I’m the type of person who gets an idea in my head and all I can do is think about it until I can do it. I see a race, I train hard and then it gets done, regardless of injury. See here, dear readers, don’t do that. It’s all fine and well to be determined and to not let anything stop you. It’s quite dangerous to stress yourself beyond your mind’s limits. This isn’t to say, don’t go for it, or don’t stretch yourself beyond those limits. It’s mostly to say, that as athletes, we must all learn when to tell ourselves to slow down.

I don’t know if there is something bigger to me than the Chicago Marathon. Well, ok, someone did spin me the idea of running one of the greatest world marathons: The Berlin Marathon. Berlin is for the future though when I can leave my kids for more than just a weekend, so their crazy mom can run in a foreign country. That will be a long way off still. And yes, I do plan on running into my old age, and yes, I know my doctor continues to hate the fact that I run, and yes, I still have an acl tear to deal with, but I’m a runner. I may swim, cycle and jog sometimes, but all in all it’s in the name of running.

I’ve chosen a few highlights of 2011 to link to:

1. Chicago Marathon: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/10/14/my-2011-chicago-marathon-race-report/

There are days I wake up, and think that my experience there was a huge hallucination. Then I look at this photo (besides my finish line photo…boy was that ever the most painful and glorious thing ever), I met one of my heroes, Hal Higdon.

In my eyes, that’s like meeting Bruce Lee. What a wonderful gentleman and a great writer too.

2. My 20-miler: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/09/18/32-36-km-20-10-miles-done/

One of my favorite long runs this year. I was just about to quit when I saw my friend, cyclist Todd C., about to head off for a long ride. He high-fived me and gave me that push I needed. It was a really hot day too.

3. Retired my first Vibrams: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/09/17/retiring-some-friends-after-2600-kilometres/

My love affair with barefoot running started when my friend, Hilary, gifted me my first pair of Vibrams. I was sad to see these go. Now my running is a combination of Vibrams, pure barefoot and minimal running shoes. It’s a good combo that works for me.

4. The Acura 10-Miler: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/08/15/the-acura-10-miler-race-report/

I did the Sporting Life 10K this year, but I don’t believe I made a race report for it. This was my first time doing the Acura and it has become one of my all-time favorite races in Toronto. It’s organized, the swag is amazing and the cheering along the route makes a huge difference. If you haven’t run it, I highly recommend you do.

5. Coming to terms with my abilities: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/08/11/why-run-if-you-run-slow/

One of the things about being a runner is that you become an over-achiever with your body. You expect more and you want more. You put all your physical efforts into becoming stronger, faster and better at what you do. Over-achieving evidence can be seen in a in-person or online gathering of runners. There’s constant talk of personal bests and speed training. Let’s face it, it can become a big competitive brag fest, and there is nothing wrong with that. My thinking though is geared toward a more healing approach to running.

Running clears my mind, running helps me with the writing process, and running is my friend. I want to keep running and the best way for me to do that is to make it work for me. I might go for speed one day, and do know my potential. Right now, I choose to just keep chugging along.

6. My Don-Joy Knee Brace: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/07/20/my-knee-brace-is-here-pic/

Best investment for my injuries yet. That is all on that subject.

7. The Thrive Diet: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/07/17/pre-run-meal-thrive/

I’m a vegan thrive dieter. It’s a different approach to fueling that’s become popular with some athletes as of late. Since July, I’ve found my long run recovery time to be about a day. I also feel very light, and not as bogged down by things in my system like I used to. Bare in mind, it only took me a bit to realize how much processed foods and animal products were bogging me down. I don’t feel bloated, my knees deal with the load better and mentally, the lows aren’t as bad as they used to be. I might even go as far as saying the running highs stay longer.

Even if you can’t dedicate yourself to a meal plan like this, sneak a few things in your day. See if you can see a difference in how your body responds. Running = experiments!

8. Becoming Body Positive (Site Changes): http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/07/01/body-positive-site-changes/

I’m very open about my eating disorder, and how my therapies have benefited me. Therefore, I decided to make some changes to the way I word things in this site. Running has been a positive force in my life, and I would like it, and this site, to be a positive space for all of my readers.

9. My First Century Bike Ride: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/06/17/my-first-century-ride-70-11-miles-112-83-kilometres/

Cycling!  After doing some research on the benefits of cycling to ACL tears in runners, I took on cycling in a more serious way this year.  Toronto did prove to be quite the century ride track, and I’ve seen the most gorgeous sunrises this year along the water just because of cycling.

10. The Goodlife Toronto Marathon (My learning experience): http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/05/16/the-toronto-marathon-may-2011-race-report/

So yeah, I tried again with this race. It was rainy, cold and many other marathoners felt that it was their hardest run yet. I learned a lot from this attempt. But I was rewarded with seeing my sister off on her first half-marathon and it was all worth it because of that.

11. Harry Spring 8km Run Off: http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.com/2011/04/03/the-harry-spring-run-off-8km/

Now we’re back to the first race of the year, which was also one of the best.

What does 2012 hold?

Thinking of: Harry Spring Run Off, Toronto 10K (new race!), Sporting Life 10K, a few 5Ks, The Acura 10-Miler again, a few half-marathons, mulling over the Toronto Waterfront, and maybe this (The Toronto Mudder) with my friend, Kelowna.:

Of course, I do have to figure out if ACL surgery is worth it or not in my case. I said to a friend recently that NBA players, NFL players, NHL players and MMA fighters are constantly taken off the game because of my type of injury. Some of them get surgery, and others choose to go through rehab only. Either way they still get back in the game.

I’ll always be in the game. I’m just playing for myself. Planning not stress over it and take it as it goes.

Thank you for reading, thank you for the encouragement, and have a wonderful new year. Here’s to the coming year, happy running in 2012!

http://toughmudder.com/

On to the Chicago Marathon! ***:

The run expo in Chicago was quite a bit bigger than what I’m used to in Toronto. It’s at the McCormick Place and there it was called the Health and Fitness Expo.

 Tom and I enter the expo. Photo by Jennifer Valencia

I saw the usual exhibitors for other races, charities, foam rollers, compression gear and the like. There were these walls by Nike with runners’ names on them which was a great touch to the expo and set it apart in my mind from the other expos I’ve attended.

  Above photos by Jennifer Valencia

I was delighted that my name wasn’t at the very top where I couldn’t reach or see it. Soon after this, however, I met someone who had me squealing like a big old fan girl.

Hal Higdon’s in da house!  Photo by Jennifer Valencia

Hal Higdon‘s online run training schedules are what I followed for my first 5k and my first marathon. I bought his book, Marathon: A Novel, and he signed it for me! He’s written manuals, novels and even a children’s book. He was very approachable, friendly, and let my sister take our picture. I’m so happy the photo came out.

This was the Event Alert system.

We also found the Disney Marathon booth and took a photo of my sister with the medal she will be getting when she runs the Princess Half-Marathon in February 2012.

Photo by me.

Lucky woman! As you can tell, I’m very proud of my sister who is a Gaelic Football player and fellow runner.

Outside of the convention centre we were gifted with a gorgeous view.

My awesome sister and me. Photo by Thomas Curtin.

My run expo swag. Lots of pamphlets and brochures. I was impressed with the little scroll out map of the CTA, the spreadable peanut butter and free gum. The see through shirt, however, left something to be desired.

I was scared. I sent messages back home to friends and family saying how great Chicago was and how I was, in fact, Batman. In reality I wasn’t confident then. Batman Begins was a big inspiration for me (especially that scene when Christian Bales get up from his bed and falls to do push ups), to get into shape and lose weight. I vowed when I first saw it that I would get fit just to able to do that. When I admitted my fear to Jenn and Tom, Tom said, “Think positive.” I don’t know, but something in the way my sister hugged me and in Tom’s voice made things quite a bit better.

I decided before we left for Chicago that I would follow the things that Tom would do in preparation for the marathon. He’s an experienced three-hour marathoner and ultra marathoner, (he did  Comrades this past summer).  I thought I could use a good example to get me through the next few days. It seemed like a sound plan and in the end it was the right decision. Whatever he ate, I would have the vegan or vegetarian option. I often had fruit with my breakfast as well. We also carb loaded on the Friday (at Giordano’s as a matter of fact!), which I believe made a big difference in my energy levels for Sunday.

On the Saturday, after more sight-seeing, and a bit of rest we went to the Hilton where the official race carb dinner was being held. My legs were pretty tight due to all the walking we did during the day.  I foam rolled using glass bottles, showered with cold water and iced my legs every night before bed. This may have saved me.  My knee brace also came to the rescue. My sister said I looked like a badass.

Photo 1 by me and second photo by Thomas Curtin.

The selections at the dinner were basic.: Meat pasta, MORE meat pasta, chicken pasta and a vegetarian pesto. There were cheesecakes (apparently not as good as last year’s), cookies and loads of salads. I really wished there were more vegan options, but I managed to make do. After having three servings and dessert, we wobbled back to the hotel and I prepared my gear.

Cut off running pants, Livestrong tank top, sports bra, running belt, Garmin, hat, Vibrams, wrist band, KIND fruit-nut bars (I used one), and Sports Beans (didn’t use them though). I packed my cell in case of an emergency & a photo or two. Photo by me.

I went to bed around 8:30pm and watched a bit of the Alien movie marathon on AMC before falling asleep.

I woke up at 4:15am, showered, and started to eat my breakfast. I had asked Tom what he regularly had for breakfast, and he picked me up two giant bagels and a banana. I managed to down one and a half bagel with some peanut butter (from the run packet) and a banana. I washed them down with a tall glass of water and half of a Gatorade bottle. I  opened up my drapes and saw lit up windows in front of my hotel. Each window had someone getting ready for the marathon in some way. It was like something out of  one of my favorite films, “Rear Window.”  I decided to join in this peculiar show. I fully opened up my drapes too and sat on the bed to finish my breakfast. There was an episode of Mad Men playing, the one where Betty Draper has baby Gene (“The Fog), on the television and I caught this line:

I wrote it down so I could burn it in my brain. The fear was creeping in again and I wasn’t going to let it ruin this once in a lifetime day. It helped because that fear was quickly replaced by excitement.

I cannot stress the importance of Body Glide or vaseline for a marathon or any long distance run. My feet and my back (where the fuel belt rubs up against me) were pretty well protected because of good (over) lubrication. I grabbed the gear in my plastic marathon bag and headed to meet Tom by the elevators. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as calm and collected as Tom. He lets nothing get to him. I swallowed all the crazy anxiety driven questions swimming in my head and followed his lead.

It was pretty dark outside at 6am, but the crowds headed down Michigan Avenue towards Grant Park were a sight to see. Armies of happy runners marching down the street between surrounding skyscrapers. It all made me feel like I was about  to take on something bigger than myself.  I guess, it was kind of true. Media crews and stands had been slowly taking over the city over the weekend. Among all the barriers, volunteers and runners, Tom and I made our way to the gear drop off,  but not before a Marafoto photographer stopped us.

Right after a visit to the stalls, I looked for my corral. Tom told me to get to the area that was 2 levels faster than I was and to stay there. It would guarantee me not having to wait too long to pass the start line. Before he left, we hugged and he told me to think positive thoughts. I told him to run like dinosaurs were chasing him. “Exactly,” he replied. We laughed and I headed over to the 12 minute per mile corral just before 7am.  The race was supposed to start at 7:30am, but the pace areas were set to close at 7:20am. Stretching a little bit I noticed the crowds getting thicker by the minute.  I noticed a few people in Vibrams as well and barefoot runners! I’ve never seen actual barefoot runners in person. Not that there is a difference between them and other runners, but their feet do indeed look quite athletic!

This was the scene in front of me.:

This was the scene in back of me:

Before I knew it, I was elbow to elbow with strangers…..

…..and shirt to face (I’m 4 ft 11) with this guy.:

It was pretty funny because the week before, I had thrown a Star Wars birthday party for my daughter. Both of my kids are big Star Wars fans and this shirt created a giant goofy smile on my face.

Beside me was a woman who was a bit shorter than me and we were both being pushed and shoved as runners tried to make their way to the start line. As the crowd closed in on us, I  linked arms with her and told her I had her back. She smiled and we stood tall together until the pushing abated. We both agreed that the most important thing that day was that we were going to finish and to truly believe we would finish. As we shuffled forward, I looked for the bouncing shoulders up ahead and saw a sign that said, “ONE DAY YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS ANYMORE. TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.” I parted ways with my fellow shorty and ran across the start line.

I can’t accurately describe to you what it feels like to have a whole city above and around you cheering you on at the beginning of a marathon. I’ve had the experience in a small-scale here in Toronto, but in Chicago, it seemed like the whole world came out to see us.

I apologize to the Fairmont Hotel for the next little bit. I did my best to evacuate my fluids before the race, but standing for an hour and half took its toll on my bladder. Shhhhhhh! I noticed a *ahem* sea of other degenerates thinking the same thing as me and I used a giant steel post for a few seconds.  I sped off before I could think about it. I’ve never done that before and I just hope that they hosed off the hotel walls after we all passed. Just the looks on the faces on the people and the bellhops coming out of the hotel to see runners…..yeah. I’m so sorry!

Travelling along the LaSalle Bridge I noticed holes in the ground that were fine for most runners, except that I was wearing Vibrams. I treaded carefully and reminded myself to use the carpets provided the next time I had to run across a bridge.

At mile 2, my knees were already giving me trouble. My right thigh started tensing up, which is the first sign for me that my knee is about to give out. My left knee started popping a bit, which has never happened before. Either I was going too fast or I wasn’t running in good form, but I knew then that I had to shut out the chaos around me and focus on the road. It helped to focus that way, but I soon began searching for someone who was running or walking at the same pace I was.  I found Christina, a  Team in Training coach. Christina was from Seattle and had injured hip flexor. She was on orders by her own coach to walk half of the marathon and run the rest. Her friend, Chelsea, came along to make sure she was ok and I asked them if I could pace along for half of the race. I figured since they were taller than me, I could run and walk, if needed, until the half way point. After that I planned to go off on my own.

It was a bit difficult at first, but I found that after consuming a fruit-bar, things became a bit more doable. My strategy soon became to grab a sip of Gatorade at every cooling station. It seemed my legs needed the potassium or salt to deal with both the energy I was about to expense and the pain I would have to endure. The pain faded as we reached mile 8. I stopped and stretched about two times along this part. Catching up with Christina and Chelsea wasn’t too hard though.  The sunshine through the tree-lined streets made me think of home. I started to look around me once again and took in the city and its people. There were so may people out there cheering. Signs I saw along the way included.:

“WORST PARADE EVER”

“YOU CAN DO IT MOM!”

“MAKE MOM PROUD!”

“TOENAILS ARE FOR SISSIES”

“WE ARE PROUD OF YOU”

“FREE BEER HERE”

This is the first race I’ve been in where people gave out candy and popsicles! Not only that, but it was also the first race where every pit stop had a hose that would shower its runners. It was pretty hot out there to tell you the truth. Chicago reads its weather by the lakeshore, which is always cooler than it is downtown. Therefore, the weather by the lakeshore was read at mid 70F (22C), but when I passed by a few buildings, their weather read at 83F (28-29C). Let’s just say that those cooling stations with the hoses were a very welcome relief for me. The cold sponges and the ice cubes I put into my shirt helped a lot too.

I hit a good stride at mile 11 and by mile 13.1 (21K – the halfway point), I said farewell to Christina and Chelsea. I kept going at a slow and steady pace. I was determined then that I was going to finish this thing even if my knees gave out. They popped a bit, but didn’t they give out though.  At about this time, I found Melissa. Melissa was from Minneapolis and she had started walking at the halfway point because of the heat. She said it could be her worst marathon, but that she wanted to finish so she could see her daughter who was hoping to finish within the four-hour mark. I paced with her a little bit.  We both started running and soon lost each other.

Between 13.1 and mile 20 I kept thinking about the stuff waiting for me after the race: my sister, my sister’s in law, my kids in Toronto, and my parents. The memory of my grandfather, who passed away in February, was prominent in my mind. I had his photo in my belt. Every so often when I would feel a bit of pain, I would touch the photo and get back to the task at hand. I missed my husband very much in those miles too. How could I not?  There I was, in a beautiful city, taking in neighborhoods that my husband would have loved to have seen with me. I wished then that I could talk to him every so often to let him know what I was seeing.

As I went through Pilsen street I could smell Mexican food and hear salsa coming from the boom boxes. At one of the stations, I stopped and danced a little bit of salsa. I was so tired and in so much pain that I could think of nothing else. The crowd cheered me on and that was enough of a boost for me to continue. There were parts along there and along Chinatown that had more factories and highway than I was expecting. I hit mile 20 and knew at that point that I had completed most of the race. Since I wasn’t familiar with the city, it was hard to gauge where I was and where I was going. At the turn on the bridge after the 23 mile mark, I saw the downtown core, where the finish line was waiting for me. Oh how far that downtown core looked. It just so happens that I took a photo of that bridge earlier that weekend when we were first driving into the city. See what I mean? Doesn’t the city look too far for it to be just 3 miles away?

After crossing the bridge, there were a few Marafoto cameras around us. Don’t let the semi-smile fool you, I was in a great deal of pain. As soon as I saw those cameras, though, I would suck it up and try to smile.

This part of the course is through the Institute of Technology. There were cheerleaders and students cheering. People came out of their apartments and houses to cheer us on. One old man stood at a corner and said, “You can do this! You got this!” That just made me start crying like a kid running for her mom.

At mile 24, both my legs, not my knees, gave out. They felt like logs, I stumbled and felt myself falling to the ground. Someone grabbed me by the armpits and pushed me forward. I turned to see who it was, but all I saw were crowds of people. I yelled back a thank you and ran through more water hoses to keep going. The falling leaves on the trees looked like a ticker tape parade and I reached up. It was a calming moment. A leaf fell on my left shoulder and it stayed there and wouldn’t fall off. I took it and placed in my sports bra pocket. It reminded me of the times I’d find butterflies along the hardest parts of the Toronto marathons and well, a leaf isn’t a butterfly, but it sure as hell was better than stopping.

At mile 25, my fellow runners and I looked like a lurching crowd of slow zombies looking for respite. I found a team of people from a pub that were giving out jello shots and beer. I gladly accepted and downed a jello shot. A family had found their dad beside me and were carrying him by the arms. It seemed his knees were in trouble, but his family were ready to carry him the rest of the way. I saw many family reunions like this. One of note was that of a woman whose husband and kids were cycling along beside her. They kept cheering, “We love you Mommy, no matter what!” It was beautiful to see and to hear.

With half a mile to go and on my walking legs after stumbling, I started to run. I knew I was about to see Jenn &  my sisters in law at the turn on Michigan Avenue. I finally saw her and she saw me!

I started to sprint a little bit. Someone tapped my shoulder and I was happy to see that it was Melissa! Melissa made it! We both made the turn into the park I saw the big red finish line. Someone yelled out, “I see it!” Could it be? After months of worry and preparation……… OMG WAS I ABOUT TO FINISH THE CHICAGO MARATHON?

Oh hell yes. I was and I did.

I ran the Chicago Marathon in 6:43 with an ACL injury. I did better that I thought I would. For those curious as to my splits or just the race terrain, regardless of my being a slow runner, here are the captures from my Garmin and the Chicago Marathon site (as you can see, the Garmin would lose or gain a bit of time after passing bridges). Click on a photo for a bigger image.:

I ran through the water fans and took off my shoes. I could no longer stand them. The pavement cooled off my aching feet and I slowly made my way to gear check, changed my clothes and made my way to the post-marathon party pick up area.

I spotted my sister in the distance and told her that I was just not going on any further.

I eventually got back up again.

These are my sisters in law, Sarah and Laura, who came from Ohio just to cheer me on. They even made t-shirts (McDonough is my married name and that’s a drawing of me running with robots and a dragon…HA!):

My sister is the best and hailed us a taxi to the hotel. Later on that evening we met up for dinner at the Emerald Loop for my post marathon recovery meal.

Yes. Magner’s Pear cider with a Portobello sandwich and fries. I drank a lot of water soon after and mostly ate fruits and vegetables for the rest of our stay in Chicago. My rest was awesome. As I settled in to my bed for my last night in the hotel, guess what was playing on the tv?

Batman Begins! Also, on AMC. I watched the finale of Breaking Bad later on and fell asleep to Air Force One. LOVED IT ALL.

The drive back to Toronto was long, but the border wasn’t as congested as we expected. We arrived home at 9:30pm to my sleepy kids and loving husband.

I would like to thank my sister for her undying support of me in all my endeavors. Her strength and enthusiasm made the trip more like a vacation for me, instead of it just being a race. She made Chicago an adventure.

I would also like to thank one of my new heroes, Thomas Curtin, who on top of being the best guy for my sister, he’s an amazing friend and mentor to me too. His calm demeanor, chivalrous attitude and noble nature make many, including myself, want be better people. For this, I am deeply indebted to my new approach to running. (Tom finished the Chicago Marathon in 3 hours and 17 minutes! The finishing photo my sister took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9909407@N08/6242290946/in/set-72157627763081341/)

Most of all, I’d like to thank my husband who made it possible for me to train, run and be at the Chicago Marathon. He’s supported most of my almost insane endeavors and for that I am eternally grateful. He’s the love of my life and I can’t imagine my world without him by my side.

Chicago gave so much of itself to me . There aren’t enough words in the world for me to describe what it is about that city & its marathon experience that changed me. I felt like a speck of dust among all those people and skyscrapers. The owner of Bella Bacino’s bought a me a round of drinks on the Friday night. He said that he has always been a big supporter of the marathon, and events like it, in Chicago because they bring in money and enliven the spirit of the city. I really wish Toronto had that attitude about its own marathon(s).** This is why I’m going to be a  spectator at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this coming Sunday. I have a few friends running that race and I want to be there to make signs and to cheer them on. I love my city and I believe Toronto needs to believe in itself more by supporting events and endeavors like this.

Oh and I will most definitely be visiting (if not running), Chicago again. Next time, I’d like it to be with my family. Of course, it will not be the same Chicago as this. Not that the city will change, because even if it did, Chicago did change me.

The biggest thing I’ve done this week, besides getting back into routine with the kids, has been putting this up.

I put it up as a reminder not to be so hard on myself, like I usually am. It’s one thing to know that you can do better and it’s quite another thing to know that you are right just the way you are. I think I can concentrate better by knowing the difference in the future.

Right now I’m recovering nicely. The great vegan and vegetarian experiment was a success, especially in my recovery. It will continue, not as an experiment, but as a way of life. The inflammation overall on my legs and body have been minimal. I’m still a bit sore, but I did just finish running 42km! I can walk and jog slowly and my knees haven’t given out since the marathon. All good stuff so far.

What does the future hold? It’s a habit of mine at this point to announce my next venture, a race or marathon next year, but I’m not ready to decide or say anything when it comes to that. I’m not sure exactly what’s next. I know I’ll be resting for the most part until next week before I start slowly running again. I will race again, but first I want to finish a few things that I’ve been putting off. I’ve had the fortune of travelling to New York City, Orlando and Chicago this year. I need to take some time and reflect on the stories within me from those trips.

Running continues to drive me and marathon-ing has given me a fresh start this time. For once, I am at a loss for words to say exactly what it was, but I just know that inside my heart and brain, something really good happened. I’m going to listen real hard to see where it all takes me.

By the way, for those who still doubt themselves in any of the things you want to do in life, let me tell you something. You can do it. If you have the want, you have the will inside you. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. You can do anything you set your mind on. Don’t wait, make life happen for you. Do it!

**As far as I’m concerned, I believe Toronto would benefit greatly in putting an effort into one marathon, one major half-marathon and one major 10K race. I do have a preference, but I won’t say which ones. We have many in the suburbs and the Toronto Island. Those should continue, but we need three races that represent and showcase Toronto.  We’ve already been rated as one of the best cities to marathon in and we should use this to revitalize and beautify the city.

*** I ran with an ACL tear in my right knee. While I don’t encourage anyone to risk their running by doing what I did, there are many of us (even NBA, track athletes and ballet dancers) that continue running, playing or dancing with or without surgery. This was my choice and my choice alone. Listen to your doctor and your body and decide what is best for you. I, for one, have been seeing a sports doctor and will be deciding whether surgery is best in my situation or not. The point is, I would like to keep running and have taken measures to ensure that continues.

There is a huge amount of stuff inside me that I’m trying to sort out. I’m recovering better than I expected though. Currently I’m mostly unplugged and relaxing. I’ve just begun writing things down and sorting through photos. A detailed post will be coming some time soon, if not this week, next week.. For now though, all I can say is that it was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever gone through. Thanks for your email inquiries. I had no idea anyone read this blog and it has been great to hear feedback. Thank you. More info soon, I promise.

I’m packing for Chicago and doing up the meal plan for my little family to follow until I get back on Monday evening. The list of things I’ve had to do isn’t so bad. I’ve packed up my lucky backpack (I prefer to travel as simply as possible). I’ve charged up my gear and bought a few fresh snacks to have before I cross the border. My sketchbook and moleskine are snug beside my pencils. Oh and my knee brace, of course. The only thing I had trouble with was whether I was going to bring one book or two. I mean, really how much reading am I going to do anyways?

RIGHT? Right.

Oooh and I have shirts for carb-loading! YOU LIKE?

Some runners are worried about the heat. It’s supposed to be 21C that day. It might not seem that hot to most, but for runners that means extra hydration needed along the course. I reassure myself that I’ve trained in all sorts of weather.

I’ve connected with other Chicago marathoners via social media and it’s been great. So far, I’m amazed at the amount of support and excitement there is in that city for that race. I’ll be down there with my sister who will cheering on her boyfriend. He’s a sub 3 hour marathoner. Therefore, when he’s finished, they will go out and have lunch and come back 3 hours later to see me. I find that hilarious because it is totally true.

Here’s a speeded up video of the course I’ll be going through.:

The hum of zen calls. I’ve promised my son a game of Scrabble tonight before I head out for the drive to Chicago tomorrow morning. I pack the photo of my grandfather (his passing in February still aches today), that will be in my pocket. He’s running this one with me.

My bib number is #13824. Don’t ask me why people run. I know people who decide last minute on these things. I plan. We’re all different, on different levels, but all for one goal. That is what I love about it. That moment when you say, “This is all mine. This moment.” It’s all in the runner.

I’m going to win this thing! Ok, maybe I won’t, but…..I’m going to win this thing!

C’mon grandpa, let’s do this.

Going to Chicago to run a marathon. BRB.

Yesterday’s 20 miler did a number on me. Well, not as I expected. I thought I’d have new injuries today, but I don’t. I did all the post-run stretches and exercises after the initial activity stop. I had my protein smoothie, nuts and green veggies. I iced and foam rolled my legs, my back and even my arms. Getting up to go the bathroom, I was greeted by the usual stiffness, but I was awfully glad that I didn’t suffer hematuria this time. It means that my hydration was perfect and that I will use the same routine for marathon day.

However, my knee which hasn’t given out in months, did so slightly when I went down the stairs today to get the kids ready for school. I did expect this and as soon as the morning routine was done, I strapped on my knee brace and got down to my strengthening & stabilizing exercises.

_{It was harder to do on the side of the brace, but doable.}

I am surprised by how many similar exercises there are for hips, knees and ankle stabilization. I guess it shouldn’t be so surprising considering if you injure one the others are prone to injury too.

_{Preparing to shadowbox without  the cutting movements to the knee. Helps relieve stress and gives stability as well.}

I’ll add here a few resources I’ve found and that have been passed on to me.

* MOBILITY WORLD: http://www.mobilitywod.com/ (thanks to my good friend, June P. for her advice and love of crossfit)

* Eric Wong MMA (I find some MMA exercises extreme, but one of the best things MMA fighters do, is take care of themselves. They have a good dedication to upkeep.). :

* Guess who’s getting a new stability ball?

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/stability-ball-exercises.html

* Core stability exercises are good exercises overall, even for your legs (I recommend watching all the videos).

http://www.ehow.com/video_2359468_single-leg-3-point-stability.html

I recommend stretches, but not too many stretches or for too long. Too many elongation movements cause little bits of wear and tear in your muscles and tendons. This alone can cause an injury to appear out of nowhere. Stretch before or after your workouts, but utilize the stability movement to strengthen those joints and keep you in one piece.

So far, as per sports doc’s previous advice, I’ve got the mileage and my training has been diligent so far. I do have to add more supplements/find alternate fitness nutrition due to my vegan diet. I’ve lost a bit of weight which isn’t of too much concern, but I do have to learn to keep what I have in the next little bit. I don’t want to find myself starving at the 25km mark like in May and having to bow out. This time I’m in it until the very end. Therefore the plan is to continue the strengthening/stabilizing exercises, do tons of cross-training (cycling and swimming) as my taper. There maybe one or two small runs as the marathon approaches. I’m hoping I’ll be stronger than I’ve ever been.

I’m looking forward to travelling to Chicago in three weeks with my sister and her boyfriend. He’ll be running as well. My sister will be our cheerleader so as she greets her boy after 2-3 hours, they’ll have lunch and then head back after I’m hopefully done in the 6 hours it takes me to get to the finish line. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to the post-marathon. The possibility of a surgery to fix this knee and the training I will go through to get back up will be interesting. Maybe I’ll finally learn to play guitar or get back to the piano. I’ll be working on paintings, sketching, writings and university again in January.

I won’t stop. I might slow down, but I won’t stop. Life’s too short to stop having dreams…or to be insane. Take your pick.

P.S. My friend and fellow runner, Melanie, alerted me to this NOVA series on marathon running. the video is there and you can also find it on YouTube. Check it out.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/marathon-challenge.html

 Kinda. Hair faded, eyes blurry….. Breakfast: Gluten free Rice bagels with peanut butter and raspberry green tea.

 Shoes ready, body glide for my toes and part of my back where my fuel belt rubs.

 I made granola bars with extra nuts and fruits for snacks.

 Fuel belt and garmin ready. I brought my music with me for this one.

 Headed out…and did my first 2km on a dirt track.

Then went along the lakeshore and this is my halfway point. I started fading soon after, at 17km, but I saw a good friend and mega-cyclist, Todd C.. He tagged me and that gave me enough incentive to keep going.

 These are my Vibrams when I got home.And this is my mega slow time. However, I did give it my all in the last kilometre, just to practice my last sprint. I know what I am capable of and right now I have to go real slow. I’m good with that. I’m going to leave that speed for some point in the actual race, but stay as slow and steady as I can so I can finish.  I am still an injured runner, but I’m healing and I’d like to keep it that way.
This was a very fun and amazing run, but not one I’d ever do regularly again. Oh I remember those fondly, but that’s why I’m more level today.

Thank you to my home, Toronto, for the amazing track and streets! Thank you body, for taking me this far. I will take it easy on you until Oct. 9th when I run the Chicago Marathon.

Remember this from my home page to this site? The post I made on my blog a long time ago.:

“Monday…thoughts of marathons in my head

Posted protected on 2007.06.04 at 10:24
Current Mood: happy

5:45am. I ran today and I like it. I liked it a lot. I high fived tree branches.
I think I’ll take it up. Jogging and running.”

Today I stopped to smell the air and high fived tree branches. I think I can go the distance. That is all I truly ask. OMG. I JUST RAN 20 MILES!!!!!!

_{when we first started going out.}

When I got home from my run this past Thursday, I took you off and saw this.

I’m sorry it took me a while to notice. Even when my mother pointed out a month ago that there was some wear at the back, I didn’t want to believe it. I just kept going with you. I mean, you kept me going through this.

 The 2010 STWM (my third marathon).

You were gifted to me in April 2010 by my husband and a good friend, Hilary. I had been wanting a pair for a long time before then and when you arrived at my door, you were a surprise. As it turned out, you were a saving grace. Never in my years as a runner, did I ever feel so free and so at home on the streets. You can note it in one of my first entries here about you.:

http://somethinggoodisgoingtohappen.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/on-my-blue-hobbit-feets/

Now you have holes and there’s no going back to how you used to be. The hoarder in me says, “Keep them and use them around the house.” The reason in me says, “It’s time.”

Here I am about to say goodbye to you two, old friends. You’ve taken me to distances and speeds I didn’t know were possible in me. You’ve taken me places that I hardly knew existed in my little world in Toronto.

Thank you, my friends for being such great Vibrams Sprint. Thank you for the joy of minimalist running and how much you’ve helped me through past injuries and current struggles. Thank you for making it so much fun and so easy. Thank for the experience. I’m sure I’ll get another pair, but they won’t be you.

Ok, you two, NB Minimus and Vibrams KSO’s, it’s you guys and me for Chicago. You’ve got some big…shoes to fill.

And a 20 miler tomorrow to prepare for. Bring it on. Bruce Lee.

P.S. I saw this documentary with my family. “Spirit of the Marathon.” It goes through the journey that five runners go through before the 2006 Chicago Marathon.

Although I thought it was a bit light on their journeys, I highly recommend it for those who don’t know what training entails and for those first time half and full marathoners.

Since my husband and children won’t be able to be in Chicago with me for my race, at the very least they got to see what I will go through and what this is all about for me. I tend to feel isolated because I am a solitary runner by choice, but I have very few who I see regularly to share the experience with in person.

As we watched my son turned to me and said, “Mommy, I hope you survive.”

Talk about incentive…and inspiration.

Photo Credit: 

Just researching and after having hit my 19 miles (accomplished on  Sept. 5th and having a 20 miler scheduled this weekend), I’m thinking about how I’m prone to get injured in the attempt at the 20 mile run. Other runners have been using this other method with much success.

Do you really need to hit 20 miles?

RETHINKING THE 20 MILE TRAINING RUN.

http://blog.runnerslounge.com/2008/05/rethinking-the.html

SMASHING THE MYTH OF THE 20 MILER.

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4447

I’m considering tapering back down at this point and continue running this way with cross-training to prevent injury are recovering from soreness and well, that acute acl tear and all. Mulling it over. I mean, I’ve done this method before and it’s worked, but it’s been a while.

Fellow runners, if you have any ideas, let me know in the comments.

Also, for those of you about to attempt the last 16-20 miler this week, here’ some advice.

PREPARING FOR THE LONG RUN.

http://www.marathontraining.com/marathon/m_longr.html

Good luck and happy running!