BOSTON MARATHON!

We'll start with some pics - entry soon to follow. Sorry - since TDC and the Marathon ended, and my semester ends on Monday, I really need to get cracking on my schoolwork!



Approaching Tufts Fan Section at Mile 9


Tufts Fans - Mile 9


Hugging Mom at Mile 9



Greeting my Proud Parents at Mile 9



Jogging Along


Run Run Run


So happy!


Finish Line on Boylston St!


VICTORIOUS!


I did it!


Shiny on the outside, victorious on the inside.


Boston Marathon finishers!

Boston Marathon Expo

What an overwhelming experience! AHHH.

I went to the Boston Marathon Expo on Sunday afternoon after a delicious brunch at SoundBites. The Expo was held at the Hynes Convention Center in downtown Boston...on Boylston Street - the same street that the finish line of the Marathon is on.

It was tough to find parking, especially in my parents' Suburban, so my dad dropped us off, and we met up with him inside. Jen and I collected our numbers, and chatted with the incredibly friendly volunteers. Apparently people had been offering them $100 in cash for their volunteer jackets - crazy! We tried on sizes for participant t-shirts...the eternal struggle between small and medium! (This has been quite the ordeal throughout the Marathon process - what size singlet, participant tee, jacket, team t shirt....) Ended up both getting smalls.

The Expo itself was packed with people and booths - most of which were giving out free swag - saweeeet! I got lots of free powerbar type things, smoothie mixes, aquaphor, and stickers. I also got a beautiful poster with a picture from last year's marathon, but all the participants names on it. Yay. I'm famous.

The hard part about the Expo was that I was really tired, it was really crowded, and I wanted to ensure that my family was having an enjoyable time. We spent a good amount of time there, and then I went home and took a power nap before the Pre-Marathon Team Dinner.

MARATHON MONDAY!

I AM RUNNING THE BOSTON MARATHON TODAY!!!!
Track me online at www.baa.org bib number 26657

Dance Performance + Freaking Out

Ahhhh - so I just got back from my last ever performance for Tufts Dance Collective! I wish I could be more sentimental about it considering I have been in TDC since my freshman year, but I can't focus on anything but the Boston Marathon! Ahhh! I was in 3 dances tonight - the Choreographer's Dance to the Harry Potter theme song, "Kanye's New Workout Plan/La La" by Kanye West/Ashlee Simpson, and I choreographed a dance to "Objection" and "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira. It was incredibly fun, as always, but I was definitely ready to come home and get in bed. My legs feel tired and still sore from this shot. I am hoping that tomorrow will be the big day that I feel all better and ready!

I'm nervous. I don't want to be thinking about the Marathon anymore. I just want to be running. I'm kind of freaking out...

Cortisone Shot

Soo, some pre-race updates!

On Thursday, I finished my internship at the Mass. Alliance on Teen Pregnancy! Woo! I have been a Public Policy Intern there since September, and it was an amazing experience, but I am glad to be done! I got out of work early in time to see the doctor at Tufts through the athletic trainers.

My coach, Don, came into my appointment with me, and after I explained what was up and the doctor checked me out he explained to me that had it been the previous Thursday he would have no qualms about giving me a cortisone shot, but since the Marathon is only 4 days away, it was my decision. He said that some people feel worse for 2 or 3 days before they feel better, and that puts me in a shaky position for Marathon Monday. He said, however, that if I am in so much pain right now that the race is going to suck from the get-go, that I may as well just get the injection. He said it was my decision, so that I could only be mad at myself. Ha ha.

All the while he was explaining this, he was preparing the shot....guess he knew which option I was going to choose. I decided to get the cortisone shot. The doctor told me not to look because the needle is big, and it would make me anxious. I laid on my right side, and my coach, who was watching was squeezing my arm so tightly! I guess he shouldn't have been looking at the needle either! It definitely hurt when the needle pierced my skin, and then again when it went into the muscle, but I was laughing because of how hard Don was squeezing my arm!

It didn't really bother me last night, but today the area has been very sore and achey...a different kind of pain than before. The doctor and my coach both told me not to analyze the pain/relief, not to overthink it, and to just let it do what it was going to do. I understand that that makes for a completely un-interesting blog post about my shot, but I am going to heed their advice.

Well, I am off to paint the cannon...a Tufts tradition to be explained soon!

Last Run

Distance: 5.15 mi
Time: 44:00
Pace: 8:32

As a result of my nagging IT Band pain, I have decided to take it easy this week. I have continued my regimen of 600mg ibuprofen 3-4 times daily, foam rolling 2x/day, and ice at any moment possible (aka a few times a day), and unfortunately, my IT Band still really hurts.


I went and saw the trainer again today, and luckily this time my coach was with me. The trainer gave me grief about how I shouldn't be a runner because my quads are too developed, and that is what causes my IT Band to become so inflamed. He basically shrugged his shoulders at me when I asked him what more I could do. He gave me a strap that should help a bit by putting pressure on my IT Band above the insertion point in the knee. I'm sure that it helps to a certain extent, but I'm not sure how much.


I talked with my coach about getting a cortisone shot, and he seems to think it is a good idea. The trainer does not, but after I begged him to let me chat about it with the doctor, he made an appointment for me. He then refused to give me treatment, because "you want you're cortisone shot, you can get it, but I'm not going to help you out." I understand that he is worried about the negative consequences, but I am not going to get cortisone shots on a regular basis - I just want to be able to run the Boston Marathon without debilitating knee pain from the get go.


The whole ordeal has me thinking about how although I am not trying to run a qualifying time or beat any records, it is not enough for me to simply cross the finish line on Boylston Street. I want to run as best I can, around the pace that I have been training at (well, slower, but still), and not limp 26.2 miles.


My run today was fun. I ran with my Wilderness Orientation co-leader who promised me in August that he would run with me some time. Seeing as today was my last run before the Marathon (and I probably won't run again before I graduate on May 17), we went. It was nice, we ran at a conversation pace, but I felt kind of bad at the end because he hasn't run since last summer and I took him on an easy run for me, but realized that that would be hecka hard for someone who hasn't run in almost a year.

MARATHON = SO SOON! AHHHHHHHHH!

Excuses, excuses

The number of times I have used "I'm running the Marathon" as an excuse this semester is outrageous.

Tuesday nights are a going out night at Tufts, and we have team runs on Wednesday mornings at 7:15 AM, so all too often "I'm running the Marathon" is why I didn't go out/drink on a Tuesday night.

Saturday nights are obviously the biggest going out night of the weekend, but our team runs, especially long runs on the course are on Sunday mornings at 8 AM. Clearly I've pulled the "running the Marathon" excuse countless Saturday nights.

Monday nights I have dance practice, and after my long runs couldn't always move with the agility I usually do (ha...), and I gracefully employed my "running the Marathon excuse."

And then this weekend when I ate an entire bag of Cheetos by myself, I realized that I have taken the "I'm running the Marathon" excuse a little too far. An entire bag of Cheetos...that's just gross :D

IT Band

Distance: 3.46 miles
Time: 26:56
Pace: 7:47/mi (I should run a 5k at the peak of my training - I feel like I could beat my PR 24:04)

Today I went for a test run to see how my IT band felt, and I hate to report that I was in pain after about a mile. I probably should not have gone out so fast, and plan to run at my race pace (or slower) on my final training run! I didn't think I was running that fast, but I guess I was? The run was short, nothing too exciting, and I stopped as soon as I felt steady pain. I didn't let it get to the point that I was really hurting.


I (amazingly) got out of work early on Thursday, so I called to get an appointment with the trainer, but she was booked. She made me an appointment with the other trainer, so I cross-trained and then went to see him. Turns out he hates the Marathon team. Lovely. At first, he made me wait a really long time, and then told me I wasn't stretching properly. (I have been) He was very patronizing asking me about my ibuprofen regimen, stretching, shoes, etc. Finally, he realized that I am not a total novice runner, and this is just a legitimate overuse injury. I understand his frustration with a lot of the Marathon team - students who have never run before, have no idea that you need to replace shoes every 300-500 miles, don't think to ice and stretch, etc. but still, he didn't have to be so rude.

Once he warmed up to me a little, he gave me ice and stim, I foam rolled, and then he gave me the medicine stuff. All in all I was there for close to 90 minutes (!), but I left feeling considerably better.

Appointment with the Trainer

Due to the IT Band issues that violently emerged during the 20-mile run, I decided to make an appointment with the trainer. Running the Marathon with Tufts has been such an incredible experience - the support that is provided to me is so helpful! In addition to a coach, water and breakfast during/after all training runs, I can use the Tufts Athletic Training room and trainers. Woo.

I had an appointment with Kim, a trainer who has run the Boston Marathon with the Tufts team twice before. I went in to see her, and she confirmed that it was my IT Band that is bothering me. She "prescribed" a week off from running, a regimen of 3x daily 600mg ibuprofen, and lots of foam rolling. Lovely.