The Race

There's no excuse for how late this update is. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't try to offer an appetizer platter of rationalizations, right?

1) my dog ate my update
2) it's taken this long for my fists to unclench
3) I was arrested and thrown in jail for being such a half-marathon BADASS.

Which one are you choosing?

Anyway.

Friday night, June 11th, 2010:
Bags are packed. Astroglide, iPod arm case, bandannas, race singlet - check check check check. I have all my race documentation. My sneakers are roped through my backpack loops.


And I am nervous. Have I prepared enough? Maybe I'm kidding myself and I'll collapse on mile 10. That's way out in the woods. Will I die? Will I get eaten by a bear? If I do, will Werner Herzog narrate a documentary about it in that devastatingly sexy Bavarian accent of his? Oh God I hope so.

But I digress.

I study my race map. I have a degree in Geography & Urban Planning. I know how to read a map. This one makes my eyes go all swimmy:


I decide to put everything out of my sight and go to bed at 7pm.

Saturday, June 12th, 2010:
I'm up by 5am. I shower, pace, putter, pace, fiddle with things until it's time to take the dog to the kennel at 8am. I return home at 9am, whereupon I resume the putter-pace regimen until it's time to leave for Lake Placid at noon.

The drive is as gloomy as I am apprehensive.

It alternately spits rain and gloams over. We leave the interstate and take the small mountain road to into the heart of the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. I am struck by the immense gloomy beauty of these behemoth peaks.

Have I said gloomy enough?

We arrive in Lake Placid, pick up race bibs and head to the hotel. Which is stunning, with stunning views of the lake and stunning views of Whiteface. Stunning (at least it's not gloomy). Here's the view from our balcony:

That's Mirror Lake in the background. I am suddenly struck by the thought that I have to run around that lake, ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT LAKE, at 8am the following morning. I sit down on the edge of the bed and stare at my feet. I look out the window again. The lake looks bigger. I close the drapes.

We call Dina and wait for her before we amble over to the Golden Something hotel for the LLS Pre-race Inspirational dinner. And boy was it inspirational. The featured speaker was a young woman who was diagnosed with lymphoma shortly after giving birth to her first child. Both she and her husband were running the race. I cried a few times.

We had a team meeting with Meg, our fantastic coach (& got AWESOME temporary tattoos in the shape of the TNT logo!). Then it was back to our hotel. I feel bad, because I wasn't much company (I tend to go really quiet when I'm scared shitless), and Dina had traveled so far to support me. We watched a little bit of TV, Darryl gave me a pep talk and I set my alarm for 5am. Sleep never came easier for me than it did that night. I don't sleep at ALL before big events, but something or someone (I bet it was Frank) graced me with a fabulous night's sleep.

Sunday, June 13th, 2010:

....a day that will live....in INFAMY.

Kidding.

Race day dawned cool (cool enough for a fleece), and overcast. Morning temps were in the high 40's. I showered, dressed in my singlet, trusty lycra leggings, sneaks, and tucked Lisa's good luck token into my zipper pocket. My bright yellow bandanna goes around my head. We head down to the lobby to meet with the team. I don't think I've ever hugged so many people. Time for team photo!


Then it's a half mile walk to the starting line.

spot the camera whore!

And we were off:

click the little "play" button on the lower left.

When people ask me to describe the race, words like "ideal" "perfect" "ignorant" and "bliss" come to mind.

The first 3.5 miles were around picturesque Mirror Lake. I don't even remember that part, it flew by so fast - so much for my anxiety the night before. When we completed the loop and were about to head out of town on Route 73, I checked my watch. 38:30. I was doing an 11 minute mile! Hot dang!

After the loop around the lake, the course takes a straight shot down Route 73 to the 1980 Olympic Ski Jumps, with bathrooms and aid stations at the Horse Jumping grounds. I took a quick pit stop, and checked my watch again - STILL ON AN 11 MINUTE MILE PACE!! Super stoked.


The Ski Jumps

After the Jumps, the course heads back into the woods, and partially follows the Ausable River on the appropriately named River Rd. Mile 6 flew by. Mile 7 waved as I slapped it's ass. Mile 8 gave me the thumbs up.

Mile 9 had a different idea.

Mile 9 was when I felt an unpleasant popping sensation in my right thigh, behind my knee, accompanied by an equally unpleasant sharp jabbing pain. I slowed down. No effect. I walked. Better.

Mile 9 and Mile 10 were my injury miles. The course came back down River Rd, and as soon as I saw those Ski Jumps again, something weird happened. I started to run again, ignoring the pain. The pain was there, but there was something bigger pushing me to run. I don't know what it was, all I knew was that if I kept running, I'd finish strong and be proud of myself.

I turned back up Route 73. Mile 11. Only 2 more miles to go - ALL UPHILL. The bridge over the Ausable was a bit of a torture, but TNT people and volunteers were lining it, shouting encouragement, like "You OWN this bridge!".

Yeah, I did own it.

I have to say, had I REALLY understood how many hills were in this half marathon, I might not have signed up. Because those hills, all at mile 10 and beyond, were a bit brutal. This race really proved the adage "ignorance is bliss".

The last half mile up McLenahan Ave was a heartbreak. I say "up" because it really was up. You reach the turn off, look almost straight up into the sky, and see the Olympic Oval and finish line WAY UP THERE. Almost straight up. You plod. You hurt. It's switchback after switchback to get up this hill. Most people were walking it. I was too.

Meg, our amazing coach, must have jogged up and down that hill thousands of times that day, bringing in the TNT runners. She's my hero. Here she is, bringing me in:


Once the top of the hill was gained, there was only one lap around the Olympic Oval where Eric Heiden won his 5 billion medals, and the race was done. I finished in 3:19.


Dina and I hug it out

I got a medal and a pin for finishing. I think that's pretty cool.

But the part that melts my heart is all the support, love and compassion you have shown for blood cancer patients through your generous donations. I didn't really do anything. I waddled along like a duck for 3 hours. It's the patients that do the hard things. It's the patients that endure the therapies, the fragile hope, the unknown. They're the heroes.

What YOU did is - you gave them some peace. Your dollars are going to fund research to find a cure. Your donations will fund programs that help patients and families keep the fear at bay. For that reason, I bow to you. You are the reason hope exists.

THANK YOU for everything. I really wish I could express the depth of my gratitude. Words won't suffice.

I Don't Do Patience

Here's a little Lake Placid Half Marathon update:

Fundrasing goal achieved? check
Training complete? check
Tickets, reservations? check
Bags mostly packed? check
Arrangements to board Finny at the kennel? check
Patience to wait until Sunday, June 13th at 8am? FAIL

Ok then.

How about I run the race NOW??? The anticipation is killing me.

I am so impatient, it's not funny.

This is my first half marathon, and my first experience with the concept of "tapering" in training. Which basically means I've run little more than 2 miles each run for the past 2 weeks and I am absolutely going stir crazy to run more.

I am so grateful to everyone who donated, and am flabbergasted that I have exceeded my goal by almost $500. You are the most generous, wonderful people I know, and I will make you really proud on race day.

I wish today was race day. Have I mentioned that?

Here's hoping this nervous energy will float me a little faster on Sunday morning....

Profiles in Awesomeness #5 (&6!): My TNT Mentors, Carrie O'Laughlin and Gabi Tanski

That's Carrie on the upper left, Gabi is lower right

Here's to wonderful women who inspire you EVERY SINGLE DAY!! Carrie and Gabi do just that.

When you sign up to run a race for the LLS, the Team In Training program (TNT) assigns you a mentor. This is an alumni who helps you out, guides you through the whole fundraising/training process, listens to your concerns, runs your training runs with you, and is generally there to lend support and help you achieve your goals.

The first year I trained with TNT, I got Gabi Tanski as my mentor, and let me tell you, was I lucky!! Gabi is a force of nature, with boundless energy, wit and charm! She was the one in the parking lot hugging EVERYONE before our group runs. Her constant enthusiasm, good mood, and cheer kept me focused and on target. She listened to all my doubts, and always believed in me, even with I wasn't so sure of myself. Our race is over, but she's my friend and constant source of support.

This year, when I signed up for the half marathon, I lucked out AGAIN! I got Carrie for a mentor, and I couldn't have asked for a more supportive mentor, and one who has so much experience with distance running! She kept in constant touch by email, helped me brainstorm some fundraising ideas (we'll do the Trike Race for SURE next year, Carrie!), and listened to any concerns I had and gave me sterling advice. Which is good, because I'm a newbie to this long distance stuff - I need all the hand holding I can get! She's a true inspiration who gives me a lot of confidence.

I am REALLY really lucky to have the support of these two exceptional women!

Profiles in Awesomeness #4: Jennie Moak Piazza

she's so cute I could eat her up

This is Jennie Moak Piazza. Jennie is the organist at my church. Jennie was my first piano teacher. Jennie is the sort of accompanist that gives you direction and lets you fly free at the same time. She is always there, right under you, giving you that safety net, and the confidence that you need to get the job done.

I have never met anyone as SOLID as Jennie. This is a woman who is so sure and loving and warm, it radiates. It makes other people feel like all is right in the world. It's funny too, because she's such a tiny thing. Yet she is a giant in my eyes.

Jennie is Doug Moak's widow. They were two peas in a pod, and in my mind, they still are. Doug and Jen, Jen and Doug. In so many ways, they were like two sides of the same coin, with music being the metal. Doug, shy and taciturn, Jennie outgoing and sparkling. Doug's warm honeyed tenor, Jennie's sweet soprano, tuned so well to each other.

Jennie is someone who I look forward to seeing every week. Jennie taught me more than music - she taught me the value of cheerful discipline and she taught me that practice has it's own great rewards. She also taught me the most valuable lesson of all - I don't HAVE to be perfect, I just have to keep trying, and your own unique version of perfection will come. I wouldn't be half the singer I am today if I hadn't benefitted from Jennie's wisdom.

And those are qualities that translate into all facets of life - the cheerful discipline, the enjoyment of the process rather than the rewards - I wouldn't know any of this were it not for Jennie.

Thank you Jennie. I don't think I say that enough.

1 week out....

....and I am so nervous, but thanks to YOU, it's not about fundraising.

Seriously folks - I could not ask for more wonderful people in my life. I am flabbergasted, humbled, grateful and so very moved by your tremendous support.

As of Monday, June 7th, I am almost $500 BEYOND my fundraising goal. This absolutely blows my mind. That you could be so generous, in hard times like this, to a klutzy smartass like me, is truly amazing and humbling.

"Thank you" seems such a pathetically small phrase. There really aren't words to capture how I feel.

I will make you proud on race day. I PROMISE.

I love you,
Deirdre

Profiles in Awesomeness #3: Jim Cronen

Jim and his beautiful wife Robin, who is equally awesome.

I have a picture of Jim Cronen from 1999 or thereabouts where he is wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey shirt, and has donned a long flowing brunette wig, a la Fabio, and is posing coyly for the camera, bottle of Saranac Black & Tan in hand.

I also can't find that picture ANYWHERE. Which, I suppose, fills Jim with a lot of relief.

Jim is a physicist (check out his oh so awesome blog), tenor, plays 50 thousand instruments, writes software code so beautiful it will make you cry, will run you down and leave scorched roller blade marks across your chest if you DARE to play roller hockey with him, and pretty much excels at everything he does. Jim is a renaissance guy in the true sense of the word. No dilletante he - when Jim is interested in something, he will learn and study it down to the microbial level. His brain is rich in depth and humor. This is a guy you want in your bunker when the zombies attack, because he'll a) know how to kill them and b)will play endless games of Risk with you to keep boredom at bay.

Jim has also spent this spring training for a half marathon - the Ottawa Half Marathon, which he ran in 2:15:23 this past weekend. So very very impressive. We've been keeping up with each other's progress on facebook and twitter, and every single one of his good natured, optimistic and inspirational training updates keeps me focused and motivated. Jim's awesomeness knows no bounds.


watch out zombies. Jim will eff you up.

UPDATE!!!
You have GOT to read Jim's write up of his experiences in Ottawa here. Truly inspirational!! I love this quote, "This is what running means to me — bettering myself by achieving goals that seemed so distant a few years ago." Rock on, Jim!!

Profiles in Awesomeness #2: Lauren Spencer

Yeah. You're jealous. Cuz that's Lauren and freaking PEARL JAM!!!

Lauren knows a few things. Lauren knows a few people. Lauren has written a few words. Perhaps you've read them. In places like Spin Magazine, Self, and Jane. Because she's pretty much the coolest writer ever. Check out her blog, you'll see what I mean. I love reading her views on life. So much of what she so eloquently writes resonates with me. She has a real knack for expressing those universal truths we all know, but aren't good at articulating.

Lauren is also a runner - she's done 1/2 marathons, marathons - and she's a dancer as well. This is a girl who knows her body. And she's really generous about sharing the wisdom learned from years of rigorous discipline. For that, I'm really grateful.

Throughout this training process, Lauren has been sharing wonderful snippets of articles that really are helping me with my mental game. Especially this one here about what goes through a runner's mind while running a marathon. It's FANTASTIC. You have to read it. I will quiz you on it later.

Lauren's voice is the voice I'm gonna hear in my head when I'm at mile 11 and I want to lie down and die. Lauren's smile is the smile I'm gonna picture when I shout "eff you muscles, I'm still running!!" at mile 11.5.

She, like Lisa, will be in my heart on race day.


Never has kick-ass come in so friendly-looking a package

Profiles In Awesomeness #1: Lisa Bruno

Lisa rocks the TNT triathalon wetsuit!

Here's the quick bullet points about Lisa:
- she will kick your ass in Word Twist
- I am secretly envious of her hair
- actually, now I'm publicly envious
- she takes awesome pictures
- she's an amazing inspiration

I met Lisa through our mutual friend Mark. I already liked her wit, sass and charm when I happened to see on her facebook page that she was training for the New Jersey Devilman Half Iron Man Lite triathalon to benefit the LLS. I thought to myself, "who could be cooler? No one." And a girl-crush was born!

Lisa's the best. She's open, she's honest, and she is sooooo generous with her advice. Which, of course, I totally pestered her for. No matter how busy she was, she was always available to answer my whiny pleas for guidance. She talked me down out of many a training anxiety tree.

The thing I love about Lisa's approach to training (aside from her kick-ass dedication to the LLS) is her focus on the transformative process. How we can challenge ourselves, and be pleasantly surprised and nourished by the outcomes.

Lisa toppled her fundraising goals, KICKED ASS all over the triathalon course,
finished 3rd in her division, and earned my utmost admiration and respect. She's the best team mate I've never competed with!

I'll be carrying her in my heart, along with my heroes on race day.


I'm publicly envying the quads too

WTH Have I Been????!!!

WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN??

I'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE, SAUNTERING IN HERE AND UPDATING THE BLOG LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN MISSING IN ACTION FOR TWO WEEKS!!!

~hangs head in shame~

I hate it when I yell at myself. Well, no. Not really. I come up with some pretty creative insults for myself.

But enough of this petty schizophrenic bickering!

I'm here! I'm still running! Race day is in 19 days!!! I'm still training! And aside from a temporary setback last week, I'm on track!

Let's see - last time I posted was May 4th. Since then, I've run a 9 miler, walked a 10 miler and jogged/walked an 11 miler. And ran a ton of little (heh, I remember when 3 miles wasn't so little) 3 and 4 mile runs. The 9 miler felt FANTASTIC. That was an excellent run, and I wanted to turn right around and run it again. The 10 and 11 milers were problematic, as I came down with a strep infection on the 14th, and haven't TOTALLY recovered from it yet. So the 10 miles on the 15th was walked. And I skipped all the little runs the week of the 17th. I got back on track on the 22nd and jogged/walked the scheduled 11 miles, which was more than I thought I could do.

Tonight, I've got 3 miles scheduled, and I can't WAIT to get to it, seeing as how this will be the first run in over a week when I can breathe through my nose.

YAY FOR NOSE BREATHING!!

In fact I'm so happy to be feeling better, I'm working my way through a bag of Twizzlers to reward my immune system.

What? It's fuel. Shut up.

I promise to be better about updating the blog. Life and job and craziness and family (sometimes crazy family) intervened. Mea culpa. Like I said, race day is 19 days away, so there will be lots of opportunities to bore you with my progress.

Aside from last week's strep setback, I've been feeling incredibly lucky to experience this process of training and challenging myself. As I was discussing with my friend Lauren, each inch, each mile I run digs the well of my potential that much deeper, and each nickel I raise helps find a cure, and supports blood cancer patients and their families. It's a pretty fantastic feeling.
------------------------------------------------
Update:
3 miles in 33 minutes! not bad for the first short run after being sick for a week!

Yeah, I Really Need To Change My Route

Yesterday was a rest day, but I was feeling SO good about Sunday, I decided to give the 8 miles another go. I knew in the back of my head that I probably wouldn't get all eight in before the sun went down, but I wanted to get out there and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fantastic breezes. So I suited up in the lycra, and last year's Freihofer singlet.

I'm not sure I should wear that singlet again. It has a habit of riding up, and no one wants to see me run in a belly shirt. Trust me.

I set out at 7pm, along my regular route. I run in a development that has a 4 mile loop, a 2 mile loop and a 1 mile loop. Any combination of those loops will get me the mileage I want. Thing is, when you run it pretty much every day, things get familiar, and your mind wanders.

I had a great run - about 6 miles in 1:10. But my mind was wandering "oh look so and so got a new car", "that house is for sale again?" "is it the law that only volvos and bmw's are allowed on this street?"

I had a feeling that if I were focused, my time might have been better.

Nevertheless, it was a great run, and the weather totally made up for it's poor showing on Sunday!

Weekend recap

What a weekend!
We had a lot to do this Saturday, so I flipflopped the training schedule. Instead of 8 miles on Saturday, and 3 miles on Sunday, I did 3 miles on Saturday and....well, we'll get to Sunday in a minute.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and since it was hazmat day in our town, we loaded up the car with all the old paint cans, cleaners and small appliances we had and trekked them all over to the town garage. Then we cam home and I suited up for my 3 mile run.

It was FAIL for pace, WIN for charm.

I'm thinking about changing my running route. I run through a new development, and since I walk my dog there a lot in addition to doing the training, I've gotten to know a lot of people (by their dog's name, mostly). Since Saturday was a brilliantly sunny day, lots of people were outside, doing lawn work. And friendly waves turned into short chats and offers of water. Sweet, and neighborly, but disastrous to my time. Not that I really care about time, but I do like to keep things consistent.

Sunday was another story. It was hot, humid and sticky, and by the time my morning committments were out of the way, the sun was blazing and it was 87 degrees outside. I headed out, forgot the sunscreen, and pretty much collapsed after 4 miles. I was so incrdibly disappointed with myself.

I dragged myself home, and, after a vicious bout of self-loathing, determined to get out there after the sun went down, and finish what I started. And I did, with time to spare. So that was pretty redemptive! As I said before, anger is a great motivator for me!

Today is supposed to be a rest day, but I'm going to get out there tonight (it's cooled down a lot) and attempt those 8 miles again, all in one fell swoop. Wish me luck!

Six Weeks = Halfway There.

Today's 4 miles got itself run in 48 minutes. I'm pretty much stuck at the 12:00/mile pace, but as I said before, I'm not bothered! It gets me to the finish line in under 3 hours! And this isn't about time, or racing. It's about doing something concrete to help people who suffer from blood cancers.

I say "got itself run", because today seemed to zip by on fleet feet! I took the afternoon off from work, so the day already seemed preternaturally short. I got home at 1pm, changed into running gear and headed out the door. Forty eight minutes later I was showering, doing laundry, and then headed out the door to a late afternoon rehearsal at SUNYA (I'm ringing with the UAlbany Chorale on a few pieces for their spring concert). Then it was a quick stop at Subway for a healthy sub and out the door for another choir practice, this time church choir. I look back on the day and I hardly remember doing the running at all! I remember when four miles seemed like a Really Big Deal. Now it's a blink of an eye! Wow!

We're at the six week point. Halfway done with training. Halfway to race day. But it's not all downhill from here. It's going to get incrementally harder, week by week, til race day. I have to confess I am daunted. These long runs are a little scary. I have to keep the mindset that "you did this much mileage last week. you only need to do ONE MORE MILE than you did last week. you can do this."

It also helps to imagine Doug Moak grinning at me and saying "move your skinny butt, McShane!". Doug was an awesome motivator!

I'm also really worried about not meeting my fundraising goal, but I have faith that things will work out. It's been a real honor to train with the LLS and TNT teams, and I'm going to make sure I make all my donors proud of me!

Do Not Give Me Percoset!

Hello yet AGAIN! It's been a crazy two weeks, so here's your update.

The training is going great - I haven't slacked on the mileage, but it is getting HARD. Really hard. I'm officially out of my comfort zone. Last Sunday, I ran 7 miles in 1:24, which is a 12 min/mile pace. I'll take it, because it gets me past the half marathon finish line in under 3 hours.

But - it's the longest distance I've ever run in one fell swoop, and my body is saying stuff to me like "WTF?? You trying to kill me heah? I ain't no superman!" and "if you make me run, I'm going to make you crawl the next day". Surprisingly, there's been NO back pain in all this running. It probably helps that I sort of shuffle-run. It's really low impact.

Things have been really busy in the past 2 weeks. The Albany Pro Musica concert went great, and my little solo came off pretty well. That's saying a lot, since I am hypercritical of my singing. But I couldn't find a whole lot to hate about it, and it was well received, so a qualified and humble yay for me.

Wanna hear the latest "I'm geriatric and my body is falling apart" drama? Last Wednesday night, the 21st, I took my lovely fat dog out for a walk. She's 9 years old, a Husky/shepherd mix, and weighs close to 90 lbs. She's a biggun. She's very placid and sweet, but when she sees chipmunks, she bolts like a firecracker shoved up Speedy Gonzalez' butt. I'm usually pretty good about bracing myself and getting her back under control, but she caught me by surprise that night. Thursday morning I woke up with my shoulder pretty sore. I shrugged (ooo bad pun) it off and went about my business. Friday morning I woke up, and I couldn't lift my arm at all. That's not so good. I had a hard time styling my hair in the morning, what with the blowdryer and flat iron requiring 2 hands for operation and whatnot. So, in the interests of vanity, I booked an appointment to see a doc in my practice later that afternoon. She took a look, and said that I was presenting with the classic symptoms of a torn rotator cuff. But she wanted another opinion, so she pulled in the attending, who took a look at my sloping shoulder and said, "you need to go to the ER for x-rays. I think you have a dislocated shoulder".

Oh joy.

So I went. Great. Fat ladies screaming and people sneezing Ebola all over me for 2 hours in the waiting room while I waited to be seen. Once I got past triage, they examined me and gave me a percoset because "we're gonna twist your arm around in ways that will make you scream to take your xrays".

People. I should not have percoset. In fact, there should be a sign around my neck at all times saying, "This is Deirdre. 1) don't play Yanni around her, and 2) don't give her percoset".

When it first started to kick in, I sat there on the gurney, next to my lovely and charming fiance, giggling at *air*. Air, people. The way the bed sheet was wrinkled on the gurney was endlessly hilarious to me. The radiology tech asked me to put my things on a chair and I doubled over laughing. DO NOT GIVE ME PERCOSET.

I posted this observation to my facebook wall whilst under the influence:
"I think my fiance just told me this is all of my fault because I got the zombie feeling for eating my own hand. Or maybe the Percoset told me that. I get cindried"

DO NOT GIVE ME PERCOSET.

I also posted this little gem:
"I love Emily. I got through the ER in about 4 hours. 2 hours waiting, 2 for treatmet. My fiance came just as they brought me in. He said kits of funny things about zombies. They gave me percoset because they had to twist my arm around to take xrays. I giggled so much when it first started working that the fat lady with the giant sore on her face told me to shut up. I'm waitnf for the percoset to wear off so I can kick Mark's snarky ass."

DO NOT GIVE ME PERCOSET.

So. There you go. You all know what not to give me, right? It turned out that nothing was broken or dislocated. We're back to the torn rotator cuff theory. I feel ten thousand times better - and pretty much have full use of the arm back.

Best thing of all? It didn't impact my running at all. I did seven miles the following Sunday, 3 miles Monday, and 4 miles yesterday. Tonight is cross training - no rowing for me! The eight mile run is Saturday - I'm dreading it a little.

Here's your daily fun link. Stephen Hawking says "don't talk to aliens"
As my friend Jack says, "The average person who's been watching "V" or has seen "Independence Day" would probably give you the same advice. Seriously, this guy's supposed to be brilliant?"

Catch up

Hi there! Did you miss me? I am SO sorry that it's been almost a week since my last blog - this has been a week where I literally haven't had a moment to myself. Between job, rehearsals, work committments and actual running, there's been precious little down time.

Last weekend's training runs are edging me out of my comfort zone. Last Saturday I had to run 5 miles, and I started to hit a wall around 4.5 miles. That last half mile was brutal. Sunday's 2 miler was a walk in the park compared to Saturday.

Monday was a rest day, but I ran 2 miles at lunch anyway. Same thing Tuesday, except I ran 3 miles. Today was a rest day, and I actually rested!!

I'm definitely not focused this week. There's too much going on. It's hard to keep in the zone, and concentrate on what I need to do. I'm very pleased that, despite the busy-ness, I haven't slacked on the mileage.

I'm nervous about the coming weeks. The long runs are getting longer. There's a few weeks where I've got 4 mile short runs planned, and that seems a bit much.

Cross fingers that I can get through the rest of this week and re-focus next week!

FRIDAY FUN DAY!!

It's Friday! It's a rest day - rest days are getting harder. It's gotten to the point where if I'm not out there getting a run done, I feel antsy. I want to do SOMETHING. So usually I go for a 2-3 mile walk.

BUT - it is important to rest. It reduces the risk of injury.

Here's your fun link of the day! I'm a little hesitant to post this, because it's a wee bit raunchy with the bad language and all, and my Aunt Jane reads this blog and I want her to be proud of her niece.

That said, I bring you.........FU Penguin!!

wherein a guy mocks a series of cute baby animals. It's genius. I love it.

Interior Monologue

Sometimes it's more edifying to see how I'm dealing with my training by monitoring my interior dialogue - you know, the stuff that's running through my head while I'm running. Usually it's 3-4 syllable combinations, like "keep on going", "ow this hurts" or "I hate this".

When reading the following interior monologue, keep in mind my blisters are still pretty fresh...

[laces up sneakers][sets off down the road]
"ow this hurts ow this hurts ow this hurts eff you blisters eff you blisters eff you blisters who's your daddy who's your daddy who's your daddy how can I blow my nose with no one seeing me? keep on going keep on going keep on going crap this hurts crap this hurts shut up shut up shut UP SHUT UP"

Yeah - tonight's 3 miler was a beaut. It actually wasn't that bad, since once I got moving, the pain of the blisters just sort of became background noise, and got drowned out by the feeling of accomplishment for getting the run done.

Then I peeled my socks off.........YEEEEOUCH!!!

Blisters and Chafing and Socks, Oh My!

I'm not so smart. Here's what I did:

I wore cute little flats to work today. Little ballet flats, with cute stitching. I love them. They go with everything. Even though cardio isn't on my training schedule today, I decided to do a 3 mile loop at lunchtime, so I changed out of my cute little ballet flats, into my sneakers and took off. When I got returned, the ballet flats went back on.

Here's where the not-so-smartness comes in. When you exercise, your feet swell up. When you shove your swollen feet into little ballet flats and then walk around with them rubbing up on your big toe knuckle, you're gonna get blisters. And when you have to walk a half mile to the parking garage, IT'S GONNA HURT.

So, I've got giant blisters on both my feet. I eschewed the cross training (I was going to do the rowing machine to get my arms toned up), and soaked my feet instead. I figure the 3 extra miles I ran today makes up for it.

You'd think I'd stop making these newbie blunders, wouldn't you?

PS - I want these shoes. If someone donates $1000, I'll run the whole half marathon in them:


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Today's fun link:
An Honest Facebook Political Argument

(big thanks to my friend Mark P., who provides most of these links)
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Nightmare

You know things are getting serious when you start having nightmares about your training, or your fundraising.

Last night I dreamed that I had agreed, as a fundraising stunt, to ride a Big Wheel down one of the main roads in my hometown. You remember Big Wheels, right? Made of smelly plastic, one giant grinding loud wheel in front, low-slung adjustable cruising seat, giant back mag wheels in the back that would rip the skin off your elbows if you didn't hold them up? Big Wheels RULED. I was the terror of the sidewalk in mine.

However, in my nightmare, I was riding a kid-size Big Wheel as an adult. Let me tell you, fitting into a Big Wheel when your butt is wider than the trike itself is pretty hard. The whole dream was filled with me sweating and panting and cursing my fate as townspeople lined the route, jeering.

I woke up, shaking. Then I thought - you know, this isn't such a bad fundraising idea. I'm pretty sure my town officials wouldn't go for the idea of shutting down the main cross street in town, but what about maybe having a Big Wheel Derby at the high school track? Sort of like a Kentucky Derby, but with adults riding Big Wheels. We'd charge a $25 registration fee for anyone wanting to race, and admission to the event would be a free will donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. There'd be facepainting for the kids, booths for local vendors, trophies for the victors (and maybe a rose blanket to lay over the champion Big Wheel) and all proceeds could go to the LLS.

I'd certainly pay money to see adults race around a track on Big Wheels. What do you think?

Monday recap

Welcome back, reader!
Happy Easter, and Happy Spring! This weekend was full of sunshine, family and modified training - I had some issues with my back, so I walked my mileage on Saturday and Sunday, just to be on the safe side.

Today was SUPPOSED to be a rest day, but I have a really busy Tuesday planned, so I bumped the training calendar up one day. I took a 3 mile loop through the neighborhood on my lunch break, jogging gently to ease my back into the routine - seems to have done the trick, since I'm not hearing any whining from my vertebrae. YAY!!!
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Today's fun link: My favorite local blog does a weekly feature called "Craig and His Wonderful List", whereby they comb through the local craigslist listings and posts a compilation of all the most hilarious and bizarre ads:

Craig And His Wonderful List

Happy Easter!!

Ah, what a gorgeous day for a family holiday, eh readers? This is just a quick note to say all the training is progressing as planned! Details tomorrow. Happy Easter! I am filled with the Holy Spirit! And when I say "Holy Spirit", I mean "marshmallows".

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Mini-vacation

HA!! GOTCHA!!

No, I didn't get hit by a garbage truck yesterday, but I made ya look!!

Yesterday's 3 miler was done on my lunch break, and what a gorgeous day it was! I took a three mile loop through Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood, and with the sunshine and soft breeze, it was a real pleasure! Got it done in about 38 minutes (stop looking at me like that - there were HILLS, people!).

I might not be updating for the rest of the weekend (it being Easter and having to sing 5 zillion masses and whatnot), but I'll definitely be doing my mileage. Today I'm cross training, which means I'll be jumping on the bicycle to zip through my neighborhood. Tomorrow is a 4 miler with the gang in Niskayuna, and I forget what Sunday is. I think it's a rest day, but I'll probably go for another bike ride! Whee!!

Have a lovely Easter, everyone!

[update - Sunday's a 2.5 mile run. I'll do that AND the bike ride!]

Ow.

Folks - I'm posting this from the ER. I got up at 4:30am today to get my 3 miler in. I forgot my headlamp, and the garbage truck that hit me couldn't see me. My right foot is pretty mangled....Mom uploaded the x-ray here.

A Few Rules To Run By

It's a rest day! That's good - I'm a little sore from my rage-driven run yesterday. My friend Benita sent me this great link to a story by Mark Remy from Runner's World. It's a hilarious look at some of the unspoken, unwritten "Rules of Running."

Some of my favorite quotes:

My dog, a shepherd mix named Cooper, doesn't care where we are or what time of day it is, or even what the weather is like. He doesn't know what his resting heart rate is and rarely bothers to wear a watch. He just loves to run. And every time he does, his face and his body telegraph one simple message: This. Is. AWESOME. I'm runningrunningrunningrunning!

The "Run Like a Dog" Workout (Including Warmup and Cooldown) Walk 8 seconds. Trot 4 seconds. Stop. Sniff. Sprint 7 seconds. Freeze. Walk 5 seconds in any direction but forward. Stare 9 seconds. Lunge at rabbit. Double back, walk 3 seconds. Urinate. Repeat six times. Collapse on rug.

Ha! My dog Finny is exactly like this! She's impossible to do a focused run with because she's constantly stopping, sniffing, staring, backtracking, etc.

There's also:

Before you remove your new running shoes from the box, you must smell them. Open the box. Peel back the tissue paper. Behold those pristine shoes. Then lift the box to your face and breathe deeply. Mmmm. Smells like potential. And possibly toxins. But mostly potential.

Mmmmmm.....toxins.....

Check out the "Running Rules of Thumb" on the second page. And "Learn the Master the Art of The Farmer's Blow". Don't know what a "Farmer's Blow" is? Consider yourself lucky!!
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Fun link of the day:
The Creepiest Children's Books Ever

Anger, Filth and Disgust

Today dawned chilly and dreary, with a driving rain that would not stop. I woke up at 5am, thinking I'd go for my 2 miler and get it over with before work.

Inertia - it's a hell of a force.

I didn't overcome it. Instead, I packed my running stuff, and headed into work, thinking I'd hit the treadmill at the filthy gym at lunch. I was completely unmotivated, dreading the run, not excited in the least to get it done.

This was directly in my line of sight as I climbed on the machine:


Grrr.

Screw you, stupid motivational poster! I know my attitude is bad! I'm motivated to rip you off the wall!!

I got so motivated, I had run 3 miles in 35 minutes (in the sweltering heat with no air circulation) before I realized it.

IN YOUR FACE, DUMB POSTER!

Apparently, filth, anger, and disgust are fantastic motivators for me.

In other news, I'm starting to get that cool feeling that comes about a week or so after I start a new training program. My body feels like it's subtly rearranging, reorganizing itself, redistributing things to work more efficiently. It's a really good feeling. I like it!!

Today's fun link:
Michael Buble Being Stalked By A Velociraptor

Ugly Shirt Monday!

Today is a rest day, and I'm out of "why I'm running" pep talks, so I'm instituting "Ugly Shirt Mondays"! Not sure if it will be a weekly feature...

Today's Ugly Shirt:


I'm not sure what makes this shirt so hideous. I mean, I like peacocks. Peacocks are pretty, and when you see one in the zoo or on some posh upperclass British twit's lawn, they take your breath away. Because they're pretty. This shirt isn't pretty. I don't think we were meant to see peacock feathers this close. Because on this shirt, the eye-thingies look like glow-in-the-dark mutant bacteria slowing sliding down this poor girl's chest.

Or maybe it's because it's paired with shorts. If you're going to make a shirt this ugly, try classing it up with some gauchos, huh?
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If you have an ugly shirt to share, send it to me at train.endure@gmail.com

Weekend re-cap

Sometimes, the best-laid plans of runners are run aground by microbes.

I had planned to attend the TNT training at Lion's Park Saturday morning, but the microbes in my gut had other plans. I awoke at 1am Saturday morning with violent stomach pains, [details redacted for the squeamish], and decided to get some rest instead of heading out to the trail at 7am.

By 3pm I was feeling better, and after taking a look at the training calendar, I decided to flip Saturday's and Sunday's run. I clocked in 2 miles Saturday afternoon in 25 minutes, and did a 4 miler on Sunday in just about an hour.

I'm not happy about the finishing times, but I didn't slack on my mileage this week, and that's what counts!

Typical Newbie Blunder

Today's training run was 2.5 miles - should have been a nice, relaxing 30 minute run, right?

Not if you're an idiot who doesn't drink enough water during the day so that her electrolytes get wildly out of whack. Typical newbie blunder. It's good that I'm getting these mistakes out of the way early, right?

Today was a great day. I had lunch with some high school buddies (I had fries. I hang my head in shame), and was pretty productive at work. I got home, changed into my running gear, stretched and fired up the iPod. I run in the new development behind my house - 200+ houses, with lovely lawns and landscaping and SIDEWALKS! Nice!


About a half mile in, my calves started cramping up. Big time. Enough to make me shorten my stride. I tried running on the balls of my feet. No good. I tried twisting my leg mid-stride to work the kinks out (that must have made me look like and inebriated ostrich to an onlooker). That didn't work either. I toughed it out to the 1.5 mile mark. Then I walked the last mile home. BOO!!

I know better now. Water water water. Bananas bananas bananas (to prime the potassium pump). Gatorade gatorade gatorade.

Hopefully I won't be making the same mistake again!

Why run?

I think I've said before - I'm not a natural athlete. I'm pretty uncoordinated. I have to hold my left hand up with my thumb extended in the shape of an L as a mnemonic device to help me differentiate between my right and left. I fall over things a lot. I've tripped over air before.

There are lots of reasons NOT to run:
1) you could get hit by a plane.
2) you can't outrun zombies anymore. They're all fast now. So why bother?
3) It makes your face go red.

In the past, the only things that motivated me to run were closing elevator doors, ninjas, slow moving zombies and 16 ft high walls of lava. And since I don't live close to volcanoes, the undead, or Japan, I wasn't really moving around very fast.

So what motivated me to do this? To run a 5k, and then to sign up for a half marathon, after years of inactivity? Well, the answer is threefold - restlessness, a desire to make a difference, and a desire to honor the memories of my friends.

The restlessness was a big motivator. Sometimes you get stuck in a rut. I wanted to challenge myself, to see if I, who possess such a pittance of will-power and endurance, could transform myself into a runner.

I've never been good at running. I find it hard to get the rhythm. They say there's a "runner's high", a threshold that you cross where the endorphins kick in and you feel a wave of well being. I've never personally felt it myself, but I think I've come close to it. There have been times when I've finished a race or a run and thought, "wow, it feels so good to stop. Maybe I'll go do that again so I can stop."

Not really the right attitude, is it?

But last year, when I was training for the 5K, I started to crave the runs. Oh sure, the first two miles were always a fight with my inner whiner. I wanted to stop so bad, but once the whiner gave up, I found a good rhythm, and started really enjoying the process. The ends of those runs were such a feeling of accomplishment and well-being. That's when I started to think that maybe longer distances were the way to go. Hence the half marathon.

I still need to work on the whiner. And the endurance. And the pacing. But it's clear that things are headed in the right direction.

Another motivator is the wish to make a difference. My late father always told us kids that "if you ever feel isolated or down, go do something for someone else." It's a wise thought - getting out of your own head, focusing outward instead of inward is an ingredient for inner peace, paradoxically. So much of our lives are spent accumulating wealth, possessions, prestige, etc. Wouldn't it be a good change to take the spotlight off ourselves, and do something that benefits others without thought for personal reward?

So I thought I'd pair the two - personal challenge with altruism. That's where the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team in Training comes in. I can't say enough good things about this organzation. The support they provide for patients and families is phenomenal. The amount of research they fund is astounding. I'm honored to take part in the Team In Training Program. Through this program, they've allowed me to grow as a person, honor the memories of my dear friends, and help others who struggle with blood related cancers.

And speaking of dear friends, I have Doug's & Frank's pictures on a lanyard around my neck whenever I go out for a run. I do it for them. I do it because they supported me and taught me to sing and how to grow roses, and how to listen to opera critically, and how no meal is complete without a clove or ten of garlic. I do it because each step on the pavement is a way to keep them close to me, to not let their memories fade.

I appreciate your support. Each dollar you donate motivates me to train harder.
Each dollar you donate honors the lives of these two wonderful men. But most importantly, each dollar you donate keeps hope alive for thousands of blood cancer patients and their families. I cannot thank you enough.

When In Doubt, Choose The Monsoon

Hey folks! First "official" training run of the whole plan is in the bag! Two miles in 25 minutes. Sure, that's slow, but I'll take it!

For those of you who are my facebook friends, I have a confession. Or perhaps a clarification. Remember when I posted "Deirdre got up at 5am to get her training run done. This is surely an unnatural harbinger of the coming apocalypse."?

Well, that's totally true. I DID get up at 5am. And me being awake at 5am is completely at odds with the natural order of things.

HOWEVER, I did not run at 5am. I pulled on my gear, grabbed the dog's leash, and stepped outside into a pouring, chilly 38 degree monsoon. Being the delicate little flower that I am, I made the split second judgment to let the dog do her business and step back inside. I figured I could easily clock in the two miles scheduled for today at my company's gym treadmill on my lunchbreak.

So, I took a shower, made breakfast and got to work early (and got a lot done!).

Then lunchtime rolled around. I headed over to the gym. Let me offer you a couple of words of advice. When faced with the choice of a chilly monsoon, or a gym whose ventilation system has broken down, giving it the air of The Black Hole Of Calcutta - CHOOSE THE MONSOON.

Err in haste, repent at 120F leisure.

Still, I jumped on the treadmill and got those miles clocked in. Nothing was going to stop me, fetid air be damned!

Tomorrow is another rest day - I've got a little motivational something special in store for you!

Training - DAY ONE!!

I love a training program that tells you to rest on day one!



So, let's talk about this training program a little. I found this program on the Runner's World website. It's a beginner's half marathon program, and it eases you gradually into the mileage. I like that. To be honest, mileage scares me a little. I'm great with sprinting, but not so great with endurance. Learning to pace myself is going to be a challenge. Finding the correct running rhythm, and turning off the little whiner in my head that says 'ow, stop! this stinks!' is going to take some experimentation.

I'm a good 5k runner. I've never run more that 7 miles at one fell swoop, so running a race that is a little less than twice that distance is daunting. I really like that this program eases you into upping your mileage. You get the short maintenance runs in during the week, and the long ones, in increments, over the weekend. Perfect for my schedule.

Especially the "rest" parts. ;-)

Pre-training Training!

What a weekend in upstate NY! Temps hovered in the 60's, the sun was shining, and it was a perfect weekend to be outdoors!

We started the weekend with a little music, and caught the Bryan Thomas/ Julia Brown show at the Bread & Jam cafe in Cohoes. Check Bryan out. He's immensely talented. Writes and plays and photographs and kicks ass! The show put me in a great mood. I felt creative and motivated...

...until the alarm rang Saturday morning at 6am. Time to wake up and go to my first TNT training run in Niskayuna!! Oy.

A little background - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society not only does amazing work for cancer patients and their familes, but if you agree to raise a certain amount of money for them, they will provide you with training and support for your event. They assign you a mentor (my mentor for the Lake Placid Half Marathon is Carrie. Hi Carrie!), they give you coaches and training schedules, and they set weekly group runs. This is what's know as Team In Training (or TNT). It's a fabulous program. The support is incredible. The team camaraderie is really motivating. Our team meets every Saturday at Niskayuna's Lions Park at 7am, right on the Mohawk river and bike trail. This week, the Lake Placid runners were assigned 4 miles.

Technically speaking, my training program doesn't start til Sunday, but hey - let's jump right in, shall we?

So, back to the clanging alarm. Oy oy oy. I am NOT a morning person. Not in the least. I shut the alarm off, turned over, and contemplated sleeping in for about 3 seconds. Then I got annoyed with myself, got out of bed, scraped my hair into a ponytail, stumbled to the bathroom and tried to cram contacts into my sleep-swollen eyes, then got dressed and out the door.

Having been denied my morning coffee, and being confused about the Exit 6 construction on the Northway, I decided to be a smartypants and take I-90 to I-890 to Niskayuna. Couple that stupidity with the attention span (and memory capacity) of a gnat, and you get a groggy Deirdre arriving at Blatnick Park (not Lions Park) at 6:50am. Follow that with one facepalm and several heavy sighs later, and I pull into the parking lot at Lions Park, just as the pack was taking off. Not having had time to stretch, I walked the first mile and jogged the rest of the 4 miles.


Good morning, Niskayuna! Pretty place to run, isn't it?

I ended the run feeling energized and happy and proud of myself for ignoring my inner sloth (and slightly stupid about my geo-retardation, but whatever). And the exercise didn't end there! I got home, and took the dog for a 3 mile walk/waddle/sniff/stare (she likes to stare, not bark, at other dogs). So that brought my mileage for the day up to 7 miles! I think that's a great start!

Introducing Dina

Hey folks!
From time to time, you'll see posts here by Dina Strasser. Dina is Frank Strasser's daughter, and a very dear friend. Frank was an inspiration, and Dina is the one who can best tell you how much he meant to so many people. Dina is an amazing writer, teacher, mother and friend, and I'm humbled that she and her mom are letting me honor Frank's memory.

All clear!!

I'm back from the doctor, and I have the medical all clear to train (yeah, I probably should have gotten the all-clear BEFORE I started training, but whatevs). My blood pressure is awesomely low (104/64 - I might be a zombie), and my cholesterol is good. Well, my "good" cholesterol is a little low (about 30, it should be 40), but my "bad" cholesterol isn't high. It's normal. It's likely that the cholesterol numbers that need to improve (the "good" one) will improve dramatically at the end of this race!

I am RARING to go. I've got my diet plan all researched. I'm going to walk to stuff in town that I would normally drive to - like choir rehearsal, the drug store, etc. Yeah, church is 3 miles away, and the drugstore is 3.5, but that's a nice brisk hour walk, right? Right!

The only thing I have to keep an eye on is my bum arthritic knee, and my messed up back. But careful stretching, icing and heat will go a long way to minimizing the negative impact of those two. Did I ever tell you the story of my back? It's a fun one. A few years ago, I was having agonizing pain in my lower back, so I went to see an orthopedist who ordered an MRI. The MRI showed that two of my lumbar vertebrae (L4 and L5)were oddly disintegrating ("bony erosions"), only on the right side. I was tested for every auto-immune disease in the book, and all the tests came back negative. This 1st ortho sort of threw up his hands, said, "You've got some unknown degenerative disease. Here's a prescription for anti-inflammatories. Call me when you have nerve pain - I'll fuse your spine - what's left of it."

I didn't really like the idea of having some unknown degenerative disease, so I went to a second ortho, who spent 45 minutes staring at my films. I mean staring. As in not really blinking. After those 45 minutes were up, he turned to me and said, "what were you doing when you were 9, or 10?"

"Ummmm - playing with my Barbies?"

He asked if I had had any trauma - any falls, any bike crashes, any sledding.....SLEDDING ACCIDENTS!! I HAD!! When I was 9, I had a massive wipeout on Micare's Suicide Hill, where I careened off a jump, slammed into a tree, and bounced into a frozen-over creek. I was taken to the hospital, got my lip stitched up, was cursorily examined and told to go home and don't be stupid and go sledding again.

I remember EVERYTHING hurting for two weeks after that. Every single bone. Every muscle. But I got better. Life went on.

Flash forward to my staring ortho. He zoomed in on the L4 and L5 vertebrae. He pointed at what seemed to be a fuzzy line on each vertebrae, and said, "do you see how those edges don't line up? You broke your back. You broke your back, the bones knit back together badly, and these things that they are calling "bony erosions" is actually arthitis setting into your old trauma site."

Wow.

I broke my back!! And I walked it off!! I RULE!! Well, except that I have to take cox-2 inhibitors for the pain, but whatever. I walked off a broken back! I had no idea I was such a badass little kid!

Things have been good since then, for the most part. Like I said, I've got medicine (I love you Celebrex!) that reduces the arthritic inflammation in both the knee and the back, and now I'm good to go!

See it wiggle...

Training doesn't officially start until Sunday the 21st, when I get to....wait, let me check the training calendar to see what I have to do...oh look! On Sunday I am resting. I'd better psyche myself up for that, huh?

I figure I have a few days to ease myself out of the off-season. To clock in a few runs. To meet my TNT team members out in Niskayuna for our Saturday run - you know, that sort of thing.

So, last night, I went out for a walk/jog. Actually, it was more of a walk/jiggle. As in Jell-o. Each pound of the pavement sent reverberating ripples through the wobbly parts. Not an entirely pleasant sensation. I half expected Bill Cosby to jump out from behind a tree and start screaming at me about pudding pops.

Luckily, the wobbly sensation will pass as I get more runs under my belt. I'm looking forward to getting back in stride!

I'm like a bad penny....

....I keep turning up! I'm back! I signed up to run the Lake Placid Half Marathon on June 13th for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For those of you keeping track at home, here's some random stats:

1 = races I've run for the LLS
1000 = bucks I raised for the LLS by running
countless = friends I've gained by participating in this process
3 = steps I run before I go "ow, this hurts!"

Kidding. It's only 2 steps.

As I've stated before on this blog, I'm not a natural athlete. I'm a big fan of walking the dog, running to catch the elevator door, pulling weeds, alphabetizing things and folding laundry. That's about as crazy as I get on an average day. I know the benefits of regular exercise. I know how important it is to get out there and get moving. And for the most part, I do, but not usually in a manner that makes my knees hurt and my wobbly bits fly around.

But I'm throwing caution (and the wobbly bits) to the wind yet again, to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the incredible work they do to support patients with blood cancers, and to support research that will find a cure.

I'm running this race in memory of two dear friends who passed away from lymphoma, Doug Moak and Frank Strasser. If you've read this blog before, you know a little bit about Doug. And I want to share the joy that was Frank Strasser - Frank was a NYS Trooper, opera lover, a noted authority and champion rose grower, and a dear friend. Frank's curiosity and interests were boundless. Frank had a kind word and an outlandish anecdote for everyone. Frank passed away last year, but his irrepressible spirit lives on. I'll tell you more about these inspirational men in future blog posts.

I hope you can support me on this journey. As I did with the Freihofer Run for Women last year, I'm going to blog every day about my training. It won't be all deadly recits of stats and mileage. I'll throw some fun stuff in too. Please check back often. Daily, in fact. Knowing that there's someone out there keeping an eye on me will help me not to slack off!

If you can, please consider donating on my fundraising page. There are incentives there, to help you feel connected to the race and to the training.

Thanks again for your support!!!