leukemiasurvivor.com

Hills

2010-09-02T14:05:27Z

I don't know what it is about running hills, but I love these periodic Wednesday workouts at Lock & Dam #1. They are absolutely my favorite. LOVE them. Even at spin class during the week, my favorite part of class is when we add tension to the bike, and stand up through the "hill." Maybe it's the Seattle kid in me. I dunno. But happily got stronger as yesterday's workout progressed.

Here are some detailed splits from the Garmin, and a map view of the workout itself, including warmup and cool-down time before and after the eight hill repeats.

Mileage: 6 miles.
Total Mileage: 322 miles.

Running Forever

2010-09-02T02:28:05Z

Love this quote on running, as well as the longer article that it came from.

I was running from where I had been, where I was, and where I was headed.

[...]

I wrote in one of those first columns that my running shoes had become giant erasers on my feet. Each foot strike wiped away the memory of some earlier indiscretion or failure. Each new pair of running shoes carried the potential of unlocking some secret place. Each pair of worn-out running shoes carried with them the scars of a healing soul.

http://running.competitor.com/2004/07/training/running-forever_3287

The last sentence really holds true for me this spring and summer (and now, quietly, entering the fall): "I've learned that a runner is everything I hope to be."

September Training Schedule

2010-09-01T22:40:05Z

Last month of training before the marathons show up on our calendar. Wow. I'm actually looking forward to cutting back in a few weeks -- 12 miles, and then 8 miles on the weekend. Hehe. Nice to be able to consider that kind of mileage a "cut back" weekend.

Week Fifteen Summary

2010-08-29T19:34:06Z

Another quiet week of blogging. Here's what the workouts looked like:

Monday: 45 min of spin class
Tuesday: 45 min of spin class
Wednesday: 4 miles (track workout with the team - Yasso 800's)
Thursday: rest
Friday: 45 min of spin class
Saturday: 15 miles in 3 hrs
Sunday: rest

I'm now over three hundred miles worth of runs since I started training in mid-May! Over the next few weeks, I want to get some more of my mid-week runs in. It's been awhile since I've done Monday or Thursday runs; as the Twin Cities marathon gets closer, I think it would be good to get a bit more running mileage in each week.

Total Mileage: 316 miles
Fundraising Total: $12,246.50

Tough Run

2010-08-29T19:08:43Z

I'm glad for this, actually, glad for an unexpectedly difficult run on Saturday. Well, not entirely unexpected: I'd spent the better part of both Thursday and Friday struggling with sinus congestion, fatigue, and not the best sleep. I'm still not sure if it's allergies or some kind of late summer cold. In either case, I was definitely not at my best when I woke up early for our long run.

The plan was to run seventeen miles. Weather could not have been more accommodating, and the route was a nice, mostly familiar path that started north of Lake of the Isles, then moved down the chain of lakes, past Calhoun and then along Harriet before returning back up to our starting point.

And the lakes really were spectacular. Gorgeous water, gorgeous sun. Made a point of trying to notice those things, to smile, breathe, and go slowly.

But not even halfway into the run, I was wiped. Ran most of the way to Harriet with Rosie and Heather, joining up with Sanjiv and April near Calhoun. They split off at the south end of Harriet to add a few more miles along Minnehaha Parkway. I knew that I didn't want to add any more miles than necessary, so I kept on, making my way back alone.

In marked contrast to the previous weekend, when I'd felt like I could have kept going after 18 miles, I had to stop and walk several times on the way back. Just couldn't catch my breath. Wasn't even running all that fast; just didn't have anything left in the tank over the last five or six miles.

And when all is said and done, I'm glad for days like this. It was a struggle. It reminds me that there will be bad days, days when you find things to be much harder than you'd like, or than you're used to. It fits the analogy, again, for both leukemia and life: there will be both good days and bad days, and it's how you respond to the bad days that helps to define the quality of your character.

Yesterday, I struggled through fifteen miles in just about three hours, including plenty of water stops and walking breaks. But I did it. Got my long run in this weekend (even if it fell a couple of miles short of my original goal).

It feels so much better, today, to have pushed my way through the fatigue to finish that run than it would have felt to have skipped the run altogether.

100 Days

2010-08-22T22:17:56Z

Just realized, as I finished my weekly update, that today marks exactly one hundred days since I began training in mid-May. Thought it would be fun to share some stats about those 100 days:

49 days of running

27 days of cross-training (primarily spin class at the Target Center Lifetime Fitness)

76% of those days, then, had some form of exercise

18 miles is my longest run so far

10 runs have been 10 miles or longer

The Twin Cities Marathon is in 42 days. Feeling very, very good about it -- as well as for Dublin only 22 days later.

Week Fourteen Summary

2010-08-22T22:09:05Z

Yesterday morning was the first time I'd had a chance to do a long run with the team in a couple of weeks. Weather forecast called for morning fog and overcast skies, burning off into a beautiful summer afternoon. And even though I thought we'd finally escaped the heat and humidity that's been fairly persistent this summer, it didn't take long to realize that we were still running through some seriously thick air.

The run itself felt great. Nine miles out towards Lake Minnetonka, past Excelsior, before turning right back around for a total of 18. Very nearly the maximum distance we'll be running prior to the marathon. And the best part was that even though it was taxing, I felt like I could have kept going when we'd stopped. Figure that has to be a good sign as we've increased our mileage dramatically over the past month.

I also took an ice bath after this past run, my second one this week. The team in Seattle swore by their benefits. Some of the other people I've been running with lately have mentioned the same thing. My coach, Jan, agrees: they are very good for the body.

So whether it's the extra rest over the past few weeks, or the ice baths, or some combination of the two (and a little good luck thrown in for good measure) I feel pretty solid again.

Weekly Total: 27.5 miles in 3 runs, plus 1 day of spin class.
Total Mileage: 297 miles
Fundraising Total: $12,171.50

Quote

2010-08-22T20:52:07Z

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."

- Anonymous

Cindy

2010-08-22T04:14:20Z

From my recent visit to Seattle, when I had a chance to visit with Cindy for the first time in years.

Update on Siona

2010-08-20T19:55:45Z

I was very fortunate, this past weekend, to have been able to spend some time with my high school friend, Nigam; his wife, Reshma; and their daughter, Siona. It was a hot Sunday afternoon, and we sat outside on their back patio talking about a range of topics, most of them about leukemia.

Siona had been receiving more agressive chemo in order to induce remission so she could then begin the process for a cord blood transplant. Her biopsy was on Monday. Results came a couple of days later: she was not in remission.

9% has been confirmed - Very Disappointing news to say the least and looks like we might be going to ST. Judes in Tennessee as Seattle is running out of options. Cancer Sucks and to be frank its hard to be positive today - Hopefully tomorrow brings a different day.

http://www.sionashah.com/siona/index.php?updateid=43

When I spoke with Nigam over the weekend, it looked like their next option would be to relocate to Memphis to take Siona to St. Jude. They will be leaving this weekend (if they haven't already left today). Here's hoping for the best as she begins these next difficult steps on her journey.

Rest, Run, Run, Rest, Spin

2010-08-20T19:16:14Z

Had a great spin class today. There was a sub -- Justin -- who comes highly recommended by more than a few people. It was a good, challenging, low-impact workout.

Gearing up for 18 miles tomorrow, our longest run so far. The mileage is really starting to add up, and I've been feeling a little wear and tear. Good news is that these nagging aches and pains haven't really bothered me yesterday or today. Don't know if it was the ice bath I took after practice on Wednesday, or the extra rest, or just getting more comfortable with the mileage.

Regardless, feeling pretty solid about tomorrow's run.

Tuesday mileage: 4 miles
Wednesday mileage: 5.5 miles
Total mileage: 279 miles

Week Thirteen Summary

2010-08-15T16:56:05Z

Another brief update. Hope to write more about the trip to Seattle. Didn't train much so I could give my leg some rest -- spin class on Monday and Tuesday, then no running until the long run on Saturday.

Weekly Mileage: 16 miles
Total Mileage: 269.5 miles
Fundraising Total: $12,171.50

Seattle Long Run

2010-08-15T15:18:48Z

I'd been planning a trip out to Seattle for a little while, primarily hoping to visit the University of Washington Medical Center -- where I'd received my treatment twenty years ago. I knew I'd need to get in a long run while I was there, so I reached out to a friend from high school, Gerbielyn, who has been actively involved with Team in Training for the past five or six years.

She invited me to the team run along the Burke-Gilman Trail, originating from Matthews Beach on Lake Washington. One of my teammates from Minneapolis, Stephanie, was also visiting family on the same weekend, and had planned to join the long run as well. Unfortunately, she's nursing an injury, and didn't do the run. Still -- was able to meet her aunt and uncle, who are also both involved with TNT. Small world.

Weather was just about perfect. Sunny, warm, clear. Even a little brisk at the beginning, compared to what we've had in Minneapolis. I was able to spend much of the time running with one of the coaches, Jim, who ran the entire time wearing a grass skirt (to celebrate that this was the longest run for the team getting ready for the Kauai Marathon). Also ran with Lyell, also running Kauai, who has completed nearly sixty marathons! Finally finished up the run with Paul, an eight-year ALL survivor.

We all walked into Lake Washington at the end of the run. Had some treats, too. In all, a really fun time. So glad I could participate.

More Rest

2010-08-11T22:12:11Z

So I've had this ongoing, nagging soreness on the outside of my right leg, near my ankle and shin. Usually doesn't hurt necessarily. It's just something I've been able to feel on occasion, where I don't normally feel anything in the same spot on my left leg.

It was too hot and humid to run on Monday, anyway, so I took my workout indoors for an extra spin class. Tuesday I did spin, again, as I've been doing all summer.

And whether it was the half marathon this past Saturday, or the double-dose of spin ,or some other combination of circumstances at work, the little nagging pain made itself much more vocal. I'd iced it last night. Plan on icing it again tonight. And probably tomorrow night, for that matter.

Feels better today than it did yesterday, but I plan on giving myself more rest yet this week. I don't want to miss my long run on Saturday.

Week Twelve Summary

2010-08-08T22:05:43Z

Short and sweet this week:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 45 minutes of spin class
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: rest
Friday: 45 minutes of spin class
Saturday: 13.1 miles in 2:13:09
Sunday: rest

The most rest I've taken in a week so far, leading up to the Minnesota Half Marathon on Saturday. Still chugging along!

Total Mileage: 253.5 miles
Fundraising Total: $12,071.50