Cheryleeski's Visit 2014

My cousin Cheryl came for a weekend visit.  From the airport we went straight to the Catch the Leprechaun 5K race.    

The next morning while the kids were in school we pampered ourselves with a facial at Shealy Skin Spa.  

And then we continued the pampering when the kids got home from school by getting pedicures.  

On her final day we went to our mutual friend Sara's house for a reptile party where Cheryl coined the phase "reptile dysfunction".  Always a wacky time when Cheryl's around.

Not Fair

I'm over here drinking liquid kale and this bitch is stuffing her face with a giant cupcake. 

SUP YOGA

Yesterday I tried a Stand Up Paddle Yoga class on Shem Creek.  We paddled for 30 minutes to the docks, took an hour yoga class and then paddled 30 minutes back.  It was challenging and fun and I plan to do this again soon!

As If My Feet Weren't Ugly Enough

The marathon wreaked havoc on my toes.  I feel completely recovered from the marathon except for the two toenails that are hanging on by a thread.  Gross.

Disney Marathon Weekend

We arrived Friday evening for the Disney Marathon Weekend.   My Aunt Joanie works for Disney so she was able to get us a great discount at the All Star Sports Resort inside Disney.  Our room overlooked a giant heated pool that captivated us until almost Midnight.  

  

On Saturday my Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ricky treated Trent and the kids to a day at Animal Kingdom.  While they had an awesome action packed day filled with roller coaster rides and amazing animal encounters, I went to the marathon expo to pick up my race packet and then I spent the rest of the day hydrating, stretching, resting and trying to calm my marathon jitters.   

 

Now for the not-so-fun part—Sunday started with a 2AM wake up call!  Yes, I had to get up at 2AM to eat, get dressed and catch the shuttle to Epcot at 3AM.   I arrived at Epcot at 3:30AM with 60,000 other idiots and then waited an hour to begin lining up at the start line.  It took two hours of walking and waiting to finally get to the front of the start line.  My corral took off at 6:25AM. 

Once I began running I felt great and it would occasionally dawn on me, “I’m running a freaking marathon!” and I couldn’t help but smile.  Eight months of training, physical therapy,early bedtimes, early wake up calls and that final ridiculous 2AM wake up call all came down to this and it felt awesome to finally be in that moment. 

The  race started and ended at Epcot and the course took us through all the Disney parks.  Aside from several stretches of crossing highway overpasses, it was a beautiful run with lots to see.  Everything was going great until after the Magic Kingdom I started to feel that familiar pain in my knee caused by IT band friction syndrome.  At mile seven I stopped and did the stretches I was taught to alleviate the pain and the pain would subside just to return even sharper a little later.  This went on and on and on for the remainder of the race.  I stopped at one medic tent to have them wrap my knee only to stop at the next medic tent to have them unwrap it because the tape made it hurt even more.  

 

I was diagnosed with this injury a while back so I went into this race knowing this could happen so I ran when I could and walked when I needed. It was tough and it took every ounce of will power to finish. At mile 22 I hit the notorious "wall" and had a little mental breakdown that led to some crying. That dreaded voice entered my head saying, "You can't do this" but that voice turned out to be a liar.  I just couldn't give up knowing that Trent and the kids were waiting for me at the finish line.   

Oh, crossing that finish line!  "What's it feel like?" everybody asks.  It felt incredible and it's hard to describe but I think it's comparable to giving birth.  It's months of preparing your body to perform and you have all these preconceived notions of how it's going to be but everything is completely different and things don't go your way and it hurts worse than you ever imagined.  After hours of pain you begin to think you're going to die and just when you think you can't take it anymore and after you've told all the doctors and nurses and marathon spectators to go fuck themselves (just in your head of course), you look down at this brand new human that your body created or you cross that finish line that your body carried you for 26 miles—and you're reborn.  YOU FEEL SO ALIVE!   

 

After the marathon, Trent's sisters and their families came to the hotel to celebrate with us.  We mostly hung out by the pool so I could stretch and soothe my sore body.  Aside from my knee injury, I also got a pretty good sunburn, lost a couple toenails and had some ugly chafing in places I'd rather not speak about.  Being surrounded by people I love made all the pain go away.  Well that and the pizza and beer.    

 

The morning after the marathon, Aunt Joanie and Uncle Ricky surprised the kids and took us out to breakfast with the characters.  It was an awesome buffet and I indulged because "I ran a freaking marathon yesterday!"  It was the perfect way to end the marathon weekend.  Oh, did I mention that Trent was playing football with his nephews at the hotel and pulled his hamstring? Yeah, he was limping around that breakfast buffet in a marathon t-shirt stealing my damn thunder!    

 

Running a marathon was a check mark on my bucket list.  I don't think I'll ever run a full one again but I'm so proud that I did.  I learned a lot about myself.  I've spent my whole life hating my body for not being perfect and now I can't stop thanking my body for being so strong. 

 

I want to thank everyone who supported me, believed in me and encouraged me through this whole dream but mostly I'd like to thank Billy Squier for "The Stroke" because that killer melody took me across the finish line!  

No More Double Digits

This morning I ran 18 miles and that will be my last double digit training run before the marathon.  My physical therapist diagnosed me with IT band friction syndrome which is a common running injury caused by over training.  It stems from the hip but the pain is in the knees and it's sharp and angry!  I need to give my knees some time to heal before the big race.  It's getting close and admittedly I AM SO SICK OF RUNNING!  I saw this rainbow on my run and it couldn't have come at a better time.  I was ready to give up around mile 14 but this sight kept me going.  I just can't quit now.  I've come so far.    

Training Setback

This morning I was supposed to run four miles for my training and I couldn't even make it one mile.  My knee was KILLING me so I called my doctor from the gym parking lot crying and he squeezed me in for a cortisone shot to the knee cap.  I've been instructed to stay off my knee for four days and slowly resume training.  This is a pretty major setback when the marathon is less than a month away. 

While I was getting the shot I asked Rya to please sit quietly and watch my purse.  A few hours later I found this self portrait on my phone proving that she stole a piece of my gum out of my purse.  Little shit! 

16 Miles

This morning I ran 16 miles.  I have definitly entered the masochism part of marathon training.  I'd be a liar if I said it wasn't brutal.  The run left me with bloody toenails and nipples (yes, my boobs chafed!), blisters between most of my toes and a very sore right knee.  However, the sunrise over the Isle of Palms makes these long, early runs so worth it. 

Turkey Trot 2012

Today I ran my 3rd Turkey Trot in Charleston.  For the past three years we've celebrated Thanksgiving the day before so that I can run the 5K downtown and return to leftovers and then relaxing and Christmas decorating. 

I'm so thankful for a family that is willing to trade the traditional Thanksgiving to support me while I run.  Happy Thanksgiving.   

Training Continued

Yesterday I ran for the first time since the half marathon.  It was just six miles and it's very strange to me that I'm at the point in my training that six miles is an "easy, short run".  It wasn't too long ago that six miles was a long, scary run to me.  I've got two months left of training for the full marathon and now the long, scary runs are really starting.  Next week I'm up to 14 miles and it only gets scarier from there.  Thank God the sunrises are so pretty!

Savannah Rock n Roll Half Marathon

I ran my first half marathon over the weekend.  On Friday Trent, the kids and I drove two hours to Savannah and picked up my race packet from the convention center and then checked into the Holiday Inn at the airport (at $175.00 a night it was the cheapest hotel I could find for race weekend!).  The hotel had an indoor pool and jacuzzi so that made the kids happy and it had a Cracker Barrel across the street so that made me happy (Hello carb loading pancakes!).  After swimming and eating, we settled in our beds for an evening of rest and TV.  In the middle of watching Sponge Bob Squarepants, Currier stands up on the bed, pulls his pajama bottoms down, waves his hand in front of his penis as if presenting a five course meal and says, "Hey Everyone, feast your eyes on this!"  Trying not to burst out laughing I said, "Currier, that's inappropriate where did you learn that?"  He said he just saw it earlier in a movie preview except the kid bent over and pointed to his butt. "I thought it would be way funnier to pull my pants down and do it to my pee pee!" he said.  He was right!  The next morning Trent and the kids slept in while I got up at 5AM, ate a high protein breakfast and took a shuttle with twenty strangers to the start line.  Hardly a word was spoken on that dark and early ride into the city but the van reeked of Biofreeze, nerves, adrenaline and fear.  Once I got to the start line I met some members of the Tri Sports run club for one last pep talk from our trainers, Shelley and Peggy, and my nerves seemed to calm a bit.  "Just have fun", they said.  "You trained four months for this race.  The hard part is over.  Now just have fun!"   

And that I did!  Who would have thought running 13.1 miles could be so much fun!?  There was a live band at every mile and the spectators were an absolute riot!  Some held signs that read, “Don’t stop—that’s what she said!” & “This is the worst parade ever!” & "If running were easy they would call it your mom!" & " Go complete stranger Go!"  Since this was a marathon to benefit the American Cancer Society, many of the runners ran in honor of or in memory of loved ones and many cancer survivors themselves ran—the motivation and inspiration was too awesome and emotional to describe.  I ran this one for my mom who battled a brain tumor for five years before it took her life at the age of 43.   

Crossing that marathon finish line was an incredible feeling.  My time as 2:46 which I know isn't a record breaker but not bad for a first timer with a knee injury.  I followed the trainers' advice and took my time at a 12 minute mile pace, hydrated at every single water stop and even stopped and waited in line and peed at mile five. 

 

The kids thought I won the race since I got a medal (I'm okay with letting them think that) and Trent couldn't stop telling me how proud he was of me (I'm also okay with that!).  After a few race beers at the finish line, we headed back home to Charleston.  On the way home, I was talking on the phone with my friend Stacey and telling her all about the funny signs that spectators were holding and Currier was obviously listening and taking in every word because after I hung up the phone he said, "If running were easy they would call it my mom!"

Rock You Like a Hurricane

This morning was our last group run before the Savannah Half Marathon.  We met at 6AM in the dark, cold, rain of Hurricane Sandy and ran 6 miles of pure HELL.  One week till marathon! 

Almost Half Way There

This morning I completed my last double digit run before the Savannah Half Marathon in two weeks.  Now it's time to tapper off and give my body a rest for the race.  And if my knee holds out for the half marathon I'll continue straight into training for the full marathon in January.     

Oktoberfest

I ran the Oktoberfest 5K last Thursday.  My knee acted up big time for the first mile making me question, "How on earth am I going to run a marathon in four weeks!?"  But by mile two the pain subsided and I was able to actually enjoy the race and pick up my speed.  An authentic German oompah band, good friends and free beer made the after party totally wunderbar!   

Currier met me about 50 yards from the finish and ran across the line with me while shouting, "Mama, I lost a tooth!"  It gave me two things to feel proud about.       

Back At It

After a month off from running and a cortisone shot to the knee cap, I was finally given the green light to ease back into marathon training.  I started off real slow alternating one and two mile runs this week and then this morning I attempted a five mile run over the bridge and back.  Following the doctor's advice I walked the downhill portion but otherwise I ran it and it felt so good to be back!  

Biking and Walking

Today was Ride Your Bike To School Day so I borrowed a jogging stroller and pushed Rya beside Currier on his bike.  It was cute to see all the bikes lined up outside of the elementary school.  It totally reminded me of Amsterdam except there was less weed and hookers. 

 

Since I missed my gym class, I decided to take advantage of the stroller and walk the bridge with Rya.  It was an overcast day with a chance of rain so the bridge was deserted. 

So we sang at the top of our lungs and giggled our asses off.  I LOVE days like this!

For the Glory of a Marathon

I have runner's knee which is a loose term for "you're too old for this shit". The physical therapist said this is a very common over training injury. I've had to take some time off to heal. Today marks one week of ice, rest and Motrin. It's just starting to feel better and I might attempt a short run tomorrow to get back in the game. It's six weeks till the half marathon in Savannah and sixteen weeks till the full at Disney.  No more whammies, please!

Almost to the Baker's Dozen

This morning's 12 mile run was from Patriot's Point over the East Cooper Bridge to the Battery and back and it was surprisingly much better than last week's 10 miler.  I was more prepared for this run.  I hydrated more, ate more and sleep more the day before the run.  It also didn't hurt adding Run DMC to my running playlist and having an incredible view of the sunrise over the East Cooper.  Some people think I'm crazy to wake up at 5AM to run.  I think those people are crazy not to!   

Now I'm paying the kids nickels to rub my feet and bring me Gatorade.  I couldn't do any of this without their support and encouragement.  

Hitting the Wall

I ran ten miles this morning with the Try Sports Run Club.  We ran from the Sullivan's Island Fire Station to Shem Creek and back.  It was a great run until mile nine. That was when my runner's high wore off and all I felt was pain.  Excruciating pain! My mind was flooded with self doubt and for a few crazy minutes I started second guessing this goal, fantasizing about stuffing my face with pancakes and wondering if I overslept and this was all just a nightmare?  I guess this is what runners refer to as "hitting the wall".  It took every ounce of mental strength to pick myself up and muster up the will to keep going.  I've spent most of my day laying in bed recovering and hydrating my silly, starved brain with lots of water and carbs.  Next week we're up to twelve miles.  Dear God, please don't let me experience the dreaded "shitting pants in public"! 

5AM Wake Up Call

When the alarm goes off at 5AM on Saturdays for my long run I grumble and moan but watching that sunrise over the Isle of Palms makes that wake up call so worth it!  

Note to Self: If you can't keep up with the big dogs do not store the run route directions in your sports bra.  You will get lost.