Go Kate(s)

My alarm clock went off multiple times this morning starting at 5:45am to wake me up for my routine run with the Heartbreak Hill Striders. I jumped out of bed to turn off the fourth alarm and immediately climbed back into bed for a bit of extra warmth and relaxation. I hope Pete wasn't waiting outside for me with yellow Powerade and bananas because I didn't actually get out of bed until after 10am! My apologies, Pete!

After only six hours of procrastinating, I laced up my Asics. Kate decided to join me on my long run today. We took the D-line outbound to the Woodland stop and ran along the actual Boston Marathon route. We stopped for a quick drink at the Fire Station on the corner of Washington and Commonwealth and pressed on towards the finish line in Copley Square.

Heartbreak Hill was a cinch this afternoon! I usually have to trick myself into thinking that Newton's "rolling hills" are a piece of cake, but I managed to tackle them with ease because I had such a positive attitude today. I'm learning more and more that running is a total mind game. I'm confident that my body is ready for the challenge, but I still need to train my brain to withstand five hours of running. I really struggled with the hills last week because I perceived them to be much more difficult than they actually are. It's important to remember that running a marathon is a challenging but manageable goal.

I was tempted to post a map of my running route today, but I didn't want anyone to see where Katherine and Pete live. During my run, I decided to pay them a quick visit. As long as Katherine doesn't read this post, she'll be surprised to find a nice, sweaty note on her Mercury Mystique in the morning!

Kate and I turned left onto Beacon Street and continued to run towards Coolidge Corner. My running partner turned right at the Wine Cellar, while I ran towards Kenmore Square. I passed Eastern Standard and dodged the crazy, Christmas shoppers as I flew by the shops on Boylston Street. It's nice running in the city because of the many distractions, but it's important to beware of oncoming traffic. It worries me to see runners with their Ipods in the city. Anyhow, I ran to the Arlington stop, wandered around City Sports for a few minutes, and rushed home to some chicken noodle soup from the New England Soup Factory.

Today was my longest run ever at ten miles! I'd also like to congratulate Kate for hitting the 200 mile mark this afternoon! Go Kate(s)!

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

Last year at this time, I struggled through a 5K turkey trot with Maureen. Today, I completed a route equivalent to the Falmouth Road Race in just over an hour. It was so much easier to run knowing that a HUGE Thanksgiving meal would be waiting for me when I got home. My dad drove me to the start of the route, and dropped me off at the West Boylston High School. He was definitely concerned about my safety because he offered to steal one of the extra-large orange vests that the bus monitors wear at Laidlaw. I appreciated the offer, but politely explained that I might as well run with a parachute.

My dad's words of wisdom rang out loud and clear as I started my run: "Look both ways before you cross the street." "Pretend all the drivers on the road are drunk." "Leaves can be just as slippery as ice."

I ran by the West Boylston football game just in time to see my alma mater get a touchdown. Go Lions! I turned right on Prospect Street and up the hill past Emily's house. It was sort of fun to reminisce about old friends during my run because it took my mind off the workout. I flew by the Wachusett Country Club and under the highway. I had taken my hat off towards the start of my run, but I was tempted to put it back on when I ran under the bridge with all the birds. I took a left on East Mountain Street and a sharp right on Burncoat. At this point in my run, I focused on two things: a) the downhill at Burncoat High School and b) Mom's homecooking. I could smell the turkey ahead! With each step, I envisioned stuffing, yams, and corn. I picked up the pace! Turkey, step, potatoes, step, cranberry sauce! If the marathon were on Thanksgiving, I'd probably set a world record. Burncoat turned to Lincoln. Only twenty-two stairs stood between me and my pie. I climbed the stairs like a champion and arrived at home just in time for a quick shower and a Thanksgiving feast!

0 Miles

I've recently received multiple requests to write a little blurb each day about my workouts. It's for this reason that I created my training table. After a run, I record it on the table for your viewing pleasure. I've been told, however, that this doesn't satisfy your curiosity about my marathon training. You want the dirt, the scoop, the gossip! How was I supposed to know that you would include my blog in your daily reading? In any case, I'm glad to hear that you're intrigued by my progress towards the marathon, so I will make every effort to blog about my daily workouts (as long as you promise to sponsor me)!

Today, I ran zero miles. I was tempted to go for a run this morning because two wonderful people volunteered to sponsor my run in the 2008 Boston Marathon at one dollar per mile that I run in training! It's important, however, for me to work in at least one rest day each week to allow my muscles to recover from the previous week of running. This also gives me one glorious morning to sleep in before work, which doesn't explain why I woke up at 6:30am to blog about how I didn't run today.

Look forward to future posts titled "Gloves Or No Gloves?" and "Today Was Cold...But I Ran."

My Running Library

About Dana-Farber and The Claudia Adams Barr Program

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's preeminent cancer treatment and research facilities. It provides expert, compassionate care to cancer patient of all ages, and advances the development of future cures through research. The Institute is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and provides training for physicians and scientists.

The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) allows people running in the Boston Marathon to raise money for the benefit of the Claudia Adams Barr Program in innovative basic cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The DFMC team consists of over 500 runners of all ages and backgrounds. This year DFMC aims to raise $4.5 million, 100% of which will be directed to the Barr Program.

First Timers Meeting

The First Timers Meeting was held at the Mount Auburn Club in Watertown, Massachusetts. This was a chance to meet almost one hundred other first time marathoners for Dana-Farber. We went for a scenic, four mile run along the Charles River and were treated to a feast of bagels, fresh fruit, and yoghurt. I ran with Sarah, Hillary, and Keegan most of the way, but finished the workout with Jenny and Molly. Jenny is running in memory of a classmate who died some years ago, and Molly is running in support of a six year old relative who is currently being treated at Dana-Farber.

We broke into small groups during the speaking program for brief introductions. We were each asked a series of questions, and I actually learned a lot about a few of my teammates. One woman is running in memory of her aunt. She likened her aunt to "her sister, her mother, and her best friend. " Another woman and fellow figure skater is running because she "knows too many people who have died from cancer," and she rattled off a list of friends and family members who will forever be in her memory. I met Chris, who used to work as the Assistant Director of Special Events at Dana-Farber. He has since taken a job in marketing and sponsorships at New Balance, but he's running for reasons similar to mine.

I'm running for Dana-Farber in an attempt to connect to its mission on a deeper level. I am extremely lucky to be able to report that I don't have any close family or friends who have died from cancer. My Aunt Joan survived breast cancer, but she maintained such a great attitude throughout her treatment. I remember she asked me if I thought her hair would grow back the same color because was hoping to be a redhead! Patti Cutting is another breast cancer survivor. She's a wonderful skating coach at the Lake Avenue arena in Worcester, Massachusetts. She's been a long time mentor and a major inspiration in my life. I hope to be able to connect with her over the holidays.

It can be difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of Dana-Farber's mission from my office in Brookline. Since we're not located at the Institute, we do not interact with the patients and doctors on a regular basis. It's partially for this reason that I decided to attend Dana-Farber events. Last year, I assisted the Dana-Farber marathoners back to their hotel, and so many of them opened up to me after their run. I spoke to cancer survivors who didn't know if they'd be able to finish the marathon. Some individuals were extremely emotional after crossing the finish line because their run was a tribute to a Dana-Farber patient who is no longer with them. The multiple walks from the finish line to the hotel was a motivational experience, and I can't wait to represent Dana-Farber and its mission on April 21, 2008!

After we got to know a few of our teammates at the First Timers Meeting, we heard from Jack Fultz, 1976 Marathon Champion. He's the DFMC coach, and he offered a wealth of information on everything from crosstraining to clothing to injuries. He's a tremendous asset to our team! We also heard from the DFMC fundraising coaches and Jan Ross. One of my teammates asked an event compliance-related question, so Jan introduced me to the team as an expert in event compliance matters.

We concluded the meeting by signing a banner for a little girl named Lia who is currently battling cancer. She's about to go in for her second transplant. My fundraising goal of ten thousand dollars doesn't seem like very much in the grand scheme of cancer research, but it might help to keep Lia and others alive.

Nova Marathon Challenge

Last weekend, Rorie told me about the Team Nova Marathon Challenge:

In the summer of 2006, an assortment of very different individuals came together to form a quirky sports team. Not one of them was a hard-core runner; some couldn't even make it through a mile, yet all were determined to train for the Boston Marathon. —Susan K. Lewis

I watched the entire series in a single sitting after a short, three mile run on the treadmill at the BHAC. Talk about a happening Saturday night! Unlike most of the runners in the show, I have been an active individual for most of my life, which puts me at a bit of an advantage going into my training. I'm also pleased to report that I don't have a smoking habit to hurdle during my workouts. The fourth episode brought me back to reality when Nova displayed some nasty images of one runner's blisters. I actually encountered bloody feet after two of my runs last week, and it reminded me of my former life as a figure skater. My feet haven't seen blisters this bad since the last time I broke in a pair of silver stars at the age of fourteen. It appears that there are some similarities between figure skating and track after all!

I'm about to complete my sixth week of marathon training tomorrow, and I've got the "battle wounds" to prove it. The scrapes and scars that accompany the training, however, are totally worth it! I feel strong. I feel healthy. I feel like I can run a marathon!

It was fun to see the Nova runners cross the finish line in the final episode because I know that I'll be there in just a few months for Dana-Farber. Watch for the orange singlets at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/marathon/program.html