Speed Will Kill You

I can always tell when I'm really getting into training again because speed training starts. Not only is it hard to get out of bed in the morning, but on days that I'm doing speed training my body tries to revolt and trick me into staying in bed. It's scared of what crazy workout I'll put it through. ;) However, if I'm ever going to reach my goal of a 1:45 1/2 marathon speed training is a must. Lori has been awesome in making me do it thus far, and I feel like I've been getting a good workout in. This morning, because of her broken foot, we went to the gym so that she could bike and I could speed train on the treadmill. I remembered the treadmill speed workout kicking my butt, yet today I think the treadmill actually cut it off and handed it to me. It was a great workout, but I'm pretty sure I looked like this when I was finished.
I could actually wring sweat out of my hair. Ewwwww. I know it's good for me and even though I'm tired I do feel like I got a great workout in. I just wish I could convince myself to be able to do these types of workouts on my own. I'm going to have to find the motivation. Afterall, I will be alone soon.....

...and this little piggy...

Oh running friends. What a sad day. But, before I unfold the story of today, I must flip back our calendars to last Saturday, the marathon, and start there.

I had made a poor choice of buying new shoes for the marathon. When did you buy them Lori? Oh, the day before the marathon. My sad pathetic running shoes were about 60 miles overdue and my shins were starting to feel it. I had planned on getting them before my NC trip, but I never did... of course I put it off til ... oh 18 hours before the marathon! GRRR. The running store guy said since it was the same brand, my feet were used to it, etc etc etc it should be okay. Running on newer shoes is better than running with no support. (so the articles say) Marathon came and went and I kept mentioning to Amanda how my foot hurt. Maybe I just wore my shoes too tight and they were bruised. Or my feet just hurt, I DID just run 26 miles. I went on my merry way...

Because I'm a runner and we're a funny and strange breed, I never thought another second about the pain in my foot. I lifted weights, ran (a lot), did all sorts of crazy exercises at BASICS that made my foot HUUUURT. I just kept thinking "it's probably just a bruise." Then on Saturday I mentioned to Van that I think I really bruised my foot, he looked at it and just hung his head as he shook it in disbelief. He made me hold my feet up together and pointed out how the inside of my right foot from my joint to my arch was about three times the size of my left foot. Oh. "I really think you should get it checked out, Lor." Okay, hon. On the check list. Nope. Went to BASICS again on Monday, did squats, lunges, ran, and did 100 calf raises, on my FOOT. (those hurt) While I was doing the calf raises I thought "hmmm, should you be doing this?" But because I'm INSANE I just kept doing them.

Shoot to this morning, Amanda and I did a tempo run... which went really really well. I'll leave her to tell you about the actual workout, but towards the end of the run I was slowing down quite a bit and my foot was starting to KILL. The minute we got to Manda's house my shoe was off and I was whining. Amanda, once again, told me I should get it checked out. (She and Van are apparently in cahoots about my foot) I said "yah yah" and went home. Well, after about an hour and a half I couldn't put pressure on the ball of my foot anymore and each step up and down the stairs produced some wellage in my eyes. Dang it.

I went to the doc and this is what they found out from the x-ray. I fractured the medial cuneiform bone, right where it meets with the metatarsal bone. Translation: the ball joint of your big toe? That big round thing that sticks out? That's broken. Which would explain why it's purple and swollen down to my arch. So I get to sport this lovely shoe for the next 4 weeks:

(baby not included)

I'm waaay excited. Especially since that means NO running, NO impact sports period for at least 3 weeks. I can still lift weights as long as my foot is stationary. I can ride a bike all I want. (grumble grumble... good for triathlon training grumble..) I go back in to the doc in 3.5 weeks, if things haven't cleared up it's a full calf boot for me which equals more NO running, NO impact sports and a very bummed out Lori. Yippee.

I realize 3-4 weeks is nothing in the long haul... but....Pfffffffttttt!!!!!

To Those Who Read Our Blog.

"Look Pretty, Run Nasty" started out as a way for Erin, Amanda, and I to stay connected and encourage each other during our marathon training last spring. It's turned into something so much better. It's been a place that has connected us to so many awesome athletes and deepened our love for running, exercise, and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our friendship has grown and deepened (which we didn't even know was possible). All three of our paths are heading in very different directions over the course of the next 6 months. Because of this, we have different goals when it comes to racing, diet, and exercise for the next year. Over the course of the next two weeks we're going to cue you in to the direction we're wanting to take our blog. Just letting our faithful readers know we're still here, still posting, just revamping things. :)

Manda and I have a rockin' 4 mile tempo run in the morning. I'm sure we'll both have something to say about THAT (especially since "trainer Lori" is back in her skin wuahahahahahaha)

Keep things Nasty ladies...

Over and Out. -Lor

Loved This Quote

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit." GEORGE SHEEHAN
This morning we did speed training and I wanted to quit. My lungs hurt, my heart was pounding and my muscles were screaming. Wish I would have had that quote written on my hand this morning. Maybe it would have helped. But then again, maybe not. ;)

its TIME...

for FALL runs- oh how I love fall mornings like this morning. Enjoy the clear skies, crisp air and CRUNCH under your feet

TOU Marathon Race Highlights.

Hi friends. Well, it happened. What you say? You actually ran and finished that marathon that you really didn't train for? Sweet! Why yes yes friends I did. I wrote about the more emotional side on my family blog... but figured I'd keep this post more light and running related...sound good? So, here we go the highlights of the marathon, get excited. I'm going to break it up into sections... browse at your leisure.


Pre-Race:
Holy moly, love the clothing options for the TOU marathon. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to buy. I think I'm going to let the GOAL foundation know that they need to expand their clothing options for the Ogden Marathon, who's with me? I got a cute orange hoodie that I will be sporting all winter. Yesssss. I ate pasta that DID NOT agree with my tummy and ended up becoming BFF's with my cousin's toilet. Luckily, it subsided by 1:30ish so I was able to get SOME sleep before the marathon. I had a dream that I slept in til 7 and woke up in a frenzy... it was only 3:05. Good good.

Bus Ride:

It was a school bus for elementary students. I sat under the letters "R and S" and there were a list of "bus rules" most of which all the runners on board were breaking. Hee hee. I also was the last runner off the bus cause I was freezing and chose to stay in the bus as loooong as possible (yes, until the bus driver looked at me like "uhhhh, you running this or am I driving you back down?") which turned out to be a BAD idea cause then I had to go to the bathroom STAT.

Porta Potty:

Oh HOLY. LINE. I needed to go soooooooooooooooo sooooooooo bad and had to wait 20 MINUTES. Dang people that got off the bus before me!!! While in the pot I hear on the loudspeaker "3 minutes til start!" Eeeeek, talk about a stressful way to start the race!



The Race Miles 1-6

These miles went by really really fast. I disliked having to stop every 4 minutes and walk. I felt like I was sprinting every 4 minutes to make up for that 1 minute. The entire running population just springing past you. By mile 6 I was toggling the same group of people consistently. I'm sure that was mentally taxing for them too. We were running the same pace but they were running the entire time and I was getting walk breaks. Oh, get excited cause I was toggling with UNDERWEAR MAN! Manda got a good shot of him from the front. And sad, it looks like his "wife beater" is actually a running shirt too.... maybe we should all pitch in and get him a new outfit and present it to him at the next race.


Mile 7-13
These were the hardest miles emotionally in the race. The canyon was GORGEOUS but I just couldn't focus right. It was a LOT of downhill and it seemed everytime my 4 minutes were up we were cresting and just getting ready for a huge downhill run. I got frustrated that I lost the momentum of running down the hill only to walk, start running halfway down the hill and then have to run up a hill again. I was ready to call it a race, especially when I crossed the half marathon mark and my time as 2:17. GRRRRR. I kept toggling people and not being able to catch up when I stopped to walk. It messed with me emotionally the whole walk/run/walk/run thing. I felt so full of energy and was frustrated that I was wasting it on walking. I got upset with the Jeff Galloway method but figured I needed to stick it out.


Mile 14-19
Oh how I felt like stopping. I came out of the canyon all pumped to see everyone... see everyone... see NO ONE?! Where in the heck are Van and Amanda? Hmmmm. Hopefully they will eventually find me, just keep running, just keep running. (What do we do? We Run. Run. Run.) I looked at every spectators face trying to figure out if one of them was Mel, looking for a boy that looked like Crew... to no avail.. Mel if you were there, I did not see you, sorry!! I loved it when it rained, made me instantly cool. Plus, I can't resist running in the rain. However, when I got to mile 17 this is about how I felt



no, not "about" how I felt. That was HOW I felt. So it was good that I had the cheer up visit from my favorite peeps. I had been toggling this group of three girls for FOREVER. They were kinda annoying at first because they were all giggly and chatty (probably like we are... haha) but by about this point they had lost some of the lovin' feeling. And in a sick, twisted way it made me happy. It meant that the race was draining them too. Then I PASSED them and I giggled as I passed them. WUAHAHAHAHAHA. These peeps also ran by me. Wonder if they were regretting their running wear choice by mile 23


When I hit the mile 18 marker I giggled outloud thinking "I am really insane, I just ran 18 freaking miles... and I still have 8 left... I. AM. INSANE!!!!!!!!!" My insanity induced happy spell kept me moving til mile 19 where my posse was waiting. Thank. HEAVENS. Amanda jumped on the running bandwagon and suddenly I had energy and determination again. Praise the Lord!


Mile 18-24

These miles pretty much went like this....
Amanda: [insert really funny story]
Lori: Uh Huh
Amanda [insert funny topic/idiom]
Lori: Uh Huh
Amanda [insert political or intriguing discussion]
Lori: Is it time to walk yet?
Amanda: Okay, time to run.
Lori: Another BLASTED hill? Who ARE these people?
Amanda: [insert encouraging words]
Lori: When is the next water station?
Amanda: .....
Lori: When do we get to walk again?
Amanda: You can do it.
Lori: How long have we been running?
Amanda: Lor, you're doing great.
Lori: Manda, I'm done, I'm really really done.
Amanda: I'm proud of you.
Lori: ....
Amanda: You can DO this!
Lori: I don't WANT to do this anymore.


Yaaah. I was a stellar person to run with. Despite what you think Mand, I DID hear your stories and now that I'm coherent and not wanting to punch anyone in the face I can have an actual conversation with you. Amanda was GOD. SENT. She pulled me out of my "I can't do it" mode and made me run the 3-4 minutes and was pushing me to walk faster. She didn't get down on me when I just had. to. stop. for a second but also didn't force me to the point that I cried. She was wonderful. WON-DER-FUL. So glad I read that in the marathon book. Highly recommend that strategy to anyone running a marathon! Grab a running friend with a fresh pair of legs for the last 6 miles, it makes a WORLD of difference. Oh and we passed the bubbly girls this time and ... their spark? it was GONE. hung shoulders, not talking at all. Inside it secretly made me happy... well, actually it wasn't THAT secret I turned to Amanda and whispered "Not so spunky anymore, eh?"

Mile 25-26
Just imagine a kid in the back of a car towards the end of a really really long road trip...

"Are we there YET?"

Pretty much was me. It was good, I knew we were getting to the end. But the TOU organizers were MEAN and put a HILL a freaking HILL at mile 25. and again at mile 25.3... mean hosers. Amanda was awesome, she kept me moving, kept my mind going, kept my body in it's rhythm. I could hear the finish line music and I knew I was close, but they have their finish line set up all retarded like... they must be in cahoots with Provo River Half, cause you have NO IDEA where it is til you're right there. Amanda cheered me on and ran ahead when there was a block or so left. She ran back and told me "run at the corner!" So, I moved forward with determination to sprint..

Mile 26-Mile 26.2

Okay, there is the finish line. Hmmm. I should really start sprinting. Sprinting? Who am I kidding... just run... yah, move those legs... okay they are moving... Oh there is the finish! Woo woo!! And I skipped across, yes yes I did. SK-A-IPP-ED. Aren't I a peach? Then I was done. THANK GOODNESS. Gave them my timing chip, got my sa-weet medal and downed about 4 mini fat boys. I love ice cream after the marathon. We took these cute shots.

and this one for you Erin, cause ... we're THAT cool.

Final Thoughts

TOU Marathon: It was a nice marathon, well run, well attended and well supported. I enjoyed the course for the first 16 miles... once we got into the town it just got tedious and very looooong running all the switchbacks through the neighborhoods. I probably won't run the course again, I enjoyed the Ogden one much much better. Good to know for future marathons.

Jeff Galloway Method: I think it was a great way to save your muscles. I feel better after this marathon than I have for the other two. However, it slowed me down. My concern a few weeks ago turned out to be valid and I still puttered out in the end, so... my plan of action for future marathons would be the following: run like normal the first 16-17 miles, when mile 18 rolls around and your body starts to fall apart THEN adopt the walk/run 4/1 method. For me, that would make my time much better... we'll see,when I run another marathon I'll try it and see!

Ps. For those who cheer people on in the twenties? Do not, I repeat DO NOT say the phrase "you're almost there!" or "only 5 miles left!" cause seriously, people? We are NOT almost there and after 21 miles thinking about another hour on the course makes you want to cry. We are STILL not almost there at mile 24... around mile 25 you can start saying "Good job, only a mile left!" The only people I didn't want to punch in the face that said "You're almost there!" were peeps that said it with an accompanying "only 3 blocks left!! ... THAT my friends, is almost-there land.

Running a Marathon Solo: Ummm glad I did it. Not really something I want to do again. I know we ran the Ogden marathon at our own paces, but I still feel like we did it TOGETHER. This was all me. (and manda for the last 6... but you know what I mean) Just a little lonely.

Having cute babies and loving people cheer me on? Pretty much the best part.
I'm proud of myself for finishing. Especially with all the crap that has been going on lately, I had more than enough reason to bail on the marathon but I did it. I finished and I ran 99% of the 4 minute intervals. I'm grateful I've had the opportunity to run 3 marathons and .. ahem...

I'm taking this moment to announce my sabbatical from marathon-ing. (ooo sounds official doesn't it) I really need to get the whole Diabetes thing in check and with having to eat such a constant stream of carbs for endurance sports I just can't keep my carbs under 195g. I'll still be running but I need to focus on my health and get this weight off, get my thyroid in control and once everything is stable for awhile I'll jump back into more than 13 miles. Til then, half marathons, tri's and 10ks baby! Woo woo!!! It'll be like Spring Break!! Yipeee!!! Thanks for your support and cheers, it means a ton. You guys rock (even you silent blog lurkers... we know you read this blog and it gives us warm fuzzies) .

This is Lor, the marathoner, over and out.

I did it!

I'm alive! YAY! Home nursing my poor, sad, sore legs.

Post comin' soon. Manda is holding my pictures hostage.

But I'm happy and I FINISHED (my main goal) can't complain!