It's go time. See you all on the other side! Track our race chips at http://www.rnraz.com/home.html!
~RSF
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
3 Days
What seemed like forever away, is now 3 days away. Unfortunately, my hip still hurts when I run, so this is going to be a real challenge. I'm going to get acupuncture tonight--hopefully the needles work their magic. I'm also taking Arnica pills, Aleve, and using Topricin (a special cream highly recommended for soft tissue injuries.)
But the good news is, I have now raised over $5,000 for LLS, and whatever pain I feel getting through the 26.2 miles is really nothing compared to going through cancer. Hopefully, our efforts in this marathoning and fundraising will be part of eventually curing blood cancers once and for all.
But the good news is, I have now raised over $5,000 for LLS, and whatever pain I feel getting through the 26.2 miles is really nothing compared to going through cancer. Hopefully, our efforts in this marathoning and fundraising will be part of eventually curing blood cancers once and for all.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
What if I just can't take one more step?
I'm totally freaking out so much about the race itself right now that I can't even talk about it. (What to pack for 70 degree weather in January? Do I need to bring my race-day breakfast? What if I lose a sock? Is my bullet-proof bra really as good as I think it is? Will my Ipod hold a charge for 3 hours? What if I get lost? What if I'm delirious after the race and can't find a shuttle back to the hotel? What if I choke on a jelly bean? What if... see what I mean?)
What I CAN talk about is the fact that Casey and I did not, in fact, raise $7,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We raised over $8,800!!!! And we did it because of you. So at mile 13 (as well as mile 3, 5, 8, 9, 10...) I will be powering each (undoubtedly painful) step by thinking of all of you, and the faith you've shown in us.
~RSF
What I CAN talk about is the fact that Casey and I did not, in fact, raise $7,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We raised over $8,800!!!! And we did it because of you. So at mile 13 (as well as mile 3, 5, 8, 9, 10...) I will be powering each (undoubtedly painful) step by thinking of all of you, and the faith you've shown in us.
~RSF
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Quick Update One Week Out
So Becky and I have now both reached and exceeded our fundraising minimums. Yay! We are one week out from the race and the anxiety has officially set in.
1) I haven't run for a week now, since I pulled a muscle in my hip last Saturday at the group run (through the snow).
2) I'm starting to think that I may forget how to run by the time we get to the race, since I am only allowed to run once this week.
3) I had a sports massage last week with someone I would highly recommend, Paul Jensen, who is also a holistic health counselor. However, it felt more like torture than a massage. Anything to fix the hip, though...
4) I can't believe I'm actually going to go out and run 26 miles. Is this even possible?
5) I'm going out today to buy the following things that Norris recommended we consume this week: pretzels, pickles, potatos, sports drinks, and dark chocolate (I already have bananas, which was also on his list.)
6) I'm getting nervous about what to pack (even though I have most of my stuff already put aside), forgetting something, and if my sports bra is going to fall apart during the race (1 of the straps is 50% detached from the rest of the bra. But they tell you not to try anything new for the race, and this is the bra I've been wearing thus far.)
7) Did I mention I can't believe I'm actually going to make it for 26 miles?
Please send lots of thoughts, prayers, and good vibes our way on the 18th! And thank you to everyone who has made a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of this effort.
1) I haven't run for a week now, since I pulled a muscle in my hip last Saturday at the group run (through the snow).
2) I'm starting to think that I may forget how to run by the time we get to the race, since I am only allowed to run once this week.
3) I had a sports massage last week with someone I would highly recommend, Paul Jensen, who is also a holistic health counselor. However, it felt more like torture than a massage. Anything to fix the hip, though...
4) I can't believe I'm actually going to go out and run 26 miles. Is this even possible?
5) I'm going out today to buy the following things that Norris recommended we consume this week: pretzels, pickles, potatos, sports drinks, and dark chocolate (I already have bananas, which was also on his list.)
6) I'm getting nervous about what to pack (even though I have most of my stuff already put aside), forgetting something, and if my sports bra is going to fall apart during the race (1 of the straps is 50% detached from the rest of the bra. But they tell you not to try anything new for the race, and this is the bra I've been wearing thus far.)
7) Did I mention I can't believe I'm actually going to make it for 26 miles?
Please send lots of thoughts, prayers, and good vibes our way on the 18th! And thank you to everyone who has made a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of this effort.
Monday, December 15, 2008
My second-worst run ever...
First of all... congratulations to Casey, for finishing her 20 mile run! She'll be gone for almost 2 weeks after this, and I will miss her terribly while she's away.
Now...let's talk about these "weather conditions" Casey mentioned below for a moment. Due to the ice storm in the Northeast that you may have heard about (or experienced first-hand) our group run was moved from the scenic, peaceful sanctuary of the Niskayuna bike path (where we have had all of our group runs to date) to the State Office campus... a 2 mile loop of arterial roads and overpasses that circle the office complex. As you can imagine, compared to the tree lined bike path with a view of the peacefully flowing Mohawk River, the honking and screeching of SUV tires and ice-slicked asphalt was a slightly less soothing environment. It was also a lovely 12 degrees out, with a windchill of about -80.
Only a brave few attempted to conquer the inclement weather, and with Casey's 20 and my 10 miles on deck, we chose to give it a shot. As Casey will attest to, I've been relatively good about keeping the whining and complaining down to a bare minimum during these Saturday morning group runs, despite the fact that they get me out of bed at 5:40am on my precious weekends and it's freezing cold out, which I hate. Unfortunately, this Saturday proved to be too formidable an opponent for my recent good cheer. About 1/3 of the way through lap #3, somewhere near mile 5, I called it quits, and just before mile 6, Casey agreed. I went back to my apartment complex and did another mile on the treadmill, and Casey went back out on Sunday, determined to get in her 20 miles.
The thing is, it wasn't even the cold temperatures alone that scared me away. We've been running in the cold, and I can handle it. It was the entire environment as a whole, which further proves to me that this running business is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge. Yes, my muscles hurt in weird ways when it's cold out - but that wasn't what stopped me. I've grown comfortable with the bike path - I know where the mile markers are, I know what is ahead of me and what's behind. The dog walkers, bike riders, bird hunters and fellow runners all afford me a sense of comfort and camaraderie...but pounding pavement in circles on a 4 lane roadway, even with my best friend in the entire world on one side and our ever-inspirational mentor on my other wasn't enough to save me.
I'm really hoping next weekend's run (which I will be doing without Casey, much to my dismay) is back on the bike path...
~RSF
Now...let's talk about these "weather conditions" Casey mentioned below for a moment. Due to the ice storm in the Northeast that you may have heard about (or experienced first-hand) our group run was moved from the scenic, peaceful sanctuary of the Niskayuna bike path (where we have had all of our group runs to date) to the State Office campus... a 2 mile loop of arterial roads and overpasses that circle the office complex. As you can imagine, compared to the tree lined bike path with a view of the peacefully flowing Mohawk River, the honking and screeching of SUV tires and ice-slicked asphalt was a slightly less soothing environment. It was also a lovely 12 degrees out, with a windchill of about -80.
Only a brave few attempted to conquer the inclement weather, and with Casey's 20 and my 10 miles on deck, we chose to give it a shot. As Casey will attest to, I've been relatively good about keeping the whining and complaining down to a bare minimum during these Saturday morning group runs, despite the fact that they get me out of bed at 5:40am on my precious weekends and it's freezing cold out, which I hate. Unfortunately, this Saturday proved to be too formidable an opponent for my recent good cheer. About 1/3 of the way through lap #3, somewhere near mile 5, I called it quits, and just before mile 6, Casey agreed. I went back to my apartment complex and did another mile on the treadmill, and Casey went back out on Sunday, determined to get in her 20 miles.
The thing is, it wasn't even the cold temperatures alone that scared me away. We've been running in the cold, and I can handle it. It was the entire environment as a whole, which further proves to me that this running business is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge. Yes, my muscles hurt in weird ways when it's cold out - but that wasn't what stopped me. I've grown comfortable with the bike path - I know where the mile markers are, I know what is ahead of me and what's behind. The dog walkers, bike riders, bird hunters and fellow runners all afford me a sense of comfort and camaraderie...but pounding pavement in circles on a 4 lane roadway, even with my best friend in the entire world on one side and our ever-inspirational mentor on my other wasn't enough to save me.
I'm really hoping next weekend's run (which I will be doing without Casey, much to my dismay) is back on the bike path...
~RSF
Sunday, December 14, 2008
20 Mile Run!
Due to weather conditions yesterday that were absolutely deplorable, I decided to postpone my 20-mile run until today (Sunday). I enlisted three wonderful friends to accompany me on 4 loops around the Pine Hills/Whitehall Rd. area, amounting to a (according to Google Maps) total of 20.13 miles. Allison (orange hat) was with me on the first and last loop, Emilie (maroon shorts) did the 2nd loop, and Theresa (baseball cap) joined me on the 3rd. I couldn't believe I did it, but I did it! And I have great friends to thank for braving the cold and ice to support me in this effort. I couldn't have done it without them!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Got my new shoes on...
This is a picture of my new sneakers (well one of them anyway - don't worry, I have two). The Addidas Supernova Sequence. If you know me, you know my love of shoes... but did you ever think I'd be so excited about a sneaker? Probably not. Now, what if I told you I'd be running 10 miles in that sneaker on Saturday? Being excited about them just started to make more sense, huh?
~RSF
PS - I thought it might be time for an updated countdown clock, so...
MySpace Countdowns
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Kickboxing
Becky, in her awesomeness, is taking a kickboxing class, which serves as cross-training for the race preparation. I have the utmost respect for Becky's participation in this, but I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of kickboxing. I like yoga, cardio dance, step aerobics, actually most classes I have tried I have liked. I'd love to try spinning but they don't offer it at my gym. But kickboxing...not so much. I always feel stupid doing it, especially because I generally smile all the time, and you look stupid when you are making kicking and punching motions with a big smile on your face. Plus, it just makes me think about how I'm probably not doing the kicks and punches right, so now matter how much I try to twist up my face I'd still be getting my ass handed to me in an actual fight.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Turkey Trotters
I have some catching up to do on this here blog, but I wanted to get a quick picture up - Casey, Norris and I after we ran as 'bandits' at the Turkey Trot (which wasn't our fault - they ran out of numbers AND timing chips and told us just to go for it!). How happy are we??
~RSF
16 miles
I ran 16 miles yesterday! It's 10.2 shy of the ultimate goal, but the fact that I survived it gives me even stronger confidence that I will be ready for January 18th.
I ran the first 9 with Becky--who ran her first 9-miler ever, but I'll let her do her own bragging on the blog--and then the last 7 with Norris. Hopefully, I'm not shooting myself in the foot by doing all my training runs with other people when I will be running the full 26.2 on my own. However, I think there will be plenty of distractions and entertainment to keep me occupied in AZ. Not as good as the company of those I run with here in NY, but I'll have to take what I can get.
The second accomplishment of the day was taking an "ice bath" at the strong suggestion of Coach Meg, Coach Joanne, and TNT veteran Gabbie. After a legitimate struggle to force myself into the tub of extremely cold water, I was able to sit in it for more than 20 minutes. Guess what? I'm not in pain today! They were totally right on about the ice bath. Brrrrrrr.
I ran the first 9 with Becky--who ran her first 9-miler ever, but I'll let her do her own bragging on the blog--and then the last 7 with Norris. Hopefully, I'm not shooting myself in the foot by doing all my training runs with other people when I will be running the full 26.2 on my own. However, I think there will be plenty of distractions and entertainment to keep me occupied in AZ. Not as good as the company of those I run with here in NY, but I'll have to take what I can get.
The second accomplishment of the day was taking an "ice bath" at the strong suggestion of Coach Meg, Coach Joanne, and TNT veteran Gabbie. After a legitimate struggle to force myself into the tub of extremely cold water, I was able to sit in it for more than 20 minutes. Guess what? I'm not in pain today! They were totally right on about the ice bath. Brrrrrrr.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Our Fantastic Mentor
Here is a picture of our mentor, Norris, running the NYC Marathon on November 2, 2008.
He is on the left, giving the thumbs up and rocking the purple Team in Training singlet.
Go Norris!
Friday, November 21, 2008
I'd RATHER jump in the lake...
Weather report for tomorrow morning's 7am group run: 15 degreesF. On and off snow flurries are possible along with variably cloudy skies. Cold. High 27F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Am I crazy???
~RSF
Am I crazy???
~RSF
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
There is Officially a Crazier Way to Raise Money
Today I received a donation request from a friend who is doing something crazier than running 26.2 miles. She is jumping into Lake George on December 13th.
In honor of this, she is requesting donations for the Special Olympics.
Holy crap.
I donated.
If you would like to do the same, click the above link and note that you are sponsoring Hilary Kellogg.
In honor of this, she is requesting donations for the Special Olympics.
Holy crap.
I donated.
If you would like to do the same, click the above link and note that you are sponsoring Hilary Kellogg.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Running on a treadmill is probably as close to the mentality of a hampster as you'll ever get...
I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at lunch today. Oh, and I ran/staggered my first 8 miles (with Casey's help, of course) on Saturday. That's it - that's all the news I have to report... I just don't want everyone to think that Casey is the only one of us having any fun...
~RSF
~RSF
Monday, November 17, 2008
P.F. Chang's
And on a different (yet also food-related) note, I want to say that, for the record, I don't like P.F. Chang's.
I went there once. For three times what you would pay at a normal Chinese restaurant, you get the same exact food as you would get at a normal Chinese restaurant, except on fancy dishes.
So, just in case you were wondering if P.F. Chang's had any impact on my decision to run this particular marathon, now you know: It sure didn't.
I would run the Cheesecake Factory Marathon anywhere, however...
I went there once. For three times what you would pay at a normal Chinese restaurant, you get the same exact food as you would get at a normal Chinese restaurant, except on fancy dishes.
So, just in case you were wondering if P.F. Chang's had any impact on my decision to run this particular marathon, now you know: It sure didn't.
I would run the Cheesecake Factory Marathon anywhere, however...
Icing
Just thought I'd write a little blog as I sit here in bed with a bag of frozen vegetables icing my knee. Oh, what we do for the love of running...
Sunday, November 16, 2008
And in Other News...
I can run again! Yay! 10 miles at my first group run back on Saturday. I was so happy I almost cried.
Beautiful Jewelry for a Great Cause: My Team in Training Fundraiser!
Come to my TNT Fundraiser: A Jewelry Party Featuring the Beautiful Baubles of Billie B. Strands! (Artist Laurel Burns and some of her creations are pictured here for your viewing pleasure.)Invitation is as follows:
The holidays are right around the corner! Here is a wonderful way to get some shopping crossed off the list, celebrate with new and old friends, and
support a great cause:To benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, please join me for a jewelry party featuring the beautiful baubles of Billie B Strands, designed and handcrafted by my good friend Laurel Burns.
The party will feature light food and drinks, raffle prizes, and more! 10% of every jewelry purchase will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). As many of you know, I am currently participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, where I am running a marathon (26.2 miles) and raising money for blood cancer research. Please visit my Team in Training page to find out more, and/or to make a tax-deductible donation.
This party is part of my effort to raise at least $5,000 for LLS as a Team in Training participant. I hope you will join me for this great cause and some beautiful jewelry!
Date: December 11, 2008
Time: 7pm
Location: My house -- 905 Myrtle Ave, Albany, NY
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Good News!
It's too bad they don't ask you before they publish pictures like that in the Pace Setter. The Pace Setter is a publication of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club, the local running club to which Becky and I both belong. I also belong to the Albany Running Exchange, which is another local running club, currently in my better graces due to...well...not publishing a picture of me like THAT anywhere. At least, not that I know of.
The good news is, I can run again! I'm still a little nervous about doing so, but I can run again! I did 3 miles on Thursday, and 6 miles today. I'm still not sure how I get back on track in terms of doing the Team in Training schedule, which would put me at 12 miles next Saturday, but I'm hoping I can get there soon. The coaches will let me know what to do, and how. The coaches and Norris have been amazingly supportive and helpful throughout this period of injury.
I am so happy to be able to run again. I haven't felt like myself since I had to stop. Now I can reclaim the missing piece of my identity, routine, and spirit, and keep moving forward!
The good news is, I can run again! I'm still a little nervous about doing so, but I can run again! I did 3 miles on Thursday, and 6 miles today. I'm still not sure how I get back on track in terms of doing the Team in Training schedule, which would put me at 12 miles next Saturday, but I'm hoping I can get there soon. The coaches will let me know what to do, and how. The coaches and Norris have been amazingly supportive and helpful throughout this period of injury.
I am so happy to be able to run again. I haven't felt like myself since I had to stop. Now I can reclaim the missing piece of my identity, routine, and spirit, and keep moving forward!
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