Doc says I may have mono, but he didn't test for it. I have had a good two days after sleeping for 30 hours almost straight. I am still tired, but I was able to get to the gym today and do biceps, triceps and core. I had a strong strength-training workout, and I ran a good 4 miles with no issues.
I know what the doctor said, but I believe he was erring on the side of caution--hoping that the Azithromycin will improve my condition. WELL, I believe it has. Now, in fairness, I promptly came home from my run and crashed for a couple of hours...but damn it, I have the jimmy legs. My spleen is not enlarged, and I believe I can overcome this and redeem myself from missing the Miami. I have 8 planned for tomorrow, and a possible long run of 20 next weekend. My focus will be on long, slow, quality miles. Everything else is in a higher power's hands.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Mononucleiosis and Other Fun Activities
I went for another doctor visit, and one more course of antibiotics. If they don't improve my situation, he is convinced I have mono. He said NO STRENUOUS EXERCISE or RUNNING. This may last 10-12 weeks. I am praying really hard now. I couldn't make it through my workout yesterday, and I passed out after my 5K. My poor kids are tired of having a sick mom.
Friday, January 23, 2009
No Miami/Change of Plans
I am too ill to even travel, so no marathon for me on Sunday. The antibiotics don't seem to be doing the best job, and I have been hurling from the nausea.
***BUT***
I will now be doing the Donna in February, so all is not lost. I am in bed, praying to feel better.
***BUT***
I will now be doing the Donna in February, so all is not lost. I am in bed, praying to feel better.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sick and mile-less before the Miami ING
I have a raging sinus infection, haven't run but a couple of times since the Goofy. I started antibiotics today, and I am hoping to feel well enough to run tomorrow. I have a little anxiety about confronting this race after being so ill for the past week. I dropped weight, and I am exhausted fighting off this crud. I can do this, right?
Maybe this time off will give me the energy I need for Miami. Oh, I wish I had a crystal ball. Most of the kids are sick, and so is Bob. I can only hope and pray that it will all work out. I was strong for the last two, I hope I can pull it together on Sunday.
Maybe this time off will give me the energy I need for Miami. Oh, I wish I had a crystal ball. Most of the kids are sick, and so is Bob. I can only hope and pray that it will all work out. I was strong for the last two, I hope I can pull it together on Sunday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Working out the kinks
I ran an easy 9/min mile 5k today--first run since the Goofy. My calves are a little tight, and my left foot, which tends to turn inward, is a little achey from transient tendonitis. Other than that, I enjoyed the run and I am ready to confront the Miami ING. I am prepared to shave some more time off my PR. Maybe I will have a shot of qualifying for Boston when I am 70, lol. I forced myself to do shoulders, back and chest--putting off core since I am still somewhat depleted from the weekend. There is a 5K here on Saturday--I usually do well with this particular race, but I can't even think about getting that speedy a week out of the Goofy. Bob has already said he will consider it. He is also toying with a 36 mile ultra on the beach from St. Augustine to Jacksonville. I may run to the 5K and run home for a total of around eleven miles. I will see how I feel when I wake up, lol.
Bob is convinced I would do well on a 50-mile ultra. The only thing left to do is pick a venue. I know I can do it, as long as it is not a trail run. The other obstacle is having Bob as a support and finding supervision for the kiddos. I could probably as some members of the group I sometimes run with for assistance, but I will cross that bridge whenn I come to it.
Bob is convinced I would do well on a 50-mile ultra. The only thing left to do is pick a venue. I know I can do it, as long as it is not a trail run. The other obstacle is having Bob as a support and finding supervision for the kiddos. I could probably as some members of the group I sometimes run with for assistance, but I will cross that bridge whenn I come to it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Goofy's Challenge 2009
The morning of the half, we took a fleece blanket from the hotel room and parked ourselves on the ground. We dozed and made fleeting comments at how cold it was, and we were surprised that our breath created big, misty clouds in the darkness. Disney has this requirement that you be in the holding area TWO HOURS before the marathon (the last transport busses leave the hotels at 4:15ish). We munched on a banana, went to the porta-potty, and made our way to the WORST CORRAL CHOICE EVER. How the hell did Bob and I end up in the back with the walkers? I remembered I put a 4:40 marathon guestimation when I initially signed up for the challenge in January of 2008. I would think they wouldn't put us in the last corral for the half, let alone the full. Regardless of what I thought, here we were in a sea of purple "Team In Training" hell. We knew we were in trouble. We were thinking a 2:15 half would be just the ticket--we quickly accepted that wouldn't be the case. The roadway at the start is bursting with joggers and walkers meandering abreast. It is very difficult and unwise to run around the walkers, stop and go, end up on the grass, only to make your way back into a dreaded "walker cell". Bob is a lot more assertive than I in that situation, and perhaps due to his size, he is able to part the slower joggers and waters like Moses dissected the Red Sea!
I stuck with Bob best I could, using him like a guide dog. Then, as if I wasn't already frustrated with the status of my race, my iPod locks up on me. My brand new iPod, bursting with a fresh infusion of iTunes. Where is my Pearl Jam? Where is my Siousie and the Banshees? Will Pink Floyd leave me in the dark? I am deflated. I excavate myself from the layers of wicking shirts to get to the crux of my iPod issue, buried underneath all the clothing. I punch it, switch the lock over and over, and FINALLY...Bono makes a weak appearance, and I realize I am saved. At this point I realize a large figure lumbering next to me. It's Bob! I pick out my ear bud and hear, "We may as well just run this together, it's insane to think we are going to get out of this crowd". I was ecstatic! Bob NEVER races with me. We tried once, a couple of years ago. I ended up with major guilt, and he had a terrible race.
We continued together, at a pedestrian 11:00 pace. It was comfortable, we enjoyed the sites and the parks. We were able to have a conversation (who needed that silly iPod, anyway?). We held hands for photo ops (cheesy, I know). I have never had a race go by so quickly and so slowly at the same time. We finished in 2:30. We went back to the hotel, showered, and went to Animal Kingdom to ride Expedition Everest. A nice dinner at the Portobello restaraunt in downtown Disney completed the day. I was dreading Sunday. Again, we would be waking up at 3:00 AM.
The next morning wasn't so cold. Bob proposed we run the full marathon together--as long as I didn't mind his run/walk, Galloway approach. Are you kidding? I giggled like a schoolgirl. Any free pass to walk...I will take it! Again, we took our place in the holding area...slightly upbeat after having learned we weren't in the back corral this time. We chatted and took pictures. The first mile or two I struggled to keep up with Bob's "walk". His walking is equivalent to a 12:45 mile for me, lol. I stayed behind him and giggled that for every step he took, I took two! He was running five minutes and walking one minute. I was running five minutes and skip, jog and galloping one minute. The roadways around the parks--for lack of a better word--SUCK when it comes to foot stability. All of the off ramps and on ramps are slanted, so one foot is always higher than the other. My feet shift painfully by mile 10.
I felt sluggish until the half-marathon mark, and then I felt revived. I also felt as if I wanted this race to be over. By mile 18, however, Bob wasn't looking very good. We had spoken very little up until this point, and I was mildly surprised that he wanted to stop for awhile. He grabbed a second banana at a water station, and I was concerned that wasn't going to be a good choice for later in the race. He complained of headache and nausea, and I became concerned because the longer we were out there, the hotter the temperatures were becoming. He insisted that I go on without him. I didn't want to leave. He said before the race that if one of us lagged, the other must go. I thought I would be the lagger. I struggled as we shuffled along, and finally Bob said, "Lee Ann, just go please". I took off. I came up to a couple wearing matching tee-shirts. The woman's shirt read, "Never leave a good man behind." Her husband's read, "A good man". I deflated.
I attacked the last seven miles, accidentally having the first negative split race EVER (for what that's worth, lol). I passed stations of chocolate, stations of pretzels and oranges, stations of any flavor Gu you could possibly want...I just want to be at the finish. I wanted to see Bob. Thanks to Jen for talking with me at the finish, and intermittently during the race. I may have sounded fine, but I was worried for Bob. He finished a good 20-25 minutes after I did. He promptly threw up at the finish. We gathered our Mickey and Goofy medals, and had a photo taken. I am sure we will appreciate Bob's ashen complexion when we view the proofs. I was able to obtain a couple of Cokes, and we made our way to the bus. Bob was very ill and softspoken. When the bus pulled up to the hotel, he proceeded to vomit in my lap. A man looked very concerned and asked, "Is he going to be ok?". I calmly replied, "Hell yes, you should see what he does after a triathlon!". That is our magical journey in a nutshell. We have three bitchin' medals. Several hours, napping, some more vomiting, appetizers at the "Brown Derby" at Hollywood Studios, we were good to go. Rock and Rollercoaster, World of Nations and a couple of beers--done:).
I stuck with Bob best I could, using him like a guide dog. Then, as if I wasn't already frustrated with the status of my race, my iPod locks up on me. My brand new iPod, bursting with a fresh infusion of iTunes. Where is my Pearl Jam? Where is my Siousie and the Banshees? Will Pink Floyd leave me in the dark? I am deflated. I excavate myself from the layers of wicking shirts to get to the crux of my iPod issue, buried underneath all the clothing. I punch it, switch the lock over and over, and FINALLY...Bono makes a weak appearance, and I realize I am saved. At this point I realize a large figure lumbering next to me. It's Bob! I pick out my ear bud and hear, "We may as well just run this together, it's insane to think we are going to get out of this crowd". I was ecstatic! Bob NEVER races with me. We tried once, a couple of years ago. I ended up with major guilt, and he had a terrible race.
We continued together, at a pedestrian 11:00 pace. It was comfortable, we enjoyed the sites and the parks. We were able to have a conversation (who needed that silly iPod, anyway?). We held hands for photo ops (cheesy, I know). I have never had a race go by so quickly and so slowly at the same time. We finished in 2:30. We went back to the hotel, showered, and went to Animal Kingdom to ride Expedition Everest. A nice dinner at the Portobello restaraunt in downtown Disney completed the day. I was dreading Sunday. Again, we would be waking up at 3:00 AM.
The next morning wasn't so cold. Bob proposed we run the full marathon together--as long as I didn't mind his run/walk, Galloway approach. Are you kidding? I giggled like a schoolgirl. Any free pass to walk...I will take it! Again, we took our place in the holding area...slightly upbeat after having learned we weren't in the back corral this time. We chatted and took pictures. The first mile or two I struggled to keep up with Bob's "walk". His walking is equivalent to a 12:45 mile for me, lol. I stayed behind him and giggled that for every step he took, I took two! He was running five minutes and walking one minute. I was running five minutes and skip, jog and galloping one minute. The roadways around the parks--for lack of a better word--SUCK when it comes to foot stability. All of the off ramps and on ramps are slanted, so one foot is always higher than the other. My feet shift painfully by mile 10.
I felt sluggish until the half-marathon mark, and then I felt revived. I also felt as if I wanted this race to be over. By mile 18, however, Bob wasn't looking very good. We had spoken very little up until this point, and I was mildly surprised that he wanted to stop for awhile. He grabbed a second banana at a water station, and I was concerned that wasn't going to be a good choice for later in the race. He complained of headache and nausea, and I became concerned because the longer we were out there, the hotter the temperatures were becoming. He insisted that I go on without him. I didn't want to leave. He said before the race that if one of us lagged, the other must go. I thought I would be the lagger. I struggled as we shuffled along, and finally Bob said, "Lee Ann, just go please". I took off. I came up to a couple wearing matching tee-shirts. The woman's shirt read, "Never leave a good man behind." Her husband's read, "A good man". I deflated.
I attacked the last seven miles, accidentally having the first negative split race EVER (for what that's worth, lol). I passed stations of chocolate, stations of pretzels and oranges, stations of any flavor Gu you could possibly want...I just want to be at the finish. I wanted to see Bob. Thanks to Jen for talking with me at the finish, and intermittently during the race. I may have sounded fine, but I was worried for Bob. He finished a good 20-25 minutes after I did. He promptly threw up at the finish. We gathered our Mickey and Goofy medals, and had a photo taken. I am sure we will appreciate Bob's ashen complexion when we view the proofs. I was able to obtain a couple of Cokes, and we made our way to the bus. Bob was very ill and softspoken. When the bus pulled up to the hotel, he proceeded to vomit in my lap. A man looked very concerned and asked, "Is he going to be ok?". I calmly replied, "Hell yes, you should see what he does after a triathlon!". That is our magical journey in a nutshell. We have three bitchin' medals. Several hours, napping, some more vomiting, appetizers at the "Brown Derby" at Hollywood Studios, we were good to go. Rock and Rollercoaster, World of Nations and a couple of beers--done:).
Monday, January 5, 2009
Reflection
I have been working so hard with my job. I am at it any chance I get. Sometimes I pull all-nighters. My sleep schedule is screwy, my father is ill, and I have the Disney Goofy Challenge next weekend. I am a size four. I haven't been there (weight-wise) since high school. I am EXACTLY the same weight I was when I graduated high school. I am running well. I am lucrative with my business. I have a wide open chasm to throw pennies in for the Summer.
Spring brings an auspicious occassion. I located my husband's biological mother. She lives in Pittsburgh. They are bonding. After six years of searching, I succeeded. She wants to meet her beautiful and intelligent son. It will be her birthday, Mother's Day, and a chance for my husband to show me around the city he spent his childhood in. Why not a marathon? What a great chance to reunite.
I will be completing FOUR marathons in less than half a year. My business is thriving. My kids are AMAZING.
I saw the movie about the ultra marathoners meandering themselves across the Sahara. Like a hundred and something days, almost 1500 miles (I think). My interest is piqued.
.....passing thought.....
Pittsburgh......hill training intervals on treadmill.......no biggie, girl......
I am good. It is ALL good.
Spring brings an auspicious occassion. I located my husband's biological mother. She lives in Pittsburgh. They are bonding. After six years of searching, I succeeded. She wants to meet her beautiful and intelligent son. It will be her birthday, Mother's Day, and a chance for my husband to show me around the city he spent his childhood in. Why not a marathon? What a great chance to reunite.
I will be completing FOUR marathons in less than half a year. My business is thriving. My kids are AMAZING.
I saw the movie about the ultra marathoners meandering themselves across the Sahara. Like a hundred and something days, almost 1500 miles (I think). My interest is piqued.
.....passing thought.....
Pittsburgh......hill training intervals on treadmill.......no biggie, girl......
I am good. It is ALL good.
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