What a fun night! Of course, I got caught up in the excitement and went out way too fast. At one point, I noticed that I was pacing an 8 minute mile. Woah, slow down.......but I'd already kind of run out of steam....so I fought through the second mile, and part of the third, and then I kicked into high gear. I'd resolved to finish the race in under 30 minutes if it made me puke or not......so I could see the finish line and I just went for it, and I was racing the clock.
Spectators near and at the finish line knew what I was doing, and they could see the big timer, so they cheered even louder as I neared the finish line. Todd got an awesome overhead picture (to be loaded later) of me JUST getting to the finish line at (get this)......28:59. WOOHOO! So I probably crossed at 29:00 or 29:01....
A new PR!
Of course, all kinds of doubt went through my head as I was running all out during this race..."How can I run a marathon if I can't even make it through a 5k?" "WHY do I do this??" "I'm not going to be able to do a marathon with hills if this course makes me want to puke".
Not pretty, and I know the training will take care of that mentality (hopefully), but it was eye-opening for sure.
In the meantime, I'm going to revel in my success at the 5k and be proud of myself. I analyzed my form in the pictures, and you know what?? I LOOK like a runner! Holy crap! :)
So today it's off to a pool party and then home to relax and prepare for the week ahead.
Life is good.
Have a good Sunday, and happy running. :)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The beat goes on
So today marked our second week of practice, and it's going really well.
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been trying to settle back into "work, cross-training, running, clean the house" mode. So unfortunately, my blog can get put on the backburner. My apologies again.
So....where were we?
Ah, the 23rd....First practice and boy, what a great one. It was cloudy and cool, and humid (ugh). Almost everyone was there and it was great to feel the energy and enthusiasm of a new season. We ran a whopping 2 miles while the Seattle team (Their event is at the end of June) was doing 18!! The first-timers were all bug-eyed at that number- I remember feeling that way too. We reassured them that by the time they worked up to it, those distances wouldn't seem so bad.
Today's practice was a bit smaller, due to a communication breakdown (good Led Zeppelin song, by the way). Some people thought that it started a half hour later, so people were still trickling in as the rest of the team took off to do their 2-3 miles. I ran a little bit with the team, but turned back early so I wouldn't burn myself out.
Why, you ask? I'm running the Meet Me Downtown 5k tonight! This is the race that started it all for me last year. I saw a flier for it in 2008 (the race was on 6/7/08) and thought that it sounded like fun, so I signed up, knowing that the last 5k I ran had been about 6 years earlier. Um, yeah.....you get the idea. But wouldn't you know it, I had so much fun that I did another 5k the week after that! I was hooked. Slow, but hooked.
Then a couple weeks after that I got a flier for Team in Training and thought "huh. I remember when my co-worker ran a marathon with them and it seemed like fun....." maybe I'll go to the meeting just to see what it's all about....and yadda yadda yadda, the rest is history.
So, I paced a 10:17 mile for this race last year, with a finish time of 31:58, however that's a rough estimate. What happened at the race was interesting- so many people signed up right before or the day of, that the officials were sort of blindsided by the sheer volume of people that showed up. Not only did they run out of water at the hydration stations, but we had to STAND IN LINE to finish the race!!! So not only did I get a finish time of 31:58, but about 20 other people did as well.....I'm anxious to beat my "personal record" (sorry, trying not to snort at myself as I type that) and excited to had a little more experience under my belt! :)
Oh, and if anyone fancies themselves as a birder, I saw a beautiful bird this morning. It had a red breast and black cap/back. It wasn't a cardinal or a finch. It was probably the size of a robin, but it wasn't a robin. Any ideas?
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been trying to settle back into "work, cross-training, running, clean the house" mode. So unfortunately, my blog can get put on the backburner. My apologies again.
So....where were we?
Ah, the 23rd....First practice and boy, what a great one. It was cloudy and cool, and humid (ugh). Almost everyone was there and it was great to feel the energy and enthusiasm of a new season. We ran a whopping 2 miles while the Seattle team (Their event is at the end of June) was doing 18!! The first-timers were all bug-eyed at that number- I remember feeling that way too. We reassured them that by the time they worked up to it, those distances wouldn't seem so bad.
Today's practice was a bit smaller, due to a communication breakdown (good Led Zeppelin song, by the way). Some people thought that it started a half hour later, so people were still trickling in as the rest of the team took off to do their 2-3 miles. I ran a little bit with the team, but turned back early so I wouldn't burn myself out.
Why, you ask? I'm running the Meet Me Downtown 5k tonight! This is the race that started it all for me last year. I saw a flier for it in 2008 (the race was on 6/7/08) and thought that it sounded like fun, so I signed up, knowing that the last 5k I ran had been about 6 years earlier. Um, yeah.....you get the idea. But wouldn't you know it, I had so much fun that I did another 5k the week after that! I was hooked. Slow, but hooked.
Then a couple weeks after that I got a flier for Team in Training and thought "huh. I remember when my co-worker ran a marathon with them and it seemed like fun....." maybe I'll go to the meeting just to see what it's all about....and yadda yadda yadda, the rest is history.
So, I paced a 10:17 mile for this race last year, with a finish time of 31:58, however that's a rough estimate. What happened at the race was interesting- so many people signed up right before or the day of, that the officials were sort of blindsided by the sheer volume of people that showed up. Not only did they run out of water at the hydration stations, but we had to STAND IN LINE to finish the race!!! So not only did I get a finish time of 31:58, but about 20 other people did as well.....I'm anxious to beat my "personal record" (sorry, trying not to snort at myself as I type that) and excited to had a little more experience under my belt! :)
Oh, and if anyone fancies themselves as a birder, I saw a beautiful bird this morning. It had a red breast and black cap/back. It wasn't a cardinal or a finch. It was probably the size of a robin, but it wasn't a robin. Any ideas?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Kickoff!!!
That's right, the Fall 2009 Season for the Desert Mountain States has officially begun: GO TEAM!!!
The kickoff meeting was fantastic- we had balloons and streamers, all purple and green, and some very generous and fantastic raffle prizes, compliments of Fleet Feet and the Running Shop. Also with us were Gabbi and Gene, two of our honored teammates, who talked about their experiences with cancer and Team in Training. Gabbi is now 13 (I think, she's growing up so fast) and will celebrate here NINTH year in remission next month.
Gene is one of my personal heroes- he was diagnosed in the late seventies and is the sole survivor of his wing in the hospital when he was in treatment. Now here he is participating with the team and has signed up for the Moab Century Ride AND the Malibu Triathlon. This man is amazing- he's completed two triple crowns as well (When you do a Triathlon, Century [100+miles] and Marathon with TNT). When he spoke at the informational meeting I attended to register for the P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Marathon, he got very emotional talking about his survival. I will never forget him yelling through his tears, "I'm not supposed to BE here!!!". Well, THAT certainly put things in perspective- it was so amazing to hear his story, and he was so brave to share it. That season he biked 107 miles in El Tour de Tucson AND ran P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll. He's a machine. And a hero.
I have quite the diverse group of mentees!! Two are training for the Nike Women's Marathon (same one I'm doing) and two are training for the Adidas Dublin Marathon. Yes, that Dublin. The one in Ireland.
The excitement is palpable and our first practice is next Saturday, the 23rd. We'll be sharing the trail with the San Diego and Seattle teams. San Diego is beginning their taper as their event is the 31st (two weeks from today!!). Next week, Seattle will be running their 18-miler in preparation for their event day on June 27th. We'll be in the upper miles soon enough!
The heat has hit us early this year- we had our first 100 degree day last week (or the week before, I can't remember). Last Saturday, we broke the record with 102. Ugh. I love the desert, don't get me wrong, but damn. It's hot.
I can't wait for practice to start! :)
The kickoff meeting was fantastic- we had balloons and streamers, all purple and green, and some very generous and fantastic raffle prizes, compliments of Fleet Feet and the Running Shop. Also with us were Gabbi and Gene, two of our honored teammates, who talked about their experiences with cancer and Team in Training. Gabbi is now 13 (I think, she's growing up so fast) and will celebrate here NINTH year in remission next month.
Gene is one of my personal heroes- he was diagnosed in the late seventies and is the sole survivor of his wing in the hospital when he was in treatment. Now here he is participating with the team and has signed up for the Moab Century Ride AND the Malibu Triathlon. This man is amazing- he's completed two triple crowns as well (When you do a Triathlon, Century [100+miles] and Marathon with TNT). When he spoke at the informational meeting I attended to register for the P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll Marathon, he got very emotional talking about his survival. I will never forget him yelling through his tears, "I'm not supposed to BE here!!!". Well, THAT certainly put things in perspective- it was so amazing to hear his story, and he was so brave to share it. That season he biked 107 miles in El Tour de Tucson AND ran P.F. Chang's Rock N' Roll. He's a machine. And a hero.
I have quite the diverse group of mentees!! Two are training for the Nike Women's Marathon (same one I'm doing) and two are training for the Adidas Dublin Marathon. Yes, that Dublin. The one in Ireland.
The excitement is palpable and our first practice is next Saturday, the 23rd. We'll be sharing the trail with the San Diego and Seattle teams. San Diego is beginning their taper as their event is the 31st (two weeks from today!!). Next week, Seattle will be running their 18-miler in preparation for their event day on June 27th. We'll be in the upper miles soon enough!
The heat has hit us early this year- we had our first 100 degree day last week (or the week before, I can't remember). Last Saturday, we broke the record with 102. Ugh. I love the desert, don't get me wrong, but damn. It's hot.
I can't wait for practice to start! :)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Today is one of "those" days
I went back and read all of my old posts, chuckling to myself at the "Wow, FIVE MILES!!!" references. I really had no idea what I was in for, but I wouldn't change that for the world....little miss "I'm going to RUN the ENTIRE marathon!" ::snort::
Then I get to the entry about Granddad, and I just get so sad. I miss him so much, that it kind of hurts sometimes- it physically aches. I see the beautiful desert around me, and as the weather starts to warm up, I think of him and how "at home" he felt in Arizona. Of course, I'm sure he'd have a thing or two to say about the urban sprawl, as it's quite spectacular.
I see seed packets and garden equipment, which remind me of his attempts at growing tomatoes and cucumbers in the full AZ sun. And he succeeded, from what I can remember- he was such a good gardener.
He'd also trained a family of roadrunners to come by for a snack (ground beef) at the same time every day. He loved it. I'll never forget him telling me that sometimes he'd be taking a nap and if they came for their snack and he wasn't there, they'd rap rap RAP on the door with their beaks to "let him know" that they'd dropped by. Pokey, the desert tortoise, was also a fixture in their backyard. He wandered into the yard one summer and Granddad said that he was probably just "passing through". Well, Granddad took such a liking to him that when he tried to leave, he boarded up the fence so that Pokey became more of a......'permanent resident' in Casa de Hoggatt, wandering around from cactus to tree to plant.....and hibernating in the winter (this is very common in southern Arizona).
I look back on these memories and am heartbroken that I'll never get to share the desert with him again. I can tell he's around- these breezy evenings when it's still in the upper 90's and the cicadas start to chirp and the mourning doves start their songs.....I know he's here. However, it's not the same. Then I get angry. Stupid STUPID lymphoma. How DARE you rob me of my Granddad? Seriously? MY Granddad?
I heard once: "You can't change what happened but you can change what happens next". I think I need to remember these words when I have days like this, because these days are hard.
I miss you, Granddad.
Then I get to the entry about Granddad, and I just get so sad. I miss him so much, that it kind of hurts sometimes- it physically aches. I see the beautiful desert around me, and as the weather starts to warm up, I think of him and how "at home" he felt in Arizona. Of course, I'm sure he'd have a thing or two to say about the urban sprawl, as it's quite spectacular.
I see seed packets and garden equipment, which remind me of his attempts at growing tomatoes and cucumbers in the full AZ sun. And he succeeded, from what I can remember- he was such a good gardener.
He'd also trained a family of roadrunners to come by for a snack (ground beef) at the same time every day. He loved it. I'll never forget him telling me that sometimes he'd be taking a nap and if they came for their snack and he wasn't there, they'd rap rap RAP on the door with their beaks to "let him know" that they'd dropped by. Pokey, the desert tortoise, was also a fixture in their backyard. He wandered into the yard one summer and Granddad said that he was probably just "passing through". Well, Granddad took such a liking to him that when he tried to leave, he boarded up the fence so that Pokey became more of a......'permanent resident' in Casa de Hoggatt, wandering around from cactus to tree to plant.....and hibernating in the winter (this is very common in southern Arizona).
I look back on these memories and am heartbroken that I'll never get to share the desert with him again. I can tell he's around- these breezy evenings when it's still in the upper 90's and the cicadas start to chirp and the mourning doves start their songs.....I know he's here. However, it's not the same. Then I get angry. Stupid STUPID lymphoma. How DARE you rob me of my Granddad? Seriously? MY Granddad?
I heard once: "You can't change what happened but you can change what happens next". I think I need to remember these words when I have days like this, because these days are hard.
I miss you, Granddad.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
One Year Ago
One year ago today, we lost Marisa. Only a few short months after her passing, five of her family members signed up to train for the Nike Women's Marathon.
The following was written by a fellow TNTer.
"Our Honored Teammate MARISA ANN GALLEGO August 20, 1991 – April 18, 2008 Marisa Ann Gallego was an excelling junior, at Mountain View High School.
On May 29, 2007, Marisa Ann Gallego was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) which is a fast growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. She had to undergo five rounds of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy left Marisa unable to fight any type of infection. She was in and out of the hospital after her diagnosis. Marisa was in remission in November, December and January. In February, Marisa was to have her stem cells harvested and frozen in the case that the cancer would return.
Unfortunately the Leukemia had returned and again Marisa was given chemotherapy, the chemo did not put her in remission so she got another round within two weeks. Her blood count would not return to normal, she was transferred to the Bone Marrow Transplant Center were she was to receive a blood cord transplant, but as they prepared her they found that her heart was failing. They put her in ICU on April 16th and put her in on a ventilator to give her heart a break, her organs began to shutdown and on April 18th we learned that her Leukemia had returned and her breathing tube was removed.
Marisa was sixteen years old. Marisa was a very special young lady she touched the lives of all those she met. Even with all the pain she was going through she always had enough strength to give everyone that would come her way a smile."
I got a chance to meet Marisa's family, and they gave me a bracelet that said "iMAGine a cure", the MAG standing for Marisa Ann Gallego. I wish I could have known her- the way her family describes her is so full of love and joy.
Hearing her story and seeing her family's grief is just one more reason that I continue to do this- I need to keep training to stop this from happening.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Bribery?? ME??!!?!?
Ok, well, maybe just a little.
Here's the deal: For the Nike Women's Marathon, I have committed to raising $2,925. That's a lot of money, especially in this day and age of our craptastic economy.
So.....I want to throw in a little incentive for you to donate! For the next seven days, everyone who donates will receive a special surprise from me. I'm not going to reveal what it is, because that's no fun. But trust me, your act of donating will not go unsung.
The thing is, I strongly believe that fundraising is not a four-letter word. Lately, however, I feel like I'm raking my fingernails against a chalkboard every time I invite people to donate to this cause. And believe me, I've been on the other side of it as well. "If I have anything leftover after paying bills I'll donate" or how about "I get paid next week, I'll do it then".....and 'then' never seems to come.
For the Nike team this year, we aren't mentors but Captains- we have Team Captains and Mission Captains. Team Captains will be assigned a group of participants and help them fundraise and try to enhance their experience as a Team in Training Teammate. They plan group fundraisers, help the coaches with random tasks (or odd jobs), and attend the weekly clinics for fundrasing, nutrition, etc. Mission Captains are there (training right with us) to enhance the mission experience- to bring mission moments and create a long lasting relationship with our honored teammates. They cultivate our cause and remind us of why we're doing this- something I'm sure will come in handy when we're running 20 miles in the 100+ degree heat.
ANYWAY (I hope you're still with me!!)- I am a Team Captain and I really want to be there for my mentees as much as possible. The sooner I reach my goal, the sooner I can focus my FULL attention on my teammates. This is where you come in and where I would be so thankful for any donations that come in. ::trying not to sound like I'm begging::
I reached my goal so quickly last season and would love to achieve that again. Your support has been nothing short of amazing and inspiring- it feels so great to know that people are here to cheer me on through the highs and lows. Imagine how thrilling it would be for me to able to do that for 7 or 8 other teammates! To be able to share with them the knowledge that we are all doing something (with you) to stop this (as Rick would say) bastard cancer. These diseases need to go away, and soon. With the economy the way it is, the government isn't giving out much funding in the way of new development and research to find cures, so it's up to us to provide the funds.
No amount is too big and certainly no amount is too small. Seriously, every penny counts. EVERY PENNY. This isn't a cheerful funny post, but it's an honest one. I really need your help. Please.
I'll step off of my fundraising soap box for now.
Here's the deal: For the Nike Women's Marathon, I have committed to raising $2,925. That's a lot of money, especially in this day and age of our craptastic economy.
So.....I want to throw in a little incentive for you to donate! For the next seven days, everyone who donates will receive a special surprise from me. I'm not going to reveal what it is, because that's no fun. But trust me, your act of donating will not go unsung.
The thing is, I strongly believe that fundraising is not a four-letter word. Lately, however, I feel like I'm raking my fingernails against a chalkboard every time I invite people to donate to this cause. And believe me, I've been on the other side of it as well. "If I have anything leftover after paying bills I'll donate" or how about "I get paid next week, I'll do it then".....and 'then' never seems to come.
For the Nike team this year, we aren't mentors but Captains- we have Team Captains and Mission Captains. Team Captains will be assigned a group of participants and help them fundraise and try to enhance their experience as a Team in Training Teammate. They plan group fundraisers, help the coaches with random tasks (or odd jobs), and attend the weekly clinics for fundrasing, nutrition, etc. Mission Captains are there (training right with us) to enhance the mission experience- to bring mission moments and create a long lasting relationship with our honored teammates. They cultivate our cause and remind us of why we're doing this- something I'm sure will come in handy when we're running 20 miles in the 100+ degree heat.
ANYWAY (I hope you're still with me!!)- I am a Team Captain and I really want to be there for my mentees as much as possible. The sooner I reach my goal, the sooner I can focus my FULL attention on my teammates. This is where you come in and where I would be so thankful for any donations that come in. ::trying not to sound like I'm begging::
I reached my goal so quickly last season and would love to achieve that again. Your support has been nothing short of amazing and inspiring- it feels so great to know that people are here to cheer me on through the highs and lows. Imagine how thrilling it would be for me to able to do that for 7 or 8 other teammates! To be able to share with them the knowledge that we are all doing something (with you) to stop this (as Rick would say) bastard cancer. These diseases need to go away, and soon. With the economy the way it is, the government isn't giving out much funding in the way of new development and research to find cures, so it's up to us to provide the funds.
No amount is too big and certainly no amount is too small. Seriously, every penny counts. EVERY PENNY. This isn't a cheerful funny post, but it's an honest one. I really need your help. Please.
I'll step off of my fundraising soap box for now.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
I stink.
Literally.
I had a REALLY good workout at the gym this afternoon- I take a cardio-circuit class three days a week. It consists of a lot of cario work (about 45 minutes worth), 10 minutes of free weights and 5 minutes of abs. It's killer. We do base/suicide runs, pliometrics (that's a fancy word for jumping around a lot) and stairs. Oh my lord, the stairs. My gym is in the basement of the building I work in (how convenient!). The downside? My office is 8 stories tall. Add the basement and that's 9 floors' worth of stairs we're running. Some days we'll do them three times in a row, then jump on the bikes and so a mini spin class. You get the picture. When I got back into it after I'd run PF Chang's, I actually passed out in the middle of class because it was so tough (or I was so unprepared). It was 99% the latter but I like to brag it was the former.
Anyway, I've been really intense about this cardio class in hopes that my core will be up to par come training time. I've formed this theory in my head that part of I reason I got injured last season was because I stopped going to cardio class and I let my middle get all soft. When you're running, optimally, your core is engaged most of the time and if your core is weak, other parts start to compensate and injuries happen. That's the super simple way of saying it.
So, without trying to tire myself out TOO much, my goal is to keep going to class at the gym and add the training in when it comes time. I've already made a deal with the instructor though- no stairs on Fridays (at least, not for me). While the stairs are an AWESOME workout, it usually takes a full day to get back to baseline, and with our LSD (Long Slow Distance, you hippies) runs on Saturday, it's just not something I'm willing to risk. The other stuff (weights, jumps, abs) I'm fine with. Just no stairs.
I had one of those "at least I'm not going through chemo" moments today in the middle of class- we were in the middle of 20 base runs (one run counts as running the length of the room and back again) and my legs were jello-0 jigglers. I had a side cramp and was really REALLY tired and I thought to myself "Are you F#@*#@ kidding me? You ran a marathon and you're tired from THIS? What about the patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma? What about chemo and radiation??" So yeah, I sucked it up......I know, it sounds corny right? It's just, whenever I struggle with something and think "I am NEVER going to make it", I do remember why I'm doing it, and the little boos of energy that follows is a feeling I wouldn't trade for anything.
How fortunate I am to get to volunteer to run for those who can't. That *I* am being supported by YOU to do something so amazing- not to run a marathon, but to find a cure. Thanks so much.
I had a REALLY good workout at the gym this afternoon- I take a cardio-circuit class three days a week. It consists of a lot of cario work (about 45 minutes worth), 10 minutes of free weights and 5 minutes of abs. It's killer. We do base/suicide runs, pliometrics (that's a fancy word for jumping around a lot) and stairs. Oh my lord, the stairs. My gym is in the basement of the building I work in (how convenient!). The downside? My office is 8 stories tall. Add the basement and that's 9 floors' worth of stairs we're running. Some days we'll do them three times in a row, then jump on the bikes and so a mini spin class. You get the picture. When I got back into it after I'd run PF Chang's, I actually passed out in the middle of class because it was so tough (or I was so unprepared). It was 99% the latter but I like to brag it was the former.
Anyway, I've been really intense about this cardio class in hopes that my core will be up to par come training time. I've formed this theory in my head that part of I reason I got injured last season was because I stopped going to cardio class and I let my middle get all soft. When you're running, optimally, your core is engaged most of the time and if your core is weak, other parts start to compensate and injuries happen. That's the super simple way of saying it.
So, without trying to tire myself out TOO much, my goal is to keep going to class at the gym and add the training in when it comes time. I've already made a deal with the instructor though- no stairs on Fridays (at least, not for me). While the stairs are an AWESOME workout, it usually takes a full day to get back to baseline, and with our LSD (Long Slow Distance, you hippies) runs on Saturday, it's just not something I'm willing to risk. The other stuff (weights, jumps, abs) I'm fine with. Just no stairs.
I had one of those "at least I'm not going through chemo" moments today in the middle of class- we were in the middle of 20 base runs (one run counts as running the length of the room and back again) and my legs were jello-0 jigglers. I had a side cramp and was really REALLY tired and I thought to myself "Are you F#@*#@ kidding me? You ran a marathon and you're tired from THIS? What about the patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma? What about chemo and radiation??" So yeah, I sucked it up......I know, it sounds corny right? It's just, whenever I struggle with something and think "I am NEVER going to make it", I do remember why I'm doing it, and the little boos of energy that follows is a feeling I wouldn't trade for anything.
How fortunate I am to get to volunteer to run for those who can't. That *I* am being supported by YOU to do something so amazing- not to run a marathon, but to find a cure. Thanks so much.
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