A blog about my journey of training to run a 1/2 marathon with Team In Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and beyond.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

...1...

Tomorrow. Really only hours away. 8 hours, really. And I am terrified! What if I don't finish? What if I puke? What if I pass out? What if I puke AND don't finish?! What if I puke, pass out, AND don't finish?! I am still shooting for 3.5 hours. The course is traffic controlled for 6.5, so if I land somewhere in between that, I'm golden. I have all my gear laid out and ready. Layers will be important tomorrow seeing as it will be cold and rainy. Yippee!  So I decided to go with my favorite wicking tee underneath my purple jersey. That way if my jersey rubs funny or rides up I got a back up. But as I was prepping all my gear, I noticed something was missing. The whole reason that I started this wonderfully tortuous journey in the first place. So now thanks to a sharpie and purple duck tape, my jersey now reads in big, bold black letters: For Jamison. I started this journey for him, to honor him. Now I'm finishing it for him and for me. So with an angel on my shoulder and FINISH on my arm and in my heart,  I will complete my first half marathon. Now if I could just sleep.

In Memory of Jamison Watters


Friday, April 29, 2011

...2...

So today is Countown Day 2. Only 2 days left until the race. I went and picked up my race packet today. AnD IT WAS INSANE. People everywhere. lines, lines, and more lines. It was extremely well organized. It was just so much stuff and people. But I got everything I needed: bib, shirt (s), shoe tag, timing chip, and jersey. I also bought a spypack, which is like this teeny tiny fanny pack that I can put all my sports beans and goos in. I also got a tee that I fell in love with that says "13.1 because I'm only half crazy" and a 13.1 sticker for my car if I finish in a respectable time.  I have been carbloading with pasta and chicken, chicken and pasta.  But my biggest concern of the day has been my playlist.  Is it long enough? Is it good enough to push me through? Etc, etc. So I went in and revamped a little and came up with the best (and longest) running playlist to date. It is as follows:

Woman- Wolfmother
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Hey Now Now - the Cloud room
Take It Off - The Donnas
Little Bird - Annie Lennox
Around My Head - Cage the Elephant
All These Things That I've done - The Killers
Closer To The Edge - 30 seconds to Mars
Welcome To the Jungle - GNR
Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Volcano Girls- Veruca Salt
Sleeping Aides & Razorblades - The exploding Hearts
Black Betty - Ran Jam
B. O. B. - OutKast
Raise Your Glass - P!nk
Up Against The Wall -Peter Bjorn & JOhn
Firestarter - Prodigy
Animal - Neon trees
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
Mickey - Toni Basil
Mercy - Duffy
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Howlin' For You - The Black Keys
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Insane In the Brain - Cypress HIll
Keep Your Head UP - Andy Grammer
NO NO NO - the gossip
Do You Wanna Touch Me ( OH yeah) - Joan Jett
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
All In - Lifehouse
Under Pressure - David Bowie
Rolling In the Deep - ADELE
Black Balloon - The Kills
the Middle - Jimmy Eat World
Born This Way - Lady GaGa
Hollaback Girl -Gwen Stefani
You Are The Best Thing- Ray Lamontagne
Pump It - BEP
Click, click, boom - Saliva
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
My Hero - Foo Fighters
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Say Hey (I love you) - Michael Franti & Spearhead
My Body - Young The Giant
Brain Stew - Green Day
Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles

This, Jelly belly Sports beans, and the Grace of God will get me through Sunday. ...2...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

...3...

3days. 3 days! 3 DAYS! At this point I can't tell if I'm nervous or excited or both or neither or whatever. I'm just a big jumbled up mess of emotions. I have started putting my plans into action. I have selected my race day gear. I am going with my favorite sports bra, my favorite leggings, and my ever faithful runnings shoes. It's the top that I'm having the hardest time with. I really want to wear my purple jersey, but I've never run in it and I don't know if I will like it. I have a purple sleeveless tee that I LOVE and it extremely comfortable. So I might wear that. My iPod is loaded and ready! I am kicking it off with Woman by Wolfmother because it always gets me pumped. and if I timed it right I should end with Walk Like An Egyptian right after I cross the finishline.  I have my mid-run energy jelly beans and clif bars. I have been hydrating, carbloading, and stretching everyday. So I am prepared, but I'm still not sure that I am ready. ...3...

...4...

I'M NOT READY!!! Sunday is going to kick my butt. I am so nervous I want to puke. I am not scared that something will happen and I won't be able to finish. I know it's all just nerves, but still. My ankle still feels strong and I've already come to the conclusion that if I have to crawl across the finish line. I will. : ) But I'm still no nervous I want to puke. Blah! ...4...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

...5...

I am posting all the blogs that I had saved from the last couple of days today. Sorry I got behind. So the countdown continues. 5 days left and I have been overtaken by this sense of calm and euphoria. It's a little unsettling. I wonder if I will just lose my mind on Sunday, if this is the calm before the storm.  But I feel good. My workouts so far this week have been superlight in preparation for the beating that my body will take on May 1. I have been downing water and carbs. I am ready! ...5...

...6...

We are at less than a week now and I am even more nervous. I have been hydrating so much I pee like I'm pregnant. I would mug someone for a Dr. Pepper or a Starbuck's anything. I need CAFFIENE!!! But I'm trying to be as hydrated as possible for this race. I am, however, really looking forward to the carbloading that will begin this week. Perhaps a little too much. : ) I love pasta and bread and pasta and bread. Yay carbs! Then I think about running all those miles and I lose my appetite. UGH!!! Countdown continues...6...

...7...

Happy Easter! One week from today I will be running in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I feel so nervous I could puke. My miles have not been where they need to be and I have had injury after injury. But I will do this. I just may puke before and after. : ) Hope everyone has a great Easter holiday. Countdown continues....7...

Saturday, April 23, 2011

...8...

So, today didn't start off so well. i overslept and completely missed team training. However, I still got my cute tushy out of bed and hit the gym.  I did 30 minutes on this weird machine called the Treadclimber. I burned over 500 calories in 30 minutes. It totally kicks my butt! Then I did some miles on the track.  I was going to lift some weights and decided to go home instead. I am really focusing on the Memorial right now. But as soon as it is over my routine changes and I start training for the dirty 30, which means strength AND endurance training. I have to fit some little runs in there somewhere too if  I'm going to hit my goal of 9 races this year. but for right now the countdown continues....8...

Friday, April 22, 2011

Let's Do The Timewarp

I can't need believe that it's been a month since I last blogged. I will have to get better at that. The days and nights have all been blurring together and whizzing by. So here's what you missed: I jacked up my ankle at the St. Paddy's Day race. I was just getting it back on track when I stepped down off a chair and sprained it pretty badly. So I had to take a week off and have been cautiously rehabbing it in time for the Memorial Marathon. I missed the Redbud which totally bummed me out, but Dr.'s orders. : ( I have increased my runs by  a mile every other day and did some solid miles yesterday and felt great. Ankle is strong and better than ever. I think my daily workouts and yoga has been what brought me back from the edge. I will probably end up walking more than planned in the Memorial but as long as I finish, who cares!!!! So I just trucking on and getting more and more nervous. We have about 9 days until the race. My first half marathon. I am so blessed to have some really amazing friends and family that are planning on coming down and supporting me. I am a lucky girl. But I have a feeling that I will make up for lost blogs and will start manically blogging as the excitement and anxiety set in. So countdown in 9.....