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:

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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.

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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 :)