Who Wants to Get Active: Team First Marathon

OMG I did it!!!!!!!!!

Active Levi — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:16:56 GMT

Hello everyone!!!!!!!!!

So I woke up late yesterday and had to rush to get ready. I checked my phone, and my friend Jim was on his way. I woke my wife up and asked her to drop us off at the event and this was around 5:45 in the morning. Jim showed up and I thought we had plenty of time to get to the event. When my wife dropped us off, we had to walk a few blocks to the starting line. As we got to the starting line, we heard the gun to start the race for the wheelchair competitors. We had to run and check our bags and barely made it to our corrals when the race had begun. Turns out the race started at 6:30 and not 7.

Now I had originally planned on just showing up and giving support, but ended up running 16 miles!!! My friend Jim and I had to stop twice for "Bio" breaks, but for the most part, we ran 16 miles! That's when I hit a wall and had to walk. Jim offered to walk with me. I have to say, without Jim there to converse with and distract me from the pain, I don't think I ever would have finished the race. By mile 23, I was in tears from all of the pain, but I knew I couldn't give up. I was so close yet the last few miles were the biggest challenge I had ever faced! It was amazing coming in for the last half mile and seeing my wife there waiting for me!!!! Neither one of us had ever done anything like this so we did not know what to expect.

I saw so many incredible things on the race and I am still in awe!!! first of all, I loved all of the costumes. Anyone who knows me knows that I also love to wear costumes, so I am kicking myself in the butt for not wearing one!. There was a guy who juggled 4 balls "FOR THE ENTIRE MARATHON!!!!!!!" That was nothing compared to the man I had saw running the race "BAREFOOT" WOW I never had seen anything like that!!~!!!! these were just a few of the highlights. After the race, a friend of mine said that a girl took a stick with vaseline on it from a medic and ate it thinking it was honey!!! LOL, I almost did the same thing but coach Jenny said not to try anything new....THANK YOU COACH JENNY ; )

The excitement of the crowd and the amazing music of the bands seemed to come to me just as I needed them most. I am truly amazed and happy and still can not believe that I finished the race!!!!! It took a lot of hard work and determination but I did it!!!!! I would really like to thank Active.com for proving the training and tools I needed to succeed in my goal of completing my first marathon!!!!!

Congratulations to everyone who participated!!!!!!!! This was not an easy task and the hardest part was taking that first step of deciding that you had a goal you wanted to accomplish! There were so many motivating stories and encouragement, that I feel like everyone will reach their goals!!!!!

I finished my first Marathon!

Neal Block — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:11:25 GMT

After 6 months of grueling training, numerous ice baths, long tough training runs, I finished my first marathon in 4 hours and 48 minutes! While I hit the mile 22 mark and was slowly approaching "THE WALL" I pushed and pushed knowing the finish line was near! The crowds were so inspirational, bands motivating, and overall atmosphere was incredible!

Thanks to Active.Com and the awesome training program you put together! Your team is so inspirational and I recommend this program for anyone "WHO WANTS TO GET ACTIVE"

Thanks Again!!!!!

Tip of the iceberg!

Active Levi — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:18 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am sorry that you have not heard from me in a while. I have been

really bummed out about my injury and have been feeling depressed !http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/sad.gif!.

I have been working with a physical trainer, an acupuncturist, and a

chiropractor to try and heal as quickly as possible. The problem was

that when I first had injured myself after the 14 mile run, I should

have talked to a doctor then. Instead I waited until I thought I was

better and then injured myself even worse! I have about another 2 weeks

of PT before I can begin training again.

Well this Sunday is race day and even though I doubt I will be able to

complete the race, I am still going to attend and give as much support

to my teammate and fellow coworkers as I can. I am going to attempt to

walk the marathon and have a good feeling about it but don't want to

get my hopes up too high!

This has been an amazing experience for me and such a huge part of my

life! I am so very glad and thankful for Active.com for everything they

have done! Thank you so much for providing this unique opportunity for

me to enrich my life and to achieve one of my highest goals!!!!

Everything you have supplied from the training programs, to coach

Jenny, to all of the awesome prizes and wonderful stories of

encouragement and inspiration have made such a huge impact on my life!

I feel like I do not have the words to thank you enough!

From getting off the couch last year and competing in my first event,

to training for my first marathon, I know that this is something I

really enjoy doing and competing in events is going to be a major part

of my life going forward. I have so many aspirations and dreams and

this has been a huge stepping stone for me. Even though I may not cross

that finish line, I have proven to myself that I do have what it takes

to achieve my dreams. I have many more events planned for this year and

this was simply just the tip of the iceberg!!!!!!!!!

Please check back regulary as I will continue to blog on my efforts of

eventually becoming an Ironman and will have a video soon of the race

day excitement!!!!!!!...........(Thanks again Active.com for the

awesome camera!)

Last Minute Marathon Tips

Coach Jenny Hadfield — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:37:01 GMT

Greetings Team. Well, it's hard to believe but race week is here! Sometimes the journey to the marathon turns out quite different than the expected, but the key is to remain flexible and stick with your modified plan. The goal for your first marathon is to finish upright and with a smile on your face:) Here are a few tips on how you can accomplish this;

Don't Try Anything New. It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement and begin to make drastic changes in your diet, training and equipment this week. The number one rule in marathoning is DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW on race day (and race week). Every long run has been a dress rehearsal for the big day and by now, you should know what to eat, how much to drink and what you're going to wear. The time to make changes and adjustments is during the season. For example you'll want to avoid drinking tons more water in the hopes of being well hydrated, eating a ton more veggies than normal and trying new equipment. When you get tempted to make a change, remember to stick to what your body knows.

Review Your Log. Take a few minutes and reflect on all the training sessions you did this season. You are well prepared and this week is all about resting and fueling. The training you are doing this week is to merely keep your legs loose rather than training for the race. Your sessions should be short and light in intensity as you want to be well rested for race day.

Go with what the day brings. It could be warm or cold, rainy or windy. Or it could be perfect weather. Don't let the things you can't control affect your day. If you come to challenging parts of the race, think your way through. Just as life rolls through hard and easy days so will the race. At the tough times, set a shorter goal to run or walk to a light poll or something closer to you than the finish. Set a series of shorter finish lines. Keep your head in the game as it controls your body and will get you to the finish line! This tough time will pass and soon you will have a medal hanging around your neck.

Have a Mental Plan for Race Day. Training is 90% physical and 10% mental. Race day, is the exact opposite. Your body is trained, rested and ready to go. Your mind is in charge on race day. Keep your mind actively engaged in the race and think your way through the course. Review the course map now and break it up into smaller, more digestible pieces. It's easier to stay focused and engaged for shorter periods of time than for several hours. Plus, 26.2 is less daunting if you think in 2-3 mile increments. Like life, you'll roll through a series of emotions (highs and lows) on race day. Enjoy the highs, and prepare for the lows. Pack a few "power words" in your pocket to keep you focused and your mind actively engaged in the positive. "Strong and Steady" is one of my favorites.

Good luck!!

Coach Jenny

20 Mile Run!

Neal Block — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:05:29 GMT

Last week I completed a brutal 16 miles. I was supposed to go 20 miles, but my body gave out! I tried and tried, but something in my legs said "STOP NOW NEAL"

I decided to do my 20 mile run after work since it does not get dark until 8:00pm. Biggest mistake, between the San Francisco head winds and a full day of work, my body said "STOP"

So, for all you Marathon Runners, will I be able to complete 26.2 miles with my longest run only being 18 miles?

Working and working and working!

Jess Leberer — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:40:03 GMT

Hi all. Its been a while. I see that everyone is doing wonderfully...everyone ready for the big race? I'm really sad that I cant be there, but the good news is that I am healing, slowly but I am healing. I managed to run for about 3 minutes the other day but my leg started hurting so I guess that wasnt the best idea Physical therapy is helping, its hard for me though because its a lot of doing nothing and I'm very go go go. My doctor is giving me stretching exercises and lots of leg massages to loosen the muscles which is good and the cortisone shot is AMAZING when its actually done right.

I definitely feel better, I feel like I want to run but I know I cant so I am sticking to walks and swimming and biking when I feel like I can. We will see what the future holds but right now I'm focused on staying as pain free as possible. This is something I can get rid of but its going to take a long time...and there are always set backs. One day I'm great the next I'm in pain and suddenly I'm a human barometer! (p.s. if you live inBoulder i think it might rain soon) Right now I am just focusing on losing weight, as I have gained a lot during the pain and not wanting to work out and eating due to stress, I think that may be a big stone to lift and will ultimately help me get back to fighting capacity sooner.

I wish everyone a safe end to training and will be in touch more in the coming weeks! GO TEAM!

Holistic Healing

Active Levi — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:51:56 GMT

Hello everyone,

So I am a little disappointed because my physicians all seem to think that I will be healed by race day, but they also feel like a full marathon may cause my injuries to come back.

I am going to focus on my diet and try to eat proteins that will help my body heal faster. I have been seeing a medicine woman named Eti Kodama from Jiva Health (pronounced Jee-vuh) and she is incredible ! I have had 2 sessions with her so far and I have felt great after each one. I was a little skeptical at first as I have never tried anything like this before, and taking an herbal approach to my health is new to me. I like it a lot more than taking the opiates that were prescribed to me. The painkillers were making me very drowsy and unmotivated. The pain has not completely gone away especially when I walk longer distances. For the most part though, I am feeling like I am healing.

This week I am getting back in the gym to do some strength training and swimming exercises! I am still happy to be a part of this program and will do everything in my power to accomplish my goal of being a first time marathon runner/walker!

18 Mile Run

Neal Block — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:05:42 GMT

Is it physical or mental finishing 26.2 miles?

This amazing journey started back in January! I can remember my first long run, a total of 8 miles. While 8 miles was a lot of mileage at the time, it was more of mental game. As I start approaching distances of 16, 18, and 20 miles, I start questioning myself. Is it physical or mental????

Basically, I completed my 18 mile run. Unfortunately, I hit my wall at 17 and had to walk the final mile. I tried to tell myself it was a mental thing, but my legs and back gave out. While I walked the final mile, I realized this was a great accomplishment. I mean, the fact I just ran 17 miles got me really fired up! Than, I realized the Rock and Roll Marathon will have 20,000 runners, Bands every mile, cheerleaders yelling, friends and family on the sidelines, and beautiful San Diego!

Maybe 26.2 miles will be all mental? Maybe the excitement of 20,000 runners will get me to finish my goal and overcome the physical pain of running 26.2 miles.

I look forward to my big day!

14 and 16 Mile Battle!

Neal Block — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:02:52 GMT

Well, after I completed my 16 mile run, I thought to myself another 10 miles???

10 miles, why does that seem so hard after battling 16 miles? Maybe because it really hurt both physically and mentally? Maybe because I mentally psyched myself out? Or, maybe I could do the extra 10 more miles on race day, who knows??

I have my 18 mile run this weekend, looking forward to yet another battle!

Stay tuned!

The Peaks and Valleys in Marathon Training

Coach Jenny Hadfield — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:35:47 GMT

Forrest Gump had it right when he coined the phrase "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get." Marathoning is like life. You ebb and flow through peaks and valleys and you can never predict the outcome. There is nothing like the feeling when things are flowing, but it sure can be frustrating when things ebb. Aches, pains and injuries can appear at first to be a road block on your journey to the marathon start line, but if you listen and watch, they can be the very communication signals you need to get to the finish line successfully. Some of us just need to take the long way around to earn that marathon medal.

It is important to keep positive and learn from injuries that occur. Why did they happen? What could you have done differently to avoid them? Is it a biomechanical issue or an over-use concern? Keep a log, listen and learn. The marathoner is you will blossom, you just need to tweak and modify to get there...

Coach Jenny

Thank you for all of the wonderful wishes and comments!

Jess Leberer — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:09:53 GMT

You guys have all been awesome and encouraging! Thank you so much becuase Ive been feeling really down about this! So since it is official that I will not be able to run the marathon, I am going to keep blogging about my rehabbing and getting back on the horse.

I have been seeing the most wonderful doctor ever, Dr. Saint-Phard, shes a former olympian and professor at the University of Colorado and works with their Runners as well as other teams. (if anyone is in Colorado and looking for a great sports med doc, this is it!) So Ive been on some meds to help out with the pain and to help me sleep and we kind of came up with a way that I can still get some exericise only its in the form of swimming and doing the eliptical for a while. All of this makes me wonder if I am a runner, maybe I am a swimmer instead We'll see!

Today I start physical therapy, and I start in some pain. I got a cortisone shot in my bursa yesterday and man I wasnt expecting it. I know it will make me feel better but the process of getting everything in and doing it with the ultra sound was long and painful and left me with some bruising and major tenderness, my boyfriend nearly had to carry me up the stairs. back to therapy, I have never been, but I am really hoping they give me some great tools to use at home and help get me back to normal though after having raging bursitis for a year and having it for 3 years all togehter not having it might be weird.

I'll keep everyone updated on progress and I am still going to be cheering you on, think of me as the designated cheerleader though I wont be wearing any short skirts or have pom poms! Im going to see if I can make the flight to SD for the race but its going to be a touch and go thing with the healing. I hope that you all are doing well and bouncing back and I know that you all can do this, its a rough road with lots of bumps but to get to the final stretch in tact is amazing. GO FOR IT AND KICK BUTT!

Benched

Active Levi — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:26:28 GMT

Hello everyone! I have some bad news....

I tried to take it easy on my 8 mile run but I still ended up injuring myself again !http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/sad.gif!. I was in a lot of pain after the run and could not walk on Sunday. I was still in a lot of pain on Monday so I went to the Doctor and she said that I had torn my hip flexor muscle and sprained my hamstring muscle. The Dr. referred me to a physical therapist and I should start therapy this week.

I am a little worried because the race is only 5 weeks away. I can still swim and bike in the meantime but I can not run until I am completely healed. I have been referred to this amazing healer who is going to perform some acupuncture on me and I have another friend that is going to help with some deep tissue massages. In the meantime though, the only relief I am getting is from the anti-inflammatory and pain medication that I am currently taking. Monday when I went in to the doctor, she gave me a shot that made the pain go away and it almost felt like I could run again. It was like some kind of miracle shot. I wonder if that would work for race day !http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif!. J/K, I know that I need to fully heal before pushing myself like that again and hopefully (crosses fingers) my body can recover a lot faster than it did last time.

I am still going to be blogging but it will be more related to swimming and biking than to running for right now. I will also keep everyone posted on my PT as well.

I am really bummed but I have decided that if worse comes to worse, I am still going to participate even if I have to walk the marathon!!!

8 mile run

Active Levi — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:24:27 GMT

So yesterday I went on the 8 mile run and I am very happy that I happened to have looked at the training schedule again because I was ready to run 18 miles. I am sore enough after the 8 mile run so I can only imagine how sore I would be after 18! Here is a little video I captured (thanks again Active.com) after my run. Enjoy : )

On the road again

Active Levi — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:27:17 GMT

So yesterday was the first run I was able to do since the last 14 miler. I am looking forward to tomorrows 18 mile run and will definitely be a lot nicer to my body.

I have been focusing a lot on stretches these last 2 weeks. Even though my flexor muscles are still sore, I was able to complete 3.66 miles in 30 minutes and still feel great. Tomorrow worries me a little but I am sure that I will be able to finish and this is great preparation for the race which is less than 6 weeks away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Set backs

Jess Leberer — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:47:18 GMT

Hi All. So I just went to the doctor at the sports medicine center for CU and got some not so great news. I definitely have chronic trochanteric bursitis. its pretty bad so they put me on some meds to help the pain and I am going to be getting an ultra sound guided injection into the bad area next week to try to help a bit more. I have to start physical therapy next week and I definitely have to stop running for right now. She told me to focus on using the eliptical and swimming as well as working out my upper body but to give my lower area a rest as its just making it worse. The bad news is that I need to rest and stop running the good news is that we know whats going on and hopefully we are on the road to recovering that area and not damaging my body any more. I really appreciate everyones support and well wishes this last week however.