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Well, I think it’s safe to say that Monday April 16, 2012 is a day I won’t ever forget.  The weather had been dominating my thoughts the week prior to the race, and on Friday when it was apparent we’d be dealing with near record temps, I finally came to terms with it and started thinking about my new race plan.  A slower pace than I had originally hoped for, and of course extra hydration was going to be key.

When my race day alarm went off at 4:05 AM I jumped out of bed to get dressed and was at the Westin in Copley square by 5:00, ready to get taped up and meet my team for breakfast before the buses took us out to Hopkinton.  There is something magic about Marathon Monday, and there was an added buzz as we all tried to reassure each other that we’d be fine out there in the predicted 80+ degree heat.  We were fortunate enough to find a little corner of shade in athlete’s village, but we were still feeling the heat. After a few hours it was finally time to head to the start line and we were all a little nervous at how much we were already sweating, but after five months of training taking the deferment wasn’t even a thought.

I first started to realize something was wrong around mile 5 when I started to get dizzy going uphill. I immediately started walking and reminded myself that time was not a concern.  I lost track of the teammates I was running with, but I knew that taking a break to walk was more important.  By mile 10 Jameel, my training partner, and I were both struggling, so we settled on a walk/jog we knew would be sustainable. We ran under every garden hose, and took ice from every spectator offering it. It is true what they say about the fans at the Boston Marathon- best in the world!  At the 12 mile marker however, we both knew that something was wrong. I made it within about 20 yards of the water stop before I crumpled to the ground and started vomiting.

I had just made it to the halfway marker in Wellesley- 13.1 miles- when again I succumbed to the oppressive heat and  felt myself dropping to the ground.  This time it was taking me longer to recover, and I had also attracted the attention of race officials.  After a brief roadside battle, I begrudgingly got in the van to take me to the next medical aid tent. The paramedics tried to make me feel better by telling me that they had taken care of one of the elite women earlier, and giving me the current temperature- 88 degrees.  Before I quite realized what was happening, an ambulance had arrived and I was on my way to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

To say that I am disappointed in the way the day played out would be an understatement. I really would have preferred a finisher’s medal to the hospital bracelet I ended up with.  However now that I’ve had some space, I realize that there was simply nothing I could have done to prepare myself for those temperatures.  I also look at the fact that I raised over $4,100 for liver research, which is why I set out to do this in the first place. I had an amazing training season with an incredibly supportive team, including Jameel, who not only stuck with me running, but he also sacrifice any shot he had at finishing by coming to the hospital with me and calling my family to tell them what I couldn’t.

In addition to a supportive team, I’ve had support from my incredible family, my friends, co-workers and the wonderful folks at Bayside Runner, who advised me on everything from sneakers to sports bras. I couldn’t have even made it to the start without all these people behind me, so THANK YOU!

The big day is rapidly approaching and I can hardly believe it’s already April. I’ve got my bib # assigned (lucky 21821!) and the last big run, the 21 miler is now behind me. This run was the dress rehearsal, we rode out to Hopkinton and ran the course in to BC. I tried to mimic the prep I will do before race day, same day before meal I plan on eating and same early bed time. I used my foam roller & stick like crazy the week before to prep my muscles, wore the pants & bra I will wear on race day and of course my beloved sneakers. One thing that was still a question mark for me was my exact fueling plan for race day. Running this distance, there is only so much pasta you can consume in the day prior, so fueling during the run is crucial. There are so many different ways to tackle fueling, and trial and error is the only way to really figure it out. I swear have tried just about everything on the market. Blocks and beans and gels oh my!
Through lots of trial and error (many, many errors) I have figured out that during a run, chewing is just not an option for me, even if I stop. That left me with gels. My first experience was with a lemon-lime flavored Gu at mile 8 of a half marathon. Volunteers were passing them out at a water stop and I figured I’d give it a try. I ripped off the top of the package, squirted it into my mouth… and promptly ran to the side of the road to spit it right out! Hot and slimy, it was maybe the most disgusting thing I had ever tasted. It wasn’t until last year’s marathon training when I had ruled out all blocks, chomps and beans as a possibility that I was ready to give it another shot. I tried a few different brands and flavors and ultimately settled on Gu’s chocolate outrage flavor. I’ve gotten used to the consistency, and on a cold day when the packets freeze in my pocket I even enjoy them! I used the 21 miler to finalize my plan of what intervals to take them at and I’m pretty set on every 5 miles or so. 9 miles into that run I was feeling great, my outfit was set, my fueling was going well and I was keeping pace just as I wanted.

About 10 miles in however, my left foot and the plantar fasciitis I’ve been battling since the fall started to remind me that this year I’m not getting off so easy. By the time I hit the Newton fire station at around mile 17 I was struggling bad. My amazing teammate Lisa was running with me and came up with every topic she could think of to distract me from my pain. Unfortunately not even the return of Mad Men was enough to make me forget about the stabbing in my foot. Discouraged, angry and near tears I approached the next water stop grateful for the small break. When I got there I saw that one of the volunteers was Tom, one of the liver patients involved with my Run for Research team. This was a young man whose story has really stuck with me. At about 15 years old, he is, in my opinion way too young to be dealing with this disease. He has a form of Liver Disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. This disease impacts the liver’s bile ducts which are a key component in a normally functioning liver, and while it can be controlled, the only “cure” is a liver transplant. This is also a disease that has been in my family, which is probably why his story resonates with me so much. Seeing him at that water stop reminded me why I was out there in the first place, and I was ready to finish the run.
I may have been mentally ready, but at mile 19 I saw one of the team coaches, who is also the Dr. I see each week for my foot. Clearly in pain and with 2 miles left she asked me what was more important: finishing a training run or getting to race day as healthy as possible. I fought with myself for a few minutes, and luckily my ego lost the battle and I got in the car with her. It was a really tough decision for me, I didn’t want to “wimp out” especially when I had just seen so many liver patients out cheering the team on, but I know it was the right one. I absolutely love running, and getting to run Boston is a huge honor, but at the end of the day I’m involved with the Run for Research team because I want to bring as much attention to liver disease as possible.

Well, ok that and the race T-shirt. Isn’t that secretly why we all decide to do races?

Serge Bechade
Lisa Brown
Nathan Brown
Zachary Brown
Ellen Brunelle
Rich Burgess
Daniel Cavalari
Geof Deering
Leighanne Deering
Peter Espinosa
Steven Fredericks
Tara Greaves
Christina Hall
Alicia Kearney
Justin Kearney
Lori Kelly
Lorraine Levitsky
Donna McKay
Tricia Murphy
meghan O’Berg
Mark Pasquantonio
Joyce Rogers
Lisa Schibley
Donna Simmons
Ardi Staples
Howie Staples
Jill Weiner
Hannah Woodbury

Serge Bechade
Lisa Brown
Nathan Brown
Zachary Brown
Ellen Brunelle
Rich Burgess
Daniel Cavalari
Leighanne Deering
Geof Deering
Peter Espinosa
Steven Fredericks
Tara Greaves
Christina Hall
Justin Kearney
Alicia Kearney
Lori Kelly
Greg LaFleur
Lorraine Levitsky
Donna McKay
Tricia Murphy
meghan O’Berg
Daniel O’Connell
Mark Pasquantonio
Joyce Rogers
Lisa Schibley
Donna Simmons
Ardi Staples
Howie Staples
Jill Weiner
Hannah Woodbury

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With less than a month left to go before the marathon, I’m really starting to feel the drain of training. My program started in December, so by mid-March it starts to wear on me.  All the miles start to blend together, and there are days when all I want is to focus on the fundraising I have left, and how many people it will benefit. It gets a little too easy for me to slip on the little details that will get my body over that finish line.  Its times like this I’m so grateful for my fellow runners, who not only share my joy in helping those with Liver disease, but keep me focused on the small stuff that makes a big difference.

I realize I may be biased here, but runners are some of my favorite people. Who else could carry on in depth, serious conversations for three or more hours on such topics as compression socks, pre-run meals, chafing, GI “issues”, pacing, the merits of Gatorade vs. water and so many other titillating subjects that would bore most people to tears? This is the stuff that makes me laugh after the run when I wonder what unfortunate passersby overheard us.   This week I found myself in an animated discussion about sports bras while in the locker room after Saturday’s long run. My friend Heather and I discovered we are both devotees of Moving Comfort sports bras and got really excited about it in spite of the obvious eye rolls from the innocent gym-goers who clearly didn’t want to listen to us blabber on.

Until recently I was under the assumption that my Target sports bras were just fine, especially with all the other running gear I’d rather focus on shopping for.  It was almost by accident that I stumbled upon the selection in Bayside Runner, and after getting some great advice, decided to give it a try.  Aside from last year’s marathon when I saw so many of my male comrades suffering from bleeding nipples* and thanked my lucky stars I’m a girl, this isn’t an area I had ever given much thought to. Now that I’ve made the switch however, I’m not sure how I ever ran even one mile before!  I was blown away with the difference between what I now consider a “real” running bra and my trusty old target version.  In talking to other women, I’ve found that if it’s hours of running, or just a few miles we’re always looking for something that can make the experience more comfortable.  With so many other things to consider, my clothing is not something I want to be worrying about once I’m on the road. For myself and many of my friends, the days of re-adjusting mid run or doubling up on sports bras was over as soon as we found this or one of the other awesome brands out there that are actually created with running in mind. Believe me when I say it has been life changing for many of us out there.

*Someone recently asked me if that was a real thing.  “Doesn’t that only happen to Andy on ‘The Office’?” they asked.  While I’ve never experienced it myself, I can assure you that it is very real, and that the men who suffer through it for mile after mile are tough as nails!

Hey Ladies – Body image is so important to self-confidence; we all want to feel good about ourselves while working out and Bayside Runner wants to help!

You work hard and you’ve earned a night off.  So, stick the hubby with the kids and come to Ladies Night.  The ladies of Bayside Runner will, along with a special guest from adidas, help you find the perfect outfit for your workout from sock, to bra, to headband.  We’ll help you with…

Please RSVP by March 23 To Heather heather@baysiderunner.com or 508-591-8422

Every Saturday I meet up with the Run For Research team at a gym in downtown Boston at 8 A.M. for our long run. Team members take turns sharing with everyone their personal reasons for running with the team, which gives everyone some inspiration before we head out the door. In addition to our personal connections to liver disease, we also share the various struggles we’re having with training and what we’re doing to overcome them.  It’s a great way to remember that not every run is going to go perfectly, and my last two long runs are a perfect example of that.

Two weeks ago I woke up to the sound of rain on Saturday morning and thought very seriously about staying in bed. I knew that everyone else was getting up and heading in to meet so I pulled out my rain coat and headed to the gym.  It usually takes me a mile or two to hit my comfort zone, but this Saturday nothing seemed to be clicking for me. I had been up late the night before, my reluctance to get out of bed left me without time for breakfast, and despite the stash of Gu in my pockets I was running on empty.  It just was not my day and when the foot/knee/hip pain on my left side started I added bad mood to my list of issues. 14 miles has never seemed so long and painful.

This last week it was like I was an entirely different runner. I made sure to get to bed early Friday night, and was up with plenty of time to eat breakfast and spend some time with the foam roller before heading out the door to meet my teammates.  I fueled with a Gu packet at every water stop, and the first 12 miles seemed to fly by. Before I knew it I was back at the gym, tired but feeling worlds better after 16 miles than I had the week before with 14.

These two runs, combined with my battle with injury this year has made me really think about every little thing I’m doing, from what I eat, to how much sleep I get. It has also had me really thinking about my sneakers.  I run in Brooks Adrenaline, and I absolutely LOVE them.

Before that I was crazy about my Sauconys and before those, my Asics were king.  One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t get too attached to a given brand, and with sneakers, it’s more of a ‘love the one you’re with’ kind of situation.  It was difficult for me at first to not base my decisions based purely on which brand came in the best colors, but I know that when it comes down to it, what my sneakers actually do for me far outweighs any fashion statement I might be trying to make.  Whenever friends ask me about what sneakers are “good” for running, I always tell them to go get fitted.   I think it’s one of the best ways to really optimize your runs, and minimize your chance at injury.  Yes, it’s super awkward to run on the treadmill while someone stares at your feet, but trust me it’s worth it!