95 miles in one month

Well, there were oodles of achievements set this month!!!

NOT only by myself but by many of my friends!!! Loads of us set off to do 'first's of many different things and accomplished all of them!!!





For myself I was able to achieve:

* FIRST FULL MARATHON
* Pacing someone on their first Half Marathon ( Way TO GO Valerie Willis!! )
* Ran 95 miles in one month

 First Full

 Valerie's First Half!

This has been an extremely amazing month and I have soo many memories to share. The running community has been so phenomenal that it's beyond words to even express the gratitude I have towards them as well as the compassion an love that we are surrounded by!!! 

Being part of two amazing teams and the people that support these teams, is simply incredible!!! To experience the society of athletes is so extreme for me this month, I do believe that there is a change in the air, mind, body and soul!!

I was also able to attend and be a part of the Med City Marathon Expo on Saturday. As well as meet the famous Jeff Galloway!!

To top all of this off, I have now set my goals for the rest of the year. On top of working on the list of 20 races, I am also out to set a major PR for the Half Marathon and I am choosing Mankato again for this extreme event!!

In order to do this - I have now picked up more time with my personal trainer and will be working on my core 3x's per week as well as running 5 to 6 days per week this summer. Everything has already began. Next week its almost full swing - as I am on a bit of a taper. I am going to focus on Grandma's Half Marathon ( June 16th ) to see how strong I am at a 13.1 mile race.

Then the fun kicks in full swing!!! Flowing into Chicago's Rock N Roll in July and the Ultra Ragnar in August. Then 5K/8K/10K's until Mankato's Half!!

Also -- I am running a half this weekend in the Dells for my last LSR training for Grandma's in Duluth.

There ya have it. That's the plan and I am going to stick to it. In years past it was to lose inches and weight, this year, it's to plain ole get faster!!

* Side note: I will be working on choosing another full to swing the training from Mankato into :O)

Onward, Upward!! Stay on. Keep on.

Reminising on the MARATHON

Not sure I ever mentioned my Full Marathon Finishing time:


~~~~ 4:19:32 ~~~~

* 9:55 avg per mile
* 175 out of 289 runners
* 48 out of 98 out of females
* 8 out of 17 female AG


There was also an amazing story that I shared while I was at mile 19/20 and sometimes I wonder, do I make this amazing stuff up and my story was confirmed the other day in a response to a review ( which ended up showing up in my email ) :

You ran a great race Lori especially for your first one.  We ran together briefly around mile 19 when you said you were cramping up and wanted me to help you stay at a 9:30 pace. Unfortunately I knew I wouldn't be holding it and when I stopped to walk briefly at mile 20 you kept going and never stopped!  Great job!   I wish I could have stayed with you. I just couldn't keep it together that last 10k especially the last 2.2 unfortunately. Your friend Paul (you told me you knew him) would be very proud of you!..Keep running and keep the excitement! Good running with you.

This man, I believe as the others on the course, was a blasted miracle!! I was praying to God and to Paul Melby the entire way an asking for help. When this gentleman came up on me -- I was hurting and didn't know if I would be able to do it .. looked around, lost and confused and even a bit sad due to the extreme cramping and knowing that this was not mental. Then he came upon me !!!

There was also another angel that I need to mention, My Friend Teri!!  She knew I'd be hurting and just when I needed extra gatorade, she was there to provide me a large one and one that I could carry !!! :O)


Then a few miles after I ran into "Steve" another angel showed up -- a biker -- her name is: Beth Wengler. She came out to see if I was OK and we spoke about the cramps and I told her, I would be damed if I didn't finish this one strong!! She said, OK, I'll be back. She came back oodles of times, she gave me kuddos on looking strong, she left me with different water bottles, she was amazing and JUST what I needed to hear !!!

When the finish line came upon me, there was another angel that showed up: Bri Hamann. She came out to run me in, I was surprised to see someone come that far out to bring me in -- also to NOTE, she JUST ran a GREAT Marathon herself.

Not sure if any of these people realize that they will always be a part of my first race memories or not, but I do KNOW that if it were not for them, the spectators, the volunteers , my HP ( higher Power ) above and Paul Melby -- that I would NEVER have imagined such an AMAZING Experience!!!!!

No one will EVER again, be able to convince me that NOTHING IS POSSIBLE!! I am living proof that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

I wasn't going to share this pic but really -- I was hurting and yet -- I CROSSED THAT DAMN FINISH line with ALL I had left in me!!!

There's so many more stories, per se, the ones AFTER the finish.... but for today -- I am done.

Enough tears of these great memories and now, it's time to stretch the legs again....

Please -- NEVER EVER doubt that you are not able to accomplish anything!! Because it's absolute BS!!!

Also -- thank you TEAM RED for being there for my amazing accomplishment!! I am and will always be: GRATEFUL!!!

My Legs FINALLY feel awesome after my FIRST FULL Marathon ...

I began today with fresh legs, or so they felt that way -- oofta. The entire body, is still tired. Not so much the legs, just the body -- spose it only makes sense, since I went out running a marathon on Saturday and all !!

The legs were super sore/stiff on Sun/Mon!! No going down the stairs, unless it was backwards ( they did not lie to me about this!! ) and it was super slow!!! The toilet, well, good thing I have counters or bars to help me get up !! Holy COW!! There was no bending over, either .. LOL ...By Tuesday, I could at least pretend not to be bull-legged!! I was so happy to be able to walk as much as we did ( for I had the children and I out walking every day!!! ) and also a little excited to even cross the room fast enough to get the phone when it rang!!

Today, when I woke up I as able to bolt across the room and get to where I was going without having to inform my legs that we were going to go there !! :O) So, I figured I was READY to go !! Well, I was, mentally -- the body needs more rest .. or just continue with super slow miles and possibly another ice bath tomorrow. I have been doing them and they seem to help, or maybe they don't and I just do not know the difference ?? Eitherway, I am doing as suggested and continuing to move, stretch, move, stretch and ice with ibuprofen.

What I am really and truly grateful for is: NO INJURY!! I put a heavy burden on my body and it must have been done correctly, for I am not injured and it's awesome!!

Now to get the race schedule down for there are many upcoming races and they are no joke!! May 27th, we start the half fanatic venue!!! Then 2 more halves in June, 1 in July and then Ultra Ragnar in August. I will stop there, for that's sounding like alot -- but then, so was 26.2 !! LOL

Really, life has its up and downs, but in reality -- it's how you deal with them that matters. It shows who you are and what you are made up of. Tonight someone said: I am not sure how you single mom's do it -- I don't believe I could. I completely disagreed with her. It's not what you think you are able to do -- it's what you do that counts!!! When you put that obstacle in front of you -- OR someone else does, normally, you will pull through, if you BELIEVE. It takes one's belief to pull through. If you do not have the believe, yet, want to pull through, you FIND the belief until you BELIEVE yourself. I honestly and solely believe this. For there were so many times in my life I never, ever believed in me and I allowed others to do so -- and look at me now !! Now I know AND believe that I am able to do damn near anything I put my mind too.

Onward. Upward. Stay ON. Keep ON.

* Have to share this quote - as I have waited a WHILE to do so :

My First FULL Marathon

I did it :O)

( AND you could too !! )

Not only did I do it -- I also finished it even though there were major cramps. I was NOT going to come up short on this one!! And in order to do that, I had to work through oodles of cramps, many pains and use all the motivation I could grab at times.

Here's how it went down:

Took it pretty easy for the first 10K, ran with the 4:00 pacer group for a while and then took off -- this is what I believe added to the cramping.

I was feeling soo awesome around mile 12 - 13 that I didn't realize how hard the cramps would hit. Mile 14 I had to walk some, yet, since I did OK in the first half, the last half wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

There was an awesome biker that  continued to help me through with water. I ended up running alot of what I thought I would have to walk and I am pretty sure that I looked completely silly and also sounded pretty funny. For around mile 22, I was sharing all my thoughts with the outside world. For I knew I needed to run it in and I also knew that the cramps would become stronger at times, yet, if I kept on running through them, I would make it close to my goal time.

I ran through all of that I could and felt strong at times.

I did not seem to hit a 'wall' yet, it could have been that I was soo focused on finishing and walking/working through the cramps that I didn't notice it.

There was oodles of tears -- from pain an in the end from the JOY that I was about to finish a full marathon. This is nothing that I EVER figured that I would ever imagined I would want to achieve or accomplish.

Then when I got home an looked at the actual time, I was all in tears again. Tears of joy, for I never ever imagined coming in under 4:20!!!!

What an experience!!! One I do hope that I will never ever forget !!

* Oh BTW: NEVER EVER Try to get a massage AFTER cramping on a full marathon course -- YEOW'zers...I sat on the table and I screamed from pain!! Holy Hannah it hurt !!!! And I ended up walking alot !!










I was also able to experience this with a fellow Team RED Member, Adam Walters!! This was also his first marathon!! Team RED was all over the place on this one -- and that I thoroughly enjoyed!!! What a GREAT Team to be a part of !!


Now to bed I go and I am pretty sure that I will be super sore tomorrow. Today I was able to get up off the toilet AND Walk down the stairs, tomorrow, let's see ... H A. I am thinking a night in bed, my legs are going to be feeling it tomorrow.

I shall share more later this week.

For now - DREAM YOUR DREAMS!! Follow through, do the work and BE AMAZED!!!!

Thank you to Paul Melby - for inspiring me and for always allowing the fun times and oodles of laughs!! This race was dedicated to you to my friend. Godspeed in the heavens to you !!!

Day Before my first FULL Marathon

Well,

Tomorrow is my final test to all the LSR's that I've put in since December '11. Tomorrow is the day that I finish my first FULL Marathon. Tomorrow I conquer a new obstacle.....

Tonight, however, I am not feeling the best. My tummy has been upset on an off all day and the past few days as well as being a wee bit tired. Not sure how I felt BEFORE my first half marathon in '09, I do, however, remember how I felt AFTERWARDS :O)

Let's see how this one pans out. Either way, I put one foot in front of the other..and then I will shall finish the race.

I shall report later this weekend how this pans out -- until then -- I am going to go and do my nails and get some rest.

Best wishes to all the runners heading out tomorrow morning.....

When did I get to this point ???

I went out today for a short run, and for me, short is right. I almost had myself convinced to NOT even run it as it was sooo short !! WTH is that about ??? Our minds are horrible things that we definitely need to keep in line!!

It was a 5K that I ran today -- I took it easy, but again, could run all damn day !!

I am assuming that because I have run over 5 miles for the past few months ( the majority of the time ) my body is ready to run long and also trained for it.

What I am hoping, is that I am in the right mind set. Per se: I am not nervous, I am super excited!! I am not concerned about finishing ( course I am NOT at mile 22 yet, either ), I am just doing today. Keeping things super simple, doing the life in front of me, just being.

The say that once you cross that finish line, for a full, your life changes. You become more confident. You look at the world with a bit more different mind set. You are a different person, from the challenge that you just conquered. Honey, if I am going to be more confident and stronger from this -- bring it ON!!!

Challenges and obstacles are my life.

They have been since I was born. They have been put in front of me, over an over. Some by me, others by others. Yet, they have ALL -- EVERY SINGLE ONE of them have been CONQUERED!!! As will this one.

The only way to live a FULL life is to go through all obstacles, every single one, every single feeling, every single action, every single bump, every single smile, every single one ....... all the way through it. The  ONLY  way to find out what that rainbow holds is to ... slide ALL THE WAY down.

Onward. Upward. Stay ON. KEEP ON....NEVER EVER give up, NEVER EVER!!

THIS is what tapering is LIKE ???!!!??

Holy Hannah -- for a few reasons:

1. No updates since the 22nd !!
2. Tapering

Today I went out for my last long run until the 12th of May. Wow'zers I am telling you. I could have ran ALL DAY!! Well, at least it felt that way. OOFTA!!! It was a nice solid 8 miler and I was ON FIRE, had to tone it down a few times, I hit the hills and man were they singing !!!!

Yesterday, I was driving my daughter home from gymnastics and we were on this LONG, CURVY, HILLY road and all I wanted to do was pull over, take a few drinks of water, a few cliff shots and RUN. I mean, I even planned it out in my head. It was super crazy !!

So, today while I was sitting at my desk, my lunch hour was approaching and I just decided, today I am going to run. Man, I was not able to get out there fast enough.

I find it extremely amazing, as I really do not run that much, do I ? Where is all this mentality coming from ?? What is up with my body ??? It's like my legs just want to GO. Nothing seems to slow em down. It's amazing!!! It's like my body is determined to RUN.... and this week is only a few less miles then the last one. Absolutely amazed me.

Alot of people have different views on it -- but -- I now know it as tapering. Tapering for a full marathon. Which that in itself is absolutely mind baffling as well !! For I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be planning to run 26.2 miles all in one morning, at one time!!

The training that one puts into this is phenominal !!! The mindset, or the change of one's mind set, is baffling. The hardwork, which I think I only put in half of what I think I 'should' have put in for training, will pay off, as I will cross the finish line!! NO MATTER WHAT !!!

Here's a clip that will explain a little bit about what we go through while training ( you'll get a little bit of what I am talking about ) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zWwKrjgSsrg#!

Anywho - tomorrow we visit a small race, that has a FREE kids one mile and I am going to see which of my children will complete it!!

'Till next time, my readers, till next time.

Stay On. Keep On.

NEVER EVER Stop believing!!!