The Goals and THE Goal - IMM 2015

For many runners, the goal for the first race of a long distance is simply to finish.  The first time I ran a half marathon (Indy Mini, 2007), I just wanted to cross the line in one piece.  I did, in 2:18.  In subsequent years, my goals were related to time, most often trying to best previous efforts.  2:15, 2:11, 2:08.

It became my heart’s desire to break 2:00 in the half marathon.  After multiple setbacks (hip tendinitis, heart rate issues, a femoral fracture), I finally ran a 1:54 at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 2012.  I lowered that time to 1:53 in the Indy Mini in 2014.

Similarly, the goal of my first marathon was merely to finish, which I did by run/walking in 5:53 at the Kona Marathon in Hawaii in 2009.  Even though my next marathon did not go according to plan, I bested the Kona time with a 5:26 at IMM 2013, even after sitting in an ambulance for 45min.  Last year, I ran a terrific race at IMM and finished in 4:12.

So... what’s the goal this year?

Progress

Ninth Hour?
All of that said, when I started my IMM training on June 30, I didn’t really have a goal in mind.  After being injured late in 2014 and having health problems throughout the first half of 2015, I didn’t really know how capable my body would be.  You might remember me saying in my “What Should My Fall Race Be?” blog that I wanted to RUN (not race) a full.

However, with the exception of losing my training partner to injury, this training cycle has gone spectacularly.  I am about 70% done with training which makes my goal decision a sort of “ninth hour” announcement. (Instead of eleventh hour, see? Hilarious.) So, without further “a due” (inside joke), after careful analysis of the data from my runs and workouts, supportive friend/coach Wendy and I both agree on my 2015 IMM Goal…

I WANT TO BREAK 4:00 AT MONUMENTAL ON 11/7.

I actually have three goals, all in place to accommodate unpredictable possibilities.

“A” Goal
My A Goal is to break 4:00.  The A Goal is place for perfect circumstances: great health, great weather, lots of time to rest the week of the marathon, nothing hurting, etc.  Truly, I feel this goal is achievable even if everything isn’t exactly perfect.  Marathon pace for sub-4:00 (9:09min/mi) is very comfortable for me right now.  I’ve done an 18-miler in training that averaged to marathon pace, and I felt like I could’ve done more afterward.  That run and a few others I’ll mention below give me confidence that I can break 4:00.

It’s hard for me to imagine that it used to be my deepest yearning to break 2:00 in a half.  I never would’ve imagined, even a few years ago, that breaking 4:00 in a full was a realistic goal for me.

“B” Goal
My B Goal is to PR—to break 4:12:53.  My training went very well last year, but mainly consisted of lots of long slow(ish) miles due to my injury propensity.  I had one “workout” in the 2014 training cycle: a 20-mile progression run.  This training cycle, I’ve done progression runs, a chunk run, and have more progression run/marathon pace runs planned.  All data is indicating that I will be even better prepared for IMM 2015 than I was for IMM 2014.

“C” Goal
My C Goal is to finish with a smile no matter my time.  In case everything goes south, I want the permission to slow down, enjoy myself, and live to chase time goals another day.

Really? That’s Cheesy.

Before a training run on 8/17

I know it.  But it’s true.  Because here’s the deal: those first two goals are exciting and real and scary and challenging and motivating, but the real truth is that I could finish that race in 8 hours (the cutoff, I think), and be happy because I’ve had SUCH FUN training.  The marathon itself is going to represent less than 5% of the training mileage. If it doesn’t go well, I can say I had fun trying, and I’ll try again next year.

I’ve already met THE goal.  I’ve had fun.

I know those of you who know me don’t believe a word of that paragraph up there, but I think I’ve undergone a bit of a metamorphosis with regards to time goals.  After dealing with challenges last winter/spring and also watching Wendy go through challenges this summer/fall, I truly am just glad to be a part of running, fast or slow, long or short.  I really think I could cross the line, neither meeting my A nor B goals, and say, “I’ll get ‘em next time.”

I guess that’s one of the cool things about running.  It changes you for the better.

In the meantime, I’ll catch you all at the Bedford Half Marathon on 10/10.  I’m running it as a training run: marathon-ish pace (9:00s) for the first half, and progression in the second half.  Join me if that sounds fun!

Do I Love Marathon Training… or Wendy?

In June, Wendy, in her position as my running coach through Limestone Distance Running, told me I could no longer delay the inevitable.  I couldn’t endlessly list pros and cons.  I had to make a decision.

I had to decide to pursue the marathon or the half marathon as my fall goal.

On the surface, it seems pretty cut and dried: 13.1 or 26.2?  However, it isn’t that simple.  The training, planning, and pacing for the two distances are all very different, and different runners have different preferences.

Ultimately, after consulting with friends and family, I decided to run the marathon in spite of the fact that half marathon is my favorite distance to race; because even though I love to race a half, I love to train for a full, especially in the fall.

To me, training is full of equal parts anticipation and execution.  I love making the pull-tab chart of the training schedule, then watching as the tabs disappear.  I love planning routes, fueling, hydration, pacing, and even attire for a long run, then accomplishing the run according to plan.  I love seeing the little parts come together into a bigger picture as I feel my body getting stronger for the task ahead.  I even love the big weather swing fall marathoners experience as we go from hot, sticky slogs to crisp, cool, breezy runs.

That said, everything came to a screeching halt for me on Aug. 24.  That afternoon, Wendy was diagnosed with a torn tendon (not a stress fracture, thankyouverymuch), and had emergency-ish surgery a few days later.  Obviously, I did everything I could to support her (minus cooking , I'd never do that to her), because I know horribly well the rock bottom feelings that accompany an injury and how one experiences it in the very center of her being.

Even though I knew I had lost her as my training partner for this training cycle, I didn't fully realize what that meant until I ran my first long run alone.  Fourteen miles, not a terribly long long run, had never felt... long-er.  No talking partner.  No laughing partner.  No "oh man, it's so humid" partner. No matching partner.

It was just sad.

And that was when it occurred to me.  It's not just the marathon training I love.

I love Wendy.

All the planning? All the executing? All the rehashing run details? All the memory making?  We do it all together.

Milwaukee Trail - 9/12/15

I mean, I love to run.  Don't get me wrong.  This training cycle is going very well, and I'm extremely encouraged. (More on that another time.)  However, the real thrill—the thing that makes me fly out of bed at 4:30 A.M. instead of simply rising—is that I'm experiencing it with a friend.

I miss that.

We still talk about my training.  We still text all. the. time.  I meet her at the five mile mark of my maintenance runs so I can run beside her while she scoots on what is now our injury scooter.  But there is a lot of lonely in my training now.  That pretty pic I took on last week's long run?  I took it because I was near tears that Wendy wasn't there with me to see it.  Stuff like that happens all time. I wonder what Wendy would say or how she would react to things I experience on runs.

So... I'm pressing forward.  And I'm loving it.  But I sure am missing my best friend.

<3

A Victory & A Dilemma

Seymour Half and Monumental Mile

With the exception of the pre-Mini blog, I haven't had much to say about my running since my fractured fibula healed.  That lack of writing wasn't an oversight.

I didn't want to write because I was frustrated with my running.

Every. single. run. this spring felt like a gigantic effort.  My pace was noticeably slower than it was before the injury, and my heart rate was noticeably higher.  I ran a few races as workouts, and though I had a good time, my efforts and my performances did not seem to match well. 

(Oh, check out my running web site if you're interested in any stats'n'such from those races.  Also, I made a cool slideshow of the Mini, and an even cooler slideshow of Wendy's 100.)

I have comeback from injury plenty of times, and even though it takes some time to build back endurance and speed, I had never experienced anything as arduous as this particular process. It seemed that I had plateaued, and I was about to blame it on age (because 35.5 is sooooo different from 35.7), when a different idea came to me.

Dr. Cobb

The very same week I broke my leg (third week of November 2014), I started a new medication.  I noticed no side effects.  I completed one training run after taking the med before I was sidelined.  It was a hard workout, but I assumed the difficulty I felt was because I was running on a broken leg.

My epiphany about two weeks ago was to quit the med.  I did, and everything—like that—is back to normal.  LIKE THAT.

OK, so I didn't consult my doctor first. I promise I monitored everything I needed to monitor. I eventually discussed it with her... nine days later. :-)

HELP!

So now that I know I am truly "back," so to speak, I have a dilemma.  My Limestone Distance Running coach (Wendy) says I need to decide by June 30 what I want my fall goal to be: race the Monumental Half Marathon, or run the Monumental Marathon.  The races are held concurrently on November 7, so it likely won't be hot.  I was hoping I could get some of my friends' input before I make my decision.

Here are a few advantages for each race.

Half Advantages

-The half is my favorite distance to race, and I stand a decent chance of doing well.

-Wendy will be able to run the whole race with me.

Marathon Advantages

-Training for a marathon is more fun than training for a half.

-I'll be able to enjoy race day more since I won't be running as hard as I would in a half.

I think both the marathon and the half present the same injury risk for me because marathon training involves more volume while half training involves more speedwork.  Both of those elements have been impetuses for injury for me.  (Edit: Actually, speedwork is probably more dangerous.)  Keep in mind that my fractured fibula last fall happened because I didn't take off enough time after the marathon, not because of the marathon itself.

My orthopedist says my bones and joints are ready to run 26.2 or race 13.1.  My Novus trainers say I'm in shape for either goal. Wendy agrees. Ed thinks I should do the half because he thinks the marathon is a bigger injury risk. I haven't talked to my Mom and Dad about it, but I know they prefer it when I run a half.  In spite of that, I am leaning toward marathon, just because I like the training, but before I do, I want to elicit advice from my friends...

What do you think? What would you do?

Redemption Run — #WhyIMini

re·demp·tion
rəˈdem(p)SH(ə)n/
the action of regaining or gaining possession of something

Every year since 2007, I have had a lofty goal for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon. In 2007, I wanted to finish my first half marathon. The goal for each subsequent year has been to PR. Sometimes I did it (2009, 2010, 2014). Sometimes I didn't (2011, 2013). Sometimes I didn't even make it to the starting line due to fractures (2008, 2012). But 2015 is all kinds of different, because this year, I'm not running to PR.

I'm running to run.

2015 Goal
Every calendar year, I set running goals, which usually include a set of time goals for different distances. This year, in place of race goals, I set one aim:

Run a lot of miles with a lot of friends without getting injured.

I don't care how fast I go. I just want to run healthily. Coming off another Crohn's-caused fracture (my fourth), has helped me to see that there are more important things than race goals, and one of those things is the act of running, and especially the act of running with friends.

This year, I run the Mini to enjoy the experience. To run with friends. To soak in the atmosphere. To laugh. To make memories. To show that I can.

To regain control of my running life.

And I am not the only one.

Wendy
In 2014, Wendy had two surgeries: one in January to remove a fibroma from her foot, and one in November to release an entrapped nerve. Just yesterday, Wendy had her first epileptic seizure in years. In less than six weeks, Wendy will run a 100-mile race in Wisconsin.

Saturday, Wendy runs to show that NOTHING will stop her.

Chelsey
Chelsey is 15 and has juvenile arthritis. Doctor's visits and an aching body are commonplace in her life. Training for a half marathon in winter's fierce cold is very difficult for her joints. This Mini will be Chelsey's last for a few years so that she may focus on high school cross country and track.

Saturday, Chelsey runs to show that NOTHING will stop her.

Amelia
Amelia, 12-years-old and daughter of Wendy, is the healthiest of the four of us. However, Amelia is running for a cause. She is raising money for Fat Heads Rescue, a dog rescue in Southern Indiana. She has a heart for animals and their welfare, and she uses her running to raise both funds and awareness.

Saturday, Amelia runs to show that NOTHING will stop her—from any goal.

We all view Saturday as Amelia's run—Amelia's run for the Fat Heads dogs—and our purpose is to surround her and support her in her efforts. However, this run holds special meaning for each one of us as we regain possession of something we love—the run. Perhaps the most special part of it is that we will do it together.

THAT is #WhyWeMini.

To track us or other friends in the race, download the Indy Mini app, or follow this link.
To make a donation to Amelia's fundraiser for Fat Heads, follow this link.

#PiMoment

My Bedford Middle School seventh grade students and I are hosting a hashtag so that everyone may enjoy the upcoming Pi Moment.  Pi Moment is on:

Saturday, March 14, 2015, at 9:26:53 A.M. in your time zone.

Why? Pi, the Greek letter that represents a circle's circumference divided by its diameter, is approximately equal to 3.141592653..., and that moment is 3.14.15 9:26:53.

Here's how you can participate. Take a photo on Saturday at 9:26 A.M. (Wait 53 sec. if you want to be super accurate.) It can be a selfie, a photo of your surroundings, or whatever depicts life for you at that moment.  Then, post it to your favorite social media outlet(s) with the hastag #PiMoment and tag me.

Facebook: JoAnna Kai Cobb
Twitter: @JoCobb
Instagram: @RunnerJoCobb

It might help to set an alarm on your phone to help you remember.

The goal is to commemorate a moment that happens only once every century: #PiMoment. Celebrate with us, and share with your friends!

#PiMoment

PS - We'll let you use 9:26:53 P.M. if you're lazy and sleep past the first one! :-)

When A Broken Leg Is Not "The Thing"

When I blogged with the news about my broken leg five weeks ago, I anticipated that it would be the initial blog in Comeback Series with titles like, "Training On Crutches," and "Scoot-Scootin' Back Into Fitness," and "Five Days Until I Get This Boot Off My Leg." (It really is five days until I get this boot off my leg.) I thought it would be a fun way to document my progress and keep me sane. However, aside from the initial entry and occasional social media updates, I never wrote about my journey (Ed is rolling his eyes right now), with this fracture again, and the reason is simple.

My broken leg became secondary. It was no longer The Thing.

The Weird Numbness
Even before I learned about my fracture, I had started having unusual symptoms that didn't match the things I typically experience with Crohn's or general runner's aches. Remember my blog about the marathon, how cold it was, and the numb foot and leg I experienced for a half mile? That was the first sign, though I didn't know it at the time.

In the days post-marathon, as I was unknowingly working a nice little fracture into my left fibula, I noticed that my heels were going numb every evening. I attributed it to lingering plantar fasciitis and didn't think much about it except to talk about how weird it was to touch my heels and not feel a thing.

My blood pressure started rising. So did my already-high heart rate.

After I got the boot on my leg, I remember loosening it because I had lost feeling in my entire left foot, and that must be due to a too-tight walking cast, right?

The numbness was accompanied by deathly cold skin. I burned my foot on our heater one evening trying to warm it. I couldn't feel that it was too hot.

The Weird Colors
Shortly after my fracture was diagnosed, my toes started going numb every evening,  One night, I took off my boot to look at them, and what I saw was frightening. My toes were all bright blue. I sent Wendy a picture. She came over and took my pedal pulse, which was diminished. That's when we involved our orthopedist.

The numbness started happening three to four times a day. My feet, or parts of them, turned white as they went numb, changed to blue after several minutes, then turned bright, fiery red as the blood rushed back. That part is extremely painful, a judgment that comes from a girl who has undergone kidney stones multiple times. I'll spare you a picture of the blue toes, but here is a link to the white stage for those of you interested in such things. (As always, I make the yuck-pic optional. You're welcome.)

The Weird Diagnosis
Raynaud's Phenomenon. Check out the Wiki, if you'd like. It's not just, "Hey, my feet are cold!" It's, "Hey, I need to get my blood flowing again or I may lose this toe." It's brought to life by cold conditions and emotional stress. It's not all that uncommon. However, mine is in my feet instead of the hands, and it suddenly started attacking my life out of nowhere.

Raynaud's can be primary—not occurring in association with another disease—or secondary. When it's secondary, something else causes it. I'm in the middle of a series of tests to determine why this is happening so suddenly and so forcefully.

The Weird Blog
So why am I posting this weird blog about it now? Because today, I got some really good news. Originally, all the signs were pointing toward my Raynaud's being secondary to a very serious condition with a very serious prognosis. Today, I learned that it's unlikely that I have that condition. After two-and-a-half weeks of my family and I being burdened with the what-ifs of a potential diagnosis, my heart feels so light with relief that I wanted to shout my joy from the rooftops... and this is the 21st century way to do that.

Also, Ed has saved the day—no, the year—with the purchase of hunter's toe warmers. I wear 115°F on each foot except when I sleep. It has reduced the attacks by 90%, at least. Tomorrow, I begin taking a new medicine that will help, as well. I'm allowed to be outdoors, but I have to take extra precautions to stay as warm as possible.

Obviously, there's still more to learn, but according to my new rheumatologist, we can learn those things while I teach and run and quilt and sing and laugh and love and LIVE.

Love my family...

...love my friends.

I could not have borne the last month without my dear family and friends! Love you all.

Running The Numbers - 2014

I am obsessed with both math and running.  I keep tons of data on my training and racing.  Here are a lot more numerical details than you probably want about my running in 2014. :-)

Miles Run: 1,111.26
Increase Over Previous Annual Mileage High: 864.78 mi., 28.5% increase

Bedford Half, 10/4

Runs: 141
Hours Run: 179.32
Average Run Distance: 7.88 mi.
Average Run Pace: 9:40.92
Average Run Duration: 1:16:18.4
Miles Walked: 126
Walks: 84
Average Walk Distance: 1.50
Visits to the Gym: 56
Personal Training Sessions: 49
Personal Training Hours: 24.5
Miles On Elliptical: 18.0
Miles On Scooter: 19.2
Races Run: 9
PRs Set: 3 (Mile, Half Marathon, Marathon)
Falls: 0
Injuries: 2 (shin splints and a stress fracture)
Toenails Lost: 7
Surgeries: 1 (vocal cord, unrelated to running)
Pairs of Shoes Retired: 3
Pairs of Shoes Purchased: 5
States Where I Ran: 2, Indiana and Kentucky
Longest Run: 26.20 mi., November 1
Shortest Run: 1.01 mi., March 3
Week With Most Running: July 13-19, 36.82 mi.
Month With Most Running: August, 140.33 mi.
Month With Least Running: December, 0.00 mi.
Favorite Run (Tie): January 17, 11.16 mi.; August 2, 16.13 mi.; October 4, 13.14 mi.; October 11, 20.01 mi.; November 1, 26.20 mi.
Least Favorite Run: August 23, 18.03 mi.
Percentage of Goals Reached: 77.8% (7/9, see below)
Weight Range in Pounds: 10.0 (post surgical weight loss)
Total Lifetime Mileage: 4,064.00
Percent of Lifetime Mileage Run in 2014: 27.34%

Mileage By The Month

Monumental, 11/1

January: 59.29
February: 65.57
March: 55.87
April: 88.88
May: 100.10
June: 125.46
July: 137.60
August: 140.33
September: 135.52
October: 118.17
November: 84.47
December: 0.00

Goals

1. Remain injury-free
Failed. Incurred shin splints in January and a stress fracture in November.
2. Surpass 1,000 mi. in annual mileage

Succeeded. 1,111.26 mi.
3. PR in the Mini (under 1:54:19)

Succeeded. 1:53:35
4. Break 1:50 in the Mini
Failed.
5. Run the Red Eye Relay

Succeeded. (2 blog posts: 1, 2)
6. Break 4:30 in Monumental (and run the whole thing without passing out)

Succeeded. 4:12:53
7. Work on the committee to stage the BMS 5K

Succeeded, and beat the boss.

8. Encourage another person or people to become more focused on fitness
Succeeded.

9. Build more muscle
Succeeded. Thanks, Sam!

Year In Review Video
Here is my Running Year in Review video for 2014.

Thanks to Ed, Mom, Dad, Wendy, and all my running buds for 11/12ths of a great year. ;-)