Closing the Year with an Everest - We All Have an Everest

Everything started on May 19, with a regular mom-daughter phone conversation: A decision was made, we'd run a marathon the same day in our respective cities.

A running plan was developed. First phase of 10 weeks to go from nine years without running, to run for 20 minutes in a row. A second phase, a marathon plan. For the latter many plans were reviewed and discarded. The one selected was one I had since 2005: Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training, FIRST. It better fitted in my life style as only required 3 days of running. Heard many things: How can you train for a marathon running only 3 days a week? I believed in the Institute results and I followed it.

As a Project Manager geek I treated this as a project: Plan, Execution and Control; analysis of every week's results and risks to understand what went on and how to accommodate all the variables that play a role in our daily life: work, traveling, getting sick, weather conditions, commitments, sadness, pain, frustrations.

Good and very bad things happened, but still, my plan was executed to perfection and I feel accomplished for that. During the race I applied everything I learned during 26 weeks. I ran smart, I trusted myself, I put a lot into it, and I enjoyed the journey. I am still in that race bubble as I have now a PR for a marathon, yes, I've established a marathon record, my marathon record.

Lessons Learned?

• Planning is a key
• This endeavor is not a random endeavor that can be achieved without a disciplined approach
• Unexpected things and frustrations will occur: step back, reorganize and move on
• Shoes and carbs: key resources
• Push yourself
• Fall in love with the worst part of the plan (e.g.: hills?)
• Monitor progress
• Adapt training to the available routes (or treadmill!!!). It MUST be fun
• During training we not only train for running, we train to learn and understand food needs, body's temperature, heart rate, in summary, body's needs.
  
• Keeping the goal in mind is important, but no need to focus on it. Focus must be on the present training day
• Rely on close friends and family for a boost
• Mind has superiority over the body. We have so much power that we can beat a cold. I did.
  

I learned some years ago from a Venezuelan climber something that always have pounded in my head: Jose Antonio Delgado (qepd) always said: "We all have an Everest", yes, we all have a dream and we need to wake up to make it happen.

• Wake up and make it happen. JUST DO IT!

STATS

Total Miles Planned = 423.2
[Phase I=50 /Phase II=382]

Total Miles Executed = 455.2 (108%)
[Phase I=82 (164%) /Phase II=373.2 (98%)]

Total Time = 98h 36m 26s

[Phase I= 20h 51m /Phase II= 77h 45m 26s]

Average Pace = 13:00

[Phase I=15:15 /Phase II=12:30]

Fastest Mile 11/13/07 = 10:14

Slowest Mile 05/28/07 = 42:51 (First Day of running: Wasn't Lizzie out of shape? 1 minute run/1minute walk, imagine how I was after the minute run!!!)

Calories Burned = 46,025

Pounds Lost = 7 lbs.

TAGGED
Ok, I was tagged by Petra and Maddy. I'm it. As somebody said this is the electronic version of chain emails, but ... here I am, closing the year and sharing 5 facts about myself, some random, some weird.

1) I never went to Kindergarten. As I have suffered asthma all my life my mom over-protected me and didn't send me to school until I was almost 7. Mrs. Mate, a very strict Spanish woman, was the tutor in charge of my instruction since I was 4. She taught me literature and math for 2 years, from 9am to 11am from Mon to Thu. So at 6 I have read Don Quijote de la Mancha, the Masterpiece of Spanish Literature, and I also knew how to divide. But I never learned how to use scissors or glue, so I was and I am a total spaz with my fine motor skills. My sis Sara had to always come to my help because the night before of any art homework I had unintentionally ruined the materials, made holes in the fabrics used for embroidery, mixed colors in a horrendous way, etc. I challenged this 6 years ago and I confess I suffered in the classes, but my first piece was selected for a College Poster and a College exhibit.

2) I was born and raised in Venezuela, but all the members of my childhood world were immigrants from Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Trinidad, France and Colombia, including my family. So, I could not understand when I went to elementary school that there were Venezuelan kids with Venezuelan parents and Venezuelan grandparents.

3) I had the gift of nursing a kid that was born prematurely four months after my beautiful daughter. Enrique A. Montbrun is 20 today, and has recently initiated his dream: a website dedicated to baseball (beisbol). One of his greatest moments was 14 years ago when he met Andres Galarraga a humble Venezuelan player for the Colorado Rockies.

4) I wear 90% of my time black & white. 9% brown/beige and 1% other colors and maybe this 1% only happens once/twice a year. All my clothes, work suits, summer clothes, casual clothes, night gowns, swimsuits and running gear are mostly black and white . If they have a color added is because there was nothing else available in the market. If they are of a different color is because somebody gave it to me as a gift. Blue jeans are the exception.

5) My dad (qepd) was a perfectionist and perfect measurement of time was one of his obsessions. He could not accept to hear "it's 7:10 pm" if it really was 7:08 pm. So he always corrected everybody. The night he was about to die with a severe leukemia that consumed him in a month I decided not to sleep to help him with the oxygen mask, so he did not get desperate. He passed away that night and after giving him a kiss, I saw the clock, it was 4:37 am. I called the nurse and she confirmed he's died. She asked me at what time and I said 4:40 am. At 6:00 am we took mom home and I went to my dad's study room, and sat in his chair to feel his presence. I felt something that touched my hand and I had the immediate need to look at his clock. It was stopped at 4:37 am. When I told the story to my family, my sister's mother in law Luisa (qepd) commented: "He could not permit that you weren't precise with the time of his passing".


HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Dear All, I am leaving on vacation next Thursday 12/06 to Thailand to be with my daughter. I will be there for a month and probably won't post anything until I come back in January.

Thanks for being part of my Running Journey and we'll continue sharing in 2008 our wonderful running experiences.

God Bless You All, and have a Blessed and Happy Holidays.

sincere-lee
lizzie lee

Yes, I Am

Phase II - The Week

11/19/07 - 11/25/07

Week Total: 32.4

Ladies and Gentlemen, Yes, I Am. I made it, I did it, I ran it. I Am a Marathoner.

The first gift from heavens above was NO RAIN and a sunny day. Cold though: 37F / 2.7C.

I was there, calm (!) and on time, with only 4 non-continuous hours of sleep, and 3 layers of clothes (upper and lower), 2 pair of gloves and 2 ear-bands. Accompanied my son's girl friend, Shelly, to the start line for the half (45 min before the marathon). Then went to Memorial Stadium to walk to keep myself warm. At 8:05 am the Star Spangled Banner sang by a beautiful voice. We started at 8:15.

First miles were ok, going through a very familiar shopping area, downtown Seattle. Then my beloved Mariners and SeaHawks Stadiums. At mile 4.5 we entered in the floating bridge (see both pictures below), it was awesome, Lake Washington was gorgeous. Fast runners were already coming back (they were between mile 7 and 8), hi5 to a guy with a funny Zorro mask.

Turned around in Mercer Island and in mile 8 (end of the bridge) my legs felt heavy. I think was the cold temperature. I was keeping a pace barely under 13 min/mile. My heart rate monitor broke or didn't work at all, so I could not rely in my HR to keep a steady pace. Then, in front of me the next 13 miles that I know by heart as I have run them so many times. I felt very confident. By mile 11, hi5 to Zorro again who was coming back.
















By mile 13.1, Seward Park, (little promontory on my aerial picture above) I registered 2:53 so I still was in my training pace.

Around mile 17 I've slowed down to around 14 min/mile, but I was ok. Then at mile 20.5 came Galer where the elevation went from 50 ft to 200 ft in less than half a block, but I knew it well, I've done before. I ran it, as I ran Madison, a slight upward slope of half a mile. At mile 21 I took my disposable super thick sweatshirt and 3rd layer of pants off. I knew I was going to make it when I saw the clock showing 4hr 50min. I was really happy.

Downhill by the Arboretum and then another upward slope: Interlaken. Entered in a park that I've never run before and seemed endless. I didn't see anybody and I was wondering if I was in the Marathon route (I knew I was).

Mile 23: the crowd cheering with very loud music. I was in good shape. I put everything I had, well, almost everything. I wanted a triumphant finish.

Mile 24: I re-encountered a guy (Ezell) for 4th time and told him "Hey, look who is here... we are going to make it". He said: "Yes, I am celebrating already". "Me too, let's go, let's finish good", I answered, and he said "you go ahead, I'll catch up with you". I told him, "you will".

Mile 25: I was telling to myself: I made it... I made it... I thought of Ryan Hall's last mile in his wonderful Olympic Trials. Then Broad St.: a hill. I ran uphill, a cop told me, "look at you, running up hill".

Mile 26: Grabbed my phone and called my beautiful daughter: "Your Sprint services do not include International Calls". Then called my adorable husband, he answered: "Congratulations", I told him "I'm not done yet, but I will be in a couple of minutes".

And then, the most marvelous 0.2 miles. I sprinted them like if I was going to beat a world record, getting into Memorial Stadium at about 7.5 min/mile. The lady at the microphone said: "Here comes Lizzie and in very good shape". The cameramen were certainly impressed. I was running with all I had and I with a big smile and raising my arms, I crossed the finish line. Got my beautiful medal with these words from an organizer: "What a way to make the finish line."

I had my triumphant finish. My time was 5:54:37 (13:33 min/mile).

Thanks God for being alive, thanks Alejandra for bringing me back to running, thanks hubby for your constant support.

I love you All.

PS: Ezell did not catch up with me!















































And I found out that Zorro made the news in a Seattle's paper!!!

For My Daughter

Phase II - Regressive Count - Week Two

11/13/07 - 11/19/07

Week Total: 21.1

This week's blog had conflicting titles until I read "For my mom" written by my beautiful daughter Alejandra.

I will always immensely thank her for bringing me back to running. Our plan of running a marathon together being 7,440 miles apart was a beautiful plan and we enjoyed it. Some sad circumstances occurred two months ago that prevented Ale of continuing with her training, but even though she is not running, she is still running with me, because she is in my heart, in my thoughts, and in every fiber of my body every mile I go.

Alejandra, you don't have to wait for that phone call once I cross the finish line on November 25th because I will cross the line with you on the phone. I love you, daughter of mine. Thanks for being who you are.

Last Week of Training and Bye Bye DC.

This was my last week of training and it was pretty good. It happened to be in DC, where I said bye bye but only for 2007, as I expect to come back for the first part of next year.

I did my best 8 miles on Thursday in the treadmill (my work hours in DC don't give me room for running during daylight with my Iwo Jima guys). My 10 miles on Saturday, back in Seattle were really good. The conditions were perfect: Under constant rain. After mile 0.2 my shoes were absolutely soaked, so I was. I did part of the marathon route from Interlaken to Lake Washington Blvd 5 miles and back. I got some of the hilly part of the marathon and went slow all the time as did not want to risk anything. My knees DIDN'T and DON'T HURT AT ALL. I believe several things have helped: 1) I got rid of the superfeet. 2) I bought 54" shoelaces and I can play with the "tightness" by the insteps. The pain in this part of the feet has disappeared. 3) I have been in glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM for 2 months now. So because one of these reasons, or the combo, my knees and feet are painless!!!!!

Next week I have just a couple of easy 3o minutes and then on Sunday 25th, The Big Miler, 26.2. The weather forecasts temp around 42-43 (not that bad) and scattered showers (what's new).

I will be well rested because the Thanksgiving Holidays, and the only plan I have for the Holidays is going to the Expo on Friday .

Please, wish me luck. Seattle hills scare me, especially those miserably located between mile 20 and 23, that are the same I did today, but a different story is doing them at mile 8 than at mile 20. My realistic time in a flat course is around 6 hrs, so, I could forecast a little more than that, but my goal is to finish the marathon. That's it. Just finish it.

51! My life without blinking

I am 51 TODAY! It is my birthday. My life in a nutshell? I am as happy as I could be, I love my husband and my kids. I love my life and I spend every second without blinking, because "a hundred years goes faster than you think".

God, thanks for my life.




My B'day with my son Diego and his girlfriend Shelly, and my favorite dish: Pasta. Per saecula saeculorum (Forever and ever!!!)