13.1 Atlanta Race Report

First and foremost, I am sorry that it has taken me this long to write this report. Alright, the best way to tackle this one is to break it down into three parts. The good, the bad, and the ugly, but perhaps not in that particular order.

The Bad

So, this race was not a PR, it wasn't even close. I was doing well, and I was on track for a PR for the first half, then I fell apart. This race was also on one of the highest mileage weeks I had eve had, so that didn't help the situation either. I let my mind take over and all of a sudden, I was feeling every pain and discomfort in my body but amplified. Don't forget, I am the mayor of Crazy Town, and CRAZY is how I roll. I made hills into mountains, and let all of this get the best of me. All I could think about was the marathon, and it wasn't pretty. Plus, I felt like I was letting Danielle down during her first half. Oh, did I forget to mention that I didn't charge my camera and I forgot to put an sd card in it. That might make me the worst professional photographer ever... not winning.


The Ugly


The ugly in this race was kept to a minimum. The worst of it was having an upset stomach, but it wasn't the worst I've ever had. I don't think I was paying attention to what I was drinking with the gels which more than likely caused the problem.


The Good


The miles really seemed to fly by, especially the first 9. When I wasn't letting the crazy take control, I was actually having a pretty darn good time. We were joking, chatting and being silly. Danielle and I made a new friend with a pretty darn awesome chick who was running her 2nd half. We dubbed ourselves the Booty Brigade and were silly and stupid. This race reminded me that running doesn't always suck. I sort of get irritated by the fast people who were going the opposite way who were saying things like "looking great", "you're doing so well", and my personal un-fave "you're almost there" (I always want to say "look skinny fast b*tch, you and I both know my fat ass is not almost there"). So, I decided to turn it around and start yelling things at the fast people like and a few of them seemed amused because I got in touch with my inner Drill Sergeant when I was yelling at them. By far, the best part was crossing the line with Danielle and Melissa, it was just an awesome moment.

The Pics

Danielle and I before the start

Four miles in! (thank heaven for the phone)

Waddling along

Half marathon #2 is DONE

The best part was the celebratory cupcake.

BOOYAH!

So, I haven't written my 13.1 Atlanta race report because I had conflicting feelings about the race but after tonight's run, I've decided that as soon as I get back to Atlanta, I'll get it posted. In case you didn't know, Patrick and I brought B to South Georgia to the Okefenokee swamp. Plus, I wanted to see some gators, and did I ever see some gators today. On a side note, I am slightly disappointed that I didn't get to wrestle a gator, maybe I watched one too many episodes of Swamp People. I guess, gator wrasslin' is best left to the professionals.

Tonight's run, in one word was INCREDIBLE. After today's long car trip and swamp exploring, imagine my surprise when my legs felt great. I got to the hotel after dinner, got my gear on, left Patrick and B watching the UGA game in our room and I got to it. I got on the tread and started it on a 15:00 pace, started flipping through the channels and found Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on tv. SCORE!! The time on treadmill flew by and I even sped up and held a pace that I felt I could be proud of and before I knew it, my run was over. My legs felt great and I couldn't believe how great I felt. After beating myself up this week, about my runs and marathon training, this was just what I needed.

The site of the AWESOME run.

Marathon Training Week 21 In Review and Weight Issues

Guess where I went during last week's training? Remember, that place I visit every once in a while... yup, you got it, Crazy Town.

Photo Source

During last Monday's long run, I once again claimed my spot as the mayor of Crazy Town. My mental state was absolutely awful, I was darn mess. I was doubting myself and my ability to finish the marathon and I was wondering if I was making the biggest mistake of my life. This crazy train, went on for most of the run and it swear it made me feel super sluggish. Then at around mile 12, my stomach went on strike, I was going to explode from every end. I ended up slowing down for the last four, it felt like a death march. I ended up getting sick later in the day, after I got home and when Patrick got home, he told me that his stomach had been unsettled all day too, so it may have been a little stomach bug. 

Did I mention that my ipod broke during this run? Well, the screen is separated from the casing, it's a mess. I can use it on the ipod docks for my Zumba classes but I am scared to run with it because I think it might shock me. Look... 

Wednesday, I had speedwork and it was a tough one because I was just not motivated and I just wanted to be at home sleeping. I trudged through this one, but I was pretty happy because I had a movie on my phone which helped pass the time. The only issue is that our gym treadmills have a one hour time limit, so after an hour the treadmill automatically switches to a cool down, so I have to get creative because this run was 8 miles and I'm slow. So, I did my warm up, stopped the treadmill, and restarted it and did the speedwork, after that was done I had to restart the treadmill again to cool down. A lot of work, but I have to be creative. 

Friday, I had 3 on the schedule but I was only able to finish 2. It was an incredibly busy day and that was all I had time for because I had to squeeze it in. Nothing to write home about. 

Now, for the weighty issues. I have been so embarrassed and ashamed about this but I have gained weight, and not just a little weight... a whole lot and it's time to own up to it. I've gained 15 pounds, and I am not proud or happy about it. That being said, I am not going to let this hold me back and I am already working on coming back from this. I'm back to journalling my food, and making smart and clean choices. This isn't going to stop my weight loss journey which had sort of stalled out, it's bump in the proverbial road and I am going to come back from this stronger. 

With the marathon around the corner and the weight thing, it's time to put the nose to the grind stone and get to work. It's crunch time! 

Next post, is the 13.1 Atlanta race report... stay tuned. 

13.1 Atlanta - DONE

Half marathon #2 is done and in the books. Will post a full report asap.