Gearing Up!

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!

Snowy, rainy long runs

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!

Messing up

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!

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.

Yasso part II

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

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

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

Breathing Lessons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speed work for dummies and fundraising challenges

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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