So the first time we ran Martha's it was together on valentine's day. You have to take a ferry over to the island and then walk to your hotel. We went on Friday night and stayed at the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven (just 2 min. From the start of the race). During the tourist season (up june-sept.) the hotels are really pricy, but during February the rooms are priced quite nicely. We went to the Black Dog for dinner and had a lovely time. The weather was a little icy, windy, super cold. I believe around 15-20 degrees. We just bundled up and endured. It turned out to be an amazing race and one that I was so glad to share with him. We ran the first 10 miles together. We saw people running together while holding hands and that was just not for us. At mile 10 we got our picture taken running together (it was nice and sunny...we both had sunglasses on) and then he gave me the go ahead to "go on ahead". I then picked up the pace and finished strong. It was a great race. And we then were able to return to our hotel, shower, walk the shops, eat dinner and spend the second night. It is a romantic get away (if you don't mind running 20 miles in the middle of it).
The next couple of years we were quick to invite all of our running friends and their spouses. It became a fun get away for all of us.
Well this year I have been having problems with my foot and have not been able to train like I normally would. So...Martha's decided to add a relay. I jump right on it knowing I could pound out 10 miles with a hurt foot or not. I also had to sign up my wonderful husband that has not really been running a lot as my partner. Can I tell you again how thrilled he was? ;)
So last week I got up to 10 miles and this week I will do 6-8 at the most (not the best training, but at least I am running).
I love to run. It started out back in high school when I was on the track team. I loved to run fast...I loved to run up and down a basketball court...I just loved to run. But back then, I did not love to run far. It wasn't until I got a job after I had my first daughter in 1995 where I would test treadmills on my shift for 4 hours at a time that I started to run more than 2 min. At a time. It was intriguing to me to keep adding on the miles and see if I could handle it. It was really hard, but I soon found out that I loved how my body felt and I loved how my body looked after running.
When we moved to salt lake I got a job at Deseret Gym. I worked there with a woman named Sally that was a marathon runner. I NEVER had even considered running more than 3-4 miles at that point. In fact I remember her challenging me to run a 5K and I did it. It was a lot of fun, and because I am such a competitive person, it was perfect for me to have something to shoot for each time I raced...beat my last time. I then started entering races and loved the atmosphere and energy the people around me brought. At this time though I still remember thinking that I was running more for weight control then actually doing it because I liked it. Sally ran the St. George marathon and at that time I thought...I will never be able to run that far.
It wasn't until the year 2000 that I decided that it was time to train for and run a marathon. I approached Kevin with the idea, at this point we had just had Zachary and I was wanting to get into shape again, we were also getting ready to go on a cruise and I knew I wanted to look better in a bathing suit. So again I was training and running this race for weight control, not because I loved it. Kevin at the time was struggling and wanting to get back in shape as well. He told me that if I was doing it, he was doing it. We then. Oth signed up for the Top of Utah marathon. Kevin had never even ran a 5k before and in 4 months he would be running a marathon. We found a 16 week program and I followed that program to a T. I never missed a workout once. We both finished that marathon and then put running that far of a distance on the back burner for 5 years. We really liked running the half marathon distance and ran Moab, Hobble Creek and others. All of these races were canyon races...meaning they start at the top of a canyon and you run down. I loved them, but kevin had Arden time on his knees.
We then moved to NH where everywhere we would run had rolling hills. We were at sea level, but all the races that claimed they were flat had rollers. It was a totally different kind of experience. About 6 years ago I joined a running group of ladies...we call ourselves Swift Chicks. We trained together and ran relay races, half marathons, 5k, 10k, and all of them had the goal of running Boston each year. I did not even think about Boston. it seemed so far out of reach. My first marathon I ran in 4:20 and thought there is no way I can drop off 35 min. And run it in 3:45 to qualify for Boston. But with me being so competitive and knowing that if these ladies I was training with could run it...then I could too. I decided to jump in as a bandit and run Boston in April of 2009 just to see what I could run it in. I was hoping to break 4 hours. It turned out that I was unable to and came in at 4:06. I had some major problems at the end of the race with my heart racing, becoming light headed and feeling like I might black out and my calf cramping up so badly that I could not finish without walking and hobbling to the finish.
I then learned a ton from that race, got in to see the doctor and had a full check up on my heart to make sure everything was okay with it and then signed up to run Hartford in October of 2009. I trained hard with a program called run less, run faster. It was intense, but only had me running 3 days a week and cross training the other days. I weighed just over 140 lbs. and felt pretty great about trying to qualify for Boston. But on the day of the race I fell short, missing it by just over 2 min. I ran it in 2:48. I could not believe it, I was so close, but the same thing happened to me again like it did in Boston. I became very light headed, my heart was racing and my calf cramped again. So I went from thinking I was going to crush it at mile 20 to barely thinking I would be able to finish alive at mile 26. I was discouraged. I could not believe that this was happening to me. The next year I tried to qualify again in Hartford and again the same thing at the same part of the marathon around mile 22 happened. I was pretty frustrated. During this time I was trying to get into the St. George marathon and could not make the lottery. Finally on the third times a charm I knew I would be able to run St. George. My doctor had told me that he thought I was just pushing my heart for too long and it was not liking it. He told me to try and find a race that did not press the heart so hard at the end of it where all my problems seemed to start. I knew St. George was the race for me. The last 6 miles were slightly down hill and I would be able to keep my heart rate under control.
So this was it. I had one chance to qualify and knew I had to in St. George. Training solid for marathons at such a vigorous pace was taking a toll on me as well as my family. So come to find out that BAA decided to drop the qualifying time to 3:40 for my age group. Not only could I not qualify at 3:45, but now I had to do it at 3:40. I was freaking out. I decided to do everything in my control to make sure that I would not put extra pressure on my heart. I dropped 8 lbs. down to under 135 on race day and trained with the advanced Hal Higgins program that took me up over 50 miles on my log weeks. I knew I was ready.
Even though I had a challenge of running at high altitude after training at sea level and also the challenge of finding training runs where I could build up my quads to handle all the down hill running St. George had, I knew that I could do this. I also did not want to fly across the country to run in a race and fall short. Kevin was doing it with me. He had trained and get injured, but decided to just run it anyway.
It all worked out great. I was able to finish in 3:32:23 and crush the qualifying time. At mile 22 I finally decided to just take off and stop holding back because I was nervous about how I would feel around mile 20. I felt so great during this race (minus the times I had to climb and had no oxygen). It was incredible. I can honestly say now...I LOVE TO RUN. I did not ever think that I would get to this place in my life. I run now because I love it, and also the added bonus of weight control.
After St. George was when I began having problems with my foot. I was unable to get into the 2012 Boston marathon because it was already closed, so I signed up for the 2013 race and even though I trained tough and tried to take care of my foot I had bronchitis while running it, and suffered from even being able to breath. I ran it being so grateful that I had made it there to be with those other runners. I was so grateful for my health and ability to be able to run. I will never take that for granted. So every opportunity I get, I take it to be able to run and especially run with the one that I love. I morn for the people that lost their lives that day. I will never understand why it had to happen, but am so grateful and thank my Father in Heaven daily that I was kept safe and was able to be reconnected with my husband and children before that horrific even happened. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families forever.
So this Valentine's day we will be in Martha's Vineyard again together and run the race the next day. Running is a special part of our relationship and I cherish every moment of it.
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