Three Days To Go.

Thursday update: No run today. Decided it was better to rest the ol' legs... kind of nice to do it purposefully. Lots of thinking about the Big Day. Lots of thinking.



I'm trying to wrap my brain around the course. You can click HERE to see a map of the full layout.

Why 26.2 miles? According to Greek legend, a herald named Pheidippides ran 240 km (150 miles) in two days from the town of Marathon to Sparta to request help against the invading Persians... and upon conclusion of the battle then ran 42 km (26.2 miles) from Marathon to Athens. He announced the Greek victory... and promptly DIED. Historically, it is improbable. Poetically...

Pheidippides, by Robert Browning, immortalizes his feat thus:

So, when Persia was dust, all cried, "To Acropolis!
Run, Pheidippides, one race more! the meed is thy due!
Athens is saved, thank Pan, go shout!" He flung down his shield
Ran like fire once more: and the space 'twixt the fennel-field
And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,
Till in he broke: "Rejoice, we conquer!" Like wine through clay,
Joy in his blood bursting his heart, - the bliss!

You can learn more about the marathon's history HERE, including its evolution and inclusion in the Olympic Games, beginning in 1896.

Did anyone else watch the Olympic marathons this year? It was the first time I've been interested... for obvious reasons. I watched, riveted, as Constantina Dita-Tomescu blew away the rest of the competition in the Women's Marathon in Beijing. And I learned from one of the marathon updates, she's going to be running in Chicago! Miles ahead of me, but still...


The Chicago Marathon has been an institution in the Windy City since 1977. You can find a fascinating slide show (check out the Fun Fact on each slide) featuring 30 years of pictures celebrating its history HERE. In 1977, there were 4200 participants and the entrance fee was $5. This year, the cap for registrants was set at 45,000, and the entrance fee was... more than $5. Ha ha! How the times change.

So much to think about.

Four Days To Go.

And I feel like I have so much to do.

That's kind of an illusion, though. I was going through my insurmountable mental checklist of tasks to complete before we leave on Saturday... but in reality, all the most important preparation is done. I haven't packed, I still need to finish cleaning the house, I've got e-mails to send and people to call.

In spite of it all, I am ready.

16 weeks ready.

$1,010 raised so far for Team World Vision (THANK YOU!).
14 long runs done.
Countless shorter runs, speed workouts and intervals logged.
Hotel booked.
Dozens of articles and newsletters read.
Marathon clothing purchased, broken in.
Shoes laced.

Mental readiness complete.

I think I'm as ready as possible! Since the River Bank Run in May, I've logged 764.10 miles with my Nike+ chip. Some of them are triumphant, others painful. I suspect that's a bit what the marathon will feel like. Again, I remind myself: Have fun!

Wednesday update: My run today was damp.




I decided to see how my iPod and gels fit into my new race belt. They fit well, and I can put my chapstick in there, too. My race bib will attach to loops on the belt as well, so that I don't have to worry about pinning it to the outermost shirt or changing it when I shed a layer of clothing. It bounces around quite a bit, but I think it'll be better once I use up the first gel or two. Since I was running with the iPod in the belt, I didn't wear the headphones. It was a nice time to think about what it will be like, running without music during the race. I'm sure the experience will be very different, running with thousands of on-lookers, but I still enjoyed the preparation.

In the damp, grey day, I almost had the pier and boardwalk to myself. It was intriguing to hear the wind and the waves over the sound of my own breathing. The wind was coming from the northwest, and the waves in the channel were gulping hungrily at the edge of the pier, while the waves on the Lake side were menacing, deadly, as they rolled silently toward the shore. The water was a dark, murky grey. It was beautiful.

Very different experiences await me in Chicago. I can't wait!

One Week from Today.

Oh my. The nervous jitters don't even begin to describe it.


Sunday update: No running today. Instead, my family joined the celebration of Nana's birthday with an open house at Aunt Greta's. What a nice gathering in honor of an astounding life. It was so nice to see the people who love her. Thank you for hosting a lovely party, Greta!

Nana, on the beach with Dad, 1944

Nana with her daughters (in law), Mom (R) and Greta

One Month and Counting.

Today marks another milestone: ONE MONTH until RACE DAY!!!

It has been an amazing journey, and now we're in the home stretch. There have been so many ups and downs... it is remarkable to look back on the last year and all that has changed and evolved in my life and particularly my running.

A sweet friend shared some words of encouragement the other night, and the phrase that struck me was this: "Last year this time, you couldn't have fathomed running the distances you're running now." How true! Last year this time, 5 or 6 miles was difficult. Now, I consider those an "easy" workout, a rest. I've tried to reassure myself with these thoughts when I start to panic, wondering how the race will go, realizing just how far those 26.2 miles really are. But in reality, the hardest work is done. I've loosely followed a training program, progressively building my mileage to the point where I'm capable of running more than 20 miles during my "long" run each week. The training and physical conditioning are there... now I just need to perfect the mental toughness necessary for carrying out the task. I completed a 24 mile run last week, my longest run before the marathon:




What a feeling of accomplishment! Don't get me wrong: it was slow, it was hard and I was hurting afterward... BUT I did it!

I can DO this.

As my training continues, so, too, does my fundraising effort for Team World Vision. The World Vision spirit and attitude have encouraged me tremendously over the past months. The idea that I'm doing this, not just for myself, but for a larger, more important cause, has helped me to overcome the daily hurdles involved with such intensive training... when I'm feeling down or unmotivated, I try to think about the people I'm doing this for. I think about those of you who have so generously donated to the cause in my name. What a burden. But what a privelege!



There is one month left for me to finish my training, strong and healthy. One month left for me to raise the remaining few dollars toward my goal for Team World Vision. My plan right now is to attempt to provide daily training logs and insights... I don't know if any of you are interested, but I'll post them here.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged, cajoled and chided me in my training... while almost every step I've taken, every mile I've covered, has been on my own, I don't feel ALONE. I take all of you with me, and I thank you for that.

God bless.

Please see below for more of the fun activities that have taken me away from blogging over the past month or two.

The Power of One

10 weeks and counting...

Training continues. I've been working to fit each run into a very hectic summer schedule, and so far, it's going well. I feel like I'm in better shape now than I ever have been. I look at the definition in my legs and the veins taking shape in my arms with awe. Whose body is this? What a journey! I believe that if I can continue along this path, staying healthy and injury-free, the marathon will be a success. As the days tick away, I get a little tug of anxiety when I think about how much closer each one brings me to Race Day. But when I'm running, the fears subside and I'm able to focus on the moment and be positive about the future.

I'm taking a recovery week this week, mostly because there is too much going on (Coast Guard Festival, Michael's craft fair, Emily's bachelorette, EMILY and JEFF's WEDDING!) to fit all my runs, and more specifically a 20 mile run, in. But last week, I completed my longest run yet: 18 miles! I can't say that it felt "great", but I was very pleased with the accomplishment and can hopefully build upon those miles from here on out. Here's the Nike+ widget:




I receive a few fundraising newsletters by e-mail every couple of weeks, and I was inspired by an article in one this week entitled "The Power of One". It suggested that many people hesitate to donate to charities or fundraisers because they are unable to make a large contribution. But every single dollar helps!




So, please... even if you are unable to give a large amount, keep in mind that every dollar will be put to good use, and every dollar is needed. A donation of $1 brings me that much closer to my goal! I am absolutely thrilled (and humbled) to see the donations that have already been made through my fundraising page. I am shocked each time another pledge comes in, and I appreciate your support for my training, but even more for this admirable cause. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you are able to give, even $1, please click here.

I'll be back with more training progress soon!

Training Schedules

I've been mulling over various training schedules today, looking for the one best suited to my abilities and my life. In reality, I'll probably end up using a combination of the 4 I liked the best. It's amazing the differences from one to the next... some include 4 days of running and 3 days of resting or cross-training, others will have me running at least 6 days a week. I could run anywhere from about 30 to more than 60 miles per week. Most of them include special workouts: hills, intervals, fartleks (I'm not kidding), tempo runs... my favorite: "easy" runs. Each of them culminates 14 weeks from now, on October 12. Race Day.

I was not able to finish any of the suggested runs for today, and I'm feeling a bit disheartened by the fact that my right calf and shin are bothering me. I ran 1 mile this morning before the thunderstorm rolled in, and I tried to salvage the day with 5 miles while the boys were at storytime tonight, but only managed about 3. I couldn't shake the nagging pain. I've worked hard to avoid injury, and have been successful this far. I hope it's nothing serious, but I'm taking the advice any long-time runner will give: rest. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully elevation, ibuprofen, and stretching will do the trick.

Here is a fascinating video I found. Gives me goosebumps.




Oh, I've added this month's goal progress... going for 150 miles again!