10 Days Ago

I can't believe it was 10 days ago that I ran my 2nd 1/2 marathon. I'm still enjoying the post-race "high". I have agreed to mentor again in the spring. I hope you will continue to check in on this blog. In February I'll get back to regular frequent posts but until then I'm going to enjoy the freedom of my schedule. No obligations to run - if I go out for a few miles it will be for fun.

I'm still accepting donations.

Donating is easier than running, I promise. I ran... it was beautiful, awesome, inspiring. It was not easy.

If you are interested in training for an endurance event please check your local TNT chapter. It is SO worth the experience. You will be so proud of yourself.

My Big Disappointment

I just read the SFGate.com article about the Nike Marathon and am kicking myself. I was so close to one of my heroes, Brandi Chastain
So close yet so far. What a bummer.

Scroll down two posts for a recap in pictures of the big day!

Give Now

I'm still accepting donations.

Donating is easier than running, I promise. I ran... it was beautiful, awesome, inspiring. It was not easy.

What A Weekend

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the weekend. Trying to find the right words to share the story. Until I can think of what to say here are some highlights (mostly in links & pictures.

At Saturday night's pasta party we got to hear honoree Amy Barlett tell the story of her experience as a cancer patient & participant of the Nike and Joan Benoit Samuelson wished us well. That was pretty cool. I remember watching her run in 1984.

The morning of the run began with a team cheer at 6.15AM (Coach is in the yellow hat)


I wished my mentees & friends good luck & a healthy race before heading off to find my pace group's corral...

Ray and I waiting in a dumpster for our group to begin.

By the time we reached the start line it had been at least 20 mins since the gun.

It was right about here that I heard a ruckus, looked up to witness a flyover by the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill WOW!

This is the first hill of the race at Fort Mason. I ran it like a champ, using my arms to help me blow past many others. If this was the only hill on the course I might at had an impressive finish time. I had no idea what was to come...

This is the lead up to THE HILL of 2-3 miles of slight incline to steep grades up up up. But as they say... what goes up, must come down!


Whoa... slow down!


























The end is near only 3 miles to the... My offical time was 3:00:40, a personal record. If you take into account about 10 minutes of waiting for bathroom breaks along the course I improved my time by about 15 minutes. Not bad if you ask me.

It's great to have their support at the end:








And of course the reason for this all: My personal honoree. The first name I yell out before a run & the first one I think of during our moments of silence

Now let the celebration begin...

I Ran For Life

I just got home & will get the post-race wrap-up & pictures before the night is over. In the mean time here are some lyrics that were played over the slideshow of honorees at our pre-race party. They sum up why I do this.
I Run For Life - Melissa Etheridge
It's been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still running
She'll tell you it makes her complete

[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me, my friend
I run for life

It's a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I'm still learning the lesson
To awake when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I'll tell you I run for us all

[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more

I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister, your wife
For you and me my friend
I run for life
Ohohohoh

I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

Last Minute Post

I'm packing up to head to SF for the run tomorrow. Here are a few things you might be interested in:

- The East Bayside Marathon team has raised $407,109 for cancer reasearch & patient care.
- LLS has raised over $18.5 MILLION through the Nike Women's Marathon
- Honoree Cole would be 5 years old on the day of the race. Unfortunately he spent his entire life (less than 2 years) in the hospital fighting cancer. His life will help save another because his body has been used in research to develop a new drug. Keep his mom, Brandi, in your thoughts as she runs in his memory on his birthday.
- Honoree Brenda was cheering on the sideline of this race last year. Unfortunately she too passed away in the spring. I wear a bracelet with her name on it and know it will help push me through the hills.
- I still wear the friendship bracelet that honoree Vanessa made for me last season. It helped keep me focused on the finish line when my muscles wanted to stop moving. She won't be at the finish line this year because she's busy being a kid - playing soccer & having fun!
- I am less than 24 hours from the end of this journey.
- I am within $800 of my fundraising goal. You can help me cross that finish line with a donation

Thanks for following me on this crazy thing. I'm going to take the winter season off but I'll be back in the spring. I will run one last event - the Avenue of the Giants - and then I'm hanging up my 1/2 marathon shoes. Maybe I'll take up a triathlon or a century bike ride! Stay tuned.

Race Day Weather

I woke up this AM to the sound of pouring rain. Oh no! I hope this storm doesn't plan to stick around through the weekend. A quick search on weather.com eases my mind. It's supposed to be clear & sunny with a high of 68. Perfect running weather.

Six Days On The Road

Well... six days before I hit the road. Nike is on Sunday. I'm resting.

If you want to see what your dollars are doing: read this article

tick tick tick... the clock is counting down.

63% of Goal

To date I have raised $1595.00 - that's 63% of my $2,500 goal. If you haven't had a chance to give to LLS please DONATE NOW

Sexy Legs

In one last attempt to run without leg pains I've invested in compression wraps for my shins. I think they work. I've worn them for the last two weeks and my shin splints aren't too bad. My calf cramping has also lessened. I am such a bad stretcher & my chiro tells me I've got genetically tight muscles. Perhaps I'm doomed to a life of stiff & sore legs. Alas.

It's the last week of real running before the week of rest leading up to race day. On saturday I was supposed to get in 10-12 miles but I was out of town celebrating my mom's 70th birthday. So I broke the mileage down to three 3 mile runs on Sat, Sun & Mon. My legs were really tired after last nights run but feel pretty good today.

I'm a little bit nervous about the race on 10/21 since the longest run I've done in training this season was 6 miles. Hopefully the adrenaline & my will-power will get me across the finish line!

Happy Runners

That's my mentee & soccer teammate, Kari, on the left. She looks pretty happy for just finishing a 20 mile training run, no?

See you at the finish line?

Check out the course map. The race starts at Union Square & finishes on The Great Highway near Lincoln Ave.

Unfortunately this map prints out so un-readable you'll have to view it online, zoom in, scroll around. Find a good spot to cheer.

I expect to finish between 10-10.30AM. If I were you I'd hit the Beach Chalet for a few breakfast beers then wander to the finish line in time to see me stumble across.

Make you plans now. See you on 21st.

Freakishly Strong

I wanted to share an excerpt from our Honoree Update Team Brenda...freakishly Strong
Week of Sept. 24, 2007

Hi Team!
I was overjoyed at receiving bags full of goodies from the team, and I put them to use immediately. The blanket, fuzzy socks, and pj's were such a welcome addition to my hospital life, and I loved my collection of creams and shower gels, not to mention the candy and other great gifts like a much-needed diary! I felt like a kid at Christmas! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed and also for all your best wishes. It not only means a lot to me, but my mother was so happy to see that there is such incredible support and warmth to draw on.

Right now, I am back in the hospital for a quick round, round number 3 (less than 5 days hospitalization). I am doing as well as can be hoped but dreading the upcoming rounds as they are long and, with respect to round 5, involve around 3 weeks in the hospital. I have been sleeping a lot--more than the average cat--and continue to criticize the food here. I am sorry I haven't been able to meet TNTers in my time away from the hospital but please know that I think of the team often, look forward to meeting you all, and that I wish the runners and walkers the best and love to hear how you are all doing. ~Suhani

Because of your financial support TNT was able to support Suhani during her time in the hospital receiving treatments. THANK YOU!

The rest of our honorees are doing quite well also.
- Adriana is the fastest runner in her class. She's cut her mile time to 7:06. She was also recently black belted!
- Vanessa is so busy her update was only one sentence long - apparently she's having too much fun playing soccer.
- Michael (age 60) is training for the Nike FULL marathon! Don't I feel like a chump only running 13.1.
- Kyle is now in the maintenance mode of chemo (daily oral chemo for a couple of years)& getting back into the routine of school.
- Cole's mom will be running Nike to celebrate what would be Cole's 5th birthday.

Today marks the countdown to the race. I have 20 days left to train! eeek.

I Can Run Again!

At least I could last night. I got the OK from Mama Lisa to run for 20 minutes but I ran the whole lake without sharp pains. I ran slow & steady finishing the 3.2 miles in about 40 minutes. I could tell I hadn't run in awhile because my hips felt tired & my breathing wasn't as easy as I like. I have some work to do before the race to be in my best shape. I really want to beat 3 hours but I rather be healthy & finish feeling good & strong.

This past Saturday Yvette & I were in charge of the mentor led run. We picked the evil course of Lake Merrit. Some poor folks had to run the darn thing 3 times - quite a mental challenge. I stayed put at the water stop & cought some photos of my friends & teammates (click the pic to see full album):

Lake Merrit 9/15 Buddy Run

All in all everyone seemed to have a good time.

I am now at 49% of my fundraising goal If you've been waiting for that perfect time to make a donation NOW is the time. I've got to bring in the big bucks by Oct. 5.

Thanks for stopping by & feel free to leave a comment.

My next post will be on Monday following our long run on Saturday. We are supposed to run 7-9 miles but due to my recent time off I'm not sure what my legs & lungs will allow.

Weekend Recap

My training run on Saturday was supposed to be 7-9 miles but I wrapped it up at 6 since my legs were beginning to feel some shin splint pains. We ran along the Alameda Creek Watershed - not a very scenic trail (see pic above). Thankfully the sun was not out because 99% of the trail is without an ounce of shade.

After the run there was another honoree potluck where our new team members get to meet our honorees and hear their stories first hand.

I was reminded that the day of our race would be Cole's 5th birthday. His mom, Brandy, is running with my team to celebrate & honor his short life. Cole was a gift to cancer research when he died and Brandy announced that a new drug is now on the market that developed out of the research performed on Cole. You can read about it here.

It was great to see honoree Michael complete his 16 mile training run at age 60.











I also got a big hug from honoree Vanessa & her big sister, Salina.

After the run I crashed on the couch for a much needed 2 hour nap.

Today my legs need a little special attention because I went to a concert Sat night (too much standing & dancing) and did a 5 mile hike on Sunday for a pancake breakfast on Mt. Tam.

It was a busy fun-filled weekend. I hope you got out & enjoyed your gift of life!

How Fast?

Sorry for the long wait to update. August was a hard month for training. Hard to get any training in to be specific. I spent the first two weeks of the month in New Orleans and did no running. Then when I got back it was difficult to return to the routine especially when it's been so darn hot outside. I'm a fair weather runner!

September is a new month and a new commitment to the training. I am glad to report that my leg cramps have gone away and I feel pretty good.

This morning our track workout was a partnered speed trial of two miles. A relay where one of the pair sprints one lap at a time 4x (each of us completes one full mile). Before we ran we had to estimate our time to see how much we really know about our running. Tessa and I guessed we'd finish at 17min - we came in at 15.36 so that's pretty darn good.

Being that I'm clearing up a head cold and there is a lot of smoke in the air due to wildfires my lungs were burning up at the end. I'm still hacking & coughing several hours later. I am glad tomorrow is a day of rest.

Saturday we have a 7-9 mile run. If anything exciting happens I'll be sure to post right quick.

My fundraising efforts are starting to pick back up. Feel free to make a donation if you hate blood cancer!

Hills! part deux(ish)

In March I wrote about my first experience doing hill repeats & circuit drills.

Today I did them again. For the rest of the summer team this was the second round of hills/circuits (apparently I missed the first - darn it)

It was much different this time. Not necessarily easier but knowing what I was in for sure helped. There is definately mental aspect to the training.

What a burn, a good sweat, a feeling of accomplishment. All before 8AM.

Me & My Mentee

It was a beautiful day for the run at San Leandro Marina. I ran for about 70 minutes & felt like I was a bit out of shape. I'm glad I asked Mama Lisa for insight before I got to the trail. I would probably have fun 7-9miles and been in major pain. Since I followed the experts advice I was only slightly sore.

Last night's buddy run around the lake was a mixed bag as well. I felt great & ran a faster pace than usual until the last little bit then walked in. My calves are sore today.

My fundraising has been slow but I have a second batch of letters to send out and I'll be co-hosting a bingo night next month. If you haven't had a chance to contribute to the cause please do so now: DONATE

If you've already given but feel some spare cash burning a hole in your pocket feel free to give again: DONATE AGAIN!

Get Back to Work

I'm home from my trip to NOLA. Due to the work schedule & the crazy heat & humidity I ran no miles for the past 2 weeks.

I will test my legs at the buddy run tonight. I hope the 3.2 miles don't wear me out - that would be embarrassing.

This Saturday I'm scheduled to run 7-9 miles. Yikes. I'll let you know how it goes. Mama Lisa told me to go by time, not distance. So I'll run for 75 minutes. No more, no less! We'll see how far that gets me.

That reminds me....I gotta find my running gear.

Away from the training blog

Sorry to leave you with no new posts until Aug 13. I'll be in New Orleans with 25 teens assisting with the continued recovery & rebuilding projects due to hurricane Katrina.

10 days of manual labor in the Gulf Coast heat & humidity. I'll be sure to hydrate - not sure how many miles I'll log in. I'll be busy driving, cooking, herding a bunch of amazing youth who are giving up a chunk of their summer to bring back a little bit of home to those who lost everything in an instant.

This will be my third trip to the destroyed region. It's amazing how much work is still needed.

Keep us in your prayers. I'll be back soon.

Saturday

This past Saturday we had an Honoree Potluck breakfast following my four mile run along the West Shore Trail Check out the topo map to see some of the hills we got to conquor.

Meeting the honorees and hearing their stories of triumph and struggle are reminders of why I'm doing this. I'm not just out there to get in shape. I'm not involved just to meet new people. I do this to help save lives. Just two days before our run 3 year old Harrison lost his battle. As long as we have to suffer through the death of a child, a parent, a friend I will stay connected to this cause.

I hope you will help to find a cure for blood cancers. Please make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: DONATE TODAY

Last season my team lost honoree Brenda, a 36 year old mother of two young boys. On Saturday her friend shared with us Brenda's last words

Love when you can, it's the best

I agree.

New Honorees - New Updates

UPDATED on 7/20: Harrison passed away yesterday. You can read more of his story & leave a note for his family on his website

a message from his family:

Our brave son, Harrison, passed yesterday morning. He fought really hard. The nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital Oakland & Lucille Salter Packard did all they could to keep Harrison with us. Heartbreak is the only word to describe how we are feeling. Thank you everyone for your love, support, prayers & positive energy. Our beautiful boy touched many lives and we are better people for his brief stay in this world.

If you would like to help find a cure for blood cancers please make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: DONATE TODAY


Kyle Lane
news from his mom:

Kyle started the last of the intensive phases of treatment last week. It has left him feeling very week. He also is having some trouble swallowing the 10 pills a day he must take. We have been getting by letting them dissolve in apple sauce. His blood counts have stayed relatively high, so he has been able to see the movies Ratatouille and Transformers. He also has been able to visit with his friends Connor and Matthew. Kyle will be turning 9 on July 21st. He's very excited about his upcoming birthday and looks forward to getting together. We hope to get together with people in smaller groups to help keep his exposure to [germs] manageable.

Run to The Lake

This past Sunday our coached training run was to participate in a 5 or 10K race "Run to the Lake" This gives participants the opportunity to experience race day activities, registration, pre-race routines, the thrill of the crowds etc. Being that I've trained a full season I didn't think much of it. I can run 3.2 miles... no problemo.

Well I learned a lesson this weekend. My activities of the day before DO in fact matter. Don't tell my coaches but I played a soccer game on Saturday. It was fun and I played well. Unfortunately I think I wore out my legs the day before a race.

It didn't take long before I felt the familiar burn & sting of the shin splints. I ran (slowly) out to the turn around of the 5K & knew I wouldn't make it all the way to the finish. I walked for about 8 minutes to ease the ache and picked it back up to get to the end. I couldn't get home soon enough to apply my ice-packs. Oh I love ice.

I was 24th place in my age division running an average 13.13 minute mile.

Tonight I attempt to run for 30 minutes at the weekly buddy run. I'll let you know how it goes.

Here's a picture of the course map from Sunday:

Inspired Weekend

I was planning on running only 2 of the 2-4 mile run on Saturday but you know how plans go. My soccer buddy joined TNT and showed up for her first group run and I thought it only right to run along with her... woops. She's in much better shape and runs a bit faster than I do. After about 3/4 mile I told her to run on ahead and I'd see her at the finish line. I was distracted from the mile markers and went to the 1.5 mile turn-around point. So my 2mile plan turned into a good 3 mile run.

After the morning run I played a game of soccer (shhh don't tell coach). I took a vow of soccer poverty for the last season to avoid injury. I really missed my hooligans & the game so I promised them I'd return to light play.

On Sunday AM I met up with a TNT alumni to run Lake Merrit. About 1/2 way around I hear a distant shout "Go TEAM!" I look all around ... who said that? Then I see Coach running on the other side of the street. He is everywhere!

I still had a bug squirming about so I did 8 miles on my stationary bike while I caught up on recorded TV shows. It's great to multi-task.

My legs feel pretty good. I didn't have to stop on the lap of the lake which is a first. My shins typically burn about 3/4 of the way around. I think I'm getting stronger. Wonder if I'm getting any faster.

Try This At Home

If memory serves correctly this was our workout yesterday morning.
Walk 20 yards each as follows:
on your tippy-toes
on your tippy-toes with toes pointed outward.
on your tippy-toes with toes pointed inward.
on your heels with toes pointed up toward knees
on your heels with toes pointed outward
on your heels with toes pointed inward

Now skip 40 yards.

On your toes jump back & forth 10 times (repeat 3x)
On your heels jump back & forth 10 times (repeat 3x)

Run 1/4 mile
15 squats
10 push-ups
10 crunches
15 squats

Run 1/4 mile
10 squats on one leg (do both sides)
10 "supermans" (while on tummy lift head, arms & legs off the ground for count of 3)
10 squats on one leg (do both sides)

Run 1/4 mile
15 squats
10 push-ups
10 crunches
15 squats

Run 1/4 mile
10 squats on one leg (do both sides)
10 "supermans" (while on tummy lift head, arms & legs off the ground for count of 3)
10 squats on one leg (do both sides)

Run 1/2 mile.

I will enjoy my day of rest today.

A nice Saturday run

Saturday morning runs! Wake up earlier than wanted. Drive to wrong park entrance. Panic because I gave my group wrong directions. Find correct location and check to make sure all in my group made it to the right place. Phew! We were scheduled for a 2-4 mile run along the Damon Marsh Trail. The sun was out and everyone was in a great mood.

In an effort to avoid the raging case of shin splints that I experienced last season I'm running the minimum distances. I knew I could do the four miles but I don't want to aggravate my legs. So I ran short & returned to the meeting spot to cheer in those who went out further. All the participants of my small group ran the full four & did great.

The weather is going to be a big difference this season. The sun was up & getting hot when we met at 8AM. I will need to carry my water bottle even on short runs during the summer. Stay hydrated or go home!

How to Make Your Brain Happy (story from CNN.com)

Brain gets a thrill from charity - CNN.com Another reason to donate now to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

Brain gets a thrill from charity
CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Knowing your money is going to a good cause can activate some of the same pleasure centers in your brain as food and sex, U.S. researchers said Thursday.

People who participated in a study got a charge knowing that their money went to a charity -- even when the contribution was mandatory, like a tax. They felt even better when they voluntarily made a donation, researchers found.

Ulrich Mayr, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon, said the research sheds light on the nature of altruism and could help people feel better about being taxed.

"It shows that in an ideal world you could have a tax situation where you could be a satisfied taxpayer," said Mayr, whose study appeared in the journal Science.

The women were shown their money automatically being transferred from their account to a local food bank.

When the money reached the food bank account, it activated portions of the brain -- the caudate nucleus and the nucleus accumbens -- known for pleasure. The effect was even greater when the people got to choose to give the money away.

"What is interesting is that these pleasure areas are for really basic needs, like food, sex, sweets, shelter and social connection," Ulrich said in a telephone interview. "It's the area that tells the brain what is good for us."

As it turns out, "That very same brain area not only tracks what is good for us, but what is good for others," he said.

He and colleagues were hoping to find out whether there was something in the act of giving itself -- and not just the social and egotistical reward of being a philanthropist -- that offers satisfaction.

"The fact that we find pleasurable activity in those mandatory tax-like situations strongly suggests the existence of pure altruism," he said.

Of course, simulating a tax is quite different from paying taxes to a government with policies you may or may not support, he noted.

"What it shows is that, in principle, we are capable of feeling good about doing our share," he said.

"The question is, 'Why is it that so often we feel bad about filling out our taxes?' Our study shows it is worth looking for an answer."

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Some people have wondered why I'm doing this again

Well I've got a reason. Her name is Vanessa (click that link then scroll down to see her pic & read her story). Vanessa's mom, Trish was on my team last season training to run Anchorage - the race is next weekend. Trish brought Vanessa & her sister, Salina, to most of our workouts so I got to know them through the weeks of training. This AM at our track workout I asked Trish is she was ready for her event & this is what she said.

I think of Vanessa's chemo mantra when she didn't want to take meds or was hitting the wall: " I've done this before; I know I can do this - I can do this!"
She used to cry and repeat this to me over and over(age 6) when she just couldn't take another syringe full of medicine.She would finally relax herself enough and just do it. Bless her heart!

So if you need for me to have a reason to train, a reason to ask you for a donation this is it. I run for Vanessa. I run because I can. I run to find a cure for cancer.

Season 2 - electric boogaloo

We have officially kicked-off the summer season. Our first coached run was this past Saturday & let me tell you... it's going to be much different running when it's hot out. Wow - Saturday was a perfectly beautiful day for sunning, not running.

I'm still working on making contact with all the runners assigned to my mentor group. It's been busy and hectic on the home front with a switch of roomies & remodel going on. I feel like I haven't put the best face forward to my group. I must work on that in the next two days.

I'm at 22% of my fundraising goal for summer! If you haven't yet made your tax deductible contribution what's keeping you? Help me cross the summer fundraising finish line early: give now

Big Money!

News just in that my team has raised $356,000 this season. We have funded eight researchers and financial aid for 72 families. What a diffence you have made! Thanks for all your support.

Wouldn't it be great to exceed that with my summer season? You can help with a secure online donation.

The Best Part of Recovery

Good thing I didn't train for this past marathon to lose wieght. But you'd think with running 3x a week I would have shed a few lbs. My legs are firmer and my pants fit differently but the number on the scale didn't change much over the 13 weeks of training.

I'm still enjoying recovery which means I'm not running. I'm letting my muscles heal and riding a stationary bike 2x a week & doing lots of crunches. This morning I got a nice surprise. I lost about three lbs. Since I'm not running I'm not hungry all the time. I'm eating a bit less and it showed on the scale this AM. Hopefully I'll be aware of my appetite during the summer season and use the increased exercise to increase the lbs lost.

A little something for me as I ask a little something from all of you - a small donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Together we can make a difference.

Summary of The Avenue

Alrighty! Here's the summary of my first 1/2 marathon.

We were warned that parking would be limited so we were up at 6AM for 9AM start time. We enjoyed a breakfast of bagels with peanut butter & bananas and a glass of water. The last ditch effort to load out body with good carbs. After several attempts to leave & running back into the room for whatever it is we kept forgetting Melanie & I were on our way to the race.

We arrived, parked & walked the 1/4 mile to the race start and had about 2 hrs to relax, stretch & get nervous. We found some friends and found our teammates. The fog was burning off, the sun shining through the trees. It was going to be a beautiful day.

Coach MamaLisa joined us for a pep talk and our pre-race moments of silence for all our honorees. It was time to head to the starting line. The gun rang and I sent Melanie & Donna on ahead - they run faster than me. The first mile was crowded and full of energy.

At mile 1.5 I saw MamaLisa taping up a teammates leg. We learned that she was pulled from the race due to that injury. I can't imagine the disappointment she must have felt.

The course was beautiful and I enjoyed it most when the pack had thinned out and I could enjoy the light playing through the trees. I felt good.

I was about mile 4 when I saw someone sprinting toward me. The lead runner for the FULL MARATHON was already heading to the finish line (he was actually about 1/3 of the way to his finish line... but still). That was pretty amazing to see.

Mile 5-6 was mostly uphill and I couldn't wait to reach that turnaround. The best part of this section of the race was seeing your friends go past you on the way to the finish. I said hi to Mindy, Melanie, Donna... They informed me I was almost there & that gave me a big boost.

I reached mile 8 and realized I had just passed my longest distance. At mile 9 I still had a smile on my face. I felt great. I was almost to the end.

Then you know what happened? The wall! At mile 11 my legs had reached their limit. My lungs felt good. My mind was sharp. My thighs were burning and wow did my hips want to stop the motion. Now it was mind over matter. Time to talk myself up. Time to remember why I was out there.

My personal honoree - my dad, Bill
My team honorees: Brenda, Cole, Joe, Michael, Vanessa, Adrianna, Kendra
Special requests by friends & family to run in honor of:
Betsy’s sister, Nancy
Kate’s sister, Elizabeth
Sandi’s grandmother, Kinuko
Katie’s grandmother, Ruby
Vicki’s sister, Betsy

I was running for them. My legs had to keep going just 2 more miles.
I hit the 12 mile marker and think I shocked the other guy on the trail when I shouted out an "f-bomb" and I was so sure I was at 13.

Finally mile 13 and the cheers of the TNT team. Gretchen ran a few yards with me to push me to the finish. You have no idea how much I needed that boost right then.

I ran 13.1 miles. I raised $5,400. I did it. I'm off to do it again.

Another Season to Honor Him

That's my dad. I ran the Avenue of the Giants in honor of him, and the many team honorees and for the friends & family given to me by my supporters. I'll get a full list up soon.

Last night I attended an informational meeting where new participants learn about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and sign up to train for an endurance event. There were a lot of people there and it seemed like most of them joined the TEAM. How could you not be inspired after hearing all the speakers.

I'm excited to meet my mentee group. To help them achieve their running goals and to exceed their fundraising minimums. If they have friends as generous as I do they will have no problem.

Last I heard this season's team raised almost $300,000 for cancer research, patient care and advocacy. I hope to help raise more than that with the summer team. Would you like to help? Click on the donation link over to the right and send me on my way to success!

A Second Chance

To all my loyal readers who may not have made a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society yet... all is not lost. I will join the summer season as a mentor to help others reach their goals (run training & fundraising). I too will have to raise funds for cancer research and patient care. You can support my summer goal to raise another $2,500 with a simple click here

If you made a donation already you can always chip in again! No one is turned away.

Cheers.

Recovering

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the experience to write up a good summary for everyone. Soon... I promise. I'm still a bit achey - been stretching & icing my legs every night. I feel the twinge of shin splints acting up. I need to rest. The recovery calendar suggests running a few miles. I don't think I'm ready yet. All Tuesday night & Wednesday I had horrible stomach cramps. I either ate something bad, caught a bug or maybe I am suffering a bit of dehydration. Tonight my mentor group meets for dinner so those of us who ran can share our experience with those waiting for their event in the next few weeks.

Things I learned:
It is possible to enjoy running 13.1 miles. Ok, it ws fun for the first 11.5 miles.
I'm a little sad my event is over. I've got post race blues.
I will do it again, not for the joy of running but for the joy of supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

I need to get some work done now. Thanks for checking in.

I did the damn thing!

It took me 3 hr 09 minutes to run 13.1 miles. The course was beautiful. The weather was perfect. I had a blast... until mile 11. You know "the wall"? Well it sure felt like a literal wall to me. I'm too tired to process right now but here are some pictures in summary. YES! My legs are sore sore sore. No! I can't walk well right now. YES I'd do it again - just let me recover first.

Here is my photo gallery

Before: Still happy - before the race.

After:
the face of total exhaustion

The Final Hours

Hi!
I've been resting all week & icing my muscles in preparation for the race on Sunday. Today I will lay out all my stuff to make sure I have what I need. I may need to make one last trip to REI. I get one last adjustment at the chiro this afternoon. I will pack. I will try to get to bed early.

Tomorrow we drive to the redwoods to check in for the race, find our hotel & get our last load of carbs at the pasta party.

Sunday I'll get up early enough to enjoy a PBJ sandwich & head to the start.

When will my nerves begin to act up? When will the adrenaline kick in? When with this even be over? In just a few hours!

I've spent the last 3 months training my body - I've run about 200 miles. I've received amazing support and reached my fundraising goal! I learned that I was the top fundraiser for 1/2 marathons this season. I couldn't have done this without you!

On Monday I get to follow the "recovery calendar". On Tuesday I guess I'll start my new role as mentor for the next season.

Today's post isn't the end of this blog because I joined the next season as mentor training for the Nike Women's Marathon. This new role will bring new challenges and new stories to share. The new season also bring another opportunity for you to help me raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Let's work to find a cure for blood cancers. We can save others from having to go through painful treatments or greive the loss of aloved one. As Coach Al says, "Let's do the damn thing!"

The Countdown

Five days left. On Saturday we'll head up to the redwoods to run The Ave. 13.1 miles through some of the tallest trees in the world.

Want to know what I'll be experiencing:
Read the course description

I'm excited & I guess I'm a bit nervous since I had a horrible time sleeping last night.

Tomorrow night we have a send off party where I'll pick up my race packet & figure out where I'm going this weekend. Saturday night TNT hosts a pasta party to top off our last few days of carb loading. Sunday morning please keep me in mind as I'll be making my way along the beautiful course. Of course I'll have in mind all the honorees who've inspired me during the past few months. With each step I take I'll be thinking of your family & friends who have had to fight a blood cancer.

Stay tuned for a post race report.

Faster Than Lightning

Today our track workout was a learning about how fast we really are. Coach told us we were going to run a mile as fast as we can to test our understanding of our ability. We had to predict how fast we could run four laps of the track, run them & see how well we know ourselves. I guessed that I could run the mile in 12 minutes.

We did 1/2 mile warm up, our usual stretches, shout outs, cheers and a moment of silence then off to the races. The first lap was OK & coach was impressed by my rhythm. The second lap the breathing was harder. The third lap I know I slowed. As I came around the last turn into the home stretch I heard them counting: 9.25, 9.30 I kicked on the power boosters...9.31, 32, 33, 34 & I crossed the line at 9.37.

Whoooo hooo under 10 minutes. I know I couldn't keep that pace up for another lap but I was impressed with my time.

At the end of the cool down laps coached looked at the clipboard where we all predicted out times. "Hey! Where's Sarah? She doesn't know squat!"

I've never run for speed - I run a pace I know I can keep up with for the duration. I expect I'll finish the race next weekend somewhere in the 12-13 min. mile pace. I'm OK with that. A few months ago I couldn't keep going beyond a mile & it took over 15 minutes to do it.

New Commitment

I went to the meeting last night to become a mentor for the summer season marathon team. I'll be assigned a group of 8-12 runners and work with them to achieve their goals (to cross both the race & fundraising finish line).

During this past season my big hurdle was staying healthy & uninjured while running. Raising the money was easy due to the generosity of friends like you. Now that I know I can complete a 1/2 marathon I will have to focus on the challenge of education & fundraising for a second season.

As long as families and friends have to endure the loss of a loved one to blood cancer I will have a commitment to this cause. My season as a participant ends soon and I'll have to shift my focus to help others get through the aches & pains of running and fundraising. If you are interested in joining TNT to train for a marathon let me know. It would be great to have you on my team!

To everyone who has already given so generously, THANK YOU! I may need your help again soon. To all my readers who have yet to give I will count on your support this next season.