Early Bird

Friday morning I ran the river path for 4 miles total. I am getting more and more excited!

Back to The Bridge....Ooops

That’s right folks, I woke up before 6 am two days in a row! This morning I did not map out my route and I accidentally ran 8 miles…before work! I don’t think I have run that far on a weekday morning before. It was completely unintentional but Man I feel good! And that will be my second to last longest run. Sunday is 10 miles and it will all be downhill from there…promise.

Yesterday and today I ran with people, because (see below) I am incapable of waking up for the most part unless I know someone is waiting for me. Both people I ran with had the same reaction after our second or third walk break…’You got faster.’ I ran with both of them over the summer and even last spring when I was not fully on the walk/run wagon…I was the slow trotter, but now I am the walk/runner (I will think of a more clever nickname for this).

It was so foggy this morning, it actually was slightly eerie. To be on the bridge and not be able to see the top of it, then look out to the River and not see more than 2 feet. Crazy, but actually pretty neat. My friend, Amy ran by with her dog. It was the first time I have seen her running since she moved to Philly a few weeks ago. She runs with a group every Thursday morning, I would like to check that out sometime.

I was pre occupied today with some homework. I have my first oral presentation since….I can’t even tell you maybe 6 years. It’s only 5 minutes but I wanted to make sure I semi understood it. Tomorrow I am ‘planning’ on waking early again and get 3-5 miles in. I set my watch and my phone alarm last night and strangely I was raring to go…well I was conscious when it beeped.

It had been way too long since I have run the bridge…I think I will have to make that trek at least once a month. It’s kinda too pretty not to. Even though these pics don’t show it..



"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open." ~Nike

I'm So Excited!!!!

I am getting Antsy! I think this is the first time I can remember being EXCITED more than terrified before a race.

Fundraising
Today was the Deadline for Philly. Thank you to everyone who donated and to anyone who was planning on it, don’t you worry! The link on the top right is now connected to my new page for the Disney Marathon in Jan. My goal is $500 for that race, even though it says over 2,000. You guys are awesome!

Training
This morning I was able to wake up…because I met my friend, Rachel for a run. 5:38a my alarm went off and typically I hit snooze and think nothing of it. But when I know someone is going to meet me, I always get up…or I lay in bed til the last minute waiting for them to text me that they can’t make it. We ran over 4 miles, about an 11 minute pace, and she ran/walked with me which I was happy about. It was a beautiful morning, little chilly, but the sun was out and it was a great way to start the day. Then I got to work and I started getting SUPER hyper about the marathon! Like really hyper! I feel good when I am running now and I know that I am ready for this. Bring it on Philly!

Also, I have been noticing more Philly Marathon (‘I Kicked Asphalt’) shirts around this past week. One of the nurses leaving the hospital yesterday had one on and I smiled, gave her a little head nod…She kept walking but I felt a soon to be connection there ha in 11 days I too will be a Philly Marathoner. I don’t want to jinx myself because anything can happen in 26.2 miles. It is a long time, and I have been very lucky in my previous runs. My mental walls are usually the most difficult thing for me to push through. It is one of those days I wish I could make the Marathon tomorrow. I think this is the very first time I have ever had a ‘I want to run 26 miles tomorrow not later’ moments…Let’s go ahead and cherish this one because I am sure once I update post race, I will read back and want to harm me today.

Amidst my googling for marathon finishes and tips for the final few weeks…I found some informational and inspriational links. Here is a link on tips for the final two weeks and the importance of tapering before the marathon.
http://www.marathontraining.com/marathon/m_taper.html


And here is a link that Caroline shared with me from this past Sunday’s New York City Marathon. They had Runner’s World’s David Willey running on the course and talking with different runners. Turns out the majority of people are doing it for someone else. Awesome link, Thanks Caroline!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vCBiMHQhE&feature=youtu.be 


I have watched Team in Training videos, marathon finishes, and just regular running clips. And I gotta be honest, I am tearing up over here! There was one clip of a man who lost over 100 lbs while training for the Boston Marathon and raising money for Cystic Fibrosis. Although this clip didn’t show the actual marathon, it showed him training in the different climates and from beginning to end. Also, who doesn’t like a little Coldplay in their afternoon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9BFx5Mhqo

Ok with that I will stop googling, well I will stop posting everything I have googled.

So can you tell I am a little excited about all of this?! HOW BOUT NOW?! The Caps Lock helps get my point across I think. It’s an enthusiastic yell so don’t worry. I added some counters to the right toolbar. The Walt Disney World Marathon and yes….the 20 in 24 hour race. After much contemplation (30 seconds of thinking about the pain I was in during this year’s race, followed by 20 minutes of looking through pictures of it) I have decided to once again run the Lone Ranger. It will be July 14-15 this year, so I will be able to end my 27th year on this earth the way I started it…running until I physically can’t anymore, then taking a victory lap!

Stay Tuned…it’s about to get interesting…

13 Days To GO!!!

Good Morning Bloggers!

Fundraising

I am still roughly $165 short of my fundraising Goal….My deadline is THIS WEDNESDAY. If you can spare even one dollar please please help me to reach my goal. Click on the Link on the top Right hand side (Make a Donation Here). It will be greatly appreciated : D


Training

Saturday I ran my last Long run, 18 miles. It was a little bit of a chilly morning but absolutely gorgeous in Valley Green. I am so glad that two weeks ago I ran with Meg and Tara (the Coaches). I think they helped me to find some more motivation in keeping on pace. When I am alone it is easy for me to say ‘alright I will switch to a 1:2 (run: walk) then walk another 3 mins here and there. Saturday I hit every interval.

My knee did start hurting about 3 miles in, which is rare. Typically it is not until after 12 miles that I start to feel some pain in the Left knee. I saw Tara at the 5 mile water stop and let her know. I am programmed to just not say anything, because I don’t want to complain and I also don’t want someone to tell me I shouldn’t finish. I told her it is just the normal pain I feel but for some reason it is a lot sooner in the run. She asked me what I did differently this week: wore heels, different exercise, etc.. Oh yeah…Bikram. I was not sore when I woke up on Saturday morning but I did take a Bikram Yoga class Friday night til 9pm. I only got a chance to take the two classes last week and I do like it. My body did not feel like it was taking a toll but Tara told me to just wait until after the Marathon to do it again, just in case that is why my knee was hurting prematurely. By the end of the run I was not in any excruciating pain, just cold very very cold.

Tara and Meg gave me a goal of 3 hours 50 minutes for my 18 miles, two weeks ago…. I finished in 3 hours 36 mins!!! I was amazed! I had an average of a 12 minute mile. I did refrain from taking pictures until the last 3 miles, because I know that does slow me down a bit. I figured once I got this run done, next week I can mosey along on my final ten mile run with the Team before the Big Day and take as many pics as I want. Oh I did see a deer this week, which was my first for Valley Green. Just got the mental pic on that one unfortunately.

I am extremely excited about this marathon! Yesterday the NYC Marathon was on TV and I watched, as I got ready for my nap. It is so close I can almost feel it!!! This morning I was getting dressed and I think I may have lost a lb or two the last couple weeks, my pants went on pretty easily and I just did laundry yesterday. My goal has not been to lose weight, but I’ll take it.

My parents picked me up right from practice on Saturday and I went back to Jersey with them. Slept on an Aerobed overnight and woke up with some knee pain. I only slept about 4 hours (including the extra daylight savings one). Yesterday I hit that point of complete exhaustion at about noon. I did give in and take a nap before I hit my pile of Homework. I feel great today so far, got about 7 hours last night : )

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone called me crazy for the amount that I run. I started this whole marathon thingy for reasons outside of me, but now I can’t explain it. It’s like I enjoy trying to find my body’s threshold for pain. Every time I lace up it is an opportunity to battle the negativity in my mind and every time I complete my goal, positivity engulfs my whole being. I wish I could give this away to other people so they would understand, it isn’t that I’m crazy…I just like to battle every now and again.


"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." ~Emil Zatopek


Here are some of the pics from Saturday:

HELP! Please Donate!

Ok guys! I really Really need your help! I am $265 from my goal and I have 6 days to reach it!

I thought that I would take this post to explain why I joined the Team and where the money raised goes.

Since joining the Team in 2009, I have had the opportunity to meet friends and families of survivors and those who have passed away due to these blood cancers. My coach this season is a survivor and it seems to me that everyone on the Team has their own story as to why they are running.


I joined because in 2002 my mother was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. She had a major surgery (that removed parts of her colon, intestines, and abdominal wall) and the doctors prepared us for the worst. Up to that point Cancer had always been something I had known of but that day it became a part of my life. She went through radiation and chemotherapy for the next year and miraculously made a full recovery and has been in remission since 2003. When she first came home from the hospital, we had a visiting nurse and her bed was in the living room because she was not able to walk upstairs. It was heartbreaking for me to see her that way, in so much pain. I wanted more than anything to be able to make her better, but there was nothing I could do but smile and pray for her.

In 2008, I had been looking for a job in the Penn Health System and was hired at the front desk  in the Abramson Cancer Center. I worked there almost two years, and I really loved it. I got a chance to see people of all ages and all stages of their disease. The majority of people had this distinct glow, an understanding and appreciation for life that most people didn't understand. There was a man who used to come in at 7am every week for lab work and every morning I would ask ‘How are you doing this morning?’ and his response was always ‘never had a bad day in my life.’ People like him made me extremely grateful. I, unfortunately have seen a lot of patients lose their battles with cancer, but have also got to witness a good amount beat theirs too.

No one knows how or who will be next when it comes to cancer. Even though my experience with my mom and where I worked were not leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma patients, cancer is cancer and the closer we get to a cure for any of them, the closer we all have to beating this. When I ran in my first marathon I had ribbons on my back of the people I had known who had cancer, survivors and those who had passed. Every time I thought I couldn’t go on, I realized why I signed up in the first place. I wanted to do something for someone else, hopefully the money I raised would be able to help more than just a couple people. At mile 18 when I wanted to just take a nap or sit down for an hour or two, I had to remember this wasn’t for me. That is what got me across the finish line in May 2010.

Here is a breakdown of where the money goes:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is committed to curing leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and helping patients and their families. The support you provide is invested wisely.


Research 25.0%
Patient & Community Services   33.4%
Public Health Education   14.8%
Professional Education    3.0%
Total Program Services   76.2%


Management & General     8.3%
Fundraising        15.5%
Total Supporting Services 23.8%


LLS receives no federal funding. Because of the continued support of you and our partners and sponsors, in fiscal year 2010 we were able to:

1. invest $72 million, which includes funding for 103 new grants to researchers in academic institutions and $8 million in contracts through the LLS Therapy Acceleration Program

2. support 347 research projects in the United States, Canada and 9 other countries

3. provide financial assistance to patients

4. sponsor scientific conferences around the country

5. produce educational materials and videos

6. run dozens of Family Support Groups nationwide

The Team experience has been and continues to be incredible. The sea of purple jerseys that take over on race day and hearing everyone yell ‘GO TEAM’ as you run by is amazing! The stories we hear (called Mission Moments) every week before our long runs about why people joined or if there is a survivor and they tell us why they are there. That is why I stayed with the Team. We run with a Purpose and the statistics below show you exactly how the money raised is being used.

I know that it is a difficult time for every one with the economy, but just thinking about your normal day there is a dollar or two that can be spared. I know for me, I had to take a cut back on the amount of coffee I buy each week. That alone, is $10-15 I save per week. Donations are tax deductible and you are emailed a receipt right when you donate. Please help me reach my goal, so we can continue to make a difference, one mile at a time.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

After hitting snooze for TWO hours yesterday morning, I was able to wake up today! Ok I hit snooze for 50 minutes but I was still up at 6:15 and got a chance to go to the gym. I ran 4 miles on the dreaded treadmill. I do always feel better when I can actually get up and going (I write it pretty much every other entry on here).

But are there actually benefits to the time of day you exercise?

I started to look up some things online and WebMD stated there is no real difference, just to make sure that you make it a routine.

      http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exercise

They said that some people can’t imagine sweating before noon while others like to do it first thing so that they don’t squeeze that out of their schedule by the end of the day. I feel more accomplished during the day when I do it first thing and also the second part listed above. Yesterday was a perfect example. I had plans with a friend but initially I said I can meet at 6:30, so I could get a run in before meeting up. Then I decided to go after, but when I got home a little after 9 and sat down… I changed my mind, again. But that guilt helped me eventually get moving this morning.

Tomorrow will be another story…I am going to try again to wake up but I always tell myself I have time after class on Thursdays. Friday I am running after work for sure, I made plans with someone else, which is my 100% guarantee I won’t let my mind detour from the game plan. The long run is Saturday this week though so it will be a short run, followed by my 2nd session of Bikram Yoga. I was hoping to get there at some point this week before Friday but it just isn’t looking that way. Unless miraculously I wake up at 5:15 tomorrow with the alarm…then I will be starting the day with a Yoga class.

       All I know is for today, I ran. Tonight hopefully I will be in bed by 10:30 or 11…Sleep is crucial. I was also reading online that sleep 2 days before a long run is most important. Tomorrow night, I need to sleep like a champ so I can crank my last 18 mile, training run out…

Happy Halloween!!

I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!! I don't usually post non running related pics but here is a glimpse of what I was this year...I went to a couple parties so I dressed as two things

Holly Golightly- Audrey Hepburn "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Mime

Saturday Night was a bit messy, so I showed up like this with the Audrey Costume underneath. People thought I was Jackie O...so this was me this morning on the way to work.

I'm either Jackie O or a person in mourning (because all of my clothes are black anyway)..

I made over the blog to GO PURPLE!!! I am still $265 from my goal. Please follow the link on the upper right hand side "Make a Donation Here," if you haven't already. Every dollar counts guys :) And thank you to everyone who has already donated this year, and in the past. We are all making a difference!