Down for the count.

Monday when I went out for my run, I has having some weird leg pain, in my shin bone. It didn't feel like shin splints, so I took it slow and kept telling myself just get to there and you can stop. Four slow miles later I was back home. Tuesday I kept feeling like the bone was bruised all over, but there was nothing there. So I rested.

I emailed Coach Jen to see what she thought, and she suggested taking the whole week off. Yikes! I knew that but I feel like I have some issue giving myself permission to not run. I needed someone else's permission. Weird right. But like she said it's hard to let yourself do that mentally.

I get worried that I miss a day I will be destroyed for the race. BUT, if I get injured I won't be running the race. So I'm resting and icing my legs. So I can finish the marathon.

I've been reading Marathon by Hal Higdon and in there he talks about overtraining and says that It's better to be undertrained for the race than to be injured or overtrained and not make it to the starting line.

Back to icing.

Sad News

Many people who sign up for Team in Training do it because they have some connection to blood cancer. But not me. When I initially signed up for Team in Training I was in this for me. I wanted to lose some weight, become more active, run a marathon and most of all I wanted a sense of accomplishment.

At the kick off party we each received a sheet with information of our honored team mates who have been or were living with blood cancer who were there to inspire us through our training. I was sitting at a table by myself reading over the sheet and my heart stopped. I saw my friend Tim's dad, John, on there. I knew that he had been really sick but didn't know too much about it. I decided that I would run for him.

Today John passed away after a long battle with Lymphoma. After hearing the news I was able to make up my mind on the race, I'm doing to full marathon in his memory. Never before have I been so inspired.

The "Oh my god!" moment.

Today was the deadline for recommitment. I confidently filled out my forms and faxed them in, committing myself fully to fundraising and training. As I sat at my desk today (playing with my new desk toys) I saw an email from Rich our coordinator congratulating us for recommitting. and with this in it:

It's Time to Register for the Race!

Attached you will find the official Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Registration Form. Although you've filled out everything for me, Disney does require that you fill out their official registration form (if you have not done so already).

Yikes I thought. Recommitment didn't involve deciding on your race yet. But I need to do so by November 4th and I starting to feel unsure. The longest run I have done so far is 10 miles. I'll be doing 10 again this Saturday with the team. Then the Thursday I will be doing my 12 mile run by myself, since we will be away in New Hampshire on Halloween.

If I do the half marathon I will probably be running by myself and I don't know how I feel about that. I know that Emily and Bonnie are doing the full and I really want to run with them, but I also don't want to start a race that not be able to finish it. I really hate letting myself down, and I know if I don't finish I'm going to be really bummed. Matt said he doesn't want me to hurt myself, or to be disappointed (He knows me all too well.)

After looking at last weeks 10 miler, ignoring splits and going with the overall time it will probably take 6 hours and 49 minutes to finish the full. That is with walking some miles. When I signed up intially for the program I planned to walk the whole race, so I suppose anything is better.

I suppose I will be able to make a better decision after my next long runs.

What do you think?

10 weeks in.

"It is amazing how much you can progress week after week, month after month, year after year if you allow for gradual training increases." Bob Glover

This is today's Runner's world kick in the butt quote and it's is so true. I find it amazing what I am able to do now 10 weeks into training. I went from not walking or running at all to taking down a 10 mile (with out dying!) Had you asked me to do this a year ago I never would have thought I would be able to. The past few weeks have been rough training weeks. It's getting colder, which makes it harder to get out the door. I've been overwhelmed with school. There was a whole week when I was sick, and then my foot was bothering me for a few days both of which took me down. But I just have to remember to not let little set backs get me down. The other day a post popped up in my Google reader from Nicole at The Marathon of Life, it was her post race report of her first marathon. I read this after I was feeling bummed about training and just to read about how awesome her first marathon went after all the hard work of training was such an awesome feeling. It made me feel so much better about getting out there everyday and running. It's going to feel so amazing to cross the finish line!

The end is almost here!

The fundraising end that is! Only $547.61 left and I will be at my goal. If you have donated already thank you so much! If you have not, well this is an awesome time to do so, anything you can send will be greatly appreciated and will bring me one step closer. Once I reach my goal I will be able to focus 100% on my training so please help out! You can donate on line, safely and securely right here on my site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/wdw10/SeeLauriRun Thanks a million! Lauri

+58: How it went

Luckily for me today, we ran at the park right near my house. I left at 6:55 and made it on time.

Not only was it chilly today, but it was windy. I wore a pair of yoga leggings under my shorts. A nike shirt with my new Under Armor Zip up over it. Wool fingered mittens and a winter head band and my hood. After two miles I was so hot!

It was a good week! Bonnie came back after getting over a back injury and Emily was there. Just like in the beginning. Team captain Robin and Mentor Carrie ran with us too.

We did 10 miles this morning! This was my first double-digits run. I really was dreading it all week long. As it turned out it was not as bad as I thought.

This week I finally was able to calibrate my Nike+ wristband, so at least today was accurate. There is new feature on Nike+ now also. They give you splits for your run.

Mile 1: 11:44

Mile 2: 11:44

Mile 3: 16:17

Mile 4: 11:44

Mile 5: 11:44

Mile 6: 11:44

Mile 7: 16:17

Mile 8: 11:44

Mile 9: 11:44

Mile 10: 16:15

My overall pace was 15:15, slow yes but this is an increase in miles. I was amazed to see how consistent I am able to keep my pace. The run miles were all done in 3 min run/1 walk intervals

which I am sure helps me to be consistent. There were some points were we just walked a chunk of the mile, bringing up our overall time. Really all in all not bad.

I want to work on getting a little bit faster now. If I we can keep at that 11:44 mile we can finish the whole marathon in 5 hours 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

That 15:15 mile however will take 6 hours and 40 minutes to finish.

Our normal average pace is 13:23 which will take 5 hours and 51 minutes till the end.

I really want to finish this race in 5 hours.

How do I know all this? Cliff has a pace band tool on their site here, where you can go by finish time or pace. Then you can print a wristband to help you stay on track the day of. It even tells you what miles you should be taking shot bloks or gels!

+58: Brr!

It's Saturday and it's 6:15 am and it's freezing cold. It October for Pete's sake! It should be a tad warmer than 40 degrees. I should not have had to look for gloves last night. I really want to go back to bed, but thankfully there will be a team of people waiting for me at the park to run. That sense of obligation makes it a little easier. Hopefully it stays dry, 10 wet miles would longer than 10 dry ones.

Till later.

My own new school

In a few months I will be finally graduating college. What will I do when I graduate, well dude we just don't know. I thought about graduate school, it would be nice. To be honest with you I am quite tired of school and need something different.

Seeing as being a housewife does not pay the bills, although Matt says it pays in kisses but Verizon recently informed me that 113.45 kisses will not cover our bill, I will probably find myself working in an office somewhere. Hopefully a job where I can do my own thing at work.

I do intend to keep my education going though. While attending my own new school. I think I will take classes on beer, wine, cooking, baking, cheese, and other edibles. I'll work on my cooking and writing about it. And I will work so that I can also afford myself some travel. I will freelance for myself. Maybe one day I will land myself a cook book deal, or open my own brewery.

+52: A little while

Oh it has been a little while hasn't it. It's been quite a hectic two weeks. Where to start...

First we put my dog Sandi down last week. She was 16 and sick. A very tough decision but it was for the better. We will miss our little Puppy Girl.

After running Cow Harbour I came down with either allergies or a cold. I ran that Monday on the treadmill and took a few days off. I stayed home from school and had planned to run eight miles at home since I had to work. When I woke up, it was pouring. Normally I would go out still, but I thought that since being sick I should pass.

Running on Sunday was the plan instead. I hope up with a unhappy stomach waited a bit then went out to run. I was four miles out and uh-oh, I knew what that feeling in my stomach meant and it was not good. I got back home after five miles and that was the end of it.

Monday I picked up back on to the schedule, until Thursday. By Thursday I was so stressed out about the entire week of mid-terms and projects, and my fundraiser which was on Saturday.

Saturday, what a day. Emily was in Arizona so I went to practice with out her. I ran with mentor Carrie and Sheryl the walking coach. I was happy to have them there because I was very cranky and did not want to run eight miles. Especially once I found out that we were doing cardiac hill and snake hill. Cardiac hill sounds too much like cardiac kill. It was also the first time I ran on dirt and sand. My ankles and knee have been killing me all day today.

Then was drinking for a cure. Three hours of open bar, friends, and Royal City Riot! It was fantastic and I am so thankful for everyone who helped out and came. I can't thank you all enough. While we were setting up a guy at the bar donated a 17" Flat screen to raffle off and then Kim's boss stopped by later and gave me a check from one of her customer's for $100! Someone I have never met. The generosity of strangers is amazing!

The fundraising update: $3,308! Yupp, that's correct only $692 left.