Today was a bit of a tough run mentally for everyone. It was warm, and the out-and- back route we ran was uphill all the way back. No wimps, though! I ran the first 5.75 miles with Ernie. I only needed to go 8 miles total, but I've been logging extra mileage because I can, and Becca was pouring water and playing tunes at the second water stop, so I had to make it to her table! She's my fellow spring team and San Diego race alum, not to mention longtime friend. :-)
Mom and Dad dropped by after the run and just before the team potluck. They saw a few familiar faces, and I introduced them to a few of my new teammates. They probably won't get to do a water stop this season just due to the way timing is working out, so I wanted them to get to at least one of my runs. Thanks, guys!
The potluck following our run was in honor of our team and personal honorees. They are such phenomenal individuals -- true pillars of strength and models of inspiration. They've endured surgeries, rounds of chemo, recovery followed by setbacks, and yet they persevere and view each day as a glorious gift. It really helps give me perspective, and it makes me so glad that I can do something to help them and others like them who are going through treatment. I'm so proud of the fact that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society consistently gives 75% of all funds raised to research and patient care.
One of my teammates, Lynsey, brought her personal honoree, Laura Warren! No kidding. Gary knew her last name was the same as my maiden name, so he introduced us. It's really a crazy small world. And Laura is truly an amazing individual. She really might be superwoman. She survived Hodgkins Lymphoma as a teenager and a recurrence just after college only to get breast cancer about 20 years later, which was manifested itself as a result of the treatment she had received for Hodgkins. She endured treatment for breast cancer once, and now it's back. She just finished her last round of chemotherapy about a month ago and goes in for a full-body scan on Monday to see if all the cancer is gone. Let's hope so!
You'd think so much cancer would be a burden, but no! Laura hasn't let it slow her down. She's particpated in I can't remember how many marathons with TNT -- one about a month after one of her chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer! She's also done two hikes with Hike for Discovery, among other TNT events. We should all be so blessed to meet people like Laura, let alone find out they're our "twin"!
I had an awesome run today! It was super warm (70 degrees at 8am and probably into the 90s by the time we finished), so I have no idea how I didn't melt. The half-marathoners were scheduled to go 7 miles, and the full marathoners 10. I've been trying to follow the full marathon schedule (even though I'm 90% sure I'll "only" run the half in San Antonio), but I didn't know when we started running whether I'd be up for 10 miles or not, so I left it to a game-time decision.
I had a nice little mini-group around me on the trail: Gary and Russ in front, and Kelsie and Ernie just behind. It was wonderful to run with so many people! Kelsie was a trooper -- Ernie, Gary, and Russ are usually much faster than me, and we were all averaging less than a 10 minute/mile pace! Not too shabby. Plus, it was one of the longest (if not the longest) runs Kelsie's ever done!
I tried Cytomax at the first water stop -- the "drink of choice" for the San Antonio marathon. Ugh! Talk about disgusting. It tasted like super sweet syrup and looked unnaturally electric pink. Why companies try to out-do Gatorade, I'll never figure out. They should just leave well enough alone.
Anyway, at the end of our 7+ mile loop, I decided to continue on with Ernie, and Russ joined us for a few more miles. I have no idea how I ended up out in front of them, but I was pushing the pace for most of the remaining distance. And, at the end, as Ernie and Russ started to kick it up, I just turned on after burners I didn't even know I had and yelled over my shoulder, "Come on boys!" I smoked 'em! Well, that's an exaggeration, but I did beat them! Maybe 1 in 10 times I can do that. Amazing! I finished the 10 miles in 98 minutes, and I could probably subtract 4 or 5 minutes off that time for resting at the water stops. Yahoo!
I've tried to think back to what I did differently that made this run so good, and I can't figure it out! I ate too much food last night at Mom & Dad's (somehow two small bowls of lowfat ice cream seemed like a good idea). I ate the same breakfast I always consume before Saturday runs: coffee (half caf) with almond milk and half a PowerBar. I ran with my CamelBack instead of my hand-held water bottle and filled it with PowerBar electrolyte drink mix; maybe that helped? I didn't eat any goos along the run; in fact, the only thing I consumed were pretzels at the water stops (they're just sooooo good!).
Oh, there was that 4.something earthquake last night. Maybe I need a good rumbler to make my legs move -- ha! Actually, I ran quite well late last spring on the Livermore run when it was really hot outside. Maybe I do better in the heat!? Guess I better order up a hot day come November 16.
Tonight's buddy run at Heather Farms was a challenge! It was still in the 90-degree range (according to my car's thermometer) at 6:30pm. Yowsers! The ice I had put in my water bottle before leaving the house was already melted when I met up with the team. But Team In Training has a motto: NO WIMPS!
I was impressed with everyone who showed up to run -- there were 20 of us. No one melted down, and everyone had a good attitude about being out there in the heat. I ran for 40 minutes -- an even split of 20 minutes each way. My water was gone before the end of the run. The fact that it was lukewarm didn't stop me in the slightest from chugging it down.
I haven't had a consistent running buddy or group of buddies yet this season. At first it was strange since I was used to my core group of gals from the spring team (who I miss, dearly, and am seeing for dinner next week -- Yahoo!). But it's actually been fun running with different people. I've logged miles with Julie, who's doing extra weekly distance so she can run the Nike full marathon in mid-October. I've also run with Kelsie, a friend of Andrea's (who was on my team last season and is now a mentor), and "Coach" Gary, who's actually just a participant this fall -- it's his 10th year doing TNT!
Tonight I ran most of the way with Kyle. He's a Michiganite who moved to the Bay Area about a year ago with his longtime sweetheart, Clara. Clara's actually the one that got him and their friends, Sara and Don (also a couple from Michigan), to join TNT. The four of them are lots of fun; they seem to have really taken to the Bay Area.
After my run, I headed straight to my in-laws to see Shannon (my sister-in-law) and the boys. They flew in today for Labor Day weekend. Those boys have more energy than they know what to do with! Course, after being couped up on a plane all day, I might, too! If I could just harness that energy and use it during my races, I'd be set!
Today was a bit of a tough run mentally for everyone. It was warm, and the out-and- back route we ran was uphill all the way back. No wimps, though! I ran the first 5.75 miles with Ernie. I only needed to go 8 miles total, but I've been logging extra mileage because I can, and Becca was pouring water and playing tunes at the second water stop, so I had to make it to her table! She's my fellow spring team and San Diego race alum, not to mention longtime friend. :-) 
Mom and Dad dropped by after the run and just before the team potluck. They saw a few familiar faces, and I introduced them to a few of my new teammates. They probably won't get to do a water stop this season just due to the way timing is working out, so I wanted them to get to at least one of my runs. Thanks, guys!
The potluck following our run was in honor of our team and personal honorees. They are such phenomenal individuals -- true pillars of strength and models of inspiration. They've endured surgeries, rounds of chemo, recovery followed by setbacks, and yet they persevere and view each day as a glorious gift. It really helps give me perspective, and it makes me so glad that I can do something to help them and others like them who are going through treatment. I'm so proud of the fact that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society consistently gives 75% of all funds raised to research and patient care.
One of my teammates, Lynsey, brought her personal honoree, Laura Warren! No kidding. Gary knew her last name was the same as my maiden name, so he introduced us. It's really a crazy small world. And Laura is truly an amazing individual. She really might be superwoman. She survived Hodgkins Lymphoma as a teenager and a recurrence just after college only to get breast cancer about 20 years later, which was manifested itself as a result of the treatment she had received for Hodgkins. She endured treatment for breast cancer once, and now it's back. She just finished her last round of chemotherapy about a month ago and goes in for a full-body scan on Monday to see if all the cancer is gone. Let's hope so!
You'd think so much cancer would be a burden, but no! Laura hasn't let it slow her down. She's particpated in I can't remember how many marathons with TNT -- one about a month after one of her chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer! She's also done two hikes with Hike for Discovery, among other TNT events. We should all be so blessed to meet people like Laura, let alone find out they're our "twin"!
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