Archive for the ‘Team In Training’ Category

I opted not to stay at my Disney hotel last night, preferring to sleep with my warm husband in my sleep number bed. I was so cold after that wet, frigid run, that I needed my space-heater-husband to keep me cozy. But, I had team mates and my CIL to cheer on this morning for the full marathon, so I was back up at 330a and on the road to Disney at 4a. For a change, my gift for getting lost enabled me to find the perfect route to get to Epcot, and I missed all the traffic! Fortune smiled upon me, then, as I ended up like the 7th space from the exit of the Family Reunion area (where the runners reunite with family after the race). That’s also where the runners congregate before heading through bag check for the mile long walk to the start line. As I was pulling layers of jackets on, my cousin, to whom I had texted my location, knocked on my car window and let me know where their friends were collected.

Bunch of crazy runners sporting the fashionable garbage bags

The crazy girl in the ears ran the 5K on Saturday, and did Goofy. That means she ran (3.1 + 13.1 + 26.2) 42.4 miles this weekend. Nutter!

I haven’t checked the weather all weekend, but I’m pretty sure it was colder this morning than it was yesterday. But dry. Thank god it was dry.

There was much dancing and jumping around to try to get warm.

After the runners went through baggage check, my cousin and I headed over to the viewing area to see the start. Turns out the start line was way far away, but we stayed until some runners passed before heading to the monorail tracks to watch the runners. We saw CIL at that point, and then hiked up to wait in line to get to the transportation station.

By this time, I imagine we had been standing outside for an hour and a half or more. And, we were cold. The wind was biting. I wore my long sleeve 13.1 race shirt, a sweatshirt over that, a zipper fleece over that, a button fleece with hood over that, and my husband’s fabulous winter coat over that, with a scarf wound around my head/ears/nose. And gloves. It was cold. I wish I had more than one pair of jeans on. My cousin was, I think, trying to text message with gloves on, which is impossible, and she was complaining about how much her fingers hurt from the cold. It was cold.

Over at the Magic Kingdom, I managed not to get CIL’s picture as he came up Main Street, due to my gloved hands being securely placed in my warm pockets. But here’s my cousin watching for her husband to come through the castle.

And, just over 11 miles, my CIL was kind enough to veer off course to come in closer for a picture. I hollered to him, “You’re going the wrong way!”

The girl in pink with the ears is the aforementioned nut who did 42.4 miles this weekend. I have so much respect for her. She’s done something like 13 ironmen competitions. Amazing woman.

And then I got the text update about my running buddy from last year crossing ten miles and ran to the other side just in time to catch her taking a picture of the castle.

I hollered to her, and she came up to give me a big hug and thanked me so much for being there to cheer her on. She finished the race in 6:57 and change, I think, which is faster than my time last year. Go her!

I then had the text update that one of my teammates had crossed 20 miles. Since I had his tickets to tonight’s victory party, it was very important that I catch him at the finish line. My cousin and I parted ways (she was still tracking her hubby, as she should), and I stood in a ridiculous monorail line to get back to Epcot. And even though I stood with a view of the finish line, I missed his crossing. He’s pictured here with the mom and step-dad of the little boy, Alex, who died December 8th. My teammate had also run all three races this weekend, for 42.4 miles. And he PR’d today by 2 hours over his last best marathon time. I think he did 4:32 and change. Amazing man. He raised a ton of money for LLS, too. Go team!

I missed my CIL crossing the line, but I watched him get his medal. He did it in five hours and some seconds. Amazing! Well done, CIL! I am so proud of you!

This is when he was telling me the first 20 were easy, but that last 6 nearly killed him. Funny, the full 26 nearly killed me last year!

I couldn’t find my cousin and CIL in Family Reunion, but my cousin texted that they were on their way to my car. Poor CIL was starting to show the pain.

He asked me to please drive them to their car, and I had to apologize for how high off the ground my Element is. You never realize it until your legs are screaming and you try to climb up!

Tired CIL. And that’s dried Cliff Shot on his face. Sticky stuff, that.

I am so proud!

Don’t be fooled by the sun being out; it was still wicked cold, and I remained bundled up until I got to my car and cranked the heat.

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The Disney site reveals my race results:

Chip Time: 3:25:15
Clock Time: 3:55:59
Ovarall Rank: 15,572
Sex Position: 8,530
Division Place: 1,308 (what does that mean?)
Age Grade: 32.2%

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Last night, on the way to and at the TNT Inspiration dinner:

Teammate and his mom

My fabulous mentor from last year who, let’s face it, was my mentor again this year, too.

we were on that bus for far too long waiting to get to the dinner last night

Walking into the inspiration dinner. Coaches line both sides and cheer as we enter. Quite a cacophony!

my running buddy from last year

My Osceola coach cheering for us

My Orlando coach from last year who, you may recall, got me through my final two miles last year.

my other Orlando coach from last year (the blonde)

one of my mentees

my running buddy from last year

John “The Penguin” Bingham is famous in the running world. He spoke last year, and I was looking forward to hearing him again this year. And, since I’m a stalker, after the dinner, I beelined for his table:

Me: Mr. Bingham, would it be terribly rude of me to ask for your autograph?
He: Not at all.
Me: (pulling a book out of my purse) Because I have a few of your books with me… (pulled three out)

He had a handler type with him who then took my camera from me:

my teammate/mentee J, who is pictured above with his mom, followed me over and also had his picture taken with The Penguin.

This morning, our coaches let us sleep in. Of course, my roommie and I did not sleep at all last night. She had a 3a lobby call, but my coaches gave us a 330a call. This is me and my mentee on the bus:

The UP! balloon.

Port-o-let city in the Epcot parking lot. Let me tell you how unpleasant it is to drop trou in a port-o-let in 20 degree “heat”!

The other side of port-o-let city.

As we walked the mile from port-o-let city to the starting corrals, it began snowing! This picture was supposed to catch the snow in the light, and failed. Dammit.

my mentee modeling the most popular running accessory: a garbage bag.

Snow became sleet became rain. Never have I been so happy to have a trash bag!

You’d be amazed how warm a plastic bag can keep you. It keeps your body heat in and the moisture out.

At 540a, the race started… for those in the front of the pack. I was in corral G, so my race started a good thirty minutes later. I was in the fourth and final start. They did fireworks for each start wave, which was nice.

approaching my start, finally. It was so cold just standing around waiting for the start. Remember, I had been at the start since about 420a. So I was quite cold by the time I had my start, after 6a.

My start!

This picture does not capture the beauty of these huge illuminated balloons that they had marking the road.

As I approached the rear of the castle, I asked some random runner to take my picture. FAIL. Too bad, too, because it looks like I was rawking that black trash bag! I took the bag off for professional pics, or anytime I wanted a good picture.

See my trash bag on Mickey’s shoulder? Yea, I pulled if off for the picture, and immediately put it back on! It was raining steadily for miles, and my arms and gloves were wet. So thankful for whomever gave me that garbage bag this morning. It kept my torso dry. I considered tossing it around mile 2, which is around when I tossed the blanket I had been wrapped up in. So glad I kept the bag. (this was around mile 9)

So this is around mile 11, approaching Epcot. I was so relieved to see so many people behind me. No worries about the sweeper bus!

The final big hill.

This particular stretch was really slippery for me. I was concentrating hard on not falling.

Mile 12ish

Subtract 30 minutes or so from that time, since that’s clock time, which started when the first person crossed the start line, some thirty minutes before I crossed the line.

My CIL, who is running the full marathon tomorrow, and my cousin, were at the finish line. CIL took this picture of me. I had removed my garbage bag just before crossing the finish line so I could hopefully have a good finish line photo. But boy, did I miss my bag after the race, when it continued to be super cold, and began raining even harder. This was also when I realized I had not yet turned off my iPod. So my iPod time is not quite right. I’ll have to go online and see what my chip time was for this race.

My iPod says it took me 3:27′40″. I’d shave a couple minutes off that since I forgot to stop the iPod. Average pace: 15′50/mile. Slow, but it was so cold and wet, and several stops for either pics or port-o-lets.

Overall, it was a good race for me. I like running in the cold. But it was so wet, that the cold ended up being brutal.

UPDATED: I forgot to post the pic of who I was running for:

My cousin hopefully took a pic of the ribbons on my shirt when I saw them at the transportation center. In the weird weather, I failed to get a pic of the ribbons fastened to my shirt.

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I am feeling so much stress right now. It’s a timing issue; there is no way possible for me to meet certain time deadlines I need to meet today. I am feeling pressure, so much so that if you were to put coal into my body, the pressure from this self-inflicted stress would be so great, that in no time at all, I’d be popping out brilliant certified diamonds. Which, frankly, would help with some of our financial stress.

I need to be at Disney in the three o’clock hour.
I may need to pick up the kid after school, which is almost 4.
If I have to pick up the kid, obviously I can’t be way across town at 3.

Sometimes it more than sucks to only be a one car family. And, it’s just too bloody cold to ride our scooters, not that they’d help right now. Husband can’t pick up the kid on his seats-one scooter. Especially not with all the kid’s school crap. And, I can’t take my scooter to Disney, especially not with a suitcase, as there is not a scooter-friendly route from Pereiraville to Disney. The scooters max out at 40mph, remember? And they don’t always go that fast.

I have to be at a meeting at 430. I think another at 530. And then hop a bus to go to the 6 or 630 dinner, which I do not yet have my ticket to, and so need to get that. The only way to get that is to check into my hotel and receive my packet with my ticket in it. Only, I don’t see any way possible to check into my hotel until after the dinner.

Stressed. I’m stressed.

Oh, and added bonus: all week, I’ve had nothing to keep me occupied during the day. Today: SLAMMED. Because I need to be somewhere early.

Stressed.

Good thing I can run it off in the freezing cold tomorrow morning.

none of this takes into account the bald tires and iffy brakes on the car, either. shoot, there’s no money on my epass, either. that eliminates my ability to take toll roads. crap.

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Rather than sitting on the comfy chair playing video games for the past two hours, I should have been packing. Oh, sure, I can say I was waiting for the laundry to be done (any time now, drier), but I could have been getting together the rest of my stuff. It would help if I would decide which of the digital cameras I’m going to bring with me. We both now have smaller digitals. His is waterproof. It might rain (they say it may snow!!!). His waterproof camera is slightly larger than my slightly smaller camera that I already know how to use.

I’m feeling pressed for time regarding tomorrow. There is no way possible I can meet the time deadlines I have to meet, since I have obligations that must be met before I can go check into my Disney hotel.

But, I went to the expo this afternoon and picked up my race packet and goodies. I’m finally excited about my race this coming Saturday.

Ooh! The drier just binged at me! I can pack and go to bed!

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Do they make mechanical breakdown insurance that covers vehicle emergencies? I’d totally buy some, if they did. Monday nights find me driving not heavily travelled roads, and I always get paranoid and play “what if” scenarios. Of course, while I need brake work done and my tires are ridiculously bald, I’m way more likely to hit a deer on those roads, or that inexplicable skateboarder on the shoulder, than break down. Anyway, tonight was the last group training. Disney’s marathon weekend is this coming weekend. And then, I never have to run again if I don’t want to… except for that race I’ve already registered for at the end of the month. Then, I never have to run again if I don’t want to… except for the races I’m eyeballing in coming months.

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This morning, I met my team at 6a. They were running 20 miles because they’re doing the full marathon; I was running 13 because I’m only doing the half marathon. The girl I’ve run with the most has been sick with the flu for something like three weeks, and was not there again this morning. And, for a change, Coach didn’t run with me past the first half mile. So I was alone for probably twelve of my thirteen miles. I’m fine with that. The location of the run feels very safe to me, and I run with pepper spray anyway.

I started out trying to keep pace with the real runners, but they were going so much faster than I can manage, and so I fizzled out at not quite half a mile. Normally, I try to run the entire first mile, sometimes a mile and a quarter, but I couldn’t even pull off a full half a mile this morning.

Let me provide some background information for a moment.

This season, I have learned that my first three miles suck. Sometimes it’s a little more than three, sometimes less, but for approximately three miles, my run will suck. After that, I start to find my groove and settle into a run. I start to not notice the pain as much. I start to enjoy a run, in as much as I am able to enjoy a run. It is running, after all.

Thursday was a bad day for me. Friday was a freaking nightmare. Friday’s nightmare has not ended, nor do I see an end that ends any way other than holy fucking god I’m screwed. I have been crying out some of my stress. My husband assures me everything will be all right, but I can’t find a way to believe him. And so, I stress.

Back to my run, then.

Since my run was already falling apart before I even hit half a mile, I tried to settle into a run/walk ratio. I had it in my head that I would shoot for a three hour fifteen minute run, and hopefully a three hour run, which is what I’m shooting for on race day next month. By mile four, I was just over an hour, maybe even up to an hour and ten minutes. That’s not a great pace. I was frustrated. I needed to be right at an hour, and even faster than that for four miles. Last year, I could do five miles in an hour and five minutes. I’m running much slower this year, and I’m okay with that because, honestly, I’m not training as hard this year.

So, mile four, and I was starting to notice that my run was stressing me out. The last thing I needed today was to add to my stress level. And so, I did something out of character for me: I put my iPod in a pocket so that I would stop watching the clock. (I use my iPod to maintain my run/walk ratio since I don’t have a watch.) For the remaining nine miles, I ran for joy. I ran for myself. I ran for a catharsis. If I felt like running, I ran. If I didn’t, I walked. I took pictures of scenery. I took pictures of my teammates as they lapped me. And, I enjoyed my run. I felt (very achey) great after my run — emotionally. I hurt, in new places, but I felt great.

And, I ran it in three hours, twenty-nine minutes. One minute under the pace required to do Disney. Considering how much I walked and how little I ran, I’m pretty content. I know I can run it faster on a better day emotionally. But for today, for my sanity, I’m pleased with my time and I feel good.

It was nice to run for the joy of it. It reminded me that running can be joyful. This season, running has been stressful for me.

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One of my teammates has been raising money on behalf of a little boy named Alex. Alex was diagnosed with lymphoma on June 14, 2009, when he was ten years old. Yesterday, Alex lost the battle.

I have an unfortunate update on the child I am running for. [December 8th], he lost his battle to Lymphoma. He tried so hard to survive but the family couldn’t see him suffer any longer so they took him off support this afternoon and let him pass. This has been an incredibly difficult day for his family and friends. I now realize how important this organization is. If just one family is saved from experiencing that I saw today it makes all the work more than worth the effort. My friend unfortunately could not be saved but I know the work being done to research new medications has saved and will save many lives.

Eleven years old. I can’t fathom the heart ache of losing your child, especially in the holiday season. Please say a prayer for Alex’s parents. And if you can, please help fund the fight. Every penny counts.

You can read more about young Alex on this facebook page.

This was Alex last month. The city of Celebration planned an event just for Alex. Alex loved exploding water bottles. So the fire department lined up hundreds of 2 liter bottles of water and ran over them with a garbage truck, three fire trucks, and a SWAT tank. Exploding water bottles everywhere! I’m told Alex had a great time!

RIP Alex.

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You there, yes you! The one thinking about a $5 cup of coffee… Donate to LLS. Assuming I get the 30% discount that I may possibly receive, that would mean I’m only $337.60 away from myfundraising goal. I have until the 16th. We’re closer than my fundraising page says, assuming I get the 30% discount as a mentor for TNT.

Please, drop $5 into the pot. Force me to go buy more stamps to mail more thank you notes. DO IT!

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We attended a fundraiser last night at the House of Beer. One of my team mates (this one:
) set it up for his Team in Training fundraiser. I hope he brought in a lot of money. It was a great crowd, and the owner was donating 50% of the profits to TNT.

In other news, I’m still trying to raise my funds, and only have 14 days left to do so. You know what to do.

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