THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

So there it is!  Objectives were to finish and qualify for Boston and have a good time--all objectives met!  I am glad it is over.  I am glad I took the last two weeks easy and let my hip and foot heal a bit--they held up pretty well.  On to the race--I took Sasha's advice and decided to run 8:00 miles until mile 20 and then see from there.  Not so fast finish, but I will learn to do better in the last 10K.  This course is NOT flat.  Lots of rolling.  One nasty hill right at the 22 mile mark, and then a lonely treck through Linwood park wondering where everyone is and if it will be over--but I am getting ahead of myself.  It was so windy today--could have done without that but I didn't let it get to me--this is Kansas and the wind was to be expected--could've been worse. So here is the play by play:

 Morning: up at 5:45, half a cup of coffe, one piece of toast with peanut butter, one banana, gatorade, got there an hour early, hung out with my husband's cousin Jenny who ran her first half marathon today.  Line up and at 8:00 am the whistle blew and we were off.

1.  8:23--caught in the crowd, not up to speed yet.

2.  7:48--break free of the crowd, trying to settle into 8:00 pace

3.  8:02--that's better

4.  8:09--just breezing along comfortable, actually enjoying myself and feeling happy to be running and happy to be healthy

5.  7:59--all warmed up.  Ran by a dumpster pulled up to someone's curb in the neighborhood and neatly deposited my earband, gloves, and arm warmers.  Slowed down to a walk briefly so I could gulp gatorade

6.  8:04--get to chatting with two guys.  One hasn't run a marathon in 20 years and is going for a 3:45.  The other guy ran the Kansas City marathon yesterday--he is running in all 50 states and didn't realize it was Kansas City, MO, so he drove down here to run his Kansas marathon today.  crazy!

7.  8:08--Still chatting, get some gatorade

8.  7:50--time to break away because I am slowing down too much

9.  7:48--see my husband, he gives me my sunglasses and I tell him I am having a great time--I am!  drink more gatorade

10.  7:55

11.  7:48 drink gatorade

12.  7:40--thinking I will hit the half right on schedule

13.  7:48-gatorade, I am just drinking it every 2 miles at every aid station

14. 7:43--pass through the half in 1:44 and some change, see my mother and grandfather and yell at them that I feel great

15. 8:06--yucky headwind, gatorade

16.  7:49--golly it is windy, I need to stop thinking about it

17.  7:51--feeling okay, make sure I drink lots of gatorade

18.  8:25--left quad is getting tight and locking up.  that's not good

19.  8:24--the downhill slide begins, now I notice that my legs hurt, gatorade

20.  8:04--I can't believe that I haven't used the restroom yet.  I don't think I am going to need to

21.  8:18--right quad is locking up.  Nice.  now I am symmetrical-gatorade

22.  8:37--hill. mean ol'hill.  just what my locked up legs needed

23.  8:39--my husband!  Yeah!  I tell him that I am hurting and I can't wait to see him at the finish line!

24.  8:42.  Lonely mile.  No spectators through here.  Somewhere in here I pass a few people which surprises me because I feel like I am barely moving.  Legs are soooo locked up.  I feel all the energy draining out of me.  Where is that aid station?

25.  8:48  my legs are concrete pillars, don't get much at the aid station because I can't slow down or I will probably  never recover.

26.  8:31  a little surge because I am almost done and I have been checking my watch to make sure I at least make Boston!

last .2 I don't know because I forgot to stop my watch.  The last two blocks are on cobblestones so I am smiling and trying not to fall on my face at the same time!  I cross the line and throw my hands up in the here because it is DONE!

A year ago I would have laughed at you if you said I would run a marathon and qualify for Boston.  So glad I am healthy and a runner and not a smoker.  So glad to have a marathon under my belt.  This is a happy day, it is really a personal triumph of sorts.  I have a past full of bad lifestyle decisions and choices.  Quitting smoking last year was the last vice to go, and today is a symbol of victory over all those bad dark things in years past.  I really am free.  Thanks be to God.

Next: run some more and learn to run a marathon FASTER!

Warning:  Don't read this if you are sensitive to grossness

Oh my poor toe.  It was so swollen last night.  I already had a black toenail and then some tissue or something had grown under it so I had a really thick toenail and then last night it had become a double black toenail and the tip of my toe was huge and  the pressure was incredible and it hurt. I needed some serious pressure release because it was hurting.  David caught me trying to rip the toenail off and intervened.  After consulting with my mother he used a drillbit and hand drilled a hole in my nail until the blood and fluid started coming out.  Then I squeezed a whole bunch out.  So gross but my toe is normal size and I feel sooo much better.

Other than than, I actually feel pretty good today.  I am not nearly sore as I imagined I would be.  Stairs are slightly problematic but I can walk around and get in and out of the car just fine.   My appetite returned with a vengeance yesterday evening and I ate A LOT.  It was absolutely delicious and against all the rules--we're talking a hamburger(a big one with cheese and all the fixings, a real one, not a fast food one), fries, chocolate, and then later on popcorn and a giant diet coke.  I split the snickers bar in my goodie bag with the kids, but I ate the little bagel with cream cheese myself.  It was great.  I could not eat like this every day but yesterday it was GOOD.

The hot water heater broke.  So me and David rode bikes 9 miles to Lowes and back to get the part with  Vanessa in the bike trailer.  David pulled Vanessa most of the time, I pulled her the last 3 miles.  The whole thing took almost 2 hours because we had to make a lot of pit stops--David's bike kept messing up and he kept stopping and fixing it(he brought tools). Lowes didn't have the part but it was a nice ride anyway.  When we got back I rode 5 more.  It felt good to move my legs and work out a little bit.  I will probably do some slow running tomorrow but I want to make sure everything is okay first so I don't hurt myself.  Going to the doctor today because I think my toe may be infected.  Still quite sore in the quads but I feel rested and energetic.

Muscle soreness is much improved today.  Rode 6.25 on the bicycle, then ran, er, shuffled 3.29.  The first mile was terribly jerky and awkward, like my body forgot how to run.  Splits 9:38, 9:17, 9:34, .29 at 9:13 pace.  Then I walked for half a mile to cool down.  Left hamstring is super tight, came home and stretched it out really good.  I am now on antibiotics for my toe and am waiting for an appointment with the podiatrist to remove the nail and all the hypertrophic tissue--probably will be a few months.  Back to the grind today.  A long day at work and then an early a.m. clinical tomorrow morning.  Poor Vanessa is sick again and having breathing problems.  We were up a few times last night for breathing treatments.  I hate it when she has a hard time breathing.  I am afraid to sleep because I feel like I need to watch her constantly.

left work yesterday because Vanessa was in the doctor's office with on o2 sat of 78%.  Rode an ambulance to the hospital and spent the night.  Rough night last night and looking like another one tonight.

9:20 average pace.  Neither my legs nor I had any inclination to go any faster.  It did feel good to get out and ran though.  Vanessa had a good night--it was good to be home.  We set the alarm and checked on her every 3 hours and she did great all night.

9:09 average pace.  Super slow and easy, enjoyed it.  Beautiful today!  After the run went on a 6 mile casual bike ride with my husband.  Good times!  Looks like he has found a job...not set in stone yet but very very promising!  Yeah!