Runtastic

A Fantastically Dramatic Fall

Posted on December 30, 2013 by kristamyer

Getting hit by a car isn’t in the training plan. We’ve established that. Splatting onto the ground in a free-fall Superman pattern isn’t in the training plan, either, but I found a way to work it in. At least I got it over early in the training.

Fall spectacularly, face first, into the icy ground. Check.

So here’s what happened: At nearly the end (mile 6.9 or so) of our 7 mile run on Saturday, I hit a very large, very visible patch of ice on the trail near the Boonville trail head, and body slammed chest first into the ground. Yes, I saw it (!) and still bit it. It happened so quickly that I had absolutely no chance of saving myself from the fall. Carl had gone ahead of me, around to the left of the icy patch, and I filed in behind him, thinking about how smart I was to pay attention to the ground!

Ha.

I felt my feet giving way, heard myself scream, and next I knew, I was sprawled out on the ice, face first, arms splayed wide above my head (Superman pose), screaming Don’t TOUCH ME! to Carl. His instinct was to try to help me. It is the last thing I wanted at the moment, fearing anything either of us did might make things worse. This was at the end of what I would say was one of the worst runs I’ve had in awhile. I felt awful the WHOLE 7 miles (sluggish, heavy, tired, etc., etc., blah blah blah). Who knew I was about to feel so much worse!?

I couldn’t and didn’t move for about a minute. I was so scared that I’d broken something. It was an extraordinary freakout. I was panic-yelling at Carl, trying to breathe, trying to assess what, if any, damage I’d done to myself, trying to roll over, trying to check my pride and not morph into a snotty-faced, sobbing heap of goo. I *think* it came from a place of strength – I was trying to take back control that I’d just lost in such a lavish display. But it all came out in such a way that I must’ve seemed like a possessed monster.

In the end, after a couple days of reflection (and a lot of ibuprofen), I believe that the relatively decent shape I’m in (despite the bad run – hey, we all have ’em) probably prevented the fall from wreaking even more havoc on my body.

Stuff still hurts. I may have bruised a rib or two, but I’m pretty confident nothing is broken. I’m supposed to do a New Year’s Eve 5k. Yeah, we’ll see how that goes.

That fabulous (elusive?) Staten Island start line…..Sigh.

Posted in NYC Marathon, Running Musings, Training Runs, Winter Running | Tagged NYC Marathon, Running Injuries | 2 Comments

Priority #1: Make it to the start line.

Posted on December 18, 2013 by kristamyer

I hate running in the dark. However, these days, if it’s not the weekend, we’re likely running when I get home from work, in the dark. We run from my house, a nice little 3.5 mile route around my neighborhood. Some spots are darker than others. I should say right now that were it not for Carl wearing all the right gear, reflectors, headlamp, etc., I would blend right in with the night sky and no one would ever see me. I am totally disorganized and can’t seem to get my winter running shit together. I’ll also say that I’ve bitched more than once at Carl for running in what I thought was too far into the street, when I’m so afraid that drivers may simply not see us, much as we want them to, or no matter how much reflective gear he has on. Turns out I’m a bit of paranoid night running freak. But tonight we met with a bit of a rogue car that seemed to be coming straight toward us. Carl actually jumped into the grass. We were running appropriately, toward traffic, but we probably shouldn’t have been in the street to begin with. We run right after work, everyone is trying to get home, some of the streets are very dark, and the traffic is pretty high volume. So we’re going to try a new route. Thanks for the title of this post, Carl. 🙂 Getting hit by a car isn’t in the training plan. A major goal really is to make it to that fabulous Staten Island start line.

Posted in NYC Marathon, Training Runs, Winter Running | Leave a comment

Short, but Significant

Posted on December 8, 2013 by kristamyer

There’s a lot to be said for having a good, short run, especially after a short hiatus. Today was the first time I’d run in over two weeks, due to travelling and illness, so the short 4-mile run from McBaine past the big Burr Oak Tree and back did me good, as runs usually do. And it was our first REAL winter run this season. It’s cold, 27dF, and snowing, but I didn’t mind at all. The snow covered the trail with a quiet peacefulness today, and we had the trail all to ourselves.

On the Katy near McBaine, MO

Carl at Hindman Junction near McBaine, MO

Posted in Winter Running | Tagged the big tree | Leave a comment

We’re in! #RunNYC

Posted on December 3, 2013 by kristamyer

On Monday, December 2, while vacationing in Mexico (and suffering from a horrendous and evil water/food born stomach ailment during which I couldn’t imagine walking 100 yards, much less running a marathon) I remembered that it was the first day to apply to run the NYC Marathon in 2014. Though I was relying on the claim that I’d be given guaranteed entry due to my application being denied the last three years in a row, I was still skeptical, and even if I was granted that, I still had to apply.

So I logged in to my New York Road Runner account and started the application process. When I hit “apply” a box popped up that said I’d been granted automatic entry in 2014 given my denied application status the past three years in a row. All I had to do was claim my guaranteed entry, and I was good to go. I accepted (duh!) and moved through the process (still had to pay, of course!). A few minutes later…. I’m in! I’m in! I still didn’t really believe it! Later that night, I got a message from Carl saying he is in too. So, that’s that. We’re in! Eleven months from now, we’re running the New York City Marathon!

http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org

As I watched the race on TV this year, I thought about what an event this race is…so much more so than any other marathon I have run or can imagine running. It’s all five boroughs of NYC, including a run down 1st avenue in Manhattan where people line the streets up to 200 back to cheer for the runners, and a finish line in the iconic Central Park. I heard a television announcer say that this is the only marathon where the professionals and the amateurs run together – ha! Well, not together together, but along the same course. A Pro-am event, and a true expression of the shared experience of runners everywhere. It makes sense that it would happen in NYC.

I’m excited (and yes, nervous) to finally have an application in “Accepted” status, and I’m anxious to start training hard for this unique opportunity. Let’s go #RunNYC!

Posted in NYC Marathon, Races | Tagged NYC Marathon | 1 Comment

NYC Marathon Preparation Begins – One Year Out

Posted on November 8, 2013 by kristamyer

We’re just over a year away from the 2014 NYC Marathon. And while Carl and I do not have acceptance letters in our hot little hands just yet, we are expecting them come April. You see, we’ve been denied entry through the lottery system for three years in a row now (2011, 2012 and 2013). According to NYC Marathon rules, if a person is denied lottery entry three years in a row, she or he can expect guaranteed entry the fourth year, which for us, is 2014.

We’re lucky. 2014 will be the last year in which this occurs, as they’ve discontinued that automatic entry program. But over the past three years we’ve been assured we’ll gain entry in 2014, and the official website even refers to it (see bullet #5). So we’re cautiously optimistic that come November 2, 2014, we’ll be at the Staten Island start line of the NYC Marathon! Hot damn, we’ve got work to do…But hey, we’ve already started!

Running for NYC a year in advance!

My 7 mile run last weekend was dedicated to the over 50,000 (!) runners of the 2013 ING NYC Marathon, with fingers crossed that we’re in next year.

I’ve booked hotel rooms at the Wellington in Midtown Manhattan, less than a mile walking distance from the finish line.

And I’ve already begun looking at training programs, which we won’t officially start until the end of June, 2014. Hal Higdon‘s Intermediate 2 program looks pretty rough, with run days scheduled for 5 days per week (three week days and both weekend days), averaging nearly 36 miles per week for 18 weeks up to and including the marathon. The weekly mileage in this program tops out at 50 miles in weeks 11, 13, and 15.

Holy crap.

That’s a lot of miles, and while I want to train hard for this marathon, I also want to train well, and remain injury-free. So we’ll likely modify this program to fall somewhere in between Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2.

In the meantime, between now and when the hard-core training starts next June, I’m going to begin, again, to think of myself as an athlete. That sounds goofball, even to me, but often when you see yourself as something, you can begin to internalize it. This will bring with it better eating and sleeping habits, which translate into better training runs, which (hopefully) will translate into a better NYC Marathon experience!

A friend told me yesterday to “train hard, it’s filled with hills [but] it is one of the most interesting and scenic marathons to run.”

I’m on it.

Posted in NYC Marathon, Races, Training Runs | Tagged NYC Marathon, Training | 1 Comment

Detroit Marathon and Half Marathon 10.20.13

Posted on November 6, 2013 by kristamyer

On October 20, 2013, Carl and I headed north to Detroit to run the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon (Carl) and Half Marathon (me). If you read this blog, you know that I was injured before and didn’t really train for this half at all. I’d made it up to 8 miles a few days before the race, and felt good, but went into this one with two goals only: finish and don’t get hurt…

…. and it wasn’t my best race, but I’ll take it. It was a neat course, and a great weekend. I got to spend much of it with my good friend Marcia, who calls Detroit home, and who was able to show us around her city and provide us with wonderful hospitality while there. Our pre-race dinner the night before was at an old school, classic Italian place called Mario’s. Dinner was delightful. The company even more so.

Dinner at Mario’s With Marcia and Ken

The course took us across the Ambassador Bridge and into Windsor, Canada. Running along Riverside Drive on the Canada side, we stopped to take a couple of pictures. This was about mile 6.5, and I was getting breathy and a bit discouraged, so I was relieved when Carl made the suggestion. The city of Detroit and the Detroit River provided a nice background.

Carl on the Canada Side

Me on the Canada Side

Another mile and a half or so into the race, we made our way through mile-long underwater tunnel that would take us back into Detroit. This was really cool for about a half mile. It was downhill, and we experienced something we’d never experienced before: a wave shout. Inside the tunnel the shouts would start from way behind us, approaching us like the waves you see at football games, only it was voices, roaring up from behind us, overcoming us, and as we’d join in, off the wave shout would move in front of us. It was cool. But then we started running uphill, to get out of the tunnel. It was so stuffy, hot, and humid I thought I was going to have to sit down. I walked a lot, just trudging forward to get the hell outta there and back above ground and into the sunlight and fresh, cool air again. I don’t think I am generally claustrophobic, but with a half mile to go, I just wanted OUT.

Eventually we made it out, and it was shortly after that, around mile 9, when Carl and I decided it was probably best if he went on. He was doing the full, I was slowing down, so it was just best for us both.

I went on to finish the half in 2:47. I sat in a sunny, grassy area for awhile waiting for Marcia to get downtown and find a place to park. Feeling rested enough, I walked toward her and we met for coffee, where we got some much needed catch-up time while waiting to head to the finish line to see Carl come in. He had a great race, coming in at 5:12.

With Marcia, Our Gracious Hostess

I think this is a race we’d do again. It certainly brought an economic boon to the city of Detroit, with an estimated 27,000 people participating in the festivities. We saw the monstrous GM Building, learned the history of 8 Mile, the cultural divide in Detroit’s Mile Road system, a saw monuments that showcase the city’s rich history in the Labor Movement and its connection to the Underground Railroad.

Underground Railroad

Labor Movement

Posted in Races | Tagged Detroit, Half Marathon Running | Leave a comment

The Marathon I Never Mentioned Here – Illinois 2013

Posted on October 12, 2013 by kristamyer

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything to this blog. And it’s a little odd, I know, that I never said anything about the Illinois Marathon back in April that I worked so hard for.

The expo was great, and I was READY to run. I worked hard to get to the point where I thought I’d given it what I could training wise. And what an awesome way to start a race weekend – photo op with THE great Kathrine Switzer. This was the second time I’d met her, and this time I have to say she was even more gracious. She took time to meet with each person in line, and sign autographs and take pictures. She signed both my Illinois Marathon poster and my Boston Red Sox hat (both with “Krista! Be Fearless!”). If you don’t know her story, check it out. SHE is the fearless one, and so many women since that fateful Boston Marathon in 1967 have gotten strength and courage to run another step from this amazing woman. Also at the expo I ran into an old high school friend of mine, Marnee Heller Feldman. What a neat surprise.

It was a great race, great weekend. It was my best marathon, by far. My finish time was 4:57:23. My goal was to come in under 5:00 and I made it. Barely. But I’ll take it! At the finish I felt pretty good. Really good, to be honest. But by the time we’d met friends for a beer after the race, I was done. I was dizzy, feeling faint and sick. I had just *really* pushed myself. Turns out I wasn’t right again for at least a week. On the drive home I was drinking Pedia-lyte, the drink for sick kids who need electrolyte replacement. All well worth it for the finish time and getting to hang with KV for awhile, but I hope to never repeat that feeling again, thank you very much!

Another really great thing about this race was the support among runners and the crowds for Boston. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings had occurred less than two weeks before, and it was on a lot of peoples’ minds the day of the Illinois race. As I ran, on several occasions, random race watchers would shout “Go Boston!” to me as I passed, obviously a nod to my baseball hat I was wearing to show my own support…. but I’m telling you, for this girl, who loves Boston so much, that was really cool. It’s amazing what the seemingly small things can do for your psyche during long runs. This woman’s sign, at about mile 19, helped me to finish strong. Boston Strong, yes, but also Krista Strong. 🙂

So given that I was feeling really terrible, physically, I took the next month off. Then it was summer vacation season, etc., etc… Needless to say, I wasn’t running much. Then I went for a couple great runs in Charleston, SC, while vacationing there. All was well, I thought, until my left hip started hurting. What SUCKS? It didn’t STOP hurting until, say, a couple of weeks ago! After an X-ray, CT scan and an MRI, no damage. Just a muscle issue. But a HELLUVA muscle issue, to be sure. Technically it was my iliac crest giving me fits, or something around it. Or behind it. Yeah, good times.

This is a testament to resting when injured. I mean, really resting. It is the hardest thing for a runner to do. I worked so hard! I will lose all my conditioning! I would lay off it for a while, then try to run again, and it would hurt all over again. The reality was, I wasn’t resting enough. So in September I did some travelling and was pretty much forced to stop running. I got some much needed rest and rejuvenation, and guess what? It worked. A couple months ago, I started working with a personal trainer, strengthening my core, and running only very little. We’ve increased my running very slowly and deliberately, and I seem to be doing just fine.

So here’s the kicker. The farthest I’ve run since June is 3.5 miles. Tomorrow I’m going for 6. And next weekend? I’m running the Detroit Half Marathon on Sunday, October 20. I’m looking forward to it, though I know going into it that I am not as prepared as I want to be.

We’ll see how it goes. 🙂 But for the first time in months and months, I’m feeling like a runner again. Forward!

Posted in Races, Running Musings | Leave a comment

Everything is Personal: Boston 2013

Posted on April 16, 2013 by kristamyer

What I’m about to say isn’t profound. It doesn’t include platitudes or calls for revenge or offer answers to the bereaved cries of “why did this happen?” This is more of a process post, I suppose, and my way of conveying the very personal way the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, in the heart of the great city of Boston, has impacted me.

When I heard that bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday, I, like so many, stood in stunned disbelief. Bombs? What? When I saw the video, I cried. Tears have been kept just at bay (and not always successfully) since then. I messaged a few of my closer friends who live there, relieved to see replies of “yes, I’m OK,” and “no, I wasn’t there.” I was also relieved to see Facebook messages from runners who I know were there and who are also OK, at least free from physical harm.

Beyond being afraid for my friends, and slowly processing the overwhelming images and stories coming out of Boston, I’ve been having trouble articulating why I have been so upset.

So much has already been written and said that it’s hard to keep up, but two things in particular that I saw gave me pause, and started me down this path of getting this out of my head and into a post (for whatever it’s worth). The first was from Lauren Fleshman on Facebook yesterday: “Safe, shattered, on way home.” She wrote this post in response to the bombings.

And from this Washington Post story that ran today: “Of all places to ruin and end lives, literally yards from where so many of the more than 24,000 runners worked so hard to embrace a pure and noble goal — to run, and finish, a race. That’s why so many of us started running, putting one foot monotonously in front of the other, moving forward. Of all places to attack the majesty of the human spirit: at the finish line.“

I have never run Boston, and my assumption is that I never will. I’m simply not fast enough. Maybe I should say I’m not fast enough yet…. I sometimes question the legitimacy of my running at all, but I also know that only runners do that, so I must be legit. But trust me, after a day like yesterday, it’s safe to say there are a whole lot of runners right now, including me, who want to be at that start line, and the finish line, either again, or for the first time. But I am a runner, and I know people who ran the race yesterday, and others who experienced this first hand. If you are a runner, and particularly if you have finished a marathon, any marathon, then you have a connection to the runners who run Boston, and runners everywhere, every race.

I was ready to watch the race that I’d recorded at home, but instead sat numb as I watched news of the unfolding of the day’s events from my living room, 1,300 miles away from the city I love so much. My connection to the city of Boston is from my time spent there in the summer of 2011 at a executive education program at the Kennedy School. For a small town girl to feel comfortable in a city like Boston says a lot about the city, and the girl. Boston fits me like a glove. I feel at home there and I get back as often as I can. To see it rattled by bombs at the runner’s holy grail of races? I really don’t have any meaningful words.

View of Boston Harbor on an October 2012 run

View of Boston Harbor on an Oct 2012 run

There is a sense of a running community that you only know if you are a runner, particularly a long distance or race runner. The Illinois Marathon is less than two weeks away. I’ve been working really hard to run it well and now everything about the marathon and the finish line and what it stands for for so many has been changed by someone who thought placing bombs at a marathon finish line was a good idea. This is personal, even from so far away. Running a marathon, certainly finishing one, may never be the same.

The next time I’m in Boston, I’ll walk solemnly through Back Bay, and down Boylston. Or maybe I’ll run it.

I’ll meet my friends for coffee, or a beer.

In the meantime, I’ll keep running, stronger now, hopefully. Kathrine Switzer said you can’t run and stay mad. She’s right about that. I’ll add that you can’t run and cry either. At my own marathon in less than two weeks, I may be in Illinois, but I’ll be running strong for Boston.

Posted in Races | Tagged Boston Marathon, Marathon Running | 6 Comments

Trust The Program

Posted on April 9, 2013 by kristamyer

This past Saturday, we ran our second 20-miler in preparation for the Illinois marathon, which is now two and a half weeks away. I felt surprisingly good during the long run. It was windy and warm. Really windy. There were times on the open trail that the wind nearly blew us over, and I’m not exaggerating. There were times when we just kept our heads down and plowed through. It was hard. And I felt good. Well, I felt as good as a person can feel after running hard for the first 15 miles. We ran faster than our normal pace for the first 15, and then slowed up for the final 5.

Having a good long run makes having two short (5-miles) uncomfortable runs in a row all kinds of frustrating. We ran 5 on Sunday and 5 again tonight, and they were, well, really difficult. At least on tonight’s run I made it past the point of meltdown on Sunday. Good times. 🙂

On tonight’s run, and right on time at mile 3, my mind and my body (heart) finally came together. When I’m not in sync, I feel like I’m just flailing around, running against something, or pulling a bus behind me, fighting it all the way. Then suddenly, if I’m lucky, I plane up out of the muck, and start to feel like I’m actually running. Head and gut negotiate their way to common ground, and we run.

Trust the program. Trust the program. Trust the program.

Ready to be done after a 20 mile RT from New Franklin to Rocheport 4.6.13

Ready to be done after 20 miles RT from New Franklin to Rocheport 4.6.13

Posted in Running Musings, Training Runs | Tagged Mindf--k, Training | Leave a comment

The Big Tree

Posted on April 4, 2013 by kristamyer

1/22/14: Updating this post with a story on the Big Tree from the L.A. Times.

Yesterday morning, NPR ran a story about the big bur oak tree that sits just off a rural Missouri road, and just a few miles from my house. I’ve run past it many times. I usually glance over at and keep running. Last night, after hearing the story and reflecting a bit, I wanted to run to it…it sits only about a tenth of a mile off the trail. It is majestic, particularly in the setting sun. I seem small and insignificant in its shadow.

The big bur oak tree outside CoMo

Posted in Training Runs | Tagged the big tree | Leave a comment