[Mandy]

I had been looking forward to this day for the last 13 weeks of training.  It was the 2nd of my longest scheduled runs of the season: my 2nd 20 miler.  Secretly I had intentions to run over 20 miles, and I was aiming for 22 depending on how the run progressed.  I was somewhat anxious about this run for a couple of reasons.  I was battling lower calf pain and had been cutting some of my weekly runs short or knocking one out altogether.  For some weird reason I hadn’t had an appetite all week long and had to force myself to eat (and for those of you who know me, this is extremely out of the ordinary for this girl!); even Friday while I was trying to take in extra carbs I was practically stuffing them down my throat.  I had been eating Advil and taking a heating pad to work to heat my leg while I sat at my desk.  The nagging feeling that this run might not go as well as planned had been plaguing me for the past couple of weeks.  Nevertheless, as important as it was I knew I just had to get out there and get started to see how it would turn out.  I’m too close to the end to quit now.

We set the alarm for 5:30 with the intention of being out at Sailboat Cove at Smithville Lake and running by 7:00 AM.  I really strive to have these 20+ mile runs as close to a race simulation as possible.  This allows me to figure out what I want to wear and take as far as supplements go as well as strategize how I will run the marathon.  I should have known we were doomed from the start when Christopher and I had a case of the giggles and sat in the car for 45 minutes laughing and carrying on.  7:30 came and went, and we were still preparing to get started.  Focus was definitely lost on me that morning.  I couldn’t stop laughing and being silly, and I was shivering in the cold morning air that I hadn’t grown accustomed to.  I absolutely love Fall, and the 49 degrees that it registered that morning is perfect for us runners.  I had yet to run in temperatures that cool, though, and my body just couldn’t quite get warmed up.

We were off and running (finally) closer to 8:00, and I was so happy that Christopher chose to run the first 6 miles with me.  He has been a complete running rock star lately, and I was amazed at how effortlessly he glided alongside me that first chunk of my run.  It was comforting and motivating to have him by my side, as usual.  Even after the first 6 miles, I was cold, and my hands were cramping.  I could feel my achy calves and knees, and I was doubting this 20 mile run was going to get knocked out at all.  I was tired, and I could tell that not eating like I usually do this past week was going to take its toll on me that day.  I couldn’t *not* do it, though, so I waited with Christopher while he grabbed his bike; I grabbed my Clif Turbo Shot Gel, and we took off towards the other end of the trails that would allow Christopher to get in some off-road mountain biking.  I ran the next 6 miles while he stayed with me most of the way and hopped onto the adjoining trails every now and then.  By the time we made it back to the vehicle to grab some water and Hammer Perpetuem to refuel, I was completely tapped of all energy, and he had a flat tire.  We realized we had a spare tube but no pump, and I was scheming a way to get out of the remaining 8 miles altogether.  Luckily there were some Boy Scouts having a mountain bike race that day, and they let Christopher borrow a pump to get his bike back in working order.  This gave me a good 15 minutes to stretch, refuel, and get my head “screwed on straight.”  I had to dig deep to get through the next portion of the run.  I knew I wanted to get in at least 20 miles that day, but deep down I really wanted 22.  I just didn’t know if my body was going to let me.  I had no energy, and my legs were screaming in pain.  The only thing that was going to get me through this was sheer determination and mental toughness.  And then Christopher had a genius idea.  He suggested we both run the mountain bike trails.  This was just the challenge and change of pace I needed.  It got me off the monotonous paved trails and would give me something else to focus on and “have fun” with.

The next 8 miles, while tough, were a blast!  I had to stay on guard the entire time, watching my footing and dodging tree roots, rocks, and snakes.  It was windy, narrow, and steep, and the sudden uphills and downhills had me grinning ear to ear!  We made our way through the miles of mountain bike trails and actually had a great time amidst the extreme tiredness and pain I was feeling simultaneously.  Christopher stayed close behind making sure I had everything I needed.  By the time we got to mile 19, I was exhausted; it was getting harder and harder to pick up my feet, and I kept tripping over rocks and roots and nearly face-planted a couple of times.  I stopped in the middle of the woods to grab a drink, and Christopher gave me a much needed pep talk. “Mandy, you’ve already run 19 miles.  You’re SUPPOSED to be tired.  I’m very proud of you.  You’ve got this!”  And after a sweaty, dirty hug and kiss, I had the spring back in my step.  I ran with him back to the car to drop off the bike, and he ran with me the remaining 3 miles.  We ran the next two miles on the mountain bike trails together and the last mile on the paved trails, rounding out Saturday’s run to 23 miles!  I couldn’t have done it without his help and motivation.  I can’t even begin to describe how impressed with him I am: he cranked out 9 miles of running and over 14 miles of biking while barely breaking a sweat or breathing hard.  He’s become quite the running protege’ over the last few months!  I was spent; I had dirt all over my shoes and legs, chafed skin from the constant rubbing, and two pretty, purple toe nails.  I was exhausted but so proud of myself for completing the run.  It may not have gone as planned and may not have been as fast as I would have liked, but such is life Tired after 6 miles I still cranked out another 17.  Three more miles and I would have done my own self-proposed marathon.

We stretched and climbed (or rather dragged ourselves) into the Jeep to head back home for a very much-needed ice bath.  We had to hit up Quiznos for a post-run feeding, and the ice bath coupled with an hour and a half nap just hit the spot!  I’m very happy to report that so far my legs are feeling much better than they have the week before!  The calf pain I was feeling is very minimal, and aside from a slight tightness in the legs, I’m feeling wonderful!  I’m planning on running Tuesday evening, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the legs will be feeling fresh and rested.  After this killer long run, I’m just now into my three week taper before the race.  My runs will get a little shorter and less intense in order to get them ready for the marathon.  The worst (but at the same time the best!) is behind me; I can start focusing on D-Day and doing what I can to make sure I’m well-fueled, hydrated, and ready to go on October 15th!

[Christopher]

First of all, I just want to say how impressed I am with Mandy’s run. 23 miles is a long way to put one foot in front of the other for over three hours. She can tell you how tough it is, but from my point of view, she makes it look effortless.

As for my run… there’s not a whole lot that I can say about it. Now that I am not training for anything, they are more for keeping Mandy company and keeping in shape. Mandy had asked me how I wanted to attack the run on this day and I had made the mistake of saying this phrase to her, “Well you tell me hun. I’m just running for fun.” I knew just as I said that, she was going to have a funny look on her face. Click here to see that face. It was priceless. Now, just to clarify: I still don’t think running is “fun” but since there is nothing that I am training for, it is more or less just for the heck of it. I will give her credit though, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be out there with her. For that, I am grateful. It definitely helps me to be more of a well rounded athlete, so to speak. The first 6 miles did seem rather easy considering that I usually stop a few times in between stretching. This time, the only time I stopped was to turn around at the 3 mile mark and head back. So I was pretty happy about that. I know like anything else, you have to practice to be good at it. Running is no exception. I never thought I would be able to run as much as I am now and I have no intention on letting up.

It was fun to finish up the last 3 miles on the trails. I liked it a lot when I ran them on the Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge. It definitely conditions you in a different way. You have to keep on your toes as Mandy mentioned. There were a couple of times she had to leap over a snake. In all, it was a beautiful day to spend outdoors running and biking. She completed her 23 miles on and off road, and I got in 9 miles of running and 14 miles of biking, on and off road. I love this stuff!

As always, watch this video. This sums up our day!

[Mandy] This was our last weekend of full, hard training before Christopher’s Wakarusa coming up this weekend.  He had planned a combination of a run and ride, and my training plan called for a 15 mile recovery run.  If I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m crazy about marathon training!  I love how it trains the mind and I start thinking of 15 miles as a recovery run.  I was looking forward to Saturday’s run to get back to running as I knew it; I felt lately I had been focused too much on pace and hitting a certain time instead of enjoying my run and remembering why I was doing it in the first place! My plan for my 15 miler was to start off extremely easy, settle into it, and just run for the hell of it.  It worked! I found my sweet spot…you know, the point where it feels effortless, liberating, like you’re gliding along the ground, and find yourself grinning for no apparent reason? It’s the way I usually run but had somehow lost it along the way.  The weather was gorgeous and cool, and we ran a portion of the trails that was a bit hillier, which I loved! I had my gels and sustained energy, which kept my energy levels up, and I love having Christopher run alongside me at the beginning and end.  It was a great recovery run before the big one next Saturday: 20 miles!  I’m very much looking forward to this weekend.  Christopher has his Wakarusa Challenge, and I have one my longest runs of my training season to complete.  I can’t wait for our fun-filled weekend!

[Christopher] Well just as Mandy said, this is the last week before my Wakarusa Off-road challenge. It all goes down on Saturday morning in Lawrence Kansas. Am I ready for it? As ready as I’m ever going to be I suppose. I could train harder or brainstorm more about how to prepare, but in reality, this is my first “official” race. I’m not really going to know until I have done it at least once or twice. I believe I have enough of the training to have the basics down, but I won’t really know what I need to do until I am in thrown in the fire. A special thanks to Mandy for helping me through this. Running is not my cup of tea, but with her help, I am able to kick out a few miles here and there. She makes a great training partner!

Saturday was another day great morning at Smithville Lake. I did my usual 2 mile run to start with Mandy and this time I was able to actually enjoy some of the off-road trails. I only got in a little over 9 miles of the trails. I figured that was good enough being that around the 7 mile mark, I wiped out. That’s the fun with mountain biking; you play hard, you are bound to fall once or twice. This time, I just ended up with a few scrapes and I figured I should quit while I’m ahead. I don’t want to miss the race because of a silly mistake. After the mountain bike ride, I finished up the last four mile run with Mandy. I finished it fairly solid, but I still felt a little spent by the end of the last mile. I need to figure out when to take my C4 Extreme and Sustained Energy at the right time so I don’t get gassed to soon. Other than that, I think I am ready to have fun! It will be fun and a learning experience all at the same time. Stay tuned for the results, photos and a video of the big day!

[Mandy]  We’ve grown accustomed to having our Saturday mornings blocked off because of our training for our upcoming events, and this Saturday was no different.  We made our usual trek to Smithville Lake, and this week we were joined by our friends Jeremy and Lanetta.  I had an 18 mile run scheduled, and Christopher was going to continue working on his transition by running the first two miles with me, biking the next 10+, and then finishing up the last 6 miles of my run by running alongside me.  Jeremy and Lanetta also joined us for the first couple miles of our run before heading back home to start their days.  Luckily the weather was nice and cool, even though it was still a bit humid.  We got an early start, but unfortunately our usual trailhead was closed off, throwing a wrench in our plans.  Christopher had hoped to practice his off-roading skills by riding the trails, but now we couldn’t get to them!  We had to quickly adjust and revamp our plans and headed to Crows Creek to start our workout.  I was excited for the 18 I had planned that morning; it had been almost a year since I’ve run that distance, and I was curious to see how my body would handle it. I have to say I’m pretty satisfied with it, although the last couple of miles were rather tough!  I realized I went out and did the first 10 miles a little faster than I should have, and I didn’t have much in the reserves when I needed them.  I was able to hammer out all 18 though, and having Christopher running with me for many of those miles really helped propel me forward.  I also relied on my Sustained Energy drink, my Clif gel, and lots of water!  I took a quick shot of caffeine mid-run, and that helped with the mental clarity.  I was able to finish the run in 2:44:06 (actual running time, not including breaks for fuel), and I was REALLY looking forward to the ice bath afterwards.  I swear by these, and I attribute my quick recovery and lack of injuries to sitting in ice water for about 15 minutes after my long runs.  They hurt, but they are so worth it!  I still have 7 weeks before my big day, and I’m growing more and more excited for Christopher’s race in just a couple weeks.  I’m looking forward to cheering him on as he tackles his own “marathon” of sorts!

[Christopher] There’s not much that I want to say about my training this day, except that it was painful. The first two miles started out OK, but I could tell my legs were a little tired. This week was a busy week for my legs. On Tuesday I had a pretty intense leg workout. Then on Wednesday, I bicycled from work to the gym, then ran 2 miles on the treadmill at the gym. Then on Thursday, I commuted by bicycle to work and then to the gym… A valuable lesson learned this day; I will not work out that hard with my legs the week before the event . As I said, the first 2 miles were OK, and then I jumped on my mountain bike and pedaled pretty hard out 5 miles and then turned back around to catch Mandy before she got back to the Jeep. My legs were burning, but I still felt fairly good. After 14 miles of biking, I rejoined Mandy to get in 6 more miles of running. FAIL. My legs were tired and spent. I barely got in a mile and a half before my shin started burning. Soon after that, my right knee was becoming sore; the same knee that I injured a year ago. I went ahead and finished off a total of 6.5 miles for the day, instead of 8 that I was hoping to get. I didn’t want to push it too much and risk another injury. So beaten, I called it quits for the day. As I said, next time I know better. Training is always a learning process of triall and error.

[Mandy] We had a JAM PACKED day planned for this Saturday’s training.  I only had a 13 mile recovery run to knock out, but Christopher was going to try to get in something of a simulation for his race in September.  He we going to run the first 4 miles with me, bike alongside me during my run, and then finish the last two miles of my run to practice the transition between biking and running.  We borrowed a kayak from Christopher’s brother, Bryan, and he wanted to get a feel for it before the Wakarusa.  To top it off, we had plans to hit up the gym to get in a quick lift to round out the day.

I was *exhausted* from the moment the alarm went off in the morning, and nothing in me actually wanted to run.  This is unusual for me; I’m normally pumped and ready to go, but I felt drained on every level from the week before and  just didn’t have it in me today.  Knowing I needed to do this, I pounded my Ephedra Tea and tried to get my head screwed on straight.  Logically I knew that this was a shorter long run, but it was still 13 miles, and I knew it could be killer if I wasn’t prepared!  We ran the first 4 miles together, which I was thankful for, and then I was able to pull out the next 7 miles which felt to me to be a snail’s pace. It’s kind of crazy, but running slower is actually harder when you’re trying to pull out that kind of mileage.  I was simply plodding along, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, slowly but surely crossing off the next mile.  After I had finished 11 miles, Christopher racked his bike and ran the last two with me.  I was so grateful to have him with me, pushing me to finish those remaining miles!  I attibute my lack of energy and drive this week to lack of sleep. This week my focus is on feeling rested and doing everything I can to get my body back to a state of feeling 100% on every level.  I was so happy to grab my mountain bike at the end of my run and do a leisurely 4 mile ride with Christopher.  Afterwards we each took a few turns on the kayak and  and topped off the day with a quick lift at Gold’s Gym.  I have to say we did a great job of exhausting ourselves today!  Next week I have a couple 8 mile tempo and interval runs during the week and a long run on Saturday of 18 miles.  I have to admit I’m really excited to tackle this next obstacle, as it’s been about 10 months since I’ve run this distance.  If I’m not looking forward to doing something outlandish or something that requires me to dig deep, I feel a bit lost.  This recovery week was almost difficult for me to enjoy because I lost that momentum I had going.  Tomorrow marks a new day of training, and I’m anxious to get underway.  I’m halfway through Marathon Training!

[Christopher] My confidence is really starting to escalate after this day; starting out with a 4 mile run and then finishing up the last 2 miles with Mandy seemed rather effortless. My knees and my shins are really holding pretty solid, and the pain that I used to have seems minimal. I’m hoping that this will only get better with time. I believe that I owe that to the Vibrams shoes. They really help my joints from impact, and at the same time help build my calves. A mix of the running, biking and kayaking was a good taste of what is to come with my Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge. With only a couple weeks until D-Day, I’m getting excited. My first “official” race on my own; I’m all growns up, with the help of Mandy. Take a look at some of the activities we got in on Saturday. What an awesome day!

Christopher here! Yes, there is always a first for everything. My first came Saturday when I ran 6.2 miles. I never thought I would be saying this, mainly because I still don’t enjoy it all that much. So why am I even doing this to myself, you may ask? I guess it’s to see what I’ve got? You never know what your body is capable of if you don’t put yourself in extreme situations. With the Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge coming up, I want to be prepared. Yes, this is a fun event for me, but at the same time, I want to see how well I can do. This will be my first event that involves running, mountain biking and kayaking all in one. The course has a 4 mile run at the start and a 2 mile run at the end. Running 6 comfortably might give me the edge I need. I am thankful that Mandy is training for her marathon or I don’t know that I would have the drive to get out there and run on my own.

With Tom accompanying us, we started at a new spot a Smithville Lake (Crow Creek) to break up the scenery a little. The run started at a very easy pace to ease into it so my shin and knee would not be shocked. Needless to say, running slow was not the answer. The first three miles were not horrible, but I had more pain than I would like when running. The next half I picked up the pace to get it over with and ended up finishing it with a 7 minute per mile pace. At the end, Tom kept me going to make sure that I got in a full 10k. With Mandy and Tom’s help, I was able to finish a 10k in about 1 hour. I’m happy with that, considering. I only have a few weeks until the challenge. I’m getting pretty excited.

[Mandy]

I have to admit, I was a little nervous for my 17 mile run this week.  The funny thing about marathon training is the gradual build in mileage; it slowly builds your confidence at the same time, so before you know it you go from running 10 miles to 15 to 20!  I haven’t run 17 miles since my last marathon in October; and while I knew I was fully capable, I knew it would be tough.  Running the first few miles with Christopher and Tom really helps.  It allows me to break up the daunting task of running one huge 17 mile run into “smaller” more manageable chunks.  I viewed the first 6 miles with them as a fun warm up, a great distraction to help knock out the first portion of the run.  It was beautiful out, albeit a little humid, and I was happy to be seeing a new portion of the trails at Smithville.  My legs felt a little tired (probably due to the fact that I had some fantastic workouts during the previous week) and it wasn’t quite as effortless as I had hoped.  I had a very determined and optimistic mindset though, so I was focused on mentally crossing off the miles as we passed each marker.  After Christopher finished his 6.2 miles (I am so very proud of him for accomplishing a difficult goal that he had never completed before!), he followed close behind me handing off water and my carb gels.  This week I tried a chocolate cherry gel that tasted like frosting and had the equivalent of two shots of espresso.  I think I found a new favorite :) I was happy to find that I was keeping up a pace of just under 9 min/miles throughout the duration of the run.  When all was said and done, I was extremely happy with my 17 mile run and am even more pleased to find that my recovery time is much faster this time around!  I finish my long runs with excess energy, not feeling like I’ve completely spent myself.  Having my PIC alongside me is my motivation and inspiration to keep on keepin’ on!  I’m so impressed with Christopher’s determination and work ethic; he makes it easier for me to keep pushing myself and working towards the goals that I have.  I can’t wait to cheer him on at the Wakarusa Challenge in September and pay him back some of what he does for me!