Detroit Marathon 2012 #happenings

I’ve had a few things on my mind this weekend:

• Heart Happenings
• Hog Happenings
• Heather Happenings

Heart Happenings

Heart Happenings

As I mentioned in my blog post on Friday, I struggled on my past two long runs (prior to today).  On  my  “supposed to be 14 miles but actually ended up being 12 miles” run a few weeks ago, I was tired and it was a struggle.  I wasn’t running particularly fast, but I was running a bit faster than my prescribed 10:44 pace + the extra 60 seconds calculated due to the heat.  My legs weren’t tired, but I struggled to talk.  I struggled to take deep breaths. My heart seemed to beat fast.

On last week’s 16 mile run with Christy P, the scenario was the same-it was warm, and there were some hills, and I was just tired.  From the get go, it seemed like we were running faster than we were based on how my chest/heart was feeling.

As I also mentioned in my blog post on Friday, I was getting ready to head out for a “fun run” after work.  Yeah, not so much.  SAME problem….but this time, I ran only 5 miles and I really struggled.  I was breathing heavy and heart was pounding  just to maintain a 10:00 pace.  Again, struggling with deep breaths and feeling physically like I was running a lot faster than a 10:00 pace. When I got home, and a for at least an hour, this “pain/feeling” in my chest continued.  It’s smack tab right in the middle of my chest.

I have to be honest, I’m freaking out a bit.

Heading to Grand Rapids yesterday to do a 15-mile run today with my team mates from the Fred Meijer White Pine 200-mile relay I was worried that 1) I would have trouble keeping up the pace and 2) I would experience the same chest discomfort.  The good news, I kept the pace with the team just fine and I didn’t have the heart problem….until I got home.  It’s been going on for a few hours.  But, I’m nervous about it so I’m wondering if that is affecting it more.

And I’m not a doctor, so I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I just know that it’s something different. My back, which isn’t in very good shape, is sore in the exact same location as the chest.  Also, I take a supplement to help with my heart burn, which I haven’t had since the middle of last week, and I’m wondering if that has something to do with the prolonged feeling after the run.

I have to call my doctor tomorrow to set up an appointment for a prescription refill, and I will talk to him about it at that time.

I will keep on training and monitoring. I will let you know.

However, in the meantime, if anyone has any ideas as to what might be happening or suggestions as to how to fix it….I’d be very interested in hearing them!

Hog Happenings

Hog Happenings

I am using the term “hog” loosely.  I am using it as a slang term for a locomotive.  Why?  1) To keep the “H” alliteration alive and 2) Because  I am participating in the Fred Meijer White Pine 200-mile relay.  The Fred Meijer White Pine Trail lies on the path graded for the  Grand Rapids and Indiana Rail Road and after a donation from Fred Meijer (name sound familiar??) in the 1990s, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources began converting the land into a linear state park trail.  So….everything about the event is train themed, i.e., locomotive, and the name of our team-Full Steam ‘a Fred!  And, “hog” really is a slang term used in the rail industry to refer to a locomotive.

I only learned about the relay last year when my friend, Heather Edwards, ran it.  After I saw how much fun she had, I asked if I could be a part of the team this year.  Thankfully, she said yes.

I was in Grand Rapids this weekend with Heather to participate in a team run and meet my Full Steam ‘a Fred team mates. Elizabeth Carter and Pablo Mahave-Viglia showed up for the 10-mile run in downtown Grand Rapids at 6:00 a.m.  I had met Elizabeth before and was glad to spend more time with her.  I hadn’t met Pablo and was glad to meet, for the first time, a professional Chilean cello player who is also, not surprisingly, a HUGE soccer fan.

Team Fredders! From left to right-me, Pablo, Heather, and Elizabeth.

The other great part of the weekend, is that I got my assignment for the relay!

It’s a 200-mile relay.  There are 12 of us.  There are 36 legs.  You do the math-we each run 3 legs. Heather, who is our team captain/conductor, expects we’ll start on Friday, August 10 at around 9 a.m. and finish on Saturday, August 11 by 5:00 p.m.  Yes!  The team runs through the night.  We have two different vans/cars with 6 in each car.  When the folks in my vehicle aren’t running, we’ll be hanging out at a house in Big Rapids (I think), that is owned by one of my team mates.  Sounds like each shift in the van lasts about 5 hours.  Yes, I’ll spend about 15 hours of my life that weekend in a van with 5 other runners.

I am running 17.7 miles over the course of the three legs highlighted. My running times are approximate and there’s always the need to be flexible, so there might be some changes, but right now this is what I’m planning for.

For more info on the relay, check out Heather’s entry as a guest blogger right here on this very blog on May 24. She wasn’t the conductor last year, Elizabeth Carter was, but she, like all of the participants, can claim being members of the inaugural running of the relay!  Sadly, the event was called due to weather last year.  Here’s hoping for a cool, dry run this year.

Heather Happenings

Heather Happenings

And speaking of Heather….

Heather is one of the greatest persons I know.

I met Heather in about 2002 when I was serving on a historic district study committee in Ann Arbor.  She was the City’s Historic District Commission Coordinator at the time and I was a graduate student at Eastern Michigan University getting a master’s in historic preservation.  Personally, I fell for Heather hard and fast….her love of historic preservation, history, literature, and impromptu opraesque singing that basically turns your life into a show tune!  How could I not?

Heather had been a runner in high school and I guess she gives me credit for getting her running again.  And I am really, super proud of that!  Kind of like Christy P was so excited about pacing Erin Snyder and Chris Lawrence to their 5K PRs yesterday (read about it here), I feel like I’ve done great things for the world by getting Heather back into some running shoes!  The confidence she feels as a runner, the people who she’s met and become friends with, and the contribution she has made to the Full Steam ‘a Fred team!

We’ve been a part of each other’s lives during some key running moments: Heather’s first 5K in a long time, Heather’s first 1/2 marathon, Heather’s first 25K race; my first annual (sort of) Tryptophan 5k and 10K on Thanksgiving, my 20th anniversary of running, my hope for a 4:15 marathon goal and  accompanying blogging.

The world is a better place because of Heather Edwards.  If you don’t have one in your life, it’s worth it to take the time to find one.

I love you H-Love.  Love, K-Zilla

That’s all that’s happening here.

Carry on, friends.  Carry on.

2004-A beautiful day in Glen Haven.

2005-Heather’s baby shower at my folk’s house in Elk Rapids.

2009-Hammin’ it up at the Michigan Historic Preservation Network annual conference.

2009-Heather just after her inaugural running of the Grand Rapids Riverbank Run.

2011-Dinner out with our spouses and Lynne and Dan Mixer after having run the Grand Rapids River Bank Run.

2011-Getting ready to run the 2011 Traverse City Cherry Festival 15K. It was my 20th anniversary of running my first race, so of course…I had a party. Heather ran the race with me, stayed for the party, and gave me one of the best gifts I’ve ever received-home made and full of so much love and support. WOW!

2012-Heather’s birthday night out-dinner in Detroit and a taping of “Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me!” at Detroit’s Fox Theater.

2012-Today! After a 10-mile training run. First time since February that we’ve run together, and we didn’t really run “together” on that one. But today I was able to keep up with her!

2012-Today! All cleaned up and I’m just about to get on the road to Ann Arbor. Heather is the kind of person who makes you want to be a better person-to be the type of friend to her that she is to you.