Still on a 26.2 high :)

I EARNED this magnet :)  Here it is on my fridge as I want to wash my car before I ceremoniously put it on :)

So, now that I have completed my first marathon, what do I do?  I still want to run which was a huge goal of mine going into the race, but I'm not sure what plan I want to get into. 

I really have to update my blog since I've finished the marathon and now I'm wondering if I should change the name of it?  I liked 'Hacker Half Marathon' when I first got started blogging since a half marathon was so huge to me and almost insurmountable, but I wanted to try it and was pretty sure that I was the only Hacker to do so, so the name was fitting at the time.

So now should I change the name of the blog?  It's not as fitting but how important is that?  I know I need a new header (maybe with some fun pics) and to update things, but is the name important?  What do you think?

Fun New 10K this morning!

I had the pleasure of running the first annual Wicked Halloween Run in Plymouth with my friend Leslie - it was her first race!!  We have some good pics, but they're all on her camera, so I'll post them when she gets them to me.

The race was great!  Everything was really organized and well-run.  The course was marked well, flat, fast and not too crowded at all!  I really enjoyed the race and look forward to doing it again next year. 

Going into it, my plan was to take it easy and run for fun with my friend, getting her over the nerves of her first race.  My 501 coach didn't think it was such a good idea to race a 10K just two weeks after my first marathon, so she kinda freaked me out a bit. 

In the end, I sent my friend off at mile 5 since she had a lot of gas in the tank and she finished a minute ahead of me.  I finished in 1:05:40 which is only 44 seconds away from a PR!  So much for taking it easy :)

We got pretty cool medals for a 10K!!  At the end of the race, Leslie found me and we found another friend from work who showed up to cheer us on.  We also ran into a student of ours and chatted with her and her mom for a bit - it was so much fun!

Then Jeff from Detroit Runner and Megan from Watch MeGo Run found me!  Megan and I have run a bunch of the same races but have never run into each other until today.  Jeff and I met last March at the Rock CF Half Marathon and have done a bunch more of the same races, but haven't seen each other again until today, so it was lots of fun all around!

We grabbed a bite to eat after the race and I headed off for my fun day of grocery shopping and cooking up a storm.   We now have a billion tupperwares of homemade potato soup - my absolute FAVORITE!!  

And a beef stew is in the crock pot to be ready when my husband and his brother get home from Tampa tomorrow.  I am an awesome wife an sister-in-law :)

Funny Hate Post on Marathoning

In my random marathon-googling I came across a hilarious website that essentially dogs everyone out for something.  I found this post about marathoners and I laughed out loud since most of it is so true.

Check it out if you're in a good mood, don't mind f-bombs, and don't take yourself too seriously :)

The comments make me laugh even harder - although very crude, so don't ready them if you take things personally :)

Enjoy!

Things I've Learned/More thoughts from my first Marathon

• You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.  Two years ago, I had never run for fun in my life.  The only running I did was in high school sports, typically as punishment.  Now, I committed to something, stuck with it, found people to support me and finished a marathon!

• Putting your name on the front of your shirt is the best idea ever!  At least 40 of my new closest friends cheered for me, told me I was doing great and looking good, and called me by name - I highly recommend it.

• If you're thinking of running - any distance - find others doing the same thing.  Joining my 501 running group was the best running decision I've ever made (aside from starting in the first place!) and I'm so glad I did it.  I had a HUGE support group with years of knowledge to learn from.

• Obnoxious green socks are the way to go!  My spectators could find me easily and everyone loved them!  Yeah, my socks got cheered on the route!  It was awesome!

• In running 26.2 miles last Sunday, I surprisingly had no pain during the run and NO chafing after the run!  I was worried as I had head so many horror stories about chafing problems but nope, I lubed up properly :) 

• I never experienced a time where I thought I couldn't finish, or that I had to quit and I never hit the wall or bonk.  I'm still not entirely sure what that feeling is like, but I'm totally cool with that and hope I never find out!!

• I did get a huge blister on my toe, but it's almost half the size already.  There is a chance that I may lose a toenail, but I'd say it's totally worth it!!

• It was really awesome to have my family and friends at the finish line!  It was a much more pleasant experience than my last half and I think I may consider inviting family to another race in the future!

• I'm already thinking about my next race...  I definitely want to run a half marathon soon and then maybe think about another fall full :)  I'd LOVE to run the Marine Corps Marathon next October, but I understand it's really hard to get into.  We'll see :)

Race Pics are in!

After checking the freep website a million times a day since Monday, the pictures from my first marathon ever on Sunday are up!!

There are 30 pics of me and 7 of which I actually like!  I have never purchased race pics before and am not sure if it is worth it... What do you think?

$30 for one digital image and $70 for three.  holy crap, that's more than I paid for the race!  Or $90 for all digital files straight from the camera but not enhanced. 

Let me know which ones you think I should actually buy - if at all - that's a lot of money!

 A: new bff Emily and I after the tunnel ~mile 8

 

B: All smiles in the fresh air!

 C: at the split of the half and full marathoners

 

D: Somewhere on the course :)

  E: Still smiling I think on Belle Isle ~mile 21

F: Holy Crap I finished a marathon!  

(In 5:28:22, not the clock time)

 

G: Hooray!  We finished our first marathon together!!

Think I should order any?  Which one is your favorite?

More Marathon Thoughts with some Pics

I've felt great after my first marathon on Sunday!  I've been able to go up and down stairs without using the railing since Monday night and have been able to get up off the potty all by myself!  Everyone has been so surprised that I was at work on Monday, but I've felt great.  My low back and quads have been tight, but not painful.  

I met with my 501 running group Tuesday night and ran 3 miles with them - they felt great :)  Since the majority of us ran Detroit, we then stayed after to chat about our experiences.  It was so much fun!  Then I got home and received some fun pics from my mom from the marathon!  So excited to share them with you!

All 501ers before Detroit in our warm up area

My 501 besties: Amanda (1st full), Rhoda (2nd half), Liz (2nd half) and me (1st full)

Our fine booties after mile 14ish.  I got lots of love on my socks :)

Going onto Belle Isle - looks like we're still moving and maybe even enjoying ourselves.  About mile 19.

Coming off Belle Isle - don't look as great, but still upright and moving - about mile 22.5

Turning the corner around mile 25.5ish, almost to the finish line.  Amanda was looking great; I wanted to kill people :)

Finally finished picture with my hubby - after I devoured the bag of swedish fish in my hand - I had texted my sister to bring them to the finish line a few days earlier :)

Lafayette Coney!!  Katie (finished her 2nd marathon), me, hubby, and mother-in-law (love her)!

Back of my custom shirt : "They say you never forget your first!!"  haha so true :)

I have so many fun fun memories of this race and will be sharing them with you soon as soon as I can focus.  I'm going out of town tomorrow for a conference and won't be home til Sunday, so hopefully I'll be able to catch up then :)

I've been stalking the freep website a million times a day to see if the race photos are up; I can't wait to see them!!

Oh, and I've been contemplating marathon #2 since Sunday afternoon :)  Running a marathon has turned me into a crazy person - I haven't slept more than 6 hours a night and I typically sleep 10-12 hours regularly.  I feel great and am ready to rule the world!

My First Marathon every detail Recap!

Short Story:

LOVED my first marathon!

Time: 5:28:22, 12:32 pace

Overall Place: 3044/3449

Female Place: 1122/1332

Age Group Place: 204/240

I don't have many pics yet, but will post as I get them.  Let me warn you this is LOOONG.  It's my first marathon and I have a lot of memories that are all too important not to include.  I hope you're comfy :)


Long Story:
I got up at 4am to get dressed, lube up and have some peanut butter toast - no better start to the day!  My friend Katie from Chicago and I picked up Rebecca and were in the downtown hotel with the rest of the 501 runners by 6am.   It was a great place to meet, stay warm and get excited for the race. 

My 501 running buddies :)

At 6:30, we headed down to the corrals, still in the dark.  Amanda and I were in corral K (it went A-M) and all of our friends lined up there with us even though many were faster - how nice!  There was a good chunk of us waiting for our corral to go - maybe 9 of us - and before we knew it we were finally on our way. 

It was completely surreal.  Amanda and I were in denial and treated the morning like a normal Saturday 501 group run, which helped us not freak out about the marathon that we were just starting :)  Honestly, in my head I was just focusing on finishing the first half and then figuring out a new game plan to think about the second half.  

Amanda mentioned that she was planning on staying behind me for the first part, to use me as her pacer, and I did indeed rein her in.  I tried to keep our crew to ~12:00 minute miles at the start so we would have gas in the tank to rev it up later (ha! fat chance...)

The first few miles were uneventful as we waited for the crowd to thin out.  We made a new friend Emily just before mile 2 and she was doing her first half all by herself.  She kinda snuck up behind us and mentioned casually that she was using us as her pacer and we welcomed her with open arms.  We all introduced ourselves and realized that she works in the same building in Ohio as Amanda's friend Tiffany who was also running with us.  I LOVE making friends in races!

Pretty soon we were running across the Ambassador Bridge to Canada which was pretty awesome.  It was still dark and kinda windy on the bridge, but still really cool.

Mile 1 12:04

Mile 2 12:06

Mile 3 12:20 bridge congestion

Mile 4 11:51

Miles 5-7 were on the Canadian riverfront and absolutely beautiful!  A lot of it was residential and had plenty of crowd support.  These were great miles that seemed easy (just typing that is funny to me).  Emily, Amanda and I were still together at this point and with every sign for a runner, we would yell out and pretend that was our name - sounds silly now, but was really awesome with each new sign.  

Mile 5 11:45

Mile 6 11:42

Mile 7 11:40

Mile 8 was back to Detroit through the tunnel.  The crowd was still pretty thick at this point - we could get around, but there were a lot of people there.  Some guy was skipping in the tunnel and we thought it looked fun and tried it too.  It's amazing how fun that was!  Amanda and Tiffany took off at this point ahead of us.  About half way through the tunnel, it got really hot.  Emily and I were sweating like crazy and ready to be out of there.  The light at the end of the tunnel was soon visible and we booked it out of there.  

Mile 8 11:48

Fresh air never felt so good, even if it was cold and drizzly.  Coming out of the tunnel just felt good and we looped around Cobo and out toward some of the neighborhoods.  We ran by Joe Louis Stadium and then through Mexican town, complete with a mariachi band, and Corktown, where my family sets up for the Patty's day parades each year.  

We were just rounding a corner when I thought I recognized a guy in front of us and sure enough, when we got closer it was a guy I went to grade school with.  He was a couple years older than me and I was best friends with his little sister from K-2nd grade!  What are the chances??  It was nice to catch up over a mile or so and then he kinda vanished behind us. 

Mile 9 11:49

Mile 10 11:54

Mile 11 11:39

At a water station just after mile 11, we caught up with Amanda again and ran Emily in for her last couple miles.  It really was great getting to know her this race and I felt like we'd known each other forever.  At the 12.75ish spot, she turned off to the right and Amanda and I turned left into the unknown.  

Once we split from the half marathoners, it was a ghost town - in both runners and spectators.  Just after the 13 mile marker I recognized some people in the distance and it was my parents!!  I was so excited I yelled out to my mom and dad like a little kid in grade school, "HI MOM!! HI DADDY!"  We didn't stop to say hi, but we waved and I introduced them to Amanda on the way as mom took pictures.  It was just the boost I needed to keep going on this boring stretch. 

Mile 12 11:53

Mile 13 11:49

We met up with another 501er Dave around this point - he was using the Detroit Marathon as a training run for his ultra marathon in a few weeks - how crazy is that??!!  After another water stop, Amanda hit a quick pit stop in the bushes as Dave and I kept watch.  :)  This is the part of the course that I wasn't looking forward to as it's pretty much a straight shot out to mile 16.  blah blah blah boring course here. 

Mile 14 12:48

Mile 15 12:06

Mile 16 12:21

Finally we got off the boring street and made a turn into a nice neighborhood.  I overheard another runner explaining that it was Indian Village - where all the execs had their huge, nice houses.  It was really fun to look at and with Amanda being an architect, we were entertained for the next couple of miles and they went by smoothly.  This is also where we recognized the bikers that kept racing ahead of us and then cheering for us were following us, giving us our own cheering section.  We didn't know them, but hell, we took what we could get!

Mile 17 12:51

Mile 18 12:29

We were on a boring road again just heading toward Belle Isle.  At this point, we knew we had run a 20 miler before, so we were confident we could finish that and then we would start counting down the miles for our final 10K.  Getting to the Mile 19 marker was tough.  I didn't have any pain, but I was getting tired.  We had been walking through all the water stations as originally planned and this is when I started just looking forward to each water station.   

I stopped to pee in a port-a-potty around this time and was so thankful for having tp, being able to get my skirt back on and the fact that I wasn't puking my brains out like the person in the port-a-potty next to me.  This led to our slowest mile of the race. 

Mile 19 14:19

Right before the bridge to Belle Isle we saw my mom again which was awesome and even though the bridge was an incline, windy and cold, we were distracted by the runners coming off the island in the other direction.  We were just staring at them as we crossed the bridge, which made the time fly by.  I don't know why I thought I would know someone on that side of the bridge, but it was fun to watch the other runners.  

The Belle Isle miles were flat and not brutal and we made another friend who I affectionally called "orange shirt".  He was a nice guy also running his first marathon that was fun to chat with although I have no recollection of what we talked about. 

Just as we were getting to the end of the island loop, we came across another guy who just happened to look up at me just as I was looking at him and wouldn't you know we went to high school together??!!  How random is this??  He was a couple years older than me and ended up marrying my sister's friend, but how crazy is this that I saw him?  We chatted for a mile or so and he so graciously thanked us for letting him run with us as he was just about to throw in the towel before he saw us.  Amanda joked about how he had to stick with us across the bridge so he wouldn't jump off in the middle!  That's just what he did too, he wished us well and took a walk break.  

Mile 20 13:11

Mile 21 13:13

Mile 22 12:41

We spotted my mom and dad again as we came of Belle Isle and I caught my dad cheering for a Spartan runner as he was wearing the Michigan jacket I bought him!  Yes, they beat us in football the day before, but what the heck, dad!!  He quickly cheered for Amanda and I and then we were off to head into town to find and cross that damn finish line.  

At this point we were hitting new distance prs with each step and celebrating them as we continued.  We still walked through the water stations and each start up was difficult but we pushed through.  No negative words were shared out loud, but I was getting tired but still had no pain.  We hit the river walk which wasn't as straight as I had hoped and then got back into town.  

Mile 23 13:10

Mile 24 12:58

Once we hit the 24 mile marker, I was like F this, we can do 2 miles - that's nothing.  We then ran by the Northville/Novi 501 coach who told us to pass the flashing stop sign (that was weird), turn right, go up a hill, and we'd hit 25.  HILL.  she said HILL.  damnit.  We made it up the damn hill and got passed by the 5:30 pacer.  We jokingly threw a few expletives his way and he assured us we were looking great and he was a minute or so ahead of schedule.  yeah right, my ass, I remember thinking. 

Mile 25 13:17

Now, here comes the hardest part of the damn marathon for me.  We knew the end was in sight, cause my garmin told me so, but I didn't know how the f we were getting from Larned to Fort and 2nd and that's all I wanted.  So as I turned the corner and saw Fort in front of us, I was relieved but still pissed that we had to turn again.  This is where we saw Amanda's husband Justin, but I was too far in lala land to realize it was him as you can see in this pic as I'm behind cute little Amanda:

Emily and Tiffany who started out with us and finished the half, met us here, ran us up the hill and to the turn to see the finish line.  THE FINISH LINE!!  Not only was it is sight, but I then saw my husband's Lions fleece not that far away.  The good thing about being on the slower end is that the crowd thins out so I could actually recognize people!!  When I got close to my hubby, I lifted up my right hand just a little and pinched the air to represent 'just a little bit more' to him.  I wasn't able to talk or even smile, but I was still moving - running even - forward.  I saw my sister, my bro in law, his gf and my mother in law.  It was exciting, but I didn't have the energy to ham it up for them.  (I only kinda regret this but then think -  f them, they just had to stand there, why should I put on a show for them after 26 miles - not nice, I know)

Mile 26 12:06, but felt like 8:10

When I crossed the finish line, I kept running for a few seconds, then realized I could stop my garmin and then stop my body.  haha how weird.  It was AWESOME!!  Just walking through the finish fuel stop before I met my family and friends felt amazing!!  I was rejuvenated and so PROUD of myself!!  I DID IT!!

there's so much more to come, but this is far too long... consider it part one :)

I'm a MARATHONER!! And I LOVE it!!

Finished right where I wanted to, loved it and may even do it again... but next year... more to come with pics hopefully soon :)

Here I go to run a marathon!

Holy Crap!  The time is finally here!  We're leaving to go run the Detroit Marathon!!  

My first ever!!  I'm so excited :)

Before I can get into the excitement of tomorrow's marathon - my FIRST - I want to briefly recap Sunday's Big House, Big Heart 10K.  I ran in Ann Arbor with a bunch of my 501 friends and had a blast!  

This race is near and dear to my heart since my sister talked me into walking it in October 2009.  After that experience, I got to thinking, I wonder if I can run this course?  And I started couch to 5K the next day.  Now, two years later, I'm running my first marathon tomorrow!  CRAZY!!

This is me after the finish Oct 2009 -  no idea what to wear, what to do, didn't talk to anyone and came in just under an hour for the 5K.  But the possibilities were endless and started right here - thanks Coop!!

I also got to meet Katie from Runs for Cookies!  She has an amazingly inspirational and fun blog about her incredible weight loss journey and I highly recommend it.  In fact, I didn't even realize she was local until she mentioned to me she was running the BHBH.  She did awesome in her race and it was so nice to meet her!!

So, after the crazy busy week at school this week and Monday Night Football in the D where the Lions killed the Bears, I'm finally ready to run my first marathon!  Rebecca and I hit the expo yesterday afternoon and I was finally able to purchase one of the beloved Detroit 26.2 jackets.  I've been eyeing them online for awhile now, tried them all on and found the perfect one for me.  It's hanging in my closet right now, waiting for me to earn it tomorrow :)  Can't wait to wear it to school on Monday!

The expo was pretty awesome and I like this year's race shirt!  Love the streamed line sponsors on it, too.

So, other than still trying to figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow, I'm all set!!  With possible rain, I'm debating my running skirt (might not want the extra wet fabric) or my fav adidas spandex shorts.  Either will be fine.  But for the top, I'm still undecided.  The personalized shirt I ordered is not perfect and I'm not thrilled with it, so I'm not sure if I'll run with it at all.  I have arm warmers which might be nice, but I've never run in them.....   So, off I go for an easy 2 miler and see what happens...

My friends from Chicago are in town to run the race and my family is trying to figure out where to meet to spectate, so we're getting ready to go!!

Can't wait for the alarm to go off at 4am tomorrow to get this show on the road already!!  I'm so excited!!

Less than 5 days to my first marathon!!

And I'm already exhausted!  Only because I just had one of the most fun days of my life yesterday - Monday Night Football in the D!!  The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears and we're now 5-0!!  This has never happened in my lifetime and is so exciting!  (and I'm barely even a football fan - my husband is the die-hard Lions fan, even through the tough years)  It was so much fun; we spent 2p-2a in the city walking around, having a blast and watching the game.  Most fun day we've had since our wedding!!

Sunday's 10K was awesome, recap is coming sometime I swear.  I'll even let you know what awesome and inspiring blogger I met there.  Here's a great pic of some 501 friends with our coach (far right) after the race.  Amanda (bib 2809, right next to me) is also running the Detroit full, so we'll be having lots of fun together on Sunday :)

My hand is still swollen like crazy and moving up to the wrist after Sunday's bee/wasp/incrediblyhugeinsectstinger incident after the 10K, so I haven't been able to wear my ring or watch since Sunday and it's a very weird, naked feeling.  Good thing I don't really need my left hand to run a marathon.  If it's still red, warm and swollen after the race, I'll get it looked it.  Priorities, people, priorities. 

Today was our last 501 group run before the big race and I'm so excited!!  I have three VERY busy days at work ahead of me but as of 3pm on Friday afternoon, I'm marathon bound...  Anyone interested in meeting up at the Detroit Expo Friday at 3pm??

10K PR this morning!

I loved this morning's Big House Big Heart 10K in Ann Arbor!  It was a lot of fun running with my 501 friends and meeting a blogger in real life :)

I got a 10K PR and our 501 coach finished her first 5K since a stress fracture, plantar fasciitis and then getting hit by a car while biking over the past year!  Talk about commitment and inspiration :)

I'll get a full recap up soon, but I was stung by something today while out working in the yard after the race and my left hand is swollen up like crazy and incredibly painful to type :(

I have to get healthy for the Detroit Lions' first Monday night football game in my lifetime against the Bears tomorrow night.  Oh, and my first marathon in 7 days :)  Are you sick of hearing about that yet??!!!

7 DAYS!!

If you know anyone running one of the Detroit Free Press races and want to follow their live results next Sunday...there's an app for that.  Go to the Detroit Free Press Marathon website  Download the app, go to the 'I'm a Runner' section, Live Results, and enter their name or bib number.  Here's mine in case you want to cheer me on from afar :)

There's a Snake in My Boot!

Yes, I do love Toy Story, but what I really meant was there's a snake in my rubbermaid container:

You can see my foot underneath the container to show you how big this thing was!  (ok, big to me)  

It would have been nice it we just saw it out in the nature center, but no, I saw it after I heard the screams of about a dozen kids in the gym this afternoon.  Just slithering around under the drinking fountain, surrounded by screaming kids.  

Had this happened at my house, I would have jumped up on the counter, screamed bloody murder and waited for my husband to take care of it.  

But, NO, this happened at school during my after school program.  So, I  very calmly scooped up our new slithery friend into said rubbermaid container and tightly sealed the lid :)  

After calming the kids down, we decided it would be cool to keep him (or her) by the front door in the container for the rest of the day for everyone else to see.  They loved it!!

And once all the kids went home, I released him in the nature center, called my husband and told him how brave (read: freaked out) I was today!!  

hahaha, what a weird day!! I know it isn't even that big of a snake, but still. 

Anyway, back to real life - marathon training has been making my head crazy lately as I'm ready to just do it already!  Short 4 miler with the group tomorrow morning, Big House Big Heart 10K Sunday morning and then I'm only 7 days away from my first marathon ever!!  Can't wait!

Almost Ready

11 Days until I run my first Marathon.  I thought about putting "attempt" but there's not really an option to fail in  my mind, so I'm 'running' it. 

I finally ordered my personalized race shirt yesterday and paid the extra for speedy shipping.  This concludes that I'm an idiot.  I registered for this race in January, commited to the training plan in June, and waited until 2 weeks before the marathon to order the shirt.  Stupid move that I hope doesn't backfire. 

Rest of the race-day outfit is ready and worst case scenario the new shirt sucks, I have a long-sleeve race shirt that I've been running in that I love.  It's just not the cutest design ever.  Whatever, I'm an idiot. 

I just registered for the Big House, Big Heart 10K in Ann Arbor this Sunday.  Just about everyone from my running group is doing it, so why not?  This was my first race EVER - the one my sister made me register for two years ago, just to walk it.  By walking 3.1 miles in 59 minutes, I wondered if I could run it in 30 minutes.  And so my running career began at that point in October 2009.  5K PR sub 30 and I'm now going to run my first marathon in 11 days - funny how things happen like that.

I'm excited and anxious and just ready to get out there and log some miles!

Up North Running

This is what I was lucky enough to run through this weekend:

Eight ladies from work went up north Michigan to relax at a cabin and kayak.  We had so much fun!!

This is what I saw as I ran my recovery run on Sunday morning while everyone was still sleeping :)  It was beautiful!  I even saw two deer only 15 feet from me, but I was too nervous to move to get my camera ready, so I just stared at them.  They were gorgeous.

So, my first marathon is less than two weeks away!  I'm getting really excited!  My race outfit is almost ready.  I'm for sure on my blue running skirt.   And definitely compression socks, most likely these lime green ones that took me through my awesome 20 miler: 

I'm going with my favorite tank in white (which I just found a brand new one at TJ Maxx today for $16.99, score!) under a personalized long sleeve white shirt from myraceragz.com.  So far, I love the website but I can't decide on what I want!  I know I want my name on the front, but I'm not sure on the back.  So far, I have something like "They say you never forget your first!"  and then "26.2 Detroit 2011"  

I'm welcoming any suggestions as I can't make up my mind and really ought to order my shirt this week.