Another canceled practice....

Well, another upcoming storm has canceled our Team practice- snow 1-3" Friday and another 1-3" Saturday, turning to rain and wet snow, wind 20-30 mph. Great..... Guess it's the two of us again for our 16 miler! Hope the forecast for tomorrow will allow some room for our run.

In the meantime, here's a funny article on watching the Boston Marathon. Enjoy!

Original Buff Headwear

I am posting photos of Original Buff Headwear available through my fundraising store. The Buff Headwear is made out of a stretchy, seamless microfiber that is wicking, windblocking, and fast drying- providing a runner, cyclist, hiker, skier, gardener etc, a great looking, high functioning head covering.

Tim wears his when he runs at night. As you can tell, the stripe on the reflective Buff makes for great visibility! I like my assortment, which include ones with fleece sewn on for chilly days, ones that block UV rays, and the original band. You can wear this stretchy tube in about 15 different ways. I've used one on my head while wearing another as a neck gater in cold windy conditions. The great thing about this is that you can either wear it as a closed hat or open up the top to get rid of heat (unlike a hat), you can take it off and put it around your wrist during the run if you decide you don't need it, or tuck it into your waistband, unlike a bulky hat! They keep the sweat from running into your eyes and in general, are a GREAT addition for any active person, or anyone looking for a different hair accessory. Ordering these through the site gives you free shipping and a chance to win $100.00 of Original Buff Headwear in May, and gives me a donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Buy your Buff today!

Fifteen on our own

Well, due to a Friday snowstorm that left Boston with 8-10" of snow, our Saturday Team run was cancelled. Tim and I decided to run our course from Kenmore Square backwards along the marathon course- Beacon Street up through Heartbreak and some minor hills, turning at Chestnut street and back up and down the hills.

Footing is an issue in the snow here in town- most buildings and businesses take some time to clear out their walks. Our first 4 miles or so were run between the sidewalks and in traffic. The motto of the day was 'run safe'. Whenever you have dodgy conditions in runs during marathon training, it's best not to push the envelope- one wrong turn on a snowbank could cost you in the big picture, so it's best to tell yourself it's not worth it.

We ran conservatively until the turnoff to Boston College, then headed up the hills. At this point in the course there is a carriage road that runs along Commonwealth Avenue that is fairly protected from traffic and always clear. We ran a good clip through the hills, then slowed down at Beacon Street for our last bout with the snowy paths and traffic.

Overall, it was a safe run/pace and our average/overall pacing at 8:40. I think Tim would have liked to have seen faster, but considering we ran through the hills, turned round and went back over on a very snowy day, in and out of traffic, I think it was just fine!

I have taken off a day due to work and a tinge of tendon irritation at the upper hamstring insertion. At this point in training, we have three consecutive weeks of distance building, one drop down, and then our longest run of 20 miles. It's best to look at the long term game plan, see what is going on with the body, and adjust so that you can MAKE YOUR LONG RUNS! Of course, you can always miss one of those and still do well- this has happened to me several times when I've come down with a cold, but if you have a choice, do what you can to take care of yourself and continue working on the distance. It's good for the brain and for your body.

Sour Tip of the Day: I've had a bottle of tart cherry juice in my fridge for a while now. It is as sour as lemons, but research has shown that drinking cherry juice or eating tart cherries decreases post exercise induced muscle damage. So, pucker up, runners! I am definitely NOT drinking this before my long runs, but will be trying to work it into the liquids. Nothing bad in it, except for a momentary burst of sourness!

Stretching and running toys

Well, at any point in the running cycle, it's a good thing to revisit our friend, stretching. Stretching is usually something that runners avoid, but it can be the best ally when properly done to help you steer clear of injury!

My favorite stretching is a two-person assisted PNF Stretching session. PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and is a modification of usual static stretching. While holding specific isolated stretches, the muscle is resisted in the opposite direction for a period of time, then relaxed, with the end result of a larger range of motion and extended stretch. I used this method two years ago when training, and my chiropractor was puzzled that the further my training progressed, the looser the muscles became! There are ways to perform PNF stretching solo using resistance bands, but if you have someone there to stretch with, try a two person session!

My other favorite devices are the stick and step stretch. The stick helps break up muscle adhesions and reduces muscle stiffness and soreness. You can use this before and after running, in the shower or out. The step stretch is great for stretching out the achilles.

I don't stretch much before I run, but I do use the stick. I like to start out at a warm up pace, then pick up once I am loose. I will always stretch after a long run, sometimes after a training run, but- will try to do this more as I notice those training aches and pains.

A great thing to do after a long run are 'leg drains'. Lie on your back against a wall, and put both feet up at a 90 degree angle with your butt close to the wall. Hold your leg drains for about 5-10 minutes and continue on with your stretches. The idea is that 'draining' will get your old blood out of your legs (blood pools in the lower extremeties with distance running) and help bring in fresh blood to renew them. You can modify these by doing stretches up on the wall as well while you're at it! I like to do these every Saturday before stretching and taking a nice lie down after our runs.

Happy stretching, everyone!

Yasso part II

We went back to the track for another run with the 800's. This time, I managed a bit better, though still some breathing issues at the end due to head wind in the end section of the laps: 3:40:63, 3:38:00, 3:37:27, and then two separate 400's at 1:45 and 1:47. I think I realized that when I start having breathing issues, I act opposite to how I should- I feel like I am getting slower with the asthma, so I speed up! Hopefully, by continuing with track work, I'll get the hang of how to slow down and manage the breathing.

This time, I ran the track with Tim and we took turns timing each other, after which we'd do the repeat, which is different from the 2 lap workout/2 lap recovery I did last week. I learned that Tim has much better speed than I do, pulling a 3:27, 3:28 and 3:29 along with a first sprint that he didn't time well.

Tip for the day: Want an inexpensive, reusable, home-made hot pack that forms to your body? This one is great for stiff necks and also for use as a compress: Take an old tube sock (no holes!), fill it with raw rice, and tie a knot at the end. Microwave the sock for a minute or so and place on the area that needs heat. The rice retains some moisture from the air, so will provide a bit of moist heat, but you can always wet it slightly when warming it by spraying with a mister.

Breathing Lessons

Well, yesterday was a 15 mile Team run! We were given a modified run due to a number of injured runners, and ran 4 miles out and back towards Natick, then up to the Newton Hills to Chestnut Street and back. We still had some hills, but not the large menu we had been expecting.

We used Tim's Garmin 305 watch, which I gave him for Valentine's Day and had a nice experience looking at our splits afterwards.

The difficulty in the run was the asthma. Shortly after the 4 mile mark, I developed some pretty bad symptoms and had to pull over with some bad gasping until I could use my inhaler properly. Team members who ran past us asked if I needed help. It was definitely disappointing to have had to stop, but I think the chilly temperatures and wind created the perfect opportunity for an attack. I thought briefly about bagging the remainder of the run, but a combination of factors made me opt to 'wait and see'. Once I regained control of my breathing, I continued at a relaxed pace to the next few water stops.

Exercise induced asthma is frustrating- it can happen when you push your pace past the comfort zone, if the air is smoggy, dry, or cold, or if you have strong winds in the face. Some days you have it, some days you don't. I am happy that I managed to accept my condition without getting too upset or frustrated, decided my plan of action, and that Tim was there to support it. It could have been frustrating for him to not be able to run all out, but I was very lucky to have someone with me through the run!

At Wellesley, I decided to continue through the run, as the albuterol seemed to be doing its job and I felt confident that I could always stop and walk if things degraded. We did end up slower than desired, but the Garmin showed our splits as being all under 9 minute miles, with some of them under 8s and the majority under 8.5s.

The best part of that difficult day was that I realized what a fantastic team I had. People came up afterwards to see if I was okay, and while I was having the attack, they all offered support and concern. It took me (and might still be taking me) awhile to get over some disappointment in having to deal with a problem like this, but I am also happy that I was able to make an alternate plan and execute it rather than abandon all hope. I believe this will be to my mental advantage as our runs and training gets tougher. :)

Now, having had a few setbacks with the breathing, I will revisit my asthma meds to see if there is something I can do to alleviate the problems!

Lesson of the day: When you have a problem, you can decide to either quit or keep going. You should always make a decision you feel confident you will be safe with and not one that will risk your long term health or training. You can learn from your difficulty and gain inner strength, even if the 'outcome' is not all you had hoped it to be! Focusing on the modified task at hand rather than the goal you had hoped to meet will help you to follow through and perhaps even surprise you at the end!

Speed work for dummies and fundraising challenges

Well, this week was my first intro to speed work. I decided to try some Yasso's, and as our coach suggested, did not do too many to start! I warmed up for 2 miles, then attempted 3x800, followed by two track laps each to cool down between. I am sure I did not do them formally, as I decided to recover by lap rather than by time.

It was hard! I have exercise induced asthma which is worse in the winter and when there is pollution or wind, and it is tough to balance speed work with my breathing even with the use of an inhaler. The last session I downgraded to 1 lap, followed by one lap recovery, doing this twice instead of the last Yasso.

My times were: 1st 800 at 3:41:39, 2nd at 3:40:96 and two minis at 1:45:95 and 1:44:37 each.

I need to think about how to keep challenging myself within the abilities of my asthma. I like having done workouts differently!

On another note, am facing some difficulties with my fundraising site www.coolstuffforthecure.com . Thanks to my brother, the site is wonderful and I have plenty of widget views, but practically no sales at all through the site- just about all of them have been through direct solicitation and through the support of my Team mates. If any of you have comments on why this isn't working or how you think it could be improved, do let me know!

14 and away!

This weeks' training run was a 14 miler AWAY from the Newton Hills. We ran through Wellesley, Natick and Framingham, about a mile past Speen Street and back. Our overall pacing was fine, and I felt great. We finished in back of the speedier runners in our group, but I think overall we did just fine. I'll be posting about my upcoming present to Tim on later posts, but I think we'll soon have a more accurate way of timing our runs....

We had an interesting talk from our co-coach and sports psychologist Grayson Kimball about running faster. He mentioned that he had spoken with many team-mates about their goals with the Boston Marathon and especially their goals to become faster runners. The story he related was one about a woman he was working with who had run well in a race (and under her expected time!) and wanted to improve her time for the next one. He mentioned Yasso 800s to her and how incorporating speed work into her training would get her to the next level in her running. As time went on, he would check to see how she was progressing. Invariably, he would hear first that she didn't have time to start speedwork, that she had time for her training run, but not for the speedwork, and long story short, she never started working in that direction before the race. Her race results had been disappointing, and much slower than her initial race time.

Grayson's advice to us was: Run fast to run fast! Incorporate some speedwork into weekly training runs to get to that level. Of course, this should be part of a balanced training program that involves distance runs, rest, hill work, recovery runs, and speedwork, but I feel very motivated to try the Yasso 800s. To date, my speedwork has been limited to unstructured pick-ups during weekday runs. I think it would be to take a calculated risk in pushing the envelope for short repeats and see whether it helps.

This interests me as I have been reading the book Running Within, a book that deals with the body-mind-spirit connection of running and training. The portion that had been sticking in my mind was that of 'strengthening through taking risks'. The authors talk about how taking risks can result in breakthroughs with your running. As distance runners, we are often scared to put it all out on the road, for fear that our endurance will be lost along with burned muscles halfway through the run. We stick to what we know we can do and keep our training and running within those levels- which is difficult when we want to break through our existing performace times.



The authors suggest going through a process when deciding to take risks which involve: examining the risk, asking what the worst thing is that could happen (and deciding whether to continue), then making a plan to implementation. After taking the risk, the complete cycle is examination and application of the experience as well as a congratulations for having the courage to take the risk. Doesn't that sound great?



To me, Yasso 800's sound like a minimal risk way to try to reach new grounds with your running. Our coach will be sending out instructions for starting training with Yasso's, but if I recall, they talked about not having to run 800x10 to start if it were too much. I will see how it goes and my goal is to do one session at the track this week!



As mileage starts building up during marathon training, this is the perfect time to develop your routine. Figure out what to eat the night before your long run. Take care of your feet at least a few days out from it. Test out your drinks and fuel the way you would on race day. Be aware of any nagging injuries and address them. There is still plenty of time to adjust around training until the 2o miler!

Entry Confirmation 2008: We received our entry confirmations by email yesterday!

Here's to April 21st!

Our training is going well- we have an odd week, where we delayed a 14 miler until this past Sunday and have another 14 miler on Saturday. Adjusted weekday training to compensate and worked on cross training on the off days. We ran the course from Wellesley through the hills of Newton and back Sunday, so am hoping for the flats this Saturday! Pacing is going oddly well, despite a major asthma attack after Sunday's run, and the homework with that is to not get too anxious or pressured to keep each run the same. As long as you stay focused on PROCESS and not OUTCOME, you can focus on what it is that actually is getting you through the run. My mantra for running this season is to go out and just do my best. That's it. If I sense I am getting upset or losing focus, I relax and try to regroup. -M

Training for Boston:

Okay, this catches me up a little to where things are in the current training season. I am now training for the Boston marathon, which is April 21st. This is my third Boston race and maybe my last! We are up to a long run of 14 miles, and heading through the towns of Newton, Wellesley, Natick and Framingham weekly with the Team. I'll post more about the training details, but wanted to write about why and who I am running for this year:

I will be running in honor of my friend Kathleen Drohan's mother, Judy. I met Kathleen through my friends Asako and Kevin. Kathleen moved here from New York, and works for the Boston Symphony doing their public relations, which is a very intense job! When she moved here, her mother was ill and she was telling me about the battle she was having with multiple myeloma. Kathleen was a big supporter of TNT whose friend ran with the Team after being a cancer survivor. I wanted to support Kathleen after the loss of her mother by running in honor of her this year. Kathleen wrote a short essay about her mother, which I placed on my fundraising page:

My mother, Judy Johanson, died on August 8, 2007, at age 70, after living with multiple myeloma for nearly a decade. She was a loving, giving woman who lived for her family.

My mother loved to travel, to be outdoors, and to go to movies or read a good book. She loved going to airports and watching people reunite with their loved ones (sometimes you had to drag her out of there, if she'd spied someone waiting, but hadn't witnessed the reunion). Besides spicy food and getting her hair wet, there actually wasn't much that she didn't like. She instilled in my sister and me a love of life and a neurosis about being late.

Unless something went terribly wrong, she never missed a family event. My cousins Janii and her husband Laurence, Steven and his wife Anna, and Jon and his wife Gail and their children, Hayden, Nelle, Forrest, Jesse, Peter, Noli, and Kristian, kept her busy with school plays and graduations, but she loved every second of it and each of them wholeheartedly.
My mother's sister Nancy and her dearest friend Sally kept her both grounded and entertained. She loved spending time with both of them (although much of the time, whatever they did together were tales she wouldn't share with her daughters).

She loved meeting and holding babies. Her own granddaughters Talia and Ava were her life's greatest joys.
We all miss her every day.

My sister, Karen Drohan, and I are so honored that Marie is choosing to honor my mother with her run this year. We hope you'll support her training.

Team in Training summer and training for Boston 2008:


I had a great opportunity to support my friend, Chris Lynn, as she ran the Nike Marathon in San Francisco in October 2007. I had known that Chris was training for a half marathon, and had done a few training runs with her during her preparation, and just happened to have enough miles to get a ride out to S.F.. My sister's friend, Tom, was gracious enough to put me up (together with my two Portland OR sisters, who came down for the race!), despite a horrible cold, and I had a great time!
The Nike marathon is Team in Training's biggest event, and is a full and half marathon distance race which has the largest percentage of women runners of national marathons. The race was open to both men and women, which is along the inclusivity lines that I like to see. I am not sure about the finisher race shirt colors- I know that at least the women's finisher shirts were baby pink. :) I ran alongside of Chris, taking photos here and there- here's a picture of Chris along the Great Highway- this was a hilly, but exceptionally beautiful course that wandered through the Marina, by the Golden Gate bridge, through the Great Highway, and into Golden Gate Park:







As you can tell, my sisters were great sports and cheerleaders, making their way through this difficult course with all the road closures and hanging out in Golden Gate Park. I had a great time and was thrilled to run with Chris as she ran in honor of her mother Gerry and our mutual friend Jacques Chanier.

I'm now just about halfway through my training season for the Boston Marathon. I am running this year in honor of my friend Kathleen's mother, Judy, and am trying to continue raising funds through my Team in Training site and my online store. It's been a lot of work, especially for my brother Jon, who designed and developed my storefront website, and we have yet to see how it does. Here's to another year and will write more about the training next!

Too long for a post, but here it goes....:

Hi Everyone! It is now 2008 and I have started training for my third Boston marathon with LLS/Team in Training. Let me start off by saying that 2007 was a memorable marathon in so many ways. I'd like to say thanks to some wonderful people:

• Bob Roppolo: For letting me run for John, for supporting our Team on our 20 miler, for bringing us to the start line race day morning, for meeting us at the 15 mile mark, for taking wonderful photos, for meeting us at the END, and for helping us celebrate the finish. I am so glad to have gotten to know Bob throughout our training and to have the honor of running in memory of John. I feel lucky to have met such a wonderful person and am happy to have him as a friend. Tim and I raised about 15,000 dollars for LLS last year, and we dedicate that to John, Chris' mom, and to all those who have suffered or are battling blood cancers!




• Chris Lynn: For letting me run for her mother, for supporting our Team on our 20 miler (wow this is sounding a lot like the thank you I just made!), for bringing us to the start and all the race day support just like Bob provided-for making our apartment a celebration space when we finally made it in and for running with us in Wellesley! You were the one who got me started with TNT and I will always see you as my big time hero.




• Walter Lynn: For coming up to Boston for the race, supporting us and celebrating with us, and for letting me run in honor of your wife. You inspire me with your half marathons to keep working for a good cause!




• My coaches, Rick and Lori: What great people! Rick and Lori are with MA Team in Training for their last year, and I feel lucky every day. They live the message that one person can change the world and I thank them for being an inspiration in my life.




• All the people who supported my run, whether through buying coffee, sending donations, forwarding news of my run, or writing to support me! My friends have always been such a great source of support for me, donating art, attending fundraising parties, donating money, and ordering coffee, even if they don't drink a lot of it!

Okay, let's see what I can remember about race day:

Chris and Bob picked us up EARLY race day morning. As some of you might recall, the weather conditions were cold, windy and RAINY. Here was the written weather warning from the Boston Athletic Association:

FORECAST:The most up-to-date weather forecast calls for a predicted Spring storm on Monday, including heavy rains (potentially 3 to 5 inches), with the start temperatures in the mid to upper 30's. Wind will likely be East (in the face of the participants for most of the race) in the 20 to 25 mile per hour range, with gusts to as much as 50 miles per hour. This will produce a wind chill index of 25 to 30-degrees Fahrenheit.For further information: http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=234

We made sure to pack warm clothes for standing in the village before the race, and plenty of rain gear and garbage bags to drape us at the start. Chris and Bob's jokes and support made the trek out to Hopkinton sooo bearable- I didn't even notice the distance the way I usually do ("wow- 26.2 miles is taking a LONG time to get to!"). They dropped us at the shuttle bus and told us they would meet us later and Tim and I headed to the athlete's village.

We met our Team-mates just briefly before being called to the start. The usual port-a-potty lines, last minute checks for gear, and time for inner focusing.... We threw our gear onto the buses (which would take them to the finish line) and headed towards the corrals.

As every year, the start is such a kick- the energy of people who are raring to go, the music and megaphones, the sheer mass of feet, adrenaline, and determination! This as usual was the place to watch feet, people, and make our way carefully down through the first few miles.

Weather: The weather started off worse than it ended up, with rain, headwind and a chill to the air. I used my defensive strategy by tucking behind runners ahead of me and letting them absorb the wind. Let them duke it out, I thought. :)

By the time we got to Wellesley, the rain had abated. The runners were wet, but on the good side, not overheated, and everyone we saw at our stop seemed in good shape and spirits. Chris and Bob were lovely to meet us with water and towels at the community center and to check on our general well-being. Jacques and Ruth met us there as well- Chris in her TNT outfit and Jacques in his running gear to join us for the difficult three miles between Wellesley and the Newton Hills. Jacques- you are an amazing person and having you there for those miles made such a difference to us both. Thanks for taking the time to train and all the logistics to run and navigate back that busy, hilly route! Ruth, I am so happy to have had your support and gotten to know you as a friend. Thanks to both of you! Chris- you know what I think and anytime you need a bandit to run with you in S.F. or wherever you race next, I will be there!

The Hills: The Newton hills were difficult again, and Tim had cramping, which downgraded us to a walk/run. We were joined after Heartbreak Hill with another Team in Training runner who was having some difficulties. We worked together and made our way down Beacon Street. As we passed by Kenmore Square, I spotted my friend Natalia, who cheered us from the front of her apartment complex, and shortly after, bumped into my teammate, awesome runner Anna Royer. We ran together for a ways and before we knew it, were turning the corner to see Dave Tierney's smiling face and head out onto Boylston Street at the finish. Our friends Bert, Yuko and Andy lined Boylston Street and waved us on to the finish line, and Chris, Walt and Bob magically appeared as we crossed and made our way to the finishers chute.

How did we do?: We didn't beat our goal of running within 4 hours, but we DID improve our time by about a minute. I finished in 4:14:31, which, considering the headwind, rainy, cold weather and the cramping Tim had, was really great!

We waited a loong time for our bags from the bus, walked gingerly to the Team in Training suite, and met our coaches to let them know we finished and met up with our friend Bert. We had a WONDERFUL dinner at our fave pizza joint Woody's with our friends and what else can I say? It was a GREAT experience, worthwhile on so many levels and I am so pleased to have run for John and for Gerry.

AND... now we are off to the new year! We are running for the Team again and I will be writing about my honored hero and my experiences so far with the training season. I just want to thank everyone for all they've done for LLS and for making it possible for us as runners to keep supporting the mission to fight blood cancers. That's it for now!