Power Songs

When Lynette and I run, we use our Nike+ chips and iPod Nanos to keep track of our time and distance. It's a great way to lose yourself in the workout and let it worry about how long or how far you have left to go. You can set a workout to be a particular distance, or a particular length of time, and a soothing voice will periodically chime in via your earbuds and tell you when you've hit certain checkpoints (every mile for distance and every 5-10 minutes for time).

Another feature I just figured out how to use is the Power Song. You can choose any song that's loaded on your iPod to be your Power Song. During your workout you can trigger it by holding down the button on the iPod. Last night I chose "Get It On" by Chase as my Power Song. It's exactly 3 minutes long, so when the nice robot lady said "3 minutes to go," I pressed the button and started the song. I immediately found a gear I didn't have before, and kicked into it. What a great feeling. I don't normally listen to music during my runs, but I think I'm going to start using my Power Song more often.

I recently found a site called slowgeek that uses the Nike+ API to pull down publically available data about all Nike+ users who haven't set their profile to "private." They offer an alternative way to view your workout data, but one of the more interesting things they've done is to pull data about everyone's Power Songs. Turns out Survivor is extremely popular with the running crowd - over 700 people have "Eye of the Tiger", making it easily the most popular Power Song. Given all this data, I had an interesting idea - make a playlist consisting exclusively of all the most popular power songs. This could easily backfire: if I kicked into that gear I used durinig "Get It On" during the whole run, I'd burn out within a half mile. Maybe it's worth a shot, though.

Fundraising Goal is Met!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our fundraising effort. We are now at our goal of $2,400! And the best part is, that was just from the website! This morning I sent in the checks and cash that we've received so far, which totaled $435! The Partylite party alone brought in a little over $125!

It's not over, though, so if you still want to contribute, please feel free! From this point on, 100% of the donations (instead of 75%) go straight towards research and patient services. For instance, families who are struggling can receive $500 from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help them meet basic needs.

I am so thankful that we've met our goal. We couldn't have done it without our friends and family! Back in November, $1200 each seemed like a pretty high goal, even though it's the lowest fundraising minimum for all the spring events. If we were going to Nashville or another destination marathon, we'd have had to raise about $3500 each!! That's because the donations covers the cost of travel and lodging, but since we're going to Champaign, we're responsible for our own travel and lodging.

If you are interested in coming down to Champaign to cheer us on, all the information for the event is here: http://www.illinoismarathon.com/index.html

You can find a map of the event route here: http://www.illinoismarathon.com/coursemaps.htm

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, it means the world to us.

- Lynette

8 Mile(s)

Today we had the longest run to date, 8 miles. Luckily, the weather report said it would hit 50 today, which it seems to have done. It was a beautiful day. The only patch of ice left was in one spot in shadows. It was treacherous, but as long as you were careful over it, you were fine. I don't think anyone took a major spill. More importantly, today was the day I was going to try "eating" or "using" or "consuming" I guess, some energy gel.

Ever since the very first kickoff meeting, the coaches and experienced runners have been talking about this carbohydrate-packed gel that marathon runners use to get a boost of energy during a race. There are dozens of brands, and each brand has many different flavors, including "Razz," "Double Expresso," "Mountain Blast," "Tropical Burst," etc. None of these seem especially appealing to me, mainly because of the texture I think. On top of this, there are several different jelly bean or swedish fish type products adding to the confusion. Now, add in to this the constant warnings from the coaches to "Make sure you find out which ones work for you. It's no fun trying to sprint to a port-a-potty in the middle of a race," and "Be sure to drink at least 16 ounces of water NOT GATORADE with every gel pack." Needless to say, we were paranoid, and last week we bought one of just about every flavor from every brand.

Lynette tried two different fruit flavors on two different days while she wasn't running, and found one she liked ok. I sampled a little bit of each one that she tried, and could not stand it. It reminded me of the crazy bubble-gum flavor fluoride gel that the dentist used on my teeth as a kid. I decided I would probably feel different when I needed it during a run, so I picked one that seemed the least offensive (Espresso), and resolved to try it in the middle of our 8 mile run today.

I had it in the pocket of my "fuel belt" as we started our workout this morning. Also on the fuel belt: 10oz. water, 10oz. Gatorade. I was also doing a trial run with the fuel belt, and I figured I might as well try them both at the same time since I'll need to drink the water with the gel anyway (or else I'll... explode?)

I had decided to try it after mile 4, but when I got to that point, without thinking I drank about half my Gatorade. Oh NO! Um, well, I'm sure it'll be fine. I broke out the foil packet, and bravely tore it open. I squirted the goop into my mouth with gusto. (I was still nervous, but it's hard to be delicate in the middle of strenuous physical activity.) The taste was... not that bad! The espresso flavor turned out to be kind of like eating melted frosting. I took about three mouthfuls of the stuff, then spotted a garbage can a little off the road. I hadn't considered what I would have done with a sticky, open packet of gunk, so I'm glad the trash can appeared. Then I frantically chugged almost all of my water, hoping it would do whatever it was supposed to do.
I wish I had some hilarious tale of vomiting into a car window or dashing to a port-a-john, but it actually turned out just fine. After 8 miles I still felt great, so maybe it did its job. No way am I trying any other flavors, though. I'm good.

Nutrition

It used to be I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. I have a high metabolism, and I don't put on weight, so I didn't think much of having McDonald's for lunch instead of a ham sandwich or something. But now that I've started this training, I can tell when I haven't eaten well. McDonald's for breakfast and Taco Bell for lunch do not add up to a successful training session. I'm sort of amazed at how much difference it makes if I eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning as opposed to a couple of doughnuts. It's one thing to hear the coaches talk about it, it's another to feel completely wiped after 1 mile when you're supposed to run 3 or 4.
This does not mean that I am turning into a health nut - I'll still be preferring 2% milk to skim, and not trimming the fat from my steak before I cook it. However, we are going to have to run over 13 miles on April 11. According to our training schedule, that's 1 mile further than we will have ever gone before. I am starting to take very seriously all the advice about power gels, carbs, and proper nutrition that we've been getting.

Run cancelled today

Today we had to run 6 miles, but they cancelled the group run because it was too cold. So we ran at the Park District instead. That is so annoying because there are a lot of walkers on the track, especially when it's cold out. And a lot of them like to walk two people side-by-side. This becomes especially annoying when they decide to pass another couple that is walking, and then there are four people abreast, which means that all three lanes are completely blocked. I tried to be nice and say, "ladies, only two people side-by-side." At one point these ladies said, "but we're passing!" I said, "Me too!" You can't take up the whole track, geez! There were about 2 dozen walkers and 6 runners, and a couple times I almost caused a runner behind me to hit me because at the last minute a walker would step out in front of me, and I'd either stop short or try to go around, and the runner behind me would have to also stop.

I wrote a comment form (even though I work there!) and said NO PEOPLE WALKING SIDE-BY-SIDE!

I'd almost rather have run outside in the zero degree weather.

But I did 6 miles in 61 minutes, that's pretty good, considering I walked five laps (after each mile except the last, obviously.) Matt and I were both suffering, though, after missing two runs by being at the Inauguration. It was a tough run, and a very aggravating run. My whole body has been hurting since Tuesday, when we stood outside for 5 hours, walked 5 miles, spent 6 hours in the car, then the next day spent 12 hours in the car. It really took a toll on me, my shoulders hurt from driving, my bad ankle and lower back hurt from standing, I got a cramp while we were walking ... that vacation was bad for my whole body!

Too cold for Lynette!

Today I skipped the 4-mile run outside. It was about 20 degrees and last time it was this cold, I had a real problem with my fingers and toes suffering from my Reynaud's Syndrome, which is a fancy term for saying that I have bad circulation and my digits turn white and then feel like they've been slammed in a door. I stayed home and prepared for our Washington, D.C. trip while Matt went running.

We'll be missing our Monday and Wednesday runs as well, so hopefully we won't have too hard of a time running our 6-mile run next Saturday.

Thanks to all of our sponsors - we are now halfway to our goal!

6 miles

Lynette's better at writing these updates, but I'll give this one a shot. Saturday was a 6 mile run, the longest I've ever gone. The night before, it snowed 4-5 inches, so we couldn't run on the Prairie Path - we just ran down a 1-mile stretch of road and back 3 times. Lynette finds this extremely boring, but I don't mind - running is running as far as I'm concerned. I just put on my iPod, start up a podcast (Adam Carolla, Escape Pod, or This American Life), and don't think about running. When I mentioned my listening habits at the post-run stretching clinic, almost everyone else who listened to something said they needed the beat of the music - nobody else listened to "talk". For me, if I have music on, every 3 minutes becomes another reminder of time passing - another chance to think about how far I've gone already, and how far I still have to go. Letting myself become engrossed in a story makes it much easier to forget about all that and just let my body take me across the finish line.

Injury Prevention

We're due to have an Injury Prevention clinic this weekend after training on Saturday. I don't need to go. I already know everything I need to prevent injury.

1. Don't fall down stairs.
2. If you slip off the springboard and hear a crack, don't do a handspring over the vault.
3. Don't jump onto goat hurdles.
4. Don't stab yourself in the leg with knitting needles.
5. Don't trip while wearing 3-inch heels.
6. Did I already mention don't fall down stairs?
7. Don't try to run and jump onto a rocking horse.

See, I think I'm more than prepared.

5-mile run

Today was our 5-mile run with the team. Matt's been sick the last few days, so he didn't go. It was kind of strange running without him. Well, I ALWAYS run without him, but it was strange meeting the team alone. They said that they missed watching the back of him disappear as he smoked us all ...

It was about 25 degrees today, and the Prairie Path was clear of enough snow and ice that we could finally run on it - YAY!!! Of course, I hadn't noticed that the first half mile was downhill, so that meant that the last half mile is UPhill. But I ran it ... I finished in 59:14. I didn't actually run a 12-minute mile, there was a huge stretch of ice that took me 4 minutes to cross the first time and 3 minutes to cross on the way back, so I actually ran about 52 minutes.

When I was done, my hair was frozen. I had two hair popsicles hanging on my neck! I tried to take a picture, but my phone battery died. I'm sure it won't be the last time that my hair freezes!

I did have Matt take a picture of me running, so ya'll can see what I look like - a total dork! Notice the waterbottle I'm carrying - I always feel like I'm Barbie, the way that my hand fits into that strap!

Still hanging in there ...

So we're well into training, and I'm still having issues with my iPod. I ran 4 miles yesterday and it said that I rain over 6. Grr! I threw the chip and sensor in the trash, but Matt yelled at me, so I had to dig them out again.

Matt was unable to run because he wasn't feeling well (still isn't) and probably won't be able to run tomorrow or Saturday. I hope he feels better soon!

I wonder if people are even reading this blog - if so, I guess I'd better start coming up with some better posts!

Since it's January 1, I guess I should say that I do have some running goals set for this year. Obviously, I want to finish the Champaign Half Marathon on April 11. Other than that, I'd like to knock a minute off of my 5k time, bringing me down to a 27-minute 5k.

I'd also like to take this time to emphasize why we're doing this Team in Training ... training ... My friend Tom passed away from leukemia when he was just 17. My cousin Serena passed away from leukemia a few years after that. Grandma Novy, my maternal grandmother, lost her battle with multiple myeloma, another blood cancer, in September of 2006. And Matt's cousin-in-law Diana passed away this past November, about a week shy of the 1-year anniversary of her leukemia diagnosis.

In speaking with other TNT members, I've learned of other people who have known a lot of people who passed away from blood cancers. One of the coaches we met last weekend had five family members lose their battle with blood cancer. It's really scary how many people know someone who battled with blood cancers. There's so many types, too.

So that's why we're running. Seventy-five percent of every donation goes straight towards research and patient aid (helping with bills, etc.) That's why every donation is so important. We really appreciate all the support we've received so far, but we still have a long way to go. Please let your friends know what we're doing and direct them to our website, http://pages.teamintraining.org/il/champgn09/mgilbert

Thanks again for your support, and stay tuned for more training updates!

-Lynette

Running in a Monsoon

The fog was as thick as pea soup, if not as green. And then as we began the run, the skies opened up and it started to rain. I think nature is conspiring with the coaches to get us to train in all possible weather conditions, so we're ready for anything on race day. We did 4 miles today, the longest yet, and I'm still feeling pretty good about it. I averaged about a 9 minute mile, which if I can keep it up for 13 miles means about 2 hours for the half-marathon. I have no idea if that's good or not, but the idea is just to finish, right? I think if I start getting competitive about this, I could have one good race and one divorce under my belt by April.

Third Week of Training Starts Today!

Today marks our third week training for the half marathon!

We ran our second team run on Saturday - it was really cold out! At least it wasn't in the single digits like it was on Sunday, we'd probably have frozen in midstride!

I have Reynaud's Syndrome, which is a fancy way of saying that my fingers and toes turn white when it's cold out. When they start to warm up, it feels like they've been slammed in a door. I try to avoid letting them get too cold. However, our coach gave us tips for 20 minutes before running, so my fingers and toes got too cold - the first mile I was in so much pain, and I really exhausted myself trying to get the circulation back into my hands and feet. After that, I was fine (and almost got too warm) but it really made the rest of the run difficult because I'd used so much energy flapping my hands around and stamping my feet. Matt thinks that I should get those gloves that are half gloves, half mittens, but I don't think that will help.

Matt decided to run four miles instead of three (which is what the half marathoners were running.) I thought he was showing off until he explained that he missed the turnaround mark and ended up running that extra mile on accident.

Today we have to run 30 minutes, which is about 3 miles for me, or 27 times around the track at the Park District.

- Lynette

Incorrect Calibration

If you've read Matt's last post, you probably looked at our little Nike+ Minis on the side of the page. My last run reads over 5 miles - well, I actually ran about 3 miles. I've run once more since then (but I haven't synched up with Nike.com to record it). I recalibrated my Nike+ during that very run and when I started to run my actual run, it said I only ran 2 miles when I actually ran 3. It's very frustrating because it is a whole mental thing - I want to make sure I'm running at the same pace, and if it says I'm running a 13-minute mile, I know that's wrong and I get frustrated. And if it is saying I ran further, then it tells me I ran a 7-minute mile (I run a 10-minute mile race pace.) Consequently, I get distracted trying to figure out exactly how far I've actually run, or how fast I'm going based on distance and time ... blech.

I am thinking of borrowing the measuring thingy from work and measuring and exact 400 yards around the track and recalibrating it that way. Maybe 1/2 mile is too long ... but the calibration has only been off for the last month or so, it was almost exact for the three months prior to that.

How annoying!!!

- Lynette

What's up with my avatar, Nike?

If you look to the right, you'll see we've added our Nike+ widgets to the blog. These display the data from our iPods, which helps keep us honest about our workouts. Ever since I got mine set up, Lynette and I have done approximately the same amount of running, so why is her character all running around like a champion, doing hurdles and kickboxing, while mine is slacking? Seriously - she's a little superstar and I'm playing video games? What's up Nike?

First Team in Training... er... Training

Today we had our first training session with the Team in Training (TNT) group and coaches. We met at a running store in Glen Ellyn, which actually gave discounts to anyone who is doing or has ever done TNT. So that was nice, even though we've already spent a crap-ton of money on cold weather running gear. I was afraid we'd show up and be the one yuppie couple who is decked out in all the gear, but can't run to save their lives. At least we didn't get matching outfits. I did win a drawing for a gift certificate, so I ended up getting another pair of wicking socks, some nutrition gel to sample, and a massage stick.
As for the actual running, we both held our own rather well. I found a pace that happened to be one of the fastest in the group, so we'll see if I'm able to sustain that for more than 3.5 miles, or if my natural instinct to be in the lead will require suppression.
Oh also, I've been told I have to get special stickers to put over my nipples so they don't bleed when we go past 8 miles. AWESOME!

Running in the cold

Today I ran outside in the cold for the first time ever - it was about 20 degrees out. I had on my special, expensive jacket, my special, expensive socks, and my special, expensive hat. I got a little cold in the 20 minutes that I was running, so I've decided I really DO need to get a special, expensive performance/technical shirt and pants.

But the run itself was fantastic. I could feel the muscles in my legs working in new ways as I had to run across some snow. I was being VERY careful not to run on any ice, even stopping and carefully walking over icy patches. I managed to do about a 10:22 mile, which wasn't bad, considering my normal workout pace is an exact 10-minute mile.

I think I'm going to try to do as many runs outside as possible, weather permitting. Something about running in the snow was really relaxing. I didn't even concentrate too much on my breathing, which is always a struggle with me, since I have asthma. Since I take my inhaler, I never have a hard time breathing, but it seems like I focus on it a lot, which can distract me from my run.

So I didn't freeze to death or get chapped cheeks, both of which were a real concern to me before I started out this afternoon.

- Lynette

Training day 1

We started our training today, running 25 minutes at the fitness center. I learned that if you're going to run after dinner, make it a light meal. Also, fish is apparently not light enough. Lynette's Nike+ said she ran 3 miles, but she doesn't think she was going fast enough for that, so some re-calibration is in order.
As I write this, I'm getting an early Christmas present of... some Under Armor and my own Nike+ for the iPod! I guess we can calibrate together next time we run (Tomorrow or Wednesday - I don't remember). No pain or anything yet, but I am hungry enough to eat another dinner.