What a day!  What is the old TV sports intro - "The thrill of victory & the agony of defeat"?  I am feeling it all today.  I ran my first half-marathon today.  I was a finisher.  I did it.  I am thrilled with that part.  I iknow I can do it.  Only problem is that I didn't get to do it the way I wanted to.  I was in pain, sheer agony.  During training, the day after I did my 10 mile long run, I fell victim to an overuse injury - IT Band syndrome.  My right knee began to hurt...not unbearably painful but I did take notice.  I sought advice from trainers & physical therapists and did what they said.  I only ran short distances a few times over the next 3 weeks...no long runs to flare it up and I went for electric stimulation therapy, stretches, & cross training.  So did that helpo or hurt?  Guess I will never know.  What I do know is that I had a great race going today.  Ran my first mile in 11:05, 5 k in 37:37, 10 K a little slower in 1:26:08...I was pacing well and felt great...but my knee started hurting about mile 2 - again nothing severe but enough to take notice.  Right after I hit the 10K mark, it all went downhill.  Knees (note I said knees) - before today it was only the right one, now it is both.  I was wearing an IT  Band strap on the right but didnt have one for the left.  I had them wrap the left at an aid station.  THe pain just increased exponentially.  I was having to stop and walk, stretch, ice at the  next  aid station around mile 8.  I kept up running & walking, slowing my pace but at mile 9 I had to give it up.  I had to stop running but I was not quitting.  I continued the race but had to walk.    It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  The right hurt more when I walked, the left hurt more when I ran.  what was I to do?  Well the pain in the right when i walked was still less than the pain in the left when i ran so I walked- and I had it about a 7 or 8 on the ol' pain meter - it was all grimaces & smirks from me. Now at this point I want to say that my husband stayed with me the whole time.  I told him several times he could go ahead and finish, that I would see him at the end.  He has run three full marathons and he has legs almost as long as I am tall.  My shorter stride is hard for him.  He sometimes runs circles around me just to keep his muscles warm.  He never left me and boy am I glad he didn't, they would have wheeled me off on a stretcher.  Between mile 10 & 11 there is a bridge.  This bridge had quite a hill.  I made it up the hill but almost didnt get down it.  I didnt make it down without sheer agony - I was defeated.  I have never felt such intense pain in my legs as i did at this point.  It was shooting up and down the outside of my calves and across into my knees.  the muscles were contracting and not really letting go.  I was almost totally unable to bend them at the knee.  Stretching only made it worse too.  I had to hold onto my husband's arm and i was severely limping.  By this point we were well caught up in the walkers and they were passing us by the dozens.  This little old man, who was deaf and mute, came up to my side and held up his arm so i could take it.  I grabbed on and both he and my husband helped me down the bridge.  that was when the tears came.  It  was mostly the pain - it was almost unbearable and I didn't know if I was going to be able to finish - which  made me cry even more because i was so determined to finish.  I stuck with it and as I got off the bridge an the elevation evened out, the pain SLOWLY subsided to a dull roar.  that little old man was so sweet.  He helped me and then went on to finish his own race...and it helped me to finish.  We continued waking, me going through different levels of pain but none as intense as the 10+ I experienced on the bridge.  We rounded the last corner and i was able to get tylenol for the pain at the next aid station.  This was about 12.4 miles.  Almost there.  I kept walking until I hit the 13 point.  I wanted to run but it hurt.  However, we all know that when we see that finish line, adrenaline gets us, I was able to cross that last .1 mile and finish the race running.  My husband and I were hand in hand, going across that finish line.  I'll post that picture when they come available for purchase.  I hope it is good!!  So what got me through? sheer determination & will, a high tolerance for pain, my wonderful husband, that little old man, my mom & kids meeting me at  mile 4 with my knee brace, the water station & aid station volunteers, the cheerleaders, the bands...it was a group effort.  AND ONE MORE THING - the power of prayer.  When the pain came I started praying...I prayed to the Blessed Mother to give me the strength to finish.  I said her prayer over and over.  Then I looked up and the runner in front of me had on a shirt that said " through Christ all things are possible" or something to that effect.  I kept going.  this happened a couple of times - each time it was a diferent person wearing that shirt.  After crossing the finish line and icing my knees for about 10 minutes, hubby and i walked a few more blocks and caught the noon mass and Star of the Sea catholic church...  We met my mom & kids there...of course we were all stinky & sweaty but no one minded.  they all congratulated us and I got to thank the Blessed Mother for her gift tome today.  I finished 13.1!!!!!!!!!!!!

Splits: 5 Km 10 Km 10 Mi 11.3 Mi 20 Km Finish O'All Sex Div Times: 37:37 1:26:08 2:39:48 3:09:13 3:27:03 3:43:43 15819 8831 1447 Pace: 12:07 13:52 15:59 16:45 16:40 17:04

My daughter has been having trouble with milk products lately (she's 8).  She wanted dessert tonight and asked for fried apple sticks (she had them out last night with her cousin).  There was no way in hell i was going to let her have that twice in a row.  So, I made this dessert for her.  I thought I could cook the apples up, use the sugar twin, butter & butter sub and they would probably come out OK.  I left the whipped cream off hers.  Both kids loved it.  She passed on the tortilla too - just ate the apples.  My son (he's 13) ate it all then licked the plate (ewww I know but it was a paper plate since I had just finished cleaning the kitchen).

Apple Cinnamon Tacos    
4 apples, peeled, cored, diced
½ cup sugar twin brown sugar
2 tbs butter
6 tbs smart balance spread
healthy amount of cinnamon  

tortillas (mission carb balance)
sugar free caramel sauce
whipped cream  

put all ingredients in sauce pan, stirring as butters melt & blend with cinn & sugar. Cook on medium about 20 min, stir as needed. Cook on low another 10 in or so. Apples should be soft.  

Spray skillet and heat. Cook tortilla til golden and flip to other side, repeat.   Take tortilla, add ½ cup apple mixture, drizzle some of the butter cinn sauce over, drizzle SF caramel sauce, squirt with whipped cream, fold & eat like a taco.

Enjoy!!!

Tara

So I went out for a long run on Saturday...ran 8 miles in preparation for my half marathon on Aug 31.  It was a tough run.  I started getting ready at 10 am but didn't get my butt out there with hubby (had kid stuff, parent stuff) til 115 so it was hot but not overbearing.  We decided to run to our local park and back again and should have been about a 7 mile run as we had clocked in the car.  Well, the first 3.5 miles were on a black-top bike path, with no trees and it was almost all uphill.  OMG!!!  The hill was gradual  but took its toll.  By the time I got to the park I told my hubby I was not running back!!!  I hated that section of it.  I found it almost torture and that is not what I want in a run.  I know races are on the road, in the heat but they are different.  You are running for a purpose and with a lot of people.  They are fun.  This was not.  SO...I said lets run around the lake (4.5 miles more) and have my dad come pick us up.  OK - we did that.  The next part was great.  I really like running the lake (it is our usual path).  it is in the woods on a nature trail.  There is even a bathroom at 4.3 miles where I can stop, go, rinse off with COLD water and refill my water bottle.  In the end we ran 8 miles in 1 hr 50 minutes and that included a run/walk combo (I'm not trying to kid anyone - I always run/walk but I run more than I walk).  Pace was a little slower in the end but that is going to happen as I get further along in my distance running...not sure if I want to run another half mara again.  I have one I'm thinking about in March  but I'm not committing until after this one - in case I hate it!  I really like my shorter distances - 5  10 k runs...

Tara

Just when I think  I am  done I go and  drop a couple of  pounds.  I couldn't be happier!!!!  I  was down to 144.8 this morning - a new  low for me!  I'm  very  excited!!  This  also  means my  BMI - at  24.9 is  now  in  the  NORMAL  range!!!  No  longer in  the  overweight  range.  Of course I know  I  will  bounce  around a  few  pounds as  I  always  do  but  new low  has  been  achieved!!!  130s  aren't  far  off!!!

Tara