A Terrible, Horrible, Really Bad Six Mile Run

Today's six miles really sucked. It was bad and it had NOTHING to do with my legs - well, despite the fact that they felt heavy. The odd thing was that my arms were really sore and I felt that my legs were carrying my arms. What's up with that? Who ever says, "Yah, I had a bad run today cause my arms were really sore." It just sounds stupid.

Jen and I started our 4:1 interval which turned into a 2:1 - this was the smartest move we made. The last two miles were far more tolerable than the first four. I'm hoping this was my bad run of the season - I've got 14 miles to do on Saturday and it's gotta feel better than the six miles did today.

12 Rounds of Core Strength

'Tis the season to continue track workouts. Cancer doesn't take a break so why should Team in Training? It was a small group tonite since so many people were out of town or getting ready for the holidays. (By the way, I have 11 coming for Christmas dinner - but I showed up.)

Tonite Coach Kris put together a "fun" little Christmas carol inspired circuit training workout - 12 circuits total, with one lap of jogging in between each circuit. The carol? 12 Rounds of Core Strength to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The carol led us through our training. AND YES...what we sang was EXACTLY what we had to endure. Sing it with me!

On the first round of core strength, my mean coach sent to me
A fifteen second front plank.
(jog a lap)

On the second round of core strength, my mean coach sent to me
Two standing squats,
And a fifteen second front plank.
(jog a lap)

On the third round of core strength, my mean coach sent to me
Three jumping jacks,
Two standing squats,
And a fifteen second front plank.
(jog a lap)

........and so on...you get the picture, leading to the final round...

On the twelfth round of core strength, my mean coach sent to me
Twelve blazin burpees,
Eleven toes a-prancing,
Ten crabs a-walking,
Nine count side planks, (both sides, no cheating!)
Eight butts a-kicking, (not the coaches, kick your own)
Seven speed skaters,
Six runners running,
Five push-ups!
Four walking lunges,
Three jumping jacks,
Two standing squats,
And a fifteen second front plank!

Well done on the carol, Coach Kris! I'm sore already. So...those of you who missed track - you've got no excuse to say, "I didn't know what to do?" By the way, don't sass the coach - 'cause she'll sit on your hip while you do the side plank (both sides).

Coach Bob and Coach Doug did a different training rendition of the 12 days - check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2oPio60mK4

Whatever your holiday ---- enjoy this time of year with your friends and family!

TWELVE Fantastic Miles!

TWELVE fantastic miles in Sawyer Camp along the Crystal Springs resevoir on Saturday. I felt great throughout the run - best I've felt doing this distance. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The day before was a day full of weather - cold and rain. But Saturday? Well, 36F and ice on the windshield at 6:45am when I left my house. But clear skies on the drive to San Mateo...until we saw Crystal Springs - dense fog over the water. Pea soup fog. Holy crap fog. Did-I-bring-enough-gear-to-keep-dry-and-warm kind of fog...but I was dressed perfectly. Had my camera and everything and started running with a great group that kept on getting bigger - apparently we were at the right pace and the 4:1 interval was working for a lot of people. We had a great time chatting and couldn't believe it when we hit the four mile mark where we bid farewell to Simone. Then 5 mile mark and we said, "so long" to two more. And all along the way MY CAMERA WOULD NOT WORK. It's a dinky little thing that distorts action shots in a kind of cool way. These were the only pictures that came out - so no picture of Andria running on the dirt trail with grass edging the barbed wire fence. No group picture on the Crystal Spring Dam. No pics of Toni flying down the hill or the lone deer at mile 9. No picture of the post-run feast at Hobbies - Florentine scramble with extra spinach, home fries, endless cuppa joe with half 'n' half, and for dessert - blueberry coffee cake. Hey, just ran 12 miles...what do you expect? Non-fat yogurt for breakfast?

11 miles at the Baylands!

11 miles and 42 degrees on clear, still day at the Palo Alto Baylands. It was a 10 mile run along the bay with ducks, pelicans, blue herons, and other birds ignoring us all along the way. Great running with Andria and Rakhee and maintained a fairly consistant pace while running a 4min run/1min walk interval. First time running that interval for a long run and it worked for me. I decided to run with the wave 2 folks, but I'll be doing track workouts with wave 3 to work on speed work. Long runs are all about the mileage, track is all about the speed. Ahh, now it's coffee with half 'n'half after the bagel with lox shmear. Yumma.

5K Time Trial

WOOT WOOT!! This week's track night was the infamous 5K time trial. The moment of truth when the run team runs 12 laps to determine the waves we'll be placed in for the season. What would my time be? Would it be an improvement from the summer time trial? Will I run intervals or straight through? As much as I loved running with Wave 1 over the summer - I really did, we had lots of fun, and I met by running BFFs - I wonder if I will move up in the waves?

I conservatively pushed myself and did not take any walk breaks and I shaved NINE MINUTES (9 and remember I am J9) off my time. During the summer I ran a 5K in 42:09 and this time I ran it in 33:07. This is huge people - HUGE I tell you. When input into a pace chart, my marathon time would be 5hrs 23 minutes. That's an HOUR off my Nike Marathon time! Also consider that I have 2 and a half months of training left, will more time be shaved? You betcha. Now I'm waiting for the email from Coach Kris indicating my wave. Stay tuned...

AND YES! I have progressed from Wave 1 to Wave 3! (six waves total).

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving Day I ran the 10K Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. I started off with 5 of my TnT friends and ended up running nearly the whole thing with two of my mentees (James and Andria)! That's them in a pic. We had fun running in and between children, strollers, and walkers. I ran it in 1:10:15. I felt like I pushed myself and made a very foolish error with about three-quarters of a mile to go. I bolted way too fast thinking the end was nearer than it. I couldn't sustain the speed and soon Andria came up effortlessly behind me as I huffed and puffed. I'm glad we caught up with each other, because it was really nice running across the finish line together. After picking up my swag and eating a banana, I made it to the kids' fun run area just in time to see my oldest run across his first finish line at the very front of the pack! The little guy ran a few minutes earlier and came in second. They were super excited to earn their first medals. What a great way to start off Thanksgiving!

Back on Track!

FINALLY, I am back into the training routine:

• Mon/Weds - circuit training and stretching for 60-75min.


• Tues - Track (Kris hammered the circuit into us with drills focusing on core and leg strengthening)


• Thur - 6am Buddy Run - 4-6 miles


• Sun/Fri - recovery/rest


• Sat - long run (today's along the MIGHTY Guadalupe River Trail)

Last season, my marathon training goal was to train to endure a marathon from start to finish. This season, I'm training to shave off time. However, at this point in the season, my big focus is to support new participants. Some of the participants are new to running and/or are training for a half marathon. I remember how IMPORTANT it was to get mentor support during these early stages, so I want to give back and do the same for others. It's so easy to get down on yourself for not keeping up with the person passing you, or because you can't do the plank for more than 5 seconds. It can be hard to convince yourself that patience, is indeed a virtue. Strength and endurance will come as long as you keep up with the training.

So, in order for me to get my mileage in while help people out, I've been running some pre-run runs. During this time, I'm running faster and with a longer run interval (4:1 or 5:1). We'll see how it pays of when I run the 10K Turkey-Trot on Thanksgiving Day - I'm aiming for a consistant pace and speed in this one. We'll see what happens!

Why J9, Why: A reminder of WHAT this is all about

As I enter into a new season, I'm looking back on my training just a few months ago. I'm really amazed at how far I have come. I ran 9 miles on Saturday and felt zero soreness. I was REALLY tired later in the day, but a few months ago...9 miles and ice-bath happened within an hour of each other (evidence to the right).

I'm also thinking about why I'm doing this and have to quote a posting from a few months ago. It holds true whether you are a novice TNT participant or a veteran. EVERY runner has a goal - to push beyond their own limits, whatever they are. The longer runs get tougher, but we will always push through with the reminders of why we are out there - the stuggles we experience during marathon training don't compare to the struggles families experience as they endure the devasting effects of cancer. Chemo, radiation, spinal taps, the poking and prodding of needles, sick from cancer, sick from treatments, feelings of hope to feelings of despair, messages left on the phone by doctors stating, "You have cancer. Call back to schedule an appointment."

During every training, we all support teammates through hardships and successes with sarcasm and smiles. We're also quick to state ,"Suck it up, man! Try chemo!" The entire TNT group is the most inspiring, sincere, dedicated, supportive, caring group of people I have ever met - it's a cult of "nice" people with the mission to cure cancer. Which brings me to my last point - many honorees have stated that they are inspired by our dedication to "the cause". However, it is them who inspire us. Sniff, sniff.

Couch Potater Turned Marathon Trainee, now MARATHONER!

Yahoo, I'm in it for the long haul now - a running addict for a cause. I'm sucked into Team In Training for Season 2: The Napa Marathon. I'm in for the cause (raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society), the comraderie, the coaching, the inspiration.

This season will be very different as it is the....ooooooo.....winter season. Cold, rain, wind, fog, on some familiar trails and a few new ones - I'm really looking forward to 20 miles in Monterey. I've heard GREAT things about that run. Waddell Creek and Natural Bridges will be familiar runs with the added bonus of MUD. Unfortunately, Lake Mersucks-I mean Merced, will not be on the schedule. My goal is to improve my endurance and speed, and complete the marathon in 5:30. I'm pretty sure it can be done - 5:45 is a NO brainer. Perhaps I'll knock of even more time, we shall see.................

NIKE Women's Marathon FINISHER!

$18 million was raised through NIKE Women's Marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Of the 20,000 participants - 5,000 were running with Team in Training, and 100 of those ran along with me from the South Bay Run Team. This was the third most powerful experience of my life. The first two? My sons.

For me, October 19th started with the alarm going off at 2:30am in my SF hotel room for early morning breakfast. You know the drill - two packets instant oatmeal, 2 hard boiled eggs, cuppa tea, and - oops- forgot to eat that banana!

4:40am, the early start runners met with Coach Doug to take the bus to the starting line from the SF hotel. First best set of quotes for the day? Bus driver: "Where's the start?" Coach Doug: "Union Square." Bus Driver: "Where's Union Square?" We did make it to the start in plenty of time under the darkness of a pre-dawn sky while still not really comprehending the magnitude of the day. Not sure if it was denial or self-preservation or a little bit of both.

5:30 am the gun goes off and the race began with a GO TEAM! We, four run girls, developed our plan. We would walk the first couple of miles before entering into our run/walk intervals and would walk the hills. I created a pace chart with the approximate number of minutes to complete each and every mile. I new I could be off by 25 minutes either way, and I was cool with that. The pace chart was important for several reasons: 1) My family and a friend were coming out to support me at mile 21 and at the finish line. I wanted to give them an approximation as to when I would hit those marks; 2) I wanted to gauge my own pace. My goal? To complete the marathon in 6 hours and 23 minutes or less.

The race - an experience never to be forgotten - 20, 000 runners and HUNDREDS of supporters. Bands and drummers en-route. Water stops a plenty. Friendly runners along the way. Best of all were the coaches, captains, mentors, and other TNT participants from MY team as well as others there to support US on our run. What makes a marathon a marathon and not just at 26.2 mile run down any old trail? The cheers, the smiles, the GO TEAMs from mile 1 through to the end. The San Francisco sunrise. The humor of the RunGirls throughout. The honorees at mile 15 and mile 26.2. The Golden Gate Bridge, The Presidio, the Cliff House, the bison in Golden Gate Park. The look of assurance with the words: "You look strong." The water stops. The Great Highway. Mike's fresh salt packs at mile 18.5. Lake Merced.

Simone at mile 20 yelling, "PUT DOWN THAT CAMERA SO I CAN TAKE YOUR PICTURE!" Feeling the support of my dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, husband, my two children, and two friends at mile 21. Hearing, "You guys are AWESOME." Steve's mellow run-talk through mile 22. Mike's 23 mile salt pack. The final ascent back up the Great Highway and seeing Coach Doug. The knowing that it can be done and that it will be done. Coach Tim, "I'll save that story for another time" - "No, we NEED that story now" and Coach Tim telling the story.

Seeing my family at mile 25.5.

Brief runs with mentor after mentor after mentor. Knowing, it is being done! Running with Jen the entire 26.2 miles in 6 hours 23 minutes and 57 seconds and getting that Tiffany necklace and finisher t-shirt. (By the way, go back and read my estimated time.) Post-run soreness alleviated by Coach Kris FORCING me to dance 6 hours after completing the marathon.

The second best quote of the day? 20 minutes after completing the race, I'm hanging with my family in the "P" section. I'm putting on a sweatshirt, pants, and changing shoes. I see Margot in the stunned post-marathon-brain-freezed daze that we are ALL in. I say, "Hey Margot, how do you feel?" She gives me the Margot look, but then says..."Janine, yah know, I think I could do this again." My reply, "Napa."

March 1, 2009: I will run the Napa Marathon with Team in Training.

San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon - Completed!!

Today I did it - conquered the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll half marathon. For me, this was considered a training run and the last long run before the marathon two weeks from today. Wow, two weeks from today.

This was my first race since the elementary school race I ran which I don't even remember. I practiced putting on my race bib, shoe chip, and the all important - pacing in the midst of all the excitement. There were a whole bunch of bands along the route which made it really fun. My favorite band was along the Alameda - the horn section was playing in the street. We saw a few Elvises and an Egyptian pharoah in front of the Rosicrucian Museum. It was great and I've got my hunk of bling to prove I finished.

Yo J9...what's coming up?

Oct 5 - J9's running the San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.

Oct 7 – Last day to donate to LLS for J9’s event! Hey…if you haven’t donated yet, skip the Starbucks and donate 5 bucks to kick cancer’s butt! Every penny counts! Click link to the right to make a secure donation.

Oct 19 – J9's running the Nike Women’s Marathon in SF with 20,000 runners, 4,000 of which are Team in Training participants raising millions for Leukemia and Lymphoma society thanks to generous donors.

20 Miles, Baby! Oh, yes...TWEN-TEE miles.

Today, by far, was THE best run of the season. Mike Z has always stated that “the 20’s” are a very special place. Indeed, he is right. Fuel, hydration, and muscles all worked for the ENTIRE run. It was SO good, that Jen and I sprinted to the finish for the last quarter, or so, mile. I had minor moments of cramping and dizziness which were eliminated within minutes thanks to salt packets and water. In the end...my legs did not feel like they ran 20 miles, but indeed they did.

Here’s the day – up at 4:15am. Breakfast: two bowls of oatmeal, two hard boiled eggs, 16 oz. of Gatorade, banana in the car en route. Carpool to Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz with the usual Marathon Run Girls – Beth, Jen, and Robin. At 7 am, got the run lowdown from coach Tim – explanation of meandering trails and scenic beauty. This run was chunked perfectly.

• First Chunk: 8 miles out and back from Natural Bridges to just beyond the Beach Boardwalk along W. Cliff Drive. Friendly morning runners and others asking, “You all Team in Training? What’s your event? How far are you going? Go Team!” And the fabulous “dolphin show” – how’s that for a good omen? And, of course, the water stop manned by encouraging TNT volunteers.
  
• Next chunk: 2 miles along a bike path paralleling HWY 1 headed north, through a portion of the Wilder Ranch with historic out buildings and up to REAL bathrooms with sinks! OH…Beth nearly tackled fellow TNTers to get to the pretzels at this water stop – I had the trail mix with M&M’s, almonds, peanuts, raisins and a water chaser after the Hammer Gel.


• Third Chunk: 2 miles through asparagus and pumpkin fields to the next water stop along the railroad tracks.
  
• Fourth Chunk: 2 miles briefly along railroad tracks, through the fields and along the Ohlone Bluff Trail – THIS IS TRAIL IS A WINNER! On the coast, fog lifting then disappearing, pumpkin fields on the right, ocean to the left. It doesn’t get better than this.
  
• Last Chunks: Back tracking through the previous perfect chunks and water stops back to Natural Bridges to make a grand total of – 20 miles.

We four Run Girls really stuck it through– with the effects of endurance running hitting some more than others during the last 3 miles. I was amazed – my legs did NOT give out on this run. We did walk a bit more at the end, but when we saw Mike Z just near the end – Jen and I picked it up, and soon a run turned into a sprint ending at the finish line with cheers from the Team. That’s Team in Training, full support from the start until the last person crosses the finish line – no other group like it.GO TEAM!

End Note: Post-run re-fuel? Soy chocolate milk then Lunch at Hoffman's in Santa Cruz: coffee, croissant, eggs benedict, bacon. Drive home. Clean-up. Nap. Bragging rights. Oh, yeah, did I mention I ran 20 miles on Saturday.

Getting Ready for Saturday's 20 MILES!

During today's track, we rungirls started chatting about prep for the 20 miler. This is the marathon "dress rehearsal" - and the dress rehearsal starts now. Time to hydrate, eat well during the week, and get plenty of sleep.

Saturday morning - up at 4am for two bowls of oatmeal, a cuppa tea, and a banana. In between spoonfuls of oatmeal, I'll start foam rolling the legs to warm-up the muscles before the stretching routine - calves, achilles, quads, hip flexors.

Then gotta wear the right non-chafing, sweat-wicking, cool-running outfit. Before the outfit goes on, gotta smear the BodyGlide all over the feet and between the toes, wherever clothes brush against the skin, and other unmentionable areas. I plan to wear my new Atalanta (skirtgoddess.com) run skort - wore it at track and it felt GREAT!

Friday night I will pack up my fuel belt. Gotta carry electrolyte replenishing liquids (32 oz), glycogen replenishing gels (5-6 packs), caffeine loaded beans (1 pack), and something for the belly that's not a liquid, gel, or bean. Preferably chocolate flavoured. I liked the PowerBar multi-grain chocolate, chocolate-chip bar I had last week (42 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein). The stomach definately needs something more substantial than a Gu or gel during the long runs. Have no fear, we've got water stops on the run to re-fill the bottles. So, that's the food during the run. Also need lip goop, a camera, kleenex, and money for the post-run MEAL.

After expending THOUSANDS of calories and depleting all glycogen stores in the body, gotta eat and eat soon. Hmmm, I'll have my post-run choco-milk in the cooler, a banana, maybe some pumpkin bread. Then, it's off to brunch. As of this moment, I'm looking forward to eggs benedict, coffee with half 'n' half, hash browns, fruit, and a side of sausage or bacon -and ice water with lemon.

And why? This week I'm running in honor of a 17 month old little guy who was diagnosed with Leukemia today. He's getting a spinal tap tomorrow. I'm running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who supports families and funds research. I'm running to save lives.

GO TEAM! Donate Now!!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf08/jpenney

GO BETH, GO!

Short run on 9/13 - and it was all about helping out Beth make-up last week's 18 mile run. Jen and I ran with her for the first 9 miles. Nice cool morning, feeling pretty good. We caught up with Robin and Dianne who were going to do the last nine miles with beth. I turned to Jen, and said, "I feel pretty good! How do you feel? So we decided to do another 3 miles making it a totla of 12 miles for Saturday's SHORT run. Robin and Dianne supported Beth for the last 6 miles, and she did it! So I've done a minimum of 12 miles 6 times this season, and in two weeks - TWENTY MILES, BABY!

WE CONQUERED 18 MILES!

Yep, WE. If it weren't for the run girls, I think I would have given up. Jen, Robin, and I were joined by Sandy on this run - the more run girls the better. Beth was sick this time out :( We were warned to be prepped for the sun and heat - it did reach 90F during the run. Had water, electrolyte drinks, variety of GUs and GELs, and the drive to conquer 18 miles along the Coyote Creek trail. We saw sun, shade, water, the creek, a shaking bridge, a dead bird, a water skier, and runners and walkers from the South Bay, Monterey Bay, and Peninsula run teams. The long runs are getting tougher - the last two miles always a desperate game between the head and legs. I can breathe without a problem, but those legs start giving out at the same time my head is telling them, "You're never going to make it." Before we headed out, Coach Doug reminded us these run are tough, but to push through with the reminders of why we are out there - the stuggles we experience during marathon training don't compare to the struggles families experience as they endure the devasting effects of cancer. Chemo, radiation, spinal taps, the poking and prodding of needles, sick from cancer, sick from treatments, feelings of hope to feelings of despair, messages left on the phone by doctors stating, "You have cancer. Call back to schedule an appointment." My head didn't let my legs give up and I did complete 18 miles. So then what? Chocolate milk, ice bath, two breakfast burritos, nap, dinner: steak, fully loaded baked potato, salad, chips, toasted-coconut-rolled-ice-cream sundae with hot-fudge and whipped cream...and a guiltless feeling. I deserved all of this!

Making Strides

While I'm making my own personal strides as I train, we as a team are making HUGE strides in fundraising for blood cancer research and patient services to support patients right here in the bay area. Our team has raised nearly $225K SO FAR! We have several honorees running along side us - several in remission and one is currently in treatment. While we cheer for the amounts raised, the innovative treaments we fund at Stanford, and families we help support financially - not all stories have happy ending. A 2006 team mate is losing her battle as cancer takes over her body - she's 26 and has a young child. An honoree from the peninsula run team who was in remission for 8 years, lost his fight a week ago. Many team mates are here running in honor of loved ones lost or fighting the fight. Kinda puts it all into perspective. Time to kick cancer's butt and not the other way around.

Speed Racer...sort of

So I signed up for the Nike Women's Marathon in SF as my "main" event. Yep, the full marathon. Now I'm going to do the 10K Nike Human Race this Sunday, and I'm signing up for the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on October 5. Gotta practice how to put a bib on and how to avoid elbowing crowds in the corrals. I'd like to get one more race in and make it an even 4 races before my 40th bday. Not bad considering I only started training 13 weeks ago! Oh, and by the way...I'm running 18 miles next weekend. Yes indeedy.

August 23 - SWEET SIXTEEN!

After nursing that shoe-trying-on-injury, today I was back in the game and completed 16 miles on the Nike Marathon course in SF. Ran with Jen the whole time - but were close to Robin and Beth much of the time, too.

Up at 4:15 am to eat an early breakfast, foam rolled the quads, IT band, and calves then stretched. While I didn't mention it to anybody - I was really nervous about running today. No cross training during the week OR the week before - only did track on Tuesday. I was nervous about the knee and ankle. I was nervous about the miles. I feared potential debilitating pain. Jeez people, 16 miles is a long distance!

We started at Lake Merced at 7:15am, ran along the zoo and up Highway 1 to the Windmills. Through Golden Gate Park and saw the Bison - up to the DeYoung Museum and beyond. Back tracked a bit then ran along Martin Luther King back up to Highway 1. And despite my fears, I felt pretty darn good up to this point. Really good until just before Sloat Ave, about 6 miles (?) left, then it all became a head game and a "get these legs moving" game. Breathing was easy, the legs were jell-o. Jen and I weren't talking as much - she was pushing me with words of encouragement and I convinced myself all would be good once I saw the Lake. I need to find a new head game. I regret that I wasn't thinking of a tragedy surrounding my friend's life -THAT would have carried me through. I feel guilty they didn't come to mind.

We made it - made to order breakfast burritos with BACON waiting to be served, GREAT stretching, relaxing with the team before heading home to an ice-bath and a nap. Tired. Tired. Really, really tired.

I did it. We did it. We ran 16 miles today.

Week of August 11

Skipped Tuesday track training to get fitted for new runners - while trying them out I RE-injured my knee.  It ended up hurting MORE than it did last Saturday.  So I've been foam rollin' my way to a slow recovery.  It's a killer, but it IS working.  No running for the week, not even cross training.  I hope to take a long walk on Sunday, then ease into the routine again.  Gotta be fit for the 16 MILE RUN in SF next weekend.

August 9: 11 Years and 14 MILES

Scene: 7 am Portola Valley, 2 miles south of where my dad lived in the late 50's and the start of today's 14 mile run.

Conditions: blue skies, smooshy knee.

Pre-Run Coach's Consult: Smooshy knee appears not to be anything serious. Reverse run walk interval to take it easy on knee, so I did 3min walk/2 min. run while listening to that knee throughout.

Run: Running partner Jen and I enjoyed gorgeous scenery through Portola Valley trails (narrow at times), 3 tough hills, switch backs, deer running across trail, quiet, peaceful. Jen would periodically ask, "How's the knee." No, it wasn't annoying, I did appreciate the concern. We gotta look out for each other!

Post-Run Coach's Consult over Coffee: examined knee to determine damage which was NOT serious. HUGE sigh of relief! It's just aggrevated - ice, ice (baby), elevation, foam roller. It's likely I will skip track training this week. Coach said the most important thing was completing those 14 miles and the rest of this week can be spent in recovery mode - easy cross training and STRETCHING.

So what's this about 11 years? August 9th was also an important date as it's my 11 year wedding anniversay :) 14 miles and 11 years.

August 2nd: 5 Chicks go 6 miles

Los Gatos Creek Trail: 6 miles.
I ran 5 miles here on Thursday. Today, I took the advice of multiple mentors to run HALF the distance of our longest run with my FAB-U-LOUS running buddies. Longest run was 12 miles, so today we went 6. Overall, it was a good run. In fact, I surprised even myself when I stated, "What, we're back already?" Here's the lowdown on the trail. Weekdays at 6am - we see cats and geese, and the occasional runner or walker. Saturday 8am - runners, strollers, bikes, packed parking lot.

$263.85

I got a very generous anonymous donation today for my Team in Training efforts in the amount of $263.85 --THANK YOU!!! Hmm, why $263.85 you may ask? The distance of today's marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards...duh! The length of a marathon was at first arbitrary and all that mattered was that all athletes competed on the same course. The first modern Olympics in 1896 had a marathon distance of 40 km. The starting point for the 1908 Olympic marathon in London was modified so that the Royal Family could have a good view and the length happened to be 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards). That's John J. Hayes with the #26 bib, he was the winner. Pietri (top pic) was ahead of Hayes, but was so confused once he got into the stadium, that he turned around and ran the wrong way! He then stood up and stumbled to the ground several times (severe depletion of glycogen!). Officials assisted him, which caused the poor guy to be disqualified. Irish-American Hayes, really won by luck. By the way, I've now raised $1513.85. Here's my challenge to you: who will step to the plate and donate the metric conversation of a marathon- $421.95?

What's TNT training all about anyway?

I've had friends ask what's all this Team in Training "training" about anyway, so here's the basic gist:

• The entire TNT group is the most inspiring, sincere, dedicated, supportive, caring group of people I have ever met - it's a cult of "nice" people with the mission to cure cancer.


• The training was developed by an exceedingly highly qualified group of folks and we're supported by live, in-person coaches, captains, mentors, and honorees (those fighting cancer). Here's my week:
• Monday and Wednesday - 6am circuit training for 45-60 minutes (no TNT buddies for this)
  Tuesday - Coach led track training 6pm for 2 hours: 1) warm-up 2)stretching 3) drills: toe and heel walking, high knees, butt kicks, lunges, grapevines, cheer-leaders 4) pace setting laps 5) core strengthening : plank, side plank, push ups, etc. (see pic) 6) stretching.
  
• Thursday - 6am buddy run for 5 miles (will increase to 7)



• Friday - rest/recovery day (stretching only)
• Alternating Saturdays - buddy run (half of longest distance run to date) or coach led long run (will do 14 miles on 8/9)
• Sunday - rest/recovery day (stretching only)

During every training, we all support teammates through hardships and successes with sarcasm and smiles. We're also quick to state ,"Suck it up, man! Try chemo!" Which brings me to my last point - many honorees have stated that they are inspired by our dedication to "the cause". However, it is them who inspire us. Sniff, sniff.

July 26: A Dead Rat, Two Tires, and a Waterfall

Saturday's long run at Waddell Creek (Big Basin Redwoods, HWY 1 side) was a GREAT 12 mile run. I got up at 5am and ate a bowl of oatmeal. Left the house by 6:30am for the TNT carpool to be at Waddell by 7:45am. The coast was SUNNY with an ever so mild breeze. This was the perfect coastal morning. Started across HWY 1 when Robin yelled over to us, "Are you leaving? How many miles?" She claimed she heard someone say "eight" and crossed the road with us. Coach Tim (that's him in the pic) did his usual prep-talk and mentioned that according to legend...back in the logging days a topper fell from a tree to a sure death when he landed on two tires causing him to bounce to his feet ready to top another tree. It has been said (by Coach Doug), that if you kick the tires you are assured a successful running event. On that note, we started off. Along with Robin, 5 of us (myself, Jen, Beth, Carrie, and Danielle) grouped together maintaining a 3min run: 2min walk interval at the same pace. After a few miles, we saw a fresh dead rat. Nice. The dappeled shaded dirt trail was lined by redwoods and ferns. We crossed occasional bridges crossing the smooth stone lined creek. Came across the tires, and just to be sure, we all kicked them with BOTH feet. A few walking hills - but this was GREAT! At the 6 mile mark, we came to the waterfall. Gorgeous. Along the way, we talked Robin not only into running the 12 miles for the day, but switching from the Nike Half-Marathon to the full! I think we talked Beth into going 12 today, as well. We kept each other going with positive sarcasm and good conversation - although, I can't remember what we talked about.

Felt pretty darn good (tired, of course) at the end of the run and ready for the potluck facing the beach. Had a bit of pasta salad, got a cuppa joe and made my way to the natural ice bath called the Pacific Ocean. Set my watch for 10 minutes and stood in the water up to my knees, letting the waves crash into me. Yah it was cold - but natural salts and the healing powers of the COLD made this the perfect end to a great 12 mile run. Couldn't have done it without my TNT peeps. GO TEAM! Almost forgot to mention how long the 12 miles took to run. Hmmm, I don't seem to recollect...

Training Schedule: Week of July 21

Cross training MONDAY was a strenuous day of watching my kids (and husband) dig holes in the sand then bury themselves. Ouch, I pulled a muscle.
TRACK TUESDAY was spent doing "hill repeats." What is a hill repeat? According to coach Tim, it is when you run up a hill, come down, then repeat. First we warmed up (a mile run?) Then did hill repeats on Miles Ave. in Los Gatos for about 15 minutes. We also had a "Long Run Round Table Discussion." All the good stuff about what to eat before, during, and after an endurance event and why you need to replenish simple carbs during an endurance event - gotta replace that glycogen or you'll feel really sick during and after the run. Also... that now is the time to experiment with foods, gu, clothing as we increase mileage into the double digits. I slirped down gu during my 12 mile run and what a difference it made! Back to my training schedule...

Circuit training on Wednesday with 15 minutes of stretching at the end.

During the first 2 miles of THURSDAY'S BUDDY RUN, I felt uncoordinated and awkward. That mellowed out and I got into a groove to complete 5 miles in 55 minutes WITH a 3min run: 2min walk interval.

So, J9...WHAT'S UP for SATURDAY's COACH LED RUN? Waddell Creek just south of Ano Nuevo. My goal...12 miles.

I am a Runner

"I am not a runner." I said this to Coach Tim a couple of times and his immediate response (both times) was, "The runner has always been inside you." Apparently, it was inside a box in my garage in the form of a 1981 Nimitz Elementary School Trophy. I found this relic, from President Carter's push to get kids physically fit, as I cleaned out the garage the day after I ran 12 miles. I do remember running relays and earning stickers for running laps in 5th grade, but what was that trophy for?

Training Schedule: Week of July 14

45 minutes Circuit training, then 10 min. of stretching on MON & WEDS went well. TUESDAY track training: 3 lap warm-up; drills - toe walking, heel walking, lunges, butt kicks, high knees. Then 1 mile at marathon pace (I did 12:30 roughly), 2 laps slightly faster, 1 lap faster still. Then a few more laps. I'm getting the pacing down and ran all of Tuesday without intervals - track is the night go for it! Keep in mind I'm still going for a 6 to 6.5 hour marathon. Ended with stretching (plank, side plank, etc.) Used a foam roller for the first time on my IT band! On THURSDAY'S 6am buddy run, I ran 5 miles at a 3:2 pace with mentor Jen. We started picking up the pace at the end - proof the walking aids recovery. For SATURDAY's "ON-YOUR-OWN" run, went back to senic Sawyer Camp and ran 8 miles at 3:2 with mentor Jen again and saw a few bunnies and deer. It felt good, although my calf and achilles are getting tight.

July 12: 12 Miles, 4 Blisters, 3 Bags of Ice

Today, I RAN 12 MILES. I have minimal damage - 4 blisters and two sore legs. Two of the blisters are on top of each other, so I'm not sure how to count that one. But, I'm jumping ahead...

It was a cool, gray Saturday morning at Sawyer camp – PERFECT day for a run. As always, I checked in with Coach Kris to tell her my morning mileage – 10 miles. Took off at 7:10am with a stomach full of Gu (Tri Berry flavor), running along a lake and through the trees alongside bunnies and lizards. But without my usual running mates, I was unsure of how I would make it without them. Luckily Margot began running with me and helped me to set a pace – we were both doing a 3:1 (3min run:1 min walk) interval. I had a rhythm – both breathing and movement. At mile 4 or so, I continued on without Margot. At the 10mile turnaround, I said to myself, “I’m going to shoot for 12.” Then the incline began. I ran a bit, but mostly walked at a brisk pace up the hill. Top of the hill at the 6 mile marker stood the TNT water-Gatorade-gel-pretzel-Pink Floyd-station. I hung out there for about 10-15 min and then Margot arrived! She took her break and we began the descent (walking to save knees). Began back to intervals at about 6.5 miles – I was doing it and felt good for a really long time! At mile 9, my calves were done and I felt blisters. As if on cue, mentor Kristy came up from behind and gave me the boost that I really needed to keep on going. Finally, MILE 12 (TWELVE!) ARRIVED. I stretched while talking to fellow TNTers. I walked. I drove home – with a quick stop to buy 3 bags of ice (21 lbs). Home. Shoes off (4 ripe blisters), sweatshirt on, fully clothed. Filled bathtub with a bit of cold water. Made hot cup of coffee. Into the bath with water up to knees, then my husband and kids dumped the ice onto my legs. 10 minutes – COLD, REALLY COLD - focused on blood rushing to muscles to heal 12 miles of damage. Coooool shower. Refueled with 4 scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese. Then sleep – 3 hours. On June 7th, I ran the longest distance I had ever run in my life – 3 miles. Today, July 12th, I ran 12.

Training Schedule: Week of July 7

Circuit training on Mon/Weds was good - worked hard. Track training Tuesday was GREAT (seriously, I mean it!) with my strong and steady supports (Dianne, Robin, and Andria. Hey, where was Beth?) Started off with drills: toe walking, heel walking, side stepping, grapevines, high knees, butt kickers, lunges (I think?). Then my group ran with Coach Doug (the Olympian). 6 laps total - alternating between slow pace, medium pace, then FAST pace, then repeated the laps. As Robin said, we set the bar so low for the slow pace, we could've limboed under it. I felt so good during the FAST pace - granted I couldn't talk and would not have been able to continue another lap. BUT, I could feel the rhythm to the breathing and running and I could definately tell that my core is strengthening up. Building up my six-pack! My second fast lap was 1 min 59 sec! I must say, I did well tonite! Oh, we did stretching at the end with otter pops in hand. Thursday's Buddy run - 5 miles. For Saturday's long run, I am now shooting for 10 miles - eek!

Training Schedule: Week of June 30

Monday - 30 min. brisk walk with my son, Super E, while chasing his remote control car; 45 min. circuit training, then 10 min. stretching. Coach Shaluinn (yah, she just ran in the Olympic Marathon Trials) took us strong and steady folks through Track Training Tuesday. Focused on new drills (getting the flash dance thing down - HIGH knees) and GREAT stretching in the end. 30 minutes of cross training Wednesday, core training, and LOTS of stretching :) Thursday's Buddy Run pretty much sucked for me. Talk about an off day! I was tired and felt uncoordinated for all but 2 min. of the 4 miles. Luckily, tomorrow is a designated rest day.

Training Schedule: Week of June 23

Mon./Weds. I did circuit training for 35 minutes (then stretching, of course!). Tuesday was timed trials night at the track - I did 5K (3 or so miles) in 42 min and 09 sec!! Hey, remember I am a novice runner. I felt really good during the run and never felt like dying or throwing up. I kept with the 3min run/1 min walk. My goal at this point is to maintain 14min miles. I ran 3 miles at Thursday's buddy run (3min run/2min walk). I didn't want to push too hard, because I'm shooting for SIX miles for Saturday's long run. WOO HOO! I DID 6 MILES ON SATURDAY in 1 hour/20 min while running 3 min/walk 1min pace! I felt good throughout but felt my best between the 2 and 4 mile marks. My lung capacity is increasing and my heart is becoming more efficient - I can now run and talk at the same time. At the end, I felt like I could have gone 7 miles. And hey, based on Tuesday's track, my estimated marathon time was 7 hrs 19 min. Based on Saturday's run, my estimated time is only 6 hrs and 34 min!