7 mos to an injury-free marathon

Hmm, I hope you found the right answers - but I can tell you that raisins often work like prunes - so that is what might have caused the GI issues.

Yeah, I spent the day thinking we should really have a two bathroom house  vs one.  I know they say don't do anything on race day you didn't do in training, but if training didn't work, I would think I'd be better off doing something different.

Well, between all the illnesses and now very painful rib on the right side, I'm fairly losing hope that Lincoln will be anything that great. But my friend who had a heart attack last Nov just emailed me about Sioux Falls SD marathon Sept 13th and I think I'm going to run that! It's only about 3.5 hr drive so either will be a girl trip with a few of my friends or a fairly painless car ride for the family. I'm excited because training starts the week after Lincoln. I was just thinking on my run this morning that I don't know what I'm doing this fall and I do like to plan, so this seems like a good fit. It won't be a new state but anything close won't be a new state at this point.

Weather keeps looking worse and worse for Sunday, 86 and 15 mph winds. Well, just a long run, I guess, and will get through it. I still have pain from the pleurisy but over the bronchitis and sinusitis at least.  I'm just ready for something new to train for and hoping for good weather in Sept.

Julie wrote:Well, between all the illnesses and now very painful rib on the right side, I'm fairly losing hope that Lincoln will be anything that great. But my friend who had a heart attack last Nov just emailed me about Sioux Falls SD marathon Sept 13th and I think I'm going to run that! It's only about 3.5 hr drive so either will be a girl trip with a few of my friends or a fairly painless car ride for the family. I'm excited because training starts the week after Lincoln. I was just thinking on my run this morning that I don't know what I'm doing this fall and I do like to plan, so this seems like a good fit. It won't be a new state but anything close won't be a new state at this point.

I'd forgotten that you had a friend who suffered a massive heart attack last fall.  Is he back to running?  Is he planning to run Sioux Falls in Sept? 

I know you're busy with your race this weekend...hope the weather isn't as bad as predicted.  Take it easy.  You've had a tough time getting in the training you need lately.

When you have time would you mind updating me a bit about your friends recovery process.  Sounds like I was much luckier than he was.  I was in the right place to get treatment quickly so the damage was very minimal in my case but I'm still curious what he was able to do and when.  No hurry...I'm chomping at the bit to get back out there but realize I need to allow my heart to heal before I put any stress on it so I'm behaving myself.

Be careful on Sunday.

My friend will be 76 in Sept (his 70th birthday party was the first real event we took Jocelyn too and she was a newborn). He had a heart attack the Sunday before Thanksgiving and his wife called 911 as he was unresponsive and the paramedics did CPR for I think 20 minutes. Thanksgiving morning I ran with 5 other friends and we all thought he was going to die since he was unresponsive still and on a ventilator (I really figured they'd take him off the ventilator within another day or two and he'd die right away. Instead he actually became responsive the next day and stayed in acute care for a little longer then to a rehab hospital for about 3 weeks. He was in PT for awhile, graduated from that in March, I think. He still has balance issues and had quintuple bypass surgery I think in Feb, I can't quite remember. He can run 15 minute miles on the treadmill and has walked up to 5 miles.  He won't run Sioux Falls as great as that would be. He's done his 50 states 3x. He has no real goal to run another marathon but hopes he can get to running outdoors with us all soon. He ran a few steps last week. We started a Thurs morning walking group for him and another friend who was hit by a car in Nov while running. So, we're all very thankful he's alive, he can drive, has no cognitive changes, seems like balance is his lingering effect. He said his cholesterol is better than ever and if ever a person was driven, it'd be he. 

My dad had a heart attack when I was pregnant with Jocelyn and never lost consciousess, had 2 stents placed and ran a half marathon with me a few mos later (I was 30 weeks then). He's done well, no real changes and he mows lawn, bikes across Nebraska every year although he's really slowed down, I think that's more just age. He's 63 now, 64 in August.

I hope that helps.

Those race conditions sound unpleasant, to say the least. Maybe a wet bandana would work with the windy conditions to help keep you from overheating too much. Just take it easy and get it done. That'll be more than enough for this year.

Julie - Mark has a good point about the wet bandana.  I wore that exact thing at Boston in 2012 when it was 89F and it really helped.  I also would advise to drink water and pour water over your head at the water stops.  I also drank Gatorade at each stop, but I think that bothers you, so you may want to/need to carry whatever electrolyte replacement you will be taking as you will need it.  Here's to hoping that they are good weathermen as that means the will be wrong at least 80% of the time with the forecast.

Thanks Mark and Michele. It'll be hot but then again I've run 20 milers in heat advisories so I should be OK. I"ll take it easy and drink plenty. I take S-caps for electrolytes and I will carry water although they have plenty of aid stations. I carried it for the 50K and actually hold it for all my runs now (figured that my GI system feels better without a fuel belt). It'll be OK and my time will be slow but  hey there are worse things...not trying to be apathetic but really I can get all hyper and worry about it but it won't help, I just am hoping Sioux Falls goes better.

The race sent an email yesterday warning about the heat. There will be a physician at every aid station (one is my family physician, likely, since he has volunteered in the past) to help runners who think they might be getting heat stroke. If I weren't so stubborn and hadn't trained I'd just say forget it. My husband went to pick up my packet on a morning break today but even with my driver's license and printed confirmation, I guess I missed the "proxy form" he needed and both of us need to sign. Really? I have never seen such a thing and Lincoln wouldn't seem like the place but I guess it's their race, their rules and I should quit my whining, but really do feel grumpy right now. And the lack of running from tapering isn't helping. 17 mph winds now and 87 degrees. I guess at least at mile 12.5 I could peel off and just run the half, I don't know....really, I'm open for advice. If I Just treat it as a long training run to kick off marathon training for Sioux Falls I should be safe enough, right? I don't really care about another medal and have run the half 3x and full 2x here already. I hate to not run it because I've been planning on doing it since Dec. I just feel like nothing is really going right now.

87F is tough to run in even if you are a Kenyan, so be very wise.  At Boston in 2012, a lot of fast runners thought they could beat the heat, went out at their normal pace or faster and slower runners like me passed them in the latter miles.  My broker who is a 2:50 marathoner ran 4:20 - I ran 4 hrs.  Advice - well, you can't control the weather, so just forget about pace and treat it as a fun run.  That year I walked through every single water stop drinking a cup of water, a cup of Gatorade and dumping a cup over my head, then I would just keep going.  I wore a watch, but I kept it on the digital time of day screen so I had no clue as to my pace and I didn't want to know.  I ran by feel and simply listened to my body.  I also ran through every hose or water shower (they had these cool things you could just run through and water sprayed at you from every direction) and simply figured that I'd get from point A to point B.  I had contingency plans such as drop at mile 12 (my Mom), drop at 16 (the subway), drop at Boston College (subway again) or even walk to the finish.  I didn't need any of those contingency plans as I just had the right mental attitude.  

Remember I even lived in Atlanta at the time and still knew that I couldn't out run such warmth.  A Cleveland friend actually ran the race slowly and bounced back well enough to run a BQ (and one hour faster) 3 wks later.  He just felt it was a fun run in the sun.

So, the short answer is that you can do nothing about the weather so just embrace the day, work on fueling and feeling good for 26.2 miles.  What i found was if I did not tax myself in the extreme heat, I recovered fine and I could have easily run a fall marathon, but was waylaid by other (female) issues completely unrelated to the hot weather run.  

Just keep a positive attitude and don't let the lousy conditions get to you before the race even starts.  You cannot change the weather so embrace the experience.  Just think of what you'll be able to brag about later!

Thanks Michele! My bronchitis and sinus infection are cleared so at least physically doing pretty well other than the lung pain. I keep hoping to see a better weather forecast but it just keeps getting worse. The race starts at 7 but it will take 45 minutes to cross the start line. I will not push it and if I have to drop to the half, I will. I have two friends (my Lincoln Mom, I call the one, and then my friend who had the heart attack) directing runners to peel off for the half, so I guess they will check in with me then. I plan to bring my phone so I could call my parents or my husband to pick me up. I'm normally not a fast runner anyway so I'm wondering if I'll even make the cut-off. Either way, I've completely let go of any sort of time goal other than expecting to have a new personal worst. I just don't want to hurt myself. I have lots of s-caps and will be careful about them. They will have ice at the aid stations, too, so I could add that to my water bottle. I know they can't help this. It's cloudy and supposed to t-storm later today and bringing really warm weather with it.

Looks like summer began today. I feel really anxious but also basically ready. I met my injury-free goal at least and everyone else in the family is healthy. I'll  check in tomorrow after the race but have my Spi belt packed and my daughter made a sweet sign today that says "I love you. You can do it. Keep your focus." Love her.

Finished the full in 5:04. Not fast, but felt like I ran a smart race and was very careful with hydration. I was so worried about dehydration and winding up needing medical attention (and I saw a lot who were horribly disoriented and sick). My friend ran the last 8 miles with me and that helped so much. I dumped water and ice on myself the 2nd half at each station and took my electrolyte tablets on schedule. I might write a report when I get to the computer, but that's the gist anyway.

I thought about you this morning and hoped that you had our weather (which was actually beautiful, but would have felt warm for 26.2 miles.  Congrats on the finish and I'm glad you are ok.  5:04 is more than respectable for the conditions - good job!  I'm proud of you and I know your family is as well.

Nice job Julie.  Sounds like you ran a very smart race!  As Michele said...that's a race that you and your family can be proud of.

Also wanted to thank you for sharing the details about the recovery of your friend and also your Dad.  The fact that you're all forming a walking group that can include your friend says a lot about the running community in general and your running community in particular.  It's very encouraging to hear that your Dad was able to participate in a half so quickly after his heart attack.  Thanks again for sharing.

And congrats on a very smart race!

Thanks Michele and Nancy! With as crazy as it is around here with little boys climbing and getting into everything, I am doubting I'll write a report but I learned a few new hot weather tricks from my friend, like putting ice down my shirt (ahem, did get a comment from someone at an aid station but it felt really good!) and went through every sprinkler people had put out. Overall there was a lot of community support. My friend who ran with me the last 8 also helped at the half/full split off just before the half marathon finishes (along with our friend Bill who had the heart attack Nov). The sun was really really hot and mile 14 after the half was all gone it was hard going out to Holmes Lake which is mile 20ish into the wind but the last few miles we  got a few clouds and that helped. Overall, I'm pretty happy. We passed quite a few people the last 6 miles but  I don't care about that, I just am glad I felt pretty well and ran fairly steadily although definitely positive splits, by quite a bit. I never hit my watch for splits or started it. I just took a salt tab at 7 a.m., then on the hr 8, 9, then it got hotter so I started going every 45 min till 1115 which was my last tablet. I feel really well-prepared to train for Sioux Falls, no injuries. I'll take this week off more or less from running and then take it easy next week or till I feel completely recovered since I"d love to keep up my injury-free streak. 

Thanks for the support! Yes, our running group is great. My closest local friends are my running friends but we run together several times a week so it's hard to find the time to meet with other friends or stay that well in contact with them so I guess it makes sense. We've been to weddings, funerals, baby showers, everything in between, graduations now in a few weeks and just a nice little group but always happy to have new people join us, too. I've been running with them for 9 years but several have been running together even longer.

Nice work on your race. Realistic pacing given the conditions and proper heat-management strategies served you quite well. These are the sorts of situations where having some experience like you do can really pay off. Well done.

Thanks Mark. I read that 27 (if I remember correctly) were taken to hospital because of heat related issues Sunday. Makes me extra thankful that I felt good throughout.