I was so pleased to see that I finally have a follower! Here I thought all these words and thoughts would go unnoticed and unread. It is extra special to me that my first follower was my cousin Beth. Beth and I were the only two female grandchildren in a sea of many boys. Growing up and now, she was always my measuring stick of how well I was doing in life (she is awesome!!!). I aspired to be like her; even though she burnt my ear with a curling iron...oh yes, I still remember!! Beth and her husband, Murry, are the main reasons that I even knew about TNT and the Disney Marathon. They are now marathon junkies, but I remember when Murry was training for his first TNT event and he was discussing the ungodly amount of miles that he had ran that morning with my dad. The reason I remember this so vividly is that it was Thanksgiving!! As I sat there shoving turkey in mouth, I thought two things: first, he is a sucker to do this and second, that is amazingly awesome! Who knows maybe somewhere along this journey someone will call be a sucker too.
The Leukemia Society is big on having heroes. The purpose is that when you are struggling with training that you remember all the things that that hero had to endure with cancer and you will keep moving. As you know from my previous posts, my heroes are my grandma and my "aunt" Lancy. But there is another hero that I have to call attention to. As I sit here writing this, my little brother is on a plane on his way to Iraq (or maybe Afghanistan, they never tell them for sure until they are there). He is a member of The United States Army and I am so desperately proud of him! Yes, there are lots of times as I am training that I think about my grandma or about Lancy and the anger of losing them pushes me through, but more often lately I have thought about Josh. I think about how he use to do cross country because he LIKED to run (whatever that is about?!) and I always think about how we had talked about doing this race together. We would have of course been only running together in theory as he would have been hours and miles ahead of me, but together none the less. Maybe the Disney 2010 marathon won't be the last stop on this journey. Maybe it is just the warm up event for the time when my baby brother comes home and I can take him up on his promise.
I didn't get to talk to him the day he left, but I know that my dad told him that I had just completed my first 10K. Josh said that he was so proud of me and that he wanted me to take it easy and only do the half marathon if I needed to. How humbling (and wrong) it is for a solider to be proud of YOU and worried about YOU before they leave for war. That is what will push me this week...it just might push me every week.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
First 10K...First realization of how tough this is going to be!!
Well, I finished my first ever 10K Sunday. That's 6.2 miles for those who don't speak metric. The event was the New Albany Walking Classic. I finished in one hour and 28 mintues. That works about to be about 14 minute miles. There were over 2600 racers and I finished 614 overall.
It is a walk only event, in fact they patrol the crowd of walkers to make sure that no one was jogging. I witnessed a woman jog up into the grass to pass a fellow competitor only to get screamed at and taunted by the 60 year old woman in front of me....that's right, I said a 60 year old in front of me.
This was only the second time that I had ever attempted a distance like this. During one training session when I had an alumni TNT member beside me to pace off of, we unofficially did 6 miles in 1 hour and 23 minutes. So when pre-planning where I wanted to end to feel successful, I thought for sure that I could finish this in one hour and 15 minutes. I figured that the motivation of the cheering crowd and the adrenaline of the moment would push my speed ahead to decrease my time by the 8 mintues. Plus, I have been training as a "runner" since January. Surely, I could beat hundreds of walkers. That was a rookie mistake!!
My first mistake was not accounting for those pesky .2 miles. I came around the last turn to hear a very motivational volunteer screaming out, "This is your last turn, end strong!!!". And sure enough there was the 6 mile marker. That is what I heard and saw, and this is how my brain interpreted those two things. End...6 mile race...you are done! The last .2 miles was like walking through jello while being beaten by a stick, all the while being mocked by 3rd grade bullies. (Sorry....sorority flashback there for a second). Literally the only thing that made me pull myself the final feet was knowing that my husband and children were waiting patiently for me at the finish line and I didn't want to disappoint them so I pushed on. I have to tell you, there is little better in life than hearing your three year old screaming out "Yeah, mommy!!!" like he hasn't seen you in years (an hour and half probably did seem like a lifetime to him). That feeling is enough to get me to do a 10K everyday.
One motativation that I didn't envision though was the presence of the "action" photographers along the way. For the 30 seconds that I was passing them, I had the best form, most relaxed demeanor and best athletic features of anyone out there....well at least in my head I did (I have yet to see the actual pictures). If you factor in that there was at least a dozen camera along the way, I had 6 minutes of amazing style and grace.
Since, I hope that this blog will serve as motivation to fellow couch potatoes out there let me share a few other key items that I learned from my experience today. That's right, soak in the knowledge. Those of you that have done a marathon before, resist the urge to say "I told you so".
1. Have some type of upbeat music. I like Jock Jams style of music. Having this type of constant beats will help you to pace yourself. I unfortunately, had left my sound system at home so the only rhythm that I had to go off of was the werid guy behind me who grunted with every step. Before you think about how that would have driven you crazy, realize that he was only behind me for about 30 seconds and then he gruntfully flew passed me leaving me to read the back of his shirt which read "Why run slow when you can walk really fast". My husband reported that he was still grunting as he finished the race (several minutes before me). Maybe I will take up grunting. If for no other reason then maybe that people will move out of my way for fear of catching my weirdness.
2. That brings me to my second bit of advice, do not let loved one share stories about the other finishers. My husband told me as we got in the car that there was a woman there with a walker. Naively, I thought that he meant that he saw he when the race started (the start/finsh was the same), so I said "Wow that is really great, good for her, I wonder how long it will take her to finish?" That is when my husband realized the error of his ways. The sheer look of panic on his face told me all I needed to know. "She finished before me didn't she?" He gulped yes and then as though to make it better, he went on to tell me just the top part of her body was atrophied, not her legs. Yeah, those same legs that just kicked my butt. Good times, thanks honey!!!
3. Never change your race clothes from that which you have practiced in. I always wear a regular bra with a sports bra over top (it is the curse of my mother's side of the family). Anyway, that day I mistakely put on a front closure bra. I had never worn that in practice before and I will never wear it again!! I ended up with a blister in an area that I didn't even know you could blister. When I discussed the situation later with my mom, she said, "Why don't you just forget about the extra support and just wear a sports bra. Who cares if you bounce a little?" Bounce a little? I am bound to give myself a concussion! Wouldn't that be a fun injury to explain to friends and family? Sorry I can't complete the marathon that you sponsored me financially for, but a boob got in my eye. Maybe I'll just deal with the blister.
It is a walk only event, in fact they patrol the crowd of walkers to make sure that no one was jogging. I witnessed a woman jog up into the grass to pass a fellow competitor only to get screamed at and taunted by the 60 year old woman in front of me....that's right, I said a 60 year old in front of me.
This was only the second time that I had ever attempted a distance like this. During one training session when I had an alumni TNT member beside me to pace off of, we unofficially did 6 miles in 1 hour and 23 minutes. So when pre-planning where I wanted to end to feel successful, I thought for sure that I could finish this in one hour and 15 minutes. I figured that the motivation of the cheering crowd and the adrenaline of the moment would push my speed ahead to decrease my time by the 8 mintues. Plus, I have been training as a "runner" since January. Surely, I could beat hundreds of walkers. That was a rookie mistake!!
My first mistake was not accounting for those pesky .2 miles. I came around the last turn to hear a very motivational volunteer screaming out, "This is your last turn, end strong!!!". And sure enough there was the 6 mile marker. That is what I heard and saw, and this is how my brain interpreted those two things. End...6 mile race...you are done! The last .2 miles was like walking through jello while being beaten by a stick, all the while being mocked by 3rd grade bullies. (Sorry....sorority flashback there for a second). Literally the only thing that made me pull myself the final feet was knowing that my husband and children were waiting patiently for me at the finish line and I didn't want to disappoint them so I pushed on. I have to tell you, there is little better in life than hearing your three year old screaming out "Yeah, mommy!!!" like he hasn't seen you in years (an hour and half probably did seem like a lifetime to him). That feeling is enough to get me to do a 10K everyday.
One motativation that I didn't envision though was the presence of the "action" photographers along the way. For the 30 seconds that I was passing them, I had the best form, most relaxed demeanor and best athletic features of anyone out there....well at least in my head I did (I have yet to see the actual pictures). If you factor in that there was at least a dozen camera along the way, I had 6 minutes of amazing style and grace.
Since, I hope that this blog will serve as motivation to fellow couch potatoes out there let me share a few other key items that I learned from my experience today. That's right, soak in the knowledge. Those of you that have done a marathon before, resist the urge to say "I told you so".
1. Have some type of upbeat music. I like Jock Jams style of music. Having this type of constant beats will help you to pace yourself. I unfortunately, had left my sound system at home so the only rhythm that I had to go off of was the werid guy behind me who grunted with every step. Before you think about how that would have driven you crazy, realize that he was only behind me for about 30 seconds and then he gruntfully flew passed me leaving me to read the back of his shirt which read "Why run slow when you can walk really fast". My husband reported that he was still grunting as he finished the race (several minutes before me). Maybe I will take up grunting. If for no other reason then maybe that people will move out of my way for fear of catching my weirdness.
2. That brings me to my second bit of advice, do not let loved one share stories about the other finishers. My husband told me as we got in the car that there was a woman there with a walker. Naively, I thought that he meant that he saw he when the race started (the start/finsh was the same), so I said "Wow that is really great, good for her, I wonder how long it will take her to finish?" That is when my husband realized the error of his ways. The sheer look of panic on his face told me all I needed to know. "She finished before me didn't she?" He gulped yes and then as though to make it better, he went on to tell me just the top part of her body was atrophied, not her legs. Yeah, those same legs that just kicked my butt. Good times, thanks honey!!!
3. Never change your race clothes from that which you have practiced in. I always wear a regular bra with a sports bra over top (it is the curse of my mother's side of the family). Anyway, that day I mistakely put on a front closure bra. I had never worn that in practice before and I will never wear it again!! I ended up with a blister in an area that I didn't even know you could blister. When I discussed the situation later with my mom, she said, "Why don't you just forget about the extra support and just wear a sports bra. Who cares if you bounce a little?" Bounce a little? I am bound to give myself a concussion! Wouldn't that be a fun injury to explain to friends and family? Sorry I can't complete the marathon that you sponsored me financially for, but a boob got in my eye. Maybe I'll just deal with the blister.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
I need your help on this journey
I opened a training book about how to run a marathon for non runner. The dedication page read this….For my grandfather, who never could have ran a marathon himself, but have never for a moment doubt that I could. I dropped the book as my eyes filled with tears.
Since January, I have been contemplating and preparing my body to join Team in Training in order to run the Walt Disney Marathon in 2010. Stop laughing!!…..I said the book was geared towards non runners. Reading those dedication words, I knew that my fate was sealed and that I was going to complete this marathon if I had to run, skip, walk or crawl myself across the finish line. That author’s words are now the mantra that makes me finish my daily mileage when I just want to lay in front of the TV. Except, my mantra goes something like this…
Team in Training is the marathon fundraising organization for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Grandma and Lancy did not have Leukemia, but cancer is cancer. I decided it didn’t matter what cancer organization I was working for as long as I was working towards one goal: Create a world without cancer.
I am now in the midst of a intense 4 month training program. In addition to completing the marathon, I have made a financial commitment to LLS. My commitment to The LLS is to raise $3500. The LLS’s mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Seventy cents of every dollar will go directly towards research, patient services and
community awareness.
Will you please join me in this effort? I can’t make it without your love, enthusiasm, caring and financial support. Just use your donation to demonstrate your support or disbelief! You can donate on-line; just visit the Team In Training website: http://www.teamintraining.org/ and use the “Find a Participant” link to find my personal page. I am also asking that you include inspirational messages or funny stories that will get me through training. I am challenging everyone who reads this post to donate at least $26.20 one dollar for every mile. All contributions are tax deductible
In addition, for anyone who makes a financial donation, if you would like me to run in honor or memory of a friend or loved one, please include their name(s)/pictures/stories with your donation. I am hoping to honor one person each mile of my journey by dedicating that mile to them. The first mile will be dedicated to Lancy, mile 11 to Grandma, and the last mile to my daughter Lola. Lola is named after both LOis and LAncy, so this is to honor them but to show her that anything is possible.
Thanks in advance for your support.
Since January, I have been contemplating and preparing my body to join Team in Training in order to run the Walt Disney Marathon in 2010. Stop laughing!!…..I said the book was geared towards non runners. Reading those dedication words, I knew that my fate was sealed and that I was going to complete this marathon if I had to run, skip, walk or crawl myself across the finish line. That author’s words are now the mantra that makes me finish my daily mileage when I just want to lay in front of the TV. Except, my mantra goes something like this…
Grandma Lois and “Aunt” Lancy may have been unable to complete a marathon, but they would have NEVER doubted I could. And so I will keeping moving if for no other reason than to kick cancer in its teeth with every one of my steps.
Team in Training is the marathon fundraising organization for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Grandma and Lancy did not have Leukemia, but cancer is cancer. I decided it didn’t matter what cancer organization I was working for as long as I was working towards one goal: Create a world without cancer.
I am now in the midst of a intense 4 month training program. In addition to completing the marathon, I have made a financial commitment to LLS. My commitment to The LLS is to raise $3500. The LLS’s mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Seventy cents of every dollar will go directly towards research, patient services and
community awareness.
Will you please join me in this effort? I can’t make it without your love, enthusiasm, caring and financial support. Just use your donation to demonstrate your support or disbelief! You can donate on-line; just visit the Team In Training website: http://www.teamintraining.org/ and use the “Find a Participant” link to find my personal page. I am also asking that you include inspirational messages or funny stories that will get me through training. I am challenging everyone who reads this post to donate at least $26.20 one dollar for every mile. All contributions are tax deductible
In addition, for anyone who makes a financial donation, if you would like me to run in honor or memory of a friend or loved one, please include their name(s)/pictures/stories with your donation. I am hoping to honor one person each mile of my journey by dedicating that mile to them. The first mile will be dedicated to Lancy, mile 11 to Grandma, and the last mile to my daughter Lola. Lola is named after both LOis and LAncy, so this is to honor them but to show her that anything is possible.
Thanks in advance for your support.
Live, Laugh, Love
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