Training Totals

Training Totals:

Miles Run: 159.06

Time Spent Exercising: 33 hours, 14 minutes, 50 seconds

Dollars Raised: $2,200

Thanks to everyone who joined me on this journey and got involved in my cause!!

Half Marathon Rundown!!

I completed the National Half Marathon! Rather than trying to give a blow-by-blow description of the race, I’ll describe a few of the more memorable details.


I finished the race in 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 29 seconds (which put me in 3,453rd place). I had been hoping to finish under 2:15 and was determined to finish under 2:30, and I was able to run the whole way without stopping to walk, so I am pretty happy with my time. I thought I was completely exhausted in the final mile, but when I saw that finish line, I was able to sprint the rest of the way in. I guess we always have a little bit more inside us than we realize.


I crossed the finish line right next to a very athletic looking man running at my sprint pace… but he was finishing the complete marathon in that time. It’s not even human how fast these people can run.

We were 15 minutes away from home when I realized we had to turn back because I didn’t have my bib or my timing chip. This meant I was standing in line for the port-a-potty when the starting gun went off. Luckily, I was able to use the facilities and join the large crowd of runners who were still making their way to the starting line without any real delay.

Billy and I had mapped out a “spectators course” for him to get from place to place on the metro, so he was able to see me off at the start, cheer me on at mile 3.5 and mile 7, and watch me cross the finish line. My friends Erin and Danielle also came out to cheer me on, and although a slow train kept them from seeing me until the finish line, I was so excited to see all three of my fans after I finished!


It was pretty cold, but not too bad once I got running. I wish I’d brought my gloves, but otherwise, it was good weather- and sunny!

For motivation, I wrote the names of each person who made a donation on livestrong bracelets- it took 5 to fit all your names! I frequently looked down and spun the bands around to remind myself how many people had made sacrifices to support me. Around mile 10, when my legs got heavy, I started naming in my head one person who had encouraged me during each stride. I made a lot of strides before I ran out of supporters, and I think it helped me speed up! Thanks to all of you for being there with me every step of the way!


There were a lot of fun spectators along the way, some of them with really funny signs. They said things like, “Toenails are for wimps,” “Your feet only hurt from kicking so much ass,” “You run like a girl… and we like it!” and “Go mom! You’re awesome!” (colored and held by a little girl about 7 years old). Two guys were standing next to each other with signs that said something like “I might take up running” and “if it means I can stare at your ass.” There was a group of young city-dwellers with a table set up on the street and cups of “FREE BEER!” that they were passing out to the runners. A group of high-school age kids were blaring rap on a car stereo, dancing around, giving high fives to the runners, and yelling things like “You go girl! Get it!”

I saw one girl fall down (out of the race at mile one- ouch!), one man throw up (about a half mile after the free beer- coincidence?), and one woman fall off a bicycle while watching the runners. Not too bad, all things considered.

The race had about 7,000 participants total, which they said was twice as many as last year. This means they underestimated the number of cups they would need, so by the third water station, the only option I had was to drink water straight out of the jug. After passing on this the first time, I chose hydration over sanitation.


My body held up fairly well. I taped my feet and ankles, so they didn’t give me any trouble. My knees were starting to get sore by the end, but not sore enough to slow me down. Apparently Billy told the girls, “she will finish even if she’s running on bloody nubs.” Thankfully, it did not come to that! I’m a little worried about the soreness I’ll encounter tomorrow, though, because it’s already obvious that my ‘running muscles’ are extra tight as a result of not having run for a week and a half.

Ladies of DC, if you are single and looking for a man, I would advise getting involved in the running scene. There were a lot of fit, eligible looking men participating in the race, but the place to meet them is at the Fitness Expo the day before.

The route afforded the best view of the Capitol building. We ran right by it at the start, and then toward the end we ran straight toward it for over a mile. I also ran right by the Washington Monument, which Billy was able to capture in a picture. I forgot to look to my right to see the White House, but we continued all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial before the route turned north.


During the mile that I was running straight toward the Capitol, I was really tired, but right then the Livestrong song, “Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow,” came on my iPod. It reminded me why I was there, and for the duration of the song, I felt like I was caught inside some kind of inspirational music video. I started to get a little bit choked up, but luckily that feeling passed, because it’s hard to breath when you’re crying. : )

Right now, my donation total is $2175, or $166.03 per mile I ran today!! I can still accept donations up until a month after my event, so if you had hoped to donate but haven’t gotten the chance yet, please visit my fundraising page!

Thank you all for coming along on the journey with me. It has meant a lot to me, and my dad, and the rest of our family, that so many people have been so supportive. I said at the start of this that I wanted to find a way to channel my frustration about Dad’s diagnosis into a positive outlet, and thanks to everyone’s donations, the support you’ve given me will go directly toward supporting others whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to go up and down the stairs tomorrow, and I’m sure that the maneuver of sitting down will be nearly impossible. But as “Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow,” says, I’m staring down the unknown, but one thing is certain; you could break my body, but you will never break my soul.

Training Complete!

Today's Walk:

Distance: 2.26 miles

Time: 31:01

Pace: 13:42 per mile

I was tempted to run today because my feet, ankles, and knees were all pain free! I didn't want to have any soreness leading into Saturday's race, though, so I followed my training program and stuck with a walk for my final day of training. It felt good to be out on the road again, and I can't wait until I can actually run again on Saturday.

I can't believe how close the race is... finally! Tomorrow, I go to the Runner's Expo to pick up my t-shirt, timing chip, bib, etc, and then Saturday morning we're up bright and early to go to the race! It starts at 7am, so it will be an early morning at the DePriest house, and hopefully I will be able to get a few hours of good sleep in before the alarm goes off. The forecast for Saturday is looking good; it's supposed to sunny with a high in the 50s, although it will likely be cooler than that when I run in the morning. As long as it doesn't rain, I will be happy.

I looked up pictures of last years' race on Flickr to investigate the no-headphones rule. Quite a few people in the pictures were wearing headphones, so it doesn't look like the rule is enforced. It seems like the race organizers might be required to forbid headphones for safety reasons, but that they don't actually enforce the rules. Since the race is run on a closed course, my plan is to wear the headphones until I'm asked to remove them.

If you have been considering making a donation, please try to do so before my race! I have been so encouraged by how generous everyone has been, and I you will all be in my thoughts as I'm plodding through my 13.1 miles. I am afraid that since I haven't actually run in quite a few days, I will need all the extra encouragement and determination I can get!

Donations Update:

Thanks so much Aunt Carrie! I wish you could be here for the race, but I know you will be here in spirit! I am excited that your donation will go to helping someone else since your encouragement has already done so much to help me.

Almost There!

Today's Workout:

Supposed to be: 8 miles

Instead:

40 minutes elliptical/stairstepper combo machine (I had to listen to a longer lesson about it today)

40 minutes stationary bike

My cartoon is starting to talk trash. She appears to think I am slacking off just because I haven't logged a run in a week. She is playing paddle ball and saying things like, "I wish I could run, but my hands are tied" and "If only I practiced running like I practice paddle ball." She even calls me a couch potato! I am working out, I promise! It is funny how for months and months, I loathed the idea of going for a run even though I was perfectly capable of doing so, and now that I've imposed a restriction on myself until race day, all I want to do is go for a run! I hope some of that excitement about finally being on the road again for the race will help counteract any loss of fitness I'm encountering as a result of my training changes.

The race is only a few days away! I am reaching a state of nervous excitement. I am worried about being able to run all 13 miles since I haven't run in a week, but I am really looking forward to participating in the race. We were in DC with Vickie and Brett this past weekend, so I got a look at the road I'll be running on past the Capitol, Washington Monument, and White House. I wish the route was reversed so that I could pass those things at the end of the race instead of the beginning, but I am sure there will be plenty to look at for the duration of the race. Right now, the forecast is favorable, and I am hoping to avoid a rainy day.

Donations Update:

Thanks Heather! I appreciate your donation and the fact that you ask my dad how he's doing each time you see me. I am looking forward to running in the Frederick Team Marathon with you in a few weeks!

Thank you Gramma! I got your check in the mail today and am looking forward to passing it along to the foundation.

One Week to Go!

Only one week until I take my cause to DC!

Monday's Run:

Distance: 3.57 miles

Time: 37:45

Pace: 10:34 per mile

Monday's run did not go well. My ankles were sore from Saturday's 12 miler, and I realized about halfway through that I should have given them an extra day of rest. Tuesday and Wednesday, my left ankle was sore and swollen. I continued icing it and decided I needed to figure out a way to give it a break before next week's race but still stay in shape. Luckily, the gym around the corner from our house offers a free week trial.

Thursday's Workout:

Bike: 30 minutes, 7 miles

Elliptical-like contraption: 20 minutes, 1.5 miles

Thursday I read about surveillance and terror for my theory colloquium class. I was learning about how I have something called a "data double" that could be constructed based on all the bits of information floating out in the world that someone who never met me could use to construct my identity. This blog would obviously provide quite a bit of information, as would my facebook page, and my bank account (which records every transaction Billy and I make to the web). Internet activity, medical records, telephone records, credit card history, bill payments- all of that is recorded out there. It's supposed to be "private," but someone could use it to construct a large percentage of the things I "do" on a daily basis, and I have no way of ensuring that it's all accurate. Thinking about all this, in addition to the times you walk into a place like 7-11 and your likeness is captured on surveillance video, or how practically anyone could capture your image on the street at any time with a camera phone, is enough to make anyone feel like Britney Spears for a minute.

So, I was thinking about all of this as I walked into the gym-around-the-corner, and I had a classmate's paper (about how surveillance can be used to terrorize) in hand. The first thing the woman working there tells me? "Our gym is under 24 hour surveillance." Cue the twilight zone music. Anyhow, I looked around, and I think I was the only one reading a paper based on an argument made by Foucault. One woman was reading The Last Lecture, though, so that reminded me why I was there. The workout was fine, although boring, and my ankle feels much better today. I'm busy all day Saturday with Billy, Vickie, and Brett, so I can't get in my 8 miles, and this gym is closed to non-members on Sundays, so I am not yet sure how I'm going to substitute that workout, but we will see how I'm feeling. I'm starting to get excited for the race! I got a notification that I'm in starting corral number 7-- a number close to my heart besides being lucky.

Related News:

Congratulations are due for my Aunt Carrie! When I announced this plan a few months ago, she had been running to get in shape for a ski trip. She decided to continue and try to qualify for the half marathon so she could come out and run it with me. She won't be able to do so, because the race filled up and she has had a lot come up at work, but she ran a 5k with a time that qualified! She actually finished in 29:45-- faster than I did!! She has caught the "running bug" after participating in a few 5k races and is looking for other races in her area. I am hoping we will be able to get together to run a race one of these days! Thanks for training with me, Aunt Carrie, albeit on the opposite coast!

Donations Update:

Danielle, thanks so much for your donation! Your support ever since my dad got re-diagnosed has meant so much to me. I miss how easy it used to be to just pop into each other's classrooms!

Nick and Amber, I really appreciate you getting involved in my cause! I can't wait to see you in a few months to celebrate your wedding!

Also, I'm almost to 500 views for my blog! It's a little mind boggling that on 500 different occasions, someone has thought, "I wonder how Liz's training is going." I am thankful for the support you all have given with your donations, words of encouragement, and interest in this adventure!

Two Weeks' Notice

Saturday's Run:

Distance: 12 miles

Time: 2:16:44

Pace: 11:20 per mile

So, originally my goal was to finish the half marathon at a 10 minute mile pace. As my training progresses, however, it's become apparent that this is an unrealistic goal. Now the only real goal is to cross the finish line with the feeling that I have nothing left in the tank. On yesterday's run, I had nothing left in the tank. Around mile 10, I was moving at the same pace as the 6 year old to my left on his Razr scooter, which the iPod tells me was about 12:30 per mile. This is practically walking. Before my run, I called my dad to see how his recovery was going from his latest treatment. He said, "I feel flat." He meant, "I feel like shit, and I have no energy."

At mile 10, I felt flat. Then I realized: I did not get a chemotherapy treatment two days ago. I made the conscious effort at that point to turn my feet over faster and push off harder in an attempt to cover more ground more quickly. The Nike+ says I finished at a pace of about 9 minutes per mile, so I succeeded in kicking my ass into gear. There was a woman ahead of me pushing a stroller that I was trying to catch. I didn't quite catch her, but I got close.

I am curious to see how fast I can run on race day. 13 miles is essentially the same as 12 in my book, so I am hoping I can finish under 2:30. There are several unpredictable variables, however. The race is two weeks away, and my runs between now and then are much shorter than the ones I've been logging, so my body should have time to recover, and I might be able to improve my speed. While running the race, I'll be able to take advantage of the water/gatorade stations, and there will be plenty of people cheering me on. There will also be more people to try to catch. There will also be bigger hills and a headphone prohibition. So we shall see.

Donations Update:

I've surpassed my goal, but I hope some of you who have been tuning in to this journey will still consider contributing. I think it would be fun if people started donating $1 or $2 per mile- $13 or $26 might not seem like a lot, but it adds up! If you're not in a position to contribute financially, though, I still appreciate all of the moral support you guys have given me throughout the process. I'll be thinking of you all on race day. Everyone who has said, "How's your training going?" is stored up in my motivation bank, from which I intend to make frequent withdrawals on March 21.

Back in the Saddle

Wednesday's Run:
Distance: 3.72 miles
Time: 38:17'
Pace: 10:16 per mile

Thursday's Run:

Distance: 6.76 miles
Time: 1:11:39
Pace: 10:35 per mile

The soreness in my foot continues to worry me a little, but I figured that skipping Saturday and Monday's run was as much of a break as I could afford to take with the race only a little more than two weeks away. I was nervous to start pounding the pavement on Wednesday, but I taped both of my feet/ankles and that has helped quite a bit. I've also been icing my feet after the runs, so my feet actually felt better this morning and yesterday morning than they did during the several days that I was trying to rest them. Dad says I'm getting old; I didn't have any of these foot troubles when I spent more time running longer distancs while training for the full marathon in 2003.

A college friend of mine recently told me that when her dad was battling testicular cancer, the hardest thing for him to deal with was feeling like his body was working against him after he'd done so much to try to make his body work for him. I know my dad has certainly experienced similar frustration, especially since it is his treatments that make him feel the most ill. While I was running yesterday, I was thinking about how my dad was in the hospital getting his most recent chemotherapy dosage, and how my running injuries have given me a small dose of understanding about what that must be like.

I know it's pretty selfish to feel sorry for yourself about your feet being sore when your dad is being forced to poison his body in an attempt to save it. But it still annoys me that my body isn't holding up as well as I'd like. The other night Billy and I got tickets to the Maryland vs. Wake Forest basketball game, and by the time we got into the arena, my feet were pretty sore from a long day of work and class. When I was a child, I accepted the fact that I wasn't athletically gifted. Since then, I've been content to be athletically mediocre at everything I've tried. But as I watched the players effortlessly performing maneuvers which would have caused me great pain, I couldn't help thinking:
It's just not fair.
Why are some bodies capable of withstanding so much more than mine can?
Who decided that he gets to have a healthy body and I get to have one that gives me trouble?
Does he even realize how lucky he is?
I wasn't jealous that the players could dunk, or that thousands of people were chanting their names; I was jealous that they could stop and start while running without wincing. It's a hard thing, coming to terms with the fact that the health of your body is outside your own control. I can only imagine how hard it is when your life is at stake.

Donations Update:
Mary and Gary, thanks so much for your generous contribution and the supportive words you've offered all along the way!

No Run Today

Happy Meteorological Spring! We awoke to about 6 inches of snow.



Donations Update:

Thanks Glover! I know my dad has appreciated your friendship and support throughout this entire fight. I wish you were here to assess what is going on with my foot! Kari, thanks so much for your words of encouragement as well as your donation! Beth, I really appreciate your contribution- and I'm sure Lance would be glad Texas is now represented among my donors! MomMom and Pop, you always knowing how to put a smile on my face! : )