First Team Training!

Wow! What a day!
We were up at the crack of dawn to head over to Niskayuna to the bike path. It was chilly, so the layers went on (and never came off). My fiance came with me for support, and we pulled into the parking lot just as the runners starting gathering. WHAT A GREAT CROWD! There were about 50 people there, of all abilities, shapes, sizes, ages, etc. I met my mentor Gabi - she's great! Full of energy and encouragement and moxie! Not only were my Freihofer teammates there, but other Teams in Training (San Diego Marathon, Lake Placid Half Marathon). I was surprised to see a friend of mine from work there (she's training for Lake Placid), so we hugged and she filled me in on how things worked with the team training. We had a little pep talk from Dan, our running coach and Joanne, the walking coach, and then were were off!!

The Freihofers only had to run 2 miles today, but my back* has been bothering me, so my fiance and I walked it. The start of the course was lined with pictures of our honored patients - people who are currently undergoing treatment. It puts everything in perspective for you. Instead of feeling cranky from lack of sleep, chilly, and sore from the week of training, I actually felt honored that what I was doing was going to help these people.

And what a lovely place to train! The bike path follows the Mohawk River, and there's a veritable aviary that live along it's shores, In addition to plump robins, we saw a blue heron, and lots and lots of geese. We kept up a brisk 3.8 -4.0 pace, and got done in about an hour.

The energy of the team was amazing. The enthusiasm was infectious, and the cheer and support was amazing. Passing runners would shout words of encouragement. Smiles were everywhere. I could become addicted to this. It's pretty amazing what a bunch of people with a compassionate outlook and a common goal can do!

Can't wait til next week!

* I have two arthritic vertebrae in my lumbar spine that occasionally give me trouble. It's nothing major, and totally to be expected, seeing as how I've startled them by embarking upon a training regimen. They'll settle down in a day or two. Meanwhile, no sense in making them angry enough to make it so I can't train - hence the walking.