My shiny new tri bike!!!

Yesterday, I bit the bullet and bought my bike--well, I guess I ordered it and paid for it, but I won't get it until they build it (probably 1-2 weeks). Still, I'm pretty psyched--I think I now have all the major gear lined up and ready to go...maybe I'm actually a triathlete after all.

After long deliberation and several late nights reading through the forums at slowtwitch.com, I ended up going with a Litespeed Tachyon frameset and ended the carbon vs. titanium debate in my mind by commiting to titanium. The Tachyon (named after a sub-atomic particle, incidentally) is Litespeed's low-end tri bike, but it's still a pretty sweet ride. I worked with Chris at the Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn to get the components figured out--I had some stuff nailed down, but he kept throwing questions at me on other stuff--sort of an overwhelming experience. Thankfully, I had conned Sue and Michele into coming down for the afternoon and being my moral support while I plunked down my credit card--their input was also much appreciated on things I wasn't sure on (wheelsets, for example).

Not that anyone else will care, but I went with Ultegra components across the board (10-speed 12-23 gearing with a compact crank to give me some extra flexibilty on the IM WI hills), bar-end shifters, Vision aerobars and bullhorn, standard Litespeed fork, Thompson seat stem, Shimano wheels for training (Chris kept calling them training wheels, which just makes me laugh and think about the training wheels I have when I was first learning how to ride a bike), and Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels for racing. Race wheels weren't in my original plan a few months ago, but they've sort of crept in there over the past month or so. I was torn between the Zipp 303 wheelset and the Mavic set I ended up with--at the end of the day, cost was the driving factor, and I can always upgrade to Zipps at some point down the road if I ever get fast enough where it will make a difference. I also let both Sue and Chris talk me into tubular wheels for my race set--which means I now have to learn how to change tubular tires in addition to knowing how to change clinchers (which will be on my training wheels).

I can't wait to get my bike--the worst part is going to be waiting to ride it until the weather gets a little better. It'll be a big adjustment to get used to riding in the aero position and to using the bar-end shifters, but I'm up to the task. And, one day later, I don't have too much buyer's remorse...and whatever remains will no doubt go flying out the window when I ride my bike for the first time. So, thanks to Sue and Michele for helping me spend my money (and for the much-needed Starbucks run after), and to Chris and the rest of the folks at the Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn for being awesome to work with and for building my dream bike!!! Bring it on!!!!!!

Weeks 34 and 33 wrap-up--IM training begins...

Week 34 marked the first week of my IM training program, and it's been a bit hectic adjusting to multisport training again from strictly running. The biggest adjustment has been finding the time to fit in multiple workouts in a day--more just an adjustment in my normal routine than anything. Plus, I had an early meeting Tuesday and commitments after work Thursday, so I had two early mornings to get workouts in--big adjustment for the non-morning person.

My swim stuff is going ok--the drills that are included in the program seem to help, particularly the pull drills, which has helped with my core rotation. And, it seems like I'm getting stronger--I can definitely feel my upper body muscles (funny thing about running--you don't really use the upper body much). My sit bones have also had a "fun" adjustment--after 2 weeks of being back on the bike, things are getting back to normal, but man it was uncomfortable for a few days!! I have to admit that I love my trainer--as much as I wish I could ride outside, I think it'll be bearable to get in my time inside as well (now if only I had a bigger TV...but maybe next year).

Last Saturday, some of us did a 5K trail run near Rockford--one would think that a 5K would be a no-brainer for one who just ran a marathon, but I have to admit it kicked my butt. We ran through about 6" of snow and it was true trail run--hills, tree trunks, bridges, etc.--and of course my pride got in the way and I took off faster than I should've...plus I kept landing wrong on my left ankle. All in all, it was a much harder run than I expected--fun, but tough. I'm going to miss the 10K in the series, but will be back for more pain for the 15K and 20K runs to round out the trail run series...guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

Monday night was the first meeting of the Ironman Mondays seminars, held at a gym in the city. Jeremy and I both signed up and went--the first session was on training programs and some basic do/don't items associated with training. Big learning for me this week--better to use mileage than time to gauge run training...that's already caused me to make some adjustments to my program. The seminars are led by two normal people who have both done IM Wisconsin before--not pros--and I think it's going to be an interesting series. Next month's topic is on nutrition--I'll definitely be taking lots and lots of notes on that.

Some other quick learnings/observations over the past two weeks...

1. I'm never going to catch up on sleep until this is all over. As much as I've tried to get to bed earlier, it really is tough...and Sue basically told us to expect to be tired for the better part of the year anyway.
2. I'm never to going to catch up on laundry. Between the towels for the pool, tri shorts, running shorts, bike shorts, and all of the assorted items that go on top, I'm pretty well convinced I'm going to burn up the motors on my washer and dryer.
3. My time management skills are improving but have a long way to go.
4. I'm a much slower swimmer than the guy who wrote the training program. If his estimated workout time is 45 minutes, I'm pretty much guaranteed to take an hour. Oh well...
5. Drills (both in the pool and on the bike) help break up the monotony of the workout, but I still don't care for kick drills in the pool or isolated leg drills on the bike. Feels sort of like eating broccoli as a child--I know it's good for me, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
6. The smell of chlorine is nauseating after a while (not to mention the joy of the crazy dry skin it causes).
7. Thank God I have understanding friends--two weeks into the program and I'm already running late for dinners, gatherings, etc. and forgetting to call people back...yikes!!
8. Week 1 of IM training involved more time than the longest week of marathon training...again, yikes!!

Here's the wrap up for both weeks...

Week 34
Swim: 3:03:15 / 7650 m
Bike: 3:25:15 / 51.05 miles
Run: 2:16:16 / 12.78 miles
Total: 8:44:46 / 68.58 miles

Week 33
Swim: 2:26:37 / 7700 m
Bike: 3:45:54 / 57.18 miles
Run: 2:31:21 / 13.77 miles
Total: 9:05:52 / 75.74 miles

Next week will be interesting--I have a business trip to New Jersey and then I'm staying a couple extra days to hang out with my friend Jenny...I think we're going swimming Friday morning out there, but we'll see how the rest of my workouts fit in. Should be fun...

Weeks 36 and 35 Wrap-up

Well--I guess I'm finally catching up with the post-marathon tracking (and/or the start of my IM training program kicked me into high gear to get caught up). Not that the week of the marathon or the following week were anything spectacular from a training standpoint, but still--it drives me nuts to get behind. So, here's the skinny on weeks 36 and 35 (aka race week and recovery week, respectively)...

Week 36:
Run: 5:32:33 / 34.8 miles (including the race)
Bike: 0
Swim: 0:28:00 / 1300 m
Strength: 0

Week 35:
Run: 0
Bike: 0:55:00 (all on trainer w/o computer)
Swim: 0:57:00 / 2450 m
Strength: 0

Total from 9/12/05 (IM sign-up) to start of IM program (1/16/06):
Run: 91:07:37 / 565.49 miles
Bike: 2:35:00 (again, all on trainer w/o computer)
Swim: 8:07:00 / 19750 m
Grand Total: 109:49:37 (just over 4.5 days)

I'll post the week 34 wrap-up (aka the first week of IM training for me) later...I'm trying to get to bed earlier so as to get more rest, etc., etc., but it's messing up my blogging, darn it!

Redefining the Impossible

Vardo gave me an awesome birthday gift recently—she framed a bunch of different sayings/mottos that she found in a book given to her by some of our friends. [Speaking of Vardo, she is now Aunt Vardo—her brother and his wife had twins last week, and she is, as near as I can tell, bouncing off the walls with pride over her nieces. If you haven’t visited her blog lately (or ever), she’s got pictures…check out www.imwisconsin.blogspot.com for all of the aunt-ly pride.]

The sayings are things like “create memories”, “believe in yourself”, “have an adventure”, and “see for yourself” (among many others), but the one that my eye continues to hit first is “redefine the impossible”. I think that phrase really captures the past year of my life in a simple but elegant phrase. “Impossible” is a word that I’ve used in the past to describe many things, like the odds of me running a marathon or voluntarily getting up in the morning to exercise…things that are no longer impossible but wholly conquerable. It still amazes me that the human spirit can turn things around so quickly (or what seems quickly, at least)—one can go from a state of near despair to a state of euphoria just by changing one’s attitude and lifestyle, or, at least, that’s what happened in my life. I’m not sure what I would define as impossible now—at this point, I’ve ended up eating so many words I’m thankful they don’t have WW points attached to them—could be I’ve finally caught onto the fact that I really can do anything if I put my mind to it. That’s probably the coolest thing that’s happened on my weight loss journey—and certainly the most empowering.

So, the wall that I hit on my first marathon doesn’t seem so tall anymore…while the last couple of miles were tough, they certainly weren’t impossible, and now that I know what to expect, the next race won’t be as rough. Same thing applies to IM, I think—I know it’ll be a long, tough day, but I also know that what I originally thought of as impossible is totally within my reach…and damn it, I’m going to reach it.

So, Vardo, thanks for the gift—it rocks, as does our friendship, and allow me to state for about the millionth time that I’m so psyched we’re doing this IM thing together (well, from a distance, but together in spirit, at least). It’s hanging in my bathroom so I can see it before I leave in the morning and right before I go to bed at night (plus, if you know me at all, you know I do some of my best thinking in that particular room). It’s there to remind me to “be new and improved”, “make every moment count”, “create balance”, “live good”, and, of course, “redefine the impossible”.

26.2--The Recovery

It’s now been over a week since Disney, and I think I’m more or less recovered. Last week was a little rough—I was pretty much wiped all week, although I have to admit I haven’t slept that soundly in a long time. I took it very easy from a training standpoint last week—a short swim Wednesday, a brief stationary bike ride Thursday, and a mile swim Friday, followed by a day off Saturday (had a baby shower for a cousin in Dubuque and then hung out with my mom afterward) and a 30 minute spin session on my trainer on Sunday. I’ll get the weekly wrap-ups for the past couple of weeks out at some point—maybe this weekend—but last week will be pretty much a goose egg across the board.

It seemed like every day last week brought a new ache or pain to the surface. Sunday after the race, my hamstrings and the outside of my thighs were fatigued, but didn’t hurt too much (although my hamstrings seized up pretty tight every time I tried to stand). Monday morning, my quads made their presence known in a big ugly way (and kept on screaming through Tuesday). Advil became my friend, stairs became frighteningly sadistic, and toilets—well, those were just plain mean (although following Vardo’s advice, they were a whole lot more manageable if they came in the handicapped stall with the arm rails). It was slow going, to say the least, and it seemed to amuse my work friends.

By Wednesday, my quads were back to a manageable level of discomfort, at which point my joints started whining a little—not too bad, but my knees and hips definitely took a beating during the run (to be expected, I guess). And, through it all, my two toes that had previously possessed the lovely black toenails continued their deformation—they were really hurting after the race and it appears I now have blisters on calluses on blisters on those toes. Other than the fact that, if I cared, I’ll be avoiding sandals for a while (and, incidentally, I don’t care, so I’ll wear sandals if I darn well please), my toes at least don’t hurt anymore. So, all told—I’m feeling good and seem to be recovered. I will admit, though, I’m glad Jeremy experienced similar aches and pains, and Erin and Vardo both validated my pain with tales of their marathon recoveries—not that I’m paranoid, but there is comfort in knowing my pain was normal.

On a side note, my co-workers and friends rock…Theresa decorated both Jeremy’s and my cubes with congratulation banners, confetti, and ribbon, and my friend Renee coordinated with other co-workers and bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Tuesday. I took my medal and photos to my WW meeting last week for some show and tell—it was pretty cool to share with that group as they are a huge reason why I am where I am today. Ed, our leader, gave me 26 Bravo stars (little silver star stickers we get when we try something new, have a non-scale victory, etc.)—he said they can’t compare with the Mickey medal, but I have to admit I don’t know that I agree with that—they’ll be going in my scrapbook (assuming I actually do one at some point) along with the rest of my race stuff. He also compared weight loss to a marathon—starts out pretty easy, gets a little rough, can involve slamming into a wall, but the finish makes it all worthwhile. A pretty fitting analogy, I think…

So, back to reality. We started IM training yesterday—so far, so good, but I can tell I haven’t spent enough time on the bike lately (the “sit bones” are screaming—will be moving to bike shorts instead of tri shorts for a little while to let things adjust), nor have I spent any time on swim drills, which seem to take forever. But, it’s all in the name of progress, and with two days down, it does indeed seem progressive. Weird to think that I’m training for something in September, but then again, it’s pretty weird to think that I’m training for IM at any time. Such is life…and what a good life it is…

26.2--The Weekend

After a week, I figured it was probably time to post the highlights from last weekend--more so because I'll forget them eventually than any pressing societal need for me to share them with the world. So...all that said, here's a quick run-down of the WDW Marathon Weekend, as told by me...

Friday morning, Amy, Nate, Jeremy and I all convened at Chicago's lovely Midway airport to catch our flight to Orlando. Thankfully, Midway's somewhat renovation included the addition of a Starbucks kiosk in the Potbelly's--always helpful when one has been training with two crazy-addicted coffee-aholics and has also acquired said addiction. I think all 4 of us managed to sleep at least a little on the plane following a rough week--Jeremy had been out sick a couple of days and Nate and Amy stayed up to watch the entire 3 OT Penn State bowl game (go Lions)--no excuse for me other than I always seem to nod off on planes. When we got to Orlando, Jeremy, Nate, and Amy took off to pick up a rental car (the mighty Pacifica) and head to their hotel, while I headed to the terminal Starbucks to wait for Sue and Michele (and my ride to our hotel).

We went straight to the Expo at Disney's Wide World of Sports(after Michele unleashed the demons within on the state of Florida and the "no fault" laws--I've never seen her that passionate about a topic before and it was amusing). We picked up our race bibs and chips--which caused me to have a moment of panic about that fact that I was actually going to do a marathon--somehow my bib brought a level of reality to the situation that my alomst-600 miles of training had not yet. We cruised through the expo area and checked out the vendors--I picked up a new race number belt from Fuel Belt and a Disney Marathon running cap. Loved the shirt slogans from the One More Mile folks--stuff like "running is my Prozac", "will run for food", and "26.2 and still smiling"--but didn't pick any up. Also tried the new Clif blocks--sort of a gummy bear-type texture for gel/electrolyte-type stuff--pretty good stuff and I think I'll be purchasing some to try in training.

We checked into our hotel rooms and met for a quick 1.5 mile run around the resort--took it nice and slow, but it was a great way to stretch out a little and also to learn my way around the resort (which was way bigger than I expected). Downtown Disney was next--we met up with the rest of the group (including Nicole and Brian who arrived previously) for dinner and began the carbo-loading process. As most of the group had to be on a shuttle bus by 4 am Saturday, we made it an early night. I think I was in bed attempting to sleep by 9 pm EST--pretty crazy for a night owl, but at least I got a decent night's sleep.

Jeremy picked me up at 6 Saturday morning so we could cheer on the half-marathoners--neither of us really knew where we were going or where good viewing areas were, so we headed over to Epcot. We ended up taking the monorail to the ticket and transportation center, which was at about mile 4 on the half course. We got there in time to see Nate and Amy run by and hung around a little longer to see if we could catch Sue--we found out via text message updates that Sue was blowing her anticipated pace out of the water and was actually ahead of Nate and Amy. We hopped back on the monorail and got to the finish too late to see Nicole (who had an awesome 1:47 race) but just in time to see Michele finish, followed not too long after by Sue. As the two Goofy participants, they had thought they were going to take it easy on the half, but both felt great and had awesome runs. We caught up with Sue and Michele after they made it through the various post-race lines--they were both freezing (it was really cold--45-ish and windy), so we cranked up the heat in the mighty Pacifica and headed back to the resort.

My dad and sister arrived around noon, and we met Sue and Michele for lunch at the hotel. I knew the weekend would go well (it was the first time my dad and sister had met my friends and training buddies) when I got to the table and my dad was talking fishing with them. After lunch, Dad, Kristie and I headed back to Downtown Disney to hang out--we gave Dad grief about him taking his two 30-something daughters to Disney World. We bummed around the various shops, admired the incredible Lego exhibits, and grabbed some yummy coffee at Ghiradelli. I'm SO glad they were both able to come down for the weekend--it was great to have some quality father/daughter time!

We headed to Brio Tuscany in Orlando proper (actually in a really nice mall) with most of the gang for dinner--Nate and Amy's friend Mike joined us as well. Great pasta (no mushrooms in mine, though--no need for extra "rocket fuel" prior to the race) and good company...no wine, though, but we'll chalk that up to a temporary sacrifice. After a quick stop at Super Target for bananas, water, and Diet Coke (my pre-race necessities), we headed back to the resort. My dad and sister took off to find a bar to hang out for a while, and I attempted to sleep...sadly, I ended up watching the replay of the Texas/USC championship game instead as I couldn't get to sleep. I would estimate I maybe got 2 hours of sleep Saturday night--my brain just wouldn't stop.

The early morning hours of Sunday are detailed in an earlier post, so I won't go through that again. After the race, we all headed back to our respective locations. Following Sue's advice, Dad and I went to the "quiet pool" in my area of the resort and I sat in the cool water for a while to try to help my legs--the natives probably thought I was nuts as it was still only ~65 or so out, but the pool was heated and it was really quite nice. I then proceeded to take the longest, hottest shower of my life to get rid of the layer of salt that had accumulated from evaporated sweat--always a pleasant after-effect.

We met up with Sue, Michele, and Jeremy and headed over to the Boardwalk area for lunch--we originally had planned to hit the ESPN Zone there, but opted to go to the brewpub instead. The bartended graciously agreed to wait on us so we could be seated outside--at that point, I was starving, so I was thrilled. We ordered some celebratory beers and food and enjoyed the Florida sun. We tried to figure out the course route through the Boardwalk area--the four of us couldn't really agree. My recollection was crappy at best as that was the roughest part of the race for me...I could really only remember running on the wood sidewalks and didn't remember squat about anything else. We all started to fade after a couple of beers, so we headed back to our hotels for a quick nap before dinner (Michele also showed off by darting up and down the stairs at the Boardwalk--both Jeremy and I were bitter at that point).

After a solid hour nap, we headed back to Orlando proper for dinner--we had made reservations at Seasons 52, which features items under 475 calories and was very intriguing to Sue and me from a WW perspective. It was a great restaurant--fantastic wine list for a post-race toast and yummy food. The desserts are served in little shot glass-type glasses--hard to explain but absolutely delicious. We called it a night after that and headed back for some much-needed sleep.

After meeting Sue and Michele for breakfast, Dad, Kristie and I headed to the airport. My flight was about 2 hours after theirs, so I waited with them at the gate--talked with a person on their fight who had also run the marathon. After hugging them goodbye as they boarded, I went over to my gate area and ended up waiting in line (in good Southwest form) with four other marathoners--when we walked down the jetway to board the plane, we were all walking slowly and all laughed when one of the women behind me groaned in pain--we were all feeling it at that point. There were probably at least 10 people on my flight who ran either the half or the marathon--at least those with either race gear or visible medals.

It was a great weekend overall--I had a great time hanging out with the Kraft gang as always, and I'm glad my dad and sister were able to come as well. Apparently my dad hasn't stopped talking about the weekend (at least according to my mom, who "watched" the race by pacing back and forth by their computer), so it sounds like he had a good time, too--hopefully Kristie would agree as well. All in all--great first marathon, from start to finish (even with those crappy miles 22-24 thrown in the mix).

To everyone who sent emails, cards, text messages, voice mails, prayers, and happy thoughts my way--THANKS A TON!!! They helped me get through the rough spots during the race, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support! You all rock...nuff said.

More on my post-race recovery coming tomorrow...need sleep now...

26.2--A picture's worth a thousand words...

Some photos from the Disney marathon...

1. Jeremy, Michele and Sue looking lovely in Tyvek at the pre-race gathering area. Notice the lovely hoods Sue and Michele are sporting--nothing like having your own resident HAZMAT team ready to go.

2. Me with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl in the Magic Kingdom at approx. mile 10 (photo courtesy of Michele).

3. Michele and I at mile 13 and going strong (photo courtesy of Kristie and/or my dad--can't remember who got this one).

4. Michele and I at the finish (post initial tears on my part but prior to getting our medals) (photo again courtesy of Kristie or my dad through the fence).

5. The whole Kraft gang (except for Nicole) -- me, Jeremy (the "I ran a 3:43 with a broken pinky toe" guy), Sue (Goofy #1), Michele (Goofy #2), Amy and Nate (1/2 marathoners who cheered us on at mile 18 and the finish).

26.2--Recollections from the Road

It's now been a day since I completed my first marathon (WDW Marathon in Orlando, FL). I'm sore, my legs are shot, I'm completely wiped out from a messed up sleep schedule, and yet I'm thrilled beyond belief. I finished in 4:11:15--my goal (at least publicly) was 4:30, with a personal "I'll be totally psyched if I can hit it" goal of 4:15--all told, I'm amazed at how things went. I owe a HUGE shout out to my friend and training partner Michele--we ended up running the whole race together and, even though I'm sure she could've finished at least a few minutes ahead of me, she stuck with me through my rough patches and helped me through them. I should also add that she ran the 1/2 marathon the day before as well--so she's one of the inaugural Goofy Challenge medal winners (along with Sue, too). The highlights of the whole weekend will follow in a separate post, but here's my recap of the race.

Sunday 4:00 am EST: Sue, Michele, Jeremy and I met up in the lobby area of the Coronado Springs Resort. It was really freaking early, and, no surprise to me, I slept like crap Sautrday night because my brain just wouldn't shut off. We drove to Epcot in lieu of taking the shuttle so we could stay warm in the car until the absolute last possible second. Lots of bodily function talk in the car--good for some laughs and settling some nerves.

5:20 EST: We made our way out to the gathering area decked out in our finest disposable clothing. It was cold--35-ish--but warmer than Saturday morning was. Jeremy opted for shorts while the rest of us went for a tri short/tight combo due to the cool weather. Tyvek painters coveralls and scented trash bags (or, as Jeremy called them, smelly) completed our lovely ensembles and made us look like characters from a bad science fiction movie, but we were warm. Port-a-potty lines were long...guess that's what happens when 11,000 people run a marathon.

5:50 EST: Along with our fellow runners, we made our way to the start. After quick hugs and high fives, Jeremy and Sue peeled off to join the blue corrals (assigned by the good folks at Disney), while Michele and I took off for the red corrals. Michele was supposed to be in the E corral but she ended up joining me back in the F corral so we could run together and attempt to execute our joint race plan. We shed our lovely Tyvek suits and a couple of old long-sleeve t-shirts and got ready to run.

5:58 am EST: Fireworks kicked off the run and we started, crossing the timing mat about 3 1/2 minutes after the fireworks. The race began. The first 3.5 miles were in and around Epcot, then we joined up with the blue corral folks at about mile 3.75. Jeremy passed us shortly thereafter, said hi (we were both visible in our bright yellow Kraft jackets) and kept on flying. I have a picture of his back (I carried a disposable camera with me) to capture the moment.

Michele and I originally had planned to start off slower at ~10 minute miles for about the first 4-5 miles, then evaluate where we were and hopefully adjust our pace down by 5-10 second increments until we hit a comfortable race pace. We had also agreed to run together for maybe the first 10 miles, then split up if one of us felt better than the other or if things weren't going well for us running together. Mile 1 was decent at 10:13, but given the number of people we were manuvering around, we probably should've back off a bit for mile 2, which came in at 9:00. Miles 3-4 were ~9:25-9:30, but 5 and 6 were both sub-9...we kept chastising ourselves for not pacing better according to plan, but somehow managed to not improve at all. We at least made it back over 9-minute miles after mile 6, but our race plan had pretty much flown out the window by that point. The course was pretty cool--by that point, we had run through Epcot and were heading toward Magic Kingdom. At about mile 7, the sun started to come up and we could see beyond the people in front of us. Michele (who ran Disney last year as well) pointed out Cindarella's castle in the distance--the spires were visible over the trees and were beautiful in the dawn light (and that's from a non-Disney person). It was really pretty cool to watch the sun rise over the Disney complex...

At about mile 9, we were at the transportation and ticket center (aka the monorail hub) and we saw my dad and sister in their Iowa State attire (easy to spot)--I have a picture of Kristie taking a photo of me, and a stunning one taken by her of me handing her my gloves and headband (Michele dropped some stuff off as well). Just seemed easier than carrying them the whole way when we didn't need them any longer. It was really cool to see familiar faces in the crowd--I was still feeling awesome at that point, pacing notwithstanding, so I had a big smile for them, too.

Just before we entered Main Street USA, I had a slight equipment malfunction when I got a little excited over hearing one of the Cubs color commentators doing a recorded message for the runners. I was thinking I might ditch my jacket with my sister at mile 13, so I started rearraning gel packets that I had in my jacket pockets. I started jumping up and down with excitement over the Cubs, which casued some gel packs that I had tucked between my tights and tri shorts to fall down my leg and get trapped between my tights and calf. I had to stop to take care of things--Michele helped me rescue the gels and we were on our merry little way. After that debaucle, I went with the safer (though more chafe-inducing) option of sticking the gels inside my tri shorts--worked fine for the remainder of the run, although I ended up keeping my jacket the whole way anyway.

Running onto Main Street USA was one of the coolest things I've experienced (after we were through it I told Michele it was in the top 5 best life experiences I've had)--I'm totally NOT a Disney nut, but it was SO COOL to see all of the people, the Christmas tree, and the whole of Disneyworld in front of us. I had a huge smile on my face the whole way. Michele snapped a quick pic of me with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl along the way, and I got one of her right before we went under Cindarella's castle. The race photographers were right after the castle--we both smiled big, so hopefully we'll get some good pics from that as well. The Magic Kingdom part of the race was really cool--lots of Disney characters and staff members to cheer us on and, as cheesy as it was, lots of fun Disney music playing over the loud speakers.

We ran out of Magic Kingdom and over a random grated drawbridge--that was a little awkward, but thankfully short--and headed toward Animal Kingdom. We saw a lot of the Disney grounds along the way, including the edge of a golf course where Michele almost got busted by the groundskeepers when she veered off the course to answer nature's call along the way. We saw my dad and sister again at mile 13, gave them a big thumbs up, and kept going. At the half-way point, I felt great--we were at a ~2:05 half pace, which was great and better than I expected. We were also running pretty well together and neither of us seemed anxious to break away, so we kept at it.

At about mile 15, we passed the water treatment facility, which was really not that pleasant. It smelled much like most water treatment places do, which made the gel I was trying to eat taste even worse than it should have. But, such is life...and we were still making good time. We hit Animal Kingdom at around mile 16 or so (can't remember exactly when)--at the entrance, there was a staff member who had a beautiful owl perched on her arm, which was cool. That was the only animal we saw, but, given my HR was already at race pace, it's probably OK that the lions and tigers stayed far away. We ran towards the new Everest exhibit, at which point Michele tried to get me to believe we had to run up the mountain...humor that really wasn't all that funny at mile 16-17.

At about mile 18, we passed Nate and Amy, fellow Kraft teammates who ran the half marathon on Saturday. It was awesome to see familiar faces at an unexpected part along the course--they gave me (and I think Michele, too) a big boost of energy, which was much needed at that point. After Animal Kingdom, we started in on what I found to be the toughest part of the course, which was the long stretch along Osceloa Parkway and into MGM/Grand from mile 18-22. Mentally, this was tough as it was basically a straight shot of highway without the distraction of the parks, spectators, or bands that we had to help us along the way up to that point. Plus, when I hit the 20-mile mark, I started thinking about how I hadn't ever run that far yet, which didn't help. Michele asked me what my real goal was at about mile 19 (we all seem to have goals that we share with others and those that we really want to hit but are afraid to share in case we don't hit them)--I was reluctant to tell her, but finally shared that I really wanted to break 4:15 (my public goal was 4:30). We were well on pace to hit the 4:15 and, at least from what she told me, her goal was just to finish strong in light of her solid half marathon run the day before, so we back off a bit to recover. From mile 20 on, our mile splits slowed a bit--largely due to me and the fact that I really just couldn't keep up the 9:15-9:30 pace we had been hitting. We slowed to 9:30-10:15 for the rest of the run (mile 25 was a whopping 10:52 thanks to a long walk through an aid station), but my HR was still pretty high. At some point along the way, Michele started giving me pep talks and little pieces of advice--how to stretch my quads while running, to relax on the downhills to get my HR back in manageable range, relative distances vs. the trails we trained on, etc. She told me later Sunday afternoon that she could tell I was starting to hurt from my breathing--as I said really early in this post, I owe her a big shout out for keeping me going.

At the mile 21 aid station, there was a DJ playing country music--happened to be Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Know" song as we were turning onto the ramp to head to MGM/Grand. That got me thinking about how different my life if now than it was (and it's not even a remotely sappy song), which made me think about my WW group, which got me a little choked up, which made my breathing and HR even worse. So, I resorted to reading the cheesy yet entertaining signs along the road sponsored by Sharpie--things like "What's your favorite Happy Days episode?" (Michele and I agreed that we didn't care as long as the Fonz was there) or "Why do you drive on the parkway and park on the drive way?". At that point, it was distraction, and that was good. The mile markers also had motivational quotes on them--I think it was either mile 20 or 21 that had one of my all-time favorite quotes--"Do or do not. There is no try." from Yoda in "Star Wars".

MGM/Grand was next--I wish I was less focused on putting one foot in front of the other at that point, but I really don't remember too much beyond the costume area (which was cool) and the main city street that we ran down. There was another photo area by the big Mickey Fantasia hat--I plastered a smile on, but it'll probably look more like I'm constipated in the picture. We ran under Buena Vista Drive and into the Boardwalk area from there--otherwise known as the "wall" that I hit.

Just before the aid station at mile 24, I started to unravel a little--I got pretty lightheaded and my legs were seriously fatigued. Again, Michele kept talking me through things--I found out later she was dealing with some abdominal cramping, too, but yet she kept me going--but I was not having much fun. I took both Powerade and water at the aid station and started feeling a little better--still don't remember much about the Boardwalk other than we ran on a wooden sidewalk for most of that area--actually quite a welcome change from the concrete sidewalks in MGM/Grand. But, I kept putting one foot in front of the other and kept running--not as fast as we were at the beginning, but fast enough to break the 4:15 mark.

We crossed under another road and ended up in Epcot again--when I recognized where we were I smiled for the first time in probably 8-9 miles, dug my camera out of my jacket pocket, and started snapping photos as we ran. I kept holding Michele back--she tends to take off when she gets excited--and at one point told her to go on and that I'd meet her at the finish line, but she just looked back at me and said that we were going to hit the finish chute together, end of story. Again, it was awesome having her support along the way--I'm pretty sure I would've resorted to walking if she hadn't kept me going. We wove through Epcot and out into the parking lot area--the finish line loomed ahead, and I knew I just had to keep going. We saw Nate and Amy again--Michele wanted to pose for a quick pic, but I was so wiped I knew I just had to keep plowing ahead, so I trudged on to the finish. We crossed about darn near the same time--I did manage to smile for the camera and raise my arms in triumph before I started to cry. My dad and sister were right at the finish, and I saw them as soon as I had my chip removed and got my medal, which made me cry again.

Michele and I posed for our post-race pics and made our way through the refreshment and gear check areas. The song that was playing when I came out of the gear check tent was "Shake It Up"--fairly obscure and a song that I had only heard previously while on a trip to the Bahamas with some very good friends (Vardo and company). I started crying yet again because the song reminded me of my friends...I think Michele thought I was nuts, but who cares. We met up shortly thereafter with Jeremy, who had an AWESOME run of 3:43, even with a badly jammed pinky toe, and my dad and sister, and Sue came cruising in a short time after with a sub-5 hour race, which blew her goal out of the water, too. All in all, a great day and great weekend for the Kraft team.

As a whole, the race was great--well-run, awesome volunteers , and fun scenery. I wasn't thrilled with the on/off ramps that were part of the course, and the stretch from mile 18-22 was pretty brutal mentally, but I think I'll definitely be doing Disney again at some point in the future. I learned a lot--most importantly that I can do the distance, but also that I have a long way to go mentally to prepare for IM WI. I'll get there, but I'm glad I did this first to help me ID where my weak points are from a mental toughness standpoint.

I'd be an idito to not give credit where credit is due....so BIG HUGE thanks to my dad and sister for making the trek to Orlando to cheer me on; to Sue, Jeremy, and Erin for convincing me that I could do a marathon in the first place; to Vardo and Sparkle for their continued help, advice, and encouragement; to Michele for being an awesome and patient training partner; and to Sue and Michele for the post-run recovery dinners, movies, and friendship. It's been quite a road, and I am totally psyched to start the IM training next week!!!

I'll post more on the rest of the weekend and my musings along the way later, but, frankly, I'm sore, tired, and ready to call it a day...

Week 37 Wrap-up (Reality Hits)

I'm amazed at how quickly time is flying by...seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago that I actually signed up for this crazy marathon thing, and now it's less than a week away. Not to mention the fact that Sue reminded us today that there are only 251 days until IM WI...and a mere week and a half until we start IM training.

Much like Vardo felt when she put her training program on paper, I nearly had a heart attack this weekend when Sue (who has graciously done the lion's share of planning for the five of us) showed me the training program...this summer in particular is going to be intense. Our program is largely based on that found at trifuel.com, and, while I had spent a fair amount of time reviewing the program, I guess I never really added up the weekly totals. There are several weeks that border on 20-hour training weeks--those will definitely push my work/life balance issues to get resolved in a hurry. But, it seems solid and well-designed, and with the embellishments Sue baked in (race schedules, mid-week rides with a local cycling club, etc.), I think we'll all be in great shape to give IM WI our best shot. Nonetheless, I'm realizing that this coming year will most definitely be one in which IM training has my singular focus--a few adjustments here and there to accommodate family events and hopefully a little time with friends, but by and large, it's going to be a year filled with swimming, biking, running, working, eating, and sleeping (which I also need to bump up).

But, that's a week and a half away...I've got a marathon to get through first--I'm still fired up for it and even said as much in our WW meeting today...got a little "bravo" star for it, too. I've started laying out clothes to pack--so far I just have my running stuff ready to go, and, as my standard packing practice goes, I have lots of options. It's supposed to be cool Sunday--low of ~45 and high of ~65 F--but I'm hoping I can get by with shorts in lieu of tights...being the anal engineering-type that I am, though, I'm packing for all weather occasions, at least on the run. It's a super easy week training-wise--very much tapering into the race with a whopping 9 miles run between today and Saturday, then obviously race day on Sunday.

Here's the summary from Week 37...

Run: 3:41:36 / 24.21 miles
Bike: 0
Swim: 0
Strength: 0:20:00 (core)

Goal for Week 36: Cross the finish line at Disney with a smile on my face...in whatever time it takes (it's a PR regardless, after all). I definitely have a goal in mind, but all in all, I'm gunning for a finish--I figure I've got a lot of years to break my PR if I want to. Wish me luck...and BRING IT ON!!!!