We got to the Iwo Jima Memorial at 6:15 a.m. The sun was rising over the Washington Monument. It was beautiful. There was no parking of course, so we found a spot next to Arlington National Cemetery. It’s the same place we park our live trucks when we need to get video of the cemetery.
As we walked toward the monument, I spotted a bunch of DetermiNation balloons. We were in the right place. I started stretching and preparing for the run. George– our personal trainer– passed out maps of the course. I had planned to run 12 miles, but because of all my foot problems, I decided I’d probably cut the run short.
But the most important part of Saturday’s training was the first two miles. Why? Elevation. It’s the same route that we’ll run on race day and it’s a bear. George advised us to take it slow and steady. He said that most people will attack the hill right off the bat and run out of energy later. He said it should feel like a fun run. We should be able to hold a conversation. A lot of people might pass us, but we’ll pass them later. Or– as George said– we’ll start “picking them off.”
It’s crazy to think of a race in terms of competing with others. I truly just want to finish the marathon between four and five hours. But if I focus on “picking people off” in the last portion of the race, I think it’ll keep my mind occupied. Instead of thinking about the pain– I’ll think about passing people up.
I’ll also be thinking about cancer. I can pretend that each person I need to pass is a way to get closer to a cure. For me– running is a mind game. I have to create little goals during a race to get myself to the end. Even in the morning on shorter runs I think “run two more minutes.”
But Saturday, the pain was getting to me. My foot was throbbing. It started off well. Then the hill. It started to become unbearable. I kept running. I let George know that it was hurting a lot. He asked me on a scale from 1-10 how bad. I said 7, going on 8. But it was probably closer to 9 or 10. Still, I wanted to keep running.
I took a few extremely short breaks while waiting for lights to change. I think those little moments helped.
Once we ran all the way up the hill, there was a steep decline. Then we turned around and ran back up the hill, over to Rosslyn, and across the bridge to Georgetown. By the time we got under the Whitehurst Freeway, I was feeling good again. My foot felt pretty normal.
We ran toward the Lincoln. My foot began to hurt again. I decided to stop early. The rest of the team continued on to Haines Point. But for me, that wasn’t going to work. It’s an area that lacks short cuts back to base. I wanted to keep going, but I also wanted to be able to continue training throughout the week.
I crossed the bridge and there was Patrick! He completely surprised me. At the beginning of the run he took off early and went a different direction. Because he’s training for a half, he only went eight miles. He was struggling because of the humidity. But for me, my foot was keeping me back.
We made our way back to Iwo Jima. I was limping. I couldn’t even bear to stretch. A rep from PowerBar was there and I got a lot of goodies. Including a banana and some chocolate chewy clusters.
I realized that I didn’t even drink all the water I brought with me. I wanted to keep running, but I also needed to baby my foot.
After the run, I changed in the car (I’m like Houdini), and then met up with Santa and the North Pole Princess at the Original Pancake House in Bethesda. I usually see Santa on the Capital Crescent Trail– but I ran a different course this morning. The food was amazing. It was a great distraction from the pain I was feeling in my foot.
The best news about my foot is that it’s not a fracture. I went to the doctor last week and they took an x-ray. Then I went to a podiatrist. He said there’s four things wrong with my foot:
1. Bone spur on the top of my foot with a nerve that causes my foot to fall asleep
2. My arch needs more support
3. My heel is slanted causing the side of my foot to bulge out, again with a nerve that causes my foot to fall asleep
4. Achilles is way too tight
And he said there are three things I need to do to correct it:
1. Take a lot of Ibuprofen
2. Get Custom Orthotics
3. Stretch my foot 3 times a day
No problem! After lunch with Santa and friends, my husband and I went home, changed, and then visited Road Runner Sports in Virginia. There, they looked at the way I run. I had to run on a treadmill barefoot. That’s the worst pain I’ve experienced yet with my foot.
They were able to confirm what I learned from the podiatrist. They made me a pair of custom orthotics (which were about $330 less than I would have been charged at the doctor’s), and also showed me a new way to tie my laces (which will take pressure off that top bone spur).
I also bought a second pair of shoes so I could start rotating them. I was so happy. On the way out we joined their club and I even got to ring the bell. (I insisted).
But I’m still in constant pain– even a couple days later. I think the orthotics will work in time. But it’s going to take a while before my foot heals. This morning I got up and ran four miles. My left foot started falling asleep which is completely new. Up until this point, all the problems have been with my right foot. I think I may be overcompensating and trying to take pressure off the one that hurts.
I just have to be consistant. I even took my shoes off at work today and did a stretch for about five minutes. I think it helped. I just want to feel better so I can focus on running.
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Santa invited me to run with the 
My Dad wanted to re-create the family vacation we used to take every year. There were 10 of us in 2 condos along Lauderdale By The Sea. It was great to be there with everyone– especially my nephews. The big task for the week: run. My goal was to complete 11 miles along the A1A in Ft. Lauderdale.
Initially me, my husband, my sister Andrea and her husband Chas all went on a short run. They completed it– I only made it a mile before turning around. I felt disoriented. I’m pretty sure it was the heat and I was likely dehydrated.
There was one problem– the sidewalk was concrete. I didn’t want to get injured, so I decided to run on the bike path next to traffic. Dangerous– yes. But the cars weren’t going too fast, and I was wearing my new 
I got a little lost looking for the lighthouse. I thought I had to go through a residential neighborhood. Later, I learned there was a park across the area that connects the Intercoastal waterway to the ocean. When I got there, I had to cross a bridge. It was up– letting large boats through. So neat!!!
I looked over and noticed a sailboat. It was beautiful, quietly making its way through the Intercoastal and probably toward the ocean. I wanted to catch up to it. It wasn’t hard. I wasn’t running very fast and had been taking a lot of walking breaks. As I set my sights on this new goal, I upped my pace to normal and caught up to it. Then I thought– pass it!
I kept my mind occupied. Running A1A is tricky because it’s flat, straight, and it seems like it’ll never end. When I got to the place I believed was where I was supposed to turn around, I noticed something ironic. The address was “1111.” That’s 11, twice. It’s a sign– I said, and then I turned around and ran back.
I all of a sudden thought I saw my dad’s green diesel Excursion pull into a different condo parking lot. He’s checking up on me– I thought. It was a bit far away– so I continued to run, promising myself to take a close look when I got up there. As soon as I got close, my husband Patrick popped out and handed me an ice cold water. He cheered me on– I was so happy!
I kept running, drinking the water, and putting it on my forehead. It was so hot– and I was so tired. I kept running and then started to feel like I had missed my condo. No way– that’s impossible. My mind was playing tricks on me. I knew that– but I kept stopping and looking around. It seemed like I should be there by now. I finally saw Sea Watch– (this amazing restaurant close to our condo) — and took off. I rounded the corner and started walking into the parking lot– hitting stop on my watch. I heard cheering– my family was on the balcony, cheering for me. A couple men in the parking lot asked me what I accomplished. I said “11 miles,” and they were amazed.
