Always move forward

Well the last couple of months have been rather eventful... in their uneventfulness (I'm making it a word). Due to some health concerns, I have had to take some time off running and, therefore, am postponing my first marathon. After some crying jags of self pity/disappointment (thanks, honey, for dealing with me), I'm okay with this, and have come up with a new plan. Always move forward!

First, as far as TNT goes, I am going to do all I can to support the team marathon weekend. This will definitely include some cheering out on the course, and may include other help as needed. If you're out supporting all of the awesome athletes on Oct. 18, take special note of those in the purple shirts and give them an extra cheer!

As far as my own personal fundraising, the TNT coordinator is transferring 75% of my total funds raised toward a credit for Capital City half marathon training. The other 25% will still go to the LLS, of course. So, I'll get to do a little more fundraising AND set a new training goal.

As soon as I have everything under control health-wise (and goodness, I have TONS of time now!), I'm going to really hit my training hard for Cap City so I can wear that purple shirt with pride in May. I've let go of the fact that it won't be a new distance for me ... *the* marathon. My challenges will be:
1. Facing off against the winter. My first year of winter training last year was ROUUUGH. I hate being cold while I run, and I hate coming back and shivering for at least an hour afterward. I also hate running tights :) It should be loads better since I'll meet up with the team on the weekends.
2. I need to build up some speed. Instead of a distance goal, I have a lofty time goal -- under 1:50, which is three minutes or just about 8 seconds per mile off my current PR. I think I can do it, but have some ground to make up in my energy and strength.

Okay, well, it's off to work now (I've been sick -- unrelated -- for a few days and am eager to get back! Nothing like time off your feet to remind you that you are not a couch potato at heart) ... thanks to all of my supporters for your understanding and patience. I still feel like a bit of a failure, BUT the most important thing is that your money is still going to an awesome cause, and I get to continue working for that cause for another seven months.

Take care, and be thankful for your good health! :)

Mixed Bag

Quick update: I had a great "training race" last weekend, setting a PR in the Spirit of Columbus half marathon. My goal was to finish in 1:51 (8:30 mile), and I ended up at 1:53:20, which is two minutes faster than my previous time. I also negative split the race, so I felt a bit like death at the end. So that's great news - getting faster! Also great news - I hit my fundraising goal! Thanks again, on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to my wonderful supporters!

Unfortunately, my IT band has really flared up, much like it did about this time last fall when I got to new mileage. At its worst, while running, my knee begins to have sharp pains and my toes get numb; generally, though, it's just really tight and uncomfortable. This week, I've rolled the heck out of it with the foam roller, iced consistently, and done a great deal of cross training. I'm worried about my quickly decreased mileage, so I did three two-a-days, with core+weights in the morning and cross training in the afternoon. I rested today, and am still in quite a bit of pain, so will need to soon make a decision about what my planned 19-mile run will look like tomorrow morning. I'm frustrated because I've gotten a lot stronger over the past year and have also done variations of my physical therapy exercises to keep things balanced... oh well, we'll see.

Still here!

Okay, so I've been slacking on the updates. Some minor setbacks in the training, but here's the good news:
1. I'm about $6 short of my fundraising goal - woo hoo! I am so thankful to all of the generous donors who opened their hearts and wallets (I know, so corny but so true) to give to this most deserving organization. THANK YOU!
2. I've not missed a long run. Mid-week runs were a challenge this week as I felt under the weather, but I did 15 miles for the first time today, and was able to finish it just fine.
So, on both fronts, I'm technically on track.

HOWEVER.

I'm getting really intimidated about the leap from 13.1 to 26.2. I'm comfortable(-ish :)) at 10 miles. Thirteen miles are doable, but I can "feel it." Fifteen was rough. (Not helped by today's wretchedly hot/humid weather)

So my to-do list is as follows:
1. I really, really need to work on my mental game- building confidence and reducing anxiety.
2. I need to keep building strength on my runs and in the gym; I know many people don't lift during running season, but I think I absolutely have benefited from heavy lifting and will continue to do so for a bit longer.
3. I also need to fit in some more *gulp* sprints in that incredibly uncomfortable anaerobic zone.
4. I also need to be mindful of the importance of good nutrition and hydration. I'm starting to get a handle on what works during runs, but I also need to watch it during the week to fuel my body effectively.

My next half marathon is August 30. I'm pushing for a PR; the course is much gentler than the Pig, so if I don't at least top that (disappointing) time, I'll be very out of sorts :)

Mileage log

I miscalculated how much I'd done this week and probably should have done a 12-miler today instead of 10. Oops.. I'm obsessive and log my workouts on my iCal, but am bad about totaling my mileage; I need to do this to make sure I'm taking it up just about 10% a week, with some down weeks. So, here we go:
Week of June 21: 20 miles
Week of June 28: 25 miles
Week of July 5: 22 miles (included recovery from last weekend's race, so I suppose that's okay - yoga + core one one day, boring elliptical on another, heavy lifting on another, plus a rest day)

I'm signed up to volunteer at a disc golf tournament this afternoon. I hope the weather clears up so I can go out and earn some money for Team in Training!

Quick update

Things that will help get me through the season:

Favorite tempo run song: "Girlfriend (Dr. Luke Mix) (featuring Lil Mama)"

Favorite sprint/killer interval song: "Let it Rock"

Favorite piece of gear: My Sweaty Bands: http://sweatybands.com/. Sure they're kind of ridiculously expensive but holy cow do they hold my short-ish+layered hair & nubby ponytail in place. They're cute as all get out, too.

Favorite piece of gear #2: Foam roller

Favorite killer but beneficial workout: HIIT, specifically tabatas, which I learned at the gym (high incline + high speed for four minutes total - alternate 20 seconds on/10 seconds off). I HATE hills and I also don't like to go fast, but this is a necessary evil to keep bumping up my aerobic fitness. I've also heard from a few sources about an 800 workout that helps predict marathon finishing time ... will try that when I start dragging my butt to the track.

Favorite for strength: the BOSU -- my core has gotten SO much stronger in the last six months by tacking on a BOSU to many other exercises (lunges, squats, planks, deadlifts, etc.)

Current challenge: GI tract. Always.

I needed that (7-4-09)

Today I did exactly what I set out to accomplish. Exactly. 1:25 exactly. 8:30/mile exactly. (The official, non-chipped time was 1:25.36; I started 20 seconds back in the pack so we will go with close enough :) )

Beforehand, I had to fend off the following doubting Thomases in my head:

1. Stomach churning + two bathroom visits + two Imodiums (Imodia?) before the race = I am never going to make it. There will not be any place for me to go. I will be crumpled over in agony and left to die out in a very compromising position in a field in Hilliard. (If you are not a fan of TMI, you might not want to read this blog. Sorry!)

2. IPod fail, of the oh-crap-my-Meg-Cabot-audiobook-is-still-on-here-rather-than-the-fab-playlist-I-created variety = I will be bored to death and unmotivated, unable to blast out the above negative thoughts.

I was thisclose to holding off and running with the 5K-ers, but TNT saved my tush. This run was really important to my training, and I did not want to let you, dear supporters, down.

And I hope I did not. I accomplished my goals: both my time goal and my do not stop at all goal.

Notes to self to remember:

1.I was patient the first two miles, not letting my nerves take me out too fast. Almost halfway, I felt a little queasy, so I backed off. And that was okay.

2.Not having an iPod actually was not too bad; the setting of the race was a little, ahem, boring, but serene, and it was nice to have the awareness of what was going on (or not) around me and to just relax without the noise of music.

3.It was good for me mentally to break the event up mile by mile, resetting my watch at each mile marker.

4.I stopped at each water station, grabbed Gatorade (no other nutritional product and no water), and walked as I drank it. Much better strategy than not stopping and/or gulping half of it and inadvertently sloshing the other half all over my person in an attempt to save a few seconds. Also, I did not have a GI revolt. Woot!

So it was a terrific morning. In the few moments of desperation (at one point I did think, Hm, if I just stopped here, maybe one of the bikers on the trail would pick me up.), I adjusted my perspective (Dood you are not going through chemotherapy. Chill.) and just tried to enjoy myself. I had some nice camaraderie with other ladies in the race; the running community is so wonderful. Additionally, one of the rockstars from TNT 08 was working a water station, so that gave me a nice point to work toward the second half (Thanks, Lisa! Remember when you dragged me through my first two miles around Antrim? You are awesome!). I have been stretching and rolling out my IT band this afternoon (stupid IT band), will do Pilates to get stretched out tomorrow, and then back to regular training on Monday.

Next Small Challenge: A Hopefully-Not-Too-Crappy 10 miler (7-3-09)

First of all, thank you so much to my donors for their generosity. As I have mentioned before, times are really tough for non-profit organizations (think about how hard endowments have been hit in the stock market, and how individuals have had to scale down their donations), so your contributions are particularly crucial.

I shared in an email to friends and family the following statistics:

-The average cost of a bone marrow transplant is $500,000.

-Before insurance, the average cost of one round of treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can be over $50,000.

-Some leukemia patients take a revolutionary mediation called gleevec for many years; the cost for this medication alone is approximately $2, 300 a month.

In addition to medical expenses, incidentals such as parking fees really add up (we are talking hundreds to thousands of dollars a year at local hospitals).

The hardships that cancer patients and their families face make me so grateful that I am able-bodied enough to train for the Columbus Marathon, though the task seems really daunting right now. My most immediate challenge is a 10 mile race tomorrow, a race I have been told by two separate parties stinks: treeless, boring, and straight out and back. Oy! Though I am kicking myself for not signing up for one of the many 5Ks around town this weekend, I know that this race is what I need both physically and mentally; I especially need to increase my mental toughness. I am hoping I can also recover the dignity I left behind at the Flying Pig Half Marathon I will be thrilled to finish in an hour, 25 minutes, which is an 8:30/mile pace. I was able to hold an 8:42 pace at a 10K in the spring on a hilly course, so I want to push myself but unfortunately, my body is not always willing to cooperate.

That being said, nutrition and hydration continue to be big challenges for me. I am experimenting with a new fuel product in the race tomorrow in hopes that I will sustain energy without befriending the Port-a-Potty (See title above for double meaning. Clever, no?), and I also need to figure out how much fluid to take in. I lost five pounds by the end of the Half Pig because I was afraid of my system revolting (TMI , although I am so desperate to get my troubles under control that I will talk to anyone and everyone about my GI tract), so there has to be a middle ground. Every other system feels great, which is wonderful, BUT also adds to my frustration because the nutrition issue is really holding me back. In addition to my tempo, maintenance, and long runs, I have also been doing heavy lifting (highly recommended, and no worries, girls, you will NOT bulk up lifting heavy), some of which I alternate with sprints. Completely killer but again, thank goodness I am healthy enough to be able to crawl through it.

Thanks again to those of you who have donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you have not yet given me your preferred mile dedication, please do so. I will dedicate it to you unless you have a particular person you would like me to mention.

Happy 4th of July weekend. I continue to be thankful for friends, health, and freedom!

(Note: for some reason, this site is jacking up my apostrophes with strange symbols, so I have avoided contractions - awwwkward)

I'm baaaack...

For another season with Team in Training.

First, let me re-visit October 19, 2008 with my last blog from my first half marathon:

==========

Ending a chapter

I was going to start by saying �Sthe good news is⬦� in preparation to contrast with the bad news: my time with Team in Training has come to a close. However, the closing of this door is, in fact, a celebration of the last six months of hard work and heart and who's to say I'll never do TNT again?!

Yesterday's event was AWESOME. Mom and Dad came up from Cincinnati on Saturday night in preparation to drive me downtown for my 6 am. meet-up. I think they miss early mornings of swimming! I was so happy to have them there to share this experience. My jitters were pretty major, but I'd done over twelve miles before, so I felt mainly nervous excitement rather than fear that I wouldn't be able to finish. I did feel a little pressure to perform well since I was doing half the distance of many of my brave teammates!

At the start, I met up with my good friend and colleague Robin, an accomplished runner and well-respected cross country coach, who (bless her) stuck with me the entire way, even though I know she could have rocked it out MUCH faster than I did on the quick course. (Side note: Columbus is one of the top five marathons for percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers) She also came prepared with some knit gloves for me, which I ended up wearing, alternately, on my hands, and tucked into my shorts. The temperature was a little challenging for me, as it was freeeezing at the start, but then I of course sweat like a pig regardless. After mile one, though, the clothes started flying off, and we had to dodge the garbage bags people wear to keep in their heat at the start. There is so much to big races that I had not anticipated!

At mile four, we passed my former teaching teammate Tom, playing with his band. I have to say, all of the bands and the spectators made a HUGE difference on the course. If you ever get a chance to go out and cheer on marathoners, please, please do. The Columbus spectators were amazing! In particular, tons of spectators recognized the extra work and heart we Team in Training athletes put into our training (including our fundraising and working for our team heros) and I got many extra"GO TEAM" cheers along the way. Yeah TNT!

Coaches Kristina and Holly talked me through a moment of desperation at mile six; it was so kind of them to run with us for a couple of miles and THEN double back to run even more with the full marathon group. They're total pros, but I can't imagine how exhausting that must have been.

Brett, Linda, Daryl, Brian, and Cara were also incredible at mile 10. I could hear them and see them through the pack of runners, cheering me on. I was convinced I needed to stop and walk at mile 11, even threatening to throw up on Robin's shoes, but she made me continue on. I told you she's a good coach! The final stretch was so cool. I saw Mom and Dad again, and got a burst of energy (I think I was also thinking about the post-race goodies that I've come to adore and indeed, there were Tim Horton's chocolate donut holes awaiting us). Apparently I'd faked myself out with that nausea, because we ran close to an eight minute mile the last mile. My goal was to finish under two hours, and we came in at 1:55, an 8:50 mile average (Much less important to me, but still pretty good, was that I finished 121st out of 696 in my age group. Not bad for my longest-ever run!)

Coming through the chute and getting my blanket and medal gave me such a huge feeling of accomplishment. Although a part of me wishes I could say I've completed a full marathon, I look at where I was six months ago (could not run more than a mile or two to save my life) and I know that, coupled with the money YOU ALL were able to raise for cancer patients, the journey has been so worthwhile.

I've met inspirational teammates, learned from the kindest coaches you'd ever work with, been introduced to the running community, been reminded of how awesome my family is (including BRETTCH, who's s been listening to me obsess about miles, pacing, and the lovely aftermath of long runs and races), and developed a healthier perspective on what the human body is capable of. The patients for whom we run do not have the luxury of healthy bodies. To revisit a quote I posted earlier, why should I put in the extra effort to push myself when I want to stay in bed in the morning? Because I CAN.

With winter on the horizon, I need to figure out a game plan to maintain the progress I�"ve made and give myself some needed rest, and think ahead to where this journey will take me next.

=========

So, where did the journey go next?

First, to the physical therapist for two months of coaxing my IT band to get back on track and my hips to strengthen up. Then, through a winter of training, during which I discovered that the dreadmill is actually more friendly to me than are long runs out in the elements of Ohio winters, that strength training is an absolute must for me to be injury free, and that nutrition is my next big obstacle as I begin to ramp up my mileage. I came out from the winter with a whimper of a run at the Flying Pig half marathon in May, adding 10 minutes to my first/only half marathon PR (hills+major dehydration were my issues to learn from), but emerging injury free. Weeks later, I was contacted by TNT asking me to join up for another season, this time as a team captain for this year's Columbus team.

So here I am - ready for another summer with awesome people, new physical and mental challenges, and tasked with helping others with their fundraising and training for this AMAZING organization. I have one big fundraising idea up my sleeve for the end of the summer. Additionally, I'm planning to *drum roll* actually plan to run a full marathon myself in October.

That said, if you have just a dollar (or $20 ;)) to spare for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, please consider donating through this site. It's a hard time for non-profits (and individuals, of course!) economically; the LLS provides many quality-of-life services for patients who , in addition to suffering in this recession, are also struggling with the finances of life-threatening illness.

I'll keep you posted as the summer moves along - in addition to your donation considerations (THANK YOU!!!), please send me good thoughts for strong muscles, positive thinking, and cooperative body systems :)