Amazing End to an Epic Journey

It's the next day, and I still can't believe it's over. We worked so long for this: 4 days a week (barring sickness or injury) every week since December. The early Saturday morning long runs with Team became something we looked forward to, and we were disappointed if we had to miss (only once for each of us). We met so many amazing, inspiring people: from the coaches, to our wonderful mentor Jenn, to the staff members, to all the other runners we became good friends with over the last 4.5 months. I think we'll be going through withdrawal now, but I'm sure we'll be back doing another event with Team in Training soon.

But I digress. I'm supposed to be writing my account of the Illinois Half-Marathon yesterday. To sum up, it went almost exactly how I imagined it would, only better in many ways, and worse in one.

To begin with, we were exquisitely prepared for this race, not only through the training by Steve and Monica, but also by the excellent work of Kelly Darnell, the Team in Training coordinator for the race. In addition to responding promptly and patiently to my panicked emails when I wasn't sure our race registration had gone through, she made sure we had reservations in the right hotel, so we could meet the Team in the lobby at 6:15am and walk to the race together. Just having that confidence that someone was making sure you got to the starting line with everything you needed took a huge load off our minds.

The morning of the race was exactly what we had been preparing for since we'd been monitoring the weather forecasts for the last two weeks. 35 degrees and sunny, getting warmer throughout the day. As cold as it sounds, it was actually perfect. Sure, we were a little chilly before the gun went off, but hell, we'd trained in sub-zero temps. I wore my new Illinois Marathon long-sleeve tech shirt under my purple Team singlet, shorts, and sunglasses. Halfway through the race I was pushing my sleeves up to my elbows, but I never got too warm. I also had my iPod and Nike+ chip, but I really only wanted it to monitor the time, and so I could figure out what my splits were. I only had one earbud in most of the time - the last thing I wanted to do was zone out and miss the experience of my first Half-Marathon.

So anyway - back to the starting line. After making sure Lynette and Jenn found each other, I made my way towards the 4 hr. marathon pace captain. Steve had highly recommended using them, since they're experienced marathon runners who are making sure to keep a consistent pace. My goal was 2hrs, based on the pace I had been able to maintain on training runs. To be honest, I knew my knee was going to hurt, and as a consequence I had been resting for most of the last two weeks when I should have been tapering. I was going to try and keep up with the pace team for as long as possible, but I was not optimistic about hitting 2hrs. Another coach I ran with last Saturday said I should have three goals: one for if everything goes perfectly, and then two slower for less than ideal conditions or circumstances. My ideal was under 2hrs, then 2:10 and 2:15 were times I would be happy with, since I knew I would be in pain.

So finally, the gun goes off (did it? I don't actually remember hearing it), and we started shuffling forward. I've been in a few much smaller races before, but the amount of people running in this was was staggering to me (over 8000). By the time I stepped on the start mat, people had spread out enough to where I could actually jog. Steve's words from two weeks ago were echoing in my head. "Don't be too aggressive at the start. You can waste a lot of energy trying to weave through people." He was talking to the whole team, but he was looking at me. So I listened. The pace captains were holding up signs, so they were easy to keep track of. As long as I could still see my pace sign, I didn't worry. I started to recognize other people in the same pace group, and let their presence silently keep me in check whenever I felt like charging forward. I don't think I ever got more than half a block behind the sign.

Immediately, my knee started hurting, as I knew it would. Since I had done two long runs of 10 and 6.5 miles with the pain, I knew I could power through it. Probably not the advice a doctor would give, but there was no way I was going to let this spoil my day. It hurt with every step, but most of the time I wasn't thinking about it. I just concentrated on keeping my pace. This turned out to be easier than I thought. Most of the time it felt like I was just out for a nice, easy run.

At every mile marker, I pressed the button on my iPod to A) make sure I was on a good pace, and B) have a record of my split times to look at later. The iPod lost about .05 miles for ever mile, but it was still a good way to reassure me that I was on track for the two hour goal, especially after I passed the pace captain at about mile 5 or so. At that point, everyone got funneled onto a narrow path through a park right after a water stop. I can't remember if I passed him because of the water stop or the funneling effect, but pass I did.

I should note here my hydration technique for this race. I learned early on that I did not do well trying to drink out of cups during a run, so I wore my fuel belt. I had 10oz. of water on my right hip, 10oz. of gatorade on my left, and two espresso Hammer Gels in the front pocket. I passed the first water stop (couldn't have been more than 2 miles in) without drinking anything. At the second, I decided to drink some of my Gatorade, but while I usually slow down and walk to drink during training, I didn't slow down at all. I want to say this was because my knee hurt more when I slowed down, but I think I would have done the same with a healthy knee. It just doesn't make sense to me to slow down or stop during a race.

Going through the park was nice, and there was a brass ensemble on the side of the path at one point. I cheered for them, just like I tried to acknowledge everyone who cheered for Team in Training, or was obviously making a special effort. I really, really enjoyed this race, and I think a big part of the reason was that there was hardly an inch of road that wasn't occupied by spectators. I high-fived every person who offered a hand, including Elvis.

I took my first gel at probably mile 6.5 or 7. I drained about half my water with it. If I remember correctly, this was just before a water stop where they were handing out gels, and I tossed my empty gel pack to the side with all the rest of them. Again, I didn't slow down at all.

At this point, things are kind of a blur. I was ahead of the pace captain, but there was a decent size group of runners that I was with most of the time. I like to run alone, so I wasn't about to strike up a conversation with anyone, but seeing familiar faces (or backs of heads) is always nice. I saw my family cheering me on for the second time around mile 8, and I think my Mom was running along side me for a while. It was really nice having them there.

Around mile 10 I started to wonder where the Half-Marathon would split off, since I remember the guy at the pace team table saying I could run with them for ten miles. I wasn't really worried, and I had to keep my mind from running away with itself, since that would really make the race drag out (I know because I took the wrong path in Chicago a few weeks back). Sure enough, around mile 11 there was an extremely well marked split, along with a volunteer with a bullhorn making sure you knew where to go. Even though I didn't feel like I needed it, I took my second gel at this point, and finished my water. I knew that I had less than a 5k left, and I was still feeling great. The pack had thinned out even more once we split off, and I feel like I was both passing people and being passed pretty consistently.

At some point (probably a water stop) I finished my gatorade, still not slowing down. When we hit mile 12, I think Memorial Stadium was already in sight. My knee was really starting to bother me at this point, and I'm sure my face showed it. I was probably being passed a lot more than I was passing people now, but the end was near, and I knew I would finish (and if my iPod wasn't lying, I knew I would be very close to my goal).

The final stretch of road went past the entrance to the stadium, then doubled back before entering. When I hit the hairpin turn to double back, my knee almost gave out, and I had to take a couple hops. The guy next to me patted me on the back and said "Almost done - you can make it!" Just thinking about this now makes me all emotional again. My body was completely drained, and I'm sure that had something to do with it, but for the last few miles and especially as I entered the stadium I was completely overcome with emotion. I was running this not just to prove I could do it, but in memory and in honor of all our family members who have been affected by blood cancers. The grandeur of running into a crowded stadium and down the middle of the field while being displayed on the jumbotron heightened everything to a ridiculous degree.

As I entered, I heard the announcer saying "One fifty-seven (something)!" and I knew I had a chance to beat two hours. I wasn't thinking about gun time vs. chip time, nor should anyone at a moment like that. The turf felt great under my feet, and as I turned at the end-zone for the dash to the 50 yard line, I put every last ounce of energy I had into it. My face was probably twisted into a horrible grimace, as I'm sure the picture will show (we'll post it as soon as we get it), but I crossed the finish line in 1:58:57 (gun time, 1:56:07 chip time). I accepted the medal offered by a race worker, and started staggering around, looking for my family. I didn't know if they'd be there or not, but I didn't want to miss them if they were. They weren't there, and if they were, I would have collapsed, sobbing, into someone's arms (as I later did once Lynette finished). I don't know why I tell people that part of the story. I think it's because I don't really do emotion, and this was a completely sincere and reasonable response to what I just experienced.

As you probably guessed, the one way this race went worse than I imagined was my knee. Afterwards, I was in intense pain, and could barely hobble over to meet Lynette after she crossed the finish line. I'm hoping a few days of icing followed by a couple weeks of rest will be enough so I can start training for our next race.

After we got out of the stadium, breakfast was handled wonderfully by the Team in Training staff, then we lounged at Annie's with Katie, Kyra, and Aunt Mary for a while before heading out for a steak dinner.

I give the inaugural Illinois Marathon an A- (the minus is for the poorly positioned and unmarked bag check before the start), and Team in Training a huge A+. I fully intend to do another event with them, whether it's another half, a full, or a triathlon.



My Splits:
8:52
8:52
8:58
9:00(estimated)
9:00(estimated)
9:00(estimated)
8:35
8:44
8:36
8:48
9:06
9:18(estimated)
9:18(estimated)

The End

We got to Champaign around 2:00 on Friday and checked into our hotel room - which was AWESOME! We had our own kitchen with a sink, fridge, and microwave. It was super handy for all of our race preparations! We then went over to the ARC at University of Illinois to gather our race packets. We followed the little footprints to the Expo and picked up our packets, checked our chips to make sure they were working, got info at the pace group table, and picked up our goody bags and t-shirts. We never waited in line. Then, I couldn't find the body glide, and they had a pro shop there, and a nice, blue zip-up sweater caught my eye. Matt let me get it as a souvenir (yay!) so I'll be showing off my Illini Marathon gear soon!

We walked around a little, but there was nothing really of interest there. As we were walking towards the exit, Matt said, "hey, there's Andy!" who is our Team in Training staff member. I immediately said, "Andy!" and did this excited little wave. It was pretty funny that I was so excited to see him!

We walked around campus while Matt showed me the dorms he had stayed in, then we drove around campus a bit. That was cool, because he was only at U of I for one year, and he doesn't talk about it much. It was as if I was finally getting a peek into Matt's mysterious past!

Then, we called his sister, Annie, who lives in Champaign (but only for the next few weeks, then they move up here - yay!) We chilled out at her house, played with our niece Ellie, and chatted with Mom and Dad (who were there to cheer for us) for about an hour and a half. By then it was time to go back to the hotel to prepare for our Pasta Party.

The Pasta Party was hosted by Team in Training in the hotel, and we knew it was in the conference center. As we walked down the hallway, we heard this huge racket - we walked around the corner, and all the Team in Training coaches, staff, and mentors were lined up outside the doors with little clappers and cowbells and other noise makers to cheer for all of the TNT participants as they walked in. It was a little embarrassing, but it also made me feel pretty good!


We sat with some of the other Chicago West team members and enjoyed our spagetti, salad, greens, etc. There was a slide show of past runs and practices, and then we had two speakers - one whose sister has been battling lymphoma for SIX years (it's come back twice) and someone whose father passed away in October from lymphoma. I was crying through both speeches, they were so moving. Then, with a hearty GO TEAM! we gathered for a team picture, and we also took a Chicago West team picture.

Andy, Matt, Lynette Kate, Jordan, someone I don't know, Bijona

By that time, it was about 8:00, so we went upstairs to finish laying out our clothes, food, and water bottles for the morning. We tumbled into bed at 9:30, and I was asleep almost immediately.

I woke up without my alarm feeling fantastic! I was ready to go! I looked at the clock ... 10:30. The same happened at 2, 4:30, and 5. At 5:15, both of us were awake. We chatted about our inability to sleep (Matt was up several times during the night, too) until our alarms went off at 5:30.

We hadn't been sure what to wear, and Matt finally decided on putting his new Illini shirt under his singlet. My singlet was a bit short, so I put on one of the tank tops I've been running in all season under it, and it worked out perfectly. We both decided to wear shorts. It was going to warm up, but standing around in the chilly morning was less than ideal, so they had suggested bringing black garbage bags (to keep off any rain and keep us warm - we didn't need them) and "throw-away clothes." I wore an old zip-up sweater that no longer zips and some ripped gloves.



When we left the room, we found that someone from Team in Training had put some signs on the floor in front of our hotel room, along with some chocolate. It was pretty cool!




We met the team down in the breakfast nook at 6:15. Someone was handing out TNT tattoos, so Kate and I each grabbed one.

We finished our breakfasts, and then walked over to the starting line with everyone at 7. I told Matt that the entire day felt like we were getting ready for Slet or something. I was pretty comfortable, and that after my worries that I'd be nervous. It took a while to find the bag check, but we finally found it.

The weather couldn't have been better. It was EXACTLY what I would have wanted for race day. I'd rather be a little too cold than too warm! I think it must have been about 40 or 45 with a slight breeze.

By that time, the race was ready to begin, and I was a bit worried because I hadn't seen our mentor, Jenn, anywhere. We were supposed to run together, but I figured I'd be fine on my own. When she arrived, I felt a bit relieved!

The race started at promptly 8 am, and it took us a while to get up
to the start line (our chips, however, only activate when we cross.)
After the first mile, I got warm, so I tossed my sweater to the side
of the road, where it joined countless other sweaters. After the
second mile, my fingers warmed up, so I tossed my gloves to the
other side of the road (someone in front of us didn't take his gloves
off until mile 10, and the whole way we passed discarded clothing.)


Jenn and I did the first two miles in about 9:40 and 10:00, but I felt like we were going SOOO slow. It was very difficult to hold back!

I must have gotten to Dad, Mom, Annie, Geoff and Ellie around mile 3 or 3.5. They were yelling and waving signs, which they later placed in Annie's living room windows to welcome us home from the race.

I was still going at a good pace, but I just HAD to run over and hug them all. They kept yelling, "keep running!" but I was just so grateful that they came out to support us that I had to hug them!

All along the route we saw TNT supporters. As soon as they saw us, they would start waving their signs like crazy and screaming "GO TEAM IN TRAINING!" It was so cool! Jenn and I both had our names on the front of our singlets, so every once in a while people would shout, "Go Jenn! Go Lynette! You can do it!" and things like that. It was really cool! I felt like I had so many friends!

I really wanted to make the effort to walk every 10 minutes once we got about 2 miles in, and we missed a few of those opportunities because we were talking and waving to people. I'm glad I decided to take those forced breaks, because without them, I would have burned out a lot faster than I did.

We saw the Gilberts again around mile 8. This time I just waved and kept going.

When we got to about mile 10, I saw Aunt Mary and Katie and Kyra on the side of the road - Diana's mother- and sister-in-law. I was so happy to see them, and I was so proud that I was running this race for their branch of the family, so of course, I had to run and give them a hug. Again, they said "keep running!" but I just had to show them my appreciation for coming down to support us. I burst into tears, and as I left them I couldn't catch my breath again. I resolved to try not to cry after that, and I had anticipated the night before that I'd be crying the last few miles. I just couldn't afford it!

By the time we got to mile 11, I'd just about had it. My body was HURTING. I picked up a blister somewhere around mile 5, which had NEVER happened before, the back of my right ankle hurt, I was beginning to cramp in my calves, everything was starting to ache, my face felt like it was on fire, and every time I tried to drink water I felt like I was going to throw up. I was afraid that I was getting some kind of heat exhaustion, so I kept forcing small amounts of water into me and pouring water on my face because I didn't want to be one of those people who end up getting taken away by the med carts!!! But I wasn't doing great. This was expected, though, as my 12-mile run was SO hard. When we got to where the course split (half marathoners turned while marathoners went straight) I actually didn't think I was going to make it to mile 12.

We walked for the last time at mile 12, which was a scheduled walk (I didn't do any unscheduled walks!) Someone was cheering for us - "Go Team in Training! Go Lynette! You can do it, don't stop!" and my Nike+ voice told me the time, which meant it was time to walk for a minute. I stopped to walk right in front of the lady who was cheering, and she said something like, "or, you can walk!"

By this point, I was doing REALLY poorly. I think we did the last two miles at almost a 12-mile pace. It was kind of pathetic, but my legs didn't want to run! I had to will my legs to pick up my feet and keep going. Jenn kept saying encouraging things like, "this is what you've been training for, right here, this is just one moment, it's all mental, it's all willpower," etc. I was grumbling and really not thinking I could do it. I have a really bad attitude when I want to. But I just couldn't imagine that my body could go on. She kept saying, "the stadium is right there! Come on, you can do it!" We could hear people cheering in the stadium, but the Negative Nancy that I am, I knew that we had to pass the stadium and then turn back, and frankly, I was dreading it. You can see the struggle in my face in the photo below (courtesy of Kelly Darnell, Team in Training.) That's Jenn!

We got up to the stadium and started down the last stretch before that horrible u-turn ... and heard the WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP of an emergency vehicle. Jenn said, "oh, that's the lead guy!" At first I was confused because ... lead guy? "The marathon winner!" OH! It was the police escort! He was FLYING down the last stretch and disappeared into the stadium before we even turned the corner! I never saw the runner, but the motorcycle was just ahead of him, and I couldn't believe how fast he was going. So he ran twice as fast as me - unbelievable!

We turned the corner and doubled back, and I started to think maybe I could actually finish this. We ran down the ramp into the stadium, and immediately it was like something out of a movie. We ran all the way down to the other end of the field, then turned to run to the 50-yard line. I had SUCH energy during that run! Being on the turf really helped, too. I usually try to end my runs with a 100-yard sprint, so I started sprinting the last 50 yards. The Jumbotron camera was trained on that last turn, but I was too far away to see myself!!

Then I realized that since Jenn was the one who got me to that point, I didn't want to leave her at the end (I swear, during this whole race I had exercise-induced ADD) and turned around to make sure she was following me. I didn't want to cross the finish line without her, so I slowed, and when she caught up I continued. At least, I think that's what happened. My mind wasn't exactly functioning at that point. She and I crossed at about the same time. There were people holding out medals right after the finish line, so we each grabbed our medal and got out of the way of the other runners.

Then I heard, "LYNETTE! LYNETTE!" I turned and Matt was limping - no - hobbling, no - hopping like a mad rabbit over to me. It reminded me of Best in Show, except instead of like how Cookie's right leg was wobbling, Matt's leg was stuck out to the side ...


I immediately thought that he'd really hurt his knee and hadn't finished, that he'd been picked up by one of the carts. I mean, someone who could barely walk certainly hadn't run! But then I saw his medal, and I was SOOOO relieved! We hugged, got water, said goodbye to Jenn (I gave her a big hug and thanked her - I wouldn't have finished the way I did without her encouragement) and headed off to the stands.

We sat down, and Matt burst into tears. It really alarmed me, because I've never seen him cry - ever. I was so concerned that it was his leg. But then he said it was just emotion, and as he recounted his run, he kept dissolving into tears. I was so proud of him! My husband runs really, really fast!!!!



Matt's stats: Bib - 7165; Time - 1:56:07; Pace - 8:52; Overall Place - 999 of 3582 ; Division Place - 111th of 276; Gender Place - 686th of 1571.

Lynette's stats: Bib - 7164; Time - 2:22:18; Pace - 10:52; Overall Place - 2572 of 3582 ; Division Place - 277th of 416; Gender Place - 1250 of 2000.

You know I had brain melt after 13.1
miles because I thought for a second
that was our Yaris behind the tent!

We stumbled out of the stands and found the bag check, which again, had no line. We got outside and hobbled over to the Team in Training tent, checked in, received our 13.1 pins, put our warm clothes on, and had something to eat. I didn't want to eat because I still felt nauseous, but I did have some chocolate milk and I did eat one sausage. Matt thoroughly enjoyed his pancakes and sausages!



After recovering for a few minutes, I went off to pick up the car alone because I didn't want Matt to try to walk that far. I had to walk all the way back to the hotel, and let me tell you, that was EXHAUSTING!!! It was about a half mile, and boy, did I feel every step!



I got back, and by that time, our other two West team members who were doing the run/walk were finished. We had wanted to wait around for Bijona, who was doing the walk/run, but we really wanted to get to Annie's to just get warm and relax.

Matt, Lynette, Jordan, Kate

I have to tell you, at that point, the idea of any future exercise seemed so nutty ... I woke up that morning with the thought that I would go to boot camp next Friday, since I don't have to run next Saturday. But sitting there at the tent, when for some reason the thought of boot camp popped into my head, all I could think was, "I must be crazy! I'll never have enough energy to ever exercise again!!"

It took us almost an hour to get to Annie's. All the streets were blocked off due to the marathon section of the run, and she lived just about in the middle of the course. At one point, I wanted to cross the street between runners and there were volunteers controlling traffic. One volunteer was standing in front of the cone (I later learned) so that I didn't know we could go across. When it was clear, he motioned for me to move forward (he did NOT motion for me to turn left!) As I crossed the street, he yelled "HEY!" at us - and I saw the cone. Then I saw that the street was blocked off because the marathon course continued a few blocks away. We managed to get out of there, but I felt horrible. I didn't do it on purpose! And besides, what if I lived on that street? Huh? We'll just pretend that I lived on that block ...

We finally got to Annie's and just about collapsed. We told our stories, rested, played with Ellie, chatted with Aunt Mary and Katie, oohed and aahed over Kyra (this was our first time meeting the newest member of the Gilbert clan!) and snacked. After Aunt Mary and Katie left, we went out for our "Easter" dinner. It was fabulous ... and I still had my TNT tattoo on my face, but I wore it proudly!

Ellie, Annie, Kyra, Mom Gilbert

After that, we went back to Annie's and said goodbye. The drive home was tough - we sang Beatles songs all the way home to stay alert.

The dogs were SO happy to see us (my wonderful mom had spent Friday night at our house so we didn't have to go pick them up anywhere) and now we are just chilling. Tomorrow will be a very long day of doing nothing but reading and watching TV and movies. I don't know what we're going to eat, but we're not going anywhere for Easter. I think we'll probably pick up a frozen pizza or something from Dominick's.

The plan is: rest for a few weeks, then training for the Downers Grove Park District's 10 miler, which will be no picnic, either.

Thanks to everyone who supported us, either by cheering for us, wishing us well, or donating. And a HUGE THANK YOU to Steve, Monica, Jenn, Joanne (my running partner on training days!) Kelly, and Andy - We couldn't have done this without you!

- Lynette

One Week to Go!!

Today was our last training (sniff.) We were at the Lakefront Path again today, but we only had to do 60 minutes. I ran most of the way with Jennifer, the mentor. She's also doing the half in Champaign, and she said that we should run together the first half (she's planning on picking up the pace for the second six miles - I wish her luck and better her than me!)

It was a lovely day, and we had a great run. When my group got to the three mile mark, I couldn't believe it. I kept saying, "are you SURE that this is three miles?" It did NOT feel like it! What a great feeling!

This week is a taper week, so we can't really do too much exercise so that we don't wear ourselves out or get injured. Our running is light this week, too. And the coaches said, "this week is NO TIME to diet!"

These last few days are also very important for us to focus ourselves mentally - to picture ourselves having a great run (even though the forecast is 40 and rain!) The coaches said last week that people will be cheering us on when they see our purple shirts; they want us to write our names across the front because they said that spectators often like to cheer for us by name. Wow, that is going to be emotional! And also, I'll probably get distracted trying to figure out if they are people I know or not!

I'll also be writing the names of our honorees on the back of my shirt - Diana, Grandma, Serena, Tom, and Tim (survivor.) How sad that I don't have enough room and will have to write the last four names in a smaller size ... I shouldn't know this many people who suffered from blood cancers. That's why we're running, of course. I want to write Diana's name larger than the others, since she is the one who inspired us to do this, and I want to make sure that her name is the most visible.

Okay, I'd better stop writing now before I start crying.

- Lynette

Prarie path

Today I hurt my knee. Hopefully not bad, but the last 6 miles were torture. We ran the prairie path today, which was gorgeous, even if it was 30 degrees. We were running a set time instead of distance, so we knew we'd be finishing at the same time, which was nice. At mile 3 my right knee started hurting. I've never had such a severe or specific pain since I started training, so I was pretty worried. Still am. Anyway, I finished through the pain, and it was a long enough distance that in a weird way it makes me more confident that I can finish the race no matter what happens.

Lynette was running 10 minutes more than I was to stay with her friend, so we both ended up running 9.5 miles (according to my gps iPhone app).

The best part of the day was the amazing eggs benedict I had at the race-prep clinic at 7 Dwarves restaurant afterwards. Those tiny men really know how to poach an egg.

Navy Pier and Back

Image by wallyg from Flickr

Today was another all-team run on the lakefront trail downtown. Our group ran from around Montrose Ave. to Navy Pier and back for a total of 12 miles. There was a huge turnout again, but the people I ran with last time were going to be running north first instead of south, so I fell in with some other people going my pace. Unfortunately, they weren't running the same distance as I was, so one by one they peeled off and turned around, and by mile 3 I was alone. Once that happened, I missed a turn and ended up running the wrong trail for several miles. It turned out all right, though, because I knew the two paths eventually joined back up, and my Nike+ chip said the mileage was about the same.

At mile 4.3, my iPod told me "Activity stopped." This was the same thing that happened to Lynette two weeks ago when it was raining. I just hit the button to resume the workout, but a few minutes later it said it again. By this time I was at mile 5 which was Oak Street Beach, so there were benches. I slowed down to drink some Gatorade and check my Nike+ chip, which turned out to be missing. I had it tucked into my laces, which was how I'd been doing it since we started training and never had a problem. I figured I could try to look for it on the way back, but didn't hold out much hope.

Image by wallyg from Flickr

I made it to the Navy Pier turn-around at mile 6 (mile marker 7.5) without much trouble. I took my Gel, finished my water, and started back the other way. At this point I had no idea how long it was taking, or what my pace was. Since I was alone, I have a feeling I was going faster than I wanted to. Soon I saw Lynette coming the other way, gave her a kiss, and told her about my Nike chip. I had some idea of where to look for it since my iPod said I had gone 4.3 miles, so once I got near that point I started keeping an eye on the opposite side of the path. Much to my amazement, I actually found it. I didn't try to use it again since it would have taken too much time to set up, but I bet it'll work just fine. It's meant to be stepped on, so whatever abuse it took should be within expected parameters.

At about mile ten I felt like I needed to walk a little bit. As soon as I did, I felt my legs, knees, feet, and toes. You name it, it was tired and hurting. It was a mistake to walk, I decided, so I started running again. After the longest two miles of my life, I finally saw the last bridge we had to run under, and started sprinting for it. Turns out I didn't really have anything in my tank, and by the time I got to the finish line I was completely beat.

Luckily, the staff and coaches had set up a buffet of post-race food and drink, so I was drinking Gatorade and eating bagels in no time, and feeling great by the time Lynette finished. She was alone, since her running partner was running 20 miles, and she had sprinted the same stretch I did. As soon as she finished, she gasped "I just need to lie down for a minute," and sprawled out on the grass. Andy, a TNT staff member, came over to make sure she was ok, but she kept waving him off: "I'm fine, I just need to lie down for a while." She told me it was a really tough run for her, and she would never have had the energy for another mile were this the half marathon day. I think she would have been able to do it.

After eating a ton of the great food and drinking the chocolate milk we had brought (really good for recovery, apparently), we hit the road. The rest of the day was filled with much napping, eating, and watching TV. This was our longest run on the schedule. From here until the race, we're tapering. I can't wait to run the 13.1 miles on April 11. I know it's going to be grueling, but I'd be disappointed if it weren't.

Tough Run for Us Both

Yesterday we had only a 6-mile run. How strange that it's "only" 6 miles! I remember when 6 miles was like this huge obstacle ...

I'd been having tough runs all week. My feet were KILLING me, and I only ran 2.5 on Wednesday and 2 on Friday. I've been skipping my Monday runs after the long runs because otherwise it just saps all my energy. But I just felt drained all week. I don't know how the marathoners do it, what with training nearly twice our distance every run.

Matt had the flu SO badly on Sunday. He couldn't get out of bed all day, and Monday he didn't go to work. He wasn't feeling 100% until Thursday and didn't want to push it Friday, so he missed all of his runs this week.

We both had a terrible run! I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't been running with my friend Joanne. My feet ached, my back ached, I had no energy ... when I got done Matt was waiting for me, and he confessed that he walked almost an entire mile! (And yet I still didn't catch up to him!)

I had been aiming for a 10-minute race pace for April 11, but I think I'm more comfortable around 10:30, which is about what I've been doing. Well, the first mile or two I'm at a 10, and while it doesn't exhaust me, around mile 3 it seems that I slow down to about 10:20 or 10:30. I can talk at a consistent rate at that pace, which takes my mind off of the run and makes me able to go further without getting exhausted.

However, I'm sure I'll be running alone for the race. The mentor will be running the Champaign Half, but I think my pace is a lot slower than hers, that she just runs at my pace. There's another lady doing the Champaign Half, but she runs at about 11 or 11:30, which is WAY too slow for me. I tried running with her once and it was just too slow.

The point is, I am afraid that I'll have a really bad run for the actual race. I know that kind of negative thinking is bad, but this week was just so horrible! The coach said that it was mostly the impact of the long run, but also I should check my insoles (we took them out to dry the shoes - you wad up newspaper and shove it in the shoe to absorb all the water.)

And another bad thing - my iPod seems to have died. It will tell me "activity stopped" while I'm running and turn off! I know a 10-minute mile isn't that fast, but come ON! I don't know if I want to shell out another $40 - this would be my 3rd one in 2.5 years ... and they're supposed to last 1000 miles each. I haven't even run 1000 miles in my LIFE!

Well, stay tuned, because the toughest run (until race day) is coming up next weekend - 12 miles on the lakefront again. If it rains, I will be VERY unhappy!

- Lynette

10 Mile Run Today!

Today was our 10-mile run along the lakefront. Matt was sick yesterday and was afraid he wouldn't be able to run today, but when we woke up he felt okay. We had to be there at 7:45, so we left around 6:45. I was so nervous because my run yesterday (2 miles) was really bad, with my feet ACHING the whole time.

Well, there were dozens and dozens of TNT members, it was so cool! We hit the trail at about 8:30, I think. I was running with my friend Joanne and one of the mentors, Jennifer. Matt took off ahead of us (as usual.) At about mile 2 there was a water stop, and Jennifer and Joanne stopped without telling me, so a half mile later I looked back and they were no where in sight. I kept going, and they caught up with me around the 4 mile marker. And, apparently, they said that I have a cute butt - haha, ladies!

By the time we were close to the turn-around point, I was getting worried because Matt hadn't passed us yet. I was afraid that he'd gotten sick and one of the coaches had to drive him back to the car. But then - just as I expressed my concern to my partners - there he was! A little slower than usual, but feeling okay.

Joanne left us at the 5 mile marker because she's a marathoner and had to run 16 miles. Jennifer and I headed back, chatting the whole time. When I started running, I never thought I'd be able to chat at ALL during a run because of my asthma. I think my lung capacity must be improving!

We had about 3 miles left when the stinging rain started. I had just shorts on, so my legs got red pretty quickly. At about 2 miles left, the sky opened up and we were in a torrential downpour. My shoes got so soaked that it was like running with weights on my ankles! Wow! It had been such a good run until that point, and it was a huge struggle to finish the last two miles. Considering I had just coasted through the first 7, I would never had guessed how difficult it was to get those last two miles logged! But it was windy and pouring and SO miserable.

We got back and poor Matt was standing under the bridge. Everyone else was in their cars or on the trail (we were one of the first 1/2 marathon groups to return.) I had the car keys, so he was stuck under the bridge. But he couldn't have been there more than 20 minutes, and he wasn't soaked because he wasn't in the pouring rain for as long as we were.

We had driven the new Ford Focus, and I did NOT want to get it soaked like we got the Yaris soaked that one time that we ran in the pouring rain. Once we got in the car I stripped off my shorts (I'd brought a pair of pants) and then Joanne walked up to the car - but who cares if she sees me in my panties, she's got 6 kids, and the oldest girl is 25. The coaches had got out and driven back all the marathoners because it was lightning, so they didn't get in their 16 and 18 miles (depending on what marathon they're running.)

We had discussed running together on Wednesdays, so we made plans to get each other's emails from the TNT staff, and Matt and I went on our way. We were FROZEN!!!!

Taking a hot shower when we got home was SO nice! Matt is currently bundled in bed wearing his long underwear, Pippin is keeping him warm, I just stretched but know that I waited too long and will be sore tomorrow, and I'm going to go get us Jimmy John's for lunch. Then we're off to a Chili Bowl at 2, and I'm guessing we'll be home early and in bed by 8 or so!

This was our longest run to date, and after running the last 3 miles in pouring rain, I am less worried about making it to 13.1 miles on race day. It seems like a VERY reachable goal now! Especially since I only walked twice before the rain instead of every mile, and then I ended up walking 3 times in the rain (once was a scheduled walk, once was because my iPod died and I had to put it in my pocket, and once because we took a wrong turn and had to figure out which way to go.) Each time was less than a minute, though, so if I do my scheduled run 11 minutes walk 1, I should make it to the end of the 1/2 with NO problem!!!

- Lynette

Wordle

Since we have a decent amount of entries now, I wanted to try generating one of these word-cloud things from wordle.net. It analyzes your blog (or any text you want) and sizes each word based on it's frequency of use. I'd like a poster of this once we're done with the half-marathon.

Just a few weeks away!

We're getting up into the huge miles now, starting this week. On Saturday, we'll be running 10 miles down on the lakefront. I'm not looking forward to either the 10 miles OR the wind! This will be a real test of our endurance. Eight miles was tough, but I'd run 7 before, so it wasn't impossible. But this will really be a tough run.

With all these runs with high mileage, I've found that I REALLY need a nap after our runs. My whole body aches for about two days, and no matter how much I stretch, it seems like my calves are never stretched enough. I've never been the kind of person who just lays around, but honestly, for the two days after the long run, ALL I want to do is lay around. I've managed so far to drag myself to the gym on Mondays, though, doing some muscle work. By Tuesday I'm fine, rocking it out at Turbo Kick, but it's just those first two days that make me want to just crawl into bed and not come out.

I've noticed I'm getting a lot more definition in my leg muscles, which is really nice. I've been running hills and combining my intervals with that, leaving me exhausted every Wednesday. But I think it's helping my breathing and my endurance, and it's a huge challenge that I need to overcome, and we all know how competitive I am.

Wish us luck on our 10-mile run on Saturday!

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.