished my marathon for January.  I've been having some aches in my heel and leg lately, so it took a little bit longer than usual.  It took 14 days, about 7 1/2 hours total.  

Hitting the finish line in Annapolis

In past months, I have been down to 13 days; getting to 11 days would be great.  In hours, I'm off of a record time by about 5 hours.  The Women's marathon record was set in 2003 - 2 hours, 15 minutes on one day at the London Marathon.  Granted, the record-holder and most marathoners run the race all at one time, but I figure 26.2 miles is 26.2 miles anyway you put it together so I've allowed myself a month.  Why rush?

I've started running 5Ks (all 5 of the Ks sequentially) and wanted to challenge myself to get in more running - for the races, for general physical fitness, to combat all the M&Ms and chocolate cake I consume.  In an online fitness group, I noticed a few of the runners planning for marathons, so many per year or collecting a race from every state - some kind of goal like that.  I decided I would do that, too - a marathon per month.

At first, it sounded like an easy enough challenge - surely, I do that with my "run 3 times per week" plan.  In the first month I kept track, I realized that not only did I not run a dozen times, I didn't come close to 26 miles.  The problem with the "3 times per week" plan?  If I get busy at the beginning of the week and don't run until Friday, I figured what's the point of running on Saturday?  In this structure, there was no way to catch up.  Additionally, "run" was not defined.  Did that mean a 15-minute mile for 15 minutes or a 10-minute mile for an hour?  I could basically make anything count.

  

The goal-setting experts suggest you make your goals structured, achievable, and measurable.  For instance, "I'm gonna run" is not a goal.  (Neither, by the way, is "I'm going to eat better," "One day I'm going back to school," or "I'll get right before Jesus comes.")  But, "I'm going to run 26.2 miles within 30 days" is.

Marathon-length is definitely measurable, and within 30 days was achievable.  At the end of the month, there's no question whether I met my goal or not - I either made it 26.2m or I didn't.  I keep track every time I  get on the treadmill, run around the track or down the street.  As they say, "what gets measured, gets done."

Because I count all the pieces of the miles, I've found ways to fit it into my schedule.  When I feel like I don't have time to exercise, I remind myself that I could easily trade some other mindless, unproductive task and run a mile.  On days I'd rather sit and do nothing, I've run down the street.  While my kids are at sports lessons at the gym or at chorus practice at school, instead of waiting around eating chips, I've run.  I count every mile, half mile, every tenth.  I also try to improve my pace so that I'm pushing myself to get better.

Running has lead me to some interesting experiences and something I've rarely ever done - running and exercising on vacation (even before the marathon goal)!  Crazy, right?  In totaling up my miles, I've run on both coasts - across the Golden Gate Bridge, up the hills of San Francisco, and along the beach of Maryland's Eastern Shore.  And I can even count some European miles - past Big Ben and along a Spanish nude beach (ha ha!)  What a great way to sight-see!

My normal runs, however allow me about 20-30 minutes a day in which I cannot multi-task, cannot answer emails or fold laundry, cannot talk on the phone.  In other words - a few minutes to focus solely on me and the task at hand.  I can actually think.  Wow.  That in itself is a good goal.

What goals have you set for yourself?  What "marathon" do you want to finish?

Golden Run

Ever have someone suggest an idea and you say "yeah, sure, sounds great". And then, when it's time to do the thing, you think, "what the heck did I agree to? Really, I thought this was a good idea?"

Yeah. That's how I ended up here -

That's me - ready to run on the Golden Gate bridge. Another sorority sister suggested it on a FB group page - what do they say about group thinking, peer pressure, and all that? "While we're in San Francisco, wouldn't it be great...". That's how I ended up taxiing over to the bridge with Cheryl from Philadelphia, Anitra from Richmond, and Toya from Houston, after our conference closed for the day, changing from our pink & green dresses to our pink & green running wear and meeting up with about 30 other sorors, ready to make our way over the water.

Cylia, the mastermind behind the plan

Pink & Green runners & walkers from around the country

And when I saw the iconic red posts from the Wharf earlier, I thought "wow. That's high. And it's over water." When we arrived, I marveled, "yeah, that thing is high. And it's over water. And it's cold." The distance wasn't a problem - 1.7 mile across, 3.4 miles in total - because, as I realized, if I get across, I've got to come back. At the foot of the bridge, there's a display explaining how the bridge was built and the engineering behind it's design. The trivia nerd part of me wanted to read it all. But the scared of falling into the water part of me didn't want to know how it could go wrong.

It's a great view up there, if you pause long enough to look back at the city and across the water to Alcatraz. But I didn't stop for long, my view was in constant motion - did I mention it was high and over water? And cold and windy. And I was praying that I didn't get blown over the railing, which was a little bit lower than I expected a bridge railing to be.

As far as things on my bucket list, "run over the Golden Gate Bridge" has never been on there. But like when I sift thru the sand collected in my kids' beach bucket, this is a pretty, surprising little seashell to hold on to.

The other end of the bridge.

I TRI-ed and I finished!

Sometime last year I saw a sign at my gym for triathlon training. Swim. Bike. Run. "I can swim," I thought. "And I own a bike. And I know how to run." So I signed up, to the surprise and amusement of my husband.

And I trained for 12 weeks. I learned to swim - really swim. Breathing, not kicking (important when you will need your legs later), enduring. I rode my bike for miles and miles. I ran on the treadmill, on the street, in the morning, in the evening. At the end of the training course, there was a "mock" triathlon - all indoors. Pool, stationary bikes, and treadmill. It was tough, putting it all together, one behind another. But I did it and was quite pleased with my progress.

Since then, I have continued exercising with some combination of swimming, biking, running, and weight lifting each week. I learned to change a flat. The first flat, took me about 20 minutes. Then I discovered that I was missing a tire lever; next time, it only took me about 5 minutes. I bought a wetsuit. I have participated in a Splash & Dash (swim and run) and a 5K. And I finally got the nerve to sign up for a real sprint triathlon - the Annapolis TriRock: 500 meter open water swim, 12 mile bike, and 5K run.

The night before, I packed up all my stuff - wetsuit, swim caps, goggles, bike helmet, sneakers, socks, energy gels, water bottles, towels. I racked my bike onto my car. And I set my alarm for 4 a.m. The next morning, I loaded the car and drove the hour to Annapolis. As I unloaded my car, I knocked some stuff out (a sign of my clumsiness) that fell directly onto the joint of my toe, which immediately started to hurt and swell. After reaching the transition area, I racked my bike, setup all my gear, and squeezed into my wetsuit. Then waited.

I was in wave 10 - the 40+ year old women. You'd think they'd let us old ladies go first, but them I guess we'd be in the way of the 20 year olds who knew what they were doing. Now, let me say, that I have been really practicing my swimming. Two, three times a week, at least, I am in the pool, swimming somewhere between 16 to 32 laps each time, non-stop, 30-45 minutes. The distance for the triathlon was equivalent to 10 laps in the pool. But it was in the Chesapeake Bay. And it was 68 degrees. And it was raining. And it was deep (a psychological concern, not physical, but it still mattered). And as my daughter pointed out to me - there were ducks in it. And it kicked my butt. This swim was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It took all my physical strength, mental calmness, and reminders to myself that God would not let me get in that Bay if He wasn't going to see that I got out. Although we don't know the day or time when we will die, I told myself that I was not meant to die that day, in the Chesapeake Bay.

I was still gasping for my breath when I got to my bike and pulled off my wetsuit to change into my clothes and put on my sneakers. I strapped on my helmet and headed out for the bike ride. We headed out past the Naval Academy, over a bridge, along some road, and made a few loops. My bike training was paying off. I shifted gears, pedaled hard, and made it up the hills without feeling like my chest would bust open (much progress). I rode through the drizzling rain and finally rode back to the bike finish line.

On the beach ready for a cold water swim

Again, I racked my bike, and unstrapped my helmet. Then took off on a slow jog as my toe throbbed just a little to remind me about the accident earlier in the morning. After a few minutes, my brain started to ignore it and wanted to run this race. My body compromised with a run/walk. I was disappointed because I had just run last week and knew that I could do this, but its kinda hard to run when your foot hurts. By the time I got to mile two, impatience and frustration won over the pain and I ran the last mile to the finish line. As I hobbled into the Medical Tent, the first aid volunteer couldn't really understand how I managed to break a toe during the event. I told her it was complicated and asked her to just wrap it up so I could get home.

It's the next day. My toe is still swollen and sore. My numbers are still tattooed on my arms and legs (my daughter says I look like an escaped convict) and I'm resigned to long sleeve shirts until they finally wash off. I've been rethinking my race. And I've gone over the swim over and over in my head. And I think I'm heading to the pool tomorrow.

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