I think being in nature heals chronic illness or pain on a spiritual level. When I was at my worst, looking outside my window at the birds and trees would fill my soul, which evolved into being outside in sunlight soaking in positive energy, to being able to walk through forests praying the rosary whilst listening to birds and being a guest of beautiful wildlife. The wildlife may give a feeling of true serenity, a glorious environment for finding inner peace. Having friends enduring similar health situations may be healing, while hiking in nature sharing synchronized steps while taking in nature. Sometimes it's helpful to be relective of the first steps and breathes before becoming a marathon runner, memories of moments from those early steps or breathes feel just as significant as the competitive experience.
Never have to choose between miles and marshmallows.
Cross training hiking by monets garden!
Exercise to roast marshmallow s'more!
Into The Wild
Hiking is cross training, until last weeks scratches heal!
Training Plans
I always start seriously training three months out from a marathon. My plan from about this week through the Maine Marathon is to go on one three hour weekend run, with tenish mile runs during the week, two rest days with cross training and a speed workout evening or morning depending on the day. Fifty toe touching sit ups a day, five push ups…
Staying active after health obstacles with pots syndrome or back surgery is important for keeping my body working, being active is better for me than resting, keeping all the blood vessels toned. Sometimes there’s dizzy spells or feeling like the surgery was a month ago and I need that silky microwavable lavender heating wrap all the time, but other days taking the risk to be an athlete is worth it. Atleast the back surgery happend after turning 25, where being competitive in running is still important or valid in life, but it isn’t as important as it was under 21. My worst athletic injury by far is my left foot escalating into a pretty bad fracture, after a surprise occurance in a weightroom all the way back in the tenth grade. The human body really adapts to new realities with injuries moving forward. I feel like once I cross a finish line of a marathon, no one even knows about the health obstacles which I have worked around, which is nice.
For me, it is important to run long once a week, to really be prepared for the marathon distance, doing x amount of mileage makes all of the muscles + bones + tendons jump back into the water so it does not feel unnatural on an event day to make it to the finish line.
If all goes well, between the Maine Marathon and Mount Desert Island in October, I will not have to train over fifteen miles on a weekend long run, my body will just be in marathon mode.
This weekend, however, I slipped on a silly five mile run and have scratches on my elbow+hand+knee+leg like a little kid. Fingers crossed this weeks training goes better. The last resort is always just winging the marathon of a whim. Just making it through this fall season will make my entire running life.
Running Season
This year is my eleventh year of 26.2, and may be one of the closing years. It is funny a lot of my motivation to run the marathon had been to qualify for Olympic Trials, after learning about it from my running circle after doing the Maine Marathon in 2013. I didn’t even think about Olympic trials standards, racing my first big marathon. The third Olympic Trials year of my marathon career under thirty, didn’t land me an OT qualifying time, but maybe when I’m 33 it’ll happen. That would just be so much running, even without Olympic Trials happening for me, I have loved being in my sport living the life a little.
I will be training for both the Maine Marathon and the Mount Desert Island Marathon. I always thought it would be cool to do back to back marathons, and this will be pretty close to it!
Now it is time to start running more before work everyday, and posting all my training, maybe interview some training friends as well.
I will have a Knit or crochet project to go with my running fundraiser, soon to come. My big idea, is crochet/Knit pumpkins with gold ribbons to help raise money for childhood cancer research. Hopefully, between putting in the mileage and having a cute craft idea will be a successful fundraising idea. Thinking October already, and it’s not even August yet!
This morning I went for a five mile run around my block, casually in my old trainers, there were so many Bunny’s hopping around!
JellyFish
My end of year jellyfish gift for our last day of school was a hit! The designs all have there own personality just like the kiddies.
I used to love running, leaping, over jellyfish during strides on the beach barefoot before real running. Throwing then back in the water.
Mountain Goat Ten Mile Run
Several weeks following my independent spring marathon, I did the Mountain Goat 10 miler. Afterwards, I gave my class a goat stuffed animal, then let them all try on the medal and pass our goat stuffy named Goaty around as we read Once Upon A Goat. All of my teacher runner dreams came true. Very fun.
My Spring Marathon Reflection
The marathon is both very mentally and physically demanding, therefore possessing critical thinking skills with special elements of reasoning may be very beneficial for participating in the great sport. To have a standard of being precise while pacing mileage, or making quick race tactic decision to be a pack leader or hang back with mind clarity is very important. As an athlete and violinist, intellectual perseverance really contributes to physical success in both industries based on the ability to fulfill a task at hand very well.
Close to the stroke of midnight leading into my marathon Sunday, I dressed up for a high-end event in light couture concert violin attire, to play Ave Maria all the way through several times. Instead of looking to play all the notes on the paper set on my purple music stand perfectly, with a sip of my blueberry martini, I completely lost myself playing out on my archaic violin with soul, feeling the beat whilst knowing the song inside out. The strings sound amplified from next to my cozy fireplace, echoing through my entire house, perhaps even up to the stars above through my skylights.
Marathon morning started out casually, with sips of earl grey tea, dancing around my kitchen, listening to Celine Dion, all while making German chocolate cake with frosting for the evening. For the first time in my life, I doubled the German chocolate cake frosting recipe as I have always wanted to, in a large pot to avoid all the sugar boiling over on my stove. My sweet tooth possesses a true love for all the sugar, coconut and pecans of this decadent frosting. Then, as morning moved on, upon feeding my twin chihuahua puppies their breakfast, giving one their shot of insulin and both sliced cucumbers, the day switched over to running only.
In the beginning, rain came down on my Nike New York City 2020 running jacket, soaking my patriotic Brooks stars and stripes sneakers as well. On my marathon sneakers, I have my gold ribbons safety pinned on. Throughout all eleven years of marathon running, I have always felt passionate to fundraise or spread awareness for childhood cancer alongside other significant health obstacles and diseases. It amazes me those ribbons have stayed intact through all the running endured, especially in hail or rain during an extra-long independent marathon. Additionally, to being fit to run a particular distance, as an athlete, it is very important to run for a cause bigger than oneself. In October of 2013, running the Maine Marathon 26.2-mile event at the age of eighteen, the reason I finished is because of my motivators. My motivation to run grows from the true purpose of this event existing, overcoming the health obstacles with my heart in high school and being alive, my family, my community, and helping my charities. As an athlete, I must go into a lengthy distance or competition believing to achieve the feat will have purpose and change someone's life for the better. My motivations, inspirations, brought my legs through the end of my first marathon and carried me through an eleven-year career. Quite literally plus figuratively, running through the rain has truly brought me much happiness in life. The rain was a sign of purpose, bringing my fresh legs out for the first ten-mile thrill of an exciting yet terrifying twenty-nine-mile adventure.
Finishing a little more than the first ten miles, on my second five-mile lap of the block, I took a water break swallowing a gel to keep my blood sugar even, simultaneously tearing off my rain jacket to place my United States of America tank top on for the rest of my marathon. My lucky open-back americana tank top with ironed on USA adorned with a flag, from the outfit for running the Great New York State Marathon this previous fall, was the touch of magic I needed in my ten-minute break. The atmosphere felt as if the sun were shining just for me to keep moving my legs through nineteen more miles of lapping the block. To run my five-mile block, five times and complete a final three-mile loop took a lot of determination and willpower.
In between breaths, heartbeats, and footsteps, my brain may theorize my next mile split being fast and predict exactly how fast. Then, I look on my watch for my previous mile, observe how on track my goal time maybe, and experiment with a new race tactic to execute in the next mile. Running entails many experimental cycles, to apply specialized critical thinking. A mile into my third five-mile loop, I looked toward the Tuscarora golf course for my fan base, pretending to be in a real event. Arriving to my ginormous hill a third time, I questioned whether to run all the way or keep a light running pace, and recalled a goal for the enormity of this hill which my sister shared with me over fifteen years ago, ‘keep running until you reach the sign near the top.’ My body kept moving and grooving, my feet reached the sign and continued an even running cadence beyond the sign. Up over the big hill, my runners body made it, again.
Finishing the first fifteen miles felt strong and fluid with my stride, then my brain wondered about the way to complete more miles. My thoughts run to wishing I were in a large pack of women maintaining magnificent form with a strong steady pace, feeling empowered to take our sport back as if it were 2013, instead of being all by myself.
Suddenly, under eighteen miles in, I became stricken with surprise to have droplets of hail coming down on me. Nevertheless, I knew I would not quit no matter what the weather brought on that day. Just thinking about everything I went through racing 26.2 miles in 2013, having the desire to still feel valid in my event eleven years later, I had my shoulders back and kept springing my legs to be on race pace.
The fifth five-mile lap of the block, heading beyond twenty miles, my body had become more overcome with emotion than physically exhausted. Mile twenty made me question, ‘Will I make it to mile 26.2 today? Is this my day on marathon weekend 2024?’ Reaching the ginormous hill for a fifth time, I considered walking, yet maintained my running stride. This was the final time, I would have to go up this particular enormous elevation. Running up this hill made me think about being with my boyfriend in all the Alaskan mountains, and how he would tell me to run up the hill again if they had been with me. With all the willpower in the world, my legs kept springing up over and beyond the tip top of the immense elevation gain, moving even higher. A mile later, there stood the other big hill, I needed to run two more times to complete this self-created course. My biggest trick for moving up hills is having steady arms, swiftly springing my legs evenly with my arms.
On mile twenty-five, maintaining the strongest form with the best race pace possible while enduring this mileage, I really started to fight to stride into mile 26.2. Every breath, every touch of my feet to pavement, every stride, palpitating through my entire being. Seriously focusing on my watch, looking on my thighs of both my legs springing to complete the mileage. When my watch told me 26.2 miles, my legs kept springing further until reaching a little more than 27 miles, then I walked to cool down. My phone fell out of my hand at mile 28 into a ditch with a stream, and I slipped down into the water. It felt nice on my feet to have the chill of freezing water. A mile more on my feet took me home, and brought my consecutive mileage to 29.27 miles after 5:51:30:48. Five hours, fifty-two minutes, and five seconds to run my 26.2 miles within a total of 29.27 miles.
Upon reaching 26.2 miles on April 14, 2024, I expected to feel euphoric upon reaching my goal. In 2013, after finishing the Maine Marathon the second my hands were able to reach my parents, I kissed them, and had a dance party with my medal even though my body had been finished. There were no arms to jump into, no lips to kiss, no glamorous marathon medal, no attending one of the best parties surrounded by my thousands if not millions of running friends, in the end my legs brought my body beyond the finish in solitude. The deep focus with simplicity accompanied by silence had me wishing love to my marathon community of all these years, wishing they would be happy for me continuing into eleven years for all of us, wishing for an inexplicable magical feeling with close family to come soon in the future. My 2024, 26.2-mile event had been perfect.
What will be my next move after 10 years of 26.2 mile events?
In highschool, after a virus hurting my heart made me very sick, all I wanted to do was be able to stand up without fainting and run again. All of my fainting spells made school, and having a normal daily life seem so impossible. It feels extra special to me to have become apart of the marathon distance officially in October 2013 to now, ten years later still formally competing in 26.2 mile marathon events. In the autumn of 2012, I added five miles to my ten mile cross country training routine and then another lap of three. Almost making it to twenty miles in my pre formal marathon year felt like a marathon to me. As a runner, it is a challenge to break the routine and gradually add on mileage to an already long distance. I needed an entire year of training before running 26.2 miles in the Maine Marathon, even if I did not know exactly what I had been training for all year. I had three years of better days than my worst days of illness overtaking my body before formally competing in the 26.2 miles event. Running to overcome significant health obstacles and to be an athlete again is truly a blessing, and I could not be more grateful to be apart of the marathon event for ten years. Looking back on my worst days while being sick or unable to walk, make me extra grateful to have finished my degrees and to have the ability to run the way that I have. All the good days and bad days create a certain level of gratitude and determination, that made me want to run for god. Running for yourself as well as something bigger than yourself is very special. 10 years of the 26.2 mile marathon, 11 of 20ish miles, and 13 years since my worst day of being sick. I honestly believe the best is yet to come!
26.2 Loop the Lake
Officially, 10 years of 26.2 mile marathons and 11ish years of 20ish miles in the books! Today, was very very rainy. Looping Onondaga Lake twice in the rain was a powerful experience to make 10 years of 26.2 happen. I love how the medal spins around like my Maine Marathon Medal from 2013. I wore my 2023 race bib on the front adorned with gold ribbons with my racebid from 2022 on the back with even more ribbons! I must have signed up 7 spots earlier this time, 129 to 122.
After running my 5ish mile block 4 times yesterday, I am feeling pretty ready for next weekend running The Great NYS Marathon! It should be fun. Let's see if I will make it through another 26.2!
October 6th is my exact 10 year anniversary of 26.2 miles in the Maine Marathon. I only went up to about 20ish the autumn before running on my block, hoping to run in college. My running career has brought me so much purpose in life.
I am officially registered to run the Great NYS Marathon on October 15th. Though an almost last minute change in plans, I feel confident in my decision and look forward to running this another course time.
https://kelleigh.org/
I’ve decided to postpone my real long run to next weekend and have a violin day instead. So hopefully this week, I do eight to ten miles everyday that in not on my one speed work day. Next weekend, I will do my two long runs to prepare for this year’s marathon here in Syracuse.
Once you are a broken in marathon runner, it’s fine to miss a long run, because your body is already adapted to long distances. In the beginning of my career, 26.2 was a deep end distance. Now, I know that I will finish, the uncertainty is finishing fast or hitting a wall 23 miles in. I’m going with the flow.
