Recovery Post-Boston!

Since returning home from Boston, I have felt great! My legs, feet, knees have not bothered me at all.  After my marathon last fall I had a sore knee for a week or two, so I am very happy that I do not have this problem now!

So last week I actually ran 1 mile on Tuesday (the day after the marathon) and did the elliptical for 45 minutes.

Wednesday-Ran 30 minutes (b/n 7.5mph-8.5mph!) Again, I was happy with this.  Also biked for 30 or 45 minutes, and did the elliptical again.  Tried to do my normal weight routine, but figured out really quickly that my legs could not handle squats or lunges yet!

 

Thursday-Ran 60 minutes pushing Olivia in the stroller, tae-bo, ab video and elliptical at gym

Friday-walk, elliptical, bike-worked a night shift

Saturday-Ran 10 minutes (was too tired after working all night and sleeping all day to get up and get moving too quickly!)  and elliptical for 90 minutes, and biked for 20 minutes  and then went to work for 12 hours overnight again!

Sunday- Ran 45 minutes, walked 10 minutes spent a few hours with the kids for Easter! then, back to work again for another 12 hour night shift! Fun, Fun, Fun!

Monday-Came home to sleep and actually had a babysitter, since the HS was off for spring break yet! So, I was going to sleep until 1pm since she wanted to leave around 130, but I woke up a 440pm instead! OMG…I could not believe I slept that long! I came out of our bedroom and our lovely babysitter was still here, the kids were napping! But, she was so sweet and said she just could not leave while I was sleeping!

Needless to say, Monday was no workout since I slept all day and then I finally had a chance to see the kids for a few minutes!

Tuesday-Today-had a class for work-YUCK! I hate working day shifts-so class started at 7am, and yes, I just left work yesterday at 7am! whatever…but during our hour lunch break I brought clothes with so I could get a run in, and even though it was raining I still ventured out for a run and got soaked, but it really was bizarrely beautiful! I really enjoyed just the quiet time.  So, I ended up getting a 50 minutes run in, even though everyone that I was in class with could not believe that I actually went running in the pouring rain! Then after class, since I had not had a great workout in a couple of day I decided I better head to the gym and finish my hour run and do the elliptical for an hour!

Tomorrow the agenda is for another hour long run-on the treadmill as it is supposed to be cold, rainy and possibly snowy it sounds like.  And the elliptical for 45-60, bike 15-30 and weights and abs! And clean up my house! whew.  I cannot stand a mess, but at the same time after working three night shifts in a row and then a day immediately after I just do not have the energy to do too much.  Thankfully, my hubby did all the laundry and the dishes today! I am so grateful!

Hope you are all having a great week!

~Katie

Boston Marathon Recap

 

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

I was SO nervous about the entire day, what was going to happen, how I was going to do, would I qualify again for next year, would the wind be against us, would I really finish and would I have negative mindtalk the entire run????  In my qualifying run last fall I asked myself about 50 times why on earth I was running a marathon. 

Not the case with the BOSTON MARATHON, it was so unbelieveable.  At one point, I think around mile 7 or 8 I could feel myself wanting to speed it up a bit and I probably could have, but I had to remind myself that I was there to enjoy myself, enjoy the crowd and take it all in. 

So on Monday morning I woke up and it was sunny and looked lovely outside. Then I looked at the temps and it was in the low 40s I would prefer it a bit warmer.  And it was very windy, thankfully pushing me towards Boston! I had debated shorts or knee pants the entire time, and decided I would wear my knee pants and then bring shorts with and if I felt like it I could change into them in Athlete’s Village.  I was cold almost all morning, up until about race time, then I finally started to warm up.  I decided  I better leave my knee pants on as well as my long sleeve t-shirt otherwise I would  be too cold. The buses left Boston at 7am for the start line and so I chatted with a lady from Cambridge, MA on the ride out there!  Once I arrived in the waiting area time flew by.  I met up with a Tricia from Mazeppa and we talked for a while, but then I did not see her again during the entire race!

At 10:00 theif race started, but my wave and corral did not leave until around 1020 or so.  Immediately I felt like I had to pee, and I was hungry-NOT the way I wanted to start the race.  I had seriously went to the bathroom like 7 times that morning-once right before lining up! I was also quite warm.  I managed to keep my long sleeve tshirt on until about mile 7 then I finally took it off and for the rest of the race wore it around my waist.  Not the greatest idea, but it worked-and I really did not want to throw it off to the side too badly.  Needless to say, if I run it again, I will wear a shirt I can throw off and will not mind never getting back again! My knee pants were also a bit warm, I definetely could have worn shorts and been okay.  After a few miles of starving there were people already handing out food, THANKFULLY! So, at almost every opportunity possible I took orange segments or banana chunks to eat.  If people would not have been there to help me eat I am not sure how I would have finished.  I was so hungry! I got to the first 5K marker so quickly, my time was not that great, but it felt like the time was flying by! The crowd was so incredible! So many people there to see the race, it was just amazing.  Well, for my marathon last fall I did a mile by mile recap-so here it is for Boston-WAY different than Whistlestop!

1-WOW- I was really wondering if I would be running with this many people the entire time.  My first mile was like 8:02, not what I wanted.  I prefer to start off faster and slow down throughout the race, but there was just no way to get around everyone and get going any faster. 

2-okay, there were still a lot of people-everywhere-runners, spectators, everyone was getting hot and throwing off their clothes, so I had to watch my step!

3-5K already?!?!?! Amen, this is fabulous so far!

4-5 somewhere in here there was a little hill I remember and I was thinking oh these hills are not too bad. 

6- Well I made it to the 10K so now everyone that is following me is getting an update, I better really try to push it to get over this mat in a certain time so they do not think I am too slow as they are getting their text alerts!

7- smooth sailing for a while-thinking okay, not quite the 8 mph I prefer to run, but still not too bad if I can just keep this pace up for another 19 miles-what?!?!? 19 miles?!?! I had to excite my mind by thinking okay, I already made it almost to the 1/3 mark (in my head, anything after 20 is easy, and I know I will finish!)

8-I remember people handing out fig newtons here and I can’t remember if we were in the town of newton or not, but I so wanted something to eat but I did not want a stomachache, I had one earlier this AM. 

9-okay, almost to the 10 mile mark, then just another 25 minutes to the halfway mark and I can see scott!

10-yes, I made it to the ten mile mark!!!!

11-we are really close to being halfway done!  Fantastic!

12-okay, seriously, I have one more mile until the halfway mark-where is the sign?!?!? Then, we went around a corner and down a hill in Wellesly College (an all female college-I believe) and from a quarter mile away you could hear all these girls cheering!

13-Awesome to turn a corner and see SO many people cheering! It was an amazing spot in the race.  there was a T stop here, so there were thousands of fans here making so much noise! I also knew scott was going to be here, so I was excited.  But, I was looking everywhere and never saw him-and he never saw me And I had to stop for a potty break here, I just could not hold on one minute longer.  I ate an orange or a banana or something a few minute before and it immediately gave me an upset stomach.  Thankfully, that was the only stop I had to make during the race!

14-Over the halfway mark, my miles left are finally less than the miles I have already accomplished! Fantastic!

15-oh yeah, we have hills coming up…YUCK! hmm…we will see how that goes!

16-Oh yeah, I see the kills coming.  I better take a gel-YUCK! Plain flavored-YUCK! thankfully I had a new piece of gum and some water. 

17-oh seriously hills-already….oh my god this is a huge flipping hill.  Maybe this is heartbreak hill that everyone talks about, because this one is huge!

18-Oh maybe this one is bigger??? And I am not sure what is better, running down a slight decline or going up an incline?? Thankfully, I do pretty well with hills and I don’t think they slowed me down too much.  There were a quite a few walkers in this area!

19-oh yeah, it is flat, maybe that is the end of the hills---oh no, nevermind, up ahead there is another big one! The crowds from this point on were incredible, LOUD and VERY encouraging!

20- WOW…my legs are wiped out, but now it is my time to rock! I usually do okay in the last six miles-especially the last three miles, because I know that it will only last a short while!

21-Yes-only 5 more miles to go and I will be all done…how is that possible!??!? How have almost three hours went by already? and if I can get these last miles in at the same pace I am running at now I will qualify again for next year!

22-wow…I am going to finish, and I think qualify!

23-only three more miles! only 22 minutes left and I will be done!

24-wow these crowds are loud.  I really picked up my pace here and started to pass a lot of people!

25-LOVE this mile, because I pass so many people.  I just keep picking out people in front of me to beat!

26-I made it!  Awesome! What an amazing feeling and accomplishment!

26.2-I did it! I am amazed at what my body can do! So incredible! And I qualified again for next year…should I want to do it again! We shall see….