Post-Race Adventures

So according to my training schedule I'm supposed to run a few miles a few days after the race. i was feeling pretty good on Wednesday so I was going to go running before school. Except I felt like sleeping in instead. So I was going to running after school, but then i got my wisdom teeth out instead.

So it looks like I won't be going on any runs for the rest of the week. 

Done & Done

The 33rd Annual Marine Corps Marathon in one word: INSPIRATIONAL.

The good news is it's about 72 hours later and I can walk again. Forget about making it downstairs gracefully, but yes I am walking.

Unfortunately I can't possibly summarize the MCM in just one blog entry. Too many awesome memories to remember. But I will try my best to summarize the highlights.

Here are all the things I'm thankful for:

• the 3 mile brisk warm-up walk we experienced going back and forth between the start line & finish line, I was indeed loosened up before the start of the race (and trust me it really was 3 mile walk because I verified it on 'favoriterun.com')
• my mommy & daddy for getting my that iPod shuffle. It was used for most of the race.
• all the people who I let pass me in the first 10 miles of the marathon....they were walking by mile 21...but i wasn't!!!!
• the folks @ the sidelines in Georgetown with the sign "Who wants more cowbell!?!??!" while ringing lots of cowbell. They made me laugh. 
• the one-legged marines @ mile 10, it felt amazing to run a marathon beside them
• the lady at mile 11 who said, "I feel like a new woman" I thought she was referring to running the marathon. No she was referring to the pee she just took in the woods. 
• an actual bathroom and NOT a porta-potty along Hane's Point 
• Mocha flavored Clif Shots @ mile 12....delicious
• the large black man @ mile 14 who was yelling "Do the Damn Thing! Do the Damn Thing!" over & over again (thank you, I did)
• groups of lil kids who stuck out their hands for high fives...I went out of my way for them, so cute!
• Conklin, Richy, & G$ @ mile 16 -- so happy to finally see my fans!
• the lady @ mile 19 with Vaseline (I dropped my Burt's Beez Wax @ mile 0.25) she was a life saver for my lips!
• making the s&(^&(&(sdlfjkjh$#&%&)_@#&)(&$#(kjhdfkjh^*&) BRIDGE!! Take that!!!
• the sign @ mile 20 that said, "Put a door in your wall." (took me a while to get it, but when i got it - it motivated me)
• the people @ mile 22 with signs that said, "You're almost done have a beer!" and yes...they really were offering beer to the runners. And yes...some people actually took them
• me NOT taking the beer @ mile 22 and staying hydrated
• marines - thank you for all the powerade
• my medal - it's pretty sexy
• crossing that finish line in 5 hours and 14 minutes...I surprised myself
• the sprinkle donut Gerald had for me at the finish line...they BOTH were amazing :-)

the results are in!

Bib Number* Age *Gender Place* Division Place*Overall Place*Finish Time
JILL STOLTZFOOS 1119 30 4437 741 12920 05:06:30.00
JILL STOLTZFOOS 28218 26 4795 1127 13721 05:14:28.00

More than 20,000 runners crossed the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon finish line on October 28th. With its second highest number of finishers in MCM history, the MCM remains the fourth largest marathon in the US and the seventh largest marathon in the world. Now boasting more than 340,000 finishers in its 32 year history, "The People's Marathon" remains the largest marathon in the world to not offer prize money.

morning after

It's over. All this hoopla and build up. Now its over and I won! Actually I am a winner in my own right, just not on the MCM list of top female finishers.

A quick recap of the marathon: Jill and I started off with a brisk 3 mile walk from the metro stop to the gathering place and back to the start line as we finally figured out where we were to be and where we actually were. There were some nerves but overall we held it together very well. The gun went off and the run started up a hill past our brother in law Ben's house and blindly passed our personal cheering section. We crusied by some beautiful senery on the GW parkway and then went up through Georgetown. Fans started coming out in great numbers at that point. It was very motivating to run by all these people. At first I sped up the first few times I saw people I knew out of motivation. I soon realized that it was more wise to continue on at my usual pace reguardless of who I saw. My physical wall came around mile 15ish on Haines Point. My fellow runner friends Liz and Cynda ran this part with me, helped me through by securing some water for me and kept me entertained.

There were all types of runners out there. Crazy runners with baloons and signs, flags and entourages. Coaches with encouraging words for their runners (that I would eaves drop on and take their words to heart) and political talks. Fanny packs galore and lots of smells. A runner was actually giving a tour to another runner as we ran through the National Mall. Who knew it was possible to give history lessons while running a marathon?

I almost cried when I started up the ramp to run accross the 14th St bridge. I crossed under the sign that read 'Glebe Rd 3.5 miles' and realized that running home wasn't much closer than just finishing the marathon. It was barren up there on the bridge minus those attempting to run, the walkers and the injured. It was also on the bridge that I began setting a new record for myself of running over 20 miles. Crystal City was full of fans but the out and back portion of the run was not motivating. By mile 24 I knew I could never run a marathon again and by mile 26 I finally saw Jeff who ran 50 feet with me, gave me a kiss and told me I was almost done. He was right- I only needed to run up a hill. I grinned like a school girl when I saw the sign that said "FINISH LINE".

After 26.2 miles I finally met up with the Marine who gave me the coveted finishers medal. He got a huge hug from bib #1119. I thanked him for serving our country and for waiting for me at the end. He was happy to see me too I'm sure.

Our family and friends were there to hear our stories and give us high fives. Their support was much needed and well received. Thank you!!! I can't say thanks enough to them! After some reflection with Jill I believe another marathon might be in the future, just not tomorrow. For the next marathon (and for my overall mental health) I will try to block out the feeling of mile 24 of this race.

This morning I would like to do an infomercial for 'Icy Hot Medication lotion' and Advil. They are amazing products! Stairs take a little time to navigate and items on the floor are not worth the effort to bend over and pick up just yet. A massage and pedicure are in my near future.

And finally- thanks to my sister in law Jill who helped me through this huge goal. Your support, blog posts and knowing you were expiriencing the exact same thing was invaluable. WE DID IT!!!

Now, where is that Motrin?

jms

To Do List

It's the night before the night before the big race (race?) and here's what's on my agenda:

clip toenails
pack (make sure my running shoes are in there)
update new ipod shuffle with only the BEST marathon-running songs
study marine corps 26.2 mile map (memorize all water/food stops)
drink lots of water
eat lots of bread and pasta
sleep (i might be too nervous!)

-jilly

the weather channel

Forcast for Sunday October 26th, 2008

High: Low:
65° F | 43° F

Partly cloudy.

Probability of Precipitation (%): 40% @ 8am.
Probability of Precipitation (%): 10% @ 11am.

Winds 5 mph West

I'm sure this is the perfect weather picture for a marathon, right?

jms

running in the cold

Has anyone noticed how freezing cold it's gonna outside in the past week? I made the mistake of procrastinating after work today. (and by procrastinating I mean switching iPods with my sister-in-law, Rachel so that i can run the marathon with a tiny ipod instead of my massive one) So I didn't get to go running until night-time-ish. It was cold. really cold. and windy. But the good news is when you go running in the cold you can't feel a thing! Really. Your body is so numb that it can't feel the slamming on the pavement as you run. it's great. the bad news is you can't breath and you get horrible side stitches. But again, no pain only numbness. Will it be this cold on Sunday in DC?

-Jilly

did i win?

I was telling someone about the race I'm running in less than a week from today. It caused me to question myself.
A race? Is this really a race? Could I win?
And exactly who do I think I am racing?

After more thought, I came to assume that out of the 3,000 race participants there will be exactly 3 of them racing each other. The rest will be similar to me and my situation - just wanting to finish.
Now I could be wrong. There could be 2,997 competing to win and 3 of us just looking to cross the finish line so we can eat.

My mother would say I'll be a winner either way.

Reguardless- lets just run this race already!

jms

Nerves

The day is quickly approaching and i'm getting so so so nervous. More nervous than starting college, more nervous than getting married. I mean...those things were cake compared to 26.2 miles!

What if I don't finish? What if I don't make the 20 mile cut-off in time? What if my knee starts hurting? What if I need to use the bathroom? What if I oversleep? What if I forget to pack running shoes? What if I don't eat a good breakfast? What if all the marines start booing me? What if I get a side stitch? What if my legs start cramping up? What if there are too many hills? What if Schmuffin isn't there waiting for me at the finish line?!?!?!? What if? What if? What if?

It's still a week away and already I'm having trouble sleeping. These are the type of things that plague me with worry late at night. Is this normal? Does this happen to anyone else? Maybe I shouldn't have picked such a crowded marathon to run. I've been training for 5 months!! I HAVE to do this thing to make it all worth it. Ya know how they say runners hit a wall when they run marathons? I think i've hit a mental wall. I've been freaking out the past week. My nerves are getting to me. 7 more days and it will all be over. 7 more days and I can sleep in late again. 7 more days and i will never look at an ice pack again. 7 more days and it will all be worth it!

-Jilly

trial run

I ran in a race this weekend. This was a trial run to remind me what its like to run with a lot of other people and to practice what to do at the water stations. To start it off I parked in an incorrect parking lot which was conviently located 1 mile from the start line. I guess this was my warm up. During the race I had 3 chances to improve on my drink-from-a-cup-while-running technique. I have concluded that there is no best way to do this.

The run itself went fairly well. In the begining of the run I noticed that I was running the pace of this white-haired-tank-top man (WHTTM). There was about a 35+yr age difference between us and he was running at a pace I could handle. A fellow one pace wonder! There were many distractions and people in the race so I was happy to have something consistent. We ran the entire race together, either side by side or he just ahead of me. Clodhoppers and heavy breathers came and went but Jill and
Mr. WHTTM just kept going on.

We didn't talk the entire time. This is slightly odd when you think that we spent an hour of our lives together but it worked for us. At the finish line he said "Good Job!".
I said, "Thanks- and thanks for keeping pace for me. It was a big help."
Mr. WHTTM replied, "Actually, you kept pace for me".

Who knew?

jms

2 weeks to go!

So I've finally figured out this whole tapering thing...they SAY you taper so that your legs are nice and fresh before you run the marathon. But REALLY the reason we need to taper is because our mind is saying "STOP WITH ALL THE RUNNING! LETS JUST DO THIS ALREADY!!!". Seriously. I'm over it. I just want to run the marathon. Let's go. I've been training for 5 months and I've memorized every street name, street corner, mile marker and porter potty location in all of Lancaster of County. Bring on the 26.2

Speaking of porter potties...While I was running a 10 miler this morning I came across one around mile 6. Which was great because I was in desperate need of one. While I was inside some old man was trying to get inside. I guess he didn't expect it to be in use. Well after I was done he was very apologetic. Then he proceeded to point to some nearby holes and told me to watch out for the ground hog. uhhhhhh....thanks for the advice, i'll be careful. "Hey buddy, i'm trying to run 26.2 miles here, a lil ground hog attack is not going to stop me!"

movie star

I ran across the Memorial Bridge this past weekend. Its a beautiful bridge crossing the Potomac River connecting DC and VA. It is historic and is a bridge you see in movies with heros crossing it.
I felt like a movie star crossing that bridge!

Even with this movie star feeling going on, I have a few concerns about the marathon:

1. my attire: Won't I be cold when I start the race with my red short sleeved shirt and Nike black running skirt? what do I do with the jacket that I would need to wear overtop when I get cold? I need someone one meet me at mile 3 to give my jacket to. Will I look cute enough for my finishing photo?

2. the few food stations on the course (I guess I'll need to pack my own sports beans and other items I'm sure to need- refer to the blog post about over packing).

3. running 26.2 miles

jms

Happy Birthday Jill Marie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Jill, in honor of your 30th birthday I ran 30 miles this morning. SIKE!!! NO i did not.

In honor of your birthday I ran 4 miles instead...in 30 minutes. SIKE! Couldn't do that either.

In honor of your birthday I dedicated 4 -- slow, easy miles that I did not time -- to you. Happy Birthday!

-Jilly

one pace wonder

I've found my pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just right for Jill. I've been testing this theory for a few weeks now. Last Saturday's 20 miler was an exception, but again that run was wrong on so many levels. So minus those 20 miles, the rest of the thousands (and i'm sure it is thousands!) of miles that I've run since I've started training, I've had one pace.

Don't ask me to speed up. Don't ask me to slow down. Just go with it- .
I'm a one pace wonder!

jms

Cow Crossing

I ran 5 miles today after school (because I couldn't get my lazy butt to do it before school) and I felt great! After running 20 miles everything else feels like a piece of cake. Well, I saw the most *amazing* thing that my eyes have ever laid their sights on in all of Lancaster County. No, not a lot of Amish (for some reason the Amish were not out this afternoon during my CV cornfield run, perhaps they were too busy), but there was one Amish man in particular on Horseshoe Rd holding back 30 restless cows from crossing the street. Here I am running fast when ahead of me I see a little Amish boy "herding" a bunch of cows forward and another Amish man holding them with with a wire from crossing the street to where their farm was. There were a lot of cars on the road and they were looking for a good opening to cross. One was quickly approaching, however I was, of course, going to be running right in front of the cows when the opening occured. So I sprinted as fast as I could past the cows. They were restless. The man had to fight to hold them back with his "wire thingy" The only thing holding me back from a cow stampede and becoming a road pancake was this Amish man and his lil wire thingy. I swear those cows were glaring at me. Well, don't you worry cause I made it through. And as soon as I did there was an opening in the road and they released the cows. The man was dancing in the street signaling the cows to run across. Oh, and they did! I ran backwards to watch the whole thing -- totally worth it. It took about a minute for them to cross so cars had to stop. I saw people in their driver's seats laughing. I was laughing too. It was quite a funny sight that I had never seen before, even in all my time in Lancaster County. Just goes to show you get to see the neatest things on these runs that you would never get a chance to see otherwise. Oh thank you marathon training.

-Jilly

hallucinations

I hesitate to post this as it may involve a little too much information for some people concerning my toenails. But this is our blog and this is a big deal to me so I must write about it.

20 miles today. It was heart wrenching, in the rain and humidity and I did it! There were many ups and downs. The only ups being the completion and finally obtaining my beloved water bottle. A few of the downs included dropping my Gatorade on the trail 15 miles in and taking 5 painful minutes of attempting to bend down and pick it up. And then there were the hallucinations.

Apparently some marathon runners loose toenails. Your feet take a huge beating every time you take a step. I can assume the science of how it happens but this is not the place to discuss that. I had a pedicure done a few weeks ago. My toes are always painted. Always. The girl took of the polish to reapply and I noticed a small black area on my fourth toe, right foot. This cannot happen to me. I just cannot accept this! I had a fit about this and finally the girl politely told me that the only way for that to stop was to stop running. Well, we all know that can't happen.

So that brings us to today. About 3 hours into this run my toes started to bother me. "Hmmm" I thought. "This isn't good. I cannot loose my toenails today. Not any day for that matter!". The more I ran the more I felt that my nails were being ripped from my toes. I actually looked down and thought I would for sure see blood on my shoes from this. I knew that when I took off my shoes my bare toes would be underneath my socks. I had to continue on with the run, I had no choice but to soldier on and mourn the sure loss of my toenails.

I am happy to report this afternoon that I still am the owner of 10 toenails, on my toes. My vivid hallucinations of my toenail loss is still disturbing to me but again I will soldier on.

Lets save our toenails and begin to taper!!!

jms

done and done

It was a magnanimous moment when i completed my 20 miles in the rain. The feeling of accomplishing it was great. But an even greater feeling is that i don't need to run that much ever again (well at least until the marathon) I can begin tapering. Awesome. Sweetest word i've ever heard: tapering. But for now, i can't walk or stand for the rest of my life. In fact i'm so tired I can't type anymore.

-Jilly

I can't compete!

I was going to write a fun entry about my adventures using porter-potties on my long runs. But honestly, I can't top the story of Jill wearing two different running shoes. So I'm just going to stop there.

5 weeks to go!

-Jilly

i Heart Motrin

5 hours post 18 mile long run.
Enough said.

jms

Asics v Addidas

This morning I held an unoffical, unintentional shoe test of two different running shoes.
Asic gels, gt-2130: teal and navy blue
vs
Addidas w/ adiPRENE: baby blue

I showed up at 6:45 this morning to meet with a group to run. I left the house in my flip flops and put the running shoes on in the car before I met the rest of the crew. It was just as I was about to head off for a mild 18 mile run that I noticed I was doing this comparison test.

On my right foot was the baby blue Addidas, on my left foot was the teal and navy Asic gel.

Needless to say, since the apropriate pairs for each shoe were back at home I continued with the expiriement. The teal and navy Asics won today. While both feet are exhausted and tired, my left foot was happily pain free after the run. My right foot with the baby blue Addidas began to rub in places I did not appreciate and I noted that the shoe was not cut out for me and 18 miles.

Its good I had on my new cute running skirt to go with the shoe expiriement. Otherwise people would have thought I was crazy with the two different shoes.

jms

Trash Day

Note to self: Do NOT run on trash pick-up day. For starters, it's like an obstacle running through Lancaster city on Wednesday mornings. Leaping over trash lids and dodging trash cans that are in the middle of the sidewalk makes for an extra hard work out. They come one after the other since houses in the city are so close together. Not to mention the smell...UGGGHHH. Not only does all the trash stink, but so does the truck when it comes by. I can barely breathe let alone run!

Newsflash

Somebody please notify MCM personel that there will be not one but two
Jill Stoltzfoos' running in the MCM. They may need to increase the amount of marines present to control the crowds and at a minimum will need to provide extra refreshment stops (because it is understood that the two Jill Stoltzfoos' definately need their fluids and energy Jelly Beans).

jms

$14

I read an article about a woman who, to motivate herself in training for a marathon, paid herself $1 per mile she trained. Then after the marathon she went on a shopping trip. Not a bad idea. I made $14 dollars on Saturday! Look out Pentagon City Mall, I'll be spending some big bucks soon! If I stay on track with my training, counting from last Saturday through the marathon I will have a total of $169 to spend after October 26 (+$26.20 since naturally I should add the marathon milage).

One problem with this plan is my hourly wage. It took me about 2 hours and 20 mins to run 14 miles. This means I made about $6.36/hr. Minimum wage is currently $6.55. This is not ideal. So either I need to pick up my pace to at least be on track with minimum wage or find another way to increase my spending power at Pentagon City Mall. Hmmm, maybe I should stick with Real Estate for my income and just run for the joy of it.

jms

MCM Here I Come!

It's official!!! I'm now registered for the 33rd Annual Marine Corps Marathon!!!!!!! I was planning on running the Harrisburg Marathon 2 weeks later but a spot opened up -- one of Jill's co-workers was able to transfer her spot to me. Yay! I registered, altered my training schedule and I'm ready to do it! So now that means everyone gets 2 Jills: 1 Marathon. See ya there!

I heart the Amish

Now that school is back in session it's impossible for me to do any runs longer than 5 miles before school. So I sometimes run right after work among the cornfields of Conestoga Valley (praying that none of my students will see me). When i was a highschool senior in New Jersey my friends often made fun of me for choosing a college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They would tease me and say I'm going to major in butter churning and marry an amish man named Jebediah (ironically, I did marry a townie). However, I made it about 3.5 years at F&M without seeing any amish. This week I realized it's because the amish don't live in Lancaster City, they all live among the cornfields of Conestoga Valley. They were everywhere. Small ones, big ones, male, female, old, young. There was even this adorable baby going for a buggy ride! And I almost got ran over by a horse. You may think the amish are out-dated and technologically behind, however they can still move faster than me on their scooters and in their bare feet. I'm not really much of a "chipper" runner you could say, but when a horse & buggy comes by with a little amish boy in the back with his ridiculous bowl-cut hair style you can't help but wave & smile.

-Jilly

Rain Delay

Rain delay today on my long run because of Tropical Storm Hanna visiting the Northern VA area. While I was saddended that I couldn't go out and run 16 miles I entertained myself with some TV and icecream along with a few hours of work.

When the sky stopped falling I decided to head out. The humdity was at 99% and Hanna still had some serious wind gusts but I made it a solid 7 miles. Now I have a sick stomach because of the pre-run icecream but hey- at least I was out there!

jms

Singing in the Rain

Ok, so there wasn't any singing going on today, but I needed a good headline. There was an iPod with music, but no singing. There was a little grunting, a little whining, and a lot of me talking to myself (it helps me get up those hills apparently) but still no singing.

Oh there was rain though! I actually haven't had to run in the rain at all during the past few months of my training. Today it was coming down. I made it all the way to mile 6 rain-free. But then it started raining harder and harder. It was really humid this morning so the rain was actually nice and refreshing but my cute running outfit & I did not look so hot after the run was finished. I resembled my dog after she gets out of a bath.

But the good news is that it's over with. 15 miles down. less than 2 months to go.

-Jilly

Flashing Red Lights

There has been some concern in my house about running in the predawn hour. The concern comes from my husband, the predawn running is where I come in. I admit, it is a little dark but the street lights help a lot. Regardless, Jeff bought me a present in the likes of a flashing red light that I can conveniently attach to my body. This flashing red light accomplishes two things.

1. It shows ALL of Alexandria City that I am slowly moving along the streets in the predawn hour.
2. It hopefully demonstrates to vehicles on the road that I am slowly moving along the streets in the predawn hour.

See you in the morning!

jms

River Run

I ran 14 miles this morning and don't think it's possible to add 12.2 on to that. It just can't be done. Early this morning Gerald & I drove out to the Susquehanna River & he dropped me off on River Road approximately 14 miles from home. We placed water bottles & sports beans every few miles along the route so I could replenish along my route. It was a tough run. Note to self: stop making runs with so many hills! The hill @ mile 13 just about killed me. Also, I saw so many McDonald's wrappers along my route that I think it's a sign that's where I should be eating lunch. i was craving a snack wrap & fries the whole time. I think it's time to ice my knees. ciao.

-Jilly

Michael Phelps

You may also want to consider adding 12,000 calories to your diet because that worked for Michael Phelps as well...

-Jilly

playlist....

I hit the 16 mile mark on Saturday! I just kept running and running and running. In fact I ran all the way to Reston VA and back (I guess I did start in Vienna VA only 8 miles from there...still it was a long way!).

I was feeling fairly motivated throughout the run except when my handpicked-Ipod-Nano-running-play-list started repeating itself. That is when I realized I was running for a very long time. Alas, I worked through these issues and finished.

My play list (which is about to be lengthened bc I'm told that a marathon is 26.2 miles and not 16) includes:

Survivor- Destiny's Child
I'm for Love- Hank Williams Jr
Independence Day- Martina McBride
Gimme Three Steps- Skynyrd
You took the words right out of my mouth- Meatloaf

I may need to add some from Michael Phelps' olympic winning playlist. It worked for him!
jms

Going for Gold

I think it's not a coincidence that the 2008 summer olympic games was occuring at the same time as my marathon training. I think it has inspired me to greatness. London 2012 here I come! Just kidding. Did you see the chick that won the gold in the marathon? Constantina Tomescu. She was incredible. Even after she finished she just kept running & running. I hope when I run my marathon in 2 1/2 hours that I will look just like that.

On Saturday I ran a Bethany Half Marathon. Ok, so it wasn't an "official" half-marathon. But it was 13.1 miles and it was in Bethany. So that's what I call it. We were @ Gini's beach house for the weekend in Ocean View, DE @ Bear Trap Dunes. I was only scheduled to run 13 miles on my training, but I decided I should just make it 13.1 to symbolize my halfway point. I had to get up @ 5:30AM while I was @ vacation on the beach to do it. But it was worth it. There's nothing like watching the sun rise by the beach. When i returned to the beach house 3 hours later (don't judge) everyone was pretty much still sleeping. So I went back to bed.

When i woke up everyone wanted to go swimming or biking or play tennis or work out and I'm of course like "no no no no i'm not moving for the rest of the day!". I think everyone thought I was a party pooper because they kept asking why I wouldn't do anything. HELLO! I ran 13.1 miles today I don't need to do any physcial activitity ever again!!! Does anyone realize how crazy that is??? Anyway...so I watched VH1 Greatest 100 Teen Stars, ate Fractured Prune Donuts, floated around in the pool on water noodles, and played Dutch Blitz (& won) instead. Now that's what I call a gold medal weekend @ the beach!

-jilly

PS~has anyone noticed that as the mileage gets longer so does the length of my blogs???

vacation!

So the college tour was a marathon- Jill's entry was right on. Whew. Its a good thing I was on vacation the week before that to prepare myself. Apparently my marathon-training self thought I should take a vacation too because I slacked just a bit on the training last week.

Actually, thats not true if you count suntanning, boating, kayacking, naps, a round of golf all followed by large and very good meals, than I was cross-training!
We spent the week in Bay Creek and it was worth every bit of soreness that is to come from my lack of running last week.

way to go Jill for signing up for the Harrisburg marathon.
way to go Rachel for scheduling your exams and kicking off your college search anew.
way to go Jill Marie for getting back on track with training (or at least considering it!)

jms

College Marathon

Jill & I just got back from a crazy three-day-seven-school-VA-NC college tour with out sister-in-law, Rachel. It was a lot like a marathon in itself. There was planning, dehydration, even itineraries and extreme hunger. Not to mention we were always looking for bathrooms and we got lost a few times. Our legs were screaming for us to stop but we kept going from tour to info session and on to the next college. Walking around all those campuses in the heat is just as tiring as running 5 miles, let me tell you. But we made it to the finish line! I think I'd rather run 26.2 miles then go through the college application process again, but that's just me.

Rach was a real trooper. Jill & I didn't want to skip a beat on our training so we got up in the mornings to run around the nearby campuses. We dragged Rachel out of bed with us to run around Duke Monday morning and Washington & Lee Tuesday morning. It was a great way to see the campuses. There were honks & waves & a water-holder-butt-thingy that got us through it all. Rachel, however may never speak to us again.

Big week for the Stoltzfoos family. Rach is gonna register to take the SAT II/ACT & I'm going to sign up to run the Harrisburg marathon. Good times.

-Jilly

words of encouragement

I had to run a 12 miler again and for some reason it was harder the 2nd time around. My mom is in town so she drove through the streets of Lancaster to bring me water. And of course take pictures of me running. (if you knew my mom you'd understand). So I must of pushed it too hard this week because I was aching the whole run. But I did it! The worst part was the old man who was driving past me in his car. He slowed down, lowered his window & yelled "faster! faster!" out the window. I guess he was trying to be cute. But I really just wanted to punch him. Don't worry I refrained myself.

-Jilly

Highlights from this week

On Friday morning I did a 5 mile run that took me down 999 & who did I see in my periphials moving closer to me on a lawn mower??? None other than Richard Eugene Glick! So funny.

Saturday I accomplished my first 12 miler. It was glorious. Unlike Jill, I tend to UNDERpack on my runs. Just me & my Ipod. Well, when I ran the 11 miler last weekend I ran into a little dehydration problem. So Gerald & I decided to fix that. Some time during my run he drove along my running route and found me to give me some water. He found me in Millersville right at mile 8 and brought Schmuffin to give me that extra encouragement.

Unlike Jill, I did not receive any free breakfasts that day. But maybe I should of told some of the vendors @ Central Market about my accomplishment! Mr. Auchenbach would have definetely given me a free peanut butter long john if he had only known!!! Thanks for the tip.

-Jilly

pat me on the back panera bread!

Well- I've hit the halfway point. I ran 13.5 miles today! At this point I cannot imagine thinking about another 13 miles after 13 run on Marathon day. I'll figure that out later. Today I'll focus on the halfway celebrataion!

I usually run with my team on the long runs. This week however, the team wasn't meeting. I got up and ran around Burke Lake for 13.5 miles all by myself (and a borrowed Ipod with a very limited song selection I might add). I was so proud of myself and wanted to tell SOMEONE about my accomplishment so I told the first person I saw which happened to be the cashier at Panera Bread. I totally caught him off guard, I guess not many folk tell the cashiers information like this. After he recovered, he congratualated me and asked how I thought it went. He then proceeded to comp me my breakfast sandwich and whipped out some green juice that he instructed me that I needed to recover from such a run. How nice of the Panera Bread man.

Jill- if the going gets tough just head over to Panera off Edsall Rd. They'll take care of you!
jms

My Fave Websites

So here are a few of my new favorite websites...

This one calculates how many calories you burn for each run: Calories Burned (and makes me feel good about myself as I devour half of this pizza ...i ran 6 miles today so I am hungry!!!!!!!!!)

And this one predicts how long the actual marathon will take you based on your past runs: Marathon Time Calculator (i was a little nervous about the 6 hour time limit - but as of now i'm on track to finish in less than 6 hours, barely, but still...)

A must have website for all runners: Favorite Run

-Jilly

you didn't tell me...

You didn't tell me that marathon training would mean extreme hunger and exhaustion. One would think that you could figure this from the term 'marathon training'. I guess I am clueless but figured it out when I was not a happy camper at 8pm this evening when starving and exhausted. Up at 5 to run 4, worked 8, worked another 2 and bought groceries and then had to make dinner at 8!?! Oh, and this is only Monday.
wish me luck the rest of this week-whew!
ps: Glad to hear the crocs helped. Maybe I should get a pair...

jms

Injuries, Massages, & Adventures In Williamsburg

In addition to my running, I like to work out additionally by doing other cardio or taking classes. This past Wednesday I took Boot Camp Cardio & Body Works classes @ LA Fitness (these are classes I take on a regular basis) and nothing was out of the ordinary, but when i woke up Thursday morning my left ankle & foot were in serious pain. I could barely walk. Luckily it was my day off. So I spent the day icing & stretching my foot/ankle and other soar body parts. Then after watching my husband win the U-30 Summer League Championship (!!!!) we drove down to Williamsburg. I had a 4 miler all planned near our hotel for Friday morning (I even printed out the map) but decided I needed to rest for another 24 hours. I was concerned about missing a training day but even more concerned about making my injury worse. Besides, walking around Busch Gardens would be enough exercise for one day. My foot hurt so bad that the strain of lifting up a flip flop was too much. Luckily I had these SWEET mickey mouse crocs to see me through...

They must have done the trick (that or my near death experience on "Apollo's Chariot") because when I woke up Saturday morning my injury was all better. So I got to run a beautiful 11 miler around the ground's of Kings Mill Resort & Spa. It felt great. That's one of the reasons I love running you get to see & explore places you would normally not get to see.

But REALLY the best part of my adventures was my post-run massage @ the spa!!! (The 50 minute Changing Seasons Sampler Massage to be exact). Honestly, all my runs should be followed by a massage!!! Why haven't I been doing this all along???

-Jilly

PS~10 minute mile pace is awesome!

10 miler!

The only thing laughing now are my muscles! I finally accomplished the 10 mile mark with the help of another team mate. She injured herself and had to slow down so she ran with me...slowed down to a 9.5 and 10 min mile. Thanks for really slowin'- this was a push for me!
My route was 5 miles down the WO&D trail and 5 miles back. Coming back was much better than going.
I got a free water fanny pack now so I don't over pack. I just look quite goofy.
I think I've found some other dream 'hydration packs'.

jms

Over packed

I tend to over pack on trips. I know this about me. Apparently I'm now overpacking on runs. I set out yesterday with a water bottle, gu goo and a cheat sheet for my route (i still got lost). I looked down at the 1 mile mark and wondered what I was doing with all this stuff! It took my mind off the run though as I tried to figure out what to do with it all.

tri berry Gu Goo is a go.

jms

Pockets

apparently race ready shorts are a great place to carry Goo or whatever else you might need on long runs.

-Jilly

Goo

So I tried the goo. It tasted like a liquid jolly rancher. I don't think Orange Burst is going to be a favorite. My question is-how do you carry this with you on the run? Hmmm...we'll see how the mixed berry goes today.

jms

Early Morning Runs

The best part about long early morning runs on Saturday is that I get first pick of ALL the yard sales. But alas, there was nothing out there any good. Maybe next week...

-Jilly

Research

Good news! I did some research and talked to my friend Joanie who just ran the San Diego marathon last month. She says there is an alternative to Goo! She compares "Goo" to the consistency of floride at the dentist...she says that Clif Blocks and Jelly Belly Sports Beans are just as good. Jelly Beans to help me run a marathon?!?!? That sounds right up my alley!

-Jilly

Blisters and Goo

So apparently my all cotton cute Nike socks are no match for my 7.5miles. I came home today with 2 blisters, one for each heel. I guess the $9 offical running socks are going to be worth it.

note to self: buy more

Apparently at 7.5miles I need to start thinking about Goo, or some other form of nutrition. I had a headache and was half sick a few hours after my run today. I think this is why the overly-eager-chick at the running store made me buy some Goo to try. This is a form of food to help you get through the long distances. I didn't think I was at this point yet, but alas, Saturday I will try it. Stay tuned.

jms

I Heart Wednesdays

Wanna know why I love Wednesdays? It means I can rest on Thursday! Yay :-)

Here's my training schedule:




-Jilly

tortoise and the hare

The tortoise wins, right? I hope so because that is me. I ran my first ever 7 miler today. I am slow and steady but I did it. Maybe this is why my feet are tired even in my new shoes?

jms

My first 10-miler

I too, needed to get new shoes & purchased 2 new pairs several weeks ago. However, I did not get a discount. But the good news is that I got them at DSW which means I got 2 pairs for practically the price of one!

I completed my first 10 mile run ever this morning. I didn't think I would make it...but I did. Go me. It took me 125 minutes which isn't really impressive, but it was at a faster pace than my 8 miler the week before. So that means i'm getting faster!

If you're interested here's my route: Jilly 10 Miles

nap time! :-)

-Jilly

new shoes

so i got me some new running shoes and new socks. i got a discount bc i told them i'm running the marine corps with a group. i'm well on my way now i guess! first training run with my team tomorrow!

jms