Thoughts the Night Before the Race

I always have such random thoughts the night before a race. The longer the distance, the stranger the thoughts, but the 5k still produces its fair share of crazy. The Color Run 5k is tomorrow, and it is a great time to introduce the "Thoughts the Night Before the Race" series (TTNBTR...hashtag it, ha!)

It is 8 pm the night before the race. You are getting your flat runner together. You are setting out fuel, charging your garmin, and checking to make sure your pee is light enough to be considered hydrated. Everything is is awesome except the forest that is your legs. Sure, you could shave them, OR you could find a pair of race legs or over the calf compression socks, and then go back to that young adult novel about the werewolves (not that I know. Just speculating.)

Emily Gilmore does not approve.

No one will know. Blonde ladies, no one is getting blinded at the mile 2 split when the sun hits your legs just right and reflects a beam of death right into their eye. Nope, the ladies over at Sparkle Athletic have you covered (see what I did there?) Patriotic race legs? Try a star spangled time saver!

Now all you have to deal with is afterwards that weird feeling of leg hair being bent in the wrong direction for a couple of hours.

The inventor of marathon socks had to be a woman. 

I am the Teacup Runner, and this is my randomness for tonight. You're welcome.

-Teacup Runner

Change of Goals

I have been wresting with a decision all weekend. As most of you know, the decision to run a marathon has never been a solid one. My goal in all of this was to test the waters of training and see if I could manage it. The problem with this is I am doing just that. I'm managing. I don't want to manage. I want to fully enjoy and immerse myself in every aspect of the journey.

Last week was tough. I was sick with some sort of sinus thing, but still managed to only miss 1 training run. However, in addition to being sick, I was also in migraine predrome. I knew it was coming. I had the anxiety, I had the dizziness, I had the fatigue. Sure enough, it came on Saturday after a 7 mile hill repeat run. When I say hill repeat, I don't mean rolling hills, I mean monster hills at LM. I haven't run those hills in months, and I felt really great while doing it. I should have cut the run short, because the last two miles were filled with a sickening feeling along with wheezing. Fantastic. Make better choices, Audry.


Side note: I am beginning to think Anchorman is the gif theme to my running.

I had already been trying to decide if the marathon training should continue, and this did not help. Then an hour after my run the aura hit. I was down for 3 hours. Nausea, agonizing head pain, and no medicine regime or natural remedy was helping (and believe me, I tried them all). The postdrome "hangover" lasted almost 2 days. I felt like I was in the biggest fog on Sunday. It was one of those days where I plastered on a smile for every outing and thing I had to do, but in reality I probably looked like some sort of serial killer or pharmaceutical experiment gone wrong.



I read an article recently with the 5 questions you should ask yourself before running a marathon. The only one that mattered to me was, "Are you injured?" It went on to say being healthy before starting training was important, and I get that now. I am healthy overall, but I do NOT have a treatment plan or a supportive neurologist for my migraines. I can't fully commit and focus on training when I know every month at the same time I will have a week of hassle with these things. It's not just 1 migraine, it's all that comes with it. The cluster headaches, the dizziness, the extreme fatigue. To top it all off, RC Marathon falls on a migraine week. I know I can run a half without setting one off DURING the race. Beyond that is unknown territory for me. Right now I know I have a pattern, and I know I have triggers,  and my doctor won't listen to me. She insists I keep taking a combination of medications that do not work. I know there are doctors who will listen. So my new goal? Go see a doctor that has a reputation for taking these things into account, and find a better treatment plan. THEN when the migraines are under control, I can go from there. My hope is that by this time next year, I won't be dealing with this, and that I can really train the right way.

 I did not want to come to the final decision until after I had a GOOD run. Everyone runner knows not to make a rash call after a bad run. You just don't do it. I ran 4 stroller miles with E this morning in the cool of fall. We had a flat, met a snake, and still had a blast. More importantly, I still felt the same. I want more runs not confined to a training program. I want to focus on being well. I want to run more half marathons, because they are my favorite! Most marathons have the option to step down to a half even up to race day. Unfortunately there is no half with the marathon I was planning to run, but there is one a month earlier that I wanted to run so badly last year couldn't due to scheduling conflicts. The HSV Half also raises money for veterans, and really anytime I can run a race that helps out a cause at the same time, I am excited. So I signed up! I didn't realize how much I felt I was missing out on this race until I hit that register button.  13.1 miles in Huntsville's best fall weather... ahh! I can hear the leaves crunching now! This one fills up fast too, so I am glad I got in when I did.  Half # 4, November 8th, here I come!

As far as my sub 2 hour half goal, I'm still thinking Scottsboro. I have 3 races this fall (so far. That will change now that I am not marathon training!), and I just want to have fun. I don't want to feel burnt out. Burn out is a tool of Satan to steal the joy out of what we love. God gives us so much to enjoy and savor! What happened to the 12 mile runs I spent in prayer instead of pacing? Not that there is anything wrong with pacing, but for me, I have lost sight of the best part of running. We have been doing a bible study on Sunday nights about overburdening ourselves, trying to do it all, and losing sight of what is important. I once saw a phrase that said, "Stop the glorification of busy" that just really hit home for me. I am too busy! Running, much like a lot of other areas of my life, is meant to be enjoyed. If I stop enjoying it, I need to reflect and make a change. Today I did, and I have no doubt it was the right one for me.



This weekend I will be running the color run with two of the best gals I know. Stay tuned for a full report on that awesomeness. I am hoping I have the time to fashion a tutu for this, because obviously :)

Until then, Happy Running!

-Teacup Runner

"Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."-Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV

Week 6: Good Timing for a Step Back Week

Last week was a stellar training week! I ended up doing all my runs in a row due to how our home life schedule fell, which was actually really great practice for running on tired legs. I even did my cross training walk on Saturday with K, which really helped give my tired legs a boost. Despite the fact that my shoes are screaming at me that they are way over mileage, I felt like week 5 was a success! Total RUN ALL THE MILES feeling going on. Add to that the cooler temps coming in, and you have one happy mother runner.



 Monday was a rest day, which was good, because I woke up with a bad one sided headache and slight stuffiness on that side. When it happened again yesterday, I started fearing I was heading into another cluster headache, which can last several weeks, and last time ended up with a bad migraine that put me in the hospital for a day being pumped full of a med cocktail that made me want to rip my own skin off (I don't do medication well at all). The difference is this time I was not feeling any face tingling or weirdness. It felt like sinus pressure and a sinus headache. Sure enough, last night it hit me full blown, and though I did not wake up with another sinus headache, I definitely feel like I have a sinus infection going on. I guess I should have listened to the doctor and took the allergy medication RX'd, but yuck. Pills. Bleh. Stupid ragweed. Anyway, yesterday I managed to get 3 miles in on the mill, and then felt super light headed after. See, this is why you don't always need to push through. Runner logic says, "Oh hey, at least I got my run in before I completely collapsed! yay!" In reality, I should have taken those headaches as a warning that I needed to rest. Which brings us to today... rest day number 1.



I could possibly have to skip a couple of short runs for the first time this training plan. The good news is it is a step back week. Marathon plans have these so you don't kill yourself. Your body can rebuild and replenish, while still keeping yourself in "the groove" of running. My runs this week are supposed to go 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and then 7 miles. So no long run this week. I have decided to take today and possibly tomorrow off. If I can run my 7 miler Saturday, I'll call it a win. Since a sinus infection is above the neck, it technically falls into that rule that says I can run (though once I ran 12 miles with bronchitis, because runner logic. I wouldn't recommend it unless you like coughing up gross things along your run and making your recovery about 193847x worse than it has to be.) However the floaty pressure feeling in my head tells me it is not a good idea until I can at least breath a little easier.

So basically my house will be clean this week.

"Mom, how come I can see myself in the bathroom mirror now?"

Jumping topics here, I have decided when I replace my shoes in a couple of weeks that I am going to get a pair of compression socks. I feel like they would really help aid in recovery. I want to try them out on some long runs, and maybe wear them for the Monte Sano 15k coming up next month. I have been talking to some run buddies about their favorite brands and how they wear them, so I will ask here for variety : What is your favorite compression sock brand? Do you wear them during the race, after for recovery, or both? 

-Teacup Runner

"Whoever sows to please their flesh  from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life." -Galations 6:8 NIV

ZzZzZzz...

Disclaimer: my house is MESSY.

My training schedule got all turned around last week, because soccer games have started for my boys. I love soccer season, but I get considerably less rest this time of year (especially on weeks that the husband is working during the games, which is most of the time). Last week was the first week of games, and wow, I am tired. The trouble is I do not realize how tired I am until I cannot move at 8pm (or later) when we are finally home, and I have a 4:30 AM run calling my name. I am a night owl by nature, so I like to stay up and read or watch tv for a few hours when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. Problem is, I am soccer mom marathon training, and sleep is critical. So while I can usually get myself out the door to run at dawn after a marathon of Downton Abbey that lasted until midnight the night before, by like 10 AM I am worthless!



I think this is the mental aspect of training. I ran my long run last Tuesday and then just wiped out. The next training run I had no desire to do despite it being only 3 easy miles. My pace was great, but the humidity was making me mad, the utility crews all over the place were making me mad, the people running on the wrong side of the road were making me REALLY mad. Do these people just want to get hit by a car? Do not run with traffic! Run against it! It won't help you on my street, where people will go out of their way to run you in the ditch, but elsewhere it is a very safe practice. Safety freaking first, y'all.

I have been doing very well with making better food choices and eating more frequently. My new goal is to start going to bed no later than 10 when I have to be up for an early morning training run. I worked on this last week and did considerably better on the 4 miler and last 3 miler of the week. The 3 miler was also an afternoon run (thanks soccer!) in the mid 90s and full sun. I took my time and advantage of a neighbor's sprinkler system and did pretty good!


Okay, not that sprinkler, though I am a fan. Also, it is pretty much what I felt like when I spotted the sprinklers.


 Today I had to once again move my long run from Saturday to Tuesday. 10 miles, mid 70s, and super humid. It was overcast and I had a good breeze here and there. I came up with a plan to avoid carrying water and fuel. I used my front porch as a makeshift aid station.

So about halfway through my run I stopped back at home, ate 3 honey stinger chews, downed some water, and off I went. The honey stingers did not upset my stomach, but I really couldn't tell if it helped my energy. I think I should have taken another 30 min later. Still working on the fueling technique. Overall it was a good run, and I am less tired this week than I was after last week's 9 miler. I didn't sleep great last night, so I abandoned the 5 am plan and slept until 6:30 and ran after the boys went to school. I am hoping to manage to get out earlier for the rest of this week's runs. Mainly to avoid poisoning myself running past the 1,450 tru-chem/green lawn/having-an-unnaturally-green-yard-beats-breathing trucks along my route. Seriously, I am a fan of the sprinkler systems, but beyond that I do not get the lawn obsession.





So something fun coming up at the end of the month is The Color Run! I am normally way too cheap and paranoid about strange substances being shot at me while I run for something like this, but The Bestie talked me into it. She has been doing C25k and wanted this to be her first race. I am really excited to run this with her! We plan on wearing tutus and have a whole team doing it with us. I am happy to have a fun race to break up the monotony of training!

-Teacup Runner


"I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ NIV)

Run, Eat, Run, Eat, Run....

I think week 3 is right. Wow, am I already forgetting where I am in training? This is why it was worth the $9.99 to get the novice 1 app. That, and I have grown accustomed to having Hal shout at me when I was 500 meters left. So of any of you want to stand 500 meters from the finish at Rocket City and yell at me, I'm ok with it.

Please. I beg of someone, DO THIS.

Moving on. Last week was a step back week, which means I didn't really have a long run. My weekday runs were 3 miles, 4 miles, and 3 miles again with Saturday being 5 miles. The first 3 miler on Tuesday was boring on the treadmill, and I got the brilliant idea to lift weights afterwards. A little back story (that I may have already told), I got a wicked chest wall strain last May when I tried to rush some upper body stuff as a migraine was coming on. My form sucked and I paid for it. Then I continued to re injure it all summer. So I thought Tuesday I would very carefully lift some tiny 5 lb weights. Wednesday my chest was aching in one of the injury spots. Then I was SUPER SMART and decided to do my 4 miler on a hill route pushing Emmalyn in the jogger. However, runner logic, my pace was awesome! So what if I left body parts on the pavement somewhere around the 2nd mile?



Yeah. I felt like my pec was being ripped and my left boob was going to fall off. 600 mg of Motrin did nothing. So I walked around all day Thursday randomly "acking" and moaning and grabbing my chest. Friday morning when I got up it was stiff, but thankfully not hurting like it was. I ran 3 miles with K (my favorite weekly run!), and decided cross training can kiss my white and extremely toned runner butt. I am sure there is some sort of special exercise or PT for coming back from an injury like that, but I am just going to take the excuse to not work out my upper body and ignore it like any good runner would. Yoga and running and occasional trail walking. That's it. Frankly, I think flat ironing my hair and balancing lunch plates to the table for my gazillion (3) kids should count as upper body cross training.


Cross training and antioxidants.


Saturday's run was amazing. I was super tired heading out, but I pulled off negative splits again, and kept a great pace. It is hard to run at marathon pace for only 5 miles. Your instinct is to run much faster. The humidity helps slow me down for sure, but the effort was really easy on this run. An added bonus was smelling all of the awesome cookout prep going on. Southern runners know, once football season starts, your Saturday morning runs are just going to smell better. Often it is the motivation we need to run faster and get home to our own cookout and put those calories right back where they belong. Thunder thighs are not made by starving yourself, remember.

We can skip ahead to today, day 1 of week 4. I had to move my training around this week to accommodate soccer. I have to have the kids at the park for an 8 am game Sat, and the husband opens (which means he is gone by 4 AM). That left today or Friday for my long run. Since Friday is my friend run sanity time, I decided on today. Plus I had 2 days of rest and felt it would be better. 9 miles, 10:49 pace, great run. It was sticky humid, so I am glad I got out at sunrise. Again, this run felt mostly effortless. I went out the first mile too fast, but I pulled back and slowed it down to keep a good pace for the rest, and finished strong. I tried out a Gatorade chew for fuel at 5.5 miles on. Normally I do raisins on long runs, but I am needing more. I felt like I got a great jolt of energy. I didn't feel fatigued in the slightest, and I felt I could have gone another few miles easy, even finishing fast. My stomach was a little iffy with it, but it has also been a while since I have run more than 8 miles, so I am definitely trying them again on a longer run.

Another thing I noticed (other than that I forgot body glide again, and oh hey! There are those thunder thighs again!), my shoes need replacing badly. Mile 6 and my knees got that familiar ache. I need these to hold out until the end of the month despite the fact that I am over mileage in them. Fortunately I was able to walk for about a minute and then keep going. It's good, because I still need help remembering I will need to take walk breaks before I get tired in the marathon. Just a minute, long enough to recharge but not lose steam. I am getting better!

So that's today. I am basically worthless this afternoon. This felt like my first real long run of training. I'm pretty much just hydrating, eating everything in sight, and complaining to the husband that I am sooo sleepy every 5 minutes. He was great this morning and got the kids and up to school while I ran. I think it worked out better for my long run to be on his off day while the boys were at school.

Well, I am off to go eat more. Runchies wait for no one.



-Teacup Runner

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." -Psalm 126:3 NIV