Yes, it’s official. I have decided to take on the challenge of running/walking the Chicago Marathon for a second time. I have started a separate blog for the 2010 journey to the finish line. This time around I will be team captain of three first time runners. We are super excited about where this experience will take us and can’t wait to share our trials and triumphs with you. Follow our journey to the 2010 Chicago Marathon at http://teamstarfish.wordpress.com .
Crossing the Finish Line
I'm in this photo somewhere toward the back.
Well, it’s over. The long journey to the finish line has finally come to an end…or maybe a new beginning. There are so many details that I would love to put in my blog, but it would take me days to type everything that I saw, experienced, and felt that day. It was a total life changing experience for me, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually too.
I found it odd that the day before and the morning of the race I didn’t feel nervous. I had leaned on God’s graces for getting me through this journey for so long that this didn’t seem to be a big deal to me. I knew that I had done everything I could to get to this point and that being nervous would only waste the energy I would need to cross the finish line. The only time that I felt overwhelmed was a the starting line. The crowds of people shoving and pushing to get into their corrals and my germaphobia did not mix well. I couldn’t seem to find “my happy place” to help me over come this growing anxiety. Thankfully Tony noticed this right away and called Steve and Rita over to pray. Never under-estimate the power for prayer. I felt much better and was able to focus again shortly after.
One of the many cool things that happened that day happened at the starting line. As we approached the starting line (about a half hour after the race started) one of my favorite songs was beginning to play. Van Halen’s “Right Now” was ringing through the air. I had trained with that song plenty of times and any traces of nervousness melted away as I crossed the starting line. What were the chances that a song from the 80′s, one that I had rehearsed this day with so many times, would be playing as I approached the starting line. Destiny was being set into motion and I knew at that moment that anything was possible. Rita and I linked hands and said “let’s do this thing” and away we went.
By mile two Tony, Rita and Steve were mere dots on the horizon. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them, but it was nice to start the race together. I can’t say that the race was easy. I was able to keep my targeted pace of 15 minute or less miles for the entire first half of the race. Running through the different burbs added an unexpected element to the race. It was like taking a very slow tour of Chicago’s architecture and culture. I enjoyed that part of the race a lot.
Another unexpected thing was the support of the volunteers and spectators. Team World Vision encourages you to write your name on your jersey, which at first I thought was silly, but later realized why it’s important. Hearing your name shouted out with words of encouragement was uplifting, especially when you’re running without a partner. There was one person that was cheering so hard for me when I passed I thought he was going to burst. It made me laugh right out loud. For the longest time I ran behind a man dressed as a nun and another dressed as the pope. I must be in a hundred photographs as many spectators took their photograph as they approached. They were having such a great time with the crowd that it made me forget what mile I was on sometimes.
About 9 miles into the race I noticed that a half mile behind me was the 6:30 pace car. This is the vehicle I wanted so desperately to stay in front of the entire race. If I could stay in front of it I would meet my goal time of completing the race in six hours and thirty minutes. The stress of knowing it was so close though was intimidating. I knew that if I stopped to go to the restroom or slow down even a little bit to catch my breath that it would likely pass me by. I pressed on as best I could, but at the half way point, mile 13.1, I had to stop to take a necessary bathroom break and while I was doing business the pace car passed. For about two miles I was able to keep it in sight, then it turned a corner on the trail and I never saw it again. I must say that there was great relief in the amount of pressure I felt knowing that it wasn’t behind me anymore. Now the race was at my own pace and my goal changed from making it in the 6:30 time frame to just finishing the race.
Most racers will never experience the race I completed after the half way mark. When a racer stays in front of the pace car the spectators are still lining the streets cheering loudly and shaking noise makers, mile markers are still in place, the water and Gatorade stations are still full of cold beverages, the cheer stations are pumping out loud, motivating music, the finish line is lined with people, and the race ends with someone putting a blanket around your shoulders, a medal around your neck, and the last few steps are filled with people handing you food and drink and family members running up to congratulate you with hugs and lots of photographs to remember your journey. These are all things you get to experience when you stay in front of the pace car. When you fall behind the pace car..well, your experience changes dramatically.
Once the pace car passes you are pretty much on your own. Once it passes the water stations ahead of you are closed, the spectators leave, and the bands and exciting spectator events that you get to run though are all gone. The run I experienced quickly became similar to the training I had done, quite and more mentally challenging. Life is easy when it’s full of distractions and noisy fans cheering you on, but it’s a lot different when you’re at the back of the pack, left with your thoughts and only a sprinkling of runners on the trail that are just as determined as you to finish the race.
At mile 15 God blessed me with water. A lady carrying two bottles of water while packing up her spectator gear offered one to me. Since everyone had told me that there would be plenty of water along the course and not to take my own because it would add weight to my pack, I hadn’t had any for two and half miles. The bottle of water was welcomed sight. With this single bottle of water I knew I could finish the race. Without it, I wasn’t so sure and thoughts of giving up had crossing my mind. It’s crazy that the one thing I was running for, clean water for kids in Africa, made such a difference at that moment.
Each person that I passed from that point forward I encouraged with a pat on the back and a “hang in there, we’re almost to the finish line” or “we’ve only got so many miles to go”. I just knew that without the spectators cheering us on, we needed to encourage one another out there. Occasionally we would run through a spot that there were still people tearing down a station and they would turn from their work, clap and cheer for us, then return to their duties. For that I was thankful. One small Baptist Church somewhere on mile 18 was handing out baggies of grapes and water. I thanked them for sticking around for the slow pokes. We all laughed and smiled. I don’t think they realized how much that meant to all of us that were still out there trying to make it happen. I thought about how that applies to life as well. Sometimes just a few words of encouragement and a kind gesture from a stranger can make all the difference to someone that is struggling to make it through a situation in their life.
The last four miles I had crossed paths with a couple of runners (well, we were speed walkers at this point) that walked the same brisk pace as me. One girl from North Carolina had trained the entire time alone just like me. We shared war stories between heavy breaths. I cringed as she told me that she had to hurry up, finish the race and catch a plane home all by 8pm. I just had to catch a cab, shower and crash into a comfortable bed. I didn’t tell her that though. The other girl was from Team World Vision and had traveled from Vermont just to participate in the race. Her feet and knees ached but she was determined to keep up with our pace. I had packed some Aleve in my pack just in case I needed it, but other than being a little achy, I was fine. I offered it to her and she gladly received. Sometimes you just need a friend out there to make the time go by more quickly, share in your aches and pains, and not feel so alone on the journey. I was glad to have met them along the way. Regretfully none of us could exchange information because we weren’t carrying pens and paper with us. I will probably never see them again, but I know they finished and I will keep them close to my heart whenever I think of this experience.
With only two miles left to go, the blisters on my heels were worse than ever. Luckily I had made it this far without too much trouble. By this time you could only see remnants of the race. It became the joke that if we weren’t sure where you were on the course to just follow the cups littering the street (believe or not, it worked). It was strange that the clean up crew was just putting away the “one mile to go” sign as I approached. Suddenly my pace quickened. My mind was telling me to run for it, but by body overruled and I simply walked a bit faster. I had passed a couple of racers wrapped in silver shiny blankets that were leaving the park where the finish line was that said “you can make it, you’re almost there”. My heart quickened. As I ran up the bridge.. (which by the way, is poor planning if you ask me. Who puts an uphill climb at the end of a marathon, I mean really)… my only thought was I hope they still have a medal for me and that they haven’t put away the finish line. The finish line was such a welcome sight to see. I knew that I was only a few steps away from a huge accomplishment in my life, no matter how long it took me (7 hours, 16 minutes). It didn’t matter that there were no fans cheering me on, no spectators, no one taking photos. As a matter of fact they were putting away the leader boards that line the track as I approached. The only thing that mattered was the beep that I heard as my shoe activated the finish line. To my surprise a guy waved me over and hung a heavy medallion around my neck. I was sure there wouldn’t be any left by the time I got there. I held it and let the heaviness of it sink deeply into my hand. I kissed the photo of my sponsor child that was pinned to my shirt then looked to the heavens and said “we made it”. I am so glad there was a medal for me at the end though because without any witnesses or fans and family snapping photos, it’s really the only thing that I had to take home with me, except my memories, that proves I completed this challenge.
After the marathon I walked to the Team World Vision tent where Rita, Steve and Tony (and his mom, sorry I forgot her name), were waiting. We were all cold and tired, but we had completed something that most people never even dream of doing in their lifetime. Most people still think we are nuts, but that’s okay. It was an experience that we will never forget and will probably talk about long after our joints stop aching.
So that’s my story. This journey has come to an end. The question now is will I do it again next year or will there be something totally new on the horizon. Only time will tell. My challenge to you is to keep moving forward even when you feel like no one is cheering you on. Finishing something that you set your mind on is so much more rewarding than giving up. Lean not on your own understand, but lean on the grace of God, in all things in your life, and He will pull you though to the finish line and beyond.
Thanks for following me on this journey.
Kristy
PS. I was able to raise over $1,500 to help the kids and families in Mutomo, Africa! Thank you to everyone that donated to this special cause.
10 things I learned in 20 miles
I have been looking at this day on the training schedule for months – 20 miles. Not sure why it intimidated me so badly, but I actually felt sick about it this morning, or maybe that was the late night nachos I had after the football game. I had done 18 miles just two weeks ago, so what was the big deal. Well, here are the top ten things I learned while I was out there this morning.
1) 20 miles is doable…long, but doable.
2) The only difference between a bear and skunk in your path is the size. They are both quite intimidating. Last week I saw a bear in the middle of the road and this week I had to wait for the skunk to waddle across the road without spooking it into a spraying frenzy.
3) The longer your run/walk is, the more unusual the places you will chaff.
4) Just because double layered socks are supposed to prevent blisters, doesn’t mean that putting on two pair will do any better. I still ended up with blisters.
5) Petoskey Northmen tailgate foods like nachos, brats, and popcorn are not wise choices the evening before a 20 mile run. I’m sure this will hold true for the marathon too so I will have to keep that in mind.
6) Turkeys moving through the woods sounds just like rain falling. It was so cool.
7) Singing the lyrics to “I’m a Survivor” whenever I was starting to slow down helped keep me motivated.
8) I hate running up hill and love running down hill, but know that both are necessary.
9) I may not make the full 26.2 miles in the 6.5 hours necessary, but I will complete the marathon. It’s not about getting the medal, it’s about finishing the race.
10) That your “why” has to be bigger than any pain your going through if you’re going to stay on task. My “why” is the children and families of Mutomo, Kenya that are in desparate need of a well to provide clean, safe water in their village. Picturing their faces and knowing that my running/walking will help make a difference in their lives keeps me inspired, even after blisters set in and my feet feel like lead weights. You can learn more Mutomo, Kenya at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaj99HVLpfo
I am sure there will be more lessons to learn in the next few weeks. I’m excited for the challenge, nervous about the marathon, but I know I will survive it all. God’s got me this far, I’m positive He will take me all the way to the finish line.
PS. Don’t forget, you can make a safe, secure donation online to help my cause, Team World Vision, by clicking the link on the left. Thank you for your consideration
FUNdraiser was a success!
Last night was the Team World Vision Karaoke Fundraiser at the Bob-In Again in Petoskey. As you know I a
m running a marathon, but you may not have realized that I am doing it not only for myself, but also to help those less fortunate in Africa. By building awareness to the issues of health, hunger, and HIV Aids in Africa I am helping to change lives in Africa. Last nights fundraiser was just one small way to help those in need.
The turn out at the party was light, but everyone that attended had a great time. The winner of the Best Dressed 50′s couple was the Paul and MaryAnn Voorheis. We didn’t have a single Elvis show up, so we awarded a second prize to the Best Karaoke singer(s) of the night and that went to the Ulrich family. My son Andrew sang karaoke for the first time and sang “Flirting with Di
saster” and “Burning Ring of Fire”. Even Pastor Tony made his karaoke singing debut with “An American Soldier”. Lots of fun memories were made last night! I will report a total amount raised later this week. We didn’t raise as much as we had hoped to at the event, but like our training, every little bit moves us closer to our goal.
A special thanks to the following people:
- Robert Rogier and the staff at the Bob-In Again. You guys were awesome! Thanks for hosting the party, donating the cool prizes, and donating 10% of the profits to Team World Vision.
- Dale Mazzoline… YOU ROCK! Literally. The karaoke party wouldn’t have been the same without you spinning the tunes. Thanks so much for donating your services and time to our team. It was greatly appreciated. Karen Mazzoline.. thanks for letting me borrow your husband for the event and for being on stand by to help out. You and Dale hold a very special place in my heart.
- Thanks Tony for MC’ing the event. You did a great job of keeping everyone focused on why we were having the event and making sure everyone was having a good time Thanks to Rita and Bella too. Your costumes were great!
- Thanks to everyone that attended the fundraiser and contributed either by purchasing a meal or frozen custard treat or simply by making a donation.
- A HUGE Thank you to my husband, Alan, for putting up with me during the insanity of planning an event like this. A
lso, for taking photos and attending the event even after you had to work overtime all weekend and would have rather been sleeping. I couldn’t do anything without your support. And thanks to my son, Andrew Beyer, for your continued support and encouragement through this whole marathon process. You are awesome!
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If you were unable to make it to the party last night you still have the opportunity to make a donation to Team World Vision. Simply click the link under blogroll on the left hand side of your screen. This will take you to my secure donation page. Even a small amount is appreciated. If every person I know just gave $10 we would raise well over my $1,000 fundraising goal. Thank you
for considering making a donation that could change the lives of families and children in Africa. It means a lot to me, but it will mean even more to those who are suffering without clean water, food, and basic necessities for life.
I will do better next time
It’s hard to believe that I have been training since April for an event that most people wouldn’t try in their wildest dreams. As a matter of fact a large percentage of people who actually like to run haven’t completed a marathon. If you ask my husband this challenge has literally consumed my life. It’s all I think about, talk about, and dream about these days and I am sure he is happy it’s almost over. It actually strains him to see me endure so much stress, pain, and fatigue. (Only 5 more weeks honey.)
As the finish line gets closer I have started reflecting on how far I have actually come. I think back to the very first day of pre-training. It was Monday, April 13th. I had just downloaded a 30-minute nike itunes training workout for my ipod that features Serena Williams as your personal coach. It was to help build endurance by walking a brisk pace and then running for a few minutes on and off until the 30 minutes was up. I remember distinctly being so embarrassed by my physical condition that I didn’t want to walk down the road. I actually thought that if I got too far from the house I might not be able to make it back. This was the thought process of someone who had just decided to take on a race that would last for 26.2 whole MILES! Can you believe it? For this first training session I decided to do windsprints back and forth across our back patio (by the way it’s only 70 feet long). Our dog, Jack, thought I was nuts as I walked back and forth, back and forth not really going anywhere. I seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time. I was close to a bathroom, water, and a comfortable seat should I not be able to make it the full 30 minutes. It all seems so silly thinking about it now. I did make it the full 30 minutes though, huffing and puffing the whole time. After it was completed I actually felt a small sense of accomplishment. “Next time I will do better” I thought, and have thought that way ever since.
Yes I have graduated to running/walking the back country roads of my neighborhood instead of doing windsprints on the patio, but I tend to focus on each mile, one at a time. It has been this baby step mentality that has inched me closer and closer to the finish line and hopefully soon (on October 11th) across it. When every I look at the training schedule and see those big numbers, that actually just keep getting bigger and bigger, I have to remind myself that it’s just a couple more miles than I did the week before and that next time I will do even better. Sure there have been a couple of times that blisters and leg pains have gotten the best of me and I actually did worse then the time before, but it just gives me motivation to do it better next time.
I think too many time people lack this attitude and give up the second that doubt enters their mind. Looking back I had plenty of opportunities to quit. I could have given up that first training day when I could barely walk the length of my patio without getting winded. I could have even giving up a week and half into training when I was put on crutches for a whole week with a knee immobilizer because I pulled a tendon in my knee (mostly due to poor shoes and my can’t quit now attitude that often pushes me beyond what my body is willing to endure). I could have quit when I realized the sheer stress that training for a marathon can put on a marriage. I could have quit when I was facing painful ovarian cysts that made my walk almost a crawl. I have had plenty of opportunities to choose “not” to continue on with this challenge, but I am so thankful that I didn’t listen to the enemy and allowed myself to get this close to the finish line. I know that it will be prayers, perserverance, and faith, not only in myself, but also faith that God knows what he’s doing, that will eventually get me all the way to the finish line.
Next weekend – 20 miles!! And I will do better next time.
Another Bump in the Road
Before I began this journey I weighed many options. Was my health good enough? Did I really have time or could I make time in my schedule to do something this big? What would the expenses be? For the past 7 months I have been focusing on the health and time issues. To me they seemed to be the largest to over come. I am what doctors call “morbidly obese”.. which I hate that term, and if you know me at all, you know that I am probably one of the few humans on the face of the earth that has learned to squeeze at least 26 hours into a 24 hour day. So you can see how those would see to be the largest factors to focus on. However, I was recently blindsided with the knowledge that to make it to the finish line my expenses for the trip would be going up dramatically.
One of the reasons I joined our local team is because I knew that it would be affordable for me to go since I would be sharing traveling expenses with other team members. I’ve been to Chicago a few times and know that it’s an expensive town. Just parking your car costs about $35 a day and when you are staying for 3 days, that’s almost equivalent to one nights stay at a regular hotel. For the past two months I have been trying to get the team together, even though I am not the leader, to discuss travel arrangements. I know that if you want a room close to the finish line, as most of the 45,000 other runners do, you will have to book the room well in advance. With the race only 6 weeks away panic started setting in. I could see the writing on the wall for weeks now, but decided to give people the benefit of the doubt. On Sunday, my suspicions were confirmed. The other couple that is running has already made “their” hotel arrangements. What did that mean I wondered. I guess I can consider myself a team of one now.
I shouldn’t have been surprised as we have not met or trained a single day since the announcement of “let do a marathon toghether”. This sudden news really left me feeling frustrated and annoyed. I had to refrain from letting my mouth spout off things I would later regret… and that was hard. May, June and most of July were very slow months for me on the freelance design side of the things. I brought in about a quarter of what I normally do for those months. Combine that with Cody’s graduation in June and his going to Ferris last week, plus a number of car issues, things have been extremely tight for the Beyer household. We had to cancel our annual trip family to Drummond Island. Alan even started selling things on Craigs list just to make up for the shortfalls. Needless to say, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for our family. As Alan put it, “you have worked too hard, it will all work out, we will get you there somehow.” I am truely blessed to have such a generous, supportive husband.
With this new information and only 6 weeks to race day I am going to remain positive. I know that where one door closes, God will open another. He has not let me down this far into it and I know it will just be another bump in the road. Look at all the other things that I have overcome… pulled knee tendon in the first week of training, bugs by the thousands, weight issues, food cravings, running, nay-sayers.. I could go on and on. This will just be one more thing that God uses to make my story so awesome that people will want to hear it over and over again and know that without question God had to be in it to make it happen.
I still have one more fundraiser on September 13th to raise money for my organization, Team World Vision, and to help offset some of my travel expenses. I am praying for a good turn out and God’s favor in health AND finances now.
Meet the Team
Here’s a photo of the people I will be running with at the Chicago Marathon. We haven’t trained a single day together yet (mostly because our schedules are so different), but every time were together all we can talk about it how things are going with our training and how excited we are about how far we’ve come.
We are posed outside of the Bob-In Again in Petoskey for a press release photo about a Karaoke Night fundraiser we are having there on September 13th to benefit Team World Vision. I’ll post more details as the event draws closer.
Team World Vision runners for Harbor Light Community Chapel - Rita Balistreri, Tony Balistreri, and Kristy Beyer
There’s a first time for everything
This past Saturday was the 16 mile challenge, and challenging it was. The night before I decided it was time to buy a fuel belt to carry my essentials for such a long distance. It’s actually for hiking and has slots for two water bottles and a large pouch with zippers for my cell phone, chap stick, ipod, and energy supplements. Fully loaded it weighed about 4.5 pounds. It seemed like the perfect solution for running on my own and having everything at my finger tips. With the marathon only 7 weeks away I thought this would be a good time to get used to having the extra weight and see if it was really going to work for me.
I must admit that having the fuel belt saved me time. I didn’t have to stop so many times to get something to drink. I could keep walking while I was drinking. However, I will probably change the wide mouth bottles to ones that have a squirt cap. There were plenty of times that ended up taking a sip only to have half of it spill over the edges of my mouth and down the front of my shirt. Although refreshing, it probably would be best to get squirt cap to maximize water consumption and avoid embarresment in front of the thousands of spectators.
The other thing that I tried on this run/walk was GU (an energy suppliment). In every book that I have read on marathon running an energy supplement is suggested and now that I am up to 16 miles I thought I should give them a try. Every description I’ve read on these things didn’t sound very appealing. Many are described as goopy gels that don’t taste very good, but are essential to sustaining energy (in other words, suck it up buttercup, you’re going to need this to survive). Who knew there were be so many option. After about 20 minutes of reading packages, comparing nutritional facts and marketing promises on the packaging I narrowed it down to two types. I purchased two packets of GU, small packets of flavored gel that you squirt into your mouth (vanilla bean and chocolate flavored) and GU Chomps which are like giant sticky gum drops that are orange flavored. On my run I tried one of each type. I must admit that I liked the flavor of the Chomps. They were like eating candy and when you’ve been depriving yourself for so long of sweets to maintain your diet, they were a welcome treat. The GU on the other hand, while the flavor didn’t bother me, but was too sweet for my taste, was similar to sucking frosting out of those foil packages that come with your Betty Crocker brownie mixes. Come on, I’m not the only one that’s done that right? The consistency was more like liquid caramel though. After trying both I did notice I felt less pain in my leg muscles and seemed to have more energy though. I have a few more long runs to narrow it down as to what I am going to take along. I am open to suggestions if you have any.
Somewhere around the 10 mile marker I realized that this huge fuel belt, while efficient, was not going to be practical for the full length of a marathon. Every time I ran the sloshing of the remaining water and Gatorade in my bottles and the constant bouncing of the items in the pack ended up irritating my lower back. I will probably use a smaller fuel belt, more the size of a fanny pack that would carry only the essentials. Reviewing the marathon map it seems that water is quite plentiful throughout the race and maybe I wouldn’t need to carry my own supply. I have a little more time research that option though and seek the council of my close marathon running friends first.
Another thing I will need to consider, which I didn’t think I would until Saturday, was chaffing. Believe it or not the underside of my arms, about 6 inched below my armpits, got chaffed. I really think it was because I was holding my arms closer to my body to avoid the fuel belt from shifting forward, but it’s hard to tell. I had read about it plenty of times and that most people treated it with vasoline or something called body glide, but up until now I hadn’t experienced it so I thought I may not have this problem. I guessed wrong.
Last weekend was a weekend of firsts. You would think this far into the training I would have everything down to a science, but as the miles get longer the experience changes and I need to redirect my focus. It’s an exciting adventure so far… painful at times, but still exciting. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I know that all of this training will pay off in the end.
Until next time…
PS. For all of you that are still shaking your heads and thinking that I am crazy for attempting this at”my size”… I made it 16 miles…within the marathon’s qualifying time. That’s over half way to the finish line. Remember, only a mere 8 months ago I couldn’t even do 5 minutes on the treadmill without being out of breath and having my legs shake. I’ve come a long way… nothing can stop me now.
A Minor Set Back
As I sat in the doctor’s office on Sunday morning struggling to take a deep breath I began dwelling on the worst. The doctor had just informed me that we were going to check my oxygen levels, check my blood circulation, and do a chest x-ray when it hit me… this could be the end of my training. What if I had a blood clot in my lung? What if I had walking pnuemonia and had to be on bed rest? What if I had to be hospitalized? The “what if’s” were attacking my brain from every direction. Alan was seated across from me as the doctor left the room and said “Everything’s going to be okay”. I must have had panic and worry written all over my face.
I had woke up on Friday morning with what I thought to be a pinched nerve in my shoulder. I have had them plenty of times so I took my Advil and went to work. After a long grueling work week with extremely intense deadlines my back muscles were already tight so I decided to knock off early and go to a matinee. To my suprise the pain didn’t go away. I woke up on Saturday with a 15 mile run/walk scheduled for first thing in the morning. The pain in my back was still pretty strong and I was starting to have trouble taking deep breaths. Every time I did the pain was intense. I decided to delay my run until later that evening, but as I lay in bed waiting for the pain to subside, trying to take it easy, the pain just kept increasing. Through the night I was in intense pain, unable to breath. When I tried to lay on my back I felt as if I were sufficating. Finally at 3:30 am I had had enough and decided to get up and do some work to take my mind off of things. Sitting up was the only comfortable position I could get in, but even then my breathing was quite shallow. The minutes slowly ticked away as I waited for 9am to come. That’s when Urgent Care opened and I wanted to be the first to be seen that morning. I need to know what was going on and get some peace of mind.. and some sleep.
As Alan and I waited for the doctor to come back to the room with the results of all the tests I couldn’t help but think the worst. I had thought it would be my knee or a pulled tendon in my leg that would be the major set back I would have to face. I sat their quietly waiting, Alan and I didn’t say a word to each other. I prayed over and over in my head that it would just be a pulled muscle and not a more seriuos condition. The thought that maybe this was God’s way of offering me a way out before the really hard training crossed my mind, but that thought made me even more determined to press forward.. if everything was okay.
The doctor entered the room and delivered the news. My oxygen levels were within a normal range, my x-ray didn’t show any signs of a clot or anything else to be worried about. He stated it was probably just a pulled muscle and went on to show us a diagram of the back and all the timy muscles, their overlapping pattern and how this one is probably close to the spine which is why I have such discomfort everytime the rib cage expands and contracts, especially with a deep breath. As the doctor delivered the news his voice began to fade away as I began thanking God over and over in my head. The doctor wrote up a prescription for strong pain reliever and then asked if I were still training for the marathon. He was the same doctor that had looked at my knee the first week of training and had remembered (or it was in his notes) that I was training for the Chicago Marathon. I told him this was just a minor set back and that indeed I would keep training for the race in October. He handed me the prescription and wished me luck.
After a full day of rest I am still sore, but I am determined to keep going. This morning I reviewed my training schedule. 4/8/4/16 miles is what lay ahead this week. Can I make it? We will see. The experience of coming close to having to make the final decision of whether or not I was going to continue has given me an extra boost of confidence and determination.This really is a minor set back in the scheme of things. It’s simply a small road block, not a mountain. All I have to do is readjust my course and continue on to my final destination.. the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. I also have to rest assured that God is in control of “all” situations including this one. I can’t wait until I can sit back reflecting on these events and see how each one is interconnected to create the outcome God intended.
Until next time…
The count down begins
I can’t believe there are only 8 weeks until my toes touch the starting line of one of the most challenging races I will ever taken part in… the Chicago Marathon. Looking forward the run schedule looks grueling. This week alone I will put in 29 miles, more than the race itself. I guess I need to take it one mile at a time, stay focused, and remember that I have the power within me to pull this off. If you could say a little prayer for me now and then that will probably help too.
I have decided to increase my frequency of blogging. This will help me capture the moments leading up to the race so I can reflect on where I’ve been. It will also allow you to take the journey with me, minus the shin splints and aching tendons, and take a peek into what it takes on a daily basis to train for a marathon as a non-marathon runner.I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I do.
Well, off to The Refinery Gym to work on triceps and shoulder muscles. Last week my triceps and armpits (of all places, who knew you had muscles there) hurt so bad the next day that I forgot I even had legs that were aching. Not a recommended pain relief technique, but I am sure it will be worth it when I look a my sculpted arms on race day. Now if I could just get my middle section to cooperate.
Until tomorrow.
