Run J9, Run!

Victoria Marathon...CRUSHED

2010-10-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Friday, 10/8/10, 6:55am, Victoria Marathon Weekend
Location: Above California

Beverage: Strong Starbucks cuppa joe with ample steamed half 'n' half
Playlist: David Holmes / U2 / Coldplay / Cake

Company: TNT peeps extraordinaire with more to come on the following flight. Family at home waking up to get ready for school. Thinking about them often.

Me: Getting mentally psyched up for my third marathon. First was....my first. A "Get-'er-done" experience. A meeting of the Run Girls. Second marathon was an injury ridden horrendous experience of frustration and elation. Did it, done. Marathon #3 is a "I am physcially healed, body stong, mind prepared and ready to push it -- but maybe not as hard as my body is really capable of running. It's all good. Cause there will be a marathon #4. However, today is about today.

Today: fly, arrive, coffee, marathon expo, high tea at the Empress, marathon expo, dinner, sleep. It's a day without stress. A day of getting ready to get ready.

Tomorrow: strategy session with Wolf-Pac and its honorary members. It's a Running Den of 5 (plus others) who have been training together on long runs for this marathon weekend . Strategizing with charts, graphs, pace charts, an airing of the "what ifs" to prepare for all possible outcomes. Knowledge is power. Only later do you free the mind, so the feet will follow.

Dateline: Monday, 10/11/10 -- Day after the marathon

Beverage: water

Playlist: One Tree Hill, U2...and others

Marathon #3...done. 5:05:21 (PR by 52 minutes)

Marathon Day Re-Cap

The Wolf-Pac starts out scouting the grounds and, by mile 1, converged into full Wolf-Pac-Five formation running together high in spirits, working in rhythm, pumping each other up mentally to boost the physical while sticking to the 8 min run/ 1 min walk.

Interacting with other runners, supporters on the sidelines, and each other. Maintaining a steady solid pace within range of a most amazing time goal for us all. Running by streets with names to inspire, and names reminiscent of friends and memories from childhood far away from Victoria. All of this helping to remove the numbers from the miles.

Coach Tim comes upon us while in positive form, smiles, laughs, encouragement. I hope we gave to him, what he gave to us.

As early-starting friends and teammates approached us, while making their way to the finish line-- we formed a line of high fives, passing each other by with heart-felt "GO TEAMs!". The elites began sprinting by, erupting more cheers from our group.

As the miles pass the words between us become sparse. I wasn't expecting this to happen this early on in the race. By mile 14ish, I sense each of us beginning to retreat into our own heads. I know this course from last year and call out to our Wolf-Pac Den of Five -- "We continue straight for a bit, and make a left. There's a water stop -- then we turn around and make our way back." Okay. Get my water bottle ready, refill, recap, make my u-turn. I know Ilya is right behind/beside me. And yet, upon my return, I see Jen...and Juana slightly further back..... Marc following even further back. My heart sinks, feels broken. We had set ourselves up to run together as a Pac of Five up to mile 20. It isn't happening. As Ilya and I continue, the others fall further behind. I can't look back to see who was behind -- I ask Ilya to take a glance and I see disappointment on his face. I think to myself, "We all agreed - if one stops, if one slows down, the others.....continue. It's race day. It's what you do."

Mile 18. Tough. The chant through my head echoes, "I'm here to run. I'm here to run. I'm here to run." Pace slows...picks back up while maintaining a 8 min run/ 1 min walk with a little bit more walk on occasion. At mile 21ish, we slow dramatically as Ilya and I see a swerving Cortney (Wolf-Pac) -- give her salt -- tell her to take the salt -- force her to gu. Chatting to check her head while checking mine. We tell her when we see the Coach, we'll send him back. Ilya and I reluctantly continue. Running with new mantra, "Gotta get the Coach. Gotta get the Coach. Gotta get the Coach. I'm here to run. I'm here to run." One mile to go and we see the biggest smile on the Team - Jesi. "Please run with us...but don't talk." We tell him about Cortney, and he says he'd find her. We run, we run. Mike Z appears with the code word I gave him...."Marrrrcia." "Please run with us...but don't talk." We run, we run. Take a walk break......we run. 500 meters to go. I see Coach Tim along a turn. I gently lift my index finger to my mouth giving the universal symbol for "quiet please". (Note: At the Victory Party, Tim dramatically re-interprets this moment as, "WOW! Great to see ya Coach,...but, shut the F** up!")

A few moments later I take a 15 sec. walk break and Ilya continues. Why, WHY am I walking?!? I pick it back up....400 meters...Z and Coach leave me as I make my way through the final shoot for finishers only. I hear Ilya's being announced as he finishes ahead of me. Then...the Announcer's words pace me through the final approach which lifts my spirits and my arms to and carry me to the final finish...."Janine Penney....from San Jose....running with Team in Training....has finished her marathon....in 5 hours.....and 5 minutes." I crushed that marathon....we all did.

Erin Go Bragh! J9 runs in Ireland!

2010-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Three glorious, sunny weeks vacationing in Ireland. A time to visit family in Dublin, sightsee in Kerry, relax on sandy beaches (yes, it's true), and run the Strawberry Festival Half Marathon in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford (pic taken along race route) .

I was fully trained for this event and ready to PR by 10 minutes or so. The half marathon was scheduled for a week and a half into my trip, allowing lots of time to recover from jetlag. We booked a room at The Old Bridge House B&B just a few blocks from the 10am race start. (Now a word about the B&B's link -- the picture of the Redmonds is probably 10-15 years old. They are much hipper in real life. The couple made our family of 4 feel so welcome, comfortable, and relaxed. We would go back in a heart-beat.)

So Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The race sounds soooooo perfectly planned. Lots of build-up to the perfect drama filled race -- but there was none. This was the first race I have run where my family got to see me off at the start, AND watch me cross the finish line! There was just enough rain in the beginning which made a brick hill a little too slippery for my liking. Soon the sun broke out creating a rather warm and humid run. Generally speaking, the runners were fast and by mile 2, I was close to being a solitary runner. I did have my eye on one woman's back -- we all do it. Spot someone ahead and focus on that person's back. Don't lose 'em! If I could just catch up....and I did.

At mile 4, I met this lovely lady from Wexford and asked her if she wouldn't mind me running with her for a bit. She said sure, but that she may need to take a walk break here and there. That was fine with me. We ran...chatted...walked....chatted....ran...chatted about walk breaks....this was her first half marathon....her son was running ahead with a goal of 1:30......not in my life-time....ran.....chatted, and before I knew it, we had been running together for 8 miles with only one mile to go. I took off for the last mile, because my legs needed to. That's her on the right, as I took off for the last mile.I ignored my pace during those 8 miles. Those easy, conversational miles felt good and were fun. I took more walk breaks than necessary, but it was nice chatting with this lovely lady from Wexford whose name I have forgotten and can't even recall by looking at the race results. When at last I approached the finish line along the river Slaney, there was my family, cheering me on.

I didn't PR this race, and it didn't matter. I enjoyed the run, I enjoyed the company, I enjoyed the journey. The final post-race destination -- a cooling leg bath in the Slaney River.

"How windy? The puddles had white caps." - Robin Podesta

2010-04-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz Half Marathon
An unseasonable storm had been predicted for half marathon day, with rain and winds of up to 20 mph along the coast. And where was the run? Along the coast. Thankfully, the rain gods held tight to their clouds for my first 10-11 miles, and as I rounded the final descent toward the finish - they released their clentch. What a fantastic run -- yeah, there was wind and rain. But I felt great, I started at an easy pace then picked it up. For the first time in a long time, I ran a long distance full of joy. During the final 2 miles, I ran right along the coast -- at times with a head wind, at times the ocean mist spraying on my face, all the time the rain, and all the while a smile upon my face. I loved it. The sound of the rain, the wind, the ocean spray created a rhythm for running that felt easy. I probably could have pushed it more....I'll save that for the next one.

Yo...Spondylolisthesis. Kiss my Psoas!

2010-04-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well…it took me a while to recover from the marathon -- physically and emotionally. I was physically and emotionally pissed off and fed-up about my (lack of) physical recovery.

Long story short – after being born with a lack of confidence in the chiropractic field, I figured it was time to give it a shot. Several running friends gave high accolades to one particular chiro who practices ART – active release therapy. I made an appointment, retold my year-long injury story and mentioned that I was leery of chiropractors. She recommended a back x-ray based on my medical history. When I was about 12, I was diagnosed with spondylolsis – small fracture in my vertebra which caused hip pain. I thought, yeah, I should get another back xray to at least see how things had changed since I was 12. The xray revealed something interesting...I am now diagnosed with isthmic spondylolisthesis– I may have had this for years. Now, I don't require surgery, but I’m still not sure how I feel about this. Check out this link for an animated explanation http://www.spine-health.com/video/spondylolisthesis-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-options-video

I will tell you what I’m doing about it. I am NOT resting. Through strength training, I am getting my core and upper body stronger than it ever was before. Dr. Carley is working out my piriformis, psoas, lower back and things are finally getting loose. My body works symmetrically now and I no longer run on my toes. This happened naturally, didn’t even have to think about it. Next on my list is to get into yoga.

In terms of running, I am registered for two half marathons – one in April, and one in June. I ran 12 glorious miles last weekend without pain before, during, or after the run. I’m running my fourth season with Team In Training – not sure if it will be a half or a full. I really feel in the game. In fact, I wrote a little poem...

an ode to a tale of woe
by runJ9run

Oh calf with pain!
To what do I attribute thee?
Shin splints, stress fracture I did not see.

One blamed the sacroiliac
To be out of place
I wore a funky belt, which caused some disgrace.

It took one who listened, to finally see.
A vertebra set ajar
Caused this leg pain…when I ran too far.

My muscles compensated
As I ran upon a right toe
I’d like to think, it’s why I ran slow.

Sooooooo many issues
Tight piriformis, psoas, IT
Caused Doc Carley to dig into me

All hail core! Strength training and more!
You may have kicked my ass.
But you indeed, improved my perform-ance.

And to whom do I thank?
Why ME!
For becoming an advocate of my medical his-tor-y!

ROYAL VICTORIA MARATHON - 10/11/09

2009-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Introduction
In the weeks leading up to marathon day, my training was SERIOUSLY restricted. The IT issue was related to misaligned sacroiliac (once again). Sacroiliac joint needed a break to maintain alignment which meant doing nothing that created motion with the hips or stress on the lower back. So....no running, no aqua-jogging, no elliptical, no swimming, no cycling, no spinning, no foam rolling, limited walking. Hmmm, this kinda interferes with that MARATHON I'm suppose to be running, eh? However, I could do strengening exercises prescribed by my PT. I became the master squatter, cruncher, therabander doing up to 35 reps of everything 3 times a day. However, in the end, it created a tight hip-flexor that killed me during the last 5 miles of the marathon. But I'm jumping ahead here.

Day 1
Thanks to the support of so many, I raised over $3000 for LLS through Team In Training for the opportunity to run the Royal Victoria Marathon. What a fantastic weekend with perfect weather shared with some amazing people. I arrived in Victoria with 3 fellow rungirls one day ahead of the rest of the team. While waiting in the customs line at the airport, a tall man with an accent started chatting us up. "Are you here for the marathon? Are you running for a charity" We mentioned we were with TNT and chatted for a while before going our separate ways. Fast forward 3 hours after enjoying high tea at the Empress... We got to the expo before it opened and soon the "opening ceremonies" began with that same tall gentleman cutting the ribbon to open the weekend's events. He pointed toward us and smiled down from the balcony saying, "There are my TNT runners!" As we ascended the staircase for the expo he gave each of us a high five. As it turned out, this was Rod Dixon: olympian, New York Marathon winner, and the first TNT coach. Good omen for race day.

Day 2 - The Eve of the Marathon
Toured the marathon course by bus -- knowledge is power dontcha know. Saw the hills and new what to expect. Learned landmarks I would look foward to seeing. Rested, relaxed, drank FANTASTIC coffee.

Attended a Night of Inspiration with fellow TNT athletes. Honoree (and team mate) Todd Moore told us his story and why we were there. His form of blood cancer is most likely to reoccur, the question is when. He thanked us not only for what we are doing now, but for what needs to be done for his future. He finished with something for us to think about during the inevitable hellacious moments of the marathon. He explained, in great detail, his experience of having a auger drilled into his hip with blood dripping down his leg to extract bone marrow. Needle-butt. Not a pretty sight - if he can endure that, surely we can endure a marathon. By the way, Todd finished the Victoria Marathon in 3:38:58.

Day 3 - The Marathon

Up at 4am to warm up the muscles, stretch the IT, hip flexor, and calves -- my problem spots. Hoping that would prevent the voodoo doll in my head from stabbing the points during my run. Eat. Dress. Walk to the starting line.

During the first few miles, my calves were TIGHT. Stopped 3 times to stretch with the encouragement of Jen. The calves were never an issue for the rest of the run. 15 miles flew by...yes they did.

With the sunrise and beautiful scenery, how could it not. Such a piece of cake, truly. Goal #2 could easily be achieved, I thought. We were on track. I was an ultra-conservative runner on that day -- sacro-ili-crap won't get the best of me! It was great seeing fellow TNTers run by...I knew I was not alone.

Jen and I stuck together during a lot of the run, at times playing a game of cat and mouse. At mile 19ish the oh-crap-what-the-hell-is-this happened. Hip flexor tooo tight - every time the left leg made forward motion I winced with pain that came and went in waves. Then the IT crunched near the near. Saw Coach Tim at mile 20ish which released endorphins masking the pain. Mile 22ish had to keep on running -- decreasing walk breaks significantly -- rubbed biofreeze on the hip-flexor and IT. The transition from walk to run was far too painful. At this point, my run pace slowed so the cardio wouldn't run out. I was running without Jen for quite a bit, but my body couldn't take the walking. Visions of "needle-in-the-butt" kept me going. Visions of baby Zach enduring chemo before he reached his first birthday kept me going. The sacroiliac belt with all my honorees names written on it kept me going. My three original marathon time goals were thrown out the window, but my 4th goal was still within reach - sub 6 hours. I had a 5th and 6th goal in place (just in case), but not finishing was not one of them.

The Finish

I hadn't run with Jen for quite some time, I had no idea where she was. I really wanted to finish with her, but I had to keep forward motion and be selfish at that point. 4 miles to go. I sped up my walk pace during those breaks, sped up my run pace. Could I have done this earlier. I don't know. Then OUT OF NOWHERE with roughly a mile to go, this perky (what the hell?) chick shows up by my side, "Janine, let's DO THIS THING!" It seriously took me a moment to snap out of my marathon coma and realize I wasn't hallucinating. It was Jen. I began looking for Arianna and James, they promised to be here somewhere. I needed them. Then they appeared. James began running with Jen.

Arianna began running with me - talking me through the turns and what to expect. I told her I couldn't speak. She knew this feeling from her Napa Marathon and she was low key. She knew what to say and what not to say. I began to run faster and faster. Faster. Honoree Jack and his wife were there near the finish. He was there -- I could see the Finish Line Banner. Closer. Nearly there. Arianna left me and James left Jen. Together, Jen and I sprinted. I saw Evie cheering our names from behind the fence. We sprinted through to the end releasing any pain that previously exisited. For about 2 minutes, that voodoo doll lost control and I ran, without pain, faster...I ran.

The Result

4th goal achieved...sub 6 hours

Marathon time: 5:57:29

15 Miles o' Walkin'

2009-08-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

SO....back on the injury block. Thankfully it's not the sacroiliac which pulled me from the Napa Marathon last March. Now, it's the dreaded IT band that many runners, sooner or later, have issues with. Once diagnosed, I was relieved for a moment or two. I KNEW what I could do before my first physical therapy appt -- foam roll, roll, roll, and roll some more, AND get NEW shoes. I found spots in my glutes that I didn't know existed, and once the tightness was released -- my back pain disappeared. WARNING! I am NOT suggesting that if you have lower back pain you should foam roll your glutes -- I was diagnosed with an IT band issue and I knew rolling this region was good for me. Had I been diagnosed with a sacroiliac issue, hmm, well -- that would have been not so wise.

So I couldn't run the 18 miles as prescribed by my training program -- but I COULD walk. I walked 15 miles and it wasn't easy. I felt FANTASTIC for the first 12 miles, then the legs and glutes started feeling tired. YET, no pain. None. It would have been a very lonely walk had it not been for Wylea -- she really helped me get out of several funks, where I normally would have just given up. Not because I couldn't do it, but because -- well, truth be told, walking for 15 miles is kinda long and boring. We had great chats about our Team In Training experiences (she's done ELEVEN seasons) and we pulled through together.

So now, I've got my aqua-jogging plan in place, sports massage scheduled to knead the IT band, and physical therapy sessions lined up. Fingers crossed. As long as I exercise restraint and not run too soon, I'll be good to go for the Victoria Marathon come October.

TEN MILES!

2009-07-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yes....Ten Miles.
Today I ran my first double-digit run since my winter season injury in January. Jen was on the fence regarding her day's mileage (she ran a half-marathon last weekend), and at last decided to stick with 8. We ran together for the first 4 miles...neither one of us was feeling "the groove". I wasn't looking forward to running the last 6 solo, but then things improved.

Solo, but Not Alone
At mile 6ish, I finally hit a groove. My pace leveled out, transitions between run and walk smoothed (ran 4:1 interval), and that little voice inside my head didn't rear its ugly head by whispering, "Just walk...why bother...what are you trying to prove".

Although I was running solo, I was not running alone. At the ten-mile turn-around, I started to see more TNT runners from other waves. We called out "Go Team!" to each other and had a few conversations with runners as we leap frogged between our run-walk intervals. At miles 6, 7, and 9, I realized I was feeling good. I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind for fear that I would jinx the run. When the finish was in view, I saw the group eating Victoria's Beakfast Burrito's --- I couldn't wait to eat the perfect post-run meal. I chatted, stretched, and just as I was about to eat, one of my mentees came in from her 12 mile run. This was the longest distance Cecile had ever run and she was grinning from ear to ear. She did it, and felt good.

Personal Accomplishments, Team Achievements
We started running as a team in June with a goal of 3-6 miles with zero dollars raised. Marathoners are now running up to 12 miles and, as a team, we have have raised over $115,000! Just imagine how much all Team in Training summer teams will raise nationwide. We are each making personal accomplishments in our running and fundraising goals, while making enormous team achievements for the greater good as a result.

Thank you, once again, to each individual who has donated toward my fundraising efforts. You are indeed making a difference in the lives of so many.
Donations are welcome until the date of my Marathon, October 11, 2009.

FANTASTIC FIVE!

2009-07-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

The "D" Word has been resonating a little too much lately. The word? Defeated. But today, at last, I felt back in the game. And it was a realistic game of five miles at Rancho San Antonio. Love that place. Dirt trails, varied terrain, deer, bunnies, families of quail, and running with Jen.

Started off running intervals and walking (fast) hills -- keeping a reasonable check on the pace on the almighty Garmin 405. Hmm, I think I've heard that's a good idea from um...the coaches, Runner's World, Jack Galloway... Calves getting pretty tight and stopped to stretch at the turn-around.

Then the run back --- one and half miles of mostly downhill with occasional upward grade then the flats for the last mile. GREAT pace, feeling tall. Hit five miles, cool-down walk, stretched.

This was the run to replicate. Yeah, the first few miles of any run are suppose to suck until you get your groove on. Warm-up at a slower pace, then run the run. This is the routine to follow on next week's 8 mile run. Sidenote: Thanks Jen for snapping the pics!! Check out Jen's blog for her accurately detailed sequence of the run.

Bad Day, Good Run?

2009-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was definately a bad day, but overall it was a good run. I've sequenced the details below...

Hot morning
Dehydrated before the start
Running with Jen kept things in perspective
Started out WAY too fast
Goose-bumps at 2 miles
Increased walk interval (good: identified issue and made adjustments to plan /bad: the fact that there was an issue)
Figured out Nathan Bladder (so long fuel belt)
Consistantly walked last two miles
Hydration levels were NEVER maintained
Logged my goal of six miles (mileage is mileage -- run, walk, or crawl)
FANTASTIC post-run potluck for Honoree Week (kudos to Amy's breakfast burritos)
Spent rest of weekend sucking down fluids

So now what? I must get back into the routine of consistantly staying hydrated on a DAILY basis AND get back into a cardio routine on my cross-training days (M/W). AND...remind myself, that it's better to be learning from my stupid mistakes early in the season. Nope, this won't be happening again.

J9 Raises nearly $2800 for LLS in a Single Day!!

2009-06-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

On June 20th, I hosted the 2nd Annual Waits-Mast Cellars Wine Tasting Event to benefit the Leukemia and Lyphoma Society (LLS) with great success!! With the help of 40 guests, I raised nearly $2800 in a single day. Guests enjoyed pinots from Waits-Mast Cellars while noshing on hard to find Italian Cheeses from A.G. Ferrari in Los Altos such as Trugole wrapped in speck, Gorgonzola Dolce with a dollop of carmelized red onion, and others with fig jam, apricots, pears, and ohhhh the chocolate cake with Starbucks coffee. Then there was the silent auction table --- TWO Crushpad Fuseboxes, massage from Sports Medicine Institute, season tickets to Renegade Theatre Experiement's 09-10 Season, AND cheese and wine tasting for TEN at A.G. Ferrari in Los Altos!!

Honoree and marathoner Keith Newman (see Keith below smiling with sunglasses) spoke to the crowd under my umbrelled garden, thanking them for enjoying the afternoon together while raising money for such an important cause. In April 2008, Keith was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma - for which there is no cure. LLS is helping to find a cure and to assist blood cancer patients and their families. Currently, Keith is training for TWO marathons 6 weeks apart. I asked Keith if he had ever run two back to back marathons before. He casually replied, "No. But I never had cancer before either."

I am once again astounded by the generosity of family, friends, and acquaintenances. Even in these challenging economic times, people are willing to give. Keith reminded me what I witnessed last season and am witnessing once again, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Thank you for your donations --- small amounts add up to big research dollars which makes life more livable for blood cancer patients and bring us that much closer to a cure.

GO TEAM!

Special Thanks to following for their generous donations and/or discounts which made this event possible:
Waits-Mast Family Cellars

A.G. Ferrari Foods

Crushpad

Sports Medicine Institute

Sports Basement

Renegade Theatre Experiment

Starbucks (Winchester/Magliocca in SJ)

Williams Party Rentals

Rubios

WOOT WOOT!

2009-06-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Season 3 has officially began and I'm feeling pretty good! I achieved a HUGE milestone last night at our 2nd track workout. I felt good running. We did circuit training - run a lap at a comfortably hard pace, do an exercise, run a lap, new exercise, repeat. With my NEW Garmin, ooooooo, I was able to track my pace. My fasted lap was at an 8:30/mile pace and my slowest was at a 10:00/mile pace. IF my goal were to run a 5hr marathon, I'm on track (maybe a little fast). Right now, I don't know what my goal is and I know those SAN FRANCISCO HILLS will affect my time. I think 5hrs is unrealistic based on my injury recovery process...but we'll see. I plan on KILLING core this season so who knows how fast that core strength will carry me.

New Season

2009-05-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

I am once again training for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon. Our official training starts next week - I'm a bit nervous as my workouts were temporarily restricted while I went through physical therapy, that's a WHOLE different story. Apparently my issue was not entirely shin related - it was my sacroiliac. We'll talk about that another time - still bitter about the misdiagnosis, but I'm getting over it!

Napa Marathon 2009 - A Season Without Regret

2009-03-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

I spent a lot of time penning a thank you letter to our amazing South Bay Run Team Coaches. They are very smart people, you know. So smart, that when one of the coaches replied to me that "a lot of thought and reflection when in to this (letter)," I had to agree. So, I'm posting the majority of this letter as an update to my blog.

To preface this letter, I'll state that I am still injured, awaiting physical therapy which will right things right. I've got new shoes. I'm still aqua-jogging and our numbers are increasing as people are realizing the benefits of the cross-training sport. Yes, I'm calling it a sport.

Yesterday was the 2009 Napa Marathon, which I was scheduled to run. There were many of us out there who were scheduled to run, but couldn't do to injuries. Many others recently ran their events, and were in recovery mode. A whole lot of these people were supporting the team by cheering all runners and running alongside teammates - many of whom were about to set PRs or running their first ever marathon. All of us on the South Bay Run Team had raised over $130K for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during the 2009 Winter Season.

This is my thank you to the coaches...

-------------------------------------------------------

Dear Coaches,

What an amazing season it has been - lots of injuries, but fantastic weather until Napa Marathon race day. You got everyone prepped with scenic training runs, rigorous track nights, hard core core-strength, and a sense of humor. I was really bummed for several weeks that I couldn't run Napa, but I couldn't have ended the season on a better note than helping to support a marathon with such an enthusiastic and caring group of people.

Margot, Amy, Dianne, Evelyn, and myself had a great time in the rain ringing noisemakers and cowbells while cheering ALL runners (of course, a little bit louder for SBRT). Honoree Patty joined us near mile 9 for a bit, before moving up the road. Jason hung out with us for awhile at mile 24ish until he shedded his coat and began running along side countless teammates while circling miles 23 and 25. It was great seeing Megan and Adam going back and forth, watch Tanja keep Brian on track, see Rich pick up where I left Andria off. Then Katie and Tyler at the end knowing they had been out there, too. Also out there braving the weather were Wendy, Honoree Ellen, Debra, Mike Z., and Honoree Doug on the Victory Party dance floor.

I saved my leg for the 5.5 hour + people -- it was GREAT seeing Rakhee, Andria, Jen, Toni, Arianna, and James, (I know I forgot the names of others) and running alongside each of them for a bit. Running Robin in to the finish after the 6 hour time was fantastic.

The best story that I heard from the day, was of Mike S. being told that he wouldn't make the cutoff - that alone was enough to boost his endorphin/adrenaline output into a 10 second overdrive. He did that damn thing, and finished sub-6. The most memorable moment I witnessed, was standing with Kris as the the personal multi-car, music-blasting escort approached with the last TNT runners -- then joining in on the final approach to the finish. The fact that Napa officials took down their finish line, didn't stop the SBRT from creating their own. There was SO much support for our team throughout the race that I was unable to witness, but I've heard the stories which makes it true.

Not only have you trained our bodies well for the marathon, but our spirit to encourge and support each other until the very last TNTer crosses the finish line. 26.2 is 26.2 no matter what the stride.

I know you always thank the captains and mentors for everything they do, but it's thanks to great team leaders that we have such a unique team. You guys ROCK :)

----j9 (in the ginormous orange poncho)

Additional kudos to supporters I may have forgotten: Apologies to those of you whose names I may have left out - please let me know if I excluded you and I will add your name to the list.

To Toe Run or Not Toe Run? That is the question...

2009-02-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

I've heard two schools of thought on this subject. Endurance athletes should NOT toe run - kills the calves and the shins. Critical to change form. On the other hand, endurance athletes should NOT change their form - get fitted for correct shoe with lots of cushion in the ball of the foot. Change running style, you run the risk of destroying knees, IT band, ankles. What does the research say?

There Are No Points for Style in the Marathon - NY Times

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning - August 2007

Foot Strike Patterns of Runners at the 15km Point

During an Elite-Level Half Marathon

Ice, Rest, Boot, Run....

2009-02-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. Where to start. What trainings have I missed? Six weeks ago was my last long run (16 miles). I missed the 18 mile run, then the 20 mile run, 4 track trainings, 5 short runs (4-6 miles). The 18 mile run was along the coast in Santa Cruz, California, and the 20 mile run was along the coast of Monterey on a gorgeous sunny morning (that's the run in the pic above). I, however, did work an aid-station on the 20 mile run and had a fun time hanging with a fellow gimp, her husband, as well as the coach's daughter who brought music to our ocean-view aid-station.

Why did I miss the trainings? An xray and MRI failed to explain the 5 weeks of shin pain. Two of those weeks were spent in a boot which ultimately jacked up the ankle and knee. I, therefore,

gave the boot, the boot. I requested a bone scan - all of these screenings took time to get approved by insurance - OH, then the delay in getting the appointments. Since the screenings showed no bone issues, I ditched the system and took my shin to Coach Kris at Sports Medicine Institute (SMI) in Palo Alto. "Hey Janine, did you know your CALF is really tight?" Hmm, guess I didn't.

Any Undisclosed information? Get ready to gasp...I'm a toe runner. Prancer, Coach Tim calls me. Toe runner is good if you're a sprinter, but not for endurance runners. My calf tightened to maximum capacity leading to shin issues. At least, this is my diagnosis based on conversations with a running shoe guy, Coach Kris who is also a sports massage therapist, and several experienced marathoners.

Now What? Stationary bike, elliptical, and twice aqua-jogging. Aqua jogging is now on the schedule for 2X/week. I'm easing back into the game and did a 3K run/walk today. I concentrated on heal, ball, toe and stuck with it. Felt shin a little at mile 2.5, no shin after the run, big time shin 8 hours after run. Ice, elevate, ibuprofen.

NAPA? No Napa Marathon - I'll be there to support my Team in Training team mates, the heroes who have raised over $100K in 4 months to fight blood cancers. I hope to run alongside my peeps when they need the support the most. I hope to run the Mermaid Half Marathon on March 22 - the way I feel today, I don't know if that will be possible. I need to rest, rehab, and THEN train for the next one. Portland? Portland sounds good.

Postscript: While hanging out at the waterstop in Monterey, a guy with a guitar case strapped around his back asked several injured runners, "What is best in life?" Read Gabby's Blog to find the answer.

Exercising Restraint

2009-01-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

After Thursday's VERY short 4 mile run, I felt an uncomfortable twinge near my shin. Went home, foam rolled and discovered several localized painful spots on the inside of my calf. After extensive google research, I pannicked and, of course, diagnosed myself with shin splints and possibly a stress fracture (which, by the way, I do not have). I iced, foam rolled, and massaged. I was disappointed looking ahead to Saturday's 16 miles since I had plotted my strategy perfectly. Big time bummer.

I altered my running strategy after consulting with Coach Kris: take it really easy with a shorter run/walk interval, stop at EVERY water stop to stretch for extended lengths of time, and possibly not complete the 16 miles. Goal, not to royally screw up my training for the Napa Marathon on March 1. Today's running buddies: Jen, Andria, and James.

Well, I didn't limp - but the last 4 miles really pissed me off as I knew I needed to take it even easier. Shin started hurting and I switched to a 1 min run/1 min walk interval. Coach Tim ran by us with Jesse, and congratulated me for "exercising restraint". We did the same for Jesse who's been fighting tendonitis.

Mike Z did make a comment at the end. I could have stopped at a water stop and had to be driven back to the start. As I think of it now, I've got a new perspective. It could just as easily be me wearing a Team In Training honoree shirt. We never know when or who cancer will strike - I should consider myself lucky to be in good enough health to run for a cause that raises millions for cancer research and patient services. Suck it up Janine, you don't have cancer and today's run was a success because you finished while exercising restraint.

Yahoo Mr. Yasso!

2009-01-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

At Tuesday night's track we did Yasso 800s. Some marathoners swear by Yasso 800s as part of their training program. Bart Yasso (that's him in the pic) developed this theory. The theory is... if you run 10 series of 800 meters at a particular pace, it's possible you could complete a marathon in that time. Between each 800, you have a brief recovery time and the goal is to run at a consistant pace. http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/05/yasso-800s-training-tool-or-test/

So J9, how did you do? Well.,.we only did 6 Yasoo's and 4 of those were within 2 seconds of 4:45. Another one was 4:53 (I new this was slow as I was running and should have gone faster) and the last one was 4:25. Not bad! Does this mean I'll run a marathon of 4:45. Probably not. However, if I did the full 10 Yasso's, I'm pretty positive I could have maintained a 5:00 pace for each of the 10 800s. That was NOT possible last August.

My average running pace is around 10:30 per mile on long runs. Now, I take a one minute walk break after every 4 minutes of running - this brought up the overall pace to 13:01/mile on the last 14 mile run. Jen and I are plotting our strategy for long runs:

Speed up running by about 10 to 15 seconds/mile
Speed up walk breaks
Create smooth transition from the run to the walk. We transition to a walk TOO rapidly, and THEN speed up the walk. We're wasting energy during this transition with the fast, slow, fast routine going on. Need to...run, jog, shuffle, fast walk.

This is going to take a lot of effort on this Saturday's 16 mile run, ya know, the brain doesn't always function well on runs. HOWEVER, now is the time to practice building the muscle memory.

14 Miles

2009-01-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

The best part of today's run:

Legs feeling strong throughout
Working camera
Maintaining consistent pace
Eating chocolate brownies and pretzels at water stop
Running mates
Maintaining good hydration and goo levels
Cool running weather
Scenic views along trail
Eating post-run salmon breakfast burrito
Comforting effects of 15 min. ice bath

The worst part of today's run:

New socks retained moisture causing friction after mile 9
Exploding goo in pocket soaking salt packs

Overall result? FANTASTIC run, once again supporting my claim that completing the Nike Women's marathon last October was far from a fluke.

A Terrible, Horrible, Really Bad Six Mile Run

2008-12-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

'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!

2008-12-21T22:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

$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!!

2008-10-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-31T21:31:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-07-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

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!

Training Schedule: Week of June 16

2008-06-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough training week - Coach Doug (Olympic athlete 1988, now orthopedic massage therapist) checked out my ankle on Tuesday. Tendon issue. Ran/walked for 3 laps in 10 mins (not bad!). Could only complete half of relay (I did 5 laps!) before tendon soreness started up again. Honoree Doug (different Doug) told his story. His doctor left a message on his answering machine telling him he had cancer. Jeez.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I iced my foot at work. Swam laps for 25 minutes on Wednesday! Per Doug's orders, did nothing but stretch on Friday.

Then Saturday....Calero County Park - started running 8:30am-ish. Here's the lowdown - hilly, hot, dirt trail shared by horses (you know what that means!), and did I mention that it was HOT (96F at 10:30am). We were off the trail by 10am due to a heat imposed health advisory. I did manage nearly 4 miles of run/walk (started at 3min.:1min, but changed to 1:1 because of the heat). After the two mile mark, I walked up and down steep inlcines. Because of the hills and conditions, this 4 miles was the equivalent of 6 flat miles. End of run bagels, watermelon, water, juice provided by TNT captains and mentors (yahoo!). No ankle pain before, during, or after! I think I'm outta the woods. Next week, back to the non-injury regular training schedule.

Buddy Run

2008-06-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ice couldn't cure the effects of the buddy run last Thursday. Ran/walked mile one, walked mile two with ankle pain. Replaced Saturday's run with swimming. Rest on Sunday. Circuit training on Monday with focus on stairmaster for the cardio piece. Ankle feeling a bit better. Donations are rolling in!

Coach Led Training #1

2008-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Running the Trail -- I aimed for 2 miles and did 3 which pushed me to the limit. This was/is a milestone! I alternated one minute walking with one minute running. My calves were sore that night (ice is my friend), but it didn't stop me from walking for 4 hours the next day. My ankle started to feel 3 days after the run - I had only done walking and cross training since then. My new friend - ice packs in "foot cooler" under the desk at work, ice packs at night. I like ice.

Why J9, why?

2008-06-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm training with Team in Training while raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (lls.com) for blood cancer research and patient services. GO TEAM! My training will be no where near as rigorous as the fight patients and families go through while they battle their diseases. Visit my site to make a donation!http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf08/jpenney