My Mother's Body

My mom is 89 years old. She’s in a rehab facility.

It’s hard for her to move, but she’s moving.

It’s hard for her to get out of her chair, but she gets the job done (after a few preparatory pushes).

It’s hard for her to walk, but every day she walks just a little farther.

It’s easy for her to joke with the medical types about smoking cornsilk as a kid with her friends behind the barn.

It’s easy for her to laugh about her “sin twister,” a lady in the facility who was wearing an identical housecoat to my mom’s, and whose birthday is one day after my mom’s.

It’s easy for her be silly with a tech who shares the same name as me.

I think her laughter, silliness, jokes, and desire will get her moving, out of the chair, and back to her apartment.

I am grateful for my mother’s body.

14 Miles

Yesterday, I did it!

I ran farther than I’ve ever run in my life.

It was fun, for the most part. Temperatures were in the 20s. The sun was out. And the route was varied, winding through neighborhoods, bordering the campus of the local university, and following some bike trails. The big challenge of the route, for many of us, was remaining upright in spite of the many patches of ice.

I was fortunate to run a couple of miles with an experienced marathoner. She completed an ultra marathon this summer, so for a couple miles, I felt like I was hanging out with a celebrity! Because I still feel new to the whole running thing, I always try to ask questions of experienced distance runners. I know someone who has completed 10 marathons knows more than someone who has yet to complete one, and I try to learn from everything they say. And yesterday, from this running celebrity, I learned that the 20-mile long run is an important confidence builder. I also learned that there is an incline in the Lincoln Marathon that happens at around mile 25. Under normal circumstances, that small hill would be really doable. But when you’ve already done 25 and have 1.2 more to go, it can seem overwhelming.

The other thing I’m learning (and re-learning and re-learning) is to maintain focus. That’s the big challenge. It’s easy focus intently at the beginning, when you’re excited and fresh and can’t wait to get going! But when you’re tired, when you’ve been out for two hours, and when your feet are sore, it’s easy to become distracted and not pay attention to what is right in front of you. So for me, staying mentally focused at the end of a run is as challenging as physically putting one foot in front of the other.

Running continues to be a great metaphor for life.

The race is nine weeks away.

And today I’m resting.

Tomorrow!

I’m nervous.

It’s 14 miles tomorrow.

A milestone.

Farther than I’ve ever run.

I don’t know what it’s going to be like.

I’ve been eating well, and sleeping well, and staying hydrated.

And I’ve been doing my shorter runs during the week.

Last Saturday, I ran 12 and felt fine.

I have a mantra that I say over and over to myself as I run. “Healthy. Healthy. Healthy. Healthy.” That’s my big goal. I want to finish each training run healthy. I want to get to the starting line of the marathon healthy. And I want to finish the marathon healthy.

Healthy.

Healthy.

Healthy.

Friday, February 26, 2010

"Stay With It!"

Yesterday, I ran my second half marathon!

It was hill after hill after hill after hill. Whoever said Kansas is flat is wrong!

The weather was cool and so foggy that you couldn’t see the top of the some of the hills.

It was hard.

Particularly at mile 12.

There was a steep hill at mile 12.

As I was running toward it, a man was running toward me--the wrong way! (Actually, I found out later he was one of several ultra marathoners, who, after running the 13.1 miles from Topeka to Auburn, turned around and ran 13.1 moremiles, from Auburn back to Topeka.)

I didn’t know if I could make it up that hill. As the ultra marathoner and I met, I said, “There’s another hill!”

“Stay with it! You’re almost there!” he encouraged me.

And those three words, “Stay with it!” were my mantra for the next 12 minutes!

And I finished, and I met each of my goals! I finished! I ran the entire way! And I eclipsed my time goal!

Here are a few things I learned during the race:

1. 1. The power of support. You can’t achieve a big goal without support. I stayed with one of my best friends in the world while I was in Topeka, and was able to relax into the support she provided me, from fabulous fresh-baked bread and a fantastic stew the night before the race, to a comfortable bed, to a fantastic tub for my post-race cold soak, to delicious chocolate chip cheesecake after the race, to delightful and meaningful conversations.
   

2. 2.The power of team work. I am so grateful for the organizers and volunteers who handed out Gatorade and water at the aid stations, who monitored the course on bikes and in cars to make sure all the runners were safe, who served us pancakes after the race, the photographer who got shots of all the runners and posted them on his website.
   

3. The power of surrounding yourself with successful people. Each person who ran that race was successful, and it was a joy to chat with. . .

1. •the lady from Minneapolis who said, “I’m slow, but I get the job done!”
   

2. •the gentleman from Topeka who used this race as part of his training for the Eugene Marathon.
   

3. •the kind lady at the start of the race who, having run half marathon many times, said, “It’s challenging, but doable,” when I was expressed concern about the hills.
   

4. •the experienced marathoner who won her age group and said to me during the pancake feed, said, “This is one of the hardest half marathons around!”
   

But what will stay with me forever was the brief encounter at mile 12 with the runner who said, “Stay with it!”

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Race Day Goals

In two days, I’ll be participating in my second half marathon. I’m excited and nervous! I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished during the past few months, and yet I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen on the day of the race.

I tend to be an all or nothing thinker, and so when someone suggested, a few months ago, to have three different goals for a race, I was intrigued and curious.

First, my running mentor said, have an attainable goal, a goal you know you can accomplish and feel good about.

Second, have a moderately-challenging goal--one that you might have to push a little to achieve, and yet you feel you can do it.

And third, have a very challenging goal, one that could happen for you if the stars align in perfect order on race day.

And so, my goals for the race this weekend are this:

My attainable goal is to finish the race. 13.1 miles is a long distance to go. I’ll be running on a course I’ve not run on before. There are some significant hills, and of course it’s January on the Great Plains. Weather conditions could change suddenly, and who knows what the wind will be like. But I’ve been training for the race for the past several months, and I feel confident that I can finish it.

My moderately-challenging goal is to run the entire way: no stopping, no walking. Run it all. I think I can do that, too.

And my very-challenging goal is a time goal. I’d like to finish it within 15 minutes my time in last May’s half marathon. I’d be really proud to see the clock say 2:37 when I cross the finish line.

Who knows what will happen on race day?

At this point I’m putting my faith in my training that I’ve done for the past few months. I’m intending that the weather be beautiful.

And most importantly, I am intending to listen to my body during the race, and find pleasure in 13.1 miles of eastern Kansas terrain.

Wish me luck!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ann Ringlein's Marathon Justification Speech

Ann Ringlein is a competitive runner, manager of Lincoln Running Company and track coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She also leads, guides, teaches, and mentors the YMCA Marathon Training Class. She has kindly permitted me to pass this on to you. Enjoy!

From first hand experience I can tell you that training for a marathon/half-marathon takes tremendous dedication. The time and energy does not come easy in today’s busy life. Trying to fit in the miles often cuts into your time for sleep, at a point when your body actually requires more. To get this training you often have to hurry, and even skip meals, during a time when your body’s nutritional requirements are at an all time high. To top it off, your family, friends and business associates will offer you about as much sympathy for your plight as if you had a hangover! And to think we haven’t even discussed the physical pain and exhaustion of the actual event!

Now, I just hope that I can explain it in words. You have heard that nothing good comes easy. Nowhere is this more true than at mile 13 in the half-marathon and at mile 26 in the marathon! To understand the difficult of running 13 and 26 miles is one thing, but what is the good that comes from it? Once again, from experience I can tell you the accomplishment of running a half-marathon and a marathon will have life long effects. Putting a problem into perspective, studying possible solutions, overcoming obstacles and meeting your objectives are all part of this training. Your success will carry over into your business and your family life. The half-marathon/marathon is a crash course in time management. So often we are reactive and not proactive in life. Well, training for these distances will help us attack life with a plan! Many of life’s problems on the surface seem insurmountable, much like running continuously for 13.1 or 26.2 miles! To train for these distances, you need a plan. In this class we will research the subject, look to experts, and devise a plan.

The distance runner’s lifestyle is a healthy one. When training for these distances, you naturally begin living better. Knowing that you have a long run on Saturday will keep you out of trouble on Friday night! Know that you have a late afternoon run will assure you avoid a high-fat lunch. And unlike diets and promises, these lifestyle changes are easier because they’re part of a commitment of a bigger picture. You are taking the first steps into what will be the adventure of a lifetime! And, I hope, this will be a lifestyle for you forever!

The wonderful thing about about all of this is that you have this class. You are all going through this together. Some of you are first-time half-marathoners; some of you are first-time marathoners; some of you have run a half-marathon before, and some here have run many marathons. You all have something to add to this class and to share with each other. You will also learn something from each other and from yourselves. The best part of all this is, you have each other to count on to be there for the Tuesday and Thursday night runs; you have each other to help out on the long runs Saturdays--basically you are not alone and that is priceless! Enjoy each other, this process and the success it brings you in all aspects of your life.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Marathon Training Begins Today!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Training for the Lincoln Marathon/Half Marathon has officially begun. Woo hoo! Here we go!

This morning I had my first long run with my training class. I’m lucky that the local YMCA offers a class during the next four months to prepare people of all levels and abilities to run either the full or half-marathon.

Today was bone-chillingly cold, something like -4 degrees. And my schedule called for eight miles. While I was getting up and getting around in the pre-dawn hours, my head wasn’t in the game: “It’s so early. It’s dark. It’s really, really cold. Do I really want to do this? It’s the dead of winter. Do I really need to do this? What’s the point, anyway? Ugh. This sucks.”

But I layered up, got my gear together, met up with the group at the Y, and together we braved the Arctic air mass.

It really wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was actually fun! Considering that it wasn’t snowing, and there was no wind at all, the running part felt sort of easy. Of course, ice formed on everyone’s eyebrows and eyelashes, which were the only parts of most people’s faces you could see. There were a few icy patches on the roads. And at the turn-around point, my legs didn’t feel as great as they had four miles earlier. But I enjoyed chatting with several people during the run. I loved hearing them share stories of past marathons and other runners. In fact, one runner said, “I run so I can eat!” Me, too.

So, what’s the point of all this anyway? Have you ever seen a little kid run? Or a dog run? Have you seen the look of sheer delight and pleasure and fun that they’re having?

Running is fun, even in cold weather!