:)
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
My origin story?
Guys. I can't wait to eat tofu again. Tofu, soy creamer, olives, chips, guacamole... and Liz Lovely cookies. This low iodine diet has killed my soul. (It's possible that I'm being dramatic due to lack of iodine)
Preparation for the radioactive iodine therapy began a little over two weeks ago. My endocrinologist gave me a ton of instructions. I asked her if I would get any superpowers. It was very clear that I was her first patient to ask this...
Anyhow, it all starts with the aforementioned low iodine diet. Remember when I said I'm not a doctor? I'm still not, so don't take my any medical advice from this blog. This link is just to get some sympathy. No, not really. Maybe.
So, as a vegan, no soy blows. As someone with low blood pressure who passes out sometimes, no iodized salt blows. As a human being, this just sucks in general. It could be worse, but it also could be better. Anyhow- 2 weeks and 2 days down... 3-4 days to go.
Wednesday, we started the real exciting treatment. A pregnancy test (complete with a nosy phlebotomist "Is this a good thing?"), two days of thyrogen injections, and a non-radioactive iodine pill followed by a scan this morning to test the uptake.
Side note: this is my favorite note from a doctor ever. I knew the results of the pregnancy test since the nurse was able to start my thyrogen and that Dr. Piech was just tying up loose ends, but I do like to imagine her delivering all kinds of her news to patients in this casual way:
This morning after the scan, I began my radioactive adventure. I was able to ask a few more questions (I had to fast for 2 hours before so my main question was when I could have more coffee- 1 hour). I was told that if I threw up after taking the pill, I'd have to call the hospital so they could decontaminate my car or house or where ever it happened (exciting). The doctor arrived, I signed a bunch of paperwork, and I was given my pill.
"Don't touch it with your hands". That's always something you want to hear about the pill you're going to take. Pretty uneventful, really. Took the pill, drank a bunch of water, got my "explanation for setting off the radioactive meter thing" letter that I need to carry around for a while, and then everyone quickly got eff away from me (which is how I was able to get this picture).
Preparation for the radioactive iodine therapy began a little over two weeks ago. My endocrinologist gave me a ton of instructions. I asked her if I would get any superpowers. It was very clear that I was her first patient to ask this...
Anyhow, it all starts with the aforementioned low iodine diet. Remember when I said I'm not a doctor? I'm still not, so don't take my any medical advice from this blog. This link is just to get some sympathy. No, not really. Maybe.
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| This is what sadness tastes like |
So, as a vegan, no soy blows. As someone with low blood pressure who passes out sometimes, no iodized salt blows. As a human being, this just sucks in general. It could be worse, but it also could be better. Anyhow- 2 weeks and 2 days down... 3-4 days to go.
Wednesday, we started the real exciting treatment. A pregnancy test (complete with a nosy phlebotomist "Is this a good thing?"), two days of thyrogen injections, and a non-radioactive iodine pill followed by a scan this morning to test the uptake.
Side note: this is my favorite note from a doctor ever. I knew the results of the pregnancy test since the nurse was able to start my thyrogen and that Dr. Piech was just tying up loose ends, but I do like to imagine her delivering all kinds of her news to patients in this casual way:
 |
| BTW, scurvy |
This morning after the scan, I began my radioactive adventure. I was able to ask a few more questions (I had to fast for 2 hours before so my main question was when I could have more coffee- 1 hour). I was told that if I threw up after taking the pill, I'd have to call the hospital so they could decontaminate my car or house or where ever it happened (exciting). The doctor arrived, I signed a bunch of paperwork, and I was given my pill.
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| It arrived in this lead lined container |
I did ask them if it was cool for me to be others as I left the hospital and they said it was totally fine because it would't be for long (again, though... they did run right the hell out of that room). You are never more aware of how close people get to you on an elevator of a hospital or the stairs of a parking garage until you are not supposed to be around people.
Oh, and I bought this because, unicorn.
Stay tuned for more adventures...
I made it home and we've already discovered some things we didn't think through. Nothing we can't fix. A lot of "don't come in the kitchen yet!!!" yelling. A lot of water, peeing, cleaning the toilet a million times, and eating lemon candy.
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| They're good now... I will want to set them on fire next week |
Oh, and I bought this because, unicorn.
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| "We're going to candy mountain!!!" |
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| That's Kevin in the distance. |
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Me and my stupid thyroid
Ok- first let me say something that you probably already know- I am not a doctor and nothing here should be taken as medical advice.
A lot has happened since my last post. I had a total thyroidectomy two months ago and I'm about to start radioactive iodine therapy tomorrow. Let's step back.
A little over two years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which caused hypothyroidism. It was discovered mostly by accident. I had a goiter that I mistook for an allergy. When the allergist wouldn't run tests (because my throat felt closed while I was in the office) I went to my primary care doctor who ran a bunch of blood tests. She called and left a message the next day that said "Call me back so we can come up with a plan". Naturally, it was a few hours before we were able to connect and I spent that morning worrying about what it could be. She told me that my TSH levels (take a look at that link up there) were off. The normal range is 0.30-4.50 and mine was 70.0. (that's higher...) I was put on levothyroxine and referred to an endocrinologist.
She asked if I had been feeling tired, if I had trouble maintaining my weight, if my skin was dryer, my hair was thinner (it also wouldn't curl!), and if I had been cold all of the time. Yes to everything. Then she said "Why didn't you come in for that?!" I didn't really have a good reason... a lot of the symptoms mimicked over training so I thought they had been marathon related. I thought maybe the rest were just going to happen as I got older. Also, I had no idea that all of these things were connected.
Fast forward through some ultrasounds, biopsies, and genetic testing that came back all clear for a while. This past June, I had a routine ultrasound that showed a new nodule that had signs of calcification. Another biopsy. A week later, I was told that the cells were suspicious for cancer and the next step was a total thyroidectomy.
I had my surgery with Dr. Gregory Randolph of Mass Eye and Ear on September 8th. I chose Dr. Randolph because he monitors the laryngeal nerve during surgery to minimize/eliminate vocal damage during surgery. Surgery went really well. Anesthesia and I are not super friendly, so the day of was pretty rough, but after that, recovery wasn't too bad. I was back to teaching Zumba 11 days after my surgery! Physically, I felt great! Vocal recovery took a little longer, but I was able to perform on October 19th.
At my post op appointments, it was confirmed that we had been dealing with stage one papillary thyroid carcinoma. My endocrinologist recommended radioactive iodine therapy to help combat recurrence (because it can happen even though the damn thyroid is gone) and now we're pretty much caught up.
I think I'll stop here so this post doesn't get too long. Stay tuned for my exciting adventures in the low iodine diet, nosy people and their inappropriate questions, and what's bound to be an odd few days of isolation while I'm radioactive.
A lot has happened since my last post. I had a total thyroidectomy two months ago and I'm about to start radioactive iodine therapy tomorrow. Let's step back.
A little over two years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which caused hypothyroidism. It was discovered mostly by accident. I had a goiter that I mistook for an allergy. When the allergist wouldn't run tests (because my throat felt closed while I was in the office) I went to my primary care doctor who ran a bunch of blood tests. She called and left a message the next day that said "Call me back so we can come up with a plan". Naturally, it was a few hours before we were able to connect and I spent that morning worrying about what it could be. She told me that my TSH levels (take a look at that link up there) were off. The normal range is 0.30-4.50 and mine was 70.0. (that's higher...) I was put on levothyroxine and referred to an endocrinologist.
She asked if I had been feeling tired, if I had trouble maintaining my weight, if my skin was dryer, my hair was thinner (it also wouldn't curl!), and if I had been cold all of the time. Yes to everything. Then she said "Why didn't you come in for that?!" I didn't really have a good reason... a lot of the symptoms mimicked over training so I thought they had been marathon related. I thought maybe the rest were just going to happen as I got older. Also, I had no idea that all of these things were connected.
Fast forward through some ultrasounds, biopsies, and genetic testing that came back all clear for a while. This past June, I had a routine ultrasound that showed a new nodule that had signs of calcification. Another biopsy. A week later, I was told that the cells were suspicious for cancer and the next step was a total thyroidectomy.
I had my surgery with Dr. Gregory Randolph of Mass Eye and Ear on September 8th. I chose Dr. Randolph because he monitors the laryngeal nerve during surgery to minimize/eliminate vocal damage during surgery. Surgery went really well. Anesthesia and I are not super friendly, so the day of was pretty rough, but after that, recovery wasn't too bad. I was back to teaching Zumba 11 days after my surgery! Physically, I felt great! Vocal recovery took a little longer, but I was able to perform on October 19th.
At my post op appointments, it was confirmed that we had been dealing with stage one papillary thyroid carcinoma. My endocrinologist recommended radioactive iodine therapy to help combat recurrence (because it can happen even though the damn thyroid is gone) and now we're pretty much caught up.
I think I'll stop here so this post doesn't get too long. Stay tuned for my exciting adventures in the low iodine diet, nosy people and their inappropriate questions, and what's bound to be an odd few days of isolation while I'm radioactive.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Back to running, blogging, and Weight Watchers
It's hard to feel like you're starting over. I've been back at Weight Watchers for 4 weeks and back to running for about 6 weeks. I've been struggling thinking about running ability that I've lost and weight that I've gained back.
When I weighed in today, I tried to be positive (in my head) about the weight I lost and not think about straying so far from goal. Jean (our fabulous leader) said "Did you know you're down 39lbs?!" I didn't know that. I never looked at the total weight lost from my initial weigh in. It really put everything in perspective.
This week (and beyond) I'm hoping to focus on my progress. I find that when I'm running, I'm thinking about what I was able to do last year or the year before. I worry about not being able to run as long or as fast as I used to. I should really focus on how far I've come in the last 6 weeks. I'm able to run longer, faster, and farther.
I'm down 39.2lbs from my highest and I can run twice as far as I could 6 weeks ago.
When I weighed in today, I tried to be positive (in my head) about the weight I lost and not think about straying so far from goal. Jean (our fabulous leader) said "Did you know you're down 39lbs?!" I didn't know that. I never looked at the total weight lost from my initial weigh in. It really put everything in perspective.
This week (and beyond) I'm hoping to focus on my progress. I find that when I'm running, I'm thinking about what I was able to do last year or the year before. I worry about not being able to run as long or as fast as I used to. I should really focus on how far I've come in the last 6 weeks. I'm able to run longer, faster, and farther.
I'm down 39.2lbs from my highest and I can run twice as far as I could 6 weeks ago.
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| I have no justification for this picture. |
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
I am just the worst
I still intend to write about the marathon this year... yes, the marathon that was 4 months ago. Let me just say, it was rough. Like, really rough in so many ways.
Let me get to a little bit of a spoiler and say that I haven't been able to run since Memorial Day weekend due to a whole bunch of bad things happening with my foot. Here's the deal with running long distances- things are going to hurt. They're going to hurt a lot. Often, they get better as you get stronger. So, I assumed some foot/toe pain was just my feet needing to be stronger (and, that is possibly what it was). I ran through it. Actually, I sought out advice on how to mentally deal with the pain and run through. Training this year was tough for a lot of reasons (a fall early on resulting in PT, snow and ice, food poisoning...) and I'm guessing that I just didn't train as much as I should of and caused some bad foot trauma.
Right now, I'm dealing with plantar fasciitis, a heel spur, a torn tendon, a pulled muscle, a bone bruise, and a little arthritis. I've not been able to teach or do any kind of activity with impact since the beginning of July. Before that, we tried anti-inflammatories and a cortisone shot before finally getting an MRI and getting the full picture. I'm missing teaching classes and running pretty badly.
My last run was the Run to Remember in May. I had just started going to the doctor and was told that I could still run, but I should avoid hills. It was a flat enough course and I switched from the half marathon to the 5 mile course. It was not great. Lots of pain. But, running just the five miles gave me the chance to watch some friends finish their first half marathons!
.JPG)
But, I've been swimming and I love it! My first few tries were pretty bad. I was never a great swimmer. I could tread water and move pretty slowly, but I've never really used swimming as an exercise. I had to force myself to get through 15 minutes of "laps" and then 15 more of aqua jogging. My generous and wonderful friend, Lynne, offered a free lesson and it gave me things to work on! She showed me how to breath correctly during freestyle and taught me proper technique for both freestyle and breast stroke. I'm still not great, but I'm good enough to actually get a work out! She also taught me how to pick out goggles and for the first time, I have some that fit.
I also bought this swimming cap. It keeps the hair out of my face and the added bonus is, given the choice, most swimmers would rather share a lane with someone not wearing this.
Let me get to a little bit of a spoiler and say that I haven't been able to run since Memorial Day weekend due to a whole bunch of bad things happening with my foot. Here's the deal with running long distances- things are going to hurt. They're going to hurt a lot. Often, they get better as you get stronger. So, I assumed some foot/toe pain was just my feet needing to be stronger (and, that is possibly what it was). I ran through it. Actually, I sought out advice on how to mentally deal with the pain and run through. Training this year was tough for a lot of reasons (a fall early on resulting in PT, snow and ice, food poisoning...) and I'm guessing that I just didn't train as much as I should of and caused some bad foot trauma.
Right now, I'm dealing with plantar fasciitis, a heel spur, a torn tendon, a pulled muscle, a bone bruise, and a little arthritis. I've not been able to teach or do any kind of activity with impact since the beginning of July. Before that, we tried anti-inflammatories and a cortisone shot before finally getting an MRI and getting the full picture. I'm missing teaching classes and running pretty badly.
My last run was the Run to Remember in May. I had just started going to the doctor and was told that I could still run, but I should avoid hills. It was a flat enough course and I switched from the half marathon to the 5 mile course. It was not great. Lots of pain. But, running just the five miles gave me the chance to watch some friends finish their first half marathons!
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| So happy to be at the end! |
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| Bish killing it! |
.JPG) |
| Andrew kicking ass! |
But, I've been swimming and I love it! My first few tries were pretty bad. I was never a great swimmer. I could tread water and move pretty slowly, but I've never really used swimming as an exercise. I had to force myself to get through 15 minutes of "laps" and then 15 more of aqua jogging. My generous and wonderful friend, Lynne, offered a free lesson and it gave me things to work on! She showed me how to breath correctly during freestyle and taught me proper technique for both freestyle and breast stroke. I'm still not great, but I'm good enough to actually get a work out! She also taught me how to pick out goggles and for the first time, I have some that fit.
I also bought this swimming cap. It keeps the hair out of my face and the added bonus is, given the choice, most swimmers would rather share a lane with someone not wearing this.
.JPG) |
| LANE TO MYSELF! |
Monday, April 14, 2014
Ok, fine.
One week left! AH!!!!
Alright- Here we go.
Alright- Here we go.
I've been kind of stubborn about this. I made it to lifetime with Weight Watchers a couple of years ago. Buuuuuut, I'm up. I kept thinking that I would just do it on my own because I didn't want to have to pay. It was less the money and more feeling a bit like a failure. I just got to relaxed with tracking and choices, plus had a little wrench thrown in called hypothyroidism. Now that that's under control, I need to get back to good habits. I know I can do it. I've done it before! I'm putting this out there because blogging helped me get to lifetime and I know it can help me get back to goal. There's no shame in needing a little help! Unfortunately, there were no meetings close by today, but I'm tracking and I can go back to Jean, my favorite leader, Thursday or Friday morning. Let's do this!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
A week and two days!
First- it's been a while. 20 miles- not so much. I had a scary couple of days where I couldn't bend my knee or straighten it all the way. It's not a fun place to be. It's better! But it was not fun. I think it was the rain... which makes me feel old...
Next- we're getting down to the wire. Today, I drove on Storrow Drive and in Kenmore Square and saw people running (in this beautiful weather) in their race day singlets! It seems like a good idea for tomorrow since I haven't worn mine in about a year. I'm pretty sure I'm wearing last year's team Stoneham shirt since it never got to cross the finish line.
Also- got this cool write up in Panorama thanks to Tiffany!
The photo shoot brought me to Copley Square for the first time in a while. It was exciting and a little scary to think about running through the square in just a few weeks.
.JPG)
Next- we're getting down to the wire. Today, I drove on Storrow Drive and in Kenmore Square and saw people running (in this beautiful weather) in their race day singlets! It seems like a good idea for tomorrow since I haven't worn mine in about a year. I'm pretty sure I'm wearing last year's team Stoneham shirt since it never got to cross the finish line.
Also- got this cool write up in Panorama thanks to Tiffany!
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| Photo by Samantha Murray |
The photo shoot brought me to Copley Square for the first time in a while. It was exciting and a little scary to think about running through the square in just a few weeks.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited! But it'll be a tough 26.2 miles and an emotional day. There's not much to do this week but take care of myself and eat some pasta. Let's do this!
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| See YOU in a week! |
Monday, March 24, 2014
Long runs or "Why is there always a headwind?!"
I have to admit something here... If you asked me in person, I was honest, but I tried to hide my true fear on this blog for some reason... but I was not 100% sure I was going to be able to handle the marathon this year. I think I mentioned that training felt particularly hard these past few months. I didn't start out as ready as I wanted, I fell and hit my head on my first run (that later resulted in whiplash and PT), it snowed every minute of every day this year, and I just had a lot of trouble feeling like I had time. I had to alter my training schedule a few times and I was getting pretty worried about my long runs. Even a three miler I did last week felt tough. My 18 miler this weekend really made me feel a lot better!
First of all, the weather was beautiful on Saturday, just a little windy (and some rain, but we'll get to that). I have a loop that's just over five miles through Woburn and Winchester. Somehow no matter which direction I was facing, there was a head wind. It wasn't constant, but wow, it was strong!
I decided to stop worrying so much about my speed. I know it's not going to be what I hoped, but I was never going to win. I just want to finish. Any finishing time will be a PR for me since it will be my first completed marathon. I want to enjoy it. I decided to take the advice I got from a random gentleman in the lobby of the Stoneham Theater last year, "Walk before you think you need to. When you feel the best, take it easy". I decided that I would drink water at every "water stop" and maybe take a little walk every couple of miles. Just for a minute or so unless I really needed it before or for longer. For my first "water stop", I picked a water bottle from my belt to find that I had only filled the two Gatorade bottles, not the water. Of course. I knew I was going to run by a park and I was pretty sure there was a water fountain, so I decided just to fill them up. And it wasn't on. Of course.
I was feeling way to good to let it stop me. I stopped in Burger King and filled up my water at the soda machine.
I took my walking breaks, ate my Clif Blocks, enjoyed the sun, and then around mile 8, it started to rain. It was still pretty warm and I was wearing a baseball hat, so no worries. It rained until about mile 11 and as the clouds parted, "Here Comes the Sun" came on. Well timed, iPod.
I felt great, I felt strong, I had very little chaffing, and most important, I felt like I could do it. I used my Mindful Practice thinking and acknowledged any discomfort and pain and it really works. I mean, it doesn't go away, but I didn't dwell on it.
One quick "review". I made a quick visit to the lovely people over at Marathon Sports in Melrose to pick up some new socks. For some reason, my toes just go right through them. I keep my nails short, I always have someone help me get the right size and brand, but I always seem to end up with holes in the toes. They recommended a Darn Tough pair.
First, they're guaranteed for life. Second, they are SO comfortable. I know I've said hundreds of times that you should never try something new on a long run or on race day, but I was desperate. I was pretty much out of socks. They stayed put, they breathed, they wicked, and I had no blisters! I'm sold. And I recommend them!
Next week is my last bump up in mileage. It's 20. I never got to 20 last year because of a poorly timed chest cold. I'm ready this year. Let's do it!
First of all, the weather was beautiful on Saturday, just a little windy (and some rain, but we'll get to that). I have a loop that's just over five miles through Woburn and Winchester. Somehow no matter which direction I was facing, there was a head wind. It wasn't constant, but wow, it was strong!
I decided to stop worrying so much about my speed. I know it's not going to be what I hoped, but I was never going to win. I just want to finish. Any finishing time will be a PR for me since it will be my first completed marathon. I want to enjoy it. I decided to take the advice I got from a random gentleman in the lobby of the Stoneham Theater last year, "Walk before you think you need to. When you feel the best, take it easy". I decided that I would drink water at every "water stop" and maybe take a little walk every couple of miles. Just for a minute or so unless I really needed it before or for longer. For my first "water stop", I picked a water bottle from my belt to find that I had only filled the two Gatorade bottles, not the water. Of course. I knew I was going to run by a park and I was pretty sure there was a water fountain, so I decided just to fill them up. And it wasn't on. Of course.
 |
| FOUNTAIN OF LIES! |
I took my walking breaks, ate my Clif Blocks, enjoyed the sun, and then around mile 8, it started to rain. It was still pretty warm and I was wearing a baseball hat, so no worries. It rained until about mile 11 and as the clouds parted, "Here Comes the Sun" came on. Well timed, iPod.
I felt great, I felt strong, I had very little chaffing, and most important, I felt like I could do it. I used my Mindful Practice thinking and acknowledged any discomfort and pain and it really works. I mean, it doesn't go away, but I didn't dwell on it.
One quick "review". I made a quick visit to the lovely people over at Marathon Sports in Melrose to pick up some new socks. For some reason, my toes just go right through them. I keep my nails short, I always have someone help me get the right size and brand, but I always seem to end up with holes in the toes. They recommended a Darn Tough pair.
.JPG) |
| I mean, look at the packaging |
Next week is my last bump up in mileage. It's 20. I never got to 20 last year because of a poorly timed chest cold. I'm ready this year. Let's do it!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Geese, toes, and Mindful Practice
Training has been TOUGH this year. The weather has not been all that helpful, my schedule is more full than last year, and I've been dealing with some injuries. Remember how I fell first run out? I'm in PT for neck/shoulder/back pain most likely from that. It's helping! Just a pain.
In my last few runs, I've revisited some old running routes. Horn Pond turned out to be mostly ice and snow free. It's been busy since the sun has been out the past couple of weekends. The geese and ducks are back. And the geese still scare me. (One totally came at me today... never make eye contact)
Normally, my toes cause me the most pain during my long runs. I mentioned this to the Mindful Practice instructor at the YMCA. Usually, when they start to hurt, I try to pretend they don't. I try to tune in to my music or focus my attention on another body part that does not hurt. Her advice was to acknowledge the pain without judgement. I'll be honest, I was skeptical and I also wasn't 100% sure I knew what she meant. I decided to give it a try today on my long run.
First of all, the weather was great! Yesterday was a little bit warmer, but I taught Zumba in the morning and didn't think a long run after was a great idea. When my toes started to ache, I thought about the advice. It was hard! Of course my first thought was "OUCH!" But then I thought "Ok, they hurt. Let's just see what happens" Eventually, it stopped bothering me. The less I thought about the pain as "Ouch", the less it bothered me.
Unfortunately, my hamstrings joined the "ouch" party towards the end, but I didn't have the miles and time left to see if it would go away.
I'm going to start going to Mindful Practice since I have a month off from theater. If I can get my toes to stop hurting, I can't wait to see what else it does for my training!
In my last few runs, I've revisited some old running routes. Horn Pond turned out to be mostly ice and snow free. It's been busy since the sun has been out the past couple of weekends. The geese and ducks are back. And the geese still scare me. (One totally came at me today... never make eye contact)
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| scary |
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| quack |
First of all, the weather was great! Yesterday was a little bit warmer, but I taught Zumba in the morning and didn't think a long run after was a great idea. When my toes started to ache, I thought about the advice. It was hard! Of course my first thought was "OUCH!" But then I thought "Ok, they hurt. Let's just see what happens" Eventually, it stopped bothering me. The less I thought about the pain as "Ouch", the less it bothered me.
Unfortunately, my hamstrings joined the "ouch" party towards the end, but I didn't have the miles and time left to see if it would go away.
I'm going to start going to Mindful Practice since I have a month off from theater. If I can get my toes to stop hurting, I can't wait to see what else it does for my training!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Icy trails and soapy Gatorade!
I think I should just call this blog "Ridiculous things that happen to me while running"
My plan this week was to take my long run to the Minuteman Trial. I wasn't sure what the snow and ice situation would be, so I packed my Yaktrax and drove over to Bedford. It was pretty icy so I gave them a try in the parking lot first. They really really work. I started on the trail.
The trail was pretty quiet except for me, maybe 5 other runners, and people walking their dogs. Oh, and these snow men.
Even thought the Yaktrax stopped me from slipping, the snow and ice really slowed me down. The trail was pretty solid ice and snow. It started out at least even and easy to navigate, but gradually became a little bumpy. After (mildly) rolling on my ankle a couple of times, I decided to turn around. On the way back, I noticed some of the snow had either melted or blown away and left a lot more exposed solid ice (that was a little scarier to run on).
Also, I had just washed the bottles in my Fuel Belt, but I guess I didn't get all of the soap out... because I'm pretty sure that's not how grape Gatorade or water is supposed to taste. So I slowly made my way back to the car with water and Gatorade strapped to my torso that I couldn't drink (for about 10 miles) and GU in my belt that I couldn't eat because I had not water to wash it down (Acid reflux without water!). But I made it! Super sore...
Moral of the story? Long runs plus ice, snow, and Yaktrax=it feels like you ran twice as far. Also, rinse out your water bottles 1000 times.
My plan this week was to take my long run to the Minuteman Trial. I wasn't sure what the snow and ice situation would be, so I packed my Yaktrax and drove over to Bedford. It was pretty icy so I gave them a try in the parking lot first. They really really work. I started on the trail.
The trail was pretty quiet except for me, maybe 5 other runners, and people walking their dogs. Oh, and these snow men.
Even thought the Yaktrax stopped me from slipping, the snow and ice really slowed me down. The trail was pretty solid ice and snow. It started out at least even and easy to navigate, but gradually became a little bumpy. After (mildly) rolling on my ankle a couple of times, I decided to turn around. On the way back, I noticed some of the snow had either melted or blown away and left a lot more exposed solid ice (that was a little scarier to run on).
Also, I had just washed the bottles in my Fuel Belt, but I guess I didn't get all of the soap out... because I'm pretty sure that's not how grape Gatorade or water is supposed to taste. So I slowly made my way back to the car with water and Gatorade strapped to my torso that I couldn't drink (for about 10 miles) and GU in my belt that I couldn't eat because I had not water to wash it down (Acid reflux without water!). But I made it! Super sore...
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| Does ANYONE know what these signs are? |
Moral of the story? Long runs plus ice, snow, and Yaktrax=it feels like you ran twice as far. Also, rinse out your water bottles 1000 times.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Fever and aches and chills! (Oh, my!)
I cheat and I get food poisoning. I think that's a sign.
So, I did alright last week food-wise. I had been trying out adding fish and eggs back into my (mostly) vegan diet. I had a great run on the indoor track at Shad and great classes.
Oh! Except Tabata. The only class I teach in which I do not participate and I pulled a muscle. Luckily, Allison Choat is a master of all things foam roller and racquet ball and I was able to work it out.
Friday, I did less well food-wise and then I got food poisoning! I'll spare you the details, but it's the worst I've ever felt in my life and I'm just going to take that as a sign. Maybe no fish and eggs and definitely nothing fried. Probably no beer for a while, but that's just by association. Chills, fever, and aches... it was just awful.
Sadly, it caused me to miss two BEAUTIFUL running days (and singing with my cast on WERS). I attempted my long run today. 14 miles was the goal. Here's what went wrong...
1. Even though I feel about 2000x better than I did on Saturday, I'm probably still dehydrated. I also missed a whole day of food/fueling for a long run.
2. I tried out new gear. On a long run. I'm an idiot. I tried a new... face warmer? My old balaclava is a little big, but something I hadn't considered is it's got this awesome little screen to breath through. It stays in place pretty well and warms the air so I'm not breathing in freezing cold air. The new one is just solid material and the whole thing just gets sucked into my mouth when I breath. It also is kind of loose and snow falls into when it's not up around your nose. I also tried a new water bottle holder, a single one. The balance is off. I just need to keep with my four smaller bottle belt.
3. It snowed. It wouldn't be a huge deal if I could have seen a little better. Maybe a hat with a brim?
I finished 5 miles. Here's my plan...
I hate the treadmill. So much. But it's going to snow again this week (and worse it sounds like). After Tabata on Wednesday, I'm going to complete my 14 miles indoors on various treadmills. I'm going to trade every couple of miles in hopes that it will help my mind get through it. I'm not sure it will work, but I NEED to get these miles in.
So, I did alright last week food-wise. I had been trying out adding fish and eggs back into my (mostly) vegan diet. I had a great run on the indoor track at Shad and great classes.
Oh! Except Tabata. The only class I teach in which I do not participate and I pulled a muscle. Luckily, Allison Choat is a master of all things foam roller and racquet ball and I was able to work it out.
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| Sit on it. No, really. |
Friday, I did less well food-wise and then I got food poisoning! I'll spare you the details, but it's the worst I've ever felt in my life and I'm just going to take that as a sign. Maybe no fish and eggs and definitely nothing fried. Probably no beer for a while, but that's just by association. Chills, fever, and aches... it was just awful.
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| Fried pickles not pictured because I can't look at them |
Sadly, it caused me to miss two BEAUTIFUL running days (and singing with my cast on WERS). I attempted my long run today. 14 miles was the goal. Here's what went wrong...
1. Even though I feel about 2000x better than I did on Saturday, I'm probably still dehydrated. I also missed a whole day of food/fueling for a long run.
2. I tried out new gear. On a long run. I'm an idiot. I tried a new... face warmer? My old balaclava is a little big, but something I hadn't considered is it's got this awesome little screen to breath through. It stays in place pretty well and warms the air so I'm not breathing in freezing cold air. The new one is just solid material and the whole thing just gets sucked into my mouth when I breath. It also is kind of loose and snow falls into when it's not up around your nose. I also tried a new water bottle holder, a single one. The balance is off. I just need to keep with my four smaller bottle belt.
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| Running isn't always fashionable |
3. It snowed. It wouldn't be a huge deal if I could have seen a little better. Maybe a hat with a brim?
I finished 5 miles. Here's my plan...
I hate the treadmill. So much. But it's going to snow again this week (and worse it sounds like). After Tabata on Wednesday, I'm going to complete my 14 miles indoors on various treadmills. I'm going to trade every couple of miles in hopes that it will help my mind get through it. I'm not sure it will work, but I NEED to get these miles in.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Here we go again...
I need to be honest... I've been pretty terrible about tracking and sticking to Weight Watchers for a while. Ok, more than a while. I hit goal and lifetime in the spring of 2012 and I didn't hang out there all that long. Maybe through the summer and some of the fall?
I definitely have a lot of excuses I could throw out. At least one of them is even valid! I did discover that I have a thyroid problem a few months ago. I noticed that even while I was training for the marathon last year that I was gaining weight no matter what I did. I was definitely eating more, but I tried to keep it to healthy choices and it didn't seem to matter. Once I realized that, I admit I kind of gave up and didn't try as hard because it didn't seem to matter anyhow.
After maybe a year or so of this happening, I went to the doctor for some neck swelling and she discovered my hypothyroidism. It was totally a relief to find out there was an actual problem that explained the weight gain and other symptoms, but I have absolutely revisited some terrible habits that are (again) hard to let go of.
I've been back to some meetings, but not as consistently as I should. I'm tracking more often, but not often enough. It's been a stressful couple of weeks and I certainly have been medicating with bad food choices.
So here I am... admitting it out in the open hoping that this will be the kick in the ass I need. I know I can do lose the weight because I did it before. Get ready for some possible weight loss status updates? Maybe they will just be limited to the blog? We'll see.
I definitely have a lot of excuses I could throw out. At least one of them is even valid! I did discover that I have a thyroid problem a few months ago. I noticed that even while I was training for the marathon last year that I was gaining weight no matter what I did. I was definitely eating more, but I tried to keep it to healthy choices and it didn't seem to matter. Once I realized that, I admit I kind of gave up and didn't try as hard because it didn't seem to matter anyhow.
After maybe a year or so of this happening, I went to the doctor for some neck swelling and she discovered my hypothyroidism. It was totally a relief to find out there was an actual problem that explained the weight gain and other symptoms, but I have absolutely revisited some terrible habits that are (again) hard to let go of.
I've been back to some meetings, but not as consistently as I should. I'm tracking more often, but not often enough. It's been a stressful couple of weeks and I certainly have been medicating with bad food choices.
So here I am... admitting it out in the open hoping that this will be the kick in the ass I need. I know I can do lose the weight because I did it before. Get ready for some possible weight loss status updates? Maybe they will just be limited to the blog? We'll see.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Marathon Training- week two!
Week two. It certainly was better than week one (no head injuries or being splashed by puddles). I got in my speed work, ran on the indoor track at Shad, and my long run felt pretty great yesterday. The weather was perfect, the ice was mostly melted, and I felt comfortable during the run. After, though...
Injuries, though, can be a funny thing. Keep in mind, that I am not a doctor and I am not giving any medical advice. I'm just a clumsy person who has experienced someweird uncomfortable injuries.
I'm definitely dealing with some leftover pain from my stupid ice fall. My knee is a little painful, my back hurts, and my shoulders are kind of tight. I'm heating, icing, rolling, and stretching, plus backing off on the weights in my class when I need to. It's getting better.
Something that I hadn't thought about in a long time is chafing. It's a terrible thing. And, for me anyhow, it's only sort of predictable. I trained for (and ran) two half marathons before last year and I had only had trouble with it once (I tried to wear my fuel belt on my hips to try to look a little less lame. Not a great idea). Once I hit the 14-15 mile long run, chafing became an unwelcome part of my life.
Body Glide is a great thing. I finally bought some last year when I noticed vampire bite marks where the bottom of my sports bra sat. After that, I discovered new and exciting chafing opportunities during almost every run, long or short. If you're thinking of running any kind of distance, just get yourself some Body Glide (it's cheap) and put it any place anything touches your skin. Seams, bands (bras, pants, shirts), even on your feet if you get blisters.
The WORST problem I had was during the actual marathon. It's cold when you train for Boston. I did most of my runs in long sleeves. I definitely did some trial runs with my race day outfit, but by the time the temperature was right, the runs were tapering off. It never occurred to me that my iPod armband would cause trouble.
Injuries, though, can be a funny thing. Keep in mind, that I am not a doctor and I am not giving any medical advice. I'm just a clumsy person who has experienced some
I'm definitely dealing with some leftover pain from my stupid ice fall. My knee is a little painful, my back hurts, and my shoulders are kind of tight. I'm heating, icing, rolling, and stretching, plus backing off on the weights in my class when I need to. It's getting better.
Something that I hadn't thought about in a long time is chafing. It's a terrible thing. And, for me anyhow, it's only sort of predictable. I trained for (and ran) two half marathons before last year and I had only had trouble with it once (I tried to wear my fuel belt on my hips to try to look a little less lame. Not a great idea). Once I hit the 14-15 mile long run, chafing became an unwelcome part of my life.
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| Just get some. Right away. |
Body Glide is a great thing. I finally bought some last year when I noticed vampire bite marks where the bottom of my sports bra sat. After that, I discovered new and exciting chafing opportunities during almost every run, long or short. If you're thinking of running any kind of distance, just get yourself some Body Glide (it's cheap) and put it any place anything touches your skin. Seams, bands (bras, pants, shirts), even on your feet if you get blisters.
The WORST problem I had was during the actual marathon. It's cold when you train for Boston. I did most of my runs in long sleeves. I definitely did some trial runs with my race day outfit, but by the time the temperature was right, the runs were tapering off. It never occurred to me that my iPod armband would cause trouble.
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| Arm |
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| Under my armpit |
Toes. Just forget about your feet looking ok in sandals. Get ready for the horrified looks you'll get from nail techs as you try to explain why your feet look the way they do. My poor second toe on my right foot really got the worst of it. I didn't blister until the actual marathon, but there was pretty much constant pain in that toe after the long runs hit 13 miles. I did eventually lose the nail and it felt about 1000 times better when it finally went. I'm trying out some new shoes (Brooks Defyance 7. The Defyance 6 were pretty great all fall) and am hoping to avoid some toe problems in the future.
If ugly feet and lost toenails gross you out, you should probably just look at this picture of Winston and not scroll down anymore.
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| Gross. |
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| Tah-dah |
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| It's just nail polish... but still gross, sorry |
Monday, January 6, 2014
Marathong training begins!
It's that time again... marathon training!
First a quick catch up. I've run a couple of half marathons since I last blogged, both in October, and a 5K January 1st.
The BAA Half
And the the Baystate Half Marathon in Lowell.
They were a week apart and both great courses. I improved by more than 7 minutes from the BAA to the Baystate. Part of it, I'm sure, were the hills. Plus, I got a GPS watch for my birthday (between the two races) and kept an eye on my pace for the Baystate. The Baystate also was a marathon at the same time. I crossed the finish line, got some food, and picked up my bag and as I walked past the finish line again, the marathon winner crossed. I will never understand how people run that fast.
As I mentioned, marathon training started officially last week! It didn't start off so well. I'm following a new plan this year that includes runs that are just timed, speed work, and runs with mileage goals (and pace recommendations). I really would like to improve my time this year.
My first run was simple... 40 minute jog. Easy! It was pretty cold and a little icy. I piled on my gear and headed out the door. Out 20 minutes and back 20 minutes, no problem. I was careful to watch for ice and, as always, cars that don't look while they turn or come out of streets and parking lots. It was fairly uneventful until around the 3 mile mark. I was turning on to a street I had been on earlier in the run. I knew there was a little ice, so I was sure to avoid it until a truck cut it a little close and almost drove up onto the sidewalk with me. I quickly moved out of the way, but must have caught some of the ice. I slipped and somehow hit my right knee, both palms, right shoulder, and then, finally, the side of my head. I got up on my feet quickly, because very often embarrassment kicks in first, and tried to assess the situation. My head was killing me and I was nervous. I called my husband to come home, but continued to walk home because it was pretty cold.
We did take a trip to the ER and I was just banged up and sore, no major head injuries.
Tuesday was obviously a day off, but I had signed up for Lowell's 1st Run on New Years Day! I didn't want to miss it. I had signed up for the 10k, but decided to switch over to the 5k since I wasn't sure how I'd feel. I was also able to run it with my friend and that was way more fun. I usually run alone and remember to take pictures, but it was chilly and we were chatting, so I forgot!
It was a really fun run. We warmed up during and I stored all my swag plus the gloves I brought in my front pockets part way through. I wonder how many people I passed thought "Good for the pregnant lady".
After that, we got hit with a lot of snow and I was a little bit afraid to run in the snow and ice after Monday. I did get over to Marathon Sports to get some new sneakers (Brooks Defyance 7), a face mask, and some Yaktrax to combat the ice and snow! I haven't tried them out yet, but I'm looking forward to feeling a little more secure in the ice this year!
I pushed my long run to today (Monday) as I will probably do until March when I am done with rehearsals and shows for a while. It was pretty warm and a little rainy when I started. I decided I wouldn't need my Yaktrax for this run because it was mostly puddles and not a ton of or snow. It was not my best run. My feet and sneakers were wet for the whole thing and I got splashed by passing cars. The rain was off and on, the ice was random and slowed me down. The puddles were pretty ridiculous.
First week in, not wonderful, but it can only get better from here!
First a quick catch up. I've run a couple of half marathons since I last blogged, both in October, and a 5K January 1st.
The BAA Half
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| Wave corrals are a good thing |
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| The start! |
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| The end of the run definitely smelled like we were in a zoo. |
And the the Baystate Half Marathon in Lowell.
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| The start! |
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| I'm sleepy and cold! |
They were a week apart and both great courses. I improved by more than 7 minutes from the BAA to the Baystate. Part of it, I'm sure, were the hills. Plus, I got a GPS watch for my birthday (between the two races) and kept an eye on my pace for the Baystate. The Baystate also was a marathon at the same time. I crossed the finish line, got some food, and picked up my bag and as I walked past the finish line again, the marathon winner crossed. I will never understand how people run that fast.
As I mentioned, marathon training started officially last week! It didn't start off so well. I'm following a new plan this year that includes runs that are just timed, speed work, and runs with mileage goals (and pace recommendations). I really would like to improve my time this year.
My first run was simple... 40 minute jog. Easy! It was pretty cold and a little icy. I piled on my gear and headed out the door. Out 20 minutes and back 20 minutes, no problem. I was careful to watch for ice and, as always, cars that don't look while they turn or come out of streets and parking lots. It was fairly uneventful until around the 3 mile mark. I was turning on to a street I had been on earlier in the run. I knew there was a little ice, so I was sure to avoid it until a truck cut it a little close and almost drove up onto the sidewalk with me. I quickly moved out of the way, but must have caught some of the ice. I slipped and somehow hit my right knee, both palms, right shoulder, and then, finally, the side of my head. I got up on my feet quickly, because very often embarrassment kicks in first, and tried to assess the situation. My head was killing me and I was nervous. I called my husband to come home, but continued to walk home because it was pretty cold.
We did take a trip to the ER and I was just banged up and sore, no major head injuries.
Tuesday was obviously a day off, but I had signed up for Lowell's 1st Run on New Years Day! I didn't want to miss it. I had signed up for the 10k, but decided to switch over to the 5k since I wasn't sure how I'd feel. I was also able to run it with my friend and that was way more fun. I usually run alone and remember to take pictures, but it was chilly and we were chatting, so I forgot!
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| That's Catie on the mug. |
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| Gloves, a hat, and a wine stopped medal! |
After that, we got hit with a lot of snow and I was a little bit afraid to run in the snow and ice after Monday. I did get over to Marathon Sports to get some new sneakers (Brooks Defyance 7), a face mask, and some Yaktrax to combat the ice and snow! I haven't tried them out yet, but I'm looking forward to feeling a little more secure in the ice this year!
I pushed my long run to today (Monday) as I will probably do until March when I am done with rehearsals and shows for a while. It was pretty warm and a little rainy when I started. I decided I wouldn't need my Yaktrax for this run because it was mostly puddles and not a ton of or snow. It was not my best run. My feet and sneakers were wet for the whole thing and I got splashed by passing cars. The rain was off and on, the ice was random and slowed me down. The puddles were pretty ridiculous.
First week in, not wonderful, but it can only get better from here!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Boston Marathon 2013
I've thought about writing about the marathon for months and just never got all that far. I'm registered for the 2014 Boston Marathon, so I've been thinking about the training and that day a lot lately. I planned on writing about the marathon a lot. I thought about it the days before and during the race. I tried to remember different things that happened and at which mile, when songs came on, crowd signs, etc. While this isn't the post I had planned on writing, this was my experience.
So let's start with this information- I had not run for two weeks before the marathon. I have no good reason and no explanation for this. I worked out. I mean, I taught my classes. But no running. I was sick for a bit and couldn't get to my 20 miler (chest cold) and then just... ya know Nothing.
Friday, April 12th, I drove into Boston to pick up my race packet.
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| Nerves setting in. |
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| So busy... |
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| The finish line |
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| Aaaaaah! It was just three days away! |
I spend some time walking through the expo. I bough an official Boston Marathon sweatshirt and stuffed unicorn (a kid in a stroller told me that that one's name was "Ralph"). I looked at different socks, shirts, stickers, shoe charms... so many things. I needed to get myself a new sparkley blue headband and a super hot fanny pack. You know how they tell you never to try anything new on race day? They even mean headbands. I'll get to that later.
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| Spike! Oh.. um, Ralph. |
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| You can see the fear in my eyes. |
That weekend was spent worrying, setting my stuff out for race day, checking it 2000 more times, seeing a show, and eating carbs (so many carbs). The night before, I tried to get to bed early, but I didn't sleep very well.
I got up nice and early that morning. I wanted to make sure I had some coffee and some breakfast and some time to relax before heading to Ram's "Magic Bus" with the Shamrock running club. It was an early start, but my wave didn't run until... 10?
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| Winston has no idea why I'm awake. |
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| Breakfast of champions...? I ate more on the bus, don't worry |
I got dressed... posed for a picture (it might have taken a few)
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| That's fear. And awkwardness. |
And we headed out for the bus. It was a little cold (better than hot!) and I bundled up and settled in. I was pretty nervous, so I spent a lot of time looking at my phone, checking Facebook and texting with friends to keep my mind of the miles ahead... even though we were all just talking about... the miles. So many miles. We made it to Hopkinton!
So it turns out, the best non-running advice I got was the write my name in big letters on my shirt. I know it sounds silly, but nothing makes you feel more like a superstar than the Boston Marathon crowd cheering your name as you pass. (and it took until mile 15 before I got my first mispronunciation (it was Shana). Pretty impressive.)
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| So many people! |
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| AAAAAAAAH! |
I hung out on the bus until I got word that my teammates (Brad and Kristin) had made it in from Boston. We stretched, we chatted, we waited for our wave to be called. We slowly made our way up to the starting line. There were people outside on their lawns giving out hair ties, vasoline (chaffing), water, and sunblock. There were people already clapping and cheering us on, people holding signs. I was already starting to get emotional. And I was cold. SO cold.
We made it to the start line and just had a few more minutes to wait. Brad, Kristin, and I wished each other well because we knew our speeds would be very different. And we were off! We were running the Boston Marathon! For the first mile or so, I saw more people peeing on the side of the road and in the woods than I have ever seen in my life (this is presented without comment).
I knew I had some people that would be cheering me on on the side. I wondered if I would actually be able to find them. Right away, I saw Anthony and Lisa Huntington (who snapped the picture below). I waved and heard "You go baby girl!" from Lisa and almost started to cry again. :)
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| I'm the one turning around. And smiling because it's only been, like, a mile. |
So it turns out, the best non-running advice I got was the write my name in big letters on my shirt. I know it sounds silly, but nothing makes you feel more like a superstar than the Boston Marathon crowd cheering your name as you pass. (and it took until mile 15 before I got my first mispronunciation (it was Shana). Pretty impressive.)
The first ten miles honestly flew by. I recognized the streets of Ashland, Framingham, and Natick as we ran through. I remember some of music that played (Kate deLima's suggestion, "Thrift Shop" turned out to be a good one, because it was pretty fuckin' awesome).
You know what's hard? Pacing your high fives. So many adorable kids and encouraging adults. That was some other advice I was given, "Don't high five every kid in Hopkinton". It's hard advice to take.
Do you want to know the weird thing that happens when you run at my pace? You will eventually get passed by all of the people in costumes. Somewhere around mile 9 maybe, a whole bunch of hamburgers started to pass me (a gaggle?). Dora the Explorer and I spent most of Framingham and Natick taking turns passing. At some point, I was passed by a banana holding up a speaker. I sort of snapped this picture because, I mean... come on.
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| Yep. |
Just before the halfway point is, what I think was, my favorite part of the marathon, Wellesley College. I had heard about it, but there was really nothing that could have prepared me for the amazingness that is the ladies of Wellesley. The signs! The screams! The high fives! The kisses being offered! Signs that read "Kiss me I'm____" ("in a long distance relationship", "Italian", "a lesbian", etc) and "Finally some men around here!"
Right after Wellesley, I remember thinking "I like half marathons". It's a respectable distance that doesn't disrupt your life and you still get a medal and snacks. And I would have been done. And my toes were really starting to hurt. I said to a couple around mile 15 "This was a terrible idea!"
Random words of advice and wisdom from other runners flashed through my head. "When you see the fire station in Newton and make the turn, that's not Heartbreak Hill". Ok, so there was the fire station and then some hills. My details start to get fuzzy here, but I know I started to be offered some beer. I know I saw my friend Katie. And I saw the awesome people from Stoneham Theatre. That took me a couple of seconds to sort out. I heard them and I heard my name and waved, but it took some time to register that I actually knew them! The hills continued. I took a little walking break here and there (more than just the water stations) to pace myself for Heartbreak Hill.
I have to admit that I didn't run Heartbreak Hill before that day. I should have, probably. There are a lot of hills in Woburn and Winchester on my normal routes, so I reasoned that I was doing a pretty good job of training for the hills in the marathon. I still had nightmares about it. In those dreams, I came to pretty much a wall of a hill that I had to climb on all fours. It kept getting higher and I rarely made it to the top. I kept going up the hills in Newton that I thought preceded it and thought "Wow, this is a little bit further away than I thought". I looked over to my right and saw a sign that said "YOU MADE IT UP HEARTBREAK HILL!" I stopped and asked the young guy holding it "Wait. SERIOUSLY!?" "..... YEAH!" I cried. I was going to finish. I kept running.
The Boston College area is a very close second to Wellesley. They are excited and they have beer and they are so proud of everyone! A lot of them were yelling out "name on shirt, I love you!" I'm pretty sure that I always yelled back that I loved them, too. I needed to. I was tired, I was so sick of my peanut butter GU and Gatorade and water and I really wanted their beer, but I knew it wasn't a good idea. I kept running.
Very very soon after Boston College, the police officers on the route started to look different. They weren't nervous, but they weren't watching the runners. They were diverting us on to the sidewalk. One of them said "We're stopping the race ahead". I was so confused and SURE that I heard him wrong. I kept running. Another officer said the same thing and that's it. I stopped to ask a concerned (and quiet) on looker what was going on. "There was an explosion at the finish line". Surely I heard him wrong. There were still spectators. We were all still running. He must have been mistaken. I took my phone out of my running belt and it was dead. Keep running.
"We're moving the finish line" said another officer. "What happened?!" another runner asked. No answer. I passed a woman and a soldier on the sidewalk offering use of their cell phones. I took them up on it. I tried to call Kevin, but his phone was also dead. I tried my parents, but cell service was just stopped. I didn't know what to do. My plan was to run for as long as I could because people that I loved were at that finish line and I had no idea how to find them or if they were ok.
It was a few miles of "We're going to stop ahead" before they actually stopped the race. I was just before Kenmore Square where I knew Corey and Sarah and the Lynn crew would have been. We just were stopped. No other instructions. I looked around and saw a Whole Foods across the street. I knew that I was going to have to eat something and get some water. I was so grateful for my fanny pack running belt and last minute decision to through $20 and my credit card in. Whole Foods let me use their phone. Still no answer from Kevin, but I left another message. I managed to get a hold of my sister at my parents' house. I could barely hold it together. I asked her to please post on my Facebook wall to let everyone know that I was ok and to see if anyone had heard from Kevin. She said that James was acting as a point person and posting any news he received. She had read that Kevin was with Aimee and friends and was safe a little while before. I told her I was going to try to walk back and find a meeting area.
I walked up to the bridge into Kenmore where an officer told me that I would have to go around another way. I was shivering at this point. It wasn't all that cold, but I had lost a lot of water and was covered in sweat. I was just in capris and a tank top with wet hair and no mylar blanket. I walked around a little more and ran into another officer that told me and another runner there would be buses running up Comm Ave to bring us to a meeting area and the buses with our bags at the Common. He gave me a long sleeved t-shirt and apologized for not having a sweatshirt. The other runner, George from Florida, and I walked up to Comm Ave. He was up from Florida and needed to get back to his family at his hotel. He spoke with them and knew they were ok. We got to the bus stop and waited a few minutes. "They're not coming", he said. "We've gone this far, want to just walk?" We walked.
It was long, and man it was windy. We still didn't really know what was happening. We were sore, we were cold, we were scared. On Beacon Street, people were sitting outside of their apartments offering people a place to rest, a phone to use, and something to eat and drink. We passed some other runners walking the other way with their yellow bags who told us that the buses were now on Newbury St. George and I parted ways as he went back to his hotel and I went to the bus. The volunteers at the buses gave me back my bag, but told me they were planning on setting up a family meeting place at the Common still. I put on all of the clothes from my bag and took a mylar blanket and kept walking to the Common.
I was pretty disoriented and I can't imagine what I looked like. I was tired, I was crying, and limping a little. People I passed randomly offered use of their phones and help, but I really didn't know what to do. I got to the public gardens and a swat team was surrounding a school bus. No one knew anything about a meeting area. I made it to the Common and wandered around. When you are lost and scared EVERYONE looks like someone you know. That day, everyone looked like Kevin or Corey Jackson (for some reason). Every time I realized it wasn't them, I cried, but kept walking.
I decided to find a place to stay put because I wasn't sure I could keep walking. I made it to the Panera Tremont and decided that I would call Kevin and hope that he was going to find a charger for his phone. What's funny is, I was so confused, that I really thought that even with everything going on, Panera wouldn't let me use their phone if I didn't order something. Of course, they let me make a call and asked what else they could do. I tried Kevin's phone and it rang.... but no answer. I tried once more and he picked up! I could barely form words, but it turned out he was right down the street.
He parked his car, practically on the sidewalk, and ran in. I have never been so relieved in my life. I broke down, we hugged, I'm sure we made people uncomfortable. The manager teared up and asked if we were ok, if there was anything else we needed.
We got in the car to drive out of Boston and I was able to charge my phone. As soon as it powered up, it was ringing. I called friends and family back and could barely hear what they were saying because my phone kept beeping with text notifications. I answered all my texts, all my Facebook messages and posts, and emails. I felt so bad for not being able to do it sooner. I checked in with friends I knew had been there and they were all ok.
We didn't know what to do, so we went to Chili's for food and beer. Seriously. Chips and beer, that's all I wanted to think about. The televisions in the lounge were all silently replaying the events from that afternoon. I learned more about what had happened. Our waitress noticed my BAA sweatshirt and asked if we had been there. A neighboring table overheard and bought us a round of beer. They didn't want us to know who they were, so we made a big cheers and thank you gesture hoping they would see.
The rest of the week was kind of a blur. Kevin and I both took Tuesday off to spend together. I went back to classes Wednesday (completely unable to participate). I saw Stoneham's production of Millie featuring one of the our runners, Brad. I can't believe he was able to to the entire show that soon after. Here's something to compare it to: He did the entire show full of dance numbers as if he had not run (and finished) a marathon two days before. I groaned when I stood up at intermission. We got together with friends for dinner and drinks. We were grateful that people we knew were ok. We weren't part of the lockdown area that Friday, but we stayed in, glued to television and Facebook to make sure people we loved were alright.
The next week, the BAA organized a place for people to pick up their bags and medals. Part of me felt strange about it, but I wanted to go in and get the medal. I went in, unsure of what to expect. There was a room full of yellow bags and about five volunteers checking off numbers and handing out medals. They had a mini finish line and insisted on placing my finisher medal on my neck and then taking a picture. I cried and one woman told me she was the "Official hugger". The BAA is a wonderful organization.
I'm really honored and excited that they are letting us all run again next year. I only know a little bit of what to expect. I know a little bit more about how to train and about what not to do. I know that I'll probably cry a lot. And I know that we're all going to finish.
Right after Wellesley, I remember thinking "I like half marathons". It's a respectable distance that doesn't disrupt your life and you still get a medal and snacks. And I would have been done. And my toes were really starting to hurt. I said to a couple around mile 15 "This was a terrible idea!"
Random words of advice and wisdom from other runners flashed through my head. "When you see the fire station in Newton and make the turn, that's not Heartbreak Hill". Ok, so there was the fire station and then some hills. My details start to get fuzzy here, but I know I started to be offered some beer. I know I saw my friend Katie. And I saw the awesome people from Stoneham Theatre. That took me a couple of seconds to sort out. I heard them and I heard my name and waved, but it took some time to register that I actually knew them! The hills continued. I took a little walking break here and there (more than just the water stations) to pace myself for Heartbreak Hill.
I have to admit that I didn't run Heartbreak Hill before that day. I should have, probably. There are a lot of hills in Woburn and Winchester on my normal routes, so I reasoned that I was doing a pretty good job of training for the hills in the marathon. I still had nightmares about it. In those dreams, I came to pretty much a wall of a hill that I had to climb on all fours. It kept getting higher and I rarely made it to the top. I kept going up the hills in Newton that I thought preceded it and thought "Wow, this is a little bit further away than I thought". I looked over to my right and saw a sign that said "YOU MADE IT UP HEARTBREAK HILL!" I stopped and asked the young guy holding it "Wait. SERIOUSLY!?" "..... YEAH!" I cried. I was going to finish. I kept running.
The Boston College area is a very close second to Wellesley. They are excited and they have beer and they are so proud of everyone! A lot of them were yelling out "name on shirt, I love you!" I'm pretty sure that I always yelled back that I loved them, too. I needed to. I was tired, I was so sick of my peanut butter GU and Gatorade and water and I really wanted their beer, but I knew it wasn't a good idea. I kept running.
Very very soon after Boston College, the police officers on the route started to look different. They weren't nervous, but they weren't watching the runners. They were diverting us on to the sidewalk. One of them said "We're stopping the race ahead". I was so confused and SURE that I heard him wrong. I kept running. Another officer said the same thing and that's it. I stopped to ask a concerned (and quiet) on looker what was going on. "There was an explosion at the finish line". Surely I heard him wrong. There were still spectators. We were all still running. He must have been mistaken. I took my phone out of my running belt and it was dead. Keep running.
"We're moving the finish line" said another officer. "What happened?!" another runner asked. No answer. I passed a woman and a soldier on the sidewalk offering use of their cell phones. I took them up on it. I tried to call Kevin, but his phone was also dead. I tried my parents, but cell service was just stopped. I didn't know what to do. My plan was to run for as long as I could because people that I loved were at that finish line and I had no idea how to find them or if they were ok.
It was a few miles of "We're going to stop ahead" before they actually stopped the race. I was just before Kenmore Square where I knew Corey and Sarah and the Lynn crew would have been. We just were stopped. No other instructions. I looked around and saw a Whole Foods across the street. I knew that I was going to have to eat something and get some water. I was so grateful for my fanny pack running belt and last minute decision to through $20 and my credit card in. Whole Foods let me use their phone. Still no answer from Kevin, but I left another message. I managed to get a hold of my sister at my parents' house. I could barely hold it together. I asked her to please post on my Facebook wall to let everyone know that I was ok and to see if anyone had heard from Kevin. She said that James was acting as a point person and posting any news he received. She had read that Kevin was with Aimee and friends and was safe a little while before. I told her I was going to try to walk back and find a meeting area.
I walked up to the bridge into Kenmore where an officer told me that I would have to go around another way. I was shivering at this point. It wasn't all that cold, but I had lost a lot of water and was covered in sweat. I was just in capris and a tank top with wet hair and no mylar blanket. I walked around a little more and ran into another officer that told me and another runner there would be buses running up Comm Ave to bring us to a meeting area and the buses with our bags at the Common. He gave me a long sleeved t-shirt and apologized for not having a sweatshirt. The other runner, George from Florida, and I walked up to Comm Ave. He was up from Florida and needed to get back to his family at his hotel. He spoke with them and knew they were ok. We got to the bus stop and waited a few minutes. "They're not coming", he said. "We've gone this far, want to just walk?" We walked.
It was long, and man it was windy. We still didn't really know what was happening. We were sore, we were cold, we were scared. On Beacon Street, people were sitting outside of their apartments offering people a place to rest, a phone to use, and something to eat and drink. We passed some other runners walking the other way with their yellow bags who told us that the buses were now on Newbury St. George and I parted ways as he went back to his hotel and I went to the bus. The volunteers at the buses gave me back my bag, but told me they were planning on setting up a family meeting place at the Common still. I put on all of the clothes from my bag and took a mylar blanket and kept walking to the Common.
I was pretty disoriented and I can't imagine what I looked like. I was tired, I was crying, and limping a little. People I passed randomly offered use of their phones and help, but I really didn't know what to do. I got to the public gardens and a swat team was surrounding a school bus. No one knew anything about a meeting area. I made it to the Common and wandered around. When you are lost and scared EVERYONE looks like someone you know. That day, everyone looked like Kevin or Corey Jackson (for some reason). Every time I realized it wasn't them, I cried, but kept walking.
I decided to find a place to stay put because I wasn't sure I could keep walking. I made it to the Panera Tremont and decided that I would call Kevin and hope that he was going to find a charger for his phone. What's funny is, I was so confused, that I really thought that even with everything going on, Panera wouldn't let me use their phone if I didn't order something. Of course, they let me make a call and asked what else they could do. I tried Kevin's phone and it rang.... but no answer. I tried once more and he picked up! I could barely form words, but it turned out he was right down the street.
He parked his car, practically on the sidewalk, and ran in. I have never been so relieved in my life. I broke down, we hugged, I'm sure we made people uncomfortable. The manager teared up and asked if we were ok, if there was anything else we needed.
We got in the car to drive out of Boston and I was able to charge my phone. As soon as it powered up, it was ringing. I called friends and family back and could barely hear what they were saying because my phone kept beeping with text notifications. I answered all my texts, all my Facebook messages and posts, and emails. I felt so bad for not being able to do it sooner. I checked in with friends I knew had been there and they were all ok.
We didn't know what to do, so we went to Chili's for food and beer. Seriously. Chips and beer, that's all I wanted to think about. The televisions in the lounge were all silently replaying the events from that afternoon. I learned more about what had happened. Our waitress noticed my BAA sweatshirt and asked if we had been there. A neighboring table overheard and bought us a round of beer. They didn't want us to know who they were, so we made a big cheers and thank you gesture hoping they would see.
The rest of the week was kind of a blur. Kevin and I both took Tuesday off to spend together. I went back to classes Wednesday (completely unable to participate). I saw Stoneham's production of Millie featuring one of the our runners, Brad. I can't believe he was able to to the entire show that soon after. Here's something to compare it to: He did the entire show full of dance numbers as if he had not run (and finished) a marathon two days before. I groaned when I stood up at intermission. We got together with friends for dinner and drinks. We were grateful that people we knew were ok. We weren't part of the lockdown area that Friday, but we stayed in, glued to television and Facebook to make sure people we loved were alright.
The next week, the BAA organized a place for people to pick up their bags and medals. Part of me felt strange about it, but I wanted to go in and get the medal. I went in, unsure of what to expect. There was a room full of yellow bags and about five volunteers checking off numbers and handing out medals. They had a mini finish line and insisted on placing my finisher medal on my neck and then taking a picture. I cried and one woman told me she was the "Official hugger". The BAA is a wonderful organization.
I'm really honored and excited that they are letting us all run again next year. I only know a little bit of what to expect. I know a little bit more about how to train and about what not to do. I know that I'll probably cry a lot. And I know that we're all going to finish.
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