Saturday Run on my own...

Saturday I ran/walked 3 miles in Preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!


Saturday was another long day scheduled for work.  We had an event at the ballpark, so I was not able to make it to our team run at Fanuel Park.  I missed seeing all my teammates and sharing in that excitement of why we are all working towards the same goal.  Nothing motivates you more than hearing someone tell you a story about a loved one who is fighting blood cancer.  This is the best reminder of why we are raising money, and why we are lucky we can train to run a marathon.

I am happy to say I have reached my first milestone in fundraising - 

I'm 25% of the way to my goal.  Since I was not at Saturday's session, I look forward to receiving our 25% incentive next week - Team in Training Running Socks!

Missing the morning session wasn't going to mean I missed my run.  After a long, but wonderful day at work I laced up my shoes and went for a 3 mile run.  I decided to complete my run before I even went home, because I knew once I sat down - that would be the end of me!  We have learned that the perimeter of the ballpark (including the park and it's surrounding businesses) is .75 miles, so I did four laps around to complete my 3 miles.  I was able to jog most of it, stopping only once around each time for a one to two minute walk.  
Saturday's run was such an accomplishment.  I was able to still complete my workout on my own, - and I have not missed a scheduled goal to this day!  I was amazed at the adrenaline I had after a long day on my feet.
I look forward to joining my teammates again next Saturday!

Thursday, February 11th

Thursday I ran/walked 40 minutes in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!


On Thursday I was scheduled to work until 9:00PM, so I knew if I waited until after work, I would not get my workout in.  I woke up early, and hit our gym before getting ready for work.  I increased my time to 40 minutes, running 6 minutes, and walking 2 minutes in between.  
I am very proud of the fact I'm motivated enough to wake up early and exercise, before going to work!  

Saturday Session Pictures

In case any of you have been wondering what a TNT session looks like, I just pulled a couple of pictures from our yahoo group. 

 Before every run we stretch as a group.  I'm very thankful for this, because I am not a good stretcher and am not motivated to do so unless someone is telling me what to do.  Even in this picture I seem a little distracted - you can see me on the left with the white top and green shorts!

Another pre-run activity is a Green Team Cheer.  Can I get a "GO TEAM!!!"  

I've heard from many of you that you like pictures, so I'll do my best to keep them coming!

 

Week in Review

This week has really been busy, so I apologize for not blogging sooner!  Luckily as busy as it was, I was still able to stay on track with all of my workouts.  Here is a re-cap of my week:


Today I ran/walked 35 minutes in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!
Tonight was gym night and I completed 35 minutes on the treadmill.  I ran for six minutes, and walked for two minutes in between.  This has been a good comfortable pace for me so far.  I believe this is the last week that our workouts are centered around time.  Next week I will be reporting my mileage faithfully!
Today I also enjoyed an hour massage, and it really made my aches and pains feel better.  (Especially my crazy knee that keeps popping and my lower back that now hurts when I wear high heels).  I'm definitely going to have to go back to regularly scheduled massages, for the good of training of course!  And I might need to invest in more flats for work.


Tuesday I rested in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!
These days only come twice a week, and are welcomed!  

Monday I ran/walked with my Team in Training Teammates in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!
Every Monday a group meets in PB for a run.  This run will eventually turn into a hill run (that's promised to be the most beautiful run in San Diego), but for now we run along the boardwalk.  I jogged and walked with Nina and Steve...and I am not sure how far we went, but know we met our 30 minute workout challenge.   It's always fun being with a group...especially when you are working towards the same goal.  And an extra bonus...at the end of the run Clint was waiting for me to say hello.  He of course could spot me because of my neon shorts.


Sunday I did 20 minutes of cross-training in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

So Sunday was my proclaimed swimming day, but of course this week the pool's heating system is being worked on so I wasn't able to use it.  Instead, I snuck up to the gym during halftime of the Super Bowl and I did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I have always enjoyed doing the elliptical and think it's a great workout.  This game my knee a much needed rest from Sunday's run.  

Thanks for checking in on my workouts.  More blogs and exciting stuff to share in the next couple of days!

Rainy Day Session & Shoe Clinic Fun

Saturday I ran/walked 3 miles in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

Yesterday was our second Saturday session and I was really looking forward to it. We met at 8:00am at RoadRunner Shoes. It was "Green Team" Spirit Day so I made sure to wear my green running shorts and lace up my shoes with green laces. GO TEAM!

It was really cold and rainy yesterday morning. If I wasn't participating with this program, it was definitely not a morning I would have decided to wake up and run. It's times like those that we have to remind ourselves why we are doing this. Someone read a letter at our meeting that reminded us when we run in the rain, our hair may get wet but it's not comparison to losing our hair due to cancer treatments. And after our run, our muscles get stronger, unlike the cancer fighters we are running for who continuously lose strength because of blood disease, and who become tired even after just taking a breath. Running in the rain is the least we could do!

I completed three miles, and ran in the "5 minute jog/1 minute walk group". I ran with a Padres teammate who kept me motivated and helped me finish strong. We also finished just as it started to pour. Good timing! Then on to the activity I had been waiting for since I signed up...

THE SHOE CLINIC!

Since we were at RoadRunner we participated in a shoe clinic after the event. We were able to get new running shoes at a discounted TNT price. It was long overdue for me, as I haven't gotten a new pair in a few years!

If you haven't been to RoadRunner, it's an awesome experience. I learned you don't just pick running shoes by size and color (although color still played an important part for me!)

The staff at RoadRunner watch how you run on a treadmill, and analyze your feet so they know where you put pressure on them, where you need more support, and what's going to be most comfortable to you while you run. I have a pretty high arch, and run pretty straight, so they pointed me to the "Neutral" category of shoes.

After trying a few pairs, I'd like to introduce you to my

new best friends...

I can't wait to run in them, and I love the awesome Neon Yellow Color!

Once I picked out my shoes, I felt much more prepared to run the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon. But since I was at RoadRunner, and since I had some new awesome shoes, I decided to treat myself to something special. Check out these Neon Yellow Running Shorts!

Did I mention I love Neon running clothes! We all know that part of the fun of starting a new hobby is buying the gear. These shorts are going to come in handy for our Monday night runs. I don't think any car will miss seeing me when I wear these!

Yesterday was a blast. Thanks RoadRunner and all my TNT Teammates for a great day!

And thank you to those following my journey (even when I may ramble) and who have donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You are making a difference, and I appreciate you!

Thursday, February 4th

Thursday I ran/walked for 35 minutes (and clocked 2.5 miles) in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

I worked late Thursday, so I hit the gym again that night (no "stalking" required - all treadmills open :) )

I did about the same workout as the night before, but was able to jog 5 to 6 minutes, and walk 2 minutes in between comfortably.

Friday was a day of rest before a busy Saturday!

Work Day Workouts

My biggest worry in keeping to my training schedule was working out during the week. If it was easy to exercise after working an eight hour day, I would

have been doing it for years! Luckily, now I have a goal, a cause and other people to keep me accountable.

Here is a mid-week review of my training:

Monday -

On Monday I ran/walked for 35 minutes in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

I decided my best bet for Monday was to take off from work and get my workout in before even going home. I ran about 4 to 5 minutes at a time, taking short walk breaks in between. It's hard not to want to overdue it because so far it feels good to ru

n, but I know I have plenty of time and plenty of miles ahead of me so I'm following the training guidelines as best I can, with an extra push every now and then!

Tuesday -

On Tuesday I rested in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

Tuesday is our off day, or we can choose to do cross training for 20 minutes. I went ahead and took the day off, I have plenty of training in that.

Wednesday -

Today I ran/walked for 35 minutes (and clocked 2.5 miles) in preparation for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!

I have a workout partner booked for every Wednesday night...Clint! He's great at keeping me accountable and working towards his own workout goals.

We went to our gym and used the treadmills. Unfortunately, everyone is either training for a marathon or still on their New Year's resolution kicks because we watched outside for 45 minutes, waiting for someone to leave the treadmills. Some may call it stalking, we call it commitment. We do have plans to run outside the gym once Daylight Savings Time kicks in!

I can comfortably run 5 to 6 minutes between 2 minute walking breaks - meaning I could carry on a conversation while running.

Thanks Clint for keeping me on track, and thanks for the donations - What a Guy!