Virtual Team In Training

VTNT Diary, Week 5

March 7th, 2010 | Comments | Posted in Christy, Team in Training |

This week was so hard. Physically, mentally, emotionally. So many times I wanted to give up, give in, QUIT.

I didn’t though.

On Monday, I got a little crazy and decided to Shred with the Sisterhood. As in Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Yeah, um NO. Not a good idea. I had my first 5 mile run the day before, and clearly I shouldn’t have done something so intense the very next day. I pretty much couldn’t walk for 2 days after that.

Tuesday, I rested. Obviously. When I say rested, I mean that I tried not to move at all because when I moved, everything hurt. Even my toes. For me, Shredding and training for a 1/2 marathon do not mix. Then end.

On Wednesday, I hit the gym. I decided to hit the treadmill for my 3.5 mile tempo run in lieu of weight training, because HELLO, my arms still felt like they were going to fall off my body. The tempo run felt good.

Thursday was supposed to be an easy 30 minute run, but the wind had a different plan. It was without a doubt the hardest run ever. I was pushing Mia in the jogging stroller, and there were times when I was sure I was moving backwards instead of forwards. I had to stop and walk so many times because I felt like I couldn’t go on. In the end, I pushed myself and finished 2.91 miles.

Looking at these shots from my run (which I could take because I had to stop and walk so much), you would never know how hard it was. I was constantly lagging behind, and Molly would stop and look back to make sure I was still coming.

Friday I rested in preparation for my 2nd 5 mile run on Saturday. I really enjoyed my rest days this week. So much.

Saturday was my long run day. It was misty and overcast, but thankfully not windy. I decided to take a new route, and run 2.5 miles away from my house and then turn around and come back. This new route was full of big hills. Mean hills. Hard hills. Hills that I’ve been afraid of running, which is why I’ve never gone this route. For some reason, I just felt like pushing through the fear and seeing if I could really do it. I needed to do it, I needed to feel victorious one damn day this week. And I did. It was the most amazing run ever. I took each of those hills on with all the strength I could muster, and you know what? They weren’t nearly as hard as I thought they would be. Those hills didn’t own me, I owned them. I owned that run. All 5 miles. When I got to the end of the run, I truly felt like I could keep going forever, and I really wanted to. I had to make myself stop running!

I’m so glad that this week ended on such a wonderful note. It gives me hope for the weeks to come. Hope that I can do this. That I’ll be able to run all the miles and make it to San Diego with all of my Sisters (and our lone man on the team). Now if I could just finish that fundraising.

Miles run since I started running on 10/03/09: 121.27
Miles this week: 11.5
Miles since I started training on 01/31/10: 56.5
Miles to go until San Diego: 217.5

Team Shrinking Jeans has made huge strides the past week with our fundraising! We are at $14,649.55, 27% of our $54,700 goal! WOOHOOO!!

VTNT Diary, Week 2

February 15th, 2010 | Comments | Posted in Christy, Team in Training |

Week 2 of training for the San Diego Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon is DONE, but not without it’s own set of challenges. The weather was craptastic, cold and windy and rainy, rainy, rainy. Despite the weather, I managed to get in all of my run except 1, but I’m totally okay with that!

On Monday, I took a rest day. Tuesday I did a DVD at home, Turbo Jam Cardio Party; on Wednesday I felt like someone had beaten me with a lead pipe, but I still managed to get my Tempo run in; on Thursday I was suppose to do my 25 minute run, but it was rainy so I skipped it; Friday was jam packed, so I took a rest day; and on Saturday I did my 4 mile run.

One exciting thing that happened is I decided to join the gym so I could get in some weight training. This is HUGE for me, as I’ve never joined an actual gym before, and have actually had a gym-phobia for most of my life. I am NOT a public workout person. Plus, the gym is 74 miles from my house. HELLO! So I called to inquire, and found out they have a non-member 5-visit pass I could buy, and all my excuses flew out the window. Since I drive in to town on Mondays and sometimes Wednesdays to grocery shop and run errands, I decided that I would also hit the gym one day a week to use the weight room.

Last Wednesday was the day, and as I sat in the parking lot having a panic attack, I emailed Christie O. and Melissa for a pep talk! They were awesome! I went in, signed up for my pass, oriented myself with the layout, found the locker room, and cringed as I changed clothes while other naked women walked within 10 feet of me. ACK! Aside from the locker room freak show (and I know all that stuff is TOTALLY normal, but it’s not normal for me, and I could go on and on and on, but I don’t want to bore you), it was great! I’m so proud of myself for taking the leap!

One sad thing that happened this week, is my dog Molly, who is my constant running companion, was injured. I took her to the vet on Friday, and found out that her 11 year old hips aren’t in very good shape, and because of that, she’d strained her left knee. The vet prescribed her some doggie Celebrex and told her to take the week off from running. Thankfully she’ll be able to continue running with me, as long as she can handle it! The vet actually encouraged me to take her because it’s good for her to keep moving!

My 4 mile run, on Saturday, was great! The sun was shining, for the first time in days, the temperature was a perfect 55 degrees, and there wasn’t any wind. Total time for 4 miles was 39:39, just under 10 minutes a mile.

Check back in next week for my Week 3 TNT Diary!!

VTNT Diary, Week 1

February 8th, 2010 | Comments | Posted in Team in Training |

I have week 1 of my Virtual Team in Training under my belt! WOOT!

Miles run: 8.01

We started out with our team conference call on the 30th, where we heard from Coach Joe, Julie (from the LLS), and Shannon (our fundraising mentor). It was an awesome call! I was actually shopping at Walmart with my daughter when I took the call, and there were several times I had to pull my cart over so I could laugh, and I even shed a few tears. I wanted to shout out about how excited I was to be part of something so amazing, but I think people already thought I was a little nuts.

On Sunday (1/31), I began my training with my first official run of 3 miles. Lisa was here visiting, so we took turns watching the kids so we could run alone. That 1st run, without a doubt, was my best run ever. Not just from a physical standpoint, but from a mental standpoint as well. All I could think about was how amazing this journey would be. I thought about Allie, I though about my Paw Paw, who was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia 2 years ago. I thought about everyone diagnosed with blood cancers, and cancer in general, who have to fight and endure chemotherapy, radiation, and the terrible side effects that come with treatment. I thought about Team Shrinking Jeans, all 18 of us, and what we’re doing. It’s HUGE. I thought about all the amazing support we’re receiving from the Sisterhood, and before I knew it, my 3 miles were done, and I wanted to keep running so I could think some more.

Although the weather was bad this past week, with lots of rain, and some flooding, amazingly enough, the sun was shining on the days of my runs. Perfect. The tempo run was the hardest, because you alternate between running at an easy pace, with running all out for 2 minutes at a time. You have to run at a pace you can maintain for the full 2 minutes, and that day I was running with the jogging stroller and Mia, so it was a little tricky, but I did it and felt a huge sense of accomplishment afterwards. I was also very sweaty and gross!

This week I will continue to follow my training schedule, and will even stop by the gym in Kerrville (which is 70 miles away!) to look into buying a pass so I can visit once a week for some weight training. I also plan to finish up my fundraising letter and get it in the mail, because in addition to training, I have to raise $2900 and as a team, we will be raising $51,800 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

New iTunes downloads this week: