Many the miles!

A month has passed and it is definitely time to check in!  On my last post, I was getting ready to take on 6 miles.  Wait for it... 7.41 MILES!!!!  What a rush! For the first time, I KNEW I was truly going to be able to conquer the half marathon.  Not just saying the words but knowing.

Since then, I've kept up with buddy runs, track nights, and 8 am Saturdays.  With a heavy workload (hence the lack of posts) and lots of travel, I've still managed to get in my mileage. 

Last weekend, work led me to Orlando.  90+ Degrees.  Humidity like you wouldn't believe.  And.... 8.77 MILES!!  On my own!  Nope, I didn't pass Mickey, Donald, or even Shamu.  It was me, all alone with my iPod and the scorching sun.  Came "home" to the hotel to find that 2 hours out there, even at 9am, had made their mark with a bright red burn.  But the burn in my muscles and fire I felt inside made it all worth it.

This Saturday, we start at 7am and are apparently up for a whole new challenge.  I'll keep you posted!

GO TEAM!

The Rain and The Pain

I've got another big run coming up tomorrow.  We'll be out at Land's End, out in my old Outer Richmond 'hood.  Pouring rain and lots of challenges (read: hills!). My minimum is 6 miles....I'd really like to aim for 7 though.  At 8am. 

The mileage just keeps racking up.  It's just amazing to me.  However, with that mileage comes a little wear and tear on my body.  Going from couch potato to going and going and going - well, some pain was bound to appear.  My right hip is killing me but the coach assured me that he's got some exercises for me to strengthen the muscles around the joint. 

So, while you read the morning paper, think of me.  Or while you sleep off tonight's fun (or some leftover fun from last night's St Patrick's festivities!), just dream a little dream about me crossing the finish line!

Nearly Doubled Mileage...and Nearly Doubled Over!

I've just finished a real one week training cycle with Team in Training - woo hoo!  First though, before I launch into my usual long-winded self I want to say THANK YOU!!  Your generosity and support has absolutely overwhelmed me.  Doubled-over with joy and gratitude. One week in and you've helped me raise 15% of my goal to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Just one week in and a support system has rallied - I stand so much stronger than I ever could have on my own.  I am so grateful for all of you!

Take a look at the updates!

Last Thursday was our first Coaches' Workout in Kezar Stadium.  Well, was supposed to be.  Unfortunately, I left about 10 minutes late from work and then proceeded to take the most crowded route over.  I kept telling myself to stick with it, it was going to be ok if I was 5 minutes late, 10 minutes late, etc.  By the time I was 20 minutes late and still not anywhere near, I finally gave up.

However, I had a choice:  I needed to turn around and head home but I could either give up and go inside or I could run like I was supposed to.  I parked the car, passed my front door, and ran my greatest distance yet!  I knew the coaches would have pushed me so I pushed my own boundaries.  2.4 miles - a 40% increase! Dang, I was feeling GOOD!

 

Note:  Google Maps does NOT take hills into account...!

 Saturday was our first team run, actually focused on mileage rather than time.  We were split into experience/ability levels (I'm a 1...shocking, right?!).  Level 1s had a goal of 2-4 miles.  I was absolutely committed to 2 but powered through for 3.  Remember last week?  I had just passed 1.5 miles.  I know that these percentage jumps will taper off but, let me tell you, they are fantastic for building confidence!

Since we started at 8am I now had a whole day on my hands.  And San Francisco was GORGEOUS!  Sun shining, birds singing, 76 degrees in February and awesome!  Man, this whole getting up and being healthy thing might not be so bad after all!

Sunday, I took a break.  And took in nearly an entire bag of potato chips - oops!  Hey, Super Bowl is only once a year, right?  At least the game was exciting because the "entertainment" was awful!  Rooted for the Steelers but happy enough for Aaron Rodgers.  MVP is great but really, I was hoping for a giant happy dance, cursing Brett Favre's name.  Ok, ok, that might be harsh.  Ughhh....I'll go back to my training....

And last night, I was back to buddy runs.  Amazing how much better I felt after just one week!  Instead of sucking air 10 minutes into our 20 minute run, I was saying I was ok to tackle 30!  Maintained pace, maintained conversation, and maintained confidence.

This is such an amazing experience and thank you all again for joining me!  Together, we will fight against cancer, battle my bulge, and destroy the San Diego Rock n Roll!

~Melissa

PS - If you haven't yet visited my TNT page, please click here.  Thanks for reading and for your support!