Memorial Run Team Pic

Here's a pic from the memorial run:

What are TNT workouts like?

Thursday workouts are tough!!!

Week 5 Wrap Up: TNT Memorial Run and Second 18 mi Run

After a nice, relaxing recovery week - I'm back on track with my training plan.

I'm trying to incorporate a little more speedwork during my short runs. I did some strides during my Monday run - where I alternated short "pseudo-sprints" (it wasn't *that* fast, hence the "pseudo") with running at my normal, relaxed pace. Thursday's TNT workout was a fun and special one. We first started out by running one mile on the track. Then we did a memorial run for the husband of one of our coaches who passed away from cancer a year and a half ago. There is a bench in his honor on top of a hill by the LG reservoir so we ran there from the high school track, each of us carrying a red carnation which we then used to decorate his bench. It was very touching. We took some nice group photos there so hopefully I can post one of them here later. We also managed to squeeze in some speedwork during the memorial run as well. We ran "back-to-front" style where we all divided up in groups of five and then ran single file where the last runner would then run to the front of the group and then set the pace for the group until the next runner comes up to the front. It sounded fun at first, but once we started doing it, I realized it was actually kind of hard! Basically, it's run, run, run, run, sprint! Run, run, run, run, sprint! And we did that for over 3 miles... at least on the way back, it was more downhill so it got easier.

Then came Saturday... 18 miles again! First of all, I have to mention that it's a miracle I even made it this week. Normally, I try to be up by around 6AM to eat, drink water, etc. and then be out the door by 6:45AM. Granted, I usually don't make it out by then, but that's the goal. Yesterday, I must have turned off my alarm because when I woke up, it was 7:07AM!!! Luckily, I organized everything the night before so it was easy to get ready and leave quickly. And I managed to get there right before my group left - very important! Even though I have the printed course map and directions, it is still really easy to get lost! Especially when we're in the Presidio and the Golden Gate Park. So that's why I need to run with my group - people running at my pace and my distance so that way when we get lost, at least we're not alone! :)

I'm trying not to get nervous, but these past two 18 mile runs have really been tough on me. I was OK up to our 16 mi run, but I'm definitely feeling the soreness during the 18 mi runs. Yesterday, it started around mile 13. Same area - the right side of my knee. I don't know how to explain it - it's not a shooting pain or anything, I guess just a soreness (or tightness?). I get tired so I look forward to the aid stations, but at the same time, it really hurts to start running again after the break. We don't even stop that long and I try to keep walking or moving my legs, but still - I almost have to limp a little before I get back in my stride again. The sucky part is that there are always these downhills toward the end of the route, and they are so painful!!! Sure, uphills are hard, but I can always walk up those and feel OK. No matter how I approach the downhills, it's all - ow, ow, ow!

Anyway, I'm preparing myself to fight through the pain during the actual race. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited - I'm just more focused now on actually finishing this thing vs. my time and stuff.

With this past run and the next, I'm practicing how I plan to run in the real race. So I wore my iPod this time and I carried five Gu gels in the back pockets of my shorts. They worked out fine. Although, I'm thinking about getting an iPod arm band for my final long run this coming Saturday. I'm undecided on the fuel belt ... I really like not wearing any extra load but I might try some on this week to see how they feel. I also realized I definitely need to get some of that Body Glide stuff, definitely for the inner thighs (I hope it's not just me... I'm not Miss Thunder Thighs, am I???) although people have recommended it for other areas as well.

I also did the Nike Danville run on Sunday - just a light, 5 mile run. Shout out to Gee for hanging with me during our snail-pace run! I wasn't sure if I should run the next day, but I actually think it helped with some of the pain. Plus, with this particular run, I've now fulfilled all my run and shoe trial punches on the Nike frequent runner card. I still need to bring two more friends (any volunteers???) to finish out the buddy punches and then get these random retail and mystery punches, after that - VIP access, here I come!!!

Free stuff this week: On-site massages, Jamba Juice Protein Berry Workout smoothies and honey berry bran bread, Nike dri-fit socks, and more tix to Alice Now & Zen Fest. I passed on the massages... I just don't like the idea of people touching me when I'm all sweaty and gross. Although I am always impressed by the perks of these Nike runs since they are free after all.

I've also gone back to working on my marathon mix. I got a bunch of new tunes from my spinning teacher during Wednesday's class so I'm excited about that. I have five hours now so just need to add a little bit more. After watching "Superman Returns", I've decided to use the Superman theme as the opening track. :)

So on a final note, I'm at 31 miles for the week. I plan to really focus on stretching and using the foam roller this week. Hopefully, I won't skip yoga again. (I don't know why it's so hard to get me in there!) This coming weekend is a big one... not only is it my "dress rehearsal" (heehee) but AY is coming back to town!

Picture of the week (not)

Haha... here's me during a recent TNT track workout. We were doing time trials... I guess I was more focused on my pace than on the camera that was apparently on me. DOH!

Fundraising Status to date

Quick shout out to all my friends and family supporting me with their donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:

Alyssa
Amanda
Arlene (Ate)
Bammy (Tita Bammy)
Corey
Danielle
Doug
Fran
Jen
Karen
Lucita (Tita Luchie)
Marcie
Matt
Mike (Kuya)
Nimesh
Rachael
Sab
Shannon
Stacia
Victoria (Mom)

You rock! Together, we've raised over $1600 so far! :)

TNT Boot Camp!

Having some snacks at home before going to the TNT workout? Bad idea. The nice thing about our Thursday workouts is that they are so close to home. But so far I'm learning that stopping at home after work and before the workout is not working out for me... either I fall asleep or I'm tempted to snack a bit. :)

This week, we did a warm up run and then ran a 2 mi time trial on the track. This is so the coaches can divide us in different wave run groups so that we are grouped with people at our own pace.

It was good that I pushed myself more than I usually do when I run... but I sure wished I hadn't had those extra snacks while I was running! :)

After the running portion, we then had some coaches in from Bay Area Boot Camp that ran us through some strength exercises, cardio drills, and a core workout. Challenging, but fun!

We did all of our workouts at the local high school track. It was funny because the football team was on the field and the marching band was practicing nearby. It was very surreal and I had a little bit of deja vu of going to the local football games when I was in high school. It was pretty funny...

During the workout, I started talking to one of the TNT runners... I learned that her son, Luke, had passed away from leukemia. In his honor, TNT hosts a 5K race called Luke's Run every fall near his birthday. I looked it up and this year it's the Sunday after my 20mi training run so hopefully I will still be able to make it.

Week 8 Wrap Up

Seven weeks to go! Woohoo!

Alright, I'll admit right up front that I suck because I missed my TNT training this past week. It's really quite pathetic actually - I came home from work Thursday to change for the workout but I had a little bit of time so I just rested my eyes for a little bit... and BAM! I wake up - and practice was already over. I realized then that I definitely need those two rest days a week.

I still managed to complete 26 miles again this past week - 4 mi on my own Tuesday, 16 mi Nike SF run on Saturday, and 6 mi Nike Danville run on Sunday.

The Nike Danville run was a jackpot for me this past weekend. Not only did we all get treated to free Jamba Juice smoothies (the Nike flavor, of course) and raisin bread (yum!), but I also got free Nike dri-fit socks for doing a shoe trial (the real reason they have these runs), and a free Nike Club Run t-shirt. Plus we got to hear the speaker this time who led us through some key strengthening and stretching exercises for runners. I was too busy eating to participate :), but I did grab one of the nice handouts.

#2 Fundraiser for the Week plus The Power of Your Money

I know this isn't something I should brag about or anything but it is sort of recognizing your efforts so here goes. We (as in the TNT South Bay Run team) get these weekly email updates and according to the email update I received today... I am the #2 top fundraiser for our team so far! And if you've seen my previous entries, you know my team is pretty big (pic). I really am honored to have such supportive friends and family. Of course, I'm sure others will take over soon... some people have set some pretty high goals.

Anyway, at our last workout, we got some interesting information on the power of our donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Check it out:

• $1000 supports one week's salary for a medical researcher at UCSF, Stanford, or Berkeley who may discover key information to developing curative treatments for blod cancers
  
• $500 provides a blood cancer patient with financial assistance for one year
  
• $500 allows 10 patients to log on to a webcast and hear the latest information on treatment for their disease
  
• $200 provides a Family Support Group Program for one year for a patient and their family
  
• $150 allows 5 patients to make a First Connection with a trained peer volunteer
  
• $100 provides 3 patients access to an information teleconference
  
• $75 is the average cost of tissue typing to become a bone marrow donor
  
• $50 is the cost of a CT scan
  
• $40 is the cost of sending a comprehensive packet of information for children with cancer
  
• $35 pays for transportation expenses for a patient living in Northern California's most rural areas to treatment at a comprehensive cancer center
  
• $25 covers a single prescription co-payment
  
• $5 is the cost of sending a newly diagnosed patient information about support and their disease
  

Week 9 Wrap Up

Wow - I just realized I am now at the halfway point of my marathon training! Exciting stuff! Except I still don't have my flippin' new running shoes yet... More on that later - but maybe not, cause it's really not that interesting.

Anyway, it's been a fun running week. On Thursday's TNT workout, they had a podiatrist talk to us about taking care of our feet and ankles followed by an instructor that led us through a core workout. It was more like a full body workout and to be honest, I was pretty beat after that was over and could have been done for the day right then. But we still had our trail run which wasn't too bad... I think starting next week, our Thursday workouts will be on the track. After the workout, I took my stinky self over to that Bocce Ball place to meet up with friends. :)

Saturday was the 14 mile run - my longest distance to date! It was a doozy, *lots* of hills. It was nice though, we had a good-sized group of about 10-12 runners and we stuck together for the whole route. Plus one of our pace leaders had the Nike plus system so she made sure we stayed on pace which was really nice. We also had some really nice views during this run along the ocean and stuff. I actually took the Cliff shots on this run... they worked out pretty well. Still struggling with opening them with my sweaty hands but I think I will figure that out over time. (Are you supposed to bite them open?) Anyway, it took us over 3 hours to complete the run. When we got back, pretty much everything was torn down and the only people left were the pace leaders who were still cleaning everything up. They gave us a nice cheer when we returned. I did the ice bath thing in the bay again which I think helped a lot because I didn't really feel too sore the next day despite all the hills and stairs we had done.

On Sunday, I decided to do the Nike run in Danville - just 6 miles this time. I realized that with the scheduled runs I have left, I wouldn't have enough "punches" to get the VIP status I had last year so I'm gonna suck it up for a few weeks and do both the Saturday and Sunday runs. The run was nice and quick (an hour is quick these days) and this time I actually got to hear the post-run speaker who discussed sports nutrition (he was long gone by the time we finished the Saturday run). At least the drive to Danville is a bit shorter and on different highways so it doesn't suck too much :P

I ended up with about 26 miles for the week. Next long run will be 16 miles!!!

Team Pic

South Bay Fall Run Team

(Where's Audrey??? heehee)

You guys are awesome! Let's keep it up!

I am beyond elated right now. It hasn't even been 24 hours since begging all of you - my wonderful friends and family - for donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and you guys have already contributed over $1000!!! Incredible.

You all rock! If you haven't donated yet, what are you waiting for? :)

Click Me!

Go Team!

Yep, it's official! I've joined Team in Training to help me prepare for my upcoming full and half marathons. As part of that, I will be raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization that fights blood cancers.

I've been thinking about joining Team in Training since last fall when I ran the Nike half marathon. It seemed like literally half the runners in that race were from TNT. Being on the course for over 2 hours :), I ended up spending a lot of time observing them and they seemed pretty cool. First, it seemed like all the spectators on the course were TNT supporters so I was sort of jealous of all the cheering they got - especially when they all quieted down when the non-TNT runners (aka - ME) went by. So I had been joking with friends that the cheering was the main reason I wanted to join - even if I had to sponsor the whole thing on my own! And then a smart person pointed out that all I had to do was write my name on my race shirt and people would cheer for me, too. Oh yeah, I guess that would also work. heehee...

But it was more than the cheering from the sidelines. It was also the cheering amongst the runners. Every now and then you would see someone struggling, and I would always notice those purple-shirted runners checking in with each other. At first, I thought they were from the same training club, but then I noticed they were from different chapters - different states even!

It continued all the way to the finish. After I finished my half, I went and hung out by the finish line and there were so many runners that were really struggling by the end. I would then see some TNT runners approach the finish line and before they crossed, they would go back and help others finish. It was really cool to see.

Plus, it was fun to see their jerseys and see who was inspiring them to run. They inspired me, too! Especially the runners that were battling blood-related cancers or had survived them themselves - if they could do it, so can I, right?

On a related note - back in 2000, I raised over $2000 when I participated in the Avon 3-Day walk for breast cancer in NYC. That was such an amazing experience. Walking 60 miles in one weekend was significant on its own, but it was so much more meaningful knowing I did my little part to contribute to a bigger cause.

I'll be honest, I never thought I could run a marathon. (It wasn't that long ago when I couldn't even run a mile!) I'm not there yet, of course, but I'm slowly getting there. Obviously, this is a big deal for me - and I thought this would also be a great opportunity to support another cause. So I went to a TNT information session and I signed up!

I had my first training session with them on Thursday. Now I know why those TNT runners get all sucked in! Everyone is super friendly and super supportive. (Super, right? hehe) We just did a short trail run in LG, but it was cool because everyone cheered everytime someone came back from the run. Another cool thing was that some of our "honorees" were there at the workout. The "honorees" are our special friends directly affected by blood cancers - some are currently in active treatment, while others are in remission, though they still undergo regular maintenance treatment or testing. They're amazing though - some of them actually trained with us that day! I'm telling you, it's really inspiring!

I'm still new to the whole thing - but I know this is going to be a really rewarding experience. I'm pretty excited. Plus I have awesome mentors within TNT, they brought our group home-made chocolate chip cookies after our Thursday workout. ;)

I'll continue to make updates on my progress with TNT. Let me know if you would ever like to join in on a workout. I usually can only make the Thursday evening ones in LG. And if you'd like to sponsor me and donate to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, please click here.