Our 9+1 Adventure

All Roads lead to the 2013 NYC Marathon
Laura Tiedge,
Rye Y Senior Director of Healthy Living

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Chinese Proverb

I met Alex a little more than 9 months ago when I interviewed her to be a part of our LIVESTRONG at the YMCA pilot program. At the time, she was an 18-month ovarian cancer survivor with steadfast Irish determination to get back in shape. Little did I know that I had just found a terrific new friend.

Alex approached the LIVESTRONG program with a great deal of commitment and a positive attitude. About six weeks into the 12-week program she said she wanted to set a goal to do a triathlon. It was too late to join the Rye Y Tribe, our beginner women’s triathlon team, but there was enough time to get ready for The Westchester Triathlon’s mini-sprint called the Meek and Mighty. Alex registered, started preparing for the race, and sure enough she finished! I was there that day, along with her husband Michael! She was beaming with pride – Alex had found her inner athlete.

So it came as no surprise when Alex signed up for the Tribe and her first sprint distance triathlon. However, she was struggling to get back to an exercise routine and asked if she could join me on my runs. Alex was new to running, but was an avid long distance walker, having twice trained for and completed the 2-day Avon Walk for Breast cancer. We set about becoming runners using the Jeff Galloway run-walk method, which would ease us into injury-free running. This was particularly important to me, as I had suffered a stress fracture in 2010 while training for a half-marathon. I never wanted to repeat 8 weeks on crutches and moving around the Y on my scooter again!

Before we knew it, Alex and I were run-walking three days a week. On one of our walks I mentioned that I was planning to run nine races and volunteer at another through New York Road Runners (NYRR) in order to get an auto-entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon. I could see the wheels turning in her head and by the end of that run, she had decided to join me in the 9+1 adventure.

At that point, our training took on new meaning – we had races to choose and register for. There was no slacking now that we were committed to this lofty goal! That said, each of our runs are a gift, filled with Alex’s affirmations mixed in with her signature phrase/complaint, “Oh, THANK GOD” when the Gymboss (our run-walk interval timer) indicates that we can finally walk for a minute!

Our running routes usually bring us to Rye Town beach and the calming waters of the Long Island Sound. Along the way, and on every run, I will hear Alex say each of these phrases at some point -- Isn’t it just great being out here -- What a gift this day is – It’s good to be alive. She reminds me with each of these affirmations that I need to remain in the moment, clear my mind of stress and worries, and not sweat the small stuff. I need this from Alex as much, if not more, than she needs me to help her stay on track – we need each other!

Until April, we had been successful with one of our main goals – staying injury-free. And then Alex began complaining about rib pain. Thinking this was a flare-up from a previous broken rib, she ran through the discomfort. But it was getting too painful and I insisted she go to the doctor. No orthopedic issues, but it turns out she had a mild case of shingles! So, Alex had to take some time off and I was left to run alone.
span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">While she was recuperating I stuck to our routine, but it wasn’t the same. I had experienced the joy of running with a friend, which made my solo runs more work than fun. Aches and pains set in, and a week before our race I felt the familiar discomfort of shin splints. Alex was ready to come back to running, and while I joined her, I was sure to apply R.I.C.E. – rest, ice, compression and elevation – after our runs to insure I’d be ready for our first race on May 12^th.

Fast forward to race day. We arrive in Central Park on a stunningly beautiful NYC spring day. Cool air, warm sun, blue skies and no humidity. We do a short walk to warm-up and then find our way to the back of the line where the slower runners and walkers await their approach to the starting line. As we walk toward the start, I turn on the Gymboss. NOTHING happens. After I reassure Alex that I did really change the battery, she whips off one of the pins used to attach her race number to her shirt and finds the reset button. We are back in business. Have to love the practical Irish woman! As we near the starting line, we hear the announcer say “Time to get your jog on people”, and we’re off.

It’s not long before we hit our first hill. Central Park is known for having hilly courses, but after 13 years of living—and running—in Pittsburgh, the Central Park hills seem mild. Alex, on the other hand, hates when I make her do them on our training runs. I like to remind her that she’ll thank me later.

At two miles, we have definitely found our groove. As we cruise through Central Park we fall into casual conversation and musings about life. My shin is sore but nothing terrible, and I’m beginning to feel good about the race. Alex seems to be doing well too, with just a little lingering discomfort around her ribs. Then, just as we pass the 4 mile mark, Alex begins to slow down a bit. She asks if we could extend our walk time, so we do. As we walked I asked her what she ate this morning, “Oh, a banana and coffee. Figured this was a short race so I don’t need much”. Yep, she was bonking – her blood sugar was falling and her energy flagging. Oh well, rookie mistake – it won’t happen again.

We breeze past the 5-mile mark running. Alex mentions she is thirsty, even after hitting two previous water stations. I ask if she had any water before the race. “No, just coffee’’. She is dehydrated, adding to the slower pace. Rookie mistake #2! Now I am feeling bad. I had failed to prepare her as the coach. We had gone over running technique, training periodization, stretching and running shoes, but I had neglected to review Race Preparation 101 – nutrition and hydration. FAIL! Still, no time for admonitions; we have a race to finish.

The last 1.2 miles fly by. 800 meters out, our pace picks up as we hear music playing. We cross the finish line to the cheers of the finishers and all of the terrific race volunteers. We did it – race #1 in the books, and just eight more to go! Time to stretch, revel in our accomplishment and find the closest Starbucks! You go girl!
To be continued…