Oops. (The "It's Been A While" Edition)

Summer days have come and, seemingly, gone. Somewhere between work and (a lot of) play I managed to disappear from the blog-o-sphere...The great news is that I have so much to tell you!!

Training has been going really really well, and I'm shaking in my boots thinking about running a full 26.2 miles in a month and a half! Proudly I can say that I've put away several double digit mileage runs. Including my fiercest, most determined run yet: 16 miles. Here's the scoop.

In planning my trip up to visit Joey in New York the last weekend in August, I decided that I would leave after our 16 mile run here in DC. I didn't want to risk planning that kind of run on my own, for fear I would either 1) not do it, or 2) have to do it alone. I booked my train tickets about a month in advance. My calculations led me to believe that if I started my run at 7 am, I would certainly have time to catch an 11:25 am train. Let's just say I was either feeling really optimistic that day in July, or my arithmetic was way out of line. In talking to my peers about my goal to finish the run in under 3 hours, it occured to me that there was no way I was making my train that morning at the pace that I usually run. I had to make moves.

On the day of the run, I took all necessary precautions. I drove my car to the run that day. I wore my pretty silver watch that morning to keep track of time. If I wanted to finish this run and make it to my train in time I had to run about 2 mins/mile faster than usual. Ideally I would also shower at some point. As my mentor Paul said, not so much for Joey's sake, but "for the sake of the people on the train" with me.

I patiently waited through 15 minutes of announcements that morning, silently begging the coaches to just let us go already! Finally, we were off. There was no way I could run all 16 miles by myself, so I stuck with my running pals for the first 6. Once we hit our second water stop I looked down at my watch and realized I had an two hours to finish the last 10 miles (water stops included). I had to BOOK IT.


So I did. I just started running. Like, real running. Not jogging. Not yogging. But running, as fast as my two legs would let me. Minimal stops. Blueberry Pomegranate GU Chomps and salt in my water kept me going. My entire wrist was stained dark black from my watch, which I learned the hard way is not sweat-proof. My legs were getting tired, but all I could think about was how I had to catch that train. My tickets were NOT refundable. Running alone didn't seem to matter anymore because my mind was racing. Before I knew it, 2 hours and 45 minutes later, I had put away 16 miles behind me and now I was running to my car.


I rushed home, got that shower I desperately needed, and my father drove me to the station with about 10 minutes to spare. I couldn't believe what I had just accomplished. In retrospect, it was awesome to know that I could do something like that if I put my mind to it.


The only let-down that day was that the McDonald's at the station wouldn't serve me breakfast (even though the menus were up!). I settled for two orders of Large Fries and a bag of Cheeze-Its.

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44 days until MCM!! Time is flying by, Donate today!!

Why is someone taking my picture at 7 am? (The Double Digits Edition)

A genuine thanks to Charles Outcult for putting together an awesome photo album of our TNT DC team! All of his other pictures were really great, both the candid ones and the ones we posed for. But let's be honest we could have done with out this one! Seriously, what was this guy thinking when he took this picture of me two weeks ago?? Let me guess....

"Yes. This is a great shot. I'll get her while she looks confused, mid-smile, swollen in the face, with her eyes half open. Genius."

Back to the blog.

Six weeks after embarking on this journey, I have gone from struggling-to-keep-my-balance-on-a-treadmill running (twice a year at best), to running a full 10 MILES this past weekend! It was a great shady trail starting at Fletcher's boat house, running towards Bethesda, MD, and then back. The weather was just right, even a bit chilly when we first started. The icing on the cake was the 9 am BBQ to celebrate our double-digit accomplishment, loading up on burgers and hot dogs for breakfast. Divine.

And that's not the only thing I've got to celebrate this week... I'm about 20% closer to reaching my fundraising goal of $1800 in donations to LLS, thanks to all the great support from my friends and family!! I've got to admit, fundraising has been the toughest part for me so far. While I've got a lot of good ideas for events, it's been really hard finding the time to organize and host them. I'm hoping to make some serious moves in August!

Thoughts On My Training: I used to absolutely hate running with other people. Or at least, I hated the idea of running with other people. I was always nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the other person, or feared being put under pressure to keep up a conversation while simultaneously running out of breath. Well, after a few weeks of morning group runs with TNT, I've basically learned that there's nothing better than the company of others while trying to get through multiple miles! Whether I'm talking with someone the whole time, or just quietly running side by side with someone at the same pace.

In fact, I've been lucky enough to have my ol' ball and chain, Joey, join me a couple of times for my midweek runs. The nice thing about Joey is that he doesn't mind doing all the talking the whole time, haha. Quite a ball of energy, that kid is. Our first run together was when I had to make up the 5 mile run I missed while in Guatemala. He did great! Below is our post-run pic. We look like we mean business (especially Joey!).

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94 days until MCM!! Time is flying by, Donate today!!

I tried. (The Guatemala Edition)

Fetal Friends: Together in the womb, and on the trail.

39 bag checks, $20 worth of airport-McDonald's food, 2 bumpy plane rides, and 14 hours of traveling later, my best friend Christina and I made it back in one piece from our trip to Panajachel, Guatemala, visiting our other BFF Lucy (together they are my "fetal friends"). The trip was amazing, filled with plenty of big meals, fine cocktails, and necessary relaxing. I had big plans to keep up my training while on vacation, but destiny had something else in store for me that week.

On our third morning in Pana, Christina joined me for what would be my first and last run that week: a solid 30 minutes through the tiny streets ("callejones" in Guate-speak) of a small neighboring town called Jucanya. With the hot central-american sun beating down on us at 9 am, we were both fairly equipped in our new "moisture-wicking" apparel and plenty of sunscreen. However, nothing could have prepared us for what we were literally about to run into.

Our run that day was completely unplanned and unmapped. All I knew is that we needed to keep going for about 30 minutes. I couldn't take my eyes off of the cobble stone, rocky, dirt roads we were running on, for fear that I'd twist my ankle landing on something loose. At some point, Christina suggested we take a turn off the main road and into one of the windy callejones. I agreed, thinking it might be nice to check out some of the back streets. As we rounded one tight corner, I almost ran over a small child who came sprinting from the opposite direction! Kids running around was not out of the ordinary, but this particular kid was sweating profusely, with a mischievous smile on his face. Keeping up a steady pace, we didn't really have any time to process why he might have been running away from this narrow, walled-in path we were headed down until..... BOOM!

RAGING TERRITORIAL "I WILL EAT YOU" WILD GUARD DOG

It was ferocious and angry and hungry, and only god knows what that little kid must have done to piss it off...but now it was mad at us, fiercely chasing us, threatening every inch of our lower bodies with crazed barking!!! Memories of being cornered and attacked at age 12 while on my roller blades were rushing through my head. The only word that kept flashing in my mind as we instinctively tried scrambling away was "RABIES. RABIES. RABIES." This dog was faster than us on any given day, and it was well aware. The beast followed us as fast and as far as it could until I started screaming "STOP RUNNING, JUST STOP RUNNING." For a good ten seconds, as we slowed down to a nervous stumble forward, not looking back, the beast kept up its attack!

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the beast turned around and returned to its post.

Needless to say, with enough adrenaline pumping through our veins, we rushed back home and packed away our sneakers for the rest of the week. Panajachel is meant for taking in beautiful views of their volcanoes and lake, enjoying their fresh made tortillas, and taking advantage of their slower, more simple way of life. That day I decided to save my 5 mile run for when I got back.

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111 days until MCM!! At least $1675 left to raise, donate today!

"I'm not exactly the running type."

First of all, HELLLOOO BLOGGING WORLD.

My name is Francesca, and I am so excited to be here:)

Back in the Springtime, I was motivated by the 7 crazy-cool runners that you have been following on this website to sign up for and run the MARINE CORPS MARATHON in October! Not only that, but in exchange for Team in Training's (TNT's) expert coaching and support, I have made a committment to a raise at least $1800 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Considering I'm not exactly the "running" type, these next couple of months are sure to be tough and challenging. BUT I do love to have a good time (see picture on the right), and I'm hoping that's what I'll find in my experience with TNT. One thing is for certain, LLS's mission to try and find a cure for blood cancer, as well as provide patient services to those already afflicted with the disease, will be more than enough to keep me going!

I promise to keep this blog alive and entertaining for those of your who will join me every week. Check back for new updates (on my health) and future fundraising events!!

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Most importantly, I'd like to say:

CONGRATS to Chris, Brandon, Crystal, Jessie, Brian, Lena, and Ashwin!! Your hard-work and dedication truly inspired me to join TNT and follow in your training and fundraising footsteps. I am so proud of all of you, and I'm so happy that I'll be training with most of you by my side over the next 5 months. Thank you for letting me be a part of this madness!

We Actually Did Do It... Just Like Diddy

Well... hello again, it's now been almost three and a half weeks SINCE WE ALL FINISHED the Nashville Country Music Marathon. No, it hasn't taken this long for us to recover well enough to type. But before writing anything I (Chris) did want to let things sink in some.

In the shortest sense, completing that race in what turned out to be brutally hot weather (hovering somewhere between 85 and 90 degrees by the finish) was absolutely the most challenging physical feat I've ever achieved.

It seems that everyone agreed those 26.2 were not a particularly enjoyable experience. We had cramps, dehydration, and a little more walking than any of us expected. We ate Gu gels, chugged CytoMax and inhaled salt packets along the way. And still nothing could really prepare you for those awful few miles between 20 and 24.

The race itself was some twisted combination of constantly battling within yourself, sometimes talking to yourself with tunnel vision, to keep both legs moving in rhythm while at the same time desperately seeking out energy from all the fantastic, screaming, smiling supporters along the way.

With those last few minutes in mind and the Tennessee Titans stadium looming, there was nothing better than the distant image of a purple shirt looking to help everyone through the last stretch. When asked if I was doing okay (I must have looked as bad as I felt), I lied with a forced grin but gladly accepted a buddy until I could see the finish.

Taking those last few steps is a powerful, powerful moment and stopping is difficult. A body in motion for so many exhausting hours doesn't respond particularly peacefully. But after eventually staving off delirium, there was nothing better than watching teammate after teammate in TNT gear cross the finish.

As the most skeptical (I think) of the group in joining with Team in Training rather than run individually, I want to loudly express that the training, the friendships and the unbelievable support from this group of people backing the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's efforts to beat blood cancer was something I will never forget.

There are so many thank you mentions that I wouldn't even begin to try one by one. But I'll try broadly from the whole lot of us. Thank you: TNT coaches, staff and team leaders, honored teammates, all our fellow TNT runners (DC area and all our new friends from around the country), all our friends who put up with a multitude of invitations to fundraising events, and the biggest thank you of all to everyone that contributed their hard earned dollars and kind words in support of a great organization in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

What happens now? Well, several (Brandon, Crystal and Ashwin, I believe) are continuing with TNT as captains for this Fall while it looks like all of us are returning to marathoning. We had such a good time torturing ourselves once we're doing it again. Wave to us in October at the Marine Corps Marathon in DC!

This blog may fizzle, or it may live on depending on the group sentiment. Either way, thank you everyone again, and we hope you enjoyed following along. Below are pictures of each of us on race day. So long!

Raceday Eve

Greetings from Tennessee! Less than 9 hours away from the race and Ashwin and I are in the hotel lobby still wired and far from sleep.

We've prepared by scarfing southern BBQ and rocking to some honky tonk yesterday before a relaxing Friday and an inspirational Team in Training dinner with more than 600 members from around the country.

The event has finally set in after months of hard work and we're all psyched for the morning to come and get on the move for what looks like will be a beautiful, sunny day in Nashville. Hopefully the heat holds off (forecast is for a high of mid-80s) until we're almost finished.


a few observations (read: inside jokes) from Nash-vegas:
- Brandon, aka "Bruno," has a camera that takes a great picture of Andy Dick on stage at Tootsie's Bar.
- Girls in cowboy boots and skirts/dresses... we could get used to this.
- Country Music speaks to everyone, especially when the lyrics only consist of the line "I'm gonna kill you"
- From coach Chip - "You'll be fine if you alternate the beer, liquor and water."
- running for 5 hours > running for 2 hours and 8 minutes
- "Bite Me Mode" will 100% apply to a one Lena Feldman tomorrow.
- Go to the Smoking Corner at Tootsie's
- Combo Platters at Jack's. 'nuff said.

We'll have lots of pictures and video to come in the next few days. Until then, leave us a note to find after 26.2 miles tomorrow morning!

Almost...the End!

4 days till the Country Music Marathon!!

I'm so excited for Brian, Lena, Chris, Ashwin, and Brandon to finish their race.  Jessie and I completed ours about a month ago and it was awesome (after 3 days of recovery).  I had an amazing entourage of friends who ran with me (Brian, Lena, Ashwin, Dan, and Erin) and even more who met me at the finish line.  I was joking around, laughing till about mile 19-20 and then just quietly thought about the reasons why I was doing this, my training, the mission, my supporters, and how much it would suck to tell everyone I stopped at mile 24.  

Jessie did AMAZING and qualified for BOSTON and already signed up for Marine Corps!  I somehow got pressured into signing up for Marine Corps even though I swore for almost a month I would never sign up for another.  Nuts, right??

Anyways - this message is for all my Nashvillers - you guys are going to AWESOME.  I know how nervous some of you guys are (remember I couldn't even read any emails related to the race for a whole week and did not sleep well for 2 weeks) but you guys have been kicking serious ass training and raising money while still being the great friends that you are.  I feel like the big sister and am sooo proud of you guys.  I will be there this weekend screaming my head off with inappropriate and appropriate exclamations simultaneously and get you all properly drunk afterwards.  

Remember to use the bathroom at least TWICE before the race that day and don't listen to anyone at miles 20-26 that you're almost there.  That's a lie.  The last 0.2 miles will be the toughest yet easiest/most rewarding 0.2 miles of your life.  

To all the supporters: THANK YOU SO MUCH.  Sorry I haven't posted photos or videos on the blog lately but they're actually all up on flickr and youtube.  Here are the links again.  Please visit - I took plenty of videos during the Nashvillers' 20 mile run.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifdiddydidit/

http://www.youtube.com/user/GonnaRunFar

And you all know we'll be celebrating our brains out after. Hope to see you all while joining us in the fun =))

The Taper

Just a short update:

After countless frigid Saturday mornings, afternoons on the treadmill and dimly lit evening runs building a distance base, we're on our cool down leading up to the main event in about a week and a half.

The training we've all put in has been invaluable, leaving us experience dealing with chilly temperatures, battling blowing winds (in our 20 miler ten days ago) and fighting up and down hills on the W&OD trail, which I'm pretty sure I've seen about enough of. All the captains and coaches with Team in Training have done a massive job setting us on paths to success.

The remaining training almost seems like cheating with such comparably short distances. Still, I know my worn down body appreciates the brief lull to get fully geared up for Nashville on the 25th. Only 11 days away!

This Saturday we'll all join up for our last group run, a short jaunt compared to the last few weekends, of the spring TNT season before the first of the group heads to Tennessee on Thursday morning. We'll continue updating with thoughts from everyone as race day approaches.

The Mission

I received some sad news the other day, and it’s been on my mind. An acquaintance from college, my year, lost his battle to cancer and passed away this past weekend. A part of me feels uncomfortable writing this for many reasons. I can’t say I was good friends with him, but I ran across him throughout college as we had some mutual friends and he was always really nice to me and seemed like a really good friend to his friends I knew. I don’t think it is too appropriate for me to really get into any details of his battle due to the sensitivity of the terrible timing as this is all too fresh and recent for kids dealing with it right now. The circumstances of the whole situation has made me think a lot – obviously for him and his family, but a lot for my friends that were close to him. I can only imagine how they must feel, knowing the inevitable and trying to even cope with the loss of a great friend full of life at such a young age. Everything I’ve heard about him makes it worse – he was a really smart guy, a free spirit that wanted to always live in Australia and did so for a year after graduation, and most importantly, a good friend. I can’t particularly make any insightful comments or say anything to that effect, but I really hope my friends are doing alright.

This has also given me some perspective as to this cause that I have gotten myself involved in for Team In Training / Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Everyone definitely knows someone affected and people’s lives and thoughts are impacted differently and to different levels of extent, and for some reason this one case has driven me to reflection. Honestly, and it is really weird for me to say but… hearing really sad stories every Saturday and receiving weekly emails about tragic cases of battles with cancer is tough and good to remind us of the cause, but it also makes you de-sensitized in a way. I know its awful to say, but its hard to continually sift through stories and comprehend them. And that can’t be a good thing, those stories mean so much to so many people, and affect other people who weren’t involved but have similar personal stories from their lives. Those stories were sad, no doubt about it, but I never really knew what to think while hearing those stories as I wasn’t directly affected growing up by cancer. Sure I knew and know of people who had family/friends affected, and yet, throughout this marathon training I haven’t really felt so attached to the cause. It was more so about me taking on a challenge and changing my habits training for this marathon. I knew the LLS cause was great and wanted to raise money for the organization in honor of people that I know who have dealt with someone affected their whole lives. Maybe that was in the back of my mind, but I never had a clear perspective of the greater purpose of the organization and its goal of the Team In Training program.

It makes me feel really bad to have Pete’s passing open my eyes and help remind me of the kids and adults I know who have dealt/are currently dealing with their own losses and battles with cancer. I know its been in the back of my mind when I hear or talk about the marathon, LLS, people affected, etc. I’ve had a friend who just finished chemo for testicular cancer, and it was a surreal thing to hear about it since there’s less associated danger or anything and he would constantly be a part of a post-college list serve we are both a part of, and I really never associated too much with the TNT/LLS cause to his experience. In terms of other recently diagnosed people, I’ve felt for them or family members, but this recent passing has hit me. Maybe it’s the fact that I saw Pete around in college and he was my age and a healthy kid always smiling, and the fact that I’m friends with some of his good friends. I just don’t really know. Its hard to say “now I have a reason to run” because that’s just not the only case, but his experience and what my friends are dealing with (from this case and other cases) means a lot to me now. Its helped me see things in a different way. I know its tough for my friends, and I’m glad they are strong, good people. There’s nothing that I will be able to say to really make anyone feel better, but a lot of people are in my thoughts and I guess I want to let them know (indirectly) that I care about them and I’m sorry.

I’m sorry if this is sad, this blog has generally been very happy and has tracked the progress of running and fun fund raising events, but I felt compelled to write. I still don’t know how to react, or how appropriate it is for me to write when so many other people have been affected a lot worse. I think I just wanted to get something down without holding things in as I usually do and hope that other people are able to deal with things in their own way knowing they have friends around them.

"But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known."

Wow! First of all, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone for being so incredibly supportive. It was amazing to have all of the friends and fellow TNTers out there on the course on Saturday. Thank you Chris, Lena, Brian, Brandon, Ashwin, Jess, Annie, Joey, Jonah, Jedi's mom, Coach Charlie ... and anyone and everyone else who was there that I have left off. Seeing friendly faces and hearing familiar voices was definitely a comfort during those many miles! As I've said several times before, my experience training for (and now running) this marathon with TNT was absolutely amazing -- I've been so fortunate to have met such wonderful people.

Congrats Crystal! You did it!! You should be so proud of yourself. And congrats to all of the other TNT participants who completed their events this weekend! (Chris didn't mention it, but he ran an amazing half marathon in Virginia Beach this past Sunday.) High fives all around.

I must say, I felt a great sense of accomplishment crossing the finish line. Not only did I prove to myself that I was capable of running 26.2 miles, but I also managed to meet my own personal time goal. Sweet! I don't think I could have asked for a better first marathon experience. My hips and knees were not too fond of me for a couple days after the race, but they're less sore now, and I have absolutely zero regrets about running that far. In fact, I want to do it again -- and soon!

The day itself was perfect for running: chilly at the start, but gorgeous once the sun came up. I think the fact that I was cold before the gun went off helped to calm my nerves a bit (I was too excited about getting warm to be nervous about the race!). Working my way up the pacing groups was also exciting, as I had to start further back in the pack than I had originally planned. (I suppose that's what I get for making one last trip to the bathroom ...). It was nice bumping into fellow runners Barry and Tricia, especially since we got to run with one another for a couple miles at a time. Thanks for keeping me going guys! I'll admit, the run through Anacostia was everything I had heard it would be. To put it simply, it was lonely and painfully long. But once I saw mile marker 24, I was rejuvinated. Ok, so maybe my leg muscles didn't feel fantastic ... but my spirits were certainly raised. I found myself saying out loud, "Just keep running. Don't stop, just keep running. You can do this." And as insane as I felt doing that, I honestly think it was completely necessary. I did stop to walk briefly a few times toward the end -- my legs just didn't want to keep going. Thank goodness for those random runners who shouted, "You can do it purple! You're almost there! Keep going!" I know you'll probably never read this, but thank you so much!

I could go on and on ... when you spend that amount of time running, there is a lot to reflect on. I won't bore you. I just want to say that I am so excited for everyone else who still has their marathon coming up! It will be amazing. Everyone will do great!

Once again, thank you all SO much for the kind words and support. Running this marathon with TNT has been even better than I thought it would. I have been inspired to do many more events in the future. I'm hoping to even continue training and possibly run in Nashville at the end of April ... so maybe I'll see you guys back on the trail! Now, off to my first run since Saturday ... :-).

Congratulations!

I want to express a massive congratulations to Crystal and Jessie (and all the Team in Training runners!) for their finishing the Suntrust National Marathon on Saturday morning in DC.

I spent some time watching the chilly, early miles around Dupont Circle where the pack was especially crowded before wandering over to the runners' second lap down Constitution Ave where the bunches had thinned out. There I joined some fellow TNT members at mile 17 handing out water, Powerade and as much encouragement as possible to lift everyone going into the later stages of the race.

It was inspiring to see how strong most people looked - I even saw a few smiles - so far into their run, and great to see groups of TNT runners together with Jessie, Barry and Trish going by in a pack and Crystal joined by Ashwin, Brian and Lena, who were getting in some training.

By the time I made it over to the finish at RFK, Mayor Fenty was just finishing up (at 3:25!). Watching runner after runner come across the line in exhausted joy only made me want my own race to arrive sooner.

While a few of our group are now finished their TNT event, the rest of us continue to train for Nashville in about a month. We're putting in a shorter run this weekend before ratcheting up to 20 miles next week.

Lastly, if you have a moment, please leave a note congratulating Crystal and Jessie on an awesome accomplishment, and we'll hopefully hear from them personally when they've overcome exhaustion and soreness!

I'm a First-Timer and Can't Wait till this is Over.

Here's a 'real-person' perspective.  I am not a runner.  I actually kinda hate it (although have grown to appreciate it).  I've had multiple aches and pains - I'm 5ft4 with shorter legs and I'm Korean-American - not a long-legged, lean Eastern European or Kenyan.  I'm so nervous about tomorrow I haven't slept well the entire week and I am not only constantly queasy in the stomach, but I have given myself a full-blown tension headache.  Although I appreciate all the wonderful motivational emails, texts, messages...to be honest I haven't read a single damn one because it makes me even more nervous.  Those who know me, I rarely get nervous or embarrassed whether it is job interviews, falling on the street, exams (except for Prof. Dunn's ECON 11 test), talking to boys/men, doing the long runs during training - it's all carpe diem and having fun.  I'm not sure why I'm so nervous - I think it's because I know it's going to be utterly painful and long and I refuse to fail.  

BUT, here is why/how I am going to finish 26.2 miles, no matter what.

The Mission: I really believe in the cause (LLS) and no way is the pain I'm going to feel tomorrow is even minutely comparable to the pain and suffering that victims of Leukemia & Lymphoma have gone through.  This cause is worth every single mile and I truly believe that every mile I finish, is another mile supporting the cause.

Training: I never missed a long run (except one day when I had my qualifying race) and by text  book standards, I am physically ready.

The Team: TNT has been utterly amazing.  I've made so many wonderful friends and been so inspired by all of you.  Special thanks to Coach Charlie, Mickey, my injured Jess, and Caitlin Brown.  Special shout-outs to Capt. Scott, Sarah 'Sprinkles', Fun Sam, Laura who I convinced to switch to a full-marathon and is doing it SO WELL(!), Barry 'Big Bird' Miller, Joe/Capt.America/Jedi, Margo, all the water-stop volunteers, and the rest of the wonderful, WONDERFUL TNTers. Go Team!

Family: my parents, sister, grandparents, multiple aunts, uncles, & cousins  - they are just always so awesome and I am very blessed.

Friends: my friends are the sh*t.  They haven't tempted me too much to go out on Fridays and understand when I'm being lame.  They've donated, come to events, ran with me on some mornings, and give overall support.  Thank you all.  Special thanks to Joey, Francesca, Jackie, Erin & Dan Starck (who not only have ran with me in training but will run with me tomorrow), Diana, and all the rest of you. You know who you are.

SPHR: you make my work days more than bearable and can't express how much I appreciate all the support.  

The Group of 8 that's really 7: I was hesitant in joining way back in November/December when we were at that first info session at the Cleveland Park Library.  Brandon, Ashwin, Brian, Lena, Jessie, and Chris -  You are not only among my closest friends but without you guys, no way would I have ever signed up, been sober on Friday nights, complete the long runs, enjoy brunch at Fado's, finish my fundraising, dance on Saturday nights, and most of all, have FUN during this journey.  Jessie, you are going to absolutely KILL this tomorrow, and the rest of you - I am going to be your LOUDEST and MOST OBNOXIOUS cheerleader in Nashville.  Would it be corny to say that I love you?

Alright - peace and GOOD LUCK to all the National and Shamrock Runners!!

Last Run / 18 miler

Jessie and I had our last training run on Saturday.  I'm very nauseous thinking about the race Saturday but I'll write more about the EVENT later.  Brandon and Chris completed the 18 miler courageously (through various aches and pains) on Saturday while Brian and Lena killed theirs on Sunday.  Here's a photo of frost in B.Lee's hair post-run.

And here's a video clip of injured teammate (who's amazing) Jess and our equally amazing staff coordinator Caitlin.

Words of Inspiration?

Within the last couple of days, I've experienced a lot of different emotions about this upcoming race. I have been re-inspired by the cause, I have been excited about the sense of accomplishment we'll have when we finish, and I have been absolutely terrified by the distance we will be covering. Although I realize that this mix is normal -- particularly for someone who is running her first marathon -- I think I'd rather skip the butterflies and get to the starting line.

Or would I?

As I was reading through the various TNT emails of inspirational quotations today, I remembered a gift I had received my senior year of high school. Three of my track coaches had generously given me a book titled The Quotable Runner: Great Moments of Wisdom, Inspiration, Wrongheadedness, and Humor. Having tucked it away after my most recent move and totally forgotten about it until earlier this evening, I found it among the other books on my dresser. I picked it up and leafed through the table of contents. Page 173 -- The Marathon. Perhaps this would be a good place to look for some relief from the confusion.

What I found, however, was not quite what I expected. What I had expected (perhaps stupidly) was to find a plethora of quotations about how great running a marathon is ... about how awesome we'll feel when we finally cross the finish line ... about how it'll be totally worth the pain. Now, I won't say the positive vibes were totally nonexistent (I've included a few examples at the end of this post), but they certainly weren't overwhelming. Basically, the vast majority of the quotations made me realize that this race is going to hurt -- REALLY hurt. But you know what? I've realized that I'm okay with that.

I've decided that maybe the butterflies and the anticipation, the nausea and the pain, are not only parts of the package, but they're parts we should enjoy. Call me weird, but that's the realization I've come to. If it didn't hurt so badly, would we be as determined or inspired to give it our all? Maybe. But I don't think so. At least I don't think I would be. After all, I absolutely hated running the 400m during my track days. Every single race, the last 100m felt like I was running in quicksand and I couldn't breathe when I crossed the finish. Or how about going to penalty kicks at the end of a double-overtime final of a soccer tournament that marked the tenth game we'd played in 8 days? That definitely didn't feel great either. But I'm pretty sure those games and races wouldn't have been nearly as fulfilling if they had been painless and easy.

So, even though I was initially taken aback by the lack of enthusiasm in these tidbits of "wisdom" and "inspiration", I have come to terms with the fact that -- despite their negativity -- they are actually inspirational to me. Yes, we may feel like throwing up for a week before the race. And, yes, we may feel like we have been hit by a truck for days afterward. But I'm going to try to savor every bit of the experience, and I am going to be so incredibly proud of all of us when we've accomplished our goal. Heck, I'm already proud. We're doing this for a great cause. We've worked so hard to get where we are. It's going to be extremely tough, but it's going to be awesome.

Below are some of the quotations that I found in the book. I thought these were a good mix of the realistic and the optimistic. Thanks again to Coach Morris, Coach Babb, and Coach Alexander for the gift. Go Team!

"The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can't dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a marathon." --Fred Lebow

"The marathon's about being in contention over the last 10k. That's when it's about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what's left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon." --Rob de Castella

"I was unable to walk for a whole week after that, so much did the race take out of me. But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known." --Emil Zatopek's description of the Olympic Marathon win in Helsinki

Long Overdue Update

Long story short: When your body hurts for extended periods of time while you run, it's probably time to take it easy for a little bit.

I didn't heed this fairly obvious maxim and stubbornly battled through some longer runs with pain in my knee. After finally caving and visiting the doc, I found myself prescribed some arthritis medicine and 2 weeks away from running (with some skiing thrown in the mix, shhhh...)

After several months of training, almost everyone has suffered through a few aches and pains. I know Brandon was feeling a little banged up this past week. But this was the first time in a long athletic career where I'd been told to actually sit still for any period of time, where rest alone was the best antidote so I did my best to adhere.

So I put away two weeks on the sidelines and with just a pair of short test jogs during the week headed out to Reston for our 18 mile session on the W&OD trail. Wah la! With only a little dull pain in place of the sharpness I was feeling before the miles passed fairly easily until a wall hit between 15 and 17.

In the end, Brandon and I both finished everything pretty strongly although we'll be hoping our pace picks up a little bit in the weeks to come. Crystal and Jessie cleaned up their last group run before the National Marathon in couple days(!) with a now leisurely 6 miles. The rest of the crew put their miles in on their own this past weekend and from what I've heard all is moving along well.

So, back in good health I'm excited to be out on the move again with TNT and am looking forward to competing in the Shamrock Half Marathon this weekend in the company of my roommates.

I hope that everyone will be able to make it out and support Crystal, Jessie and the rest of the TNT crew this coming Saturday morning in DC for the National Marathon. You can take a peek at the course below and scout out your favorite breakfast spot (or AM pub???) to stake out and then look for the green visors as they make their way around the city and give them your loudest support!

More Photos from Spring Fling

Here are some more photos of teams from the beirut tournament.  If you want to see funnier ones... they'll be posted elsewhere. big duh.  

It's Complicated

Luke said he would rather die than be partnered with me...they didn't win a game.

Wait, You're a Jew?

[somethingsomething] Vishnu

The Gressler

Bottom of the Barrel

Flatulent Hipsters

Boca Juniors

That One Team

I forget your team names, but you guys were awesome (Ron, Lee, Sarah, Beatty, etc)

A Little Something from The Spring Fling Beirut Tournament

And YouTube hates me right now.

Team somethingsomething Vishnu speaks.

Members from the NY TNT Team on the DC TNT Team

The tournament was a huge success thanks to the enthusiasm of the 32 participating teams and the dedication of the two main organizers: Brandon "Twinkle Toes" Lee and Ashwin "All in the Hips" Advani.  Thank you everyone who came!

Here is a photo of the winners: Green Eggs and....Pam is Pregnant

Team Scissor Me Silly starring our very own Ashwin Advani was the respectable runners-up. 

The other TNT teams fought a good fight with Eph.U not making it out of group stage but had awesome t-shirts with illustrations.

Team Ebony and Ivory starring Jessie made it to the second round and Team American Jedi consisting of myself and Joe (Jedi/Captain America) made it to the quarterfinals.  I was happy that I was finally better than Jedi at something, made the "side cup" beating a team 6-0 (I'm sorry - I can't help it, it was unintentional and it was awesome), and beating Wait, You're a Jew? in the second round. 

Interview with TC Mickey & Teammate Gretchen

For some reason YouTube won't let me post it from there but here you go.

Interview with Teammate Hannah

Barry "Big Bird" Miller wins a "Red Pin Party!"

That's right.  TC (Team Captain) Barry "Big Bird" Miller aka "Not a Real Person" bowled a strike in front of the Lucky Strike Staff when the rare red pin was in front winning a free party in the future.  I better be invited.

Thank you so much to all our friends and TNT team members  who showed up to the fundraiser.  Enjoy a few photos (or check out more on our flickr page).  And yes, Shwinny DID SHAVE!

In addition, about 2 weeks ago, TNT alum, photographer Charles Outcalt came to take amazing photos of the team.  Click here to take a look.

Bowling for a Cause

Tonight we will be hosting a fundraising event at Lucky Strike in Chinatown from ~5:00 pm till Midnight.  20% of the profits (with flyer) will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  

Scheduled Events/Competitions for tonight:

• Bowling Competition: Coach Charlie vs. Brandon "Twinkle Toes" Lee and Ashwin "All in the Hips" Advani
  
• Dance-Off: Sarah "Dancing in the Dark, Wearing my Sunglasses at Night" Ness vs. Lauren "Don't Make me Pull the Shopping-Cart Move on You" Seck
• Walk-Off: Brian "Cooking Chicken Tikka Masala" Limperopulos vs. Barry "Big Bird" Miller
• The Tofu-Dog-Off has been suspended because the two competitors will be competing as partners in this Saturday's Spring Fling Beirut Tournament and must keep morale up.  Stay tuned for results for this future fund-raising event.

Reminder: There is a dress code and please bring this flyer with you.  See you all tonight!

Post 20/16 Miler

I'm not gonna lie.... a lot of yesterday was not fun.  As Jessie wrote, she and I ran 20 miles with the other full National/Shamrock Marathoners.  I dreaded running out in Reston on a 'boring' trail but actually it was not that bad.  I just zoned out most of the time and eagerly looked for each .5 mile marker.  

They say before your 20-miler, you should write down and do as close as possible everything you would do for actual race day.  I have established a good Friday night routine of eating a lot of pasta and sleeping early as well as a solid morning routine.  I brought 3-4 packs of gu, filled my water bottle, taped my arch, took ibuprofen (despite I was told last week I would die), body glided myself (every week my body finds a new place to chafe so on race day I will body glide my ENTIRE body), wore clothes I would wear on race day (except the purple jersey and shorts), loosened up my muscles, and generally tried to calm my nerves.  

Before our run, we had some TNT people share Mission Moments and personal stories.  I was humbled and reminded again the amazing cause behind this mission of ours.  Cancer does not discriminate and every mile we run and every cent we raise is rallying to save more people from this enemy.

The actual run was an experience.  Thank goodness for the TNT crew.  All 3 teams came to Reston (DC, VA, and MD teams) so there were plenty of white shirts and neon green visors on the trail encouraging one another.  There were also 3 water stops (thank you water stop people!!) and coaches along the way telling us that we could do it.  Stamina wise, I felt great at the end.  My legs, however, were another story.  It took about 2-3 miles for everything to loosen up.  By mile 12 they were already tired and I hit my first block around mile 13/14.  I then hit my second block around mile 17/18.  By mile 19 I started picking up my pace and on mile 19.5 I just ran.  I wanted to finish so badly but man, those last .5 miles felt forever!  I was too tired at the end to be elated but I was more glad than anything to be welcomed by dozens of teammates who all cheered when I came back.  Thank you everyone (team members, family, friends) for ALL the amazing support.  I'm looking forward to tapering the next few weeks.  I never thought I would be relieved and think "YES. Next week is ONLY TEN MILES!!"  Only 3 weeks till 26.2 will be demolished.  Keep checking up on us as Jessie and I taper and the rest of the crew do their 18-20 mile runs.  Much love.

It's a Wing-Off

This past Thursday, one of our Team Captains, Mickey, hosted a Wing-Off at Nanny O'Briens.  Without much surprise, Captain America, a.k.a. Jedi took the gold medal with Coach Charlie coming in a respectable second place.  Mickey fell to third and Barry....well he finished dead last (despite wearing a "I'm a big deal" t-shirt).  Margo and the other ladies finished with a strong showing!  Here are some photos and a video clip from the event.  Sorry for all the background noise in the video.