Life Past 30

This is day I was waiting for since crossing the finish line.  All week long, walking and wincing in pain, I kept Friday in front of me like a dangling reward.  Although I felt better yesterday, Friday has been stuck in my head because it means the beginning of my first free weekend in three weeks.  It signifies the start of me being able to get as much sleep as possible without having to wake up to the clock for other obligations.  When I woke up this morning, I felt refreshed and could not wait to get the day started.  I have been wearing a smile all day because I know that as of close of business today, I will have the chance to crawl into bed and stay there for as long as I wish.  Nothing could be more satisfying to me at the moment.  I just want my pillows.   

Running the Marine Corps Marathon was awesome, but I knew long ago that I would be in a lot of pain afterward.  While researching post-marathon recovery and nutrition, I came across information that stated muscles that are rarely used will be sore due to a change in gait brought on by the long run.  Little did I know how true that would be for me.  My muscles were not just sore, they were screaming!

Right after the marathon, only my legs were sore and tight.  Yesterday proved to be the worst post-marathon day for me.  Every muscle in my body ached beyond normalcy, but I continued to smile while at work and took every step slowly.  Nothing could stifle the joy I felt for running across that finish line.  After resting at home today, eating lots of carbs, and drinking Gatorade, I feel better because the soreness is ebbing.

I look forward to being able to walk at my normal pace without any pain, but I won’t be running again for another four weeks.  Now, it’s time for more rest.

It finally arrived.  The day for me to test myself beyond all limitations and not question my physical abilities.  I completed the Marine Corps Marathon and have officially added 26.2 miles to my list of things accomplished.  The last time I slept was the night before last, I laid in bed last night hoping for sleep to come, but it never did.  Instead, I was left with a very awake brain and thoughts of the marathon swirling around in my head.

Now I’m in excruciating pain, but smiling wildly because I can’t believe I did it without any sleep and pumped full of Gu Energy Gel.  Of course, I drank lots of water and Powerade, but Gu helped me out a lot.  I believe it even kept my muscles from getting any tighter than they already were.

The course was wonderful and took us runners pass some of the best scenery Washington, DC and Arlington, VA have to offer.  I was lucky enough to see an old friend cheering me on and to have met some great people throughout my journey.  If you’re contemplating running a marathon for the first time, I would recommend the Marine Corps Marathon.  It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

Last night was the first part of the “moment of truth” for me because I picked up my marathon bib, race chip, and a host of other goodies.  The race chip is enclosed in a plastic strip that must be looped through my shoe laces and will feed my location every 5k throughout the race to my family via their cell phones.  The Marine Corps Marathon Health and Fitness Expo featured so many products for health, fitness, and sports that I had a hard time choosing what I wanted.  I bought a couple of t-shirts and some packets of Gu Energy Gel.  Tonight, I will be going back to get the runner’s pants and individual toe-socks I saw. 

The day I’ve been waiting for is finally right around the corner and I managed to grab some quality sleep last night.  I’m going to be safe, take it slow for the first 8 miles because of the hills, and enjoy myself.  I’ll be thinking of a delicious pasta meal with extra shrimp while I’m running.         

It is really interesting how so many important events will appear from almost nowhere when you move closer to reaching a goal.  That has been the case for me for the past week or so.  The closer the marathon has gotten, the busier I have become.  So many thoughts have been racing through my mind about the race, that I have been going through the motions with almost everything else.  Of course, I continue to concentrate on work and my daughter’s education, but other than that, my mind always seems to return to thoughts about the marathon.  I could barely sleep last night, got maybe 4-5 hours.  It wasn’t enough sleep for me because I’m one of those people who need at least 7 hours to be ready for the next day.  Strangely, that small bout of insomnia was not related to the marathon, but rather a recurrence of an intermittent and annoying issue.   

I’m hoping for better sleep on Saturday after doing stretches and gentle leg exercises.  Perhaps a nice walk in the park where I have run so many miles during my training will be a nice activity before race day. 

Here’s another marathon video I found on YouTube.  It contains footage from last year’s Marine Corps Marathon.  Whew, this is awesome!

It’s a “mind over matter” thing with me now.  At least, that’s what I’ll keep telling myself as I run along the course.

***Notice how I’m preparing myself by sharing these videos with you?***  Wink-wink 

Let’s hope I won’t have to do this any time during the marathon.  I believe in a quick excavation of the bladder, but “Wow!”, she took it to a completely different level.  The last time I felt like she did was when I was commuting 80 miles a day and had to hold my bladder for 2.5 hours until I got home.  By the time I reached the front door, my bladder was screaming and so was I.  Lucky for me, I made it. 

In some strange way, Paula Radcliffe is my new hero.  She’s been added to my mental list of people-who-do-the-strangest-things-in-public.  I’m one of those people, too, but I’ve never done this!

When I was in my early twenties, I dreaded turning 30.  Little did I know that dreading it was not necessary in the least.  I guess I had allowed what I heard about turning 30 make think it was some kind of disease.  Well, it wasn’t, at least not for me.  When I turned 30 in 2006, it was a wonderful milestone.  I have to admit that I began to feel different the closer I got to it, but nothing major.  I believe we all go through some of kind transformation when we turn 30.  I cannot put it into words, but for me, I became more serious about life, more focused on my goals, and rearranged my priorities.  It was a good change and one that helped mold me into what I am today. 

At 32, I’m sure about what I want in life and who I am as a person.  I’ll always be spontaneous and adventurous, but I think before I act now, as opposed to when I was younger and didn’t have a child.  I like getting older and growing as a person because I get see any changes that occur.  Overall, my health is great and I feel great at 32.  I’m going to savor every moment and take it one day at a time. 

Wow, what a year it has been so far.  I can’t believe that next Sunday, I will be embarking upon the most important thing I have done since giving birth to my daughter 10 years ago.  One week is all I have before I experience REAL pain, but it will all be worth it.  From what I’ve read on the Internet and gotten from other marathoners, my body is going to undergo a major healing process and I will have to take it easy for the next 4-6 weeks.  I must be completely nuts, but I’m looking forward to it.  I’m running the Marine Corps Marathon with the American Cancer Society to honor those who have cancer and those who have lost their battle, including my late aunt.  Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to commit my time and energy to such a great cause while completing a personal goal of mine.  The best part is that I will have my family and friends there to support me.  I’ll post more about it after race day…with pics.

Crocheting has been a main hobby of mine since the age of 11.  I can’t say what made me interested in it, but I do remember how I learned to do it.  It was the middle of the fifth grade for me and a fellow classmate of mine used to bring yarn and crochet hooks to school with her every day.  I had never seen anything like the hooks before and I became curious about their use.

One day at recess, I spotted her sitting alone on the playground behind our school crocheting, although I didn’t know what it was at the time.  I walked over to her and asked what she doing and she replied, without looking up, “I’m crocheting.”  She was going so fast, it was difficult to keep up with the movement of the hook as she made the yarn dance around it.  When I asked if she could teach me, she said she couldn’t, that she had learned from her grandmother, but I could watch if I liked.  Well, always being up for a challenge, I accepted the offer to watch.

Every day, for a month, I made it a point to watch her crochet during recess because I was determined to learn this oh-so-cool craft.  Guess what?  It worked!  When I felt confident enough in my ability to crochet, I asked my parents if they could buy some yarn and a crochet hook for me.  Of course, my mom looked surprised, but my dad just chuckled a little and told me he would take me to the store.  When I got the yarn and the hook, I played around with it until I had duplicated the hook movements of my classmate.  Eventually, I made a pink and white doily that my grandmother still has to this day.

Since that first project, I have crocheted everything from potholders to clothing.  It is a passion for me and one the few things I love to do.  When time permits, I will sit in a comfortable spot for 8 hours or more working on a single project.  Words cannot express how elated I am when I finish.  I love to crochet!