Training Blog

Postlude

2008-06-19T10:59:00.002-04:00

The training season ends- but running is still in the future!

I mistakenly entered a lottery for what I thought was a half-marathon in New York, to run with my friend Chris, but when my name was selected, I realized this was for the ING marathon in November. Guess I will keep training this summer! I will see my orthopedist about my right foot as I now have what looks like a bony mass over my injury site. Perhaps I did fracture it after all...

This training site for LLS is wrapped up, but I may start posting about training for New York. I am ended with fundraising for the Society, and on to fundraising for my open space projects here in Boston and my volunteer work in area parks. Please drop any comments on your own running or project goals to me here and thanks to everyone who has helped me along the road to Boston!

Happy running,
Marie

And the winners are....drum roll.....

2008-06-03T09:39:00.002-04:00

Congratulations! Winners for my online fundraising have been drawn and the winners of each have received a shopping spree for each item.:

Planet Buff Original Headwear: Congratulations Lori! You have won $100.00 in Planet Buff Original Headwear! Thanks to Scott at http://www.planetbuff.com/ for all his help in my fundraising, and to all the people out there who have tried this amazing product and posted links on their blogs.

Deans Beans Coffee: Congratulations, Susan! You have won $50.00 in Dean's Beans products! Thanks to the wonderful folks at Dean's Beans (http://www.deansbeans.com/) for their repeated support in my fundraising and for all they do to promote organic coffee and the people who produce it.

Wrap N Mats: Congratulations, Gypsy! You have won $32.00 in Wrap N Mat products! Thanks to Bonnie at http://www.wrapnmat.com/ for her help and for a wonderful product that saves on plastic waste! And thanks especially for replacing an order that was lost in the post- I am very grateful to her for all her support.

Yuko Adachi Fine Art Cards: Congratulations, Vivek! You have won your selection of 4 Fine Art Cards! Thanks to the talented Yuko Adachi at www.yukoadachi.com for her support.

And thank you ALL for a wonderful year training for and running the Boston Marathon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Nike Marathon details, fundraising deadlines for purchase

2008-05-16T11:31:00.002-04:00

Well! It's been a while since my last post. Life is getting hectic with various park projects I'm working on, community garden issues, and friends in the hospital. I did get in a nice 12 mile run along the Charles River a couple days ago and was happy to feel that the ankle pain is getting a little more tolerable. We'll see...

I received a notice that the NIKE Marathon in SF is starting to hold meetings for signing up. This is an excellent race for LLS, and a beautiful course which takes you through the marina, Great Highway, Golden Gate park and zoo areas in San Francisco. It is the largest event for TNT and my experience last year supporting my friend was that each runner receives a beautiful Tiffany necklace. Interested? Fill out the form listed here.

Your time is almost up to buy amazing items from my fundraising site ! Make sure to take advantage of the free shipping and shopping spree chance for a great Original Buff Headwear purchase, delicious organic coffee, Beautiful fine art cards, or an environmentally friendly sandwich wrap. All purchases enter you in a drawing for more goodies and drawings will occur on the 31st. After this date, the fundrasing store will shut down. Make your purchase TODAY! :-)

Grafton Gazebo 5-Mile Road Race

2008-05-06T09:41:00.003-04:00

Here's our Team in Training runners after the Grafton road race. As you can see, a whopping FIVE runners from our team came away with 'bling'. Rick and Lori, our coaches, placed first in their age groups, as did Anna. Caitlin and Fulvio placed in the top three as well! Greg in the top left did not run the road race, but DID bike 40 miles to the race to meet up with us. He is training with his wife for the Ironman, and their Boston Marathon was part of their training regimen!

The Grafton race is a great one to run if you like hills. The course starts uphill on the first mile and the first two include the infamous North Street hill our Team in Training runners ended their training runs on. If you can make it through the first half, the 2nd half is mostly downhill, though there are a few ups there as well.

I had a rough day but managed to run 8:20's. I stopped and walked with a some breathing difficulties, and felt grateful for the runners around me who encouraged me and let me know where I was in the course. At mile 4, the volunteer who was reading times was a whopping three minutes over the actual, and after hearing the dismal read-out and thinking 'man, I am doing poorly today- I should just quit!', a woman with a watch let me know that the time was waaay off. Thank you! And it was great to run that last uphill to the finish line with my teammates cheering me in.

We all enjoyed a great post-race lunch together at the Post Office Pub in Grafton.

The injury is still not resolved- my last visit w/my chiropractor was interesting in that he felt I may have stressed the bone and then rubbed a tendon crossways, which is causing residual pain and tendon thickening. He gave me the go-ahead to run, but said it is an issue of pain that will go away. I hope so!

What next? Rest, races and remembering

2008-04-30T10:06:00.004-04:00

Well! It's been over a week since the marathon and life is chugging along. It is normal to feel a 'gap' once a big goal is accomplished- when that big event or performance is over and that focal point ceases to act as a daily beacon to organize events around. Lucky for me, I get to experience a seasonal shift as the weather improves- other volunteer projects such as work for the Fenway Garden Society, fundraising and project managing for several area parks projects, and deadlines for grants applications have all made days even busier than I would have thought (and sometimes want!) post-marathon. Right now, the challenges look to outweigh the successes, but like anything, this is a temporary phase as exploration of challenges lead to solutions going forward.

I will miss my great teammates, including Ben,who was a recipient of a rarely awarded Volunteer of the Year award with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and whose amazing and inspiring blog account you can read here. I'll miss being surrounded weekly by a bunch of people who believe in making a difference through their actions and committment, but as I told our coaches, I think the ripple effect on the way their runners will continue to be impacted by the experience will be limitless.

And... There will be more races! This weekend is the Grafton Gazebo 5 Mile Road Race, held on Saturday, May 3rd at 10:00 a.m. This is a hilly and exciting (especially when you don't know the course!) race, and we should have a nice Team in Training contingent there. And my good friend Chris and teammate Patti have propelled me to sign up for the ING NYC half marathon in November. HALF marathon? That's right! I plan to work on pacing on shorter distances and see where that takes my running. I have yet to resolve my right ankle tendinitis, but am planning on working that out asap. For advice on how to recover from Boston, check out this recovery plan.

I would be remiss in not pointing out some great sponsors, whose products you can STILL BUY through my fundraising website until May 31, 2008:

Planet Buff:
Thank you, Scott, for offering a generous donation for each unit sold through my Original Buff Headwear link. Scott not only has agreed to donate a portion of each sale made through my site with the appropriate fundraising code listed, but to throw in a shopping spree drawing (one lucky winner!) for products for anyone purchasing through this site. Planet Buff is a great company whose products I can't say enough good things about.

Wrap n Mat:
Bonnie at Wrap N Mat has been most generous from the outset, allowing me to sell these great plastic saving reusable sandwich wraps on my site, and resending a large order of products that somehow (!) got lost in the mail.

Yuko Adachi:
Yuko's Fine Art Cards are just a tiny window into her vast artistic world, which you can view on her website. Yuko generously donated her proceeds for these cards for fundraising, and has helped me for a number of years in supporting LLS despite a busy painting and exhibition schedule.

Deans Beans:
Charlsie at Dean's Beans has been the best. She has split orders into small amounts to provide direct shipping of small qtties for my web orders , and provided quick, efficient and cheerful support all the way. This is my second year working with Deans Beans and they have turned a group of coffee lovers into satisfied and loyal customers.

All of these vendors have provided generous fundraising rates that have allowed me to sell their products while raising important funds for blood cancer research. Please take a look at their products and let me know if you are interested in purchasing their products! I can tell you more about any of them, as I've been a customer for all these items myself.

Boston Marathon 2008- recap of the day!

2008-04-25T14:14:00.006-04:00

It's now been several days since the Boston Marathon. I am starting to feel human again and think I can remember most of what happened on race day. Reading Kristen Armstrong's wonderful blog account at Runner's World brought back the sights and sounds and feelings of the day. Here is our account of our third Boston Marathon with Team in Training:

Monday Morning: Hello, 4:30 a.m.! I see you briefly, then turn back over, headstrong in my committment to sleep until my alarm, set for 5:00. Upon waking, check the weather forecast several times to see whether that overcast cool forecast is staying with us. It looks like it will stay overcast but be warmer than expected, so we decide on one of the several options set in front of us- compression shorts with race ready multi-pocket shorts over the top, smart wool short sleeve for me, and short sleeved Under Armour top for Tim.

Time for breakfast- coffee and steamed rice with fish flakes. Some people might not like this combo(!!!)- rice is a traditional Japanese b/fast food and the dried flakes, called 'furikake', are nice and salty. Some water and a look at the watch to see when our cut-off hydration should start. The last two years, I didn't manage to stop in time, and my overdrinking led for long portapotty delays on the course.

7:30: Our chariot awaits! Great friend Chris (who I ran Nike with last fall) not only drives all the way up from New York, but wakes up early to take us and two other friends to the start line at Hopkinton. She has stocked the car with energy gels, water, treats, and we sit back, knowing we are in the hands of a pro.

8:30 ish?: We are dropped at the bus shuttles at Hopkinton. The long wait and rides to the athlete's village begins and additional rice balls unwrapped and consumed. Buses get stacked and stopped for looong periods of time, and a frantic runner convinces the driver to let him off roadside for some quick relief. Hearty applause greets him upon reboarding.

What time is it?: The buses drop us right at the village! Last year, it was at least a 10 minute walk All we know is that we are looking for our Team, but more interested in the porta potties. We pick a line and get in the slowest one, and discuss our race wear, apply sun block as the clouds magically disperse, and try to stay collected. Once out, we just have time to get our bags and start towards the baggage drop off. Luckily, we spot our Team in another field, and wish everyone a good race. I have brought my sharpie and have been asked to pen the names of people on their arm: Mark, Tom, Lori, JoJo and Kwan Kew. I imagine them all having the best race of their lives.

Here we go down the road to the start. We are in corral 21, but somehow end up back in 25. It doesn't matter- people are packed like sardines, but we know the race only really starts when our chip timer goes off at the starting line. It's happened a bit too fast- not much time to collect ourselves, but we hastily recap our plans, get energy from the crowds and start- first walking, then jogging, and then, many minutes later, actually running.

The first 6 miles are a combination of jogging and running- the crowds seem thicker than last year and people running with iPods directly in front or three across or walking make getting into the groove difficult. My ankle starts to twinge and I know this will be a challenge.

Ashland, Framingham, Natick- this passes by in a blur. I fade in and out of focus and sense a lack of the energy I've had throughout the season. I realize the day will be about running the best I can TODAY. I check in with Tim and figure out where Wellesley is. The cheers are loud, but are only a backdrop today to my effort and desire to get to the community center. I hear at least 2 men start hyperventilating at the cheers and signs at Wellesley College. I think we have seen Justin, our Team mate from last year, holding a big sign and it makes my day.

Familiar territory pops up and my repeated checking back with Tim to see where we are gets me to the community center, where our coach Rick Muhr and our group of friends awaits. We have told them that if we looked to be in good form, that we would not stop. We are not in good form, but we do not tarry. Our dear friend Bob gives me a hug and films us. He will later find that what he thought was smiling was really my attempt not to break into tears. Christine snaps our photo and cheers us along, and our coach advises us to pour water on ourselves and to stick together. The combined support makes me lose it momentarily and I walk until I can breathe again.

Down the hill and up through Hell's Alley: It's getting harder now, but we know after the climb, it will be mostly downhill to the Fire Station and the turn onto Comm Ave. Tim is up ahead, and I know he is doing his best to keep me running along.

Hills of Newton: Tim is off ahead on the first long hill of Comm Ave. I start to walk halfway through, but then pick up to catch him. We do okay at first, but sense that the momentum wanes. Our half time of 2:01 is respectable, but we know we won't make our goal and start to manage as best we can. The rest of the hills continue the same and even Tim starts to struggle. I hear various things from the crowd, but what I can recall is hearing 'this is the LAST hill!' on Heartbreak and start to pick it up. They aren't really right, but they are right enough! We see our great coach Lori and injured teammate Kristen, who is busy helping another Team runner along the course. We start to pass, get passed by, pass again, other Teammates, who I think I try to encourage.

I notice as we turn onto Beacon Street that we are having trouble, but that when we run, that we are running fine- good form, good speed, and hope we can continue in a fashion towards the end. Tim is really working hard now, and needs to stop along the way. I almost lose him once, but find him on a walk, looking pained. We know it's all about the brain now and I start chanting positives: It is minutes to the end, You are strong, Pretend you are on your favorite short course coming home. I get angry at the crowds who press in, yelling in runner's faces to keep moving, thinking 'what do YOU know about it!', when they say 'don't stop now! RUN RUN RUN!'. But they mean well. Our Teammate from last year, Jill, snaps photos of Tim on the course. He tries to tell me she is there, but I am out of it. I think I see Justin again. Am I dreaming?

Kenmore Square- we are coming home. Struggle down and up the underpass and right onto Hereford. There is Dave Tierney, LUCY and a bunch of Team members. I miss Kathleen, who has been on the other side of the street for HOURS, holding this sign:

We turn left and onto Boylston Street. I see that finish line and want to get there immediately. Tim has some trouble and wants to stop, but as soon as he does, our trainer Tessa yells our names and gets us in gear again. Can we believe it??? We are holding hands and crossing the finish line.

We have done it! We later find that Kwan Kew was injured during the race and breaks her femur, that another friend has walked the race and is hospitalized for hyponatremia, and that our supporter Adrienne who was going to miss our fundraising party because she was going on vacation, is in the hospital in an induced coma. We learn that our Teammate Ben finishes his run that evening, with a team of TNT supporters and our coach leading him in. We also find our teammates Paul and Kelly have done exceedlingly well in qualifying for Boston AT Boston and that other teammates have exceeded their goals. It is a day of high emotions, peaks and valleys, but we know that we have completed the race and raised money for a good cause. Here we are at the bar that night, and as you can see, all your names were with me the whole way.

Thanks for helping this run to happen and thanks for supporting this run in Judy's memory. The official time was at 4:20 and change, but we will take it. We learned a lot about running this season and reminded again about what can be accomplished for a good cause. As our coach likes to remind us of the quote by Margaret Mead:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Fundraising Time!

2008-04-23T14:39:00.002-04:00

Well, the marathon's over, and we are looking forward to our fundraising party at Jillian's pool hall this Friday. We've had some great donations for raffles and are looking forward to relaxing with friends and Teammates.

I have a month left to raise funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Once again, I'd like to plug my fundraising site, where each purchase enters you in a drawing for prizes and all proceeds go to benefit LLS. What better way to treat yourself to something nice?

Especially when the products are great! My short synopsis:

Original Buff Headwear: What better way to look stylish during your active lifestyle? Keep your hair off your face and sweat out of your eyes wearing these functional microfiber headbands whether hiking, running, biking, fishing or just hanging out. I love them for the garden and make sure to look at the UV blocking ones for summer days! $100.00 worth of Buff products will go to the lucky winner on May 31st who purchases an Original Buff Headwear item from my site!
Wrap-N-Mats: These great reusable, machine washable sandwich wraps were recently featured on a national talk show. Why? They are environmentally conscious, reusable alternatives to plastic sandwich bags, which double as a placemat when opened. Your chance for $32.00 worth of wrap-n-mats with any purchase! Start cutting back on plastic today!
Yuko Adachi Fine Art Cards: Yuko is an amazing artist whose works have been shown across the country, most recently at Future Arts 2008, The BAAK Gallery in Cambridge, MA, and Venus Gallery, San Francisco. Her Fine Art Cards can be framed to make beautiful miniature artworks, and convey the spirit of her creativity. Your chance for $35.00 worth of Fine Art Cards with any purchase!
Dean's Beans Coffee, hot cocoa mix and organic java drops: I can't say enough great things about this coffee. It's delicious, organic, fair trade, shade grown, sustainable coffee that is roasted in small batches at their MA beanery. If you can do one thing to make a difference in the environment, think about drinking organic coffee. Organic farming practices halt the deforestation that occurs with large scale industrial production, and lessens the use of harmful chemicals, which you don't want to be drinking inour morning cup! Each purchase of Dean's Beans coffee enters you in the May 31 drawing for $50.00 of Dean's Beans products.

Boston 2008

2008-04-22T12:07:00.006-04:00

Tim, Walt, and Patti- TNT crew at shuttles
Tim, stylish in his Buff Headwear before race

Tim and Marie- made it! Both of us in disbelief.

Well, everyone, the Boston Marathon 2008 is officially over! Phew!

This was probably the hardest marathons I have EVER run. The day started off nice and cool in the 40's, with overcast skies. Our great friend Chris drove up from NY the day before with her dad and drove us together with Walt and Patti to Hopkinton, where we boarded shuttles to the athlete's village. As always, it was an exciting bus ride as people spoke about their various goals, other marathons, and traded tips about the course. I met a British runner who had run 6 London Marathons for charity and interestingly enough, had an Original Buff Headwear around his neck, which he swore by. There is still time to buy, everyone!:-)

By the time we made it to the village, we had only time to line up for the facilities, followed by a quick trek to the baggage buses and on to the start. During that time, the sun decided to make its way out in full force. Quick decisions were made by those wearing heavy gear and sunblock lotion was passed round. We had decided to run in shorts and short sleeves after examining the weather channel earlier that morning.

Our herding to the corrals ended up placing us a bit behind, and we ended up crossing the start about 15 minutes and change past the gun time. Maybe I'm just getting older, but the numbers of feet, people wearing iPods, runners in groups traveling 3 or more across were quite a bit to contend with this year and a little frustrating. I think Boston could benefit from lining up 2nd wave runners with pacing times, as the full first half of the race made a lot of work and distance to shimmy past people who were walking, jogging or a combination of the two. We even saw a runner in costume with a FULL PARCEL DOLLY(cartons taped onto the dolly)- I think dressed up as a parcel delivery person and all I thought was 'DON'T let me trip over this person's dolly!'.

I realized 6 miles into the run that the ankle injury would be problematic. I had some dull aching in the foot and thought that this would not be my day to make records, but my day to deal with challenges and make it through the race as best I could. Lucky for me, I had an excellent running partner with Tim- he realized what was happening, and we adjusted our stops both for the weather- our original plan to hydrate every 2 miles changed into every mile or so!, and for the foot- stopping as needed to walk.

We were doing okay for the half at 2:01, but had to slow further after that. In retrospect, I saw a number of runners on the course with issues that day- people vomiting, cramping and pulled over to the side of the road, and I read later that 3 people had heart attacks on the course and 900 more treated at the first aid tents. I even saw a runner exit a porta-potty and keel over at the finish. Our time of 4:20 was a full 5 minutes slower than last year! But given the day, and the injuries, I think I learned alot from this race, which really felt like my hardest effort ever!

We had a great dinner at our fave pizza joint and got to give Kathleen my finisher's medal. I am so happy to have had the chance to run for Kathleen's mom and raise funds to continue blood cancer research! Kathleen and her sister got Tim and me deep tissues massages at a spa. I cannot wait!!!!!! Thanks, Kathleen and Karen!
Asako and Kathleen- two great friends

Of note: I hadn't realized that an athlete I really respect- runner Gordon Bakoulis, ran the marathon and finished in 3:15:53. She is an amazing athlete who has written 3 books including one of my favorites How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon. As she told the B.A.A. for their official race program "I tell people that they must make time for running, no matter how busy they think they are. Running is such a healthy lifestyle for parents of young children because it's such a simple and efficient way to exercise. Kids don't necessarily want to go out and jog five miles, and that's not what young kids should be doing, but they should see that running is fun and life-enhancing for mom and dad." Her interview continues as she talks about writing about top athletes: "There are no 'secrets' to their success, but the themes that come up again and again in interviews, articles, etc., are the value of rest and recovery and the need for patience and taking the long-term view".

Congratulations to everyone who ran yesterday! I will be at our Team party this evening and look forward to giving our coaches and volunteers thanks!

Deena Kastor wins women's olympic trials!

2008-04-20T11:25:00.006-04:00

What an amazing morning! The Olympic Women's Marathon trials passed just a few blocks from our apartment. We walked over the Mass. Ave bridge and saw these amazing athletes run the bridge loops. Deena Kastor made a great push to overtake the lead, Lewy Boulet, three miles from the finish. Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the Olympic gold medal in 1984, powered her way to a strong finish and hopefully made her goal of running a sub 2:50. In a short while, you should be able to see official results here, but unofficial results at WBZ news posted Kastor's time at 2:29:35.

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Deena Kastor

Next Stop, Hopkinton!

2008-04-18T16:41:00.004-04:00

Starting point, Hopkinton

Finish Line, Boston

Here we are! Just a few days and we'll be saying "remember the Boston race in 2008?" We are excited and hope to pick up our race packets at the expo tonight. For anyone who is interested, our bib numbers can be used to track our progress on the course by clicking the B.A.A. Site on race day:

Tim: Bib #21825

Marie: Bib #21806

Our timing chips will be going off at 5k intervals each time we cross the mat. With luck, we will make steady progress from Hopkinton to Boston!

How do I feel? Well, given the tendon injury, I have to be honest in saying that I do not know what will happen race day. I've made good progress this training season, we've cut some serious time in our pacing, and with a week break from running, I am reminding myself that anything can happen, including GOOD THINGS! If I find I cannot continue, I will deal with it when that happens, but I am hoping hard to pull out the fortitude I need to cross that line should my injury degrade on the course. I am grateful for all the support I've had and am honored to have the chance to run for Judy, and that together, Tim and I have raised more than $16,000.00 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Whatever happens on Monday, I'll live to run another day, but I am grateful for every single moment training and fundraising this year with Team in Training and thank you all for helping this happen!

Boston Marathon Course Tips

2008-04-16T09:50:00.003-04:00

This great article from Runner's World takes you through the marathon course and breaks out the course and mileage with excellent insider tips for running and managing the race.

I am going to focus on a few things:

Starting conservatively: This is kind of done for you the first few miles due to the crowds, but it is important to watch your feet and not trip, and not to get carried away with the initial energy and downhills of the course.
Fueling and drinking as needed: This should follow patterns during training, with any adjustments made for weather as needed.
Getting to mile 15 in relaxed form
Hitting the hills one at a time: The downhill after mile 15 is steep, and starts the counter going for the real hills of the race- the initial climb through 'Hell's Alley' over Route 128, the first hill at the turn onto Comm Ave, one more short one, then Heartbreak... Each hill gives you a good space to regroup in between, and recover heartrate and turnover on the downs.
Pulling it out on Beacon Street: This is the place to pull out your guts and put them on the road- whatever fortitude you've got mentally, this will be the place to draw on it. Saving some strength for the bridge to Kenmore Square and the uphill right on Hereford.

Still facing the ankle injury and not sure what will happen! This week is a full stop on training to allow things to recover- I had great recovery on pacing and time on Saturday, which was enough to convince me that I will be able to run on Monday, as long as things don't degrade on the course. Next posts should be about race day tracking. Have a good week focusing, everyone!

Born to Run the Boston Marathon (video)

2008-04-15T09:51:00.002-04:00

Get Ready, Boston! Watch the marathon course to this revved up songtrack and get ready for Monday!

The Marathon They Almost Canceled- Boston 2007

2008-04-14T14:32:00.004-04:00

For anyone that ran last year, or is wondering what the forecast and race will bring this year- this article from the Boston Globe tells how close we all were to not running the 111th marathon!

Forecasts so far look perfect- overcast and 55 degrees, according to my teammate, Emily.

Let the good weather roll!

Women's Olympic Trials

2008-04-09T10:45:00.006-04:00

The Women's U.S.A. Olympic Trials are coming to Boston! Over 150 elite female athletes will be running a marathon loop course around Boston the day before the marathon, April 20th, at 8 a.m.. The start and finish will be the marathon finish line, and the course will consist of a historic loop around the Back Bay followed by 4 6-mile loops running along Boylston, Comm Ave, Mass Ave and Memorial Drive. You can view the course here , or visit the event home page for more information, including videos and photos of the course, interviews with the athletes, and more. This event promises great spectating and should be an inspiration to all athletes, whether they are racing the next day or not! I will be cheering these amazing women athletes and looking forward to seeing them!

Thank Yous and Race Day Gear

2008-04-08T09:41:00.002-04:00

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank all my friends, family, coaches and doctors for their encouragement working through my injury and ensuing setback. Thanks to you, I kept cross training instead of throwing in the towel! A million thank-yous! :-)

Race Day Gear: If you are running on the 21st, it is TIME to collect your race day gear! Although it's tempting to buy new gear at the expo before the race, it is best to run with clothes you know you'll be comfortable in. I remember wearing an untested clip-on belt pack my first marathon and finishing with a gouge in my hip.

If you aren't wearing a fuel belt, I recommend Race Ready shorts- they are shorts that have 7 (count 'em!) pockets that hold GU or other accessories. I used them on my 20 miler for the first time and can say they work great!

I plan to wear these over tights and instead of carrying 4 GUs in my fists, to put them snugly in the pockets instead.

Gear:

Sunglasses and headwear: Sunglasses can be a big boon, from protecting your eyes from glare to keeping dust out of them. I wear hard contacts, so breezy spring days mean grit in the air and pain in the eyeballs. Find a pair that you can secure easily on top of your head or hat if not needed. For headwear, have fair weather gear- preferably light and wicking- hey, how about my fundraising Original Buff Headwear?, as well as bad weather gear- for especially rainy or snowy days, pick a lidded top like a baseball cap or tennis visor.

Layers: Check the weather forecast, but here in Boston, you should be ready for anything from freezing temps up into the 70's. If the weather is under 45 degrees, think seriously about wearing tights- going out too fast in shorts could be a good way to pull a muscle, and you don't want to do that! I wear an extra layer on top over my singlet, which I easily tie around my waist after warming up- this is personal preference. If you do this, be aware that race day photographers can only locate you by your number- lift up your shirt if you see cameras and want a pre-race photo. I also like to wear mittens, which I can take off and hold if my hands get warm during the race.

Throw aways/warm-up gear: Get your throw-aways ready: There are volunteers who will be collecting all warm-up gear as you head from the corrals to the start line, so don't feel bad about the waste. Buy some cheap layers to keep your body temps up the morning of the race, and don't hesitate to throw in rain ponchos or garbage bags, too. The garbage bags help to keep in your body heat, and can be easily tossed into the garbage before the start. DO NOT TOSS onto the course! You will endanger your fellow runners!!!!!

Sneakers and socks: You should have your race day sneakers broken in on at least a few runs by now. If you don't, think about wearing a pair that you already have that are still relatively fresh. Sneakers can last from 300-500 miles depending on the runner, and it's better to wear a pair that are broken in vs. a pair that might rub your feet the wrong way. Read this interesting article about researchers who are developing a way for our sneakers to TELL us when they are worn out. Pick your socks for their anti-blister and padding properties- something you've used through your training and are used to now.

Fuel and first aid: Start peeking in your gear to see that your favorite fuel and portable first aid supplies are in stock. I like to make sure I have waterproof band aids, duct tape, wipe-on anti-blister lubricant, extra safety pins, and of course, money, but there's still a few weeks to get that! It goes without saying that any inhalers or other needed medications should be filled as well so that they'll be full and ready if needed on the big day.

Back in the running- 20 any which way you can

2008-04-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

Well! Good news for me! The MRI showed inflammation of the tibialis posterior tendon, but the bones are good to go! I had the go ahead from my coaches and chiropractor, and took my 20 miler on a rainy Friday evening- 8 miles solo, and the last 12 with my husband, who had run his 20 a week earlier.

Not pretty, not fast, but DONE! The foot is still swollen, but knowing that I could complete 20 miles with the injury was very important to me. The transition after 2 weeks on the elliptical was definitely tough, but getting back on the road has been great! Now all I need is this CD:

Just kidding. I think all should be well in a short period of time. Acupuncture, ultrasound, electric stim, and massage are all on the schedule, and along with the taper, I remain hopeful.

I hope to post some more soon, and am going to focus the week on thanking my supporters, getting their names on my running singlet, and enjoying the taper!

For anyone else on the taper, I'll mention my coach's advice- the weather's warming up and it seems like everyone and their dog is out there running every day. DON'T. You do not need to- your body is ready for the race, and the best thing you can do to help it is to give it the rest it needs to rebuild itself for the big day. Keep your weekday runs intense, but make sure you are cutting down on the mileage. Your body will thank you.

Here's to the taper!

Elliptical Limbo

2008-04-03T00:06:00.006-04:00

Today was a 15 mile workout on the elliptical trainer. How does that feel, you ask? Well, here's what the bottom of my feet FELT like after 30 minutes:

Okay, slight exaggeration, but has anyone else experienced this? The bottoms of the feet start turning numb- I wished I could flip it out and numb up my brain instead so that I didn't have to watch the time go crawling slowly by like an inebriated slug. Which went on for hours, or at least more than 2 hours- seemed like 4! I did feel like I was going through a major mental challenge and that maybe I gained something (?) by figuring out how to cope.

Besides watching other people sweat, changing machines when someone who seemed like they had a raging flu ran facing me and coughing non-stop, entertainment choices indoors were slim. There's always music or TV if you prefer, which I don't, at least not while 'running'. :) But I did try to read the New Yorker, which was an interesting if not fruitful challenge.

I'm still waiting for the results of my foot MRI, hoping I don't have a stress fracture. The plan is to try running on real outdoors ground for a short trek tomorrow and if all goes well and the scan comes back clean, to attempt my 20 miler this weekend. Let's see what happens!

I've plugged most of my website items, but read this article from the New York Times talking about the decline of North American songbirds and its correlation with agricultural pesticide use. The article discusses ways for consumers to avoid foods that are bad for the environment and in many cases, bad for us and our families.

One of the top grocery list items mentioned is ORGANIC COFFEE. Most coffees we see in the grocery stores are grown in fields that are heavily treated with all types of chemicals, from herbicides to insectides and more. To buy organic coffee is to support traditional coffee farming grown under leaf canopy and in most cases, to support the sustainability of these farming methods and the communities who use them. Interested in putting a better coffee in your body and in your cupboard? Check out my Dean's Beans coffee fundraising page. Dean's Beans makes a mean cup of Joe, is organic, fair trade and shade grown, which is why I have about 10 lbs of Ring of Fire beans in my freezer at any given time. And did I mention- all profits go to support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and that each purchase enters you in a drawing for 50.00 worth of Dean's Beans coffee or organic cocoa? Happy Java drinking, everyone!

Planet Buff blogging!

2008-03-31T11:06:00.003-04:00

Adventure Junkie posted an entry about the Original Buff Headwear promo I am doing to fundraise for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. To buy your Buff, go to my fundraising site and follow the instructions for your FREE SHIPPING and entry for an $100.00 SHOPPING SPREE!

For anyone interested in the outdoors,The Adventure Blog is a great place to check out the latest news and gear! Thanks, Adventure Junkie!

Gearing Up!

2008-03-28T16:44:00.002-04:00

Not quite the way I had hoped, but our Team is getting ready for a 20 miler tomorrow, which will start in Hopkinton, finishing at Heartbreak Hill. It will be a good crowd, as several charities join together for the event, and should be good weather to boot!

I will not be joining the runners, but will be with supporters and friends at the 15 mile support station. The ankle has not healed enough to warrant a 20 miler, and an MRI is scheduled on Monday to rule out stress fractures. Oh well. I've had a few days to adjust and can say I am getting my head around it. In the best case, I can work out an alternate training plan and still do well in the race, which is what I'll be hoping for! In the meantime, I'll work to get my husband and teammate ready and enjoy seeing my teammates meet this great challenge tomorrow morning.

For those of you out on a long run, here are a few things I like to think about:

Start off and run like you expect to run your marathon. Don't expend all your energy at the start. It can be exciting, but you are in for the long haul. Take a mile or two to warm up. Boston is especially difficult, as there is a good downhill early on in the race. Don't speed down it! You will hurt your quads and pay the price later. Keep your knees soft and lean back to save your quads.
Think about your hydration and nutrition. Drink like you plan to drink on race day, and don't overdo the hydration. And- stop drinking at least an hour and a half out from the start- the last thing you want is to spend minutes in line at a porta potty, or pull a muscle hopping off the road to get behind a tree.
In the first 10 miles, check sporadically to make sure you are maintaining a good pace. Sometimes you can get going too fast, but the Boston course has plenty of hills for you later, so it's good to think about staying relaxed and strong to the 15 mile mark.
Hills: The hills on the Boston course come into play after the 15 mile mark, starting with a steep downhill and ascent through what is known as "Hell's Alley", followed by the right hand turn onto the Newton Hills. Remember to relax on the downs, keeping your knees bent and arms and legs opening out behind you, and to ALSO relax on the ups! I like to pump my arms a bit in front of me going uphill and open them out behind on the downs. The hills can be long, but there are a few tricks you can play, mixing a number of brain activities at the same time, like a scanner.:

Counting: I like to count in groups of 5 because it occupies my brain more than an even number. I count 5 steps twice, then go up to 10, then start again.
Think positive thoughts: Your brain will only be able to think of one thing at a time, so don't bother filling it with things like 'I will never make it', but focus on saying positive things like 'good job', 'keep your form', 'relax','doing good', etc.
Think about relaxing your legs when each one is not pushing- as each leg comes up, take a second to relax it. It helps!
Don't look up. Take a nice peek at the hill before you approach, take some good breaths and pep talk yourself, then look away from the top and get to work. You can do it!
Don't worry if you lose some time and turnover here. Hills are tough, and hills when fatigued are tougher. But you'll be surprised that your fatigue is temporary, and that you can regain your pacing, turnover and energy within seconds of completing the rise. Make sure to compliment yourself!

So my dialogue though it sounds crazy, can be like this: "one and two and three and four and five and two and two and three and etc etc.... relax, good job.... how is your form?.... and two and three and four and five and... doing good... etc etc". Sometimes I even sing a long song in between counting. I could be crazy, but it is a good formula for me.

5. Fatigue: There might be a point where you start feeling fatigue. Don't panic! Again, if you can work on solving the issue, your brain will work the best for you- it will be too busy instructing your body to focus on feeling desperate- for hunger or low energy, take some supplements, for sore feet, remove your sneaker and twist it, rubbing your foot while you are at it, for cramps, massage, stretch, or work out walk/run pacing. If there is a specific part of your body that is feeling tired, focus on recruiting other parts of your body or legs to take over- telling yourself that you are giving the tired part a rest. This can really help in the last few miles of a marathon! And focus on putting your brain where it needs to be for YOU. If you need to only think about the next few minutes, do that- don't think about how many miles are left. If you need to just focus on the next hill, do that, and make sure to tell yourself that no matter how hard the up feels, you'll get your speed back on the downs! If you need to think about the pizza that you'll have or the massage, go for it!

6. If it appears you are not meeting your time goals, keep a good perspective- don't descend into negativity. Everyone has off days when they don't run well. If you've been meeting your goals in your training runs, there is NO reason why you won't be able to run a good race. Use the experience to practice managing to run 'the best you can' on this particular day. That is all you can do, and the best favor you can do for yourself.

Happy running, everyone!

The Kindness of Bloggers

2008-03-27T08:47:00.003-04:00

Brian, whose excellent fly-fishing blog you can read HERE, wrote a post on my Original Buff Headwear fundraiser today. Brian posted a review of new gear for 2008 and was kind enough to add an update on one of the items, which was the BUFF. You can purchase Original Buff Headwear by going to my site , and by entering the promo code listed there, qualify both for free shipping AND an entry to an $100.00 shopping spree for Original Buff products from Planet Buff.

Another item he reviewed which I've been getting great use out of as well is the Petzl E Lite. This teeny headlamp fits easily and lightly on your head and has several different lighting options, including flashing red and flashing white. I use this gear when running in the dark and can say it's alerted many a vehicle, as well as bicycle, that I am coming down the road. Reflective gear is great, but not always enough, and the light also helps find those dips and hills that disappear at night. Plus, you can pack it in your bag for your other outdoor activities, like hiking and fishing!

Thank you Brian!

Great Video Interview!

2008-03-25T10:45:00.003-04:00

Check out this YouTube video about the Boston marathon. I was looking for something inspiring to post and love this one because:
1)It is filmed at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, just before all the runners head up it.
2)It is filmed during winter training
3)It is especially inspiring seeing all the charity runners who run for a cause. I even saw my old teammate Jill who was running for Team in Training!

Check it out and get revved up, everybody!

Challenges to the Finish

2008-03-23T22:41:00.004-04:00

Oh my, how to write? I unfortunately had to bag my 15 miler this Saturday, due to my bruised right foot. We had a nice course planned out, heading to Wellesley College, then looping back towards the Newton Hills, saying hello to the John Kelly statue and coming back to the community center in Wellesley. Two miles in, I felt no improvement in the foot despite my coaches' help to lace around the issue. See this interesting article from Runner's World, UK, which illustrates creative ways to lace shoes for individual fit.

There was a water stop up at the 3 mile mark, and I had decided by then to head back and stop at the community center rather than pressing on to Newton. I sent Tim on the way with deep regret and a pinch of jealousy, but had excellent support from Lori, the coach, who was running, as well as one of my Team members, Greg, who was sitting out the run and working at the water stop. He is an amazingly fast runner who I think will beat a 3:30 time, maybe even qualify, and having his company made it easier to accept a car ride back rather than risk more running, even as I watched my team running by.

I ended up heading to the gym later with a dreaded appointment with the elliptical trainer. I've found that I don't like these workouts, especially the long ones, one bit- my feet fall asleep and hurt, and time goes by at an insanely molasses-like pace. For anyone replacing running with the elliptical, I've learned that you do NOT replace mile-to-mile,- you replace time with equal time, checking on your heartrate to be sure you are approximating effort, and working on maintaining a good rpm.

I continue to ice and here is the plan:

Cross train- all week if I have to, continuing to ice and alternate ice and heat to move in new blood to the area. Yes, I hate the bike and the elliptical equally, but I vow to make peace with them this week and see that they are my new friends! Yes, I'd rather be running, but I am not going to kick my brick building like the last time I was sidelined and end up breaking a toe.

Get checked by my doctor if recommended- only because I have osteopenia and want to be sure I am not running into another stress fracture. Having had a running stress fracture on my hip, I know the length of rehabilitation time, and it is NO FUN!!!!

Act and prepare 'as if'. I am getting ready for a 20 miler this weekend in my spirit and need to prepare my body for the same.

Yes, this is hard. I checked with my coaches and it seems that runners who become injured cannot pass their numbers on to other entrants at this stage. And I want to complete this run, not only to finish, but to reflect the great results I've been having in training this season, having worked so hard on my thyroid levels, my asthma, my concentration and my form. But, we will have to see what happens! Hopefully I will be all okay by Saturday, and if not, I will be able to accept it!

Some friends have offered to work the water stops and I am looking forward to seeing them on the course. There are only a few more practices left and less than 30 days till Boston! Hang in there, everyone!

What the ... ? Another off day

2008-03-20T16:22:00.003-04:00

Okay, new issue! The top of my right foot at the highest point leading to the ankle is tender and is a bit swollen. How did THIS happen? The only thing I can think of is that maybe I tied a shoe too tight and caused a bruise during a weekday run. I am taking today off and adventuring into a 'super cycle' spin class. Sound fun?

I've been putting on the ice for a day or two and tested this out well- making sure that the bones did not hurt to compress and that I could hop on it without any discomfort. All is well until the shoes go on, so I am going with the bruise diagnosis. But just to be safe, am not, I say NOT going to run today. My goal is to do well on the 20 miler 9 days away and to be able to run the 15 miler this weekend without imparing that.

The weeks building up to peak marathon training can bring out some weird issues. The body is tired, the brain can get tired and not focus well on injury causing issues, the psyche can get wrapped up in things like time goals and forget that it is the body that needs to get us there- in good shape! If this is happening to you, don't worry! Focus on solving your problems by getting good rest and medical intervention if needed, extra massages or P.T., and keeping the big picture in focus.

Today is SPRING! Happy Spring Training, Everyone!

Save Some Plastic!

2008-03-19T10:02:00.010-04:00

This is another post about my fundraising store. You can read this post at the enviromom blog about this product.

Plastic bags consumed this year:

(Courtesy of Reusablebags.com)

Have you ever thought about how much plastic you throw away each day? This has been an increasingly irksome question to me as I get older and calculate my own trash production. This year, my husband switched from soda to water, not for health reasons, but out of the feeling he got looking at all his recylables every week. And not all plastics can be recycled!

I am selling reusable sandwich wraps on my fundraising site, http://www.coolstuffforthecure.com/ .

These wraps are reusable, washable, durable, and not only make a stay-fresh wrap for sandwiches, but an instant placemat for your lunch as well! I have 4 that I use to pack my husband's lunch in, rotating two each day and can verify that these wraps keep a sandwich just as fresh as a plastic bag. These wraps can be machine washed and air dried- I've simply handwashed them while doing dishes. Here are some photos of the wrap- excuse the funky looking homemade bread!:

Each colorful wrap purchase enters you in a drawing to win $32.00 worth of wrap-n-mats- drawing to be held May 31, 2008. If this doesn't interest you, here are some other ways to cut down on plastic and increase recycling:

Say no to plastic at the store: Bring your own reusable shopping bags, and use mesh or cotton produce bags for your veggies and fruits
Reuse plastic bags that you use for trash liners. Wash and reuse ziploc storage bags.
Make sure your neighborhood has a recycling plan and that your building uses it! If you don't have one, contact your local representative to bring this issue up.
Recycle your running shoes! Nike has a program where you can bring your old shoes to be ground up for sports surfaces around the world.

Happy recycling, everyone!

Some humor- Dash for the Cash.. in Stilettos?

2008-03-18T14:46:00.003-04:00

This article caught my eye today as I was looking for something fun to post. A race with the motto 'Shopping is a Sport' where women race in heels of 3.5" MINIMUM. Can you imagine? My collection of hiking boots, running shoes and other clunky flats would straight out DQ me any day. I do have a pair of heels in a box somewhere- last time I wore them, I walked home barefoot.

At least wikiHow gives you some pointers in technique. I'll leave this one to the more competitive shoppers out there!

That is as much fun as my friend's email showing how to tell when your feet stink:

Snowy, rainy long runs

2008-03-16T11:14:00.002-04:00

Our Team practice once again was held during a snowy/rainy day! I was not sure I'd be running due to the ankle, but decided to prepare as if I'd run it and see how things went the first few miles.

My friend Kathleen and her aunt Nancy came to practice to dedicate our training run to Kathleen's mother, Judy, who passed away last year after a decade long battle with multiple myeloma. I am running in Judy's memory this year, and as Kathleen said, it would be fitting, as Judy loved the marathon and watched it every year from her favorite spot- Golden Temple restaurant on Beacon Street. I am going to run this marathon as best as I can and continue on with my fundraising for blood cancer research! Forward, ho!

Our run, after many weeks of hill runs, was AWAY from the hills, heading out from Wellesley through Natick and Framingham, then back. I definitely felt the ankle and decided that if it got 'worse' I would stop at any of the water stops along the way. My excellent coach Rick was at the first stop and asked me about it, telling me that I could be feeling some compensation. I kept on going, and the pain evened out, just like he had said! Rick mentioned that we would make a plan to ice it right after the run, and this thought of having a post-run plan helped me feel more comfortable with the choice I made to continue.

I was behind Tim for most of the run, and towards the end, felt that I was really slowing him down. The rain and snow made for a wet chilly run, and in the last 400 yards, my foot cramped up and I had to pull off my shoe and stretch it out. I've never had this happen before, but guess there's a first time for everything. Once again, I layered Wright socks under my smart wool socks and it helped dispel any blisters (I also coated my feet with Glide).

I was happy to see that we managed to run (not quite 18 miles according to Tim's GPS) within a 'supposed' time frame for me to be able to make a qualifying run, and managed to make negative splits as well. I am using the McMillan's pace calculator, and also this chart , punching in a fade time of 20 seconds a mile after mile 20. The time I'd have to get in my age group would be 3:50:59. It might not happen! Our main goal is to raise funds for LLS, then to try to run all the way through without having the cramping Tim's been experiencing around the 17-20 mile mark, then to try for a sub 4 marathon. Qualifying would be the icing on the cake, but I think we will focus on running assertively, following a practical plan, basing the run on the process rather than outcome and focusing on how we are running. I am putting this down here so that I can remember, too! Don't get bogged down by the outcome!!!!!

Happy training, everyone!

Original Buff Headwear part II

2008-03-13T08:53:00.007-04:00

This is part II of my Original Buff Headwear post. Though I hate to post my photos, at my sister's encouragement, I am including photos showing different ways to wear the Buff. You can see the original Buff worn as my favorite style, which is a thick headband for running, a cap made by twisting and doubling back the fabric, a pirate cap, and a headband. I also included one photo of my favorite, which is a combined fleece and microfiber Buff, which I have been wearing almost exclusively on my long runs. Again, you can buy Original Buff Headwear from my fundraising store, with free shipping and the chance to win a one hundred dollar shopping spree from Planet Buff. Just remember to follow the instructions when ordering and input the promo code TNTCURE. Remember these sales are not for profit, and a portion of each sale will
go directly to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Plan of Action...

2008-03-12T08:58:00.005-04:00

Okay, assessment so far is hopeful- elliptical on Thursday instead of running, then checking in on Friday to see whether the Saturday run should delay a day or not. Good news! I think staying off the injury, icing, wrapping and taking a run day completely off has helped. That is better than I had hoped! Given the site of injury (a chronic injury site), the fact that blood flow to the ankle is notoriously bad, and that my hypothyroidism makes cell turnover and healing a little slower than normal, I think this is excellent news. I am lucky to have a great coach who has already provided some good advice, and an excellent doctor, who is also a runner. :-)

Today I am writing about my role models and one special thing I notice about them. Rick Muhr, my running coach, has been working with LLS for well over a decade, helping the Boston Team of over 130 runners each season train for and complete the Boston Marathon. His challenge is a big one- to motivate charity runners, some of whom have never completed 26.2 miles, and get them through training in order to run Boston in 'relative comfort'. Rick is an accomplished runner who has run amazing races, from marathons to cross-state (as in- running across the state!) events, and recently ran more than 60 miles in punishing conditions. His motivation to make a difference and especially a difference in the fight against cancer is a personal one, and it is a motivation he shares openly with a team of runners every week. I am overlooking another person who deserves this credit- his wife Lori, also an accomplished runner and a co-coach for the Team who attends each training and has helped us all with her wisdom.

My other role model is from my another of my hobbies as an amateur rose gardener- David Cannistraro. David is a Master Rosarian with the New England Rose Society Yankee District. He willingly donates his time and resources to helping novice gardeners learn about rose culture and care, performing pruning seminars at public gardens, and teaching volunteers at public gardens about roses. Just yesterday he presented at the New England Flower Show with his co-worker at their company Just Roses, Cynthia Fraser, who is an accomplished rosarian as well. David's constant encouragement that anyone can learn about and grow great roses has inspired many gardeners.

Cynthia, her husband and David at the annual Justine Mee Liff Party in the Park

To outline requirements for Master Rosarians, aside from the more than decade long term required as a Consulting Rosarian and other performance related requirements, the Master Rosarian:

Exemplifies knowledge of roses and their culture
Shows a strong and demonstrated willingness to share this knowledge with other rosarians and the general public
Provides an example of outstanding service to the local rose society and the ARS (American Rose Society) and is a model of the ethical behavior exemplified in the CR program.
The quality I want to recognize in Rick, Lori, David and Cindy, is that these people, though they have gained wisdom through concerted effort and excellence in their respective fields and could easily retain this knowledge exclusively for themselves, have chosen to share their talents and abilities to the benefit of others. I am lucky to be someone who is within radius of these extraordinary people, and to benefit from the guidance and encouragement they have provided to me. I hope I can retain this example through my running season and upcoming gardening season and thank these inspirational people for making a difference!

The rose 'Justine Mee Liff', bred by my grandfather Paul E. Jerabek, and selected by David Cannistraro to be dedicated and planted in the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Fenway. Justine Liff was the late Boston Parks Commissioner, an advocate for parks and partnership and whose work fostered a sense of community and founded the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

Messing up

2008-03-11T09:45:00.005-04:00

Well, yesterday I messed up. Reviewing my long run times, it struck me like a lightning bolt that according to McMillan's Running Calculator, a qualifying Boston time is currently in reach. I couldn't believe it! Although I reviewed the run before heading out, stressing that it was to be a recovery run with the speed saved for Tuesday, I ended up going out too fast and pulled my ankle halfway through my 7 miler. A limping gait home has me wrapped up today.

I think part of the problem was our Garmin 350- Tim had it set to give out warning beeps when pacing was fast/slow, and the window was very small! Each time it beeped, he adjusted pace, although the course was hilly. It goes without saying that we were too fast on the warmup, fast on the downs, and too slow on the ups!

Lesson?: Don't get carried away! I am irritated, as I should know better by now and still allowed my desire to catch up to my running partner to affect my training. Since I have my chiro appointment tomorrow and I am willing to take the day off, I think my chances of recovery by Saturday for the 18 miler are still pretty good. But it's not worth it to get injured at this stage of the game.

Having said that, I've been ill and been injured before, and I know that there is plenty of time to heal up before the big day AND to do well.

We Finally Catch a Break!

2008-03-09T12:49:00.003-04:00

We have finally caught a break! Despite a severe storm that blew through the East Coast, we managed to miraculously run in between two legs of the storm, encountering nothing more than a few misty moments. We are still in shock!!!!

Our hilly run through Grafton did not quite meet 17 miles, but our 16 mile pacing was encouraging, averaging 8:40's despite a minute bathroom break. The hill profiles are quite similar to the Newton Hill ranges, and having the last two miles with building hills and a final downhill gave the legs a good push to the finish.

Today we both discussed the run and decided to run a good clip- no reason why we could not set our usual goal pace, we thought. I like the idea of planning to succeed and running 'as if' we are already at our goal- it does leave the brain more room to succeed, rather than planning conservatively for crisis management. The last few hills were actually difficult for me, and I was left a bit behind, but I managed to make my way up and almost catch up by the finish.

We are starting to plan for our Team 20 miler, to be held at the start in Hopkinton on March 29th. Any runners who are interested in joining, please let me know, as there is only a 5 dollar charge to cover gatorade and transportation- though you need to fill out a form in advance. We will be bussed to the start from Wellesley Community Center, with parking is available at the DPW below the center.

We are also looking for volunteers to assist at water stations and ferry runners from the finish at Heartbreak Hill back to the community center, along with massage therapists to volunteer services. This run is held along with other charity organizations, and refreshment stations are going to be set up along the course. It is an excellent way to experience the course under supportive conditions.

Saturday, another sloshy seventeen?

2008-03-07T09:21:00.004-05:00

Well, it's Friday, and I feel good. I took a cue from the sane part of my brain and ran a fun run 5 miler yesterday, intentionally going slow and enjoying the ride. At this point, it's easy to be persuaded that if the effort isn't hard, that you aren't training well. But this can lead to overtraining, burn-out, even injury, and at the last few weeks of build-up, this is not a risk to want to take.

It was nice to go out with no pressure, and enjoy the fact that we were outdoors and able to run. As our Team points out regularly during meetings, training for a marathon is nothing compared to going through chemotherapy or dealing with the challenge of a blood related cancer. And the fact that we GET to run and are ABLE to run is something we should appreciate every single day.

It was nice to see the sunset, and to hear the sound of birds- could spring actually be around the corner????

Having said that, we are scheduled for another severe storm tomorrow, with a variation- it will be in the upper 30's and low 40's, which means RAIN instead of snow. In fact, the forecast shows steady rain from 9 this evening to 5 p.m. Saturday, with thunder and potential for localized flooding. On the PLUS side, current predictions list 'showers' until 11 a.m., and 'rain' from 12 p.m. onwards. I am hoping this is right!

Our coach says today: "running in the rain has a unique way of returning you to your youth and connecting you to the earth." Let's get ready to get connected! He also says "Embrace the reality that tomorrow may be the hardest training run of the season and realize that the benefits of completing it are limitless".

If this is happening to you where you are and you are training too, remember that the Boston Marathon is never predictable, weather-wise. Running and learning to run in adverse conditions gives us the tools we need to be better prepared. Here's to Saturday!

Tips:
Wet shoes? To dry them out, remove inserts and stuff with newspaper. The paper will absorb the water overnight and pulling out the paper the next day will give you a dry pair of shoes in about 24 hours.
When nearing the last section of training, start thinking about your race day shoes. If you've been rotating a couple of pairs and ESPECIALLY if you are running in a model released a year or more ago, start scoping out places to buy your race day shoes. Buy your shoes and break them in ahead of race day. I like to wear them on at least one short run and one or two longish runs, then put them away for the big day.

Quotes of the day and artist profile

2008-03-05T15:39:00.004-05:00

John Kelly was quoted as saying "Marathoning is just another form of insanity".

I think I've found my club , ha ha!

On another note, my friend Yuko Adachi is hosting an open studio together with her husband, Andreas Gmur at their studio 228, Harrison Ave, Boston this Friday March 7th from 6-8 p.m.. Hey- you might say- this doesn't have anything to do with marathon training! Well- besides being an inspirational person, Yuko has supported my fundraising by offering her lovely Fine Art Cards for sale on my website. Whether you buy some or not, please take some time to see the magnificent artwork on Yuko's site or at her studio!

Attitude Adjustment and major goal review

2008-03-04T16:17:00.002-05:00

Okay! It's a fresh week and we are ready to get in gear! We had a super 7 mile run yesterday that flew by, I am convinced, because I stopped being such a wet blanket.

Over the past few weeks I've had a few issues:
1)My fundraising isn't where I want it to be. My goals and work to create a website just haven't brought in the results I had hoped for. Boo hoo.
2)Asthma: Yes, a few attacks, and had to stop and use extra albuterol to make it. But now I have a new Rx, and things are working well! And it is getting warmer....
3)A chronic ankle injury that I work on during training(uncomfortable, but runnable) has progressed to(or been joined by) an upper hamstring insertion irritation in the glutes.

My short term reaction to obstacle always being disappointment and depression. But- guess what? This doesn't really solve anything. And as runners, we know that we can't control the outcome of any one run. The best I CAN do is to work on these things:
1)Okay, so the website's not generating the results you hoped for, despite what you thought were cool and great products for an awesome cause. So what? You still have the support of many people who have donated to LLS, the people who you are running for, and old fashioned direct fundraising tactics to fall back on. A generous donor asked me for my fundraising link out of the blue and donated promptly. So- do I need to feel bad about this? NO!
2)Asthma: Okay, so you have it. Try out the new meds, which seem to be working well, and see how it goes. If you have an attack, manage it! It doesn't mean you cannot run!!!!
3)Injury: If you are smart, you have plenty of time and resources to manage this. Ice the hamstring/tendon, do the p.t. and strengthening exercises, negotiate some massage time and listen to the bod. If you need to lay off, do it!

Okay? Taking a cue from the book I am reading Running Within, I will withhold judgements about what I can and can't do, both in fundraising and training, and think more about what I'd like to do and plan for it. I think one of the quotes in the book by Henry Ford was very accurate: "Whether you think you can or think you can't you're probably right". So, let's reserve judgement on can/can't, fail/win, and reposition our brains! I look forward to a warm, if rainy run tonight and will hold off on the Yasso's until the irritation in the hamstring resolves.

Slushy, snowy sixteen- harumpph!

2008-03-02T13:49:00.002-05:00

This was what was outside the window on Saturday morning. I grumpily and slowly donned my gear, selfishly sending Tim out all alone to stash gatorade along the route. Once again, we worked backwards along the marathon course from Beacon Street up Commonwealth Avenue, through the Newton Hills and back.

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and had probably one of the most challenging runs this season. I hate wet feet. Hate, hate, hate. And for the first few miles, I tried to fool myself that if I took care with my footing, I would get through the run without too much sogginess. Ha! Running up Beacon Street against traffic (sidewalks unshoveled!) and on a slope, torrents of water literally sloshed over the tops of my sneakers. To add to the mix, plows had cleared the car lanes, but not the bike lane, which was piled deep with slush. This made for a 'slap slap' sound as we pigeon-stepped. Lovely. I could hear Tim's shoes going 'squish squish' as we ran- mine enviably filled with orthotics which dampened the sound effects.

The good thing was that the winds were not there! The predicted gusts never came, and the temperature was definitely over freezing. And the best thing were the other runners who all were so friendly- it definitely made a difference!

Our times were pretty slow. We really did have a tough time navigating in and out of lanes of traffic, sidewalks, slush and puddles, but by the 2nd half of the run picked up to run between 8:30 and 8:40's or so. Overall, we did beat the 9 minute mile, but it was quite a challenge! I was grumpy pretty much the whole way through and I am sure I was a horrible person to have to run with.

How to choose wet weather running gear: When running in wet weather, remember to think about your clothes- picking close fitting tights will help more than baggy running pants. Same goes for your top- Tim likes his Under Armour top, layered with a Craft top on cold days or a light windbreaker on mild days- I prefer Smart Wool, followed by a Sporthill stretchy jacket. Make sure to think long and hard about chafing and use Glide or other lubricants liberally on areas that rub like feet and bra contact points. I used a double layer Wright sock underneath my running socks to cut down on friction, and it worked just fine! If rain or snow look to occur through the run, think about lidded headgear like a basball cap. The downside is that it's tricky to take off and carry if not needed, but the plus side is that you don't get snow, ice or rain slapping you in the face.

Well, off to work on revamping my attitude for the coming week. Here's to meeting a challenge and hope to spend the coming week working on my other challenge- fundraising.

Another canceled practice....

2008-02-29T09:30:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-28T13:53:00.006-05:00

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

2008-02-27T20:04:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-21T14:51:00.004-05:00

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

2008-02-20T09:19:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-17T12:03:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-14T12:26:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-02-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-07T12:04:00.001-05:00

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

2008-02-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

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.

2008-02-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-04-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

Almost Time... and what about the weather???:

Okay, everyone! Thanks for all your help! We are just about ready for race day after picking up our registrations and have the following news for tracking on race day:

Race Day: We will be running the Boston Marathon on April 16th, 2007. We are in the 2nd wave of runners, officially starting at 10:30 a.m., although it takes some time to actually get to and cross the starting line! We will have timing devices on our shoes, and you will be able to see where we are by going to http://www.baa.org/. The face of this site will change on race day, and you will be able to look us up by number and name:

Timothy Horn: Bib number 20936
Marie Fukuda: Bib number 20922

During the race, our good friend Bert Antonio will have my cell phone and will be viewing 5k splits up until we are close to the finish. You can reach him for updates at (617)347-2037 (cell) or (617)859-3646- please do so if you are considering coming out, so that you are not waiting forever!

Our dear friends Bob Roppolo and Christine Lynn will be dropping us off in Hopkinton in the morning, and Jacques Chanier will be meeting us at mile 15 at the Wellesley Community Center.

If we are vertical that evening, we plan on a pizza celebration at Woody's. If anyone would like to join us, please send your phone number and we'll call you with the plan.

Goals: Well, we had hoped to have a sub-4 time this year, but it seems that we may have some additional challenges. The weather forecast includes the possibility of strong winds and heavy rain, which will make this a memorable race! If we run in good time, we will be happy, but if not, we will finish. My post about preparation will now be supplemented with garbage bags for feet, extra clothing for the start, umbrellas and rain poncho, extra shoes and socks for the start, a dropped change of shoes/socks for emergency halfway through, and a bag of dry clothes to drop off at the finish. :)

We had a great 6 months training with our Team, and have now raised over 13,000 dollars with the help of all of you- money that goes towards the Society's goals to cure blood cancers and to care for patients and their families. We are dedicating this run to two wonderful and brave people who are no longer with us, and in hopes that one day there will be a cure for these diseases.

We are so grateful for the support of everyone out there and look forward to celebrating another year with the Team. All the best, Marie

2007-04-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

LAST TEAM TRAINING AND TAPER WEEK!: Hi Everyone! We are officially finished with our Team training and are in full taper mode this week as we prepare for the marathon. Here's pic of our race day shirts from our 20 miler. The back of mine will have ribbons with your names- as soon as I sew them on!

As many of you know, tapering is a traditional part of race preparation. Giving the body enough training, and then enough rest can maximize performance on race day by giving the body the training it needs and then time to recover and replenish. It sounds nice, but it can be difficult for runners who have gotten used to the training schedule. It can also be difficult mentally, as one starts to wonder if they will remember how to run or whether they will lose skill from a week of rest.

This is when the mental part of training has to overcome the body's messages. Instead of training on the road, you can use this time to start preparing mentally, getting organized for the race and in using focus to prepare the brain for what lies ahead. Good tips include visualization- taking some time every day to picture yourself on the course and how you will be handling different sections of the race, meditation and breathing, and preparing for the logistics of the race before race day arrives. Knowing that you have everything in order gives peace of mind, especially the couple of days before the race! It is also a good week to schedule some gentle massage. :) And maybe one after the race!

Here is a tip sheet for what to think of to bring to any race:

Your running clothes and race numbers: Make sure to pin this to your singlet before race day and try it out by swinging the arms around! It will help avoid problems in having to repin once you are in the race! If you are not sure of the weather, bring a change of clothes, one for each possibility.

If the weather is chilly, a garbage bag or throwaway sweatshirt/pants for prerace. The Boston Marathon is great in that charities collect this prerace gear as you come through the runners corrals. If you use the garbage bag, you can punch out holes for the arms after using the same bag as a seating tarp for pre-race waits.

Money and essentials: It is good to know that you have that extra little bit in case you fall into an emergency and are in between aid stations! For extra essentials, dont forget: anti-chafing lubricants, bandaids, any medications you need, sunscreen,sunglasses (if needed), gels or carb supplements, liquids and pre-race food.

Luckily, we are having fun thinking about race day, what the run will mean for us and for the people we are running for, and about the people who have been so supportive to us so far. We are excited to be joined again by Jacques Chanier at the 15 mile mark, and will look forward to seeing friends on the course. I will make one more post about race day and tracking. Thanks to everyone for all you've done- buying coffee, donating, attending our party, writing your encouragement and cheering for us through this training season. Thanks for helping us to continue raising money to further cancer research and to care for people who are going through these diseases. Best, Marie

2007-04-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

Fundraising Party!: Well, I am now officially getting behind in my blogging, so will do a few posts this week. We had a very nice fundraising party, thanks to everyone who pitched in and attended on March 29th!

We raised around $2,400 dollars between the two of us, and have now officially met our fundraising goals to raise $6,000 dollars each. The actual goal of our Team is 1 million dollars, and we are probably about 200,000 short, but hope that additional fundraising efforts will help to bridge the gap!:)

Bob Roppolo was very generous to attend our next to last training session and share a memory of John and to make a dedication in front of our Team. We are very inspired to run this race in John's memory and will do our best next Monday!

Thanks again to everyone who contributed and attended our fundraiser. I would especially like to thank a few people:

the artists who donated works for our silent auction, Yuko Adachi, Bert Antonio, and Peter Arvidson.
Jon Fukuda and Luc Kress for their help with the technical stuff and to Luc for the door prize!
Steve Short of Central Reservations of New England- The hotel stays were a big draw and thanks so much for helping us to acquire them!

2007-03-29T00:25:00.000-04:00

Twenty Miler!!!!!! And Fundraising Party:

It is so nice to be writing after the 20 miler. What can you say about twenty miles? It was a training run I was looking forward to as much as fearing. :)
For charity runners, a moderate training program usually peaks with a run of this length, scheduled a few weeks before the marathon, followed by a taper.

We woke up to near perfect weather at 5 a.m., just a slight headwind of 5-7 miles with temps in the mid 30's and rising. Our team kicked off with a meeting at Wellesley and two moving dedications. Our great team organizers had buses drive us to the start line.

This was a day that most charities and many individuals scheduled their long runs, and the result, even though the roads weren't closed, was a marathon-like festive atmosphere. Support groups from each charity were manning water stops at at least 3 mile intervals, sometimes more, and did a great job of keeping runners hydrated and cheering them onwards. We knew that our Team would be at the 15 mile mark.

This was also the first day that we saw and wore our running singlets. It was a great feeling to put these on and be able to run as a dedication to the people on the backs of our singlets.

How does running 20 miles feel? Well, I have done this distance about 10 times now, and it is still hard to describe. I think it is kind of an adventure, mostly good. I don't think I've had a run where there hasn't been difficult patches, but I do think that the older I get, the more resourceful I am in dealing with problems. If I can think back to Saturday, I would say the progression was: nervous and excited, relaxed and excited, meditative and methodical, meditative and resolute. At about 15 miles, I definitely felt tired, and seeing our water stop across from the community center was a great source of strength. Wonderful Dave Tierney offered to take my jacket and hat, and I heard our coach Rick telling runners that the next section was basically downhill. This combination and knowing that we had people we knew at the finish line gave me the pep to carry through, and the last part went by quickly if not easily. Overall, I felt a bit more fatigued that I have in past long runs, but because my excellent running partner helped work me through the last miles and because I stayed focused, we ended up with a pretty good time, just 2 minutes over our goal. :)

The best part? Our friends Chris Lynn and Robert Roppolo were at the finish line! Both Chris and Bob had volunteered to drive tired runners from the finish back to the community center. Chris had decorated trees and signs and Bob gave Tim and I a ride back with two other girls from our team.

Well, the rest of the day was pretty much a wash. Stretching, sleeping, drinking and eating, with sleeping in between most of those activities. And Celebrating the fact that the taper was upon us. From now until race day, we will be cutting back mileage to rest up for the marathon!

Our fundraising party is tomorrow. Looks like things are in good shape and hope we have a great turnout! Will post following the event. Best,-M

2007-03-19T23:58:00.000-04:00

Snow storms and sun:

Well! A week of beautifully warm temps was followed by a sudden storm that left Boston with about 9" of snow and a canceled team practice on Saturday morning. Temps are climbing back up and if we can just avoid rain next week, we should be in good shape!

Our 15 mile run was fine, although we missed having the water stops and the support of our team. It was chilly and icy in spots, and we stopped several times to buy Gatorade but we did it, and hope that we may make good time on our 20 miler. All the same, and as our coach reminded us- it is possible to have a hard time on the long run and do well in the marathon, and vice versa. I am feeling positive!

During the run, we bumped into a father and son near Heartbreak Hill. They were obviously working on some physical therapy, as the son was having difficulty walking, though they took the time to say hi to us. It was a moving scene for me and a good reminder that putting aside a training season to run for the society and fund raise is nothing- NOTHING compared to dealing with a serious physical challenge or the fight against cancer that patients go through. I realize how lucky I am to be out there doing something for a charity, and how great it is to be supported by the people who have donated to my fundraising efforts.

We have just over a week until ourFundraising Party! I will check in w/the event manager shortly to review numbers of guests and logistics. I am lucky to have support of many people who helped with prize donations, and will look at how I can recognize them during and after the event.

2007-03-11T21:34:00.000-04:00

18 Away:
Hello, everyone! We just finished our 18 miler on Saturday- AWAY from the hills- yippee!
I think this was the first week that I saw the course past Natick and it was a welcome change.

Adding to this- lovely weather! After a chilly week, the temperatures warmed up and made this run one of the most comfortable that we have had so far.

Difficulty- yes, this was hard. After a long run of 17 miles and a couple dropped down weeks, the brain will try to convince you that the body is not able to do that last mile. But this is where you can talk yourself through it- Tim and I managed to do a great job- we were pleased with our time and we are hoping that our goals on the big day are reachable. But...

We were running away from the hills
Our return gave us wind behind us, which was opposite to our usual experience
18 miles is still 8.2 miles away from a marathon distance

Well! We will have to see what happens, and in the meantime, have 2 more weeks before the taper- a 15 mile run, and the 20 miler.

It was great to see our team members, and we had sections where we ran with some of our team and thoroughly enjoyed that! Dave Tierney did an awesome job of heading up the coaching session. We had a moving dedication from a co-worker/friend of one of our Team members, who had success with a bone marrow transplant after her diagnosis with ALL. She and her mother were very nice to thank us for running for the Society.

We are still working towards our fundraising party and hope it will be a success- I will try to wrap up the donations this coming week.

Tips for the day:

Recovery drinks: Did you know one of the most talked-about recovery drinks this past year is not Gatorade, but chocolate milk? It turns out the carb/protein balance after a strenuous workout is more effective in aiding recovery than that sports/electrolyte drink most of us reach for. If you don't like milk, you can still use this lesson and take some protein with your after workout carbs and liquids.
Recovery time: The first few hours after a long distance run can be hard- the body is recovering, and immunity is not as high as at other times. If you know you have a social event following a run, try to get a few hours down-time in between, preferably somewhere quiet and relatively secluded. Try to stay away from anyone who seems like they have something you don't want!
Recovery list: After a long workout, make sure you do a few things: Change into comfortable, dry clothes (if you can't shower first), Stretch, Eat and drink within 30 minutes of your workout, AND- later on,try to walk around. Your legs will thank you the next day.

Best,-M

2007-03-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

Counting down the weeks:
Here we are, just a few weeks away from our 20 miler long run. How fast it's gone!

Briefly- our long run was 15 miles. We did this the day after our Team practice, giving Tim's knee some extra time to rest. Things are going well, and we feel confident that our 18 miler this coming weekend will go smoothly. We were happy to attend practice to see our coach for the last time for a few weeks, and to hear a teammates' moving dedication to her husband, who passed away from cancer.

I have a few items that I am very excited about!

That our good friend Jacques Chanier had a live recording last week! Jacques continues his remission from CNS lymphoma, though he is still undergoing chemotherapy at Mass General. The recording was truly awesome- he is playing with a great trombonist and about 50 of us were lucky enough to be at this event. Bring on the CD release party! Jacques continues to inspire me as a talented musician and a wonderful human being.
That we have put together details for our fundraising party! We will be having a pool party at Jillian's Billiard Club on March 29th, and have some wonderful prizes, thanks to our donors. We will also have some silent art auctions. The evite can be viewed here and bids for artworks can be taken by contacting me.
That Tim and I will be running in memory of two very special people- John Alan Cates and Gerry Lynn. These are very dear friends' special family members who have passed away from blood cancers and we are very moved that we will be allowed to run in their honor this year. I hope to put up a post about this before the race.

Well, I think that's about it. It is a little scary to see that next week is 3 miles longer that our run this past session, but this is the 'have faith' part of the game and will concentrate on thinking positively and constructively- towards the marathon, and for what we are doing in running with the Team. Best, -M

2007-02-25T23:21:00.000-05:00

Revisiting the Hills- 13 towards Newton:

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the gradual increase of daylight! We had another go at the hills this week, this time from Wellesley up past Heartbreak and over. One thing is for sure- I am getting to know this part of the course very well!

The dedications at practice were wrenching. Emily, our campaign manager, showed up for practice although her grandmother had just passed away. Another member went through her story of how 4 out of 8 family members had been diagnosed with cancer, some of them fatally. Another member told of how a family member was so ill that the doctors did not know what to do next.

We worked well to develop a strategy for this run. 13 miles is a good distance to test your realistic goals for the marathon- it is almost a half marathon distance, and gauging your speed can make you see whether you are in the game to make your goal time for race day. There is an interesting running calculator listed on Greg McMillan's website- check it out with your own times to see where you get- it is supposed to give you a predictor for your race distance. We decided to take the first two miles very slow and then gradually increase to our pace.

Unfortunately, we did not meet our goals when we punched the numbers in McMillan's. Technically speaking, we were ahead for even pacing on a sub-4 marathon (according to our race-pace bracelet), but the tricky thing with marathoning is that you can't count on a negative split or a rock steady pace the second half of the race. On the other hand, we had winds of 20 mph in our face on the way back, AND ran over the hills of Newton, including Heartbreak twice, so we have to take this with a grain of salt. My hat was frozen on my head on the way back- that was a WIND!

Lesson of the day: Keep testing yourself to see how you are doing against your goals. Give yourself flexibility for an off day, but reassess your goals and see whether the training should change or your goals should modify.

I have never felt so tired after a run- including last year's marathon. I found I could not move and spent the rest of the day asleep. Well, time to regroup after catching up w/home chores Sunday, work on the weekday runs and get ready for next Saturday's 15. What are my goals for the week? Try to push in a few speed segments into the weekday run, and don't forget to think about pacing!
And yes, I still am enjoying this and know I am LUCKY to be out here. -M

2007-02-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

Seventeen in the City:

Well, Boston is just getting over a messy storm that blew into town a week ago. The minimal snow in itself was not a problem, but the icy sleet followed by low temps and high winds did a great job of encasing the streets and sidewalks in a slippery glaze. Our team practice was cancelled for the week due to conditions in Wellesley towards Natick (our planned route AWAY from the hills!), and we were advised instead to train on our own when weather allowed.

Saturday morning had Tim and I planning possible routes via Google Earth, and we headed out to scout out which roads were actually passable. We ended up selecting a variation of a reverse Boston Marathon route. We headed out onto Commonwealth Avenue, running towards the Public Gardens.

We flipped back at the gardens and then ran up past Kenmore Square and onto Beacon Street, basically up the marathon course backwards. For anyone who is interested, there is a great fast motion film of the actual marathon course as it starts in Hopkinton, running for 26.2 miles to its finish on Boylston Street here. And it's only one song long...

The best part about the run was bumping into Team members who were doing long runs on their own. We also were fortunate at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill to see a water volunteer from Joints in Motion, who generously offered us Gatorade and candy. It was hard running unsupported, and we lost some time stopping into various stores for drinks, but we did make it, running out over the hills, and then turning and coming back over them. We ran a great portion of this run in the road with cars, and many were none too happy to be sharing the streets with us.

The good part? We will be back to training with the team this coming week AND with a shorter run of only 13 miles. Yeah!

Tips:

Challenges while running, whether fatigue, cramps, or just an 'off' day, can happen to anyone. The trick in training is to work on your brain's ability to manage those challenges. Thomas S. Miller's Programmed to Run has an excellent section on mind and body control. His theory is that the brain has two sides- the right brain/programmer and the left brain/critic. When you start recognizing a problem running, the left brain sometimes works in a way that is harmful, flooding the brain with negative feedback, and as such incapacitates the programming side of the brain from effectively carrying out function. The trick that Miller offers is that the voice of the critic can be managed by giving it another 'task'- according to him the left brain can only perform one verbal task at a time. By offering another verbal command to your left brain, you can remove the negative critic and effectively manage both sides of the brain to your benefit.

Giving energy/getting energy:

Never underestimate the importance of giving positive energy, whether it is waving at that runner coming towards you or gesturing a thank-you to a car that is letting you by. Maybe not everyone will smile back, but you will remember those who do. This is one thing that you will not run out of if you give it away. Try it and see!

2007-02-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

Fifteen Miler

Hi Everyone! I had a bit of a delay as I needed to update this blog to the new version of blogger. Hopefully everyone who wants to comment will be able to access and please email to fresherfish@aol.com if you have any problems.

Last Saturday, I woke up with a familiar feeling- fear. For some reason, at a certain point in training, this feeling will creep up on me and give me some challenges. I focused on preparing my gear, doing some light massage and stretches, and visualizing a good run. And telling myself that it would only be a few minutes longer than last weeks' run!

We headed out from Wellesley at about the 15 mile mark, first away from the hills towards Wellesley College for 2.5 miles, then turning around and back up through the Newton Hills before flipping back towards our starting point. As you can tell by this elevation chart
that second half of the run is quite hilly! The great thing about running that day was the help that our coach Rick provided the previous week. A little less than a mile from the end, there is a pretty steep hill to deal with. Rick's words and running form stayed in my mind, and between the counting, 'thinking positive', breathing, shaking out the arms, and relaxing the legs, managed to make it through! And thinking about Dave Tierney's dad (below).

We had a very encouraging talk at our Team training. A researcher from Dana Farber Cancer Institute gave a talk about the impact that funds raised by LLS have on their research. It was interesting to learn that the Society's funds go not only to existing trials, but to fund early stage research. It was really good to hear that some of this research has implications beyond blood cancer as researchers develop their understanding of cancer cells. It was also very touching to hear the challenges that researchers face as they witness the courage of the patients they work with and the emotional difficulty of treating people with cancer. This talk was a good reminder that what we are attempting to do through our involvement with LLS has a very real impact.

We had a great dedication from Dave Tierney, a wonderful person who has been volunteering his time to coordinate our team's water for many years. Dave is also an athlete and runner who last year joined Hike For Discovery , hiking the Grand Canyon to raise funds for LLS. Dave has lost three members of his family to cancer and dedicated the team run to his sister, mother and father. I remember running last year on the day of Dave's dad's wake, and wearing a ribbon with his dad's name. Dave, I still have my ribbon and will wear it this April on race day!

Next week is challenging- we are upping our long run to 17 miles. Our coach is great to plan this run away from the hills. Let's see what we can do!

News: We have a date for our fundraising party! We will hold a pool party at Jillian's on March 29th. I am busy soliciting raffles and hope to have a good collection together. Our friends have also been generous: artists Peter Arvidson
and Bert Antonio are donating original paintings for a silent auction, and Andy G has offered some of his original shirts. Thanks, guys!
-M

2007-02-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

Friday nights and 14:
Okay- this past Friday will be my last late night for awhile! We met friends for some drinks and pizza early with my thought that surely a drink or two would be an innocent thing. Generous friends' repeat rounds found me waking up at 2:30 that morning thinking "No way am I going 14 today!"

That morning saw wind gusts around 20 mph and we eyed the frozen sidewalks going up to the community center. I felt that perhaps our run might be cancelled? But heading into the room of runners and volunteers, I realized- we might change our course, but we were definitely heading out that day.

We started out with wind at our backs, and due to the street conditions, headed towards the hills where the footing was better. At the turnaround near Cleveland Circle and after making it up and over Heartbreak Hill, I had no clue as to how we would get back. But this is the crazy thing about running- with the wind in our face, we actually made pretty good time and through a stroke of extreme luck, managed to catch our coach, Rick, who was helping a line of runners back the last mile or two. Rick's encouragement, reminders to 'stay positive' and keep our form made it impossible NOT to make it back. Thank you, Rick!

Tips for the day: These are good for people who are thinking about training for distance runs:

-Foot care: Distance running can pound your feet and do some strange things to the tips of your toes and nails. If you plan weekly distance runs, plan your foot care several days ahead of this. Caring for blisters and addressing ingrown nails or other damage ahead of time will give your nerves a chance to cool down before the long push. As your mileage gets up, give your feet and toes a nice rub and stretch in the a.m.- they are your friends, so stay on their good side!

-Mental tricks: A trick I pulled out of the bag on Saturday was counting. When you look up that hill and just can't imagine getting up it, start pattern counting. The longer the better. When things look rosy, you can do a simple 'one and two and three and' and count off repeats to ten, but when things look bad or that hill looks long, stretch it out to make one set as long as it can possibly be. When you get your mind off the road and into a long count, you will be happy to see where you are by the time you've made it to 10 or 20 or 30....

A big thank you to the water teams who pass us Gatorade, water and goodies- I do not know how you manage to look so relaxed in below freezing temps- we are running and sweating, but you are standing there even as the drinks crust over with ice on top. You guys are the best! -M

2007-02-01T18:14:00.000-05:00

Portland, Runner's Paradise:
What a nice week! I am just back from a week in Portland, OR, where an increasing number of my family live. Every time I come back, my memory haunts me with recollections of great coffee, wine and food, POWELLS Books, the lovely lovely layout of the city, and of course, my fantastic nephews and siblings. Paul and Ben, aka Luke Skywalker and Ben-Obiwan Kenobi, kept me joyfully busy and my sister Julie was just the BEST host and training partner. Visiting with my sister Kimie, brother Ken, brother in law Luc, and other brother and sister in law Stephen and Debra sure made me feel at home. I had a blast, guys, and will get back there as soon as I can!

My long run was planned out together with Julie, and took us out on the lovely Willamette River, roughly 13.38 miles, according to Google Earth, as we left a park to run down from Tacoma all the way up to the Steel Bridge and back. I have NEVER had such a pleasant run, even as I was pep talked through the last hurtful mile or so. I think I ran with a smile slapped on my face the entire time, and I was really glad to be out there running in the 45 degree temps. My sister is an incomparable friend to me and I will not forget this part of my training!

And her friends at Belle Vocci were generous to order coffee. I brought 20 lbs with me, and my luggage smelled GREAT. Thanks to all of you and also to those of you who donated to the Society.

Well, I feel I am coming back to the reality of winter training here- finished a 7.5 miler with icicles on my hair! Truly, we have gotten off easy so far, and anyway, how many more weeks of cold weather can be ahead???? Next run is a 14 miler- fighting a bit of a cough, but sure it will be gone soon!

Thanks again to all of you who have supported me training so far. Onward, ho!
-M

2007-01-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

11 down, 13 to go:

Today was a cold, cold day!! Morning temps were listed at 26 degrees, and with winds at 22 mph, made for a wind chill at 14. The wind advisory listed increasing winds towards the afternoon, which brought out the extra layers for our Team run.

We had a great session with the Team- free socks from Thorlo, two dedications- one for a Hike for Discovery member who is undergoing his third bone marrow transplant and another for a runner who was inspired by his mother to do something positive for others.

We headed out again to the hills and at first, the weather seemed mild, with the wind towards our backs. Snow started lightly falling by the time we had made it halfway, but on the way back, was replaced by wind in the face and no snow at all. It was definitely a tough workout, but very good for us to do!

Tips for the day:
GU energy gels: These are great to have on hand for longer runs. They come
in caffeinated and non-caffeinated flavors and supply sugar and carbs when your body is begging for that extra kick- taking some with fluid at the beginning and then halfway through a run of this length helps the last bits go by with more ease. Another option I like are Clif Shot Bloks- square gummy shaped supplements. You can cut these up and roll them in salt and sugar for marathon length distances!

Running without legs: Chi Running has been a very interesting read. One of the concepts in the book talks about using your core to run while bringing your legs along for the ride. This can be helpful whenever your legs (quads, calves, you name it!) start getting tight and crampy- remembering to run starting from the body, then loosening and relaxing your legs, can help work out a tight spot that is headed for trouble.

Next week I am very excited to plan a 13 mile run with my sister in Oregon. I will miss the Team but will look forward to seeing her more. :)
-M

2007-01-15T00:39:00.000-05:00

Double Digit Time! Saturday 10 miler
Well, it's mid- January, and our team runs are getting into double digits. This past Saturday was probably the largest team training that we've had so far. We had a great stretching session by a woman who runs a yoga studio and two very moving dedications from runners who are running for and in memory of loved ones.

Saturday's run was out to the Newton Hills from Wellesley. Starting out slow is a good thing to start practicing- taking the first mile or two very conservatively is a good way to save up time and precious energy in the end. Sometimes it's easy to forget to hold back, but this time we did well and ended up making good time, given the hilly nature of the course. Also, given the late night nature of the previous evening. Okay, time to cut back on the vino! Although... that run did go well.... hmm.

Running tip: I am finding recently that running up hills is easier if you pump your arms in front of your body rather than swing behind. It helps your torso not to slump forward and I believe helps direct your energy up the hill more efficiently.

Running tip 2: For long runs, a product called 'Body Glide' is my training ally. Rubbed onto any part that might chafe or blister, including toes before putting on socks, this stick will help keep your skin from tearing up and causing you to jump through your ceiling when taking a post-run shower.

2007-01-07T23:44:00.000-05:00

The Strength behind the Sneakers- A post about donors:

Today's post is about donors- everyone who has donated to my fundraising so far and has supported my commitment to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This past week, two of my wonderful sisters sent out e-mails to their address book, telling people about my running with Team in Training and inviting people to donate. I was touched, inspired and grateful for the support of my sisters and for the people who responded to their mails.

Since joining Team in Training, I have met many people whose lives have been touched by blood related cancer. I have met one strong woman who has since passed away, and others who are grieving for the loss of people they loved. You would have thought that I met these people through training, but instead, they were from my non-running life.

In reading comments by donors, I continue to learn about the numbers of people who have fought these same battles. Thank you for telling me and thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise funds for a cure. You all are the strength behind my sneakers and I think about this whenever I go out for a training run.

And thank you to all my dear friends and family who have donated to my training so far, both this year and last. You all know you have some heavy markers with me and I hope I will get the chance to show you how much it means to me.

Best, Marie

2007-01-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2007!
Happy New Year! The year end saw us miss a group training run in hilly Grafton. We made up for it by driving up to Chestnut Hill Reservoir and running 5 miles backwards along the marathon route to get Heartbreak Hill and some of the other climbs along "Hell's Alley" and back out. A lovely, snowy day and a nice way to end the year.

We will be looking forward to rejoining our team this Saturday in Wellesley as training starts to become a little more serious. Here's to a good training season in '07!

2006-12-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Running D.C.
We had a wonderful trip to Washington D.C. to see my brother, his wife and their 2 year old son. Our gracious hosts planned a nice training run for us and we extended it a bit by accident for a lovely 8 mile tour of the Washington Mall:
It was fun to go by the museums and monuments, maybe not so great to see the 'no running' signs around some of them, but we enjoyed the dual tour/train experience. Weather was great and will remember this as the temps start to drop here in Boston.

Fund raising deadlines are looming and hoping to make our minimum before them. I will need to buckle down for my next series of letter writing! Running is going well and wish everyone a happy, healthy New Year!
A picture of Kai in D.C. So much fun!

2006-12-18T01:15:00.000-05:00

Baking for the Cure: This is a post about my side fundraising for Boston. Since the start of training on November 12, I have been baking daily to sell breakfast pastries at Tim's workplace to raise funds for this race. It has been fun as a past pastry person in a restaurant to dig up some stuff that I hadn't done in awhile. I especially liked the refresher making up danishes. The benefits are that you can have your apartment smell like a dream for a few hours every day and the tricky part is arranging the time to bake. Today, I made Bienenstich, or "bee-sting" cake, a yeasted sweet bread which is drizzled with honey and almonds, baked and then split open and filled with pastry cream. Here is the recipe, sans pastry cream (from Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts), and I bake it in two 4x16" pullman loaf pans lined with parchment. It is really worth the effort, and you can halve the recipe if you only want a single loaf! I find the rising time to be significantly longer than the recipe states- allow up to double the written amount of time. This is a fancy sweet bread that presents quite well with a burnished almond glaze:

makes two 9" square (or pullman loaves) cakes; each serves about 8
Dough:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 C lukewarm water
3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 C lukewarm milk
1/2 C sour cream or plain yogurt
4 1/2 C all purpose flour
2 T unsalted butter, melted

Bee-Sting glaze:
2/3 C packed light brown sugar
6 T unsalted butter
1/4 C plus 2 T heavy cream
1/4 C plus 2 T honey
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 1/3 C (about 5 oz) sliced blanched almonds

1. Dough: In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl with mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add the salt, vanilla, milk, sour cream or yogurt and yeast mixture, beat about 2 minutes.

3.Gradually beat in 3 3/4 C of flour until a very soft dough forms. Continue to beat, adding additional flour until dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. If your mixer is not strong, work on the counter with flour as needed instead- you may have to use more flour, but try to minimize adding too much. Place dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise covered until double, about 45 minutes.

4. Butter or line 2 9" pans. Punch down dough and divide into pans, pressing evenly. Brush with the melted butter and let rise, covered until doubled, 40-50 minutes.

5. Glaze: In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, cream and honey over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar; boil for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and almonds. Let cool slightly, 8-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

6.Drizzle warm glaze over fully risen cakes. Bake until the nuts are golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool to luke-warm or room temp. If desired split in half and fill with pastry cream. Cakes can be wrapped and frozen (unfilled) for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

2006-12-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

December training: Here it is- December and ready for a winter full of running! We had a great training session in Wellesley this past Saturday. The miles are still light and 26.2 miles feels a long way off. We are working on little things like proper running form, conserving energy and motion, core body strength, and it is nice to have the refresher.

My mileage is a little higher than our training schedule. I've been working in longish weekly runs of 10-13 miles with the shorter ones, but spoke to our coach and will drop it back to one long run every couple of weeks. Yes, it's time to join a gym for cross training! We will be doing 9+ mile weekly runs starting January, so why not drop back a bit?

It is great to be back with the Boston team. I remember a year ago going to the first training sessions and feeling really shy. There just seemed to be so many runners, and ones that had already done Boston, not once, but some people more than 10 times! How would I ever train with this group? But, like anything else, you get your behind out the door, and it's your own trip, and one that your whole team supports, whether running in front, beside or behind you. Your job is to figure out your own goals and potential and to train sensibly within them. And it doesn't hurt to give some encouragement while you go along! I am happy to see familiar faces and to talk with people who took up this challenge.

Of course, I am making it seem like a cake walk, but there are always the nagging choruses of injury fears, self doubt, self-criticism, etc. I am not listing them here or elaborating. Why? I think that challenging goals are often achieved in accompaniment with a back-up chorus of doubt, but if taking a listen to them makes you assess them as minor, why detail their voicing? In that sense, marathon training is kind of like mountain climbing- you are looking up that steep trail thinking- "what made me think this was fun???", but if you can manage your negativity and realize that one step at a time gets you closer to the peak, you will share the amazement of all those who have gotten up to the top and found the memory of those difficult steps have changed to a positive recollection of your hiking experience. Soooo- no whining .......for now.

Reports: Thanks to family and some key supporters, I have reached the first thousand of my 3,000 minimum, which must be met by the end of January. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far!

2006-11-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

It's training again....

Well, it's fall in New England again, and once again, will be training for the Boston Marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. Before I get bogged down with training details, I wanted to write about my coach, Rick Muhr. Rick and Lori Muhr have been coaches with Team in Training for many years and were responsible for getting me through Boston last year.

On October 28th, during a severe storm, Rick ran 61 miles around the Grafton High School track to honor the memory of a former TNT runner and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his employer, Saltus Press. Rick's goal that day was 100 miles within 24 hours. The driving rains and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour put a damper on the mileage Rick made, but not his spirit. While thousands in New England lost their power, Rick powered through his run, always stopping to thank supporters and talk with those who made the laps around the track with him. I was lucky to be there that day both during the first 26 miles and during the last several hours, and I will never forget the grace and courage he displayed as an athlete and as a human being.

So before all the complaining about training and fundraising begins, here's to you, Rick! Thanks for being such a positive inspiration for me and for everyone who gets to be coached by you and Lori.

Best,
-M

2006-05-01T08:44:00.000-04:00

Marathon! Last post.... for now!:

Well, it's been awhile since the race, and time to make my last post. I was waiting until I had some photos to add, but still have not gotten the great photos of Jacques running with us. I will post them as a textless post once they are in.:

The race day started well- we woke up and got our things together and had some breakfast. Our next door neighbor who was also running offered us a ride, which we gladly accepted, and we left the house around 9:15.

The drop-off was a good ways from the athlete's village, with a bus shuttle set up. We made our way CLOSE (I mean, it was still a good 10-15 minute walk) to our village, then started the hike in. There were ALOT of people!

And all these people were drinking fluids. By the time we got to the 2nd wave village, the line at the bathrooms was deep, I mean, deep! I dropped my things and got in line right away. Our coaches had cautioned 'Get in line right away, and when you are done, get in line again.'. I made the decision to wear shorts instead of leggings and brought my excess clothing back to find Tim. Tim however, was in a line of his own, and I didn't see him until the announcers had cautioned us several times to start moving to our starting corral. Our teammates had picked up and headed for the start. If I do this again I would a)get there a little earlier and b)make sure I had my two turns before our trek out.

This was the first year of the 'two wave' start, one at 12 and another at 12:30, and I must say that it was less than organized. The method was to have two lines, first wave to the right and second to the left, and we both saw and heard of second wavers and bandits (non-numbered/registered runnners) getting into the first wave start. We held back, and as a result, found ourselves in a 50:50 mix of 2nd wavers and bandits.

By the time we crossed the start line, it was roughly 16 minutes past the 12:30 gun. What a lot of feet! This is the part of the race where falling is easy, so your pace ends up being more of a careful shuffle. We had been cautioned to start off slowly, and lucky for us, the general bottleneck kept us to it. It was a tough adjustment as usual getting used to the drink station set-up- we had decided upon an 'every three mile' stop, but it took awhile for us to get organized.

The first few miles were lined with hydrated runners (mostly men) peeing in the trees. I was jealously wanting to join them. I had thought that porta-johns would be at every mile stop, but it was not until mile three that I saw a single one with a line 4 deep of women. I begged a stop, and unfortunately, lost a good 5 or more minutes. Oh well- when you gotta go, you gotta go!
I exchanged my frustration at the lack of facilities, which all the ladies in line with me shared.

On to Natick! The course made its way down the hills and up a few rolling ones and flattened out in Natick. The best memories were of people playing music and cheering outside a biker bar and in general, of the sheer numbers of people lined up to cheer the runners. It was a far cry from our desolate training runs, dodging the oncoming traffic!

Our strategy to keep relaxed and steady worked well, and we knew that Jacques would be joining us at about mile 15 in Wellesley. We had the Wellesley College experience to go through. Our coach had warned us about the reaction we might have to all the cheering, and his reminder to keep 'running within ourselves' ran through my head. I was not prepared for the wall of sound that hit us at the college. College women lined the street in layers, many with signs offering kisses to runners. The man to my right was so excited he was hyperventilating, and I saw many men step off to get their free kiss. It was exciting, all right! But the vision of all the hills ahead kept us to our pace.

Through a few rolling hills and in to the community center. We spied Jacques right away, who jumped into the fray and ran with us for the next three miles. These were the tough miles- the transition between the first part of the 'relaxed' running section and heading into what is called 'Hell's Alley'- a series of hills leading to Heartbreak Hill at mile 20. To have his company and encouragement through this section, especially on the hill leading up to the Newton Fire Station at Comm Ave, was incredible. We had a good time talking about the atmosphere and working off of his fresh-legged vibe, and though we said goodbye at Comm Ave and the Newton Fire Station, his trip with us made the race. Thank you, Jacques!

The transition from the Fire Station marked the section called 'Hell's Alley'. Appropriate, as Tim started feeling cramps in his legs. We dug out the last electrolyte pill, but it was a little late, as cramps set in to his calves, hamstrings, feet and quads. At this point, we decided to downgrade to a walk/run strategy. Honestly, I don't know how Tim managed to make it another 6.2 miles, but he was brave and persistent. Plus- the crowds simply would not LET us stop. Crowds chanting 'TIM, TIM TIM' would surround us at points like Heartbreak Hill and Boston College, until we had no choice but to pick up our feet.

At the top of Boston College, I knew the rest of the course was mostly downhill. We had to mete it out but we made it back. We finished after seeing Bert's face and camera round the corner on Boylston St and Yuko and Andy soon after.

It was GREAT. Running over the finish line, having our time chips turned in in exchange for a finisher's medal- what an incomparable feeling! Our time reflected the problems at 4:15:43, but I felt great throughout. I think the training on the course was the best possible way to prepare for Boston, and if I did this again, I would say that a sub-4 marathon was very possible!

Let's see what happens- next year I will be in the 40+ age bracket and my qualifying time at 3:50. Possible? Who knows?

Thanks everybody. You have been the best. Remember that if I can do it, so can you, or so can you do the other goals you have set out!
-M

2006-04-16T09:07:00.000-04:00

BOSTON MARATHON!!!!: The marathon is finally a day away. We are well fed, well hydrated, and working on controlling our nerves. Thanks again to everyone who has called or offered their support over these past months.

Contacts: Bert Antonio will have our cell phone and will be following the race 5k splits by computer for the first part of the race. You can contact him at (617)347-2037 that day and he will let you know where we are. He will station himself at the finish line to take some photos, so call him if you want an update.

Jacques and Ruth will be at the Wellesley Community Center, where Jacques will run with us for a bit. We are so looking forward to seeing their faces at this important part of the race.

If all goes well, we are planning on having some pizza at Woody's that evening.... Any of you can call Bert for specifics in case you have time to join us!

If you look for us, we are hoping to finish with a chip time of around 4 hours- we will cross the start line around 12:40 p.m.. We will be wearing purple singlets that say Team in Training, and have put our names on the front. Thanks again to everyone who has said they would look for us and all the best!

-Marie

2006-04-11T07:58:00.000-04:00

Almost There!!!!! And Race Day Instructions for the Internet:
Well, if you can believe it, there is less than A WEEK until the marathon! Thinking back on these past months, it hasn't seemed like we have been training that long, but looking at my log, it's been about 5 months since the start of our training!

We ran a short 8 miles last Saturday, away from the hills, and had a last chance to visit with our team members in Wellesley. I did a brief dedication for a friend of Ruth's who is dealing with a difficult stage of her CNS lymphoma, and it was great to get everyone's encouraging words on a card for her. If we could channel the energy and compassion of the people on our team...- they have been an amazing group of people to train with, and I will never forget them.

We will spend this week thinking about the race and trying to focus. It's tough when the taper is in full effect- in a way, you would just as soon get the race over with and not wait so long, but the scheduled down time is exactly what your body needs, even if your brain is telling you differently!

Just a quick word on race day: For those of you who are interested, you can track our progress online by visiting the Boston Athletic Association site at www.bostonmarathon.org. On race day, the face of the site will change, and you can input either bib numbers or names to get an update of our rough location:

Tim Horn: #19146
Marie Fukuda: #19132

The race is starting in two waves and we are in the second, starting at 12:30. Estimates by officials say that it will take about 10 minutes from the gun until the last wave runner crosses the start line, so don't worry if we seem a bit slow.

Jacques and Ruth are planning on waiting for us at Wellesley, where Jacques will join us for part of the run! We are so excited to think of running with him. Please keep us in your thoughts, especially around 3:30-4:30 p.m., where we think the race will be the toughest. The fearless Bert Antonio will brave the finish line crowds in his attempt to document our finish. Good luck, Bert!

Afterwards, we are planning (PLANNING) on walking home from Copley to work out the kinks. Maybe a drink and Woody's for dinner?

THANKS TO EVERYONE! LET'S GO BOSTON!!!!!!!
-M

2006-04-01T18:51:00.001-05:00

ALMOST THERE:
Today was a great 12 miler- very good to run away from the Wellesley Hills, and also to get another run through Natick. Things will taper down greatly from here, and we'll be working on taking it easy and resting up for the final day. We went out easy and it paid big dividends in pacing- now to remember this on the 17th! We registered for bone marrow donations after practice- they take a swab of your cells and analyze them for compatibility for cancer patients who need stem cell transplants. One of those things that makes sense but we never thought about. Check out www.crir.org.

I will not be making many more posts to this blog! Almost there.
While I'm at it, I will list the
THINGS I WILL NOT MISS:

-Waking up @ 5:30 a.m. Saturday mornings and 5 a.m. on chiro appointment days! And the going to bed early!!!!!!!
-Catching up with friends on the PHONE.
-Not drinking that second glass of vino.
-The obsessive self-centeredness of marathoning- 'am I in good shape or am I getting an injury/cold? should I beg off my plans with my friend in order to rest more tonight?' While running: 'how am I pacing myself? how is my form? how well am I focusing? How well am I breathing?'After running: 'do I need to make another acupuncture appointment? do I need to make another chiro appointment? do I need to spend time stretching tonight?' Truly tedious and yawningly boring.

THINGS I WILL MISS:

-The camaraderie of our teammates- they have inspired, supported and been there through the trenches.
-Finishing a 12 mile run and thinking 'wow, how good to ONLY run 12 today!'
-Carbo loads- sans guilt.
-The momentary success of managing left and right brain activity to optimize in-the-moment performance instead of having them duke it out to its detriment . Now to apply this in other venues!

Best,-M

2006-03-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

A BIG THANKS TO ALL: I would like to post thanks to all the people who have supported me in my training for LLS and my efforts to run in support and honor of Jacques. Listed below are all the people who have donated their money and efforts to my Team in Training, in alphabetical order. Thanks, guys!:

Bert Antonio
Ferdie Antonio
Fidela Antonio
Michael Arthur
Peter Arvidson
Rich Ash
David Bermon
Kelly Brilliant
Stephen Brown
Ed Burke
Katelyn Campbell
Jared Carr
Pauline Chin-Mori
Nolan Cook
Ellen Cosgrove
Nicole Dailey
Emily Dahmen
Chris and Kosta Demos
Lauren Dever
Jenn Doyle
David Eppstein
Jon Fukuda
Ken Fukuda
Kimie Fukuda
Norie Fukuda/Hiro Matsushima
R.Paul Fukuda
Cynthia Fraser
Sophie Glikson-Cahen
Yuko and Andy Gmur
Peter E. Gordon
Sara Gordon/Scott Janzen
Neil and Janet Heestand
Sara Hirshon
Kathy Holgersen
Timothy Horn
Walter and Valerie Hunt
Joichi Ito
Jacqueline Jacquiot
Michael Jasko
Pete and Sue Jerabek
Lois Johnston
Pat Keck
Penelope and Phillip Kleespies
James and Carina Kopp
Rita Kraner
Julie and Luc Kress
Christina Lanzl
Chi Leung
Limina LLC
Ron Lopes
Chris Lynn
Liette Marcil
Neil Martelle
Tim Mathews
John Matthews
Erica Mattison
Sean and Sandi McKinley
Kay Meckes
Lisa Moro
Steven Murdoch
Yoko Nakatani
Renato Orara
David Osler
Kevin Owen
Juan Perdiguero
Julie Picher
Chef Bill Poirer
Bethany Pratt
Martha Reckdahl
Bill Richardson
Riemer & Braunstein
Rubin Robinson
Ruth Rothstein
Mark Samson
Liz Saunders
Jon Seward
Asako Shibata
Ari Shimo
Steve Short
David and Camelia Sullivan
Ichi Takata
Chris Taylor
Machiko Urasaki
Frederika Veikley
Meg Walker
Kenneth Wheeler
Judith Winters
Woody's Grill & Tap
Andy and Ros Zimmerman
Robin Zucker

In Addition (phew!), I have the following extra people and businesses to thank:

Artists: Bert Antonio, Peter Arvidson, Pat Keck and Chris Taylor- thanks for donating your original works for our fundraising party!
Andy Gmur: Your T-shirts were WONDERFUL. Thanks for helping us out with your time and generous use of your talents.
Joe Porcari at The Artful Hand Gallery: Thanks for your gift certificate- more than any neighbor could expect!
Game On! and Chef Art Welch: Thanks for making our fundraiser happen for us.
Bauer Wine & Spirits: Always a pleasure visiting your store and thanks for your gift certificate.
Whole Foods: You beat Trader Joe's, who turned down our request. Thanks for your gift certificate!
Woody's Grill & Tap: A generous donation AND a gift certificate? We will carbo load at your place for life!
Dean's Beans: The best organic fair trade coffee that we buy by the bulk- thanks for throwing a gift our way.
Copoli Salon/Javier and 10 Newbury Salon: Alas, I will never know the life of a well-coiffed woman, but thanks for your donations for our party!
Boston Red Sox: Thanks for the autographed ball- I promise not to complain as much during ball season this year!
The following organizations who donated tickets: The Boston Philharmonic, The Boston Ballet, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Berklee College of Music, The Museum of Fine Arts and Boston Lyric Opera,
Mr. Steve Short and Central Reservation Services of New England: Your hard work gave us prizes that we would have never been able to source- those great hotel packages. And your M.C. talents... well! They will not be soon forgotten!

On support staff for running and injuries:

Rick and Lori Muhr: What great coaches- you guys have been dead on with every tip you have given me so far. To have your advice and your care has been just an amazing experience. I have gotten spoiled!
Mika and Dr. Thomas Michaud: Your skills in working me through early ankle issues resulted in my being able to manage and minimize my issues and get to April in good shape to run.
Michael Leonard: Your PNF stretching and acupuncture have kept me in fine form, despite increasing mileage. You are the best!
Dr. Lyle Micheli and Dr. Thomas Vorderer: My great Children's Sports guys- you are there through the years as I bang around!

And last but not least, Mr. Jacques Chanier- your inspiration got us up and running and without you we'd still be sitting around on the couch.:)

As an example of how you have inspired and drawn together those around you- a recent donor wrote that her donation was "in honor of the gift of music Jacques has given and continues to give to the world". Jacques, you have given us your music, your friendship, and your example of courage and strength. We love you and are so proud to run this race in your honor.

Just a few more weeks- GO, BOSTON!

2006-03-25T13:26:00.000-05:00

20 MILER DONE!: Today was our last long run before the taper- 20 miles from the start of the marathon in Hopkinton up to Heartbreak (but not including Heartbreak). Got it done- yeah!
Bert Antonio was generous to wake up early and meet us at 6:00 a.m. today in order to help out at the water stops. The Team was great and everyone was so supportive! Okay, feets- take a break now! -M

2006-03-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

OFFICIAL BIB NUMBERS!: A fellow team-mate wrote today to inform us that bib numbers have been given out by the Boston Athletic Association. Here are our numbers:
Marie: #19132
Tim: #19146
Exciting! -M

2006-03-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

Grafton revisited: Saturday's run was out in Grafton and back to those rolling hills! I found that breathing some sharp exhales before starting uphill helps the asthma greatly. The first half felt great and the 2nd half more challenging, but overall a very good run. Next Saturday is the 20 miler out in Hopkinton. This will be exciting!

We had a visit from an honored hero, a young woman who had been diagnosed with lymphoma. She went through chemotherapy with one remission, and after a relapse a few years later underwent a stem cell transplant and is now in complete recovery. She is in the process of adopting a baby with her husband, who she said is a 'keeper' after proposing to her after seeing her bald. :)

I have really enjoyed training with the crew at Team in Training. Over time I have gotten to speak to many of my teammates and to get to know them better. Although I think I was intimidated at first, we have all gotten to know and support each other by running together. Whenever I pass a teammate during a training run, they wave and I get to wave back or give the thumbs-up sign. This week, although two runners had injury issues, they still attended in order to assist with water stops and to support our team. This made me realize- we are really a TEAM. Walter Pero, one of our honored heroes, has been so helpful in offering to talk with first time Boston runners about what to expect, and his work with LLS extends to patient advocacy for clinical trials. This is a bunch of people who really care about what they are doing, and I will never forget this, regardless of what happens on race day!

2006-03-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

COUNTDOWN: Yesterday I took my boss to Marathon Sports on Boylston Street, next to the marathon finish line. I saw a countdown saying "33 days until the Boston Marathon". Wow. Only 33 more days to go!!!!!!!

This week has been off schedule, as I missed the Run to Remember on Sunday due to a seafood convention here in town. Our awesome coach Rick helped me reschedule runs for this week and I have been reading Programmed to Run by Thomas Miller, PhD., which has been great for refining my mental focus and helping me develop some effective tools while out on the pavement.

We only have two more long runs- one 15 miler this Saturday, and a 20 miler next weekend. Then... taper time!

2006-03-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Wellesley 18 miler: Today was a difficult long run in Wellesley. I have to say that things were feeling very emotional for me, which is really a pretty new experience! The last time I can remember getting upset was getting towards the finish of the Bay State Marathon about 7 years ago. A good friend of mine who had always been on my cheering team had passed away, and I became emotional thinking that she would be proud of me for finishing the race!

At any rate, after a brief cry this morning, I realized that as all runs, the only way to attack them is with a positive attitude and a mile at a time. Luckily, in training with TNT, water stops are set up so regularly that all you have to do is think of getting from one until the next!

My positive attitude held up to 13 miles or so, where I had another brief cry (!) and then continued on to finish up. In retrospect, it was a tough workout physically, but we managed to finish within our time goals, regardless of my little meltdown. I realized that getting upset during the run is pretty counterproductive, as it sets off the asthma, so I will do some real work on getting my mental edge under control. Today I worked at touching my thumb to my pinky and thinking 'wow, that pinky is not one bit tired!' as a way to distract myself. :)

I think the fact that I am actually running for a cause and a friend and with the support of so many people around me makes this a pretty intense experience. In a GOOD way, though!

As a last comment- The fundraiser was a big success, thanks to the support of so many of our friends! The artists that contributed and the friends who helped with prizes really made for an event that got us to and ABOVE our goals. One of the biggest surprises was my girlfriend from D.C. flying in for my event. How lucky am I? -M

2006-03-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Fundraising Party! I am happy that the day is almost here for our fundraising party for Team in Training. We are having an event at Game On!, one of the restaurants owned by Lyons Group, for whom I work part-time doing pastry. We have culled together a great group of prizes, thanks to the generous artists, friends and organizations around us, and I am happy to think that the guests not only have the opportunity to contribute to a good cause, but a good chance to win some excellent prizes. Here is a list of the items we managed to get: 5 for $5.00 raffles: The Artful Hand Gallery: $100.00 gift certificate
Bauer Wine & Spirits: 6 bottles of wine
Woody's Grill & Tap: $50.00 gift certificate
Sam LaGrassa's: $50.00 gift certificate
Boston Lyric Opera: 2 Tickets to final dress rehearsal 'La Traviata' 3/29/06
Boston Ballet: 2 Tickets to 'Grand Slam' 3/16/06
Boston Philharmonic: 2 Tickets to 4/29/06 concert Jordan Hall
Berklee Singer's Showcase: 4 tickets to 4/27/06 performance
The Salon at 10 Newbury: Haircut
Copoli Salon, Lexington: Haircut with Javier
The Museum of Fine Arts: 2 Tickets to 'David Hockney Portraits'
Whole Foods: $50.00 gift certificate
The Institute of Contemporary Art: 4 passes
The Boston Red Sox: Tim Wakefield autographed baseball
Deans beans coffee: Coffee Gift set
Chris Taylor: Hand designed key chains and jewelry
Jacques Chanier: 'Quilt' CD
Andy Gmurr: 'Running for the French Guy' t-shirt
The Copley Square Hotel: 2 nights stay with breakfast (room up to 4 people)
The Boston Park Plaza: I night's stay with breakfast
The Lenox Hotel: 2 nights stay for 2 with b/fast and parking
The Back Bay Hilton: Dinner at Boodle's for 4 (175.00 value) In addition, Pat Keck, Peter Arvidson, and Bert Antonio have all donated original artworks, and Andy Gmurr has made a custom T-shirt for Jacques. We hope people will have fun and look forward to wrapping up our fundraising for this event!!!!!

2006-02-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

February 25th: Today we were scheduled for a 13 mile run, but it ended up looking a little more like 12.8 on the Google Earth gps measurements. It was nice to run away from the hills and I think most of the Team felt the same way- in combination with running lower mileage than the previous week, this was a very pleasant training session.
We had a great dedication by Dave Tierney and his family as they spoke about Dave's father, Chuck, who passed away after a long battle with prostrate cancer. Dave has been such a help to the Team with organizing and working the water stations for us, despite the difficult time he has been through. I didn't realize that on TOP of the compartment syndrome surgery he had a few months ago, that he was dealing with his father's illness at the same time.
We are working at organizing our fundraising party next Thursday and hope everything goes well. It has been amazing to get such positive responses from the donors who contributed to raffles and from our friends who have contributed their artwork, time and talents.
-M

2006-02-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

Got It: 17 miles today, tough run on the original course out in Wellesley. Phew!-M

2006-02-19T18:26:00.000-05:00

Visit to Team in Training!: I was very happy that Jacques and Ruth made it to our Team in Training this Saturday! Our coach introduced Jacques and Ruth, and Jacques spoke a few words to the team. It was great for everyone to get to meet J&R, and we had a special addition to our regular agenda- Jacques agreed to play a tune for us before we headed out to our 17 mile run.

Unfortunately, a cold prevented my completion of this run, and I will look forward to making it up- maybe tomorrow!

We had some sad news as Dave Tierney's father passed away after his long illness. We wore ribbons in his honor, as the memorial service would be occuring during our training run. We also learned of a young woman who is fighting ALL over at Brigham and Women's. The Team will make sure to keep her in our thoughts.-M

2006-02-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

The Hills of Grafton:
Today we ran 15.8 miles in Grafton. Grafton is a beautiful town, full of hills that alternate between pleasantly rolling and annoyingly relentless- depending on whether you are running up or down them! But the hilly course is good training. People are pleasant and wave hello when we run by, unlike poor Wellesley, where I am sure they would rather we just leave them alone for a change. :)

Next week is our longest run yet, at 17 miles. Here's to the days in between long runs- hurrah!
-M

2006-02-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

February Training: February started off with a nice run AWAY from the hills, and with less mileage than the previous week.:) From here, it's mostly a challenge- 15, 17 and 13 mile runs to come. We continue to receive great support from our team coach Rick Muhr, his wife Lori, and the professionals who have donated their time and energy to TNT-

Marathon Sports owner Colin Peddie
Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark
Sports psychologist Dr. Grayson Kimball

2006-01-23T22:46:00.000-05:00

Heartbreak II: This week, we had a vote to either run flatter terrain, or head back to the hills. Our stalwart team decided they wanted another rally up to Heartbreak Hill, so we increased the run by a mile and did 12 miles up to the top of Heartbreak and back. I believe these runs will help- many of the hills felt more runnable than last time. :) That helps balance the ones that weren't :P

We continue to be inspired by the stories of our volunteers and our team mates. It is good to be reminded of why we are running and it makes a great difference in the motivation. -M

2006-01-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

Heartbreak Hill

Last week was our first run through Heartbreak. This hill occurs around mile 20 in the race, and I believe it is the placement of this hill that is so problematic for runners. On a 10 mile run it sure felt possible, but stuck at the end of a marathon, who can tell?? This feels a bit like the student who realizes he has to rely on his past lessons to get through a difficult recital- it requires some FAITH. This Saturday is 11 miles and look forward to the warm weather forecasts!

2006-01-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

January 2006:

Our team training start was a hilly 9 mile run through Wellesley on the Marathon course- approx miles 15-19.5 and back. The hills continue to be challenging for me, but I hope they continue getting better with each run.

We had two great dedications on that day- one via letter from one of my sponsors who had donated in memory of his aunt. She passed away with lymphoma, but had been a strong support to him and his siblings. His e-mail to me was 'run with joy'. I will try to remember that. The next dedication was from our neighbor, Chris Lynne, whose mother passed away from lymphoma 2 years ago. Chris has been our big support in giving us advice about TNT and fundraising, and we look forward to attending her fundraiser this week.
-M

2005-12-31T12:41:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, 2005!

Our last run of the year was a Team in Training run in Grafton- 8 miles of beautiful, rolling hills. It has been a great experience being supported by the Team. I spoke with an honored hero who had run Boston last year, and who has been out every week at our 8 a.m. training runs passing out water and supporting runners. Here's to 2006 and all the miles and memories to come!

2005-12-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

Marathon Training:

This is a little post about running marathons. I am not a fast runner- I get along in relative ease at around 8-8.5 minute miles. Many people think that marathons are difficult to run physically, but (and speaking early in the training season!) I am convinced that any one in general good health can run one, and that many would be surprised to learn how much fun they are!

I remember watching my first marathon up close. I was in London for a seafood trip, and I happened to pass by Buckingham Palace on the day of the London Marathon. I was surprised to see people of all ages, shapes, and sizes (and many, many people in bulky and entertaining costume) running past the finish. That moment made me start thinking that marathon running was truly for everyone and maybe for me.

Usual training will have you perform base running to build your weekly mileage, slowly using the 10% rule to increase to a reasonable level. The 10% rule is practically bible with physical therapists - the basic premise of which is not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% a week. Once you have obtained your base, you start increasing your weekly long run in gradual increments. You usually stop your long runs 2-3 weeks before the race, building up to a run which is anywhere from 20 miles to marathon distance. For the period of time after your longest run, you let your body rest and store up energy for race day!

Unfortunately, sometimes things still go wrong, and for one reason or another, you become injured or unable to complete your race. This happens to runners of all levels, not just recreational runners. But through the process of scheduled running, you learn to train your body and your mind to get up to the race, and tell yourself that you will be ready when that day comes.

If anyone has questions about running, let me know. I will try not to be too boring, but welcome any comments OR posts!

2005-12-06T23:29:00.000-05:00

December Training:

December training is great because it is the introduction to winter running. Is snow on the ground? Is it icy? Do you wear that extra layer? You never know how things will be until you get out there. Most runs start out super chilly, but by the time you are done, you are very comfortable, even warm. This can happen even as ice forms up on your eyelashes on on the back of your neck hairs. December training is the leap into the unknown. Here we go!

2005-11-27T11:54:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving holiday was a missed team practice, made up for with this lovely run in New York's Central Park. This loop was definitely a challenge and I will never be so quick to scoff at a 6 mile course again! http://www.centralpark2000.com/maps/map_runners_full.htm

2005-11-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

A Little Bit about Boston:
The Boston Marathon was first run in 1897 after John Graham became inspired by the Olympic Marathon. The course was 24.5 miles and a team of 15 runners competed. The winning runner finished in 2:55:10. Quite a feat given the athletic gear of the day! The starting line was eventually moved from Ashland to Hopkinton, making the Boston Marathon a full Olympic course.

The first woman to run Boston was Roberta Gibb, who ran with an unofficial race number from 1966-68. In 1967, Katherine Switzer did not clearly identify herself as a woman on her application and was issued a number. Race officials tried to physically remove her from the race! At that time, there was no formal recognition of women in long distance running. It was not until 1971 that sanctions were given to allow women marathon runners. The following Boston Marathon in 1972 saw 8 women runners, all of whom both started and finished the race.

I have been reading that the large numbers of runners walking along like Frankenstein on the day following Boston can be attributed to the stress of downhills on the course. Advice is given to develop strong quadriceps, and that this can help you walk down the stairs without having to descend them backwards the following week!

2005-11-17T14:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry everyone- I had written a nice invite to tell everyone who had pitched in thanks for my fundraising minimum, which all of you helped me reach yesterday (!) but messed up in the sending. I think you all got a blank invitation to join the blog. Whether you join or not, thank you all for your help. -M

2005-11-17T14:16:00.000-05:00

This is the elevation chart for race day!

2005-11-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

Just a blog to keep posted on training for all the great supporters out there!
The first Team in Training group session went well- out in the hills of Wellesley. I am sure that running these courses will prepare us well for the miles ahead! Our current mileage is at a rate where November is a piece of cake. I am sure the weather will be the biggest issue as the long runs increase. Saturday morning training sessions will ensure a disciplined party schedule this winter! Thanks to all of you who have shared their stories and encouragement.