Full of Shit on the Fourth

Inquiring minds want to know how my bowel movements have been, so I decided to write my Shit Horoscope.  My pooping habits haven't been regular lately. Constipation has been ruling my zone with occasional diarrhea increasing the unpleasant atmosphere in my colon. There are either too many poo vibes or not enough. Advice from others is not likely to be helpful, but fresh perspectives could change my outlook. Being full of shit is essential before the moon will allow waves in the bowl.

In all seriousness, constipation has been an issue for the past month or two. I'm shitting once every three to four days. While diarrhea is a huge relief from the constipation it still sucks! Constipation drags me down and diarrhea wipes me out.  Before the surgery, I pooped three to four times a day. When I go one day without taking a crap, my stomach  starts to feel uncomfortable. Each day of constipation adds to the pressure in my gut. I get the sensation of having to poop, and then I sit on the toilet for hours with no success. The feeling wakes me up in the middle of the night. 

On July 4th, I ran a four mile race with Lynn. I had not pooped in four days and being full of all the shit slowed me down. It wasn't until I arrived at the race that I realized how terrible I felt. My stomach didn't feel well. I had the urge to poop, but I knew I wouldn't be able to so I didn't even try. I walked a lot.  It was hard to run with the uneasy feeling. My average pace was 11 minutes per mile, which was slower than my first race back after surgery. I was definitely disappointed in my performance because my training runs leading up to the race were significantly better. 

I can turn off nearly every thought except my thoughts about the state of my bowels. When will I poop again? When will I stop pooping? What if I shit myself at work? Can you tell I'm constipated right now by looking at my face? If I poop before my run, it will be an amazing run! I am bearing down too hard. I'm going to give myself hemorrhoids. What if I have a blockage?  I sweated more sitting on the toilet trying to push out a tiny dip n' dot turd than I did when I ran the four mile race. I just want a beautiful bowel movement every day. I will be grateful for my good shits even though they don't occur as frequently as I would like.

 

I Can Always Run Two Miles

My journey back to running has been smoother than I thought it would be. Prior to March 18, 2018, my last run had been the Space Coast Half Marathon on November 26, 2017. If you don't know what I went through between that period of time, look at my previous posts. Once again it feels like I'm starting over. Whether it's true or not, I think I can always run two miles. Okay, maybe it's not exactly true. Take a look at my stats below and see how fast my body is capable of bouncing back though.

• The first time I decided to see what it would feel like to run again, I jogged on and off during my walk and logged 2.23 miles in 31:46 on March 18th. Keep in mind that this was just two and a half weeks after my last surgery and it was a week and a half to three and a half weeks before I was technically supposed to do any "strenuous activity". Running isn't strenuous, right?
• Since the trial run felt okay, the second time I laced up I intentionally went on a run and logged 2 miles in 25:05 on March 20th. 
• On my eighth run back, I logged 2 miles in 20:23 on April 4th. 

Running feels a lot different than I remember it feeling before my surgeries. It feels easier somehow even though I'm out of shape.  I'm training for a few 5Ks to ease back into it. Eight runs in the past three weeks have prepared me for the Riverside Dash 5K tomorrow! While I will not be setting a personal record at the race tomorrow, it will be a huge victory for me to cross that finish line.

In general, my running goals are to go at my own pace and listen to my body.  At the end of May, I will re-evaluate more specific running goals to determine realistic pace goals, target races, and training plans. I have long term running goals in the back of my mind, but they seem too crazy to take them seriously right now.  My best running days are ahead of me! 

Running: An addiction, An Infatuation, An Inexplicable Desire

I am completely obsessed with running! It's an addiction, an infatuation, an inexplicable desire to lace up my running shoes and put one foot in front of the other every chance I get.  This past weekend I ran the Distance Dare at the Winter Park Road Race, which was a two miler followed by a 10K for a total of 8.2 miles. It was great fun racing with my running friends! Afterwards we not only had our beer tickets for free beer, we also happened upon others giving away their beer tickets. By 9:00AM I had ran two races for a total of 8.2 miles and had two beers. We ran into a bunch of people from my Ragnar team, so we chatted for a bit. When we left the beer area, we walked around the different vendor tents and stopped to enjoy free breakfast and coffee! The races were awesome and the after party was even better!

On Sunday, I met up with some of my running friends that didn't do the race on Saturday. We ran 8 miles and were lucky enough to see two bald eagles during our run! My running friend, Badass Doreen, made an excellent breakfast for us to enjoy after our run. Her husband crafted homemade cappuccinos to go with the heart shaped waffles that were absolutely perfect.

The people I run with are a fantastic group of individuals that support and challenge one another. Some people in our group are going through a shitty period of time in their lives, and it's encouraging to see us stand together in friendship and understanding. We are not alone. Sure we are running friends, but I think we might be regular friends, too. We went to see Beauty and Beast together. Next week, we are going to Paint with a Twist and the week after that a bunch of us are going to surprise the lady in our group that's in a play by showing up to see her show after we have a potluck dinner. 

Well, I said I was obsessed with running.  I ran a total of 16 miles this past weekend and I'm not training for anything specific. It was just for fun! At the moment, there is no place I'd rather be than out on the road pounding the pavement with each step I take. It's liberating for it to be as easy as it should be without any unnecessary struggle. I feel strong. I feel awake. I feel alive. I don't typically buy race photos, but when I saw the picture below I couldn't help myself.  I want to remember how great I felt in that moment, and even now. It captures the pure joy I find in running.

I jumped over the finish line of the two miler before the start of the 10K. Is it just me, or does it look like I still have hops from my basketball playing days? I think it looks like I'm flying!

My First Time Volunteering at a Disney Race

When my alarm went off at 1:30 AM, I thought why did this sound like a good idea? I never want to volunteer at a Disney Race again. Two of my sisters, Kim and Kelly, were up and just as ready to go as I was. We mumbled how early it was, but headed out to Disney anyway. We met my ugly step sister at the Volunteer check-in tent, and then found the right bus taking us to our volunteer assignment, the powerade station at mile 11.2 of the Disney Princess Half Marathon. We waited on the bus for about 45 minutes in the parking lot of Typhoon Lagoon before we started heading to our assignment. It turns out the bus driver went the wrong way and we got stuck in race morning traffic, which made us really late to our assignment.

Once we got to mile 11.2, the volunteers had to rush to set up the powerade station because the race was starting soon.  When we got to work, I loved every aspect of it! We set up tables, mixed powerade in countless 10 gallon coolers, set up cups, and then filled the cups with powerade. It took teamwork to find a groove in the process, but we did it! 

My favorite part was handing the cups of powerade to the runners and cheering them on. The first cup I handed off was to Track Shack star Heather Shultz. She ended up placing second!  It was great fun to see everyone's costumes and screaming for them by the name of the character they were dressed as! Over 30,000 people ran the race. Each person has their own story, a different reason they run. We even saw a few of our friends that were running the race!

By the time the last racer past us, our powerade station was cleaned up within 15 minutes. Disney has a great process with dump trucks and cleaning crews that follow behind the last racer to make cleanup a piece of cake. The group leader we volunteered with is with MarathonFest (that's how we got the opportunity), and he valued our hard work so much that he offered us spots to volunteer with his group at the 8.2 powerade station for the Star Wars Half Marathon in April. Surprisingly, since I woke up that morning, I had a change of heart. It was a rewarding experience, so I decided to sign up to volunteer at the Star Wars Half.

Highlights of February 2017

I'm not sure what I've been preoccupied with that has prevented me from sitting down and blogging this month. In an effort to save time, I'll give you the highlights of February 2017.

I had the best birthday to date! I spent my birthday weekend with Taylor and she made me feel incredibly special. From the thoughtful gifts to the planned surprise celebration, it makes me wonder what I did to deserve such an amazing friend. She got a bunch of my friends together to surprise me at an escape room, which, by the way, we escaped with like fifteen minutes to spare! No thanks to me, of course.

I've had a couple of really fun races (the Warrior Dash and the Quack Attack 5K) with my running friends. Seriously, they are such an inspiring group of people that they build everyone up. I'm not sure if running is fun by itself, or if running is only fun because of them. Anyways, I'm still as addicted as ever. I woke up at 4AM this morning to meet my group for a morning run. I thought the motivation I had to train while training for the NYC Marathon had long since dwindled, yet I'm still setting my alarm for that ungodly hour.

Work is busier than ever! Don't get me wrong, I love it! It just seems like I have more responsibilities than I have time in a day, in a week, in a month...well, you get the picture. It's challenging and I wouldn't trade it for anything at the moment.  The overtime is awesome!

Even though I'm Taylor's Maid of Honor, she has really held my hand and walked me through my responsibilities. Heck, she's helped me with almost everything. However, with just the few things that I've had to do this month to help prepare for her bridal shower, it reinforces my lack of desire to ever have a wedding or shenanigans for myself.  I know I'm lazy and that's probably why it feels like way too much work. I tried really hard to do my best, but I'm actually nervous the cake and cake stand I ordered won't be perfect. What if nobody likes it?  The fact that I think I'm going to like it is not enough.

The Walt Disney Marathon Weekend

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017:

After work, I drove to meet my ugly stepsister (Michelle W.) at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports to pick up our race packets and to try to get moved to a better corral.  Thankfully, we were able to get moved to three corrals better! Before we left, I mentioned that I wished my bestie was going to be at the race, but I was still thankful my sister Kim was going to be there. We took a selfie before saying goodbye. Once I got to my car I texted the selfie to Taylor letting her know I picked up my race packet!!

Thursday, January 5th, 2017:

My supervisor and I are so busy that executive management has approved me to work any overtime I want in the hopes that we will be able to catch up without hiring an assistant. After work, I got a cute haircut and my best friend came into town. We hadn't seen each other since our trip to NYC, so it was awesome to get time with Taylor!  Before we went to dinner, we opened our Christmas gifts! Then, she surprised me by dressing up as Cinderella and announcing that she was going to go to the marathon and cheer me on! She was going to be my ugly stepsister's and my Cinderella!!!! 

Last month, when we made plans for her to come visit for her job interview/hair appointment, I was really disappointed when she said she was going to sleep in and drive home on Sunday (race day) because she couldn't wake up at 2AM, cheer for me at the race, and then drive 3+ hours home. I hated the fact that she would rather sleep in and be rested for her long drive home (even though I know she hates driving) than to wake up at an ungodly hour and be bored while waiting for me to run another marathon. She just saw me at the NYC Marathon. Am I really that selfish? Umm, maybe, but in my defense having someone at the finish line is awesome motivation! I felt pretty bad about letting her let me down, but that didn't stop me from asking again multiple times if she was sure she didn't want to go to the race. Each time, to my complete disappointment, she declined. Heck, the last minute selfie with my ugly stepsister after picking up our packets didn't even change her mind.  Meanwhile the whole time she was planning to go to the race dressed as Cinderella!!! I was speechless!

Friday, January 6th, 2017:

I went to work and left at 2PM to go home and prep for my colon and rectal specialist appointment. Taylor had an interview in the morning. She went with me to my Dr. appointment and afterwards we went to a place called Better Than Sex Dessert Restaurant. It was absolutely delicious! I got The All Nighter, which is coffee with coffee liquer, and I got the Better Than Sex dessert, which is bread pudding in like a chocolate cake/brownie. It was amazing! Taylor had wine and some kind of cookie with ice cream. After Better Than Sex, we went to BJ's Restaurant for a drink and some pizza!

My colon and rectal appointment went surprisingly well. It always surprises me when it goes well. My stricture barely needed any flexing. It didn't even hurt when the doc put her finger up my rectum to flex it. I don't have to go back until SIX MONTHS!!!  My butt didn't bleed after and I wasn't sore or in pain either.  I could totally get used to that!

Saturday, January 7th, 2017

RunDisney cancelled the half marathon and kid races and delayed race related activities like the expo until 11AM due severe weather.  It was rainy, Taylor hates to drive, and I can't get enough time with Taylor, so I drove Taylor on an errand before driving her to her hair appointment!  I jammed out in the car mentally preparing for the race while I waited for her to get her hair done.  I would imagine waiting for a two hour hair appointment is easier than waiting on a 6+ hour marathon. I was tempted to cheer for her when she returned to the car, but instead I just gave her some fruit I got at Wawa while she was getting her hair done because I knew she must be hungry. Once we got back home, we ate lunch, went over some wedding details, and made some DIY bridal shower things. Thank goodness she's helping because she made it so easy! I'm sure I would have complicated the shit out of modge podging glitter on vases. We watched the movie Bad Moms... okay, Taylor watched the movie while I got all my race stuff ready. My family ordered Olive Garden to go and Taylor and I watched the movie Dear John...okay, Taylor watched the movie while I was WhatsApp messaging my running friends to see where everyone was going to be on the course. Most of my group was volunteering at the race, while a few others were going to cheer on the few of us actually running the marathon. We also messaged complaints about the freaking cold weather. More on that in a minute. We stopped the movie short and went to bed around 8PM.

Sunday, January 8th, 2017:

Wake up call at 2AM! I jumped right out of bed to get ready for race day! Kim, Taylor, and I left the house around 2:40AM and we were parked at Epcot by 3:15AM. They start closing roads at 3:30AM, so it's best to get there early and not deal with road closures. My ugly step sister stayed on Disney property, so I met her in the starting area. Security was actually kind of a joke. Sure they had a bag check line where security inspected bags, but I easily went through the no bag line with my flip belt hidden underneath my sweats. As soon as I saw Michelle I knew something was wrong, but I didn't say anything. Maybe she just did an excellent job on her makeup for the ugly stepsister. The first thing she told me was that she vomited last night after dinner and again race morning on her bus ride to the start area.  She was a mess. Right away, I took her bag that she was going to check and carried it for her and we went to find a porta-potty with a short line. It was fucking FREEZING!!! Literally the feel like temperature was 24 degrees! After we went to the bathroom, she pulled out heat sheets for us from her bag! She was so out of it that I had to help her wrap her heat sheet around her because the wind kept blowing it up so that it wouldn't lay flat on her back.  Those things were life savers because it blocked the wind from chilling us to our bones. I continued to carry her stuff while we walked to the self aid station to see if they had water. While she was talking to a medic her Drisella bow fell off her head and I grabbed it to hold so that she wouldn't lose it. At this point, I'm mentally preparing to give up a chance at a PR if I have to in order to stay with her to make sure she finishes her first marathon.

Once we checked her bag (I didn't bring a bag to check because I gave Kim and Taylor the shit I might need and the car wasn't parked too far away from the finish), we hit the porta-potties one more time before starting our 20 minute walk in the freezing cold to our start corral. At this point I'm still carrying her bow and feeling bad that she's sick on this one day that she has worked her ass off training for the past five months! I gave her bow when we got inside our corral and she slowly started pulling herself together.

We crossed the start line and she talked a little, but not as much as usual. *red flag* When Michelle is quiet that means she's not doing well. We actually passed another lady in our group right before mile two. It's always cool to see people you know on the course. Once we passed mile three, I learned Kim and Taylor were confused about where they were supposed to be seeing us on the course. Oh well, as much as I wanted to direct them to where they were supposed to be I had other things on my mind (don't lose Michelle in the crowd).  Michelle used bib magnets to hook her race bib to her shirt, but she lost some and her bib wasn't staying on. So, I took off one of the safety pins on my bib and gave it to her to use. In the process, she dropped one of her gloves. Thankfully, it wasn't too far back on the ground and she was able to find it. We took off our sweatshirts at mile four and then stopped at porta-potties in the MK parking lot for Michelle. I held her sweatshirt and waited for her because I didn't have to go. Gatorade made her nauseous so she was only taking water and salt tablets. One of our running friends was on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, which was awesome!!  I went live on Facebook as we ran through Cinderella's Castle! 

The Ugly Stepsisters stormed the castle!!

Instead of seeing us at MK, Kim and Taylor just went to the Polynesian where I'm sure they waited forever in the cold judging by Kim's text she sent when we were passing mile seven: "Where the fuck are you". Michelle and I were averaging like 3 minutes slower per mile than our typical training pace. We finally saw Kim and Taylor at mile 7.7 where they cheered us on and I gave them my jacket to hold. After we passed them, Michelle told me that I could leave her because she was slowing me down. Prior to this she had already mentioned her fear of the balloon ladies passing us. The balloon ladies set the pace for the slowest pace you can maintain and still be allowed to finish. If the balloon ladies pass you, you get picked up by a bus. Since I had been passed by the balloon ladies and picked up by the bus in 2013, I knew I couldn't leave Michelle if she was already having these thoughts by mile 8. I know the disappointment of a DNF (did not finish) and I was not going to let that happen to her. I could live without a PR, but I would be extremely disappointed if I left her and she didn't finish. I had to talk more than usual, so I told her about how Taylor and I met and how we became best friends. She couldn't believe I didn't get a birthday card for Taylor when I went to Blue Man Group for Taylor's birthday. Sorry, Taylor!

I stopped at a bathroom inside Animal Kingdom while Michelle kept walking. I didn't want her to stop moving if she didn't have to, so I told her to walk ahead and I would catch up. It seemed like the line for the bathroom took forever. As soon as I was done I took off and passed the halfway point (13.1) running really fast to try to find Michelle on the course. Thankfully, she messaged me saying she was in front of the Dino ride and sure enough I looked up ahead and saw her. We chugged along and came across our group leaders right before mile 16 where they were standing on an overpass cheering the racers on. They gave us big hugs and even brought snacks. They are amazing group leaders!!! They are invested in everyone's success and we couldn't ask for a better running group.

I'm not sure how she managed to smile here.

While we approached ESPN Wide World of Sports I told Michelle this is the worst stretch of the race. I told her about my AAU National Basketball Tournament that I played at ESPN when I was 13 and all about being a great basketball player back in the day and she even found the strength to tell me a few stories as well. As we were coming out of ESPN approaching mile 21 we saw the balloon ladies pass us as they were going into ESPN on the course, which meant that the balloon ladies were 4 miles behind us. There were times I glanced at Michelle and I could tell she was about to cry or had been crying. I could tell she doubted she was going to finish. This was right around the point in race I got picked up in 2013, so it was an emotional period for me too. I felt so bad for Michelle and I wasn't entirely sure what she needed or what else I could do to encourage her. Was she tired of me saying that "We are going to make it", "You are going to become a marathoner today"!  Knowing we were averaging 15 minute miles (course pace requires at most 16 minutes per mile), by mile 23 I knew that even if we walked the rest of the way that we would make it. Around that time, I put my arm around her and said something like "You are going to finish this fucking marathon! We can walk the rest of the way and you will still be a marathoner!" We walked hills, but otherwise I kept running hoping she would too...and she did, she followed me. I looked back every few steps to make sure she was still with me. I felt like somehow I was pulling her with me!



I know when we entered Epcot, she finally believed she was going to finish. We ran around the world and took a walk break before running to the mile 26 marker. We saw Kim and Taylor right before the grand stand seating cheering us towards the finish line, yay!!! We even saw Michelle's wife and son in the grand stands waving at us! As we approached the finish line Michelle asked if we could hold hands and cross. So we put our hands over our heads victoriously and crossed the finish line hand in hand!!!

If we weren't friends before the race, we are certainly friends now. Seriously, helping a friend cross the finish line beats a PR any day! I played this scenario out in my head before race day and every time I thought I would choose a PR over slowing down to stay with someone, but in the moment I made a different decision entirely and I don't regret it one bit. That unexpected, awkwardly HUGE hug says it all! She said that without me she would not have finished.  I know running a marathon is never easy, especially when you don't feel well.


Two ladies in our group (Michelle S. and Cindy) were volunteering at the finish line handing out heat sheets. They were screaming for us and it was awesome!!!  After we got our medals and heat sheets, we picked up Michelle W's bag from bag check and met her family briefly before a medic came with a wheel chair and wheeled her to the medical tent. On our way to the medical tent, I found Taylor and Kim. They were good sports, helped carry our bags, and followed us to the medical tent. Michelle was very nauseous and likely a little dehydrated. She was totally not herself. Michelle's family found us again in the medical tent. We stayed for a few minutes, and then I gave all of Michelle's stuff to her wife. I hated to leave while she was so down, but I had a Cinderella photo op with my best friend awaiting me.

The moment you've all been waiting for... one ugly stepsister was too sick for this memorable picture, but this still made my day!!! Taylor is the best!  Mind you, it was still freaking cold when we took this picture! I want to send a BIG thank you to Kim and Taylor for being at the race to cheer me on!  It means the world that you would waste your Sunday freezing your ass off just so you could cheer me on!! This was my fifth marathon (not counting the one I DNF)! My first run of 2017 and not likely my last run any time soon!

Run, Camp, Sleep, and Repeat

The Alafia Ragnar Trail Relay was a super fun experience that took me completely out of my comfort zone. First of all, if I wasn't as healthy as I am right now, camping with Crohn's disease would have seriously freaked me out. Thankfully, I am not dealing with any symptoms, so it wasn't an issue. Secondly, even though I was camping with strangers (now I consider them new friends) and sharing a tent with a guy I only met a couple of weeks ago, my social anxiety was nonexistent because I felt welcomed and a part of the team, aka, Sloth Squad!  Lastly, I had never done trail running before and this past weekend I did an extremely difficult mountain bike trail with cliffs, hills that seemed like mountains, and hairpin turns (it felt like I was running in another state) and I even ran a trail at night...in the dark with a head light!  It was an amazing whirlwind of an adventure.

Unfortunately, I am not very good at trail running. I fell a total of four times and bruised my knees like a kid on the playground. I sprained my ankle on my first trail run. Somehow I managed to push through the pain and finish strong. I went straight to the first aid tent and had the medic tape my ankle tightly to limit its range of motion and offer support so that I could continue the relay. We had a onesie party at camp, porta potties became a way of life, and we became a part of the Ragnarian family!

I carpooled to the relay with two people on my team, The Sloth Squad. We left early on Saturday after we were finished with our legs of the race because we had to get back to Orlando while the rest of our team finished their last legs of the relay. Our team captain picked up our medals when they were done and I'm excited to get it from him Tuesday night at Ten10 Run Club.

I had to get back to Orlando to attend my company's holiday party. It was kind of a rush to get cleaned up from camping and running in order to be presentable at the semi formal event. I'm really glad my sister, Kelly, went with me as my plus one. We enjoyed the cocktail hour before the grand ballroom opened at the Orlando World Center Marriott. I introduced Kelly to co-workers, most of which were executive managers because that's who I work closest with. She got to meet George Smith, the co-founder of the company, which was neat. The International/Entertainment VP told Kelly and Mr. Smith about the Owner Contracts I'm working on for him. The party had a live band, a dance floor, a delicious buffet, and an open bar. I lost count of how many jack and cokes I enjoyed. I had an interesting conversation with our W/WW (water/wastewater) VP about running and triathlons. We are both typically quiet, but the alcohol made chatting more natural for both of us. lol. My supervisor even gossiped about office drama. I stayed seated for most of the night because my ankle was swollen and it hurt to walk, so walked with a limp. By the end of the night, I went to dance with a lady who asked me to go on the dance floor earlier. She danced all night long with her husband and others and was constantly pulling folks up on the dance floor with her. She introduced me to a guy on the dance floor and we danced together for a couple of songs. He twirled me!!! Seriously, I was twirled and I wasn't sure I was twirling correctly, but it was fun! I likely wasn't very graceful with my bum ankle though... not that I would have been more graceful without a bum ankle. Afterwards, Kelly said "Well, he was hot!".

The last few days have been a blast with very little sleep, which means it's time for a nap!

Runner's High

I'm going to just jump right into this post. I ran the Space Coast Half Marathon on Sunday, November 27th in 2:28: 06. It was a good race with three ladies from my MarathonFest group. It's never fun to race while I'm on my period, but I made the most of it. No real cramps; however, around mile 9 I started to slow down because I wasn't feeling well.  I finished a few minutes after the other ladies in my group and caught up with them for a picture after the race. We enjoyed some post race chocolate milk and soon afterwards I found myself in a porta-potty barfing the chocolate milk and perhaps even dinner the night before. The girls were great. One of them gave me a baby wipe so that I could clean up a bit, and then they walked with me to get some water. I cut the post race party sort because I wasn't feeling well. I wanted to wait for Kim to cheer her on at the finish line, but instead I texted her to tell her that I got sick and I would wait for her in the car. I was really happy with a sub 2:30 half marathon! I'm really happy to see my hard work of training for the last several months paying off.

Less than a week after the Space Coast Half, I ran the OUC Half Marathon on Saturday, December 3rd.  I met a few people from my running group for a group photo before the race. Almost everyone split off and did their own thing except for Michelle (my Ugly Stepsister), Sara, and I. Sara stayed with Michelle and I until mile 6, and then she let us take off. She did catch us briefly while I was enjoying my second cup of beer along the course right before mile 10, but again she told us to go ahead. I was actually the one pacing us most of the race. Even though we talked about how we were feeling every mile or so to see if we needed to adjust the pace, we both agreed to keep pushing. We posted a 10 minute mile during the seventh mile of the race. After that, I tried to make an effort to slow down a little. Michelle makes running fun by talking nonstop, telling stories, telling jokes, and getting to know the runners around us. She forgot her salt tablets and I knew when she got quiet around mile 10.5 that she wasn't at 100%. She didn't say she was struggling and I kept a steady pace even though there were times I had to look back to make sure I didn't lose her. Once we turned the final corner and had the finish line in sight, she said "Go, Lauren, go!" I knew that was her telling me to take off and sprint towards the finish line. I finished in 2:24:55!!! Another sub 2:30 half! Plus, it was over 3 minutes faster than the Space Coast Half the week before. Michelle didn't finish too far behind me. I went to give her a high five right after she crossed the finish line and she opened her arms and gave me the biggest hug. She thanked me for pushing her and said that if it wasn't for me she wouldn't have been able to post the time she did. Afterwards, she told me that she was cramping up (salt tablets help prevent her cramps), but didn't want to say anything because she didn't want to slow me down. 

OUC was a great test run since we plan to run the Disney Marathon together. Racing is always different from training runs, so it was good to race together and see if we want to change our strategy.  I have mad respect for the way she pushed through the discomfort and finished strong.  We agreed that our pace will be intentionally slower at Disney. I'm thankful to have someone to run with that pushes me as much as I push her. Since we are part of a Track Shack training program, we had VIP access, which included fancy porta-potties, and an area with food, tables and chairs.We met up with Sandra from our group and we enjoyed the sandwiches and cookies in the VIP area. I met Michelle's wife, son, and brother. It was great to finally meet her wife whose brother is struggling with Crohn's. We chatted about his current situation and medication and I gave what advice I could knowing that everyone's disease is different. She thinks that I represent the hope of the good days that are ahead for him, and I pray he finds relief from the horrible symptoms of Crohn's disease. He is also a runner and I completely understand the separate pain that can come from not being able to do what you love.  Although I'm beyond grateful for my health, I can't help but have a sense of survival guilt. I am not taking these healthy days for granted.

Ragnar Trail Relay is up next!

NYC - Part 2

The Race of a Lifetime:
I was very restless the night before the race. Between the nerves, excitement, and peeing every couple hours because I had been hydrating the night before, I didn't sleep well. One time when I woke up, I checked my smart phone time and compared it to my stupid watch and concluded that my phone did indeed fall back. The final time I woke up was thirty minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Once 5AM rolled around, I began getting ready. It's always nerve wracking getting ready for a race in a hotel. To my surprise, I don't think I forgot anything. Even though I laid out all of my gear the night before, my pre-run habits were thrown off a bit. I was very slow and methodical as I got ready to embark on what I now consider to be one of the best days of my life. I told Taylor I would see her at the finish line and I left to walk towards the New York Public Library where the start busses pick up tens of thousands of runners.

Runners were already flooding the streets and I just followed the crowd to the back of the library in Bryant Park. This is where they start herding the runners into huge lines that wrap around the block before taking us to the front of the library where we board the marathon busses. At the start of the line, they handed out brand new $28 gloves, which were a sweet start to the morning. There weren't any porta-potties in the area, so I stopped hydrating at this point. I boarded a bus a little after 6AM. It took close to two hours before we unloaded at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. The guy next to me smelled so badly that I was trying not to gag. Unfortunately, the bus didn't have a working bathroom. Guys were peeing in cups on the bus and walking to the front of the bus every time stopped in traffic or at a light to dump out their urine. Runners, we live a glamorous life. Meanwhile I wish I was dude because I had to pee BAD!!! I wasn't the only lady asking how much further until we get there.

It was around 8AM by the time we unloaded off the bus only to discover that we had to wait in the super long security line to into the start village where the porta-potties were located. In the forty-five minutes it took to get through security, I thought I was going to pee myself a few times. Security searched my approved, clear race bag and had me walk through the metal detector. Once I was through security around 8:45AM, I asked where the porta-potties were and made a bee line to them. I nearly cried when I saw the HUGE line for the porta-potties. I kid you not, I had to wait over 40 minutes in the porta-potty line. By the time it was my turn, I don't think I peed so much in my life. I seriously may have peed for two minutes straight, which means I did a two minute squat before the race.  My legs were shaking by the time I was done.

At last, a little after 9:30AM I found a place to sit for a few minutes before I got back in line for the porta-potties. I figured I'd want to go before my corral opened around 10:30AM, so I better get in line even if I didn't have to got yet. It worked out perfectly. Once I was done with my second porta-potty stop of the day, it was time for me to head to my corral. I only had to wait about 10 minutes before my corral opened. While I waited I decided to take off my throw away sweats. After I was in my corral at the bottom of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, time stood still and I took it all in. I was interrupted by the guy behind me asking for a kiss for good luck. I put five marathon pickup lines on the back of my shirt. Folks really enjoyed them during the race. #1 seemed to be the favorite.

1. Let's finish at the same time
2. Do you need a kiss for good luck?
3. Who's cheering you on today?
4. Is this your first time, too?
5. I get lost easily...Can I follow you to the finish?

I gave him a kiss on the cheek for good luck and got back to mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do. At this point, I turned on my phone and started receiving messages from everyone wishing me good luck. The moment we started walking toward the start line at the bottom of bridge, I got the goose bumps. I couldn't believe I was really there trained, healthy, and ready to have the time of my life.

The start line was kind of a blur. The National Anthem played, the cannons went off, and Wave 4 was on its way. There were military guys close to the start screaming and cheering for us! The bridge was quiet because no spectators were allowed on the bridge. I heard a rumor that advised you not to run near the edge of the bridge if you were on the bottom because the runners from the top pee of the edge and if it's a windy day, you could find it pissing rain. I don't see how that rumor could be true, but I ran on the inside nonetheless.

Once I made my way off the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn, the crowds didn't disappoint. People lined both sides of the street! Brooklyn was the longest and easiest borough. It was flat and fast which made it pass by quickly. I waited in line for a porta-potty around mile 9. My watch was set for 5 and 1 intervals (running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 minute), but I skipped a lot of walk breaks in Brooklyn. That could have been my demise toward the end of the race, but I was caught up in the energy of the crowd.  Queens was really short, but this is where my feet started to hurt. I think my activities from the pervious days were catching up to me. The Queensboro Bridge during miles 15-16 sticks out to me. I walked the bridge in an attempt to save my legs for the finish. No spectators were allowed on this bridge either, so I didn't feel bad walking. After mile 16, in Manhattan, I stopped at another porta-potty.

The Queensboro Bridge took me into Manhattan where the roar of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard. Manhattan definitely had the biggest crowd. This is where I really started slowing down and taking more walk breaks through the water/Gatorade stops. I really just wanted to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it! I encountered some hills on my way into the Bronx. They say the wall hits you at mile 20. Even though I was hurting, the wall didn't hit me as hard as it usually does at this point in a marathon. At the 20 mile mark, there are only 6.2 miles left. While that may not seem like a lot compared to how many I'd already completed, that is really where the race starts. It's where I give myself a gut check to see much I want it. Back in Manhattan making my way to Central Park, I struggled with the slight incline on the course. After 20 miles an ant hill feels like a mountain. I should have trained on more hills because the bridges and hills kicked my ass. I felt like everyone cheering my name was my friend. The people of New York are really what make this race so special.

I hit the wall at mile 23. I'd like to know who put those freaking hills in the last three miles of the race. I walked a lot, make one last pit stop and put in a new phone battery between miles 23 and 25. Not long after I passed mile 25, I tried going live on Facebook. It was a weak connection, but it connected and that's all that matters. After 25 miles, it's difficult to look good and strong. However, being live on Facebook was good motivation to not look like I was experiencing a lot of pain.  Hopefully, it wasn't too boring. Perhaps I should have talked more to make it interesting.  I was totally in the zone.

In the last mile, three moments stand out to me. The moment I saw mile 26, the moment I saw Taylor, and the moment I saw the finish line! When Taylor came into sight, words cannot express how great it was to see her. She was cheering me on and the look on her face told me how proud she was of me! I gave her a high five, which has to go down as the best high five in the history of high fives!  I took my time to take pictures of the mile markers, Taylor, and the finish line. As I was taking a picture of the finish line, I was overcome with a level of joy I've never felt before. Facebook Live lost connection as soon as I crossed the finish line, but I'm glad everyone that wanted to experience it with me was able to.  I didn't cry, I just relished in the moment of victory. No matter how difficult life gets with illness, I can't give up on the possibility of better days ahead. This was my best day! I was strong and healthy and I believe the future holds more days like.

I took pictures and posed for others. A volunteer placed my medal around my neck and I took and posed for more photos. I had to shuffle my way a half mile North to get out of the runner zone around the finish line. Thankfully, I opted for the post race poncho. The poncho is fleece lined and kept me warm on my trek to meet Taylor at the hotel. I was not moving very fast after the race. Everything hurt so good. My feet and legs were on fire. I found the subway I needed, but I had to wait for three trains because it was so crowded. While waiting for the train, I was reading through all of my messages and that's when tears found my cheeks. The support I had from family, friends, and co-workers was incredible!  Everyone seemed to understand how much this race meant to me and helped me embrace and celebrate it!

I stopped for coffee on my way back to the hotel, but once I was back Taylor was my hero! She helped me take off my shoes and took care of me! She went to the hotel restaurant and brought up burgers and fries to the room so that I wouldn't have to move. I was super sore after the race. It felt like I ran a marathon or something.

Overall, it was the race of a lifetime. Checked that off my bucket list, but I totally want to do it again!  Exploring New York City and sharing the marathon experience with Taylor made it a trip I will never forget. I think we made memories to tell for decades and I absolutely believe we would kick butt on the Amazing Race! THANK YOU, TAYLOR!!!

Energy

My energy is still lacking, but I think it is slowly improving. I have signed up for the Team Challenge virtual Turkey Trot to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. I'll be meeting up with Team Challenge peeps Saturday morning after Thanksgiving to get our trot on. I know I'm in no shape to run, so I plan to mostly walk.  I haven't exercised in months and my low iron and hemoglobin levels make exercising seem harder than it should be. I'm signed up for the Space Coast Half Marathon on Sunday after Thanksgiving. I told everyone I'm not doing the race. When I told them, it was what they wanted to hear and I also had no intention, at the time, to do the race.

Well, I'm starting to feel slightly better and I've started to consider doing the race. In fact, I'm doing the Turkey Trot with Team Challenge to test the waters to see if I think I could do Space Coast. I really want to do the race, but I don't know if my body is in agreement.  My body tends to be my biggest antagonist. I've done half marathons before without training. This is a little different because I'm not quite as healthy as I usually am. I don't know if I should start the race without knowing I'll definitely finish, or if I should only start the race if I know for sure I'll finish. Shouldn't I try? Isn't it better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all?  If I decide to do the race, I know it won't be easy. I can't say for certain that I'm mentally strong enough to fight through the inevitable walls that I would hit.  I feel like I need to taste the victory of the finish line even if it will likely be my worst half marathon to date.  That sweet taste of victory might be enough to motivate me to make it across the finish line.

That Thing I Used To Do

Do you remember that thing I used to do? That thing called running? Yeah, after three months of not running or working out at all, I decided to go for a run last week. Of course it was hot, it's summer time in Florida. I only went for a mile and a half and I walked toward the end. It was good to get back out there. Even though I was so sore the next day it was unbelievable. For crying out loud, I went for less than two miles.

Now that I've established I am in no physical condition I've decided to start training... again. I am so out of shape I have trouble thinking of myself as a long distance runner.  I'm starting back at the basics, which I should be used to doing by now. I have to build back up my base mileage. I know the hard work I'm going to have to put in and I know somewhere along the way I'll fall in love with running again.  Historically, I'm not very good at sticking with a training schedule, but I always start with good intentions.

I have registered for a couple of races as motivation to stick with the plan. I have the  Cocoa Beach Half Marathon at the end of October, the Space Coast Half Marathon at the end of November, and a half marathon in Mobile, Alabama at the beginning of January.  Here's to getting back out there and creating a healthy routine so that I don't become a lazy old lady.