30 Days of Thanks

| cheriarmour

So, I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in the negative.  I’m a total social media junkie – I have an account on almost everything that there is to have, and it’s apparent – folks can usually go in one of two categories.  Humble braggarts (OMG my 17-month old totally just yelled at me in Spanish! WHAT! Jaja looks like those Spanish lesson are totally paying off! #blessed) or complainers (Are you EFFING kidding me I get to the front of the line in Starbucks and the rude whore behind the counter tell me they’re no longer serving RICE KRISPIES TREATS.  Day. Officially.  Ruined.  No one talk to me ever again.).

I try to fall into neither, and I do my fair share of humble bragging.  And to be totally fair about that, I work at the gym (part-time), and I work at fat camp.  So a lot of my tweeting/Facebooking/IGs/Snapchats may be workout of food related.  But I’ll admit it.  It happens.  So have me arrested.

So over the next 30 days, I’m gonna do my best to cut out the complaining.  Can’t guarantee you that about the humble bragging, so bye.  But we’re going to do 30 days of Thanks.  And we are gonna THANK. IT. UP.

Ready?

First day.  This one’s easy. It’s my brother’s 18th birthday.

FamilyBrother (Derek Jr.) is the tall one standing next to me.  I can’t believe it’s been 18 years, cause I totally remember the night before he was born (Halloween) and just staring out the window because my mother (understandably so) couldn’t take us trick-or-treating.  I honestly can’t remember if we ever got to trick-or-treat, but I do remember my brother was born the next day.  I’m thankful for him!  I’m thankful for family.  Some people don’t have that.  So for family, and for my brother on his 18th, I am thankful.  What are you thankful for?

 

Vegan?

| cheriarmour

I’m desperately trying to figure this out.

So we all know by now, unfortunately, that I’ve been having some GI issues, issues that culminated in me vomiting mid 26.2 last weekend.  Hey, it happens.  But it makes working out difficult.

So I’ve since scheduled a gastroenterology appointment, and in the meantime, I’ve been slamming Tums and Prilosec like my life depends on it.  An ulcer is the suspected culprit of my troubles, though.

I’ve been doing a little research, and I’m trying to eat foods that are gentle on my belly – so less booze, NO caffeine, and limited amounts of dairy.  I’ve made the switch from more pescatarian, to a full-on vegetarian diet, and the combination of all those things has proven only mildly helpful.  But as I do more research, signs are pointing to a gentle, possibly vegan diet, even temporarily, until we can get this all healed up.

So I’m thinking of trying it out, at least for a month, with extra emphasis on the dairy elimination part, as the dairy is the party that really makes things unbearable.

What do you guys think? Can any vegans out there help a brotha out?

(This means no eggnog lattes 😦 )

Remember our friend, Maria Kang? Maria, on #tbt

| cheriarmour

Maria was our hot mama who posted the photo on the web that created a viral firestorm.  If you missed my post on the action, click here.  I wasn’t sure that I loved her tagline, but I still am pretty impressed that she looks so great after 3 kids.  After working so hard at fitness before kids, I imagine it must be difficult to get back there after you have not one, or two, but three critters to chase around after.  It definitely makes me think twice before making an excuse to skip the sweat session.

Maria KangWell #tbt came around, and Maria posted this old photo of herself.  And I have to say it now, I’m now 100% jealous, and motivated to work a little harder.  Her “before” photo is really nothing to be ashamed of, she looks fabulous.

From her original photo, I’m still not sure I loved her tag, but kudos, our hot mom quite obviously made some steps to get where she is.  So Maria, kudos.  You were obviously a very pretty girl before, and obviously very hardworking after.  (She seems intelligent and well-spoken too, so she rocks.)

This is to all the marathon spouses.

| cheriarmour

Time to shift the focus of the blog. There is someone I feel like deserves a great big hug, kiss, and a thank you from me.

And I think some of you marathoners out there have a similar person in your lives.

Saturday, as I barfed my way though the final 9 of my marathon, there was someone on my mind.  Austin had dropped me off in the freezing cold, held my things, and reassured me all morning as I worried in Elon.  I know it wasn’t warm, and he fielded two mid-marathon phone calls as I sobbed and told him that I was throwing up, in grotesque detail, with incredible strength and calm.

“Okay love you so much. You can do this”

“Almost there babe. Love you”

A few of the reassuring texts I received from him, not to mention the kind words he passed along as I called him from the port-a-john.  Yep.

I raise a glass to you, marathon spouses.  Those of you who encourage through training, show up for race day, hold all the stuff, jangle a cowbell, and act like you’re happy to see us, even though you’ve been waiting in the cold, bored for hours?  We love you.  We appreciate you.  And we can’t wait for the day when we can do the same for you.

kiss

Greensboro Marathon – DONE

| cheriarmour

I have never been so glad to be done with a race in my entire life.

Following the conclusion of the race, I kept running, and ran directly into the medical tent, where I calmly informed the EMT that I needed fluids.

Here’s how it went down. 

Saturday morning, I woke up around 5 with a stomachache.  SHOOT!  So I ran down to the car, grabbed some Tums and a Prilosec, and waited for them to kick in.  They kinda seemed to, and by the time we’d made our way to a very chilly start line, I decided that I felt okay.  And off we went.

It was cold, but not unbearably so.  I’d dressed perfectly. A thin, long-sleeved Brooks top, a Brooks Nightlife Vest, stuffed to the gills with goodies, gloves, and 3/4ths tights.  On the feet were the Glycerin 11 (an excellent choice of a shoe), and some Smartwool socks.  When it felt like my hands were going to fall off, I palmed my boobs under the vest, and as silly as it seems, the warmth made the ride really comfortable.

I stuck to the plan.  About 6.5 miles in, I started with my first bit of nutrition, and the nagging tummy ache that had been bothering me started to flare up.  I tried everything to push it away.  I breathed the cool, fresh fall air.  I house shopped.  I focused on music.  But it wouldn’t leave.  By the time another 6 had passed, and it was time for more nutrition, I couldn’t do it.  I nibbled at another piece of Clif Shot Bloks, and the stomachache started up, worse than before.

15 Miles.

The stomachache was too real.  Katy Perry came on with ‘Roar’.  And I dissolved into tears.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared this, but I get hyper-emotional during races.  It’s an introspective period of time, and the thought of the message of the song, the stomach pain, and the fact that I was over halfway in the race got to me.  Get it together, Cheri.  Someone is going to see you crying and think something is really wrong. 

18.1 Miles.

I literally pulled over in a field, and the stomachache was just too much.  I barfed in a field.  Everything I’d eaten, all the water, and all the nutrition was gone.  A cop looked on, sorrowfully.  But I couldn’t give it up, I was only like 8 miles from the finish!

So I knew that I’d lost all my nutrition and all my water.  And the thought of eating was producing more vomit.  So I kept up with my water, and trudged through the last bit of the marathon.

I did it. 

It was abysmally slow.  I was a little sunburned.  But I did it, run-walking that last 8 miles or so.  Once I finished, I med-tented, explained to them what had happened, and let them check my levels.  I was fine, understandably a little dehydrated, and not feeling like eating ever again.

I finished.  I’m a two-time marathoner!! And upon an appointment with a gastro, I am totally ready for the next running adventure.

Marathon Couple

Time to have some fun! #runchat

| cheriarmour

In the comments below, on Facebook, or on Twitter answer me this.

What should I think about on tomorrows long beautiful run? I’ll do my best do think about it and address it in a little post next week.  

The first order of thinking business will be about food.  That’s all I’ve got so far. 

Weather Obsession

| cheriarmour

Marathons are very much like weddings in that you do this…thing.

You check the weather incessantly, smiling when it looks good (about 10 days out), and progressively getting more anxious as you realize that things aren’t going to go the way you planned. That’s so life right?

You have to understand where I’m coming from here though. There was a point during training where I was running, in the mountains of Pennsylvania on a 94-degree day with like 77% humidity. I never dried off that day, btws. Never for a second did I think that I’d be crossing the start line in Greensboro with a starting temp of 32 degrees.

Weather

Of course, there are a few conflicting reports on what temp we’re starting in, but the truth is, it’s gonna be effing cold.

No matter, it’s off to the running store I go tonight. Objective? A better pair of gloves that actually fit my limbs, and those little hot hands thingies to stick in my gloves while we’re just chilling and waiting around for the gun to go off. And it’s time (now two days away) to plan a good outfit.

3 Days. (Question for my running buds.)

| cheriarmour

3 days until the Greensboro marathon.  I suppose it’s time to start making my list, my pyscho list of all the things I need.

But before then, I have a serious question.

It’s really quite horrid.

But last marathon, I wasted almost 10 minutes looking for a bathroom, and then executing the bidness, because port-a-potties horrify me in all sorts of ways.

There are a few precautions I can take to make sure this doesn’t happen. Like caffeine-free gels and Gus, or saving the caffeine for the very end so it barely matters.  But I saw a tip a few issues of Runner’s World back that recommended pounding a shot of Imodium before the big day.

imodium-coupon

For some reason, this really concerns me.  I don’t want to like, stop my body’s natural reaction to all the jostling, the nerves and the nutrition, but is it worth it to spare me a trip to the gross bathrooms and shave a little bit off my time?

 

Here goes Buzzfeed, singing my life.

| cheriarmour

4 days away from the Greensboro Marathon, and I’m a little alarmed that I’m not freaking out or having a psychotic break. All I can think about is eating a biscuit from Biscuitville with an egg on it. 26.2 miles, and all I can think about is the fat I can consume immediately following. Oh well, have me arrested if you don’t like it.

This video though.  The one I related to the best was the isolation, which I distinctly felt at like miles 17-19 of my first marathon.  Justin Timberlake Pandora was playing, and I remember wondering where everyone was.

What I didn’t relate to, however, was the wall, and knock on wood for my amazing co-workers who guided me through the nutrition needed to prevent that exhausted feeling, I hope I don’t hit it this time.  4 days!  Eep!