I DID IT!!!!

26.2 MILES!! I can't believe it but I fiinished the marathon! Yippie! Woke up at 3 am this morning feeling pretty good. When we got to the start line, there were a lot of other Team in Training members getting ready. It was so great to meet up with everyone. I was so excited and could not wait to start running. One last bathroom break before we started out. It seemed like forever that we were corraled on the street. The temperature dropped slightly as it was just before dawn. I was then a little bit more nervous and my stomach began to do flip flops. I just wanted to start. The race began with the start of the Fireworks over the beach. It was such a great sight to see. As soon as we started to move I felt overjoyed. It was about 15 minutes before we actually made it to the "Start" line, but after we cleared it, we were on our way. It was so dark out and we really didn't get a chance to see anything great on the way through town. All the trees were lit up and they some Christmas decorations out on the lawns of the state buildings, so it was kind of neat. I felt okay through town, not great, but okay. When we got to Kapiolani park I was feeling a little bit tired and couldn't even imagine the 19+ miles we had in front of us to conquor. The sun was just about rising and we were also raising in elevation up the hill of Diamondhead Road. I actually felt really good going up the hill and felt better after I climbed it. The next few miles were smooth saiiling for the most part. As we headed down the hill on 18th Street, we could see thousands of people in front of us in a big sea of runners. It was an unbelievable sight to behold. I was very motivated by the time we got to the beginning of the highway. There were so many people cheering us on. I felt so great that I had made it this far already. On the way out of Honolulu to Hawaii Kai, I felt still pretty good. The lots of miles still ahead was pressing on my mind. My hip, knees, and right ankle were taking turns being in pain. It was hard, but I kept pushing myself forward. I couldn't believe how quickly the turn around at Hawaii Kai came to be. I thought now would be the perfect time to break for the bathrooms. The lines were unbelievably long at the 20 or so porta potties at the park. I knew that I needed the break anyways to rest my muscles and perhaps stretch out a bit. The line was 20 minutes too long. I felt naseous and achy at first. I thought it may have been a mistake to stop at this point. But after stretching a bit, I felt a lot better and like this stop was needed. Back onto the course, my muscles did feel better, but I had a little bit of brain melt affecting me. It was at this point (Mile 16 or so) that I started my run/walking. I think I did more walking on the last 8 miles, but it was necessary as my joints were in lots of pain as well as my feet. Also at this point, I knew that I could finish and that my only goal at this time was to just finish. As the miles crept upwards, so did the pain. Even though I took some shots of salt, I was cramping up on my side. After running a few hundred feet, the cramp would seize up and I would need to stop for a while. I eventually ran passed a Team in Training support person on the side of the road. Luckily they had salty pretzels. I hoped this would help. But, even if I didn't have the cramp on my side, my feet were screaming in pain and I could tell that I already had at least 1 blister on each foot. It felt like my body was going to crumble down. My back was aching and my neck was pinching. I was feeling bad, but continued on. Throughout the whole race there were at least 5 or 6 bands playing or someone playing music. It did help a little bit in the motivation. By mile 21 I was really confident I could do it. We were almost at the gas station on the way back and I knew from that point, I could do it. Even if it meant walking most of the way back. Which is pretty much what happened. My left calf was now screaming in pain and it felt like it was going to snap at any moment. I kept going, and I still continued to keep going. running for short periods and then walking off the pain. When I reached Triangle park, my spirits rose and I could feel the end. I was pracically limping at this point, but there were some camera's at the top of Diamondhead, so I smiled and jogged in front of the camera. Heck, I didn't want to watch myself walking on the DVD. Down the hill, the pain screamed to me to stop. My calf was just hanging on and my feet wanted to sit down for hours on end. I was in serious pain by the time we reached the start of Kapiolani Park. I was fighting back tears from the pain, but when I saw the finish line I started to cry. It was right there in front of me. I felt so happy. I ignored all my aches and pains and pushed a run until the finish. It felt so unbelievable to cross the finish line. I started to cry I was so happy. We were greated with shell lei's and cold showers . Then it was into the park to attempt to find out Team in Training tent as well as the finisher's tent to pick up our t-shirt and medal. It was a maze. I felt like they were trying to make it difficult so that we would have to suffer through more pain of walking. I started to cry in anguish at this point. We eventually did find the finishers tent. It was a great feeling to pick up our t-shirts and medals. I couldn't believe I just did that. I just completed a MARATHON!! We found the TNT tent easily after that and I was then still crying becuase I was in so much pain at this point and I was feeling week and lightheaded. I still just wanted to survive this whole experience. They checked us in and gave us 26.2 pins. I found a seat and we were brought soda (to help open our airways) and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those were delicious and I did feel a little better. Although I was still nervous that I was going to pass out eventually. We caught a bus back to the Hilton and then from there a taxi. It was painful to move up and down stairs and just walking in general took a lot of strength. When I got home, I noticed I had a horrible sunburn on my neck. Still I didn't care, becuase I had finished. I was in tremendous pain an took a nice 2 hour nap. After waking I felt a little better, but still incredibly sore. I am now slouched on the couch trying to type this up. We still have the victory party which they highy recommended we go to so that we move our muscles about. I'm still in shock that I have completed such an amazing feat. I can't wait to go celebrate. Thanks to everyone for their support and help. It really gave me the motivation to continue on with the training. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT!

Twas the Night Before the Marathon

Just came back from the pasta party at the Hilton. It was so much fun we had a few wonderful speakers to help motivate us. One of the speakers mentioned that completely the marathon is not the end, it's the beginning. The beginning for whatever we imagine. I am very nervous, but more anxious than anything. I just want to run it, I want to get started now. I know I can do it, the next post to my BLOG you will see will be me regaling the story of how I completed the marathon. I will try and remember every detail and hopefully wont be a victim of marathon brain melt. I don't how much sleep I will manage to get tonight. I doubt a few hours if any. But, that's okay. They keep saying that it's okay if we don't get enough sleep. I've laid out all my clothing and items I will need for tomorrow. I will be a running advertisement for Nike; Nike shoes, sox, shorts, shirt, and hat. I'm really glad that I decided to the marathon training with the Team in Training. If I had just done this alone, it definitely would not have been as much fun or meaningful. It makes all the difference in the world to have 700+ other people for support. GO TEAM!!

Ah, So That's What Pavement Feels Like!

D'oh! Today was our last threshold training. I was really happy and excited. Things were going well, I felt great throughout the thresholds. However, during our second threshold, I was going along well and then SPLAT! I found myself down on the pavement. OWE! I had scraped my left knee and left elbow. It hurt for a moment and then I got up and continued on with the exercise. The cuts were bleeding, but not driping down my body so I thought I would be okay until we got home. I was so excited when we finished our very last threshold. It felt so good. The pain wasn't too bad until I got back home and showered. Then it burned very badly. After some gentle cleansing and care, both wounds feel okay. I will be sure to pamper them until they are healed. Of course, this would happen less than a week before the marathon. My muscles are tensing up pretty bad as well. I'm trying hard to keep moving and stretching. I probably should take some pain killers. I'm so glad we have tomorrow off. Last night I got very nervous about the marathon, 26.2 seems impossible. But, I pushed those thoughts out of my head and have just convinced myself it can be done. :) Breakfast: cereal, milk Lunch: lean cuisine Dinner: Help me raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! www.active.com/donate/lyramichael

What Do We Do Now?

"Don't do anything new. Don't do anything stupid." Good words of advice from the team. Those are good words. We are supposed to relax and take it VERY easy this week. Wouldn't want to unnecessarily injure ourselves in the last week. We did all our training in the last 5 months, we wont gain anything this week. The 90 minute run went very smooth. I felt great. I hope I can feel that good on marathon day. They gave us lots of other good advice about eating and tapering. I started to relax a little bit and felt confident that I would make it to the marathon and finish it. We got our race jersey and jackets. It made me feel like I had accomplished so much and had truly made it through the training and was part of the team. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: french toast Lunch: roast chicken sandwich Dinner: don't remember Help me raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! www.active.com/donate/lyramichael

Almost There!

Well, I didn't do the exercises for this week in the right order or on the right day, but hey 3 overall out of 4 isn't bad. Today I ran 4 miles. Did pretty good, felt pretty good. My confidence is high at the moment. Tomorrow will be our last group training. I'm a little sad, but I've had lots of fun with the training and now it's time to do the marathon. Only one more week. It's a little scary. I'm trying to keep my self busy (which is easy at work) so that I don't have time to think of the marathon. I'm just very anxious to get to marathon day. ;) Weight: 120.5 pounds (darn those cookies, pizza and cake) Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Lunch: Lean Cuisine Snack: Cake Dinner: Pasta, garlic bread

When Will the Threshold's be Over?

Today was more threshold work. 12 minute increments x 3. I could do the first two okay, the third I decided to just do 6 minutes. It was still a challenging workout. I just knew I needed to do my best. I'm worried that the marathon is going to be 10 million times harder. How will I ever do it? I know I can do it. I've trained so long and hard. There's no way I'm giving up. I will make it to the finish line even if I have to crawl. I was happy when I finished todays exercise. Next Tuesday will be the last threshold workout. I'm very happy about that. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Lunch: Lean Cuisine Snack: peanut butter cups Dinner: Pizza, cinistix

Worries

Well, I did not get back to running over the weekend. It turns out the "sickness" I felt on Wednesday night was the start of my kidney cysts aggrivating my system. I was in some pain and just didn't feel like I had the energy to go running. I decided it was better to be safe at this point. This morning we did go for a 4 mile run. It went really well. I didn't feel as fatigued as on Thursday. I think my body just needed to deal with the internal pain. I'm just so worried that I wont feel better by the marathon which would interfere with my endurance. I just have to think hopeful. I can do it. It just may take a long time. At least I'm back to my normal weight. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Lunch: Lean Cuisine Dinner: chicken, apple sauce, lots of chocolate chip cookies (oops!)

Turkey Trot...Not

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This morning I woke up and felt a lot better than I did last night. By the time we got to the check in for the Turkey Trot the sun was up and shining brighly. I estimated my time to complete the 10 miles at 2 hours and 18 minutes. We had to write our estimated time down on a tongue depressor stick. We started out with a lap around the park and then up the dreaded Diamondhead road hill. I was wiped out. It was like I was running in molasses. I did not have the strength and my breathing was very labored. At the top I took a drink of water which was refreshing and headed to Triangle park. The water and a little bit of shade gave me temporary relief, but I just couldn't do it. Even though I felt better this morning, whatever was attacking my system last night took all the energy out of me. I turned around and walked back up the hill. I ran for a little bit more, but the walk through the park to get to the car was exhuasting. I couldn't believe how much my body was straining. I decided it was best to try and save my strength for the marathon. Yikes, that day keeps getting closer and closer. I hope I have the strength and energy needed to run it. After getting home, I weighed myself. Maybe I didn't have the energy because I lost 2 pounds in one day. That can't be good. Well it's lots of rest for today and tomorrow then back for a 5 mile run on Saturday. I need to keep my hopes up for the marathon! :) Weight: 117.5 pounds Breakfast: bagel and cream cheese Lunch: Dinner: LOTS and LOTS of food. Went to a buffet at the Radisson. Two words: CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN. *drool* it was soooo delicious. Yummy I wanted to dip everything into the chocolate fountain. I ate healthy portions of Salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, crab, vegetables, and CHOCOLATE covered everything! Well, I only dipped the fresh fruit into the chocolate. I also had a little pumpkin pie.

It's Creeping Closer

The marathon is very very scarily close. I ran 3 miles this morning for workout and felt good. When I got home from work, my insides felt knotted. I was so weak, it was hard to make food. I thought I would be okay and just tried to drink lots of water and sleep. Tomorrow is the Turkey Trot. Shouldn't be too bad since it's only 10 miles and I know the course. It will just be like any other weekend training session. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: 2 eggs, milk, cranberry juice Lunch: soy pattie with bun, Hershey's bar Dinner: Lots of pasta, garlic bread

Final Countdown

Less than 2 weeks to go, to be exact 19 days until the marathon. eeek. I'm getting a little nervous. But, I have faith that all this training will get me through the marathon. Today I did half the exercise. It was supposed to be warm up and then 8 x 5 minute threshold and 2 min. walk. I knew I didn't have the energy for 8, so I ended up doing 4. It still was very challenging and I felt like I had accomplished a lot after the exercise. Over all a good workout. The fishies are looking happier, it has taken a lot of work to get the water conditions better. I have hope that the remaining fish will be okay. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: bagel with cream cheese, milk Lunch: soy pattie with bun, brownie Dinner: chicken taquitos, chicken burger

"And The Fishies In The Sea Have Gone To Sleep..."

Yesterday we bought some fishies for the home. They are so fascinating to watch. It is very amusing, even more so than TV. (did I just say that?) Unfortunately 3 wee-little Tetra fishies have already gone up to the big fish bowl in the sky. I guess they just couldn't handle the change. We also have one missing tetra fish? It probably is not a good sign.
Anywho...Today I did not do the run that was scheduled. Instead I felt a great need to work on my strength training. I did The Firms' "Upper Body Split" DVD. I love that one. It has a great upper body workout as well as a lot of Ab work. I felt great during and after.
When I got home from work, a few more fishies had gone to "sleep". It was very sad, but it taught me a valuable lesson. 12 fish cannot survive together in a 2 1/2 gallon tank. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, milk Lunch: leftover pizza, cookies Dinner: chicken, apple sauce, mashed potatoes.

"So Run To The Sun..."

"...here's one for the road. And may god's love go with you. My tears are starting to show. Whoa."
This morning we reached Diamondhead road just as the sun started to rise. In all the times I've ever seen a sunrise, I've never seen one as beautiful. It was bright orange and there was a pink cast along the pretty clouds in the sky. The air was so clear I could see the outline of Maui. It was the most incredible sight I've seen while running thus far. The sunrise was in front of me for about a 1/2 hour. I couldn't stop staring. Then my eyes started to hurt so I had to look away for a bit.
The run itself went very well. There were times that my hip started to hurt again as well as my knees. My toe felt surprisingly good. It was a struggle the last mile or so to keep going. I just knew I really needed to push myself if I wanted to make it through the marathon. I felt good after the run, there wasn't any dire need for food like in previous weeks. And surprisingly I did not need to take a nap. I'm very excited about these last few weeks of training. :)
Weight: 119.5 pounds
Breakfast: 1/2 bagel with cream cheese, orange juice, 2 scrambled eggs Lunch: roasted chicken sandwich, chocolate chip cookies, Jamba Juice Dinner: pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn, blue cheese, 3 glasses of red wine (one too many :)

Sleepy

I slept in this morning completely ignoring the fact that I should have got up for a run or at least cross-trained. Today the actual marathon is heavy on my mind. The next three weeks will probably fly by. Tomorrow's run should be okay for me. 2 1/2 hours will probably get us to Triangle park and back to Ala Moana. I'm excited about running. Maybe it's because there is only 3 more weeks, that every run will be fun and exciting. Luckily my toe is looking and feeling GREAT! My ankle feels better, a little tender but it doesn't hurt to walk or put pressure on it. Weight: 120 pounds (I'm not eating very healthy lately) Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Snack: oatmeal fruit cookies, crackers Lunch: 1 vegetable soy patty with bread Dinner: pasta, garlic bread

Almost There....

I can't believe it's only 3 1/2 weeks until the marathon. I'm starting to get excited and nervous. The larger shoes are definitely helping out and they don't feel loose. I ran 4 miles into Waikiki this morning. It felt great! I really hope I can survive the marathon. Sure, 4 miles doesn't seem like much to me anymore, but I just remember the anguish of 18.6 miles. I can do it, I know I can. My spirits are high and I am confident. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, yogurt smoothie Snack: oatmeal fruit cookies Dinner: chicken and mashed potatoes and apple sauce

The Other Side Of Waikiki

I learned a big lesson over the weekend, I needed bigger shoes. That was the reason my big toes were taking a beating. My feet would swell and my big toes would rub up against the leather part of my shoes instead of the soft meshy part. I bought bigger shoes (8 1/2) on Sunday. This helped out tremendously. They really meant it when they said to go 1 full size bigger when buying running shoes.
My ankle was a little tender when I woke up, but my toe is now feeling really really good. I went out for a 5 mile run down Waikiki. 5 miles puts me at the edge of Waikiki near the Kapiolani Park. It was good to see more of Waikiki, it's so beautiful in the morning. I didn't really feel pain in my toe or ankle or knees, so it was a good run. After the run my ankle was still very tender but not as bad as yesterday. I still limped around a little bit today but I feel like my endurance was strong throughout the run. Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Snack: Popcorn Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, yogurt smoothie Snack: "fun" sized 3-Musketeers Dinner: Salmon

Enough with the Pain!

I did not go running this morning. My ankle was so tender and soar and I don't even know why. It hurt as if I spained it or something. I don't know, excruciating pain on the inside bone of my ankle. I don't ever remember twisting it or bumping it so I have no clue what is causing the pain. It is so tender to the touch and walking is really difficult. Breakfast: cereal, orange juice Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, yogurt smoothie Dinner: chicken and mashed potatoes.

Downhill

This weekend we were supposed to run for 3 hours. I tried my best. My toe was in lots of pain and when I started up the hill, it just got worse. I decided to turn around at Triangle Park which was after 1 hour and 15 min. At least I got my hill practice in. On the way back, I felt like the start was so far away. My knees started to give in and were in lots of pain. Sigh, I felt like my body was giving out. I only have 4 more weeks until the marathon, I just wanted to get through it. I had to stop for about 8 minutes or so and just walk. It felt so much better to walk. My knees were thankful. When I reached the beginning of Ala Moana Park, I started to run again. The pain in my knees went away and my toe wasn't as bad. After the race, I felt so hungry. That awful starving feeling that was there last week came back. It wasn't AS bad but still I needed food IMMEDIATELY. After I ate and drank some orange juice, I felt much much better. I need to figure out what to do so that I don't have that awful feeling of hunger after a race. Hmmmm. This has only happened in the last two weeks. I don't know why. Throughout the day, the pain in my toe got much much worse. I took of the pressure bandage which helped a little, but OUCH! The bruise hurt, the toe nail felt like it was on fire. It felt awful, I couldn't do much to alleviate the pain either. When I went to sleep, it was too painful so I took some Advil, tried cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide and put a banaide on it. This helped a little so that I could at least sleep. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: power bar, 1 gel After run: Banana pancakes, 1 egg, orange juice Lunch: slept through lunch Dinner: salad, mixed drink, bread, potato wedge, spicy chicken piece, crab cakes, little bit of garlic mashed potato.

4, 3, 2, 1....Threshold!

Today was new. It started out with 10 minute easy run. Not too difficult, I rather enjoyed it. Then started a sequence of 4X (10 min. Threshold with 2 min. walk in between). The first Threshold seemed to go quite smoothly. It felt great to be going so fast. My heart was racing by the end and I was glad to have a 2 minute walk break. 2 minutes sure does fly by quickly and before I was ready, we had to start another 10 minutes at Threshhold. Well this one went well, however I just didn't think I could do two more sequences. I was glad it was half over, but really couldn't imagine finishing the entire workout. It seemed impossible. During the 3rd Threshhold, I was dragging a little bit. It was tough to push so much for 10 more minutes. After I completed the 3rd, I protested about doing the 4th and final. Part of me just wanted to give up and jog back home. But, I realized that when I do all the exercises, I do really well and improve. So I started up again for the last Threshhold. I was breathing pretty hard and sweating buckets. My stomach felt gigantic, and the top layer of fat seemed to be tearing away from my bottom layer of very thin muscle. It was an awful feeling. I can't believe it, but I did in fact complete the last Threshold. I was so excited and happy that I was able to finish it. It felt so wonderful to have accomplished it. The easy 10 minute jog back was such a relief. In total it was 68 minutes exercise. It felt great to have achieved it. As tough as the morning exercise was, I knew I needed to strengthen my upper body. My sholder/back has been feeling better, but still not good. I did the Upper Body portion of The Firm: Body Sculpt DVD. It was a good challenge and got my upper muscles to work a bit. I really need to start building up muscle so that I have less of a chance of injury. Weight: 120.5 pounds (this explains why my stomach felt so large) Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, cereal Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, grapes, 5 cookies Dinner: Salmon, brown rice, 1 sugar cookie, 1 wine cooler

This Little Piggy...

Is in incredible PAIN!!! OWE! My right big toes' nail is just detaching itself ever so slowly from my toe. I'm in such pain today. I had made an appt. with a podiatrist for next week, but I just can't wait. So I am going today. Hopefully he will at least be able to help ease the pain and help it so that I can go running tomorrow. On a good note, I did run 4 miles this morning at a faster pace. I felt good and still challenged. The pollution bothered me everytime I breathed in, but I just had to push the thought of the harm that all of the exhaust, smoke, and garbage is doing to my lungs out of my mind. I will update after I see the doctor. ----Just got back from the Podiatrist. The doctor was so nice and seemed to really know his feet. He told me I have Greek feet. He showed that there are two types of feet Roman (where the toe next to the big toe is longer than the big toe) and Greek (Where the big toe is the longest). All running shoes are made for Roman feet, therefore my big toe does not have enough room and that's why there is so much friction in my running shoes. He numbed up my toe and drained the blood beneath. It looks a lot better :) and it's all nice and numb WooHoo! He said the numbness will wear off in 3 hours and that I will feel pain because of the pressure bandage. So my toe feels great! I don't feel any pain. He didn't want to do anything drastic like remove the toenail because I still have to train and run the marathon. But, he did suggest if it gets worse that I should come back after the marathon. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, orange juice, milk Lunch: popcorn, roasted chicken sandwich, 2 chocolate chip cookies, rootbeer (no caffeine) Dinner: Pasta, garlic bread

I Can Feel the Marathon

As I pushed through the 4 mile run this morning, I felt great about my training. The marathon is almost here, I feel confident I can do it, I just need to get through the next few weeks of training. Luckily, this coming weekends' practice will be the longest run until the marathon. 3 hours will be about 13+ miles for me. It's approximately how long it took me to run the half marathon, so I know I can do it. After this weekend, the training regime tapers down so that we aren't too burnt out by the marathon day. I can't believe I made it this far. I'm having such a great time training and pushing myself with the marathon training, however I am looking forward to letting my body rest a little bit and to try something new for exercise! :) I'm so happy that I am doing this and love the challenge. I can't believe I could barely run a mile when we started. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, orange juice, milk Lunch: 2 basil soy patties Dinner: Vegetable lasagna, 1 piece of toast, yogurt

"Don't Stop Me Now...." - Half Marathon Race Day!

"I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball." I was so sleepy this morning and wasn't enthusiastic about running the race. I was so scared that I had lost my interest in running. I ate an entire power bar and some water and a fizzy Emergen-C drink. It was pouring out which did not help my enthusiasm. By the time we parked the car, it had slowed down to a light drizzle with lots of puddles around. It was so dark and so cold, I was glum. The rain stopped at the start of the race, but I unfortunately had to make a pit stop at the ladies room. It put us behind all the other people, but it was necessary. Then as I tried to re-establish my proper pace, I felt all out of rythmn. I almost felt like I was going too fast. But, it got me back with the pack of people at my pace. After conqering the two big hills of Diamondhead Road, my spirits picked up. It was a very comfortable weather and I felt like I had lots of energy. I felt so wonderful, I didn't want to stop!! :):):):) As the sun started to rise (behind the clouds) I started to cheer up. I felt great. I felt like I was going a lot faster than usual (which I was). When we reached the gas station aide stop, I ingested a "Lava passion flavor" gel. It tasted disgusting. But, it gave me the energy to keep going on the highway. People were already coming back when we started on the highway. It made me feel more a part of the race with everyone around me. I felt strong on the way out and it didn't seem so far before we hit the turn around point. I was so happy it was halfway and we were making good time. On the way back on the highway, my neck started to tense up and I started to slow down a little bit. I made it back to the gas station aide stop and luckily there was still water left. After ingesting another gel, I still felt really good and knew I had the energy to make it to the end. Yes, it was still tough to get over the hills of Diamondhead, but once I was on the way down, I felt so energized. The last 1/2 mile to the finish line, I really pushed myself. There were too females in front of me that for some reason, I wanted to beat to the finish line. I pushed as hard as I could and went full force for the last 1/4 mile. I felt so great going so fast. It was exhuasting, but it felt so good when the people were cheering us on at the finish line. I was so happy! :) I felt good still too. Exhuasted, but good. It ends up I was running at a 13 1/2 minute miles. Which, sadly, is a big improvement from my usual pace. My stomach immediately started to rumble after the race. I took a piece of banana and fruit juice to go and started home. After I washed, I felt faintly hungry. I felt like I was sick again and would faint if I did not get food immediately. We went out to a diner and I ordered banana pancakes and an egg. I just couldn't even sit up straight. I felt so awful. I think I still had some of the bug left in my system. Once my food arrived I inhaled the egg in a few seconds and started on the pancakes. It all tasted so good, but I didn't feel much better. I drank some orange juice and water and finished most of my pancakes. I felt a little better, still not great. I just needed to give the food time to digest in my system and then I was feeling back to normal. Just really physically tired. We went to see a movie, so I ate a ton of buttered popcorn. It tasted so good, I just kept eating. I think I ended up eating half or more of the tub of popcorn. But, I was feeling great after the movie, I felt alive again. For the rest of the day, I didn't do much. I took a nap and watched more TV. I felt pretty good. My legs were a little tired and it was tiring to sit up straight, but I didn't feel terrible. I am now in a happy mood about running. I don't know why I felt so down about it. It could have been that nasty stomach bug that spent so much time in my system and made me feel bad about everything. Now I feel so energized and enthusiastic about the marathon. I'm so scared of how long we will be running. Probably about 6 hours! That's going to be such a long time. Weight: 117 pounds Pre-Race: 1 power bar, Emergen-C drink, water During Race: water, gatorade, 2 gel packs After Race: 1/4 banana, orange drink, banana pancakes, 1 scrambled egg, orange juice Lunch: Buttered Popcorn Dinner: Spicy Chicken frozen pizza, chocolate chip cookies w/ ice cream

Preparation for the Half Marathon

Today I just relaxed and prepared my body for the half marathon I will be running tomorrow. I made sure to try and drink lots of liquids and get enough carbs and protein. I did wake with a terrible headache which did not subside even with lots of water and pain killers. I knew it must have been the overload on carbs yesterday and the lack of protein. Once I started eating lunch, I immediately felt a lot better. I'm still a little nervous, but I know I can at least finish since this is much less than 18.6 miles. Weight: 117.5 pounds Breakfast: Bagel with cream cheese, cranberry juice Lunch: Chinese food buffet (Tofu bean curry, fried rice, chicken wings, tea) Dinner: Pasta w/ baked chicken and garlic bread

Anticipation

This morning, I went out for a 4 mile run. Usually it's so beautiful to run along Waikiki, however it was raining this morning. And Waikiki beach was still beautiful. I did not feel so strong which makes me a bit anxious about Sunday's Half marathon run. I feel very fatigued right now at work. I just want to take a nap. Tomorrow I will be sure to get lots of rest. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: Waf-fills, banana, cranberry juice Lunch: left over manicotti and vegetables Snack: Cup of Noodles Dinner: Pasta and garlic bread

Are Those Really My Legs?!

Today was a day of rest for running. I decided to work on my Upper Body strength and did a Firm DVD. I feel like I'm getting a little stronger in the upper body. As I was hunched over to a Lat pull exercise, I noticed my legs, or so I hoped. They didn't really look like my legs. They were muscular and thin and looked nice. No, those can't be my legs. But they were. I was so happy in how they looked. I only wish my mid-section looked that good. But, it is still untoned, flabby and weak. It just doesn't look pleasant. Well, I wish I was doing more for my upper body and stomach, but I guess the sporadic workouts are better than nothing. Weight: 115.5 pounds Breakfast: Potatoe soup, cranberry juice Lunch: left over chicken and garlic mashed potatoes Snack: Twix Dinner: Manicotti, vegetables, chocolate ice cream

20 Minutes / Forever....Same Thing

Today's run was 10 min. easy 20 minute threshold, 10 min. walk, 20 min. @ Marathon Pace. 20 minutes of Threshold felt like forever. Exhuastion took over and I was on autopilot to get through the threshold. It felt great to have 10 minute walk afterwards. Gave me a chance to catch my breath. When I started back up again for the 20 minutes at MP I was struggling. I was going a little bit faster than my "easy" pace which is truly what I can run during long races. It felt like forever to finish that 20 minutes as well. During lunch time I felt naseous again. Grrrr when am I gonig to start feeling good? I'm so tired of feeling sick. Maybe someday soon, I will feel 100% better. In the afternoon, I ate some ramen. Yeah, I know it's not that healthy and kind of disgusting. But, It made me feel so much better. I didn't have that awful yucky feeling I usually carry throughout the afternoon. Maybe my potassium level drops too much in the afternoon making me feel slow and sluggish. I must find a better way to incorporate more salty (yet somewhat healthy) foods in my afternoon diet. Weight: 116.5 pounds (I'm so happy my weight is staying the same) Breakfast: cereal, banana, cranberry juice, milk Lunch: left over chicken and garlic mashed potatoes, raspberries Snack: Ramen Dinner: Salmon, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

Back to Running (Finally feeling better)!

I rested well throughout the night and felt great when I woke up this morning. I was a little bit nervous to go out jogging, but knew I needed to start back on track if I wanted to make it to the marathon. I didn't follow the exercise schedule (today was supposed to be a rest day). But, I did 3 miles easy this morning. I did feel a little weak, but my endurance held strong throughout the entire run. My leg muscles felt fatigued but didn't have any problems handling the workout. I feel great. I even made it to work without any trouble. I seem to have lost 3 pounds. I know I wanted to loose weight, but being sick was not worth it. I wonder how long I can maintain the weight loss. Well, I'm feeling about 95% good today. I'm so happy I was able to go out jogging this morning. It felt good. :) Weight: 116.5 pounds Breakfast: cereal, banana Lunch: roast 2 soy patties, raspberries, little bit of candy Dinner: Salmon, garlic mashed potatoes

For the Children

I was not able to go to practice this morning. I felt a lot better, but knew I was still very weak. I just did not have the energy to run for 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, today we volunteered to run a game booth at a Halloween party for the children. It was a lot of fun, but I did feel very naseous for about 2 hours. A little shade and water helped out and I felt a lot better by mid-afternoon. I just wanted to feel better. I'm so sick of feeling sick. Weight: 117.5 pounds Breakfast: cereal Lunch: roast chicken sandwich, 1 1/2 chocolate chip cookies Dinner: pasta and garlic bread

Halloween Fun

Today I felt a lot better when I woke up. I could tell that my body was retaining the water well. I was able to get to work. I was scared walking down the street, the sun still felt so hot but I made it to work okay. I felt a little weak, but not as bad as yesterday. Everyone in the office was setting up for Halloween fun. I donned my "Stitch" costume and felt happy. My mind was all over the place and I couldn't really concentrate, but I tried my best to function during work. There were lots of games and fun setup at each department. It was highly amusing. Fortunately I couldn't eat any of the candy or treats that were in the office. I felt completely exhuasted by 11. I ate some soup and more gatorade and by noon I was feeling great. The feeling only lasted a few hours. I struggled to stay at work and then left to go home early. It was going to be a long walk home. When I got home, I felt weak and feeble. I could barely pick myself up onto the couch. After a good dinner, I felt a lot better and happy that I was finally starting to see the end of this flu. Weight: 116.5 pounds Breakfast: 2 Eggo Waffles Lunch: Soup Dinner: pasta and garlic bread

I Think I Can.....Nope I Can't

Today I had full confidence that I was feeling better and well enough to at least go to work. I was still a little weak, but I felt much better. I got dressed and ready for work, grabbing some water on my way out. The evelator ride downstairs seemed like forever, so many stops. I took my time walking down the street. The sun seemed to beem down so harshly on me. It was like mid-day on the equator. By the time I got to Wal-mart I started to get dizzy and light-headed. It wasn't looking good. My co-workers immediately noticed something wasn't right. I was taken to my doctors office. The Doctor suggested that I stay for a few hours and get some fluids through IV. That seemed good to me. After an hour of fluids, I started feeling much better even hungry. It took 2 hours for me to finish hydrating. I did feel much better, but very very weak. When I got home, I took another nap. By night-time, I felt good enough to sit up and watch TV for a little bit. Weight: 116.5 pounds Breakfast: 2 Eggo Waffles Lunch: Soup Dinner: Soup

Sleepy and Dizzy

Youch! The aches were very bad today in my legs and I was still very naseaous. At least I was able to keep some water down during my resless night of sleep. I definitely did not do the running exercise today and I did not go into work. I spent the entire day on the couch, mostly sleeping. I tried to just watch TV, but I slept through everything. I think I was awake for only 2 hours until dinner time. I felt so sick the entire day. It was very dizzying. It was such a struggle to get up to get water/food. I just wanted to feel better. After I ate dinner, I felt a little better. A little stronger. Maybe the bug was out of my system. I just hoped I had enough strength to run this weekend. Breakfast: 1/2 piece of toast, lots of water Lunch: 2 Eggo waffles Dinner: Breaded chicken pattie and bun

Hmm, What's That Rumble in my Stomach?

This morning's exercise was extremely challenging. A little bit of warm up and then a tough Threshold sequence. 7 x 6 T with 1 min. walk. Granted 6 minutes is a lot better than 10. It didn't seem like forever, just a really long time. The 1 minute in between was like nothing. By the time I caught a breath the minute was almost over and it was time to start again. I do know that these exercises will help me, but it was brutal to get through all the Threshold sequences. In fact, I didn't do the last Threshold, I just did the 10 minute easy run back home. It was still a very productive training and my leg muscles were burning by the end. I'm just so happy I completed what I did!! I felt a little fatigued throughout work, but it was a good fatigue feeling like I had accomplished a tough task. Around 4 pm, I felt very hungry and naseous. I tried eating some grahm crackers, but that didn't really do much. Ugh, I struggled to stay upright until 5 pm and then I left for home. Maybe I just need some real food. I started reheating leftover Salmon and some rice, but it was too late. My stomach was ill and it did not want to ingest anything. I couldn't even hold down water. I tried to just eat the rice just to have something in my stomach, but it was no use. Then by the time I went to bed, the aches and pains with the stomach flu came. I was in lots of pain, not to mention very naseous and dizzy. There was no way I was going to make it up for running practice let alone work. I did not have a good nights sleep. I just wish the pain would have gone away, then I could have dealt with the naseous feelings. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: Cereal, yogurt, orange juice Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties Dinner: Ummm....nothing stayed down

Pushing Through the Anguish

Today we were to run 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was nervous because the last time we had practiced this route, I got so winded and tired. Starting out, I was still a little tired from the 18.6 mile race last week. I knew that I needed to take it easy and not push myself to much. I felt confident that I could make it to the aide station at the gas station and then come back in the loop. I knew I could do that. It would be a great accomplishment if I completed the loop. I set my sights on doing the loop, but when we got to the aide station felt okay to go onto the highway. I don't know what it is about the highway, it is just so challenging for me. It could be all the exhust or the blazing sun, I don't know. But it was 15 minutes down the highway and 15 minutes back. I was so fatigued by then, but grabbed more gatorade drink for energy. The road back seemed like forever. Even though it is pretty flat for a few miles, the hill up Diamond Head road is so hard. I felt great when I reached the top. I knew it was just all downhill back to the start. I had done it. I made it the entire loop, plus some time on the highway and I did not need more than a few minutes rest to refuel. I felt like I had accomplished quite a bit and was very happy. Weight: 119 pounds Breakfast: Cereal, yogurt, orange juice Lunch: roasted chicken sandwich Dinner: Pasta and sauce

Sleepy

Woke up very sleepy this morning, but I knew I had to get up and do the scheduled 3-4 miles. My legs weren't in pain like Wednesday, but they were tired. My upper body was sore, but it was a good muscle building pain which I kind of like. It makes me feel strong. Throughout the whole run I was just fatigued. My legs wanted to continue to sleep even though they had a day of rest. But, when I got home, I discovered that I ran 12 minute miles. Now if I could only keep that up for 26.2 miles, I'd do half-way decent in the marathon. Weight: 119 pounds Breakfast: Cereal, yogurt, orange juice Lunch: 2 chicken soy patties, banana, Hershey kisses Dinner: Pasta and sauce

Upper Body Strength

Today was a rest day for running. I actually woke up early and did "The Firm" Upper Body Split DVD. It felt so great, I got a rush of endorphins :) It made me feel stronger. Lesson number 1982374018923748901273489712 = Stopping Upper body strength training is not such a good thing. It causes me lots of pain and aggrivation. It's not just enough to have leg muscles when running, I need core/upper body muscles at well to help support me. The new Sam's Club opened up today. I went during lunch. Who would have thought shopping at a large wholesale club would be so exciting. I got lots of free food samples; pizza, pineapple, apple, Kalua pork with Kimchee, sausages, fresh fudge, chocolate cake, and some banana bread. It was all so delicious. I really like the new store, a little bit better than Costco although it mostly had the same brands. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: Cereal, yogurt Lunch: Lots of free samples, 2 chicken soy patties, grahm crackers, Hershey's kisses Dinner: Pasta and sauce

Owe!

I'm still in pain. The blister on my toe (right foot) is so tender. We went out for a 4 mile run this morning. My toe was the most painful. Forget about the fact that my quads were crying in pain, my toe made it very difficult to run. But I pushed through the pain. I needed to get back in motion. I feel better when I'm active.
My back still feels weak. The muscle strain in my right sholder/back still bothers me. I know I say this a lot, but since tomorrow is a rest day for running, I'm going to do upper body strength exercises. I really hope I don't convince myself out of it tomorrow morning when I wake up. I'm so depressed about how poor my muscle strength is in my abdomin, back and upper body.
Weight: 119.5 (I must stop eating evil food)
Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, orange juice, cereal Lunch: 2 soy vege patties Dinner: Cheese tortolini with sauce, popcorn

Limp, Wobble, Groan

Obviously I am in pain today. My quads are very soar and weak, it's hard to stay standing up. My back feels very weak as if it is going to crumble. My knees are a little bit soar as they were right after the run yesterday. I also have muscle pain on both of my sides. It's amazing how many muscles you use when running long distance. I wish I could work from home laying down on the couch. It's just exhuasting trying to stay sitting in the upright position for eight hours. But....I still feel great! I'm so happy I finished the race yesterday. I'm glad that this is the longest race we will have until the actual marathon. I now know I need to work on strengthening my muscles so that maybe they will be stronger for the marathon. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: cereal, orange juice, yogurt Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, potatoe soup, Hershey kisses (too many to count *whoops*) Dinner: lemon pepper chicken, brown rice, apple sauce, yogurt

Hydration

Today was a rest day for obvious reasons. Tomorrow is the 18.6 mile race. I'm getting very nervous. It seems like so far to run. I hope I don't have any major issues. Today, I've concentrated on drinking lots and lots of water and fluids. I want to make extra sure that I am well hydrated for tomorrow. I even took a bath to help relax my muscles. I almost don't feel prepared for tomorrow. It could be because I had a little bit of a rough time at last weeks practice. Breakfast: cereal, yogurt Lunch: roasted chicken sandwich, 2 chocolate chip cookies Dinner: Ooooodles of pasta and garlic bread

4 Miles, again

Today was 4 miles of running again. I didn't want to push or over exert my muscles too much as the 18.6 mile run is this Sunday. I did just enough to get my heart racing and muscles working, but I didn't want to strain anything. I'm getting really nervous about Sunday. It just seems so far. At least I know the course well, that will mentally help me out. My anxiety is building, I don't know if it's nervousness or excitement. Breakfast: cereal, yogurt, milk Lunch: 2 soy vegetable patties Dinner: Ooooodles of pasta.

4 Miles of Fun in the Sun

This morning was our 4 mile run. I felt great throughout the entire jog and was even able to keep at a good pace up the hill on the way home. 4 miles brought us into Waikiki beach. It was so beautiful to see the ocean this morning. I love hearing the gentle Hawaiian music piped throughout the open air store fronts. The smell of suntan lotion and ocean is wondeful. (I could really do without the nasty smell of cigarette smoke).
My back sort of was aching in the morning. It was soar but not nearly as bad as last week. I will try to do some AB/Back pilates tonight to work on my upper body strength.
Weight: 118.5 pounds
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, 1 glass of skim milk Lunch: 2 vegetable soy patties, a few cookies Dinner: Salmon and brown rice

What the Deuce?

Today during our run, we played a game of poker. At each aide station we would receive 1 playing card. At the end of our run, we would then get the 5th card and try to make the best poker hand out of our cards. I made it to the first aide station with not much trouble. I was tired for sure, but not fatigued. I drank some gatorade and debated about ingesting a gel. I decided against it because it was the chocolate flavor.
It was the first time I had made it to the highway. It was kind of nerve wracking to be running along the speeding vehicles. Made it about a mile down the highway before I had to head back. I was drained of most of my energy. I didn't even know if I could make it back to the start. It seemed so far away. By the time I made it back to the first aide station I grabbed a few more cards and the chocolate gel. I needed the replenishment.
As we started heading back down Kahala Ave. my right sholder/back started to scream in pain again. My neck was weakening as well. This drained all my energy. I was able to make it to Triangle park, but I then had to walk for 500 meters or so just to ease the pain. I felt a little better and actually made it up the hill. I was surprised I made it completely to the top and bottom. After the decline, I needed another walking break. My back was just so tensed up with pain.
When we made it back to the start, I was exhuasted. I gulped down two glasses of gatorade and headed home. Trying to stretch and move helped a little, but as I tried to stand up, my back wanted to collapse. I just couldn't stand up straight. My legs were strong, but my back wouldn't allow a standing position. I had to lay down and rest/sleep for the next two hours. I felt better after that and was actually able to sit and stand upright.
It was the worst feeling not to be able to stand upright. I must strengthen my back. I'm very nervous about the 30K race next weekend. How will I be able to complete it?
Weight: 118 pounds
Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 sports gel, 2 eggs, bagel w/ cream cheese Lunch: grilled chicken sandwich, 2 chocolate chip cookies Dinner: roasted chicken, brown rice, apple sauce Snack: 2 sugar cookies, 2 wine coolers

T.G.I.F.

No workout scheduled for today. It felt good to sleep in. My back is still in lots of pain. I forgot to take pain killers this morning. It does feel better, but still not even close to feeling good. I bought some Bengay sticky pads. I don't know if it's working, the pain is still pretty bad, so I gues not. Tomorrow should be really challenging. 2 hours and 45 min. That's almost as long at the 13 mile race a few months ago. I hope the extra carbo load will help me out. Carbs, really do add to the weight. Of course it doesn't help that I ate a Reese's Peanut Butter cup. A friend from work gave it to me. It's a new formula, extra creamy. It's very very good. *drool* Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: cereal, yogurt Lunch: 2 garden vegge patties, Reese Peanut Butter Cups (Extra Creamy), apple sauce Dinner: Lots of Ziti, lime flavored tortilla chips

When Will the Pain Go Away

When Will the Pain Go Away
I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. The interval training was still challenging but I felt great after completing it. My back felt great throughout the entire exercise. I almost thought it had gone away. I was happy and feeling great! My right quad muscle was achy and my right hip tried to pop around in the socket a little, but other than that, I felt strong. As for my back/sholder blade pain, I took more pain killers, tried massaging it, put some more Icy/Hot on it....nothing seems to help even a little bit. I definitely think I need to try working the muscles around it. Weight: 119 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, cereal, yogurt Lunch: 2 garden vegge patties, oatmeal, apple sauce Dinner: Lots of Ziti

Owe, Owe, Owe

I wanted to get up yesterday and do some upper body strengthening work, but when I woke, my back was still killing. It was brutal having to sit through work yesterday and yet again today. The pain has not subsided. This morning during the 3 1/2 mile run, I didn't feel the pain in my back, but of course when I sit down, it flares up. Pain medicine, heat, Icy/Hot, massage, stretching - Nothing seems to help it out. It's so uncomfortable so I'm a bit irritated today. The run itself went fairly well. I was hesitant to run faster in fear that I would burn out too soon. My right leg was a little achy, I'm trying to ignore it. Not that I want to ignore pain, but that I'm just going to live up to the fact that my right leg is weaker than the left leg and it naturally should be more fatigued, soar etc. I'm seriously thinking about doing an upper body workout tonight. It's so hard to wake up early on the mornings that I am not required to run. I figure if I can fit in a workout for my upper body at night, it can help out my fatigued, weakened muscles in my upper body. I feel so weak and like I can't even sit up straight in my chair. I just wish I could find something to help it. It obviously isn't getting better doing nothing, so I figure working the muscles around it will help ease the pain. Heck, it worked on my left arm pain months ago. Weight: 119.5 (I haven't been eating very healthy these past few weeks) Breakfast: cereal, 1/2 power bar Snack: 8 Hershey kisses Lunch: 2 veggie garden soy patties, red bean mini pancake Dinner: Lemon pepper chicken, rice, apple sauce Snack: 10 mini chocolate chip cookies

Yay, Another Different Exercise

I was still a little tired yesterday from Saturday's run. I took some time and cleaned around the condo yesterday and did lots of ironing. I must of been too vigorous and that with the fact that I haven't done much upper body work in the last few months, created a severe pain in my back. Today's run was great, I had to do 5 threshold runs in the middle of the exercise. I felt wonderful running fast. It was such a rush! I didn't feel too tired doing the threshold runs, however when I was doing the 10 minute run sequences with 5 minute walks in between, I felt the fatigue start to set in. I liked the challenge and I liked the fact that it was something different to do. Weight: 119 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, cereal Lunch: Leftover Salmon ravioli Snack: a few Hershey's kisses, 10 cream puffs Dinner: Salmon, rice

Slow and Steady

Today went just as I had hoped. I woke up late this morning (didn't even remember the alarm going off). I awoke at 5:30 am which is the time that we are supposed to be at the practice. Within 20 minutes, I was dressed and energized and ready to go. Being a little late didn't seem to have much effect. I started out at a nice slow and steady pace and was able to make it up and down the hills without much trouble. It started to rain about 1/3 of the way through the run. It felt so refreshing. It was so beautiful to see the rain pass through the valley. Except for the aide station in the middle of the run. I did not need to take any rest stops. I felt great at the finish. I can't believe that I was barely able to make it up the first hill at the very first Kapiolani practice. I feel like I've made such a great improvement.
Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, vegetable omlet, potatoe casserole, biscuit Lunch: I slept 2 hours through lunch Dinner: Salmon, rice
Weight: 119 pounds

A New Rythm

Today was not too bad at all. It was a slightly different workout which made it more interesting. I didn't feel pain or extreme fatigue, just good and strong. I'm excited about tomorrow's run. 2 hours at Kapiolani park would be the entire loop up and down Diamondhead Rd. I know I can do it. Weight: 119 pounds

"American Idol"

Today's run was okay, my legs were still stiff and soar from Sunday's race. For the first half of the three mile run, I was in a little bit of discomfort. After I turned around to head back, my leg muscle had warmed up enough to make it much easier to run. I took a long time to stretch and I felt much better by the time I had to walk home. I feel bad for missing yesterdays interval exercise, but I definitely needed an extra day of rest. The best part of the day was going to see "American Idol" live at the Blaisdell Arena. It was such a fantastic show! I had front row seats and was delighted to see everyone up so close. The only downside was that after 2 1/2 hours of craning my neck up, I was in serious pain. It was all worth the extra discomfort. I even had no problem walking back home after the concert. Weight: 118.5 pounds

What is there to do? Only Pain...

Youch! My legs muscles are in so much pain. It took a long time to walk to work. I took two Advil, but they haven't helped out much. Hopefully I will be able to walk better tomorrow, I'm just going to keep stretching throughout today. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: 1 piece of toast, yogurt Snack: 1 garden vegge pattie Lunch: left over Mahi Mahi, shrimp, and mashed potatoes

Race Day!! 15.5 miles

I did it! I made it through the entire 15.5 mile race today. It turned out to be more like 16 miles because at one point, a group of us got misdirected and ended up going 1/2 mile in the wrong direction. We had to turn around and go back. My neck was in a lot of pain for the first 4 miles or so. After that, I must of relaxed it enough and the pain subsided.
I felt very strong throughout the entire first lap. It felt so great to make it to the second lap. However the first 3 miles of the laps were all uphill. The second lap hills wore me out a lot, but I pushed through and still felt good. Around mile 13 my muscles were in such agony, I needed to stop and walk for a bit. It was hard to walk, but even harder to keep running. After about a mile, I was back to running. The end was very near. I don't know how but I managed to find energy to sprint the last 100 meters to the finish. It felt so great!
The Moon & The Sky "See how the moon, she cries. Cool how the tears fill up the sky as snow"
I have seen more sunrises and moon sets than I ever thought possible in my life time. As we drove out to Schofield Barracks, the Moon looked so beautiful up in the sky. It turned a nice brown color as it set towards the ocean. The moon looked giant! After we parked and were lining up at the start line, the stars in the sky were so brilliant and bright. It looked so neat like in the movies. The sun rise during the race was spectacular over the mountains. There were big fluffy clouds which the sun cast an orange/pinkish glow.
In the evening, the sunset was as always beautiful. But I could also see the bright white moon in the sky again. It's almost a full moon! The universe is so neat :)
I did take a 2 hour rest in the middle of the day. It helped a bit recover, but my leg muscles were still in lots of pain. It was hard to sit down and walk. After dinner I took a hot bath which dramatically soothed my aching muscles. I don't aniticipate running again until Wednesday. My legs need the rest time.
Weight: 118.5
Pre-Race: 1 Harvest power bar, Oatmeal Post-Race: 1 garden soy pattie Lunch: Chicken Fetucinni Alfredo Dinner: Mahi Mahi, mashed potatoes Dessert: Cheesecake, 1 glass white wine

Rest and Food

Today was a rest day as tomorrow is the 15.5 mile race. I'm trying not to think too much about how far 15.5 miles really is. I know I've done my preparation work and can manage the race. Waking up at 3:45 am is going to be the hard part :) It was a nice and relaxing day. Brunch: Banana Pancakes Dinner: Ravioli's with tomatoe sauce, Garlic bread, Ginger cookies

A Different Excercise

Today I went for the new Friday excercise even though I did not do Thursday's workout. It was fairly simple to follow and I felt great throughout. 3 x 10 min run / 5 min walk. I'm hoping that I am prepared well enough for Sunday's race. I feel good and I am confident. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: Oatmeal, yogurt Lunch: 2 garden vegge patties Snack: Reese's peanut butter ice cream sandwich (whoops) Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie, Brown Rice

Back Pain

Today was a light run 3-4 miles. We ran until the Cheesecake Factory which is probably 3.5 miles. I felt great for the entire run, but still not very fast. My back has been increasing in pain. I've been trying very hard to sit up straight at work, but most of the time I fail and just slump over. This has also aggrivated my neck as well. I just need to make a concious effort to stay sitting up straight. Breakfast: 1 piece of toast, yogurt Snack: pear Lunch: 2 garden vegge soy patties Dinner: Ravioli with sauce

"A Dreamlike State"

Yup, I overslept yesterday. I felt so drugged and very out of it when I woke up. It was as if I was still in a dreamlike state, "I can see clearly now As the crazy haste of night turns to morningI lie in a dreamlike state. And wonder if the fear will go away" It was the oddest feeling. Today I felt a lot better so I awoke and did yesterdays' very complex exercise. It went a lot better than last week, although it was hard to push through the two sets of 500 meter threshold sequences. I can feel my leg muscles gaining strength. It feels great to have accompished so much. I'm excited about the upcoming race, it will be tough but I know I can dot it. Breakfast: bagel, yogurt Lunch: 2 garden vegge soy patties Dinner: Ravioli's with sauce

The Hill's I Have Conquered

Today's group meeting was at Kapiolani park, which meant we had to run up the hills of Diamond Head road. We also had to meet at 5:30 am instead of 6, which meant adjusting my alarm clock. It wasn't too bad waking earlier. Starting out on the run, I felt a little slow, but I felt good. The hills did not wear me down and I was able to stay in rythm for the entire run. It was to be 2 hours and 15 minutes. We made it to the gas station where the aide station was. It was nice to have a little break. I took some gatorade and orange and then was off again. We actually went down a different road which would loop back around to Kapiolani Park. It was great to go down a different path. The neighborhood was beautiful and there weren't as many hills to climb. By the time we made it back to the start point, I still had 15 more minutes to run. I ran a little bit past the starting point and then turned around, but it was still only 2 hours and 6 minutes. But it didn't matter to me, I had already accomplished a bit feat keeping up pace through out all the hills. I felt so great after the run. Weight: 118 pounds Breakfast: Vegetable Omlet, biscuit, hashbrown cassorole. Lunch: Chicken Sandwich Dinner: Seafood buffet, lots of dessert, 2 glasses of white wine

Fish

Today is a day of rest. Which will be well needed because tomorrow's run will be 2 hours and 15 minutes up and down the hills of Diamond Head. I bought two fish today. They are Betta fighting fish. I bought one tank with a divider in the middle so that the two fish wouldn't kill each other. I put some rocks and fake plants in the tanks and then added the two beautifully colored fish. I name the red/pink fish "Vince" and the red/pink/teal/blue fish "Andy" after Erasure. Yes, I know it is sad, but they bring a smile to my face. At first "Andy" was eating a lot of food and kept wanting more, I'm thinking he was starved at the pet shop. "Vince" did not even touch any of his food. This left me a bit concerned as I would have to leave them for the weekend. I made sure to feed them both extra food before I packed up for the day. I'm not looking forward to waking up even earlier tomorrow for the run. Breakfast: 1/2 bagel, yogurt Lunch: 2 chicken soy patties Dinner: 2 pieces of frozen pizza

Improvement

Today I did the same exercise as I did on Tuesday. It felt so great to run really fast. It was still a hard challenge, but I can feel myself improving. My right calf muscle was still sore even though I've been stretching it out a lot. My left hamstring and glut is getting stiff and sore from sitting at work all day. I've been trying to get up and stretch every half an hour. I'm still nervous about this Saturday's run. I'm so glad tomorrow is a rest day. Weight: 118.5 pounds (darn those evil ravioli's) Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast, yogurt Snack: pear Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties Dinner:

A Little Bit More

Today's assignment was to run between 3 and 4 miles. I headed into Waikiki feeling pretty good. I seemed to hit every single traffic light, so it was a lot of stop and go. I made it to the 1.5 mile mark and went a little further. I'm not positive, but I think I ran 3.5 mile. I felt a little sluggish on the way back up the hill, but I finished the exercise. My right calf muscle is sore and tight again today. I will have to make sure to continue stretching. I'm getting a little nervous about Saturday's 2 hour 15 min run. It will be up and down the hills at Diamond Head. It's going to be a really hard exercise. Weight: 117.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast, yogurt Snack: pear, 1/2 power bar Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties Dinner: Ravioli's

Threshold

I rested on Sunday as usual and yesterday as I attempted to get up, I just couldn't manage. I was too tired due to a hard time falling asleep. So, today I did the Monday's practice. It was new and exciting. I didn't know how I would react to it, so it gave me a rush. I started out with a 5 min easy run and then a 3 minute walk. This was great to warm up my body. Yesterday my right calf was a little bit sore and stiff. Then it was a sequence of 3 min hard run with 2 min walk in between for 25 minutes. This was quite a challenge, however I felt great running fast. I was tired but still had more to do. Next was a threshold sequence. Yup, I reached my threshold. We were instructed to run 500 meters of threshold and then rest for 60 seconds and then repeat once more. This was a challenge and I was struggling a little bit. But after it was all done, I felt great like I had achieved a lot in today's practice. I will have to do this exercise on Monday's and Thursdays for the next few weeks. I hope it gets easier and that I see some improvement. I like the challenge. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast, yogurt, 1 cup of green tea Snack: 1/2 power bar, pear Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties Snack: frozen yogurt cone dipped in chocolate Dinner: lemon pepper chicken, brown rice, apple sauce Snack: 1 piece of toast

September 11th 2004

Yesterday I took the prescribed rest day, which really helped a little bit to catch up on my sleep. I did not sleep well last night becuase the power went out and the fans and airconditioning in the condo were not running. Aside from the heat, it was so quiet I could hear every cockroach scuttling around (just kidding, but it seemed like something was making little noises in the condo.) It was so hard to find parking becuase of the Aloha festival going on this weekend. I ended up walking a lot to get to the practice area. On the way out, I felt fine, average until we got to the aide station. I ingested a Power Gel packet and some gatorade and started heading out again. I felt so wiped of any energy. I slowed down to a walk for a little bit which helped out. I was able to run with some energy for a while. My energy was quickly depleated again and I stopped for another walk. Even though I was able to run most of the way back, it was at a very slow pace. It took me and extra 10 minutes to get back. I definitely needed a nap during the morning. I did not sleep well last night and today's run completely wiped me out. I felt a little better by mid-afternoon. I did take some time throughout the day to reflect back on the horrible tragedy of 3 years ago. It still bothers me. :( Weight: 117 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, yogurt, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese Lunch: Vegetable omelet, biscuit, potatoe cassorole Dinner: Manicotti, Chocolate cake, 1 glass red wine

Thursday

Today's excercise was smooth sailing. It was another 4 x 5min run/5 min walk sequence. I was still a little bit sore from the race on Sunday. I'm still trying to gain my strength back. Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast, yogurt Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties Dinner: lemon pepper chicken, brown rice, apple sauce

Back to Running

Yesterday we were supposed to run in the morning. But, unfortunately my legs were still very weak and sore. I still needed another day of rest. Today I went out for the 3 mile run. It wasn't too bad, my quadriceps were still a little sore. But after Sunday's 12.2 miles, 3 miles didn't seem so awful. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese Lunch: 2 soy chicken parmesean patties, grapes, 1/2 power bar Dinner: Lasagna

A Lazy Day of Rest

I felt a lot better today. The only thing that is hurting is the outside of my quads. I felt a little weak, but at least I had the strentgh to sit up straight. I took a hot bath in the evening which really helped my muscles relax. Breakfast: Banana Pancakes, Orange Juice Lunch: Dinner: Lasagna

12.2 Very Very Really Long Miles

Today was the 20K race. I can't believe I woke up at 4:30 am. It was dawn when the race started. I felt good for the beginning of the race. It went fairly smoothly. Lots of people kept passing me, but I didn't care, I was more concerned about just finishing. There was a man at the 1 mile mark calling out the time. I was running at a 12 1/2 minute mile pace. That was about right for my past experiences. Luckily there were water/gatorade stations about every 2 miles. It gave me something to aim for until the next walking rest period. The first half of the race was not so bad, it was very difficult but I managed. I tried out a Power Bar Gel packet. It was chocolate flavored. It tasted like Hershey's syrup. Around mile 5 in the first lap, I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. It was Jonathon on his second lap. He was almost done. I couldn't believe how fast he was going, I don't think I sprint that fast. I later found out he won the race with a time of approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. I was so excited to see the halfway point. It was time to go around again in another loop. It was getting harder and harder to get back to running after a little rest period. At mile 10 I just couldn't continue running. I had taken another Gel packet but it had little effect on me. By the 11th mile, I had tried to run again. This lasted for another 1/2 mile or so, but it was stop and go until the finish. When I saw the finish line, I found the energy to run towards it. We finished in just about 3 hours. I'm just so happy I made it through the entire race and finished. I stretched a little before getting in the car, but still felt so tired. When I got home, I was completely exhuasted. I knew I needed some food. It took all my strength to make and eat a piece of toast. After the toast and more stretching, I felt a little better. I laid down for a nap and rest of my fatigued body. Everytime I started to drift off to sleep, I felt like I was going to die. I felt like if I fell asleep, I would not awake. I did get a little bit of sleep and then tried very hard to eat some pizza. I wasn't sleepy after lunch, but couldn't stay upright. I laid back down for another few hours. By dinner time, I was able to at least sit up straight. Weight: 119 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast, 2 Gel packs, lots of water and gatorade Lunch: leftover piece of pizza Dinner: Buffalo chicken, potatoe, salad, chocolate cake

Saturday Worries

Today is a day of rest, because tomorrow is the 20K race. I'm kind of nervous about it, but am trying not to think too much about what will happen. I tried not to do too much physical activity so that I'm not worn out by tomorrow. I also made sure to eat a lot of food, especially carbs. Breakfast: 1/2 bagel with cream cheese Lunch: Scrambled eggs, fried rice Dinner: frozen pizza, popcorn

Friday - A New Routine

It was different waking up this morning to go running. Yesterday was a rest day which helped me recover from the weary run I had on Wednesday. I was able to get through the 4 x 5 min run/5 min walk sequence without any major issues. I figured out that my knees hurt because I sleep on my side and the bones in my knees are pressing against on another all night long. I will have to think of a remedy for this. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese Lunch: leftover chicken and white rice Dinner: Lasagna, Bruchetta, bread

Weak Wednesday

Yesterday was a nice relaxing rest day. I didn't feel any severe pain or fatigue. I felt great. However, this morning's 3 mile run was so brutal on my body. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get the strentgh needed for a proper run. I made it the entire 3 miles, but felt wiped out at the end. Not sure what caused this feeling of pure weakness. Maybe I did not eat enough food last night to fuel my body. When I stepped on the scale, I had lost weight. Must remember to eat a good dinner before long runs. Weight: 118.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1 piece of toast Lunch: Salmon, garlic fries Dinner: Chicken, brown rice, apple sauce

A New Monday

Today was the first Monday that we got assigned something slightly different to do for training. 4 x 5 min run/5 min walk. It started out really well. By the 4th run, I could feel my muscles starting to protest. It felt good to finish the new assignment without any issues though. That means I have made it safely to the next step. The 12.5 mile race is coming up this Sunday. I'm a bit nervous. I've only ever donw 7 miles. Although if I can repeat the great run on Saturday, I'll be in good shape and will be happy. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, Oatmeal and apple sauce Lunch: leftover slice of pizza, 1/2 power bar, leftover salad, chai tea Dinner:

Ouza *moan*

Today was a rest day (thankfully). My legs are still a bit fatigued from yesterdays run. I went to a Greek festival and ate some really great food. The Gyro was absolutely delicious! The Greek salad was fantastic, I think the feta cheese was really fresh. The band that played, "Hellenic Sounds" was very talented. The Greek music was very pleasant to listen to during lunch. After lunch I went to the Taverna to taste some of the traditional drinks from Greece. Ouza? Thank sounded exotic and interesting. The bartender filled a small cup with the clear liquid and it quickly turned to milky white. Okay...here we go. Deep breath and.... gulp Ach! *cring* *gag* Woah! Strong licorice tasting burning alcohol was travelling down to my tummy. It gave me a jolt, I continued to try and sip it. It seemed like with each sip, the taste of Ouza was getting worse. I just couldn't finish the small glass. My tummy was feeling Ouza, my mind was also feeling a bit Ouza-ey. It was quite and experience I'll be happy not to repeat. After the Ouza, I was tipsy enough to go in and try to learn some Greek circle dances. It was lots of fun. I held hands with about 40 other strangers to learn the dances. Step 1, step 2, step 3, step 4...kick. Step back, kick. Of course the native Greek announcer pronounced kick as "keeek" It was so much fun. Wheee! Breakfast: bagel with cream cheese Lunch: 1/2 Gyro, 1/2 Greek salad, Ouza (ooohhh) Dinner: battered chicken salad, brown rice

A Runner's High

Today's 90 minute run went very well. I was consistant throughout most of the run and did not feel too much like I was going to keel over and die at every step. Within the 90 minutes, I was able to run approximately 7 miles. I felt so wonderfully great at the end I couldn't help but smile. I felt so incredible all day. I was physically exhuasted, but it didn't matter. I had accomplished something I never thought I could do. I thought the run went very very well. I couldn't have been happier with how I performed this morning! Weight: 120 pounds (darn that maunapua) Breakfast: 1/2 bagle with cream cheese Lunch: 2 grilled chicken sandwiches Dinner: Spicy bean curd, crispy chicken, fried rice, cantelope

Balloons!

Today was a rest day for running. Although I did wake up early so that I could get in the office by 7 am. Today is my boss's birthday. We decided as a group to decorate his office with balloons and streamers. I had the task of blowing up the balloons (thanks for airpumps). I put the 13 balloons that spelt out "Happy Birthday" in trash bags and walked down the street to work. We were rushed, but we managed to tape up the balloons and streamers on the walls and ceiling before he got in to the office. Thankfully our hardwork paid off and he appreciated the our efforts. Kind of getting nervous about tomorrow's 90 run. I hope I can make it through all 90 minutes. Luckily we are meeting at Ala Moana which does not have the big hills. Breakfast: Maunapua, dim sum, fruit salad Lunch: Maunapua, grilled chicken sandwich Dinner: Frozen pizza

Rainbows and Flowers

So sleepy this morning. I woke up feeling good but tired. During the run, my knees were just a little sore and my hip was fine. I did my leg strengthening exercises last night. My muscles were very fatigued but they carried me through the 18 min of 1 min run/1 min walk and 8 min of 2 min run/2 min walk sequence. It started to rain a little bit. But with the rain always come a beautiful Rainbow towards the ocean. It was beautiful! Also after the rain, the flowers scent permeated strong along the running path. I love the sweet smell of Plumeria's. Hawaii is heavenly. I couldn't shake the thought from my head that next week will start an even tougher speed drill workout. I need to mentally prepare. it will start on Monday with four 5 min run/5 min walk, that's 40 mins. I can do it! :) Still have a bright outlook at the marathon. It's only 108 days or so away. I can do it! I just need to catch up on my sleep a little bit. Weight: 119.5 Breakfast: Oatmeal and apple sauce, 1 piece of wheat toast, 1/2 glass of organe juice Lunch: grilled chicken sandwich, apple, 1/2 power bar Snack: biscuit Dinner: Chicken pasta

Progress

Today's 3 mile run went really well I thought. It was a different route so it was a little more interesting. At least it was less populated with car exhaust and people smoking. I felt consistant and strong throughout the entire run, unlike most days when I feel as if I'm going to die if I take one more step. :) The sunrise was gorgeous over the mountains. The orange glow on the clouds always amazes me. Hawaii really is Paradise. When I got to work, I forgot that I had made Oatmeal but didn't eat it. I was in a rush and only ate yogurt and drank a Propel water and forgot the oatmeal in the microwave. So, for the first half of the morning, I felt very nauseous. It was such and awful feeling. I cooked up some Oatmeal and cut up an apple and ate that. I felt ten times better. Must remember to slow down and make sure to eat breakfast in the mornings. I'm so glad that I didn't indulge in the evil cakes yesterday at work, because when I stepped on the scale this morning I finally broke the 120 pound mark! WooHoo! I was ecstatic to see 119.5! I just hope it will keep going down. Weight: 119.5 pounds Breakfast: yogurt, Propel, 1/2 power bar Snack: Oatmeal and apple Lunch: grilled chicken sandwich, 1/2 power bar Snack: soft pretzel Dinner: roasted chicken, brown rice, apple sauce

Weakness

Today was a rest day for running. I decided to do a DVD "Firm Body Sculpt (Upper Body only)". The strength training exercises were very challenging. I didn't finish all the repetitions, but maybe next time will be better. There were a lot of evil food temptations today and I managed to avoid them all. I can't believe I did it! There was a triple chocolate delux cake that everyone seemed to be enjoying. I felt fine without having ingested the cake. Breakfast: toast, yogurt Lunch: grilled chicken sanwich, grapes, 1/2 power bar Snack: Oatmeal and apple sauce Dinner:

Another Monday

Same routine today as last Monday. It went really smoothly. My knees were a little achy, but they felt better after running for a few minutes. Every Monday it seems like the marathon is so far away. It feels like I'm starting at the beginning again every time. Luckily on the Saturday practices it feels like the marathon is getting closer and closer.
Breakfast: power bar, Oatmeal Lunch: grilled chicken sandwich, grapes Dinner: crispy chicken, brown rice, apple sauce

90 Super Hard Minutes of Running!

Woke up a little after 5 am. My stomach was not happy with me. The Italian food I had yesterday at lunch raced through and I was not in good shape at the start of the morning. I made sure to eat and drink power bar and sports drink so that I was plenty full. Starting out was okay. I felt slow but not as sluggish. I pushed myself to get up the first hill. I felt good when I was at the top. I could see the sun raising over the mountains casting a beautiful color of orange and purple on the clouds. It was an amazing sight! It made it worth it to get up the first hill. As I started down the next hill, I was looking forward to the little break at the "aid station" However when I got to the park, I didn't see the aid station anywhere. I was disappointed, but remembered I had gatorade in my belt pack. It would have to do. There was one more slow steep hill which took all the energy out of me. I was thankful of the downhill part which helped me catch my breath. Throughout the run I tried to not look at my watch as much. It would just depress me. I was so wiped of energy at the 45 min. turn around mark. Although I was so happy I was turning around to go back. Only problem, there were three big hills to conquer in order for me to get back to the start. The first was was brutal, I don't know how I made it up. I gulped lots of gatorade and prepared to tackle the next hill. It was even tougher. I could see the Doggie's playing in the park next to the street. I felt like I may pass out. I took off my hat and felt a lot of relief. More gatorade and I was on my way back to the last hill. I got a surge of energy. I felt good and knew I could make it back. The energy lasted for about 10 minutes, but then the last hill came upon me. It seemed like it went on forever. I kept pushing and it didn't seem like I got anywhere. When I did get to the top, I felt exhausted and needed to slow down to a walk. I drank some gatorade and was thankful there were no more hills. Even though I was on level ground at the top of the hill, it felt like I was still climbing uphill. I was so frustrated, I just wanted to go downhill for a little bit. I don't know where the energy came from that got me back to the start, but I finally made it. I was very happy and exhausted. I drank a lot more gatorade and ate another power bar. Lots of stretching before I went home. Even though it was the toughest run, I felt like I accomplished a great obstacle. Throughout the rest of the day I felt very fatigued and didn't feel like standing or sitting. Laying down was the best. My body was trying it's best to repair itself. Then around 5 o'clock I got a surge of energy again. I felt great, so I started cleaning the condo. Weight: 120 pounds (still grrrr, I just want to get it lower for once) Breakfast: power bars, gatorade, vegge omelet, potato casserole, 1/2 biscuit Lunch: 2 vegge soy patties Dinner: Chicken burrito, rice, beans

So Much Food

Today was a rest day for me, which felt great after the workouts throughout the week. During lunch we were taken out to Buca Di Beppo (a good Italian Food restaurant). Of course, Italian food is my favorite and a big weakness of mine, so I piled on the Ravioli's and Manicotti. Mmmmmm...delicious! I can't believe I ate so much, but I never felt stuffed. I felt full, but not as if my buttons would explode open. Still a bit nervous about tomorrow's run. Don't know how I will make it the entire 90 minutes. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: toast, power bar Lunch: 6 ravioli's, 1 manicotti, 4 oz. of chicken, 1 spoonful of chicken patsa, and 1/2 piece of bread Dinner: chicken pasta

A Good Day

Went out this morning for my training exercise. My left knee must be jealous of my right knee pain because as I was starting out, it was screaming in pain. But the pain in my knees subsided within a few minutes and I was on my way. I actually felt really good throughout the entire exercise. After the great workout, I start to dwell on Saturday's upcoming practice. 90 minutes is going to be the longest I've ever run in my entire life. How am I possibly going to make it through 90 minutes? I try and push this thought out of my head. All I can do is my best! Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, Oatmeal, 1 piece of toast, green tea Snack: 1/2 power bar Lunch: 2 soy vegge patties Snack: 1/2 power bar Dinner: 1 piece of toast, Turkey sandwich, potato chips

Ahhh, A Little Bit of Pain Relief

I was nervous about going out for this morning's 3 mile run. I thought it would be painful in my knee and hip. I made sure to eat 1/2 power bar and some gatorade. My knee did start to hurt in the beginning, but not nearly as painful as Monday. Maybe the leg strengthening exercises on Monday night helped a bit. After 5 minutes, the pain subsided. Not that my knee felt perfect, just a whole lot better than it has. Going down to Waikiki wasn't too bad, I breezed through all the lights. I almost wished I could stop at the lights for a little rest. But, I made it to the halfway mark okay. On the way back my energy felt zapped. Even though I didn't have pain, I just couldn't go any faster. Maybe I need to strengthen my heart muscle a lot more. It felt good to stretch when I got home. I felt a lot more balanced with my body (usually it feels like my right side is soooo weak) today, it felt almost as strong. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, Oatmeal and apple sauce Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, grapes Dinner: Roasted chicken, brown rice, apple sauce

A little Frustration

Woke up and did my "Ab Sculpt" DVD. I felt so uncoordinated when trying to do the exercises. It felt as if my stomach was 100 inches wide. I know that is not the case but it got me a little depressed. My legs also looked like cottage cheese to me. I felt disgusted at myself. I just have to learn not to think about it. It does not matter that my body is not perfect as long as I can make it through the entire marathon, I will be sooo happy.
My knee is still sore, but it does feel better. I have wrapped my "Phiten" band around my knee again which is helping. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's challenge of 3 miles. I need to remember to eat a little bit more before I run for the energy.
Weight: 121 pounds
Breakfast: Oatmeal, yogurt, green tea Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, mixed fruit Dinner: 2 pieces frozen pizza

So Much Knee Pain!!

Went out for this morning exercise. It was the same as last Monday. My knee pain was so bad and it bothered me. I bought a water bottle waiste pack. It wasn't too bad running with it tie around my waiste today. I didn't need the water, but it was good practice running with it on. I also had bought an adorable "Family Guy" wrist sweat band where Stewie is quoted "Damn you all". Aside from brightening up my morning, it helped clear the sweat from my face. :) The run was good, except for the knee pain. Walking to work was not good. I was glad to be sitting down most of the day. The pain persisted strong throughout the day. When I got home, I wrapped my "Phiten" neck band around my knee. Within 2 minutes the pain is gone. I don't know if the "Phiten" band is just psychosomatic, but I don't care. The pain is gone. I feel so much better. After dinner I made an attempt to do some strength training on my right leg. Jaco mentioned that most of the time, the pain in the knee's or hips is because the leg muscles are not strong enough. I felt pretty good afterwards. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, 1 piece of wheat toast, yogurt, green tea Snack: 1/2 power bar Lunch: chicken, beans, rice, chai tea Snack: mixed fruit, Oatmeal Dinner: Chicken pasta, yogurt

Fatigue

I'd love to say that this was my best run and that things are getting better all the time. However, this was just an average run. I started heading out at a good pace. I was between two groups of other runners the whole way down. I felt good and strong, except my right knee was sore. I made it to the Police Station in Waikiki at the 30 minute mark and headed back. I was so thirsty, I couldn't wait to get back to the start point. I stopped at the edge of Waikiki at a water fountain. The luke warm faucet water tasted so wonderful to me. I could've drank a gallon. But after replenishing my body a little, I headed back. I felt so drained of energy, but my right knee felt better. I felt very slow and sluggish. It was as if I was running through water. I think the reason I was so fatigued was because I did not have that much power bar or gatorade before heading out. When I was stopped at the Red lights, I was able to regain a little energy, but heading through the park was awful. One my way through the Ala Moana park, my right shoulder had sharp stabbing pains. I slowed down so that I could try and loosen my arm up, but it didn't help out too much. I made it back to the start at 1 hour 3 minutes. After everyone returned, we had an "Injury Prevention Clinic" with Jaco Van Deldon. Jaco was brilliant and very knowledgeable. I was again highly impressed with his expertise. I feel a little sleep mid-day, but when I layed down to take a nap, I couldn't fall asleep. I guess that's a good sign, I think... I slept great through the night. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, granola bar Brunch: Vege Omlet, potato cassorole, biscuit Dinner: Crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, apple sauce

Yippie! The weekend is almost here

No workout this morning. It was a great rest day. My right hip and knee weren't too sore, they just felt weak as if they are going to fall out of the joints. I did some of my hip exercises at work. Must keep doing them. I feel lazy that I didn't workout today, however it is scheduled to be a rest day. Tomorrow will be a long run. Since it's Friday the 13th, I've been on the lookout for black cats, tall ladders, and broken mirrors. Haven't seen anything unusual yet today :) There's nothing wrong with Friday the 13th's. Breakfast: 2 pieces of toast, cheese Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, dole whip Snack: apple with Oatmeal Dinner: Lemon pepper chicken, wheat rice, apple sauce

Knee pain

I did this morning exercise and my knee was very sore throughout the run. My hip felt okay (not great). My muscles are still very sore and it took a lot of effort to walk to work. I'm still happy and confident. I'm thinking that it may be fun to also do the Las Vegas Marathon in January. Weight: 121 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, Oatmeal and apple sauce Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, apple Dinner: Chicken pasta, ice cream and passion fruit

Youch! How many sore muscles can my legs have?

Woke up early before the alarm to go out jogging. It was a 3 mile run. I felt a little tired but SURPRISE, my hip did not hurt too much. It was a little achy and the surrounding muscles were tired, but it felt good for the most part. My right knee did hurt a little bit towards the end of the run. I completed the 3 miles in approximately 33 minutes, that's 11 minute miles! That's probably about the best I've done so far. On the walk to work, my quadriceps, calves, and glutes were very sore. It took me a few minutes longer to get to work. And as I'm sitting in my chair my leg muscles are screaming at me. *whimper* I feel very happy and confident, it's just my legs are sore. I know it's just the muscles and that they will heal so I'm not discouraged. FIRE DRILL - To make things worse, we had a fire drill this morning at work. 14 flights of stairs was very hard for me to do. When we reached the bottom and got to our assigned waiting spot, my legs were shaking badly. Grrr. I was trying not to aggrivate my muscles more today but what am I going to do? Luckily when we got back in the building, they building management handed out icee cups to everyone. That's 6.25 ounzes of pure sugar! WooHoo! Now my legs really are unhappy with me. I ate fast food for dinner. After a month of not eating it, the food tasted nasty and it made my stomach upset. I don't think I'll be eating fast food any more. Weight: 120 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, Oatmeal and apple sauce Snack: cheese, strawberry icee Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, apple, 1/2 power bar Dinner: Jack In The Box, chicken strips, french fries

Abs of Flab

I attempted to do my Pilates "Core Conditioning" DVD this morning to try and strengthen my stomach muscles. The workout didn't seem too effective. I feel like my abdominals are so flabby. Squish/moosh. Maybe if I keep working at it, I'll be able to completely do the excercises properly. My only hope is that the instructor says that it takes time to be able to complete the excercise properly. Doesn't help me feel any better about my weak squishy tummy though! The matter did not improve when my co-worker baked up a fresh batch of brownies this morning. *Drool* I'm just glad he cut them into very small pieces so I didn't feel too guilty eating one. Well, yes I did, but it was sooo good. :) Weight: 121 pounds Breakfast: Oatmeal, brownie *whoops* Lunch: 2 soy fajita patties, another brownie *D'oh!* Dinner: Lemon Pepper chicken, wheat rice, apple sauce

Mond-zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sleepy today. I couldn't fall asleep easily last night, so when I woke up I was very sleepy. I did the prescribe exercise 1 min run / 1 min walk for 30 mins. I felt good, my hip wasn't hurting nearly as much as this weekend. I made it through the workout feeling pretty good. It's still a challenge for me, but not so much that I feel discouraged. I still feel sleepy. Tomorrow I am planning to do an Abdominal workout or and Upper Body/Abdominal workout. I guess it depends on how well I sleep and what I feel in the morning. I am still confident and happy that I am doing this and know that I will be able to make it to race day. Weight: 120.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, cereal, green tea Lunch: Cesar salad, buffalo chicken sandwich, apple, Reese's Peanut Butter cup (I'm so addicted to sweets, especially chocolate), green tea Dinner: Chicken and pasta

Sunday

A nice day of rest. I felt great when I woke up. No hip pain, no headache. However, I decided to do lots of ironing in the late afternoon. After three hours, my calves and quad muscles are starting to get sore and my feet are very tired along with my back which is tensing up. After I sat down for a while I felt better but very fatigued. Having one drink during dinner really helped my muscles relaxed and I felt a lot better after eating some food. Breakfast: doughnut, oatmeal Lunch: chicken nuggets, cheese, 1/2 power bar Dinner: buffalo chicken sandwich wrap, chocolate cake, mixed drink

Week 3 - Hills and more Hills. Oh look, there's another Hill!!

Yesterday was a rest day which helped my muscles. This morning we woke around 5:15, luckily I didn't feel nauseous when waking before 6 am. WooHoo! That's a little bit of progress. :) We started out at Kapiolani park this week. The route was easy to figure out. I was able to stay with the pack for the first few minutes. Then a giant hill came about. It was very hard, but I kept pushing through the fatigue. Physically I felt okay, but I was very tired. I couldn't fall asleep and then I woke up early in the morning in a coughing fit. As I made it to the peak of the hill I felt so relieved. The sun was rising beautifully over the mountain and the ocean was sparkling blue. It was such an amazing sight. So far the new sneakers I bought (Nike Triax) are working out great. I don't feel any pain associated with new sneakers. Coach Jon passed by us letting us know where the aid station was. He said it was around the 2 mile mark. That was the goal. As I came over another small hill I saw the park and the aid station. There was only 5 mins left before I needed to turn around so I decided to keep on going and then stop on the way back for a drink. The next 10 minutes are so very tough, I felt completely drained of energy and couldn't wait to get to the aid station. It was great to rest for the minute or so. I took a little drink of water and even less of gatorade. Then on my way back for about five minutes I had to battle not only the slow long up hill climb, but also my stomach felt nauseous. It was not a good feeling but I managed to make it to the top of the slow incline of a hill. I felt triumphant when I made it to the top. I looked down the hill and smiled. I would have thought going downhill would be great. But the fact was, the impact on my legs was so great that my hip started to scream out in pain. It was very aggravating. It felt so much better to get back on level ground. The run back to the starting point seemed to take forever when in reality it was only 5 minutes from the bottom of the hill to the starting point. I ended up running for exactly 1 hour and 23 seconds. I felt pretty good after cooling down but my hip was still in pain. before the run we had weighed ourselves to see how much water we lose in 1 hour. I estimated about 1.3 pounds of water loss. Jon said that the reason I may have felt nauseous after the aid station was because I didn't drink enough throughout the run. This makes sense and it means I will probably start training to drink throughout the workout. The good news is, that Jon told us that to 22nd street was approximately 5 miles! That is an amazing accomplishment for me! Weight: 121 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, vegetable omelet, 1/2 biscuit, hashbrown casserole Lunch: Chicken nuggets, 1/2 doughnut Dinner: Chili and rice, taro bread, 3 margarita's ;)

Pot Luck

I was very lazy in the morning and did not do any workout. Felt great and happy on my way to work. We had a big Pot Luck in the office for two of the employees who are leaving. My muscles were finally starting to not hurt all the time. Breakfast: toast Snack: Oatmeal Lunch: chili and rice, potsticker, Potato salad, brownie (the best I've ever had!), 2 pieces of cake Dinner: Pizza

Pop goes the hip

The run this morning went well, however I didn't feel like I had the same amount of energy as with other runs this week. My hip wasn't in too much pain, but my right knee was very sore for 5 minutes. I'm just glad my clothes dried out from yesterday's run in the rain. My pectoral muscles are again aching when jogging, guess I wont be doing an upper body workout until next week. Even though it's not in pain, my hip keeps popping in my hip socket. It's very unnerving and I hope it stops. Weight: 120.5 pounds Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1/2 gatorade, 1 slice of cheese, chai tea Lunch: 2 soy chicken patties, leftover cake Dinner: Chicken, wheat rice, apple sauce

Rain!

"What is there to do? Only rain, falling down from the sky." Buckets and buckets of rain poured down all through the night and it doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. We made it out for our 3 mile run early this morning. I woke up before the alarm went off at 5:45 am. Luckily I didn't feel nauseous. Aside from the rain, it went really well. I seemed to have more energy at the end of the run than at the beginning. Which is odd, because it's uphill on the way back. I feel very confident and happy today :) So aside from the down pour and many large puddles of water which soaked through my sneakers and socks, and the pruned finger tips I felt good. My hip was a little sore, and my upper body was screaming in pain from the workout I did yesterday. But, I feel strong in my upper body so it's all good. My right knee started hurting during lunch when I walked around. And again when I walked home. My upper body is very stiff and sore. Weight: 122 pounds (this doesn't seem right) Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, gatorade, green tea, cheese Lunch: 2 fajita soy patties, green tea Snack: cake Dinner: Ravioli with sauce, chocolate pudding

Crosstraining - Pain

Today is my first crosstraining exercise. I decide to do The Firm's Upper Body DVD. My hip feels weak and loose in the socket. I can't do all the push ups, but the other exercises are achievable for me. After the workout, my arms are shaking a little and are fatigued. I feel great during the day, my muscles in my legs are not sore any more. The pain comes after my orthodontic adjustment. She puts on new "connector" bands and I have to wear my elastics in a triangle pattern. By the time I try and eat dinner, I'm in a lot of pain. This could be bad if I am unable to eat the necessary nutrients. My mouth feels wired shut, I don't think I'll be able run with the triangle elastic in. After dinner, I can feel my arm muscles getting sore. My hip is feeling tight and weak. Weight: 121.5 pounds (I think I need to lay off the tator tots :) Breakfast: 1/2 power bar, 1/2 gatorade, 1 piece of toast, Green tea Snack: apple sauce, grapes, 2 chocolate chip cookies Lunch: 2 soy vege burgers Snack: Chai tea, oatmeal Dinner: Chicken, rice, apple sauce, banana pudding