If Diddy Did It... So Can We

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

2009-09-11T10:41:00.007-04:00

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)

2009-07-23T09:39:00.020-04:00

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)

2009-07-06T10:53:00.019-04:00

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."

2009-06-19T15:20:00.007-04:00

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

2009-05-19T21:51:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-24T23:13:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-04-21T12:18:00.003-04:00

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

2009-04-14T17:35:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-31T13:43:00.009-04:00

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."

2009-03-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-03-24T10:20:00.004-04:00

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.

2009-03-20T11:08:00.009-04:00

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

2009-03-17T22:12:00.007-04:00

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?

2009-03-17T00:56:00.000-04:00

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

2009-03-16T21:55:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-10T21:33:00.014-04:00

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

2009-03-10T20:59:00.008-04:00

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

2009-03-10T20:07:00.002-04:00

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

Interview with Teammate Hannah

2009-03-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-06T20:39:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-05T11:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-01T12:51:00.006-05:00

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

2009-03-01T12:44:00.002-05:00

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.

One week closer ...

2009-02-28T20:49:00.003-05:00

I'll be honest, I'm pretty tired! This morning we had another run in Reston, Virginia on the W & OD Trail -- a far cry from last weekend's run through the city. Despite not being too psyched about the prospect of running in Reston again, I found this run to be more pleasant than our 14-mile run a couple weeks ago. The Country Music kids did 16 miles while Crystal and I joined our National Marathon teammates for our first 20-miler ever! Everyone did a great job :-). (We missed having Brandon and Chris with us -- apparently skiing was a more attractive alternative.) And aside from being tired and sore, I think we escaped without any major injuries.

I'm beginning to get nervous and excited about the big day. It's less than three weeks away now! (Well, at least for two of us.) Running with TNT has been an awesome experience. As I said to someone at the beginning of our marathon training, these morning runs have been the most fun I've had at 8am on a Saturday in a looong time. And that's saying something considering how far we've been running! The energy and positive attitudes that people exude are refreshing, and I'm so happy to be a part of this great cause.

This morning there were quite a few mission moments shared, all of which were very touching. I'll admit that I'm often freezing during these talks prior to our run (I know, I could wear pants ... I'm not complaining), but they're a good reminder of what we're running and raising money for. Thinking about those individuals who are battling blood cancer while I'm running often keeps me going. Today I was hurting pretty badly around 15 miles, and the thought of having to turn around to run another 5 to the finish was ... well, less than attractive. But I thought back to the stories we heard this morning, and I realized that I was lucky to even have the opportunity to run 20 miles. Some people never have that chance. And the pain and exhaustion I feel is probably nothing compared to what those individuals have to endure.

We can do this, guys!! We're almost there!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us - we couldn't do this without you.

Yee-Haw!

2009-02-22T15:54:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, like Chris said, we had our run on the National Mall. I broke my record in distance, running 16 miles (as did Jessie). Imagine running the loop 4 times---- I actually thought I was on my 2nd loop on my 3rd loop so that was actually a nice surprise! Thank you to Coach Charlie and Coach John Park who ran with me parts of the way and much thanks to team members/volunteers Jess who unfortunately has a stress fracture and is unable to run for a little while and Mary who kept the water station opened for me till my last loop.

Last night, we had our fundraiser at Cowboy Cafe. Thank you to TNT members who came to support the group and our friends from DC and Arlington who showed up as well! And of course many thanks to Cowboy Cafe's owners and staff. Enjoy some photos from the night! Oh, and one of our Team Captains, Mickey is having a happy hour and Wing-Off at Nanny O'Briens on Thursday. Please come out after work if you can!

Hitting the National Mall

2009-02-21T16:22:00.007-05:00

Our first run as a group divided (Crystal and Jessie putting in 16 miles for the National Marathon) and the rest of us dropping back down to 10 miles for a couple laps around the National Mall on a beautiful, sunny morning.

After 14 miles on a winding trail through suburbia last week, the jog around DC was a welcome change. Each trip up and down the Mall, from the base of the Capitol up to the Lincoln Memorial, accounted for just about 4 miles. Most of us agreed that knowing distance wise where we were at in our run made a world of difference mentally.

This is not as bad as it looks. We were all in good spirits and feeling great afterwards. Even the girls that battled through 16 miles!

Luckily no one's heart exploded from having too much Advil before the run as our pre-run training talk warned us might happen. Unless a couple of us are biological exceptions, the warning may have been a bit of an exaggeration. The only side effects appeared to be from excess consumption of energy gel, which are known to contain OMG energy.

After resting up this afternoon we're looking forward to a great night at Cowboy Cafe in Arlington where our group will be hosting a fundraising event. Come on out and get your party on with some live music and drink/food specials while supporting a great cause. We look forward to seeing everyone out there!

Post-Run Party Time this Saturday at Cowboy Cafe

2009-02-18T20:05:00.006-05:00

Planning to party this weekend? Want to support a great cause while you're at it? Then join the seven of us this Saturday night at the Cowboy Cafe in Arlington where we'll be fund raising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

We're running in the morning but will be ready to party at 7 pm until they boot us out the door. There will be live music (details to come but I'm sure they rock), and a $10 donation gets you beer specials and half off appetizers all night. I also hear they have Nintendo Wii so you can get your Fitness on.

Stop by the Facebook page and let us know you're coming or drop a comment with any questions you might have. See you all out there!

Details:

Cowboy Cafe
4792 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207

*If you are taking the Metro, it's just over a mile from Ballston but not walkable unless you're in for a trek. I'd cab it or hit one of us up and we might be able to hook a ride.

It's a Switch-up!

2009-02-16T16:40:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I have an update for everyone. I was having trouble recommitting to the Nashville Country Music Marathon. For those who do not know, I work full-time, do an additional internship, and am enrolled in a masters program. This is my 7th straight semester of grad school and my goal is to finish this spring! Unfortunately, the Country Music Marathon is right around finals time and until then, I could not find myself committing to hardcore fundraising every weekend. Actually, as I'm writing this blog I'm sitting at my school library working on a paper and another assignment. The stress was increasing this past week and as you can imagine, I found myself devastated when I could not make myself sign the recommitment forms.

BUT - after talking to one of the TNT staffers - Caitlin Brown, who is awesome - I decided to just switch marathons! I will now participate in the SunTrust National Marathon right here in Washington, D.C. I will still proudly wear the purple singlet and continue training with my team as a member of Team-in-Training. This marathon required a qualifying time which I did nervously on Saturday(!) at the George Washington Birthday Classic 10-K in Alexandria, VA. The fundraising goal is not as demanding although this DOES cut my training a month short but I am more than determined to do this. The course looks awesome as it goes through almost all the familiar haunts of DC that I know so well (including right past my apartment!). It starts from RFK (where I've watched so many soccer games), through the mall (where I practically live in some of the museums), Foggy Bottom (GDubsssss), up my neighborhood and so on. I am actively recruiting friends to come watch or run parts of it with me (please let me know if you even just want to run a mile with me). I am still going to try and get ahead with finals so I can drive down with some friends to watch the Nashville marathoners.

Anyways, that's my big update. Please wish me luck with my training and the rest of my fundraising. Also, remember March 21 - come outside and cheers The Team on!!

Still Truckin with Visors, Survive Difficult Run

2009-02-15T16:18:00.004-05:00

With the team down a few members (Brandon visiting Ithaca and Crystal qualifying for the National Marathon) we set out from the 'burbs of Reston, VA for 14 miles, once again along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, donning new TNT visors.

"Block the rays!"

Unsurprisingly, many of us are carrying nagging bumps, bruises or strains with the smallest ache compounding over the now two hours spent of pounding legs against concrete.

Regardless, we all survived what was the farthest distance yet for any of us and did so while crossing over an inspirationally named stream dubbed "Difficult Run." While the pace of running usually allows for some conversation, there is plenty of time reserved for introspection. One thing I've been considering is how the course of a run feels.

I've come to decide that for me, it's a bit like the flight path of an airplane:

Warm Up and first couple miles = Take off - Hyper energized, excited for what lies ahead and burning fuel fast.

Miles 2-4 = Climb - Burned off starting adrenaline, adjusting to course and working out kinks in stride depending on how the body is feeling.

Miles 5-10 = Cruising altitude - Found stride with footsteps drowning all else out, past checking times and distance every quarter mile, refueling with water and energy gels (ewwwww)/jelly beans (mmmmm jelly beans).

Miles 11-13 = Descent - Up and down with a little turbulence dealing with a tired body, slightly re-energized by signs of the finish line although approaching final mile seems to take forever.

Mile 14 = Landing - Tired feet are landing gear waiting to touch down with the last mile disappearing faster than expected. Leg stretching, friendly faces and food await after some taxiing back to the parking lot.

Yea, it's maybe a bit of a stretch, but we all have some weird thoughts during that much running right? Feel free to share some of the ideas your brain generates along the way.

Lost In Translation on 2/7/09

2009-02-07T18:05:00.007-05:00

I think all of us who made it out to the run this morning might as well have been running through a maze. Coach Charlie spent about 10 minutes describing the route we would all run for our “12 miler.” Clearly, he didn’t take long enough to describe it - either that or we didn’t listen well enough (it was probably the latter).

Captain America led us out, but as usual, we lost sight of him before we knew it. It’s almost a good thing we weren’t following him because after he told us where he ended up running, we realized he got more lost than anyone.

I’m not exactly sure what happened to Crystal, Brian, and Ashwin, but I know that Jessie and I missed the very first left turn that we were supposed to make, and about 1/3 of the way through the run we had a moment where we just stood around looking at all the different routes we could take, and we had no idea which was right. It was like we were in the castle in Super Mario 64 and we didn’t know which door we should take. Ok, that’s a stretch, but I wanted to give a shout out to the classic N64 game.

A friendly couple walking their dogs pointed us in the “right” direction, so we went with it. We eventually realized that we made a mistake somewhere along the way, but we were on a trail, and it had mile markers, so we just kept on going...

After all was said and done, Jessie and I ran 13ish miles, and it’s unknown how far Crystal, Brian and Shwin ran, but it was probably right around the intended 12 miles.

We certainly missed Lena (who ran her 12 miles on Friday) and Chris (who ran later in the day), but we all finished and we are ready to tackle the 14 mile run next weekend. No? Too soon?

Until next time, stay classy.

Saturday Inspiration for Running Solo

2009-02-07T16:07:00.005-05:00

Steve Prefontaine is one of the few names in running I'll probably ever recognize, and today, our second journey into a double digit mile run, is one of the first times I've encountered the "guts" he's talking about above.

I missed the TNT group run this morning to coach my U9 boys (to victory!) in their indoor soccer game and ended up running our scheduled 12 miles alone. During the week we've all been putting in time on our own with distances between 4 and 6 miles. But facing twelve miles, which is absolutely the farthest I've ever gone in one span, had me struggling toward the end.

The run took me from Arlington down to the White House, up the Reflecting Pool facing the Lincoln Memorial and back across the Memorial Bridge into Virginia. The last couple miles were all uphill and probably somewhere around mile 10 I started thinking about "guts."

Both feet and my left knee were getting sore and the possibility of slowing down or walking for a bit seemed a pretty reasonable option. Who would know?

But with all my teammates already completed their training in the morning, the generosity of all those who have supported our efforts so far, and the cause we're running for, raising money to support those suffering from life taking blood cancers in my head, my legs kept moving.

Among his amazing achievements, Pre was famous for pushing himself and other runners past their imagined limits. I certainly owe him a little thanks for helping me through the end on this one and I imagine we'll all need some considerable "guts" to go more than twice as far on April 25 in Nashville.

Look for updates and probably some pictures from the rest of the group later this weekend. And as always, please considering donating to our support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

January 31, 2009

2009-02-03T22:44:00.004-05:00

Due to icy conditions, we were back at Rock Creek Park for our run on Saturday morning. For the first time in a couple of weeks, all 7 of us were able to come together in the freezing cold where Jessie still insisted in wearing shorts.

The cold weather requires performance outerwear, hats, spandex, and gloves. When someone realizes they lack any of the above, they improvise. Note: Brian and his creative substitution for missing gloves. His better half also had glove problems and wore one black glove and one white glove.

As for the Mission Moment of the Day:

I was running and reached the half-point mark which was on top of a hill. There I stopped for a minute to stretch out my hip flexor when two middle-aged men ran passed me and said hello and yelled quickly "What race is this?" I responded quickly "We're with Team-in-Training!" After a minute stretch I headed my way back down the hill and caught up with the men again. They looked at me and asked "What are you guys running again?" I explained that we were all training for various marathons or half-marathons all raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I was just about to say have a good day and run ahead but then one of the men looked at me and said "Thank you. My daughter was born with Leukemia and after months of treatment she's doing great now and living a normal, full life. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helped our family so much through everything so you are doing a great thing."

I told him that was wonderful and told him he just made my last half of the run a lot easier to finish. That encounter and the old Tai Chi (thank you Dr. Hancock) "Breathe deep. In with strength...Out with Pain" really got me through the run despite a hurt hip flexor and bad shins. This run reminded me once again why we were all doing this and of course, renewed the spirit.

Unfortunately, at brunch afterwards, the lackluster 0-0 match we watched (not surprising as it was Arsenal) reflected the moods of the "Group of 8 actually 7."

Inspiration for Running in the Snow

2009-01-27T17:57:00.000-05:00

"Dreadlocks, let me kiss your lucky egg."

Since those of us that don't have access to a treadmill are going to navigating some snow and ice over the next couple days here in DC, the following is what I'll be channeling:

Delayed Moment of Inspiration

2009-01-26T21:04:00.000-05:00

I missed posting this as our item of inspiration on Saturday when our DC Team in Training group put in 10 miles through Rock Creek Park, a distance that was the farthest most of us have ever run.

It comes from Steve Bell, one of two soccer teammates from Ithaca College that were in town last weekend visiting for the inauguration and attended our Inaugural Ball.

Steve was born with cystic fibrosis, but didn't let it keep him from playing four years as a standout defender with IC soccer or completing the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon last Spring.

Given the physical strains of CF, Steve completing a marathon is more than anything a testament to tremendous personal strength and spirit. While I'm struggling through mile 21, Steve's has battle through far worse will be one thing pushing me forward.

Steve's achievement also showcases the power emerging medical research has to dramatically improve people's livelihood. His story gives me belief that the money we're raising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is going toward science that will one day save lives.

If you're inspired by Steve's story, please also take a moment to visit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and consider participating in one of its Great Strides fund raising events.

The Big Guy is Back!

2009-01-25T14:21:00.001-05:00

After a few weeks back, the "Big Guy" is back! He is instructed by a doctor before the run to maybe spend more time with our good friend, Dan Faigus.

In One Word...

2009-01-25T14:15:00.003-05:00

After our run, the 6 of us decided to visit a familiar place, Fado, to watch the FA Cup and eat some hearty brunch. Enjoy the photos and videos during brunch.

6 + Lady GaGa in a Car

2009-01-25T14:12:00.001-05:00

I'm sure all of you can guess where our favorite place is to be besides on the running trail. Here is 6 of us crammed into Chris's car onto our next destination post-run.

Introducing Coach Charlie [HOW-DEE]

2009-01-25T14:09:00.001-05:00

Here is Coach Charlie!! He is the DC Team-in-Training coach and has done multiple marathons and one ultra-marathon. He has coached over a thousand runners and is truly awesome. He has finally figured out that our group of 8 is really a group of 7.

A Silent Adams Morgan

2009-01-25T13:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we did our 10-miler at Rock Creek Park which is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city. Despite how fast (and they were really fast) Chris, Jessie, and Brandon were, they could not keep up with "Captain America" and "Goggles" who were just superhuman fast - especially "Captain America" aka "USA."

The night before we did a sober night with a few other friends playing Mario Kart and Cranium. My team consisting of Brandon, Jessie, and Chris did not win and I blame it on their lack of knowledge of one of the most famous musical pieces ever in the world. Can you guess what that piece of composition is?

And just to give everyone an idea how early we get up on Saturday mornings, here is a rare footage of a very quiet Adams Morgan.

Celebrating Obama, Supporting LLS [Update]

2009-01-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

Saturday night some gracious friends (many, many, MANY thanks Joey and Fran) hosted an "Inaugural Ball" with proceeds from the door going to our fund raising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The mood was great, there were some seriously impressive dance moves on display late into the evening and the turnout was better than we could have imagined especially on such a chilly night.

The big guy made it:

Everyone was lookin sharp:

We filled the house:

We all want to extend a MASSIVE thank you to everyone that attended and to those that helped make the event such a success. While having a blast with the likeness of newly inducted President Obama looking on, you helped us raise ~~more than $1,300~~ almost $1,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in one short evening.

More running updates and inspiration on the way. Until next time, enjoy the video below and as always, if you'd like to donate to our cause fund raising links are on the right side of the page.

Moment of Inspiration for a Frozen Day

2009-01-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

"At that point, I knew what had happened. I knew my leg was broken pretty badly. And I knew I couldn't get up again. So I started crawling."

Courtesy of Jessie: the story of a high school runner who broke her leg in multiple places 45 feet from the finish line of the Ohio state cross country championship and still finished the race.

*I couldn't get the video to work, but I imagine it might be kind of brutal. Just a heads up.

...

What Markwardt saw in the video might not be visible to the rest of us. She saw a teenage girl who, a year earlier, watched the state meet from the stands and made a personal commitment to run in that race in her senior year. She saw a girl who fulfilled that commitment, and then, with a badly broken leg 45 feet from the finish line, had a choice: Finish, or don't finish.
To her, it was a no-brainer.

...

For the full story.

Lean on Me and I'm Hungry

2009-01-17T12:40:00.001-05:00

I stealthily snuck a videoclip of BLee and Limpo enjoying Bill Withers and Brian expressed how our stomachs feel after a long run.

Thoughts after a Very Cold Run

2009-01-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

Here is a photo of Brian after the run and video to go along with it.

Frost Everywhere

2009-01-17T11:57:00.001-05:00

Today, January 17, 2009, was our 8 mile run at Fletcher Boat House in Georgetown. We actually ran into Montgomery County, Maryland on a nice, pretty trail. According to Weather Underground at 7 am it was 9 degrees and at 10 am it was 14 degrees, not including wind chill. We started running a little after 8 am till about 9 am. Literally, I never saw my unfrozen water freeze while running and all our hair turned gray with frost. It was really cold.

This morning, the group consisted of Chris, Jessie, Brandon (back from skiing), Brian, and myself. Lena ran 8.7 miles yesterday on her own and Ashwin is still not back in DC. However, we missed them both. Here's a video expressing some love for the "Big Guy."

Inspiration? We Haz It

2009-01-14T00:10:00.001-05:00

Going to try some new strategies to keep myself regularly updating this little guy... So, on any training day for myself (or any of the other contributors if they feel so inclined) I'm going to post a quick little something for inspiration. A quote, a video, or maybe just a picture. Maybe running related but most likely not. Just something that makes us keep going when it starts to hurt.

So for me, with only slight apologies to the Gunners of the group, here is something to start with:

"Give yourselves the chance to be heroes."

What inspires you?

A Brief Introduction - Lena

2009-01-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

Five things about Lena Feldman:

On joining Team in Training: I always considered running a marathon, but only wanted to do it if I had a great group and some live music to get me through. Although I'm not a huge country music fan, I definitely think it will be a good time!

On training habits: I like training the most in the mornings, but I find it easier training in the afternoons. In my headphones while I run I've got anything that will pump me up: Rihanna, JT, Fergie, Beyonce, Madonna... It just has to be fast-paced and fun!

On running experience: My longest run before this was a 10k. My biggest hurdle to training is my crazy schedule in the spring with classes, working, and internships... yikes!

On goals: Finishing in under five hours. It's my first marathon though, so as long as I cross the finish line, I'll be happy!

On stuffed animals: My favorite: Hyacinth. It's a ballerina hippo.

Lena will be spending much of her little free time figuring out how to beat Brian (see photo above) to the finish line and avoiding sneak attack signs of friendly affection (see photo below).

5K post-run

2009-01-12T23:30:00.001-05:00

soon after our first run. Now all the videos are updated on the youtube channel and photos are all added onto Flickr. Sorry for going back in time a little - I've been a little busy lately. But hey, better late than never.

Easy Night

2009-01-12T23:29:00.003-05:00

This was taken the Friday night before Christmas/before Week 2 of running.

Schwinta Claus

2009-01-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

This was taken the Saturday night before Christmas.

January 10, 2009 - Video C

2009-01-12T22:36:00.003-05:00

Chris and Jessie post-run thoughts. Coming soon...more runner bios from Lena and Ashwin. We will probably never get a bio for Brian up.

January 10, 2009 - Video B

2009-01-12T22:36:00.001-05:00

Lena and Brian post-run thoughts.

January 10, 2009 - Video A

2009-01-12T22:35:00.001-05:00

This is Lena before the run.

Happy Hour and Hills

2009-01-12T21:26:00.000-05:00

As people returned to DC, we had a pretty good week with Team-in-Training. This past Thursday, a few of us met up with our captains and other runners at Rocket Bar for happy hour.

Brian, Ashwin, Brandon, Jessie, and myself are part of Scott's team. This is a picture of Scott with a few of us. Lena and Chris are on Captain Sarah's team.

Barry, another captain or coach just sent us an email today about another happy hour. Under the WHY section he writes To quote a certain teammate of ours: "I like to run and all, but I like beer a lot more!" I'm wondering if that was referencing one of us....

Saturday we had our 6 mile run. It was a hilly, cold run along the Custis Trail and WOD Trail in Virginia. While Brandon and Shwin were away (we missed you guys - glad you're back!), Jessie and Chris ran a solid 8 minute pace while Lena, Brian, and I finished with a 9 minute pace. Brian and I enjoyed the hills while the rest of the group didn't share the exact same sentiments. Brian also won a fan out of Captain Sarah.....that was a joke.

After the run was the Honored Teammates' Picnic. With food in our bellies, we listened to the three honored teammates about their battles with various blood cancers and how Team-in-Training has taken value in their lives today. Here's a photo of one of the honored teammates who sat right next to us and whose two sons are absolutely adorable. The picnic was great in that it reminded us once again why we're really running this marathon and raising money.

I'll post a few videos on the next post. I still haven't figure out how to do it on the same post. I hope to see many of you at the Inaugural Ball on Saturday that our good friend and my old roommate Joey and Francesca are throwing to celebrate our new President Elect and to help raise money for our cause. Happy Inauguration Week!

January 3, 2009

2009-01-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

Here was my attempt to partake in some filming action this morning. Till next time~

Happy New Year - Helllooooo 2009!!

2009-01-03T12:19:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends and Supporters,

This is my first blogpost ever in life but here I go. First of all, Happy New Year! I think my number one resolution for the new year is to succeed in this marathon. I was the lone ranger who met up with the Team-in-Training crew at the mall today. Coach Charlie, Captain Scott, and others missed the "Group of 8 (that's really 7)" but I assured them everyone would be back next week. Brian and Lena are in sunny Florida, Brandon is skiing in Montana/ Wyoming/ somewhere around there, Chris is in frigid Boston, and Jessie is down in Atlanta. That left me and Ashwin in DC but Ashwin decided to run in the afternoon today. So, I recruited my friend Erin to run with me this morning and it was actually my favorite run thus far. Here's a quick pic of a Erin who is a great example of one of our many friends who are supporting us wholeheartedly.

The weather was a little chilly but perfect to run in, the city was sunny and beautiful, and running along the mall passing the museums, monuments, reflection pool - it is truly breathtaking. As a pretty longtime DC resident, you take the city for granted today but running today without tourists and school groups everywhere made it really enjoyable.

Erin was also an awesome friend by proposing brilliantly to play the geography game while running. I was impressed at how many places we named that began with the letter 'A.'

I'm looking forward in having everyone back from holiday and upping the miles starting next week. Thank you everyone for the support so far! xx.

How Bout Those New Shoes

2008-12-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Over the past week we've met several more team members as well as heard from some of our holiday travelers.

Now it's my turn as I'm off to Boston this evening for a few days to celebrate passing into the New Year (woooooo party). My ratty old running shoes are long gone and my new pair is taking up valuable carry on luggage space.

I'm hoping to get two training sessions in since I'll be missing our group run this coming Saturday although I'm thinking it may be a bit ambitious.

Last weekend a number of us got brand spankin new kicks but I've been hearing mixed reviews thus far. I took mine for a longer run over about 6 miles as a trial and while about halfway my feet were feeling a bit foreign, by the end things were pretty comfy.

Others haven't been so lucky. Both Brandon and Ashwin have come up against tight leg muscles and shin splints they weren't experiencing with their older shoes. We have varying theories on what might be the cause but I imagine a few more miles to break them in is all that's needed.

So aside from the obvious trial of running a marathon and the purging of aging running equipment, there a few smaller running related goals I have for the coming year.

One will actually be finishing well in my first competition of the year, as I'm joining my roommates in the half-marathon portion of the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach this March. To make a strong time, I'm learning better pace myself during training. Also, as I'm writing this in Reagan airport staring at a McDonald's, I'm hoping that training for the marathon will help me eat better (Taco Bell excepted).

So, any goals for the New Year? Tips on breaking in new shoes? Eating tips? Feel free to share them below.

I'll try to update with some photos from running in Boston - in the meantime check out some of the photos from last weekend on our Flickr page - and I hope that everyone has a happy New Year!

A Brief Introduction - Jessie

2008-12-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

Five things about Jessie Walsh:

On joining Team in Training: I've always wanted to run a marathon, and running with TNT to support LLS seemed like a great excuse to do so. It's pretty nice to be able to accomplish one of my goals while raising money for a great cause.

On training habits: I train all times of the day, but long runs (with and without the team) are definitely going to be in the morning. Have to get used to waking up early and running! I'm going to try to run without listening to music when I train because we can't have headphones on during the marathon, but ordinarily I have my Ipod playing quite a weird mix of artists (Ben Folds, Girl Talk, Gavin Degraw, Gnarls Barkley, Hellogoodbye, John Mayer, Rihanna, Talib Kweli, and Gomez to name a few). My only requirement is that it's got to be fast... slow songs are a major downer.

On running experience: I've run two half marathons but didn't really train that much for them. I'd like to think that I'm fit, but running this marathon is definitely going to be a challenge. I don't like losing and I don't like quitting.

On goals: Run as much of it as possible and not destroy my knees in the process. An 8 min/mile pace would be nice, so I guess that would put me at about 3.5 hours? Not sure what the chances of that are, so i'll say under 4 hours.

On challenges: Fundraising, but if you mean the physical act of training, then I'd say not having my knee quit working. It doesn't seem to like me, but I'd say it has good reason.

Jessie will also need to work on practicing safe driving habits and learning that snowmen are typically composed of 3 distinct body parts.

Jessie Checks In

2008-12-26T17:08:00.000-05:00

I personally disapprove of the video while driving. However, here's Jessie checking in from her Saturday run while the rest of us were out in Georgetown:

*You may have noticed that clicking on the video takes you to its posting on YouTube. This is our new YouTube channel! In the future, you can follow us, watch this video, and many more to come by following the YouTube link over on the sidebar.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and New Shoes

2008-12-25T14:29:00.000-05:00

First of all, happy holidays to all - hope everyone has spent at least one relaxing day with family or friends. We have embarked on a tough stretch for our team, a lot of people have left the DC area to visit family and take a vacation, thus truly putting the onus on us (is that even possible to say, "onus on us") to make our runs and be responsible. Many of us were really excited to put on our new shoes and find out if our investments would pan out in our favor...

It's probably too early to tell, but I followed up my best run of the season (from Saturday) with a very disappointing run. Shin splints ruined mile 2 to a walking pace, though I somehow finished the last mile running pretty well, I was not happy with my effort despite the ability to brave the New England weather for a nice run. My knees are bothering me, I've probably eaten too many of mom's cookies in the past two days, but I'm hoping that the next run will work out better. All in all, I hope the rest of my team has fared better, been responsible and are enjoying their vacations.

A Brief Introduction - Crystal

2008-12-23T16:13:00.000-05:00

Five things about Crystal Hahn:

On joining Team in Training: Conquering a marathon has always been a goal of mine but I never expected to do it so soon. Also, I've personally known victims of blood cancers and if I can help contribute to stopping this disease from hurting more people, how could i say no?

On training habits: Evenings or nights for me. I hate working out in the morning. When I'm at the gym, I like to watch BET (106th and Park - no joke). When working out I prefer techno or hip hop. It pumps me up.

On running experience: I've always been a gym rat but never a runner. I've been seeing a knee specialist since high school, which will be one of my biggest battles but I think I'm extremely healthy mentally. Brian and Lena like to call me a machine.

On goals: My biggest goal is to just finish the marathon. I think people forget how big of an accomplishment finishing is in itself, but if I had to put a goal down, I would say under 5 hours or under Oprah's time (4:29:20).

On stuffed animals: I've had a pink Carebear (Cheer Bear) since birth that is currently still on my bed. I was a little bit of a slow talker and called it ddaattu.

Crystal's biggest challenges will be leaving ddaattu behind and not getting distracted by pretty flowers along the way.

Saturday Round 2 - Georgetown

2008-12-23T01:09:00.000-05:00

On a chilly but comfortable D.C. December morning, 6 out of 7 survived our second Saturday session with Team in Training, a four mile jaunt up the C&O Canal in Georgetown. Our seventh runner Jessie was out of town but likely ran faster and farther than the rest of us on her own.

The group, which all arrived in punctual manner after some late arrivals last week, started at the foot of M Street and headed West past the entrance to Georgetown University before doubling pack along the dirt path and finishing up at the Georgetown Running Company for a breakfast of bagels and hot chocolate.

As a group we were all extremely pleased with our efforts. Brandon and I led the group out with two others while the rest of the pack followed closely behind and finished with some gas left in the tank. One guy had running goggles on which I'm convinced give you super powers.

The highlight of the morning may have been our visit to the running store where most of us picked up some fresh kicks on discount. Dealing with some smelly bodies and feet the knowledgeable and patient staff watched us take strides to help us choose the perfect pair. My poor shoes were in particularly bad shape and have been abandoned (RIP) for the next generation of Nike.

According to our training schedule, we've all now completed a total of 17 miles over two weeks not counting any bonus work anyone might have done. Looking forward it seems like a meager distance, but the hard work has only just begun and the support and confidence of those around us has gotten us off to a strong start.

Some more things learned:

Use the potty before you leave the house. An early morning four miles in Georgetown on a muddy trail doesn't provide many options.

The city is a much different place in the early hours of a Saturday and is going to be a joy exploring over the coming months. An empty M Street is an oddly pleasing sight when it's typically jammed with cabs, shoppers and party goers in the evening.

Friday nights are going to be much more subdued as we move along. If this past one was any indication (minus two nameless individuals), they're going to involve a lot of chick flicks and Mario Kart:

Yea, Love Actually. Ashwin's fave.

For now, most of us are headed our separate ways for the holidays but will hopefully stay on course and reunite for our next Saturday session on January 3 ready for the step up into even more challenging distances.

Keep checking in, we'll have some outstanding video clips and more bio pages up shortly.

A Brief Introduction - Brandon

2008-12-19T18:40:00.000-05:00

Five things about Brandon Lee:

- On joining Team in Training: I joined TNT after my friends from high school couldn't stop talking about the program. In the back of my mind I've always wanted to run a marathon but never thought I'd convince myself to train on my own. TNT was the perfect solution for motivation and taking part in a good cause.

- On training habits: I train after work during the week, and on the weekends with TNT. I'll throw on the ipod if I'm on the treadmill but if I'm outside I usually won't listen to music. With the ipod, I usually bump some rap (biggie, bone thungs, tupac) or other random stuff (beach boys, green day, 80s party hits, etc).

- On running experience: I used to run indoor track in high school and my main event was the 600M (best time = 1:24.4). Any time I had good race in an event over 400M, I would throw up after the race (not on purpose). After one, I threw up lots of little red chunks and my coach was wondering what the hell it was. It was Twizzlers that I had eaten before the race. He looked at me like I was an idiot.

- On goals: I'd like to finish in under 4 hours, but it may be tough if the course is really hilly. Plus, I dont think I've ever gone for a run longer than 5 miles.

- On not surviving: My last meal would be the General Tso's combo (comes with pork fried rice and an egg roll) at Chopstix, located on Garth Rd. in Scarsdale, NY. I think they should rename it the General Lee's combo.

Brandon's biggest challenges will be avoiding Twizzlers and keeping his afro trimmed to avoid excess wind resistance.

This is Marathon Running... There are Rules

2008-12-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

There are several rules Team in Training institutes during their group running sessions. No iPods (tough break), no baby joggers (not a problem), and a required water bottle.

I'm wondering if the problem of finding a comfortable water carrying device could be solved by the Can Grenade.

Things got hectic this week but there is much more to come shortly including more bios, a potential Pre hair growing competition, our Saturday morning session in Georgetown and hopefully some info on our first fundraising event. Stay tuned and enjoy the stache.

A Brief Introduction - Chris

2008-12-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to post a quick few things about each of us participating in this event, so I'll take the plunge first.

Five things about me:

- Like the rest of us, I obviously viewed running a marathon as a grueling physical and mental challenge. Basically, an experience that seemed so painful I never imagined I would want to put myself through it. However, my younger sister took up cross country a few years ago and her positive experiences, a little competitive nudge from friends and the draw of aiding a great cause was too much. So off I go.

- My past running experience was mostly forced to stay fit as a soccer player. Sure, I step out and run a couple miles every so often, but the goal was always to stay in shape for the beautiful game. Running for the sake of running - not at all my idea of a fun afternoon.

- I used to hate jogging with music because it would take over my stride. Each new song changed the beat of my footsteps. Now I don't leave without my iPod and playlist of Girl Talk, Alexisonfire, Darkest Hour, RJD2 and Minus the Bear. Weird collection, I know.

- I much prefer to run at night. I've tripped over the sidewalk and nearly been hit by many a vehicle but the morning just doesn't do it for me.

- I've worn the same pair of running shoes for about 4 years. They survived a triathlon this Fall but I think it may have been their swan song. Until it warms up again, you can find me in the dinosaur hat.

Any tips for surviving this aside from a pair of "Nip Guards?" Good running tunes? Leave a note.

More from our first Saturday

2008-12-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

We are also working on creating a video diary series of our experience, but here are a few clips from this past saturday:

Let's go!

Ashwin's morning adventure

B. Lee's initial thoughts, waiting for the metro

We'll get our videos going - there's definitely more footage before the running, after the running and at our end 0f season soccer party. All in all, the first training session was positive for all of us. We had a great athlete's clinic for the first hour - learned the ins and outs of the great running products of Body Glide, Nip Guards, sexy running tights - and I know Brandon and I will be going shoe shopping this week! I will definitely be getting the free consultation from the physical therapist, but the one positive I will be taking from this first experience is that no matter how slow I was, I never quit. We have each other and its pretty beautiful. After the running, the seven of us headed to opened Union Jacks to watch some Premier League and at the end of our meal, no plate was left behind (read: we cleaned house on our meals). I'm looking forward to the rest of the trainings in December and our first group fund raising effort will be held at our friend's Christmas party on Saturday night (906 T Street).

Off We Go - First Saturday Team in Training Session

2008-12-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

First of all, welcome. This is post number one to the "If Diddy Did It..." blog that will tell the story of seven friends (Ashwin, Brandon, Jessie, Brian, Lena, Crystal and Chris) training and fundraising for our first marathon.

What you'll find will hopefully be a regularly updated account of our training, fundraising efforts and thoughts along the way as we prepare for the Nashville Country Music Marathon on April 25, 2009t with a group from Team in Training.

For those that don't know, Team in Training is "the world's largest endurance sports training program" that raises funds in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The roots of Team in Training were established in 1988 when 38 runners raised $322,000 for the Westchester/Hudson Valley LLS Chapter.

So while we prepare our bodies to complete the marathon, we'll also each be working toward a fundraising goal of $3,000 (and hopefully more!) in support of an important cause. Team in Training provides a nice breakdown of where the funds for our running will go in the LLS's efforts to cure blood cancer.

Saturday morning at 8 AM, our group of seven fearless individuals turned out in Arlington for the first DC area Team in Training session for the spring marathon season. It was not warm. Six out of seven participants were late to the meeting. Most of us were very hungry.

Despite the adverse conditions, all of us finished our 5K timed run in under 30 minutes, with results ranging between 22 to 28 minutes. All in all, some strong first steps down the long road to 26.2 miles in April.

Training day number one taught us a few things:

The early wake up calls on Saturday are going to take some getting used to as well as more than a little self control on Friday nights usually reserved for some stress busting beverages after a long week of work or school. As the training gets more intense, a rested body is going to be crucial.

Grabbing a snack before a long run is vital. Banana, toast, something. For me, it ended up being some chocolate and caramel Chex Mix from the vending machine after I ran out the door empty handed. Being low on fuel or thinking about a growling stomach is going to make some already tough running that much more difficult.

We're going to make some great friends along the way. The group of strangers jogging through Arlington hours before we'd usually be awake on a Saturday were all enthusiastic, friendly and supportive.

That's all for now. Look for personal profiles on our runners in the coming weeks. Note: There are links to the fundraising pages for each of us on the sidebar of this site. If you're feeling inspired after reading about our training please contribute to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through one of our donation pages.

Hopefully after runs we'll start seeing less of this

and more of this