Josh and I re-used costumes from a couple years ago. These costumes are quite a hit - well with the parents anyways. The kids trick-or-treating have never even heard of Double Dare before.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
Josh and I re-used costumes from a couple years ago. These costumes are quite a hit - well with the parents anyways. The kids trick-or-treating have never even heard of Double Dare before.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Slow Motion
Have you ever been on a run, and felt like you were running much faster than you actually were? Well, that would describe every. single. one of my runs this week. I was running along, breathing kind of heavy, feeling like I was moving at a pretty good clip. I figured I must be running a sub-9:00 min mile pace, so I checked my watch. It was early in the run and I didn't want to push it too hard. Then I see it: pace = 9:54. Are you shitting me? Is my Garmin broken??? That was Tuesday, but repeat the exact scenario every day after. I could not keep my pace down. I felt like I was running hard, moving right along, concentrating on keeping my breathing even... and I kept finding out I was struggling to break the 10:00 min/mile pace. Heck, I think I ran more miles >10:00/mile than under my marathon pace (9:36/mile) this week.
So, I'm still working on recovering from the race. I've taken it easy, but still getting some miles in. I anticipate one more week like this last one - slow and easy. I got 17.95 miles in this week, I'm shooting for 20 next week.
S 10/23: Rest
M 10/24: Rest
Tu 10/25: 3.66 recovery, 35:49, 9:47 pace
W 10/26: 30 min P90X - 15 min Ab Ripper, 15 min Shoulders/Arms
Th 10/27: 4.07 recovery, 39:16, 9:39 pace
F 10/28: 3.96 recovery, 38:59, 9:51 pace; 45 min P90X Back and Biceps
Sa 10/29: 6.26 easy, 1:01:22, 9:49 pace
And, Its football Saturday! Today is Michigan's Homecoming, but we are rooting them on from afar. Let's Go Blue!
UPDATE: 41 points this week, holding onto 4th place with Josh on my heels in 5th.
So, I'm still working on recovering from the race. I've taken it easy, but still getting some miles in. I anticipate one more week like this last one - slow and easy. I got 17.95 miles in this week, I'm shooting for 20 next week.
S 10/23: Rest
M 10/24: Rest
Tu 10/25: 3.66 recovery, 35:49, 9:47 pace
W 10/26: 30 min P90X - 15 min Ab Ripper, 15 min Shoulders/Arms
Th 10/27: 4.07 recovery, 39:16, 9:39 pace
F 10/28: 3.96 recovery, 38:59, 9:51 pace; 45 min P90X Back and Biceps
Sa 10/29: 6.26 easy, 1:01:22, 9:49 pace
And, Its football Saturday! Today is Michigan's Homecoming, but we are rooting them on from afar. Let's Go Blue!
10 pts: Oklahoma St over Baylor
9 pts: Michigan over Purdue
8 pts: Oklahoma over Kansas St
7 pts: Wisconsin over Ohio St
6 pts: Stanford over USC
5 pts: Clemson over Georgia Tech
4 pts: South Carolina over Tennessee
3 pts: Georgia over Florida
2 pts: Michigan St over Nebraska
1 pt: Louisville over Syracuse
UPDATE: 41 points this week, holding onto 4th place with Josh on my heels in 5th.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
We've Decided
For whatever reason, I’ve been putting off writing this post. It’s been hard to get my thoughts on this into a concrete format. (Warning: I captured my thoughts. This post is LONG.)
Now that the marathon is over, it is time to switch our focus back to Baby, which has become an entirely different kind of marathon. After our failed September cycle, Josh and I agreed that it made sense to take the next cycle off: it would allow me to run the marathon worry-free, and we could get our heads straight about our next steps.
After 18 months of trying and 12 failed cycles, we have decided to pursue in vitro fertilization.
Josh and I went it for a consult with our RE on Monday. After waiting an hour to see the guy, it was a pretty quick meeting. Our RE has pointed us in this direction all along, but we wanted to take baby steps to get here. He filled out the paperwork, and moved us to another room where we spent the next hour or so talking with a nurse and then with someone from the office about the finances of the procedure.
We will be doing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In short, I will be on some meds to manipulate my cycle and hyper-stimulate my ovaries. I will go in for an egg retrieval procedure, where mature eggs are extracted from their follicles while I am sedated. With ICSI, Josh’s sperm will be injected directly into each egg for fertilization. After 5 days, we will pick the best embryo (or two) to transfer back to my uterus. Then we pray the embryo implants and gets cozy. This whole process will take about 6 weeks.
So much is going through my head, I’ve had a LOT to think about over the past few weeks. I wanted to document some of my thought streams. They might not all make sense, some of the thoughts are incomplete, and I may have left out some important information, so bear with me.
How did we get to this point?? Have we tried everything? Is IVF the next logical step? Is it the right step for us?
We have tried ovulation stimulation, and it worked. I did ovulate. But coupled with the slight MFI factor, I’m not pregnant. The next step could be injectable meds (like the ones they use for stims during IVF), which would hyper-stimulate my ovaries and give us more targets (eggs) for fertilization each month. BUT, there is a much higher chance of multiples with this treatment (and higher-order multiples), and we would have to be willing to pursue selective reduction if it became necessary. We don’t want to go there if we can avoid it. Also – and I HATE that money is driving any of our decisions – injectable meds are VERY expensive (like $2,500 per cycle just for the meds), and our chances of success only go up a few percentage points. While I am grateful we have some insurance coverage, its minimal ($15,000 lifetime) and we would rather use the coverage we have to try a procedure with a higher success rate. We could try intra-uterine insemination (IUI), but we would have to be on expensive meds for those cycles too (since I’ve used up my lifetime Clomid cycles), and once again the likelihood of success isn’t that much higher than what we have been doing. If we had unlimited insurance coverage, we might try injectables+IUI, but those cycles would burn through our current coverage relatively quickly and we want a baby. (We are talking success rates in the range of 8-14% for IUI to 53% for IVF). So IVF does make sense for us. And at this point, we both believe it is the right next step, but that doesn’t change the fact that I never thought we would be in this position.
How do I reconcile this with God? Can a baby created by IVF still be baptized in the Catholic Church?
I am admittedly not the best Catholic, but I still go to Church, and I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I have done some reading to educate myself, and I have read some conflicting documents. My overall understanding is this: the church does not condemn all forms of reproductive assistance, but it does condemn IVF. Up to this point, Josh and I have used hormone therapy (drugs) and timed intercourse to try to conceive, with no success. These acts were supported by the church. From what I can gather, the church is opposed to IVF because it fails to respect the dignity of human life (which by their definition begins at conception) and also violates the sacredness of the sexual act and marriage itself. The babies are “produced” in a laboratory from ovum and sperm obtained outside of a conjugal act (the church considers masturbation an immoral act). Embryos that do not meet a specific quality standard are discarded. Embryos that are not implanted are often frozen or discarded. Unused frozen embryos either die, are discarded, or can be donated. The bottom line is that many unused embryos die. We haven’t decided what we would do if we have embryos left over after we are done having children, but we would consider donating them to science, which would result in their demise. So, I know where the church stands. But I also know what is important to me. This child will be brought into a world of love, it if is conceived by the conjugal act or in a petri dish. Josh and I are believers of science, and we are willing to donate embryos for stem cell research. Hey, the creation story in Genesis is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. But I have studied and believe in evolution. Trust me, I understand the conflict. I don’t want to start any debate, nor do I want to be judged for our decision. This isn’t the first time I haven’t seen eye-to-eye with the Church (another example is our views on same-sex marriage). But you know what? At the end of the day, our child will be loved. Regardless of how it is conceived, it will still be a child of God and welcomed into the church. So at the end of the day, I am comfortable with our decision. (There are pages and pages written on this topic. I realize it’s controversial. Please, do your own research, and try not to berate me for my thoughts that I shared here.)
So, I believe in evolution, and also the importance of natural selection. Why ICSI?
We are doing ICSI because our doctor is recommending it without hesitation. There is a study out there (by a Dr. Lee I believe) that shows that fertilization rates are much higher using ICSI when <4% of the sperm are normally shaped (Josh’s morphology was 5%). In ICSI, a sperm is injected directly into the egg. This obviously circumvents the idea of natural selection – it’s not necessarily the best swimmer that gets there, just a normally-shaped forward moving guy that the embryologist picks. But when you think about it, don’t all forms of ART (assisted reproductive technology) circumvent natural selection? There is understandably a lot of discussion about whether or not ICSI increases the risk for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. Many studies have been done, and there is no clear answer as to whether using ICSI for fertilization causes increased birth defects in the resulting child. ICSI is fairly popular. Nearly 90% of the IVF cycles done by my clinic in 2009 used ICSI for fertilization (is it obviously preferred by my group of doctors). In 2002 (out-dated, I know), the CDC reported that 53% of IVF cycles used ICSI in the US. The jury is still out on this one, and if there is an increased risk of birth defects, it would seem to be minimal and it is a risk we are willing to take.
OMG the meds! And what is this “no exercising” thing? I can't run?!?
So, I’m a little nervous about the whole process. I’m nervous to pump my body full of so many hormones. I’m nervous about all the shots: we are looking at 30 injections or so during stims – that we have to do at home, and that doesn’t include the endless number of blood draws I will need. Its not that I’m afraid of needles; I’m mostly afraid of screwing something up. And then, from what I read, stims make you uncomfortable. It won’t really matter if my doctor orders me on restricted activity or not – with ovaries the size of softballs, it doesn’t sound like I’m going to want to be doing a whole lot of exercise anyway (I guess this will just be Baby, Blog for a while). Then there is the egg retrieval, and then the transfer. Ok, so I’m a lot nervous, and maybe even a little scared. I’m trying to prepare for the emotional rollercoaster that I'm sure this will take us on, but I’m not sure there is any way to fully prepare ourselves for this.
Do we transfer one? Or two?
Oh, man. As if we didn't have enough decisions to make already. The chance of multiples increases drastically if we transfer more than one embryo back. Of course, we would welcome twins. It really doesn't scare me. But admittedly, I would prefer to have my children one at a time. I did find an article that suggests women who only have one embryo transferred during IVF didn't have any less chance of getting pregnant, but they did have a lower risk of multiples. Right now, our game plan is to transfer one, assuming we have an embryo with the highest quality/grade. If we have lower grade embryos, then we might decide to transfer two. I guess nothing is set in stone at this point. This is a decision we can actually make the day of the transfer when we have all the information, so I'm trying not to dwell on it right now.
Who do we tell? When do we tell?
Infertility is such a hard topic. I get comments all the time about when we are going to have kids or what our plans are. Our friends have kids. I participate in conversations about babies and related things. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much. I really try to brush my bitterness about infertility to the side. I like babies and kids. I like holding them, and seeing pictures, and talking about them. I am genuinely happy for all of our friends and acquaintances who have/are expanding their families recently. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by bringing up our issues (most people don’t know what to say in return because it catches them off-guard). But, I’m not close to anyone else who is going though what we are right now. So, I’m on some chat boards on the internet and I use this blog as an outlet. Sometimes I think it is easier talking with people you don't actually "know." I have told my mom that we are starting IVF, but I don’t want to share too many details with our family because I still want to be able to surprise them when we find out I am pregnant. It may be selfish, but I dream about ways to share our BFP news with our families – it gets me so excited! At some point though, I might need the added support and I have to accept that.
Well, if you read all of that, you deserve a cookie! I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts in the future. This is going to be an interesting 6 weeks ahead of us, but we are content with the journey we have chosen. Its sure to be a rollercoaster, but we are hoping for more ups than downs. Most of all, we are hoping for a baby.
Now that the marathon is over, it is time to switch our focus back to Baby, which has become an entirely different kind of marathon. After our failed September cycle, Josh and I agreed that it made sense to take the next cycle off: it would allow me to run the marathon worry-free, and we could get our heads straight about our next steps.
After 18 months of trying and 12 failed cycles, we have decided to pursue in vitro fertilization.
Josh and I went it for a consult with our RE on Monday. After waiting an hour to see the guy, it was a pretty quick meeting. Our RE has pointed us in this direction all along, but we wanted to take baby steps to get here. He filled out the paperwork, and moved us to another room where we spent the next hour or so talking with a nurse and then with someone from the office about the finances of the procedure.
We will be doing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In short, I will be on some meds to manipulate my cycle and hyper-stimulate my ovaries. I will go in for an egg retrieval procedure, where mature eggs are extracted from their follicles while I am sedated. With ICSI, Josh’s sperm will be injected directly into each egg for fertilization. After 5 days, we will pick the best embryo (or two) to transfer back to my uterus. Then we pray the embryo implants and gets cozy. This whole process will take about 6 weeks.
So much is going through my head, I’ve had a LOT to think about over the past few weeks. I wanted to document some of my thought streams. They might not all make sense, some of the thoughts are incomplete, and I may have left out some important information, so bear with me.
How did we get to this point?? Have we tried everything? Is IVF the next logical step? Is it the right step for us?
We have tried ovulation stimulation, and it worked. I did ovulate. But coupled with the slight MFI factor, I’m not pregnant. The next step could be injectable meds (like the ones they use for stims during IVF), which would hyper-stimulate my ovaries and give us more targets (eggs) for fertilization each month. BUT, there is a much higher chance of multiples with this treatment (and higher-order multiples), and we would have to be willing to pursue selective reduction if it became necessary. We don’t want to go there if we can avoid it. Also – and I HATE that money is driving any of our decisions – injectable meds are VERY expensive (like $2,500 per cycle just for the meds), and our chances of success only go up a few percentage points. While I am grateful we have some insurance coverage, its minimal ($15,000 lifetime) and we would rather use the coverage we have to try a procedure with a higher success rate. We could try intra-uterine insemination (IUI), but we would have to be on expensive meds for those cycles too (since I’ve used up my lifetime Clomid cycles), and once again the likelihood of success isn’t that much higher than what we have been doing. If we had unlimited insurance coverage, we might try injectables+IUI, but those cycles would burn through our current coverage relatively quickly and we want a baby. (We are talking success rates in the range of 8-14% for IUI to 53% for IVF). So IVF does make sense for us. And at this point, we both believe it is the right next step, but that doesn’t change the fact that I never thought we would be in this position.
How do I reconcile this with God? Can a baby created by IVF still be baptized in the Catholic Church?
I am admittedly not the best Catholic, but I still go to Church, and I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I have done some reading to educate myself, and I have read some conflicting documents. My overall understanding is this: the church does not condemn all forms of reproductive assistance, but it does condemn IVF. Up to this point, Josh and I have used hormone therapy (drugs) and timed intercourse to try to conceive, with no success. These acts were supported by the church. From what I can gather, the church is opposed to IVF because it fails to respect the dignity of human life (which by their definition begins at conception) and also violates the sacredness of the sexual act and marriage itself. The babies are “produced” in a laboratory from ovum and sperm obtained outside of a conjugal act (the church considers masturbation an immoral act). Embryos that do not meet a specific quality standard are discarded. Embryos that are not implanted are often frozen or discarded. Unused frozen embryos either die, are discarded, or can be donated. The bottom line is that many unused embryos die. We haven’t decided what we would do if we have embryos left over after we are done having children, but we would consider donating them to science, which would result in their demise. So, I know where the church stands. But I also know what is important to me. This child will be brought into a world of love, it if is conceived by the conjugal act or in a petri dish. Josh and I are believers of science, and we are willing to donate embryos for stem cell research. Hey, the creation story in Genesis is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. But I have studied and believe in evolution. Trust me, I understand the conflict. I don’t want to start any debate, nor do I want to be judged for our decision. This isn’t the first time I haven’t seen eye-to-eye with the Church (another example is our views on same-sex marriage). But you know what? At the end of the day, our child will be loved. Regardless of how it is conceived, it will still be a child of God and welcomed into the church. So at the end of the day, I am comfortable with our decision. (There are pages and pages written on this topic. I realize it’s controversial. Please, do your own research, and try not to berate me for my thoughts that I shared here.)
So, I believe in evolution, and also the importance of natural selection. Why ICSI?
We are doing ICSI because our doctor is recommending it without hesitation. There is a study out there (by a Dr. Lee I believe) that shows that fertilization rates are much higher using ICSI when <4% of the sperm are normally shaped (Josh’s morphology was 5%). In ICSI, a sperm is injected directly into the egg. This obviously circumvents the idea of natural selection – it’s not necessarily the best swimmer that gets there, just a normally-shaped forward moving guy that the embryologist picks. But when you think about it, don’t all forms of ART (assisted reproductive technology) circumvent natural selection? There is understandably a lot of discussion about whether or not ICSI increases the risk for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. Many studies have been done, and there is no clear answer as to whether using ICSI for fertilization causes increased birth defects in the resulting child. ICSI is fairly popular. Nearly 90% of the IVF cycles done by my clinic in 2009 used ICSI for fertilization (is it obviously preferred by my group of doctors). In 2002 (out-dated, I know), the CDC reported that 53% of IVF cycles used ICSI in the US. The jury is still out on this one, and if there is an increased risk of birth defects, it would seem to be minimal and it is a risk we are willing to take.
OMG the meds! And what is this “no exercising” thing? I can't run?!?
So, I’m a little nervous about the whole process. I’m nervous to pump my body full of so many hormones. I’m nervous about all the shots: we are looking at 30 injections or so during stims – that we have to do at home, and that doesn’t include the endless number of blood draws I will need. Its not that I’m afraid of needles; I’m mostly afraid of screwing something up. And then, from what I read, stims make you uncomfortable. It won’t really matter if my doctor orders me on restricted activity or not – with ovaries the size of softballs, it doesn’t sound like I’m going to want to be doing a whole lot of exercise anyway (I guess this will just be Baby, Blog for a while). Then there is the egg retrieval, and then the transfer. Ok, so I’m a lot nervous, and maybe even a little scared. I’m trying to prepare for the emotional rollercoaster that I'm sure this will take us on, but I’m not sure there is any way to fully prepare ourselves for this.
Do we transfer one? Or two?
Oh, man. As if we didn't have enough decisions to make already. The chance of multiples increases drastically if we transfer more than one embryo back. Of course, we would welcome twins. It really doesn't scare me. But admittedly, I would prefer to have my children one at a time. I did find an article that suggests women who only have one embryo transferred during IVF didn't have any less chance of getting pregnant, but they did have a lower risk of multiples. Right now, our game plan is to transfer one, assuming we have an embryo with the highest quality/grade. If we have lower grade embryos, then we might decide to transfer two. I guess nothing is set in stone at this point. This is a decision we can actually make the day of the transfer when we have all the information, so I'm trying not to dwell on it right now.
Who do we tell? When do we tell?
Infertility is such a hard topic. I get comments all the time about when we are going to have kids or what our plans are. Our friends have kids. I participate in conversations about babies and related things. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much. I really try to brush my bitterness about infertility to the side. I like babies and kids. I like holding them, and seeing pictures, and talking about them. I am genuinely happy for all of our friends and acquaintances who have/are expanding their families recently. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by bringing up our issues (most people don’t know what to say in return because it catches them off-guard). But, I’m not close to anyone else who is going though what we are right now. So, I’m on some chat boards on the internet and I use this blog as an outlet. Sometimes I think it is easier talking with people you don't actually "know." I have told my mom that we are starting IVF, but I don’t want to share too many details with our family because I still want to be able to surprise them when we find out I am pregnant. It may be selfish, but I dream about ways to share our BFP news with our families – it gets me so excited! At some point though, I might need the added support and I have to accept that.
Well, if you read all of that, you deserve a cookie! I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts in the future. This is going to be an interesting 6 weeks ahead of us, but we are content with the journey we have chosen. Its sure to be a rollercoaster, but we are hoping for more ups than downs. Most of all, we are hoping for a baby.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Need a laugh?
Sometimes you just have one of those days. You need to laugh, and my usual run of somewhat-funny, sarcastic blogs didn't do it for me today. I turn to Damn You, Auto Correct! .com. Some of these literally leave me laughing out loud. A few teasers for you (these aren't even the best, I just grabbed a few):
Check it out for yourself. Click on Best of DYAC tab at the top.
Check it out for yourself. Click on Best of DYAC tab at the top.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Being a TOC
In college, I acquired the nickname Toc. While living in the dorms, some hallmates were going down to dinner. One asked my roommate what I was doing, and my roommate stated I was being a turd.... on the couch. Lets just attribute this to girls being silly, but Toc was born (yes, it really stands for Turd On Couch). I went on to live with these girls for all 4 years of college, with a few others as well, and I have been called Toc (and many variations of) by all of them. The favorite by far seems to be Tikki Toc, or even just Tikki. It just stuck.
Why do I share this (somewhat embarrassing) story? Because I have personified that nickname this week. I spent most evenings being a Toc. But I have a good excuse! I'm still recovering from the marathon. I few light runs here and there, but no significant miles. The last two days my left knee has been giving me issues, which is weird because it never bothered me at all this training cycle. I just have to take in easy next week, and continue to let my legs recover for a while. I'll probably try to hit the gym a few times to add some strength training back into the mix.
I had a total of 12.85 measly miles for the week, plus a few short walks with puppy.
M 10/17: Rest
Tu 10/18: Rest
W 10/19:1.55 easy walk, 25:00
Th 10/20: 2.4 recovery jog, 25:00, 10:25 pace
F 10/21: 3.39 recovery, 34:18, 10:08 pace
Sa 10/22: 5.5 recovery, 56:29, 10:16 pace
And, because it is football Saturday, here are my picks. Michigan has a bye-week, so no Go Blue today.
UPDATE: I had 38 points for the week, good enough to move me into 4th place. Josh had a TERRIBLE week, and has dropped to 5th. Its a good thing I don't listen to him too much when making my picks.
Why do I share this (somewhat embarrassing) story? Because I have personified that nickname this week. I spent most evenings being a Toc. But I have a good excuse! I'm still recovering from the marathon. I few light runs here and there, but no significant miles. The last two days my left knee has been giving me issues, which is weird because it never bothered me at all this training cycle. I just have to take in easy next week, and continue to let my legs recover for a while. I'll probably try to hit the gym a few times to add some strength training back into the mix.
I had a total of 12.85 measly miles for the week, plus a few short walks with puppy.
M 10/17: Rest
Tu 10/18: Rest
W 10/19:1.55 easy walk, 25:00
Th 10/20: 2.4 recovery jog, 25:00, 10:25 pace
F 10/21: 3.39 recovery, 34:18, 10:08 pace
Sa 10/22: 5.5 recovery, 56:29, 10:16 pace
And, because it is football Saturday, here are my picks. Michigan has a bye-week, so no Go Blue today.
10 pts: Stanford over Washington
9 pts: Clemson over North Carolina
8 pts: Illinois over Purdue
7 pts: Oklahoma State over Missouri
6 pts: Wake Forest over Duke
5 pts: Wisconsin over Michigan State
4 pts: Notre Dame over USC
3 pts: Penn State over Northwestern
2 pts: Cal over Utah
1 pt: Miami (FL) over Georgia Tech
UPDATE: I had 38 points for the week, good enough to move me into 4th place. Josh had a TERRIBLE week, and has dropped to 5th. Its a good thing I don't listen to him too much when making my picks.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Detroit Marathon Race Review
Whew, marathon #2 is in the books!
Race: Detroit Free Press Marathon
Official Time: 4:11:29, 9:36 pace (new PR)
Overall Place: 1409 / 3449
Division Place: 67 / 240
Sex Place: 370 / 1332
Sit tight, this is one hell of a race recap and review, with a LOT of pictures. I decided to carry a camera with me, so I have some pictures of the course (well, of the first half anyways). They are all blurry, but that's what you get - I didn't stop!
The morning started early, with my alarm going off at 4:00 am. We took 30 minutes to get dressed, get the rest of my stuff together, take Lucy out and prep breakfast (PB toast with banana for me); and we pulled out of my parents driveway at 4:30 on the dot. I wanted to be parked by 5:30.... and we pulled into the Joe Louis lot at 5:10 - the race started at 7:00. Oops... a little early on my part. BUT, I didn't want to be late, or get stuck on a highway exit ramp, or feel rushed in any way. We hung out in the car for a while and I ate my PB toast (2 pieces) and banana, while sipping on some orange G2. I started feeling the need to "go" so we headed the 0.4 miles to the start area around 5:40 so I could make my first porta potty stop of the morning. It was pretty cool to see the Start line, lit up in the early morning darkness.
I was wearing a throw-away fleece and pants and was easily able to stay warm with the temps hovering right around 50 degrees. The weather called for temps 48-52 degrees until 11 am, winds 10-13 mph out of the SW, and overcast skies with a chance of light showers between 7am-noon. The weather really was near-perfect for a marathon, except for the wind. The wind was a nuisance on the bridge (cross direction), and I definitely felt it the last few miles towards the finish. It did sprinkle a little bit, mostly while I ran miles 5-10, but it was barely noticeable.
We walked down Fort Street a little ways to the F-G corral area. Around 6:20 I hit up Scotty's Potties for a second time before the lines got too long. After the pit stop I put on the rest of my gear: hat, arm sleeves, pace bands, Garmin, MP3 player, fuel belt (1 bottle and 5 Gus), and tissues; and warmed up and stretched a bit. I headed to corral F around 6:45, and Josh went to find a place to watch the start. I chatted up a few (very cool!) ladies to pass the time quickly. Both the Canadian and US National Anthems were sung (chills!), and soon after they started the waves. It is so cool to hear the gun for each wave, I was so pumped and ready to go!
Then, came the gun for my wave and we were off. We made our way down Fort Street toward the Ambassador Bridge. The first mile was a little slow as I had some bobbing and weaving to do, but not too bad. In the past years there were quite a few complaints about congestion on the bridge. Thankfully, runners had two lanes this year and I didn't have to slow at all. The climb up the bridge was a bit of work, but I made up any lost time on the way down. I had heard amazing things about seeing the sunrise over the Canadian skyline while crossing the bridge - I was so bummed that I didn't get a chance to experience that since it was overcast and the skies were starting to spit on us.
Almost to the top!
Before I knew it, I was in Canada!
We passed through the customs area where Border Patrol guards were pretty serious about checking everyone for bibs - since it is an international crossing you had to show your Passport or Enhanced Drivers License to pick up your bib at the Expo, and your bib had to be visible at all times during the race. Once we got out onto the road, I immediately heard the crowd. There were a decent amount of spectators out considering the early hour and the weather. The rain began to come down in a light drizzle as I ran along the waterfront, but the Tunnel wasn't too far ahead and it wasn't raining in there! I passed the 10K mark at 57:25, an overall 9:15 pace, and took my first Gu.
The tunnel was fun and a very cool landmark to run through, but dang, it was hot in there! I was glad to have my arm sleeves that I could push down in the tunnel, but pull back up once we hit the wall of cool, fresh air on the other side. My official underwater mile time was 9:03 - a neat record to have on my race certificate.
We turned onto Jefferson and ran past Joe Louis Arena.
Just after Mile 9, I started looking for Josh. Luckily, he saw me, and I snapped a pic of my personal race photographer!
At this point, I was feeling good. The first nine miles have gone by in no time and I was mentally in a good place. There was a lot going on in the first half of the course to keep me distracted! After a few more turns we were in Mexicantown. I loved the Mariachi band that was playing!
I took my second Gu at Mile 11. We ran through Corktown, and I started looking for Josh again. We planned for him to see me at Mile 12, but we missed each other. Easy to do when there are a lot of people out. Before I knew it the half marathoners were turning toward the finish, and I was headed out for another 2+ hours of running. I crossed the halfway point in 2:02:02, 9:18 pace. I had been leap-frogging the 4:05 pacer for the entire first half of the race, and I talked to here briefly here (she was so nice!). She said she was a little ahead of a 4:05 finish, but expected to lose a little bit of time on Belle Isle. I figured I would try to stay with her for a bit it I could, still figuring that if I was having a great race I would push it after Belle Isle and see how close to 4 hours I could cross the line. That plan soon went to the wayside....
Miles 14-16 were BORING. Straight out, not many spectators at all, and nothing to look at. I turned up my music a little and ran. The 4:05 group pulled ahead of me a bit after the Mile 14 fluid station, but I easily kept them in my sight. Miles 17-18 were through Indian Village, a residential area with large, historic homes. There were a fair number of spectators, some of which went all out. There were multiple beer stops and a few front-yard bonfires going.
Here is where things fell apart. I started to feel twinges in my legs around mile 17. Not pain really, but my stride wasn't quite natural and comfortable anymore. The race started to get into my head. I pushed along with some 9:30-ish miles to get onto Belle Isle, but I lost sight of the 4:05 pace group. By the time I was on the island, Mile 20, I officially hit The Wall. (NO!!!!) My legs were cramping. I had taken Gus at Mile 15 and again at 19. I started to drink Gatorade from my fuel belt in between fluid stations. I pulled my camera out for a few pictures on Belle Isle, but after this one I put it away again. I had plans to take some more headed toward the finish, but that didn't happen - I was too busy concentrating on other things.
I took a fifth Gu and started taking walking breaks during Mile 22. When I would stop to walk, things would get a little blurry and my head would hurt (that went away when I started running again). I knew I was dehydrated, and I was mad at myself for letting it happen. I'm still not sure how it happened: I was careful to take in extra water all week long leading up to Sunday. I took water and/or Gatorade (most of the time BOTH) at EVERY fluid station. I had already taken 5 Gus. I had sipped from my fuel belt bottle a few times early on when the fluid stations were more spaced out at the border crossings. Maybe since the temps were cooler and I wasn't feeling too warm I just didn't drink enough? Who knows. What I did know is that once you are dehydrated, you can't just drink up and get better. This would be a battle to the finish, but I was sure I could do it - I just didn't know how long it would take.
I made it off Belle Isle and we turned onto the River Walk. I was constantly checking my Garmin at this point. I would run for a while and see my lap pace in the 9:xx, then walk for a while. Once my pace got will into the 10:xx, I would run again. I was fairly certain that I could stick it out and beat my previous time of 4:23, but I was also still trying to figure out if I could come in sub-4:10. It would be close. My legs HURT. My calves, feet, and quads hurt; they were cramping all over, both legs. I would run when I could, and as soon as something got so tight to the point I was limping, I would walk it out for a while. Check pace. Repeat. I started throwing up in my mouth a little after drinking Gatorade (TMI, sorry), but I kept forcing it down.
I barely looked at the course these last few miles. Somehow I made it through Miles 25 and 26. There were some relatively small hills right before the 25th and 26th mile markers, but they felt like mountains. I hated walking that close to the finish. The fans in those last few miles were awesome and many were encouraging me by name (it caps on my bib), which was very cool of them. Somewhere before that 26 Mile marker a lady wrapped her arm round my shoulder and told me I could do this. She said a few other encouraging words, and I picked it up and turned the corner toward the finish. (I never did see her at the finish, I'm not sure if she was a spectator or a racer, but Thank You!).
So much was going through my mind in that last 0.2 towards the finish. I was doing it. I was about to finish my second marathon. It seemed harder this time around - I totally forgot how tough it was at the end last time. I was a little sad that I wasn't going to meet my sub-4:00 or sub-4:10 goals. I was bummed that I didn't have a "great run." At the same time, I was a little bitter that I was even running this race at all. I signed up to get myself to train as a distraction from all of our infertility issues. Each cycle, I hoped that I would be pregnant, and I would be jogging the half, or not running at all. So me finishing this, running a 4-some hour marathon, meant we still didn't have our baby.
Then in a matter of steps, I turned my thoughts around. I could see the finish line. I was so proud of myself. For fighting. For setting a new PR. I was amazed that my body let me accomplish this for a second time. I kept my eyes on the Finish banner and RAN. I'm sure I wasn't going that fast, but somehow, my legs carried me across that line. I heard the announcer call my name, Nicole Bartlett from Bay City. I held my arms in the air, with two fingers extended on my left hand to signify my 2nd marathon. I did it. It took me 4 hours, 11 minutes, and 29 seconds.
Josh managed to snap quite a few pictures of me headed down the finish chute. I heard him, but I never looked his way. I was too focused:
Here are my splits (per my Garmin) for the race. Garmin says I ran 26.51 (yikes!), so these are off from the race markers a little bit since I left auto-lap on at 1-mile increments. My pace was anything but even:
Mile 1: 9:28
Mile 2: 9:20
Mile 3: 9:45 (up the Ambassador Bridge)
Mile 4: 8:39 (down the bridge)
Mile 5: 8:52
Mile 6: 8:55
Mile 7: 9:02
Mile 8: 9:52 (Tunnel, official underwater time was 9:03)
Mile 9: 9:06
Mile 10: 9:23
Mile 11: 9:10 (Mexicantown)
Mile 12: 9:12 (Corktown)
Mile 13: 9:15
Mile 14: 9:32
Mile 15: 9:05
Mile 16: 9:21
Mile 17: 9:32 (Indian Village)
Mile 18: 9:35
Mile 19: 9:32
Mile 20: 9:33 (onto Belle Isle)
Mile 21: 9:41
Mile 22: 10:12
Mile 23: 10:23 (leaving Belle Isle)
Mile 24: 9:45 (Riverwalk)
Mile 25: 10:33
Mile 26: 10:34
The rest: 9:03
I crossed the finish line, and some awesome volunteer started offering endless congratulations as she put a medal around my neck. The medal is AWESOME. And it is super heavy. The weight around my neck felt great. I shuffled along, and another volunteer wrapped me in a mylar blanket while I grabbed and started sipping a water. I started to get emotional - I was proud, I hurt, and I wanted my husband. We agreed to meet on the South side of the street at Fort and Third, but I knew I heard him yell from the North side (that was the side they had marathoners segregated to from the half walkers). So I wasn't sure where I would find him. I took a cup of Gatorade and paced around for a little bit. A few volunteers asked if I needed anything, and I explained (probably looking a little disoriented) that I was just waiting to see which side of the street my husband would be on. After what felt like forever, Josh was calling my name from the exact spot we said we would meet:
I started to cry and ran up to give him a hug! He is such a huge support and there is no way I could do this without him! He has so much patience, and anyone who stands around in the rain for hours to try and see one person run down a street for a few seconds gets points in my book.
Knowing where he was, I started to collect my goodies and meet him at the end of the chute. They were handing out plastic grocery bags to carry everything, and I grabbed a bottle of orange flavored water, chips, 2 bananas, a bagel, chocolate milk, and half of a pumpkin muffin. Nothing really special, but it was a decent selection.
Josh and I walked down the street a little ways towards the after-party. I needed to find a place to sit down for a few minutes. I tried to stretch, but only gave it a half-hearted effort. As I told Josh the Cliff-Notes version of the race, I tried to nibble on the pumpkin muffin. But, nothing sounded good to eat. Its funny, a day when I have an excuse to eat anything in the world, and my stomach doesn't crave a damn thing. :/
So after forcing some carbs down, I drank the chocolate milk to get some protein. I wanted a few pictures, but I was getting cold and a little crabby since my legs still hurt, so we didn't take a bunch.
We cruised through Conquered, the official race after party, but it was practically deserted. Its a good idea, but sticking it in barbed-wire fenced in parking lot hidden behind banners kind of turned some people away I think. The beer tent was just opening at noon, but we didn't even it that up. For some reason, 26.2 did nothing for my appetite. So, we headed back to the car to head back to my parents house.
Well, that was mostly recap, so how about a little review? In general, I liked this race. I would recommend it, especially the half since I think the coolest part is crossing to Canada and back. Here is a quick list:
PROS:
-Medal - one of my favorites; heavy, cool design.
-Course - Canada and back, Belle Isle, Indian Village (really only disliked miles 14-16 and 24-26, which were a little boring.) In the past, the course ran by Comerica Park and Ford Field - it would be cool to bring that back, but I understand it could conflict with the sports schedules (there was a Lions game on race day).
-Volunteers - they were awesome! I can't say enough good things about them.
-Shirt - I didn't have any issue getting the size I ordered, and my New Balance shirt was good quality, with very little sponsor wording. I like it a lot. I do know they ran out of some sizes again this year, so some people were upset with the shirts.
-Pace Groups - The one pacer I talked to (Crista) was awesome. Even though I didn't officially run with a group, it was nice to see they had so many if you wanted to
-Time of year - Chicago takes place the week prior, and has been warm the past few years. Detroit has had pretty good weather, though it was fairly cold two years ago. As someone who will take cold over heat any day, an October marathon in Michigan is fairly good timing.
-Facebook page - The organizers did a good job communicating via Facebook leading up to the race, so I got a lot of info from there.
-Cost - I paid $90 in August, which I thought was reasonable
CONS:
-Runner tracking - The offered an app for Droid and Iphone only, so Josh had to borrow my phone on race day. Then the app turned out to be useless, because all it said was: Split 1 57:25. Split 2: 1:59:07. It didn't tell him where on the course I was at! They kept the split locations a secret to discourage cheating by jumping from mat to mat, but it resulted in no good way to track runners.
-Passport or EDL required - not an issue for me, but it was for some. You are running an international race, so be prepared! I thought this was made very clear throughout the registration process and on the website, but there were some unhappy people on Facebook the day before the race. Read what you are signing up for!
-Relay - some people might really like this option (they are 5 person teams that run the marathon course). If I were running the relay, I would like it. But there is nothing like passing relay exchange points on the back half of the course to have runners with fresh legs easily run past you while you can barely pick up your feet. Just sayin'.
-Capacity - ALL the races (marathon, half, and 5K) sold out this year, sometime in September. So you have to register early, and after the race sells out, you can't transfer to another (so no switching from the full to the half if the half is sold out). Also, because of the border crossing and clearances needed from Homeland Security, everyone is pre-screened when they register, so you canNOT sell or transfer your bib to anyone else. So if you want in on this race, you have to decide early. The marathon had 4,400 spots and the half had 10,300 or so.
-Congestion around the finish chute for spectators, but that happens. The sidewalk was just narrow in this area. In general I wish the start and finish were somewhere a little more exciting rather than Fort Street.
-Parking - we had no issue, but that is because we got downtown super early. It can be expensive though if you don't get into some of the recommended structures.
-Spectators - the ones on the course were great, and there really was quite a bit of crowd support the first half of the race. But, it definitely diminished on the back half, especially on Belle Isle. Weather could have played into this as well.
All in all, I don't have that many complaints about the race and I would recommend it to others. After my first marathon, people asked if I would do another and I said I wasn't sure. Now after doing two, I will again say I'm not sure, but I will probably run another at some point. The half-distance is definitely my favorite and races are more accessible, but I'm not ruling anything out. I still have a sub-4:00 to shoot for!
Race: Detroit Free Press Marathon
Official Time: 4:11:29, 9:36 pace (new PR)
Overall Place: 1409 / 3449
Division Place: 67 / 240
Sex Place: 370 / 1332
Sit tight, this is one hell of a race recap and review, with a LOT of pictures. I decided to carry a camera with me, so I have some pictures of the course (well, of the first half anyways). They are all blurry, but that's what you get - I didn't stop!
The morning started early, with my alarm going off at 4:00 am. We took 30 minutes to get dressed, get the rest of my stuff together, take Lucy out and prep breakfast (PB toast with banana for me); and we pulled out of my parents driveway at 4:30 on the dot. I wanted to be parked by 5:30.... and we pulled into the Joe Louis lot at 5:10 - the race started at 7:00. Oops... a little early on my part. BUT, I didn't want to be late, or get stuck on a highway exit ramp, or feel rushed in any way. We hung out in the car for a while and I ate my PB toast (2 pieces) and banana, while sipping on some orange G2. I started feeling the need to "go" so we headed the 0.4 miles to the start area around 5:40 so I could make my first porta potty stop of the morning. It was pretty cool to see the Start line, lit up in the early morning darkness.
That is one happy face for 5 o'clock in the morning! Can you tell I was pumped?
I was wearing a throw-away fleece and pants and was easily able to stay warm with the temps hovering right around 50 degrees. The weather called for temps 48-52 degrees until 11 am, winds 10-13 mph out of the SW, and overcast skies with a chance of light showers between 7am-noon. The weather really was near-perfect for a marathon, except for the wind. The wind was a nuisance on the bridge (cross direction), and I definitely felt it the last few miles towards the finish. It did sprinkle a little bit, mostly while I ran miles 5-10, but it was barely noticeable.
We walked down Fort Street a little ways to the F-G corral area. Around 6:20 I hit up Scotty's Potties for a second time before the lines got too long. After the pit stop I put on the rest of my gear: hat, arm sleeves, pace bands, Garmin, MP3 player, fuel belt (1 bottle and 5 Gus), and tissues; and warmed up and stretched a bit. I headed to corral F around 6:45, and Josh went to find a place to watch the start. I chatted up a few (very cool!) ladies to pass the time quickly. Both the Canadian and US National Anthems were sung (chills!), and soon after they started the waves. It is so cool to hear the gun for each wave, I was so pumped and ready to go!
All geared up and ready to go!
Then, came the gun for my wave and we were off. We made our way down Fort Street toward the Ambassador Bridge. The first mile was a little slow as I had some bobbing and weaving to do, but not too bad. In the past years there were quite a few complaints about congestion on the bridge. Thankfully, runners had two lanes this year and I didn't have to slow at all. The climb up the bridge was a bit of work, but I made up any lost time on the way down. I had heard amazing things about seeing the sunrise over the Canadian skyline while crossing the bridge - I was so bummed that I didn't get a chance to experience that since it was overcast and the skies were starting to spit on us.
Before I knew it, I was in Canada!
Hello, stranger!
We passed through the customs area where Border Patrol guards were pretty serious about checking everyone for bibs - since it is an international crossing you had to show your Passport or Enhanced Drivers License to pick up your bib at the Expo, and your bib had to be visible at all times during the race. Once we got out onto the road, I immediately heard the crowd. There were a decent amount of spectators out considering the early hour and the weather. The rain began to come down in a light drizzle as I ran along the waterfront, but the Tunnel wasn't too far ahead and it wasn't raining in there! I passed the 10K mark at 57:25, an overall 9:15 pace, and took my first Gu.
A view of the Detroit skyline and the RenCen from the Canadian waterfront.
Last glimpse of Canada before heading into the Tunnel.
The Tunnel was loud (lots of echos) and HOT - I worked up quite a sweat in that mile!
Officially crossing back into the USA! Kinda cool!!
Exiting the tunnel, about the jump up and hit the welcome banner.
The tunnel was fun and a very cool landmark to run through, but dang, it was hot in there! I was glad to have my arm sleeves that I could push down in the tunnel, but pull back up once we hit the wall of cool, fresh air on the other side. My official underwater mile time was 9:03 - a neat record to have on my race certificate.
We turned onto Jefferson and ran past Joe Louis Arena.
Home of our Detroit Red Wings
Just after Mile 9, I started looking for Josh. Luckily, he saw me, and I snapped a pic of my personal race photographer!
Looking good!
Dueling cameras!
At this point, I was feeling good. The first nine miles have gone by in no time and I was mentally in a good place. There was a lot going on in the first half of the course to keep me distracted! After a few more turns we were in Mexicantown. I loved the Mariachi band that was playing!
Another blurry picture!
I took my second Gu at Mile 11. We ran through Corktown, and I started looking for Josh again. We planned for him to see me at Mile 12, but we missed each other. Easy to do when there are a lot of people out. Before I knew it the half marathoners were turning toward the finish, and I was headed out for another 2+ hours of running. I crossed the halfway point in 2:02:02, 9:18 pace. I had been leap-frogging the 4:05 pacer for the entire first half of the race, and I talked to here briefly here (she was so nice!). She said she was a little ahead of a 4:05 finish, but expected to lose a little bit of time on Belle Isle. I figured I would try to stay with her for a bit it I could, still figuring that if I was having a great race I would push it after Belle Isle and see how close to 4 hours I could cross the line. That plan soon went to the wayside....
Miles 14-16 were BORING. Straight out, not many spectators at all, and nothing to look at. I turned up my music a little and ran. The 4:05 group pulled ahead of me a bit after the Mile 14 fluid station, but I easily kept them in my sight. Miles 17-18 were through Indian Village, a residential area with large, historic homes. There were a fair number of spectators, some of which went all out. There were multiple beer stops and a few front-yard bonfires going.
Blurry beer stop. Professional running photographer I am not.
Here is where things fell apart. I started to feel twinges in my legs around mile 17. Not pain really, but my stride wasn't quite natural and comfortable anymore. The race started to get into my head. I pushed along with some 9:30-ish miles to get onto Belle Isle, but I lost sight of the 4:05 pace group. By the time I was on the island, Mile 20, I officially hit The Wall. (NO!!!!) My legs were cramping. I had taken Gus at Mile 15 and again at 19. I started to drink Gatorade from my fuel belt in between fluid stations. I pulled my camera out for a few pictures on Belle Isle, but after this one I put it away again. I had plans to take some more headed toward the finish, but that didn't happen - I was too busy concentrating on other things.
The General Alpheus Williams Statue on Belle Isle. I looked that up.
I took a fifth Gu and started taking walking breaks during Mile 22. When I would stop to walk, things would get a little blurry and my head would hurt (that went away when I started running again). I knew I was dehydrated, and I was mad at myself for letting it happen. I'm still not sure how it happened: I was careful to take in extra water all week long leading up to Sunday. I took water and/or Gatorade (most of the time BOTH) at EVERY fluid station. I had already taken 5 Gus. I had sipped from my fuel belt bottle a few times early on when the fluid stations were more spaced out at the border crossings. Maybe since the temps were cooler and I wasn't feeling too warm I just didn't drink enough? Who knows. What I did know is that once you are dehydrated, you can't just drink up and get better. This would be a battle to the finish, but I was sure I could do it - I just didn't know how long it would take.
I made it off Belle Isle and we turned onto the River Walk. I was constantly checking my Garmin at this point. I would run for a while and see my lap pace in the 9:xx, then walk for a while. Once my pace got will into the 10:xx, I would run again. I was fairly certain that I could stick it out and beat my previous time of 4:23, but I was also still trying to figure out if I could come in sub-4:10. It would be close. My legs HURT. My calves, feet, and quads hurt; they were cramping all over, both legs. I would run when I could, and as soon as something got so tight to the point I was limping, I would walk it out for a while. Check pace. Repeat. I started throwing up in my mouth a little after drinking Gatorade (TMI, sorry), but I kept forcing it down.
I barely looked at the course these last few miles. Somehow I made it through Miles 25 and 26. There were some relatively small hills right before the 25th and 26th mile markers, but they felt like mountains. I hated walking that close to the finish. The fans in those last few miles were awesome and many were encouraging me by name (it caps on my bib), which was very cool of them. Somewhere before that 26 Mile marker a lady wrapped her arm round my shoulder and told me I could do this. She said a few other encouraging words, and I picked it up and turned the corner toward the finish. (I never did see her at the finish, I'm not sure if she was a spectator or a racer, but Thank You!).
So much was going through my mind in that last 0.2 towards the finish. I was doing it. I was about to finish my second marathon. It seemed harder this time around - I totally forgot how tough it was at the end last time. I was a little sad that I wasn't going to meet my sub-4:00 or sub-4:10 goals. I was bummed that I didn't have a "great run." At the same time, I was a little bitter that I was even running this race at all. I signed up to get myself to train as a distraction from all of our infertility issues. Each cycle, I hoped that I would be pregnant, and I would be jogging the half, or not running at all. So me finishing this, running a 4-some hour marathon, meant we still didn't have our baby.
Then in a matter of steps, I turned my thoughts around. I could see the finish line. I was so proud of myself. For fighting. For setting a new PR. I was amazed that my body let me accomplish this for a second time. I kept my eyes on the Finish banner and RAN. I'm sure I wasn't going that fast, but somehow, my legs carried me across that line. I heard the announcer call my name, Nicole Bartlett from Bay City. I held my arms in the air, with two fingers extended on my left hand to signify my 2nd marathon. I did it. It took me 4 hours, 11 minutes, and 29 seconds.
Josh managed to snap quite a few pictures of me headed down the finish chute. I heard him, but I never looked his way. I was too focused:
Coming into the finish
Concentrating real hard, finishing strong
Now, that is not a happy face. But it is the face of someone who just ran 26.1 miles (the smile comes at 26.2).
The finish is SO close!
Here are my splits (per my Garmin) for the race. Garmin says I ran 26.51 (yikes!), so these are off from the race markers a little bit since I left auto-lap on at 1-mile increments. My pace was anything but even:
Mile 1: 9:28
Mile 2: 9:20
Mile 3: 9:45 (up the Ambassador Bridge)
Mile 4: 8:39 (down the bridge)
Mile 5: 8:52
Mile 6: 8:55
Mile 7: 9:02
Mile 8: 9:52 (Tunnel, official underwater time was 9:03)
Mile 9: 9:06
Mile 10: 9:23
Mile 11: 9:10 (Mexicantown)
Mile 12: 9:12 (Corktown)
Mile 13: 9:15
Mile 14: 9:32
Mile 15: 9:05
Mile 16: 9:21
Mile 17: 9:32 (Indian Village)
Mile 18: 9:35
Mile 19: 9:32
Mile 20: 9:33 (onto Belle Isle)
Mile 21: 9:41
Mile 22: 10:12
Mile 23: 10:23 (leaving Belle Isle)
Mile 24: 9:45 (Riverwalk)
Mile 25: 10:33
Mile 26: 10:34
The rest: 9:03
I crossed the finish line, and some awesome volunteer started offering endless congratulations as she put a medal around my neck. The medal is AWESOME. And it is super heavy. The weight around my neck felt great. I shuffled along, and another volunteer wrapped me in a mylar blanket while I grabbed and started sipping a water. I started to get emotional - I was proud, I hurt, and I wanted my husband. We agreed to meet on the South side of the street at Fort and Third, but I knew I heard him yell from the North side (that was the side they had marathoners segregated to from the half walkers). So I wasn't sure where I would find him. I took a cup of Gatorade and paced around for a little bit. A few volunteers asked if I needed anything, and I explained (probably looking a little disoriented) that I was just waiting to see which side of the street my husband would be on. After what felt like forever, Josh was calling my name from the exact spot we said we would meet:
So happy to see you!
I started to cry and ran up to give him a hug! He is such a huge support and there is no way I could do this without him! He has so much patience, and anyone who stands around in the rain for hours to try and see one person run down a street for a few seconds gets points in my book.
Knowing where he was, I started to collect my goodies and meet him at the end of the chute. They were handing out plastic grocery bags to carry everything, and I grabbed a bottle of orange flavored water, chips, 2 bananas, a bagel, chocolate milk, and half of a pumpkin muffin. Nothing really special, but it was a decent selection.
Josh and I walked down the street a little ways towards the after-party. I needed to find a place to sit down for a few minutes. I tried to stretch, but only gave it a half-hearted effort. As I told Josh the Cliff-Notes version of the race, I tried to nibble on the pumpkin muffin. But, nothing sounded good to eat. Its funny, a day when I have an excuse to eat anything in the world, and my stomach doesn't crave a damn thing. :/
I still can't believe I threw out all but two bites of this pumpkin muffin. I LOVE everything pumpkin!
So after forcing some carbs down, I drank the chocolate milk to get some protein. I wanted a few pictures, but I was getting cold and a little crabby since my legs still hurt, so we didn't take a bunch.
Two, for two marathons. I didn't see official picture back-drops anywhere, but these banners worked great.
Check out that medal. Definitely one of my favorites! Also, I really liked how the ribbon had the American and Canadian flags on it.
My team. Josh is such a good sport, and I couldn't have done it without him!
We cruised through Conquered, the official race after party, but it was practically deserted. Its a good idea, but sticking it in barbed-wire fenced in parking lot hidden behind banners kind of turned some people away I think. The beer tent was just opening at noon, but we didn't even it that up. For some reason, 26.2 did nothing for my appetite. So, we headed back to the car to head back to my parents house.
Well, that was mostly recap, so how about a little review? In general, I liked this race. I would recommend it, especially the half since I think the coolest part is crossing to Canada and back. Here is a quick list:
PROS:
-Medal - one of my favorites; heavy, cool design.
-Course - Canada and back, Belle Isle, Indian Village (really only disliked miles 14-16 and 24-26, which were a little boring.) In the past, the course ran by Comerica Park and Ford Field - it would be cool to bring that back, but I understand it could conflict with the sports schedules (there was a Lions game on race day).
-Volunteers - they were awesome! I can't say enough good things about them.
-Shirt - I didn't have any issue getting the size I ordered, and my New Balance shirt was good quality, with very little sponsor wording. I like it a lot. I do know they ran out of some sizes again this year, so some people were upset with the shirts.
-Pace Groups - The one pacer I talked to (Crista) was awesome. Even though I didn't officially run with a group, it was nice to see they had so many if you wanted to
-Time of year - Chicago takes place the week prior, and has been warm the past few years. Detroit has had pretty good weather, though it was fairly cold two years ago. As someone who will take cold over heat any day, an October marathon in Michigan is fairly good timing.
-Facebook page - The organizers did a good job communicating via Facebook leading up to the race, so I got a lot of info from there.
-Cost - I paid $90 in August, which I thought was reasonable
CONS:
-Runner tracking - The offered an app for Droid and Iphone only, so Josh had to borrow my phone on race day. Then the app turned out to be useless, because all it said was: Split 1 57:25. Split 2: 1:59:07. It didn't tell him where on the course I was at! They kept the split locations a secret to discourage cheating by jumping from mat to mat, but it resulted in no good way to track runners.
-Passport or EDL required - not an issue for me, but it was for some. You are running an international race, so be prepared! I thought this was made very clear throughout the registration process and on the website, but there were some unhappy people on Facebook the day before the race. Read what you are signing up for!
-Relay - some people might really like this option (they are 5 person teams that run the marathon course). If I were running the relay, I would like it. But there is nothing like passing relay exchange points on the back half of the course to have runners with fresh legs easily run past you while you can barely pick up your feet. Just sayin'.
-Capacity - ALL the races (marathon, half, and 5K) sold out this year, sometime in September. So you have to register early, and after the race sells out, you can't transfer to another (so no switching from the full to the half if the half is sold out). Also, because of the border crossing and clearances needed from Homeland Security, everyone is pre-screened when they register, so you canNOT sell or transfer your bib to anyone else. So if you want in on this race, you have to decide early. The marathon had 4,400 spots and the half had 10,300 or so.
-Congestion around the finish chute for spectators, but that happens. The sidewalk was just narrow in this area. In general I wish the start and finish were somewhere a little more exciting rather than Fort Street.
-Parking - we had no issue, but that is because we got downtown super early. It can be expensive though if you don't get into some of the recommended structures.
-Spectators - the ones on the course were great, and there really was quite a bit of crowd support the first half of the race. But, it definitely diminished on the back half, especially on Belle Isle. Weather could have played into this as well.
All in all, I don't have that many complaints about the race and I would recommend it to others. After my first marathon, people asked if I would do another and I said I wasn't sure. Now after doing two, I will again say I'm not sure, but I will probably run another at some point. The half-distance is definitely my favorite and races are more accessible, but I'm not ruling anything out. I still have a sub-4:00 to shoot for!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
4:11:29
Well I finished, with a new PR to boot. It wasn't pretty at the end, but I met my main goal of a new PR with a 4:11:29. I crossed the halfway at 2:02:02, but fell way off that pace in the late miles due to some severe leg cramping. Oh well, I can't be upset with today. I gave it my best, and my legs carried me 26.2 miles. Now for a lot of rest and recovery. I'll try to write up a race review (with pictures!) tomorrow before I forget everything.
Here is how the last week of training (major taper week) looked, all 35.77 miles (running) of it:
Sun 10/9: Rest
Mon 10/10: 1.41 easy with Lucy, 12:07, 8:37 pace; P90X Ab Ripper X
Tues 10/11: 3.53 easy, 32:35, 9:14 pace
Wed 10/12: 2.47 easy, 22:36, 9:08 pace
Thurs 10/13: Rest
Fri 10/14: Rest
Sat 10/15: 2.16 easy, ,19:14, 8:54 pace; .46 mile walk with Lucy, 7:38
Sun 10/16: 26.2 race, 4:11:29, 9:36 pace
Here is how the last week of training (major taper week) looked, all 35.77 miles (running) of it:
Sun 10/9: Rest
Mon 10/10: 1.41 easy with Lucy, 12:07, 8:37 pace; P90X Ab Ripper X
Tues 10/11: 3.53 easy, 32:35, 9:14 pace
Wed 10/12: 2.47 easy, 22:36, 9:08 pace
Thurs 10/13: Rest
Fri 10/14: Rest
Sat 10/15: 2.16 easy, ,19:14, 8:54 pace; .46 mile walk with Lucy, 7:38
Sun 10/16: 26.2 race, 4:11:29, 9:36 pace
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Detroit Marathon Expo
Yesterday afternoon, Josh and I dropped Lucy off at my parents and headed downtown to Cobo for the Marathon Expo. The hours for the expo were relatively short, 3-8 on Friday and 10-7 Saturday. Parking was kind of a pain, but Josh found a metered street spot for $1 so we didn't have to pay $5-10 to get into one of the nearby garages.
The Expo itself wasn't all that big. The had plenty of booths covering a wide range of items, but we were only there about an hour. I shopped around a little bit, but only picked up a few Gus to stockpile for the next few months.
Since we got there so early (4:00 or so), there was virtually no line for the packet pick up and it was a breeze. Because of the international aspect of the race, you have to show your passport or an enhanced drivers license to get your bib. Even though this info is all over the website, present in the registration process, and on facebook and twitter, I am shocked at how many people claim to not know this!
I even had a chance to stop by the Problems&Solutions table to change my corral - I wanted to move up to corral F, since I think I want to aim for a 9:15-9:30ish pace early on. Once again, no issues! (They just have the corrals printed in the upper corner, so I just got a sticker to place over it with a new letter.)
I think I am ready for tomorrow. I did 2 miles easy today and felt good. I keep going back and forth about what to wear. I almost always overdress, but I am afraid of being too cold. I'll decide sometime tonight, or in the morning after I check the weather for the 345,683 time.
The weather is still iffy. Temps are predicted between 48 and 52 for the 4 hours I'll be running (which is awesome), with winds from the SW at 11 mph. No sun, but cloudy with a 30-40% chance of showers the entire time (not awesome). So really, the only thing I need to finish up tonight is figuring out what I am going to wear! (Shorts or capris, long sleeve UA shirt or arm sleeves)
As for goals, my main one is a PR (my previous marathon was 4:23:23). I think I'm going to start out at 4:10 race, but part of me still wants to break 4 hours. I also want to finish strong so the last few miles aren't torture, so I think I will start out more conservatively than that.
Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a race report and great news!!! I can do this!
The Expo itself wasn't all that big. The had plenty of booths covering a wide range of items, but we were only there about an hour. I shopped around a little bit, but only picked up a few Gus to stockpile for the next few months.
I had a chance to scope out the course, again.
Since we got there so early (4:00 or so), there was virtually no line for the packet pick up and it was a breeze. Because of the international aspect of the race, you have to show your passport or an enhanced drivers license to get your bib. Even though this info is all over the website, present in the registration process, and on facebook and twitter, I am shocked at how many people claim to not know this!
Go 1727!!!
I even had a chance to stop by the Problems&Solutions table to change my corral - I wanted to move up to corral F, since I think I want to aim for a 9:15-9:30ish pace early on. Once again, no issues! (They just have the corrals printed in the upper corner, so I just got a sticker to place over it with a new letter.)
I think I am ready for tomorrow. I did 2 miles easy today and felt good. I keep going back and forth about what to wear. I almost always overdress, but I am afraid of being too cold. I'll decide sometime tonight, or in the morning after I check the weather for the 345,683 time.
The weather is still iffy. Temps are predicted between 48 and 52 for the 4 hours I'll be running (which is awesome), with winds from the SW at 11 mph. No sun, but cloudy with a 30-40% chance of showers the entire time (not awesome). So really, the only thing I need to finish up tonight is figuring out what I am going to wear! (Shorts or capris, long sleeve UA shirt or arm sleeves)
As for goals, my main one is a PR (my previous marathon was 4:23:23). I think I'm going to start out at 4:10 race, but part of me still wants to break 4 hours. I also want to finish strong so the last few miles aren't torture, so I think I will start out more conservatively than that.
Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a race report and great news!!! I can do this!
Go Blue! Beat MSU!
Its rivalry week in Michigan: the UofM vs. MSU football game takes place at noon today in East Lansing.
Josh and I are hanging at my parents, watching the game with my favorite State fan, my sister. But we are hoping Michigan kicks State's butt! My parents are claiming to be neutral, but I think my mom is secretly rooting for Michigan because she feels bad for me since State has won the last 3 years in a row.
Here are my picks for the week:
UPDATE: 39 points, somewhat disappointing week. Good thing I had my confidences in order, bad thing I couldn't pick the winners. Josh fell the third, I'm hanging onto 6th place.
All I have to say is GO BLUE!
Here are my picks for the week:
10 pts: Oregon over Arizona St
9 pts: South Carolina over Mississippi State
8 pts: Oklahoma State over Texas
7 pts: Virginia Tech over Wake Forest
6 pts: UNC over Miami
5 pts: Texas A&M over Baylor
4 pts: Illinois over Ohio State
3 pts: Texas Tech over Kansas State
2 pts: Michigan over MSU
1 pt: Florida over Auburn
UPDATE: 39 points, somewhat disappointing week. Good thing I had my confidences in order, bad thing I couldn't pick the winners. Josh fell the third, I'm hanging onto 6th place.
All I have to say is GO BLUE!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Stop stalking the weather!
I can't help myself. The good news: there is a slight improvement over this morning!!!
Now, maybe I can wish the rain away? I'm sure gonna try!
Marathon Taper: Weather Watch
Man, who knew a 10-day weather forecast was SOOO difficult! I can't believe how much this has changed over the past week!
At my last update, the weather on Sunday was predicted to be 65 and Sunny. I was ok with that, but wished it would be a tad bit cooler. Temps fluctuated over the next few days, and once I saw them reach 71 for a high, I started praying. Everything comes with a price! As of yesterday temps were going to be 51 with showers. Now they are saying 58 degrees, but showers and WIND. NOOO!!!!! Really, I can deal with the rain, its not that big of a deal. But I really, really, don't want to deal with 20 mph wind. Yuck. So, I'll keep my fingers crossed for that partly cloudy, 55 degress, calm forecast that I dream of.
Overall, anxiety is starting to set in a little bit. I struggle with the taper - I understand the importance, but its hard. You want you legs to be rested, but not stale. I have 2 more short 2-mile runs to do before the big race. I know I'm ready. I've put in the miles, injuries are now minor tweaks every now and then, and I'm concentrating on my carb and fluid intake. I'm still icing every day, but more as a preventative precaution than because of any pain.
I've been going back and forth over my pace. With my recent half-marathon PR, a few running calculators are predicting I can complete a marathon in 4:02. I don't know about that..... I'm leaning more towards a 4:05-4:10 marathon time, but the idea of breaking 4 hours is pretty lucrative as well. I really want to push myself and do the best I am capable of, but I am so worried about starting out too fast. That is the biggest mistake a marathoner can make: start out too fast, and can't finish strong. I've managed to maintain a 9:20-9:36 pace on my long training runs, but those had untimed breaks in them. Really, there should be no reason I can't maintain a 9:00 min/mile pace, but I think I'm too nervous to start there. What to do, what to do.... I'll make a decision closer to the race, I need to be sure of what the conditions are and see how I'm feeling that morning.
And since I like winning free stuff, I'm going to mention 2 upcoming giveaways so I can have an extra entry in each. You should check these out!
SkinnyRunner is giving out a bunch of stuff, including Odwalla bars, laces, Gu, and a SR shirt. Just vote for her for the Refuel with Chocolate Milk grant.
Shut Up + Run is giving away what looks like some super-comfy champion gear. Just let her know what you wear after a long run.
Overall, anxiety is starting to set in a little bit. I struggle with the taper - I understand the importance, but its hard. You want you legs to be rested, but not stale. I have 2 more short 2-mile runs to do before the big race. I know I'm ready. I've put in the miles, injuries are now minor tweaks every now and then, and I'm concentrating on my carb and fluid intake. I'm still icing every day, but more as a preventative precaution than because of any pain.
I've been going back and forth over my pace. With my recent half-marathon PR, a few running calculators are predicting I can complete a marathon in 4:02. I don't know about that..... I'm leaning more towards a 4:05-4:10 marathon time, but the idea of breaking 4 hours is pretty lucrative as well. I really want to push myself and do the best I am capable of, but I am so worried about starting out too fast. That is the biggest mistake a marathoner can make: start out too fast, and can't finish strong. I've managed to maintain a 9:20-9:36 pace on my long training runs, but those had untimed breaks in them. Really, there should be no reason I can't maintain a 9:00 min/mile pace, but I think I'm too nervous to start there. What to do, what to do.... I'll make a decision closer to the race, I need to be sure of what the conditions are and see how I'm feeling that morning.
And since I like winning free stuff, I'm going to mention 2 upcoming giveaways so I can have an extra entry in each. You should check these out!
SkinnyRunner is giving out a bunch of stuff, including Odwalla bars, laces, Gu, and a SR shirt. Just vote for her for the Refuel with Chocolate Milk grant.
Shut Up + Run is giving away what looks like some super-comfy champion gear. Just let her know what you wear after a long run.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Move over!
Our nights have been interesting lately. Remember how I said we needed a king bed? Well, the more time Lucy spends upstairs, the more comfortable she gets. By sprawling:
Where the hell are we supposed to sleep??? Josh and I slowly edge our way into bed from opposite sides. Puppy rolls onto her back in between us for belly rubs, then eventually rolls back over to fall asleep. And snore. We are left hugging the sides of the bed, trying to find enough leg room to get comfortable.
Lucy takes herself upstairs to bed each night between 7-7:30, so she has some time up there when she has the bed all to herself. She is lucky she is such an adorable puppy, because I wouldn't put up with this from any dog. It absolutely melts my heart to see how much she loves us. I can see it in her eyes everyday.
She made herself comfortable in the dead center of the bed. She was actually stretched out more than this before I went to get the camera.
Where the hell are we supposed to sleep??? Josh and I slowly edge our way into bed from opposite sides. Puppy rolls onto her back in between us for belly rubs, then eventually rolls back over to fall asleep. And snore. We are left hugging the sides of the bed, trying to find enough leg room to get comfortable.
Lucy takes herself upstairs to bed each night between 7-7:30, so she has some time up there when she has the bed all to herself. She is lucky she is such an adorable puppy, because I wouldn't put up with this from any dog. It absolutely melts my heart to see how much she loves us. I can see it in her eyes everyday.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Fall Colors
I love fall. One of the best things about living in Michigan is the beautiful scene of color each October as the leaves change. This weekend is essentially the peak of color for the season, so I snapped a few pictures during my run yesterday morning down on the Riverwalk. Then yesterday afternoon we headed up to Wixom Lake for one last trip to the cabin. We wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather, see the colors, and pick some apples from the very old tree down by the water. Today we loaded up Lucy again and headed out to the State Park for a walk on the trails and a picnic lunch with cider and donuts for dessert (and a bone for Lucy). Here are a bunch of pictures from the weekend:
Great trails out at the State Park too. So lucky to have this great place 15 min from the house.
Beautiful colors out around this pond.
Lucy really liked walking the trails. She tried to say Hi to every dog we came across.
A view of the Bay across the beach. It was a picture perfect day all around.
Picnic lunch: egg salad sandwich to share and my fall must-haves: cider and apple cider donuts. Yumm-o!
Loving this
I think puppy had a great day too. She got a bone while we had lunch, and enjoyed laying in the cool grass while Josh and I took in the views.
The Riverwalk in Bay City - I LOVE the running paths around here!
More beauty on the run
Apple picking. Why are all the good looking apples always just out of reach?
The colors at the lake were gorgeous!
Family picture time!
Me and Josh
Enjoying a relaxing walk through the woods (with the pup).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)