Day 63: 32 mins - 3.75 miles
Day 62: rest
Day 61: 1.5 miles, 20:53 - 3 miles tempo run, 1.5 miles
Day 60: 40 mins - 5 miles
Day 59: rest
Day 58: 30 mins - 3.4 miles
Day 57: 120 mins - 14.15 miles
I just finished reading the book called "Once A Runner". It was about an elite runner who set out to conquer the 4:00 mile. I realized that elite runners face the same mental struggles that novice runners are challenged with. Although athletic condition definately plays a huge part in the performance of a distance runner...the mental strength is equally important. There are times in our lives when we are or will be faced with challenges. Those challenges present the question in our mind...give up or fight? When your entire body is telling you its time to quit its difficult to make the decision to fight. But, we fight anyways because we know by fighting through these challenges we will become better. The longer my training runs get, the more I am able to understand how trully amazing the mental strength is of those fighting cancer. Sometimes I struggle getting through the last 10-20 minutes of run and struggle deciding whether to quit or persevere. Cancer patients choose to fight every minute of every day of thier battle. I think that's pretty amazing.
Furthermore, I recieved an email from my honored teammate Teri. She told me is in REMISSION!! This news nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes. Congrats Teri! She has been fighting so hard and she did it! She told me they tested her bone marrow to determine that she was in remission, which reminded me to update my address on the bone marrow registery. I want to encourage every one to sign up by going to Be The Match at http://www.marrow.org/.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Week 8: Breaking Barriers
Day 56: rest
Day 55: 47 mins - 6.0 miles
Day 54: 35 mins - 4.45 miles
Day 53: 40 mins - 5.17 miles
Day 52: rest
Day 51: 30 mins - 3.15 miles (still feeling awkward from yesterday's run, the ice pack is my new best friend...trying to give my body lots of TLC!)
Day 50: 90 mins - 10.70 miles
10.70 miles without walking...a new personal best!!! But, I unfortunately had to skip the team practice again. My best friend came to visit me so I needed to be efficient with time. Driving 45 mins each direction to Tacoma didnt seem like the best use of my time. Although, I apparently missed an incredible run over the Tacoma Narrows bridge :( maybe we'll do it again sometime! Instead, I recruited a friend and former college distance runner to accompany me on a 10 mile route I mapped out. The route I mapped out for us to run started at my house in Silverdale and ended at a waterfront coffee shop in downtown Poulsbo, WA. My best friend met us there for a post-run breakfast and coffee.
The run itself was pretty good. We started running at 7:30am and took the first 5 miles fairly easy. I had no idea what to expect on a run this long. After 6 miles, we stopped for a water break and a 'Gu experience' which i had strategically planted along side the road earlier that morning before my running partner got to my house. The last 4 miles of the run were ran at a grueling pace, about 7:40 per mile. I felt really good until I hit about 8 miles....then it got tough. At that point I was really happy to have a running partner who could keep me motivated. I was nervous we weren't going to make it to the coffee shop within the estimated time, so kept pushing the pace to make up for lost time from the slow start. The last part of the run was uphill and I was dying!! When we got to the "goal line" (the coffee shop) I was surprised that I still had 2 minutes of running time left! I did a little victory dance for meeting my goal and running 10 miles, then kept going to get the full 90 minutes. Never before in my ENTIRE life I have I EVER ran more than 8.5 miles and today I ran 10 MILES! I ran so long, that for the first time in my running life, my running playlist on my ipod started repeating....hmm. I am going to need to add more motivational music to keep up with my training. The rest of the day, i felt kinda cruddy, but it was totally worth it. I'm just wondering...if i feel this cruddy after 10 miles, how will I feel after 26.2???
Day 55: 47 mins - 6.0 miles
Day 54: 35 mins - 4.45 miles
Day 53: 40 mins - 5.17 miles
Day 52: rest
Day 51: 30 mins - 3.15 miles (still feeling awkward from yesterday's run, the ice pack is my new best friend...trying to give my body lots of TLC!)
Day 50: 90 mins - 10.70 miles
10.70 miles without walking...a new personal best!!! But, I unfortunately had to skip the team practice again. My best friend came to visit me so I needed to be efficient with time. Driving 45 mins each direction to Tacoma didnt seem like the best use of my time. Although, I apparently missed an incredible run over the Tacoma Narrows bridge :( maybe we'll do it again sometime! Instead, I recruited a friend and former college distance runner to accompany me on a 10 mile route I mapped out. The route I mapped out for us to run started at my house in Silverdale and ended at a waterfront coffee shop in downtown Poulsbo, WA. My best friend met us there for a post-run breakfast and coffee.
The run itself was pretty good. We started running at 7:30am and took the first 5 miles fairly easy. I had no idea what to expect on a run this long. After 6 miles, we stopped for a water break and a 'Gu experience' which i had strategically planted along side the road earlier that morning before my running partner got to my house. The last 4 miles of the run were ran at a grueling pace, about 7:40 per mile. I felt really good until I hit about 8 miles....then it got tough. At that point I was really happy to have a running partner who could keep me motivated. I was nervous we weren't going to make it to the coffee shop within the estimated time, so kept pushing the pace to make up for lost time from the slow start. The last part of the run was uphill and I was dying!! When we got to the "goal line" (the coffee shop) I was surprised that I still had 2 minutes of running time left! I did a little victory dance for meeting my goal and running 10 miles, then kept going to get the full 90 minutes. Never before in my ENTIRE life I have I EVER ran more than 8.5 miles and today I ran 10 MILES! I ran so long, that for the first time in my running life, my running playlist on my ipod started repeating....hmm. I am going to need to add more motivational music to keep up with my training. The rest of the day, i felt kinda cruddy, but it was totally worth it. I'm just wondering...if i feel this cruddy after 10 miles, how will I feel after 26.2???
Friday, March 19, 2010
St. Pat's Day Dash Photos!
At the starting line, and this isnt even half the runners....
And, ya got to love a good action shot too!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 7: Keep on keepin' on
Day 49: rest
Day 48: 40 mins - 4.90 miles
Day 47: 40 mins - 4.80 miles
Day 46: 40 mins - 5.15 miles (hills)
Day 45: rest
Day 44: 28:42 - 3.75 miles (St. Pat's Day Dash - Seattle, WA)
Day 43: 44 mins - 5.1 miles
I didnt go to practice this week because they decided to start practice at 9am instead of 8am. I was also coaching my last basketball game of the season in Kingston the same afternoon at 1pm which put me on a major time crunch. So, I hit the streets of Silverdale! On Sunday, I'm doing the St. Pat's Day Dash in Seattle with a group of friends...should be lots of fun!!
I'd also like to take this time to thank everyone who have so kindly supported me through donations. You have no idea how much it means to me. It really has motivated me to keep running. It trully is making a difference in more lives than you know :) If you havent donated yet, its not too late! I still need help reaching my fundraising goal!
Day 48: 40 mins - 4.90 miles
Day 47: 40 mins - 4.80 miles
Day 46: 40 mins - 5.15 miles (hills)
Day 45: rest
Day 44: 28:42 - 3.75 miles (St. Pat's Day Dash - Seattle, WA)
Day 43: 44 mins - 5.1 miles
I didnt go to practice this week because they decided to start practice at 9am instead of 8am. I was also coaching my last basketball game of the season in Kingston the same afternoon at 1pm which put me on a major time crunch. So, I hit the streets of Silverdale! On Sunday, I'm doing the St. Pat's Day Dash in Seattle with a group of friends...should be lots of fun!!
I'd also like to take this time to thank everyone who have so kindly supported me through donations. You have no idea how much it means to me. It really has motivated me to keep running. It trully is making a difference in more lives than you know :) If you havent donated yet, its not too late! I still need help reaching my fundraising goal!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Week 6: The 'Gu' Experience
Day 42: 40 mins - 5 miles
Day 41: rest
Day 40: 25 mins - 2.8 miles
Day 39: 70 mins - 8.46 miles
Day 38: rest
Day 37: 42 mins - 5 miles
Day 36: 60 mins - 7.2 miles (Saturday, March 6th)
I woke up at 6am, two hours before practice, and I was not in good shape. Although, I had a great time hosting our fundraising event at J&Rs bar last night....I was paying the consequences this morning! Any normal person would have popped some Tylenol and went back to bed. Unfortunately, this was not an option for me! I crawled out of bed, put on my running clothes and headed straight to the grocery store in search for a quick hangover fix. 15 fifteen minutes later, you would have spotted me on the couch with a bottle of Tylenol, icing my achy knees and recovering hami, chugging a giant bottle of Gatorade, and eating a large sugary donut with the most miserable look on my face ever! As Ellen walks in the door, its time to make our weekly trip to Tacoma...
The hour's drive to Tacoma gave me some much needed "wake up and recover" time! By the time we arrived at our practice site, I felt much better....it must have been donut! This week's mission moment was from a mom on our team. She had just lost her son to Leukemia less than 5 months ago. Her strength was absolutely amazing! She didnt want anyone to feel sorry for her, she wanted to motivated us to keep raising money so that another child's smile isnt lost to these terrible dieases.
The 3 rest days were much needed. We ran for 60 minutes today and my legs were feeling alright..not screaming too loudly. It's suggested that any run lasting an hour or longer should be accompanied by a packet of Gu. What the heck is Gu?? Gu is a packaged slimey, gooey, gel full of carbohydrates and engery used by marathoners, triathletes, and other endurance athletes to give them added energy during long races. Our bodies are not designed to store enough energy to race an entire marathon and thus we pump "Gu" into our bodies in order to finish the race. They had packages of Gu for us at practice. Apparently, its important to starting trying different types and different flavors now so we have plenty of time to find a Gu that agrees with our bodies and to avoid finding ourselves in much more painful state. My mentor kindly let me try his favorite flavor, "Tri Berry". He warned me "this (Tri-Berry) is the most tolerable Gu out there for me, but if you actually like this stuff, you're weird. Make sure you chase it with water!" When it came time, I ripped open the package and squirted this foreign substance into my mouth....it was like liquid gummy bears that coated your mouth! Ha, and I actually liked it! I later went to the local bike shop in Silverdale and bought 3 different flavors of Gu to try on future long runs: Esspresso, Montana Huckleberry, and Vanilla. The brand of Gu I bought was called 'Hammer Gel'... I didnt know this stuff was manufactured in Whitefish, MT!!
Day 41: rest
Day 40: 25 mins - 2.8 miles
Day 39: 70 mins - 8.46 miles
Day 38: rest
Day 37: 42 mins - 5 miles
Day 36: 60 mins - 7.2 miles (Saturday, March 6th)
I woke up at 6am, two hours before practice, and I was not in good shape. Although, I had a great time hosting our fundraising event at J&Rs bar last night....I was paying the consequences this morning! Any normal person would have popped some Tylenol and went back to bed. Unfortunately, this was not an option for me! I crawled out of bed, put on my running clothes and headed straight to the grocery store in search for a quick hangover fix. 15 fifteen minutes later, you would have spotted me on the couch with a bottle of Tylenol, icing my achy knees and recovering hami, chugging a giant bottle of Gatorade, and eating a large sugary donut with the most miserable look on my face ever! As Ellen walks in the door, its time to make our weekly trip to Tacoma...
The hour's drive to Tacoma gave me some much needed "wake up and recover" time! By the time we arrived at our practice site, I felt much better....it must have been donut! This week's mission moment was from a mom on our team. She had just lost her son to Leukemia less than 5 months ago. Her strength was absolutely amazing! She didnt want anyone to feel sorry for her, she wanted to motivated us to keep raising money so that another child's smile isnt lost to these terrible dieases.
The 3 rest days were much needed. We ran for 60 minutes today and my legs were feeling alright..not screaming too loudly. It's suggested that any run lasting an hour or longer should be accompanied by a packet of Gu. What the heck is Gu?? Gu is a packaged slimey, gooey, gel full of carbohydrates and engery used by marathoners, triathletes, and other endurance athletes to give them added energy during long races. Our bodies are not designed to store enough energy to race an entire marathon and thus we pump "Gu" into our bodies in order to finish the race. They had packages of Gu for us at practice. Apparently, its important to starting trying different types and different flavors now so we have plenty of time to find a Gu that agrees with our bodies and to avoid finding ourselves in much more painful state. My mentor kindly let me try his favorite flavor, "Tri Berry". He warned me "this (Tri-Berry) is the most tolerable Gu out there for me, but if you actually like this stuff, you're weird. Make sure you chase it with water!" When it came time, I ripped open the package and squirted this foreign substance into my mouth....it was like liquid gummy bears that coated your mouth! Ha, and I actually liked it! I later went to the local bike shop in Silverdale and bought 3 different flavors of Gu to try on future long runs: Esspresso, Montana Huckleberry, and Vanilla. The brand of Gu I bought was called 'Hammer Gel'... I didnt know this stuff was manufactured in Whitefish, MT!!
Putting the 'Fun' in FUNdraising!
What does a local bar, shuffle board, pizza, darts, and huge raffle have to do with Team In Training?? Its the combination for a fun-filled fundraising raising event! Abby, Ellen, and I hosted the event this past Friday night. We collected TONS of donations from local businesses and raffled off 22 prizes! We had a variety of prizes that ranged from oil changes, restaurant gift certificates, free bowling passes, sweatshirts, gym memberships, etc. We also sold pizza for $2 a slice while patrons enjoyed playing shuffle board, darts, billiards, and jammin' out to the juke box! The event raked in just over $500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
I was hoping the event would have been a little better for us, but ya just cant control the uncontrollable. The bar accidentally double booked events, so we were sharing the bar with group who was serving catered food. Needless to say, its hard to sell pizza for $2/slice when there is a table of FREE food 30ft away! Our pizza sales suffered, but at the end of the night, a good time was had by all! My voice was a little hoarse from announcing the winners over a routy crowd.
I am getting really nervous about the fundraising...its going to be a long road travelled to meet my goal. I need to raise $2,900 and I am barely half way there! Yikes :S
I was hoping the event would have been a little better for us, but ya just cant control the uncontrollable. The bar accidentally double booked events, so we were sharing the bar with group who was serving catered food. Needless to say, its hard to sell pizza for $2/slice when there is a table of FREE food 30ft away! Our pizza sales suffered, but at the end of the night, a good time was had by all! My voice was a little hoarse from announcing the winners over a routy crowd.
I am getting really nervous about the fundraising...its going to be a long road travelled to meet my goal. I need to raise $2,900 and I am barely half way there! Yikes :S
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Set Back #2
Day 35: rest
Day 34: rest
Day 33: rest
My heart wants to run, but my body says NO! Even though I am completely motivated and would give anything to be outside running on this beautiful day, I am taking the today off. I seem to have strained my hamstring as result of my workouts these last 2 days. I felt it coming on during yesterday's run and probably should have stopped immediately, but didnt. I'm sure this probably just the start of the minor aches and pains that will be accompying me and my training. So instead of running today, I have decided to hit the weight room and focus on upper-body and abdominal strength in order to give my legs a rest and a chance to heal before I am sidelined with a more serious injury. After a couple days rest and a little TLC to the hami, I should be ready to start increasing the miles and decreasing the intensity to start building up that endurance!!
Day 34: rest
Day 33: rest
My heart wants to run, but my body says NO! Even though I am completely motivated and would give anything to be outside running on this beautiful day, I am taking the today off. I seem to have strained my hamstring as result of my workouts these last 2 days. I felt it coming on during yesterday's run and probably should have stopped immediately, but didnt. I'm sure this probably just the start of the minor aches and pains that will be accompying me and my training. So instead of running today, I have decided to hit the weight room and focus on upper-body and abdominal strength in order to give my legs a rest and a chance to heal before I am sidelined with a more serious injury. After a couple days rest and a little TLC to the hami, I should be ready to start increasing the miles and decreasing the intensity to start building up that endurance!!
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