The Big 3-0

Post Marathon. I'm 30! 

It's true. I am no longer a "young" lady and have officially entered just being a lady. I am now 30. It really hit me when I was talking to my mom about the Tetanus shot I had received recently and said that I wouldn't have to get another one for ten more years, or until I was forty. Forty!? It's only ten years away! *gasp* I'm THIRTY!

I hadn't planned on doing anything huge until around Christmas 2011. I was tossing around ideas with my personal trainer and my husband as to what to do for my thirtieth birthday. I wanted to do something that represented how hard I worked to get to where I am today. 58 pounds lighter than I was two years ago, fitter than I have ever been in my life, and excited about new possibilities.

I decided to run a FULL marathon.

Crazy, I know. I had run four 1/2 marathons in the past year so I was fairly confident in myself. If you would have told me three years ago that I would run a full marathon on my thirtieth birthday I would have laughed at you. Ridiculous! What planet are you from!? But, despite what I would have thought three years ago, I decided to find a run that was somewhere near my birthday.

After spending a little time online, I discovered that my favorite marathon series (Rock 'N' Roll Marathons and 1/2 Marathons) was holding a marathon, one of the ONLY Saturday marathons they offer, in Seattle ON my birthday. It was meant to be. Most marathons are on Sundays, so it was a miracle in itself that I would get to run one ON my birthday. Before I could change my mind, my husband signed me up as a surprise. I was in it now! No time to change my mind. It was on!

Anxiously I awaited February 17th, the first day of my training. I started out slow, running only a few miles, but throughout the training I had time trials, tempo runs, intervals and LSD's (Long Slow Distances) to run, slowly gaining strength. I cannot thank my husband and loved ones enough for the tolerance and support they had for my schedule and my needs. Everyone was supportive of my goal. Dates with my husband, outings with friends, and any other social obligations.  were planned around my runs. It was going to be a long 18 weeks.

I would be out running sometimes up to 4 or 5 hours on a Saturday or Sunday, often starting around 3:30 or 4:00 AM. I was tired, but supported and encouraged every step of the way. The hardest runs were the ones that were over 13 miles. Once my long slow distances were above that, I would get discouraged, emotional and my mind would get in the way of my body's capabilities. Another difficulty was the weather. As my training progressed into those longer runs, my dehydration issues kicked in even harder. We bought a Camelback backpack, gatorade powder, energy gels, protein bars, protein powders and more. I still suffered at times, but my training was able to progress.

Once I hit some longer runs I had a friend talk to me and ask if I wanted someone to meet me in the last 10 miles or so of my long runs to finish them out with me. She had done a marathon in the past and understood how much it became a mental game toward the end. She was a godsend. I am not kidding. Without her, and the three other friends who joined me on my few remaining, long, tiring runs, I would not have made it through nearly as successfully. They brought laughter, support and distraction from the aches, pains and mental breakdowns. I will forever be thankful to the four AMAZING ladies who helped me pull through the hardest training miles.

As the weeks progressed and the race was only a few weeks away, I hit some setbacks with an achy foot. The pain would not go away. One day my hubby took a look at the bottom of my shoes and was shocked at how worn out they were. We realized I had run over 500 miles on them since mid-March! It was only the end of May! Three months and over 500 miles. I am still not sure today, but I believe that my foot problems stemmed from those shoes. Evidence:

Left: 500 mile shoes  Right: New shoes

The new shoes were like night and day. I was amazed at how much cushion and support had broken down in my old ones. My training runs felt so much better. I had heard a million times not to get new shoes so close to the race, but I had to. I did it anyway and I do not regret it for one second. It made my last runs bearable and I didn't once get a blister or ache from any of it.

The day arrived. We were in Seattle and my parents, my hubby's parents, my husband and I were all making sure I was in bed on time, proper dinner in my belly and all of my clothes and supplies prepared the night before. I think I was asleep by 9:30. I woke up at 4:30, took a shower (I know, weird, right?) and put a Lidocaine patch on my foot for the awkward pain, got dressed and choked down half a bagel with peanut butter and a bottle of water. I was as ready as I was ever going to get. I had everyone ready and out the door at 6:45 so that we could be at the start line, (1/10 of a mile from the hotel) and the waiting began. 

My husband and I pre-race

My nerves were on high, but that is why it was so important I was there early because my nerves had settled by the time the gun fired. I was off. 43 minutes after the official first gun, my corral crossed the start line. I felt great, no foot pain, fresh legs, good mindset and support along the course. I had parents, in-laws and husband at mile 13.1, friends from the area at mile 17/18 and my family again at mile 23. The hardest moments? Miles 15-23, the best moments? Miles 6-10. The worst section? The hill at mile 5. The best part of the entire race? Crossing the finish line.

Mile 13.1 came and my mom and dad fueled me with orange slices and my entire family with cheers and support. Miles 17/18 my friends were there with signs and cheers, urging me to pick myself up and run again after a walking stint through a rather rough patch. They brought me out of my frustration to look like this: 

Between miles 16 and 17. Look at that smile! 

Mile 21 brought me out of a tunnel and into pouring rain, which lasted the rest of the run. Mile 23 hit and I was suffering. My husband ran up the hill at this point with me and encouraged me throughout the rest of the run, keeping me positive and uplifted. As I came around the final corner, I all but shouted at a poor lady "HOW MUCH FARTHER?" Her response was a quarter mile and you are done! I came around the corner, saw the horrible hill ahead of me at mile 26 (seriously!? Who plans these things?) and the finish line just beyond. The tears began. Crying ensued from that point on for about the next two hours. On the run up the hill I saw my husband running along the sidewalk. Thinking he wanted me to run it in, I sprinted (which means I ran a smidge faster than the previous shuffle-run) across the finish line. "Up next is Cory Flagg from Goodyear" the announcer proclaimed as I approached. Sobbing commenced. They handed me a foil blanket, which I wrapped around my quaking body. I was crying so hard I was hyperventilating and wheezing a little bit. I couldn't speak, and as I approached one of the ladies holding the medals, it took her a while to realize what I was doing. "Oh, you don't have a medal yet, do you?" All I could do was shake my head. She congratulated me and placed the medal around my neck. I headed to the exit to find Matt. I could barely speak as I hugged him. I was wet, cold, and could barely stand. I had to keep moving.

Done and barely standing. Proud and emotional moment!

We headed back to the hotel where I promptly took a hot shower. I was so cold that when the hot water hit me, it was cold by the time it hit my feet. Within an hour, I was dressed, warm, walking again and on my way to dinner with family and friends. 

I had done it. 

My once far-fetched dream was a reality. I was a marathon finisher. In a time of 5:54:05, I had run, walked, trotted, persevered, suffered, triumphed, inspired others, and finished a 26.2 mile marathon. 

Someone in my favorite running documentary "The Spirit of the Marathon" said, "Once you cross that finish line, your life has changed forever." Absolutely, without a doubt, 100% true.

I am in my prime. 30 feels good. Not just good, GREAT. Bring it, 30! 

Now, what am I going to do when I turn 40?

Dream Come True!

A few months ago I mentioned that I applied to do a summer institute at the Biosphere 2 in Oracle AZ. I was nervous, pacing, checking my email every ten seconds for weeks. Obsessed? Just a smidge. We were told that we were to hear from them the week after spring break, and when no news showed up, I feared the worst. I assumed that I had not gotten in. It took me a couple of days to accept the fact that I was not going to be living on the Biosphere 2 campus for two dream filled weeks. When I was least expecting it a friend of mine who also applied informed me that she had received an email stating that, unfortunately, had not gotten accepted to the institute. I flew back to my computer to check if I had received anything, my hope renewed and my fear sparked once again.

Nothing...

Bummer! But, my hope grew stronger since I had not received a rejection letter. Within the next fifteen or twenty minutes my husband came running up to me with his phone, telling me that he received a letter saying that he was accepted and that I should check my email to see if I had been accepted as well. My nerves were in a frenzy! Little did he know that I would be the deepest shade of green he ever saw if he got in and I didn't. I mean, how would it be fair if I didn't get to live my dream and he, who didn't really know what the Biosphere was before I introduced it to him, did! I slid into my desk chair and pulled out my phone...

ACCEPTANCE!!

My ear-piercing scream ricocheted through the classroom and, I am sure, could be heard down the hall! To say that I was ecstatic would be an extreme understatement. The hopes and dreams of the twelve year old girl inside of me were coming to fruition!

As time wore on, emails were received, laptops purchased, meal preferences stated (I only said no pork, are you proud of me!?), ning's joined and plans were made. Now, in just under two weeks I will be driving down to Oracle, AZ and living on the Biosphere 2 complex for TWO WEEKS! I am in heaven. This is proof that God does listen to your frantic prayers and hopeful dreams. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and will update as much as I can while it is happening.

For now you can watch this video to kind of get an idea of what it is we will be seeing/doing while I am there!

As for before the Biosphere 2 institute, I will be running my second 1/2 marathon in San Diego this upcoming Sunday! I am not in it for time this time, due to some pretty spotty training, but I will definitely be in it to do the best I can and finish! Not only do I get to run a spectacular run, I get to spend a fun filled weekend with my amazing hubby and our friends! I can't wait! I will update on that as well. I need to get better at being up to date! Thanks for hanging in there and not giving up on me! Summer is here and there will be much more to come!

Running

I ran 10.5 miles this morning and loved every minute of it. Our church has started a group for runners to meet occasionally on the weekends and run at our own pace and meet up at the end to hang out for a little while. I was nervous because the last time I ran anything over 6 miles was for the P.F. Chang's 1/2 marathon in Phoenix. At about mile 7 or 8 I became pretty badly dehydrated to the point that I stopped sweating at about mile 11 or 12. I had to walk quite a bit of the last 4 miles of the race. I was completely bummed out about it, but I knew I had to watch my body and actually listen to it so I didn't hurt myself any worse. But, as I rounded the final turn into the parking lot where the finish line was, I picked up my pace and ran across that finish line!

That experience was one of the most emotional moments of my life. When I saw my husband, I started to cry, when I received my completion medal, I cried again. When I walked out and saw my husband again, I cried once again. Here is my running story:

Two years ago I could barely run to the end of my block. I had always told myself that I would start running, but it lasted one day, or maybe two, and then peter out. My best friend wanted to start running again and my husband encouraged me and downloaded the best podcast to my iPod for me to follow. Here is the podcast if you are interested.   It is a nine week program that literally had me from the couch to running 30 minutes without stopping. I was completely blown away that I could run 30 minutes without stopping. I am not fast by any means, but I was able to do it!

I was going to try to train with two of my closest friends for the P. F. Chang's 1/2 in 2010, but in October of 2009 I ran a beautiful 6 mile trek with no pain and thought I was home free. The next morning I woke up and could barely walk. I had a hard time walking for an entire week and I took a two week break. When I tried to go back out there I ended up only being able to run 1/2 mile. I was devastated. Not only could I run only a tiny bit, my shin splints were raging. I broke down and it felt like a little bit of who I had grown to be was taken away from me.

I didn't give up! With encouragement from family and friends I worked little by little to bring myself back up to a 5k. I ran one in March of 2010 and felt great! In July I joined the gym and took on a personal trainer. (The best thing I have done in a while!) My trainer specializes in working with runners. He got me working hard! I dropped weight, gained muscle and was on my way to training for the P. F. Chang's 1/2 marathon in January of 2011. During one of my training runs I was running around my original training path at a nearby lake. I began to cry as I was circling that lake because I saw the benches that used to be my landmarks. I was excited when I could run from one bench to another, or all the way to the bench on the other side of the lake. Now I was able to run circles around both of the lakes and then a few miles more. It put into perspective how far I had really come.

As I said above, I completed the P.F. Chang's 1/2. Now my goal is to run a half marathon in under 2 hours and 45 minutes. My last one was completed in 3 hours 6 minutes. I can do it. I know I can. The most amazing thing

The one on the left is my first 5k. The one on the right is before the P.F. Chang's. The difference might not be as apparent here, but to me, it is HUGE. I feel better, I look better and I am just better all around. Running has changed my life. It has made me a better person and I find peace while I am pounding the pavement.

10.5 miles today and NO dehydration! It's a start toward a more successful 1/2 next time!

Reasons I Want to Live in New York City

Today I was talking to a friend of mine about my desire to live in New York City. She thought I was nuts. It made me really think about why I want to live there. 

1) The beauty of architecture and nature within a huge city. The perfect meeting of these two things is Central Park. I absolutely am in awe of being in the middle of Central Park and seeing the buildings towering over the treetops as I look up. (Again, didn't I mention the importance of looking up before?) When you are in the middle of Central Park, you feel like you are in the middle of nature, not in the middle of one of the largest cities. When you look up, however, you see the beauty of the city looming over the trees, begging you to join it.
There area parks everywhere. From teeny-tiny to Central Park. I love how the city has maintained the blend of nature within the city. I appreciate that I could look out of my window and see trees up and down the street. Are all streets there like this? Of course not, especially when you get downtown, but for the most part, you can find nature in the busiest of places.

2) Culture. I know I mentioned this one before, but I love that so many cultures are smashed into one large area. If you wanted to find a rare or unique food or spice, New York City is the place to find it. I can't tell you how many times I have looked for an unusual food item and couldn't find it anywhere. I want to be able to walk into a family owned Italian store and pick up some handmade pasta or walk into a spice shop and know I can find the weird spice on my list. Organic food markets? Yes please! The closest health food store is about 20 miles from my house right now. I would much rather shop through my limited selection at my local grocery store.
The biggest thing we are lacking where we live now is quality restaurants, particularly Chinese and Thai. I want to be able to call up an authentic, good Chinese restaurant and have my food delivered! I want to head to a Thai restaurant and know what I am getting is the real deal. I want to spend my weekends trying restaurants from cultures I have never experienced before. New York City offers that.

3) Theater! One of my greatest loves. I want to see Broadway musicals, attend comedy clubs, join a community theater to act, and witness top-notch ballets. This is something we are sorely lacking here in podunkville. I did get to see Wicked when it came through town and was completely enamored with the set design, costumes and quality of acting. When it was over I wanted it to continue. If I lived in New York City I could experience that more often. Yes, tickets are expensive, but one or two shows a year is much better than one show every three years here.

4) Running outside year-round. I understand that NYC gets freezing cold during the winter, but it is not bad to run in the cold. Where I come from it gets so hot that sometimes it feels like my eyeballs are on fire. Running outside anywhere above 85 degrees can run a high risk of dehydration. I have experienced dehydration and I can tell you it is miserable and I don't wish it upon anyone. Cold I can manage. Layers are good. I can always put more on, I can't always take more off. I want to run the entire city, explore every path, every sidewalk, every street. Would I ever run Central park alone? No. But to be able to run outside throughout the year excites me.

5) Restaurants. Some of the best food in the world comes from NYC. Max Brenner and Serendipity 3 are two of my current favorites. But, more than the stereotypical places, I want to find the family owned, mom and pop shops. I know that the best piece of pizza comes from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Have I eaten it yet? No, but I want to find it! Greek, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Irish, English, Indian. I want to try them all! I am not the one to follow the newest trendy places. I want to support the little shops. Does that mean that I will never try the trendy places or the restaurants owned by the big-name chefs? No. Those will just be saved for special occasions like a birthday or anniversary.

6) Farmers Markets. I. Love. Farmer's. Markets. Especially open-air markets like many in NYC. Locally grown, fresh, brilliantly colored produce is a feast for the eyes. I want to walk the aisles, pick up the fruits and vegetables and inhale the sweet and earthy smells. I want to find heirloom tomatoes, fingerling potatoes and fresh arugula and artichokes. I would take them home and make a meal that would explode on my taste buds and excited the senses. We don't have that here. I want it.

7) The noise and excitement. NYC is the city that never sleeps. I love that. Sometimes I am awake at odd hours. I like knowing that I am not alone if I am up at 1am. The hum of cars, the rumble of the subway, the murmur of people walking below. This does not turn me off of living there. If anything, this makes it all the more exciting.

8) The subway! I love the subway system of NYC. There is something about zooming from one place to another without needing a car. I am an avid people watcher. This is the perfect place for it! Hundreds of thousands of people use the subway every day. Hundreds of musicians play in the tunnels. It makes one feel like anything can happen. No matter where you go in the city, you are always connected to another location, just by hopping on the subway system. Sigh... Heaven for a person who wants to explore.

9) Pictures. My favorite pictures that my husband and I have ever taken have been the ones from New York City. There is so much to look at and so many nooks and crannies to explore that photography would be a snap! It seems like no matter where you go there is something, or someone, to take a picture of. A quiet residential street offers a row of historic facades. Central Park offers unique landscape and people. Times Square offers lights and excitement.  The Empire State Building offers spectacular views and unique vantage points of all corners of the city. NYC is a photographer's paradise.

10) Experience. I just want to do it so I have the ability to say I did it. Even if it is just for one or two years. I want it. The hubbub, the noise, the food, the opportunity. NYC makes me feel like I can do anything.

Did I ever see myself living in a place like New York City? Not at all. I love small country towns and quaint places to raise children. But does that mean that I can't want the city now? Of course not. Does it mean that I will actually live there? No. Do I hope to? Absolutely. Maybe someday, we shall see. But for now, I am happy where I am at, dreaming of NYC and hoping that someday I will get the chance to call it home, even for a little while.