Injury Update

So it turns out that all of my pain is related to increased thinning of the cartilage around my knee due to the marathon...

So... 6 weeks of no impact sports (running, etc) and physical therapy...

Its not looking like I'm going to be able to do any intense running again... but only time will tell...

The important thing is that I'm careful because I don't want to mess around and cause early onset arthritis in my knee...

But the good thing is I shouldn't have to worry about surgery or anything like that...

Thanks so much for all of your concern and positive energy :-)

peace.

Finishing the Chicago Marathon Pt. 2

So a week and a half after the Chicago Marathon I'm still not entirely sure whats going on with my knee... the doctor suspects a torn muscle (specifically a sprained IT band)... but she had me get an MRI this morning to make sure I hadn't torn a ligament...

Turns out there are no torn ligaments which is GREAT.... but the MRI showed thinned cartilage. Now weak cartilage has always been an issue for me... it is the reason I stopped running in high school... so now I have a nagging fear that maybe I just pushed myself to far this time... but... all I can do is think positive thoughts and hope for the best...

Anyway, onto the second half of lessons learned from the Chicago Marathon...

Over the course of the six months I trained for this race, I had opportunities to run 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, and 20 miles... some of these distances I only ran once, some I ran repeatedly...

The benefit of participating in these runs (besides the obvious need to increase endurance), is that you begin to know what to expect from your body while running long distances...

You start to understand that at certain points in the run your energy is going to run low... there are going to be points where physically and mentally you are feeling completed depleted... you start to question why the hell you are out there running all these miles, early in the morning, in this blistering heat when you could EASILY be at home laying in your bed.... you get annoyed and frustrated and every single inch of you is BEGGING you to stop...

but the experienced runner knows that it is at this point that you have to provide your body with some nourishment. that this almost sick like feeling your experiencing, isn't a sign of your body's inability to finish... rather, it is a sign that your body needs to be fed because it is currently running on fumes... so... depending on the runner... you'll eat some power gels, power bars, pretzals, or whatever else experience has shown to work for you...

over the course of the training season you'll experiment with a lot of different nourishment... some will end up being sickeningly disgusting, some will literally make you sick and throw up, some just don't do anything for you, but eventually... every succesful marathoner finds some nourishment that works for them.... and it is this understanding of the necessity of finding that nourishment... that motivates runners to keep trying every weekend until they find something that works for them...

so what is the life lesson in all of this?

well first... i'm starting to understand that my life is a lot like the long distance runs... there are going to be points where everything is just smooth and I am just looking around enjoying the scenary... but I can also understand... and expect... that there are going to be low periods...

and it is the expectation of those low periods that helps me to not be taken out by them... when i experience them, i can just acknowledge them as temporary... and nourish my spirit in order to move past the low time...

so what does that nourishment look like? well unlike running there isn't one "fix-all" everytime i get tired... but it can look like anything from prayer and meditation, to just swinging on the swings outside or talking over things with elders and mentors... one thing i'm working on now is finding out what type of activities i really enjoy... its amazing how as you move out of childhood... you start to forget what makes you happy (other than having a boo! LOL)...

the point here is... that like the marathoner, we have to be dedicated to taking time out to nourish our minds and spirits when we feel depleted... we have to experiment and find what works for us... without that nourishment we can't possibly hope to be able to function and be healthy...

so... this is the end of my marathon journey... its been a phenomenal experience and I thank you all for sharing it with me...

peace and blessings.

Finishing the Chicago Marathon

This is one of a couple of posts I plan on writing about my experience running the chicago marathon... the experience is so huge I can't really condense it into one post...

So first and foremost... I finished the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

It was a phenomenal experience, and I am beyond proud of myself that I was able to commit to the six months of training and accomplish my goal.

At mile 10 I started to feel some pretty intense pain in my knee. But at mile 12 my teammate generously gave me some ibuprofen and it made a huge difference. But at mile 17 the ibuprofen wore off and I'm pretty sure thats where I actually tore the muscle in my knee. By mile 23 I was literally limping with pain, hopping as I jogged. But all I could think was.... "I will not fail another thing this week... I don't care what happens to me after this race... I am crossing that damn finish line"...

I decided that I was going to accomplish my goal... and I did...

It was another important lesson that I learned during this process...

It was at mile 17 that I understood what my mentor meant when he says that success and failure are both impostors...

Success doesn't mean "winning" or finishing when you planned to... it means sticking it out... no matter what and accomplishing your goal no matter how many obstacles you can face...

Success and failure are impostors because they don't actually exist... they are fabricated titles that cover up the value and meaning of the struggle, and create a false hierarchy based on artifice...

Ultimately... what matters most is what you learn during the process and the strength of character that is built during adversity... everything else just misses the point of the journey...

So here I am, a God/Spirit loving, daughter, sister, friend, activist, black woman, graduate student and marathon runner :-)...

More thoughts and pictures to come soon..

peace.

The Night Before the Marathon

So tonight is the night before the marathon...

for the first time... i feel myself getting somewhat nervous about the marathon...

throughout the day i felt myself getting emotional and anxious... i started worrying about failing and all of the people who donated on my behalf with the expectation that i would finish...

i started feeling paranoid about my hamstrings, knees and ankles hurting...

basically i was just being crazy... lol

at the end of the day... i trained for 6 months... and i have to trust in that... i will pray for my safety and the safety for all of the other runners out there and hope for the best...

so today i went to the chicago marathon runners health and fitness expo to pick up my bib and timing chip...

the bib allows the crowd to identify you and the timing chip records your start and finish time...

the health and fitness expo had a ton of different vendors selling everything and anything even remotely related to running... there were a lot of booths providing information on how to get to the race, what to expect at the race, as well as rules and regulations...

one of the most unnerving moments while i was walking through the expo happened as i was going past the American Red Cross booth...

the woman asked me if i was running in the marathon and i said yes... and she took a card off of her table and handed it to me... she told me to take the card and to give it to someone close to me in chicago so that if something happens to me they will know what hospital i was taken to...

my face registered such horror that she immediately rushed to tell me that she was sure nothing would happen to me and that it was simply a precaution...

but it was to late! fear had already completely gripped me... lol...

i know that its absolutely necessary to have those type of precautions in place... especially after the disaster that was the 2007 chicago marathon... but the way she went about advising me was completely unnerving!

but at the end of the day, what can you do?... so i handed the card to my friend... and frantically checked the weather as soon as i got home... lol...

so here i am... a little over 10hrs away from the start time.... wish me luck!

see you at the finish line...

7 Days Until the Chicago Marathon

Wow, the marathon is almost here...

After 6 months of weekly long runs and maintenance runs during the week... I can honestly say that I know I will finish the marathon next Sunday (God-willing).

Its just crazy to finally be at this moment.

My marathon adventure has been full of ups and downs. From fears about whether or not I would be able to raise the money, to underestimating just how much of a commitment accomplishing this goal required, to feeling the sweet success of running 18 miles and then 20 miles two weeks later.

This marathon training experience has taught me a lot about humility, resilience and commitment. Lessons that I know I will continue to carry with me throughout my graduate school years.

Interestingly, a lot of academics compare the dissertation process to running a marathon. They point to some of the lessons that I have learned this season, like learning from setbacks, being positive and the necessity of really dedicating yourself.

So here I am, seven days from the Chicago Marathon, excited, nervous and to be busy with all of my work to really think about it to much, all at the same time.

Much to the disgruntlement of a lot of my friends and family, I haven't really invited anyone to come out and watch me accomplish this goal. Although I will appreciate anyone who decides to come out anyway :-), ultimately, running this marathon is something I am doing for myself and no one else.

I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone, I'm not trying to have bragging rights and I'm not really trying to earn the praise and admiration of those around me.

At the end of the day... deciding to run this marathon was about the first step in my decision to fundamentally change my life.

In April of 2008 I decided that I was going to commit to living a better life physically, mentally and spiritually... the marathon was the first change in a series of changes I have made over the summer and fall around how I think about my life, my daily spiritual practice and how I take care of myself.

So at the end of the day... when I cross that finish line next Sunday, it won't matter (although I can't stress enough that it will be appreciated... I love you all!) whether or not anyone is there to give me a victory hug... because ultimately... it will signify the accomplishment of one of many commitments I made to myself to better myself... and when its all said and done... that is more affirmation than anyone could ask for...

peace.