Maybe Next year...

I have officially withdrawn from this year's Boston Marathon. Despite my best efforts to recover, I spent a large chunk of my day in the local emergency room yesterday after battling diarrhea for 5 days. They gave me 3 bags of IV fluid and IV meds to stop the diarrhea and treat the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. And, they strongly advised me not to race.


To say that I am disappointed is a huge understatement. It is really difficult to walk away from something for which you have trained so long and so hard. But, I knew that even if I could finish the race, it would not be pretty. I have been training to do a strong race, I can not do that right now. So, I decided that I will come home, recover and then run in either the Colorado Marathon or the Denver Colfax Marathon, both of which are within the next month.

Last year, my buddy Cindy came here to support me, knowing she could not run. Now it is my turn to repay the favor. I'm switching gears from runner to cheerleader and will do everything I can to help her have an awesome race. I'm looking forward to watching the race and cheering on her and everyone else. Lots of dreams come true here, it is an amazing thing to be a part of, even if it is from the sidelines.

As for me... I'll be back next year!

Boston Bound...

Well - it is official, the bags are packed and we are headed to Boston this afternoon. Apparently, just in time, since we are supposed to get a huge snowstorm here in Colorado tonight (please don't follow us to Boston!)


This is Cindy and I right after we finished our 22 mile run a few weeks ago, yes that is why we look so happy, the long training is done!!!

My taper was going along smoothly, until this week. Then, BAM, the pre-race bubble I mentioned in an earlier post, burst. Yes - I have been sick for the last 2 days with the stomach flu - yucko. So much for staying germ and injury free... I am starting to feel better but not quite back to normal yet. Thanks goodness I have a few days left to recuperate. Not how I hoped my last few days at home would go. Then Olivia got it, poor kiddo, and was home sick with me yesterday. Just a reminder that sometimes even if you do everything right, shit (no pun intended) happens that you cannot control (again, no pun intended)! On the bright side, I did get lots of rest, I was off my feet, I am down a few pounds, and now that I am starting to feel better, I can really get back to the carb loading and re-hydrating :)


As incentive to keep putting in the miles everyday, I have been socking away a dollar for every mile run in the training program toward my Boston Slush Fund. Now I can really go have some fun, besides the running.

I posted a link to the Boston Marathon site on the top of the blog page. Real-time updates are posted during the race - I am bib # 18448. Thanks for all the support and encouragement from all my friends and family - you are awesome!!!

Guess it is time to run, literally...

Happy Easter

Time to dye the Easter Eggs! Getting ready for the Easter Bunny and the egg hunt. The kids were very worried that our dog, Marley, was going to eat the eggs in the back yard, since that is always where the bunny leaves them. Luckily the bunny was smart enough to move to the front yard this year. Disaster averted...


We decided to be adventurous this year and make the early morning trek to Red Rocks amphitheater for sunrise Easter service. Our church's minister and music director were leading worship and music, so we wanted to be there. We have never been, chickening out each year, thinking the kids were too young and that it would be miserable for them, and therefore us. So. we got up at 3:30 and were on the road to pick up G'ma Ary at 4:15. All was well until Olivia got sick in the car. OK - maybe this was not a good idea... G'ma had been watching the weather all week, and it looked like we were going to be ok. Turns out it was foggy and drizzly, but not too cold. Needless to say, we did not see the sun (guess will will have to go back again for that). The service was great, although Liv slept through a good portion of it. I'll vote for going back again next year.

Happy Easter everyone - I'm going to take a nap!

Taper Madness!

Finally, the hard training is behind me and I am officially in my taper for the Boston Marathon!!! The long runs and track workouts are done, now the fun stuff begins...picking out a race outfit (even though you might not be feeling good - you want to look good, right?), breaking in my race shoes (new white and hot pink tennies), days off, and last, but not least, carb. loading :) One of the best things about training for Boston is that heavy training coincides with the delivery of Girl Scout cookies (and I buy LOTS of girl scout cookies!)

I am half way through my three week taper. I have been gradually decreasing my mileage, but am trying to keep the pace steady. I am starting to feel recovered from my last few tough workouts, including 20 and 22 mile runs and a 1/2 marathon race at my marathon race pace. I feel healthly. Everything has gone as planned. But, at the same time, this is the point where you realize there is really nothing left you can do to make the race go any better. The work is done and you just have to WAIT until race day and see if it all comes together like you hope. This is when the "madness" begins. I have started questioning my months of training and second guessing my strategy. I am feeling minor aches and pains that I have not felt before. I feel like I can barely make it through a 3 mile recovery run. Yup - I've been here before, everyone knows it is a normal part of the taper, so I am not going to freak out:)

I am going into what my running buddies and I jokingly like to call the "pre-race bubble". It is kind of a self-imposed quarantine of sorts. No germs, no sick kids, lots of hand sanitizer, lots of vitamin C, no skiing(or free-falling off lifts) , no ice skating (and falling on my butt), no running near dog parks (was jumped on by a huge dog during my 19 miler at the state park), no high heels (seriously, when was the last time I wore those anyway?), etc.... Anything to stay healthy and un-injured before race day.

This is a day off - yipee - no running, so I think I'll go eat some of those Girl Scout cookies!