June 2010 Archives

Not long after I'd started running again -- I mean really running, consistently, several times per week regardless of the weather or how I felt -- I'd learned that one of my high school classmates has a daughter with leukemia. Nigam and I had lost touch after graduation, as is often the case, especially when you leave the state to go to college. We exchanged phone numbers, and had a great talk about his six-year-old daughter, Siona, and the challenges she's been facing.

She was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia almost exactly two years ago. She went into remission, but not after enduring months (years) of chemo and radiation. Earlier this spring, unfortunately, she relapsed. Her leukemia returned. Treatment at this point is a little more difficult (as if it isn't already difficult enough, at four, five, six, to deal with "the stupidity of cancer"). She's continuing to receive more chemo to drive down the percentage of leukemic cells in her bone marrow -- to get her back into remission -- before receiving a cord blood transplant.

As much as I like the fall season's honored patient -- and I sincerely believe that 21-year-old Robert continues to somehow draw strength from 41-year-old Robert to get through these seven or eight months -- I'd asked Nigam if I could also run in honor of Siona. Her fight is much more urgent.

There are a lot more details about Siona here: www.sionashah.com. Please keep her in your thoughts, too, as I continue to prepare for my two marathons.

Didn't rain after all this morning, although it might as well have been given how completely soaked my shirt was by the end of the run. Lots of humidity, even at eight in the morning.

Had a really good long team run, hills and all, with more opportunity to get to know some of the other runners a little better. After striking up a conversation with Corey -- this is one of the keys to doing the longer runs, by the way, is finding and maintaining a pace where you can carry on a conversation -- I learned that he, too, is a leukemia survivor.

The stories, they keep coming.

He had ALL when he was five, and went into remission. Shortly after his tenth anniversary in remission, following an annual check-up, he learned that he'd relapsed. A bone marrow transplant from his brother ensued. That was twelve years ago. We shared war stories a bit, and both of us are blessed to have avoided any kind of long-term health issues that might have originated with high doses of chemo or radiation when we were younger.

This is why I'm running: because I can.

Today's run: 8.3 miles in 1:35:30 (with water stops)
Weekly total: 23 miles in five runs, plus Tue/Fri spin class for cross-training.
Total mileage: 114 miles.
Fundraising total: the progress bar shows $5,164.50, but I'd mailed in several checks to the Leukemia Society earlier in the week, so my actual numbers should be somewhere around $5,500.

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."

- Henry David Thoreau

It's not too late to remember a simple lesson about training in the summer: running in the morning is always better. Always. Let's see if I can keep that in mind over the coming weeks (months) as the heat and humidity continue to punish my late afternoon and/or evening runs.

No long run on Saturday this week -- moving to Sunday to accommodate a few schedules. And remember what I wrote just a few days ago about being "so ready for some flatlands." Yeah. I should have looked ahead at our plan for this weekend. We'll be meeting up at Lebanon Hills, a park out in Eagan. According to the e-mail I received earlier today from our coach, I should "be prepared for a lot of hills."

Also: "we run even if it is raining."

Bring it hills. Bring it rain. You're not the boss of me.

Thursday's run: 4 miles in 00:38:40 (9:40/mi).
Today's run: 2.5 miles in 00:23:30 (9:24/mi).
Total mileage: 105.5 miles.

We met up at Lock & Dam #1 again for our team training tonight for a brief discussion on injuries (how to recognize early signs, thoughts on common running issues) from a podiatrist friend of our coach, Jan. Then came a short warm-up consisting of a little over a mile jog, followed by 26.2 push-ups and crunches.

And then the real reason we were there: the quarter-mile hill down to the river. And back up to the parking lot. Down. Up. Repeat four to six times.

It was near the end of my sixth and final trip up the hill that a thought came to mind: "Every hill has an end. You just need to find it before it finds you." Between this team practice and my routes in Wisconsin last week, I am so ready for some flatlands.

Today's mileage: 4 miles, in 00:43:35 (10:53/mi).
Total mileage: 99 miles.

A hot, muggy run today after driving back from the Wisconsin Dells. Twice around Bredesen Park. A nice, simple, strong outing.

Today's mileage: 4 miles in 37:50 (9:27/mi).
Total mileage: 95 miles.

Planned ahead for my long run this weekend. Since I couldn't join up with the team, I plotted out my route on MapMyRun earlier in the week: a wide loop that started out to the east from the hotel, then turned up and to the northwest across the top of Lake Delton, then down the west side, back up the east side, before cutting back down to Kalahari.

Left the room a little before 7:00 AM. The sun was well up into the sky. Roads were quiet, albeit more than a little hilly, and offered some beautiful early morning views. Had some struggles along the way with all of the hills, sometimes walking up them, sometimes not. Everything was probably a little more difficult because of the solo nature of the run -- I realize how much it helps to have somebody else from the team to run with. I finished an entire bottle of Gatorade by the time I got mile ten. Really needed to stay hydrated with some deceptive heat along the way.

As with so many of my runs these days, while it may feel like I'm just muddling my way through the miles, at the end of the day it turned out to be just fine. 11.7 miles in 2:09:10, just a shade over an 11 minute mile. That's right in line with what my "long, slow runs" should be (and is actually a little faster than any of my previous long runs).

And almost another $1,000 in donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society came in this week, bringing my total to $4,569.50. Very exciting progress -- I'm almost to the minimum required for both marathons, with several months to go, yet!

Saturday's mileage: 11.7 miles in 2:09:10
Week 5 mileage: 22 miles over four days of running, plus two days of cross-training.
Total mileage: 91 miles.

It's hard to imagine that it was only three months ago that I started this journey. Everything obviously started a lot earlier -- twenty years ago, in fact -- but it was two weeks after celebrating my twentieth anniversary in remission that I laced up the sneaks and went outside for my first run in almost a year. I could safely say that the number of times I'd gone for a run in the past handful of years was, well, about a handful. Nothing I'm necessarily proud of.

But I knew if I was going to run a marathon in October, I had to start somewhere. March and April would be my months "to get in shape to get in shape." Informal, running or walking a few days each week, just trying to slowly increase both distance and pace.

Here's a quick look at distances and times on this day, over the past three months.

03/17 - 1.7 miles in 20:00 (11:48/mile).
04/17 - 6.1 miles in 01:10:00 (11:14/mile) -- really struggled on this run. Longest distance to date.
05/17 - 2 miles. Didn't log the time, but it was probably around 10:15/mile or so.
06/17 - 3.33 miles in 31:17 (9:23/mile).

Today was another simple out-and-back, wearing the Five Fingers for the third time this week. Felt much better than yesterday's run along the same route. Can't wait to see what the next three months look like.

Today's mileage: 3:33 miles in 31:17
Total mileage: 79.6 miles.

This week has been a pretty good study, so far, in making time to get in my workouts.

Monday: I was too tired to get up and run before work, and we had a going away party for two dance teachers at 5:00. So I packed some running gear and had Melissa drop me off at Bredesen Park on the way back home from the dance studio. She went home with the girls and my Mom to put together a little dinner while I ran one lap around the park and then the mile and a half back home along the road. Wore my Five Fingers on this run, and had fun splashing into puddles, instead of avoiding them. 3.5 miles in 33:45.

Tuesday: Mom and I had plans to spend the majority of the day in Cokato, MN, visiting relatives. We wanted to get on the road by 9:00 AM. Not trusting myself to get any cross-training in later in the evening, I'd looked for spin classes at nearby Life Time Fitness clubs, deciding on one up the road in St. Louis Park at 6:00 AM. With double alarms (5:00 and 5:15) I made it into the class by 5:45 -- good thing, because it was completely full by the time it started. And while it was a good workout, it paled in comparison to my "regular" Tuesday and Friday spin classes over lunch at the downtown club.

Wednesday: With packing and getting ready to leave for the Wisconsin Dells by mid-morning, I figured, again, that morning wouldn't work for my run. Today's team workout was supposed to be a new challenge, too -- an out-and-back where you do the "out" in 20 minutes, and the "back" in 16 minutes. We made it to the Kalahari Resort by 2:30 or so in the afternoon, and I immediately changed so I could tackle my run instead of waiting for later this evening.

And while I thought my "barefoot" pace was okay on the way out, I probably went too fast to be able shave 2 min/mile on the way back. Plus, when I turned around, I was greeted with a pretty strong headwind. And hills. Didn't notice the gentle downslope until I had to go back up them. Stupid headwind. Stupid hills. Made it back in 17:10 instead of 16:00.

Today's mileage: 3.8 miles in 37:10.
Total mileage: 76.3 miles.

Had a great long run this morning, pushing ten miles along the Mississippi River in St. Paul. It was cool and overcast, threatening rain most of the time, but holding out until well after I'd wrapped up my miles. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how well training has gone after one month. I'm definitely in much, much better shape than I was even a month ago, between all of the running and cross-training, and paying only a little bit of attention to my diet.

My fundraising totals are $3,644.50 thanks to additional donations this week from Mark & Laura Masuda, Mark, Neal, Scott, and Parvez.

Overall, a great first month on the way to two marathons this October!

Today's mileage: 9.7 miles in 1:50:00
Week 4 mileage: 18 miles on Mon, Wed, Sat, plus two days of cross-training (Tue, Fri spin classes at Life Time over lunch).
Total mileage: 69 miles.

Today's five mile run started off great, heading out from the house during lunch (thanks to unexpected auto repairs that forced me to work from home all day) toward Bredesen Park, then one loop around the park, and back home for just about five. Somewhere around 3.5 miles I just lost energy, motivation, whatever. Wasn't out of breath, no joint pains. Just got pooped, I guess.

The good news is that even with a mixture of walking and running over the last mile and a half, I still finished the run in better than 10:30 per mile. And I got my mileage in, for the day, too. Good, bad, or otherwise, as long as I'm adding mileage, I'm still headed in the right direction.

Today's mileage: 5.2 miles in 54:00.
Total mileage: 59 miles.

Only three miles on the calendar today. Went up the Depot in St. Louis Park for an easy trail out and back. Wasn't really trying to push myself too hard, but felt good with a faster pace. Definitely got the heart rate going, and my breathing wasn't the easy conversational Saturday morning run. Finished the three miles in my best time so far. A very good day.

Today's mileage: 3 miles in 27:24.
Total mileage: 54 miles.

Just a quick update for today -- it's a busy dance recital weekend for the family. Back-to-back days at Hopkins High School with afternoon and evening recitals to either help with props, dance, hang out in the parking lot, and even watch at least one full event.

Long run this weekend was a solid 8 miles on Saturday morning. A little wet, a little muggy, but overall a great pace and no major aches or pains.

Fundraising is off to a great start! Thanks again to everybody who has contributed so far -- including Emily, Jody & Lane, Ian, Ken, and Pepito, recently -- to help generate a first-week total of $3,100! Very exciting. Almost halfway to the minimum threshold for Twin Cities and Dublin, and still the entire summer and fall ahead of me to strive for my personal goal.

Saturday's mileage: 8 miles in 1 hour and 30 minutes (including two water stops).
Week 3 mileage: 15 miles in 3 training days, plus 2 cross-training spin classes.
Total mileage: 51 miles.

So far, training has gone extremely well. I've had a few people ask about this already --how much I'm running, what the training is like -- so I figured I'd share some of what makes it so easy. Relatively speaking, of course.

There are many benefits when preparing for a marathon (or two) with Team in Training. One of the best, and simplest, is the fact that we received a calendar in mid-May that spelled out a two month training schedule.

There's not much for me to do, then, other than look at the calendar and run the distances that are listed. Plan my day accordingly. If I don't get up and run before work in the morning, or find time during lunch, then I know I'll need to get my mileage in sometime at night. Tuesdays and Fridays I've been cross-training at the gym. Weekends are progressively longer runs. So far, mid-week, I'm not putting in any more than four miles.

As long as I can continue to follow the schedule provided to me, I'll be in great shape come October.

Woo-hoo! Less than a week into my fundraising -- I'd sent out an e-mail this past Saturday -- and my first milestone has already been met. As of about 11:00 last night, with an awesome anonymous donation, my fundraising total ($1,584.50) moved past the minimum necessary to participate in the Twin Cities Marathon!

Thanks so much to my Anonymous donor, Aaron, Clare, Craig, Jasmine (you go, girl!), Jen & Kevin, Jill, Jim, Justin, Kim, Kristine, Marilyn, Nancy, Paul Beard, Paul Steckler, Patrik, Pete, Steve, and Wendy for helping me to reach this initial goal!

Today's team run started with another good round of introductions -- lots of people to get to know throughout the summer -- and a fun exercise where we named the city we went to sixth grade in. The woman next to me, Stephanie, who I've run with a few times so far, said "Tukwila, Washington." Crazy. She laughed when I said "Renton, Washington." Small world. She also works at Target, which we'd learned about a couple of weeks ago, but the whole south-end of Seattle connection was even funnier.

As for the workout itself: we started at Minnehaha Park, jogged over to the locks along the Mississippi, and proceeded to do anywhere from two to four hills (about 1/4 of a mile down, then 1/4 back up). I opted for three sets. Probably coulda woulda shoulda done all four, but it's been a long week already.

We had a nice picnic afterward. Hot dogs. Chips. Fruit. It was all good, on a gorgeous summer night.

Today's mileage: about 3 miles.
Total mileage: 43 miles.