Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon

I just finished running in the Rock and Roll New Orleans marathon, formerly called the Mardi Gras Marathon.  This is one marathon I have wanted to do for a number of years, but just haven't for some reason.  I think one of the main reasons was that it use to fall on the same weekend as the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Al and I usually either do the Mercedes whole or half since it's in my hometown.  I love Pensacola, FL, but I have to say that the New Orleans Marathon is far superior to Pensacola or Mercedes.  It's flat!  No hills, and yes, there are hills in Pensacola.  More than just the two I was told there were.  The entire first part of the course in Pensacola was a slow, steady, calf burning climb along Scenic Highway.  Beauful, but not good for the calves.  Mercedes has hills, but the most deadly ones are no longer part of the course.  I think my calves are happier with a flatter course like New Orleans.  Besides, it is such a beautful, historic city.

The New Orleans marathon was moved to March, which made it perfectly fit in with my marathon training.  I was able to do the Mercedes half (I added 7 miles at the end to do a 20 miler) and then taper for this race.  My goal time was 4 hours 15 minutes and I was very, very close.  I am also now a firm believer in compression socks.  I wore my new Run Love compression socks (the white ones since I still haven't received the pink ones) and my calves are not sore at all.  The rest of my entire body is toast, including not only my quads and hamstrings, but also my back, abs, and lungs.  My calves feel fantastic!  Thank god for compression.  Maybe I wouldn't be sore at all if I had worn a complete compression suit.  (do they even make those?) I'm just joking, of course,  I have compression tights and don't like them much.  I wore them in the half marathon a few weeks ago and they didn't help my calves at all.

pre race potty stop

There were 22,000 runners today, but Ken managed to find me twice on the course and then at the finish while I was stumbling around a little dazed.  I didn't think I was ever going to find him and the security guard was making me go through the gate out of the finisher area into the huge mass of people on the other side of the fence.  He barely made it in time to see me finish because the cab driver that took him to City Park where the finish line was, let him off about 4 miles away (he says 4, probably more like 1 :)) and then he had to figure out how to walk to the finish area.  I was so happy to see him and to be finished!  

After the race we headed over to Pinkberry Yogurt because I was having a craving.  We were lucky enough to have one right near the hotel.  I got the original flavor with granola, yogurt chips and blackberries.   It's my new favorite yogurt.  Yum!

Then it was advil, shower and a nap since I didn't sleep at all last night in anticipation for the race today.

Now I have run a marathon in five states - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Massachusetts (Boston -Yea!)  Now I only have 45 more states to go....

Me and the Running Nazi pre race

More Race Photos

Missoni

I have been wearing these new Missoni over the knee socks whenever I can since they were delivered last week.  No, they aren't compression socks, but they are much cuter and just as comfortable.  I got three pairs of them from Zappos last week and love them.  I am even thinking of getting some pink ones as well.  I bought them to wear under the Jeffrey Campbell lace up boots I recently purchased online from Free People.  Didn't really think I would wear them all that much otherwise, but they are great to hang around the house in when I'm not in the compression socks.

The Running Nazi and I did our long run yesterday morning in the cold rain.  Thirteen miles in the dreary cold at 6:30 a.m. so she could get to work by 10:30.  We were out there for 2 1/2 hours and were soaking wet by the time we finished. The only ones out there running in that weather were the hard core runners and the freakishly insane.  While The Running Nazi might fall into either one of those categories on any given day, I was only out there because I have a marathon coming up and I am trying to stay on the training schedule.  I never want a repeat of the way my legs felt while running in the Pensacola marathon last Fall.  Yes, I can finish a marathon without properly training for it, but I never want to experience that much pain again.  Just because I did an Ironman the year before meant nothing.  My legs didn't remember it at all, but they didn't let me forget the pain I put them through afterward.  From now on, I'm doing the proper marathon training.   It was great getting back home and into these warm socks.  My legs felt happy.

The Murph kept making fun of my outfit and thought I was wearing these colors in honor of Mardi Gras.   He kept laughing at me and followed me around taking pictures.  Now I know how old Boo feels when we come after him pointing the camera.  Don't worry, I'll get some pictures of my own of the Murph.  I'm still waiting for my new Runlove Compression socks to be delivered.  Keeping my fingers crossed for them to be delivered today.

Triathlete/Runner Amnesia

This time last week I was carbo-loading at Lillo's, an Italian restaurant in Pensacola Beach and wondering why the heck I had ever signed up for the Pensacola marathon that was the next day.  Why do I put myself under this kind of stress when I don't have too?  Why did I ever think I wanted to run a marathon in every state?  What's wrong with me?

When the alarm went off at 4:30 marathon morning, the first thing I think of is do I really want to do this?  Can I just stay in bed?  I was wide awake so I got up, got ready, ate a power bar and a banana and went to the bathroom.  I just thought, ok, let's just get this thing over with so I can come home and eat lunch with Boy and sit around wrapped in my snuggie for the rest of the day being extra nice to the Murph for putting up with me.

There were several times during the race when I really, really wished I had only signed up to do the half marathon instead of the whole thing.  I wondered now why did I want to run a marathon in every state.  Why did I want to run THIS marathon?  Did I ever want to run another marathon at all?  Maybe I would just pick the marathons that I wanted to do, which only involve about 4 or 5 states and just forget all the other states.

By mile 20 I was thinking maybe this would be it for me.  No more marathons.  Why even run at all?  Is it really that good for you?  I wasn't feeling that good.

After the race I could barely walk.  My calves have been extremely sore all week.  I tried to run for the first time today and my calves felt tight and still hurt.  I felt like somebody punched them with their fist.  I told the Murph that I thought it was not a good idea for me to run the Ruben Studdard half marathon that the Running Nazi wanted me to do with her tomorrow.

He said "I thought you had already decided you weren't going to do that. "

"Well I was only 99% sure I wasn't doing it, but now I am 100%."  He just shook his head.  He doesn't understand crazy, but being around me he's getting use to it.

It's funny how you forget the stress and pain of running marathons and other long, endurance type events (such as the Ironman).  You forget how the training takes up most of your free time and rules your entire life and everything you do and eat and sleep revolves around the training for these events.  You forget the anxiety before race day and the worries.  Do I have everything?   Did I train enough?  It's gonna hurt!

I'm not much fun to be around the days before the race and especially not race morning.  I don't handle stress very well.   Ask the Murph.

So anyway, today I've been thinking about which marathon in which state I am going to tackle next.  Maybe I should even sign up for at least one 1/2 Ironman too.  No full Ironman triathlons next year though.  Definitely not, no, well, probably not, at least not next year.

Triathlete/Runner amnesia, crazy or just plain dumb?

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera

My favorite song during spin class.  Also, heard between mile 20 and 21 on the Pensacola Marathon Course.

Running the Pensacola Marathon

Today I ran in the Pensacola Marathon.  I can't say I was trained for it but I did it and I finished and didn't even throw up or anything.  I have been running 10 to 13 mile long runs since Ironman Canada August 2010 and just kicked in a 15 mile long run and then an 18 mile long run before the taper.  I don't recommend training this way.  It makes race day a little more painful than it has to be.  I signed up months ago thinking it would motivate me to run more consistently.  Didn't work.  I also tried that with the 1/2 Ironman in Hawaii last June.  These were the first two long races I have ever done without regular consistent training.  They were also the slowest and most painful I have ever done.  I set PR's not for personal best but for personal worst!  I did finish both and got the medal so that's all that counts.

The weather was beautiful, however and I really enjoyed the course.  I loved running along Scenic Highway with the sun rising over Pensacola Bay.  Doing the loop around the airport wasn't that fun, but I loved, loved, loved running into Downtown Pensacola and the Historic District.  The start/finish was in the historic district along the bay and was very nice.   It was fairly flat with only two small hills and I think one was actually a bridge.  I was a little delirious by then so who knows!

Somewhere between mile 20 and mile 21 a DJ had one of my favorite spinerval songs blasting.  It is sung by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilers and is called "Move like Jagger".  When the song comes on in Spinerval class you are required to take turns singing the "Move like Jagger, Move like Jagger" chorus.  That song made me pick up the pace to a blazing 9 minute mile speed at least.  FYI- 9 minute miles are not really that blazing but it is faster than a 12 minute mile.  I think there were some folks on the course that were walking faster than I was running.  I was passed by old men with gas and one guy wearing flip flops and a pregnant lady.  It was an interesting day!  Maybe I will do it again next year.

Should I Sign Up For A Fall Marathon?

I was suppose to do the Chicago Marathon with the Running Nazi next month, but I waited too long to sign up and it was full.  I thought about racing with a charity slot, but if I didn't raise enough money I would have to come up with the difference.  The Murph was a little concerned about that (especially since he would be the one coming up with the difference).  The idea of spending thousands of dollars just to run a marathon didn't appeal to him even if it was for a good cause.  I tried to assure him that I would be able to raise the money and the Running Nazi said she would help.  Didn't work.  The Running Nazi told me I should just sign up anyway and not tell the Murph until I had raised the money.  I didn't think that would be a good idea!

I am considering running Pensacola Marathon in November even though I haven't really been marathon training.  The Running Nazi and I have also talked about doing Mardi Gras marathon in New Orleans in February.  She wants to qualify for Boston.  I ran Boston in 2003, but would like to do it again for a faster time.  I was injured when I ran it last time and so far it has been my slowest marathon.  I need to do it again, one more time at least.  We would have to do under a four hour marathon in order to qualify.  I think that's doable.  Of course, before I do a four hour marathon I need to actually sign up for and TRAIN for a marathon.  These little 3 to 10 mile runs aren't gonna do it!