Last Saturday, in the dark of the night after an exciting day of swimming and diver watching at the University of Minnesota, I finally came out of the closet and sent donation e-mails and posted on Facebook that I was running the Half Marathon.
When the first donation came back just moments later, I cried. I cry every time I get a donation. If I ever get myself into a place where I think there is no one who loves me or no one cares, I will look at the donations and remember.
http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes?team_id=34062&pg=team&fr_id=3842
Friday, March 29, 2013
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Glory Days
HAHAHAHAHAHA~! I was looking at the posts that I had composed and never published and this is one that I created at the beginning of my Half Marathon journey 10 or more weeks ago. 3 miles...now it seems so "pedestrian" as I would jokingly tell the kids.
So, it might not be quite common knowledge, but I am running a Half Marathon, The Illinois Marathon on April 27, 2013. I started this journey to health more than a year ago and I have kept at it now for a year. I started thinking about it in June when Michael was diagnosed and it has gotten to the point of "why not". On one hand it is a crazy idea, I am 48 years old, weigh more than the charts say I should and have never been a runner. BUT, I remember the glory days. I played sports in high school and wasn't all that bad at them. Never the best, but could always be counted on when the chips were down. I have some stellar soccer memories, some goals, some injuries and in fact was inducted into the Serena High School Athletic Hall of Fame a few years ago. I remember during the induction, I was thinking, "I bet no one that knows me now would ever believe that I was an athlete". Well, at 48 years old, I am again transitioning from a couch potato to an athlete and I pray that this time it sticks. The Half Marathon training program is 16 weeks. I just finished week 2 which required a 4 mile "Long Run". I was grumpy about it, I was afraid I couldn't do it, but I know that I need to follow the plan or I will not be successful in my Half Marathon attempt and I will be a Finisher. SO after mile 3 of the "long run", I got to thinking about the fact that I would indeed finish this first long run and that in 16 weeks, I'll be finishing the Half Marathon and how glorious it will be to cross the finish line at the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium and strike my "Victory Pose". I almost started to cry. It will be so cool at 48 to have an athletic Glory Day again.I'll keep you posted.
So, it might not be quite common knowledge, but I am running a Half Marathon, The Illinois Marathon on April 27, 2013. I started this journey to health more than a year ago and I have kept at it now for a year. I started thinking about it in June when Michael was diagnosed and it has gotten to the point of "why not". On one hand it is a crazy idea, I am 48 years old, weigh more than the charts say I should and have never been a runner. BUT, I remember the glory days. I played sports in high school and wasn't all that bad at them. Never the best, but could always be counted on when the chips were down. I have some stellar soccer memories, some goals, some injuries and in fact was inducted into the Serena High School Athletic Hall of Fame a few years ago. I remember during the induction, I was thinking, "I bet no one that knows me now would ever believe that I was an athlete". Well, at 48 years old, I am again transitioning from a couch potato to an athlete and I pray that this time it sticks. The Half Marathon training program is 16 weeks. I just finished week 2 which required a 4 mile "Long Run". I was grumpy about it, I was afraid I couldn't do it, but I know that I need to follow the plan or I will not be successful in my Half Marathon attempt and I will be a Finisher. SO after mile 3 of the "long run", I got to thinking about the fact that I would indeed finish this first long run and that in 16 weeks, I'll be finishing the Half Marathon and how glorious it will be to cross the finish line at the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium and strike my "Victory Pose". I almost started to cry. It will be so cool at 48 to have an athletic Glory Day again.I'll keep you posted.
From Runners World
This came from Runners World. I wanted to save it, it is NOT my creation.
Hey, Fat Girl Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe. You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you. You are awesome. If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others. You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible. You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again. You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration. I bow to you.
Hey, Fat Girl Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe. You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you. You are awesome. If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others. You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible. You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again. You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration. I bow to you.
Monday, March 04, 2013
I really ran 9.5 miles?
It's starting to get real now.
The long run has been steadily increasing and while it has been hard so far, it has been "doable". I would finish thinking "13.1 won't be that bad". It will be hard, but it is simply a matter of walk/run/walk/run. Endurance, not speed is my goal.
Well, yesterday I ran 9.5 miles. Dude it was HARD...I ran out of GU the last 2 miles. I kept thinking 1 minute at a time, 1 minute at a time...My dad came to check on me and I had about 1 mile left and I told him I was fine, but I really, really wanted to crawl into the truck and let him drive me home, but I didn't.
When the little voice in my earphones said, "Congratulations, now lets cool down"...I almost cried with relief. I walked the rest of the way to my starting point and stretched and ate and stretched again and again and again. I was stiff for about 3 hours after but by the evening, I was doing pretty well and today, I am HUNGRY, but other than that, I feel pretty good. This linebacker body of mine seems to be doing its thing and getting stronger.
Let's not talk about the next long run (11 miles).
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