Three Things Thursday - the 'Yeah, New York talk again' post

1. Taper madness is on! Big time! My knees are killing me, shin splints is back from the land far-far-away (where the heck did that come from???) and I'm afraid I'll catch a cold. I know...I should put my big girl pants on and not be such a cry baby, but still...it feels like my body is telling me it doesn't like this taper thing and it definitely doesn't like the thought of running a marathon.

For those of you that are laughing at me at this very moment, just read this article on taper madness. It's not just in my head, you know. ;)

http://blog.runnerslounge.com/2008/09/symptoms-and-tr.html

2. This new Runningskirts.com Fall/Winter collection is not good for my financial status. Or any girl's financial status for that matter. Just wanted to share that...

I'm freezing out here! I. Need. Those. Tights!

3. 3 x 3 =

days left till the New York City Marathon!

Ten

Ten...

... the number of seconds it takes me to put on my running shoes

... minutes it takes me to take a shower and wash my hair (I have a lot of it...believe me...)

... hours that go into an average day at work

... weeks that I would love to spend in Switzerland this winter (but don't have the time (and financial funds for...skiing = expensive!)

... months since I picked up running (I'm still in the first year of running...nutso, I know)

... years till I turn 'almost forty' (AAAAAHHH!)

... the number of days left till the New York City Marathon

What's your 'TEN'?

Top 10 funniest marathon cheering signs

I love cheering signs! Love love love them! Somehow, a funny sign will make me run faster (and giggle while I'm at it).

I really do hope to see a lot of funny ones out in New York City. Especially in the last couple of miles (where I'll really need them!). Just spare me the 'You're looking great!' ('cause at that point I don't) and 'Almost there!' ('cause I've been checking my watch every 20 seconds). ;) You don't have to lie to me. ;)

You can cheer me on with these babies, though! Here we go!

1.

Seriously 'Nipple Chafing turns me on'? That's too freakin' funny!

2.



3.



4.



5.



6.



7.



8.

This girl will run for a shoe sale!

9.

This one is okay in the first couple of miles, but would annoy the heck out of me in the last couple of miles!

10.



What is the funniest cheering sign you ever saw en route?

I've got this marathon on my mind...and I can't help it!

12 (What???) days left till the New York City Marathon, and I've officially turned into a Marathon Nut! Honestly, I speak, eat, sleep, think and drink New York City Marathon. I'm pretty sure that I'm driving my friends, family and co-workers in-bloody-sane/crazy/wacko. I'd be surprised to have any friends left after this thing is over. I apologize. I honestly do, but I can't stop thinking/talking/dreaming about it. I will probably have to find some new sort of meaning to my life after November 7th. Fingers crossed that The Knee (and everything else) behaves like a good girl...

Want to share in my excitement? Check out this amazing course video of the New York City Marathon course. Ahhh...I'll just get myself a cup of tea and watch this video over and over again. ;) :)

How do you get your mind in 'non-marathon' mode in the last days before a marathon?

Yeah, like that's going to happen... The 'Runner Pick-up lines' post

Did you read this post?

http://sillygirlrunning.blogspot.com/2010/09/confessions-of-single-runner.html

If so, you probably already know that I'm happily single. If not, now you know. And I run, in case you didn't notice that already. ;)

Lately different people told me that they are pretty sure that I will meet the guy of my dreams at the New York Marathon. Okay.......without me asking for such an opinion - just for the record. These people don't know each other, but apparently they feel the same way about this subject (and apparently they still feel that there's something wrong with me for being single, but I'm trying to ignore that). I don't. I think it's very unlikely that I'll meet the guy of my dreams while involved in a sweaty activity (okay...that sounds wrong....). Let me rephrase that. ...while involved in an activity that leaves me with a certain facial expression that's not one you'd call attractive or 'sexy'. Sounds only slightly better, but you get the point.

I started Googling on the subject and I was surpised to find that apparently lots of people do meet / get a date at a race. Who knew? And it made me wonder...is there something called 'dating etiquette for runners'? What pick-up lines would you use when hitting on someone at a race? It would be pretty weird to use the same pick-up lines that you (mostly guys, though) would use in a bar. 'Would you like to dance?', 'Can I buy you a beer?' or 'I lost my tongue, can I borrow yours?' would just sound weird at the start line or during the race. I came up with a few runner specific pick-up lines. Please do feel free to add other Runner pick-up lines to this list!

- Can I be your Pacer Bunny?

- Your P(l)ace or mine?

- Do you want me to tie you up? (referring to shoe laces, ofcourse)

- Can I buy you a Gatorade? (lame, I know, but might do the trick)

- I'd like to nibble on your Powerbar. Would you like to nibble on mine?

- Are you tired yet? Me neither, I can go on and on for hours. I'm an endurance athlete, baby.

- Would you like to share a heat sheet when we're done? Or will my heat do?

- I love the way that skirt shows off your quads.

- Ice bath? Together...

Any thoughts on getting a date at a race? Please do add you favorite Runner Pick-up lines!

Three Thing Thursday - Did you enter my Pre Marathon Giveaway yet?

1. Dutch Fall weather has gone crazy. It's in the low 40's already and it's only October. Let's just say that this Winter's temps don't look promising. Long tights and a jacket for running already. I'm looking for a softshell for winter. And gloves. And a pair of softshell tights. And some Goretex running shoes. Brrrrrrrrr!

The Runningskirts.com Fall/Winter line has a cozy hoodie in it, that would be perfect as a midlayer. (Yep, midlayer, 'cause in this weather I will need to add a jacket). Can't wait for it to arrive in the mail!

2. I just got informed that there's a bedbug emergency going on in New York City. I did not know that. Apparently most of the hotels in NYC are dealing with this problem. Great. I'm not looking forward to meeting this cruel creature. In case you were wondering what a bedbug looks like, here you go:

Yeah, it looks evil. I really do hope that the hotel I plan on staying at has solved this bedbug problem for their hotel. If not, I'm pretty much screwed.

3. Did you enter my Pre Marathon Giveaway yet? If not, you can still do so here:

http://sillygirlrunning.blogspot.com/2010/10/did-you-say-pre-marathon-giveaway.html

I do need options, don't I?

As many of you probably already know, Runningskirts.com (www.runningskirts.com) is one of my favorite brands (right up there with Salomon and The North Face). Very comfortable running gear and great quality. I love their skirts and tees! Basically, every single one of my running outfits has at least one Runningskirts.com item in it.

And now their new Fall/Winter line has launched! Believe me, it's too cute!

As a former sorority girl I think the argyle prints rock! The long sleeves are a great staple item, and the Subzero Jacket is perfect for running in Dutch (cold!!!) weather. Great Fall/Winter line!

There's just one petite downside to this adorable Fall/Winter line. Now you're probably wondering what could possible be 'mwah...not so great' about this line. Well, there is a downside, I tell you:

It will make you max out your credit card. ;)

What is your favorite item from the Runningskirts.com Fall/Winter line?

Not even near my corral and lost already - The 'What Wave?' post

Can you say 'Golden Showers'?

Yep, that's right... Golden Showers.

I just found out what my BIB number, wave and corral for the New York City Marathon are.

I will spare you the BIB number. Unless you want to stalk me and my splits during the marathon. If that's the case, please do let me know. I'll gladly provide you with my BIB number. ;)

I'm in Wave 2. Or as I'd like to call it: the wave just behind the elite wave. Yeah, not really, but that's okay. At least I'm not in the back of Wave 3. The start time for Wave 2 is 10:10 AM. Ofcourse it will take me at least 45 minutes to get across that start line, but that's okay. At that point I'll be running (fingers crossed!) the New York City Marathon. That makes up for all of it! ;)

I'm in corral 40, with the 'front' corral being 36 and the 'last' corral 42. So, not great, but not too bad either. I could have been in the last corral. That would have been worse. Weird thing, though, that with a sub-4 projected finish time they place you in the same corral as 4:15-4:30 goal times. Well, I'll probably never understand the brilliant mind of the NYRR. ;)

And, last but not least, I'm in the Green Wave. Yep, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge Lower Deck Wave. Let's just say that I have my hopes set on the 'Golden Showers' stories being an urban legend. ;)

So, guess what's the best part about being in Wave 2, Green Start, Corral 40? I'm in the exact same corral as Tracy (http://www.gotracygo.com/)! What are the odds? Yay! That will make the waiting so much less boring! :) Looking forward to meet you in New York, Tracy! :)

In case you were wondering: Days left till the New York City Marathon:

Meb's advice for New York Marathon virgins!

Do you have anything to add? Any marathon virgin advice that might prevent me from hitting the wall on my first road marathon? ('cause hitting the wall on my first marathon (being a mountain marathon) was pretty obvious...nothing to do about that)

Booohaaaa 22 miler!

Michael Jackson and I shared a moment for the last 3 1/2 hours or 22 miles / 35K. I blame it on the boogie, or the sunshine, or the moonlight, or the good times. Most important thing: The Knee 1 & 2 made it through the 22 miles without giving me too much of a hard time. The Knee (1) feels a bit stiff and sore, but at the moment not too bad. I'm icing it as we speak. Let's see how it feels tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!!

I tried to really slow down on this run, because I recently noticed that I was running too fast on my long runs. Based on my goal marathon pace I should (apparently) stick to 9.30 minute miles or 6 minutes per km for the long slow runs. Yeah, I should have figured that out earlier, but, hey, I'm new to this, I'm still learning. ;)

My legs do feel 'I just ran 22 miles' sore, but I'm actually not tired at all. And I was singing along with Michael Jackson for the entire run. Got some weird looks from strangers, though. That might have got something to do with the fact that I'm not a very good singer (as in 'even my dog would beat me in Idols'). Could have kept going for another 4 miles / 7K. So, I guess that's a good thing.

I hope you will all enjoy your weekend races or long runs! :)

Oh, don't forget to enter my "Pre New York Marathon" Giveaway:

http://sillygirlrunning.blogspot.com/2010/10/did-you-say-pre-marathon-giveaway.html

Did you just say pre marathon giveaway?

Those of you that did not just stumble upon this blog a minute ago and are now wondering whether or not I'm in desperate need of psychiatric help, might already know that I plan on running the New York Marathon on November 7th. That's 22 days from today. What the heck? No!!! I feel so not prepared!

It will not be my first marathon. My first marathon was the Swiss Alpine Marathon last July. A 6.300 ft elevation mountain marathon. Yeah, wise choice for the first one. I had a blast, though.

The New York Marathon will be, if everything goes as planned AND Immigration will let me enter the US, my second marathon, and my FIRST road marathon.

So, I guess it's time for my first giveaway, huh? :)

TMB @ Racing with Babes (http://racingwithbabes.blogspot.com/) has this great giveaway going at this very moment (!) where you have to guess her finish time. Brilliant idea! So brilliant, that I'm copying you TMB! :)

What's in the goodie bag?

Sorry, I'm not one of those hugely popular bloggers (yet...I hope one day I will have more people following my blog than just my mom...just kidding) that's giving away a Garmin, so I'm giving away a 'will get you through a marathon or at least one long run' goodie bag.

4 X GU Energy Gel Chocolate Outrage

2 x Powerbar Energy Gel Lemon

1 x Sweatyband in Pink-Dots



Plus

A New York Marathon souvenir that I'll pick up at the marathon expo. This one will be a surprise!


What do you have to do to enter this giveaway?

Guess what my finish time will be! And let me know in a comment. Ofcourse...you can also guess 'DNS' or 'DNF'. After all...I am battling a knee injury at the moment.

If several entrees would give the same finishing time, I will let random.org pick the winner.

You get one guess (mandatory):

1. Become a follower of my blog and let me know in a comment.


You get one extra guess for each of the following (separate comments):

1. Like me on Facebook and let me know in a comment: (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Silly-Girl-Running/134622179906574);

2. Repost this giveaway on your blog / Facebookpage / Twitter, etcetera and let me know in a comment;

3. Like me on Twitter (@SillyGirlRunnin) and let me know in a comment.

This giveaway ends on November 6th!

Okay, there we go! Guess along!

Three Things Thursday - the 'I'm falling apart' post

1. Your PT telling you that it's okay to run 50% of your planned weekly mileage (in the last week) with The Knee is a good thing. No pain during those runs is an even better thing. However...running - even when sticking to 50% and a slower pace - with an injury will automatically change your form to striding in a way where you avoid to put too much weight on the injured leg. More weight on the 'healthy' leg = that leg gets overtrained. This 'wisdom' hit me on last night's 8 miler. Great! And now my left knee has IT Band issues (shooting pain IT Band issues), and the right knee is still a bit wobbly (not too bad, though, the left knee is worse!). Yeah, guys, I'm pretty sure that my body is slowly falling apart!

Good news: this week is the last 'high mileage' week of marathon training, and after this week I get into tapermode. Unless this weekend's 22 miler doesn't work out, in which case I will give the 22 miler another shot next Saturday.

I never liked tapermode, but now I'm looking forward to it. Ahhhhh...

2. I don't know if I should love or hate the www.runnersworld.com forum. I really don't. Do you want to know why? All these runners saying that averaging 41 miles/66K per week in these last 12 weeks (peaking at 42-48 miles/week) is too low on mileage to even run a sub-4 hour marathon just make me feel bad. They even refer to 'averaging 40 miles/week runners' as runners that should consider themself lucky to even finish a marathon, because they consider averaging 40 miles/week barely enough to finish a marathon. All these negative responds are so depressing!

When did runners stop cheering for each other and stop congratulating a fellow runner for giving it a shot? Because, honestly, personally I feel this way: it wouldn't even come to mind to consider a 5-hour marathoner less of a runner than a 3-hour marathoner.

3. Days left till the New York City Marathon:

So, when is the next Runners Anonymous meeting?

I've been wondering. Are there actually Runners Anonymous meetings? And if so, what would a RA (I'm already using the slang...Ha!) meeting be like? Here's my - twisted mind's - take on it.

-Hi, I'm Christel (*Hi Christel*) and I'm a Running Addict.

- Well, Christel, let's find out if it's really as bad as I think it is, and see what we can do about it.

- Well, let's do that... 3 - 2 - 1 - GO!

- Okay, no need to make fun of it, let's see if we can find out whether or not this running thing actually qualifies as an addiction.

- Alrighty...but, just for the record; this is NOT a running group? *disappointed*

- *ignores this* How often do you run? More or less than 3 times a week?

- 3 times a week? Ha! You're kidding, right? I wouldn't even do that in a taper week!

- Alright...more than 3 it is. How many hours a day do you spend thinking about something running related?

- Uhm...I don't know exactly, but mainly - a lot!

- Check. Pairs of running shoes?

- 6 and counting.

- Upcoming races planned?

- A lot lot...and races are planned 1 year ahead at the moment.

- Really? Do you feel like your running friends understand you in a way that makes you feel not crazy?

- Yep, non-runners either get bored with me or stop me in the middle of a race recap. Annoying when that happens. So annoying...I mean...hello! You need to recap it mile by mile don't you? Like at the Swiss Alpine Marathon, I....

- ....OK; final question. Do you get cranky when you're not able to get out there for a run?

- Uhm...yeah! Ofcourse I do!

- Well, the bad news is...you're addicted. The good news is, we can do something about it. You just need to stop running now...this very moment!

- What? Are you insane? Heck, no!!!!! I think this meeting is stupid! You should turn it into an actual running group!

Would you consider yourself a running addict?

I need design options!

If the Running Gods let me (you know the drill...), I plan on wearing this for the New York Marathon 2010:

I'm packing a short sleeve in the same color just in case, but since New York is already in the low 60's and I'm usually cold anyway, I'll probably go with the long sleeve.

The runningskirts.com pink argyle skirt - if I can get my hands on one in time for the NYC Marathon!

Yep, ofcourse a bit of this. At least the color goes with the runningskirt. And those are not my actual knees...just for the record.

Design options wanted!

Okay, I have the outfit pretty much figured out. But - ofcourse - I need to do something with the shirt! :)

a. My name on it - front and back;

b. The logo of the good cause I'm dedicating the marathon to: http://www.hulphond.nl/.

c. The logo of my 'sponsor': http://www.medisch-fit.nl/. And by sponsor I mean: the PT's that fixed The Hip and are trying to fix The Knee a.s.a.p.

d. The name of my blog. And that's where I need design options. I want to incorporate something that says 'NEW YORK'. I was thinking about changing all the 'i''s into this:

However, it looks a bit funny and it makes it not much easier to read the name of the blog. Hmmmm.

Any brilliant ideas out there? Pppppllllease...

OK, I surrender...Plan B - The 'Epiphany' post

Lessons learned in the first week of The Knee injury - important lessons learned:

Okay, I'm pretty well aware of the fact that you will either love me or not love me so much after reading this post... Let's just say this last week gave me enough time to reflect on my running. This post is going to be brutally honest...

1. There is no such thing as a magic pill that will fix an injury within minutes - apparently there actually are things that money can't buy;

2. Battling an injury turns me into an evil witch, and a cranky one too. I'm not even mentioning how frustrated and depressed I'm feeling at the moment. Thank the running gods for the gift that's called a limoncello/prosecco cocktail;

3. Start running last January + no prior running experience + running your second marathon this year + aiming to BQ on your first road marathon + your first marathon ever being a 6.300 ft elevation mountain marathon = my body doesn't like me. Not to mention that the BQ-attempt isn't a really realistic time goal for the first road marathon...especially since you haven't even celebrated your first year of running-aniversary yet.

4. Battling a knee injury and still being able to run 50% of your total mileage in the last week - painfree - (my PT told me I could give it a try) isn't bad - it's not bad at all. So you shouldn't feel bad for pulling the plug on a 20-miler after 9 miles. It was the wise thing to do!

5. Stop focussing on mileage and time goals and put the fun back into running! That's so much more important than constantly pushing it and not being able to enjoy the scenery. Running is a gift!

6. This one is important! Stop comparing yourself to others and stop caring about what others might think of your running! If others are running more miles a week, who cares! Being able to battle 48 mile / 77K -weeks in your first year of running, when others are battling 50 mile/80K-60 mile/96K weeks with years and years of experience, is not something to make you feel bad about yourself. At all! And who cares if others are faster...if (and that's a big 'if') they truly believe that you're slow and not to be considered a runner for not running a 3:30 marathon (or faster) they are probably not worthy of your time and energy.

7. This is your first year of running! Hello! Stop comparing your times and mileage to runners that have years and years of experience and dozens of marathons under the belt. Stop feeling bad about yourself!

8. You're not a guy (I'm pretty sure...I just checked to be certain), so don't expect your finishing times to be the same as the time it would take an equally trained guy to finish the same distance. And if you really want to compare your times...stick to your own gender (and age group).

9. You're not a speedster. You love the distance and want to focus on ultra-marathons, and more specific: mountain marathons. So stop trying to be a speedster and a long distance runner at the same time. Stick to those mountains - you love the mountains!

10. Being able to run the New York Marathon is a true gift. A true true gift. So...slow down and enjoy the ride. There's no point in racing through that city, being in pain and pushing yourself to the point where you might want to puke. Stick to a somewhat slower pace - go find the sub 4-hour pace group and hang around. Take some pictures. Listen to the Gospel choirs. Hand out some high fives. Finish (if my body doesn't decide to pull the plug on me) with tired legs, but not tired to a point where you won't be able to enjoy and walk around New York City in the week after the marathon.

So, here I go, I surrender. I will NOT give that BQ a try on my first road marathon. I won't. My knee pointed out to me - and made it pretty clear - that I should not do that. So, on to Plan B.

Plan B:

(i) Enjoy the New York City Marathon;

(ii) Listen to my body;

(iii) Rest my body in the next 4 weeks;

(iv) SMILE!

A big Thank You to all the wonderful runners-bloggers I've met in the last couple of months. You make my running journey so much more special!

Barefoot Neil Z's 10-10-10 challenge - no race, but still a 10K

Well, due to the knee injury I did not race a 10K. I ran an easy 10K - recovery run style and finished in 57:30. Again - recovery run style. ;) But I DID run the 10K, Neil! ;)

I'm no saint, I'm only doing it because I like their logo...

If the Running Gods allow me to, and cure this stupid knee injury, and nothing else prevents me from running the New York Marathon, I will run the New York Marathon to raise money and awareness for a good cause. A very good cause, if you'd ask me:


Hulphond Nederland (http://www.hulphondnederland.nl/)

(partner of Assistance Dogs International: http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/)

Hulphond Nederland is an organization that trains and places Hulphonden (translation in English: assistance or service dogs).

A service dog is a dog that literally helps disabled women and men (and occasionally also kids - the child has to be old and responsible enough to handle the service dog). Service dogs assist people with disabillities other than hearing or vision impairment. They can be trained to work with people who need a wheelchair, need seizure alert, need to be allerted to other medical issues like low blood sugar, etcetera. The dogs can be trained to help you get the mail, run your errands, get dressed, do laundry, and ofcourse can be trained to signal a seizure or for example low blood sugar.

And most importantly: service dogs do not only provide a specific service to their handlers, but also greatly enhance their lives with a new sense of freedom and independence.

Since my mom has been a puppy family for a couple of years now (the puppy family has a service dog puppy until it's a year old) I've seen how these dogs work and it's amazing!

But why did I choose this cause?

Just a couple of months ago my dear mom was diagnosed with severe diabetes. Diabetes to the extent where her body doesn't tell her when her bloodsugar is dropping. No sweating, fatigue, dizziness. None of these signs. Just sudden low bloodsugar and the inevitable seizure that is the result of such low blood sugar.

As said above she has been a puppy family for a couple of years now, but recently she was assigned with her own service dog. Because of the severe diabetes.

Mom and her service dog finishing their first 11K race together.

Diddy, Mom's service dog, 'tells' her when her blood sugar is suddenly dropping. Even when this means that he'd have to wake her up in the middle of the night. Or stop her while running errands. Diddy is the reason that Mom's got her confidence back again. She even felt secure enough to run an 11K race - with Diddy, ofcourse. And for this, that sweet dog deserves a statue in my opinion. Or two. Heck, name a street after him!

And that, my friends, is why I'm proud to (hopefully - fingers crossed) run the New York Marathon to raise money and awareness for Hulphond Nederland!

Did you ever run a race to raise money for a good cause?

Three Things Thursday

1. My mom's pup was neutered today. The poor puppy! He has to wear some kind of play suit now to prevent him from licking the spot formerly known as 'his balls'. I'll be heading over to the pet store later this afternoon to buy him a 'get well soon' toy (I know...it's a dog, not a baby...but I'm buying him something anyway - get over it...).

2. I'm already obsessing over the weather on Nov. 7: New York Marathon. I literally have three different orange shirts printed with my name on it. A short sleeve, a long sleeve and a thermo. From what I've heard it can be in the low 50's, but also in the high 70's on marathon day. I just want to be prepared for whatever weather possible. If anyone has a reliable prediction on the weather, please do let me know. 'Cause I really don't want to be forced to bring tons of running clothes.

That much luggage is just embarrassing! In case you were wondering...it's Mariah Carey's...

3. Days left till the New York City Marathon:

30; that's 30 ladybugs!

Köln Half Marathon Race Pics or 'How that guy got chicked'

Last weekend's Half Marathon Race Pics are online. Yay! Since I ran that Half with a knee injury that was pretty much killing me, I did not have high expectations. But, so it turns out, the pics aren't that bad at all. I've looked worse. ;)

Me running through Köln City. Apparently I noticed the photographer, 'cause what you see here is a pathetic attempt of a smile.


About 1K left to go. I'm trying to look like I'm (i) in no pain at all, and (ii) enjoying the race.


A couple of 100 meters before the finish line. Do you spot the guy in the navy shirt and the black shorts? Remember his face for a second...

...because he's about to be chicked!

Me kicking it to the finish line. How the heck did I do that with that right knee killing me? That poor guy didn't see the cheetah skirt coming. ;)

Bonus: the worst race pic from the Köln Half Marathon:

Look at those quads. Yikes! Not exactly what you call soft and feminine... At least now I know why the whole flunning thing doesn't work for me; my guads look like something that belongs to a monster...

So, what would you do?

So, what do you do when you're sidelined with a knee injury and not allowed to run for at least a couple of days, AND you're 4 1/2 weeks out from a marathon?

1. Walk around in your running clothes even though you know that there's no way that you're actually going to head out for the scheduled 6 miler. Blah. Injuries suck.

2. Watch running clips on YouTube. Watch lots and lots of running clips on YouTube. Yeah, that's me, Miss Masochist.

Good thing about watching those clips: if I rest my knee now I will hopefully be able to at least participate in the New York Marathon. And that would mean running the same race as this guy, Haile Gebrselassie. The first guy to break 2.04 in a marathon. I would be honored to participate in the same race as this running hero. :) Does any one know whether or not he's handing out autographs? :)

Who's your running hero?

Hello Running Gods: are you trying to tell me something?

The Hip is pretty much okay at the moment. Lots of stretching and icing after long runs did the trick. (knock on wood, though...)

So why do I feel that the Running Gods are trying to tell me something when The Hip is much better? Well...

I ran the Köln Half Marathon this weekend (in Germany). Köln is a beautiful city and only a 2-hour drive away from my hometown in Holland. And the course is great; not a fast course. Not an easy course. But it is definitely a great course! Wow! It loops through the city, so what you get is a sightseeing tour of Köln. Much better than the somewhat boring rural areas you normally get. And the way the race crew organized it; wow! It's a very well organized race. They even had people removing the leaves so you wouldn't slip on them.

My plan was to run this race somewhere between marathon pace and half marathon pace, so I was aiming for something around 1:50. And for the first 5K or so, I was pretty much doing okay. And then, all of a sudden, my right knee started feeling a bit stiff. I figured that it would go away. It didn't. By the time I got to the 10K mark the knee felt sore and it hurt - big time. Bending it caused a sharp shooting pain behind my knee cap. I wanted to drop out, but decided to lower my pace instead. The pain was still there, but at around the 10 mile mark I was in a little less pain. Running at a slower pace actually didn't feel that bad. Painful, though.The rest of my body was feeling great. No soreness at all! But this knee... I considered dropping out again, but decided against it. I'm lazy and didn't want to go through the trouble of finding a cab that would take me to my check bag. I figured I would be there faster when I just continued running. So, I did and finished in an embarassing (for me) 1:52:30.

After the finishline I got some ice from the paramedics waiting for us. It helped a bit and walking around didn't really hurt. Going down stairs did, but walking didn't. I had high hopes that it wasn't anything serious.

These high hopes were crushed this morning when I woke up. Bending my knee causes a sharp shooting pain behind the knee cap. Just walking around hurts. Riding my bike is not even an option. Touching my knee cap hurts. Googling the syptoms brings me to lots and lots of different articles on Runner's Knee, patella pain, and not being able to run for a couple of months. Silly me for thinking that Runner's Knee was an overuse injury and not an acute injury. My PT is on it, and told me to rest it for at least this week.

Oh, and ofcourse the New York Marathon is in less than 5 weeks. And this week and next week are supposed to be 50 mile weeks with 20 and 22 mile long runs. Followed by three weeks of tapering. How am I ever going to be able to run the New York Marathon with Runner's Knee? And what to do about my training?

So, hello Running Gods: are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't run the New York Marathon?

Have you ever dealt with a severe injury with a marathon waiting for you just a couple of weeks later?

Freaky Friday - You know you're a runner when...

... you're wearing compression socks to the office today. After all, it IS casual friday. And you are wearing them underneath your jeans. Plus you didn't have to think twice about putting them on this morning when getting dressed.

... you're also wearing MBT shoes to the office today. Yep, MBT shoes. That's right, the fugly ones. Why? Your knee and lower legs are in pain from the high mileage in the last weeks of marathon training, and your PT promised you that these shoes would help. Paired with some flared jeans you barely notice that these babies aren't regular sneakers. At least, that's what you think. Ofcourse, your co-workers noticed the total fugliness of these babies within seconds, and now they are calling you either 'Bigfoot' or 'Sporty Spice'. And you tell yourself that they are the nutty ones.

They actually look less ugly when I'm wearing them...promise!

... you keep the Stick in your desk drawer for emergency purposes. You'll never know when acute muscle cramps will occur, and you want to be prepared.

... you have actually gotten used to the soreness that comes with the last weeks of marathon training. You tell yourself it's 'good pain'. Ofcourse, when you tell your (non running) friends about this, they look at you in utter shock.

... when given the choice of shopping the designer boutiques of Köln (Germany) this weekend or shopping the marathon expo, you choose the marathon expo. Without a doubt. And this from a girl that used to trot around in designer high heels. You're actually looking forward to meeting the Saucony Recovery Sleep Suit in real life.

... you refer to a 35 mile / 56 km week as a slow easy peasy rest week. And you truly feel that way about it. You don't get why others think you're insane for (i) training for a marathon and (ii) getting nervous if you're running less than 50 miles / 80 km in a peak week. You honestly don't get it.

... you get into an ice bath without someone forcing you to. Enough said.