26.2

The Marine Corps Marathon was such an experience. We woke up at "0-dark-thirty" as my daddy says. We had to take a shuttle over to the start, and we got there very early. As in, we didn't even have to wait for the port a potties! We walked around, listened to a small prayer service led by a Marine chaplain, and found a place to do some stretching. It was horribly cold out. I was worried, but Phil had checked the weather and assured me it was supposed to warm up once the sun was out.

The corral I was in was quite a way back from the start- it took us about 20 minutes to get to the start line after the race started. Finally though, we were off, jogging through a street strewn with plastic garbage bags people had been wearing to keep warm. I was careful to step around them so I wouldn't fall.

The first few miles were tough- as usual. I don't usually feel warmed up until I've done about 10 miles. We had some hilly sections, but truly not bad compared to what I am used to, living in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains.

It was amazing how many spectators were out there, cheering for us. There were so many people that yelled "Go Patti" which always put a smile on my face! At mile five, there was a group of people that had their little dachsund with them, and it looked just like my "nephew" Gismo. So I stopped to say hi and give him a kiss! The people thought that was great and took our picture.

After mile five, we were in a place where we were running along the river- which meant the wind picked up even more. I truly was cold, my fingers felt so cold they hurt and my legs just seemed to stiffen up. It made it so hard to run. I tried to just ignore it and I kept thinking that if I tried to run a little faster my legs would get warmer and looser. That never did seem to happen, though.

The water stops were plentiful, and all run by soldiers in their BDUs. They had powerade at just about every stop, so I kept my water bottle full. They also had gu and beans, but I stuck with my beans. Phil kept trying to meet me at every point he could, and helped me keep up with eating them. I don't like eating so much when I run so it was great to have him keep up with it. He was a super help to me- just like in the rest of life!

When I got to mile ten I started to wonder if I was going to make it through the bridge closing. My legs felt like tree trunks! I also did not have my ipod and I know that would have helped me...but they were not allowed. I tried to keep motivated by thinking about my daddy, and how his chemo treatments took longer than any of my runs. I also knew he was out there on the course somewhere waiting for me.

By mile seventeen I was seriously worried I would not be able to finish the race. Phil met me and I told him I needed my windpants but he was afraid they would bother me. He ran along with me from mile seventeen to mile nineteen, just talking to me and encouraging me. Right around mile nineteen, my daddy was on the side of the road in a wheelchair, with my cousins Donna and Jim and their Grandson. I ran over to daddy and gave him a big hug and told him "This is all for you". Funny that he told me I came up so fast on him he couldn't really get a picture- because I did not feel fast at all!!

Seeing daddy at mile nineteen gave me a huge lift, and I needed it! The bridge was REALLY long! I pulled over to the side of the road to stretch, which was helpful but also was hard to start running again. I started "marking" people telling myself "just stay with them" or "see if you can pass him" etc. I needed to make little goals because having 6 miles still ahead of me seemed impossible. I also knew that somewhere up ahead, was my coach and he would be running with me at the end of the race.

Phil met me yet again and kept me going. We ran together again, just chugging along. Really, the only things that bothered me were: the tops of my feet from feeling the laces, the blister on the back of my left foot, and the tightness in my legs. I tried to ignore it and just concentrate on getting there. I wanted to get that finisher's medal!

My coach John met me with about a mile or so to go, and we went to the finish line together. While we were running there, John was talking to Phil about running a marathon. Phil had run about a half marathon just trying to keep me going! Now we just had the uphill to the finish- John and I ran across the finish line together- I was done! There were photographers at the iwo jima memorial, but frankly I was just to tired to go get my picture taken. I wanted to get to the team in training tent because daddy was waiting there for me.

How wonderful it was to go into that tent and see Daddy waiting for me! We hugged and just felt so relieved. It was all over- all the months of training, all the months of chemo. All the time of painful muscles, of exhaustion from chemo. The blisters, the needlesticks. It was over!! I was so proud to hang that medal on daddy's neck and tell him "This was all for you daddy."

The Marine Corps Marathon

SO, WE DID IT!!!!


Daddy finished his chemo. And I finished my marathon!!

Wow. What an adventure! I have had plenty of time to process it all, since our internet hasn't been working the last several weeks. But I think I will need to spread the posts about it over a few days.

I flew out from Greenville with my coach, John. Luckily it was a fairly smooth flight, with a minimum of turbulence. John and I chatted the whole way, which was a good thing. I took a shuttle to my hotel, and Phil and Daddy were already there. We headed out to eat and then to the expo.

The marathon expo was a bit overwhelming. Of course, you have to go, because that's where you pick up your number and chip timer, etc. But gosh was it crowded! The Marines did a fantastic job of getting things done in an orderly fashion- but I knew they would! Once inside the expo, I asked one of the Marines for a chair for daddy. He got one from behind a big curtain and was just so nice and helpful to daddy. They were all so sweet and respectful.

On Saturday, since I already had my number and all, I didn't have anything I HAD to do. So we went with my cousins Donna, Jim, and their grandson Andrew to see some sights. First, we went to the Vietnam memorial. We looked up one of my daddy's drill sergeants from basic. It was all very impressive. If I saw the wall when I was in DC as a child, I don't remember it. It is amazing to think about the number on names on that wall. Unbelievable.

We then went up to the Lincoln Memorial, since Lincoln was Phil's favorite president! (Mine- Reagan). Phil and I ran up the stairs. I took Andrew down by the water at the mall, where we talked about ducks.

We then drove over to Arlington cemetery, to see the tomb of the unknown soldier. Again, very impressive. We were lucky enough to be there when the guards put out a wreath given by a group of vets from Louisiana. The guards are just so- STRAC. As my daddy called it. This was a word I grew up with at home- I guess you could just say they looked like not a thread, not a hair, not a thing was out of place. The steps are measured, the turns, all- it is like a highly regimented dance of sorts. Just amazing.

From there, Phil and I went back to the room- to get ready for the race. The room looked like a bomb had gone off in it!

Next post, I will tell all about the race!

Twenty

I have hit the peak of my training. I am now in the taper. Thank God!

On Friday, I did the longest run. 20 miles. Ouch.

I started the day with peanut butter, my food of choice before a run. Since it was twenty miles, I decided to have granola bar dipped in peanut butter for extra calories. I later learned this was a bad choice.

As usual, the first two miles were just HARD. They always are, I feel like I can't get my breathing regulated, and it seems to me with all the running I have been doing it would be easier to get started. Anyway, the weather was cooler which was nice, and I actually wore a top over my sportsbra. That only lasted about a mile and a half though. I had worn a bike jersey with a pocket in back, for my phone and sportbeans. I pulled it off and put it on a sign for a church- I figured no one would bother with it there!! At around 3 miles, I was running down Suber Mill road, where there is an old corn mill. There were also some horses in a pasture which made me smile. There were morning glories blooming all over the place and the air seemed to have a slight scent of cinnamon to it (which I love). I picked a beautiful magenta flower and put it into my hair clip- I decided that since this was a monumental day for me, I would celebrate it in style.

I ran a different route than usual- since it was 20 I wanted to try to do an out and back or a loop. I put a good chunk of the run on Buncombe road. I didn't realize that during the day there are a TON of 18 wheelers and dumptrucks on that road. NOT FUN. When I finished the run my chest and neck were gray from all the dust and exhaust.

Once I turned of of Buncombe, it was much nicer. This big chunk of the run was on backroads, including one of my favorite, Gibb Shoals Road. This is the road that has a lot of subdivisions, but tere are also big green pastures and cow farms. Hilly, but just the right amount. I tried to hit the hills better than usual. At 5 miles, Phil met me with a bottle of Gatorade. At ten miles, I was at my gym, where I picked up another bottle and used the restroom. Uh-oh- I mentioned the granola bar right? Well it gave me intestinal distress while I was running. Yup. Horrible.

I made my way down the road from the gym and my stomach really started bothering me. I was on a new road which was a really good hill- down the first half then straight up the second half. Now my legs and lungs were doing OK, but my stomach was really bothering me! I started getting cramps and thought I was going to poop myself! I ended up walking until the cramps went away. Then I would run until the cramps returned. At the end of this road, Phil and Jacob met me again, with another bottle and words of encouragement.

The rest of the "run" went like this- run til I thought I was going to go on myself, then walk til it went away. A couple times I thought I was going to have to run behind a bush!

When I got to mile 17, the blister on the back of my left heel popped open. This sent a searing pain through my foot. I felt like I could only tiptoe on that foot. I called Phil and told him and asked him to pick me up. He told me that I was only 3 miles from home, didn't I think I could make it that far? I said yes, I could, and I continued my pitiful shuffle. I did actually run on and off that last three miles, although anyone driving by would not have called that running! I was worried someone was going to pull over and ask if I needed a doctor!

I was thrilled once I got home, of course, and celebrated by climbing into a tub full of icewater. With ice cubes floating in it. UGH!! But I made it.

The total time for this suffer fest? 5 hours. Yes, 5 hours. It scares me that I won't make it across the bridge in time to finish my marathon! But all I can do is do my best. I have trained hard. I have lost weight and done the best I could. Now I just need to concentrate on doing my best and finishing!

And by the way, during all this time training for the marathon- my daddy has gone through his entire chemo regimen and is now officially in remission!!!

Eighteen

Why yes, yesterday I did run eighteen miles!

The actual plan was for a sixteen miler. That was what was on my schedule, and I mapped out a route to do so...run 4.5 miles to my gym, run 7 on the treadmill, run 4.5 back home. Phil brought a bag to the gym for me, with a big jug of gatorade, a couple packs of sport beans, and some magazines.
I left the house just before seven, and made my way to the gym. The route I take there goes along a lovely road with big grassy fields and cow pastures. I was upset to see that one of the grassy fields has been purchased and has a sign "subdivision proposed". The land would be perfect for one house with lots of green space. It will be interesting to see how many houses they jam onto that space.
But I digress. The hardest part of my run is always the first couple of miles. I feel like my breathing is hard, and all the little muscle tightness or joint soreness shows up. Once I pus past that first bit, it gets easier. So I got myself to the gym, and plopped onto a treadmill. But there was someone else in the cardio room, and I didn't have the usual gossip magazines...and then my ipod died. So I left the gym after 4 miles. It was okay, since I didn't really have the treadmill mojo going on. I actually was feeling quite dizzy and wondering if I would make it through 16 miles.

Once back on the road, I started feeling much better. At around 10 miles, I was actually feeling good. I decided on a new plan, to turn at the high school instead of going straight home, and making a quick detour to the middle school track, where I would do a mile on the track and then head home.

At 11 miles, I started aching, in weird places. My tailbone hurt. Why would your tailbone hurt during a run? Now I am thinking maybe I won't make it to the middle school. I found a little spot by a road sign where the weeds had been mowed down, so I pulled over and tried to stretch (how in the heck do you stretch your tailbone area? I just basically bent over!) It was a little better, so I went ahead and went over to the track. By this time, my toes, ankles, hips, and shoulders were yelling at me. Luckily, Phil met me at the track and gave me much needed encouragement (and gatorade!) I hobbled around the track, then headed for home. Luc met me at the high school with a bottle of green tea and the message that it was not 2 miles to the middle school, but three! I was so excited to hear that, that the run home was somewhat easier. I sent Luc ahead to start my ice bath- and this time we actually dumped our entire ice make contents into the tub. It was torture getting in, but after about 5 minutes you get knid of numb to it. I sat in the ice water for about 15 minutes, then took my shower.

The rest of the day ended up being pretty lazy- the family went to the pool with one of my friends and her daughter. I made a simple but wonderful dinner of pasta with potatoes and cabbage, and we had an early night. And so far today, I am feeling pretty good! The only
thing that really hurts is the two blisters on the back of my heels.

So now- eighteen is my newest high run!!!!

New longest run...again!

It's fun reaching a new personal best. Every long run I do now, I hit a new longest run-fun! I was a bit worried that I may not be able to finish 14 miles, with the hip trouble, and replacing the weekday runs with bike riding. This weekend's schedule was 14 miles. I had planned to meet a new friend at the trails on Paris Mountain, but she bruised her ribs and just didn't feel up to it yet. Phil was out of town at a bike race Saturday morning, and I didn't want to go to the trails alone with him away. So I went grocery shopping instead, and worked on cleaning out/ organizing the garage.

That meant today I needed to get in my long run, absolutely today....so I told Phil that I would need to go this afternoon. I put a few new songs on my ipod, mixed up a big jug of gatorade, grabbed some sport beans and got going. I went to the gym to run treadmill, since it is a bit more forgiving than the road. I started out slowly, gently. My hip felt pretty good...I got to four miles and so far, so good. Five, six, seven- OK, I've made it halfway. Around 9 miles, my hip and left knee started to bug me. 10- ok, only 4 more miles. Hip sore, but OK. 11miles, pretty sore, but not limping. 12 miles- noticeably limping. I straighten up my back and hip is a little better. Miles 13 and fourteen were a constant switch between walk/run. It felt so great- I couldn't believe I made it to 14 miles! I got off the TM, noticeably stiff and limping, but I went and stretched for a good long while. I stopped at the grocery store- the cashier told me my hair looked good! I couldn't believe that.... got home, and climbed into an "ice bath". (I just turn the knob all the way to cold. I'm too chicken to put in ice!!)

I am feeling pretty psyched that I can manage 14 miles...I just have to keep this up!!

I waited a week to hit the trail again. During the week, I have gone to the gym and rode the bike or walked on the treadmill since my hip was hurting. It hurt worse after walking the treadmill, so I am going to do long runs on the weekend, and ride the bike during the week for the time being. Luckily I have been working a lot with an orthopedic doc who runs, so I am going to ask him about this injury and what I should do about it.

Yesterday my wonderful husband went trail running with me. He didn't really want to, and he especially didn't want to run for 2 hours. But that is what we did. The trail running is not 2 solid hours of running though- it's running when you can and walking when you can't run. The course we took was different than the run course, but was probably about the same distance. We had a great time, and both agreed that it was much more fun than having a "date night" and going out to dinner.

Luc was very jealous that we got to go out on the trails, so today I took him there. He wanted to do the hard trails, so we ended up doing the sulphur springs loop which was the hardest part of last Saturday's race. He had a hard time, but he kept on going. I was quite proud of him!

Luc has been watching a lot of "Survivorman" and "Man vs. Wild" lately, so he packed a good bag, if a bit overkill. Of course, I ended up carrying his backpack and my fanny pack for most of the hike, which I knew I would end up doing. I was just glad to have him out "doing" instead of just "watching". And I was especially glad that he had packed a roll of TP. I tried out the new accelerade endurance formula, and it didn't sit with me very well... so I did get to teach Luc how to go to the bathroom in the woods without messing yourself!

Training is taking it's toll on me. I have been limping around from the hip problem. I am having a tough time getting out of bed to get to the gym at five in the morning before work, and I am really tired by 8 PM. Luckily my family is very understanding. And very loving! Several years ago, the word simplify was a very important word to me. Now, I feel like "endure" is the word for this season in my life.

7 miles in Hell

Yesterday I participated in the Paris Mountain 11K Trail Run. I had never run a trail before, but it sounded like fun. My husband signed up, my BFF, and several people from the gym I go to. I have thought trail running sounded like a nice change from pounding pavement, so I wanted to give it a try.

The race started out running the first half mile on pavement, to sort of "thin out" the pack. I started close to the back, because I know I am slow. It was hard right away, what with my coming out of an injury, and it being held on a mountain and all. The start of the trail was not bad, pretty soft from a bit of mulch and not too many stumps or rocks. I was only getting aggravated by the threesome behind me who were holding a full blast loud conversation. I stopped to let them pass, eating a couple of sport beans. I then settled into a rhythm, sort of. On the road, you just sort of settle in. On the trail, you may shorten or lengthen your steps depending on the terrain, or need to hop over things. But I stuck with a couple of other women who were doing the same as I was, making slow but steady progress.

We ran up and down hills, around trees, over rocks and little streams. We came to a spot where we crossed the road and on of the other girls asked the course marshal how far we had gone- only a mile! Trail running is much more brutal than running on the road! Anyway, we continued to trudge on.

I was feeling pretty worn out as we continued to climb....then what do I see before me but a stone stairway! We walked up this forever long stone stairway that was a straight drop down on one side- it made me very nervous! Once we got off that stairway, it flattened out a tiny bit before continuing to climb forever upward. We stopped at one point to sit on a rock for a minute and catch out breath. That helped out a lot, and at this point we were about 2 miles into the race. We started chugging along pretty well, but then I had to stop and vomit. I really did feel much better at that point but I was feeling so dehydrated. I caught back up with the girls and jogged along with them for a while, and we caught up with Melissa. I walked with Melissa until we got to the water station. We were both probably dehydrated and not feeling great. The water was a lifesaver, and we were back into the woods. By this time, we were running back down the mountain. This was somewhat easier on the muscles, but harder on the joints. It was also tough because there were so many tree roots that just wanted to reach out and grab you! But it was definitely more fun. We alternated running and walking, and it felt so great when we knew we were getting to the finish. We could hear microphones and clapping- they were already holding their awards ceremony! I finished just in time to hear them announce Phil had won third place for his age group! (My husband is a stud!)

Melissa and I finished in 2:09. That was about what I was expecting, and we were told by several people that that was great for our first trail run, and that the Paris Mountain Trail Run is one of the hardest around. This was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. I can't wait to get back out on a trail!!

Ouch!

Oh yes...I do have a running blog.

Where did I go? Well, after the lovely run I last posted about, I started having a lot of pain in my left hip. I have been resting it, and riding the bike. I thought it was better, so last night after the bike ride I did a test half mile on the treadmill, at a slow speed. It felt OK, the hip didn't hurt.

Today, when I got out of bed....it's hurting again. Not real bad. I am going to ride the bike the rest of the week, then on Saturday I have an 11K trail race. I think I should be OK because I am just going to take my time, and walk as much as I need to. I am hoping this hip thing goes away because I am getting frustrated with it!!

Burning Heart

Today was scheduled for 6 miles. I was feeling so tired yesterday that I decided not to join the TNT group for my run. Phil asked me why, since I had to run six miles? Well, I usually end up on my own anyways, so I figured I might as well sleep as long as I could, and then run from my home.

About 15 minutes before the Tour De France coverage ended, I started off. This way, Phil was going to meet me and feed me gatorade. I always have the hardest time with the first couple of miles, so I didn't want him to get up with me until I got through those. (Yes, I have the greatest husband on earth!!!) First mile was out of my neighborhood and down to the high school. This is about as flat as Greenville gets....second mile, there was a gradual downhill, followed by a nice twisty uphill, downhill, and then back uphill. Mile three was a gradual uphill, into a headwind. By now I was getting a little tired. By tired I don't really mean physically tired. The physical part of running is definitely not as hard as the mental part for me. I find it so easy to have self defeating thoughts when I run. I will never be a speed demon, but I think I am doing OK. But when I am running, I think that I am horribly slow, that I don't have good form, I think my sciatica is coming back, etc. This is where music helps. It distracts me from my greatest opponent- myself.

Today I really listened to the words from one of the Rocky songs "Burning Heart." It is from Rocky 4 I think, when he fights Ivan Drago. He is out training on the tundra while Drago is in A USSR sponsored state of the art training facility. At first, I was glad that song was on because it made me think of snow and cold (instead of the heat). But then I really listened to the words.
In the burning heart, just about to burst
There's a quest for answers, an unquenchable thirst
In the darkest night, rising like a spire
In the burning heart, the unmistakable fire, in the burningheart

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender
Though his body says stop, his spirit cries never
Deep in our soul a quiet ember
Knows it's you against you
It’s the paradox that drives us on
It's a battle of wills, in the heat of attack
It's the passion that kills
The victory is yours alone

So was this written for me? Or is it just that we are so often fighting against ourselves? I forget who it was that said this, but I think it's right on target:

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

I CAN finish my marathon. I CAN rock my training! But I can't look as cool as Ivan Drago.

8 mile

Eminem's movie was titled "8 Mile." But this is a post from a whole other world. A world where people are actually happy and love each other and do nice things, just to be nice.

This past Saturday, my schedule had 8 miles on it. I brought sport beans and a bottle of water with me. I should have brought Gatorade, I don't know why I didn't think of that. Anyway, we met at the designated time, and decided that the 8 milers would do our usual 5 mile course, then do the 5K course on Furman. That sounded OK to me. It was cooler out than it has been, so I was able to make it farther than usual before having to take a walk break. I got out the back gate of Furman and was upset that I had not brought my ipod with me. I had been getting so bored with it lately that I didn't think I would want it. But I did. I needed distraction that day, because my thighs felt like lead. I just kept concentrating on taking another step. I had a Christian pop song in my head that I had heard in the car on the way over. At about 2.5 or 3 miles, the legs started feeling a little lighter, so I was a bit faster. When I got to the end of the 5 mile course, I decided that instead of doing the 5k course, I was just going to do 3 malls. The mall goes from one end of campus to the other, around fountains and gardens, and is exactly 1 mile. I was feeling pretty tired when I started the first mile. I ate a few more of my sport beans and chugged on. On mile seven, I started thinking about some of the things that people have written to me about TNT. Things like "Your Dad is a great guy and a great friend. The world needs more people like the two of you." and "I started racing again when my friend Dina died from lymphoma. It made me feel better. I know it will help you too." or "We pray for your family all the time." The things people have written to me have made such an impact. I just about welled up with tears thinking of it- not because I was hurting (which I was) but just because there are so many wonderful people in this world. People who haven't met you in person,l but maybe know you through the internet. They genuinely wish you well. Or people who know my dad but not me and have written me nice letters. It reminds me that, no matter how much bad there is in this world, there is more good.
Well that did get me through mile 7.
Mile 8, I was really hurting- my calves and thighs were starting to cramp. I started praying to my guardian angel, Michael the Archangel. I thought this was appropriate because Michael is a warrior, and I am waging war on cancer. Of course, my dad has a bigger fight, but I know I am helping him. Whether it is just emotional support, or motivation, or raising money to find a cure, I am helping him. And that is the best that I can do.

Running and Kickboxing

Just not at the same time! Yesterday I worked out with a different trainer at the gym since the wonderful Stephanie is away at a conference. I started out on the treadmill and ran 4.5 miles. A pretty good run, it is feeling so much easier to complete more than 2 miles! My speed is also picking up now which I am very happy about. I am even getting better at reading on the treadmill!
After my cardio, I worked out with Mike and we did kickboxing. It was fun! That is not to say it wasn't hard- I almost puked which means my heart rate was near 160's- but it is always fun to change around your routine a bit. I worked on beating down those cancer cells- my daddy's and Jenny's, a girl I know who has Hodgkin's disease. It felt so great to just kick and punch those bags- great way to work out your frustrations!
Daddy is having his third chemo treatment right now. It seems like they are coming so fast- like his last treatment was just last week. I guess we just need to be happy that he is getting the treatments behind him!

Nose to Grindstone

Saturday our TNT team met as usual at Furman for our run- this week's was scheduled for 7 miles. Now the longest I had run prior to that was 6, so now with each of our longer runs I will be hitting a new record! It was a warm day, and unfortunately, quite humid.
We started by running the mall- the mall loops around the front of the university, goes around a pretty fountain, and back tot he activities center where we meet- exactly one mile around. Perfect for adding the odd mile here and there to our run. So we did the mall, then headed out the back gate and ran the course we have run the past two weekends- country roads, past fields, and old railroad track, farms....great scenery. It is also very hilly. This week I was running by myself mostly. I really started out not feeling so hot- the first two miles are hardest for me. I never seem to feel good until I get past those first couple miles. Then it just seems to get better each mile. I went back and forth between wearing the ipod or not- frankly it is getting a bit boring. I did enjoy "{Killing in the Name of" by Rage Against the Machine, though. I thought a lot about my dad, like I always do. I was also thinking a lot about my cousin Tommy, who is over in Afghanistan right now. I figure if all those guys (and gals) are over there, away from their families, putting up with the weather, I could take a little Carolina humidity.

I felt like I was running out of gas so I ate my first ever Powergel. It will be my last. It is the consistency of snot, and it was a green apple flavor. Yuck! My coach caught up with me just as I finished it- and I almost puked in front of him! He gave me much encouragement and headed off to meet up with other runners and encourage them (he is so nice! and helpful, too). Anyway, I think I am going to have to stick with sport beans of shot blocks- I really don't think I can stomach gel again!

I got back to the activity center and did 1 more mall- it felt pretty good! 7 miles was a lot harder than six. Six was not a lot harder than 5. It might have been the humidity too. I know I could have run more, if I had to. Which is good to know. But it ended up being a very good run. And even better- the blue powerade that I guzzled afterward!!

The easy 5

Yesterday was a very busy, and very stressful day. By the time Phil got home from work after 6 pm, we still had to grocery shop, pick up prescriptions, pick up a couple of things from Target, and I needed to run. Oh, and eat dinner too! Thankfully, Phil took Jacob and dropped me off at the gym, ran our errands, and then picked me back up, so that I could get my training in.

I hopped up on the treadmill and ran the first three miles with no walking...only stopped at 3 to pause the TM and run to the bathroom, then hopped back on and ran another mile. Then I decided to walk because I wasn't sure when Phil would be back. I felt good so I decided to do some "strides'- just little "sprints" where I run faster than what will probably be my race pace. Before I knew it, I had done another mile! I stopped then and got in some good stretches, walked to the door just as Phil was pulling up.

Today is a 3 miler, and I will be doing weights with Stephanie. After that I am planning on just playing with Jacob since Luc spent the night at a friends. Hoping today is a lot less stressful!

The Week in review

Somehow I let the week slip by without posting. Perhaps because I didn't really feel that there was anything real exciting to post....the weekday runs were done on treadmill (4 miles, 4 miles, 2 miles). This weekend's run was 5 miles. My usual running partner at the runs wasn't there, so I pretty much ran by myself. I concentrated a lot on my breathing. Anytime my HR got to 175 or so, I would just sort of fall apart. And my HR didn't recover as quickly as it usually does. Not quite sure, maybe because I have a swollen gland in my neck, so perhaps my body is expending energy fighting that? Anyway, I hate to even figure out my pace, because I know it was slow. Like, it was probably 12 minute miles. UGH.

I am going to start getting out to the group runs this week- they run at 6 am and I would be back with plenty of time for my gym session.

Did get a lot of great donations this week, and I will be updating the donation page shortly!!!

The Six Miler

I was quite anxious about this morning's run and what my sciatic nerve would decide to do. Apparently, the past two days of popping ibuprofen and laying on an ice pack did the trick- I just felt it mildly in the last mile, in my hip only. Thank you God!

So, we ran a new route today, and it was a pretty nice run. There were several hills on it, and we left the Furman campus. I enjoy new routes, with new things to look at and distract me! We went by a real pretty house that had a huge vegetable garden. It smelled like they had just fertilized everything though!

I have been running with another participant doing the MCM. He coaches cross country in high school, so he always has good tips on form etc. We help push each other along, and we even had people finish behind us! Our time for 6 miles was 1:10. That translates into an 11:20 pace. So I am staying with my faster pace, even for a longer run- yay!

The all comer track meet

Yesterday evening Phil, Jacob and I went to the all comers track meet at Furman University. There is a sign in sheet, and then you just do whichever events you want to. They started with a warm up lap, and Jacob ran a whole lap of the track. Then Phil took him so I could warm up. My right leg was bothering me really badly last night. I decided I wasn't sure how much I would really run.

Jacob did the 50 meter race and got a ribbon, then he and I did a 100 meter relay and he got another ribbon- he was thrilled! Me- not so much. The pain in my leg was just worse. I told Phil that was all I was going to do, because I don't want to end up injuring myself. I ended up taking prescription strength ibuprofen last night, and it doesn't hurt so much I want to cry, so I guess we're on the right track. I will either try to ride the stationary bike at the gym or pedicab tonight- I guess it depends on the weather.

Tempo Miles

Today's run was 3 miles tempo. I am still figuring out my tempo, of course. But I ended up doing my three in 32:28- comes out to a 10:40 mile. So I AM getting faster~! Hooray!

I actually would have been a little bit quicker except that my sciatica has been acting up a bit. I try not to let it bother me too much, but when I was running I was having a lot of pain down my right leg. It used to be that the sciatica would mostly bother me right in the right-side of my bum. But lately it has been bothering me in the hip and down the leg. It is a nerve thing, and not a muscular thing, thank God. And I know that Steve Prefontaine had sciatica, and recently I learned that Jesse Owens did too. So I am in good company!!

The easy run

Yesterday, 3 easy miles were on my schedule. Not that long ago, I would have though "3 miles EASY? Yeah, right!" Well, I set the TM for 5 MPH and started flipping through one of those gossip magazines. I can't really read them while running, but I just look at the pictures. You can still learn a lot that way- like that Jessica Simpson is dating a guy whose head is twice the size of hers (really- you need to check that out!) Depending on what week it is, Brad and Angelina are doing great or getting divorced, Britney Spears is always doing something stupid, and Paris Hilton is showing up somewhere in various stages of undress. Then there are the back pages which are my favorite- the worst dressed. It is frickin hilarious the getups some of these "stars" go out in. My father in law dresses better than that (and he's the guy that wore zubas pants with striped shirts).

Anyways- with all that entertainment, the 3 miles was over before I knew it! No losing my breath, no muscle tiredness, and no soreness! How great it is to see my body is finally getting used to this running thing! Today's run is a tempo run- 2 miles. I will have to wear my HR monitor and see if it has improved since last week's tempo run. I am getting psyched!

Sunrise 8K

Saturday morning I ran the Sunrise Run 8K with some of my TNT teammates. Phil came with me and ran with me, too! It was great that the race was so early- 6:30 AM, but it was still plenty hot out! My first mile I did 11:15, the second was maybe 11:40, the third mile was the worst, at something like 12:30, and then I was faster on the last two miles. Total overall time ended up being 57:something. I was fairly happy with that, since I really just wasn't feeling the love on this run. Weird, I ran real hard Thursday, and loved it, but it just wasn't there for me Saturday. However, my times are getting faster so that is something to be happy about!

Saturday we drove up to my parent's house, then to my cousin's. Their daughter graduated from high school, and so my cousin Tom got to take leave from Afghanistan. It was just SO good to see everyone! I was happy that my cousin Bernice said she reads my training blog! (Hi, Bernice!!) We just had a great time seeing everyone, it was just a great time.

Today is 3 miles- I woke up late so I didn't do much at the gym, so I will just run the 3 tonight. I may do 5 tomorrow, because I want to go to the all-comers track meet Wednesday night and run some short fast races! I think it is going to be fun.....

Will try to post a pic later- I have to download to our other computer first, though.

Cleveland Park Run

This morning I rolled out of bed at 4:30 to meet up with some other TNT teammates. There are weekday runs at 6AM at Cleveland Park, which is downtown. Since Phil started his new summer schedule, I won't be driving him to work on Thursdays anymore, which means I can meet up with some others to run together. Yeah!

I was a bit nervous about "ruining" everyone's run. But the girl who organized the runs encouraged me to come. God, am I ever glad I did! This morning, it was just Emily, Chris and me. Emily is sort of new, but faster than me. And Chris is already a runner- he has run 2 marathons. We started out nice and easy, at a conversational pace. But there are lots of hills here- some very hard ones. I hung with them, and hung with them, and hung with them. Much of the time I may have been about 20 yard back, but I continued to run. I did have to walk 3 times- each time was definitely less than 30 seconds, and the first 2 were after hills. Chris and Emily were so fantastic about encouraging me that it just helped me so much! We did 4 miles total, and the best I can figure is that our pace was somewhere between 11:15-12:00/mile pace. Not super fast, but it was pretty fast for me! I was SO thrilled to do so well. It is just easier to push yourself when you run with others- at least for me!

I am feeling pretty good about this week's training. Tomorrow is a rest day, and then Phil will be racing the sunrise race with me Saturday morning- an 8K (5miles). Then we will be driving up to see my family, including my cousin who is on leave from Afghanistan. Yay!!!

What a difference

Two workouts since I last posted. Yesterday's was 2 miles, to be run at tempo (race pace). I really don't know what my tempo is yet, so I figured, I'll just run as fast as I can for two miles. Not sprint, but the best I can. I have a hard time controlling my speed, so I started out too fast and then had to walk a little bit. Started up again and still running too fast, so I just brought it down some. Did a little sprint (from one driveway to next) and then tried to just continue in that vein. I ended up doing my 2 miles in 22:53. That's pretty good for me for now, since I am running at around a 12 minute mile. I got home and got into an icewater bath (to alleviate some of the soreness) but I'll tell you, my hamstrings are sure sore today!!

Today's workout was an easy three miles. I ran this on the treadmill, and had my session with Stephanie. We did upper body today- bench press, flies, bicep curls, tricep extensions, seated rows, and lateral raises. I love working my arms because they aren't so strong- but during yesterday's run, I could feel my arms helping in my run. Like they were helping me to move forward, instead of just flopping around like dying fish!

Tomorrow's run will be a tough one- 4 easy miles, but it is supposed to get into the 90's. I may have to run in the morning and not drive Phil to work. I don't run real great in the heat until I really get conditioned to it. The TNT drifit shirt from Nike helps A LOT!!

I am so thrilled to report a $100. donation on my website from my dad's cousin! And today, after my workout, I dropped by the storage facility to pay my sister's rent, and the woman behind the counter gave me $5 for the fund! I am so grateful to everyone who is donating, WE CAN CURE LYMPHOMA TOGETHER!!!!! Thank you!!

Well today started off just great- I was all psyched to get to the gym early and get in my 4 miles before training with Stephanie. I even woke up before the alarm! Got dressed, ate a bit of bread (homemade, but a little dry) and headed out the door. Put the key in the ignition- and what? Nothing. The clock wasn't even on. Great. Just great. Now what do I do? Call Steph and tell her I won't be there? No, wait, I can take Suzie's car after she gets home. So I go back inside and wait for Suzie- got to the gym in time to get a 15 minute warmup before my session. We did arms on the gravitron and with free weights, weighted squats, and abs. A great, whole body workout.

Got home and went crazy looking for my camera. My beautiful, wonderful, takes awesome pictures Nikon D50. Cannot find it ANYWHERE!!! Last time we remember taking pictures was when Phil took the shot of me that is on my donations page (that one seriously needs to be replaced!!! I look like a cow).

By the time Phil got home I was SO ready to go to the gym and get my groove on! I hopped on the treadmill and pounded out the prescribed 4 miles in 50 minutes. Definitely not a smoking fast time- but well, I leave lots of room for improvement. The run felt GOOD. Now I feel very energized but I really need to get to sleep!!!

Great quote I found today- "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin

First "official" TNT run

Today was our first official run with our TNT team. We probably had about 24 runners- awesome! I was the slowest :(

We ran 4 miles today, and I have to say that the campus at Furman is pretty hilly. I hate hills! But they make you stronger....I ran with another runner who is going to do the Marine Corps Marathon. There are several of us from here doing the marathon and I was glad to learn that!

We planned out my weekly schedule- Run Mon-Th, off Fr, long run Sat, off Sun. Sounds good to me! There are weekly track meets that start this week, which I will use for one of my training sessions. We will be racing this coming Saturday- an 8K race. There is also an 11K trail race on Paris Mountain scheduled in August. Ouch!!

Lazy Blogger

OK, so I was planning on updating this almost daily....but sometimes life gets in the way!

Most importantly- Daddy had his first chemo treatment and did GREAT with it! I was so touched when I talked to dad a couple of days before his treatment and one of his lifelong friends drove down from Buffalo. His buddy wanted to be with Mama and Daddy for the first treatment. I am just so glad my family has friends like that.

I have been running, and working out with Stephanie, my personal trainer. My absolute favorite run was last weekend, I ran with my BFF Melissa and we ran 5 miles. It was a 2.5 mile loop, and since I was afraid I would slow her down, we ran in opposite directions! Yup, each time we passed we high fived! It was really a great run, and reminded me how much nice it is to run with a running buddy. I need to find one here!

I will be running tomorrow morning at 6:36 AM with my team in training teammates. I am not sure, I think we are just doing 3 miles tomorrow. Next Saturday, we are supposed to do a 5K race in Simpsonville, but I am not sure if I will be participating. I am supposed to go to Raleigh to see my cousin, who is on leave from Afghanistan. If the race is early in the AM, I might make it- otherwise I will just run in Daddy's neighborhood after the party.

Running home from BiLo

Today was quite an interesting day. We really only had one commitment, and that was to meet the owner of the pedicab business downtown. Phil has gotten a taxi license, and I am getting one on Tuesday. We are both going to drive pedicabs on the weekends to make some money. It is such a cool idea- I am going to get paid to cross-train! The pedicab is 100 pounds, and can probably hold 3 adults comfortably. Wow. And it is fairly hilly downtown!

What was really exciting was, there was a friend of the owners outside the building, and he said that "obviously" we were both cyclists! And the owner said that we were both "obviously" in good shape, but would probably lose weight doing this job! Two people in one day said I was obviously in shape- I don't think that has EVER happened before.

Well we both took turns riding each other and Jacob around downtown, to get a feel for the pedicab. It is a bit tricky to turn, and you really have to concentrate on staying in the middle of the lane since it's so wide. I rode them around for about 20-30 minutes and it was hard work!

Then, just to be sure to get my mileage in, I had Phil drop me off at the Bi-Lo while he got things for our dinner. It is 2.66 miles to home, and I ran/walked it. I have found that I have a very hard time pacing myself, and go too fast and blow myself up. I am going to start running with a heart monitor on like I used to when I ran before. I can keep myself at a certain HR and keep myself from blowing up, and that helps me to run longer.

On this run, I was running down a fairly busy road, and it was funny- all of a sudden I was like- yeah, I am a runner! Up until now I have felt like a "wannabe", but out there on that road, I felt like a "real" runner. Wahooo!!!!!

And just to prove to myself I am a real runner, when I got home I got into an ice bath. BRRRR!!!

First run with TNT

Yesterday morning Phil and I rolled out of bed at 5:30 to get to Furman University and work out with TNT. I mistakenly tried to stay on my nutrition plan from the gym, and ate 1/2 cup of yogurt, protein powder, and a peach. Definitely NOT the thing to eat before running.

We met in front of the activities center, where the "newbies" got to meet the veterans and talk a little about the runs. We were supposed to run 2 miles yesterday, but we all agreed it might be fun to do the 5K course on the campus. Two of the vets ran with us, which might have caused us all to run a little fast...I felt pretty good for the first mile, I was keeping up conversation. Into the second mile I started to feel out of breath, and started slowing down. I finally did need to walk when we got to a steep hill. Another girl walked with me, until I caught my breath. Our mentor (one of the vets we ran with) came back for us, and we ran together until I started to feel dry heaves coming on so I told them I was walking again. I heaved a little then started running again, at a comfortable (read: slow) pace. I finished up and was talking to the coach when Phil saw me and stopped his watch- we figure it took 36 minutes maybe. Happily, Gatorade is one of our sponsors so we got a bottle of gatorade at the end. Yum! So, I will NOT follow the nutrition plan Saturdays, or at least Saturday mornings.

We then drove to Phil's bike race, which was a LOT of fun! He rode like an animal, was in several breaks, and was definitely the most aggressive rider in the race. I was so proud of him, but I could tell he was a little disappointed because he tried to bridge up to the break with 3 laps to go and just didn't have it in him. He had been so aggressive though, that it wasn't surprising that he just couldn't do it. He was AWESOME!

Today- probably a run on the treadmill. Also Phil and I will be meeting with the pedicab company to find out about driving pedicabs on weekends!

Wow, what a day!!!

OK, first of all, Wednesday I worked out with my personal trainer and we did a bootcamp workout and she KICKED MY BUTT!!! It was awesome- I almost threw up.

Yesterday- day off, except for some stretching. Today, I was busy most of the day but will do my pushups and crunches before bed. But the reason I was busy- I did my first fund drive! I sat outside Walmart from 10 A- 6 P. I raised $248! I was amazed when I counted it. It was shocking how many times I heard "My (aunt, uncle, cousin) had (is in remission, died from ) leukemia or lymphoma." It is such a widespread disease! And one of the people who donated and chatted with me, observed that it was those you wouldn't think would donate, that did. And those who looked like they had extra cash, didn't donate. These were my observations: Every gangster type guy who I asked, donated. Black men donated the most, followed by black women. Then white women, then white men. Not one latino or asian donated. No one wearing kelly green donated (well I was never a big fan of kelly green anyways!) Many young people donated. If it was an elderly man and woman together, they didn't donate. But elderly men by themselves did. It felt so good to help out this cause!

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving the house at 0545 to run for the first time with my coach and hopefully some of my teammates!!! Then we will be going to GA for Phil to do a race. It will be a sporty day! I hope your weekend is, too!

Tonight we had our meeting- this one was about fundraising. I got some posters and stuff for doing bucket drives, and some other things for sending letters and such. I also got my running schedule! It was so exciting- I got my envelope with my name on it, and when I opened it, the first page was "Patti's individual training plan- Marine Corp Marathon". Oh how exciting! It lists out each day what I am supposed to run- I will be running 5 days a week, with my long runs on Saturdays (with the group). There are actually 2 weeks before the plan starts, so I have a pre-training training schedule too! I will run at Furman on Saturday with the group- the rest of the week is going to be cross training, including an hour session with my personal trainer tomorrow! (she kicks my butt!)
The best part was talking with one of the volunteers and finding out more information about how to help out my dad. He will be going to the doctor's office many times over the next couple of weeks, to get a bunch of tests done before the port-a-cath is put in and he starts chemo. So I guess this will be like his pre-training training, too. I'm afraid mine will be much more enjoyable. And much easier too.

Ready to cross train

Well last night we went to the gym, and I ran on the treadmill. I was planning on doing 4 miles. After about 5 minutes I really didn't think I would make it through- I had a tightness in my right medial calf. This used to happen the last time I ran, too. I did 2.5 miles and called it quits.

I will cross train for the rest of the week until Saturday.

I have a meeting tonight for TNT so I am very excited about that!

Weekend

I went to my parent's house this weekend with Jacob to surprise my family. Jacob's b-day is coming so we had a little party for him too! He had a lot of fun with the birthday hat, as you can see!

Friday I drove to my parents (5 hours) and in the evening I went out with my sister to jog/walk. She is just starting to work out andso I think we did maybe 2 miles, mostly walking. I told her what was important was that she was out there moving.

Saturday, we were going to go on Ft. Bragg and run on one of the tracks, but I had a headache and her shins hurt, so we skipped it. And then- I told my mama that I had been craving chicken wings, so she made them for me! I felt like an Italian boy! (The mamas always waited on them hand and foot while the girls had to do all the chores).

Today, woke up with same headache. We drove back and instead of 5 hours, it took us 6. There had been some sort of big accident and so we were stuck in standstill/inch forward traffic for an hour. It really did not bother me, because I didn't have a schedule to keep up with. Plus, I was better off behind the accident than to be in it.

I am REALLY looking forward to getting a run in tomorrow. And now that our pool is open, I can really get that ice bath after a run!

This run ROCKED!

Back when I was running before Jacob, I very often had awesome runs. The kind where everything seemed just right, the traffic wasn't too bad and you could smell the salt air; you would see the regulars and had enough energy at the end of the run to go down to the beach and jump into the waves. Of course that had been after lots of training, and once the miles don't seem like torture they can be a lot of fun.
Right now, I am getting most of my running in on the treadmill. I find treadmill running boring, but constant. As in, I can set it at a certain speed and stay at that speed. I don't have to worry about accidentally slowing down, etc. I pop in the earphones and run. Well today, even though it was on the TM, I had an excellent run. First of all, I ran 3 miles, stopping to walk only so that I could get my shirt off. I finished that 3 miles in 34:30, so not too bad. Then I still felt good, so I decided to do some of those little "sprints". I alternated fast walking with little :30 bursts, first at 7 mph, then 7.5, and finally 8 mph. It felt so great! At 8mph I could maintain 30 seconds but probably not much longer. But it really felt GOOD! It reminded me of some of the runs I did in the Army, or again, finishing sprints at the beach with my running partner (who shall remain nameless!!!)
And today's favorite song on the run: Let's Groove, by Earth, Wind, and Fire. It's a song from my childhood. It makes me think of dancing with my family in our family room in our old house, laughing and having a good time. And that is what families are for!

It;s a beautiful day!

So hard to roll out of bed this morning- I slept like a rock last night! Phil and I went to sleep when the new Law and Order:SVU came on, so you have to know we were tired. We rarely miss that show, even in repeats.
So roll out of bed I did, and went to the gym. Rode 15 minutes on the bike (about 4 miles) then did some little "sprints" on the treadmill. Since my hamstrings were still sore, I didn't think I could run a solid 15 minutes before my training session, so I walked at a fast pace and then did 1-2 minute sprints. I did them at 6 mph, then 6.5 mph, then 7 mph. I think I could have even gotten up to 7.5 mph but I ran out of time. (Fave song for this workout- The Devil Went Down to Georgia)
Session with Steph- 30 minutes of arms- bicep, tricep, shoulders, chest. And some abs thrown into the mix. It was a hard, hard workout again. We have really stepped it up a notch!

We don't know yet when the bone marrow biopsy will be. But I will keep you posted!! Enjoy some fresh air today!

Tired Tuesday

Today was a day off from training. Good thing because my hamstrings are SORE!!! Stephanie put me through such a great workout yesterday.

I worked a little more on my letter today, but I had a lot to do work-wise so I didn't sdo much more than that. I am happy to say that my fundraising on my website is now at $50! I still have a long way to go but I am so grateful that people have started giving for this fantastic cause!

Plans for tomorrow include another killer workout with Stephanie as well as 30 minutes cardio done beforehand. I am planning on going out to Furman University to meet up with the Greenville Track Club for the first time. It sounds like they are very family oriented so my little one can run a race too!

Remember to take some time in your day to relax too. Too often we push ourselves too much and everyone needs some rest!!

Monday, Monday

Tired today!! I wnet to the gym this morning and did about 20 minutes on the treadmill- half of that I walked backwards! Then Stephanie (my trainer) put me through a HARD workout, working the hamstrings and abs. I was sweating like a pig! It was a great workout.

Today I am working on my list of addresses to send my fund-raising letter to. The Leukemia & Lymphoma society wants us to try to send a letter to 100 people or more. It is funny when you get down to it, I don't know if I know 100 people! But I am trying to get it all together. I also have to write my letter today, so that I can bring a draft of it to our next meeting. I actually think the fundraising might be harder than the training!! But I am determined to stick with it!!

Hope everyone gets a chance to get their heart pumping today!!

Sunday May 6

Well today I was feeling a little tired. We have had a bit of a virus running around our family so I tried to rest a bit so we could go to the gym tonight.

I ended up doing the elliptical for 20 minutes. I went really hard and it ended up being a mile and a half. I try to do some of it backwards each time, so today I did 15 minutes regular and then the last 5 minutes I did backwards. By running the elliptical backward you end up using different muscles, especially the hamstrings. I am trying to keep the hamstrings in shape since runners tend to develop their quads out of proportion to their hamstrings. I also work on that by walking backward on the treadmill- it looks funny but it works!!

I hope that this blog will motivate some people to keep themselves moving too!

I am official!

I did it- I signed up today for the Marine Corp Marathon with Team in Training. I have about 20 weeks to get ready for it. I am running for my dad, who was just diagnosed with diffuse Bcell lymphoma. He will be getting chemo while I train, and when I run at the end of October he will be near the end of his chemo.

I started this blog so that my donors can track my progress and see what I am doing to get ready for this big race!

Today, I did 3 miles on the treadmill since it has rained all day. I did my 3 miles with two brief walk breaks- they totaled about 5 minutes. While I am running I like to listen to music, and I daydream too. Today's fave songs were: Jesus Walks (Kanye West) and the theme from Rocky. My daydreams: squashing cancer cells with each step. Also running to the beat of: kill. cancer. kill. cancer. as well as dad. Jenny. dad. Jenny. Jenny is a girl I met on the Runner's World forum whose dad had the same type of lymphoma as my dad. Jenny is fighting Hodgkin's disease right now.

This picture is from the end of my three miles at the gym. Looks great, doesn't it?