The Day After

Yesterday was the "big day".  I had only one goal, which was to cross the finish line.  I accomplished that goal, and it was (physically) the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  It took me more than 6 1/2 hours to finish, which is an hour longer than I had anticipated.  By no means am I disappointed with my time, but I am astounded that it actually did take me that long.  I've been told that the Baltimore Marathon is a very hilly race, and it's definitely true.  It's not very noticeable, as the hills are long and slow and gradual, and you don't realize that you're on a hill until you try to figure out where the fatigue is coming from.  

By about mile 13, I was starting to feel my joints hurt, but it wasn't too bad, definitely tolerable.  I did, however, make a mental note that I was only halfway through at that point, and small seeds of doubt began to plant in my brain.  I shut them down, of course, and kept going.  By mile 18 or so, I was hurting more, mostly in my hips and knees.  This is where I started to take small walking breaks on the uphill portions.  By mile 2o, I was feeling miserable, knowing that as much as I wanted to quit, I would NOT allow myself to do so.  

All along the route, there were people -- race officials, police officers and ordinary citizens -- cheering the runners on.  That kind of support means a lot, and it is very much appreciated.  The last 5 miles were brutal.  More than once, there were tears flowing... I'm not sure why, but it was probably a combination of several things  -- pain, fatigue, and simply wanting to get to the finish line, thinking of my friends who were waiting there for me.  Miles 22-25 were spent mostly walking... although it hurt just as much to walk as it did to run, so I would keep trying to run if at all possible.  

I had a list of 26 special people, to whom I dedicated one mile each.  The last mile was set aside for Scott, and I knew I had to run, not walk, that mile, no matter how hard it was.  As I hit that last mile marker, I forced myself to run and to not stop, thinking of Scott the whole time, knowing he was running alongside me.  I kept hearing folks cheering me on -- "good job", "you can do it", "keep pushing", "you're almost there"  -- and although I couldn't actually say thank you to them, I did manage to acknowledge them with little waves of my hand.  That kind of support from random strangers is priceless.  

Special thanks to Craig for being my personal chauffeur and photographer and supporter for the day.  He picked me up in the morning, waited around all day (looking for me on several portions of the race, but not finding me), and met me at the finish line.  Sean and Linda were also there at the finish, waiting with big hugs and cold water to dump on my head... which felt sooo good!  

After a pasta dinner and an ice bath, I enjoyed 10 hours of much-needed sleep.  There is still pain today, but it's getting better... which is good, because I'm entering a climbing competition this coming Saturday!  I just don't stop, do I?  ;-)

I'll be shutting down the donations button on this site next Saturday, 10/18.  That, however, does not mean you can't donate directly to Yellow Ribbon Fund.  Please keep our Wounded Warriors in mind, and any time you see a soldier, take a moment to thank him or her for their service and dedication to our country.  The sacrifices they make are the reason we're here to enjoy what we have.

The Home Stretch!

I'm entering the home stretch leading up to the big day! I can't believe it's almost here, and I'm really excited. A lot of folks have asked me if I'm nervous about it... well, I'm not. There's nothing to be nervous about. I've trained hard, I feel great, and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. As long as I prepare (sufficient carbs, lots of hydration and a good night's sleep), I should be all set. I'm told that the biggest mistake some people make is to start the race at a pace that's too fast for them, which can prohibit their completion of the run. The advice I'm getting is to start running at half the pace I think I'm running, and I should be good to go... let's hope I can remember that advice in the excitement and hoopla of the starting line!

For any of you who are interested, you can find tons of information on the race at http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/. If you're coming up to watch, you can find info on spectator parking, directions, etc... it's all right there on the site.

This past week, I hit a milestone in my fundraising... I surpassed the $1000 mark! I'm making one last push now for any additional donations. I know the economy is crap right now, so please know that I (and the Yellow Ribbon Fund) appreciate every penny that's donated!

Since I started training in May, I've run well over 300 miles... it would have been more, had I not taken several weeks off to recover from an over-use injury, but that is so far behind me that I've actually forgotten I was injured! What a great feeling to not remember being hurt! :)

With this being my final week of training, I'd like to send special thanks out to some key folks. In no particular order, many thanks go to the following people:

~Ed, Marti, Kevin and Christy K, for giving me their blessing to run this race and raise all this money in Scott's honor
~John Q, for so many things, primarily his support in this endeavour, as well as for taking care of my dog Holly during the weekend of the race so I don't have to walk her
~The folks at YRF, for the wonderful work they do to help support our Wounded Warriors
~Craig C, for his friendship and support, as well as for all his help (and patience!) in setting up this blog site for me
~Brian H, for all his advice and help with my training
~Jon T, for his support and his understanding of what it takes to train for this (as he's been training for the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/26)
~Jess T, for her cheerleading and uplifting words, even from 2500 miles away
~Marchica & Deppa LLC, for their pledge to match the donations I've taken in
~The folks at Planet Cotton in Gaithersburg, for their patience with my ignorance of the screen printing process for my t-shirts
~Mike at Grind On Cafe in Baltimore, for his yummy coffee and bagels after my early morning runs
~Nikki A and Julie L, my downstairs neighbors, for not getting upset with me when I've unintentionally (sorry!) woken them up as I headed out for my 5am training sessions.
~The makers of Gu Energy Gel, for providing much-needed sustenance during my super-long training runs... I could not have finished without it!
~Most importantly, to Scott, for running alongside me all these months and all these miles... I miss you buddy, and I love you, always.
~... and to everyone else who has donated funds, sent inspiring messages, or simply said, "hey, cool!" when I've told them what I'm training for... I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your generosity and support mean the world to me.

--Suzy Q

Two weeks remaining!

With only two weeks left before the marathon, I'm getting pretty excited about it. In some ways, it seems like yesterday that I got the hare-brained idea to run a marathon, and in some ways, I can't believe I've been training for it since May!

My two longest training runs are behind me (18 miles each). The first time I did 18, I was on the NCR Trail, north of Baltimore. Very pretty, mostly shaded, packed gravel, and flat. I was told there were ample water stops along the route, but this proved to be not-so-true. At about mile 12, I ran out of water, and the last four miles were very difficult. I was not well for the remainder of the day, but I recovered relatively well by the next day and was planning for the next 18-miler the following week.

For my second 18-mile day, I was at the beach with some friends, so the route was mostly flat. Despite a 15-minute stretch on the sand dunes (brutal!), I had a great run! I had plenty of water, and I recovered well.

I've now started the tapering-off process. My long run will only be 9 miles this Saturday, then 8 miles the following Saturday, with several shorter runs during the weekdays. Tapering is important, as my muscles need time to recover from the trauma of the super-long training runs I've been doing. This will allow me to be at my best on the morning of the race.

I have no time goal for this race... I just want to finish. I'm sure there will be points along the race (mostly on hills) that I will need to walk, but that doesn't matter. Crossing that finish line is the only goal I have... well, that, and raising as much money as possible for Yellow Ribbon Fund. That being said... click on the "Donate Now" button to the right, and do your part to help support our Wounded Warriors!

So far, so good

My boot came off 4 days ago, and I've waited until today to really get a feel for how my foot is doing.  I ran 5 miles on Thursday morning, and I felt no pain whatsoever, but today was the real test.  I was scheduled to do 16 miles.  I started out at John's house in Mount Airy (it's much easier to do long runs in the country than it is in the city, and since I know the roads around his house very well, that's where I go).  

Getting started wasn't the easiest thing, but after about a mile, I felt like I was getting back into the swing of things pretty well.  Special thanks to John Q, who, an hour and a half into it, drove out to find me, bringing me cold water to fill up my bottle (perfect timing, as my bottle was just about empty).  That may have been some of the best water I've ever had!  

Although I was supposed to do 16 miles, I stopped at 12.  I was at the point where I was finding it difficult to keep my heart rate below 160 (above that, and I'm at risk of going anaerobic, which is really not something I want to do), and I figured that 12 is better than nothing.  The last long run I did was 11 miles, which was 3 weeks ago.  So, 12 isn't bad, considering I haven't seriously trained for several weeks.  

Oh, and my foot?  It feels good.  I'm icing it off and on, just to be sure, but I'm very pleased with the way I feel today.  Of course I'm aching all over from getting back into a running groove... my hips are a bit sore, and my leg muscles are definitely getting worked, but I'm taking the remainder of this day to do nothing but rest (and walk my dog, but that's not exactly something I can put on the back burner... heh).

Okay, people... I'm back!  It's time to take this donation thing seriously.  Remember to donate through this site at the button to the right.  THANK YOU!!!

Injury = Blargh!

This past week, August 11, was the one-year mark since we lost Scott.  It was a strange day, for me as well as (I'm sure) for all of us who were close to him.  For me, the hard part was during the day or two leading up to the 11th.  I couldn't help but think back to one year prior, when we were all blissfully unaware of the awful events to come.  I still miss him every day, but I also know he's still here with us in some way.

Okay, about my running:  I'm supposed to be starting Week 9 of my training, but running is, unfortunately, something I'm not allowed to do right now.  On August 2, several hours after I completed my 11-mile run, my foot (metatarsals) started to hurt.  Although it hurt, it did not alter my gait in any way; it was more of an annoyance than anything else.  I continued to do my short runs that following week, and on my long run day, instead of running 12 miles, I worked out on an elliptical trainer for 2 hours.  I have decided that the elliptical is, hands down, the most boring piece of exercise equipment ever invented.  Ever.  It is, though, a zero-impact workout, and it gets my heart rate up for an extended period of time.  That's what's important right now.  

What's wrong with my foot, you ask?  I don't know.  I finally went to a sports medicine doctor last week.  The x-ray doesn't show a fracture, but the doc has me in a boot for two weeks, just as a precaution.  It's especially fun wearing the boot because it's August in Maryland and I sweat like a horse.  Makes things soooo comfortable!  :-/

After two weeks, if my foot still hurts, the doc will do a bone scan.  If he finds a fracture, he's shutting me down.  Completely.  No more running... hence, no marathon.  The thought of not being able to do this race is something that makes me sick to my stomach.  I'm not running this just for the hell of it... it's not about me... it's about something that's so much bigger than that.  

The good news?  I'm being positive about this whole thing.  Being the stubborn person that I am, I was going to take the boot off after one week, just to test it.  After talking with several friends (one an athlete, one a nurse, one a mother of teenagers), I was lectured enough that I've changed my tune and will, begrudgingly, wear it for the full recommended two weeks.  

After only a couple of days in the boot, the foot is feeling better, which makes me think it's not broken.  After the two week period, I will test it gently.  Providing all is well, it will take some adjustments to my original running schedule to get back on track, but I will do whatever it takes to be ready for the race on October 11 (yes, even if I have to walk some of it).

Some of you may ask about my climbing.  Well, I've found a way around that also.  I'm doing upper-body workouts on something called a campus board (using only your arms to climb up an overhanging wall).  I'm not strong enough to be very good at it just yet, but after two weeks of these workouts, I may increase my climbing grade by at least one rating, so that's a bonus.  In addition, I've done a little bit of bouldering on VERY easy problems... yes, with just one foot, a spotter and a soft crash pad.  You can tell the girl not to climb, but she'll still find a way to do it.  :-P

I will keep everyone posted on my progress with this injury, and in the mean time, don't forget to donate!

Oh, and one more thing... the boot has been especially cumbersome and claustrophobic as I've spent the week moving into a 3rd-floor walk-up apartment with a 50-pound-dog in tow.  You should try it sometime... big fun!  ;-)

Week 5 - Completed!

Today was my first ever 10-mile run. I've finally hit double digits! Despite some chronic health issues this week, I completed today's workout, pushing through the pain and finishing in a respectable 2 hours (okay, it was just over 2 hours, but still... not bad for 10 miles and feeling like crap)! Oh, and by the way, this was all starting before 5am, as I still had to get to work on time. Wow, it's really dark at that hour, especially in the country!

Helping to keep my mind off things that were bothering me was the fact that I had several "Forrest Gump" moments: Morning moonlight filtering through the trees, lighting my way as best as possible; Horses taking a break from their grazing to watch me with their long faces and big sweet eyes (yes, I actually say "hello" to them, and they say it back, in their own horsey way); Thick, cool mist rising off of the pond on Davis Rd. These things are incredibly peaceful to me, and they are a real highlight of my early mornings on the road. It also helped that the temperature was only about 60 degrees this morning... not bad for late July in Maryland!

In the past week or so, I've been learning a lot about training, cross-training, and the importance of monitoring my heart rate, hydration and carbs. One of my mentors is a good friend who's saintly enough to answer all of my silly questions, and I think this training program would be a lot harder than it is without his support, advice and assistance. He even ran last week's 8-miler with me. So, to Brian H, I send many thanks! :)

Also, just this morning, I received an email from Marchica and Deppa LLC.  They have issued a match-challenge grant, and any donations will be matched by them up to $5000.  So, that being said, let's get those donations rolling in and get our soldiers the help they need! Thanks!!!

p.s. If you are not comfortable donating online, you can always send me a check at my work address (I'm in the process of moving, so work is best):
Attn: Suzy Quintavalle -YRF
Earth Treks Climbing Centers
7125-C Columbia Gateway Dr
Columbia, MD 21046

Update 7/16/08

I'm about to finish my 4th week of training, and I'm still feeling really good.  My cardio is good, my legs are getting stronger, and my long runs really aren't as bad as I thought they might be.  Yesterday's run (5 miles) left me with a little pain after I tweaked my ankle, but things are better this morning (those of you who know me are aware of my ankle-breaking tendencies, so you're probably not surprised by this most recent episode).  Ice and rest can do wonders!

I knew going into this training that having a good attitude would be extremely important, and I'm finding that to be more and more true as the weeks go by.  I take it one step at a time, literally, and before I know it, the miles are behind me and I feel great.  Since starting training, I've lost about 10 pounds, which has helped me in many ways... I feel better, I look better, my clothes fit better (some are actually too big now), and my climbing has improved drastically!  

I've received several donations from folks already... thank you so much!  Most of the time, I'm able to determine who the donations are from, but sometimes it's difficult because I might not recognize an email address.  If I don't thank you personally for your generosity, please don't be offended... it's just that I don't know who you are.  That being said, thanks to all of you, in advance, for your support... it is not going unnoticed!

Tomorrow's a day off, and I will do 8 miles on Friday morning before work.  I'll post more in another couple of weeks... until then, donate all you can for our Wounded Warriors, and tell everyone you know to do the same!  Love to you all... -Suzy Q  :)