Week 2 - Day 1 Stats

Location: Spring Water Corridor

Distance: 4 miles

Temp: 58, partly cloudy

Start Time: 8:18 pm

Total Time: 52 mins

Pace: 13.00

Sound Track : Jack Johnson

Run Rating : 5

Music Rating: 5

Pre Run Snack: hummus and veggie chips

Week 2 - Day 1 - 4 Miles

"The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals." - Hal Higdon, running writer and coach

Today I had my 40 year tune-up at Kaiser. My NP spent an entire hour with me chatting about my health concerns and looking at all my spots (nothing to worry about). She is a marathon runner herself so we geeked out a bit and I must admit if felt amazing to realize that I fit into a new category of "healthy person" now. As I talked to her about my family history I told her about my Mom and her much too early passing. I allowed myself to dwell a bit on my Mom's last years and the unhappiness she felt about not being able to control her body.

My Mom was a sprinter in high school.

Tonight I shaved 2 minutes off my mile. I finally ran tonight. Yes I have been "running" all along but tonight really felt like RUNNING. My chest was open, my lungs in sync with my legs and I just moooooooved. It was dusky out, the sun was setting over the river, there was a comfortable breeze on my face, Jack Johnson crooning from my iPod....heaven. I have always felt that dusk was my favorite time of day and now I believe I have found my "running hour".

Week 1 - Day 4 Stats

Location: Portland Waterfront

Distance: 3.6 miles

Temp: 60, overcast

Start Time: 11:30am

Total Time: 50 mins

Pace: 13.89

Sound Track : Jack Johnson

Run Rating : 4.5

Music Rating: 4.5

Pre Run Snack: protein smoothie

Week 1 - Day 4 - 3 Miles

"If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal." - Rob de Castella, winner 1983 World Marathon Championships

I took my puppy Frodo on the run today. He is such a pain to run with but I want him to get out in the world and interact with life so that he is not afraid of everything. We did not do this with our other dog Bilbo and now we cannot have him out in public. He gets overwhelmed so quickly that he just barks at everything. Bikers and other runners do NOT appreciate barking dogs so we do not bring him. Running with Frodo made me think about "Chip the Wonder Dog". Chip is Keri's huge black lab and the sweetest dog I have ever met. We would take him to the nearby high school track and Keri could let him off the leash and he would run between us. She would always pull ahead of me pretty quickly (have I mentioned how slow I run?) and Chip would cross the field, back in forth between us in a zig-zag formation. He was in total heaven on those days.

I wish there was a way to retract my fingers when I run. Seriously, they are all over the place. They do not want to just hang out, they have to tweak around like they have a mind of their own. I wonder if I am the only one who deals with this.

Week 1 - Day 3 Stats

Location: Oaks Park Loop via Hawthorne Bridge

Distance: 8.6 miles

Temp: 60, blue skies, gorgeous

Start Time: 3:20 pm

Total Time: 2 hrs 3 mins

Pace: 14.30

Sound Track : "The Show" Yonder Mountain String Band, Fleetwood Mac reunion concert

Run Rating : 4.5

Music Rating: 4.5

Pre Run Snack: none (not good)

Week 1 - Day 3 - 8 Miles

"I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible." - John Hanc, running writer

8 Miles.

Today's run will be the farthest I have ever attempted. I have just completed my pre-long run ritual and am waiting only on my digestion. Last night I ate lots of carbs, started today with oatmeal and of course my daily 42 gram protein shake. As soon as my tummy feels clear I will hit the trail.

I am nervous.

I am finding myself expecting the day to arrive when my little scheme falls apart. The day when I just cannot do it, when I give up. I am still in disbelief that I am even attempting this. I know I sound defeatist but I have no intention of giving up. I never do. However, I am a great starter of things but not always a great finisher of things. This time I intend to cross the finish line, literally. On July 16th I turn 40, half of my life will be over. I must declare to myself that I am unlimited.

Week 1 - Day 2 Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School track

Distance: 3 miles

Temp: 54, rain/wind

Start Time: 6:00pm

Total Time: 42 mins

Pace: 14.00

Sound Track : "ABBA Gold" ABBA

Run Rating : 1.5

Music Rating: 2.5

Pre Run Snack: banana/almonds

Week 1 - Day 2 - 3 Miles

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." Emil Zatopek, Czech runner, winner of four Olympic gold medals

2:00 PM As I stare out my window in my little office at work all I see is grey sky and rain, lots of rain. There is a flood warning in the greater Portland area today. This is where the internal conversation starts about my run after work. The idea of running in a downpour is not thrilling and I start to think of excuses. What the hell!?! It's the end of May....oh yea, I live in Oregon...

You cannot run in Oregon and expect to stay dry. I remember Keri telling me that the day we ran through our first downpour. We giggled as we splashed through the puddles and soon our bodies warmed up. It was actually fun, even though my chest was tight and I couldn't catch my breath. I remember hoping that day would come, when my lungs would figure out that I was going to do this and it would be much better for us if they just got with the program already.

4:00 PM Both of my kids are with their Dad tonight, Justin works till 8. I COULD have the house to myself for 3 hours, curled up on the couch watching the shows nobody else wants to watch....I could run tomorrow...

4:30 PM Just got this email from my Dad:

What a brave girl. I believe that you're the first Norton to enter a marathon! Congratulations. When it gets close to race day we'll get the whole family cheering squad fired up.

dad

Thanks for the motivation Dad! On my way home to grab my shoes (and rain jacket) and hit the track!

Week 1 - Day 1 Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School track

Distance: 3 miles

Temp: 67, breezy

Start Time: 6:30pm

Total Time: 43 mins

Pace: 14.33

Sound Track : "The Show" Yonder Mountain String Band

Run Rating : 3

Music Rating: 4

Pre Run Snack: apple/almonds

Week 1 - Day 1 - 3 Miles

"Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting."Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ

I do not run. In middle school I was the slowest in my class. In High School I remember even my teeth hurt when I ran. Sophomore year I began taking dance instead of PE just to get out of running. Running does not feel natural and anything that hurts that bad cannot be good for you.

5 minutes ago I signed up for the Portland Marathon, 18 weeks away.

This week I begin my official training program. Ok, to be fair, I am not starting from nothing. I have had a love-hate relationship with running for the last year since just after my Mom died. Before that it was all hate. The day we travelled to Pennsylvania for her funeral I had to run through the airport like a maniac to catch my plane. That day Portland was covered in snow (a rarity) and traffic was stopped throughout the city. My sister and I were dropped off downtown by my fiancé and then we pulled our luggage a mile through the snow to the train which was 30 mins late, giving us exactly 10 minutes to arrive at the airport, get through security and board the plane. This was an impossible fete. I ran until my chest felt like it might cave in and insisted they hold the plane for my sister. We made it. Barely. After that I hacked for about an hour. Something had to change. How could I possible survive in this fast paced world, let alone a zombie apocalypse if I could not run?

When I returned to Portland, emotionally battered and sad, I talked to my boss Keri about running. She was a former runner who was ready to get back to it and she offered to help me train. In the early days, we would walk for 5 minutes, run for 1 minute, etc. I again felt the sensation of my chest caving in but I did not want to let Keri down so I kept up. She had also lost her mother the prior year and she would listen as I talked about my Mom, cry till the snot was running down my face and keep me running. As my lungs began to open up I felt optimism begin to resurface in my soul. I remember the day I was supposed to run 5 minutes without walking. Keri had to stay home that day and I was in a panic. I figured I could skip it, I emailed her and told her I was planning to try it the next time we ran together. She didn't reply to my email.

I ran that day. Alone. I ran the full 5 minutes and as I was slowing to a walk I texted Keri, "I DID IT!!!", she replied "I KNEW YOU COULD!". That day I began to see that somewhere within my silly body, was a runner.