Week 5: Run Recaps

This is going to be a short one, folks.

Week 5 - I didn't run.  I didn't walk.  I didn't bike.  I didn't swim.

I didn't do a damn thing.

Instead, I limped around for 3 days, babied my ankles for 3 days, and let them rest for 2 days, just to be safe.

I'm hoping that the ankles didn't like the shoes I was running in and with a long rest and different ones they will stop hurting so much.  I'm also hoping that more treadmill miles and less pavement miles will be kinder and gentler on my body.  Time will tell, I suppose.  I may need to re-evaluate the training schedule and see if I can get away with less runs and more cross training.  At least the new Y membership will give me that option.

OMG, I Could Kiss You

When I started out on this training journey, I had it in the back of my mind that I was going to purchase a treadmill in the near future.  However, my ankles have become a growing concern and the need for a variety of crossing training options has overruled the convenience of having a treadmill at home.

I did a little research and learned that there is a YMCA 2.5 miles from my rental house.  So, I went in today to sign up.  

There were multiple membership options available for families, couples, students, seniors, individuals, etc.  There were two different single adult options listed, depending on age: "young adult" from 18 - 27 and "adult" from 28 - ?? (I can't remember the upper limit before the senior option kicked in).  I wanted to make sure that I was understanding the options correctly, so I pointed to the adult option and said, "this is the rate that would apply if I sign up with just me, right?"  The worker said, "well, probably the young adult" and pointed to that one on the list, and then said something like, "at least I think that's where you would be."  I laughed and said that I was out of that one by more than 10 years, to which the employee responded with shock and disbelief.

OMG, dear YMCA employee, I COULD KISS YOU!

After that, how could I not sign up for a membership?

A little flattery will get you everywhere.


In other exciting news, I spent my morning at a Team in Training Fundraising Bootcamp, where I got psyched up to embark on my fundraising campaign!  So, be watching your mailboxes and inboxes for more details coming soon.  If you are so excited to join me on this incredible journey that you just can't wait that long, you can click on that link over there to donate now.  ------>

Inspiration From Unlikely Places

A week ago a fellow photographer posted a link to this video.  I watched it that night and have watched it several times since.  I would encourage you to do the same, just make sure you have some tissues handy.

As sad as it is, I find the video very inspiring.  It has been my experience that we can learn the most about how to live life from those who are forced to fight to keep living theirs.

Week 4: Run Recaps

My run recaps have felt a bit all over the place so I'm aiming for some sort of consistency with these posts.

Tuesday
I dug out an old pair of running shoes and gave them a whirl.  My ankles definitely felt better during the run. Unfortunately they have been pretty sore most of the week, so I'm not positive if it was an actual improvement.  I've been trying out some new tunes while running, but the jury is still out.  It gets boring listening to the same play list over and over, but after logging so many miles I've created a pretty awesome one with just the right pick me up songs right where I need them.

Splits:
Mile 1 11:28
Mile 2 11:35
Mile 3 11:49


Thursday
I was still testing out the old shoes and the new tunes on this one, but still no decisions.  This run did feel really good though.  I finally feel like I'm back in the 3 mile grove, where the distance is comfortable and I'm not wishing for death when I'm done.

Splits:
Mile 1 12:17
Mile 2 12:05
Mile 3 11:58

Saturday
It isn't very often that I don't complete a run, but I didn't complete this one.  It wasn't because I couldn't, it was because I didn't want to.

Let me explain...  Do you ever get a bad feeling about something, just out of no where?  One that makes absolutely no sense, but you can't shake it no matter how hard you try?  That happened to me as I was preparing to go out for this run.

I've mentioned it before, but I started running regularly back when I was living in Mississippi in the late 90's.  It was hot, humid, and just plain miserable.  So, to get around it I ran after it got dark.  After doing it for so long I developed a love of night running that has stuck with me. Running at night has always felt like a peaceful escape for me, but it doesn't feel like that here.  I don't live in a bad area, but it isn't necessarily a good area either.  Running after dark here makes me nervous and I feel like every sense is on overdrive, constantly on the lookout for any sense of danger.  But with the insanely hot Phoenix temperatures running after the sun sets is pretty much a necessity.

As I was getting ready to run, I had this overwhelming sense of dread about going out alone. I just didn't feel right about leaving the house.  I thought about taking one of the dogs, but the one who will run just had surgery a few days ago and I didn't want to risk taking her, and the other one hates running and I didn't want to torture her.  So, I set out on my usual route, but I just couldn't shake the bad feeling and turned back toward the comfort and safety of home early.  I made it 1.65 miles of my planned 3 miles.

Splits:
Mile 1     11:25
Mile .65  7:05

As soon as I stopped running both of my ankles started instantly hurting again, even though they felt fine before and during the run.  My right one is hurting so much that I've been limping and taken to wearing my brace from my old ankle injury (which was my left ankle so this isn't a reactivation of that).    So, I decided to skip Sunday's 3 miles and give the ankles an extra rest day.  We'll see what Tuesday brings.  Fingers crossed that this ankle thing is short lived or I just might have to cry!

Fundraising: $20 donated - Thanks Laura & Ray!!

Racking Up the Runs

Thursday
My schedule was still wonky from being out of town, plus I woke up with a headache and just felt like crap all day.  By the time I headed out to run I decided to just do the 2 miles I missed on Sunday instead of the 3 on the schedule.  During the run I decided to try out the new water bottle/cell phone holder I mentioned buying.  It definitely worked well, except I hadn't washed out the water bottle yet so I just stuck a regular one in it. That wasn't a problem until I drank some of the water and the bottle got all squishy under my hand and made my grip awkward.  Oh well, it's better to figure these things out at 2 miles instead of 20, right?

Splits:
Mile 1 12:02
Mile 2 12:24

Saturday
Today's run was squeezed in between an all day photography workshop I attended and a party that I hosted.  When I left the workshop at 5:00 PM the thermometer in my car said that it was 112 degrees.  I knew this run was going to hurt and it did.  Bad.  I only planned on going 2 miles, but I didn't even make that.  However, after this run I have come to the conclusion that any miles ran in 100+ degrees should count double!

Splits:
Mile 1 10:58
Mile .5 6:13

Monday
For the second week in a row, I ended up doing my long run on Monday night after work.  Right now my mileage isn't high so it's no big deal but this really has got to stop soon.  I think I may need to reevaluate my training schedule since so far I haven't completed a single long run on the day I scheduled them.

The run felt pretty decent until the last mile.  I spent mile 3.25 - 3.80 reminding myself that it wouldn't be worth the guilt if I didn't finish and I spent mile 3.80 - 4.00 chanting, "I am not a quitter. I am not a quitter. I am not a quitter." over and over and over until I was done.  To makes matters even worse, I didn't plan my route out very well and had to walk .25 miles back home once I was done.

Then I returned home and took my first ice bath of this training season.  I'm in for a world of hurt if I'm there already.  Surprisingly, my ankles are doing more protesting of the pounding than my knees are.  I may need to consider different shoes.  I'm going to do my next run in an old pair just to see.  The ones I'm running in currently are new and comfortable, but my ankles just don't seem too happy with them.

Splits:
Mile 1 12:34
Mile 2 12:31
Mile 3 12:31
Mile 4 12:19

I'm slowly starting to get donations trickling in! I am so happy and thankful for the kind support of my friends and family.  Fundraising: $475 donated - Thanks Mom & Dad, Uncle Doug & Aunt Noreen, and Sherry!!

The One Where I Ask For Your Support

In a few short days, weeks, or months (depending on how ambitious I am) a letter from me is probably going to show up in your mailbox or inbox. The letter is probably going to be filled with a lot of facts and statistics about blood cancers, and the people they affect. It's probably going to contain the story of someone who has had to fight for his life against one of these cancers. And it is definitely going to ask you to consider donating money to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in support of my participation in the Nike Women's Marathon with Team in Training. When you receive it, I sincerely hope that you will take the time to read it, and consider donating to this extremely worthwhile cause.

However, today I want to talk about something else. I want to ask you to consider making a donation in support of this organization for a very different, and extremely personal, reason. And again, I hope you will take the time to read what I am about to write, and consider supporting me.


Growing up I was a dork. I was tall and skinny and awkward, without an ounce of coordination.  Gym class was my worst nightmare.  I never participated in team sports, never played little league.  I considered it a good day if I made it down a flight of stairs without tripping.  My body, in all its awkwardness, was something that I saw as separate from myself.  It let me down.  It embarrassed me.  It and I - we weren't friends.  I hated it, and thought it hated me.

Until the day I found running.

All of a sudden, my too long, too skinny, too awkward legs were actually good at something.  Imagine that.

Even though I had finally found something athletic that my uncoordinated body could do, and do well, I still shied away from actively doing it. Every year I thought about trying out for the track team. Every year I chickened out. By then I had already built up too many fears of failing at physical activities and had too many preconceived ideas about my capabilities and my limitations that I wasn't able to overcome.

So I sat on the sidelines and watch one of my best friends race, while I longingly looked on.

It wasn't until the day in January 2006, when I was sitting in the Team in Training information meeting, that I FINALLY found the guts to attempt to overcome my fears and put my capabilities to the test.  I signed up to fundraise for LLS through TNT and to run the Indianapolis Half Marathon, and my life has never been the same since.

Let me repeat that... my life has never been the same since.

During the months that I trained for my half marathon, my body and I forged a truce. I forgave it for past grievances and it showed me that it didn't really hate me. No matter how hard I pushed it while training, it never let me down. It never embarrassed me. And all of a sudden I started to see it, and myself, in a whole new light. Instead of looking at something physical and instantly thinking, "I could never do that!" I started to wonder if I could.  I started to think that if I had been wrong about my athletic abilities, then maybe I was wrong about some of my other self-imposed limitations, too.

Crossing the finish line of the Indianapolis Half Marathon was literally the proudest moment of my life. Training for that race was the hardest thing I have ever done, and finishing it is my greatest accomplishment.  That race medal is one of my most prized possessions.  The entire experience taught me not to sell myself short, not to decide I can't do something before I try it, and that I am capable of more than I ever imagined possible. It gave me the self-confidence and self-worth to walk off that race track and meet life head on.  Somewhere along the path to finishing that race, I lost the paralyzing fear of failure that had dictated so much of my life before it.

So here I am, asking you to support me by supporting something that matters a great deal to me.  I am asking you to consider making a donation to an organization that not only gives a ton to the patients it is designed to help, but also to the people who volunteer to participate in it.   I owe the most rewarding and life altering experience of my life to The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society and Team in Training, for without them I would still be the same awkward, gangly kid afraid of trying new things, taking on new challenges, and testing my limits.  And, quite frankly, that is something that is impossible to repay, but with your help perhaps I can try.

The Hair is Always the First to Go

Running used to always dictate my hairstyle.  A trip to the hair stylist usually went something like this...

Stylist: What are we doing with your hair today?
Me: I don't care as long as it still fits into a ponytail.

Luckily, my hair is already ponytail length.  However, a couple of months ago I paid a ridiculous amount of money to have a brazilian blowout and an even more ridiculous amount of money on shampoo and conditioner to help maintain said brazilian blow out, with strict instructions to only wash my hair as often as absolutely necessary - preferable every 3-4 days.  Yeah. Right. 36 hours is about my max and even that's pushing it, but I've been trying for the sake of maintaining my straighter and less frizzy hair. Since I started training, there are many days where I'm taking two showers, and there is NO WAY that I can not wash my hair after it's been dripping sweat. So, I'm in a daily state of depression as I watch that expensive shampoo and conditioner run down the drain. I think my brazilian blowout days are numbered. The hair is always the first to go, I tell you.

Oh, what's that you say? You came here to read about my training runs and NOT my hair woes?

OK, then. Let me get right to that:

Today's run was one of my last 2 milers. Other than being a bit sore from last night's run and feeling stiff and creaky starting out, the run was fine. I'm honestly stunned at how easily I've slipped back into the running groove. At one point, I realized that my mind had been aimlessly drifting for a while and when I came back to reality I wasn't 100% sure if I'd missed my turn or not. That's sort of a big deal since I've lived in this neighborhood less than a year and I'm only familiar with a handful of main streets plus the few adjacent to the one I live on. Getting lost in the dark would kinda suck.

Splits:
Mile 1 12:28
Mile 2 12:10

I'd also like to state for the record that I'm a freaking genius. Remember when I said that I needed to find a local running store? For someone reason I had it stuck in my head that I needed to find a non-chain local running store. I guess because that is where I shopped before we moved. So, yesterday I was sitting outside on my lunch hour and I happened to look up and what did I spy? The HUGE Dick's Sporting Goods across the parking lot from the office that I've worked at for almost a year.  DUH!  So, I ran over and bought myself a few new running goodies! I'm once again in possession of some body glide, and I also decided to buy a new handheld water bottle/cell phone holder. It's getting close to the point where I'm going to have to start taking water on my runs and I've pretty much hated my fuel belt since I first bought it. Eventually I'm going to have no choice but to use the damn thing, but at least for now I can get away with carrying just a single bottle of water. And I really need to face the fact that for safely reasons, I need to be carrying my cell phone when I run at night or on long runs that take me farther from home. So, hopefully this new holder thing will work out and solve both issues at once.

And last, but certainly not least, I've been invited to run the Flagstaff Half Marathon with an acquantiance. She's already signed up and is looking for someone to run it with her. Training-wise, it would actually fit in really well for me, it is a trail race - which I've never done before and always wanted to try, and the cost isn't too insane.  However, it falls the day before my birthday so I'm not positive if that's how I want to bring in the last year of my 30's.  Plus the website for the race describes it as, "the most scenic and difficult marathon in the Southwest" and quite frankly I find that just a wee little bit intimidating.  I'm leaning towards signing up, but I'm going to let it settle for a few days before I commit.

Phew, that was a long one.  If you made it all the way to the end with me, thanks for sticking it out!