january 18, 2006

activities: 3 mile walk/run (1.5 mile run @ 12 minute pace, 1.5 mile walk @ 14 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1613

my mom surprised me yesterday with cameraphone pics of moving vans and peach houses - they moved back to va beach without telling anyone until they were already here! :) so today i went to see her new place after work, and i brought my running clothes with me. she lives about .25 mile from the boardwalk, but the street that runs directly to the ocean is closed, so i found another path to the boardwalk which was about a half a mile, and then i walked/ran on the boardwalk for a mile and a half and took a longer way back to her house through the neighborhoods. i measured the route and it was just about 3 miles.

january 18, 2006

activities: 3 mile walk/run (1.5 mile run @ 12 minute pace, 1.5 mile walk @ 14 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1613

my mom surprised me yesterday with cameraphone pics of moving vans and peach houses - they moved back to va beach without telling anyone until they were already here! :) so today i went to see her new place after work, and i brought my running clothes with me. she lives about .25 mile from the boardwalk, but the street that runs directly to the ocean is closed, so i found another path to the boardwalk which was about a half a mile, and then i walked/ran on the boardwalk for a mile and a half and took a longer way back to her house through the neighborhoods. i measured the route and it was just about 3 miles.

january 17, 2006

activities: beach body workout

calories consumed: 1605

january 16, 2006

activities: zen sculpt workout, 3 mile walk in the park w/ joy and eli - 3 miles at a fairly brisk pace (about 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1546

january 15, 2006

weight: 170 (-11)

body fat: 30%

activities: rest day

calories consumed: 1620

woo hoo! what a nice sight this morning - i knew i had kind of blown up over the holidays. i didn't feel quite as pudgy and gross in october and november as i did in december. i hadn't weighed myself in close to a year, though, so i had no idea how heavy i had gotten and when i really gained the weight. it's great to know i can be healthy, stick with my new diet/lifestyle, and get fit and lose 11 pounds in two weeks. :-D

january 14, 2006

activities: 5 mile walk/run @ the gym (34 minutes on elliptical trainer, 14 minutes jogging pace, 20 minutes walk pace + 29 minutes on treadmill, 16 minutes jogging, 13 minutes jogging = 63 minutes to run 5 miles/12.6 minute pace)

calories consumed: 2047

so it was my second long run day, and i decided to go to the rec center for a fitness expo that was going on. i got there early, at 9 when they opened up, and got over an hour of exercise in. i also got a free body fat assessment (30%) and a free 15 minute massage! fantastic. i do have one concern with the body fat percentage, though, 'cause i had just finished a workout and was told that might cause problems with the results. i plan to go back in a few weeks and get one before a workout to see what the difference is. hopefully it's lower either way!

after working out, i headed to joy's to pick her up 'cause we were meeting all the girls (except melissa) in hampton for lunch at joe's crab shack. considering the whole day (breakfast early before workout, a spinach wrap salad after the run, a huge yummy salad at joe's, and pizza and beer in the evening with wendell and kelley at cogan's), i think i did pretty well calorie-wise. it was my second 2000+ day since i started eating more healthy food, but i could have done much worse. i made good choices, ate very little dressing on the salad(s), left most of the pizza crust on my plate, and had light beer instead of what i would normally have had at cogan's. :) we'll see how the scale responds tomorrow morning...

january 13, 2006

activities: beach body workout, 30 minute bike ride (moderate pace), 22 minute walk @ 14 minute pace, .5 mile run @ 12 minute pace.

calories consumed: 1765

january 11, 2006

activities: rest day

calories consumed: 1957

felt hungry, like binge hungry, like i'm gonna eat something i know i shouldn't hungry, today for the first time this year. i was going to give blood, but the computers were down and i wanted to get to a movie at 3:15. i was so tempted to eat popcorn at the theatre. i had brought my own crackers, but i finished them before i got there, so i bought my ticket and then drove back to the mall, to subway, and at least then i got something fairly healthy, a veggie wrap with a little bit of fat free honey mustard (which had too much sugar, now that i look back on it). so i went to the movie and then back to the blood donation center and was able to give (which justifies my lack of activity today).

the only thing i now regret is that i ate an entire oatmeal cream pie. they don't have the same snacks they used to, and i figured that was a good choice. not! 350 calories! what a freaking calorie bomb! and 14 grams of fat! there was almost nothing to the damn thing. i'd rather have a piece of pie or some ranch dressing through a straw than an oatmeal cream pie for that many calories. damn. but, you know, i gave blood today, so i can eat something really unhealthy, i guess.

january 10, 2006

activities: zen sculpt, 2 mile run/walk (1 mile run @ 12 minute pace, 1 mile walk @ 14 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1605

January 9, 2006

activities: zen sculpt, 1 hour and 20 minute fairly brisk walk w/ joy (mileage unknown), 6 minutes jogging, 1.5 mile run/walk on treadmill (1 mile run @ 12.5 minute pace, .5 mile walk @ 14 minute pace).

calories consumed: 1546

great day today - started new semester, all went well, moved into new office, had to walk about 6 blocks round trip, went to joy's, walked in her neighborhood (hermitage museum) for an hour and twenty minutes, about 6 minutes of that jogging, then hit the rec center on the way home and did 1.5 miles, 1 mile of that jogging, and i jogged faster than i've been able to so far (avg. 12.5 minute mile).

it was a beautiful day and was really nice to get some exercise in with a friend - joy and i had been trying to get together since she moved back to town in october

january 8, 2005

weight: 175

activities: rest day

calories consumed: 1849

fantastic! i lost 6 pounds this week! :-) :-) :-)

january 7, 2005

activities: 50 minute indian dance workout, 4 mile walk/run (2 miles @ 13 minute pace, 2 miles @ 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1849

january 6, 2005

activities: zen sculpt (50 minute pilates/yoga/tai chi workout w/weights), 2 mile run/walk (1 mile run @ 13 minute pace, 1 mile walk @ 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1844

january 5, 2006

activities: 2 mile walk/run (1 mile run @ 13 minute pace, 1 mile walk @ 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: did not keep track

january 3, 2006

day two

activities: 2 mile run/walk (1 mile run @ 13 minute pace, 1 mile walk @ 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: didn't keep track of calories today

january 2, 2006

day one

weight: 181 pounds

activity: 2 mile run/walk (1 mile run @ 13 minute pace, 1 mile walk @ 15 minute pace)

calories consumed: 1776 calories

this is it, the beginning of the year and the beginning of a new, healthier me. i'm training for two events during the shamrock sportsfest this year - an 8k walk on saturday, march 18 and a half marathon walk/run on sunday, march 19. hopefully i can get some people together to train with me and to help me raise money for MDA as part of owen's runners.

My Running Journal

I've gone 240 miles since I started training on Setember 14!
Donate Online Here!

S 12/25/2004
Merry Christmas! I've been neglecting the site recently, but I wanted to assure you I have not been neglecting my training! Since I last posted, I have run a total of 26 miles; I'm in "taper mode" before the first of my two big runs coming up. I've got just a couple weeks left before the Disney (Half) Marathon, and just 12 weeks before the Shamrock Marathon!

S 12/11/04
Had a great group run today. Since I'm running a half-marathon in January now, my scheduled run was relatively short, 6-8 miles, and my coach said to decide at the turnaround point for 6 miles whether I wanted to keep going. I decided to run the first three miles slowly instead of relying on intervals, since it was such a short run, and I was able to run with two other Team members who had a similar pace. In the end, I completed 8 miles, all of it running except for a short stretching break at mile 3, a PowerAde stop at mile 4, and a bathroom break and PowerGel stop at mile 6. My pace was rather slow (13 minutes) overall, but I'm excited to have run the whole thing! :)

Th 12/09/04
200+ miles in less than 3 months! Just got back from a quick 5-mile run on the boardwalk, and my knee is feeling fine. :) I ran 5 miles Monday, and after mile 3 it was a bit sore, so yesterday I opted for a 4-mile brisk walk (13-14 minute mile) on the beach instead of a jog. Today my left hamstring feels stiffer than my right, but my knee didn't bother me nearly as much as it did Monday, so I'm totally back in the swing of things. This Saturday at the group run I'll be getting a new training schedule for the full marathon on March 19!

S 12/04/04
Back in action! My coach suggested I take it easy this week to make sure my knee soreness goes away, so I didn't do any running at all this week until today. I also didn't want to run before getting new shoes, so I went to Final Kick and tried on 5 or 6 pairs. I ran on the treadmill in the store in the shoes that felt good, and that was the first time I'd run since last weekend's 14-miler. I didn't feel any discomfort at first, but after a few minutes I did feel the soreness come back, but it was nowhere near the pain I felt last Monday. So I bought my new shoes and brought them home, and I'm planning to get up tomorrow and do a short weekend-run, about 6 miles, to see how it feels. I have decided to cut back in my training and do a half-marathon in January. Since I've already done that distance, I can concentrate on getting better and increasing my pace since last year's Rock & Roll 1/2. And if I need to cut back on some of the running because of my knee, I'll still be in the shape I need to be for 13.1 miles in just a few weeks (Jan. 9!).

The most exciting thing about this change, really, is that I'll continue training after Disney and run my first full marathon here in Virginia Beach in the Shamrock Marathon, and my family and friends can cheer me on like they did when I ran the RNR 1/2! :)

November Running Journal

T 11/30/04
Welcome friends and neighbors from Cape Story and Old Dominion University! Today I gave out flyers in the neighborhood and in my old stomping grounds of ODU's English Dept. If you're visiting my site for the first time, check out the links on the right for more information about what I'm running for. And please consider a dontion to support me as I train and raise money for Team in Training. Donate Online Here!

Well, after a grueling Saturday (the afternoon's game was as tough as the morning's 14-mile run!), I realized the soreness I started feeling around mile 6 might be something serious. I felt some pain in the back of my left knee when walking throughout the day Sunday, and it stuck around for most of Monday. Today it's more soreness/stiffness than pain, so I decided to walk instead of run, and after about 15 minutes I could barely feel the soreness. After about 45 minutes of walking, though, I turned off of the bike path at one point and twisted it slightly, and the pain came back for short period of time. Now it really only hurts when I get up from sitting and if I climb stairs, so I emailed my coach to see what he thought I should do. Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon! In the meantime, I'll rest and focus on meeting my fundrasing goals instead of this week's running goals. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted, and you'll be the first to know when I get back out there this week. :)

S 11/27/04
GO VIRGINIA! I can barely believe it. I just got back from a 14 mile training run! GO JENN! Yesterday morning, I also got 4 miles in before going to Barnes & Noble to fundraise. Cathi, my mentor, and I were there to wrap gifts in exchange for donations to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but it wasn't nearly as busy as we had hoped it would be. I guess all the early bird shoppers were pooped by 10:00. The fundraising was a bit disappointing because there weren't too many people getting gifts wrapped, but I'm planning to volunteer there again later in the season. Now I'm gonna go watch UVA whoop up on Virginia Tech. :)

Th 11/25/04
Happy Turkey Day! Just wanted to post a quick update with yesterday's miles: 5 running miles in the neighborhood. I didn't get any more in today because I had far too many pies to make and our dinner was scheduled early in the day, but I'll be out there bright and early tomorrow to get my remaining mid-week miles in before my next fundraising opportunity - wrapping gifts at Barnes & Noble on the busiest shopping day of the year!

T 11/23/04
Got up early this morning and got five miles in (still running full miles every time!) before heading to work. It was a little drizzly, but not too bad. I'm off for the rest of the week, and I'll running another 11-12 miles between now and turkey (tofurkey) dinner!

S 11/20/04
I made it to the group run today and completed 12 miles (!) with the group. I'd never gone that far in the park before - this time I actually left the park and ran to 56th st to turn around! I kept up a 5/2 pace for the first 10 miles, with gatorade at miles 4, 6, and 10, and a power gel at mile 6, but I could really feel my energy level dropping during mile 11, and I switched to 4/1 and then 3/1 for the final mile. I'm feeling quite sore today, but if felt great to finish a run like that!

W 11/17/04
6 miles this evening in the neighborhood. Still runnin' every mile. :)

T 11/16/04
Last week on Thursday I ran 4 miles in my mother's neighborhood after work, and over the weekend I ran 5. Yesterday evening before the fabulous Eagles game I ran 5 miles in the neighborhood, and I'm still keeping up the full-mile runs with 1-2 minute walks inbetween, and I plan to run 6 miles this evening. Just a quick update for now, I plan to post more later this evening after my run.

T 11/9/04
Another beautiful night for a run, except for the two teen boys on bikes who thought it would be funny to play chicken and pretend not to see me as they aimed right in my direction on my side of the bike path. Twice. Anyhoo, I got my 5 miles in, and I am still keeping up full miles at a time for the whole run. I talked to my coach about this recent blast of endurance and he suggests I keep it up and run full miles for all weekly runs 5 miles and under while I work up to 5/1 during my longer runs over the next few weeks. Exactly two months and counting 'til 26.2!

M 11/8/04
Blogger is finally back up and running! I am so sorry for the delay in updating the site, but I could not get in to post for the last week and a half. So here's an overview of what you missed:

On Wednesday, October 27 I decided to complete my five miles in Newport News after work before heading home, and I ran on the Noland Trail. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, and I knew it might be my last chance to run on the trail because of the time change that weekend. The trail itself was very nice, and there were many other people out there enjoying the nice afternoon, but it was much more hilly than I'm used to, and I had to slow my pace (from 4/1 to 3/2) about halfway through. I was exhausted, but I felt great afterwards.

That Friday, October 29, I ran three miles in the neighborhood back up to the 4/1 pace, but I was unable to run in the group run that Saturday because I had a work meeting all afternoon. I didn't run on Halloween either, so I had to make up for the missed miles during the week.

I ran four miles on Monday, November 1 in the park keeping up 4/1 the whole time, and on Tuesday, November 2 (Election Day!) I made up the long run by doing 10 miles - all the way to the 64th St. entrance of the park on the trail! I carried a Gatorade with me for refueling, and I completed the 10 miles in just over 2 hours, which means I kept up about a 12-minute mile pace doing 4/1 the whole time.

It was another busy week, and I didn't run again until Friday, when I jogged around the neighborhood behind the car dealership while getting an oil change. I did three miles that day, but the great thing is that I actually ran all three miles with a 1-2 minute walk between each.

It's Monday now, and I was out of town for the weekend, so I haven't run since Friday, but I'll update later today after the 4-5 miles I've got planned for after work. :)

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Updated Monday at 5:30 PM...
Just got back from 4.5 miles total, four 1-mile runs with 2 minutes walks in between. I'm back in the shape I was in for the half marathon, running miles at a time and keeping it up for multiple miles!

Lynnhaven Mall Fundraising

Since I've got several things going on over the next few weeks at Lynnhaven Mall, I figured I'd better make a section of the site devoted to them so visitors can find out more. :)

Friday, Nov. 26 (The Busiest Shopping Day of the Year!), my TNT mentor Cathi and I will be wrapping gifts at the new Barnes & Noble at Lynnhaven Mall, from 10:00-4:00. Hopefully it will be a productive day!

I'm also selling tickets to Lynnhaven Mall’s Festival of Giving, “The Best of the Season in a Single Evening. ” 7 pm–10 pm, Sunday, December 12. That evening, the mall will be open only to ticket holders who will enjoy short lines and small crowds right in the heart of the hectic holiday shopping season. About 40 participating stores in the mall will offer free gifts and/or major discounts to ticket holders, and 100% of the $5 ticket price goes to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Call or email me to buy a ticket! (757 615-7352 or zunshyn@hotmail.com.)

That same day, Sunday, Dec. 12, I will also be at the Lynnhaven location of Uno's (Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill) all day for a fund-sharing event. 20% of all sales I bring in that day will go toward my fundraising. Come in for lunch or dinner and bring a flyer (or ask me for one when you get there) to give your server, and 20% of your bill will go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I've still got quite a way to go to meet my fundraising goal, so I hope you'll consider helping out by Donating Online Here or taking part in one of the fundraising events above!

October Running Journal

Tu 10/26/04
4 more miles down this morning during a nice slow run through the park. I'll be breaking 100 total miles trained this week!

S 10/23/04
Since I had a birthday party to atttend today and I didn't want a repeat of last week's Saturday group run, I decided to go it alone this morning so I could get home a little early. Instead of heading a half a mile in the opposite direction to where we meet, I jogged straight into the park at 7:20, knowing I'd eventually run into Team in Training members and a water stop. There was no one there when I passed the typical TNT water stop at the 2-mile mark in the park, the 8-mile turnaround point when coming from Final Kick, so I kep running to my turnaround point a mile father down. On the way back I was so happy to see dixie cups on the side of the trail. At that point I'd gone 5.5 miles, so the Gatorade gave me the extra push I needed to finish and complete my scheduled 9 miles.


Th 10/21/04
I woke up this morning bright and early eager to start the day with a 5-mile run, but fate intervened. I had forgotten to charge my iPod, and its battery was dead. This amazing little gizmo doesn't only provide me with musical motivation on my training runs, it also serves as my timepiece, and I would have a hard time running without it. So I decided to get some school work done early and run when I got home.

The weather wasn't pretty in the evening, so I didn't think it would be a good idea to run in the park. Not too many people would be out in the almost rainy weather, and I'd have had to go a mile into the rather desolate trail to complete my scheduled 5 miles. So instead, I decided to hit the boardwalk at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and it was absolutely beautiful.

The boardwalk's just over 2.5 miles long, so I started at the north end and headed toward 1st street. There were quite a few people out, and most of them were bundled up, but I was well warmed up within the first half mile. I could feel the wind and drizzle on the back of my legs but not enough to bother me. When I turned around halfway through the run, though, I realized I may have made a mistake. For the next 2.5 miles, I fought brutal, gusty winds, and at times I didn't think I'd ever make it back to 40th street. Eventually, with a mile left to go, I got my second wind against the wind and completed the five miles in less than 55 minutes - that's 11 minute miles even running against the wind half the time. Once finished I took a moment to stretch while looking out at the thick, fluffy clouds over the ocean as the sky grew darker, and it was a wonderful feeling.


T 10/19/04
Jenn's Still Running! Sorry for the delay in updating, but I was unable to post from New York, and I've been very busy since I got back! I did run in Central Park last Saturday (Oct. 9) and it was amazing. I woke up early and jogged about two miles from my friend's house to the E. 90th street entrance to the park and met with the Team in Training group there. However, they were planning to run around the park's perimeter and I wanted to see the reservoir track, so after about 10 minutes running with some of the NYC TNTers, I decided to go it alone. I veered off toward the reservoir and did two full loops (about 1.5 miles each) and then jogged the remaining miles meandering through the lower loop of the park. I was jogging/walking at a 3/2 pace for 85 minutes, about 7 miles.

The rest of my weekend was great, and I spent so much time walking (2 hours Friday, 2 hours Saturday, 4 hours Monday, and 5 hours Tuesday!) that I decided not to run Monday morning and instead just did 4 miles each Wednesday and Thursday.

This past Saturday (Oct. 16), I joined my local team again in Virginia Beach but only ran 4 of my scheduled 8 miles. I had a wedding to get ready for that afternoon, so I opted not to wear myself out too much.

Yesterday (Oct. 18), I decided to stay on the Peninsula after work and did my scheduled 4 miles in Colonial Williamsburg. I upped my pace to 4/1 jogging/walking on The Duke of Gloucester street, which is a mile long from the steps of William and Mary's Wren building to the steps of the Capitol at the other end, so I went up and back twice for 4 miles. At this new pace, I completed 4 miles in 42 minutes, less than 11 minutes per mile! I'm getting closer to the level where I was last year, and I've still got eleven weeks to go!

Update: Just wanted to add that I completed a 3-mile run this evening - 35 minutes total, only 6 minutes walking. And I realized tonight that late-evening runs at dusk might not be a good idea in my neighborhood, not because of safety issues but because of froggy issues! There were so many poor little frogs trying to cross the path, some as small as the tip of my finger, and I really hope none were hurt. I didn't harm any of them, but a few times I felt like I was running an obstacle course!

Th 10/07/04
Whew! This has been a busy week! Since I'm leaving for NYC tomorrow morning, I had to tie up a lot of loose ends at school this week, but I'm glad to say that the papers have been handed back and the midterm grades have been submitted. What I'm really proud of, though, is the fact that in the midst of all these viable excuses not to run, I stuck to my schedule and completed all of my mid-week miles this week! Tuesday afternoon I took a break from paperwork and did four miles, and this morning bright and early I went three. The next time I put on my running shoes will be in the Big Apple, and I'll be heading for the park. I'm not sure where the NYC TNT groups do their runs, but I bet I'll be hitting the jogging path around the Reservoir at some point. :-)

M 10/04/04
Three more miles down today. It was a beautiful afternoon, and after grading far too many papers and doing far too much running around after work, I finally got out into the park for my scheduled short mid-week run. I decided to up it to a 3/2 pace, and I had no problems keeping it up. In fact, at the halfway point it had been 18 minutes (12-minute mile), and when I finished it had been 35 minutes total, so I went ahead and jogged the rest of the way to the grocery store to get dinner before heading home. Weird... I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's 4 miles!


S 10/02/04
I started October out right with a 6 mile run this morning. I kept up the 2/2 pace for the entire run, and I finished in 1 hour and 20 minutes (including water stops, a pause to push some dog poop off to the side of the trail with a stick, and TWO rocks in my shoe!), which comes out to little more than 13 minutes per mile! I must say I'm proud of myself, and I feel great today. Now it's off to the showers and to the DMV before I spend an afternoon grading papers and preparing for next week's classes. Next Saturday I'll be in NYC running my scheduled 7 miles in Central Park!

Donate Online Here!

September Running Journal

September Running Journal... 32 miles 9/14-9/30!


Th 9/30/04
Just got back from my three miles today, still on the 2/2 intervals. This weekend (my next run) I'm scheduled to do 6 miles, and I plan to keep up the 2/2 pace the whole time. Then next week during the mid-week runs I might step it up to 3/2.

Got another donation yesterday! :-) This time my mom was the one to make me smile. I sent off quite a few letters last week, but so far I've gotten no mail-in donations, so I plan to send out an update email this week and some update postcards late next week. I've also decided to contact some local businesses to see if they'd like to sponsor me and help me support LLS. Wish me luck!


T 9/28/04
Wow. I have some great friends. If you look at that picture of me on the right, you'll see something green resting on the back of the chair just behind my right shoulder. That's Louise (well, her arm), a good friend and fellow music fanatic I met this year, and she and her husband just donated very generously. I can't thank them enough, and each time I see another donation on my Active Giving page I get warm fuzzies. :) It's still early in the game, and I'm creeping toward my goal faster than I would have imagined in the first week. Thanks again!

Today I continued with the interval walking/jogging and did 30 minutes of 2 minutes/2 minutes walking/jogging and 25 minutes of 2 minutes/1 minute walking/jogging, 55 minutes total (probably about 4 miles?). Rockin' On!


M 9/27/04
Happy Monday! No, I'm not perky because of a morning run (I'll be doing my three miles this afternoon), I'm excited because I've gotten my first two donations! Don't you want to help make me this happy? Donate Online Here! I had a Bridal Shower and Party to help give Saturday for one of my best friends, and two of my friends' mothers gave me checks for LLS.

I started the weekend with my five mile Saturday morning training, which I ran/walked with my mentor Cathi and a woman from Scotland named Barbara, and I tried actually folloing the suggested interval guidelines for beginners. First I jogged to Final Kick (1/2 mile), then when the group run started we alternated brisk walking and jogging, 2 minutes/1 minute for four miles, then I jogged home from Final Kick to get the last half mile in. It may sound strange, but we kept up a 12-minute pace that way, and I was more sore Saturday afternoon than I've been so far in this training. Oh, and Cathi talked me back into training for a full marathon in January, since I can always fall back if I can't do the longer runs once they come around. So, onward to 26.2 miles! 15 weeks to go...

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Afternoon Run Update: Just got back after three miles. I decided to keep up the intervals, but this time I did 2 minutes/2 minutes walking/jogging, and I kept it up without problems for the whole three miles. It's hard to admit how far I'd fallen back in a year of near inactivity - I could run five miles without a rest during my 1/2 marathon training last year! I'll be back there soon enough, and I think the intervals will actually help me get there sooner.

Fundraising update: I got another donation this afternoon from a friend and fellow New Model Army fan from Arkansas.


Th 9/23/04
Ever have one of those mornings when you find yourself dreaming about getting up and taking a shower, only to realize you're still in bed hitting snooze a half an hour later? This morning I was putting on my running shoes and hitting the pavement with my eyes closed. I did finally get up and get out there and get 3 miles in just after sunrise. I had forgotten how peaceful it is to run in the early morning. I wasn't planning to head for the park at first, but there were so many people out on the trail that I was comfortable (and not alone) heading toward the wooded area that takes me to the 1.5 mile turnaround area. I only ran a mile at first, but I got another half mile in on the way back as I passed little kids and their moms at bus stops along the trail in the neighborhood. All this before 7:30!

I finished getting my Active Giving site in order this morning as well (look for the Donate Online Here! links all over the place), so now all I'm waiting on to have a complete website is information (and permission) from my honoree and her family. Wheels are turnin' and feets are movin'!


T 9/21/04
Well, Tuesday's supposed to be a rest day for me, but since I didn't get to run yesterday (tough week at work), I went two miles today, as specified by my training schedule. I'm still in run/walk mode, which I remember last year lasted about a month, so technically I only ran a mile. I started my run at the trail and jogged to the half mile mark, where I was surprised to see that I had done it in 5 minutes (I've been a 12-minute miler even at the half-mile mark since I started running again). I walked (briskly) to the mile mark, touched my tree (at 12 minutes), and jogged back to the half mile (at 17) and walked to the my finish line 24 minutes after I began. I've picked up my walking and running pace quite a bit in only two weeks! Yay for me!

Today was actually a pretty productive day. I finished making a DVD for my friend, cleaned the bathroom and the bedroom, ran, finished my fundraising flyer, took the car to the shop, walked to Kinkos and made copies, had a smoothie at Planet Smoothie while I addressed and stuffed envelopes, picked up the car, and went to the Injury Prevention Clinic where I handed in 31 letters to be mailed out. I'm on my way! Now it's time for dinner and Star Wars!


S 9/18/04
Today was my first training run, and it felt so good to get back in the swing of things. We started with a Silent Mile - there were some volunteers and a patient honoree holding signs and posters along the first mile, and we ran in silence to reflect on what we were really training and fundraising for. I was scheduled to do 4 miles, but I walked from the house to the training area (1/2 mile) and ended up jogging back afterwards, so I'll consider it a 5-mile day. I ran at least 2 miles total. After the run, I asked Coach Bob for a hald marathon training schedule, 'cause I don't think I'll be ready for the full marathon until March.

Back at Final Kick (where we meet to run), the TNT staff had donuts and juice for the runners (hey, we needed the carbs...), and there was a meet and greet where I got to speak with one of our patient honorees. He's currently in remission, but he told me that one of his prescriptions would cost him over $45,000 a year if it weren't for the help from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and he has to remain on this medication for the rest of his life if he wants to continue to be in remission. It's good to know that the money I'll be raising can help people as much as it's helped him. Since my house is on the way back from the park where we run, I had considered not going back to Final Kick, but I'm glad I did. Now I'm even more motivated to raise this money for LLS.



Th 9/16/04
Two miles today... I started by taking my bike out to figure out where the one mile mark is from my house (somehow I don't think I ever did that last year), and there's a tree in the park that's perfect. So I went back to the house, locked up the bike, and ran all the way to the tree, touched it, and walked the next half mile. Then I ran the rest of the way home. :) 3/4 of a run actually running!



W 9/15/04
Ok, I did it. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I decided to sign up again for Team in Training. I've not decided which 1/2 Marathon to train for, it's either Disney or the Phoenix Rock & Roll. Either way, I'm going to see this 1/2 Marathon as just a part of my overall training - I'm planning to run the Shamrock Marathon here in Virginia Beach in March. I'm a little concerned about the fundraising because it was kind of tough last year. But I got lots of encouragement from the mentors at the information meeting last night, and I've got a few ideas about how I can make this less painful (including this website right here). I know I'll be able to make it because I know it's worth it. And I know you all (my readers out there in cyber-world-land) will help me reach my goal!

Did 3 miles today, 17 minutes running! That's the most I've run since I don't know when! (Very sad, I know. Time to get back in shape.) I've got my trusty iPod at my side as well, now, and it's a big help. Earth Wind & Fire and The Beastie Boys kept me company this evening. Oh, and I'm only at a 12 minute mile pace these days. Gotta get it back up to 10!

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