Beware of man hole

My run was a struggle today. Getting started was fairly simple because I let myself sleep in since the weather is so beautiful even at 9am. But once I made it out of my complex I just wasn't in the mood to be running. I ran the whole thing, but it wasn't very quick and I wasn't very happy about it.

To add to my good humor, my park path is now officially closed. They are finishing up repaving the trail. Which is good, because it needed it, but why do they always have to close trails when the weather is perfect? So I ignored the closed path signs like everyone else in the park and ran on the grass next to the path. Then when I hit one of the main roads that I run on, there were construction men for half a mile! There have been one or two on that sidewalk for a couple of weeks, but I thought they would be done by now. Unfortunately they have multiplied and they are making my running route impossible.

I was so close to giving up but I focused my mind on running and making sure that I will be ready for the marathon in 3 weeks. I can't believe it is that soon!

Sunday Sarah and I didn't end up boot-blocking, but we are planning on going next weekend. I am about $300 away from my goal. Please help me get there!

Feelin' Good

I got a great night's sleep last night. I woke up feeling ready to run. I got out to the meet up point and the weather was perfect. I had decided to not think about the mileage and just think of it as a morning run. I think this really helped my mental state for the run.

During our pre-run announcements, coach Helen informed us that one of our fellow team members was in the hospital with a blood-clot in her head. This was very upsetting because Melody is such a wonderful person. She is a run/walker who has been training with us but is meeting up with old girlfriends at the Nike marathon to do it with them. She always has a smile and a positive attitude. Sarah and I were very sad, and we hope that she can at least come to the marathon and support the team and her friends even if she can't participate.

For the first part of our run, Sarah and I discussed Melody and how worried we are for her. We also discussed, of course, wedding plans. The first out and back was quick and easy for both of us. We were both feeling like it was just a warm up and we felt really good about it. The weather was also holding up which was giving us an even more positive outlook.

The second out and back was a little rough on Sarah. At the turn around point Sarah was having mental trouble, and I was having a small cramp in my rib cage. So we both slowed a little. I took a GU and at the water stop I hydrated and I was feeling much better. Sarah, though, ended up getting foot pains and had to slow to a walk. She encouraged me to keep going, so I did, but I felt really guilty about it. I really wanted to be there for her and to help her through it, but she ended up only being 30 seconds behind me at the next water stop. Then she started out ahead of me on the last leg home and I ended up catching up to her and running with her for a little while again. But by that point I was feeling great and I was ready to push myself. Sarah was a really great motivator and kept encouraging me to push forward so I did. Again she came to the finish line 30 seconds behind me. She is really incredible. I don't think I would have been able to push through foot pain the way she did.

I made my way home and sunk into an ice bath that hurt so good. When my 20min was up I turned on the shower to scalding and took a 20min shower. It was incredible. I am really happy with my run today. I think that if I have a run almost as good as today for the marathon, then I should be able to finish in 5.5 hours. I know that is really slow for most people, but it is really good for me and I would be thrilled with that time.

Tomorrow Sarah and I are boot-blocking on our normal corner from noon-2. Please tell everyone to come donate all their spare change. Every penny helps save lives. If you would like to donate more or by credit card, please visit my fundraising page by clicking the link above this post!

Welcome to the dark side

My run this morning was good and bad all at the same time. I pushed hard and ran fairly quickly, which was good. But my chest was constricted and I was having trouble breathing. Why? Because I knew that when I got home I was going to step over into the dark side.

For work, I have made my fb account public and created a limited profile group for work friends and others who I do not want to share everything with, and I have opened a twitter account and linked it to my cell phone. I am not saying that I was forced to do this or that it isn't necessary to be linked into the world with which I want to make my career, I just feel like personal relationships are changed in a way that is both good and utterly bad by social media. And I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that once you become part of social media, people seem to think it is okay to cut off the in person, personal side of the relationship.

So today's run was filled with thoughts of making sure that I work hard to keep my personal relationships human, and anything social media to do with work, my running, or invites between my friends for parties.

I pushed really hard up my steep hill and felt really good about the whole run. Even with a tight chest I really felt like I had a good run. Saturday is my first 22 miler. I'm a little nervous, but I'm ready. I know I can do it.

Sunday Sarah and I are boot-blocking. Please come support us!

Squish

Getting out of bed this morning was a struggle. I knew I needed to get the run in early because the weather is supposed to be miserable today, but I just didn't want to get out of my comfortable bed. Fortunately my future hubby nudged me out and I got out the door relatively quickly.

At the very beginning of my run there was a dead snake in the middle of the road. I almost stepped in it but fortunately I just missed it. Poor little sucker had obviously been run over and squished to death. I was a mixture of sadness and disgust.

My run was all over the place. I started off slow and then got really fast. Then I slowed down again and got really fast. This happened 3 times. But it was one of my fastest times ever. And I felt really good when running. So I was pretty happy by the time I got home.

I had one creepy moment. On the last leg of my run, there was this guy walking and as I passes I said good-morning, like I do to everybody that I pass. He responded with a good-morning and a how are you. So I said good, and you. And he responded with not great, but I will be. And then I had run far enough ahead that I didn't need to respond, but the way he said it just creeped me out. That spurred the last of my run to be fairly quick.

Anyway, I am home and safe and getting some work done and getting ready to go dress shopping again! I am hoping to get out and boot block with Sarah again this weekend. Please send everyone you know to come give us your spare change. Just dig through the couches and I know you will find some! Help support finding the cure for blood cancers.

Last Minute Decision

Wednesday was kind of a wash. I worked from 7-4 for AAF-KC and when I got home it stormed for the rest of the evening. Thursday I woke up and decided to make it a resistance training day and run my short distance on Friday so that I could run my long distance on Monday since I would be missing Saturday's run due to Yom Kippur.

This morning I woke up and thought, I don't really want to run 8 on Monday and then 22 that Saturday. So I decided last minute to run my 8 today. So my training schedule is slightly off this week.

I started at 8am this morning, which is later than I would want to start for a long run, but fortunately the weather was really nice and I didn't have somewhere to be until 2. I did the 8 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes. I am really proud of myself because halfway through I got a cramp in my side and in my foot and still pushed through. I also made sure that my route was pretty hilly since the route TNT is doing this week is known for its hills.

Unbeknown-st to me, they have torn up half of the path in the park on my route. So a bit of my run was make shift. But it made it worth it to see a man walking his very large dog while smoking a pipe. I felt like I was in 101 Dalmatians. It wasn't a Dalmatian, but it was one of the dogs in the call line, and Pongo's owner smokes a pipe when walking him.

Anyway, I am very happy with my run today. And I am happy that I made the decision to just get it done. I feel more comfortable about doing 22 next weekend.

Fundraising is very slow. Boot-blocking is pretty much all I'm doing to get the last $400. Sarah is looking for a company to match a $500 donation or to give a sponsorship which is a minimum of $1000. Please, If you know any companies that would be willing to help, let me know. Thank you for all your support!

poor tootsies

I find it amazing how resilient our bodies are. I woke up to future hubby's alarm and made my way out for my run. My muscles and joints were ready for it. It was like I didn't run 20miles two days before. Unfortunately, my toes were not ready for it. I had some MASSIVE blisters on my toes after the 20 miles and they were very unhappy when I went running on them today. So my run started off slow and painful.

After about 3 quarters of a mile though, I got used to the pain and picked up the pace and set a rhythm. The weather was beautiful again and my run went swiftly after I got used to my toes. Halfway through the run, a round fruit (I'm not sure if it was an apple or not, but it was green) fell from a tree right as I was passing under it and it missed me by inches and fell with a huge thud and it scared the bujesus out of me. Other than that, my run was pretty uneventful.

I took my ipod with me for the first time in awhile. It was nice to listen to music while running again. The people driving by must have been laughing at me because the upper half of my body was dancing to the music. Mainly robot because I found this is the easiest dance to do while running.

All in all it was a good run. Now off to work for my first time at my internship under Sarah! I'm super excited! Thanks for the support.

Physically painful, mentally acceptable

The weather could not have been more perfect for my 20mile run. The sun is starting to rise later now, so instead of it being light by the time we started running, it was still dark for half an hour. Sarah and I found that this made it difficult to run. Especially since it had rained the night before and the path was covered in debris.

The first out and back, which was supposed to be 10 miles except because of poor directions we got lost and it was more like 10 1/2 miles, took us just a couple of minutes over 2 hours. On the second out and back, Sarah and I were already feeling sore and we were getting worried it was going to be a problem. Fortunately, my mental state was in a really good place, so even though Sarah was struggling a little I helped her get through it. We started bio-freezing our knees, and I also did my hips, and that helped a lot. The last 2 1/2 miles I slowed down a beat and Sarah picked up the pace a beat so we ran separately.

The thing I love most about running with Sarah is that conversation is really easy, but silence is also really easy. With some people conversation is easy but silence is awkward, but some of my best times running with Sarah is when we are both in our groove and just running next to each other. It is its own conversation. I also like that Sarah is comfortable pulling ahead at the end. Sometimes it is hard to pull away from a partner because you feel like you are letting them down, but in our case it works because neither of us feel like we are holding the other back. Sometimes I wish I could pick up the pace like she does, but I run the whole thing and finish, and that's what really matters.

I hobbled home and future hubby helped me into an ice-bath. The ice melted within the first 10 minutes, but I sat in there doing a crossword puzzle and drinking chocolate milk until my 20 minutes was up. It was a good ice-bath. Cold enough that it was uncomfortable getting in, but not so cold I was worried about frostbite.

Sarah and I boot-blocked today and we did really well!! We each made $145 in 2 hours! I am almost to my goal so that is really exciting. If anyone reading this blog knows a company that is willing to match donations or do a sponsorship, please let me know. Sarah is on the lookout for one and if anyone can help it would be appreciated. Thanks for all the support!