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!

I run...

...for my dad, in his memory, for myself, for my son.

The hiatus is over.  I had every intention to run on October 17th, 2010 in the Columbus marathon, but then a miracle happened.  I found out I was pregnant with my son Linus.  What a surprise!  A happy surprise!  Since it was my first baby I was very skeptical about training or any strenuous activity.  Unfortunately, I stopped running all together and got fat.  Really fat.  But the little kicks inside of me made me not care how fat I was getting.  Now that Linus is nine months old I care.  Back to square one.  Maybe even square minus two.

Being fat is actually very insignificant considering the other events that have transpired over the last year and a half. 

In August of last year I got a call from my parents.  I was leaving an ultrasound and Sam and I were in a particularly good mood.  My mom spoke slowly, telling me that my dad had a lump under his arm that the doctor wanted to biopsy.  She handed the phone to my dad and he told me that he was planning on waiting until after his double (marathon in NH on Saturday and ME on Sunday) the following weekend to have the procedure done.  As is typical for our family, everyone had their opinion about this decision.  We cried and yelled at each other in the Weber tradition.  Ultimately, my dad stood by his decision.  He had trained to do the double and he didn't want to miss it.  I'm glad he didn't, it was his last race.

The biopsy eventually revealed that my dad had cancer.  Melanoma, an extremely deadly form of skin cancer.  He underwent several surgeries throughout October and November.  I have always been aware of how wonderful my father was, but during this time I started to realize the impact that he had on others.  The people in his life were so supportive and caring toward our family.  Even members of the Marathon Maniac community that didn't know him reached out to him with cards, emails, photos, packages.  It was very inspiring.  Last year we celebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital, but we were all thankful that we had each other to celebrate with.

During this time I kept the medal I earned in the race we ran together in DE in my pocket.  I squeezed it when I got scared.  Before one of his surgeries I showed it to my dad and said that we will run another together once he gets through all of this.  He smiled at me and told me that I better not lose my medal.  I still carry it with me.

The doctors were unable to remove the aggressive tumor completely and they determined that treatment was the best course of action at that point.  They started my dad on chemo therapy immediately.  As Christmas rolled around my mom tried to force my dad to wear a surgical mask.  He resisted.  My dad was a strong and proud man and he was not interested in being uncomfortable or looking foolish.  They reached a compromise:  If my mom was diligent about having everyone wash their hands and keeping sick people away then my dad would not have to wear the mask.  I remember it as one of our best Christmas'.

At the end of February I gave birth to my beautiful son Linus.  I've heard people talk about the feeling of  instant love, but I didn't realize how intense it is when it actually happens.  The moment Linus was set on my chest my heart burst with joy.  I was amazed that I (with Sam) was able to create the most beautiful being on this earth.  What a wonderful gift God had given us!

Linus was born in Indiana.  Despite having gone through three months of chemo, my dad came with my mom to see his grandson.  He held him and kissed him, congratulated me and Sam but left the next day.  He simply was too uncomfortable due to the pain and nausea to stay any longer.  I cried when they left for several reasons.  I was completely clueless on how to care for or raise a baby and I wanted desperately for my parents to teach me.  Mostly I missed them and wanted to share these first memories of Linus with them.  I hated that terrible disease for stealing these moments from us and hurting my dad.  I felt so guilty that I wasn't living closer to my parents so it would not be such a hardship for them to come to us. 

Sam and I made the decision that we needed to move closer to our family.  There were so many reasons to head back to Ohio. We could go to my parents at a moments notice if needed. We would have the support of our families with the baby.  We wanted Linus to know his Papa.  And so when Linus was only three weeks old we moved back to Columbus.

When the chemo treatments ended they gave us some positive news.  The tumor wasn't growing, it wasn't getting smaller but it wasn't growing.  Thank God.

My dad's birthday is May 27th.  This year my mom decided to have a big party for his birthday.  It was over Memorial Day weekend and a beautiful day.  My dad had quite a bit of energy and he looked better than he had in months.  You could tell he was really pleased to be the center of such a great celebration.  He was 59.  It was a great day.

The day after the party my friend Anna came to visit us and meet Linus.  When we told her about the party she asked if it was a milestone birthday.  I paused and told her about his illness and said "so yes, they all are!"

He returned to work for one month after his birthday.  I continued to call him everyday to see how it was going and I could tell that he was glad to be back to work, but it was a hardship on his body.  He once told me that he liked being at worked because they didn't treat him like he was sick.  While he was at work he was just Dave.

On July 8th my dad had an appointment with his oncologist.  After three months of relief from the difficulties of treatment he was hoping for positive news.  We all were.  That day felt like one of the longest days of my life.  After the appointment my parents were not interested in talking on the phone and sent out a quick text message: Not good has spread will start study asap  even with treatment 6 to 9 mo.  Frantically I tried to call her.  Then Rose.  Then Brian.  Eventually I called each of my brothers and sisters.  Finally, after what felt like an eternity I spoke to my mother as she was heading home from Cleveland. "What does it mean? Your text."  I begged hoping she had worded her text poorly.  After a long pause she confirmed my fears.  The next day I went to my parents with my sister and the kids.  We didn't bring up the text that day.

My dad died on November 3rd, 2011. 

In the last week of his life he was never alone.  My family surrounded him at all times.  We prayed with him, laughed with him, cried with him.  Despite the circumstances it was a truly beautiful experience.  Each of us had a chance to talk to him and tell him how much we love him and say goodbye. 

I miss him terribly. This is why I run for him.

Things to do before I turn 30: Finish a Marathon...Check!

On May 16th 2010 I crossed the finish line in Wilmington DE and now I can truly call myself a MARATHONER!  I definitely had my doubts about my ability to do this and now that I've crossed that initial barrier I feel as though I can do anything.  It is truly an amazing feeling. 

During the race the fellow runners were supportive and upbeat (most of them at least).  I found myself cheering on others which in turn made me feel optimistic and uplifted.  There were not nearly as many onlookers as I anticipated, but they made a huge difference.  One guy sat on the sidewalk with his drum set playing for what must have been hours.  Little kids handed out water and watched from their yards.  At one point a little boy yelled "Run faster!" at us which brought a smile to all of our faces.  My Uncle John and his wife Donna were near the finish line cheering for us.  It was fantastic to see their smiling faces!

The race was a social event in itself.  We met Maniacs, 50 Staters like my dad and THE original 50 Stater, Steve Boone.  The runners were so diverse.  There was a 70 year old man that started along side us that had a slow shuffling run but never stopped moving.  There were elite runners striving for their personal best time.  And the winner, one onlooker pointed out that we were only a few yards behind the leader (plus the 45 minute head start!).  But my favorite runners were the ones just like us, normal folks that wanted to do something extraordinary.

As I crossed the finish line it was exhilarating!  My dad was just in front of me and Sam just behind me.  The feeling of pride was overwhelming.  My body was happy to be done as well.  My feet were covered in the largest most disgusting blisters I've ever seen and my body ached.  But it doesn't matter...I'm a MARATHONER!

Now that I've reached my goal of running a marathon everyone asks if I planning on running 50 like my dad.  I'm not sure that I am interested in doing that many but I think I would like to run one or two a year.  The next goal that I want to accomplish is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  In order to do that I will need to finish a race in 3 hours and 40 minutes.  I have given myself until my 34th birthday to complete this goal.  In the meantime I would like to enter the big marathons with lots of spectators like New York, Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, Miami and of course Columbus.

I plan to continue my blog but now the purpose will be to chronicle my journey to Boston.  First stop...a 4 hour marathon.  Columbus is on October 17th...so the training begins.

Ready...Set...

I'm pretty embarrassed that I started this blog thinking it would help me stay accountable for my training and I haven't updated it in over a month.  The good news is that the training is on schedule.  I've had a few challenges but I've overcome them and now I am feeling great about my accomplishments.

In my last post I talked about working around other people's schedules and how difficult it was on my 16 mile run in Baltimore.  A few weeks later I was planning to visit my friend Amy in College Park, Maryland over the weekend.  This meant that I would have to do an 18 miler while I was there, without Sam.  My mom recommended that I skip the trip, but it had been so long since I'd seen my friends that I decided to go.

The night before my run Amy made me a lovely whole wheat pasta meal with all kinds of veggies.  I had two glasses of wine and resisted the requests to do shots with the group.  My plan was to get up early and do the run and get back when everyone was waking up.  I mapped out where I would run on the University of Maryland's campus and hit the hay.

The next morning I woke up before the sun came up, got dressed, grabbed my Gatorade and I was off.  Approximately 15 minutes later I called my sleeping friends to inform them that someone had stolen my Gatorade.  Who steals Gatorade?  Opened Gatorade at that!  I realize that the economy is bad, but I had no idea it was effecting the sports drink market so much.

Amy was so sweet and brought me two replacement bottles and even picked a hiding place so they wouldn't be stolen.  The remainder of the run went off without a hitch. 

At about mile 15 a man in a minivan drove by and shouted "Keep it up!" This really got me moving.  I started to think about what the atmosphere would be like in Wilmington on race day.  I could imagine people shouting from the sidelines "You're a marathoner!  You can do this!"  Then I started imagining myself on those sidelines cheering on other marathoners.  I was sweaty and red faced, indicating that I didn't finish last and I wanted to inspire others to the finish.  But even if I finish last I will be OK with that.   

One of the mental techniques my training guide teaches me is to imagine myself crossing the finish line.  I don't use this technique too often because just imagining it is so overwhelming emotionally that it actually uses up more energy than I can spare on a long run.  I can't wait to really experience it though. 

The race is Sunday and I'm ready.