Day 146- April 24th Race Day Tornadoes or Not here we come Part One

Here is the front of my jersey.

We had a "pimp my jersey" party the day before with the team. We had so much fun decorating our jersey and writing the names of our loved ones anywhere we could. So morning of the race, we got up at 3:30am to get ready and eat breakfast which is so important especially for marathoners. A quick recap, our team got word the day before the race that bad weather was approaching Nashville on Race Day i.e. tornadoes. Let's get real people I mean tornadoes that lift cars off of interstates (check Mississippi on April 23rd) and destroy people's houses. Our coaches and TNT staff were very calm, cool and collected about the whole thing.

They had a plan of action in case things went south. Lucky for us, they all coordinated with each other to see that we made it through our race check points on time.  They told us that there might be a chance that we would have to divert off of the course and seek shelter. I was thinking well maybe that is the worst case senerio.

After taking pictures at 4:30am jumping on the bus heading towards the start line (mind you its still dark outside), we huddle together for last bit of coach wisdom. Phrases such as "go to the bathroom now  before the lines are ridicious (Coach Alex), check your gearbag (wouldn't see that again), stretch and run your pace (Coach Joe). Since being injured, I had come to enjoy my light jogs with BSR "Big Shot Robbie; we had very similar pace. We ended up in corral 30 out of 33 not too bad. I even saw a person dressed as Moses (sorry no pictures but it was funny wig and all).

At the beginning of the race, we started with our warm up "walking mile" something that we did at every practice just to get the blood pumping. We eventually stuck to the power walking cheering on every TNTer that passed us calling them out by name. I think Robbie felt like the mayor of Nashville at some point because people were cheering for him and he would holla back at them. It was so great to have so much support on the course especially being at the very end of the pack literally. Robbie was uber special because every cheer squad on the course called him out by name-What are the chances of that happening? We did happen to pass one of our teammates, Robbie's mom Cathy, at the McDonalds. She was checking out their facilities. Later on I heard that one of our dearly beloved coaches had a mouth watering biscuit. Any takers? Coach Alex-ooppps the cat's out of the bag.

 Our first coach encounter with our coaches was around mile 3 or 4 that I can recall was with Coach Joe wearing his neon vision of course. He came up to us and asked us how we were doing and feeling. We told him that we were just enjoying the experience of the race especially all of the bands on the course. The bands were great to listen to. At this point in the race, it was about 8:30 or 9:00am and we were heading down what Robbie and I called Fraternity Row. They were outside hooting and hollaring and of course having themselves a good ole time.

I haven't mentioned that this course was full of hills-its the reason that Robbie and I took it easy later on we would find out that it was worth it. As we head into mile 7 or 8 the rain kicked in and it was heavy fat rain.  When Robbie and I hit mile 9 or 10, it hit me that I had to go to the potty and I didn't care where I went. I kept telling Robbie that going on a church lawn is sinful and probably punishable by law-there were cops everywhere on the course. It was raining, the hills weren't getting any easier and the police had started issuing weather warnings via their loud speakers on their car to be prepare to evaculate the race course. Robbie, myself, Tiffany and Coach Alex stuck together until mile 11 when we passed race officials that said you either run like crazy to make it to the finish line or be prepare to evaculate very soon.

I turned to my teammates and said "I have come too far not to cross that finish line. See ya there!" I took off running which I haven't done in a while passing people with their finishers' medals on already. Yes I know I was slow but geez. I caught up to Coach Shannon who ran with me for a few blocks and gave me those last encourage words " You are almost there!" I never thought I would be so excited to hear those words. With the rain coming down and the finish line in my sight, I started to tear up. A few weeks ago, I didn't think I would have made it with a bummed hammie and physical therapy. It was such a relief to see my teammates Pat and Cathy and then my family at the finish line waiting on me. I ran to both sides of the finish line corral to high five them all.

I've got the golden medal

Jenn, the proud mentor

The Graves' Family-We finished!

As a sidenote, none of our full marathoners completed the race. They were diverted at some point on the course. I know it was a disappointment to them but safety comes first. Here is the announcement from the race officials: http://nashville.competitor.com/results/

Day 145- April 23rd Family Surprise and a Rockin Pasta Party

I knew my family was coming to watch me cross the finish line (I think mostly because they wouldn't believe me if I did). It was such a surprise to see both of my sisters Bailey aka Aunt B and Amanda aka Momma there along with Baby Jayden and Momma & Daddie. Little punkin has grown like a weed.

I even got to see her crawl.

I kept my promise to my supporters and went totally pink for the race. Luckily my sisters and momma were there to catch all the action. My special thanks to Bailey and Amanda for their specialty in the hair color spray business. I think Bailey enjoyed this a little too much.

My hair was a little sticky so I had my stylist finish the do with the hair dryer.

And the finished look. Thanks girlies!

After my hairdo was complete, I headed downstairs for this awesome rockin pasta party that Team in Training throws before every event. Its a time to get together with all the other chapters and members of TNT and remember why we were there: our honored teammates. For me it was about remembering Mrs. Judy ZiBerna, Mr. Paul Stevens, Mr. Jim Moughon, Ms. Sheridan Pearcey, Uncle Rhea Watkins and Mrs. Barbara Maioli.

We walked in to this cheering brigade note: Coach Lauren was dressed to the nine's in her awesome cowboy hat, Coach Joe was in his strapping cowboy boots and Martin was sporting his flaming cowboy hat. It was great to see so many of our coaches there cheering us on. We headed on in to the food part which was awesome pasta pasta everywhere.

The pasta was great.

And of course dessert.

The Pasta Party definitely lived up to all of the hype that I had been hearing. I got a chance to hear John "The Penguin" Bingham, who's motto is to enjoy the experience of the race and make up a time in your head to tell people so you don't have to worry about when you are going to cross the finishline." He had a lot of great tips for beginners that are new to the racing bit. Check him out at http://www.waddle-on.com/

I think one of the things that touched me the most was to see a great many of surivivors in the crowd particularly a young girl maybe five or six years old that was proud to stand in her chair. She had really short hair and a cute dress on. It felt good to remember the reason why we were there and the reason we endured through the whole season of extreme weather because cancer sucks!

Jenn- the awesome mentor and myself

Cathy and Pat Graves

At the pasta party

Day 144- April 22nd Flying to Nashvegas

I woke super early this morning to meet the Graves Family at their house before heading to the airport. I jumped up at 3:30am brushed my chompers and hopped in the car. Traffic on 495 and 270 was a breeze but the fog was terrible. I had to stop several times on 270 to look up at the signs because their was so much fog. After 55 minutes on the road, I made to the Graves' house.

I have to admit that I was surprised to see all of them up and running that's when Cathy let me in on a secret that "Big Shot Robbie" stayed up all night instead of going to sleep. I guess you gotta do whatch ya gotta to do to be on time! After hopping in the second vehicle of the day, we made a pit stop by the 24 hour 7 Eleven (no I didn't know they were open 24 hours I guess I do now) for some cash, drinks and gum. We have to priorities. We hit the road and made it to the airport in plenty of time to check bags and go through security. The airport wasn't exactly hopping if you know what I mean.

We had so much time in fact that we had a yummy sit down breakfast at the Silver Diner (for my Georgia folks its a step up from the Waffle House). It was so nice to eggs, grits and bacon and a big glass of OJ with my TNT family. Once we finished breakfast and loaded the plane, the airline representatives made an announcement about our team being on the plane. I had such a great big smile on my face and was whooping and hollaring for my team knowing that we were about to embark on finishing touches our races and making such great strides towards a cure for blood cancers.

I had a great flight; I sat next to Coach Jack Hughes from Virginia. It was nice to talk with someone about the mechanics of running and how it impacts your body (if anyone needs help with your stride go see Coach Jack). The flight was short and that was nice because we had to get down to business: going to the race expo and eating some barbarque. We had an early lunch at Jack's King BBQ. I enjoyed the experience eating lunch with my teammates.

Yummy yummy goodness

The Race Expo was awesome. The Graves' family and myself spend over 3 hours in that thing going from booth to booth trying all the sample goodies i.e. snack foods, sport drinks, back massage, taping body parts. You name it and they had it. We had absolute blast. All of the walking around made my feet sore so I headed back to the hotel for cat nap which turned into a 14 hour bear nap.  It was well deserved.

Day 142- April 20th Its the Final Countdown!!!

Want to pump yourself up for the weekend? Check out this diddy-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

My coaches have been hounding us this week to take it easy and relax. Of course, no crazy practices or training exercise; they call it the "taper." I am enjoying the tapering this week. I am still doing PT every week like clockwork. My last session before the race is tomorrow. My leg is not 100% but it pretty darn close. I am hoping that the andreline will kick in on Race Day to help me through the 13 miles. I wish there was some fairy dust to throw on my leg just for good luck sakes! Come on left hammie work with me.

I am making tons of lists to make sure I don't forget anything i.e. running gear, jelly beans, fuel belt, propel, plane ticket-the essentials is what I would call them). Anything beyond that I think I could pick up in Nashville.

I am excited about the country line dancing at the WildHorse Saloon. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JSskRTLBHM I think I will be the girls on the left sitting this one out.I just hope I don't look like the lady on the far right in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wBzUGOlCs

Ready or not Nashville here I am come!

Day 139- April 17th Last Chance Workout Good Ole 6 miler

Howdy Guys...well today was my last "official" workout with Team in Training Spring Season and wouldn't you know it I was late to this practice. In fact, it was the only practice that I was ever late too.  I got to see some of other teammates that participated in races earlier in the season and hear encouraging words from those guys.  It's nice to know that they still care about us Country Music runners.
Today's workout wasn't too difficult but boy did I enjoy those hills and of course having company is always nice. I also got a chance to have a friendly chat with my Coach Alex and he had some encouraging words to say about the race and this season. Thanks Coach!

Another tid-bit of info: I got a chance to meet my honored Teammate Ms. Sheridan Pearcey, who is fighting for her life. She is a sweet "young at heart" lady who came to visit her daughter and grandson this week. It was nice to hear that she feels like a human again. Ms. Sheridan, the race in Nashville is for you!

Go TEAM!

Day 132 April 10th George Washington has one awesome plantation

I have two weekends left until Race Day. I have to say that I am getting use to waking up early and going for a run/walk/jog with my teammates. It's nice to say that I ran 8 miles before 11am on a Saturday morning-I feel like I got something accomplished. This weekend were graced with the trail at Mount Vernon, which is where George Washington's estate was. It was a beautiful place to go for a walk with my buddies. Check out Mount Vernon's website for more information: http://www.mountvernon.org

I got a chance to run with my teammate Robbie and catch up with the latest "60 Minutes" gossip. I also got a chance to meet one of our coaches named Jack. He was talking to Robbie and myself about the Nashville course. He was encouraging yet honest about the course and the hills that will get us at the end of the race. I am totally not worried about the finish line at all-yeah right.

One thing I learned this weekend is that Mrs. Judy ZiBerna's birthday will be on Race Weekend.  Her daughter, Jenn is the reason that I started running with Team in Training. I think it is a perfect way to honor her life by running the half marathon for her. I have a lot people that I am running for on Race Day so this one is for you guys.

Day 123 Thursday April Fools Day- There's no fooling around up here

Because this weekend is Easter weekend, we have an “own our own training” but I am thinking I am going to hook up with Jenn and the wonderful Graves family for a quick jaunt around Fletcher’s boathouse in DC. It will be nice to see the Graves’ Family and to catch up with them. It’s amazing to think that after almost 5 months our training will be ending soon.

Physical therapy is still going well. I am almost finished with it. I have to admit that it has taken some dedication on my part to keep going and taking the time to do the exercises every day. I do my best to work out every day but it is starting to affect my work schedule a bit. Hopefully with the race only a few weeks away I will be able to finish up quickly.

Besides working on PT, I have also been working on my race outfit. What shorts, socks and other items will I wear on Race Day? Now this may sound trivial but I am trying to think like a road racer. I think I got the socks, shoes & fuel belt down as well  my fuel snacks during the race. The singlet will just have to work because I have to wear it. I also have a bright neon visor to wear in order to pick me out in a crowd. I am thinking to myself just look for the whitest girl in shorts and a singlet-I can't be missed. This will have to wait for another day. 

I am getting excited not only about the race but also about seeing my family. I haven't seen them since Christmas and the little "punkin" Jayden has grown like a weed.  I am excited to see the little baby and my family as well.

My very special thank you to all of my contributors in Georgia you guys are the absolute best. I am trying to think of some way to really thank you for your cards, letters and donations. I am thinking on this and will get back to this soon. Go TEAM!

Day 120 Monday March 29th Feeling Good & Eating Good

Howdy Howdy Family and Friends. My apology for not updating my blog sooner life has taken a hold of things lately. Where to begin? Well, I did 10 miles last weekend and felt really good afterwards. I was able to run most of the trek with a few walk breaks in between for comfort. I must say that it felt good to get back into the swing of things. The coaches were very encouraging even to the point to make sure we were taking our necessary water breaks and such. We were fortunate to have two coaches on bikes Coaches Jim and Joe from the Virginia Team of TNT. They are two funny characters both with good senses of humor and can make light of any situation.

I would be remised if I didn’t mention that Coaches Shannon and Alex of the Maryland Team are just as fabulous. Coaches Shannon and Alex are very generous with their time and energy. One weekend they took our entire Maryland Team out for pizza. Now pizza may not sound like too much but with a crowd of folks who are training for an endurance event: we like to eat (and eat a lot). This intense training requires calories and I am not going to deny myself or my body of the calories it needs to survive and do well. So to the doughnut holes, bananas, gummie bears and Clif Bars watch out because you are too yummy to pass up (and of course good ole carrot cake).

Thank you to Coaches Shannon and Alex for being amazing encouragers in times of weakness (when I want to give up) or times of grief (when its snowing/raining outside). If you are looking for a program to get you up off the couch and into shape and for a great cause, join Team In Training. You will make amazing friends, firm up your tush in a few short months and help support the mission of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Go TEAM!

Day 102- March 11th Left Leg is doing great; Its a go for the race

Alright so I am happy to report that I got the okay to go and do my race in April (half marathon and more of the walking than running). I didn't tell anyone earlier but I was nervous that my PT,Anu, was going to tell me to take more time off. Luckily she said that I was making progress with building my hammy back up. Every time I go back she puts the pressure to my leg and piles on the exercises. Today I felt the burn (Thanks Jenny).  If you are looking for a physical theraptist in the area, Anu at Patriot Sports Medicine is the best  http://www.physiocorp.com/facility/16104/FAIRFAX/VA/Patriot-Sports-Medicine---Fair-Ridge

Hotel reservations are a go, plane tickets are reserved, working my endurance back up to par-a work in progress...many of you know that I am an auntie to a precious a baby named Jayden. Here are some of her latest kodaks:

Her big blue eyes and adorable dimples-my precious niecee

Thank you Aunt B for her pink converses.

She is getting so big!

Day 97- March 6th Friday night pow wows & Saturday morning bagels

In preparation for our training on Saturday, Jenn, Lindsey and myself usually get together on Friday nights to unwind from the busy week and just relax with the company of each other. In all fairness Jenn reminds us that we have to go to bed early and get a great night's sleep. Sometimes its hard to do when you haven't seen your buddies in a while. I do look forward to our Friday night sleepover. For the record we have invited our teammate Robbie over but he hasn't taken us up on our offer.

To start the morning off right, we make sure we get a champion breakfast for me its all about the bagel and banana. For Lindsey and Jenn, they love their waffles with peanut butter. With breakfast down and dressed to the nines in our running gear, we make our way to the site. Its the small things that make training a joy. 

During our training sessions, our team has trained at many places but I have to say that Rock Creek Park in DC is my favorite. The park consists of more than 2,000 acres (twice that of Central Park in NYC) and has trails for bicyclists, runners/walkers, and even horses are allowed. Its hard to believe that this place exists in downtown DC. I failed to mention that many of embassys are located near this park.  If you are in the local area and want to visit this beautiful place, here is the website http://www.nps.gov/rocr/index.htm

Day 96- March 5th Fighting cancer with Calories? Help us out

My mentor Jenn was super pumped about selling doughnuts at the Bethesda Metro on a Friday morning and I was happy to join her. Jenn was nice enough to pick up the doughnuts at o dark thirty in the morning and good ole Robbie and his dad, Pat brought a table and some cash to get us through the morning.  We had a blast just chatting it up about our runs and the crazy world of men and women. I have to say that I haven't had a dull conversation with a TNTer yet. In order to attract customers our way, we had our trusty guy Robbie to do the bellowing for us "Come get your doughnuts. We're fighting leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, melanoma...all the 'omas'. " We definitely got a good laugh hear Robbie whooping and hollering. Thank you Robbie for being our megaphone.

While we were there we got to meet some past TNTers (my shout out to the attractive young man with blond hair) as well as people who have lost loved ones or have battled the terrible disease. As strange as it may sound, it is nice to hear that people are winning their battles against blood cancer but we still have a long way to go. So the next time you see a couple of folks selling doughnuts for LLS, stop by and help fight cancer with calories.

Day 94- March 3rd Smart Peeple eat Chikin

My apologies for not updating the month of March. Today, Jenn, Lindsey and myself held a fundraiser at Chick-fil-A in Chantilly near the Dulles Expo. We are so grateful to the staff at Chick-fil-A for allowing The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to come to their restaurant. We were very fortunate to have met some incredible patrons both young and old while we were there. Thank you to everyone who came to support our efforts (you know who you are).

Me, The Cow, Jenn and Lindsey

A special thank you to Mr. Peter Kim and Rebekah at the Chick-fil-A in Chantilly.

Day 90 February 27 TNT is a team sport

On this Saturday morning I woke up on my own at 6:09am (this is still early for me on a Saturday morning) got the breakfast of champions (a bagel and banana), got dressed and headed up to Reston to the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. My team was running 16 and 20 milers today. I was there for team support- I didn't want them thinking that just because I was injured that I couldn't come to practice with them. I guess that's what makes Team in Training different from other organizations-we are team sport but we have a personal connection to every one on our team, our organization and honored teammates.

I got to training site early and chatted up with the TNTers and coaches. This was another combined training with our DC, VA and walk teams. I have begun to really enjoy these practice sessions because you meet people from all over the metro area and all have a stories of why they got involved with TNT. It's also nice because you can usually find one or two people who go at your pace~ love it. On this morning, I was fortunate enough to walk with a guy named Robbie and two ladies named Jenn (my mentor) and Erica. Jenn and Erica were both on the injured list with me and Robbie was great company to the trio of ladies.

No running was done with this group rather a light jog for me and a brisk walk for them. We had great conversation  everything from the "drive by," to things that make our coaches go crazy and the beautiful complexion of Erica's face. Hey she does have a beautiful face (picture to come to show you what I mean). We also talked about our families(Steve, Erica's son and my neice Jayden) and the possibilities of future races (Watch out folks Jenn is recruiting for the Triathlon in the Fall).

This training session taught me several things: Team In Training is a team sport-Some would argue but you're running. True but you are in presence of so many others that accompany you while running, cheering you on to the water stop or draping you with Mardi Gras beads and feeding you til your heart's contend at the end. You never take another step by yourself in this program. Learning about your teammates and their story is equally as important to the training. I think its what helps the organization keep the mission alive through personal stories from survivors, caregivers, loved ones and friends~We are all in it to finding a cure for blood cancers and improving the life of patients and their families.

Go TEAM!

Day 88, February 25th- News, News, News

Okay Good News, I am about $800 away from reaching my fundraising goal and I could use your help in reaching other folks. the deadline for dying my hair is February 28th so we have got to get cracking on sending more funds my way. I do thank all of you who have contributed to the LLS mission so far but I could use a few more folks to chip in. Other news is that Anu, my physical therapist, tells me that I might be able to start running again (short distances at first) but hey its good news. Right? I am starting to feel that my goal of running 26 miles is fast approaching and I need to take off running....

And if you live in the NOVA area, please stop by at Chick-fil-a on March 3rd between 6-8pm and enjoy some yummy food. Chick-fil-a has generously offered to donate 20% of the profits to LLS. Everybody has to eat so come on out and help The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society next Wednesday. See ya there!

Day 83 February 20th Sat out training this week but was a great cheerleader

Physical therapy has taught me two things: one you better do what the PT tells you so you make progress and two don't push yourself  too soon or you  might end up with a permanent injury (thanks Jana for the encouragement). This week Anu, Physical Therapist, has asked me to stop running and do other endurance activities. I have pumped up my rowing to about 3200 meters (2 miles), cycling, ellipitical trainer and swimming. Rowing is working out the best because it doesn't bother my hamstring and it keeps me in shape. Cycling is more difficult; it tends to bother my left hip more and for some reason I seem to hit the middle bar a lot with my knees.

My mentor Jenn and I both had injuries that we are trying to work through so we thought it best to still come to practice and cheer on our teammates. It was nice to see all  TNTers of National Area Chapter out running in the 20 degree weather. While standing on the curb, Jenn and I met a man who is a psychologist in DC and works with at-risk teens. He has started a chapter of http://www.teensrundc.org/. He was a nice man and has a heart for his teens.

The shoes that will help get me across the finish line. My TNT staff contact, Amy, sent an email out to us a few weeks that encouraged us to write messages on the bottom of shoes such as "Cancer Sucks" or "Beating cancer one mile at a time." So I did:

The words on the bottom of my shoes have faded away but the meaning is still there for me. Its a friendly reminder of why I get up so early on Saturday mornings to go train.

Don't forget to vote in the hair color poll. There are only a few more days left....

Day 81 February 18th-Hamstring injury and Special Thank yous

So I wrote on here a few days ago that I had what I thought was a knee injury. Come to find out after going to see the doctor that I have a hamstring injury. I started physical therapy on Tuesday at Patriot Sports Medicine in Fairfax and I saw Anu (she a young physical therapist who definitely knows what she is doing). Anu is very nice and is legimately concerned about my well-being. On Tuesday, there was a physical therapist student named Terry observing and asking questions. After Anu did the evaluation on my left leg, this is what she diagnosed me with: my hips were out of alignment, my left IT band was very tight, my left hamstring was tight towards my glute region but painful and sore behind my kneecap. She did some poking and massaging on my leg as well as showed me some exercises that I need to do twice a day.

She told me that I have to rest my legs for the next week. Anu will do another analysis on my leg next week so I hope I get good news. Physical therapy twice week for the next 4 weeks. I am torn right now as to do I still continue the training for the marathon with hopes that I will be ready in time or do I switch races to a later date. I don't want to switch races because I have developed relationships with my coaches and teammates. I want to be there with them when they and myself cross the finishline. At the same time, I don't want to injure myself too bad that I won't be able to exercise without pain for the rest of my life. Okay a little dramatic here but hey its what I am faced with.

I will update this with pictures very soon. I am going to practice on Saturday in Pierce Mill in the district. I will take some more pictures of my teammates and update on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. Thank you to all supporters who have sent cards, letters and donations my way. I would like to especially thank my hometown community of Gray, Georgia for supporting my efforts. I know that I may not be there with you physically but I am definitely with you spiritually. I would also like to thank my coworkers at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia for the never-ending words of encouragement and support during my training and fundraising. I would like to apologize if I dominate the conversations with running tidbits. I promise that I will be more mindful about it in the future. I couldn't say thank you to you guys without mentioning my family. You guys are the best that anyone could ever ask for. You all rock!

Stomping out cancer one mile at the time

Day 72 February 9- Snowed In for 6 days and Counting

Snowflakes are kisses from heaven. If that's true, then I have been blessed this past week.

Picture courtesy of Washington Post's Snow and Ice Pictures

From the tagline above, you might have guessed that I have been snowed in for 6 days and counting. I haven't been to work since last Friday at 10:30am.  I am starting to miss work and coworkers. My apologies for not updating my blog this past week. It took me over 3 days to dig out my car. I have to say that my cat Dip has been enjoying the company while I am at home. She even gets in my lap now (something that she has never done before). My mom says that she is trying to tell me that she misses me. I guess Mom really does know best.

Yesterday, I got an invitation to go skiing with two coworkers at Whitetail Ski Resort in Mercersberg, PA. I had a lot of fun skiing on the mountain but my legs were killing me. I had to get off the blue trails and hit up the green trails because it was less work on my legs. I didn't realize that skiing could do that to me or my legs.

Many of you know that I have sent out my letters asking for donations-the response has been amazing. Keep sending those forms back to me as well as the words of encouragement. You guys are the best! Today I got an email asking me to recommit to the Team In Training mission from my staff contact-Amy. You have seen her picture on the blog before.

Things to do tomorrow:

Fill out recommitment forms

Write thank you notes

Send out more letters

Go for a short run in the snow (what day would my day be if I didn't run in the snow?)

Stretch and workout my quads

If you have a chance, please do vote on my hair color for Race Day.

Day 67-February 4th Do you really need 4 gallons of milk?

Okay people preparations are currently underway for 16-24 inches of snow. YES 16-24 inches of snow. From the National Weather Service "WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW WITH NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES."

At first, I didn't believe it but I decided to be prepared if something happened. I went to the grocery store (Wegmans) at 8:30pm. You would have thought the world was coming to an end with the length of the lines and the scarcity of food on the shelves. Believe me when I say that the check lines were extremely long. It took me about 30-40 minutes to move my way up to the cashier. They had people from all other departments bagging groceries and checking people out i.e. bakers, customer service representatives, dairy department. It was crazy.

Then when you think that you have been waiting an eternity to check out, these two older women get into it with each other. One lady cut in front of the other lady. Drama, drama, drama. I felt for the shift supervisor, who was a young lady by the name of Samantha. She had to break the ladies up-I think I would have called the police. Here I was at the end of my line (in the middle of an aisle), standing on my cart to watch the action. I guess I should be ashamed of myself for enjoying the two women bicker, but I was bored and time stood still. Did they really need all of that milk and eggs in their cart? I think not.

I got an email from my coaches that said they were moving practice from Saturday to Sunday. Moving 12 miles from one day to the next-uhh well there is no harm in doing that but it does delay my recovery. Oh my legs are going to be sore. I am pushing to complete 5 miles on a good note and maybe possibly more.

I am hoping that the roads will be nice and cleaned off but one can dream right? I guess I really do miss the South Georgia weather and people of course(no snow to deal with). So if anyone in the NOVA area is feeling extra generous on Friday or Saturday and they drive a 4x4, feel free to stop by my house and lend a hand shoveling some snow. I am thinking if we get 2 feet of snow that I will be digging my car, driveway and sidewalk out for a few hours. Many hands make light work. Do I have any takers?

Thank you to all of those that have participated in the polls to dye my hair on Race Day. A special thank you to all of you who have showed your support to me in many ways. The memories that you have shared with me about your racing experiences has been the best ever. Notes to remember: mile 21 will be tough but you got to get over that barrier, drink plenty, toenails will fall off but they will grow back :). I am doing my best to update my fundraising website with the totals. Check back later for a better look at how much we have raised together. And remember this Cancer stinks!

Day 62-January 30th Ran in the snow 2nd time

Okay many of you know that I live in the Washington DC area. There are times when it occasionally snowed but nothing major-boy was I wrong about this one. We started the run at about 8:15am and by 9:30am the snow came falling. We were on the Capital Crescent Trail (Bethesda part) again and the trail was getting slick. Our coaches told us to call it a day when we reached the meeting point. Because my knee is giving me problems, I managed to run 1 mile and walk the next 4. I was happy to leave and I didn’t waste any time doing so. The snow was coming and I wanted to make sure that I got home in one piece and not a body bag. People up here go crazy when precipitation falls from the sky.

For this run, we had all the marathon/half marathon teams together (DC, Maryland, Virginia and Walk Team). It was nice to have more encouragement out on the trail. It sounds silly but when your knees, ankles and feet are saying ‘no more, no more’ you have wonderful teammates that give you the "You can do it" or “Go TEAM.” Encouragement on the trail from TNTers is 100% awesome.

Knee Injury Update: So my low mileage may sound like I am slacking off but I am trying to give my knee some healing time before I put on more heavy mileage. I am doing the icing 2-3 times a day. I have also started bulking up my quads a couple of times a week. My coaches said that my quads are too weak to hold my knees in the proper form so let the bulking up again.  Lunges, squats and leg presses oh my!

Day 59-January 27th My First Injury/ Different hair color anyone?

Okay so I know that doing a lot of running will cause (overtraining, running down hills) an injury at some point-IT Band issues. It hurts when I walk up stairs, jog and even when I have it propped up.I have to say that it is more annoying than anything. For more information about the IT band, click on over to Runner's World.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-286--13273-0,00.html

As for my tagline about hair changing color, I am making a promise to myself and to my donors that if I reach my goal by February 28th then I will dye my hair. So please feel free to vote as many times as you would like. And for my sake, I am hoping for the color pink.

What do you think? Maybe a different color?

Day 55 January 23- Ran 10 miles on the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethseda

Alrighty so this past Saturday our Maryland Team ran on the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethseda. Because I am training for the full marathon my training runs tend to a bit longer than the rest of the team sometimes. The course that we were running had a few hills that were quite steep I even got to run past Santa (yes Santa in full beard with red running shorts and a white shirt to complete the look). It was chilly when we first started running but by the end of the run I had shed a layer including my gloves (I won't do that again; I needed the gloves at the end of my run). The course was full of cyclists, walkers, families and then good ole TNTers. Everyone I met was very nice and had great manners on the trail.

Because the trail was paved, my feet took a pretty bad beating. I was definitely feeling the physical side effects (very sore feet, tight calves and knees that were like jello) after my run on Saturday morning.  One thing that I did on this run was to try out Jelly Beans http://www.sportbeans.com/
It was nice to have a boost in energy on mile 5. I also tried Starbursts and pretzels. I'm not looking forward to the gels.

My time on Saturday running 10 miles was 2 hours and 15 minutes. And this is where I was running on Saturday. I will be back for more this weekend.  http://www.cctrail.org/CCT_Maps.htm

Day 48, January 16th- Ran 8 Miles in 1 hour in 40 minutes

First my apologies for not updating more frequently throughout the week. Saturday January 16th was my 8 mile run at Carderock, MD. I have to say that the scenery was beautiful but the weather on the Potomac river was a bit on the chilly side. It was the first time that our Maryland Team of TNT was able to get together. It was nice to be able to meet some of the people that I have been hearing about. There is one guy named Lucas that runs in "barefeet." He has a much  faster pace than I do but he had really muddy feet by the end of the run. Check out the picture of "barefeet running shoes" below courtesy of REI.

http://www.rei.com/product/754765?preferredSku=7547650148&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-7547650148&mr:trackingCode=A0164576-8893-DE11-93DB-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Also on our team is family of three running the Country Music Half Marathon. There is Pat, Cathy and Robbie. Robbie ran with TNT last year and got his family involved for this season with TNT. I think its great that a family is getting involved with the Team In Training. I will try to get a picture of the three of them up here soon.

Training during the week is starting to get tough. -I think for me its more about time management. As for my 8 mile run, I thought my time wasn't too bad. I did complete the run with all my limbs attached.  Stay tuned for more action!

Day 43-Tuesday Jan. 12th Wanta put some cash in your pocket?

Alrighty guys...so I have started getting creative with my fundraising efforts in order to reach my goal. I did a bake sale this past Sunday as well as at work this week. With the Super Bowl only a few weeks away, I have decided to get in on the action with a fun game called Super Bowl Squares. Alright maybe some of you know how to play or maybe you don't....here goes.... Each square is $10.00. You can buy any square you wish and you can buy as many squares as you would like. I will use the numbers in each column to determine the winners at each quarter of the game. I will draw numbers 0-9 out of the hat to determine the value of each column and row. It will be random so good luck picking a box.

So what about the cash? The pot will be 50/50 (50% goes towards my commitment with LLS and 50% goes to the 4 winners (1 winner per quarter)). If you want to play, please send me a check made out to me at Laura Harrison, 3702 Farmland Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033. Please be sure to include your contact information so I can send you your prize if you win.  If you have questions, shoot me an email at itsmeguesswhat@yahoo.com. You can also call me at 229-938-6166.

Good luck to you all! I'm so pumped for the Super Bowl!

Day 41- Sunday Jan 10th Bake Sale Anyone?

I got up and got my day started with labeling the baked goods for the Bake Sale today. One of our Maryland Team mentors decided to have a bake sale at three of the Giant stores in the Besethda/Cabin John area. I signed up for the late afternoon shift (1-to sleep in and 2 to go running afterwards). I have to say that I had a great experience with the bake sale. I stood outside of the Cabin John Giant with my bud Lindsey and we met some very generous people. Some of them were past Team in Training folks while others had a family member or close friend lose their battle. Others asked what we were doing and we explained that we were training for a marathon or half marathon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and all funds that we raise go to them. Many people were supportative and wished us good luck with our training.  

Here are a few pictures from the Bake Sale:

Our quaint table in a great location-a special thanks to Miguel and his son Jose.

Lindsey smiling at happy shoppers

Buddy Run on Sunday

Day 40 Saturday Jan 9th Ran 5 miles in the snow

OK so I know that the South has been cold lately and maybe even had a dusting of snow but has anyone ever tried running in it? Any takers? This past Saturday was my first run in the snow and I have to say that it wasn't too bad dispite the cold weather (and the occasional ice patch or two). We had a combined training with our VA and DC teams. It was nice to have a lot of people on the trail as we ran because it makes for more support as you hit the longer mileage. A special shout out to the VA TNTers Heather and Donna- I can't wait to run with you guys again. Go TEAM! Because I was coming back from 2 weeks of being sick, I ran 5 miles instead of 6. It felt good to be back with the team (gosh I hadn't seen them in 3 weeks). 

Here are a few pictures of my teammates:

Myself, Amy, Robbie

Amy is our staff contact for the Maryland Team from Team In Training.

 Robbie and Jenn are two of team mentors (past TNTers). 

Jenn, Myself, Lindsey

These are two of my running buddies. You will typically find us together on Sundays for our buddy runs at Fletcher's Cove or on Friday nights eating pasta and watching movies together in preparation for our Saturday morning jaunt. Gotta love 'em!

On Saturday after our fun run,  we had our Personal Honored Teammate Picnic which allowed the Team in Training participants to meet and hear the stories of our honored teammates and their families. Every person that spoke had a story that would tug on your heart strings but one that stuck out in my mind was about an elementary kid named Carson that was diagnosed with cancer while he was in kindergarten. It took 3 1/2 years to beat the cancer but he did! He was a little late to gathering but he had a great excuse-he was playing basketball and his team won! Carson is one of our honored teammates for the National Area Chapter and we are thankful for him and his willingness to share his story.

Carson and one of our TNTers

The Honored Teammates Picnic was a reminder of Team in Training's mission-to find a cure for blood cancers and to improve the lives of patients and their families. A special thank you goes out to all of the honored teammates for sharing your story with us-this marathon is for you! Go TEAM!

Day 38-Thursday Jan. 7th National College Football Championship

Okay so today super busy at work. One of my coworkers is going to be out for the next two weeks so we have been preparing for her absence. She will be missed greatly. At the same time, myself and another coworker have been staying late proctoring exams for some students. Tonight at 8pm is the National College Football Championship between Alabama and Texas. Go SEC! I have decided to go running on the treadmill while waiting the game. A girl has to have priorities. Right? Well here's to 4 miles!

Day 32-New Year's Day 2010

I hope that everyone had a great New Year's Eve. I spent my New Year's Eve hanging out with my family at home playing board games-I can't say it was a rocking party but I enjoyed spending it with my family. It is only fitting that I mention that with the beginning of a new year comes resolutions: to lose weight, to stop smoking, to start eating more nutritiously, to become more financially sound. The list of resolutions seems to be endless these days and the solutions to help you achieve those resolutions is as well. I was reading an article in today's paper that talked about a resolution of kindness and here is an excerpt from the article.


“What's the nicest thing that you did for someone else in 2009?

We can't wait another moment to make someone's life more meaningful, to relieve another person's burden, to bring a little joy into someone's day. And then there are the more demanding acts that become defining moments for us in our relationship to others. When are we truly self-sacrificing? When can we give of ourselves without a reward or an expectation of reciprocity? What is kindness anyway?

Psalms tells us something important about kindness. The world is built on it. The world depends on it. Each of us depends on it. Like bricks and mortar, like the steel undergirding of a building, like the skeleton of a human being, it is kindness that provides the scaffolding for a life of purpose. Kindness is not an impulse. It's a regular discipline that expresses itself as compassion, consideration, sympathy and caring.

Commit yourself to daily acts of kindness directed to others. Maybe it won’t be so hard to answer what the nicest thing that you did for someone was in 2010. And maybe, in thinking hard about an inventory of kindness this year, you'll also remember the nicest thing that someone did for you. Kindness: Pass it on.”

I thought the article addressed something differently about resolutions than what I have been hearing or seeing and that is that kindness expresses itself as compassion, consideration, sympathy and caring. Kindness: Pass it on.

Food for thought:All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others. ~Danny Thomas

A special thank you to Aunt Marcy for her donation-your momma's spirit will be with me as I run in April.