I Can't Sit Down But I Am on TOP of the World

As day one post marathon has come to an end, I don't think I have ever stopped smiling.  I am pretty much over the top, out of my mind, psyched about this marathon.  For me, I truly feel as I went in there and crushed this thing.  It was, in my mind, a total, utter, success!  I did not just make it, I dominated it! And I am keeping my positive, on top of the world attitude and that is that!!  Maybe it is the amount of sugar from Gus or the three chocolate chip cookies and ice cream yesterday or the adrenaline rush or the runner's high that is having this impact on me, but I am just soaring.

However, soaring, is a theoretical term because in actuality, I am moving a bit slowly today.  Getting up and down (yes just up and down forget about the stairs) are hard, and don't even talk to me about the bathroom.  Seriously, why is the toilet seat so freaking low?!? Steps....well, they are just getting progressively harder.  Where does this leave me.  Happy, proud, excited?  You bet!  If I feel this way, I must have given it my all.   And my all it was...here come the splits, courtesy of my wonderful supporting runners

Erin reported back

1	10:00.1
2	9:49.1
3	9:37.2
4	9:38.3
5	9:33.5
6	9:23.8
7	9:37.7
8	9:15.6
9	9:16.1
10	8:59.9
11	9:20.0
12	9:09.2
13	9:12.9
14	9:11.4
15	9:10.9
16	9:20.7
17	8:59.0

I know Mile 18 was somewhere around 8:48.  And Liz added to the mix at Mile 19 and change...

Ok, so maybe Liz was going a bit faster than me at points, but I am going with the theory that it all evens out so that was my pace too, right?  Come on Liz, tell me it was about even, boost my ego just a little bit more haha.  Either way, I could not be happier.  This is pretty much exactly what I wanted.  All training I struggled.  I did not get it right.  The food was off, the hydration was off, and I never ever negative split.  In fact, in my last major run at Bay State Half, I did the exact opposite - I positive split, got bad side cramps, and massive blisters.

Yet, yesterday, everything went fine.  Everything we thought about, everything I stressed about during taper, was executed perfectly.  From the moment, I crossed the start line, it was as if I was in some surreal, runner's zone.  It was like, I knew what I was doing.  It was like I had trained for it.  All my comments about how, yes I put in the miles but had not trained for the right food, just faded away and I just did it because that is what had to be done to become the marathoner I wanted and needed to be.

Something just clicked.  I got there.  I knew I was runner.  I crossed the start line and I put my plan into action.

Highlight Reel - When It Just Clicks

1)  Hydration: As soon we started, Erin handed me water and we kept hydrating from there on in.  Even the mile or two on my own, I ran through the water stops and drank up, Liz even got me Gatorade (which I swore I could not do at other times) and I drank it like a champ, even enjoying it (go figure!).

2)  Timing:  I stressed a ton on this one.  My coach never gave me times, just finally told me on the last day - first three miles slowest, 3-6 steady, 6-16 comfortable 16-23 race it, 23 to finish you will just get there because you are there.  You know I was ecstatic to race into Boston and tell him the good news this morning.  Coach, you wanted this plan? Sure here it is.  No problem.  His response: fist pump!!  That's right.  But where did it come from?  Well, first Erin gave me an awesome breakdown which was perfect. Thanks lady.  And then also...

I listened to body, I watched my times, I fought my body, and I just let the training take over.  From the start, Erin and I were constantly checking our watches.  I refused to do this too much because I needed and wanted to enjoy the race, the scenery, and the crowds, but I checked it just enough to keep myself on target.  If we saw a 8 something and were in mile 11, I said let's slow down.  If I saw we were to slow, we sped up.  We anticipated the future as much as possible, preparing for the next step.  Feeling our bodies and getting our minds ready for the challenge.  When we wanted to get faster, we did so progressively, listening and responding.

I ignored, the negative thoughts.  An ankle that said early on, no go today Steph, quads that were screaming, a tiny voice at Mile 2 whispering that if upper 9s were hard, we would never get lower.  I just would not talk or dance with that.  Not on MY day. But ultimately, it was like a dream.  It just happened.  I put in the time, hours,  commitment, and dedication and it all unraveled before my eyes....so tapering folks out there. I know you will go crazy, but from one crazy lady to another (or men, you too):  You did it, you are there, sit back and let the magic unfold....

3) Nutrition:  Another wonderful stressor.  So much so that I packed sooo many options for the course.  I had no idea what was going to happen. I knew I did not want to do just Gus and Blocks. I needed to do real food.  I also knew I needed to do more food than I usually do on training runs.  Not just one an hour but more!!  I had literally calculated exactly when I was going to eat beforehand.  It was good for me to have that, but I did not do it exactly.  I listened to my body.  I thought it was going to be soo hard to think about when and what and how much to eat while running.  But my body just told me and I did the hardest thing, I listened.  I made the snap judgment to obey my body's needs and it rewarded me.  So I slowed down, I took the Gu, then the Blocks, then Granola Bars, and then more Gu.  Only regret, those Girl Scout cookies people were handing out at Mile 8 looked kind of yummy...hmmm maybe I should go back..

That's enough race day talk for one moment, insert sad face here.  Actually I will keep talking about it if you will let me ;)  I just can't get enough.  Sorry people, but there is still more to tell (hey I was out there for a while!).   I hope you come back for more - I have some great giveaways coming up and a bit of apologies to do.  Last week, I had my Nuun Giveaway and there are THREE WINNERS:

Mackenzi Hunter

Quinnys Mom

Miss Teacher

Email me your addresses ladies and you are going to get a nice package in the mail soon! Well, as soon as I can bend down and pick it up and sit in the car to get to the post office....it might be awhile, but not too long, I have a Turkey Trot and Vegas Half to get moving on (you did not think I was just going to retire now did you?!?!)

I Am A F'kin Marathoner, Thank You Very Much!

And just like that, I am a marathoner. Well, ok not just like that...

Where to begin?  Please excuse me for boring you with a million MCM posts from here on out, but can you really blame me?!  I think we should just start off with a basic recap and see if I have anything else to say from there (who are we kidding, there is always more to say right....).

Sunday morning I woke up bright and earlier - 3:30 a.m.  I actually could have slept until 5:15, but who can sleep when you are going to run a marathon.  Not this girl, who I received a message from around the same time I woke up.  She had some great advice....

-If it bothers you even a little now, it'll bother you a lot after 26.2, so fidget until you get it feeling right
-Even though its cold, you can still get a sunburn (oops my suntan lotion remained in the car by accident)
-Remember that a positive attitude can pull you a lot of miles.  Don't get overly caught up in goals.  If you see a goal slip away, accept it, adjust it and move" ( I LOVE THIS)

We were in the car by 6:00.  It was a cluster f**k getting there.  I was soo stressed.  I was told to drive and park at Arlington Cemetery.  We could not get anywhere near there.  Maybe it was normally ok, but from where we were coming from, not so much.  I don't blame anyone who gave me advice, apparently the Metro was no fun either.  Either way, I was freaking out, my Dad and Aaron were stressed too, everyone was trying to do there best, but  it was BAD.  At one point, we got to a blocked off point where a cop was.  My Dad asked the cop what to do.  His response "Good luck, there are 30,000 runners, you can let your runners out."  I was like see you.. thanks coppie..uhh not.  Overall, not knowing the area really sucked and the paper and website totally lied about road closures.  End result - Aaron and I jumped out and Dad had to park soo far, I am sorry Dad!! But I am glad I got out, because I would have never made it in time if I had not.

So as Dad parked (a.k.a drove and parked way far away), Aaron and I attempted to find the start.  However,  what we soon found out was that we had been dropped off at the finish = FAIL.  No one seemed to know where they were going.  We thought we had to go over this muddy area to get to the start.  Uhhh nope.  At least I got not one but two piggyback rides across the mud to save the shoes.  haha. Seriously, muddy shoes on race day, no thank you!

I will save you any of the other drama, but mainly the rest of the morning went something like this.  Walk a mile to the start, shiver, get to the start, shiver shiver, open up hand warmers, freeze some more because those things take forever to work, go to the porta potty (partly to warm up,  take shoes off to put on Vasoline, feel even colder, go back to the porta potty, find Erin (this girl ran 17 miles with me!), go to the porta potty (take a picture), shiver shiver, use body heat of other runners in corral, run!

Yay it is 35 degrees out! Actually ended up being perfect!

The start was great.  We crossed the line 6 minutes after the gun went off.  My only major complaint was how truly crowded it was and not just at the start.  This race was jam packed and felt pretty congested until we got out well into the 15 mile marker.  And when you are not feeling good, it feels pretty bad to be so up close and personal with others.  It did break up at times but there was some unneeded weaving which made my Garmin blink about 26.62  by the end of it all.  Notice the about here.  I just checked my Garmin, I don't know how but the whole freaking race got deleted from the Garmin, c'est la vie!! I have a general idea and maybe Erin and Liz can send me theirs and I can make a general guestimate.   

At the outset, the coach had told me that I should try to do the following - first three miles the slowest, go three to six fairly even, 6-16 at a comfortable pace, race 16-23 and the last three you will just do it because you will get there.  Erin was awesome and came up with some great times - we decided to go for:

Mile 1 - 10:00 Mile 2: 9:50 Mile 3: 9:40  Mile 4-6: 9:30-9:40 Mile 6-16: 9:00-9:20 Mile 16-26: 8:45-9

From what I recall and the mile splits I do know, I could not be happier.  At the 10K mark, we were at a 9:48 pace, by 20K we were at 9:35, 30K we were at 9:27, 40K 9:24, and at the finish it was a total of 9:26 pace with a time of 4:07:28 - TAKE THAT MARATHON.  No it was not as fast as I had hoped, but I honestly could not be more thrilled.  I did not leave anything out there.  I gave it my all and I am so proud.  And I will be back, see you there 3:59:59 ;)

So here we go back to the long ordeal.  As you may have heard, my ankle and I have not been cooperating this week.  Well, it was not excited about the run and it told me that from the start.  It kept trying to talk to me.  But I remembered what some wise ladies told me as well as my coach, I just ignored it.  Every time my ankle wanted to talk to me (and it was often) I told it that I was not talking to it.  In fact, anytime, anything bothered me, I just said, I am not talking to you right now.  And moved on.  It helped a ton!  Yet, I am not going to lie, it made me very nervous that at an "easy for me pace" to start, I was not feeling good.  How was I going to pick it up if it did not feel good so early?!?  But I did not dwell, I just went with the flow.

Erin and I settled in as we tried to make room for ourselves in those first six miles.  We did not talk a ton but did have little bits of conversation here or there, which was great!  Just knowing she was there and we were in it together, made the world of difference!  We also had our own dialogue going on in the form of pointing - you know what I mean, point when you see people peeing on the side of the road (every two seconds), point at beautiful scenes (abundant), and point out fun shirts and funky outfits (a.k.a Batman!).  We also started off drinking a ton of water.  Erin was awesome she carried her handheld and this saved me.  My shoulders are awful and can't do this (I am working on the belt, right Robin?).   Not only did she carry and remind me to drink, she was a pro at refilling at water stations.  I did not dehydrate because of her, Liz, and Aaron (as displayed by my six very slow trips to the bathroom at dinner lol).  At about Mile 5.50, I took my first Vanilla Gu as well and we continued on up a pretty steep hill, we love hills, I reminded Erin, no walking, right?!?

Once we got up the hill, the crowd support really started and never gave up!  People were out of control!  They screamed my name the whole time, and I fed off it.  It empowered me.   People had amazing signs, their were bands, fun costumes, and kids to high five.  It is not easy being a spectator.  But I appreciated it so much.  We headed into the Georgetown area, at this point, (I believe) and the support continued.  I had run this portion of the run with Liz in September and I totally bonked and my ankle killed.  I refused to allow this to happen again. I kept my head up and let the experience take me away...

Finally, at Mile 11.50ish, we saw Aaron. Poor Aaron, he had all of our stuff still from this morning, my backpack gym bag and my food bag for mile 12 in his hands.   It was crazy!! He was running with us as we gave him clothing we wanted to discard and grabbing granola bars and Nuun water bottles from him. What an amazing guy!!!  Like I said, spectating is hard.  Spectating and being a pitcrew is even harder.  Thank you hun!!!  So Erin and I split a granola bar and continued on.  I also ate two shot blocks a mile or two earlier.  Every time, we ate, I slowed us down (poor, Erin, I was barking orders left and right, hopefully it was not too bad, sorry girlie).  But I wanted us to slow down and digest.

As we rounded the corner for 13.50, I told Erin, let's try to start picking it up at Mile 14.  We had been holding 9:15/9:20 and I wanted to get us down somehow.  So we started conservatively with 9:10/9:12.  At about 15 point something or other, we actually got to see Aaron. This time he was taking pictures.

Two thumbs up for marathoning at Mile 16 something

Kisses for marathoners!

Dad had the bag ready (thank you Dad!!!! You were amazing), I took two granola bars and handed one to Erin and shouted nuun at Aaron.

Read my lips Nuuuunnnn!!

 CRAP he yelled.  But like a trooper soon there he was racing up to us with a bag full of goodies.  He handed me a 8 oz bottle of nuun which I downed and I beamed with pride when Erin asked for Gatorade and out it came.  I ate the Granola Bar like a champ and continued to drink.  My quads were killing me by then, but again I was not letting them talk to me.

After that, I started to feel good and I believe we began to get close to the 9:00 min mark, if not lower.   This is awful, but somewhere it clicked to ask Erin how she was doing.   I know, I am sorry lady.  I am soo selfish and then felt bad that she was feeling not so hot.  But encouraging her, helped me go further. I wanted to see her do great. She is going to rock Philly! I can't wait!!!  Erin said her goodbyes at mile 17 (she finished another 3 and is now at taper, CONGRATS lady you made it. Thank you again).

After we parted ways, I felt GOOD!  I would look at my watch and see 8:30/8:45 and was feeling STRONG!  I was passing people and could not believe how good I felt at Mile 17, 18, 19.  I was smiling for the camera and enjoying it.  Taking it ALL in!  I took another Gu and continue on the high.  I was to meet Aaron at 19 with Liz and she was going to jump.  Aaron ended up going right to the finish so  I did not see him and I almost missed Liz.  All of a sudden, she came running up from behind, just in time for the bridge! Liz was unstoppable.  She was full of great words and encouragement.  She kept telling me how great I looked and how fast I was going.  And I felt it!!  I started rocking out to my music and told her that this was a cursing, dance party type race.  We hit Mile 20.01 and I said "wait for it, ok this is the furthest I have ever run!"  She responded by yelling at the crowd "CHEER FOR STEPH THIS IS HER FIRST MARATHON."  I grinned from ear to ear.  She continued to yell, I continued to smile.

So then came the famous MCM Bridge.  It was long, like over a mile, I think.  I was ready to crush it and told Liz that.  We passed a ton of people and I kept telling myself, I would not walk,  I would not listen to my quads, I would get over this part.  Liz, at some point told me, get through this part and then glory, everyone will be there cheering.  That took me so far!  I loved that and used it for the rest of the race.

At Mile 22, we came off the bridge, and I had about had it.  My quads were sooo done.  Liz got me Gatorade and it helped but my stomach had, had it.  In Mile 22, you go through a portion where you watch the Mile 23 people going the other way, I just wanted to be there.  As I got almost there, I smelled hot dogs.  UGH really people!?!  I know you are cheering and want to eat.  But do you really have to do this to me YUCK! It was awful.  But when I finally, got to the turn around point, and was at Mile 23, it did not feel much better, of course right?  I kept powering through though.  I kept up my mantras, remembered that this was my time and moved forward.  Liz ran this race last year and she is crazy knowledgable and she would tell me what we had to do.  Well, the Reader's Digest version that.  Just over this part Steph, then you will round the corner to the finish portion.  I tried to translate.  What did it really mean?  This really meant soften the blow of another bridge for ooh another half mile.  Just a little up hill at the end = get ready to die.  But I loved it!  It was perfect.

The last 3.2 were slow.  But amazingly not that slow.  When I looked at my watch, I never saw 10:00, I saw 9:30 mostly and I am sure some higher (choosing to block those out, thank you very much).  The last .2 was up a big hill.  Ok, well maybe a was short but steep and crowded hill.  People were stopping and walking.  Yes, I admit it, I had to push my way through to continue to run.  But there was no walking for me on this hill.  I had come all this way with no walking or stopping breaks (minus one moment to fix my shoe before Mile 1), and I was NOT stopping now.  In fact, I continually told myself that I was going to crawl before I was going to walk.

And then there I was, I did it.  I crossed the finish line.  26.2 Miles, 2 Gus, 2 Shot Blocks, 1.5 Granola Bars and countless hours of work and efforts and we had done it to help me become a marathoner!!! I could not be more proud, happy, and thankful to have had the opportunity to tackle 26.2 and I can't wait to see her again!

I AM a MARATHONER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH

A very very very special thank you to all those who got me here, especially Aaron, Dad, Liz, Erin, Robin, Samantha, Colleen, and the PT/Coach. I am sorry, I can't list everyone.  You all helped so much. Thank you!  I can't wait to hear about everyone elses' experiences.  And thank you for all the wonderful encouragement.  It means sooo much :)

Holy Crap Marathon Tomorrow!

That is all! Marathon tomorrow.  See you all on the flip side :)

Motivational Mantras & Mensches for Marine Corps Marathon!

As we all know, while marathons are somewhat about the physical (you know just somewhat), a lot of it is about the mental game.  How can you keep your head in the game when the going gets tough?  There are some days when it just seems impossible, where you try and dig deep but can't find anything.  It seems like those days when you need to have your mental game the most that it is nowhere to be found.  And there are other days where it is so hard or hurts so good but you can muster those favorite mantras and power it to bring it home.  To me, it seems like a fine line, sometimes I have the energy to push through and stay motivated and positive and sometimes I just don't have the fight within me.  On those days, when I don't have the fight within me, I need these sayings or mantras & mensches the most.  It is these things that really get me through, and on Sunday they will push me as a demolish the WALL.

So let's start with the latter.  What is a mensch?  A mensch is a Yiddish meaning a person of integrity and honor.  So what does this have to do with marathons?  For me, I run with mensches all the time. Yes, they are my running partners.  But they are also people that are not running with me.  They are my mother, mother-in-law, my husband, my coach.  When the going gets tough, I imagine these people.  I know that they will get me through.  I think of everything they have taught me and given to me, I imagine them with me, looking over my shoulder and guiding me, pushing me, and moving me along.  It is these people that see me through.

For the marathon, I will take strength and courage from them.  For each mile, I will dedicate a mile to one of these people.  When things get tough, I will remember that they are with me, that I am running for them, with them, and because of them.  I plan to write their names on the top of my visor, so I don't forget them and so they can continue to look over me, as they always have.  As weird as this may sounds each of the miles chosen for these people has much meaning to me and are strategically placed to help me at the right times.  I plan on dedicating miles to many people (not listing all here) but some include my parents, grandparents, sibling, my mother-in-law, Aaron (of course, who offered that I could dedicate the entire last 6.2 to him, but he decided it was a cop-out), some of my amazing running friends - Erin, Liz, Robin, Colleen, Lindsay, and Samantha (yes you get your own miles), and Mali & Talia (Stephen came along too, hehe, of course he is included!).  Also, I am dedicating some miles to people who would love to but can't run :( I will run for them.

So what else will get me through?  Mantras!  You have to have mantras, right?  Throughout this training process, I have come up with a few of my own and have borrowed some from others, they include

1) Dig Deep
2) Never Give Up, Never Surrender
3) Stephanator!
4) Don't Deny Your Awesomeness
5) "Pain is temporary, a marathon is forever"
6) Run Hard, Run Strong, Run Proud, Run Happy
7) One Day I Will No Longer Be Able to Run, Today is NOT that day
8) Push Hard, Train Hard, Run Hard

Ok, that is only 8 mantras people and I have 26.2 miles to go!! Help me out, tell me some of your favorite mantras please.  Good luck to everyone racing this weekend and if you are not racing, come cheer us in D.C. or via Twitter (its all the same, you know...)

 Look at me Dad, I already crossed the finish line, well sorta....

 Attempting a jumping picture without the high speed camera = crazy fail

Loving the new marathon jacket

Quarantine: The Sickals

With the marathon in T-Minus 4 days, my house is on quarantine or rather should I say my husband.   That's right, you guessed it, both Aaron and I are not feeling so well.  While my symptoms mirror, pure exhaustion his are more acute - lots of coughing, loss of voice, and scratchy throat.  So all I can say is I am freaking out.  But am I surprised?  No, not all.  Ever since college, I have an uncanny ability to get sick right before big events - big tests, exams, you name it.  Now that I think about it, I was sick before my first half and Disney half, if that is supposed to be comforting.  I know it happens to the best of us and I know that the immune system is suppressed blah blah blah, but that does not make it any easier...

Now, back to Aaron and this cold.  I know I should be tending to his very needs, giving him big hugs, and kisses but in all honesty, I am NOT.  It is not that I don't love my husband.  I love him sooo much and want him to get better so badly.  But here is the thing, every time Aaron gets sick, I don't just catch his cold, I catch the super bug.  It is like Aaron's cold on crack. Yup there I said it.  So given the fact that I am already not feeling so well combined with Aaron's ability to give me his colds, I figure I am pretty much screwed.  But I AM running a marathon in four days, so I cannot and will not get sick!! Right?!?!

Thus, Operation Quarantine it is! Aaron and I have spent the day conversing from a distance.  He is currently on the other side of the couch while I remind him to cover his mouth when he coughs.  He enjoyed dinner because I made it, declaring that I did not want him touching my food.  As we move closer to each other, we cover our faces with our shirts....and yes he is being quarantined to the spare bedroom tonight.  So do you think I am the biggest jerk ever?  I guess I pretty much am.  I explained to Aaron, hey I am running a marathon. His response, I am not even questioning it. What an amazing guy!! I don't deserve him.

So for now, we are drinking lots of water, lots of tea, and lots of Orange Juice, hoping and praying that we get better/don't get sick.  Plus there is this random pain in my ankle that I am not appreciating right now....it is going to be ok right?!?

Do you get sick before big events?  Do you get random fun pains?  Can you keep me calm?

The Best Challah Recipe Ever

First off, my running buddy once had a blog and now she is back.  She is amazing, go check her out!!!

Second of all, I loved loved loved all your responses to my last post. I still owe people feedback, I promise it is coming!! It is crazy marathon week over here, but no excuses!

In honor of marathon week, I have been increasing gradually gorging on carbs.  I lovvvee carbs, what can I say, not much, other than I am a carb addict and proud of it. One of my favorite types of carbs is challah, a traditionally Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat.

My Kitchen Sunday Morning

In my husband's house growing up, challah was not something to be bought in the store.  Instead, it was a weekly treat that his mother would whip up as simply as if she was making a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe.   For many, challah is a difficult task.  It is incredibly hard to make the perfect challah - to get the right amount of flour, water, etc. to avoid inevitable doughy challah or the like.  For years, prior to meeting my husband I attempted to bake the best challah, and failed multiple times.  It was not until I met my husband, that I learned how to really make challah.

Within the first few months of dating my husband, his mother brought me into the kitchen and told me whats what as she danced around the kitchen teaching me how to make challah and rugleach.  The result was a beautiful golden challah, delicious cookies, and an amazing aroma that filled the air.    This, however, was not the first time she taught challah making.  My husband witnessed years earlier as my mother-in-law taught 40 women in her kitchen how to make this recipe.  And while I sometimes never make challah, it is really my husband that creates the magic, invoking his mother's challah making genes.

Thus this weekend we had our own group of 25 women over to learn how to make challah.  They each were assigned a kitchen aid, given the utensils, and partook in making their very own challah.  Aaron taught them the temperature for the water, the amount of flour needed, how to proof the yeast, and of course, how to add the cinnamon and sugar on top.  At the end of the day, everyone took home a braided challah to put in their ovens when they returned home.  While at our house, they got to sample fresh challah, challah french toast, and rugleach. 

While Aaron's mother is not here with us anymore, her challah making and many other qualities still shines through.  I can't help but share this with you all.  Now I am not a food blogger, so I am giving you the recipe the way it was given to me, the old fasion way...

What are your favorite carb meals pre-race?  

The Need to Pee: Peeing While Running!

Disclaimer:  this is an up close and personal post, I apologize in advance.  Btw, have you entered my giveaway for some nuun, it ends on Wednesday!

Do you use the bathroom ten times (at least) before you leave the house for a long run?  Will I find you in line for the porta-potties before a big race?  Are you worried about what to do if you have to pee and you are not even in half way through your half marathon?

I hope at least some of you said yes, because I need to know I am not alone on this one.  Since I have started running, the "need to pee" has haunted me or should I say stressed me out. What am I supposed to do if I have to pee during a race I wonder?  What am I going to do?  What if there are no porta potties around?   What if there are porta potties around and I don't want to give up precious seconds to take time to pee... WHAT IF?!?

Actually, in reality, there is only one time I have ever had to go during a race.  It was my first official race, the B.A.A Half 2008 and I made a rookie mistake of lining up way too early instead of 1) playing it smart and warming up, 2) going to the bathroom a million times, and 3) jumping in at the last second.  Well,you know how this story goes, as soon as I crossed the starting line, I felt the urge.  By Mile 3, I knew I had to stop.  So, like the experienced runner I was, at the first porta potty I saw, I stopped. Forget that I had to wait a good 5 minutes to use the toilet - it did not even occur to me at the time to be worried about this.  Instead, I was too obsessed with the idea of taking off my long sleeve, non dri-fit teeshirt and leaving it for the running gods as I waited in line.  Mind you, this meant taking off my running arm band that held my oversized iPod and then readjusting it on my now t-shirt, but I digress...

Today, I am not so carefree that I am willing to give up a good five freakin minutes for a potty break (it is totally ok and all the power to you if you are, but what can I say, I am "Type A" all the way.  So what do I do instead?  How do I avoid losing those moments that my take away my PR? I feel a list coming on ...

Top Five Ways on How Not to Lose a PR due to the Need to Pee

5)  Stop drinking an hour before the race.  Prior to the race you should be hydrating like crazy (you will know you are doing a good job if you feel the need to go like ooo 24/7).  The day of  the event drink 16 oz of water (I like some of this to be nuun) about 1.5 hours before the run.  But then cool it. You have done what you can do put down the bottle. 

4) Forget what I just said in #5, well sort of.  Right before the race let yourself have one more swing of water.  It will keep you tied over until your water stops.

3) Salt it up.  Make sure to consume salty foods (e.g., soup, pretzels, peanut butter, pickles).  These will help you retain water, remain hydrated, and stop the urge to go.

2) Make best friends with the porta potties BEFORE the race.  The best advice I ever got was get in line for the bathroom, go to the bathroom, then get back in line for the bathroom. It works!!  You can do all your stretching in line and then just warm up a little before. If nothing else, DO THIS!

1) Let it flow.  Ok, I know this is a bit controversial, but I have come to terms with it, so hopefully I won't lose some followers here.  For me, it is impossible to run when I have to go, bad, so when all of these things don't work, I recommend you just GO, and when I say go, I mean go in your pants.  Yes, there I have said it.  You may not agree with me.  But this is just how I roll (haha) I am cool, I pee my pants, and I am proud of it! 

I agonized over #1 (haha double meaning, love it) a ton!  Do I just go? How do I do it?  Will I chafe?  I even googled it, which actually came up with nothing.  So I was left to just go at it on my own.  How did I do it? I am telling you all this because I wanted to know how, but no one would tell me.  Well, simple, I just slowed a bit, relaxed and peed.  It was warm, it was yucky, my shorts felt meh, but in a few minutes all was forgotten and it was like I had never even gone.  That's it, that is all there is too it.  Although truth me told, i have only tried this in shorts, I am not sure how great it would be in capris or pants (stay tuned for that).

As per other bathroom habits, you all are on your own. I am not that brave, I hit the porta potties...I guess I am not that hardcore after all...

Don't leave me hanging out here people.  Fess up, what do you do or am I the only one out there with this wonderful habit...have I lost you yet?

Disclaimer:  these are just my thoughts and what has worked for me, so take it all with a grain of salt (again no pun haha) and do what is best for you and YOUR body!