Countdown to the marathon and thank you!

Well, folks, we're almost there. Here's what my preparations are looking like:

IT band update. You've heard me moaning about my IT band for about a month now. Well, some positive news: all that icing, taking naproxen, rolling, sticking and stretching is FINALLY paying off. My chiro saw that my left foot pronates like crazy, and suggested a special lacing routine on my shoes to leave plenty of room in the toe box (did you know that your feet swell when you run long distances? Sexy, I know.) but support the ankles. Well, it all came together. I ran pain-free with very little stiffness for the first time in three weeks yesterday. My IT band was a bit sore and stiff last night, but still - a major improvement. I feel more optimistic about race day than I have in three weeks. I think I might actually cross that finish line!

Leading me to my regular regimen this week:

- Twice a day, at least: work over my quads, glutes (to the extent possible), and calf muscles with The Stick; use the foam roller on my IT band. Stretch the glutes.
- As often as humanly possible: icing my quads and IT band. Probably extend to glutes where possible. No less than four ice packs involved in this effort - work and home.
- Drinking at least 64 oz and something like 80 oz of water every day.
- Grazing on high-quality carbs all day (okay, this isn't so bad.)
- Waking up at my race day wake up time to get the system *ahem* used to being up to speed at that time. (This has been less successful, as it basically means I have to go to bed by 9pm.)

Other preparation:
- I need a new album on my mp3 player. Been listening to mostly the same stuff since May (three new albums over that time) and I need something new!

- Decorating my race shirt. I want my name on my shirt (apparently crowds yell your name if you have your name on the shirt) but in a way that is not permanent (would like to use the race day shirt when I train after the race, but don't need to broadcast my name there!)

Thank you!
And the contributions keep coming in! A tremendous thank you to Ron M. for your contribution. The support from friends and colleagues has been truly humbling - you have all been incredible.

Onward!

Twin Cities Marathon: Spectators wanted!

So, as you've probably heard, the Twin Cities Marathon is this coming Sunday, starting at 8am. The route goes from the Metrodome in Minneapolis to the State Capitol in St. Paul. I'm planning on running a 5:30 (five hour thirty minute) marathon, which translates to about a 12:35 pace (12 min, 35 seconds per mile.)

• Participant guide
• Map of the course [squares on the interstate are ramps]
  
• Road closures

Remembering that the elite runners are in the first corral at the starting line, it's possible it could be up to ten minutes before I actually cross the starting line timing mat and am officially on the course, you can guess what time I'll be at each mile. Here's a rough estimate, assuming I maintain a 12:35 pace. But, avoid the guesswork... there will be a timing chip map updated on the Twin Cities Marathon website that will be updated when I cross timing mats at miles 1, 2, 5k (3.1 miles), 10k (6.2 miles), 13.1 (half marathon), 30k (18.64 miles), and one other spot TBA. But here's a general idea:

1 - 12:35 (12th St/Hennepin Av; 8:22am)
2 - 25:10 (Lyndale/Douglas Av; 8:35am)
3 - 37:45 (Douglas Av and Oliver Av?; 8:47am)
4 - 50:20 (Dean Parkway/Lake of the Isles Pkwy; 8:59am)
5 - 1:02:55 (West Calhoun Pkwy, between 32nd St & 36th St; 9:11am)
6 - 1:15:30 (West Calhoun Pkwy/Sheridan Av S; 9:25am)
7 - 1:28:05 (22nd/East Harriet Blvd; 9:38am)
8 - 1:40:40 (W Minnehaha Pkwy/Humboldt Av S; 9:50am)
9 - 1:53:15 (Minnehaha Pkwy/35W; 10:03am)
10 - 2:05:50 (Minnehaha Pkwy/Chicago Av; 10:15am)
11 - 2:18:25 (Minnehaha Pkwy/Cedar Av; 10:28am)
12 - 2:31:00 (Cedar Av S/E Nokomis Pkwy; 10:41am)
13 - 2:43:35 (E Nokomis Pkwy/52nd St; 10:53am)
14 - 2:56:10 (Minnehaha Pkwy/Nokomis Av; 11:06am)
15 - 3:08:45 (Godfrey Rd/Hwy 55; 11:18am)
16 - 3:21:20 (42nd St/W River Pkwy; 11:30am)
17 - 3:33:55 (West River Rd/36th St; 11:43am)
18 - 3:46:30 (West River Rd/28th St; 11:56am)
19 - 3:59:05 (West River Rd/Franklin Av; 12:09pm)
20 - 4:11:40 (East River Rd/St. Anthony Av; 12:21pm)
21 - 4:24:15 (East River Rd/Marshall St; 12:34pm)
22 - 4:36:50 (Summit Av/Cleveland Av; 12:46pm)
23 - 4:49:25 (Summit Av/Snelling Av; 12:50pm)
24 - 5:02:00 (Summit Av/Oxford; 1:12pm)
25 - 5:14:35 (Summit/Dale, 1:24pm)
26.2 - 5:30:00 (John Ireland Blvd & 12th St/Rice St, 1:40pm)

Spectator tips

• West River Road is known as a vacuum for spectators. If you can be there, your cheers will be greatly, greatly appreciated!
• Don't yell "You're almost there" until mile 25. When you're really tired, a few miles seems like a LONG way!

Cheer suggestions from Twin Cities Marathon:

• "You're looking awesome!"
• "You can do it!"
• "Way to run!"
• "One stride at a time!"
• "Way to focus!"
• "Stay relaxed!"
• "Keep it up!"
• "Way to go!"
• Call out something unique about the runner (bib #, color or logo on the shirt, etc.)

See you there!

5 days to Marathon: What have I gotten myself into, Race preparation, and Spectator's guide

Well, the marathon is on Sunday. My god that went fast. Knock on wood, the weather is supposed to be good - low 60s (forecast is saying 59 today), no rain. Runners dress for temperatures about 20 degrees warmer than it is, so an ideal running temperature is mid-50s. And of course no rain. If any of you paid attention to last year's Twin Cities Marathon (I surely did not), it was cold and rainy. Our current TNT head running coach actually ended up dropping out because she became hypothermic. So do your anti-rain dance - no rain please!

Our race will start at 8am. I am planning on running a 5 hour 30 min (running with the Clif Bar pace group, I think), which would make my pace about 12:35 on average, and possibly as slow as 13:10 per mile. The lowest pace a participant can go without getting picked up by the bus will be 13:44. I should be fine if my IT band doesn't act up. We'll see.

Now's the time: download and print your spectator's guide!

I am anxious - not only because it's my first marathon, but also I've had a nagging IT band injury that's prevented me from running my short workouts during the week (hello pool jogging, the most ridiculous-looking exercise you will ever do.) I've tried to keep up with the longer weekend runs, but have had to cut the last three short. Been to a chiropracter once on Friday, once yesterday, and will probably go once or twice again this week. Did I mention that while he's excellent and helped me a great deal, the office is not in network? Yep. Thank goodness for my Health Care Flexible Spending Account.

So my time these days is spent on the following priorities, at work and at home:

* Taking two to three naproxen a day to keep down swelling (race day, this will become acetaminophen, as I understand this is a better choice for the kidneys during the marathon);
* Icing my knee and left quad (I feel like such a jock talking about "icing my quad") as often as I can during the day - my chiro says apart from the anti-inflammatory properties of icing, this also acts as a "pump," telling fluids to leave when it's cold, and pumping them back when the ice pack is removed, accelerating healing);
* Drinking at least 64 oz of water a day;
* "Grazing" carbs starting on Wednesday;
* Getting up around the time I'll get up on Sunday all this week to get my system, ahem, going at the proper time. (Runners are a very, very earnest and upfront bunch.)
* Getting to the chiropracter at least one more time, and possibly two, before race day.

To add to that, I have the following regimen to squeeze in twice a day:
* Rolling my IT band with a roller (big foam roll) - also an awkward exercise
* Massaging the bejeezus out of my quads, calf muscles and IT band with "the stick"
* After 5 minutes of a warmup activity, stretching my IT band.

Off to my stretching routine. More soon!

Cheer me on at TCM Oct 4!, thank you, hills, 18 miles and knee injury

Mark your calendars - cheer me on at the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 4, 8am! TCM is a mere 28 days away,. I'd love to see you at a Team In Training cheer station! I'll be finishing around 2pm. More details soon - they're all in my gmail which seems to be down now. Boo. Here are the details!

Thirty-five TNT athletes - including myself - will be racing on Sunday, October 4 and could really use some TNT fans out there to support them.

Leukemia and Lymphoma staff are looking for people to man cheer stations and the finish area tent. If you can help, please contact Kim Mitchell. We will need help from 7:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m. Please let her know what times you are available and preference of cheer station below. We need every station to be loud, crazy and fun! TNT gear is a must!!! Wigs, crazy hats, TNT logos, signs, cowbells, etc. - the more purple and green the better!

Mile 4.5 (Cheer Captain: TBD) - 8 a.m. Located in Minneapolis at the northwest corner of Lake Calhoun near the Calhoun Beach Club (corner of Lake St. & Dean Parkway)

Mile 10 (Cheer Captain: TBD) - 8:40 a.m. Located at the intersection of Portland Avenue and 50th Street.

Mile 17 (Cheer Captain: TBD) - 9:15 a.m. The TNT cheering section will be just prior to the official mile 17 water stop of the marathon. We will set up at about 34th Street and West River Road. Park along Edmund Boulevard. It runs parallel to River Road. You will need to walk down a small hill to get to River Road. (It is about 4 blocks south of Lake Street)

Mile 22.75 (Also Mile 6.75 of the 10 miler) (Cheer Captain: TBD) - 9:35 a.m.
This is our official Honoree Cheer Station. Located at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Snelling Avenue.

Finish Area Check-In (Captain: TBD)

Wow... it's hard to believe that the marathon is less than a month away. I am increasingly excited and especially anxious. I know that my training is preparing me, but at the same time... I've never done this before. I just started running in January, for heaven's sake. But I should remember that even in that amount of time I've come so far. I remember when we first started training on lock and dam hills - we did two and I was exhausted. Our last hill team training I did six!

First things first - a tremendous thank you to fellow TNTer Jennifer Koper for her contribution towards my goals. Jennifer was a participant in the Lifetime Tri for Team in Training and a veteran of Team in Training. Thank you so much, Jennifer!

I haven't run for about a week - on my last long run a week ago, I had a lot of tightness and some pain in my outside left knee. I've been taking it easy, and even had a NP look at it when I was in for an unrelated condition (viral conjunctivitis - good times) - she suggested if it continues, to go into a sports medicine specialist. I am hoping that rest and naproxen will do the job, but I might end up in a doctor's office yet.

In any case, I went on a long-ish walk yesterday - hoping that lower intensity would be charitable to that knee. Today I ran hills - 1 mile warmup, 6 reps of hills at the cabin we're at (up and down BOTH sides of the hill - the lock and dam hills that regularly test my endurance in team runs are only ONE side of the hill!), and another mile cooldown. Still felt tightness in my left knee, and my PT friend suggested a technique to "recruit" my inner knee muscle to hopefully reduce the strain on the outer knee (thank you Jen!). I'll try that for awhile and see if it takes care of the problem.

My long run this weekend - 18 miles, which will be a new personal record - is scheduled for Tuesday. And next weekend, right before the Autumn Brew Review, I'll be completing a 21 mile run - the longest run in our training. Onward!

48 days until TCM: 16 miles (and more) and new shoes

Well, race day is officially less than two months away. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. Training has been going well. I did finally defeat the evil plantar fasciitis, but not before it made a point of moving to my cuboid bone (who knew I had one), and then to my knee before it finally succumbed to a rigorous regimen of naproxen and coldpacks. One of the great things about living (and training) in a well-established running community are the community running stores and their fabulous workshops and deals for people belonging to running clubs. Marathon Sports on 50th and Penn in Minneapolis, for example, has a free sports podiatrist every first and third Tuesday on site to examine foot injuries and give advice. Hence, my icing and naproxen regimen for the pain on my foot. Hooray for neighborhood running stores! Dr. Langer told me to try a shoe insert if the pain didn't go away, but fortunately it has. Hooray!

Two Saturdays ago, I ran a new personal record: 15 miles! However, I got horribly lost, so I'm sure it was closer to 16 or 17 miles. My cartographical war with South Minneapolis continues. That old axiom about Minneapolis being easier to navigate than St. Paul? Complete and utter crap. I have never been so stymied by city geography in my life - this from a woman who has learned the nooks and crannies of St. Paul over the past ten years - trying to maneuver around South Minneapolis lakes.

On the bright side, though, it IS the longest I've ever run, and I felt pretty good - better than I did at the end of my 13 mile run a couple of weeks ago, anyway. This Saturday, our team run took us 16 miles. It was so hot, though, that I started getting dizzy around mile 14, so I just did the last two at home on the basement treadmill. Works for me. I felt something snap in my left knee, so let's hope that doesn't stick around.

I have officially put over 200 miles on my shoes that I just got in May. Team in Training advises us that shoes last about 400 miles, and that would put me square on my marathon date, so I bought another pair to alternate during this last leg of training. Onward!

Plantar fasciitis conquered?, Cutback week: Ten miles tomorrow, and Ice bath!

Well, I had my first running-related injury - I developed a pain in my left heel following my 13 mile run, which I thought might be plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the tendon that connects your heel to your toes (a very common affliction among runners.) It's not that I can't run 13 miles, or even longer, mind you - it's just that I put on those miles too quickly. I ended up going out of town for a couple of weekends. While I religiously found routes to run, it never occurred to me that I needed to keep up with the long distance schedule - an incredibly obvious mistake, now that I look back on it. I went from my longest run ever at 9.5 miles to 13 miles with only my shorter weekday runs in the middle, and it was just too much. Cautionary tale - never increase your mileage by more than 10% a week!

In any case, Tony and I decided to go swimming on Monday, in part because I wanted to give my foot a chance to heal but still get some activity in. The heel certainly slowed up my Tuesday and Wednesday running (of course, in re-reading "Marathoning for Mortals" last night, I learned I was supposed to be not training on that foot for four days - oopsies!) and I took Thursday off. All this week I have been taking ibuprofin and icing during the day at work alternating cold packs. As recently as about noon I still felt its twinge, and now this afternoon, I suddenly realized - hey, I'm walking without pain! I even jogged in place for a few seconds - no pain there either! Of course, I'm going to continue to be cautious - nothing worse than reinjuring an almost-healed condition - but things are looking bright, and now I know! All of this inspired a long walk with the pup... and now the pain has moved to the side of my foot. Probably not plantar fasciitis, but still. I am icing it tonight in the hopes I'll be able to take on tomorrow's long run with the team.

Speaking of tomorrow's run - this week is a cutback week! Cutback weeks are built into the schedule to allow the body to rest, repair and get stronger. We will be doing only 10 miles on the long run tomorrow. On Wednesday, we did an interesting team track run - everyone ran 1 mile at their marathon pace (so we were dividing our goal time marathon pace into quarter mile segments) and then took 1 lap (quarter mile) to recover, then repeated two more times. My goal is pretty modest - I hope to finish without getting swept up by the you're-too-slow-to-finish-in-the-maximum-time bus. That pace is 13:44 per mile. If you ever visit my cubicle, you'll see a map of the Twin Cities marathon with "13:44" written on it in bold numbers.

The good news was that even with 1/4mile walk breaks, I was doing MUCH better than 13:44! Now, that's not to say I could maintain that pace throughout 26.2 miles - running a mile is a far cry from running the real deal. But it did give me a feel for running at the pace I need to be at or beat, which was more than comfortable, and that was fantastic. Also, I have been moving onto 8:2 run/walk intervals, which I'm actually finding quite comfortable. I think it will be awhile before I give up my two minutes of walking recovery but I think I could move into a 10:2 ratio comfortably.

I should also belatedly mention that at the end of last week's thirteen mile run, I took my first ice bath, and it was wonderful. "Ice bath" is actually a bad name for it, as the bath has very little ice in it, and only cool water, a bit cooler than room temperature but NOT as cold as the tap will go. You can add ice, but if you do, add no more than a few cups and add it after you're in the tub. You fill the tub up enough that you can submerge yourself from the waist down, and then you get in the tub and submerge everything below the waist, especially your hips, knees and ankles. Some folks wear a sweatshirt to lessen the shock, and let me tell you, you will be breathless with the shock! Then, you sit in the tub for seven minutes - no more or you risk hypothermia. All of this helps your joints recover - mine felt the best they ever had after a long run. I will definitely be using this as we head into the August and September training runs.

Onward!

13 miles and the training "plateau"

It's been awhile since I've updated this blog - my apologies. These days seem to just zip by.

First, a belated thank you to our latest donor! Eleonore from Minneapolis donated some time ago, and I have been woefully late in thanking her - thanks, Eleonore!

The good news: yesterday, I completed our team run of 13 miles - a whopping 0.1 miles shy of a half marathon. I completed it in about 2:53 - a smooth 18 seconds under the minimum pace for the Twin Cities Marathon. Woohoo!! Even with the distance, it was quite the route - we started on Mississippi Boulevard in St. Paul, crossed at the Ford Parkway bridge and commenced up the river on River Road. What we didn't know was that a good two to three miles of the River Road path was under construction! Much of the trail had to be run in tire tracks, on a small dirt path (where it existed) or just on the road (which made me uneasy, as that's not an especially safe place to run.) We finally just crossed the road and ran on the other side on an informal footpath.

On our way up the River Road trail, we also ran past what I can only assume was bridge infrastructure wreckage from the 35W bridge collapse, still on the riverbank, fenced off from the public - a sad reminder. We continued up River Road to cross the bridge at Washington Avenue (close the University of Minnesota) and back to our starting point.

In other training news, I think I've also hit a training plateau. This is apparently common, and especially for people new to running. Training felt so good that I was regularly going above and beyond my training schedule - a classic first-timer mistake. In mid-July, though, I found that what were easy runs before now became much more difficult. This was probably compounded by a busy schedule that didn't allow me to run as often as my training schedule required (even though I was still running!) I'm hoping that being able to attend more of the team trainings and a running club that one of our mentors attends, along with adherence to my training schedule, will help me get back on track.

Onward!

9.5 miles & cheer for TNT athletes this weekend at the Minneapolis Lifetime Triathlon!

It's been awhile since I've written here, so I thought I'd give you all an update.

First, I can't believe it, but donations are still coming in! Thank you all for your encouragement. A big thanks to

Jannette, NY

for her contribution last week (and for being a steadfast running partner, even when I wasn't quite running yet. Thanks, Jannette!)

I am also excited to report I have set a new personal record for myself - 9.5 miles yesterday.

Finally, as I wrote about a week ago, I am planning on cheering no less than 110 TNT athletes at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis this coming Saturday sometime between 7am and 1pm, and you should too! This is a great way to see what race day will be like in October as a spectator, and of course to support athletes running, biking and swimming for a great cause.

Please email Julie at Julie dot Freniere dash Gibson at lls dog org if you can join me in cheering on TNT athletes on Saturday.

LLS is looking for people to man cheer stations, the finish area tent, etc. LLS will need help from 7 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Please let Julie know what times you are available and preference of station below. LLS will also need one person to be the Cheer Captain for each spot.

LLS needs every station to be loud, crazy and fun! TNT gear a must!!! Wigs, crazy hats, TNT logos, signs, cowbells, etc. - the more purple and green the better!

Cheering stations:

1. Swim: Lake Nokomis Beach -north side of the lake
7:30 a.m. - Cheer for swimmers as they enter/exit the lake.

2. Bike Location 1 / Run Location 1: Cedar Avenue & Nokomis Parkway
8 a.m. - Cheer for bikers and runners on Nokomis Parkway. You will see the bikers starting out and returning.

Also, the runners will do 1 - 2 laps around the lake.

3. Bike Location 2 / Run Location 2: Lake Nokomis - south side of the lake
8 a.m. - Cheer for bikers and runners. You will see the bikers once and the runners 1-2 times.

4. Bike Location 3/Finish: Minnehaha and West River Road
8:30 a.m - Bikers will pass you on the way out and back, so you will see them twice.

5. Bike Location 4/Finish: West 50th St. and Minnehaha Parkway
9 a.m - Bikers will pass you on the way out and back, so you will see them twice.

Fundraising goal reached! 8 mile run & support TNTers running the Lifetime Triathalon July 11!

First, the big news: even though we're four days away from July 2, I am over my goal of raising $1700 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I absolutely could not have done it without your help.

A tremendous thank you to donors over the last week:

Debra and Todd, MN
Jane and Dave, St. Paul
Kjersten, St. Paul
Susan, St. Paul
Jacqueline, Oslo, Norway
Liz and Mike, St. Paul
Jenny and Mike, St. Paul
Heidi and Evan, Grand Forks
MaryPat, Shoreview

Your supportive notes and comments have been and continue to be a huge inspiration to me. Thank you so much.

Even though the fundraising portion of this adventure has reached its goal, training continues! I just completed a team run this morning - we went 8 miles along the Minnetonka Trail, and it went really well. I'm looking forward to 10! Wednesday, we practiced hills at the Minnehaha Lock and Dam #1 - FOUR of them! That doesn't sound like a lot, but that is a LONG hill - .2 miles up and back - and very steep. And our first time on hills, about four weeks ago, we did only two. No wonder I was beat at the end!

Our coaches have also been diligent in giving us tips to train in the warm summer months. July is almost upon us, and that marks the beginning of our weekend runs meeting at 7am, instead of 8am, to avoid the heat.

Cheer on TNT athletes at the Lifetime Tri July 11!
And now for even more exciting news: Team In Training members (not me, thank goodness - one event at a time, thank you) will be participating in the Lifetime Fitness Triathalon on Saturday, July 11. Let me know if you're interested in cheering - I will pass your information on to staff coordinating support for TNT athletes. This is a way to get a taste for what I'll be doing in October - and of course a way to support athletes running, biking and swimming for a very worthy cause. Here is the race schedule and spectator's guide (including course maps.)

That's all for now. Onward!

New personal record, and 91% towards goal - $150 to raise in 10 days!

I know this is old hat, but I can't believe how the days are flying by. It seems like yesterday I updated my blog last, and here we are, almost a week later. Amazing.

Well, my training has been a little sidetracked - my husband and I visited family in Illinois over a long weekend, and just returned. Thanks to the suggestions of several friends, though, I was able to locate a running path in the town we were staying in. It was a great path - distances well-marked every quarter mile, and the path itself was something like 5 miles long (not that I got to see the whole thing, of course!)

I did eight miles on Friday morning, our first day there - a new personal record! (My old record was 6.75 miles - blew that one out of the water!) After that, though, a major rain storm blew through and the path was flooded for the rest of the time I was there. Booo. Oh well. Imagine, focusing a family trip on family, instead of training : )

In other exciting news - we are at 91% of my goal of raising $1700 by July 2 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. That means we have 10 days to raise another $150.20. $150.20 is ten friends giving $15 each - an eminently possible goal, but I need your help. If you've been waiting to give, please consider doing so now to meet my July 2 deadline.

And, a big thank you to our newest donors:
Barry and Stephanie, St. Paul
Aunt Julie, Fergus Falls, MN

Thank you so very, very much. You guys are incredible. Onward!

Track workout, vacation runs, and 85% towards goal!

Whew! How do these weeks go so quickly? Well, today we had the dreaded track workout. My first track workout was, quite frankly, a bit of a downer. I didn't understand what different paces were, and I was often last among my group.

Well, this time I still pushed myself, but not quite as hard, and it was much better. I was running about 11:30 pace miles at a harder interval than I generally do - 4 min running, 1 min walking, I think. I usually do a 6:2 interval. WAY better. We did a cute little "ladder" workout - ten minute out and back warmup run; 1 mile run marathon pace, 1/4 mile recovery (slow jog/walk), then 26 situps and pushups each, then 1/2 mile marathon pace, 1/4 mile recovery, and then 1 full mile marathon pace again, then 10 min recovery run/walk. All told it was about 5 miles.

I am going to visit family out of state this weekend, presenting a new challenge: how do I take my training on the road? Fortunately, my wise running friends pointed me to the USATF America's Running Routes page, which has this amazingly handy "routes" function, mapping paths in cities across the US. Thanks, Amy and Jannette - VERY useful! I will be using a route I found there, and maybe some 8# weights and a resistance band. That will keep me busy.

Last but hardly least - thanks to your support, we are now at 85% of my LLS fundraising goal of $1700 by July 2. Thank you all so much! Newest donors include:

Grandma Ruth, IL (awwwww... : ) )
Grandma Emma, IL (double awwww... : ) )
Sandy and Dick, Minneapolis
Darrell, Minneapolis
Andy, St. Paul

I have to tell you that when I first signed up for Team In Training, I was most worried about the fundraising, not the running. You all have been amazing - not only in the financial support, but also in your motivating comments. It has given me strength on days when it's tough to even think about training.

Now, we have $250.20 to raise in 15 days. That's 15 people - one a day - giving $16.68 by July 2. Or that's 25 of my closest friends giving $10 each. Think we can do it? I do! Onward!

Be the Match Marrowthon, 79.4% towards goal, and 6 miles

Be the Match Marrowthon - free registration through June 22! Last weekend before our long team run, on a cold, gray morning around 8 am while the sky was threatening rain, a volunteer with the National Marrow Donor Program set up a small table on the running path and registered bone marrow donors. It took about ten minutes - cheek swabs are used for an initial test.

Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases. However, seventy percent of patients do not have a close enough match within their family and depend on the National Marrow Donor Program to identify a suitable donor. That's where you come in.

It usually costs about $100 to register on the bone marrow registry to cover laboratory test costs, but during the Be the Match Marrowthon, you can sign up to receive a cheek swab kit for free in the mail. If you are identified to be a potential match, the donor registry will contact you. Your obligation is to consider becoming a donor (you don't even have to commit to donating), to contact the Registry promptly when they contact you, and to update your contact information until you're 61. That's it. Check out frequently asked questions about joining the donor here. Consider joining - you don't have to run a marathon to support patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Just swab your cheeks : )

Our long weekend team run was in St. Paul yesterday. To my great disappointment, it was only 6 miles, not 7 - and I was really looking forward to breaking my personal record of 6.75 miles. Then again, thinking back to where I was, imagining that I would be a little sad we were only running six miles instead of seven - well, I would have considered that a joke, and not in particularly good taste at that! In any case, I am developing a little bit of pain in my shin and the back of my foot. I've taken it easy today and am hoping that will help.

In other exciting news, I am thrilled to report that we are now 79.4% towards my goal of raising $1700 for LLS by July 2. That means there's only $350.20 left to raise in eighteen days - we can do this! Thank you all, again, for your help in progressing towards this goal. I literally could not have done it without you. A tremendous thank you to new donors in the past week:

Lara, VA
Peter, WI
Dawn, St. Paul
Margit, Washington, DC
Bob, St. Paul
Kecia, ND
Aunt Bonnie, CO

Thank you all so much. We are almost there!

6.5 miles, 61% toward goal, and happy birthday TNT honored Teammate Megan N.

Yesterday, we trained in Minneapolis. One of our TNT mentors, Jen, is a run-walker like me, and we tried out a 10 min run/2 min walk interval that seemed to go well. I did my second lap at my regular 6:2 interval. The 6.5 miles we covered yesterday is a new outdoor personal record for me! Sunday, we are slated to run seven miles - good stuff. I'm still a bit nervous about my pace but the mentors assure me I'm doing just fine.

But on to bigger news. We are at 61% of my goal of raising $1700 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Three weeks exactly until July 2, and only $670.20 left to raise. I know we can do this!

One of the cool things about Team In Training is that each season, honored teammates - people who are battling blood cancers in their lives - are chosen for each of the endurance sports. Our honored teammate for the fall marathon and half marathons is Megan.

Megan is a Minnesotan, and was diagnosed 13 months ago at age 11 with leukemia. She has actually helped write a book for Team In Training - "Pennies for Patients." She just celebrated her twelfth birthday, and her favorite pasttimes are reading, writing song lyrics, eating gourmet and healthy foods, and taking long overnight car trips in the country. Megan wants to be a nurse and an architect when she grows up.

Megan just celebrated a birthday this week! Happy birthday, Megan!! Sadly, it had to be in the hospital - her counts are all quite low. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts. You can leave a message for Megan at her Caring Bridge website.

6.4 miles, 54.9% towards goal, a quick note about apparel, and team run tomorrow - 6 miles!

Did 6.4 miles today at about a 10:27 pace. It was awesome! I always get a bit tired at about mile 3, but then catch a second wind. My new best friend is the visor I picked up at Run N Fun, especially when it rains (like tonight.) A quick tip I've picked up regarding clothing: always dress for about 20* warmer than what it is outside, because you will warm up as you run. (Of course, you'll always want to factor extreme weather like high winds, snow, heat, etc. into your decision.) I always knew that of course you warm up some... but 20*? But it hasn't failed me yet!

In other fantastic news... we are at 54.9% (which I would call 55%) towards my goal of raising $1700 for LLS by July 2! Thank you so much to all of the folks who have donated in the last day or so:

Gena, St. Paul
April, China
Linda, St. Paul
Amy, St. Paul

We have three weeks, two days, and only $765.20 to go. VERY exciting!

My favorite midweek break is tomorrow - our TNT team run! These have become my favorite activities of the week, and tomorrow we'll be doing 6 miles. Who knew I would ever be looking forward to running 6 miles? And Sunday we will break my own personal record - we'll be running 7 miles. Heck yeah. Onward!

6 mile team run, 43% towards goal, and an interesting accomplishment

How did it get to be Monday again already? These weeks are just flying by.

On to more exciting news: we're now at 43% of my fundraising goal of $1700 by July 2! Thank you all so much again. New donors include:

Cristy, St. Paul
Lisa, St. Paul

Well, other than that, I don't have a lot to report. Saturday, we did a long run - six miles - in the cold rain! I experimented with a new 10 minute run/1 minute walk interval, and that seemed to work well, though the pace has to be a bit higher to avoid the dreaded "pace bus" on race day. I know it will get there, though. We are due to do another six miles on Wednesdays and seven miles on Sunday. I'm really excited - I do love the team runs, and the miles just seem to fly by. We'll see if this trend seems to hold.

Finally, an interesting note... I seem to have hit the character limit of the webpage supplied by Team In Training, which was obviously not designed to be a blog (those of you who know me will be unsurprised that I have used a pretty straightforward tool for something else entirely and have again, bumped up against its limits for intended use.) In any case, I have started a companion blog at http://erinstojanruccoloteamintraining.blogspot.com/. As with most change, this is a mixed blessing - having a blog means that I can use more images and widgets, so you'll also see more pictures and my DailyMile.com widget with my daily training. I will continue to update the Team In Training page, but will keep only my latest posts there - older posts will be archived at the blog.

Thank you so much again! Onward!

Intro to hills, Twin Cities Marathon map and 41% towards goal!

I apologize for not posting more frequently this week - it's been busy at work. Sufficed to say I have been running, probably more than I should be for a first-time endurance trainee. Have to figure out a few more options to cross train without putting all that stress on my joints.

First - thanks to your support, we're now up to 41% of my goal of $1200 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by July 2. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the support I've received from friends and family has been truly inspiring.

A tremendous thanks to donors in the last week:

Mary, Minneapolis
Mark, Minneapolis
Bob, Boyceville, WI
Elena, Minneapolis
Adrienne and Neil, Minneapolis
Linda, Minneapolis
Elizabeth, Madison, WI

Thank you so much, again! We still have four weeks from tomorrow, exactly, to raise the remaining 59%. Together, I know we'll be able to do it.

Tonight, our team training was an introduction to hills. I am still learning a great deal about proper running form, and it's all I can do not to take off down that hill - but it's important to remember that my muscles are going to be just exhausted and it's easy to lose control. Going UP the hill is something else entirely - I want to run right up it, but you're supposed to shorten your strides, lean forward a little and use your arms more. Not what I naturally do, but a far more efficient way to get up a hill!

Finally, I thought yall would appreciate a map of the Twin Cities Marathon I'll be running in October. Exciting and frightening all at the same time.

5 miles, shot blocks and 37% towards goal - Thank you!

First, the big news: we are now at 37% of my goal of $1700 by July 2 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Thank you so much to folks who have contributed in the last week or so.

Elizabeth, St. Paul
Carin and Ross, Minneapolis
Carolyn and John, St. Paul
Lesley, Washington, D.C.
Maria and Joram, St. Paul
John and Phyllis, Sioux Falls, SD

I can't accomplish this goal without your help, and you have definitely stepped up - thank you, all of you, for your generosity and your encouragement. There's a little over four weeks left to raise the remaining 63%, or $1077.60 - I know we can do it.

On Saturday, I went on our weekly long team run. I am finding that team tranings are the highlights of my week, and the long runs are the best. I am still getting used to my 6 min run/2 min walk interval. We finished 5 miles on Saturday, and I did it in 64 minutes. Not too shabby, considering that is my longest outdoor run, and it was also a quite hilly run (think Randolph down to Shepherd Road, up Elway eventually to Lexington, on Jefferson to Victoria.) Our fantastic coaches showed me a couple of tips for running up hills (a little slower pace, use arms more to move up the hill) and running down (kick your feet back a little bit, but don't lean too much - when your legs are fatigued you can loose control quickly.)

After the run, we had a "team shop" at Run N Fun at Victoria and Randolph, who not only opened a whole five hours early for us to leave our things during our run, but then gave a 25% discount to all TNT members! For the first time, I got running shoes fitted (if you plan on running regularly, you absolutely need to get fitted for the proper shoes at a running store - department stores and Target won't have the first idea.) Being fitted for a shoe involves an analysis of your foot arch - how much your foot moves when you take a step (pronation) - and getting a shoe that fits your needs. A proper shoe will help to prevent injuries to your knees and ankles.

I also now have a proper running belt - with room for sustenance during long runs (more on this in a bit) - and a visor when it rains. This of course also means that I will look like a true running geek out on the road. Point and laugh!I have also not seen a single blister since I switched to synthetic running socks (cotton is rotten - for running, that is.)

Since I was getting the discount anyway, I decided to buy a range of items to try out in our longer runs. I find that I have a very sensitive stomach during and after running and I'll need to figure out what my stomach can tolerate when I'm running for four to six hours at a time.

You would be amazed the number of hydration/energy options that are available! There are gels, a thick substance, almost the consistency of frosting, I've heard. It's meant to be consumed with water. I got Gu and Clif Shot energy gel in various flavors to try out. Then there are the gummi-type products, which contain sugars and electrolytes. Clif Bar makes shot blocks in various flavors (I got pina colada, I think, but will that sit well on the road? We'll see.) Luna Sport makes moons energy chews - same idea, gummis shaped like moons. And then there are sport beans, made by none other than Jelly Belly, again with sugar and electrolytes. Who knew? Strangely, some of the Jelly Belly beans have versions with caffeine - maybe for those ultra races I hear about when people are running overnight? I don't think I'd want to consume caffeine during a marathon, but then again, I am the newbie here. Onward!

Join us at a Team in Training team walk/run; and 26.9% of goal!

Ran outside today, which is always tough on the ego - those treadmill runs are so much easier. Either way, though, got in 4.8 miles in about 58 minutes, using my new run 6: walk 2 intervals. Good stuff. On Monday, I did about an hour of weight training. I am pretty stiff and sore, believe me! Tomorrow is our first track workout, and I'm hoping I will be able to move (big goals here!) Stretching and ibuprofin are my new best friends. I would like to also introduce you to two other new but valuable acquaintences: Mr. and Mrs. Sports Socks (fantastic) and Ms. Timex Triathalon Sleek Watch, who times my intervals flawlessly while not emptying my meager bank account. Much appreciated.

Some exciting news: we're at 26.9% of my goal to raise $1700 by July 2! I couldn't have done it (and can't do it) without you. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. We're not there yet, of course, but I know we can do it!

Come see what Team in Training is all about - join me at a training session! Did you know you can try out a Team In Training team run (or walk)? I have a few guest passes that I am willing to share - get in touch with me if you are interested. Dates of upcoming guest walks/runs include:

* Saturday, May 30, 8am, St. Paul;
* Wednesday, June 3, 6:30pm, Minneapolis; and
* Saturday, June 6, 8am, St. Paul.

Let me know if you're interested - there are only a few and when they're gone, I can't guarantee I can get more. All paces are welcomed - 80% of TNT participants are training for their first endurance event, and many are doing some combination of walking and running (some walking with a little running, some running with a little walking (me!) and some just running.) The coaches are great, as are the other folks on the team - come on out if you can!

"Cotton is Rotten" and about our training

Saturday's run went really well - maintained about a 10:45 pace for three out of the four miles or so. I really need an interval watch so that I can start training these longer runs with a 6:2 run/walk interval. Fortunately, watches that have intervals are pretty cheap, I'm told - $30-40.

You might be wondering why our mileage is starting out fairly low while training. Our head running coach, Jan, addressed this question before our team run on Saturday. Team In Training's program is longer than the average marathon training program, apparently - about 4.5-5 months, or 18 weeks (longer for other TNT events that are scheduled later in October.) Team In Training does this for a couple of reasons. First - and I find this incredible every time - over eighty percent of Team In Training participants have never trained for an endurance event before (like me - whew!). That extra time allows beginners (like me) to get the solid mileage base that they'll need when we're eventually training at 10, 15, and ultimately 20 miles on our long training runs. Secondly, 14 weeks would leave far less time for the fundraising that Team In Training members commit to.

I think I mentioned the sordid tale of my feet. Though it doesn't hurt, the bottom of my left foot has blistered pretty badly, about halfway across my foot right below the toes. I knew that "cotton is rotten" when it comes to running clothes (cotton soaks up moisture and leaves it close to your skin, causing chafing) but it never occurred to me to apply that theory to my socks. Well, duh.

In any case, I made my first trip ever to a running store - Run N Fun, on Randolph and Victoria in St. Paul - and got my first bunch of running socks (the ones I got are foot-specific - one for the right foot, one for the left - crazy!) and bodyglide, that ubiquitous stick of anti-chafing stuff that looks like deoderant. Run N Fun staff actually did our gear training clinic, and are really great about giving discounts if you belong to a running club. Very friendly staff - I didn't feel intimidated. Highly recommended.

Alright, enough from me today. Onward!

Enough about me. Let's talk about you.

Since embarking on this journey, I have been humbled, amazed and inspired by the support I've received from you, friends and family. Handwritten notes on donations, comments on my workouts on DailyMile and social networking sites - they have all been an source of strength when I'm feeling tired and the thought of a squeezing et another commitment (a workout) just seems a bridge too far.

And now, for the exciting news: we are now 15% towards my goal of raising $1700 by July 2 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to promote research and provide family services for families and patients battling the disease. (You won't see this reflected on this website because a few contibutions were submitted by check or on paper - they'll be appear on the site in a couple of weeks, have no fear.) Your support made this happen! A number of you have already contacted me, committing to contributing in a couple of weeks. Thank you so, so much.

And a tremendous thank you to those of you who have already contributed:

Sally, Minneapolis
Michelle, St. Paul
Ruth, Minneapolis
Jenna and Mark, Minneapolis
Libby and Bob, Hastings
Jenny, WA
Michele, CA
Doron, Minneapolis

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you for believing in me and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's incredible work. And now on to our next team run- 4 miles tomorrow. Woohoo!

3 mile team run

Run-walked three miles around Lake Harriet tonight, and felt good. Yesterday, I set a new record for myself - 6.75 miles in one run, over 70 minutes! As our runs start to progress, I'm not going to be able to do these runs as much - risking doing too much and injury.

We had a gear clinic on Monday where I learned about running shoes and other equipment. I had no idea that there were different kinds of running shoes (still very new to this.) And I officially need synthetic socks - my feet are not a pretty sight.

Well, with that lovely visual, I'm off. Tomorrow is a rest day, Friday I believe is cross training. Onward!

Training begins!

Well, okay, that's a little misleading. Sunday was our first team training - we ran three miles around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I've decided that the best strategy for me will be a run walk - so far, a ratio of six minutes running, two minutes walking. I can still cover quite a bit of distance without getting my heart rate up too high (listen to me, talking about heart rates ; ) ) and I'll be less prone to injury. Always a good thing.

By the way, I know I made the right choice training with Team In Training. The coaches and participants are great - there are people faster than me, and people slower (but certainly more persistent.) If I would have known one didn't have to be a rockstar athlete - or injured all the time - to be a runner I would have picked this up long ago.

Just got done reading "Marathoning for Mortals" by John "The Penguin" Bingham and Jenny Hadfield. If you're interested in incorporating running into your life but it always seemed too intimidating, try this book out - it is very accessible and approachable. No need for speed here (though if you've got it, that's great). The have a similar book called "Running for Mortals" for those not training for a marathon or half : )

Did you know I actually started with Cool Running's Couch to 5k program last fall? I started getting too tired doing that (because I was running at 6mph at a 5% incline and wondering why I was dead tired... hmmmm...) and thought, what the heck, I'll try running at a VERY modest pace - 4 mph - to see how long I could. To my great surprise, I knocked off about 20 minutes right there. And so on, it's progressed - my longest distance to date has been 6.6 miles.
Anyway, what a great experience so far. Onward!

Racing to Save Lives

5/17/09: Racing to Save Lives
Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the Twin Cities Marathon on October 4 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I'm running for my dad (on the right) and my aunt Mickie. I lost both of them too young to disease - my father, Ned Jimmerson, in December to complications from stroke and diabetes, and my aunt, Mickie Hovelsrud, to multiple sclerosis.

Even though LLS supports patients with blood cancers and their families, I thought the best way I could honor the memories of my Dad and Aunt Mickie would be by surmounting an incredible physical challenge, and to support a worthy charity in doing so. In addition to running in honor of Aunt Mickie and Dad, I'm running in honor of others who have survived, lost or are battling with a blood cancer.These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

I have never run a marathon - and never thought I would be a person to run a marathon. With Team in Training, I have a team, a daily training schedule, weekly team trainings, and a coach.

I can't complete this endeavor without your help, though. My personal goal is to raise $1700 by July 2 (though of course if you need more time, donations will gladly be accepted after that date.) Please contribute to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Donations are tax deductible.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!