Well, I Survived

It took a week of recovery to build up to this blog post (or perhaps it's just laziness), but I can proudly tell you I completed the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon!!!!

It did not go as planned, but that's sort of the story of my life, right? I started out the morning meeting my brother and his friend and we took the Metro to the starting line. And by "starting line", I really mean "2 miles from the starting line". Apparently when 35,000 people are running a race, they want to spread you out by making you walk really far BEFORE running 26.2 miles. So we got off at the Pentagon Metro stop, as directed, then walked. And walked. All three of us were shooting for a 4:30ish time (4:28 is my PR, so I was REALLY wanting a 4:27 or faster). But I felt like we were running way too fast in those first 3 miles -- which happened to be very much uphill. By mile 7, I waved those guys on ahead and slowed down, but the damage was done. I hadn't run my own race, and now I was fried early on. I was taking walk breaks by mile 10 (I KNOW I can run 16 miles without walking, so what the heck was I doing!?). The story of my race was "mind over matter". I just could not help but take walking breaks, even though I was feeling pretty strong.
That said, I had a blast. I truly enjoyed it all -- all 5:27 (that's right, an hour past my goal) of it. It was a beautiful course, tons of great crowd support and so many Marines in uniform. :)
I am already thinking about the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Then maybe I'll retire my marathon shoes.

Here are a couple of pics from the day.

These are three of my wonderful friends (and sorority sisters!), Linda, Sonja and Kristen. They were out on the course all day. I was so thankful to have them!


This is at the finish line, I'm rocking my Compassion Over Killing t-shirt. I am SO happy I raised over my $2,620 goal with my marathon training.



This is from the professional photogs' site. So it;s only a proof - but I'm pretty sure I'll order this. Not many marathons that finish at such an incredible spot!


I'm really just so glad it's over. With my injury and SO MUCH time devoted to training this summer, I was just really ready to have this over with. I probably made myself more anxious than need-be, but it's been a few years since I've attempted the big 26.2!

Memory Lane: It's a Good Road

I've been limping through a handful of runs each week. I basically started my marathon taper about 3 weeks early. I'm not entirely sure how detrimental that will be, come race day. But with this heel injury - which, as you may recall, I've self-diagnosed as plantar fasciitis - I've just not had a choice. I'm in such excruciating pain the morning after a run (even a 3-miler), that I need to take a day or two off between runs. My saving grace is that the pain goes away about a mile into my run, so I'll definitely be able to complete the marathon (barring any other unforeseen circumstances), but I don't even want to think about how much pain will be involved on Monday morning.

With the race a week and a half away, I wanted to step back and remind myself why I'm doing this. Yes, I fundraised $2,646.50 for Compassion Over Killing, so I'm certainly running for animals. I'm obsessed with this nonprofit and all they do for animals, so it's added incentive. But the fact of the matter is that you have to have a deeper desire, within, in order to force your body to go through that 26.2 mile fiasco. I find some real motivation in looking back at my previous marathons and remembering that, even though there was a lot of pain, discomfort and doubt throughout the course, the after-affects (effects? - I never know which one to use) are so, so, so worth it.

I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 2005, with the support and inspiration of my running club, the MN RED. I found this group online and started running with them as a way to lose some weight and get in shape. They became great friends and inspired me to sign up for a (gulp) marathon. I trained with them and carbo-loaded with them and just had a great first experience with the feared 26.2.
Here's a picture from right at the finish line. One of my best friends from high school, Amanda, came out to cheer me on and we snapped a photo together:



Then in 2006, I again signed up for the TCM. Hey, why not - I'm a pro now! But I didn't train as well as I should have so had a pretty disapointing race time. But no matter what, I'm always just really proud to cross that finish line. My mom and dad came out to cheer me on and were waiting for me at the finish. My dad is not really a fan of my marathoning - he thinks it's dangerous. I explain that it's not dangerous when properly trained for and it's way more healthy than sitting in front of a TV not exercising. We agree to disagree. But, anyhow, I've always thought it was ironic that there is an ambulance in the background of the pic with Mom and Dad. :)


Then we come to 2008. I signed up for the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach to run with my brother while he was stationed there (in the Navy). It was his first marathon, so I thought I would show him the ropes. But in reality, he could have smoked me. Instead, he stayed with me, pushing me to keep up my pace and stay strong so that I could get my 4:30 goal. We finished in 4:28. I will always be thankful to him for being there for me. Literally. Here's a shot of Andy and me with my sister in-law on the beach after the race.

Moral of the story is that even though I know I'm going to have days when I question why I'm doing this. And around mile 17 (my nemesis) of the Marine Corps Marathon I'm probably going to curse myself for running another marathon. But looking at these pictures reminds me of the amazing feeling of acomplishment I experience when I achieve my goal. No, I'm never going to win a race. And no, I'm probably never going to qualify for the Boston Marathon. But those things don't matter. It's all about crossing the finish line with your head held high.

Perspective and Pickles

I decided to be ambitious this weekend. I had a pretty lengthy to-do list which started bright and early on Saturday - with a 14-mile run.

I took off from my apartment and headed around the Iwo Jima Memorial, down past Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River, around the Lincoln Memorial, alongside the Reflection Pond, past the WWII Memorial and the Washington Monument and then turned around at the Smithsonian Castle. INCREDIBLE. There is no better city for your long run...I am telling you. Just breathtaking. And I love watching the reaction of the tourists who are seeing this incredible sights for the first time. It's a great distraction from the monotony of running for 2+ hours.
The best part of my run was on my way back home -- I was at about mile 8 -- and starting to feel tired and had a dull ache in my back. I looked over at the WWII Memorial and noticed some people escorting about 100 WWII vets out onto the memorial for a photo. The volunteers helping to wheel/guide the veterans out kept saying "thank you for your service" and several of the old men were wiping tears from their eyes. I had to stop and watch. Wow, was this moving. And it really put my complaints in perspective. After paying my respects and witnessing this moving sight, I continued on and had a really great run, and was able to reflect on all the blessings of my life that I take for granted. I think living in DC has given me a new-found respect for those who serve in the military.

So after a morning run and an afternoon at the Arlington County Fair with the kids I babysit for, I had a lot left on my to-do list today. Including -- wait for it -- canning my own pickles!

My Aunt Carlotta makes some killer dill pickles. I have many fond memories of sleepovers with my cousin, Chrissy, that involved us polishing off a jar or two of homemade pickles. :) My aunt is one of the best cooks I know -- she's the one who turned me on to the wonders of rice pudding, if you recall.
Since I don't live in Minnesota, mooching jars of pickles off of Aunt Yiya is more challenging. So I decided just to mooch her recipe and can my own. I drove all over Virginia, DC and Maryland, looking for supplies this morning, and when I got home made my first batch. It's kind of labor intensive, but I think it's well worth it. I just have to wait 6-weeks to try them and see if they turned out! Recipe and pictures below. :)

Aunt Carlotta’s Dill Pickles

(Makes about 3 quarts)

· Small pickling cucumbers

· 2 cups water

· 2 cups vinegar

· 6 Tbsp canning salt

· 3-6 garlic cloves, peeled

· 3 Tbsp dill seed

· 1 bundle of fresh dill

Fill jars with the cucumbers. Bring water, vinegar and salt to boil. Pour in jars*, filling to one-inch from top. Put 1 Tbsp dill seeds and 1-2 cloves of garlic and a couple of piece of dill in each jar. Put lids on and wait for them to seal (you'll hear a pop).

*Make sure the jars are clean and hot. (I kept mine turned upside down in a cake pan with an inch of water on the stove and boil the water while I'm putting the cucumbers in the jars.)

It’s easiest to do it in small batches like this. I did 12 quarts, so had all my ingredients ready to go and then did 3 quarts/jars at a time.

For the record, I bought the jars and canning salt from Wal-Mart, the cucumbers from a farmers market and rest from the grocery store. I looked at a co-op for bulk dill seeds, but couldn't find them. So I bought 5 of the small McCormick spice jars of them. Next time, I'll plan ahead and buy the dill seeds online, since they're tough to find!
Also, the cucumbers I got are pretty big, so I put 4 or 5 whole cucs in each jar, then sliced some up in quarters and slid a few spears in each jar, as well. We'll see how that turns out (my aunt usually only makes whole pickles).

No Stress Fractures in my Confidence

Oy vey. My marathon training was going beautifully:
My mileage was increasing gently, but significantly each week.
My knees, shins and ankles - which usually start to bother me when my mileage gets higher - were all feeling strong.
I was coping well with the heat, but when there were heat advisories, I'd transition to the treadmill in my (FREE!) apartment gym.

I mean, too good to be true. And then it happened...I'm fairly certain I have a stress fracture. DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. :(

I've had stress fractures in my foot twice before. But by the time I get the doctor's office for x-rays, they've already started to heal, and their only advice is to rest. So I've skipped the doctors and the x-rays altogether and self diagnosed. I was tempted to try and keep powering through the pain, but one of my friends (who is also a marathoner) reminded me it will be easier to rest now than rest later, when my mileage is higher. So I took the last week off. My foot still hurts when I walk, but definitely is feeling better.

But BEFORE my rest - last Tuesday - I ran a small 5k race that took place in a park near my apartment. It was a random weekday evening, my foot was hurting, I was over-tired. Everything was working against me. But I had told a friend I would be there to run this with her. And guess what?? I ran a 25:18 5k!!!! That's 8:08/mile pace!! Out of control. I cannot believe I can run that fast. My previous PR was around 30:00. It shows that hard work pays off.
And as an added bonus, I just happened to step on the scale last week and I'm down 8 lbs since I last weighed myself. SHUT UP!

So while I've had little-to-no social life, go to bed at 8pm on the weekends and spend my mornings soaked in sweat, plugging away on the roads -- it's all paying off. I feel great, I'm really proud of myself and I know this marathon is going to be my best ever.
Fingers crossed my foot starts to feel better soon!!

Oh, You're Here Too?

Wow - long time, no post! But I have some great excuses. For one, I'm still training like a mad woman for my marathon. 15 weeks to go!!! I'm trying to still get to CrossFit at least twice a week, as well. I think that combo will make for a very successful marathon in October!
I also just completed party planning for my mom's surprise 60th birthday party -- my brother flew in (to MN) from LA and I flew in from DC and along with 70 of my mom's friends and family, created one big surprise for Mom! :) So I was planning that for the past couple of months from afar. (Well worth the effort for a successful party, though!) I also am on my 10-year high school reunion planning committee. I, unfortunately, can't attend this August, but have been happy to help with the planning and tracking down folks' contact info. On top of that, I've been babysitting more than ever. I have 5 families now that I am babysitting regularly for.

So you can't blame me for not being on top of the blog, right? I'm feeling great, though. I have to stop and remind myself how lucky I am every so often. I'm at my happiest when I'm busy, so I'm in my glory days. :)

One thing I want to share with you is my secret for a power breakfast. I decided to do my marathon training in the mornings. It's just too darn hot here to run later in the day, so I get up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morening and run 3-5 miles before work. On the weekends, I still get up as close to 6:00am as I can and get my run in early. Sunday is my long run day - so especially important to get the party started early. After every run, I make this super easy oatmeal. It's easy peasy - no need for a "recipe".
I slice up one banana and put it in the bottom of the bowl. Then I prepare one serving of "quick oats" oatmeal (cooks in 1 min) - it's 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of oats. I pour the hot oatmeal right on top of the banana and top it with a handful of blueberries and a dash of rice milk. YUM.


Here's why it's good:
Oatmeal naturally lowers cholesterol, plus it's high in fiber, keeping you full all morning (among other health benefits). Bananas are loaded with potassium and (again) fiber. They also help aid your digestive system while promoting kidney health. The sweetness and texture of the bananas pairs perfectly with the oatmeal. Blueberries are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, yet are low in calories. Great for your eyes, brain, digestive system AND has shown to help prevent ovarian cancer. And the tartness pairs wonderfully with the banana's sweetness. Give it a try - the worst thing you can do after a workout is load your body with high sugar, unhealthy cold cereal, so devote an extra minute or two and fix up a toasty bowl of oatmeal!

Early Launch on the Blog

OK, so maybe this isn't so exciting because (a) I have very few readers on my blog and (b) the news isn't THAT exciting, but it's the first I'm speaking of it....

I'm aiming to raise $2,600 for my favorite nonprofit, Compassion Over Killing, through my 2010 Marine Corps Marathon training!!

Check it out:

http://www.firstgiving.com/beckychaffee

I'm going to start soliciting donations tomorrow, and I'm really hoping some friends and family can support me with $26.20 donations. I'm really excited to combine two of my passions - running and animals. I've always liked fundraising for causes I care about, and this is a biggie!