By This Time Next Week...

By this time next week, I'll be a marathon finisher. I'm not peeing my pants a little, YOU'RE peeing your pants a little!

Last week's runs included a 6 miler from school to CHS, a surprise 3 miler Friday AM (I thought it was 4 until I was just about ready to go!) and an 8 miler turned 3 miler, because rain. 

It was an exciting weekend for my fundraiser--with some helpful tips from my super-accomplished raiser of funds cousin, Kym, I was able to find my big girl voice and send out some personal email and messages to friends and family--and boy did they come through! In a matter of two days I was able to raise over $300 more towards my goal. I am now a mere $35 away from the $500 minimum. I am super pumped, and can't thank you all enough. There's still time left to donate :)

https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Race-to-Raise

My last long wish run on the Oak Leaf. So much beauty along their.

Ran all the way to good old CHS to watch JoBro play some soccer. Worth it!

Never have I ever not been a sweaty mess after a run!

Loved my Friday AM run. The village was beautiful. Edison lights are my favorite 💗

All set for a great 8 miler, last long run of training.  My darling wife assured me there was no rain coming (yes, dear, I'm throwing you under the bus!) so off I went, against my better judgement. I made it one mile before the rain started. And another two before I had to take shelter and call for my aforementioned darling wife to come and get me. I was debating going to the gym to finish it out, but my running bestie gave me permission to just rest--so I did.

Training Week Something

Now that my long run is done, I'm really really enjoying the taper. Still mentally preparing for my marathon as I go, but having a little fun with running. Watching my miles go down, and my times go up! 

Started out Tuesday strong, ready to go at 5AM.  Just 5 miles

It also makes me wonder, when I come across a deserted child's bike, in a place where one should not be. What happened here? Where is the child?

Got super hot mid-run, and tied my shirt around my waist, 90s kid playground style.  Ended the run smiling because this was my fastest 5 mile run ever at 56:35.

I've really been enjoying my mid week runs along the Oak Leaf  Trail. This one was an 8 miler.  Lots of pretty things to see. And people, actually. On this run, I ran into one of my very favorite high school teachers, Mr. Molzahn. That was pretty cool :)

Thank goodness for small miracles! Had to pee at my turn around point, and these beauties just happened to be standing there. So I'm walking out of it and I hear my name being called...in case anyone was wondering, Jenn Benn lives across from the Port a John's about 4 miles from school if you take the bike trail...that was kind of funny :)

Love, love, love.

Ended up PRing in this run as well. It could have had something to do the fact that it started raining and so I had to really kick it in gear for the last 3 miles. I did, however, decide that my autobiography will one day be entitled, "My Phone Isn't Paid Off Yet, And Other Motivators to Run Fast".

Lately, I've just been repeating to myself, "The quicker you run, the quicker you're done." I'm not wrong, people! But my Sunday long run, affectionately referred to as "just 12 miles", was a great one. Awesome weather, signs of fall--just kind of loved it. And hoping for a similar set up for the big run!

Ran into some fun guys...

Get it....fungis?! I crack myself up. 

Another PR. If this had been my half marathon, I would have totally rocked my time.

Two weeks left to go. Click below to donate like crazy!

https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Race-to-Raise

We Can Do Hard Things!

Sunday was the biggest day of training yet--the 20 miler. The longest run of training, and arguably the most important. This was the one that would give me the best gauge on how the marathon will go. Because if I can do 20 miles, what's 6 more?

I'm a lucky girl, because I wasn't alone on this one. My BFF Janet made plans to come with me, carry extra water and other essentials, and just generally no let me quit. Oh, and also be my photographer📸! Which I really appreciated, because she stopped to take pictures I would have taken, and got some cool action shots of me :)

We started early, about 6:45, and good thing! Because it was yet another hot and humid day. We ran on the New Berlin Trail, from Waukesha to Greenfield Park, with a little loop around the park to hit the right distance, then back to Waukesha. The trail is important to Janet, because its where she taught herself to run, and where she's done all her training runs.I feel honored to have shared it with her for this run. 

So, how did it go? I didn't die, and it wasn't awful. Starting early was a brilliant choice, because it wasn't quite so miserable for the first half. Once it got hot, it seemed that I felt it everywhere, from my legs, to my sweaty sweaty forehead. The sunscreen I put on my shoulders definitely helped, but I have some pretty rocking bra/tank top tan lines now. 

Here's a funny for you. Midway back, I had to pee. Almost no bathrooms on the trail, just lots of tall grass. So I just found a nice spot to squat. No problem. Pulled up my big girls pants and kept running. Later I discovered that the top of one of those tall blades--about 3 inches or so, had gotten caught in my shorts. Consequently, I have the oddest chaffing mark I've ever seen...a red, raw, rectangle outline, on my lower, lower, back 🤣

But okay, how'd it really go? Honestly, it was pretty good. I ran the first 15 with almost no problem. When my body started to tell me I couldn't, I switched to a walk/run rotation for 4 miles. My knee was hurting, which it hasn't in forever. Felt worse when I walked. But I was in good spirits. And I knew, I just knew, that I was going to run that last mile no matter what. So when my watch beeped to tell me I had gone 19, I turned to Janet and said, "Okay, this is the "everything hurts and I'm dying" mile. Let's go!" And we did. And I did. Together we can do hard things!

I will forever be grateful for having Janet with me on this super important run. She knew when to give me gentle encouragement ("Five miles? You can wake up and do that easy any day!") when to pump me up with a favorite song ("Hooked" by Dylan Scott) and when to give me the space to do what I needed to do (see also, miles 15-19). I think my favorite part was when she reminded me that just 4 months ago, my response to her telling me I should train for a marathon was "No. Hell no!" And look at where I am now :)

So there ya go. 20 and done. Now we taper. Off to a great start this week and can't wait to tell you more. On the bright side, now that I've done 20, everything else should be a piece of cake...but I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway!

The before face. Ready to go!

Starting early was a beautiful choice!

One of my favorites. Thanks, Janet <3

Slowest 20 mile bike ride she's ever taken...what a trooper! 

The after pic :) Super sweaty, but DONE.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Support my race (and the Girls on the RUN!) by clicking below to donate!
https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Race-to-Raise

Training Weeks #13 & 14

It's been an AMAZING two weeks of running. My new mantra, when I'm struggling on a run, is, "You are stronger than this mile." And I repeat it over and over again.

Finally, FINALLY, I am feeling like I WANT to do this marathon. Like, I'm excited about it. Tomorrow marks the last long run of my training--20 miles. I'm cautiously confident. But READY.

I got this sweet swag from GOTR and I'm super excited to be running this for them. I am happy to report that I've raised $145 so far. My goal is $500...click below to donate...$5 gets me to $150, and I'm a sucker for nice, neat numbers like that ;-)

https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Race-to-Raise

So I'll recap in captions, to keep this short. 

Although I feel like I've had a fair amount of obstacles this summer, when I looked at this sign--about halfway through a shorter run--I said, "Hell no!" And pushed ahead. 

See, there I am, repping with my GOTR coach shirt :)

This day. Ugh. This was my worst day of training. I was supposed to run 18. Janet was going to meet me. I geared up for it all week long. I slept in (mistake number one). Which means I started late (two), and unfortunately for me, the humidity and heat were back full force. I also drank too much water too soon (3). From the first step of that run, I could just feel it--it was NOT going to be a good run.  Janet met me, but by mile 7, I was done. I couldn't. Physically. Mentally. This was not my run. I had Janet drop me off 3 miles from home. And I walked one, and ran two. Total of 10 for the day. Emotionally, this was a hard one to swallow. 

So what do you do to come back from a crappy run? Have a a really good one. This run occurred on the first day of school. Bright and early. And by bright, I mean moonlit. And starlit. And I loved that. It was a solid 5 mile run. And I was rewarded at the end, with this gorgeous sunrise.

Hitting it hard the first week of school, my midweek run happened after school, no excuses. It was my favorite run ever. 9 miles (4.5 out and 4.5 back) through Grant Park. On a perfectly beautiful day. Happened upon these butterflies about a mile in, and couldn't resist the opportunity to stop and take their picture. Beauty like this deserves to be shared.

This run was great for a lot of reasons. I was inspired running past these fields where I used to complain about running. Used to HATE running. My, how times have changed!

Like I said, I was one happy girl after this amazing run. 

Stats :)

Signs of fall! This was the only picture that came out of my 5 mile run.  A PR at 57:48. I felt like I was flying!

So all of that led up to this. I thought my 9 mile run was going to be my favorite run ever. And then.

We were down in Evanston for the weekend, staying with family on account of taking my brother, Jonah, to the Fallout Boy concert at Wrigley Field that Saturday. I was super pumped for my Sunday run; it was an important run, my first 14 miler since the Fort14, which, as you know, was a terribly defeating run as well. So I was coming back for those miles! My original plan was to run south toward Chicago along the lakefront for 7 miles, and then turn around and come back. But it was so amazing that I just ran straight 14 (and asked my lovely wife to come and collect me at the end). I love running in new places, because there is so much to look at. And on this run in particular, I was so taken with all that I saw. I especially enjoyed running through the Northwestern campus. Stopped to take lots of pictures, because this painted rocks thing that they do is pretty spectacular. Marriage proposals. BFFs. Memorials. What a cool tradition!

The city, from about 3 miles into the run, across the lake.

The city, from the end of the run. I got pretty damn close!

And totally accidentally turned off my watch at 4.04 when I stopped to take a picture for a family. Oops!

Sweaty, sunburned, but smiling big.

There is so much life on the lakefront down there. So many neat things going on. I mean, we do a pretty good job here in MKE, but this is on a whole other level! Almost makes me want to move down there so I can enjoy it every day...

So this week was a tough one. Monday night I was mowing the lawn and felt a tug in my right hamstring. Just a little twinge, like a string pulled too tight. I made a mental note of it. Tuesday morning I got up to run, stretched, and took off from the driveway, only to feel the tug again. Stretched it out, gave it another try, and realized that this wasn't happening. Frustrated, I almost turned around and went home and back to bed. But what was the point, I was already up. So I thought I would walk a little and see if it loosened up. 2.3 miles. Stopped another two times to stretch. It never loosened up. But doing something is better than doing nothing. So I wasn't too upset. Took it easy the rest of the day, continued to stretch, slept on the heating pad.

And then my midweek run. 10 miles. Took just about the same route through Grant as the previous week. And loved it even more. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful run. 2:08:56--and I'll take it. I'm enjoying these right after school runs. 

Saw this sign on the way back. Love it. This is SO SO important right now.  Don't give hate a home.

Several things went into the decision to forego my third scheduled run of the week. Mostly, I wanted to rest up for tomorrow's big one. Let my muscles rest. Hydrate. Let the chaffed areas on my back and my bra line heal and breathe. And so, as I have just eaten a terrifically carb-y meal, prepared by my wife, I wish you all a goodnight, so I can get some sleep and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to take on the day--and all the miles--tomorrow.