Sunday, February 19, 2012
Mission accomplished!
I ran the Arizona Marathon today AKA the IMS Marathon in Glendale. My goal was to beat 4:30 and my time was 4:29:14. I barely beat it, but I had a PR by 15 minutes so I was thrilled! I followed Mike, the wonderful 4:30 pacer who was supportive without being obnoxious and made me feel like he really wanted me to achieve my goal. THANK YOU, MIKE! My other friend, Chris ran it as well in 3:40 which is AMAZING to say the least. The weather was perfect and there were just under 300 racers so it was nice and small. I'm sitting here typing with minimal soreness and haven't had to take my usual post-marathon nap believe it or not. If anything, I'm oddly energized. I've done 2 loads of laundry, painted my toenails, and even managed to do some work (I do part time bookkeeping on the side). Oh yeah, did I mention my husband and I also filed our taxes? Jeez, typing this really makes me realize I'm going to crash and burn soon so I'm going to sign off. I'm going to sleep with a HUGE smile on my face tonight!
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You're an animal, you know that?! I'm so proud of you. I recently started running again. I have a couple question for you, how do you run downhill? How do work a cramp out and keep running? Eva
ReplyDeleteTo run downhill without too much strain on your IT band (the band that runs all the way down the outside of your leg) you basically do the opposite of when you're running UP hill. Think, when you run uphill you lean forward and pump your arms hard to drive you up. When going DOWN hill, use gravity to your advantage. Lean back (a little) and barely pump your arms. Shorten your stride, don't just go flying down like you could when you were a kid. If you're an old lady like I am (over 40!) you need to be kinder to your body and go easy. Make sure you are hitting the ground with your mid-foot & don't land on your toes or heels. Try not to hit with a "thump". It basically depends on the size of the hill, but your body will be your guide. As far as cramps go, the best advice I can give you is HYDRATE. It's usually from lack of electrolytes (sodium) in your body that leads to cramps. Try eating a banana before your run - the potassium helps stave off cramps and it shouldn't disagree with your tummy. It also depends on the type of cramps you get. If it's a side stitch, change your breathing. Breathe in through your nose and exhale HARD through your mouth a few times. Take your arms and put them above your head if the breathing technique doesn't help. Slow your stride and drink water. If it's an IT band or another type of leg cramp, stop running (if it's affecting your stride) and drink. Rub the spot and make sure it's just a cramp and not something more serious. Many people have pushed through what they mistook for a cramp only to discover a more serious injury. If it's really a cramp, it will go away with water. If you tend to get a lot of cramps, change what you're drinking to an energy drink and try the banana before your run. Hope that helps!
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