W1 D2 C25K

Tonight was just as good as Monday! We had close to 40 people at the track on a warm and humid night. Everyone did SO well! The group is great and I LOVE it.

I love this group already. It is so hard to really get to know everyone and to even learn name! I'm not that good! It is just too many people too quickly.

But it went well. Everyone did a great job and they are turning out again and again and already looking forward to next week! I can't believe this is how all of this is turning out. The group has over 500 people in it! We have had almost 30 people join in just April alone. I'm just so happy with it.

I love the direction my life took with all of this. 2 years ago I was in such a different place and a completely different person. I was insecure, depressed, run down, and over weight. 2 years later, 40 pounds and a Boston Marathon later.. wow! Look at me now! Damn. I yell out to a group of 40 people at a track to encourage them to start the Couch to 5K!

The weirdest and funniest part... I keep hearing people tell me that I am an inspiration to them. How did that happen? How did I go from insecure, depressed, run down and over weight to being an inspiration for a large number of people?

The fitness group was a HUGE part of all of it. Getting out, meeting people and being active was a really big part of it all. Then being officially diagnosed with ADD and finally being treated, I think that was a huge part too. Having an ability to focus and get rid of the outside noise took away so much anxiety in my life and really helped with any mental and emotional things I was going through. It just made dealing with things so much easier.

And then, running. That was HUGE for me. Getting to the track and pounding it out, lap after lap. Having that runners high. Getting into the zone, the meditative part of it.. WOW. And the exercise, mile after mile, pound after pound.. all 40 of them.

I really have come a long way in the past 2 years. I'm not the same person. My friends are different, my life is different, even my home is different. Everything. There is very little from my life 2 years ago that remains the same at this point.

Can't wait to see what else happens?

And Couch to 5K begins!

Tonight was the first session of the new Couch to 5K with the fitness group. HOLY CRAP! I'm not exactly sure how many people didn't show up that rsvp'd. I'm not exactly sure how many people showed up who didn't rsvp. I think I had somewhere around 40+ at the track tonight.

WOW! Over 40 people showed up to do this running program! And there I am with the stop watch and whistle letting them all know when to switch from jogging to walking. It was incredible! So cool so see that many people show up and be excited to try this out together.

They laughed at me when I said in less than a month they will be looking forward to the nights at the track. I think letting them know that I met some of my closest friends through this group, doing this program, helped.

It was just a REALLY nice night. We had so much fun. Everyone did such a great job. I can't wait to see how this all evolves and how everyone does. I know we'll lose at least 15 people, but it would really nice if we kept a core group of 20-30 people doing this together! I'd LOVE it! :)

I'm just so excited to see how everyone does. Funny.... when did I become this person? Someone said I was a great coach tonight. Me? A coach? I guess organizing this, in a way, yeah.

I'm still considering becoming certified as a group fitness instructor and maybe a yoga instructor. I love the direction this group has brought me and the focus is has given me. I'm looking forward and thinking of new career possibilities as part of it and as a result of it and that is so amazing! I just can't believe HOW much my life has changed in 2 years. INSANE!

Do I keep this?

Now that the marathon passed and I crossed the finish line, do I keep this blog??

Originally I wasn't going to but I started thinking about it a little more. In two days, I start up a whole new session of the Couch to 5K training program with my meetup group. Someone changed their rsvp to a NO after I closed out the rsvp list for new people, so that bumped us down to 49 people.

Yes 49 people want to join the running group! How crazy is that! Last Tuesday alone, I approved 7 new people for the fitness group and so many of them joined just for the running group. We have tennis starting up and the 24 slots in the golf lessons filled up in less than 24 hours, with a wait list! This group is just taking off. :)

SO yes, I think I will keep this blog, but the focus on it will remain running and fitness in general.

On that note, today? I didn't really sleep last night and I've been up for hours. At noon, I am still in my pj's, on the sofa, doing nothing. No exercise, no stretching, no nothing. The weather is horrible, so I wouldn't really be doing outside running right now by choice, but I've just been lazy.

My back, which was amazing for the marathon, started bothering me a little bit yesterday. I have a feeling it might be from the kickboard at the pool. Just arching my back more to keep my head above water while I'm kicking might be putting more stress on my lower back. SO no more 45 minutes of kickboard for me. Sticking with just laps for the next month until the pool closes.

Hopefully when I start running again in 2 days, my back will be ok. I have most of what I need ready to go. I found the 2 stop watches I had with the whistles so I can let people know the 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking and when to switch.

I'm really looking forward to starting it up again. I love having out group this busy and seeing people this excited to get moving and try out fitness. I love watching people's faces when they realize their accomplishments and see the pride come over them! That's the best part!

I have an amazing team of assistant organizers who all have their own thing they are into... golf, tennis, dance lessons, exercise classes, hiking, walks, kayaking. Then me, with swimming, Couch to 5K and road races. Because of the team, we can offer so much to people. Plus the group is very low pressure and just FUN!

Even with today cold, rainy and raw, the warmer weather is coming. The days are getting longer and outdoor activities are starting back up. Everyone is happier in the summer and life is good! :)

I FINISHED!

With my back injury and horrible training over the past 6 weeks, I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to start in the marathon! Last week my hips were finally aligned correctly and I was finally walking without a limp. But I still wasn't doing much running.

I got up at the crack of dawn on Monday and got ready. After taking the subway into town, I waited at the Boston Common for the parade of buses which came 25 at a time, one group of 25 after another, taking all the runners out to Hopkinton for the start. Once off the bus, as I started walking towards the Athletes Village, I wasn't sure where my Team Eye and Ear building was.... it was tough to figure out where I was on the map they gave me. But I found a bright red T-shirt with Team Eye and Ear greeting us! He directed me where to go.

Once at our building (with heat and BATHROOMS!) I grabbed a banana and wrote my name on my shirt. I did hit that bathroom a couple of times, posed for a few pictures with the team and got myself ready to go.

I headed out with another team member through Athletes Village and we tossed our bags to be checked into the INSANE number of buses lined up by bib #'s which were headed back to Boston, then we started our walk down the streets of Hopkinton. After another port-a-potty stop (26 miles is a LONG way, especially after about 24 ounces of Gatorade that morning!) we made our way to the starting corrals... corral #7 for us!

The starting gun for wave three went off around 10:40am and we were off through Hopkinton making our way along the route. I chatting with so many great people along the way from all over and supporting all different causes (the "qualified" runners were ahead in wave 1 or 2). The energy was absolutely AMAZING!!

SO many different experiences along the way.

Writing my name on my shirt was the best thing I could have done. 26 miles of hearing "GO JULIE" was so incredible!.

Ray Allen's mom ran (the day after he won the game with maybe 2 seconds left and an AMAZING SHOT!) People were calling for "Mama Allen" as she was running. I saw her early, maybe somewhere in mile 3-5.

My friends were spread out ALL along the route. What a great support I had! They were absolutely amazing, planning out their day to support me! I was touched so much more than I can express!!! And more tried to go but just couldn't. They had signs they made and everything! It was just the coolest thing to see them there for me!

I saw a bunch of people I knew who were there for other people, which was nice to have them see me and yell out to me! That was cool too! Someone I used to work with was there just to be there and I heard her yell out, "I KNOW HER!" which was cool! :)

What they say about Wellesley College is true. I heard it before I got there. The girls lined up along the route with signs, screaming and cheering NON STOP! The energy was amazing. I started running so much faster and had tears in my eyes just passing the school. It was absolutely incredible. When I finished passing the school, I remember turning to another runner near me and said, "That was just amazing." There is nothing else I could say. It was just amazing!

Team Eye and Ear had a cheering section at mile 18 which was a great support to see them all calling for me.

Just at the base of Heartbreak, they had another Team Eye and Ear supporter... the same from right when I got off the bus! He was at the base, ran up to me to give me a high 5 and started jogging next to me. He gave me a great little pep talk and let me know what to expect for the rest of the race. Then he turned back and waited for the next runner. That support was just incredible!

The support from the crowd was amazing too! 26 miles of people, people and more people! I got water and Gatorade from the thousands of volunteers at the aid stations at each mile along the route. Then people along the route had water too, and FOOD, oh MY did they have food! I must have had 2 or 3 oranges in total from the number of orange slices I grabbed along the way (ME! The germ-a-phobe! Grabbed sliced oranges out of strangers hands!) I took twizlers, Hersey kisses, a brownie by heartbreak, some Vaseline on a Popsicle stick around mile 15 when my arms were starting to chafe a little around my singlet. It was just amazing how many people were just giving out SO much.

I had great conversations with so many other runners along the route. I saw so many friendly faces really encouraging everyone and hoping the best for all. Restaurants, bars and businesses with microphones and speakers blaring out great music and calling out names of runners and teams they were supporting. Big signs with the Sox score and innings keeping runners updated.

Everything was just incredible. So many different memories. So many small stories. So many great people I met and smiling faces I saw. TOO many people who yelled out "GO JULIE" for me, mile after mile after mile. Those cheers, that real and genuine encouragement from people I didn't know just kept me going.

I would love to do another marathon again, but I honestly don't know if any would come close to comparing to this. I don't know how it could. The crowds were so amazing. I can't see how anywhere else could have that kind of support for 26 miles of roads. There was never a spot where I couldn't see someone along the side of the road, even in the area they warned me about in Brookline. There were STILL people next to that cemetery! Not a lot, but people were still there cheering for the runners.

Doing the Boston Marathon was an unbelievable experience that I will never ever forget. I still can't believe I finished... I walked the final 2+ miles with the only jogging just as I crossed the finish line, but dammit, I crossed that finish line!

My official time, 5:43:36. Originally, before my injury, before I had to basically STOP training, I was hoping for under 4:30, but considering I really didn't run for about 6 weeks and JUST recovered from my injury the week before the marathon? And not only did I finish, but in under 6 hours? DAMN! I'm proud of me! I did this!

I accomplished a goal I set for myself. I finished the Boston Marathon! And you know what? I want to do it again next year!

Marathon Monday

Today is the day! WOW! So nervous. I'm up, I'm awake. It is just after 5:30am. Coffee, shower, then breakfast. Will double check the bag I'm bringing, then head for the T to get to Boston. And I'm already late! The goal was to be up at 5 and out the door at 6. Here I am at 5:35, and still in bed with coffee.

SO scared, but we'll see. How will I do? How will today be? Will I finish? I'm just scared. But this is it. No turning back. Hopkinton to Boston, here I come!

24 hours!!!

I stayed in last night just watching TV and relaxing... and eating carbs! :) Right now it is 10:30am. 24 hours from now I will be in the starting line in Hopkinton. WOW! And in 23 hours and 50 minutes the wave three starting gun will go off and my wave will start the 26.2 mile trek to Boston. HOLY CRAP!

It is almost here. Marathon Monday is tomorrow! OH MY GOD! I am really doing this. I am absolutely terrified for tomorrow. I really don't think I have ever been this scared for anything in my entire life.

I don't know what to expect. I don't know if I am going to make it and I am so scared to fail. I know I am under trained and I don't know if my back is going to hold out. I'm so scared I am going to let so many people down who have been supporting and encouraging me all this time.

Hmm... I really think that's it. The biggest fear is letting other people down and not meeting THEIR expectations of this. What if I don't make it? That really scares me. Everyone has been so unbelievably supportive in this. People I don't know are cheering me on. People I haven't seen or talked to in years and years are encouraging me and wishing me good luck. What if I can't do it? What if I let them all down?

Right now my only goal is to finish. I know there is NO WAY I will be running 26.2 miles. I am so under trained its crazy. I have had such horrible back problems for the past month and a half I have barely gotten in any running at all. The few races I did just showed me how bad my back really was.

I'm scared. I have never been this nervous or scared or unsure about anything in my entire life. I have never tried to take on or tackle anything this big before. What the hell was I thinking?? And here I am, 24 hours from the start. 24 hours from crossing that start line. 24 hours from beginning that long long route to Boston.

24 hours away from many moments I will never ever forget. My first time being at the Boston Marathon, my first time IN the Boston Marathon, my first ever Marathon! Lots of first! And I have so many people coming to support me along the route, to encourage me to keep going and to get to Boston.

I need to think positive and just go forward.

I have a quote at my desk at work. I can't remember the exact wording or even who said it, but it goes something like this.

"Even if you fall flat on your face, you are still moving forward"

SO tomorrow, even if fall, I'm still heading to Boston! Whenever and however I get there... I will make it to Boston and I WILL cross that finish line!

Bib # is in hand!!!

We went into the Running Expo today where the official bib # and race packet pickup was located. Got my number, my packet, my new official runners jersey. While at the expo, I picked up a new jersey too (at the bottom). But I also stopped for a few pictures around the finish line... might be how I'm making across that line on Monday! :)


I even look like a runner!



My official number ready to go for Monday. They have an emergency contact section on the back of the bib #. Great idea!

Four Days??

WOW! How fast did the past 4 months go by? Four more days until Marathon Monday? Holy Cow!! I am really doing this? WOW! I'm SO nervous! But I'm SO excited!

I've gotten a few more donations and now I actually have made my goal of $7000!!! I never thought I would! WOW! This is nuts.

I'm really watching the weather reports. As always, it depends on which station, but most are saying high of 60-65 degrees that day. A little warmer than I wanted, so I'm not too sure. It was in the 60's this past Sunday and I got a minor sunburn on my shoulders. I have no idea what I am going to wear now!

When it was originally going to be a high of about 45 degrees, I was great! I knew EXACTLY what I was going to wear. Now? Not so much. I really need to figure this out. I have a rough idea, but I don't want to get too hot. I know my number is going on my leg because I'm pretty sure the top layers will be coming off.

Right now I am SO happy I took tomorrow off of work. I haven't been sleeping all that well this week. I know I will need to sleep in the next couple of days to make sure I am well rested and ready for this. I'm getting my bags ready to give to friends who are planning on being along the route. Just need to pick up a couple of more things to add. I got 4 bags of jelly beans last night. 38 grams of carbs for 15 jelly beans. Nice little snack that's easy to get down.

I'm nervous but whatever the day brings, I'm ready. I know it won't be what I originally wanted. I know I will struggle. My back will be an issue and the training I lost from this injury will be another issue, but at least I am feeling better now. I'll just see what I can do.

And yeah... of course I will have some pictures! :)

6 Days!

Wow has this come up quick! Six days? I can't believe it. I am SO nervous!! I have never been this nervous. I know I am under trained for this. I also know that I am still injured. Not the best way to tackle 26.2 miles, but I'll do what I can do.

Two weekends ago I had a 5K in NH. My back was SO sore after that race. I was limping back to the car for ice and Advil and spent so much time stretching. It was tough. I only ran less than 1 1/2 miles of the race and walked... more like limped, the rest of it. My time for that race was an even 42 minutes which might be my worst time ever for a 5K. My pace was 13:34.

That week I saw the chiropractor on Monday and Friday, swam laps Tuesday and Thursday and met friends at the track and walked on Wednesday. Plus I did SO much stretching and pulled out the foam roller too. I felt so much better over the weekend.

This past Sunday I did another 5K. My back was still sore during the race but not as bad as the weekend before in NH. I had a good pace and other than my back, I felt really good. But I started walking about 1/2 way through. Then I ran again the last 1/4 mile to the finish. I did some great stretching and took Advil right after the race too. My time this week was 35:25. So I cut 6 1/2 minutes with walking in there.

Monday I was back at the chiropractor. When I was on my stomach and he had my legs stretched out, it was the first time my leg length was even. My hips were actually aligned correctly the day after a race! WOW! Talk about an improvement!

I've been stretching this week but haven't done much else. I haven't been sleeping again which isn't good either. I canceled the track last night and tonight I didn't go to yoga. I just didn't have the energy tonight. I'm grateful I took Friday off so I can sleep in a bit and rest before the race. Then I'm heading into to town to get my # and whatnot and I have one more chiro appointment before the race. I want to get in a couple of yoga classes too to help my back a little more. I wish I hadn't been as tired as I was tonight and was able to make it to my yoga class. I just didn't have the energy.

SO at this point... I'm going to the marathon not as prepared as I want and not feeling as healthy as I want. But I'm doing it. I will walk and jog at intervals and get myself to Boston. It will be a day I will never ever forget and I am SO excited for it. Absolutely terrified but unbelievably excited!

I went swimming last night and today I could feel it in my back. That was a first. I don't usually feel swimming in my back. Tonight when I met friends at the track, after walking 2 laps I could already feel it, so I didn't even try to run. I walked for about 45 minutes to an hour and then did some great stretching. Now I'm home on a heating pad.

I'm pretty nervous about the marathon at this point. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if trying to do this will cause a more serious longer term injury. I'm not sure what will happen.

As of now, I am getting my bib number next weekend. I'm taking the T into Boston to get a bus out to Hopkinton. I'm going to start and I'm going to try. And I am terrified! I could barely get to a mile on Sunday. How the hell am I going to 26 of those? I haven't been able to do the training I needed to do and running HURTS my back. How am I going to do this?

I'm going to try and do my best. I'll have advil and ask people to bring advil with them so I can take more on the route. And I'll walk if I have to walk 26 miles.

My back hasn't gotten any better with rest. Every time I try to run again, it is worse than it was the time before that. SO I don't know what I am going to do. I'm just really disappointed with this. I'm disappointed how this all turned out.

New Marathon Commercial

As nervous as I am about the marathon, this WBZ ad for their coverage of the 2011 Boston Marathon, this always gives me inspiration. Whenever this ad come on, I stop what I'm doing to watch.

(for some reason, links do NOT copy correctly into this, so cut and paste into the browers to view the YouTube video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_se335HLkXU

Finished

Today was the 5K in NH. It was an early start, but a VERY well organized race. Once we got up there and got out of the car, we realized how windy it was. It was pretty chilly up that way! Layers are key and I'm glad I had an extra fleece to toss on. Yeah, it ended up tied around my waist, but I'm still glad I had it at the start.

After registration we were hanging out at the HS gym for a while. I did some great yoga postures and did my best to stretch out my back and loosen up everything. Then we dropped our stuff back at the car and headed up to the starting line. As we were walking, I could feel my back starting already. It wasn't pain, but I could feel it.

I started off great once the race began. I quickly lost my much faster friends but the start was pretty crowded. The 5K and 1/2 marathon started together and raced together for about 2 1/2 miles, then split. I was keeping a pretty steady pace for a bit and felt good. My legs were good, my breathing was great. I didn't feel like I was pushing myself and overall it was ok... except for my back.

I was so afraid I was going to push it too much and really injure it worse. I had to start walking after about 1 1/4- 1 1/2 miles and walked the rest of the way.. well, more like limped the rest of the way. It was pretty bad. My back was KILLING me.

My friend Kristin was VERY ahead of me in the 5K. She walked back and got me and walked back towards the finish with me. Then we headed up to the car for Advil, ice and clothes. I had a very strong limp to the car. It was obvious that my hip was out of alignment. I felt like an older overweight person waddling along with a pronounced limp. I was just walking uneven. It wasn't fun.

Sitting in the car with the ice packs on, after the Advil and then stretching for a while helped. When we got back to the center of town near the finish line, I sat at the restaurant with my legs all curled up in one of my favorite yoga poses to stretch out my right hip. I was leaning forward towards the table to stretch it more on my lower back too.

By the time Trevor finished the 1/2 marathon (taking over 20 minutes off his time from the 1/2 in February!), we grabbed some burgers for lunch, then walked back to the car at the HS. I was walking MUCH better by then. The ice wasn't all that frozen by then, being in the car, but I still put the packs back on my lower back for a little while on the ride home.

I'm a little sore right now. I took a great shower and now I have heat on my back. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow. VERY grateful I am seeing the chiropractor tomorrow. I need that appointment!

Overall I'm disappointed that I couldn't even make it to 2 miles running. My back just hurt so much and I don't want to make it worse. I have another race next weekend, so I hope I'll do better and I hope a couple more chiropractor appointments and more stretching continues to help work it out. I'm just nervous with only 2 weeks left. I don't know how this is going to go.

Funny though, I started off great, just going at my own pace, in my own little world, running along. After I started walking for a little bit, limping along, one of the pace runners came past me, holding up the pace flag.... the 9:30 mile pace! The whole group came running past me as I was walking along. Although having that many runners pass me as I was walking along was tough to take, it did make me feel good. My pace for my first mile plus was ahead of and faster than the 9:30 pace runner!

Even walking 1 1/2-1 3/4 miles or so of this race, I think I finished in around 40 minutes. I'm still waiting for the official times to be posted. And that wasn't even good walking, that was my limping/waddling along! So I'm ok with that for my time today.

VERY nervous about Boston, but I'll do the time I can do and not try to hurt myself too much. I'm scared and frustrated and upset with this injury, but as much as I want to be able to do this, I don't want to injure myself in a way that would impact me long term. Running Boston isn't worth that. And as bad as my back is, if I tried to really push myself, I know that is what would happen.

I'm grateful today that I can walk and put weight on my right leg. I'm in MUCH better shape than I was after the St. Patty's 5K. But I ran that whole race at a PB pace. And I walked more than 1/2 of today's. I'll have to figure out what's going to work with me for Boston and how to manage it.

Two weeks? Damn! This is going to be so hard!

Ok, so sometimes I can't do math, like yesterday. I wasn't $245 away from my goal, I was $255. But now I've gotten 2 more donations, so after DOUBLE CHECKING the math, I am $210 from goal! WOW! That's absolutely amazing.

I can't believe that I am really doing this in 2 weeks. I am so scared. I know there is no way I am ready. With my back problems and being sick, I have really had such a hard time training. The back issues were worse. March was so difficult.

Getting through 26.2 miles is going to be such a challenge. I am not ready to run that far. But I will cross that finish line, whatever it takes, however long it takes.

Today I have a 5K run up in NH that I doing with a couple of friends. Trying to get down my breakfast now... whole wheat mini bagel with peanut butter and banana slices. Today is the true test on my back. I have no expectations on my time, I just want to go easy, have fun and finish the race. Hopefully I won't have back issues. That would be a win for me! Either way, I have an appointment with the chiropractor tomorrow.

SO time to get ready and get going. Going to be a long, but very fun day! :)

16 Days and Counting

My back is continuing to get better. Tomorrow I will find out a lot after running for the first time in 3 weeks. This is just a 5K, but I will know if I am getting better or not. Well, I tried to run 2 weeks ago and go all of 1/4 mile in... ended up limping after that.

The day I did the 5K three weeks ago, I couldn't walk that night. I'm a little nervous about the race tomorrow. I plan on bringing up an ice pack to ice my back after the race is done. Hopefully that and a really good stretch and some Advil will make a big difference.

The Chiro appointments have helped so much, even though I have only had 2 so far. I have another one for Monday, which I am sure I'll need after the 5K on Sunday. Hopefully things work out well.

Fund raising has been amazing. I am SO absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity people have shown. Boston Athletic Association requires $5000 (or my credit card would be charged for anything less). Mass Eye and Ear requested $6000 for each running team member. I set my fund raising goal at $7000.

Honestly, I wasn't sure I could make the $5000. I was pretty nervous about it. I didn't really know if I could do it. As of right now, exactly where I am, if the only other check I get is my company's employee match, I will be at $6755. I am at $245 away from my goal! WOW! I never thought that would happen! I really never did.

I'm really hoping that I can pass the $7000 mark. As much as I didn't think it was possible, I would really love to make that goal and pass it. I would love it if I could saw I hit it. I'm close and I have 16 days, so it IS a possibility.

There are still a few people out there who have said they wanted to contribute, but just haven't yet. This is the challenge for me. Who do go back to? Who do remind? I don't know people's individual circumstances financially. I don't want to throw and push all of this on people again and again and again, but I have 16 days left.

I'll have to think about it. I just posted on Facebook that I am only $245 from my goal and thanked all who have contributed for their amazing generosity. I really am just so blown away. I knew I had great people in my life, but I am completely touched.