Graduation by Fire

Tuesday (I wish I could say today, but alas, I am not that diligent in by blogging) was graduation day for hill training. We have been running up and down, up and down hill after hill for the past 6 weeks at Tuesday night practices, and this past week was out last week! And BOY was it tough! We tackled the hill that is affectionately known to New York runners as "Great Hill." It's about .3 miles long, and the kicker is that the entire hill is on a curve, so you can never see the top! I must say, the fact that you can't see the top is actually the hardest part because it creates this feeling of hopelessness all the way up the hill!

Tuesday was not only hill graduation day, but it was also "the day that we inadvertently prove that we are advanced runners day." Kiernan, Erica and I started our warm-up for the run at a pretty aggressive pace. By the time we got to the start of the hill, we were pretty far ahead of the rest of the group. We decided to just go ahead and start, thinking we'd see people coming once we got to the top. Well, it turns out the coach had stopped everyone once they got to the bottom of the hill for a short talk. So as we came down the hill after our first repeat, the entire group was watching us like "Where have YOU show-offs been?!" It was a little embarrassing. And as a result, we ended up running one more hill repeat than the rest of the group...awesome!

Well, with hill workouts done (for now), I'm looking forward to a good run on Saturday!! Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment :-)

Tale of the 21 Mile Weekend

Well, I can safely say that this is the longest that I have ever run in one weekend, and I am EXHAUSTED!! After a 15-mile run yesterday (see below), I went out for a nice, family style meal last night and put myself to bed only to rise seven hours later to go to the fabulous Time Square Church with my friend Katey Chapmen.

Then, right after church I went out and ran the full loop (6 miles) in Central Park with my friend Leslie. Let me just say as a side note to this, if you ever find yourself in need of a self esteem boost, go running with Leslie. The entire time, she kept insisting that I must be in great shape because I kept inching ahead of her. The truth is, my legs were killing me, and I was running a little faster just to finish sooner, but I must admit, her encouragement went a long way!

Rounding out the weekend of running, I had my first-ever experience at a laundromat in New York tonight! My running clothes were becoming simply too smelly to deal with, and I absolutely HAD to wash them. See, usually I either do laundry at Taylor's house (which is SO nice!) or I pay to have it done at a place that offers "Wash 'n' Fold" for just $.75/pound. And let me tell you, based on the price I paid to do my running clothes only ($2.75), wash 'n' fold is actually WELL worth it. But, since I didn't want to dry my running clothes, I had to do them myself. It was not the traumatic experience that I thought I was avoiding all this time, but I still prefer to spend as little time as possible in the laundromat. Especially at the end of such a tiring weekend!

Well, I apologize, but I am not coherent enough to continue typing. Additionally, I want to watch the end of the Oscars. Thank you for reading. God Bless! :-)

Oh! Ouch! Ugh! Ah!

The title of this post is essentially the onomatopoeia of my run today...

Whether or not you're a runner, you've probably heard of the amazingly pleasurable experience known as "Runners high." I had my first one when I was a junior at Vanderbilt on the track around the basketball courts in the rec center. Runner's high is the feeling that one gets all too infrequently when running and it feels a little something like this:

Wow! I love running, I mean I really really love it! I don't know what's wrong with all those people who say "ugh, I hate running!" They must be friggen' idiots because this is the best feeling in the world. In fact, I'm on top of the world! Or maybe I'll take over the world! Luckily, I have plenty of time to decide and think about my next course of action because I could keep running for days! Wow, I'm so fit and fabulous, I should just run home to Ohio and tell Mom and Dad how good of a runner I am!

Today was NOT one of those days. Instead, ever mile felt like I was dragging two tree trunks along where my legs should be. My lovely companions Kate and Erica were so gracious and definitely stuck with me, but for some reason today my legs felt like they couldn't go another foot....every step of the way. Oh, not to mention we spent part of the run mixed in with the participants in a 4-mile race for New York Road Runners...so you can imagine how fun it was when we were just finishing our 3rd mile to hear the crowd shouting, "Only a quarter of a mile left, you can do it!!" when we really had....oh about 12 miles to go!

Well, the good news is that I DID finish the run! And I really do have a lot more enthusiasm than the previous paragraph would suggest, because I know that there are good days and bad days. And today, overall was a great day because I ran the longest I have ever run! 15.56 miles!!! So exciting!!!

Alright now its nap time :-) Thank you for reading!

Trying not to think about 15 miles....

I apologize for the delay! It has been a busy week. Between a great trip up to Boston and working all week, I've had no time to write!

Well first off, we had a great trip to Boston! I had never been there and it was really neat to see some of the old historic areas of the city. Even though it was really cold, we had a great time.

So on the Team in Training front...I am creeping ever closer to my goal of $4,000! Today, I am at $3,697, which is really amazing. I am so inspired by all of the people who donated to this great cause. And if you haven't donated yet, please do not let my success deter you. Every dollar that I raise OVER my goal goes 100% to the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (prior to that, 25% must go to cover administrative expenses, but still every dollar counts!).

So this week we had an interesting Tuesday night workout. We have been running hillS since what feels like the beginning of time! Well, this week instead of kicking our butts on the way UP the hill, we kicked our butts on the way DOWN the hill...make sense? Didn't think so! Well, essentially it amounted to sprinting down the hill (but with proper form of course: short strides, leaning slightly forward) and then recovering up the hill at a slow pace (for the record, it is difficult to recover UP a hill because it is inherently difficult!).

Oh and all the while this delightful homeless man was screaming at us from the woods....ah the joys of running in Central Park.

So, moving on. After this weird and quite difficult workout, our coaches decided to give us a little run for our money and had us to squats and lunges for about 15 minutes before running back to get our things at our meeting sport. Phew!

I must admit, the workouts are getting difficult, but they are also enjoyable. Each time, I can feel myself getting better and better.

So then I went running Wednesday after work...and THAT was an adventure!! I started running around 8pm, which is probably not the smartest idea, as it is dark, and I do live in a large city...but don't worry mom, I took my cell phone and was off (I also left my roommate with specific instructions to send a search party if I didn't return in 45 minutes). The run was fine, and despite some burning in my legs from all the squats and lunges, I was feeling great until I got on the path that I typically run around the resevoir in Central Park.

I hadn't been to the path since last week's snow and, lo and behold...it was RIDDLED with puddles, muddy spots, and all sorts of icy obstacles! I ended up spending 1/2 of the 1.7 mile loop around the resevoir hopping from side to side to avoid puddles (which I couldn't really see because it was very dark) and the other half tightrope walking on the 6" wide slab of concrete where the fence sits to avoid ruining my shoes! It was crazy. But I pressed on (as we hardcore runners do!) and made it back just in time to intercept my rescuers!

Which brings us to Friday (I was going to go running this morning, but I just rolled over and changed my mind at 6am...oops!). Today, I am mainly trying NOT to think about the fact that I will be running 15 miles tomorrow....I think we will be running up to the George Washington Bridge, which sounds fun, but really every week feels like it should be the marathon because we just run for SO LONG. Not to mention, Kiernan, my fabulous running partner, will not be here this weekend :-( Regardless, I will persevere, and I promise to post new stories tomorrow!

Fourteen on Friday

As I said before, so now I say again (in the words of the Apostle Paul)...

WE.ARE.SO.HARDCORE.

Kiernan and I ran 14 miles last night to make up for the fact that neither of us wanted to trek out to Brooklyn this morning to run in Prospect Park.

I'm not going to lie to you, running in 20 degrees on Friday night around Central Park was probably about as close to miserable as you can get. But, at the same time, I am surprised and excited by my commitment to this training. Honestly, its one of those things where I look back and I'm like DID I REALLY DO THAT? Well, I am off to Boston for the weekend (where I will be doing absolutely NO running), but I just wanted to post this before I leave.

Thank you for reading, see you Tuesday night!

Practice in the snow!!!

Not much to report except

WE ARE SO HARD CORE!!

As if the spandex pants weren't indication enough, Team In Training is pretty serious. Well, tonight we ran through the snow, sleet, rain. You name it, we run through it. Tonight, we ran up and down "Great Hill" until my hamstring hurt like a (*&#$%. But by the time we were finished, a nice snow was covering the ground. It was really very romantic, and I enjoyed it!! Nothing like romance in spandex pants.

Speaking of romance, in case you're wondering, Taylor and I are going out for Mexican food tomorrow night and I could not be more excited!! :-)

Well, I plan to post soon regarding my new goals for the marathon. My fundraising has gone SO WELL (I'm almost done!!) that I can hardly afford to rest on my laurels. Time to keep fundraising and start kicking my butt where running is concerned. YES!

Photos of the BX1/2!!

These are pretty self explanatory :-) And I'm tired!!

Here is my mentor group. from right to left: Kiernan, Me, Erica, Karen, and our mentor DEB!

Kiernan and I all dressed up :-) Not the usual running gear!

After the Run!!! Kiernan, me, Erica

See the 13 in the background?!?!?! Um....squint much?! It was so sunny!

I did it!!!!

So, I am finally having a second to sit down and write about the half marathon.

It was AMAZING!!!

I was a little worried about this race, because it was my first race longer than 5K, and knowing me, the race could have gone one of two ways. On the one hand, I thought, I may see all the people running by and be inspired to run faster and harder. On the more likely hand, I could see all of the people who are so much faster than me and just decide that resistance is futile and run at whatever pace I darn well please. I had an unspoken goal of finishing the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, but I really had no real hope of accomplishing this goal, as it would require me to run faster than 9:15 miles....which is significantly faster than I have been at practice all season.

Well, I am proud to announce that I completed 13.1 miles today in...

1 hour 57 minutes and 54 seconds!!

Interestingly enough, this is EXACTLY 9:00 minute miles (to the second, its crazy). Not only am I proud of my achievement, I am inspired that I was able to break through a significant mental barrier and actually beat my goal, even when I didn't quite believe I could achieve it.

Please indulge me in a little recap of the highlights of the race for me:

• I ran most of the race with my friend Kiernan (pictured on the right side of my blog), who always keeps me distracted with good conversation and also encourages me to run a little faster and better every day.
  
• We reached the first mile marker when the time ticked 10:46...for a moment I panicked at our slow speed, until I realized that we had been caught in foot traffic for about a minute and a half after the actual start, so we were actually doing quite well.
• Our second and third miles were under 9:00 minutes and we got to see our TNT coaches cheering us on twice.
• We got to run by Taylor's school (where he teaches in the Bronx) twice during the race, which took us all over the borough.
• At mile 7, I had a PowerGel, which is essentially like squeezing an ounce of toothpaste into your mouth and washing it down with some water.
  
• At miles 8 and 10, we passed this amazing man who was out there cheering his heart out for all of the runners. He was saying things like, "Keep it up, I've got some lasagna in the oven for you!" or "You're too fast for me, I can hardly cheer for you!" Then, when we ran back by 2 miles later he said, "You're too fast, the food isn't even ready yet. Your pace is too fast!" It was really encouraging to hear him out there being so creative and encouraging.
• At mile 10, Kiernan finally attempted to have her first ever gel. She's never even tried them before, so this was a big step. Well, she took one little squirt, made a horrified face, chucked the rest of it on the ground and spit out the gel that was in her mouth. Apparently, she was not a fan!!!! Some people who happened to be running behind us at the time ran by and said, "What flavor was that, so we can be sure not to buy it!" Well, Kiernan clarified that she had never had any at all, but we did have a nice little conversation about the best flavors of gel, which apparently are chocolate and latte.
  
• Mile 11 was the last mile that I ran with Kiernan. We kept a good pace, but by the 12 mile marker, I had to let her pull away, I was just feeling really tired.
• The last mile was probably the hardest but also the most exciting. I was SO looking forward to being DONE with the running. I managed to keep a decent pace so that I not only met, but beat my goal time. I crossed the finish line at 1:59:28 on the race clock, and it wasn't until later when I got home that I learned that I had actually made it in 1:57:54!!!
• After the race, we went to the 13 mile marker to cheer on our teammates and took some group photos . Please check back tomorrow for some photos from the race!
  

Well, now that I have completed my first half marathon and realized how much I love racing, I have a new goal for the marathon!! I hope to complete the race in 4:00 hours...which is a big goal!!! I am very excited for this, because now I get to continuously push myself to be just a little faster in preparation for the big day! With the success that I have had with fundraising so far, I have no doubts that I will also succeed on race day.

So thank you for your support. Thank you for reading. And please continue to check back. Oh, and if you haven't yet, please click "Donate Securely Now!" Thank you!!!

First 1/2 Marathon!!!

Sunday, I will be running my first half marathon EVER!!! I am so excited. Below are the marching orders from my mentor, Deb:

Sunday: Bronx Marathon! We will be meeting at 7:15 am at the right side of the baggage check-in area. The race starts at 8:00 am.

• Don't forget to pick up your number at NYRR, 9 East 89th St. (@ 5th Ave): Fri 1:00-7:00 p.m. or Sat 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• None of you should be RACING this half. Just take it like a normal run and practice drinking and eating gels (yum).
• Directions by Subway: Take the 4 or D trains to Bedford Park Boulevard/Lehman College and walk west on Bedford Park Boulevard to the start at Goulden Avenue.
• After the race, get your bag, put every layer you have back on, stay warm, and go to the TNT Cheering section about 200 yards from the finish line to cheer everyone one! GO TEAM!

Tips from Ramon:

• Friday, go for a 2-3 mile run, Saturday don't run at all, just stretch.
• Drink plenty of liquids Fri and Sat. You can add a sports drink per day, or add a little extra salt to your meals.
• Starting Friday, 60-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. You don't need to eat more, just make sure most calories come from carbs.
• Sunday morning you should be done with breakfast by 6:00-6:15 am (if a light breakfast) 5:30 if complete breakfast. Continue to hydrate until 6:00 am. After that make sure you get rid of the excess of fluids (aka go to the bathroom).
• 5-10 mins before the start have your last 6-8 oz of liquids so you . If you do this it'll prevent you from going to the bathroom in the first mile. But you need to make sure hydrate Fri and Sat, so you have the tank full by race day.
• Don't skip any water station except the first.
• You should have a gel about 50 minutes into the race, and every 40-45 minutes from there. You MUST have the gel/food with liquids to help the body break the nutrients. [NB: Bring 3 gels just in case!]

Connection to the Cockroach

Ok, this is the last alliterated "Connection to ______" post, I promise!

Don't you love those kind of days when you KNOW you have gotten through the worst the day has to offer by around 7am? This was my experience this morning when I reached under the counter in the bathroom to find a COCKROACH!!!! As there were no boys in sight to rescue me, I was forced to deal with this cockroach on my own. I chose the patented "Tweezers and paper approach". Tweezers because there was no way I was going to touch the thing (luckily, it was trapped on its back and couldn't run). And paper because paper towel or napkins and ESPECIALLY toilet paper are far too thin, I don't want to feel that little bugger wiggling through the paper (EW!!!). So, I picked it up by the butt (more accurately its wings), dropped it in a letter from EdFinancial (take THAT, student loans!), and disposed of it in the trash. Then, worried that he would crawl out of my debt, I went back and crumpled the paper a little more until I was sure the little thing would die (I'm more of a "bury it alive" than a "crush its brains" bug killer).

So, I have high hopes for the rest of the day, because nothing can be as traumatic as my morning...knock on wood.

Connection to the Cold

Tonight - some might say - my actions pretty much were the definition of insanity. It is a bitter cold day in New York City. Sunny, but COLD with a high of 23 degrees and a wind chill of about nothin'. Does this deter the Team In Training runner?

No.

Not at all. In fact, about 60 of us were out there tonight not just running, but painfully, excruciatingly, rapidly propelling ourselves up Cat Hill (read: big hill) over, and over, and over again. And believe me, much like last weekend when I felt thoroughly connected to the cause, tonight, I felt thoroughly, abusively connected to the cold!!! It was FREEZING! And it didn't help that I had to pee the entire time. Because here's something they don't tell you about running so hard your body hurts: it makes it hard to feel like you have control of your bladder. Don't get me wrong, I DID manage to control my bladder, but when your muscles are contracted from the cold and engaged fully in climbing of descending a hill...that bladder holder muscle tends to feel neglected. So, I will spare you any other details, suffice to say it was not the most comfortable run.

BUT, none of this REALLY matters. What does matter is WHY I am subjecting myself to this misery. And the reason is: to raise money to help find a cure for blood cancers. And let me tell you, thanks to the amazing support of people just like you, I am having AMAZING success raising money for a WONDERFUL cause!!! Just today, my wonderful friends and family donated $200 dollars to the Society!!!! How awesome is that? I think its amazing. I am just $783 from my goal, and I fully anticipate reaching it and, hopefully exceeding it.

Because here's the thing. Up to my minimum of $4,000, 75% of the money I raise goes directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission. After my minimum, 100% of every single dollar is allocated DIRECTLY to the mission of the Society!! The reason for this is that 75% must go to cover the administrative expenses of Team In Training. That is how they calculate the minimum. If I exceed that minimum, no more money is needed for administration, so it all goes to the mission!! How great!! :-) So please don't think that you don't need to give. I may reach my goal without you, but your dollars are MORE than valuable to each and every person who has been touched by one of these disease! Click "Donate Securely Now" to give!

Connection to the Cause

Today was a very special Saturday practice. Not only did I run the farthest (furthest? Not sure) I've ever run in my life (and had a lot of fun doing it!), but we had an amazing event after practice called Connection to the Cause. Most of our honored teammates stood up and spoke about their experiences with Lymphoma (coincidentally, all of them had Lymphoma). They also spoke about how inspiring it is to have so many people - participants like myself - out there running and spreading the word, raising thousands of dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. After the honored teammates, the Patient Services Coordinator for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society spoke about the research, patient support, and patient aid services of the Society. Below, I have posted some videos from the event. Please take a moment to look at them and realize how much your donation means to these honored teammates and to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Here is the speech my honored teammate Amanda gave. At the very beginning, its cut off, but she's just saying that she is running the Country Music Marathon.



Here's a video of the honored teammate from The New Jersey Marathon. I apologize, but I cannot remember her name.


And here are four separate videos of Meg Harrison talking about the programs of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please, watch them, they really give a good picture of where your donation dollars are going.









Whew, this was an interactive day. Please click "Donate Securely Now" above if you haven't already! Thank you for reading/watching.

Nerdy Statistics

So, I may have had a little spare time tonight, and I have created a chart to show my fundraising progress! I am so happy with how things are going...and I just wanted to show all of you my progress.

(click to zoom)

Now, if you have not yet donated, please do not thing I don't need your help!!! Just think, you can become a part of helping raise money to cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and Myeloma! Thank you for your inspiration!