Alone with my thoughts

...and my spit.  I totally forgot about the spitting.  I remember my dad warned me about it when I first started training for Wilmington.  I guess my many months of hiatus made me forget how frequently I needed to spit while running. 

The first time I ran on my new treadmill (did I mention that I needed it?) I was thinking about how much I wanted to spit.  I also thought about how my dad was such a great mentor while I was training before.  When I was traveling for work we would speak on the phone nearly every night and talk about running.  He would give me pointers, ask me about my run and how far I had gone.  He was always positive and encouraging.  It got to the point that when I called and my mom would answer she would just hand the phone to my dad without talking to me at all.  I barely spoke to my mom during this time.  I honestly think that if it weren't for him I wouldn't have crossed the finish line in Delaware.  I worry that I don't have my mentor to motivate and inspire me anymore.

My brother had told me that he often feels my dad's presence when he is running.  He said it is an amazing feeling.  This morning while I was doing a short run I thought about the things we would talk about if we were still having our daily chats.  He'd ask me how I like my treadmill.  We'd talk about the fancy programs it has and he would be impressed that I could program the Nashville marathon course and the treadmill would adjust the incline to reflect the actual elevation.  I would make a joke about Mark's shoes and he would tell me to lay off.  He may even say how he was thinking about getting a pair himself.  I would mention how Linus seems to like to fall asleep to the sound of the treadmill in the other room and he would laugh and say that Linus is a good influence on me.  As I ran and had my imaginary conversation with my dad I felt him.  I told him I missed him and began to cry.  It is not easy crying and running on a treadmill, which is not forgiving of sudden changes of speed. 

After I recovered from my grief while managing not to fall off the back of the treadmill the song changed on my iPod.  As I listened to the words I increased my speed and fell into a wonderful rhythm.  It reminded me why I run.  It inspired me to keep going.  It opened my lungs and put a smile on my face.  Again I felt my dad.  He was lifting me up and inspiring me.

I miss him.  I run for him.


"Run fast for your mother run fast for your father
Run for your children for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind you
Can't carry it with you if you want to survive...
The dog days are over"

The Gear

When it comes to marathoning there really is little gear that you actually need.  You need shoes and vaseline.  And even the shoes are debatable.  There is a barefoot sports movement going on right now, so some people would say you can run a marathon barefoot.  I would not be one of those people.  And then there are the counterfeit barefoot athletes.  I've started calling them the Five Finger Fools*.  My brother has been trying to convince me that the five finger shoes are the way to go.  Apparently they simulate running barefoot, but while wearing a shoe.  Yes, you are immitating being barefoot by wearing shoes.  It really is as ridiculous as it sounds.  And if you think is sounds ridiculous take a look at the shoes.



My position on running gear is not to buy anything I would be embarrassed to wear into the grocery store.  Sorry Mark I will be sticking to my Nike's.

I bought my Nike's midway through training for Wilmington because my Mizunos were making my toes go numb and giving my crazy blisters.  I must admit that I was swayed more by the color scheme than the fit.  I honestly feel that there are not nearly enough situations where a woman my age can wear pink without appearing juvenille or prissy.  So I went with the subtly pink trimmed shoes.  My dad really liked my pink shoes when I showed them off to him.  And lucky for me they were pretty awesome running shoes.

I figured since I found my true love shoes that I would have it easy buying new ones.  No more heading over to the running store to walk in front of the sales associates while they tried to figure out which kinds of shoes to put me in.  Then trying on six pairs that are almost exactly the same.  I knew that I love my Nike's and I decided that is what I would stick with until I can't run anymore. 

This plan was not fullproof.  As a novice I was unaware that shoe manufacturer's came out with new models of their shoes every year.  Seriously.  Every year.  After reading some reviews I found a few runners say that the fit was the same for my model and this year's model.  But most suggested to buy multiple pairs of your true love shoes.  I guess I missed that tid-bit of advice before.  I decided to take the plunge and buy online.  I must admit my decision to do this was again swayed by the color scheme.  I couldn't help myself, the color is called Voltage Cherry.  As soon as I saw the photo I was fantisizing about running while wearing these and coordinating outfits.  Was I really supposed to resist getting these beautiful shoes?

Yeah...they are pretty rad.

So now that I have my shoes and my vaseline I should be set per my own statement that you don't need anything else to be a marathoner.  Well...I'm not quite as self-sufficient as I used to be.

I love being a mom.  It is the most challenging and rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. It has definitely changed the game for me and my training.  So I've decided to procure some gear to make being a mommy marathoner possible. 

The treadmill.  I've always prefered to run in the elements with the exception of snow.  The cool air or rain on my face can be invigorating during a long sweaty run.  Running outdoors is far more visually stimulating than staring at a wall while running on a treadmill.  If given the choice I'd probably prefer a nice run through Franklin Park than a hamster wheel.  However, I am not very excited about taking my baby out in a stroller in the rain, wind, and subzero temperatures.  I'm sure Linus would be a trooper for 4,5 or 6 miles.  But we are talking about training for a marathon here.  I need a treadmill. 

At least this is the rationalization I made when finally deciding to take the plunge.

*Just to clarify...I do not think Mark is a fool.  But his shoes are seriously nerdy!