Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Birthday Present!
I got Jeremy a cool birthday present... it weighs 23lbs and the box was big! I ended up giving it to him early since their was no place to store the box! He is a happy camper! This Saturday we will be at Disney in the Swing Dance Zone! If you have a pass come and say Happy Birthday to my MAN! He is turning 30 on Sunday! We are going out to dinner and then heading the park! He was so happy to get the gift... you will have to talk to him to find out what is is.... I will let him tell you! Anyway if you don't have a disney pass then get one and meet us in the evening at the park for some live music and swing dancing!
Never A Dull Moment!
Let me start off with a HUGE apology! I am sorry for not updating last week at all! I was so busy with the training and actually I felt pretty tired the whole week! So let me catch up on the goodies for last week and then get to where I am today!
Since we had Valentine's Day and I haven't posted since. I didn't end up running either Thursday or Friday.... But here is what the weekend was like:
Irvine 7am I am ready to go! The discussion time was short and so the run began about 8am! Here is where my CLUTSYness comes in! I warned my new friend from TNT Megan that I have been known to fall on occasion and today I proved myself! I was running with her and we were having a great time! Then about 100 yards from the turnaround on our 4 mile journey their was an area in the trail we were on that changed from cement to asphalt and that asphalt was much higher than the cement... So you guessed my right foot hit that raised asphalt pretty good! I then do this tettering thing trying to catch my balance and pull myself up... so I don't actually fall. I was looking straight at the asphalt the whole time and I felt my momentum help me to go half way up to the normal running position and then I was back to where I was before... I did that twice and on the third round I gave up and let myself fall. While this was going on my running neighbor saw all of this and her instant relex was to grab me from the fall. The only thing she could/did get to grab a hold of was my pants and underwear! Needless to say I had the largest WEDGEY ever but I am so thankful! I left the training with a burn like scrape on my left calf and nothing else... So Thank You again Megan! (I hope that wasn't confusing)! As that happened an Assistant Coach ran past us and said "Way to GO Team". Well I made myself known that day... that night their was a post discussing being fatigue and if it occurs to take a break! I wish I could blame fatigue for my clutzyness....
Sunday I had a nice run with my friend Gwynne around her place and it was a beautiful day!
I take Monday's off and so I start off the week in R&R mode, LOL! That is because I take Tap Dance at the Senior Center and I have to do laundry on Monday's to prep for the week of running and more tap! So that is where I begin! The only difference is las Monday was a Holiday so no tap dancing for me... it was such a void in my routine that could be why I wasn't my complete self last week! Also for being a rest day... I don't think I do a good job resting! I need to work on that!
Tuesday came around and I went running at the gym by my house... did I ever mention I hate gyms! Well if not, I did now! SO, I went to the gym to find out that 6 out of 12 fans were out of order and the A/C was broken... THEY didn't know when it will be fixed because in order to fix it, they need City of HB approval to bring in the cranes to fix it! I don't understand the politics in this but I will tell you that the treadmills are on the second floor and don't forget that HOT air RISES! Needless to say I walked into the gym clean, dry, etc... and it was about 75+ degrees inside. I ran my 3 miles and left the building for some air... I was soaked and felt gross! I got home took a shower and hung my clothes on the chair to dry... so we won't get mildew on them... the results from living so close to a beach!
Wednesday was interesting too! It didn't top the previous day but it is rated high! I went to a different 24hr Fitness...hmmm I wonder why???? It was a little farther of a drive but I was hoping for cooler temps and fans inside the place! I also had to run more miles 5 to be exact! So I pull into a great parking spot and go inside! Everything was as I hoped for except it was super busy at 7pm at night! I had to wait in line for a treadmill and it took me about 5-10minutes to get going! In case you don't know the rules at 24hr fitness... here it is: if it is busy and their is a line for a machine, limit your time on the machine to a max of 20 min. So I have 5 miles and I know darn well that 20 minutes is not an option! So I put my towel on the part that shows the time and began my run! I finished in 55 minutes and was much cooler than the day before!
Thursday consisted of tap class and Friday was another day off! I then went to training on Saturday and my mentor Shellie who was at a church retreat last Saturday during my falling episode heard all about it through the grapevine! She actually came up to me and asked me if I knew who fell, LOL! I fessed up to it and she laughed! I am such a great entertainer when I run, LOL! This training day was pretty easy. We ran a total of 6 miles and I kept up with my Coach and Mentor during the finishing of the run! I then went swing dancing later that evening and danced about 2 hrs that evening. I was exhausted and ended up sleeping until about 10:30am on Sunday! I got up had breakfast and went for a 3 mile run! Jeremy and I went shopping at the mall and I got some new jeans. So MC Hammer is taking a break! Hammer time is what I looked like in my old jeans, since I lost 15+ pounds in training this yr and watching my calories!
I took Monday off so I can Tap and do laundry! Then yesterday... WOW I so need to keep up on my posting so you won't have to read these really long ones! Back to yesterday... I met up with coach and other teammates and we headed off to an awesome run along a bike path next to the Back Bay of Newport Beach. It was wonderful and I ran strong! I have been noticing I am lighter on my feet and not pounding as I run as much. It has helped me with my pace a lot. I ran 4.2 miles and coach said my pace was 10:30 a mile! Great! Now if I could keep that pace for 26 miles I am good for a finishing time of 4:40! I then talked to my GOOD friend Alan who talked me into going swing dancing and so there I was.... at ROCK HARBOR dancing! I didn't dance more than about 30minutes worth but it was GREAT! I enjoy spending time with Alan as he is a great friend and dancer! I don't see him enough :(
Today is 5 miles at the gym so wish me luck!
Since we had Valentine's Day and I haven't posted since. I didn't end up running either Thursday or Friday.... But here is what the weekend was like:
Irvine 7am I am ready to go! The discussion time was short and so the run began about 8am! Here is where my CLUTSYness comes in! I warned my new friend from TNT Megan that I have been known to fall on occasion and today I proved myself! I was running with her and we were having a great time! Then about 100 yards from the turnaround on our 4 mile journey their was an area in the trail we were on that changed from cement to asphalt and that asphalt was much higher than the cement... So you guessed my right foot hit that raised asphalt pretty good! I then do this tettering thing trying to catch my balance and pull myself up... so I don't actually fall. I was looking straight at the asphalt the whole time and I felt my momentum help me to go half way up to the normal running position and then I was back to where I was before... I did that twice and on the third round I gave up and let myself fall. While this was going on my running neighbor saw all of this and her instant relex was to grab me from the fall. The only thing she could/did get to grab a hold of was my pants and underwear! Needless to say I had the largest WEDGEY ever but I am so thankful! I left the training with a burn like scrape on my left calf and nothing else... So Thank You again Megan! (I hope that wasn't confusing)! As that happened an Assistant Coach ran past us and said "Way to GO Team". Well I made myself known that day... that night their was a post discussing being fatigue and if it occurs to take a break! I wish I could blame fatigue for my clutzyness....
Sunday I had a nice run with my friend Gwynne around her place and it was a beautiful day!
I take Monday's off and so I start off the week in R&R mode, LOL! That is because I take Tap Dance at the Senior Center and I have to do laundry on Monday's to prep for the week of running and more tap! So that is where I begin! The only difference is las Monday was a Holiday so no tap dancing for me... it was such a void in my routine that could be why I wasn't my complete self last week! Also for being a rest day... I don't think I do a good job resting! I need to work on that!
Tuesday came around and I went running at the gym by my house... did I ever mention I hate gyms! Well if not, I did now! SO, I went to the gym to find out that 6 out of 12 fans were out of order and the A/C was broken... THEY didn't know when it will be fixed because in order to fix it, they need City of HB approval to bring in the cranes to fix it! I don't understand the politics in this but I will tell you that the treadmills are on the second floor and don't forget that HOT air RISES! Needless to say I walked into the gym clean, dry, etc... and it was about 75+ degrees inside. I ran my 3 miles and left the building for some air... I was soaked and felt gross! I got home took a shower and hung my clothes on the chair to dry... so we won't get mildew on them... the results from living so close to a beach!
Wednesday was interesting too! It didn't top the previous day but it is rated high! I went to a different 24hr Fitness...hmmm I wonder why???? It was a little farther of a drive but I was hoping for cooler temps and fans inside the place! I also had to run more miles 5 to be exact! So I pull into a great parking spot and go inside! Everything was as I hoped for except it was super busy at 7pm at night! I had to wait in line for a treadmill and it took me about 5-10minutes to get going! In case you don't know the rules at 24hr fitness... here it is: if it is busy and their is a line for a machine, limit your time on the machine to a max of 20 min. So I have 5 miles and I know darn well that 20 minutes is not an option! So I put my towel on the part that shows the time and began my run! I finished in 55 minutes and was much cooler than the day before!
Thursday consisted of tap class and Friday was another day off! I then went to training on Saturday and my mentor Shellie who was at a church retreat last Saturday during my falling episode heard all about it through the grapevine! She actually came up to me and asked me if I knew who fell, LOL! I fessed up to it and she laughed! I am such a great entertainer when I run, LOL! This training day was pretty easy. We ran a total of 6 miles and I kept up with my Coach and Mentor during the finishing of the run! I then went swing dancing later that evening and danced about 2 hrs that evening. I was exhausted and ended up sleeping until about 10:30am on Sunday! I got up had breakfast and went for a 3 mile run! Jeremy and I went shopping at the mall and I got some new jeans. So MC Hammer is taking a break! Hammer time is what I looked like in my old jeans, since I lost 15+ pounds in training this yr and watching my calories!
I took Monday off so I can Tap and do laundry! Then yesterday... WOW I so need to keep up on my posting so you won't have to read these really long ones! Back to yesterday... I met up with coach and other teammates and we headed off to an awesome run along a bike path next to the Back Bay of Newport Beach. It was wonderful and I ran strong! I have been noticing I am lighter on my feet and not pounding as I run as much. It has helped me with my pace a lot. I ran 4.2 miles and coach said my pace was 10:30 a mile! Great! Now if I could keep that pace for 26 miles I am good for a finishing time of 4:40! I then talked to my GOOD friend Alan who talked me into going swing dancing and so there I was.... at ROCK HARBOR dancing! I didn't dance more than about 30minutes worth but it was GREAT! I enjoy spending time with Alan as he is a great friend and dancer! I don't see him enough :(
Today is 5 miles at the gym so wish me luck!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day
So we celebrated early! I hid his card w/ an enclosed ITunes gift card in our closet for him to find! I stuck it in the middle of a pair of folded jeans! After a few minutes of playing Hot and Cold... he found it! I used to play this game alot when I was a kid... my parents would buy us (my sister and brother too) things... hide them and we would have to search around the house for them! It was fun, well nonetheless when I met Jeremy he was not familiar with this operation! It didn't take long for him to figure out... now he asks if he has to find the things I buy him... and most of the time the answer is YES!
He thought that the gifts were over last night, little did he know he had one more today! I surprised him with a pizza delivery at work! At first he was going to refuse but when the guy says its paid for and it is from a Melissa and he said for Valentine's day... he was thrilled! He did call me and thank me several times and he told me he was worried about the fact he didn't have a chance to give him a tip! I told him.... I took care of it too :::sigh of relief:::: from him!
You could say he and I were out of touch with old routine things! He used to always give me flowers and I would always said pizza to his work! This year he gave me flowers and I in-turn sent pizza! It was a wonderful day even though he is still at work as I type this blog! My heart is full of the same JOY from when we first met! It was nice to rekindle the old times with our new life!
Back to the training! Today schedule is to do strengthening, so went to my I tap class after work! That is something to build strength RIGHT? Well, anyone who knows my tap teacher knows it is more like TAP BOOTCAMP! It was a blast and I enjoyed every minute of it... I even feel strong! Argh!!!!!!!
Yesterday I ended up running on the treadmill in a gross gym! I hate the gym.... but it will be my new best friend for the next couple months I could already tell! It wouldn't be so bad if the would just turn on the air conditioner or a fan! You would think with the money they get from overpriced membership dues that they could afford it! Well not at this gym! It smelled bad from the get go and it was exhuasting trying to run 4 miles in an uncirculated air enviroment!
ON a positive note: I was able to finish the 4 miles w/ a 5 minute cool down in 48 minutes which means that I was under the 12 min mile pace! My end result was a feeling of accomplishment because not only was it great time... I could finally breath fresh air as I walk to the car and out of the gym! So you guessed it, my new friend and I couldn't go running together as planned yesterday! We were both not ready for a 4-mile run at the same time! I hope that next week we could run with snail's pace people at mile square park!
More miles to come on Saturday (4) and Sunday (3+)!
:::Hugs:::
Mel
He thought that the gifts were over last night, little did he know he had one more today! I surprised him with a pizza delivery at work! At first he was going to refuse but when the guy says its paid for and it is from a Melissa and he said for Valentine's day... he was thrilled! He did call me and thank me several times and he told me he was worried about the fact he didn't have a chance to give him a tip! I told him.... I took care of it too :::sigh of relief:::: from him!
You could say he and I were out of touch with old routine things! He used to always give me flowers and I would always said pizza to his work! This year he gave me flowers and I in-turn sent pizza! It was a wonderful day even though he is still at work as I type this blog! My heart is full of the same JOY from when we first met! It was nice to rekindle the old times with our new life!
Back to the training! Today schedule is to do strengthening, so went to my I tap class after work! That is something to build strength RIGHT? Well, anyone who knows my tap teacher knows it is more like TAP BOOTCAMP! It was a blast and I enjoyed every minute of it... I even feel strong! Argh!!!!!!!
Yesterday I ended up running on the treadmill in a gross gym! I hate the gym.... but it will be my new best friend for the next couple months I could already tell! It wouldn't be so bad if the would just turn on the air conditioner or a fan! You would think with the money they get from overpriced membership dues that they could afford it! Well not at this gym! It smelled bad from the get go and it was exhuasting trying to run 4 miles in an uncirculated air enviroment!
ON a positive note: I was able to finish the 4 miles w/ a 5 minute cool down in 48 minutes which means that I was under the 12 min mile pace! My end result was a feeling of accomplishment because not only was it great time... I could finally breath fresh air as I walk to the car and out of the gym! So you guessed it, my new friend and I couldn't go running together as planned yesterday! We were both not ready for a 4-mile run at the same time! I hope that next week we could run with snail's pace people at mile square park!
More miles to come on Saturday (4) and Sunday (3+)!
:::Hugs:::
Mel
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I got Flowers :)
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
I wasn't planning on celebrating but I am now! Whoo Hoo!!! I got a dozen roses from Jeremy today! It came a day early so he was shocked that I called him this afternoon! It was a nice surprise and I am still in shocked mode, LOL! In his note he wrote "I'm very proud of you and all the hard work you've been doing... love you lots".
Hard work is so true! I have been stepping up to the plate on running, for sure!
Last weekend I had my first TNT Training session. I thought two-miles would be cake and I would be ready to go home by 8 or 9 am, since we have to be at the training place at 7am... I thought that was reasonable... RIGHT? Well it took forever and I didn't get home until around 10:15 or so!I met a bunch of people and I only can remember a few names... they had us meet and greet and run at the same time, LOL! Luckily I get an A for talking so that wasn't hard for me to do!
So back to training. This week I will have completed 4 run days and a total of 14 miles! I am challenging myself to increasing my pace in intervals and that has been kicking my butt on the short 3-4mile runs this week! In the next three weeks our mileage will increase slowly from 14 this week to 17 next week and then 22 the week after next 25 the week after that! So there is my hard work! NOW if my dad is reading this and anyone who is not my dad I have to make an announcement on the training! They are more like guidelines, LOL! I told him this and he didn't believe me so I pointed it out in a HER FITNESS magazine! They rest days that TNT has are not good days for me so I change it up a little for now! I make sure I get everything that is on my calendar done with TNT and then I have other activities that I enjoy as well! I have tap dancing classes on Monday's and Thursday's from 6-7 and then bowling on Sunday's at 5:30! So I have my days mixed up, at least I am taking care of the work!
For those who haven't seen me in a while! I have lost some weight! I have lost close to 16 pounds since Thanksgiving but most of the weight loss has occured since January! I lost 10+ pounds since January 7th! I think Jeremy put it nicely in my card w/ roses! "A lot of hard work"! I think running has played an important roll in this achievement and I am very excited to continue to run!
Now my friend Gwynne is wanting run a marathon! Well let me see how this one plays out before signing up for another marathon! The one she wants to do is in Long Beach! Another Team in Training event for the Fall if anyone wants to sign up www.teamintraining.org!
So I am not sore but I have been pretty tired at night! Go figure, LOL! I am turning into a morning person too!
Today I am looking forward to running with my teammate Megan! I hope she calls me so I don't have to do the treadmill thing tonight!
I have raised over $200! Thank you so much... please donate if you haven't already, it makes me so happy to see the progress increase!
Keeping you posted as things progress... a.k.a mileage! Here is to lucky number 14!
Mel
I wasn't planning on celebrating but I am now! Whoo Hoo!!! I got a dozen roses from Jeremy today! It came a day early so he was shocked that I called him this afternoon! It was a nice surprise and I am still in shocked mode, LOL! In his note he wrote "I'm very proud of you and all the hard work you've been doing... love you lots".
Hard work is so true! I have been stepping up to the plate on running, for sure!
Last weekend I had my first TNT Training session. I thought two-miles would be cake and I would be ready to go home by 8 or 9 am, since we have to be at the training place at 7am... I thought that was reasonable... RIGHT? Well it took forever and I didn't get home until around 10:15 or so!I met a bunch of people and I only can remember a few names... they had us meet and greet and run at the same time, LOL! Luckily I get an A for talking so that wasn't hard for me to do!
So back to training. This week I will have completed 4 run days and a total of 14 miles! I am challenging myself to increasing my pace in intervals and that has been kicking my butt on the short 3-4mile runs this week! In the next three weeks our mileage will increase slowly from 14 this week to 17 next week and then 22 the week after next 25 the week after that! So there is my hard work! NOW if my dad is reading this and anyone who is not my dad I have to make an announcement on the training! They are more like guidelines, LOL! I told him this and he didn't believe me so I pointed it out in a HER FITNESS magazine! They rest days that TNT has are not good days for me so I change it up a little for now! I make sure I get everything that is on my calendar done with TNT and then I have other activities that I enjoy as well! I have tap dancing classes on Monday's and Thursday's from 6-7 and then bowling on Sunday's at 5:30! So I have my days mixed up, at least I am taking care of the work!
For those who haven't seen me in a while! I have lost some weight! I have lost close to 16 pounds since Thanksgiving but most of the weight loss has occured since January! I lost 10+ pounds since January 7th! I think Jeremy put it nicely in my card w/ roses! "A lot of hard work"! I think running has played an important roll in this achievement and I am very excited to continue to run!
Now my friend Gwynne is wanting run a marathon! Well let me see how this one plays out before signing up for another marathon! The one she wants to do is in Long Beach! Another Team in Training event for the Fall if anyone wants to sign up www.teamintraining.org!
So I am not sore but I have been pretty tired at night! Go figure, LOL! I am turning into a morning person too!
Today I am looking forward to running with my teammate Megan! I hope she calls me so I don't have to do the treadmill thing tonight!
I have raised over $200! Thank you so much... please donate if you haven't already, it makes me so happy to see the progress increase!
Keeping you posted as things progress... a.k.a mileage! Here is to lucky number 14!
Mel
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Happy Times :)
I feel so much better today! My ears are almost back to normal! My ankle hardly swollen anymore [must have been irritated from the running] and my left foot feels better too! I have been healed from the aches and pains; can I get a WooHoo!
After all the aches and pains from the last few days [post half-marathon] I was seriously thinking about June 1st. Is doing a full marathon going to be twice as painful! I hope not! Luckily although doing a marathon has been in the back of my mind for several years, it is with great JOY that I am finally getting prepared for it! I have four months to get up to that mileage and when I look at what TNT wants me to do for training I am ahead of the game... which feels good! When this goal is accomplished I am sure I will be emotional... a dream come true! IT is A great cause... I and all of you who are supporting me with prayer, funds in my donations, support, etc. are thanked deeply from ME!
Darin my coach told me not to start running until Saturday! Oh... how hard this is for me to do! I feel like going for a run but I need to rest up for the training ahead!
Today ~ I have laundry to do and I will work on my abs... and tomorrow I have tap dance and I am going to the gym afterwards to do a little weight training!
Until next time~ signing out :)
After all the aches and pains from the last few days [post half-marathon] I was seriously thinking about June 1st. Is doing a full marathon going to be twice as painful! I hope not! Luckily although doing a marathon has been in the back of my mind for several years, it is with great JOY that I am finally getting prepared for it! I have four months to get up to that mileage and when I look at what TNT wants me to do for training I am ahead of the game... which feels good! When this goal is accomplished I am sure I will be emotional... a dream come true! IT is A great cause... I and all of you who are supporting me with prayer, funds in my donations, support, etc. are thanked deeply from ME!
Darin my coach told me not to start running until Saturday! Oh... how hard this is for me to do! I feel like going for a run but I need to rest up for the training ahead!
Today ~ I have laundry to do and I will work on my abs... and tomorrow I have tap dance and I am going to the gym afterwards to do a little weight training!
Until next time~ signing out :)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
NO Pain NO Gain... Right?
I am feeling better today than yesterday! I have a slight sprain on my right ankle… I don’t know how that happened! I also have some weird swelling in my left foot. Both are very minor! I am walking much better and with ease now! I haven’t been sleeping really good for awhile though. I think it is because my ears are still ringing; at least the dizziness has left my body!
I have my ankle brace on my right ankle today and I can walk without much pain so that is really good. I am going to take some allieve and then when I get home it will be iced and elevated!
This weekend is going to be fun! I will be ready to run on Saturday for my short two mile pace check with team in training and then I will go home get cleaned up and head to Riverside and see Sally! Once I leave Riverside I will then get into warmer clothes and go to Disney and swing dance with my hubby! On Sunday I have to run a little training, get cleaned up, go to Roadrunner Sports for some new shoes and clothes, and see my friend Donna until 5ish and then I have my bowling league at 5:30pm. That about sums me up for this weekend!
PS: I say "A little" or "short run" because of the mileage that I just encountered on Sunday, LOL!
I have my ankle brace on my right ankle today and I can walk without much pain so that is really good. I am going to take some allieve and then when I get home it will be iced and elevated!
This weekend is going to be fun! I will be ready to run on Saturday for my short two mile pace check with team in training and then I will go home get cleaned up and head to Riverside and see Sally! Once I leave Riverside I will then get into warmer clothes and go to Disney and swing dance with my hubby! On Sunday I have to run a little training, get cleaned up, go to Roadrunner Sports for some new shoes and clothes, and see my friend Donna until 5ish and then I have my bowling league at 5:30pm. That about sums me up for this weekend!
PS: I say "A little" or "short run" because of the mileage that I just encountered on Sunday, LOL!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Half Marathon Record Time!
**Warning... a very long BLOG"
Yesterday I ran the Surf City half marathon (13.1 miles) with my friend Gwynne and although we trained for a few weeks and the weather was great in training... we were not prepared for the rain and wind that we were given on race day.
On race day at 5:30am I woke up and heard a car go by... it wasn't the normal sound I hear when cars drive by my condo... this one sounded like the roads were wet! I opened my front door and peeked outside just for confirmation and sure enough it was raining pretty good! Not a really hard rain but enough to make me want to crawl back to bed and say forget it! It was cold (40+ degrees outside) and the wetness didn't seem extra appealing! I never ran in the rain before... I quickly started to think about what could happen, blisters, catch a cold, etc... Well my friend Gwynne and I were either crazy or very dedicated because we decided to go to the race!
Amazingly enough over 8400 people were just as dedicated out of the 10,000 people who registered for the race! Great Odds! So, on our way to the parking lot where the shuttle will take us to the race Gwynne... such a good friend... always looking out for me... let me borrow her husband's UCLA windbreaker with a hood! Silly me... I declined on the offer and thought to myself ... how could I run in this for 13 miles! Well on my way to her car I was pretty wet and the jacket was looking pretty nice! I ran the whole race with that on and the hood was tightly tied on so my hair and ears could stay dry from all the rain and wind! I forgot to mention that on Friday I was diagnosed with [Tennitus] a medical term for ringing of the ears! It was causing me to not hear so well and get dizzy! Gwynne was my life saver on the jacket situation... Thank you Gwynne-myster
We saw people with trash bags on their bodies and also plastic type pants! A few people really stuck out during the beginning part of the race! One man was running barefoot for the half marathon and then we had an Elvis impersonator running with a portable music player playing popular Elvis hits... he told us in his Elvis voice... to make sure we had a peanut butter and banana sandwhich at the finish line for him! We didn't see him finish :( so we ate banana's in his honor!
Gwynne and I like to see our progress during the race... Those mile markers that tell us we accomplished yet another mile are always a relief to see when you have 13 of them before the finish line! Unfortunately it was windy, remember! Well those markers were not all standing by the time we got their! They were upside down or on their side and it frustrated both of us! I wasn't my usual talkative self because I could hardly hear with the Tinnitus and the wind/rain beating on my hood while running! So conversations were short and sweet!
We did get kinda bored and needed something to pass the time... we decided to play games! What kind of games can you play when you run, you might ask? Well we played "Eye Spy" and the "Animal Alphabet game" we definitely entertained ourselves for a few miles but once we hit the mile number 10 Gwynne was focused and I was starting to focus on every step completed and thinking 3 more miles left... We can do it! So we said a few encouraging words here and there but were definitely more serious in our run at this point! I was starting to feel every move I made and I know Gwynne was too. Her Right knee was bothering her and we walked a little... actually she speed walked and I jogged next to her at a pace to match her walk. I found out I am not a good speed walker and it was easier to run than walk!
Once we approached the finish line she darted into a sprint and I tried to catch up to her! She beat me by 2 seconds! I am so proud of us! IT was her first marathon and my second marathon and the time said 3:00:29! I knew we were around 2:45 because of the late start from the waves of people they had to use to make the starting race not like a can of sardines! We were so sore and could hardly walk and wanted to sit down so badly but knew that is not the thing to do! We needed to turn in our race chips and stretch and cool down! Mind you it had just barely stopped raining when we crossed the finish line!
We never really had warm muscles throughout the race and we were officially soaked to the bone! The jacket I wore kept my upperbody pretty dry and my hair dry! Gwynne on the other hand was wetter than me! Her jacket was made of different fabric and it went through the jacket and her shirt was wet!
Post Race... she was energized after her stomach calmed down! My stomach took longer to calm down and when it did (about 4pm) I had some snacks and then I was energized! Gwynne and I hung out after the race and collected our goody bags. Michelob Light was offering free beer to finishers and although Gwynne was excited about that on Saturday when we picked up our race packets we both agreed that Hot Chocolate sounded better! We headed back to my house and changed into our swimsuits and put sweats on over them. Headed to the community Sauna in my complex and by the time we were ready to leave the sauna we had the temp at 156 degrees! It was hot but it took that much to warm our muscles and get to our VERY cold BONES!
When I did get my energy back up! I felt pretty good! In fact, I canceled my bowling league for Sunday night and had a sub (my friend Michael [Erin's Boyfriend]) take my place for the day! At 5:30 when I was resting I thought... You know I could go bowling! I feel pretty good now! Well I already had my friend Michael planning on taking my place so I took the night off! And boy am I glad now!
The results are in for the race: 2:39 minutes and my pace was 12:09/mile! I am happy to announce I improved my scores by ALOT! Last year I finished the same race in 2:44 and had a pace of 12:31/mile! Yeah US!!!!!
As early as I woke up this morning and I didn't even take a nap for the day I managed to stay up until about 11:30 last night because I was so wired from the day!
Now Today...
I feel like a train wreck! The next day after a race is always so hard to do anything! I can sit down with ease, LOL! It's the getting up that causes difficulty! I have stairs to my bed... stairs to the condo... stairs at work! I feel every step and wish that somewhere I would see an escelator or an elevator!
I managed to attend my tap class which I think I did quite well! My friend Renee who is my tap teacher and my friend Sky's Mom I hope agrees :) ! She announced my accomplishment in class after I went to sit down for a second... trying to get a break for my feet! They were all impressed... I think!
I hope tomorrow I can walk up stairs without holding on to handles and sit and stand with ease!
Yesterday I ran the Surf City half marathon (13.1 miles) with my friend Gwynne and although we trained for a few weeks and the weather was great in training... we were not prepared for the rain and wind that we were given on race day.
On race day at 5:30am I woke up and heard a car go by... it wasn't the normal sound I hear when cars drive by my condo... this one sounded like the roads were wet! I opened my front door and peeked outside just for confirmation and sure enough it was raining pretty good! Not a really hard rain but enough to make me want to crawl back to bed and say forget it! It was cold (40+ degrees outside) and the wetness didn't seem extra appealing! I never ran in the rain before... I quickly started to think about what could happen, blisters, catch a cold, etc... Well my friend Gwynne and I were either crazy or very dedicated because we decided to go to the race!
Amazingly enough over 8400 people were just as dedicated out of the 10,000 people who registered for the race! Great Odds! So, on our way to the parking lot where the shuttle will take us to the race Gwynne... such a good friend... always looking out for me... let me borrow her husband's UCLA windbreaker with a hood! Silly me... I declined on the offer and thought to myself ... how could I run in this for 13 miles! Well on my way to her car I was pretty wet and the jacket was looking pretty nice! I ran the whole race with that on and the hood was tightly tied on so my hair and ears could stay dry from all the rain and wind! I forgot to mention that on Friday I was diagnosed with [Tennitus] a medical term for ringing of the ears! It was causing me to not hear so well and get dizzy! Gwynne was my life saver on the jacket situation... Thank you Gwynne-myster
Before our race... the 5K event was taking place.... We did see her but the announcer said a lady was running in a wedding dress! Crazy people...
Back to our race! Gwynne and I started the race in the 9th wave of 10! They put markers out so you can start with people at your own pace. We went to the 12mile pace because the 10th wave was people who were likely walkers! So we stood out in the rain for over 20 minutes until it was our turn to cross the starting line...
We were off~
We saw people with trash bags on their bodies and also plastic type pants! A few people really stuck out during the beginning part of the race! One man was running barefoot for the half marathon and then we had an Elvis impersonator running with a portable music player playing popular Elvis hits... he told us in his Elvis voice... to make sure we had a peanut butter and banana sandwhich at the finish line for him! We didn't see him finish :( so we ate banana's in his honor!
Gwynne and I like to see our progress during the race... Those mile markers that tell us we accomplished yet another mile are always a relief to see when you have 13 of them before the finish line! Unfortunately it was windy, remember! Well those markers were not all standing by the time we got their! They were upside down or on their side and it frustrated both of us! I wasn't my usual talkative self because I could hardly hear with the Tinnitus and the wind/rain beating on my hood while running! So conversations were short and sweet!
We did get kinda bored and needed something to pass the time... we decided to play games! What kind of games can you play when you run, you might ask? Well we played "Eye Spy" and the "Animal Alphabet game" we definitely entertained ourselves for a few miles but once we hit the mile number 10 Gwynne was focused and I was starting to focus on every step completed and thinking 3 more miles left... We can do it! So we said a few encouraging words here and there but were definitely more serious in our run at this point! I was starting to feel every move I made and I know Gwynne was too. Her Right knee was bothering her and we walked a little... actually she speed walked and I jogged next to her at a pace to match her walk. I found out I am not a good speed walker and it was easier to run than walk!
Once we approached the finish line she darted into a sprint and I tried to catch up to her! She beat me by 2 seconds! I am so proud of us! IT was her first marathon and my second marathon and the time said 3:00:29! I knew we were around 2:45 because of the late start from the waves of people they had to use to make the starting race not like a can of sardines! We were so sore and could hardly walk and wanted to sit down so badly but knew that is not the thing to do! We needed to turn in our race chips and stretch and cool down! Mind you it had just barely stopped raining when we crossed the finish line!
We never really had warm muscles throughout the race and we were officially soaked to the bone! The jacket I wore kept my upperbody pretty dry and my hair dry! Gwynne on the other hand was wetter than me! Her jacket was made of different fabric and it went through the jacket and her shirt was wet!
Post Race... she was energized after her stomach calmed down! My stomach took longer to calm down and when it did (about 4pm) I had some snacks and then I was energized! Gwynne and I hung out after the race and collected our goody bags. Michelob Light was offering free beer to finishers and although Gwynne was excited about that on Saturday when we picked up our race packets we both agreed that Hot Chocolate sounded better! We headed back to my house and changed into our swimsuits and put sweats on over them. Headed to the community Sauna in my complex and by the time we were ready to leave the sauna we had the temp at 156 degrees! It was hot but it took that much to warm our muscles and get to our VERY cold BONES!
When I did get my energy back up! I felt pretty good! In fact, I canceled my bowling league for Sunday night and had a sub (my friend Michael [Erin's Boyfriend]) take my place for the day! At 5:30 when I was resting I thought... You know I could go bowling! I feel pretty good now! Well I already had my friend Michael planning on taking my place so I took the night off! And boy am I glad now!
The results are in for the race: 2:39 minutes and my pace was 12:09/mile! I am happy to announce I improved my scores by ALOT! Last year I finished the same race in 2:44 and had a pace of 12:31/mile! Yeah US!!!!!
As early as I woke up this morning and I didn't even take a nap for the day I managed to stay up until about 11:30 last night because I was so wired from the day!
Now Today...
I feel like a train wreck! The next day after a race is always so hard to do anything! I can sit down with ease, LOL! It's the getting up that causes difficulty! I have stairs to my bed... stairs to the condo... stairs at work! I feel every step and wish that somewhere I would see an escelator or an elevator!
I managed to attend my tap class which I think I did quite well! My friend Renee who is my tap teacher and my friend Sky's Mom I hope agrees :) ! She announced my accomplishment in class after I went to sit down for a second... trying to get a break for my feet! They were all impressed... I think!
I hope tomorrow I can walk up stairs without holding on to handles and sit and stand with ease!
Breaking News... I am running a Marathon!
Now I know you’re thinking, “Melissa, you’ve never run 26.2 miles before! How are you going to do this?” I’ll tell you how: I joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, and I am now a part of Team OC Coast! (And I’m very excited!!)
Why am I doing this? Because blood related cancers are the #1 disease killer of children. This year, I decided that I would focus on helping children grow up a happy and healthy lifestyle. But I can’t do it by myself - I need your help to do it! The only way to reduce these statistics is to provide the funds needed to the brightest researchers and to provide resources to allow patients to receive the care they so urgently need. The best thing about the Team in Training program is that 75% of all funds raised goes directly into research, education, and patient services, one of the best ratios of all charitable organizations!
This program enables me to challenge myself physically while making a financial impact for the benefit of cancer research. I also have the added benefit of supportive team members who make sure I stay on track with my training. I will be running in the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego on Sunday, June 1st. I will run a total of 26.2 miles, not for myself, but for some special people. The first person is my team’s honored teammate, three and a half-year old Jason Cooney, a sweet little boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Jason has a Portacath in his chest for his Doctors’ access to his veins for drawing blood and to administer his chemo treatments. By the grace of God, Jason’s cancer has now been in remission for two years. He enjoys playing with all types of trains and watching his favorite television show”Little Bear” with his twin brother David. The second is my Caringbridge friend, McKenna, who was also diagnosed three times in her short life of 10 years with a rare form of leukemia (ALCL). She won the battle of cancer with the help of two Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) and became an angel on her mom’s birthday due to complications. www.caringbridge.org/mn/mckenna. Lastly, Evan Cousineau was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), he also endured a BMT and I am honored to be running in his memory www.caringbridge.org/visit/evancousineau another special Caringbridge angel! Those three special people give me my daily motivation, and strength to wake up at 6 AM to train for this marathon. This marathon doesn’t come close to the treatments they endured in their young lives!
So, if you want to be an honorary part of the team, Please donate online at http://www.active.com/donate/tntors/tntorsMPires! Prayers, Money, and moral support – everything will help! To find out more about this program, visit www.teamintraining.org. Thank you and take care!
Why am I doing this? Because blood related cancers are the #1 disease killer of children. This year, I decided that I would focus on helping children grow up a happy and healthy lifestyle. But I can’t do it by myself - I need your help to do it! The only way to reduce these statistics is to provide the funds needed to the brightest researchers and to provide resources to allow patients to receive the care they so urgently need. The best thing about the Team in Training program is that 75% of all funds raised goes directly into research, education, and patient services, one of the best ratios of all charitable organizations!
This program enables me to challenge myself physically while making a financial impact for the benefit of cancer research. I also have the added benefit of supportive team members who make sure I stay on track with my training. I will be running in the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego on Sunday, June 1st. I will run a total of 26.2 miles, not for myself, but for some special people. The first person is my team’s honored teammate, three and a half-year old Jason Cooney, a sweet little boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Jason has a Portacath in his chest for his Doctors’ access to his veins for drawing blood and to administer his chemo treatments. By the grace of God, Jason’s cancer has now been in remission for two years. He enjoys playing with all types of trains and watching his favorite television show”Little Bear” with his twin brother David. The second is my Caringbridge friend, McKenna, who was also diagnosed three times in her short life of 10 years with a rare form of leukemia (ALCL). She won the battle of cancer with the help of two Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) and became an angel on her mom’s birthday due to complications. www.caringbridge.org/mn/mckenna. Lastly, Evan Cousineau was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), he also endured a BMT and I am honored to be running in his memory www.caringbridge.org/visit/evancousineau another special Caringbridge angel! Those three special people give me my daily motivation, and strength to wake up at 6 AM to train for this marathon. This marathon doesn’t come close to the treatments they endured in their young lives!
So, if you want to be an honorary part of the team, Please donate online at http://www.active.com/donate/tntors/tntorsMPires! Prayers, Money, and moral support – everything will help! To find out more about this program, visit www.teamintraining.org. Thank you and take care!
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