Gonna' Run a Marathon

The End

2008-06-15T06:37:00.009-05:00

And so this is the end.....

Six months of training.

250 miles run.

Almost 200 posts to this blog.

$4,536 raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

One marathon completed.

I achieved all of the goals that I set for myself when I began this journey:
1. FINISH the marathon. Check.
2. Raise money and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Check.
3. Remember and honor my Daddy. Check.

And now this amazing journey has come to an end.

So, what's next? I've been asked that many times. There is a part of me that would love to try another marathon. But a larger part of me that doesn't. For several reasons. I don't want to train for it. To put in all the time that is really required -- the time commitment is just so major. Not just for me, but it was a sacrifice for my family too. (HUGE THANKS to Jodi for flying solo every Saturday for the last six months.) No training equals no marathon. The distance running really took a toll on my body. I didn't make it through this without injury. It wasn't anything major, but it wasn't pain-free either. I just don't think that long distance is what my body is meant to do. And, even if I did another marathon, there would never, ever be another experience like the experience I had on June 1. Never.

However, I think do see some running still in my future.

I would like to focus on some 5ks. What a great distance that might be for me. JUST three miles! I would like to work on my speed a little bit. While we were training for the marathon, we really didn't focus on time or pace. We just focused on distance, just completing the miles. So maybe now I can get a bit stronger and increase my pace.

I also see some half marathons in my future. I'm seriously thinking about the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon in December. Or maybe the Germantown Half Marathon again in March. I'm pretty sure I can talk Jodi and my brother-in-law to run one of them too. The St. Jude Half is much larger; they are capping registrants at 8,000. Last year almost 6,000 ran the half and the final time was just under 5 hours. Kind of appealing to think that I would be at the front of the back of the pack.... I was thinking about the fact that after the Germantown Half in March, we practically ran a half marathon every weekend until the week before the marathon. So, a half marathon is pretty doable for me. I would like, one day, to achieve a sub-three hour marathon. That is shaving off quite a bit of time for me, but maybe after I build up some strength and speed and conquer a 13 minute mile on a regular basis, this would be feasible.

What have I been doing since June 1? NOTHING. I have taken these last two weeks off. Completely off. No activity. The week of the marathon, I was still so stiff and sore. And just TIRED. I felt like I needed so much sleep. This last week was much better. I still have a tight hamstring, but nothing major. And there is some occasional shin pain - I think it's just some leftover 'itis' that is continuing to rear its ugly head. My toenail is not looking very promising, but, like Tom said, if that's the extent of my marathon injury, I'm doing pretty good!

I do want to say that if anybody is ever interested in running or walking a full or half marathon, please consider doing it through the Team in Training. There is NO WAY I could have done any of this alone. Just having the coaches, mentors, support and teammates along the way is what made it possible. Plus being surrounded by all the purple on race day. I can never explain it - just the whole scope of it. But it was definitely a TEAM - from beginning to end.

I have developed a huge respect for the role of spectator. I *know* that is something I can do during a race!! Just stand on the side of the road and cheer. Maybe I can do that at one of the half marathons that I don't run in. During my runs at Shelby Farms, whenever someone would say "Go Team!" or some other encouraging word, that would be just the extra push I needed to keep moving. And I can't even tell you what it was like at the marathon. Twenty-six miles of people cheering for ME! It was incredible encouragement. I have learned the true value and power of all of that.

I think I would compare the whole marathon thing to childbirth. It is quite painful while you are going through it. But when it's all over, you have this wonderful result, this amazing accomplishment. And you forget exactly just how painful it was.

We had been told that we would experience a 'low' after the marathon. Maybe like a wedding or Christmas or something. It's just this event that you have focused on for so long. All of your time and energy - all your thoughts - every bit of you - is constantly thinking about this upcoming event. And then it happens and it is wonderful. But then it is over. Maybe I've experienced some of that. OK, maybe more than I want to admit, considering it's taken me two weeks to drag out the story of my marathon. I have just wanted it to go on and on. And there is part of me that is sad that it's over. And I'm sad that I am going to end this blog. I admit, I'm a little teary now as I write this last post....

But wait! There's more!!! While this is the end of the Gonna Run A Marathon blog, I have decided to start a new blog. HOORAY! It won't be as exciting as this -there isn't a big goal I'm working towards. (And I won't beg you for donations to the Leukemia Society!). But I have just enjoyed the whole blogging experience and I want to continue to be able to have that outlet. So, feel free to check out my new blog: Me and My Good Life (http://www.meandmygoodlife.blogspot.com/). I will just ramble about whatever happens to be on my mind. Me, my good life, my family, sports, weather. Who knows....

I can't end this without thanking all of you who have been a part of this journey with me. There are so many of you and you all played so many different roles. For those who read my blog, made donations, encouraged me, ran with me, celebrated each little mile, waited for me, tolerated me, inhaled Icy Hot, remembered my dad, cheered for me, allowed me to whine, helped me heal, followed my progress, cared about my pitfalls, listened to me, rubbed my feet, shared in my victory. Thank you! I continue to be blown away by all of the support, love and encouragement I have received during this marathon quest. THANK YOU!!

It was amazing, unforgettable experience. I ran a marathon!!! And I think my Daddy would be real proud of me!!

Surprise!

2008-06-13T06:47:00.007-05:00

Monday morning brought another fairly early wake up call for our shuttle to the airport. Many people checking in to their flights were wearing their RNR Marathon shirts. We were all moving fairly well, albeit a bit slow.

We arrived in Minneapolis a bit early and had time to grab some lunch. As we were heading back to our gate, they announced our flight overhead. Andrea said, "That's us ladies." The next thing we heard was "Passengers C., S., S., and W. please report to the gate for final boarding." OH DEAR!!! We moved faster than we actually thought we were able to and made it to the plane to head home.

Back in Memphis. The end of our marathon journey. We were all walking together, proudly wearing our medals, heading toward baggage claim. Laughing and talking about our experience - and how Nicole had RUN to claim an exit seat in the airport in San Diego! And then I had a great SURPRISE!!!

It was Jordan and Cooper!! With signs and balloons and flowers!!! My welcome home party!!! My mother-in-law had brought them to meet me at the airport. What a great surprise that was!! More tears from me.....

Cooper's sign says "MOMMY GO GO" and Jordan's says "Welcome home Mom. Thanks for runnin' with TNT and making us proud"

We definitely caused quite the commotion. I'm sure some travellers thought we were Olympiads what with our medals and all......

When the kids and I got home, Mom's car was in the driveway. "How sweet of her to come and fix my dinner," I thought. Well, she did come and fix my dinner. But they had invited tons of others to come eat too.

SURPRISE!!!!!!

It was a SURPRISE PARTY!!!! My kitchen was full of family and friends. I was so totally surprised I would just cover my eyes and scream. Then I would open my eyes and see somebody else and scream. And I would open my eyes and see somebody else. And scream. Some major emotion when I finally got to see and hug Jodi and Mom and Connie. And then again when I saw my uncle, Dad's brother. Here we are having a little moment and he's telling me that he knows Daddy was watching me and was so proud of me. It really just choked me up.

I think what started as a "let's meet her at the airport" turned into a "let's have a cake at home" which turned into "let's have a full blown surprise party"!!!! They had decorated the kitchen with balloons and streamers and posters. Connie and Anne were very sneaky and pulled all this together along with the help of my mom and my aunt. So, thanks to EVERYBODY for making this happen. It was so special. I had already told Sherrill and the kids at the airport that I would need to get everybody together soon so I could tell my whole marathon story. Jordan just said "Good idea Mom".

Look, I even had a congratulations cake!

So, I got to tell everybody all my stories about my marathon weekend. It was just a special, special, special night.

Oh no...

2008-06-12T20:19:00.003-05:00

I just took off my toenail polish. My big toenail looks like it's turning black. A quick email to Coach George about my condition garnered this response: Yaaahooo. Now you have passed the final initiation.

Sadly, I think he's actually quite proud of me.....

Strike a pose

2008-06-12T15:21:00.007-05:00

Just what you all wanted to see....more pictures of me from the marathon. I felt very compelled, apparently, to throw both of my arms up and flash the peace sign to every cameraman. Except there was one picture where I must not have noticed the camera because I appear to be actually running and not striking some sort of pose......

Victory Party and Recovery

2008-06-11T19:03:00.011-05:00

Meanwhile, back at the hotel.....

By this time, I was stiff and sore and starving. I ate something and was *dying* for a hot shower. However, Julie (my mentor and roomie) had other plans for me and my aching legs. Ice bath first. She said it would do wonders for my soreness. So she filled the hotel wastebasket with ice, told me to run a cold bath, pour in the ice and GET IN. EEEEE-YOOWWWWW! My goal was 10 minutes but I only made it 7 minutes before I was literally shivering and could hear the ice clinking around in the tub.

(I am really grateful for Julie and everything she did, not just during our training, but also the night before and the afternoon after the race. She really helped me out and took care of me. She's done several marathons and her experience was greatly needed and appreciated. Thanks Julie!)

The original plan was to meet in the lobby at 5 pm to head to the Victory Party. We had gotten back to the hotel at 3 pm maybe, something like that, and I told George and Dennese there was no way I would be able to make it by 5 pm. I could hardly walk for goodness sakes. But after my hot shower (Which followed the ice bath and was one of the greatest showers of my life.) and a little rest, I was up for the party.

OK, so we actually took a cab to the party. It was only a few blocks to the trolley stop and just several more to the Convention Center, but our dogs were really barking. So cab it was. The Victory Party was fun - everybody was proudly wearing their medals and limping around in flip-flops. There was some great music and later people actually danced. I have no idea how they were shaking their groove thing. It was all I could do to make it to the buffet table. The food was good and we all just ate like we hadn't eaten in six months. I was STARVING. They had big screens and were showing pictures taken throughout the weekend. It was a fun way to celebrate our accomplishment.

I heard from Jodi and Connie that my preacher had announced to the entire congregation that night before his sermon that I had completed a marathon for the Leukemia Society for Dad. I also got word that I had received 2 additional donations. Thanks to Glenda P. and Jennifer S. for making a donation to my fundraising efforts!

But soon, we were all ready to call it a night. We decided to take the trolley back. While we were waiting for the trolley, a Burlington Northern Railroad train came by. Jessica said "Oh that's where Jacob's dad works." Well, that was one of Dad's accounts but I knew it was a big place so it was doubtful that he would know my dad. Then I found out his dad worked in MAINTENANCE and PURCHASING. Jacob called his dad and he TOTALLY KNEW DAD!!! How about that!?!?! It just seemed like the perfect little end to my amazing day. After waiting *forevever*, we ended up limping all the way back to the hotel.

I had brought various forms of pain-relief and aid. They were all utilized and greatly enjoyed. With a hotel room reeking of Icy Hot, I crashed in my soft cozy bed, watched Password, and then conked out. Sweet dreams of my awesome day.

The Finish Line

2008-06-11T09:40:00.018-05:00

The entrance to the Marine Base was at about Mile 25.5. There were Marines at the entrance in their camo fatigues. I think some of them were clapping maybe....

As we entered the base, the course went down a little drive and then turned to the left. People still cheering and clapping. "Just half a mile to go!". So we trotted on. Then the next person up ahead "Just half a mile to go!". Forward motion. And the next person "Just half a mile to go!" That was probably the longest half mile I've ever seen. I remember asking George several times "Where is it? Where is the finish line? Where is it?" - because I could just not see it or anything that even looked like it. But I knew we just had to be close. Just another half mile, right? The path made a major right turn at this yellow concrete building and we almost immediately went under the arch.

Looking back now at this picture, I can see the 26 mile mark sign. See it there on the right? I didn't see it that day. Because I saw something else.....I saw THE FINISH LINE!!!!! There it was up ahead.

You can see from this picture how 'long' (or not long....) it was from the building arch to the finish line. I guess it was only .2 miles.......

People lined up everywhere - lined along the fence on that last little stretch. Cheering for me - BY NAME! And then I saw Jessica, Jacob & Dennese right there - cheering for me too!!! Jacob took this very flattering photo of me......Seriously though, I'm grateful he took this picture of me. And I'm so glad they were right there just rooting me to the finish line. (That was so sweet of them to even stick around for me because Speedy Jessica finished in 5:30:00 and hung around to see me finish! Thanks y'all!!) I wonder now how I ever even heard them or picked them out of the crowd. There were just TONS of people there.

There I go......another view of my best side.....

And then, I did it. I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE! I FINISHED THE MARATHON!!!!!!!!

It did get a little foggy right after that. I remember crossing the finish line and just continuing to walk on ahead. Then George came up behind me and was just smiling and laughing and really just seemed so darn proud and excited for me. Big hug and some tears. He brought me an ice cold towel and man oh man did that feel good. I hung on to that thing the rest of the afternoon.

Then I got my medal. There were several people lined up passing them out. A young girl - maybe 8 or 10 years old - put my medal on my neck. YEA FOR ME!!! A finishers medal!!! (Can you read the back? It says 'Finisher. I ROCKED!')

Then we headed to the spot where the 'official race finish photo' was taken. I was kind of crying and smiling at the same time.

Next on the finish line agenda was getting the chip cut off our shoe. They had a little metal step thing that couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 inches off the ground. It was all I could do to just lift my foot up there so the guy could cut it off.

We headed to a medic tent just to get in the shade for a minute. That's when I called Jodi. He answered the phone "7:00:53!!!". He and Jordan had been watching online and had just seen me cross the finish line. Major tears here when I talked to them. (Cooper was asleep.)

I picked up my gear - again, a little haul since 'W' was the VERY last truck...UGH. I had to "check out" at the TNT tent. Just so they could account for all the runners. Can't leave any bodies out on the course. I was presented my 26.2 TNT pin which I PROUDLY pinned to my ribbon on my medal.

We passed a few Marines and I said "I just ran a marathon!!!" and they said, very stiff and official, "Congratulations Ma'am" And I told them my daddy was a Marine and that was why I did it and thank you for serving our country and were they allowed to high five me or not..... And of course they were - so they did!

Then we found the rest of our team! Andrea, Dennese, Julie, Nicole & Jessica and their families were all there. More big hugs!!! Yea for us!!!

I managed to sit down on the grass and couldn't wait to get my shoes off. Aaaahhhh. That was much better. I was not hungry AT ALL. Nothing sounded good at all. I just wanted water. I saw George chowing down on a turkey sandwich and I thought I would just be sick right there on the spot.

I got a text from Connie: "you did it!!!!! i'm so proud of u!!! how do u feel?" and another from my friend Patti: "CONGRATS! U did great! Can't wait to hear about it".

I think then Connie called and we talked. Both of us bawling. Then I called Mom. Continued crying. I just remember saying "I did it." Over and over and over again.

And then, it all just hit me. The marathon. The finish. I had done it. I FINISHED. My dad. My accomplishment. MY DADDY. And I just wept. That's really the only way I can describe it. And I get a little teary right now just thinking it - just thinking about that moment and remembering the huge amount of emotion that I was experiencing. I will never forget that.

Slowly and painfully we made it to the bus for the shuttle back to the hotel. I never realized how steep bus steps are.... oh my.....Everybody on the bus was just high-fiving each other and congratulating each other. Because we had all just FINISHED THE MARATHON!!!

And yeah, we all just totally rocked it!!!!!

A funny thing happened on my way to the 8 mile marker.....

2008-06-10T15:16:00.002-05:00

The Race - Miles 13-25

2008-06-10T08:41:00.012-05:00

Miles 13-15 - Half way! My time at the half was 3:22:12 which put me on a nice 15:25/mile pace. There were tables of salt packets here. I grabbed some and had a little more. Yuk. But I was feeling ok- no cramping or pains or anything. I was just hot and thirsty. I was DYING for some water or PowerAde. George kept assuring me the next water stop was up "just up ahead". Right before the cut-off for the half marathon finish line, a TNT coach asked if I was running the full or half. When I told her the full, she told me to get some ice from the next medic station and put it in my hat. I am wondering what I must have looked like at that point for her to tell me that. I'm sure my face was beet red.

Toward the end of this leg, I was just not having as great a time. I was thinking there was no way I would be able to finish this. Here I was JUST half way and I had another 3 or 4 hours to go. There was just some doubt and question in my head.

Here's a shot of mile 15. Obviously this photo was taken well before I arrived on the scene. I think some of the wheelchair finishers did the race in two-something hours. But it's just another picture that shows you the course.

Miles 16-18 - Left Brain continued to rule here. We were approaching the Mission Bay area, so I knew pretty scenery and cooler breezes weren't too far ahead.

I had taken the advice of the TNT coach and was grabbing any ice I could find and was putting it in my hat. Aaahhhhhh....... A few times I would also get water and pour it down my shirt or on my head. How hilareous that is to me now - like I was a real runner or something.

Somewhere right in here there was a guy on the side dressed up like Scooby Doo. He had to have been burning up in that costume. But nonetheless, a little high-five from ol' Scoob.

I was continuing to fret about the next cut-off at mile 19.2. At this point, I was walking a lot more than I was running. And I was worried that it may have slowed me down enough to have to get on the bus. I didn't want that to happen. There were 2 TNT runners from Florida that I had been kind of keeping pace with and he assured me that if I kept my current pace, we would be just fine.

One of the neatest parts of the course was around mile 18 when we went through a neighborhood. They had their own water stations set up - card tables and styrofoam cups. Many of the houses also had their sprinklers set up to spray on the road or there were kids holding the hoses. It was just really a cool section. It's probably a big deal for them every year to help out. That was one of my favorite parts.

Miles 19-21 - Andrea (LLS staff member) was waiting at the 19.2 mark. Big hug and high five! I had given her a baggie with 2 gels and a bag of green apple sport beans. I still had one or two gels with me, so I wasn't interested in those. But I did want the sport beans. I also had ripped off my iPod and gave it to her. I had been listening to it off and on throughout the day, but at that point I could not stand to have it on my arm any more. Get. It. Off. My. Arm. She trotted along with me for a bit. I apparently had almost 45 minutes to make it about 2 blocks before the cut-off. So I was safe. HOORAY! No bus for me. I went on ahead and she said she would see me at the FINISH LINE!!!

(I found out later that there were several TNT runners that Andrea and other coaches and LLS staffers ran up and told them "You've got to run with me to that stop sign or you'll be getting on the bus." And they would go up and back, getting more and more people and speeding them up past the cut-off point. If you missed the cut-off point at this mark, you didn't even get to cross the finish line. The bus just took you to the 'finish area'. How heartbreaking that would be.)

This part of the course was so pretty because we were right on the bay. There were two sections where we went over a bridge so we saw the water on each side. Sailboats, etc. Very pretty.

From mile 20 and beyond, was brand new territory. I had never run anything longer than 20 miles before.....

I think this picture was taken somewhere along this part.

Somewhere along this part a girl started talking to me about my knee braces. It was nice to chat with her. For a bit. Then I was just tired of talking to her. I was really walking a lot here, but I also felt like she was walking quite a bit slower than me. So I wished her luck and trotted off.

These pictures were taken at mile 21. My time then was 5:31:32. That was a 15:47/mile pace. Still decent.

Mile 22-25 - UGH. Definitely the WORST part. I don't know if I hit the proverbial 'wall' or what. But it was just awful. It just ugly. I walked this entire part. My time definitely slowed down here. Maybe to a 17:00/mile or something. I just remember the course being so 'concrete' and 'gray' and not pretty. It was much less scenic. Part of it was on a frontage road I believe. I was just not enjoying it at all. But I was continuing to move. I never EVER stopped - even at water stations, I just grabbed it and kept going.

There were local cheer squads that rooted us all along the course.

I did run into one very zealous cheerleader who was doing this to apparently everybody...

She ran along beside me screaming my name and shouting "Run Angie! Run! You can do this! Move! GO GO!" I had been out there running for about 6+ hours at that point. And I figured she had been out there about 1 hour - 2 hours tops.... I told her to just "Come on then! Run with me!". I was very, very apprciative of their cheering and giving their time to encourage us. But at that point, all I really wanted to say to these peppy little, non-sweating, perfectly made up girls was SHUT UP.

These are actual quotes I said to George along this stretch:

I'm ready to be done.
What mile are we at?
My feet hurt.
I'm out of gas. There's nothing left.
I want a shower and my bed.
What mile marker did we just pass? (Simple math and basic counting were VERY challenging at this point.)
My feet feel like a size 12.
I want those pillows in the bed at the hotel.
You are an idiot for doing these marathons. (Yes, I called my coach an idiot. I'm sorry George. It wasn't the real me talking during this part.)
How much farther?
My feet are killing me.
I'm ready to finish this.
I want to take my shoes off. (An emphatic NO from the coach at this request.)
My. Feet. Hurt.
I'm not having fun any more.

This glorious thing was waiting for us at mile 24. I could have stayed there all day long. If I thought I could have carried one of them with me for two more miles, I would have lugged it along......

I remember just trying to count it down to single miles. Just 4 more miles....just 3 more miles.....just 2 more miles......It seemed so darn DOABLE. But at the same time, just so far away.

Mile 25 took us down a street that would lead toward the entrance of the Marine Base. And the finish line. There were quite a few more people along the road here. There were people walking the opposite way wearing their medals. Everybody screaming and cheering "The entrance to the base is up ahead." "Just one more mile." "You're almost there!" It was becoming very real that the finish line was just up ahead. I was almost finished!!!

Ships and flags

2008-06-09T15:40:00.005-05:00

Forgot to mention that at about mile 6, we ran past the USS Midway. Way cool. And way big.

I also saw Running Flag Man on the course. So did Jacob apparently, because he took his picture.

And so did the San Diego newspaper, because his picture was online too...

How on earth did he run with that flag stuck in his shorts?!?!? He must be speedy fast because his bib number is 831.....

The Race - Miles 1-12

2008-06-09T06:40:00.013-05:00

I'm going to try to break the race down by miles - what the course was like, what was going on, what I was thinking, etc. However, I may be confused on some of the exact locations, and what happened when, etc. But I'll give it a shot. Just know that everything I tell you DID happen, I just can't be completely sure exactly WHEN or WHERE it did......

You can follow along on the course map if you want to. Here's a larger version.

Miles 1-3 - Got off to a good start. I still couldn't believe THIS. WAS. IT. Decided to run a 6/2 interval. There were people already lined up along the road cheering us on. A spectator on the side took my picture and I shouted "I'm being pursued by the paparazi!!" It was amazing and the adrenaline was pumping for sure. I started getting a cramp in my right calf. Just like usual. So I was trying to walk and stretch it out. I knew that after one or two miles, it would leave me alone. And sure enough it did.

George had been running along with me. He ran up to check on Lindy at one point. He instructed me that if we got separated, he would always wait for me under the next mile marker sign and I should try to run toward the right side of the road. You would think it would be easy for us to find each other, but there really were lots of people and tons of us had on purple jerseys.

Miles 4-6 - I actually said to George at mile 4 "I think I may want to do this marathon thing again." He laughed and said I would change my mind about five more times between then and the end of the marathon. (He was RIGHT.) I was feeling really good during this leg of the race. Had a nice pace. It all just felt really good. Looking back on it, this was probably the part where I felt the best and was doing the best. We ran through the Gaslamp Quarter and went right by the restaurant where we ate on Friday. Most of these miles were through the downtown area of San Diego.

Check out this picture. (Thanks again to Jessica & Jacob for letting me use their pictures....) -- there are runners as far back as you can see......

Miles 7-9 - We ran right by our hotel at mile 7. A guy was running beside me, kind of limping. I don't think it was a race-related injury of any kind. I just think he had a limp. He said "We're half-way to half-way." OK, a nice way of looking at it. Somewhere around mile 8 (maybe it was sooner than this, I can't remember exactly), I had to find a porta-potty. Unfortunately the first one we came to, had a pretty long line. But there way no way to wait until the next one. So I had to stop.

It may have been at about mile 8 or so that I got a text from my sister-in-law. "How did it go?!" Sweet of her to think of me right then.....but wowie - a long way to go yet......

Remember that all along the way there were people on the sidewalks cheering and clapping. And rooting for me BY NAME! Spectators, water stop volunteers, TNT coaches. Just lots of people cheering for me. That was just the neatest thing. And it's definitely what kept me moving. "Go Angie!" "Looking good Angie!"

The only big hill started at about mile 8 and continued through mile 10. The race actually started on this hill and we ran down to begin, then around, and then basically back up the hill where we started. It was on Highway 163 and while it was hilly, it was also slanted, sloped. The road was tilted - does that make sense? It was hard to run on that uneven road. Here's a pic from that 'highway' leg of the course. You can't see the slopey road though. Just the moderate hill.

Here's the elevation chart so you can see where we started and then where it rises at miles 7-10.

Miles 10-12 - This is where it got a bit dicey. There are two course cut-offs on the race. This is what it said on the race website:

In order to ensure that the roads reopen at the published times, there will be cut off points enforced along the course. These times and locations are as follows:

10:35 am at Mile 13.4 - This reflects a 17:26/mile pace
12:15 pm at Mile 19.2 - This reflects a 17:26/mile pace

Participants not upholding a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 13.4 will be rerouted to the finish line and complete an 18 mile course. Participants who do not uphold a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 19.2 will be stopped and transported to the finish line.

OK, no problem, right? Even when I'm walking SLOW, I'm faster than a 17:26/mile pace. BUT, George wasn't sure if they were timing the cut off from GUN time or CHIP time..... Hmmmmmm. It had taken us about 12 minutes to cross the start line. That's the difference between gun time (6:30 am) and my chip time (approx. 6:42 am). So he is calculating and adding and looking at a race pace printout bracelet he had on. And he tells me that I needed to pick up my pace or it may be questionable at the 13.4 mark for me. OH NO!!!!!! There was NO WAY I was getting on the bus. Are you kidding me?!?!? I. Am. Not. Getting. On. The. Bus. So he runs on ahead to wait for me. And I must have put it in gear because when I got to him and asked him - totally out of breath - "Are.....we.....pant pant......ok......pant pant pant........did......I......pant pant pant......miss.....the.....pant pant........bus???" And he said I had made up over two minutes and we were just fine. Thank goodness. What a speedy turtle I must have been! That would be a bad scene if I had to get on the bus. I spent the remaining 6 miles asking him and everybody around me if we were on track to miss the NEXT cut off at mile 19.2.

Some of the signs that I saw along the way:

Thanks from a leukemia survivor (There were several of these along the course. And THAT is what made it all worthwhile.)
Free beer (The spectators at this little 'unofficial refreshment stop' looked to be guys in their early 20's. And yes, 2 girls running right beside me stopped to chug a beer. Oh my. Now, I'm not a beer drinker. And I was very, very hot and thirsty. But I cannot imagine anything that sounded less appealing at that exact moment in time than a beer. This was maybe around mile 14-17 maybe. Can't remember. But it was *well* into the race. I later saw those girls a few miles ahead laying in the grass. Looked like they were stretching. Maybe they were RETCHING.....)
You're farther now than you were
Sweat is Sexy
I wish we weren't here (saw that on a TNT runner's shirt)

Race Day! From the start.....

2008-06-08T06:13:00.010-05:00

Early morning wake up call when the alarm went off at 3:30 am. "It's today!" I couldn't believe we were finally doing it. The marathon was today.

I took a quick shower and tried to eat a bagel with peanut butter. It just didn't seem to want to go down, but I knew I *had* to eat it. Rubbed Body Glide everywhere. Rubbed sunscreen everywhere. And we headed to the lobby.

As we left our rooms, we found that our coaches and mentors had decorated our door the night before. There were lots of doors of other TNT runners decorated throughout the hotel.

The lobby was full of purple TNT jersey-clad folks. Everybody was so excited - you could just feel it. More hugs and high-fives. "Are you ready?" we just kept asking each other. One quick team picture, and we headed to the bus.

It wasn't too long until we got to the start area. Balboa Park. It was still dark, but there were already tons of people milling around. We found a good spot right under a big tree and claimed it as our own. We had brought garbage bags to sit on and/or wear. I also had brought a long sleeved t-shirt. That morning, however, it didn't seem cool at all, so I never put the sleeves on. A few trips to the porta-potty. The lines were already growing.

Then, out of the blue, a band started marching down the street toward the start line playing a song. But it wasn't just any band. And it wasn't just any song. It was the Marine Corps band and they were playing the Marine Corps Hymn. Instant tears. MY DADDY....

I managed to catch Jodi and the kids by phone as they headed to church. I was glad to hear their voices before I started. "GO MOM!" A few text messages from Connie too. ("Good luck! Keep 17 min pace or they will drive u! I love you! Dad is proud!")

We took our gear bags to the row of UPS trucks. They were in alpha order by last name. Mine was all the way at the end of the row. After my hike back to our spot, it was about 6:15am and time to head to the corral.

We all weaved our way through the people and found a spot in Corral #19 (out of 23). There was a sea of people in front of us (remember, faster runners toward the front) and still tons of people behind us. We were all just so excited and nervous. Hugging, crying, holding hands, laughing, squealing - you get the picture. I can't tell you the emotion that we were feeling at that minute.

National Anthem. And then we heard the announcer start the race. Jessica (tallest member of our team) said she could see people ahead moving. And then a few minutes later we started walking. Slowly. We'd walk a bit and then stop. This went on a few times and then we were walking and walking. A bit faster and faster. And then there it was - the start line - and we crossed it! *SCREAMS* You could hear the beeps of the chips on our shoes being recognized as thousands of feet were crossing the mat.

We started running!

The marathon had begun!!

Saturday Part Deux

2008-06-07T08:01:00.007-05:00

Right after we all got back to the hotel from the emotional Pasta Party, we had our team meeting in the lobby.

Andrea congratulated all of us on everything we had accomplished - from just deciding to do it, to training, to raising our money. She said we were already heroes no matter what happened tomorrow. George also congratulated all of his chicks. (He really did just seem so proud of us.) He talked about how far we had come and how we had trained and prepared and now it was here and we were ready for it. He gave us some race day pointers and also told us we would need to eat salt packets before and during the race to prevent cramping. That was a new one for us - none of us had trained with salt - but he assured us, it wouldn't make any difference in a negative way. George also said that on race day, every TNT coach would be OUR coach - not just him and Dennese. All the TNT people were there tomorrow for us.

They just kind of gave us a run down of the morning. Meet in the lobby at 4:30am. Head to the park by the start line. We would claim a little area that would be our spot until the start. Julie was going to run in front with the faster ones and George would hang in the back with the slower ones (i.e. ME). Andrea was going to be at the 19.2 mile mark (which is the 2nd cutoff point on the course - more about that later). She offered to hold on to anything that we may want later during the race, but not carry all during the race. Good idea. Julie and Dennese gave us a goody bag with bottled water, snacks, bandaids, green apple sport beans, TNT tattoos and purple pom-poms and a card signed by all the coaches and mentors. Julie had also purchased two cases of water which we all divided and were instructed to drink during the remainder of the day.

George wanted all of us to carry our cell phones on the course. I had not planned on doing that, and I knew it would cut into my space in my belt. I would have to refigure how to get all my stuff in my belt. But since Andrea was going to hold on to some things for us, I could split some of my stuff up like that. It later proved to be a great idea to have the phone and I'm glad he made us do it.

Here's our team! Me, George (coach), Julie (mentor), Lindy (she's a 2 time survivor!!), Jessica, Nichole, Dennese (coach), Anne. GO TEAM!!!

We had a little time to rest before dinner, then we all headed out together. We enjoyed a nice dinner together and cheered ourselves and our great team! During dinner, we realized it was TWELVE HOURS UNTIL THE START OF THE RACE!!! After we ate, we walked down to a Ghiradelli's Chocolate candy and ice cream shop. (Connie, it would have been heaven to you - you would have just *died*.) It smelled great in there, and I'm not even a big chocolate fan. None of the marathoners were allowed to have ice cream.....and we all upheld under the temptation. We just watched everybody else eat it....We did enjoy a tiny little free sample of chocolate though.

Back to the hotel to try to get some rest. I laid all my stuff out for the next day. And, in my OCD way, checked and rechecked and checked again.....

We set the alarm for 3:30 am and I think we turned the light out at about 9:30 pm. I slept pretty well. Much better than I expected. Although it's hard to "get a good night's sleep" when you have also been told to "drink water all day long".....

Tomorrow was it. Tomorrow I WAS GONNA' RUN A MARATHON!!!

He's proud of his peeps!

2008-06-07T07:58:00.001-05:00

A congrats email from George this week:

Dear Rock n Roll Marathoners:

My heartiest congratulations for everyone participating and FINISHING the San Diego Rock n Roll Half or Full Marathon!

I know the huge sacrifices you and your families have made since January in training for this event, as well as the tremendous effort required to raise the funding required, and surpass it. But you all DID IT!

I am so honored and proud to have been a part of this process, and to think that many of you went from 0.0 to 26.2 (or 13.1) in a matter of 19 weeks is a phenomenal accomplishment! And from $0 to $4,000+ WOW! I suspect all of you had your share of both supporters and doubters all the while, but you have proven the supporters right and the doubters wrong. Me, I never had any doubt that each of you would stick it out and cross the finish line upright!

I hope all of you are taking that well deserved rest break, eating all the rewarding foods, and nursing any lingering maladies. I saw some attractive blisters on some, and perhaps for the really "special folks" maybe there are a few black toenails or missing toenails by now . . . the price of a TNT marathon warrior!

And certainly I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge and thank the mentors who were instrumental in this program - without them taking charge in a hundred ways, and covering my absences, none of this would have happened.

Thank you again for the opportunity to coach - it's been a rich and rewarding experience for me and will be cherished for years to come.

George

Saturday's Pasta Party

2008-06-06T08:53:00.015-05:00

The day before the marathon.....

The odd hours and the time difference were playing with me a little bit and I had decided the extra rest would do me good. So I slept in. Until 8am (which is 10am Memphis time - wow!). We were instructed to take it easy on Saturday - not a lot of walking. And to drink a LOT of water. Julie and I had a nice little breakfast and then I went down to an outdoor mall area and just looked around a bit. It wasn't long before we had to take the shuttle to the Pasta Party.

The Pasta Party.... It was just beyond amazing. I really didn't know what to expect, other than some pasta for our carb-loading. But it turned out to be an event that I will never, *EVER* forget. It was at the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center.

As we headed toward the entrance, we were greeted by a huge 'TNT cheer line'. All the coaches and LLS staff and mentors were lining both sides of the walkway. They were cheering and screaming and clapping. They had horns and cowbells and airhorns. It was the neatest thing. It was loud and just totally electric. I've got chill bumps right now as I type just thinking about it.

Nicole and I grabbed hands and just walked through the hundreds of purple clad, wildly decorated people. They were cheering for US. "Just think what tomorrow will be like," we kept saying to each other. I don't know how, but I saw George on the other side of the walk. He pushed through all the people and gave me a big high five. Ever play Where's Waldo? Let's play Where's George? ....

Then, I saw a younger woman holding a sign that said "This survivor thanks you." And she was just crying and smiling and saying 'thank you'. And that's all it took. Because then I was crying too. I honestly don't think I'll ever forget that image of her. Then I saw Andrea - big hugs. And then there was Lindy - our teammate, a leukemia survivor herself. She was the only person I had not seen yet since we arrived in San Diego. Big hugs and more tears.

Thanks to Jessica and Jacob for sharing their pictures with me. I was so totally overwhelmed by the whole thing, using my camera never entered my mind.....

The line ended at the pasta buffet. So we filled up our plates with good carbs and headed to the ballroom to find our assigned tables. There must have been 2500-3000 people in that room. All TNTers and their friends and family. WOW! But then I realized that this was just the first seating for the Pasta Party - there was another seating that afternoon at 5pm. So we're talking 5,000 people. We heard from John "The Penguin" Bingham. He's a writer for Runner's World and also a spokesman for the TNT. He was so hilareous and gave us an overview of what to expect on race day. Sadly, all of funny, silly, crazy things that he said would happen during the race, totally did.....He's called the penguin because of his 'no need for speed' approach. My kind of guy. Penguins are apparently still faster than turtles though...Our other speaker was David Monson who is the husband of Susan Butcher. She was a champion Iditarod sled dog racer who fought and lost a battle with leukemia. He was excellent. He said that the LLS had asked him to come and speak to the runners, to be an inspiration to us. He said that HE was not the inspiration, that WE were the inspiration. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. And there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I was crying so hard that I was just hoping I wouldn't make some kind of choking noise or gasping sound or have some sort of audible sobbing. Wow - he was something. Our last speaker was a VP from Elite Racing (the company that puts the race together). He said he was probably the only person in San Diego that had on a suit at that moment. And the reason he wore a suit is because his mother told him that when he met important people, he should put on a suit. (That's us - important people!)

They recognized an 84-year old woman who would be participating in her 11th marathon on Sunday. And there were several fundraising awards. The national winner raised $51,000! Wowie. They also announced that we had all raised $12.5 million!!! $12.5 MILLION. Isn't that awesome?!?!?

We left the Pasta Party totally charged. It was an incredible experience - full of emotion. Truly an unforgetable event.

Next on our agenda was the Team Meeting.....

By the Numbers

2008-06-05T08:25:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to share a little bit of data and info about the weekend's race. I thought some of it was quite interesting.

51 - percent of people who were participating in their first marathon

1 - percentage of people who have ever even run a marathon

17,828 - number of official starters (This doesn't include the half marathoners. Another total I saw said over 22,000 but I'm not exactly sure what that includes. Regardless, it was a LOT of people)

16,373 - number of official finishers

15,733 - my overall place

7,948 - number of male finishers

8,425 - number of female finishers (51.5%)

7,924 - my place among all females

948 - my place in my age group (out of 1016)

33 - number of racers and spectators taken by ambulance to local hospitals for nausea, vomiting, heat, cramps, dehydration, etc.

5:01:08 - average finishing time

7:00:53 - my finishing time (woo hoo!!!)

8:21:00 - caboose's finishing time (yea for him!!)

2:10:06 - winner's finishing time (Isn't that nuts?!? He was probably on the plane back to Kenya when I was at mile 23....)

3,400 - number of Team in Training runners

5 - number of TNT members on our team (not counting coaches & mentors)

$12.5 million - dollars raised for LLS by runners in the marathon

$134.6 million - dollars raised for LLS by runners in the 11 year history of the Rock and Roll Marathon

$22,700 - dollars raised by our team (that was my last total - I bet it's more now)

$4,536 - my total (THANK YOU!!!)

224 - miles I logged during 6 months of training

26.2 - miles I ran and walked (continuous forward motion) on Sunday at the MARATHON!!!!!

1 - totally awesome, life changing, unforgettable experience

Happy Feet

2008-06-04T12:38:00.003-05:00

I just saw Dr. M. in the hallway -- he's one of our foot surgeons. I told him I had run the marathon and I had hurt my toe. He said "Congratulations. I told you so." (He had told me in December that I would be 'seeking him out' when it was all over.) Anyway, he looked at Big Toe and said it didn't look like I was going to lose the toenail! HOORAY!!! He said it was just 'major bruising from a traumatic injury' and I should rest it. Yea for that. He also couldn't understand why I was upset over the possibility of losing a toenail. Anne & I were high-fiving the salvation of the toenail and he kept saying "It's just a toenail. Why were you upset about that?" BECAUSE IT'S SANDAL SEASON!!! AND I'M A GIRL!!!!! I had taken the polish off Big Toe last night to see if it was discolored and now am sporting 9 toes featuring OPI Cajun Shrimp and 1 plain toe. I will have to remedy that tonight. Anyway, Mr. Went To Market Toe, I'm glad you decided to stick with the other piggies.

Today, I'm still moving a little slow, but much improved from yesterday. I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait.

More to come real soon about my marathon weekend.

We've arrived!

2008-06-03T18:03:00.010-05:00

Our flight to San Diego (via Minneapolis) was at 6 am. So that called for a very early start on Friday. My alarm clock went off at 3 am.....zzzzz......

The flight from Minneapolis had other TNT'ers on it. The flight attendant made an announcement on the plane that "Today on board are over 50 people who are going to participate in the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego. They have been training for six months and have been raising money for the Leukemia Society. Go Team!" And some other stuff, but you get the idea. Everybody cheered and clapped.

When we got to San Diego, there were even *more* TNT'ers waiting for the shuttles. It was the neatest feeling to realize that this whole "training" thing - this whole "team" thing - was so much bigger than our little Shelby Farms group. Connie compared it to going to church out of town. Does that make sense?

We grabbed a quick sandwich and headed for the expo to pick up our race packet.

The expo was huge. Lots of vendors peddling anything related to running. One booth had tshirts with cute little sayings on them like:

"In my dreams, I'm a Kenyan"
"I know, I know, I'm almost there"
"This seemed like a good idea three months ago"
"Toenails are for sissies" (that may not be so funny in a day or so)

But my very favorite was this one:

The Leukemia Society booth had a big banner that the TNT'ers could sign.....

A group of us walked to the Gaslamp Quarter (neato area) and ate dinner at a little Mexican place called Fred's.

We did encounter two interesting groups on our way to and from dinner. The first was a "Red Dress Run" by a group of hashers which is apparently running and drinking club. It was a bit nuts. They were ALL (men included) wearing various styles of red dresses and running down the streets - I guess from bar to bar. It looked completely out of control wild. I had to look it up on Wiki to get more info. If you want some too, help yourself. The other sight was Critical Mass -- *thousands* of bicycles that aim to draw attention to how unfriendly the city is to bicyclists. I've never seen anything like it. Again, more info.

So, after those two enlightening experiences, we headed back to the hotel and watched the National Spelling Bee. (I *love* the spelling bee!) It didn't take me long to fall asleep that night because I was e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-03T10:09:00.002-05:00

I did it! I FINISHED!!! I don't even know where to start. It will take me several days to get my thoughts together and write about my whole experience. There is so much to talk about. I can't wait to share my story. It was truly one of the greatest days of my life! So many emotions before, during and after. It was just amazing. Just truly amazing.

I am somewhat stiff and sore today. My war wounds include a blister on each foot, some chafing on my legs, a raw spot on my back, a touch of a sunburn on my shoulders and one very questionable big toe. George says I could either be losing the toenail or the toe could be broken. I'm actually pulling for the fracture. Should know something in a day or so. Anyway, I am gimping just a little bit today. But it's ALL GOOD!!!

Thanks to Connie for an excellent job as guest blogger. I'm sure she'll be starting her own very soon (Connie, I told you this was addictive.)

Thanks to you all for your support and encouragement during these last six months. And for sharing my excitement these last few days. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

More later. I promise.

I DID IT!!! I RAN A MARATHON!!!!!!

My last guest post...!

2008-06-02T06:15:00.003-05:00

Angie will be returning this evening around 5:20. Last night when I talked to her she was still feeling pretty good, but starting to get a little sore. I guess she might be "slow" for a few days with maybe a little bit of a "hitch in her get-along" but all that will be minimal and over shadowed with the euphoria of reaching her goal!!! She worked hard and she crossed that finish line (on her own, standing upright, not on a gurney!)....how cool is that?!!!

I have enjoyed being her guest poster...this blog-ey thing is quite fun. Maybe I should do one....would I have to run a marathon to do that? On second thought....

7:00:53!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-01T15:55:00.002-05:00

HOOOORRRAAAYYYYY!!!!!!
According to the live updates, Angie finished about 15 minutes ago...7 hours and 53 seconds (unofficial time!!).
I'm bawling! SOOOOO proud of her. I was watching live streaming video of the finish line, looking for her...I was watching about that time and I think I might have seen her, if she was wearing a pink cap. I'll have to verify that! I guess she is refueling at the moment...hope to get an update soon!
How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAY TO GO ANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19847 • Angie Whitfield • Cordova TN • F-42 • Marathon •

Gun: 6:35:18 AM
Chip: 6:47:07 AM (her start time)
1:37:05 (10k)
3:22:12 (1/2)
5:31:32 (21 mile)
7:00:53 (finish)
Race Pace:
15:38 (10k)
15:26 (1/2)
15:48 (21 mile)
16:04 (finish)

Saturday in San Diego!

2008-05-31T11:56:00.002-05:00

Just spoke with our favorite marathoner. She is going to do a bit of sight seeing today. They have a "Carb Loading" meal for all the runners....LOTS of pasta!
She said her assignment for the day is to HYDRATE - H2O at all times.
The weather is beautiful! They were going to see if they could drive the running route just to get a feel for it. She sounds ready to go, albeit a bit nervous, but still excited.
She will call me tomorrow night after the race. Just about the time we are all in church she will be gearing up to run (extra prayers during early service!!!)
I do believe I am getting a bit nervous on her behalf!!!

Update #1!!

2008-05-30T13:35:00.002-05:00

Ok!!! Angie is off to San Diego! Apparently her plane was a tad delayed...sat on the tarmac for about an hour or so due to "unscheduled maintenance"...that's always fun. She packed books and a movie for her iPod so I'm sure she was fine.
Looks like as of now though (1:40 pm CST) she is flying over California, due to arrive at approx 12:05!!!! Yea!!

Don't forget, we can all check her progress on race day by going to:
http://www.rnrmarathon.com/home.html
Her number is #19847!

I'm Outta' Here!

2008-05-30T03:54:00.002-05:00

Wishing me all the luck in the world

2008-05-29T18:26:00.006-05:00

Awwwwww! You guys are all just so sweet and so good to me! My day has been full of well wishes, high fives, good lucks, hugs, some tears (all mine), phone calls, email, cheers - on and on it has gone. I know that I have to have the BIGGEST cheering section - nationwide - that anybody has seen. Thank you all so very much!

I believe I'm almost all packed and ready to go. I'll take one last looky in a bit. We're all going to try to get to bed early (Yes, kids are *still* in school. Tomorrow is the last day. So it is still a legitimate night to enforce a bedtime.) I guess I'm getting up at 3am....ugh.....

#19847 in your program, #1 in your heart

2008-05-29T06:03:00.007-05:00

OK peeps -- we're getting down to the last day of preparation here. I'm very excited. And then all of a sudden, I get this major wave of nervousness. But it's all good. I'll finish my packing today and hope to get in bed early (earliER) for a good night's sleep. I've got to get up very early to catch a 6am flight. But usually in those situations, I wake up all night long worried that I'm going to oversleep and miss my flight.

Hope you all will send me a little rah-rah on Sunday. Race starts at 6:30am. We should be rollin' by 7am for sure (remember, wave start -and we're in corral 19). And don't forget to adjust the vibes you are sending to Pacific Time. That's 2 hours behind us here in Memphis.

Thanks to Linda T. and Paige L. for their donations. My fundraising total is $4401!!

OK, more later....

PS - How cute is that turtle guy up there? Get it? TNT - TEAM IN TRAINING!?!?!

Testing, testing

2008-05-28T21:53:00.004-05:00

Hello, everyone...Connie here...Just doing a trial run (no pun intended) on this bloggey-thingy. I am the designated "Guest Blogger" while Ang is in San Diego. I have been given creative license so....lookout!!!

I get by with a little help from my friends

2008-05-28T21:44:00.006-05:00

My sweet friends at work had a surprise "Go #19847 Go!" party for me today! They had my all-time favorite - Blue Bell homemade vanilla. George assured me it was legitimate carbo-loading. They've all been so supportive and encouraging and they are just as excited as I am about this big marathon thing. Thanks friends!!! Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. I love you all!!

My ice cream was served on the special RHM silver tray...

I would choose ice cream over pasta any day for my 'carbo-loading'!

Don't see that happenin'...

2008-05-28T09:19:00.004-05:00

I was just reading about the hotel we will be staying in. According to their website, "the Westin San Diego is located in the heart of beautiful downtown San Diego. It features panoramic views of the San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the downtown cityscape." Sounds nice.

It also says that their goal is for you "to leave feeling better than when you arrived". Somehow, I doubt that will be the case....

Tough Time for a Type A

2008-05-28T05:49:00.008-05:00

Time is just ticking away. I started packing some things last night. I get real fretful about my stuff when I go somewhere. I'll make a list and go over it again and again and again. Then I'll start getting all the things together and pack and unpack and repack. I'll look at everything and talk to myself and put it in piles and then put it in different piles. Travel preparation is definitely one of my OCD's finest hours. Anyway, I'm slowly getting all my things together. I realized that my gels have to go in the little quart baggie thing. That definitely takes up some space, but I think I've got it all crammed in there and left enough room for my saline, shampoo and my beloved hand sanitizer (or 'hanitizer' as Cooper calls it).

I think I just have one more little trip-related errand to do and pick up a memory card for my camera. And I have to continue to finalize the kids' camp schedule for next week - who is picking up which kid, where and when....it's so complicated, it's spreadsheet worthy....

Soooo, mix all that up with my multitude of emotions (excited, nervous, scared, anxious, happy, teary, fired up, worked up) ... and I'm a potential wreck.

I am just so thankful for all the support and encouragement that everybody has given me during these last few months. And now your excitement for me too. It's just special and I'm forever grateful. After all, you've been going through all this with me. You *should* be excited!! {{hugs}}

A friend at work made a little sign for my office door. It has the Rock 'N Roll logo and June 1, 2008 and says "Angie Whitfield #19847". (Thanks P.T.!)

I read this little passage in an introduction to a book that I'm taking with me. While my book is a "compelling and original suspense thriller" and has "masterful suspense and explosive twists of fate" (according to the back cover), the excerpt is actually from a children's book titled "No Matter What". It is a conversation between Large Fox and little baby Small Fox. Basically Small is asking about the unconditionality, limits and endurance of parental love. When I read it, it just reminded me about how Daddy is still here with us. And how he will be with me especially on Sunday. Watching and cheering and helping and pushing me along. I'm actually not sure what it has to do with anything (especially my book)....It just reminded me of Dad and I felt like they were sweet and comforting thoughts. And I wanted to just share them with you, my faithful readers!

Small said, "But what about when we are dead and gone, will you love me then, does love go on?"

Large held Small snug as they looked out at the night, at the moon in the dark and the stars shining bright. "Small, look at the stars, how they shine and glow, some of the stars died a long time ago. Still they shine in the evening skies, for you see, Small, love like starlight never dies..."

He IS the numbers guy....so I guess that's right.....

2008-05-27T09:08:00.006-05:00

An email from George this morning....

By my count, we are T minus 117 hours until the start of the Rock 'N Roll Marathon! Just think, when we started this in January, it was about 117 days!

Race Week Is Here!!

2008-05-27T05:52:00.004-05:00

Can you believe it?! I only have three days before I head to San Diego. I know the week will fly, especially since today is a Tuesday that feels like a Monday. I've still got quite a bit to do before Friday.

On Sunday, you can track my progress by going to the marathon website. It's www.rnrmarathon.com My times will be recorded at the 5k, 10k, 10-mile, 13.1 mile and 20 mile marks with updates to the LiveResults site every 60 seconds. Not sure how it will be set up. But you will probably have to enter my name or my race number (#19847). And don't forget the time difference. San Diego is on Pacific Time so that's 2 hours behind us here in Memphis. I hope you can check it out on Sunday.

I also saw this on the website: For the first time this year, NBCSandiego.com is providing "Finish Line Cam On-Demand." Visit www.nbcsandiego.com after the race and see yourself cross the finish line! And if that's not scary, I don't know what is.....

Which way do I go?

2008-05-26T07:17:00.008-05:00

Want to know where I'll be running on Sunday? Here's the description from the marathon website:

The 26.2 mile course begins in Balboa Park, runs through Hillcrest and skirts the San Diego Zoo. Runners take an expanded tour of downtown featuring Petco Park, the historic Gaslamp Quarter, and the San Diego Harbor. Following the downtown excursion, the course travels up beautiful Highway 163, and races by the bayside communities, Sea World and ends at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Point Loma.

A course map... (for a larger version, try this)

And, an elevation chart. Looks like one big hill at about mile 7-10, but the rest of it is flat. I like flat.

Here's a neat little 'interactive course map' too.

The rest of the story...

2008-05-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

So you've gathered from the earlier post that yesterday's run wasn't the prettiest that I have had. But it was an exciting day since it was our last official group run.

When we got to Shelby Farms, we found out it was the first day of training for the TNT teams for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francicso and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington. I mentioned something to Joyce (their coach) about remembering our first day and she asked that I share that with the group. So I told my little story. I talked about our first group run when they warned us about the black ice on the trail and I was just so scared to begin with and I was wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into. I said that Joyce had told me early on that there would be a day when I would say "today we are running just 3 or just 5" and how I didn't believe I would *ever* say that. And I said, "But today we are running just 8." So, good luck to the new teams. Yea for them! GO TEAM! I do feel very sorry for them because their entire training season is in this brutal summer Memphis heat.

There was a 5k being held at the lake a little later and one of the race organizers said "Y'all want to register for the 5k?" "No thanks, we're running a bit farther today." How about that? We totally dissed their little 3 mile run.....

The run yesterday was just quite ugly. I probably walked more than I ran during the last 3 miles. At mile 7, as I was nearing the finish line (and death) I was approached by 2 ladies running heading out. She noticed my TNT shirt and said "What race are you training for?" "San Diego - NEXT SUNDAY!" "I thought so - great - good luck!" Woo hoo for me! It's always nice to receive a little cheer along the way.

Poor George, again, ran double the scheduled mileage since he runs up and then comes back to check on me. I would say "I'm just so hot" and he would say "San Diego is nothing like this." The last time he came back to 'get me', was almost to the finish and he returned WITH A BOTTLE OF WATER. Thank you George! What a nice coach he is.....

So, that is the end of the group training runs for the San Diego team. We all left hot and exhausted, but so excited. Because the next time we would be together would be in SAN DIEGO!!!

Thanks to Lacy R., April D., Elizabeth S., and Karin E. who all joined the list of my wonderful supporters and made donations this week. My new total is now $4276. And I think that is just uber great!!!

Some friend....

2008-05-24T10:47:00.004-05:00

Dear Weather Man (who shall remain nameless):

I know it wasn't all your fault. And I'm not going to blame you for the whole thing. But WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING THIS MORNING BETWEEN 7 AM AND 9AM?!?!?!? It was so incredibly hot and humid. It was just brutal. I know you said something meterological like 'warm and muggy conditions' this holiday weekend. But good grief. It. Was. Hot. And I thought you were my friend...

I was sooo hot. I was *dripping* with sweat. I was sweating in places I didn't even know I could sweat. I was sweating so much that my earbuds wouldn't even stay in my ears.

Now, part of the problem, I admit, is my own fault. At the last minute this morning, I changed from a little tank to my TNT shirt. Mistake #1. I had not really had any water this morning or enough last night. Mistake #2. I chose not to wear my hydration belt since it was just 8 miles and I knew I had water waiting for me at mile 4. Mistake #3. So you see, part of my misery was my own fault. But that 80 degree temp at 8 AM and that 75% humidy. That's all you. And I guess when you factor those in together to get the infamous "heat index", that calculated to be something like 127 degrees. In the shade. In fact, if I had carried my cell phone, I would have called you at home and given you the big what for. Don't think that I didn't consider it at about mile 6.

Now, I knew that this weekend was going to be warm. It is almost June, so that's normal for Memphis. I'm ok with that. And you did tell me and all your faithful viewers that. But I thought that since it was 7 o'clock in the morning, that *surely* it wouldn't feel like I was already in Tijuana....and I didn't expect that 127 degree heat index. Or at least that's what it felt like to me.

So, thanks for a brutally ugly 8 mile run this morning.

You know I love ya' -- we've been friends for over 20 years. But this morning you really just weren't one of my favorite people. I'll be over this later today and will be seeking your forgiveness and your friendlier forecasts. Maybe you can make it up to me with a great forecast for me for San Diego next Sunday.

Your friend and fan,
Angie

Did you buy me a gift?!?

2008-05-23T05:58:00.003-05:00

Today is World Turtle Day!!! Yes, May 23 is World Turtle Day, a day that was established to "celebrate turtles and tortoises and to encourage people to learn more about these reptiles and understand what needs to be done to ensure their conservation". So, go hug a turtle today!

Rest day today - yea! A short little 8-miler scheduled for tomorrow. It will be nice to have such a short little run.

Right this very minute (6:00 am) next Friday, my plane will be taking off for San Diego! (well, actually Minneapolis but THEN San Diego...)

Happy Turtle Day!!

Randomness

2008-05-22T18:34:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe that this time next week, I'll be packing and repacking and packing and repacking and getting ready to leave the next day.

I got a "Final Event Update" from the marathon with yet more race info. Here are a few tidbits from that email:

There are more than 100 Running Elvi registered to participate in the marathon. What a riot.

They will post live results on the race website that day so you can totally check on me during the race! I'll check it out and post the info later on how you can do that. It should show updates at the 5K, 10K, 10 mile, 13.1 mile, 20 mile and of course FINISH.

The race (or highlights or something) is going to air on FSN on Saturday, June 14. Check your local listings....

I did a little run/walk on the treadmill today. It was fine. Hilareous to me that I do not like running on the treadmill. Remember how hard it was for me to break up with him? I *loved* him. My how times have changed.

I'm having a few little twinges in my shin and am really wondering what's going on with that. My IT band has been trying to rear it's ugly head this week too. And I am *not* allowing that to happen. So I'm stretching a lot and continuing to roll on Mr. Foamy. Same drills..... I've made it this far, I can't fall apart just yet. But man, my feet and legs sometimes just kill me. I told some coworkers the other day that my feet are just so done with me. They don't even want to be a part of my body anymore. But I just need them to hold on 10 more days.....

We're scheduled for 8 miles on Saturday. Sounds like nothing doesn't it? Compared to 20, it's really not! That will be our last official group run. I'm really REALLY REALLY ready to get my Saturdays back. So is my family. Jodi has been beyond great holding down the fort every Saturday since January. I told him to think of it like a 'half day, 20 week hunting season'.....No seriously, he's been so supportive and made it possible for me to 'check out' for a good part of the last 20 Saturdays....Thanks Captain!

I'm trying to complete my list of things to do and things to take. Time is getting short. I can feel myself getting ready to start getting nervous and fretful....

Wowie!

2008-05-20T15:21:00.002-05:00

Our Rock 'n Roll Team has raised $22,413 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! That just totally rocks!

It was a party!!

2008-05-20T08:26:00.018-05:00

Last night's "Know Before You Go" party at Lindy's house was just so much fun. It was such a change to see all of us cleaned up, wearing 'real' clothes, with hair done and make up on. We didn't look like our normal Saturday morning no make up, sweaty, ball cap-wearing selves. We are actually quite a lovely group of ladies!

Andrea gave us the low down on the weekend's events. Wowie - there was a lot of info there. I was trying not to get overwhelmed. I went back and forth between being excited and being nervous and being so emotional about it that I thought I just might cry.

Here are some of the highlights:

There will be about 30,000 running the marathon. And about 4,000 of those people will be TNT'ers! She said that every Leukemia Chapter in America has someone participating in the RNR Marathon. (I think she said there were 68 chapters.) I think that's just neat. She said there will be purple TNT jerseys EVERYWHERE! The TNT'ers are very well taken care of by the Elite Racing staff (company that puts the race together) all weekend.

All of us on the San Diego team met -- and exceeded -- our fundraising goal! YIPPEE FOR US!!! We are already winners!!!

The rough schedule for the weekend goes something like this:

Friday - Arrive San Diego. Our flight gets in about 11am. Andrea & George recommended going to the Expo that afternoon to get our packets and to visit the booths since it will be uber crowded on Saturday. This will probably be our last good night of sleep since we'll be too keyed up on Saturday night to sleep much. Should not be a problem since our flight out of Memphis is at 6am. So Friday is a long day to begin with. Sleep should come easy.

Saturday - Pasta Party at 1pm. Followed by a team meeting where we will get last minute instructions. Probably a group dinner after that and then early bedtime for an attempt at sleeping.

There are lots of things to see and do in that area. And, did you know, San Diego is only 23 miles from Tijuana!? (OK, so geography isn't my strong suit...) But it is *right* on the Mexico border. Not really sure how I will spend my free time. Maybe just laying low for a little R&R and enjoying the "away from home quietness". I definitely don't want to do a lot of walking (and risk blisters and sore legs) or do something to get sunburned (like go to the beach) or get arrested in Mexico (just kidding!) I'm always good with a book and a chair by the pool.....

Sunday - RACE DAY! Shuttles will leave the hotel about 4:00 am. The race is scheduled to begin at 6:30 am, but it is a 'wave start' which means they start the fastest runners first and go in order down the corrals. We are all in corral #19. George says it could be about 15 minutes or so before we cross the start line. The long and the short of it for Sunday morning is a lot of sitting around waiting. It will be hard to manage that with the nerves and excitement....

Weather that early could be cool and ground could be damp. George said to bring garbage bags to sit on and/or wear. It was also suggested that we wear an old, inexpensive long sleeved t-shirt to wear early that morning before and during the early part of the race. Then you can throw it along the side of the road. These are usually sent to a local shelter. Which I think is just a neato thing.

Andrea suggested when we get there to go straight for the porta-pottie line and then come out and get *back* in the line and then do that about three more times.

Sunday night there is a victory party somewhere (I missed wherever that will be and really what it is.) and then the post race concert (Pat Benatar). I guess all that post-race hoopla is just tentative for me depending on how I am feeling. Wherever I choose to be will be my own victory party!

Monday - Return to Memphis. Flight is at 8:30 am or something like that. Long day of travel since we are flying back against the clock. Get in at 6:00 pm. Maybe I'll wear my medal on the plane.....

We all got our purple race jerseys! HOORAY for us!!! We have two honored teammates that are included on the jersey. Jordi (It says "I'm doing this for Jordi") is a young girl fighting leukemia. And the Memphis Grizzlies mascot ("Friends of Grizz") is battling lymphoma. Here are some pics of Jessica (brown shirt) and George (easy to identify) and Nicole (red shirt) ironing their names on their jerseys. (If your name is on your jersey, the crowd will cheer for you by name! That will be cool.) It was getting a bit late, so I had to head on home, but I ironed my name on this morning and added Daddy's picture (that says "For My Dad" on it). Turned out pretty nice I think. Take a look.

It was really just a fun night. It was exciting to talk about what we will be doing that weekend -- what to expect and how it will all play out. We've been working towards this major goal for almost 6 months now. And here we are getting ready to do it! I still can't believe it. It was nice to be together - as a team - to visit and laugh and just have fun being together NOT RUNNING!

KBYG Party

2008-05-19T10:54:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday!

Feeling good today. Maybe the 4 mile walk after the 12 mile run was the thing to do. I didn't do anything this morning. Just a little stretching.

I am happy to report that my fundraising today now stands at $4,226! Very exciting! Thanks again to EVERYBODY!

Tonight is the "KBYG Party" -- Know Before You Go...

According to Julie the Mentor, tonight we will:

get our well-earned purple jersey
go over logistics of travel
get tickets to pasta party, post race victory party, shuttle bracelets, etc.
get last minute tips of what to expect race weekend
have an opportunity to ask questions
have an opportunity to decorate our new jerseys

So, this is one little event that just means we are that much closer to MARATHON TIME!!! Eeeeek!!! Two weeks from right this very minute, it will all be over and me and my sore legs will be on a plane headed back to Memphis.

Quality Family Time

2008-05-18T16:58:00.012-05:00

We all went on a little walky walk this afternoon down the Germantown Greenway. Guess a 4 mile walk will do some sore muscles good. I'll let you know tomorrow. Anyway, thought I'd share some pictures from along the way.

This is on the east side of Germantown Road. Just a beautiful lake.

Jordan and Cooper. They took turns fighting over -- I mean sweetly sharing the scooter. This is early on in the walk when they were not hot, thirsty, tired and were still having fun.

My sweet peeps... (Yes, Cooper *constantly* has some kind of stick or rock or leaf or....)

Pretty little flower garden. Check out who has the scooter now....

One little pond is called "Turtle Bayou" and there are these steel turtles on logs in all around the pond. I love these little turtles (I can relate). But the water is totally nasty.

Some wild rose bush maybe? Look like roses. Pretty whatever they are. By Turtle Bayou.

Some pretty turns along the way.

Cooper wins out for the best seat in the house. Look at Jordan carrying the scooter that *nobody* wanted to ride anymore.

We had a nice afternoon enjoying the pretty day....together!

"San Diego is always sunny and 70"

2008-05-18T11:40:00.004-05:00

So says my friend the weatherman.....Well, take a look at this forecast. As of today, I can start checking the 14 day forecast for June 1 -- the day of the marathon. Looking pretty good!

Friday, May 30
Sunny
Low: 59 °F
High: 65 °F

Saturday, May 31
Sunny
Low: 60 °F
High: 66 °F

Sunday, Jun 1
Abundant sunshine
Low: 61 °F
High: 68 °F

Taper to Twelve

2008-05-18T05:51:00.005-05:00

Yesterday's route was from the Visitor's Center to the Shell, to the end of the Greenway, back to the Shell and then back to the Visitor's Center. Each leg of that is 3 miles. For a total of 12 miles. That sounded most appealing. No Chickasaw Trail or laps around the lake.

I started a bit earlier than the group. I figured my turtle self would be running alone, so I might as well do that on the front end and then finish with the group rather than the other way around. So off I went....

The first 3 miles to the Shell were beyond awful. In fact, there was a time very early on that I actually thought I was going to have to turn around and go back. My IT band was flaring up, my calves were tight, my legs were like lead. Everything just hurt. It was not pretty at all. Couldn't even run. I was just walking. And barely doing that. I was stopping to stretch every few steps. I worked through most of the ouchiness and then just thought I would have to walk the whole 12 stupid miles. But then it started getting better, so I trotted along to the Shell. George had already left the cooler, so I had some water and a gel and headed to the Greenway. The only good thing that happened during these first 3 miles was I saw a cute rabbit on the trail.

We have never run this trail this early in the morning. It was just *so* pretty. The sun was low and was coming through the trees shining onto the path. It was peaceful. The temps were nice. The birds were singing. (I even turned my iPod off during part of this leg so I could just listen. Of course, the loudest things I could hear were my feet pounding on the pavement and my labored breathing.) I was just looking and listening and smelling everything and thinking how beautiful it was. Then I thought, "This is what Daddy sees every day!" and that made me happy.

Halfway down this trail, I ran into a guy that I used to work with. He's a runner, but it was just so out of place to see him there. (CC friends, it was PTambur! How funny is that?!). We chatted for awhile. He was aware of my TNT quest and was actually the very first donation I received. So, after a little chit chat, I was off again.

Made it to the end of the trail where the glorious bathroom is. A little pit stop and more gel. Then turn around and head back. I was halfway! Yippee!

It wasn't too long before I saw George and Julie. They were the only ones running. Nicole wasn't feeling well and Jessica's brother was getting married this weekend so she had commitments. A little chatty chat. And we all continued. I felt pretty sure they would eventually catch up to me anyway.

Back to the Shell. And then back to the Visitor's Center. I did it! The end. It was nice to just run that and not have to go into the farm for the Chickasaw. So I hung out at the cooler and ate some grapes and peanut butter crackers. I was feeling pretty good about my little 12-miler until I saw three guys come up from the lake trail riding UNICYCLES. Thanks a lot.

My total time was 2:55:50. That's a 14:40 pace. The good thing about that is, I must have made some really good time on the last half of my miles because those first 3 were just so awful. So, my time *could* have been better overall if I had not had the rocky start. Gives me a little encouragement for the marathon that I just might finish with a moderately respectable time (for turtles).

George & Julie showed up shortly after I finished, and, while I did start almost an hour before them, it was kind of nice to be at the finish line and cheer for others coming in. What a change!

I did get to relax a good part of the afternoon and sit outside with my book. The weather was so very nice and I am sporting a nice little sunburn today as a result of that. I was really tired and sore last night and am still very stiff this morning. Hope to stretch it out today. Jodi wants to get a run in and the kids want to ride bikes & scooters - so we may go to the Greenway. We'll see.

The marathon is 2 weeks from today. Can you believe that?!

Thank you to my sponsors

2008-05-16T08:31:00.006-05:00

Memphis is buzzing this weekend with the Memphis in May Barbecue Contest. Used to be my cup of tea, but now large crowds make me twitch. The weather for the weekend, however, looks great. In fact, this is the best forecast I've seen in a long time. Can you believe no rain in sight for days? Will be nice. We'll definitely be spending lots of time outside.

Tomorrow is 12 miles. Quite doable. And it feels a bit different heading into it. No pressure. No angst. No worries. It's still a LONG run. But nothing compared to last week .... We are definitely in the home stretch. Two weeks from right now, I'll be on a plane to San Diego (by way of Minneapolis). And my mind is whirling already with thoughts of the race -- what I need to pack, things I need to do, etc.

Remember my three goals that I set when I began this journey? (1) To FINISH the marathon, (2) to REMEMBER my daddy, and (3) to raise MONEY and AWARENESS for the leukemia society. I think I'm well on my way to accomplishing #1. I know that through this process I have thought about my dad so much and I hope I have helped you remember him too (goal #2). And, you all have helped me achieve goal #3. My fundraising total is $4,176! I'm so, so, SO excited about that. THANK YOU!!! I'm just so grateful and appreciative of your generosity. And I've said this many times, but I just really want you to know that you are making a difference and your gifts are helping find a cure for leukemia and other blood cancers. So, THANK YOU to all my generous sponsors. Muuuah!

Angie A.
Cindy A.
Todd & Cindy A.
Dr. Frederick A.
Kent & Jennifer B.
Carol B.
Darrell & Emily B.
Jeff B.
Carolyn C.
Julia C.
Barry & Cheryl C.
Ron C.
Matt C.
Janet C.
Sally C.
Anne & Allen C.
Anna Mae & Howard D.
Nanette F.
Dean & Sherri F.
Gayle & Al F.
Sue H.
Debby & Paul H.
Kenny H.
Cindy H.
Chris & Angela H.
Nancy H.
Neil & Lois H.
Judy H.
Curtis & Tamora J.
Dr. Robert J.
Carol K.
Tim L.
Marlene L.
Justin L.
Dr. David L.
Kelly L.
Eddie & Judy L.
Barbara M.
Molly M.
Connie & Ty M.
Bob & Pat O.
Tom & Arlene O.
Kelly & Sean P.
Allisa R.
Wendy R.
Dr. Jeffrey S.
Shannon S.
Jason & Valerie S.
Patrick T.
John & Ann T.
Maribeth & Harry T.
Patti T.
Rebecca T.
John V.
Gwen W.
Sherrill W.

Hello, I'm #19847

2008-05-15T05:55:00.005-05:00

That's my race number! I got a packet of info in the mail yesterday. Lots of info. My confirmation sheet, a huge race brochure, the course map, shuttle schedules, etc. WOW! It was a lot to digest last night at 9pm, so I'm going to get a closer look today. I was just telling Jodi about it and he said "It's getting more and more real, isn't it?!"

It appears that Andrea from LLS has registered the entire team to have the same predicted finish. Guess that's so we can all be in the same corral at the start. So I'm listed as having a predicted finish time of 5:30:00. Sounds good doesn't it? I was thinking over the weekend, that I may be able to do this in about 6:30:00. Is that too ambitious? My original time estimate when I started this crazy mess was 7:00:00. We put 6:45:00 on my registration form. Oh well, it doesn't really matter how long it takes me. I just plan to FINISH. (Although I do catch myself thinking about the time....)

Look what I found yesterday at Target!!! TURTLE PAJAMA PANTS!!! Just for me! How cute are these guys?! I will definitely be taking these to San Diego.

Starting the To-Do's

2008-05-13T13:41:00.004-05:00

The ol' leggies got pretty tight and achey last night and I just became totally exhausted. I put the kids on 'auto pilot' and was in bed asleep by 8pm. Feeling better today. Just a little achey today. But, still overall the recovery from the 20 wasn't as bad as I had expected. I took today as a rest day and thoroughly enjoyed the extra hour of sleep.

Mentally I feel like I've made it over a huge hurdle. The next (i.e. LAST!) two runs are very doable. I just want to get them out of the way and head on to San Diego.

I'm starting to think about things I need to take and everything I need to do before I leave. We fly out 2 weeks from this Friday. Not only do I have my own to-do list, but I have to make sure my kids (and Jodi) are all taken care of too before I head out. Overall, just lots to do. I have started my packing list which will continue to be a work in progress until the minute I leave.

I've printed a picture of Daddy that Jodi is going to laminate for me. I want to pin it to my TNT jersey and wear it during the race. I may change photos. But I do really like this one - it was taken at the beach. Good times there. It's the same one I've got on the front page of the blog. I just added some words that sum it all up for me......

Only 18 days until the marathon!!!

George is proud of his peeps

2008-05-12T15:34:00.004-05:00

A congrats email from Coach George:

Is WHEW an understatement or what?

Congratulations to all of you! Superb job!

You have conquered the big 20. WOW! And virtually everyone who happened to be at Shelby Farms around 12:30 knows it because Angie told them! And strong is another understatement. You guys (gals) looked like you had just taken a jog around the lake! Look out San Diego, the Memphis TNT folks are on their way and lookin' good!

Hope all of you are feeling OK. Soreness is fine, but if you have anything more serious that lingers past tomorrow, please let me know. And do not slack off the mid week runs. But in every case, take them nice and slow.

Also hope Lindy is on the mend, and continues to take it easy to get that IT band all fixed for race day.

We now start the well deserved and much appreciated TAPER! That means a big reduction in the miles for next week's long run. Unless you are really unique, the long runs (especially the 20 miler from Saturday) resulted in microscopic tears in your muscles, and now is the time for rebuilding, so they are even stronger for June 1. You can load up on the protein to help in this process.

So, we back way down to 12 next Saturday, and then 8 the following. Yahoo!

Any questions now that we are approaching race day, shoot them to me. I know I have left out something or many somethings, so don't be shy about asking anything!

And remember the jersey party on Monday, May 19!

See you Saturday, 7 am.

The view from the caboose

2008-05-12T12:43:00.003-05:00

Just read this on a running site....

'Dead last' is greater than 'did not finish' which greatly trumps 'did not start'.

Happy Monday

2008-05-12T05:50:00.006-05:00

I walked one little mile on the treadmill this morning. And also did some work on the stability ball. Felt ok. A little tightness in my calves and ankles. And an achey spot on the side of my lower back. That's a new one....Overall, the recovery from the 20 has been much better than I expected. I'm beyond glad about that.

We are 3 weeks from the marathon. Thus begins the taper. Our miles decrease during these next weeks. It's hard to believe that I'm to this point. It has been so all-consuming. Thinking about the run, complaining about the run, talking about the run, dreading the run, boring others about the run, loving the run, hating the run, preparing for the run, recovering for the run. That's all it has been it seems. But now we are really bringing this thing to a close. Exciting, but sad too in a way I guess. But I'm really ready to do it. Ready to finish this crazy quest.

I'm reading the chapters in the Marathon book titled "A Mental Tour of the Marathon" and "Countdown" -- both dealing with the few days leading up to the race and the race itself. I'm sure there will be some gems in there to share with you later.

Have a good week!

PS - Did I tell you that I ran 20 miles on Saturday?!?!?

The Twenty Miler

2008-05-11T05:46:00.011-05:00

The day of the 20. We met at 7am ready (?) to go. I was glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who was a bit nervous to tackle the big 20. We talked George out of running the Tour de Wolf trail because we didn't want to sprain an ankle or get our shoes muddy (He has to *love* having all females on his team.) High five from Nicole "Here we go!". We're off.

It was overcast and a little chilly and at first I was rethinking my sleeveless tank choice, feeling stupid about the sunscreen, and being content with the no-sunglasses option. All three of those thoughts were quickly thrown out the window.

We took off toward the west and ran a new trail all the way to Walnut Grove Bridge. It was a nice change of scenery. Jessica & Julie took off early and it wasn't long before I couldn't see them anymore. Nicole was just ahead of me most of this time. George was going back and forth between her and me. Then we turned around under the bridge and headed back east toward the entrance to the farm. And along the outside loop to the Shell. These were about the first 4 or 5 miles. I felt pretty good. Started off at a good pace and really felt good. Nothing was hurting. I was busying myself with lots of thoughts and songs and was doing a nice job of distracting myself. Nicole was just leaving the refreshments at the Shell when we got there. A little reloading of water and accelerade and some gel and we were off again.

I wore my hydration belt yesterday and was so glad I did. I had drained my bottles before I hit the refreshments both times.

We headed down Germantown Road (Man, there was a lot of fast moving traffic. I'm not used to running on a real street with cars on it.) I saw Anne & Denise (a walker and walker coach on our team). Waves across the street. Now, down the Germantown Greenway. That is such a pretty trail. I enjoyed running down there. It smelled good too - lots of bloomy things going on. Passed Julie & Jessica coming back. Later passed Nicole, also coming back. To the end of the trail (thank goodness there were bathrooms there) then back. Along the way, I saw 2 of Germantown's finest, Officer G and Officer D, on foot patrol of the trail. We stopped to chat with them for a second and were off again. I wished Happy Mother's Day to a pregnant lady strolling with her husband. Back to Germantown Road, but under the bridge to the *other* end of the trail. Then back to the Shell. Loaded up on fluids again and we're off. This is where it gets dicey.

These were probably miles 13-16. The trail back to Farm Road was tough. It was really heating up and I drank all my water. Running just wasn't coming very easy. My shoulders were hurting and the side of my lower back. For some reason, I just thought I was going to cry. Looking back on it, all of that was so weird. But at the time, it was very real. I had taken a picture of Daddy with me and pulled it out and ran with it in my hand. Running. Walking. Lots of walking. Just pressing on. Then my stomach started hurting. Bathroom. Bathroom. BATHROOM!! I thought we were going to have to cut back into the Farm Road entrance (which would cut our route short), but I toughed it out and kept going. Back down Walnut Grove and under the bridge. The sun was out. I was hot. I was dripping with sweat. I was Not. Having. Fun. That leg of the run was probably the worst experience I have had since I started this. It was just brutal. George was running ahead and then coming back to check on me. I was whining at this point. "I'm out of gas." "I'm so hot." "Should I die now or later?"

George said all we needed was the long side of the lake and the Chickasaw Trail. I could do that. Saw Anne & Denise. "Nice to be back in this zip code!!" There's a porta-potty on the long side of the lake. One quick stop there and then around the lake. I couldn't get back to the Visitor's Center quick enough. I needed water so badly. I WAS SO THIRSTY. George had gone on ahead and was waiting with Nicole's husband and Jessica's husband (?)/boyfriend (?) (Not sure). Lots of water. Then Julie & Jessica came up and finished their 20. Yea!! Cheers all around. They made great time. Strong runners. More water, some oranges, some gel, another bathroom break. All I needed was the Chickasaw Trail and I was done. We chose the entrance to the trail where we knew we would see Nicole.

We passed her at about her last half mile. She looked good and was moving along. High fives. The trail is marked in .25 increments. We entered on the 'end' of the trail, so it counted down. Appropriate it seemed. More running. More walking. I was counting it down. It seemed very doable at this point. I knew I could go another mile, half mile, etc. I was carrying Daddy's picture along this trail. I knew he could help me get to the finish.

A younger guy was fishing in the big lake. I had maybe 3/4 of a mile to go. "How are you?" "I'm tired, how are you?" "I'm doin' alright." "I have run 20 miles today." "Wow. I can't even walk 20 miles." I ran off. I heard him say "YOU GO GIRL!!" as I ran away. Thanks Mr. Sleeveless T-shirt Fisherman.

Oh, we were almost done. Down the big hill. Around the curve. Down the walk. Into the parking lot. FINISH LINE!!!

Julie, Nicole & Jim were waiting for me (they said Jessica had just left). Sweet of all of them to wait for me since they were exhausted too. Cheers and hugs and high fives all around. I consumed more oranges, more water, a banana (I think). We were all just so darn proud of ourselves. I showed everybody Daddy's picture. "My daddy!!" A couple walked by us and I said "Hey - we all just ran 20 miles today!" George said "Tell everybody you know!!". Nicole & I hugged each other. "WE DID IT!!!" George was tired, probably because he isn't used to running that slow. Welcome to the Turtle Club.

I finished in 4:50:00. Which is a 14:30 mile. I was thinking last night that I could have really shaved some time if I had not had the crash during miles 13-16. But that's ok. I was just proud to have finished in under 5 hours actually.

The usual when I got home. Cool bath, warm shower, lunch. Little nap. Another hot shower. I really felt ok. Much better than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong - I was tired and wasn't moving too fast. And would have been content doing nothing - which really didn't happen. The kids gave me my Mother's Day present early. A lumbar massage pillow from Brookstone. Aaaahhhhh. Timing is everything. Nothing was hurting. Nothing ever hurt - even during the run. Just stiff. I hit the bed early. During the thunderstorm/tornado watch. Told Jodi to wake me up if a tornado came. Good night.

Today I feel good. Was a bit stiff this morning, but feeling good this afternoon.

Nicole & I wondered yesterday where the other 6.2 miles would come from during the marathon. But I think during the actual marathon the crowds and the bands will carry us through. I really can't wait! I am certain that I can run this marathon and finish it!!!

We are 3 weeks away. Next Saturday is 12 miles, then 8, then the marathon.

I feel so good. I'm just really proud of myself.

I RAN 20 MILES!!! Yea!!!

I DID IT!!!

2008-05-10T13:19:00.003-05:00

Twenty miles!!! Full report later -- I'm totally wiped out right now. But just wanted to get a little post on here so you would know! TWENTY MILES!!!!!

20 miles -- here I come!

2008-05-10T05:57:00.003-05:00

Here is our route for today. We're starting this blue route on the first map. We begin right at the top middle of the lake. Completion of that route will give us 15 miles.

Then we're running the red trail here - Tour de Wolf Trail for the additional 5 miles. George says it's uneven terrain which will help strengthen our feet, ankles and other leg muscles.

These maps are a bit hard to read. The bottom one is actually the north part of the top one. If that makes sense....You can make out Walnut Grove and Germantown Parkway on both of them.

I slept ok last night. Was awake off and on. Gauge had some 'doggie surgery' yesterday and is wearing a fashionable lampshade so he won't mess with the stitches. He kept banging into the bed and furniture all night..... Poor guy.

OK, am getting ready to head out shortly. Skies look cloudy, but nothing is showing up on the radar. Current temp is 64 with 80% humidity. May not need sunglasses today. Or sunscreen either. I'm trying a bandana rather than a hat - last week my head got so hot. We'll see how that goes.

I'm stopping by the post office on the way to mail my last few donation checks. My total is $4,176! Isn't that awesome! Thanks to you all!!!

Well, wish me luck. I'll fill you in later today. If I have the strength to type.....

TWENTY MILES!!!

Twenty Eve

2008-05-09T06:04:00.005-05:00

Happy Twenty Eve. I'm ready.

I had spaghetti for lunch yesterday and made pasta salad for dinner last night which I will eat again for lunch today. So my carbo loading is progressing. Drinking enough water is never a problem for me. So I'm good there.

No change in the weather for tomorrow. Warm and muggy. Hate that, but nothing I can do there. Maybe some scattered stuff, but the rain should hold out until tomorrow night.

I need to give a little more thought to some mental strategy and get some thoughts a little more organized in my brain. But that's an easy task.

My legs are feeling ok today. I was on my feet a lot yesterday on Jordan's field trip, so I will try to take it a bit easier today. I did 45 minutes of pilates and stretches this morning. Feeling pretty good. Ready to just do it.

I'm going to run twenty miles tomorrow. Unless something 'postworthy' comes up today, I'll catch you all tomorrow afternoon and tell you all about it!

This is becoming very real

2008-05-08T17:38:00.003-05:00

I just got an email with confirmation for my flight to San Diego. I'm really doing this aren't I?!?!?!?!?

The homestretch is in sight

2008-05-08T06:17:00.005-05:00

Rested today. My legs are still feeling a little weird. Especially my shinny shin shin. Can't figure out what's up with that. Will probably rest again tomorrow to get ready for Saturday's biggie.

I don't question the fact that I will finish the 20. I just wonder how it will play out. If I can get in a good groove with my walk breaks, especially early on, I should have enough steam to make it the whole distance. Plus, it's just going to take me forever. Depending on a lot of things - my pace, the route, the amount of walking, the heat, etc - it could take up to 5 hours. I'll just load up on the gels and water, make sure my iPod is fully charged, and take off. I know I can do this. It is just a wee bit intimidating. But I can see the homestretch now.

Have a good day everybody!

Think Twenty!

A message from Coach George

2008-05-07T15:41:00.003-05:00

Greetings RNR's:

Well this Saturday is the culmination of all the hard work and dedication that you have put in for the past 3 months. The twenty miler. Two zero. Ta when tee. 20. 10 times 2. My age divided by 2 point something.

This one is really important, both from a physical and mental perspective. All of you are physically well prepared - you have logged the miles necessary to break the 20 mile ice. And, once you have a 20 miler under your belt, your level of training is so strong that it will take you the remaining 6.2 on June 1. Heck, the crowds and camaraderie you will experience will make it seem like a walk in the park...well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but they do help tremendously!

Besides the physical preparation, the 20 also will test your mental senses to their max. I know I have come up with every great reason why I should not take one more step, why I should call it a day, even though I have more miles togo. I know all of you have as well, whether it was during those early 4 milers or the recent 18 miler. Funny how our minds try to discourage us at different points in a run. The 20 gives you an even better chance to stand the challenge - to face and defeat each of those great reasons. And once you do, you will realize that they were really worthless reasons in the final analysis. So the next few days, get psyched up for the challenge, and prepared for the mind games.

Otherwise:

You know the drill on clothing and equipment - tried and true duds.

You know the drill on pre race and during race nutrition - good carbs.

You know the drill on pre race and during race hydration - lots.

You know the drill on speed - distance matters, time does not.

One more thing that we have not experimented with is the use of salt mid/late race...a small packet to replace sodium lost thru sweat, even moreso with higher temps. I'll bring some if any of you want to try (and have no medical reason to avoid). The gels and accelerade also have sodium and similarly work well for this purpose.

As always, feel free to bring your ipod if you wish, we may be out there for a while...and as you know, my singing gets really old after 3 or 4 hours.

So, see you at Shelby Farms at 7 am on Saturday. The route will be sent in the next day or so, with an attempt to stay in the shade as much as possible due to temps (80's). Plenty of water and your favorite - accelerade - will be available.

I get by with a little help from my friends

2008-05-07T05:57:00.009-05:00

May 10. It is the date that has been looming on the training calendar since January when I received my copy. It's the big twenty miler. And it's this Saturday. Lots going on in my brain about this. I'm dreading it. But I'm looking forward to it. I want to do it. I don't want to do it. Just the challenge of attempting it. Doing it. I am fretting about the recovery from it. Will I live to tell about it? Will I *want* to tell about it? Twenty miles. That's a long way. But after this Saturday's huge hurdle, I really feel like I'm in the home stretch. Because then it's 12 and 8 and then the marathon.

This week my legs and feet seem to really be feeling the 180 miles that have been put on them. Not real sure what's going on there. They are just achey and are so tired. I hope they'll hang in there with me. They have served me well. And I only need about 80.2 more miles out of them. Then they can retire.

WEATHER
The weather isn't looking too favorable for Saturday. Highs are expected to be in the low 80s. My email exchange with my personal meteorologist went something like this:

TO: Ron

FROM: Angie

RE: Cut it out

AW: You're killing me with the Saturday forecast Childers. I'm gonna' die in that heat. And the low Friday is mid 60's. I won't even start off with cool temps. Are you kidding me?! I thought you were my friend.

RC: Come on....a little rain and heat never killed anyone....intentionally

ROUTE
I asked George yesterday what the route would be. He said he was still working on it. But was looking for somewhere shady. No such place in Shelby Farms. He said, with a lilt to his voice and a sick smile on his face "The Hills of Walnut Grove Lake are shady!". Ugh. I. Hate. Hills. He also referred to this Saturday's run as "a nice twenty miler". Nice? NICE?!? Can you use that adjective when you describe a TWENTY MILE RUN?!?!? He's a good guy and a great coach and all. But he's just sick. (Sorry George. You know I love you.)

RIGHT BRAIN
It will be key for me this Saturday to keep Mr. "You Are Tired. Stop Running Right Now" Left Brain out of this. I've got to focus on positive -- and distracting -- thoughts. Last weekend, I admit that at one point when I was so tired and beyond bored, I started rattling off state capitals. I may try that again. Or just all the states in alphabetical order. Or maybe reciting Pi to 100,000 places.... So, the suggestion box is now open. Anybody have any ideas on things I can think about on Saturday? Any lists anybody wants me to create for them? Problems to solve? Any song requests that I may perform? I'd love to hear from you.

THINK TWENTY!!!

The most exciting news of all

2008-05-06T07:02:00.006-05:00

Big fat zero miles for me today. My ankles/feet/shins/calves were hurting last night and again this morning. Just felt tight and almost burning a little. Where did that come from? I got up anyway and did 45 minutes of pilates and stretches. So the morning wasn't a complete waste. It just felt like my body was saying NO THANK YOU to any running or even walking today. So I said ok. Oh well. What's a girl to do?

Now for the most exciting news of all! I MET -- AND EXCEEDED -- MY FUNDRAISING GOAL!!!!! Thanks to all of you! I'm so excited about that. My current total is $4,126. YEA!!!!! I am so appreciative of each of you and the support you have given me. I know there are so many different causes that you can choose to support and there are mortgages and tuition and light bills to pay and $4 a gallon gas to buy. So thank you so much for making your donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For me - for my dad. I hope you know that YOU have made a DIFFERENCE. This money goes to research that just takes us one more step closer toward finding a cure for blood cancers.

I just hate leukemia. I hate the fact that any time my little innocent 5 year old son hears that somebody died, he says "Did they have leukemia?" Someone was writing a check for me yesterday and said "Help me out - I don't know how to spell leukemia." I hate the fact that I do know how to spell it. I hate the fact that it took my dad. I just hate it. I. Hate. Leukemia. And I will forever be an advocate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to raise both funds and awareness for blood cancers. Here are some facts (again) about leukemia & blood cancers:

Over 135,000 people were diagnosed wtih leukemia or another blood cancer in 2007.
Over 52,000 people will die this year from leukemia or lymphoma.
Every 10 minutes someone dies from a blood cancer. That's 143 people per day. That's 6 people every hour.
There are 4 different types of leukemia. AML, the type my dad had, currently has a 20.7% five year survival rate.

I was thinking last night about the money you've donated for this Team in Training. And the money that a lot of you have also given over the last two years when we had a team for Light the Night. When you add all that up together, the total is over $10,000. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!! In less than 2 years. I think that is AMAZING. I am certain that Daddy would just be blown away by that. He would be so humbled to know that you have all done that for him. So, I just want you all to feel good about what you have done. One day there will be a cure. And you will have had a part in that. Doesn't that feel good?!?!

OK, that's all about that for now. Thanks for reading. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks for remembering my dad.

Don't forget.... Saturday.....TWENTY MILES!!!

Miscellaneous Monday Musings

2008-05-05T06:09:00.005-05:00

Walked this morning.
Not far.
About 1.5 miles.
It was chilly.
I was underdressed.
When will I learn?
Feeling ok.
Most muscle stiffness seems to be gone.
Listened to some 'easier' songs today.
Norah Jones, Michael Buble', John Mayer, Jack Johnson.
Nice change from my usual musical selections.
$3576 total raised.
$424 from my goal.

Today is May 5.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Ole'.

27 days til the marathon.

Can't believe it.
It's really almost here.
Longest run ever this Saturday.
Can't believe that either.
Think TWENTY.

Thus begins the big week

2008-05-04T06:03:00.004-05:00

Feeling ok this morning. Just a bit stiff, but that should improve as I move around a bit more. Nothing hurts, so that's good.

This Saturday is the big TWENTY. This week I will need to mentally prepare almost, if not more, than physically prepare. It worked well yesterday with my thoughts and music and distractions. I *have* to keep the messages from the left brain contained. There's lots of good info on ways to do that outlined in the marathon book I'm reading. So much of this running stuff is mental. It's crazy.

Yet another thing I can think about while I run...my form. George & Julie pointed out a problem yesterday that they saw with my arms and upper body. I was twisting my upper body and almost crossing my arms in front of my chest. Need to keep my arms tighter at my side, parallel with my body. I need to use that energy to move me forward. Julie said a high school track coach said to pretend there are ropes along your sides and you are grabbing them and pulling yourself forward. I have grown to recognize when I am holding my shoulders up too high or when I can lower my hips a bit. All that form stuff - it does make a difference. And every bit of energy I have needs to be directed forward. FORWARD MOVEMENT!

Even though it is Sunday, I am a bit concerned about the weather for Saturday. The week looks to be a warm one with highs in the 80s by the end of the week. Of course, that can change several times by Saturday. But if it is that warm, I'll need to think about wearing my hydration belt. I got so hot yesterday and was ready for the water way before we got to it. Can't let that happen.

My plan for the week: I will do lots of stretches and maybe some Pilates today to loosen everything back up. I've got a set of strengthening exercises that I've been doing - I can do those every day too. I'll probably walk on Monday and Wednesday and run on Tuesday and Thursday. Rest on Friday. RUN ON SATURDAY!!

So, we begin the week of the 20! THINK TWENTY!!!!

Fab Fourteen

2008-05-03T13:53:00.006-05:00

I had a pretty good run today. Fourteen miles! Yippee! For the most part, Mr. Right Brain did a good job. There were a few times starting at about mile 9 or 10 that Mr. Left Brain started telling me how tired I was. I did choose to believe him sometimes. It was very warm this morning. Probably one of the warmest long runs we've had.

Our route was the long side of the lake, up the gravel road to Raleigh Lagrange, back the long side of the lake to the Shell. Then back to the Visitor's Center, around the Chickasaw Trail and one loop of the lake. I had mapped it online and figured it to be 14 miles. Or close to it...

For the first 7 miles, Lindy and I ran alone together (if that makes sense) while George & Julie headed on. I had eaten a gel at about mile 5 without water. Probably a mistake. My stomach was thinking about cramping up a bit. But I made it to the Shell where we had some water, Accelerade (disgusting, but apparently necessary) and some yummy oranges. It was so hot and I was already dripping with sweat. The last half, Julie stuck with Lindy and George hung with me. Lindy's IT band was giving her some fits today. I hate that. She walked more than she usually does but kept saying she was ok. I know she was hurting.

When we got back to the Visitor's Center, we already had run a little over 10 miles, so we just needed to hit the Chickasaw Trail to total our 14. Small mental victory there to find out I was closer to finishing than I had originally thought.

At one point on the trail, a guy was running toward me and said "GO TEAM!" (I had on my TNT shirt) Just the encouragement I needed at mile 12 to end my walk break and start running again. Thank you Mr. Bandana Head Tattoo Arm Man.

During one walk break I passed George, who was also walking. He said "You walk faster than I do." I turned around and said "You RUN faster than I do." Sure enough, he passed me later.

Before I knew it, we were back at the Visitor's Center. 14 miles completed. And I felt good.

Shelby Farms was pretty today. Saw several families of baby geese today and also 4 turtles sitting on a log. Enjoyed the scenery. The sun was extra shiny after our day of stormy weather yesterday.

I was quite proud of the way Mr. Right Brain put the kibosh on Mr. Left Brain. I thought about a lot of different things today. My dad, of course. Some other thoughts that kept my brain busy. Anything to keep my mind off my tired legs and how hot I was.

I had some great music today including:

Pretender by The Foo Fighters
These Are the Days by 10,000 Maniacs (good running song)
Lovesong by The Cure (great song)
List of Demands by Saul Williams (from the Nike commercial)
Tempted by Squeeze
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band
Brandy by Looking Glass (she's a fine girl....what a good wife she would be....*love* that song)

I got this little belt thing last week. It's like a teeny little fanny pack. Isn't he cute? It's called a SPIbelt (small personal items belt). Holds my gels, key, chapstick. Can also fit a camera or phone. It's small but kind of stretches. I didn't want to put anything in my shorts pocket since I got that ouchy chafed blister spot last week. Anyway, this little thing did the trick. I'll use that for sure in San Diego.

A cool bath when I got home - yowie! One of my PT friends told me it helps to keep some of the soreness away. Lunch (which I enhaled) a hot shower, and then a little nap. I'm moving a bit slow this afternoon. But I feel pretty good. My body is definitely getting used to the longer runs. Well, maybe not getting used to it. Just not having as much difficulty as before.

Hard to believe we are almost done with this whole thing. Next week is 20 miles. I'm definitely going to need to get psyched up for that. That's the peak of all this training. Then 2 little runs of 12 & 8. Then the marathon. Can't believe it. The end is in sight.

This week's message from Coach George

2008-05-02T10:09:00.002-05:00

OK ladies, it's official - it's us for the San Diego Rock 'N Roll marathon, and we are at T minus 30 days and counting!

As you know from the schedule, this is a step back week, backing down to 14 miles, in prep for our 20 miler next week! And after that, we TAPER! You will come to cherish that word, by the way.

So, it is important from now on out that you try out exactly what you plan to use in the RNR on June 1. Shoes, socks, shorts, shirts, hats and other paraphernalia if used. You want to break in everything, be sure all of it fits well, and none of it rubs you the wrong way. Nothing worse than a raw spot developing midway thru the race and having to bear with it for the remainder.

Same with the use of vaseline or bodyglide on your toes or other body parts. You want NO CHAFING! So experiment with these for all of the upcoming runs, even your shorter mid week runs. You don't want to do anything new on race day that you have not experimented with previously.

And, same for beverages and gels. I will bring Accelerade (the brand provided at RNR) tomorrow and the remaining weeks, so if you plan to drink it during the race, which I recommend, need to get used to it now. And remember, the temps in San Diego are projected to be in the mid sixties, so hydration will be even more important than when we have run in cooler temps.

Same with pre race nutrition. Heavy on the carbohydrates, especially of the pasta variety for the days leading up to the race. And something like a bagel before the run works well for me. Don't get out there hungry due to concerns about food not agreeing with you - you need the nutrition and need to see what works well in the hours before the race.

See you at 7 am tomorrow. Shelby Farms lower level parking lot. Angie has mapped out the course.

On the radar today

2008-05-02T06:04:00.005-05:00

This picture really has nothing to do with anything. I just thought it was sweet.

On the radar for the next 24 hours.....

1. Rain. Of course. It's Memphis in May Music Fest. It always rains at least one day. Supposed to be pretty severe this afternoon. However, I have been assured that tomorrow morning at 7am, "the rain will be gone and we'll have temps in the mid 50s to lower 60s." (Thanks Ron. Only 3 more personalized forecasts for me and then you're done.)

2. 14 miles. George asked me to put together a route for us for tomorrow. I gave him my attempt. He suggested the Hills of Walnut Grove Lake. I personally hate hills. So does my IT band. So I didn't include that in the route. As coach, he has veto power. We'll see.....

I am certain that the 14 miles is doable. I read more last night about Left Brain and Right Brain and lots of 'mental mantras'. So I will work on that again tomorrow. Right Brain got me through 16 miles last Saturday. And this is only 14. (Did I just say "ONLY 14" ?!?)

3. Carbo loading, hydrating, stretching, and rolling. Just need to do all I can today to make tomorrow's run a good one. Need to get a good night's rest. Tricky since everybody wants to stay up late on Friday night.

4. Gear. I bought some more gel yesterday, so I'm set. I also ordered some new running shorts and they are expected to arrive today. That could be a nice mental boost for me tomorrow - my new little shorts. My iPod. I heart that thing. I added some more songs last night and I am really diggin' my current playlist. He's all charged up and ready to go.

That's all for now. THINK FOURTEEN!!!! Enjoy your Friday!

Fired Up or Burned Out

2008-05-01T08:15:00.010-05:00

Details first. Then whining.

Apparently my Nike iPod isn't quite callibrated yet. Nike Voice Man said 3 miles. I think it came in closer to 2.5 or 2.75. But that's better than it was on Saturday when he excitedly told me "half way point!" at about mile 5 (when I had set it for 18).... Oh well, I'll try to recallibrate that tonight or tomorrow.

Temps were *very* warm this morning. 67 when I got back inside. I had originally grabbed a long sleeved running shirt, but changed my mind and opted for the tshirt because I thought I would rather be cold than hot. Who was I kidding. I was hot WITH the tshirt. And it was very windy too. The first mile and a half were brutal. Just dreadful. The last mile was moderately decent.

Now, bear with me while I vent for a while.

First, the burned out...

I just don't want to run anymore. Well, it's not that I want to QUIT. I'm just tired of it and experiencing some burnout. I'm ready to be DONE. I'm sick of running. Sick. Of. Running. I'm ready for June 1 to be here. I want to just do the marathon. Although I know I'm probably not ready to do the marathon. I'm just sick of training for it. I didn't want to run this morning. I don't want to run Saturday morning. I'm tired of my entire Saturday morning being taken up by running. I've been running for 14 weeks. And it's been hard. And some times it's just not fun. I'm sick of hurting and aching and icing and stretching and rolling. I'm sick of sports bras and gels and wheat bagels and advil and icy hot.

And I know the burn-out will go away. I'm so close to the end of this journey. Only four more long runs. That's all! I can do it and I will totally do it. But today I just don't want to.

Now the fired up...

I have seen the importance of the support and encouragement of others while I attempt to take on this challenge. I am surrounded by friends and family who are continually cheering me on. People who are just as excited as I am that I accomplished - and survived - a long run. Or ran an official Half Marathon. Or can walk down the hall without limping. I have a friend who has been saying "Run Angie Run!" since January. I have a huge cheering section of friends at church who are keeping up with my progress. Last night I had just told Jodi "I'm sick of running." and a minute later, two family friends said "Look how far you've come! You're doing great!" I have friends here at work who send me home on Fridays with good luck wishes for Saturday's long run. And, of course, my family and extended family. Huge cheerleaders! My biggest fan club. Especially Jodi -- who has probably had it worse than me on Saturdays since he's the one who is home alone with the kids every Saturday morning. Big thanks to him for doing that so I can do this. (I heart you Captain!) My examples of things you all say to me could go on and on.

So, all of your support and encouragement gets me through this -- even when my own excitement isn't all there.

There's a song on my iPod that I love. It's by the All American Rejects. Sums it up nicely.
"When all you got to keep is strong, move along, move along like I know ya do. And even when your hope is gone, move along, move along just to make it through. Move along. Go on, go on, go on go on."

OK, I think I'm done now. I'm feeling better already.....

So much of this is mental

2008-04-30T08:31:00.005-05:00

Wanted to share my motivational poster with you. I've got it on the inside of my bathroom linen closet. I made it back in December. I originally had it by my treadmill, but moved it when I officially broke up with him. (Altho we've still been known to occasionally hang out.) Anyway, it may be silly, but it works for me. It's just lots of inspirational phrases, a picture of Daddy, and a course map. On Saturdays after the long runs, I look at the marathon route to see how far I went.

Today was a scheduled off day, but I got up at lovely 4am and did the lower body stability ball DVD. Aren't you impressed? It felt good and I'm glad I did it.

What happened to my feet?

2008-04-29T06:03:00.006-05:00

Thought I would share a picture of my feet for you this morning.

Hit the treadmill since it was chilly outside. It was just a tough one this morning. My feet felt so heavy. I only got in 1.5 miles. Pitiful. I used the rest of my time to do some exercises on the ball and some upper body stuff with small handweights. I don't feel sore and am still not hurting or anything (hooray! small victory there!) But my feet were just dead today.

The marathon's post-race concert headliner was announced yesterday. Pat Benatar and her guitar playin' husband. Heartbreaker, Love is a Battlefield, Treat Me Right, You Better Run, Shadows of the Night. All those good rockin' 80's songs. The venue is a 13,000 outdoor concert arena on the former practice field of the San Diego Chargers. Could be a fun night. If I'm still alive. And can walk. I need to check into wheelchair accessibility....

Happy Monday!

2008-04-28T06:02:00.005-05:00

I continue to feel great and am *so excited* about that. I'm still just a teeny bit stiff. But it's that good "I exercised and I'm sore" feeling. I've been waiting for that! I guess finally my body has just caught up to everything and I've figured out exactly how far I can push myself and still live to tell about it. It's such a difference from my recovery after the half. I was DEAD for several days. And just hurt like the dickens. But, I've run that distance (and then some) again twice. So maybe my body isn't protesting it like it did the first time. Progress. Saturday's miles were almost a half marathon and a 5k. Who on earth would have ever thought that I would run 16 miles. Ever. In a day. At one time. WOO HOO!!!

I did pilates this morning and that felt good. Lots of s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g. Nice.

I read in the Galloway marathon book a lot about walk breaks. We have been utlizing that strategy with the walk/run intervals since the beginning of the training. I kind of thought it was more like a "oh I can only run this far and need a break" kind of thing. But there really is a physical reason to do this. According to the running guru, walk breaks vary the use of your muscles so they keep their 'bounce' as they conserve resources. By walking early on in the race, you avoid using up your resources early. Alternating the exertion level and the way you use your running muscles gives them a chance to recover before they accumulate fatigue. So it reduces the damage to the muscle and, in turn, leads to a quicker recovery after the long run. By alternating running and walking muscles, you distribute the workload among a variety of muscles. To receive maximum benefit from the walk break, you must start them early (even during the first mile) before you feel fatigue. If you wait until you feel the need for a walk break, you've already reduced your potential performance. Walk breaks "earn you a discount" early in the run from the pounding on legs and feet. He even says that serious marathoners have made drastic improvements in their time by taking walk breaks early and often. It's better to take a 1 minutes break every 5 minutes than a 5 minute break every 25 minutes. It leads to quicker and more effective recovery.

That's all probably more than you wanted to know....but it's my blog so I can write about whatever I want to! But the use of walk breaks was something that definitely helped me recover from Saturday's sixteen miler. Learning about the reason for the walk breaks is just more learning and education on training and running. And that's a piece of my marathon training pie. Which I am sharing with you, my faithful readers! I really thought this whole 'run a marathon thing' was just go out there and run 26.2 miles. Hardly. For something so simple, it sure has a lot of pieces to it.

Happy Monday everybody! Hope you have a good day!

Sweet Sixteen

2008-04-27T06:13:00.007-05:00

So 18 turned into 16. But the 16 was good.

I decided to get to Shelby Farms earlier since it was going to take me awhile to get my miles in and I would also be running by myself anyway. Why wait 'til 7? I got a good parking place on the outside lot so I could use my car as the refreshment stop. Regardless of the trail I would be on, that spot would be a good central place. So I put my water by my tire and some gels on top of my tire so everything would be easy to get to on the go without unlocking my car, etc. There was already some activity at the Visitor Center because it was the March of Dimes March for Babies.

The lake was very quiet that early; I passed only one other person. The temps were pleasant and the sun was coming up so it was very nice. Lots of geese on and around the lake. One goose kind of charged at me at one point. Shoo! I also saw some little baby geese too. They were cute. I headed to Chickasaw Trail and saw Nicole. Quick chat with her about what was going on and off I went.

I quickly found out that my Nike iPod was NOT callibrated. So I was going to have to wing it in terms of mileage. I know what the miles are for the trails, plus, I am pretty consistent with my time. I ended up using Mr. Right Brain during the runs to add and readd my mileage.

My original plan was to run to the Shell station after that, but when I was ready to head that way, Farm Road was bumper to bumper with people coming in for the walk. There is very limited pedestrian space there (and I *hate* getting down that road to Walnut Grove - it is so tight) so I nixed that and stayed within the Farm.

Back around the lake and up the gravel road. I made it about a mile up the gravel road and then remembered it was *very* hilly. Decided the big hills may not be good friends to the IT band, so I turned back. I was already gambling a bit since Chickasaw has some hills too, so I thought that may be enough. Back to the lake.

A bit of inspiration for me then. A younger woman was approaching me and she must have noticed my TNT shirt (or the pure exhaustion on my face - I was probably 9 miles into it at this point) and she said "Good job! You're doing it!! You're doing it!!". Love that. I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have somebody say things like that when you are DYING. Definitely some added encouragement there. So thanks to Miss Purple Shorts. (George says during the big races, there are people all along the road cheering - and that just carries you to the finish. Am hoping this will be the case in San Diego too.)

It was looking like the walk was about to start, so I hit the Chickasaw again to get ahead of them. Toward the end of the trail, a few runners started passing me. This trend continued when I got to the lake. They were probably thinking "Slow poke turtle." I was thinking "I've already run 13 miles mister." Their walk route was apparently one lap of the Chicasaw Trail and one lap around the lake.

My last two laps of the lake were full of the March of Dimes runners/walkers. The March of Dimes walk did have some benefits for me since there were extra porta-potties all around. I also visited their water stations a few times. (I felt a little bad about that at first, but then thought it may be ok since I didn't take any of their food and I had actually made a donation to a family at church who had a team, so maybe that made it better.) During my very last lap around the lake, I was right in the middle of all the walkers and the trail was very crowded. Poor timing there, but no other choice. I did my best to kind of run through them. But by then, I was walking quite a bit more anyway. All that activity and the people gave me some new things to look at and some needed distractions.

There were lots of babies there and teams wearing t-shirts honoring and remembering premie babies who had been lost. More inspiration as I was thinking a lot about my own two healthy kids. Thankful for that.

I finally just called it quits after 16.25 miles. I know I only had 2 more miles to go, but I just ran out of everything. Time, trail, willpower, energy. Yes, Mr. Left Brain won out there. But all in all I felt really, really good yesterday. Mr. Right Brain did a good job for 16 miles. The run felt good. And afterwards, I was not really wiped out, not sore or anything. I stretched and iced and rolled. (I have one spot on the side of my stomach where apparently the gels I put in the inside pocket of my shorts rubbed pretty bad. A major ouchy there. But if that's the worse blister and chafing that I ever get, I'll take it.) I felt very good all afternoon. Even went to Morgan's volleyball tourny. At 7pm, I totally ran out of gas and just got so tired - I was in bed by 8pm. Today, I am just a little bit stiff and tight, but nothing is hurting. YEA!!! I think the key to all that was my water, the gels and my walk breaks (I read some more about walk breaks in the Galloway book. I'll share that later.) All in all, it was a good run - before, during, and after. I feel great!

There are only four more long runs. 14, 20, 12 & 8. One of those is a little intimidating. The other are very doable.

I'm devastated

2008-04-25T19:24:00.003-05:00

Jodi is watching a show about pigs. "Modern Marvel: The Pig". (Yes, another exciting Friday night at the Whitfield house.) They just said some pigs can run a 7 minute mile. Their speed is a product of their breeding. Pigs are bred to have a higher percentage of lean meat to fat. You're telling me a PIG runs faster than me? Oink.

Talk to me Mr. Right Brain!

2008-04-25T06:00:00.011-05:00

I callibrated my new Nike iPod sensor on the treadmill this morning. The battery died on the old one. You don't replace the battery, or the whole kit, just the little shoe sensor thing. Easy enough. Except you have to recallibrate it. Hope I'm on target this time. It was a bit of a challenge with the first one.

I am thinking I'll do all of my running alone tomorrow so I need a pretty accurate way of marking my distance. Since I am usually running with Julie or George, I let them track distance on their Garmin. Anyway, I need to make sure how far I'm running, rather than just hitting the ol' trail... In case you forgot, I'm scheduled for 18 tomorrow!

A coworker loaned me some running books including "Marathon: You Can Do It!" by Jeff Galloway. He is considered a major running guru. There is some really good stuff in the book. I was reading last night about motivation and the whole 'mind game' of running. That's so true - a huge part of running is mental. I wanted to share some highlights from Chapter 7: The Source of Motivation.

The left brain = logic. This side of your brain is the center of logic. The left brain loves logic, details, facts, words. One of the main missions of the left brain is to steer you away from discomfort. Any form of stress or perceived stress will stimulate messages telling you to "slow down" or "stop". Since we rely on the left brain for logical guidance, we listen to these messages. We do have to pay attention to real dangers (like health things), but usually the left brain overreacts, warning us long before we are in real danger. Motivation training desensitizes us to such messages and the left brain's nagging.

The right brain = intuition. The creative and intuitive center is in the right side of the brain. Mr. Right Brain loves feelings, imagination, symbols. This side loves life and holds creative solutions to problems, challenges and obstacles. By doing things like walk breaks, mantras and motivations, and blood sugar/energy boosting (gels), you can cut down on stress, reducing the messages from the left brain.

Here's a neat test I found to see which side of the brain you use. Which way is the dancer spinning? If you can only see her spinning one direction, try this. I was definitely a left brainer here, but if I tried real hard (after seeing the 'answer') I could go back and make her spin the other way. Let me know what you saw her doing.

I am a *major* Left Brainer. This is great for Angie The Non-Runner, Obsessive Compulsive, Type A, Perfectionist, Crossword Puzzle Addict. This is a problemo for Angie Who Wants To Be A Runner, Who Got Chest Pains During Christmas One Year When She Tried To Be A Type B, Whose Spice Cabinet Is Alphabetized, Who Thinks Index Cards Are The Greatest Invention In the World, Who Thinks It's All Gotta' Be Perfect and Logical. So what does this have to do with running? When I run, I basically need to tell the left brain to put a lid on it. That's the side that is telling me "You need to quit. You can't go any farther. You are not a runner. Why are you doing this? This is crazy. Your legs hurt. You're thirsty. You're so tired. What were you thinking? Stop running right now." Mr. Left Brain needs to just nip it. Shut. Up. The right side is the one that needs to be speaking up. And make it loud. He needs to be saying "I'm a runner. I am strong. I can do this. I feel great. Daddy is with me. He is proud of me. I am in no pain. I will finish." Mr. Right Brain needs to be loud and clear tomorrow. I'm going to be paying real close attention to him.

Good luck to the Country Music Marathoners who are in Nashville for tomorrow's marathon!! Sending special speedy fast vibes to my coworker Kelly who is running in memory of her dad. I am hopeful the weather will hold out for them. Go Kelly Go!!!

It's better

2008-04-24T06:24:00.004-05:00

OK, feeling better this morning. Maybe a little twinge, but all seems to be much better. I'll see how the day goes and perhaps try to get some miles in tonight. I know I need to get a little running in before Saturday's big one. But I also know I need to face Saturday pain free.

Happy Birthday to Connie. She turned the big 4-0 yesterday! Welcome aboard!

I'm only $549 from my goal of raising $4,000. It's not too late to make a donation to sponsor my 26.2 mile run for leukemia research. Hope you'll consider that today, if you haven't already. Click on the link to the right "How can you help?" and that will take you to my fundraising site. Thanks to everybody who has donated so far. You all are amazing! I've been so touched and humbled by your donations and your words of encouragement. I am so grateful for your support.

T -37 days and counting until the marathon!!

Houston we have a problem...

2008-04-23T21:27:00.003-05:00

My stupid IT band has flared up today. Where did that come from? My knee feels so tight and it just HURTS. Real hard to even walk tonight. I'm so peeved. I was feeling so good this week and then this just pops up. I was supposed to run tomorrow but I don't see that happening. I'm bummed tonight....

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T08:40:00.007-05:00

I hit the street this morning at 4:00 am and it was 70 degrees! Wowie! (Tom, I felt a little guilty about typing that until I checked your New Hampshire weather and found out you should hit the 70s today too. So I don't feel so bad.....) It was really super nice out there. Shorts, t-shirt and sweat. Haven't had that combination during a 4 am run in a long time. It was *great*!

Speaking of great....so was my little 2 miler! It felt good. A few short walk breaks, no pain or tightness of any sort. Just a good run. Some stretches and rolling when I got back inside. I feel really good today and I have since Saturday. Maybe I've turned a big corner here. I think so. Yea!

Happy Earth Day! When I went out later to get the paper, there were two of these in our yard. Guess they were celebrating Earth Day.

Got an email from Julie last night: This weekend, we will be heading out for a "breezy, easy" 18 miler. Our rockin' coach George will update us on the route once he gets back...Just checking in with you to make plans now. Stretch all week, do whatever strength training exercises you need to do, get your runs in this week (but without overdoing to cause injury), stay hydrated (don't wait 'til Friday), get sleep, and eat pasta Friday night. This Saturday is a great time to try out the gear/clothes you want to wear for June 1 (minus the TNT jersey). Find out now what rubs you the wrong way while you still have time to heal. Get used to using Body Glide if you think you may need it. I will get some bottled Accelerade for those of us brave enough to try before race day.

As we think about the long distance ahead, reflect back on what brought you here individually. Why LLS/Team in Training? Why now? What impact has Leukemia or Lymphoma had on your life? Take that energy/drive/impact and channel it this Saturday. You are all champions for getting this far...just a few short steps to go...."Whatever you think you can or think you can't, you're right" ~ Henry Ford. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line in a few short weeks...You are almost there!!

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my daddy. I miss him beyond all words. But especially when I'm out there on the long runs, those are times that I really think about him. I know that he's there with me cheering me on and helping me go that extra little bit. He is the whole reason I am doing this. I think a lot about exactly what he would say to me. Will my running this marathon bring my dad back? Unfortunately not. Will the money that we are raising find a cure? Well, it's money for research that is just one step closer to finding one. And maybe there is just that feeling of having to do SOMETHING. Something to make a difference. A good friend told me a few weeks ago (after I learned of yet another person who lost their fight to leukemia): "ONE DAY there will be a cure....and you will be part of the result. Maybe you won't know it....but you WILL have been a part of it." And I guess that's what it's all about.

I'm getting very excited about June 1. There are only 6 more weeks. Only 5 more long runs. FIVE MORE LONG RUNS! Wow. Hard to belive. I believe they shake down like this: 18, 14, 20, 12, 8. And then....THE ROCK 'N ROLL MARATHON!! 26.2 miles!!

OK, I've said enough. Everybody have a good one!

The Boston Marathon

2008-04-21T13:41:00.007-05:00

These folks are serious runners. The men's winner finished in 2:07:46. That is 26.2 miles. In the relatively same time it took me to crawl my 8 miles. These people are fast. Beyond fast. They are just downright speedy. The women's race was apparently very exciting. It was the closest women's finish in race history with the Ethiopian beating the Russian by 2 seconds. Winning time was 2:25:25. They are the best of the best. Wow.

There were over 25,000 runners.

Enjoyed keeping up with George & Debby's progress online. They both finished with very respectable times. Yea for them!!! I'm just so totally impressed.

It's kind of exciting watching these elite runners do their thing. I'll never be one of those people; nor do I aspire to be. But watching this today sure has made me excited about my marathon challenge!! Only 6 more weeks!!!

Feelin' great!

2008-04-21T06:27:00.003-05:00

Used this morning to do 30 minutes of stretches and exercises. Yesterday my IT band - in both knees - tried to flare up, but I immediately rolled and stretched and hopefully sent that issue packing for awhile. I was a bit stiff yesterday - especially if I sat still for any length of time. But it felt good. NO PAIN!!! This morning feels great too. These last 3 days are the first in a long time that I have felt good, no pains, no aches. I feel really good. YEA!!

My plan is to run Tuesday and Thursday this week. We are scheduled for 18 miles on Saturday. WOW! I hope I can use this week to really get ready for that. Would love to feel this good every day this week and face Saturday morning strong and ready.

Good luck to George and Debby (a friend from church) who are running the Boston Marathon today. Go! Go!! GO!!!

What a gorgeous weekend we had and it looks to be another beautiful day today. Hope you can enjoy the sunshine. From one of my favorite U2 songs..."It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away." Have a good one everybody!

A very good day!

2008-04-19T17:03:00.007-05:00

Today was a very good day! I arrived at Shelby Farms with the attitude of "I'll just do what I can do."

Jessica, Julie & I were the only RNR's that were there today. (Today was the last run for the Country Music Marathoners. They race on Saturday!! Go Team!) I told Julie & Jessica to go on and not hang back with me today since I wasn't sure how long I would last. It didn't take very long at all for them to pull away from me. So I ran by myself. And it was just fine. I trotted along to the Shell and only stopped one time. Julie had left the cooler for us and had filled it with water and fresh orange slices. How yummy. They really hit the spot and gave me some added energy.

The original plan was to go beyond the Shell to the 6 mile mark and head back. I went ahead and turned back at the Shell so, in case my knee did give out, I would be that much closer to my car. But, my knee held on so I took the long way around the lake. My plan was to go around the lake 2 or 3 times to push it to the 12 miles. After one lap around, I was starting to question how much longer I could go, so I called it quits. That was probably 8 miles total. I decided to cut it short while I felt good, rather than push it until I felt crummy.

I really felt good afterwards and have continued to feel pretty good most of the afternoon. It was the first time, after a long run, that I have not felt like just dying in the bed for three hours. I did have 3 gels during the run, so maybe that was beneficial. I never thought while I was running, that I just needed to stop. I walked, counting the refreshment break, four times. Wow! That's pretty good for an 8-mile trot. It is really working for me to slow my pace down just a little bit (yes, hard to believe I can go even S...L...O...W...E...R than slow). I am able to go much longer distances without having to stop. I think that is also keeping me from feeling totally wiped out during or after. It's a good thing.

I was diggin' my tunes today. Music that kept me going was some Bon Jovi, The Police, John Mellencamp, Huey Lewis, and 10,000 Maniacs.

Today I wore my hydration belt because I wanted to try some Accelerade during the run. I'm not a fan of any of that "ade" stuff, but thought I should try it. And, Accelerade is the brand they will serve in San Diego, so that's what I need to train with. It wasn't bad. Just don't know if it made any difference. I think the gels played a larger role in my success today. I need to use more of them throughout the run, especially at the end. I'm also going to just stick with water.

I remain very consistent in my pace. My entire 8 miles was 2:01. Comes in to just a teeny bit shy of perfect 15 minute mile....Slow and steady!

Am having a little pain in my left knee tonight. The left was the bad, that became the good, which is now apparently the bad again. My right knee feels great. I have rolled on ol' Foamy several times this afternoon and will hit it a few more times before bed. I have grown fond of the 'hurts so good' pain he inflicts on me.

This message was waiting for us on the path heading to the lake. Our whole team (RNR, CMM & MIM) has raised $118,166 so far! I think that's great! That is money toward a cure!!! My current total is $3,451. THANK YOU!!! I am just $549 from my goal. YIPEE!!

It was just a very good day. The weather was beautiful, my run was "perfect", and I feel great.

Easier said than done

2008-04-18T09:38:00.004-05:00

Friday. The day before Saturday. The day of the LONG RUN. Why do I get myself so worked up about the long runs? For one thing, I haven't really run in two weeks. That's a long time. Then I just roll it all around my head over and over....What if I can't finish? What if it takes me forever? What if my knee starts hurting? What if....What if.....What if.... I HAVE to stop doing that.

The LONG RUN. I read this little description this week which sums it up nicely. "Going long" is a hallowed weekend tradition that is despised and loved, feared and revered, bragged and complained about. Amen to all that.

We're scheduled for 12 miles tomorrow. Easy enough, right? I've done that distance. Twice. I asked Nanette this morning if I should attempt to run until I couldn't or plan to just run a shorter distance. She said to play it by ear, run until I need to stop and avoid all hills. OK, I can do that. Route tomorrow is Visitor's Center to Shell Station up Germantown Parkway to Greenbelt (If it's not still flooded. More rain expected today.) until we hit 6 miles and then back. Easy. Straight. Flat. Doable.

Julie is leading our group tomorrow, because George in Boston to run the Boston Marathon on Monday! Good luck to him. Run George Run!!!

Tonight I will charge up my iPod, maybe add some new songs (that playlist is a good one, but man, I've been listening to it FOREVER), and use the foam roller to get my muscles loosened up real good. And I will RELAX.....or try to.....

Have a good weekend everybody!

A funny for the day

2008-04-17T10:14:00.007-05:00

I'm afraid this is going to be too small to read, but I think it's too funny not to share.

AT THE MOLE CONVENTION

Mole #3: Gentlemen, we're meeting in my hotel room because there are some crocs in the hotel trying to eat us. How they got word we were staying at this hotel, I don't know.

Mole #1: Perhaps we have a mole.

Mole #1: I've waited ten years to use that joke.

We have movement

2008-04-17T05:54:00.005-05:00

It wasn't much. It really wasn't much at all. But it was something. I put in a little over 1/2 a mile this morning on the treadmill. Alternated walking and running. And as anxious as I was to get up there and start, I was almost nervous to try it. What if it started hurting again? What if I couldn't even walk without pain? But I did it. Just half a mile. It's almost pitiful isn't it? Most of it felt ok, but, toward the end, I could tell the ol' knee had had enough. So I stopped. Half a mile isn't ANYTHING compared to what I need to be doing. But it's more than I've done in almost 2 weeks. So I'll take it. It's progress. Improvement. Forward movement. It all adds up right?

On the inside of my Stride gum package

2008-04-16T16:08:00.003-05:00

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes....

2008-04-16T06:23:00.008-05:00

So Derrick Rose is leaving. And Coach Cal is staying. And Chris Douglas-Roberts isn't talking. And today at 2pm, we find out if Tyreke Evans is coming. As the world turns for the Tigers...

My knee is significantly better. I did about 30 minutes of stretching this morning. Felt good. I was going to attempt some kind of movement, but felt a teeny bit of twinging so I didn't. I am starting to see the light at the end of the ITB injury tunnel. I am walking around with practically no pain. Finally. I'm glad. I really want to get back with my training and my feeble attempt at running. The whole ITB pain has been a bit brutal. And quite pesky. It has just taken longer to get through it than I expected. But it is also apparently a fairly common running woe. I think I have made a wise decision about taking this time off to let it clear up. Again, one small detour is better than a major derailment. The extra rest has been nice. Having the WHOLE day on Saturday last weekend was just divine. But I also am WANTING to walk or run. I miss the exercise. Anyway, I do believe I'm approaching the end of this detour. In the meantime, you know the drill, more NSAIDS, stretches, ice, and the beloved foam roller.

Let's talk a little bit about that foam roller. I love to hate that thing. But it is pretty effective. You basically roll your body weight along the roller. It allows the tightened knots and irritated tissue and muscle to loosen up. Almost like a self-massage of sorts. In fact, this concept is called "self-myofascial release technique". And let me tell you -- in the beginning, when you find that sore spot and roll on it....OUCHYMAMA!!! Major ooowwwwie! But the more you roll on that sore, tight spot the better it feels. So, I've been rolling around the bathroom floor with the ol' foam roller. I've been using it also on other places - my calves, hamstrings, back, etc. And sometimes, it actually feels good. It's a good way to keep your muscles loosened up. And from what I've read online, there are lots of runners that use it on a regular basis. I saw somebody one Saturday morning at Shelby Farms rolling on one in the parking lot before her run. It's a pretty useful little thing. OK, it's not so little. But it's useful. And cheaper than a $75 massage.

Day 10 -- but who's counting....

2008-04-15T10:33:00.006-05:00

IT Band still hurts. It is definitely better. It's just not completely gone. And from what I've read, this is not something you should attempt run through. And this flare-up does take a bit of time to heal. It's a pesky little thing. I was going to do some pilates this morning, but stayed up way too late last night and just couldn't face the alarm clock at 4:00 am...

I just need to do SOMETHING. I don't want to lose what little bit of momentum I had going. I hope to attempt at least some walking tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. I refuse to become discouraged by this.

At least my boyfriend is back in the lineup after missing six games. He went 2 for5 yesterday.

You've come a long way baby!

2008-04-14T07:59:00.008-05:00

My 'biggest baby' turns 11 today...hard to believe. Happy Birthday Jordan!

On the ITB front, I am still noticing some slight pain. Nothing compared to last week. So there is improvement there. I read a bit about it over the weekend. I felt slightly justified to find that this problem affects ALL runners, not just newbies. (The shin splints most often hits newer runners.) And, like any overuse injury, the best way to allow this to heal is REST. Obviously the time off this weekend helped. I had contemplated giving it a shot this morning - with maybe a little walking. But thought one more day would do me good. We'll see how tomorrow goes. In the meantime more stretching and foam rolling. Advil and ice. In case you are wondering, this stretch is one of the best ones for the IT Band. Cross your good leg over your bad leg, then lean toward your good side. You can feel the stretch all the way up your thigh into your hip. I've been doing it a lot. Thought I'd better share a picture of it so everybody knows why I've been tilting. I'm not singing I'm a Little Teapot.....

New day...New week

2008-04-13T06:15:00.003-05:00

The good news is that I am walking today with only a twinge of pain. Almost no (noticeable) limp. So, I feel I am on the road to better knees. I have iced and stretched and used the foam roller all weekend. The rest yesterday did me good. I even took at nap. Yes, a nap. In the middle of the day. In. The. Bed.

Thanks to Tom who sent me the info on this cool show on PBS. "NOVA: Marathon Challenge" . A brief description on the show: How do you run 26.2 miles if you have trouble making it around theblock? With good coaching, discipline, and lots of group support, asNOVA shows when it follows 13 normally sedentary people through atraining regimen designed to prepare them for an ultimate test of stamina and endurance..."MarathonChallenge" takes viewers on a unique adventure inside the human body,tracking the physiological changes that exercise can bring about.

The show is scheduled to run a few times locally next week, but you can watch the segments on line. I did that yesterday and really enjoyed it. I can totally relate to these people. They, however, are training for 40 weeks (vs. my 20). And, they are running the Boston Marathon which they say is one of the toughest courses around. Anyway, if you are interested, I recommend taking a look at it. (They actually have it broken down in chapters that are about 10 minutes each so you could watch as time permits.)

I am anxious to see what the week brings for me in terms of running...walking....just moving!

A detour and a slight rerouting prevents a derailment

2008-04-11T14:11:00.006-05:00

I gave in today and saw Nanette the PT about my continued knee pain. I told her I had self-diagnosed myself with the IT band ouchy thing and I had been doing stretches, ice, NSAIDS, etc. but needed to make sure I was on track. She wanted to take a look to see if I was doing the right stretches.

You should be doing this. Check.
And this. Check.
And this. Check.
And get a foam roller and use that every day. Check.

So, I am doing everything I needed to do. Glad about that. She put another one of those cortisone patches on my knee. Remember those? She suggested getting a few more next week.

I'm laying off tomorrow. I know that if I can't walk down the hall without discomfort, then I do not need to be running 16 miles all over Shelby Farms. Or even 1 mile for that matter. So, rest it is. I'm ok with that. Because I know that I've got to back off when I'm hurting. I have got to listen to my body. There's just some pain you can't push through, nor should you. I've learned that.

George if you're reading this, you should probably quit at this point. Nanette also suggested that I alter my training plan a little bit. I can't run 5's and 9's during the week and then take on a long run on the weekend. My body just can't keep up. And it shouldn't take an entire week to recover from the weekend's long run. All I really want to do is run and have fun doing it. It shouldn't hurt all the time. Nanette said the main goal from this point forward is to help my body recover and stay healthy. She assured me I was on track and could remain on track even with this detour and rerouting.

Now don't get me wrong, George is a great coach. He is patient (Wow is he patient. He has probably wished more than once that he never talked me into doing this marathon thing....) and he is encouraging and I think he's proud of his peeps. He totally knows his stuff. He's a REAL. RUNNER. For Pete's sake, he's running the Boston Marathon next weekend. Again. And he's already qualified to run it in 2009 too. If you will remember, he says things like "a nice little 15-miler" and "I like hills". He's run 23 some-odd marathons in just 4 years. He. Is. A. Runner. And I'm not. And I'm not trying to say he's totally killing me with this training schedule. Well, maybe that IS what I'm trying to say.

The long and the short of it is, I am going to have to slightly rewrite my training plan to accommodate my body. If I don't, I don't think I will be able to hold up. I didn't enter this challenge as a runner. I didn't enter this challenge to become a runner. I remind all of my faithful readers what my goals are for the marathon: (1) to raise money and awareness for the Leukemia Society, (2) to honor and remember my Daddy, (3) to finish in a vertical position. And at this point, I am on track to do all those things.

Random thoughts

2008-04-10T13:35:00.004-05:00

This is what's on my mind today...

My knee still hurts.
But only when I move it.
At this point I could not run on Saturday.
I just have to play it by ear.
I learned that lesson with the shin splints.
The massage yesterday felt good and helped somewhat.
He said every muscle in my body was tight. Achilles, calves, hamstring,
neck, etc.
You get the picture.
Happy Anniversary Connie & Ty.
We're supposed to get some very bad storms today.
It's very windy.
Gusts expected to be over 50 mph.
NBAdraft.com has mock draft. #26 goes to Grizzlies.
Guess who it is? Mario Chalmers. Irony.
I am $849 away from my goal.
It's not too late to give!
Every gift is appreciated - large or small.
Thanks to you all for your support and encouragement.
51 days until the Marathon!

She ROCKS!

2008-04-09T08:25:00.004-05:00

An email from Connie this morning....I couldn't have said it better myself.

TO: Angie
FROM: Connie
SUBJECT: I've become you...

Fed up with ugly posts about my Tigers...signed up and posted one of my own...

Some of you guys really make me sad. The Tigers blew it, no doubt, and I am totally heart broken about that. But there is more to this than basketball. Some of these boys come from some pretty rough backgrounds. They really needed something good to happen in their lives where they could say "We worked hard, look what we accomplished." Instead of supporting them and their hard work, people are doggin' them all over the place. Are they "thugs", as some have stated?...well, if you define "thug" as a college kid who makes a stupid, immature decision, yeah, I guess they are...but then again most of us would fall into that category, wouldn't we?? We can't all be Hansbroughs, born into wealth and solid family situations. Heck, some adults still do stupid, immature stuff (like post ugly things about a bunch of KIDS on a sports message board).

Cal has done a wonderful job with these boys being both coach and father figure to them. My heart breaks for them because they played their hearts out, but lost it in the end. Kansas was awesome, the game was awesome!! But it was a tough loss and really hard to swallow. It is hard to live with "if only"s. They will never forget that, and some of you will never let them forget it.

I love my Tigers and am so proud of them.

Y'all lighten up. There is a lot more to this than just losing a game....

The morning after the day before

2008-04-09T06:23:00.004-05:00

No real news to share. I took today as a rest day. Felt bad last night. I'm trying not to give in to this yucky head cold. And, my knee is still bothering me from the IT band issue. I'll shoot for some movement tomorrow, rest Friday and then hit the long run (16 miles I think - need to check schedule) on Saturday. I'm getting a massage this afternoon to try to get this IT band loosened up.

The day of mourning is officially over, but Tiger pain slightly remains. But pride is winning that one. Gotta' move on....It will be interesting to see who stays and who goes. Would be nice to keep 'em all just one more year. GO TIGERS!

I leave you today with this little cartoon. I can relate. Hope everyone has a good day!

Everything hurts

2008-04-08T12:06:00.004-05:00

It's hard to run with a sore IT band. And a broken heart. I am sad beyond words today. What a heartbreaker it was last night. I can hardly bear to read any of the news today as I just don't want to hear it. Nor do I want to relive it. It was just awful. Sad. Sad. Sad. They left it all on the court for sure. Just need to focus on the great year the Tigers had - what a great ride it was. They are a special team that's for sure. The whole city seems deflated today. As sad as we are, think of the heartbreak it is for those boys - that's what makes me really sad. Regardless of last night's loss, this Memphis team is the first team in NCAA history to achieve 38 wins in a season. That's nothing to sneeze at. It was a great year. What a great team they are! I'm so proud of them. Go Tigers!!!

The ad at the top of this post is one that I ran in today's Commercial Appeal. Isn't it fabulous? I'm pleased with the way it turned out. (Yea for my design guys at Combustion - you rock!) In case you can't read the fine print, it says "Campbell Clinic is proud to be the official sports medicine physicians for the University of Memphis. We are honored to treat the Tigers and we congratulate them on a great year." Just a shameless plug here for good ol' Campbell Clinic.

As exhausted as I was this morning, I got up at the regularly scheduled 4am. It's supposed to rain in the morning, so I took advantage of the pleasant 65 degrees today and headed outside. My knee is still making his unhappiness known, so I just walked most of my miles. A few attempts at running, but that did not go over well with the old knee. So I walked. After about 2 miles, my knee was *not* happy at all, so I headed home for some ice and stretches. It's bothering me a bit today, but it will be better soon I'm sure. The goal remains "continuous movement" - which I accomplished.

On top of the Tigers loss, my boyfriend Derek Jeter has a strained left quad and came out of yesterday's game. Hope he doesn't go on the DL.

Tomorrow is another day...

Uber Sad...

2008-04-08T05:59:00.000-05:00

Uber Stoked

2008-04-07T15:28:00.001-05:00

T-I-G-E-R-S!!!

2008-04-07T06:26:00.005-05:00

Today is the day. The Tigers are playing for the National Championship. I'm starting to get a stomach ache. I'll be puking by 8pm.... GO TIGERS! There are some great articles today. I continue to be amused by the national reporters who are "just" discovering the Tigers. Since there are only two teams remaining, the press has less to look at, so they are looking at us. A local CA reporter said "It's as if the entire world is starting to realize what Memphians have known all along." That's right!!! Tiger. Basketball. Enough said. GO TIGERS!!!

Yes, I was supposed to run 3 miles this morning. No, I didn't do it. I didn't even walk. I was still having some soreness in my knee. So I did my pilates dvd to just stretch. I'm feeling much better now. No guilt this morning. I listened to my body and did what I needed to do. Man it takes me awhile to recover from these long runs. *BUT*, I feel loads better today after 15 than I did after the half marathon. Glad for that. That's got to be some kind of overall improvement.

The good news is that even though my knee is hurting, it's my 'good' knee. So now, my 'good' knee is now my 'bad' knee. That means that the brace that I put on my 'bad' knee worked. So now, my 'bad' knee is now my 'good' knee. Follow that? I was trying to explain this to Anne & George this morning and it got very confusing. Long and short is that I am picking up another brace and I'll just wear two. Because obviously it worked. Good.

I was talking to Jodi last night about how I just wanted to run and then ache. Rather than run and then hurt. You know that 'good ache'. The "oh I excercised ache". Not the "oh I can't even walk hurt". He said that (1) I've never done this amount of running and activity before. And now, in 2 1/2 months, I've run over 130 miles. and (2) The pain I'm experiencing now in the 'new bad' knee is FIXABLE. It's not like my earlier shin splints which just had to work itself out. So maybe soon, I'll be able to run and then just be sore and ache. Funny that I'm *wanting* to ache and be sore.

It's a good day. Everybody is buzzing with Tiger Fever! GO TIGERS!!!

Good Morning Tiger Fans!

2008-04-06T06:22:00.006-05:00

Waking up this morning and it's a good day to be a TIGER!!! I'm still just beyond excited. And the game (AGAIN) wasn't even close. It's been fun to read the national sportswriters' comments about our team. They are "so surprised" by their performance. Some headlines today:

Tiger Beat

Mem's the Word

The Memphis Machine Rolls On
UC-YA Later

I'm glad Kansas beat UNC too (Sorry Mr. Rafferty's man. You can take that stinking shirt off now. ) I don't care for that Hansbrough kid. Kansas looked good last night. But we can take 'em. Tomorrow promises to be a great game. My stomach will be upset the whole day. I actually have Kansas and Memphis in the final in one of my brackets. With the mighty Tigers winning, of course.

I just realized this morning that the Tigers won by FIFTEEN points. And my long run yesterday was FIFTEEN miles. If this run thing somehow correlates to the score, we're in trouble. I am scheduled to run just three miles tomorrow. I can't handle a close game like that.

Feeling a bit stiff this morning, but as I keep moving around, that will be ok. I'll do some stretches today for sure.

Looks like it will be a sunny day today - finally.

GO TIGERS!!!

What a game!

2008-04-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

WOO-HOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!

GO TIGERS!!!!

Fifteen Miles - WOW!

2008-04-05T14:31:00.009-05:00

FIFTEEN MILES!!! And I did it! And actually, except for the first 2 and the last 2, it really wasn't that bad.

The weather was nice. The sun never really came out, altho it sure wanted to. And it wasn't raining. Temps were pleasant. Cool at times, especially around the lake, but it felt nice.

I was cramping up in the beginning of the run. But eventually it all worked out. I bought a knee brace last night at Dick's and it seemed to do the trick with the bad knee. No pain at all other than the initial cramping. The first 7 miles or so I ran a 6/2 interval. It was ok. Made it to the Shell station which is halfway. Yea for that. Water and gel break. Someone was driving down Germantown Road and said "Go Team!" out the car window. (I had my TNT shirt on). Nice encouragement there.

Then the next 5 miles I just slowed my pace down a bit and only had to stop two times. Wow. Can you believe that? That really worked for me. I just trotted along and enjoyed the scenery and listened to my tunes. And it was really ok. And to think I went that whole way only stopping twice. OK, I really stopped three times, but the last time, it was to pet a dog, so that really doesn't count....It was a retired racing greyhound named Link. (He was kind of orange and black stripey looking - good Tiger karma there.) I told his owner I wasn't very greyhoundy today and he said "Let Link be your inspiration." Nice.

Made it back to the parking lot and the other RNRs were there. They were done. I had 3 more miles to go. Then some of the CMMs showed up. They were also done. They had just completed 20 miles. Whatever.... The little pitstop was very much needed, but it also gave my knees time to stiffen up. It was quite a bit harder to get rolling again for those last 3 miles. My 'good' knee was screaming, so I switched the brace to that knee.

The Multiple Sclerosis Walk was kicking off just as we headed to the last 3 miles on the Chickasaw Trail. That was their route too, so we planned to go the opposite way to meet them on the path rather than go along with them in the same direction. But first we had to wait for the National Anthem. "...and the home of the brave." Off we go.

At about mile 13, an elderly lady was coming toward me. She must have felt real sorry for me (can't imagine what I looked like) because she clapped and said "Good job. Go! You're doing great." I got teary with that encouragement.

Then we started seeing all the walkers coming toward us. All that people watching definitely helped pass the time and distance. I was thinking that all these people are walking to support a cure for this debilitating disease. And, even though I was truding along, I was trudging along. I can run (or whatever you want to call it.) - and I'm thankful for that.

Lots of Tiger shirts at the Farm today. I greeted them all with a breathless "Go Tigers!".

Almost finished, I'm whining. George said we had less than 1/4 of a mile to go and if I wasn't in complete agony, to push through it and finish. OK....

I made it back to the Visitor's Center and there were 3 CMM coaches there. They cheered. I got a little teary. I had done it. FIFTEEN MILES. I am beyond certain that I was the very last person to come in. But I really did not care. Some very encouraging words from them which was appreciated. I made some comment about "In case you didn't know it, I'm not a runner." and one girl said "Oh, but you *are* a runner. Look what you just did." More crying.

George ran along with me today. Most of the time, he would run ahead and then come back to get me. He probably put in 42 miles with all the 'up and back'. He's actually supposed to be 'tapering' because he's running the Boston Marathon in a few weeks. (Tapering is when you start decreasing your mileage as you approach race day.) So, thanks George for hanging with me and for running way more than you needed to.

I did the entire 15 miles in 3:54:46 which calculates to a 15:40 pace. Again, slow but steady.

Some tight knees this afternoon, but I really don't feel that bad. Kind of surprising. I'm sure I'll be dying tomorrow. But I don't feel as bad right now as I did after the half marathon. Yea for that.

Overall, I am very pleased with what I did today. I like the way I slowed my pace a bit so I didn't have to stop as much. That really worked. It was a good day. There was a lot of encouragement today from people I know and people I don't even know. Some emotional thoughts went on in my head this morning. But it was a very very good day!

Mom and Connie and her crew are coming over shortly to have dinner and watch the game. I'm very excited! Some interesting articles today about the Tigers. I think Cal is amazing and very intelligent. I can't wait to see the Tigers whip up on the UCLA Bruins. (We went to dinner at Rafferty's last night and there was a guy wearing a North Carolina jersey. I pointed to my Tiger shirt and shook my head and hollered at him across the restaurant 'What's wrong with you?!' Jodi told me to cut it out. Jordan said "Oooh Mom, you scared him." You bet I did! GO TIGERS!!!!!)

We are about an hour and a half away from tip off. I'm totally psyched! GO TIGERS!!!

And now a message from Coach George

2008-04-04T15:24:00.004-05:00

Good Afternoon RNR's:

OK, tomorrow is one of those "step up" weeks, with a total of 15 miles. We will break it down into manageable bite size pieces. Start at the Visitor Center at 7 am. One loop of the Chickasaw Trail, then around the lake, out toward the Agricenter and end at the Shell Station. Replenish and rest rooms, then back - around the lake, another Chickasaw Trail loop, and end at the Visitor Center. I hear that the Germantown Greenway is closed due to flooding, so we will stay on higher ground and make the Chickasaw circuit to get the miles to add up.

At one point, I considered the hills around Walnut Grove Lake as an alternate, but extreme pressure from one of your compatriots gave me the opportunity to rethink this plan. Without naming names, thank
A _ _ _ E ...

Hope to see all of you there.

Looks like the weatherman is going to cooperate fully, with temps and skies perfect for a nice 15 miler!

Tiger Fever

2008-04-04T09:27:00.008-05:00

So much for sleeping in on my rest day. I've been awake since about 3:30 am when the storms rolled in....AGAIN..... Good grief. I'm starting to feel like a duck. Quack. No end in sight today. But Ron Childers assured me yesterday "It’s going to be dry Sat AM but chilly. Temps will be in the upper forties to near fifty."

I am contemplating finding a knee brace to try tomorrow. I'm wondering if some support will keep the IT band from flaring up. My knee is my main concern for tomorrow's 15 mile run. I think I can handle the distance. I know I can trudge along. But I want my knee to hold out. I am a bit afraid of the recovery too. Only because I know how *awful* those first few days were after the half marathon. And this is 2 miles farther....UGH. I need to keep those thoughts out of my head. I am DETERMINED to go the distance tomorrow. I WANT TO DO THIS. I'm just going to break it down into small pieces like George said. I can do that.

Oh...speaking of GOING THE DISTANCE!!! GO TIGERS!!!! I'm getting very excited and nervous about the game. Tomorrow is 40 minutes of YEAH BABEEEE!!! GO TIGERS!!

Random thoughts

2008-04-03T06:07:00.007-05:00

Weather was touch and go this morning, so I stayed inside and hit the treadmill. Put in about 2.5 miles and alternated running, walking and stretching. It felt ok. I am pleased with today's performance.

I'm hoping, hoping, hoping that my knee won't give me fits this Saturday. I made it about 7 miles last week when my knee decided to just quit participating. It just HURT. And there was no way I could run through that. (That was after my iPod died too. So there I was, kneeless and tuneless. It was awful.) I'm just going to keep stretching and taking the Rx and hope it will hold out for the wonderful fifteen miler.

Another thing that I hope holds out for Saturday is the RAIN. Ugh. We've had so much rain this week. I have some new ideas for my backyard. Maybe this:

Or this:

Three days until the Tiger game. One small bump in the road with the suspension of (my favorite player) Andre Allen, who apparently made some bad choices. I hate that. What was he thinking?!? But we won't let this be a distraction or loss of mojo (a quote from Connie!). The Tigers will be just fine. And continue to DOMINATE and do their thing. All the way to the National Championship. THIS IS THEIR YEAR!!!!! I also like the choice of photos that the Commercial Appeal has put on their home page with this story. My marketing dollars well spent! GO TIGERS!!!!!

Actual conversation via email

2008-04-02T14:40:00.006-05:00

Angie: Wolf River Trails are closed until the flooding subsides. The Wolf River is rising and parts of the nature area are underwater. Is -- WAS -- this part of Saturday's run? Where exactly will we be having this little party anyway?

George: Looks like we need to reroute. I know there are some nice hills around Walnut Grove Lake subdivision. And I checked the schedule - silly me thought it was a 14 miler. Nope. 15. Lucky one and all.

Angie: No hills. "Nice" and "hills" can't be in the same sentence. DISTANCE or HILLS. Pick one. I'm trying not to get freaked out at 15.

George: Then break it down into smaller bits. 3+3+3+3+3. Or 5+5+5. But remember, what goes up (hills) must come down (hills). Hence the "nice" part.

Angie: OK... 1+1+1+1+1.....Are we stopping for lunch?

George: As long as we finish by 5:07 pm.

Good intentions

2008-04-02T06:13:00.005-05:00

Not a great run this morning. I got in about 1.5 miles and then my legs started tightening up and my knee was feeling a bit weird. So, I headed home and stretched for 30 minutes. I really think it's because it is first thing in the morning and just hard for my legs to get moving immediately. I do stretch them out before (and during) my run. But sometimes, they are just not cooperative. I refuse to get bummed out about this morning's attempt.

Temp was 45 altho it felt quite a bit colder. Wind was a challenge too. I had put on some layers and even dug out my winter running hat. Weird since I ran Monday in shorts and a t-shirt.

Saw a police officer driving through the neighborhood. Just a little friendly early morning patrol. Guess he didn't mistake me for a home invader since he kept driving.

Interesting fact about this weekend's Final Four:

Pick a shade, any shade. Carolina blue, or Kansas blue? UCLA blue, or Memphis blue? (Relax, Tiger fans: At least nobody will be wearing orange.)

GO TIGERS!

And, it's baseball time. Yesterday was opening day (actually delayed a day for rain) for the Yankees and my boyfriend Derek Jeter. He went 1 for 4. Glad the season has started and he'll be making regular appearances again on ESPN. I heart him.

One step at a time

2008-04-01T06:22:00.008-05:00

Since it wasn't raining, I got up this morning and ran 15 miles. OK, OK - April Fool's!! That may be the extent of my pranks today. We'll have to see what transpires.....My kids are *very* into this day of tricks. I'm sure it will involve Cooper's whoopie cushion and Jordan pretending to throw up at some point. Best of luck to the jokers today. Maybe Mark Twain summed it up best: "April 1st: This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four."

Today is a rest day for me. I'm glad since I was awake quite a bit during last night's storms and Jodi's cell phone kept going off. I have learned to love that extra hour of sleep.

On the race front, I submitted all my paperwork to the Leukemia Society for the marathon. It's becoming more and more official. Two months from *today* is the marathon!

Our long runs are getting just that: LONGER. We are scheduled for 15 miles this Saturday. Yes, you heard me. FIFTEEN MILES. Oh dear. I could really get freaked out by this if I let myself. But I'm not. I can't. I will just press on this week with my small runs and continue to stretch a lot. And then face Saturday when it comes. And I'll do it. One. Step. At. A. Time. That's all I can do. I can't look at the whole big picture when it comes to this. It has to be one step at a time.

Looking back at this whole journey, I would have never dreamed I would have even made it this far. I remember the night in January when I signed up, a coach told me me that once we started doing these long runs, I would look back on the shorter ones and say "JUST three miles" or "ONLY five miles". I remember thinking she was a NUT. But it is true. I think back to that first group run on January 26 when we ran (just) three miles. And what a challenge I thought it was. And how excited I was when I finished. I never thought I would be able to even do that. I've run over 114 miles since then. Including a HALF MARATHON! Sooooo, I can look at the challenge I have ahead of me for this Saturday (and the next....and the next.....) and just do it. It's 15 miles. I read that one mile equals about 2,000 steps. Maybe I should say I have to run 30,000 steps on Saturday. It may sound a little bit better. Regardless if it's 15 miles or 30,000 steps, it all happens just one step at a time.