Team Hatfield's Team In Training Page
Celebrating Victories, Honoring the Fight
Susan and Tim’s Marathon
October 31, 2004
Our Mathon, By the Numbers
Months spent training: 6
Number of miles run during training: 626.6 (Tim) 554.2 (Susan)
Tim’s time: 5:09.19 (Chip time)
Susan’s time: 5:53.02 (Chip time)
Temperature: 82 degrees (Ugh!)
Degrees warmer than our last long run: +40 warmer
Degrees warmer than our usual training runs: +20 degrees warmer
Number of Chiropractor Appointments: Lots: Susan
Number of Physical Therapy Appointments: Lots: Susan
Number of Pre-race massages: 1 - Tim
Number of names on the back of Susan's jersey: 3 (Carole, Gregory, Uncle IJ)
Mile at which we knew it was going to be a hard day: 2
Number of antibiotics Susan has been on in the past week: 3
Number of times Susan had to use the Royal Flush porta-potties during the race: 4 (see above)
Number of times Tim didn’t use a Royal Flush porta-potty during the race, but relieved himself anyway: 1
Number of miles before Susan convinced Tim to go on ahead of her: 9
Number of times Tim protested before going: 3
Number of Aleve (Susan); 4
Number of 8-hour Tylenol: 4 (!!!!!) (Tim)
Number of Toenails sacrificed: 3 (Susan) 1 (Tim)
Number of Marines Susan shook hands with after it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a “fast” day: 147
Mile at which Tim passed the frog: 10
Mile at which the frog caught up with Tim: 19
Mile at which the frog passed Tim: 20 (damn)
Number of miles Susan ran with the woman in the black bikini with black fishnet stockings and gold cone bra: too many.
Number of Democrats Tim had lengthy conversations with during the run: 8
Amount of money found during the race: 5 cents (Susan: Thanks Dad!!).
Mile when Tim started having visual hallucinations: 20.5
Mile at which Tim gave up the goal of finishing in 5 hours: 24 (his leg “go” was all gone.)
Number of times Susan wished she had a moped: 43,217
Amount Susan would have paid for a moped: Whatever they asked
Bananas eaten during race: Susan : 2, Tim 0
How many years older Tim would have to be for his time to qualify him for the Boston Marathon: 22
Number of Team in Training runners at the Marine Corps Marathon: 700+
Amount of money raised per mile by Team runners: $72,000
Number of times the Team in Training staff requires participants to urinate prior to consuming a victory beverage: 2 (they take your word for it)
Amount of time spent sitting in a cold bathtub immediately following the return to the hotel: 14 minutes (Susan), 16 minutes (Tim) (NB: just so you know, this was at different times)
We are sore.
We are tired.
And we are exhilarated.
It was an amazing experience even if it was a longer experience (time wise) than we had hoped. Still, we relearned humility (what we did pales in comparison to what those suffering from blood related disorders go through) perseverance (throughout the training and today), gratitude (to our generous donors who supported us every step of the way), and faith (we didn’t do this alone). Team in Training is a magnificent organization and we cherish the opportunity to have played our small part in promoting its goals.
TRAINING LOG
6/21: We've run over 100 miles in our training so far, with 4 months left to go until the race -- we anticipate having run close to 400 miles before the race date. So far, so good in terms of injuries, and the cool mornings have been great. We've revised the running music mix on the IPOD (with Rick's help) and have a great collection of motivating music to listen to while we run. If you have any idea for songs we need to include, let us know.
6/25: Ran almost 11 miles this morning -- our longest training run so far!
6/30: Have been running regular laps around the lakes -- 5.4 miles each. Looks like we're losing the cool weather which has been such a blessing for the past month.....back to reality which means getting up earlier to beat the heat!
7/10: Averaging over 30 miles a week now -- getting ready for the 12- 15 miles runs!
7/14: Finished our first 15 mile run -- now we just have to figure out where the next 11.2 miles are going to come from!
7/27: An injury has kept Susan off the road for a week, but she's got the medical team working on it. Tim is still churning out the miles though.
8/03: Rehabing on vacation in Florida now: Susan has been walking (4 or 5 miles a day) and swimming (up to 50 laps a day) -- she'll be back on the road again soon.
8/07: We ran five miles today -- no problem for Tim, and Susan is starting to get her legs back. The cooler Ohio temperatures are a real gift right now -- we're trying to exploit them. Who knows when we'll see another 61 degree morning?
8/20 The cool weather continues, as does Susan's intense rehabilitation. She's getting stronger though and is starting on some serious cross training at the university.
9/2 Less than two months to go. Tim is running great -- getting in some good distance at solid times. Susan's got the medical team working on rehab and pt -- she's getting more comfortable running the 5s and will try to move up to an 8 this weekend. Worst case is that she'll be walking a lot on 10/31 - but there's still time!
9/5 Got up before dawn for a ten mile run -- both of us, and we made it! it was about 45 seconds per mile slower than before Susan's injury, but she's getting stronger.
9/12 Another pre-dawn ten-mile run with our winged rodent friends. Tim is running stronger than ever. Susan had her best run since getting hurt in July. Physical Therapy appears to be working!
9/18 A great morning for a 17 mile run (18 miles for Tim!) The weather was on the chilly side (somewhere in the 50s) and there was enough wind to keep things interesting. We're both limping around now, but are pretty pleased with ourselves. Susan is running relatively strong (but slow), Tim is running great!
9/23 Recovered from the long run over the weekend and getting ready for another one this weekend. But probably not another 17....
9/25 Ran a pretty sloppy 13.5 this morning -- it was colder than usual (only 40 degrees -- 15 degrees cooler than our usual morning runs) and we just didn't have the legs for it. Oh well.
10/2 We've recovered from our disappointing effort over the weekend, and are now working on the fine tuning: What are we going to wear on race day? Big disagreement over Tim's Cincinnati Reds cap, which he has used as his training hat for the last 25 years. The thing has a odor to it that is totally beyond description. (Tim doesn't notice that the cats start scratching the floor near the hat -- he clearly can't take a hint, even from the feline contingent). I will only take it to the run if it is packed in a separate suitcase and labeled as Hazardous Waste. Tim disagrees. I am convinced that if there are any drug sniffing dogs in airport security, they would drop dead on the spot if they caught a whif of that hat.
10/4 After two days of soaking in a cleaning solution created primarily to remove "pet stains and odors", Tim in convinced that his hat is good-to-go for race day. I think it should be burned. Have offered to spread the ashes in a lovely spot. Stay tuned.
10/8 Ran a steady 12.8 this afternoon -- felt good about it. One more big run next weekend and we'll be as good as we're going to be. Look for a 5 hour, 30 minute finish. And the hat is back in play. It travels in the car trunk on the way to the running path.
10/15 Our last long run, and it was definitely Warrior Training. Ran 18 in the cold (40 degrees), rain, and wind. But we finished it. We'll start tapering off now, running 5 miles every other day until a few days before the race.
10/24 Have been taking it easy this past week. Ran a way-too-fast 7 miles today, and need to remember to not do something like that next weekend during the race, no matter how good we feel. Did the final running wardrobe check -- nothing is chafing, so it looks like we're in good shape on that front. We have all of the requisite stuff:
Something new: Team in Training running shirt
Something pink: Pink Ladies running club bandana
Something borrowed: The four leaf clover my dad carried in his wallet
Something that stinks: Tim's hat!!
10/25 The cat bite that Susan recieved yesterday is looking pretty angry. Ran into personal physician at political rally -- says it is infected and needs to get on antibiotics right away.
10/27 Antibiotics aren't working. Switched to new one. Tim is running, Susan isn't.
10/30 The night before the race and we're grateful for the extra hour of sleep. Susan is having trouble with the meds. But we're well rested and hoping for the best tomorrow. Keep us in your thoughts!
Frequently Asked Questions, June 2004
Q: Why the Marine Corps Marathon? A: Susan is on the Board of Visitors for the Marine Corps University. The course is relatively flat and there’s great crowd support (that helps a lot!) It’s also billed as The People’s Marathon, because they encourage both runners and walkers.
Q: What is your training schedule? A. Right now, we’re running about 30 – 35 miles a week. We will be running about 40 miles a week toward the middle of August. We generally run between 5 – 7 a.m., so we can be back before the kids get up. The major hazard in running that early is avoiding bats down by the lake.
Q. Any problems so far? A. Tim almost stepped on a baby turtle and Susan had a big dog jump her (she wears the torn shirt with pride) early in the training. Susan messed up her leg somehow, but is actively involved in rehabilitation right now – she’s back to running 5 milers, though she’s a bit slower than before the injury.
Q. Any special training tips? A.Frozen peas (the Family-Size bags from Green Giant) are great for icing down sore knees after a long run. Running to music also helps the time pass more quickly – Tim’s favorites: Bon Jovi’s Rockin’ the Free World and the Eagles’ Get Over It. Susan’s favorites: Nickelback’s This is How U Remind Me and Foo Fighters Learn to Fly.
Q: What’s your goal for the run? A. Our goal is to finish ahead of the guy in the full-body Kermit the Frog costume --he finished ahead of us by a couple of minutes in 2002. That would bring us in a little under 5 hours, unless the frog has really started a serious training program. Susan’s injury could be a factor in beating the frog. Stay tuned.
Q: What happens if you get injured during training and can’t run on October 31st? A. We’ll walk if we have to, crawl if we must. There’s no way we will not cross the finish line. (In 2002, Susan finished with bloody feet -- and only 10 minutes off her goal.)
Q: Are you going to do this again next year? A. We’re not sure yet but we just might – Susan sees running a marathon like having a baby – you need to give yourself time to let some of the memories fade.
Q: Can we track you during the run on the morning of the 31st? A. The Marine Corps Marathon www site (http://www.marinemarathon.com) will have (almost) real time updates on our progress throughout the race. But if you happen to be in D.C. on Halloween, bring Gatorade (the blue kind)!
