the race.

I woke up at 4:30 am to get ready for the big race! I honestly felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't figure out if it was nerves, hunger, or a combination of both, but it had to go. I got ready and I met my friends Rachel, Anja, and Jennie to do some last minute preparation. I soon forgot about the feeling in my gut and was ready to get the race started! We met the rest of our team down in the hotel lobby to take team pictures and meet up with everyone. We started to walk to the start line and realized some of us needed to check our bag (if you check a bag of stuff, they will bring it to the finish line for you, that way you have a change of clothes and other essentials for after the race). I left Rachel, Anja, and Jennie waiting for me and when I went to return I had to walk all the way around a line of porto potties. I lost them in the crowd of people! I started to freak out because I was planning on running with them the entire time and I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it without them. I finally saw them in the crowd of people and I have never been so happy to see them. We went to line up with the other 20,000 people and stood there for what felt like an eternity. We were all so ready to get this started.

(Rachel, me, Anja, Jennie at the starting line)

Once the race started we all were feeling really good and confident. We were staying on a slow and steady pace and felt like nothing could stop us. The first few miles were extremely flat and then we hit a hill. It was short so it didn't really bother us very much. It kinda felt good to run up something instead of just flat and boring (not that this course was ever boring). It was a nice change of pace.

 (the first of many hills)

We ran up a few more smaller hills and then it was downhill to sea level and by the marina. The sights were unbelievable. We had a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and even stopped for a photo op! I was still feeling great at this point.

Then we get to mile 6. This is known to be the toughest hill of the course. It is a mile long hill that climbs over 250 feet. Literally straight up. Fortunately for us, it didn't seem to bad running it. I did start feeling it in my butt and hoped that would only be temporary. We actually ran up the entire hill and down the other side. I was quite a challenge to keep your legs running, but something none of us wanted to regret not having done. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to run up, because it caused my muscles to ache for the rest of the run. And yes, I had 20 more miles to go. I definitely don't regret it, but probably should have been a bit smarter about it. We continued on through mile 10 and we hadn't seen any of our parents yet. We were all really anxious to see them because it gives you this rush like you can conquer the next 2 miles without any problem. Coming down off of mile 10 hill, we were greeted by the beautiful ocean. We ended up calling our families to see where they were. They were all within about 3 miles of each other, which was great. We saw Anja's family first and they were awesome to cheer for us! At this point, there were thousands of spectators and you almost forgot that you were running. It was entertaining to see all of the people lined up cheering. And they were cheering for us. We've never met them, but they were yelling and cheering, "Go Team!" It was great.

I started to wonder if I had missed my dad and about the time I gave up on seeing him, I spotted him in the distance! It was such a great feeling to see a familiar face. We continued on and made it all the way to the half way point without really stopping to walk (other than to walk through water stops). It felt like such a great accomplishment. We were greeted with more hills and finally had to take a small walk break. Starting up running again was a lot harder than it would seem. My legs were tight and my feet started hurting. By the time I got to mile 16 where I saw my dad again, I was in pain! We were now back next to the ocean on the Great Highway. This is known as the not-so-Great-Highway. It felt like a bunch of rocks were just jabbing into my poor feet. Other runners were on the other side of the road running back towards the finish line. It was just any time now that I would be able to turnaround and head back that direction. I couldn't wait for that moment. We were confronted by another hill that looked even more daunting than mile 6. At this point, I said "I just don't feel like running up it." My legs still hurt from running up mile 6 and I figured it might be in my best interest to walk up half of it and maybe run the other half. I got to a point where I was really excited because the turnaround was just ahead, so I picked it up and started running again. We got to the top of the hill and realized, the turnaround is a run around the lake. Oh crap. So here we go around the lake and up some hills. This lake is now my worst enemy. At this point I think I was mentally numb and my entire body was numb, except for the bottoms of my feet that hurt like crazy.

At this point, we are only at mile 19 or so. I tried to block out everything except for the reason I was doing this. I thought about cancer patients, I thought about all the people out there cheering for me, I thought about the lady who spoke to us the night before who has had one hell of a battle with cancer, and I thought about the finish line. I never once thought about calling it quits, although I had thought about wanting to walk the rest of the way. I never got to the point where I didn't think I would finish, I wasn't sure if I would finish in a reasonable time, but I knew I had it in me to cross the finish line. Once I made it around the lake, I had one last hill to climb and then it was all downhill to the finish line.

 (downhill to the finish!)

I have never been so excited to be running the last few miles of a run and not been able to really express it. I was in so much pain at this point, I couldn't show any emotion. The last 3 miles were the longest 3 miles of my life. Literally. It took me probably 45 minutes to run 3 miles, whereas it usually takes me 30 minutes. I felt like I was using every bit of energy I had left but my legs just wouldn't move. Once I hit the 26 mile marker, I wanted to "sprint" in but it was more of a speed walk than a sprint. It felt so good to finish, but yet again, I was hurting so bad, I didn't really have any other feelings. I grabbed my beautiful blue Tiffany box from the fireman in a tux and kept on walking. I heard my dad yell my name and I was so excited he got to see me finish! It was the greatest feeling in the world to finish! I can't wait to do another one!

 (me, 2nd from the left)

strong women run for 5 hours and 47 minutes.

I never said I was fast. Although I surprised myself at how slow I am, that wasn't the point of the marathon for me. It was to enjoy myself and to make a small difference in the life of a blood cancer patient. I did just that. I raised $4834.20 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and ran my little heart out just for those who have or have survived blood cancers. I started out on this journey running for Ashley and little did I know I would be running for 14 others. My dad asked me on our way home what kept me going and it was Ashley, Foster Case, Sue Rowe, Pat Lewis, Carolyn Stair, Adrienne Lemmond, Rebecca Johnson, James Lyle, Marge Beko, Cleva Cole, Bill Hargrove, Ruth Carey Seigle, Robert Smith, Garehard Lysk, and Don Allen who kept my legs moving. I thought about what all they had to go through and how much pain they were in and what I was going through was only temporary. Those people have made a difference in my life. I can't even imagine having to do that marathon without those people in my thoughts. They gave me a reason to run. They gave me a reason not to give up. And they gave me a strength that I could have only found in their names and stories. I know that they will always be in my thoughts when I run marathons because they are the ones that got me to the starting line and finish line of my very first marathon. All five hours and forty seven minutes of Sunday, October 19 were dedicated to those names mentioned and it changed my life forever.

I finished!!!

I ran a marathon!! I am so glad that it is over with and I can say that I accomplished something a lot of people cringe to the thought of. I am still a bit sore and look like I am in pain when I walk, but it was all worth it. I wouldn't trade the pain for anything at this point. I would have probably said something different during the race, but looking back it was a good experience. I am now the proud owner of a Tiffany's finisher necklace and a new accomplishment. And not only did I run a marathon, I also raised $4800 for a cure!

Thank you to everyone who supported me and even donated a few dollars to help get me to my goal! I am still out here enjoying San Francisco and will be returning home on Wednesday. I promise to write more then and post many many pictures. 

tomorrow, tomorrow...

I leave in the morning to go to San Francisco!! I can't believe it's already here and I am going to be doing this on Sunday. I am so excited and so very nervous at the same time. I think if everything goes according to schedule, then I will do great, but if something goes wrong, it's going to throw me all off. But I know I can do it but just keep stressing myself out thinking that I am not prepared for something. I just have to remember who all I am doing this for and how much money I have raised for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I am pretty sure that will get me through any tough times during the run. I am so thankful that I have made it here healthy and strong. I have had some issues with my feet and with a little physical therapy I am pretty much back to normal. So in the morning I am going to hop on that plane and be ready to run on Sunday. I can't wait to meet up with my team in San Francisco. It is going to be a great weekend and I just have to remember how far I have come!

Thank you everyone for your support and donations. It means the world to me and I don't think I could ever thank you guys enough. It has been a long road to get to this point and a huge time commitment, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have learned so much about blood cancers, myself, and how strong and supportive my friends and family are. I am looking forward to sharing my experience of the race and overall experience. 

SAN FRANCISCO... HERE I COME!!!

7 days.

By this time next week I will have run a marathon and will probably be laid up in the bed recovering. I am so excited to have that feeling of completing something I never thought I would do, and enjoy doing. It is going to be such a great weekend and I wish all of my friends and family could be there. I will definitely be thinking about how each and every one of you guys has supported me and really helped get me to the starting line. It has been a long and very rewarding journey so far and I can't wait to get to San Francisco on Friday!

I ran my last 10 miles with the team on Saturday. I actually ran the majority of the 10 miles by myself because Katie needed to rest her foot because she is having problems with plantar fascitis too. It was just me and the open road. I really tried to push myself and see how fast I could go in order to see what I could expect myself to do next week. I'm not sure if it was the brightest idea, but mentally it really got me pumped up. I cut about 30 minutes off of my time from last week, and I still felt like I could go some more if I needed to. I also didn't have any pain in my foot, which felt like running on clouds for the first time in over a month. It was such a good run and I can't believe it's going to be my last with the team. Although I am sure I will get together with some of them to run on occasion, it's not going to be all of us. I really can't believe that the time is here and I am really going to run a marathon. 7 days and I will be at the starting line!!

in memory of ernie.

I went and watched the movie "The Express" last night. It chronicles the life of Ernie Davis, a football player for Syracuse in 1959-1961 and the first African-American to win a Heisman Trophy. During this time that Ernie played for Syracuse, racism was very prevalent in this country. He helped change the game forever and has inspired many to see something more than just a sport. In 1962, Ernie Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. He immediately began treatment for this incurable disease and passed away the next year at the young age of 23. This seems so young to have your life dramatically changed and to be taken from you within the year. It makes me realize how far research and treatment has come since the '60s. These days, if you catch blood cancer soon enough, you have a very good chance of beating it. All of the advancements wouldn't be able to happen without the money to fund the research and tests. I feel so thankful that I have had the opportunity to raise money to help find a cure! 

I have been so worried lately about disappointing myself in this marathon. Although I am not really trying to make a certain time, I have a goal time in mind, and have no idea how feasible it will be since this is my first marathon. In the past couple of weeks I have had to keep reminding myself that this isn't about me, it's about all of those people who have battled blood cancer. I am doing this for them. Although I have received several benefits from all of the training, it ultimately comes down to why I started this journey in the first place. I remember the day I got the news that my friend Ashley had Leukemia and how I would have done anything for her to not have gone through what she did. I am using my legs and strength to run a marathon and to raise as much money as I can to help find a cure. Although my mere $4700 seems so little compared to what it really costs for research, my South Carolina team will have raised more than $40,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by the time we get to the starting line. And with all of the Team In Training participants this year, we should raise $18 million dollars through the Nike Women's Marathon alone. That is a huge amount of money and hopefully one day soon, there will be a cure.

12 days.

The countdown is really on. I have 12 days before I am doing this. And by doing this I mean running my heart out for 26.2 miles. I cannot believe it is next weekend. Yes, next weekend. I had a friend in San Francisco email me the other day to ask me if I was still coming in next weekend and I had to stop and look at a calendar. She must have the days all confused, but no, it's next weekend. I am so excited to see the other 20,000+ people that have gathered to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and run for 26.2 miles. Half of those people will have raised money, just like me, and will be running in memory or in honor of someone close to their heart. For me, I will be running in honor or memory of 15 people who have battled cancer. I know when I "hit the wall" during the marathon I will think of them and know they had it ten times (okay, a billion times) worse than I do. I know that will get me through to the end, no matter how much I hurt. 

I think I have finally gotten my tendonitis under control. I have been going to physical therapy and resting as much as I can. On Saturday my foot hurt really bad around mile 6 or 7, which turned out not to be from my tendonitis. I also have plantar fasciitis. Luckily, my therapist said it's not bad and after one treatment I already feel so much better! Hopefully all will be good to go on the 19th! I know that the less pain I have in my foot, the more enjoyable running 26 miles will be!

I just want to thank you all again for your support and donations! I definitely wouldn't be here without you guys and would probably be stressed out of my mind about how I was going to get the money! Everyone has been so awesome about supporting me and I will never forget it! Thank you thank you thank you!

12 days!!

PS. I plan on sending out an email as soon as I can after I cross the finish line, so if you want to be on that email list, please send me your email address, lindsay@lindsaymerkt.com. I do plan on letting everyone know how I finish by mail, so if you can wait, then just check your mailbox!

world's largest.

The Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon is the largest women's race in the world. I can't believe I am going to be a part of it. Here is a quick clip from last years marathon.

20 miles. check!

"I'm gonna tell you what you're going to do. You're going to run 20 miles and get tired."

Saturday was a beautiful day to run. I did just that. I ran for a little over 4 hours and put in 20 miles in that time. I still can't believe that I ran that long. It definitely didn't feel like it at the time, but boy am I still recovering! I ran with Anja, who moved to Knoxville not too long ago, but came back in town for this run. We have a similar pace and we definitely kept each other entertained. I think around mile 17 I started getting loopy, as all the blood was rushing to my legs and out of my brain. At one point I had to stop running because I couldn't run, laugh, and not pee in my pants. So I figured the easiest and least embarrassing of the three to stop was running. During the run Anja told me that she has now embraced the ice bath. I take ice baths after every long run to help recovery and I swear by them. It sounds painful, but it helps so much! Her thing was to get a couple of bags of ice, chips, and chocolate milk and enjoy them all at the same time. After our run we were talking to our mentor Jim and he started talking about strawberry milk. I have never had strawberry milk and at the time it didn't sound too appetizing. On my way home from the run I stopped at Publix to get my 40lbs of ice and in the process picked up sour cream and onion potato chips and strawberry milk. I got home ate some breakfast and prepared my ice bath, complete with a plate of sour cream and onion potato chips and strawberry milk. It sounds completely disgusting now, but at the time it was delicious. Just what I needed after a 20 mile run!

Unfortunately my run didn't go as well as I had hoped. I went to the doctor last week with a sore foot and he diagnosed it as tendonitis. He assured me that running on it will not harm it and I am free to do my 20 miles. So I did. Although it hurt in the beginning, it was bearable. At some point around mile 8 it really started bothering me and I tried to keep trudging through. It always hurt worse when I stopped to walk and then tried to run again. I didn't think much of it because as long as the doc said I could run, I was running. I had to do that 20 miles to prepare me mentally more than anything. As I got ready for bed that night I looked down at my throbbing foot and realized why it had been so stiff and achy all night - it was HUGE! I also had some bruising around my ankle and my entire foot was swollen. It didn't look like just tendonitis anymore. I go to therapy on Friday, so I am sure they will either assure me that that is normal to have swelling and bruising, or they will figure out what is really wrong with it. It has really gotten me down because I really just want to run and it scares me to not run. I am so close now that I don't want to show up on the starting line thinking that I can't do it. Rest is definitely what I will be doing this week and hopefully next week I will be back full steam ahead.

say it out loud.

Last night we had a meeting about racing strategies. The great thing about Team In Training is that they provide us with the speakers who have been there, done that and provide us with very useful information. For example, I learned that I need to take a huge trash bag to wear at the starting line of the race and to pack little ones for my feetsies just in case it rains, or has rained, I can cover my shoes to stay dry. Not only does this trash bag keep you warm and dry, it's disposable! I can throw it to the side of the road when I don't need it anymore and someone will come by and pick up it. I won't have to worry about what to do with my extra clothes I have on, I can just rip open my trash bag and become the Incredible Hulk. I am so thankful for all of the tips I got last night and I am hoping that once race day approaches, I will remember these and pack all necessary items.

Another thing I realized last night is that this race is a lot sooner than I keep thinking. Someone said, "You guys will be doing this in  three weeks." Billie and I looked at each other with complete and utter fright. I haven't heard anyone say it out loud and it completely made my heart stop. Later on in the evening, one of the speakers said, you guys have this weekend and then just two more long runs until the race. Billie and I again looked at each other and she said, "People need to stop saying that." Agreed. I am so excited, yet so nervous that not everything is going to go as planned and it's going to be a disaster. Thankfully I am an optimist the majority of the time and can only imagine this is going to be one of the best days of my life. I am doing this in 25 days. There is no turning back now and after this weekend's 20 mile run, I will be as prepared as I ever will be. So in the next few weeks, I am really going to have to wrap my head around that it's no longer 4 months away and that on October 19 I will be running 26.2 miles. And I not only will be running 26.2 miles, I am running it for all of those people who have been affected by cancer. There will be a cure.

gearing up for 20 miles.

Sorry I have not updated in quite awhile. The other weekend my dad and I drove out to San Antonio to deliver a piece of equipment and it got me way off schedule. Running and traveling is one of the hardest things to do. Although I want to go out for a run, you have no idea what is in store for you once you get out on the road. I am now back on  track and ready for my 20 mile run on Saturday!!

Last week I started having foot pain in my left foot. On Wednesday I could barely walk and was so scared it was going to end up being a stress fracture. I talked to my trainer at the gym and she said she thought it was just very tight muscles and ordered me to stay off of it, stretch, stretch, stretch, and take ibuprofen. The only thing that has seemed to help is ibuprofen, although I am continuing my stretching. I did get out there and run on Saturday because that is the one thing I look forward to all week. I love being out there with the girls and I just enjoy those long runs period. I only 10 miles (while everyone else did 14) and it killed me. My foot hurt so bad and continued to all day. I finally went to the doctor today because I needed to make sure I could run the 20 miles without any consequences. I am all free to run 20 miles and to run the marathon! I have never been so excited about running in my life! He said it was just a freak bit of tendonitis and ordered me to rehab and told me to continue what I am doing. What a relief! It seems that every time something is going to be taken away from you, you want it more than ever before! That's how I felt about the possibility of not being able to run on Saturday (not running the marathon is not an option). So I am gearing up for the longest run of my life on Saturday! Wish me luck and hope for the best!! I will be sure to report how it goes because this is going to be a big mental test as well as the physical. I am so ready for it!

Thank you to everyone for your support! I can't believe I have less than a month to go before the race. I am so excited about it because I have made awesome friends that I get to experience this with, as well as my dad who will be joining me for moral support! The countdown begins... 27 days.

great weekend events.

Saturday I ran my longest distance ever! 16 whole miles! I was on top of the world the rest of the day. They say that exercise releases endorphins and now I really believe it. I don't think I have been in that good of a mood in quite some time. Nothing was going to stop me. It made me really fall in love with running even more and makes me want to take on more adventure sports. I have really been considering looking into cycling and mountain biking, but want to get through this marathon first. Which I am also already trying to find my next marathon, but think I am going to just do a half marathon next go around so I can get more into other sports.

After my wonderful 16 mile run, I had to stop by the grocery store to get some ice for my ice bath that I take after every long run. It helps with recovery and is just delightful after a long run! I had the intention of only picking up a few things for dinner this week and grabbed a cart (not a good move) and got going. I went over to get some strawberries and saw the wonderful shortcakes sitting right next to them. Mmmm strawberry shortcake. It sounded so wonderful and said, hey it can't hurt and plus I've heard it's a fairly decent snack (fairly decent are the key words here). So I head over to get some soy milk and see the chocolate milk is calling my name. I want so badly to grab a gallon, but opted for just the small single serving container. In my defense, chocolate milk is actually a really good recovery drink for endurance athletes. My mouth was watering at this point. I somehow (yeah somehow *cough*) end up in the frozen foods section... mmmm pizza... mmm ICE CREAM! I end up walking out of the grocery store with a cart full and lots of fruit (good for me), chocolate milk (good for recovery), strawberry shortcake (could be worse, right?), pizza (not the best choice), and ice cream (it's Edy's slow churned with half the fat, that makes it good right?). I just burned over 1700 calories, I can pretty much eat all this right? Well I am certainly trying. My lesson this week is don't stop at the grocery store after a long run!

On Sunday I walked downtown to watch the Cycling Pro Championships. It was one of the most exciting things I have watched. The end came down to a two man sprint to the finish and Hamilton won by two thousandths of a second. They go so fast that you can barely even concentrate on the riders. George Hincapie, a native of Greenville and Beijing Olympian was racing, so it was quite exciting to be able to say I watched him race, even though I don't know if I actually saw him or not! Part of the excitement for me was watching the lead cars and support cars fly by... oh how I wished I was driving one of them. Here are a couple of photos and as you can tell they were going so fast my little ol' camera couldn't even catch them!

august 26, then and now.

Seven years ago on August 26, 2001 Ashley Boyer was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoma Leukemia. She was only 14 years old and battled through several years of treatments and hospital visits. Today, August 26, 2008, Ashley is in full remission and graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. She is a true hero and has followed her dreams when she could have easily given up. On October 19 I will be running a measly 26.2 miles for Ashley and all the people who have battled blood cancer. I say measly because it cannot possibly compare to what Ashley had to go through. She is my hero! Congratulations Ash for graduating!

This past Saturday we ran 10 miles! My hamstring was still bothering me a bit, so Anja and I did a little bit of walking, which I think is good for me! We got free massages afterwards from Bob and Ruth and Blue Ridge Massage! It was great and I felt good all day Saturday. I definitely wasn't quite as sore as I was the first time I ran 10 miles, so that is a good sign! My body is definitely getting accustomed to running long distances. I have also realized that walking for a bit after my long run helps with recovery and helps with not being so sore. So that is something to keep in mind, especially since the runs are just getting longer!

This Saturday we will be running a full 16 miles! I cannot believe that I am going to run that far! It also makes me realize the marathon is just that much closer. We will only have 2 more very long runs (18 miler and 20 miler) and then we start tapering in order to recover and build up for the marathon! It's just around the corner and all I can do is hope to be healthy! So here's to a good run on Saturday! I'll let you all know how I manage to get through a full 16 miles!

one for liam.

A teammate of mine, Kat Hardaway, is running in honor of Liam Fisher who is 18 months old and is suffering  from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He was diagnosed at 8 months and has been battling it for over 10 months. I can't even imagine what all this poor little baby has had to go through and what all his parents are dealing with.

On Thursday, Liam's leukemic blast cells were extremely high, around 45%. This morning (Friday) he was rushed via ambulance to the hospital in Charleston. His bone marrow aspirate results show 90% blast cells. They give him a 5 to 10% chance of living through the day. He will have several procedures done today and they hope he will make it through. So please keep this family and little Liam in your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully there will be a miracle and this little guy will grow up healthy and strong.

For more on Liam, please visit his caring bridge page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/liamfisher

are you serious?

As I sit here and watch the Olympic Women's Marathon, I am thinking to myself, are you serious? Am I suppose to do that? These women that are running, or any woman that has ever participated in a marathon, have been put on this imaginary pedestal in my world. They are amazing athletes and to think that I am going to run a marathon makes me weak at my knees! Yeah, yeah, I know I won't be running quite as fast as them, but this is something that I never in my life thought I would do because it seemed so impossible. I am going to run a marathon. Are you serious?

I can honestly say I haven't really put much thought to how far I am going to be running. Mainly because if I think about it to much, it does make me nervous. If I am doing something as big as this, I like to not think and just do. Similar to when I went skydiving, if I had thought about exactly what I was going to do, I probably wouldn't have gone through with it! So to think about running for 4 plus hours... well, lets just not talk about it. I do know that I find a lot of strength from all of the cancer patients that I am essentially running for. I think about Ashley and what all she went through and how strong she was, and 26.2 miles seems like a piece of cake. I can only imagine what someone going through chemotherapy feels like. I have a hard enough time dealing with the way my body responds after a long run, so dealing with all of the side effects of chemo is beyond my comprehension. I am so thankful for all of the research and treatment options they have these days and I am thankful I have had this opportunity to help raise money to help fund research to find a cure! 

On Friday morning I ran my long run with Rachel and Anja. Rachel and I volunteered to help out at an event on Saturday morning, so we decided to run Friday morning so we would be able to work at the event. We did a solid 14 miles! It was quite brutal at times as I was trying to work through a hamstring injury and Rachel was working through crooked knee caps! Anja was as healthy as a horse, so she had to hold back a little for me and Rachel. We started at 5:30 in the morning and did a nice little course through the Augusta Road area. I figured I wouldn't be able to move on Friday afternoon, but I actually felt pretty good. I certainly slept quite a bit the past couple of days trying to recover and help get my hamstring back to full strength. The great thing about these runs is that after about 3 miles, I get into the swing and I don't even think about how far or long I have been running. I get finished and think, are you serious? Did I just run 14 miles? It makes thinking about running 26.2 miles that much easier. So I am now that much closer to running a marathon and it makes me so excited about crossing that finish line!

just 8 miles.

Saturday we knocked down our long run a bit in order to have a recovery week and boy did I need it! I was so exhausted last week and don't know if I could have run anything over 8. Of course I think the majority of it was just mental for me Saturday morning, because I'm sure if I had to run 14 miles, then I would have been able to finish it, but I sure am glad it was just 8. I ran with one of my best running buddies, Katie, and she makes it so much easier. Everyone else I usually run with was out of town, so I dearly missed them too. I have been taking the past few days easy because I am having problems with my hamstring, so I need to let it fully recover before this Saturday when I am set to run at least 14 miles!! I can't wait!

I have been glued to the TV watching the Olympics since it started. I think this is the first Olympics I have really gotten into and I want to see as much as I can! I've been cheering for Michael Phelps in swimming nonstop. He is such an amazing swimmer and from what I can tell, an overall nice guy. I missed the men's 4x100 freestyle relay the other night, but had to record it so I could watch it the next day. As I watch other sports, a clip came on showing that the US men won, so I knew the outcome, but still had to watch the race myself. It was amazing! That swim has to go down in the books as one of the best all time wins in athletic history. If you didn't see it, you must watch it. Jason Lezak came from behind in the last leg to win the race by a mere mili-second. I had chills watching it. Here's the link, if you missed it, http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194.

Seeing all of the competitive action really makes me miss being a competitive athlete. It's so inspiring to hear stories of comebacks and especially to see 32 year old Jason Lezak break the all time record for fastest 100 m split in a relay. And have you seen the women's Beach Volleyball?? Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh kick butt. They are really great to watch, and I have never really been a big beach volleyball fan, but you have to see them. Although I doubt I will ever really become that competitive in running, it does give me a little more motivation to keep at it. Maybe once I get old and gray and I am still running, I'll hit my prime and be able to at least win in my age group!

So enough about the Olympics, although I think if you aren't watching it, you should! For an update on my fundraising, I have currently raised $4,017.20!! I am not far off from my fundraising goal and even closer to my fundraising minimum of $4100! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and supported me. I truly don't think I can ever thank you guys enough! I am getting closer and closer to the marathon and will definitely be thankful to everyone for helping to get me there!

half marathon down.

I am about 10 weeks away from the marathon and I am so anxious to get out there! I know I am going to have a blast and will be with some great people. This past Saturday I ran a little over a half marathon distance (13.5 miles), which is huge to me at this point in time. It felt great and I actually ran more than I ran 11.5 miles. I didn't have my typical running partners, but found a new one, Bess. She was great to keep me entertained and my mind off of things. I also found a new love of energy gels. It's amazing how well they work and you seriously don't believe it til you try them. I felt a little achy in my muscles and before I knew it, I was running full speed ahead!

I got to about mile 8 and I ran out of gel so I was going to try the Powerade Bar that we got at our nutrition meeting. I took several small bites and managed to get them down, even though it was quite gritty and chewing while running is hard enough. So in an attempt to get my hands free, I took a big bite and continued to chew and chew and chew.  I thought I would try and get it down with a little bit of water... remember I just said running and chewing was hard enough, now I am trying to attempt to drink too?! It didn't go so well. I ended up choking a little bit and it all ended up going up into my nose. I felt like I was swimming and got chlorine in my nose! I coughed and coughed. Thankfully it didn't slow me down too much, but I will have to remember not to try that again!

Those 13.5 miles definitely kicked my butt though. I could barely walk on Saturday because of my hip flexor was sore and tight. I've been slowly recovering the past couple of days and slept in a little this morning in an attempt to rest all that I can. Between keeping up with my dad working last week and the run on Saturday, I need a vacation! There is a big difference between running 10 miles and 13 miles and how my body responds. I just hope that my body at some point catches up and gets much stronger, cause if the pain double with the mileage, it's going  to be a long road ahead! But it's definitely not going to stop me!

On a sad note... unfortunately dealing with this type of cause, there is more than likely going to be a sad note. The mother of one of my teammates, Stephanie Young, passed away on July 29. Virginia Carnes had been battling Leukemia for a long time and it came down to that there wasn't anything else they could do. So please, please, keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. I know this is a difficult time for them. Here is Stephanie's page if you are interested...  http://pages.teamintraining.org/sc/nikesf08/syoung

the lonely road.

I just did 11.5 miles! All by my lonesome too! Running by myself is more of an accomplishment than doing my longest run ever. I am in Athens this week and so I had to miss our group run on Saturday morning. So sad, cause I definitely missed all my running partners. I was going to hook up with the Huntsville Team In Training and try and get in my long run with them, but I was on the road on Thursday and Friday, so I figured it would be best to wait til Sunday to run. I also had to get a fuel belt, which is essential for long runs. So I got that on Saturday and a few energy supplements to get me through my run. Not sure how you can survive on a run without those things! They always say put your money in your shoes, but I think the fuel belt and supplements are almost as important!

I had to map out my run last night in order to make sure I got in the mileage without having to do a million loops. I decided that I was the most comfortable with running over in Decatur out at Point Mallard, so I got onto MapMyRun.com and plotted out my course. It took me from the ice skating center all the way through some neighborhoods, to the golf course and back to my starting point. Of course my goal was to hit 12 miles, but I only made 11.5 and will explain that in a minute. Here's the course I took. It looks like I ran all over Decatur when you look at the map!

I printed out this map and took it with me, cause there was no way I would remember all the roads. Also just in case I do end up lost, I will have at least something to help me get back. I called my map The Treasure Map to Accomplishment! 

So you ask, what in the world do you think about while you are out there? Well, I am going to tell you. And since I was by myself, you would have thought I had a lot of deep thoughts going through my brain, but no. Here's to the best of my memory what all I thought about.

mile .5 - Don't start out too fast, cause you have 12 miles to run! Alright, just slow down a bit cause you can always pick it up later.

mile .75 - I feel pretty dang good. Even though it is humid as everything, at least the sun isn't blaring down on me.

mile 2 - At 30 minutes I need to start thinking about replenishing my fuel so I don't crash too soon. I should be about there. Crap - I've only gone 2 miles!

mile 3 - Look at that cute puppy. Wait, is that a statue? Why hasn't he looked at me yet? It's a dog, right? That's one well behaved dog. He hasn't even looked at me, that's not like dogs. Oh well... I guess better to sit there than chase me down.

mile 4 - I'm feeling the humidity. I need some water and I think I will try this Powerade Gel Pack. I sure hope it doesn't make me sick. I'll just start out with half the pack. Hey - not bad. Tastes like bananas when it's really green apple, but who cares at this point. Give me energy!

mile 4.5 - Woo hoo! Those gel packs really do make a difference. I need water though, but not too much, cause I have to ration out the water so I don't run out.

mile 5 - only 5 miles!! No way. I think this Nike iPod thingy is broken. I feel like I've been running forever... Awe, look at that beautiful boxer. He's just going to stand there and look at me, isn't he. No, stay! He's coming to the end of the drive way. Surely he'll stay there. Okay, he's following me. Stay! Thank goodness he isn't running after me, but I do have my back towards him... Wait, he needs to get out of the middle of the road. Oh well, not my fault, at least he's not following me now.

mile 6 - I really want to walk. I need some water. Good excuse to walk. Ah walking. Okay just walk to that mail box.

mile 6.1 - Feel so much better after that brief walk. They say to walk whenever you want instead of when you need to. So I should be good by the end of this run.

mile 6.5 - More gel please! These things really aren't that bad.

mile 7 - Umm... I think I am getting into the projects. I don't like this. Wait I'm suppose to turn right before that street. There is no right. What happened to my road? Let me turn around before I get into a neighborhood I'm not comfortable in. I'll just go back the way I came, it'll end up being close to the same mileage anyway. Do I really have to go back the way I came?? Okay, just do it, it's better that way.

mile 8 - Alright this is the home stretch. All I have to do is get around this golf course and I will be good. You've made it this far, this is a piece of cake now. Hey - I think I'm due for a short walk break. I need to replenish fuel anyway. Here we go! I'm feeling good. No real aches or pains. Just mentally bored. At least I can watch the golfers. I am soaking wet and my shorts are getting there. I don't think my shorts have ever been this wet!

mile 9 - This part of the run isn't bad. Maybe I should have stopped at that water cooler on the golf course. I'm starting to run out of water. Maybe I can make it last. I'll just take a sip and save the rest for that last mile. Yeah, I should have stopped. Oh well, maybe there will be another one up here a little ways.

mile 9.2 - So much for the water - that's the end of the course. Think about what you are going to do. I'll stop by my car before I make that last little loop and I'll grab my gatorade.

mile 10 - This looks familiar! I'm almost there! Well, almost to my car, then I have to make a loop. Lada di, lada da. I don't have a dry spot on me, and these shorts are not helping me. They keep riding up or sagging cause they are so wet.

mile 11 - I'm already at 11.2 miles! Maybe I won't have to run that loop. There's my car, should I stop. No if I stop, I won't start again. Just get 11.5 miles and you'll be fine. Just run to that parking lot and back and that'll be enough. Everyone else just did 8 miles yesterday. You'll be fine with just 11.5.

mile 11.5 - I am soaking wet. Whew - I am glad that is over with. I'm quite proud of myself. That really wasn't that bad. I kinda enjoyed it. Did I seriously just run over 2 hours by myself? I did! I did!

On the way home, I think my brain was just a big ball of mush. I could feel how loose my muscles were and how achy my knees were. Although I didn't quite get to my 12 mile goal, I am still quite happy with how I did. I felt healthy and my energy level was good. So in all it was a very successful run!

10 mile run - check!

On Saturday I ran my longest run EVER - 10 miles. It's quite a huge accomplishment for me. It was a pretty easy run too. I had some great running partners that kept me entertained and pushed me when all I wanted to do was walk. I did walk a few times, but I was just "practicing" going through the water stations. (There were no water stations, but there will be at the marathon, so my thinking is, practice makes perfect!) I did make the mistake of not really preparing for the run and getting my fuel belt to keep properly hydrated on the run. Thankfully Anja had one and let me take a few sips of her Gatorade. I think I probably would have crashed and burned if it hadn't been for those few sips! It really does make a difference. So, this week I will bite the bullet and purchase my $35 fuel belt.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was asking questions about how to start training for a marathon. She was asking how much to start out with and it caused me to step back and think about where to start. I told her to just start out with one mile runs a couple of times a week and build up. I starting thinking back to when I first starting running (again) and it was about the end of March. I could barely squeeze out a mile then. And in the middle of March, I could barely walk a mile without loosing my breath. Granted, I had surgery on March 17 and was walking 2 days after that, but still, it's worth noting in my book. But there were plenty of times weeks after surgery that I couldn't finish a mile because my legs were either really tired and heavy or my breathing was just so labored. So if any one has ever wanted to run a marathon, but didn't necessarily believe you could - YOU CAN! Sure, it takes a lot of time and commitment, but so far, I can say it's been worth it. Just take small steps and you will be amazed.

With all of the donations, I have currently raised $2892.20!! I can't believe I am over half way there! I am so surprised at all of the support I have received and it definitely makes this journey worthwhile. Since I have started the fundraising and training, I feel like everyone around me has been affected by cancer. It's such a common illness and hopefully with all of the money Team In Training raises, there will be a cure for the blood cancers soon. 

Tonight we have a team meeting and we learn about nutrition! I am so excited about this meeting because in the past couple of months I have really learned how important nutrition is. It is going to be interesting to hear a different perspective and to gain good knowledge on some of the foundations of proper nutrition. It should be a great meeting. But I have to tell you, I am really excited about next months meeting - Massage Therapy!

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to donate and show your support! I truly wouldn't be able to do it without you guys! 

froggies.

I just received this in the mail and thought it was so cute and appropriate. And it's about frogs, which I love! So you know it's got to be good. I'll be thinking of this story when I run my 10 miles tomorrow morning!! Wish me luck!

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.

The race began...

Honestly: No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as:

""Oh, WAY too difficult!"

"They will never make it to the top." or

"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one. Except for those, who in fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.

The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!! No one will ever make it!"

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But ONE continued higher and higher and higher... This one wouldn't give up!

At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it.

A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal. It turned out...

That the winner was DEAF!

The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you - the ones that you have in your heart!

Always think of the power words have. (There's life and death in the power of the tongue. - Proverbs 18:21) Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!

Therefore: ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!

And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

Always think: God and I can do this!

almost halfway.

I am almost half way to my goal of $4500. I have officially raised $2152.20! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to donate. Every little bit means the world to me and will definitely propel me to the finish line on October 19. There's no way I'm letting you guys down! I especially love getting the notes of encouragement. They always make me smile. I am definitely holding on to them and will carry them with me to San Francisco and read them before the race. Every little note and donation means so much to me!

I have also been overwhelmed with all of the names of survivors or those who have passed away from blood cancer. A little piece of me hurts every time I read a name that is preceded by "in memory of." Hopefully with all of the money Team In Training raises, there will be a cure for these blood cancers soon!

I was excited yesterday when I received a donation in the mail from the parents of a good college friend. (Don't worry, I am excited about ALL donations, but this one was kinda cool.) Terry Thalhofer, the mom of my friend Erin, has been a participant of Team In Training for 15 years! Their whole family is very active outdoors, they live in Washington State, so I think they would be kinda crazy not to get outdoors and see the beautiful land! But anyway, I had no idea she was such an active participant. On top of just being a participant, she has also coached several seasons for the Washington/Alaska Chapter. Terry also lost her dad, Don Allen, to myeloma in 1999. She is a huge inspiration to me and I hope to follow in her footsteps and to help make a difference in so many peoples lives! She is aiming to raise $4600 to run in the Equinox Marathon on September 20. So if you have a few extra dollars to spare... check out her website http://active.com/donate/tntwaak/tlt. 

And for a little reflection - I can honestly say this has so far been one of the best experiences of my life. Just seeing the support from people and all of the encouraging words have made it so worthwhile. I have meet so many great people and continue to get to know them all with each meeting or training run. I can't even imagine where I would be today if it weren't for this entire experience. So thank you to everyone who has contributed some how to this amazing experience. I can only imagine that it is going to get better as I get closer to October 19!

firecracker.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! I am officially at $1376! I honestly never thought I would make it this far. Not that I didn't think anyone would support me, it's just my fundraising seemed to get a slow start. I am getting a response in the mail daily and trust me, that is the highlight of my day! So keep them coming! I am so thankful to have such awesome friends and family to support me.

I ran in another 5k race on Friday morning, the Easley Firecracker 5k. It really didn't go as well as I had hoped, but at least I am consistent! I came in right around the same time as the last 5k. It makes me a little frustrated because I actually sometimes run my training runs faster than when I race. I wonder if I get to the start line of the marathon, am I going to freeze up and run as slow as possible? Although my goal right now is just to finish, I still have that goal of finishing under a certain time in the back of my mind. But I guess as long as I am healthy and strong the day of the marathon, I shouldn't ask for much more! Oh, other than meeting my fundraising goal.

Since this was a holiday weekend, most of my team was out of town for our Saturday run. I think about 4 of us ended up showing up. I ran by myself the whole time because my two best running partners were out of town. It was such a struggle to finish 6 miles! My legs were heavy and I was concentrating on them the whole time. It just was not a good run. I ended up catching up with Kelly and ran with her for a few minutes, but my legs felt like concrete and I decided that I was just going to go as slow as possible in order to just get the run over with in the least amount of agony! Days like this make me really wonder if I'll ever be able to finish 26.2 miles! But then there are days like last week, where I ran 8 miles as easy as I could run 1 mile. I look forward to the day that running is easy as walking, if there is such a day!

I'm starting a new routine this week, I'm going to do a little less running (just fewer days, but same mileage) and more cross training. I think doing other things such as biking and the elliptical will really help me out and help prevent burn out. I'm really looking forward to it!

Thanks again to all those that have donated! I couldn't ask for better support! 

8 miles for my grandfather.

I received a very generous donation and a sweet letter from my great Aunt Norma Jean yesterday. In it she talked about my grandfather, Foster Wright Case, whom I never had the opportunity to meet. She told me that he passed away January 15, 1970 and that he was only 48 years old. He served in the Military under General George Patton and was wounded and received the Purple Heart. In another envelope I received from her, she wrote that he passed away from Leukemia, and that I probably already knew that. Nope, sure didn't! It really blew me away. How did I not know? I never knew much about my grandfather because apparently I lived in my own little world as a child and didn't pay attention to much. I called my mom and she didn't think I was serious that I didn't know. I'm not sure how it slipped by me, but I had no clue. So glad I found out now and not after I cross the 26.2 mile mark.

So today my run was in dedication to him. Although I am also running the marathon and doing all of the training in honor of him, today was a little something extra for him. It was 8 miles just for him. It was my first 8 miles, EVER! I actually feel like I have really accomplished something. Although it was an easy 8 miles, yep I said easy, thinking back, I'm amazed that I did it. When we first started I was a little apprehensive about running 8 miles. Thankfully I had Katie and Rachel by my side the whole time to keep me company and keep my mind off of the running. It made the run so much more enjoyable and very easy. It's definitely a confidence booster to make it through 8 miles without any trouble. I can't wait to hit another "mile" stone. In two weeks we will hit 10 miles and I have to say, I can't wait.

lessons learned.

On Saturday I ran 6 or 7 miles (a little confusion there) with my team at Furman and then that night I ran in the Candlelight 5K run. So in all I totaled at least 9 miles that day. I definitely paid the price for it the next day. I ended up with shin splints on Sunday and Monday. They weren't too terribly bad and with a little TLC, lots of ice and advil, I'm pretty much back to normal today. So my first lesson learned from Saturday was not to overdo it. Although 3 miles doesn't sound like a lot compared to what I have been running, it's a long 3 miles if you ran 6 miles earlier in the day.

My overall time in the 5k was just under 30 minutes. 28:56 to be exact. Although I would have liked to have hit more at the 28 minute mark, considering the circumstances, it wasn't bad. It was a tough course for me. About 2 miles of it was entirely uphill. I thought I was good at conquering hills, but this one beat me up. Every time I got to a small crest I realized I still had 2 miles to go uphill. I heard every one around me cursing because they all realized the same thing that was going through my head. I'm glad I wasn't the only one fighting that hill. I really enjoyed the race, but sure wish I hadn't been so fatigued because I would have enjoyed it that much more.

My second lesson learned on Saturday is to run hills. Long hills. Not the sort hills that I tend to run in downtown Greenville, but long ones like the ones I will encounter in San Francisco. I don't want to get there and feel overwhelmed by the hills (especially the one at mile 6, that's a doozy). I want to feel confident and healthy to tackle them without any problem.

Third lesson. Get as close to the starting line as possible without being run over at the start. There were close to 1800 people running in this race Saturday night. I just kinda jumped into the pack not really caring where I started out. That was a mistake. I ended up behind a lot of slower paced people and had to shimmy my way around them on the narrow course. Not that this took a lot off of my awesome 29:56 time, but it was a little frustrating to have to speed up and slow down for people. There was even this one tall lanky girl trying to get around everyone and I was trying to follow her through the open spots. But she kept starting and stopping and jumping from side to side. It was almost like she was dancing. It was quite amusing, but equally annoying because apparently she had no peripheral vision and kept "dancing" into my running path.

I really enjoy races and the atmosphere. Although the competitive side of me wants to be faster and stronger, it's also nice to just get out and enjoy the festivities. I got to see a few amazing men run some 4:58 miles to finish the race in 15:17. Unbelievable! It was also nice to participate in a race with my cousin Christian and a few of his friends. Although I didn't get to see him before the race, I enjoyed the company after the race. He finished in an amazing 27:31 minutes. Way to go Christian!

As for my fundraising... I still need your support! I am hoping to reach at least $2000 by July 14. That's 3 whole weeks for you to get your donations in! This goes to a great cause and one that is especially important to me. So start saving your pennies! Any amount donated will be greatly appreciated! Check it out here... http://pages.teamintraining.org/sc/nikesf08/lmerkt.

new shoes.

This week I was out of town and missed our team meeting at Fleet Feet in Greenville. I convinced my mom to take me to Fleet Feet in Huntsville so I could get new shoes. I was looking at my old shoes last week, and although I feel like I just got them, they were already pretty worn down. They were starting to hurt my feet and I knew that they were really the correct shoes for me. The guy at Fleet Feet in Huntsville was very helpful and finally got me in the perfect pair. He also suggested insoles which help support my arch more. These new shoes feel so good I never want to take them off! I really tested them out this morning on our long run. They felt great and I can't imagine not having them now!

There is still a little mix up about out schedule. We are now on week four. That's right, week four. I am so good that I went from week one to four. Not really. This morning we were going to run either 6 or 7 miles depending on what we felt like. I stuck with the 6 miles since I will also be running tonight in the Candlelight 5K Run. The group I was running with  wasn't real sure the course for the 5 mile loop around Furman and so by the time we finished running we were under an hour and we all felt that there was no way we ran 6 miles in that amount of time. So we ran another mile and so I think we probably ran around 6.5 miles. I felt pretty good today, although towards the end I started getting very hungry and a little weak. I'll have to start thinking about options to refuel on these longer runs. I think my few days of rest this week really helped me out. I definitely need to take a couple days off of running a week just to let my body recover.

Tonight I am going to run the Candlelight 5k Run with my cousin, Christian. I'm thinking he is definitely going to give me a run for my money. I am going to really go out and see what I can do. I need to push myself a little harder than I have lately, just so I know what I am capable of. The summer going into my freshman year of college, I was in the best shape of my life. I ran a 5K race in Athens that summer and finished in 26:03. If I can even get close to that, I will be very happy! So we'll see. I've been running my training runs at about 10 minute miles, so shaving off 4 minutes doesn't seem that impossible! I'll let you know how it goes.

Every time I talk about new shoes, I hear this song in my head. "Hey, I put some new shoes on, And suddenly everything is right, I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling, It's so inviting, Oh, short on money, But long on time, Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine, And I'm running late, And I don't need an excuse, 'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes." Lyrics from Paolo Nutini's song New Shoes.

thank you.

I first of all want to thank all of those who have donated so far. It means so much to me for the generous contributions and more importantly, the support. I can't do this alone! Every little bit helps, even just the words of encouragement. I finally sent out emails and letters should be going out about the middle of the week. I am getting really excited about all of this and am loving all of the training and all of my teammates. Again, thank you. Keep the encouragement coming because I am definitely going to need it in a few weeks when I start running 7 plus miles!

I also want to add that I will be also running in memory of Rebecca Johnson. She is the mother of a dear college friend, Quinn Johnson. She passed away when he was 12 years old from complications from leukemia and the treatment. Although I know they have come a long way with treatment, I still feel like they have a long way to go to find a cure! That's exactly why I am fundraising and running in this marathon. With your help, we can all help to fund the research that one day will result in a cure. My thoughts go out to Quinn and his family. Thanks for sharing your story with me.

Saturday, I also ran in my second race of all time, the Sunrise Run in Simpsonville. It was an 8k race, just a little shy of 5 miles. Most everyone from my team was running in the race since our coach was the director. I haven't had the best week of training, I've just been really tired and haven't really recovered as well as I usually do, so I was really nervous about the race. I finally met up with my team members which eased my nerves a little bit. At least I would have someone to run with. I don't think I could do it alone! My goal was under 50 minutes and Katie, who I ran with the whole time, had a goal of under an hour. We met in the middle and hit somewhere under 55 minutes. It really boosted my confidence and I felt really good the majority of the run. The beginning my legs burned, but it easily wore off as I got warm. I hit the water station at 3.5 miles and think I almost drown trying to get a sip of water. I think I was trying to keep going and get as much water as I could, but it didn't really work out like I had planned. I think I had a small sip of the glass of water the lovely water girls gave me. I'm going to have to work on that! 

I definitely walked away from that race feeling good. It made me feel like the marathon isn't going to be that bad. Check back with me after I run the marathon and see how I feel about it! I just loved being out there in a competitive environment and being around all of the runners. It's a nice feeling to be surrounded by people who share the same interest as you. Everyone is always so nice and friendly. I think I am going to stick to running for quite awhile.

I am really excited about the upcoming weeks because our long runs on Saturday will be getting, well, longer. This Saturday it will be 6 miles. And I'm pretty sure this will be the first time I've run six miles, ever. I've hit 5.5 several times, just haven't made six yet. So I'm excited about it! I am also going to be running in the Candlelight 5k Run Saturday night. I might be kicking myself in the butt on Saturday for planning on running this 5k after a 6 mile run in the morning. But I'm pretty sure I can do it. It's just 3.1 miles. My little cousin Christian is also suppose to run in this race with me. Which I'm pretty sure he'll kick my butt. But it will be a lot of fun to be able to run with family! I can't wait!

hills and stench.

As the beginning of my "official" training starts, I get nervous thinking about all of the obstacles that could be put in front of me once I get to San Francisco. I had a conversation with one of the other girls and we were talking about the hills in San Fran. A lot of the articles I have read about the course say there are only 3 or 4 major hills and that they aren't even that bad. Other articles I have read, which are mainly reviews from women who ran the race, say that they are killer hills. So who do you believe?? I think I am going to side with the women who have been there, done that. Here's what the Nike website says about the course, "San Francisco has been voted one of the top running cities in the country. Why? The scenery, the cool weather and the challenging yet confidence-boosting hills!" Confidence-boosting hills, huh? We'll see about that.

So running in Greenville is definitely going to prepare me for the hills. I'm not sure if I'll actually find a hill around here that will be as bad (yes, the pessimist in me is talking) as the ones on the course, but I'll definitely be prepared to take them on. I've been basically forcing myself to find hills and run them, although I hate them with a passion. This morning as I was running and came upon a hill at about mile 4, with tired and achy legs, I remembered the saying from my teammates, "Just run right through it." It made me giggle and made the hill less of a daunting task. I think I probably mumbled "bite me" at some point in the trek up the hill.

Another thing I am going to be prepared for is any horrible stench that I might encounter on the course. Although running next to the river in downtown Greenville is very scenic and peaceful, it also comes with the awful smell of the sewer line that runs parallel to it. (Well I am assuming it is a sewer line.) Every so often I will be running along and the smell just hits me like a ton of bricks. I usually have my mouth wide open getting a nice big breath and as I inhale, I get a mouthful of this awful smell. It never ceases to make me gag. The good thing is that it only lasts for a couple of steps, but still it's nasty to think about where that smell is coming from. So, I am prepared for any stench that may come my way on race day. It's not going to knock me down! I will "run right through it!"

official start.

Today is the official start of my marathon training. There has been a little confusion about the exact start date, but I am calling today the official start date. There are about 19 weeks until the actual marathon. It kinda makes me nervous to think that I am in this thing for reals. Although I have been running consistently for over 2 months now, I still have a bit of anxiety about committing to something so big and challenging. I know I can do it, but there's definitely this big weight on my shoulder. I have to be strong and fit and healthy for the next 4 months. And I'm not sure if my 525 calorie Philly Cheese Steak for lunch today qualifies me as being that healthy, but it sure was yummy!

Today we are scheduled to run 2 miles. I can't even remember the last time I ran just two miles. I know that seems like a lot to some and it wasn't too long ago that two miles was tough for me, but now two miles seems like a warm up. Never thought I would say that! It makes me really proud of myself that I have come that far in two months. One reason being that I've never been much of a runner, and two, I'm surprised because I actually enjoy running. I enjoy sweating and just getting out there and doing something for me. I have no idea what I even think about when I run, but I know that I work through a lot of things that are bothering me when I am out there. It's quite refreshing. I watch an interview with Lance Armstrong and his ex-wide was the one interviewing him. She mentioned that running makes her feel "clean." Running makes me feel "refreshed." I can't even imagine where I would be right now if I hadn't committed to running this marathon.

I kindof got off track there... We are scheduled to run 2 miles today and since that is a little easy for me, I ran a little bit more than that. As I was walking out the door this morning, sans dog, I was trying to decide whether or not I should take something to drink. I don't want to have to carry it the whole time, so I opted out of taking anything. That was the first major lesson of the training. Take something to drink if it even crosses your mind because you will kick yourself in the butt if you don't. It was already hot and humid and I knew that I would probably need something, but figured that I wasn't going to run anything over 5 miles, so I would be fine, right? Well the last half mile I headed up a killer hill down by the river and it just about killed me. I was pretty much dehydrated and actually hit my milage at the time I needed to stop. So from now on, any thing over 4 miles with the temperature being 75 degrees with 75% humidity, I'm taking something to drink!

slow and steady.

My new motto is "Slow and steady wins the race." Although I hardly think I will win the race going as slow as I run, but it's still a good motto. Maybe, just maybe, I could win it. I'll keep dreaming. I'm hoping eventually I will pick up my pace a little bit without huffing and puffing. I do feel myself getting a little bit better, especially when I start out slower, I can really push hard towards the end. And I don't have this awful leg pain that I have to run through in the beginning.

We had a group run this morning and for the most part of the run I ran with Katie and Bonnie. Katie talked the majority of the time which was really nice! (Thanks Katie!) It definitely keeps your mind focused on something else other than how far, fast, or how much longer. These group runs really help my motivation. I woke up this morning not really wanting to get out of bed or to even run, but once I got there I felt great and motivated. And afterwards, I feel even better. I don't think I could do any of this alone.

This week my running partner, my dog Bama, is with my parents. It's going to be a good thing and a bad thing I think. Not even 24 hours from being away from her and I realized how much I talk to her! She definitely keeps me company and definitely motivates me in the mornings to run. My alarm goes off and she is right there nudging me and jumping on me to get me up. I'll miss that, especially towards the end of the week when I get tired and lazy. But not running with her will also allow me to run further/longer and not have to stop every mile or so to let her get water. So it's definitely going to be a long week!

"Just run right through it!"

things i learned today.

Today we had our second group run. I didn't sleep very well last night, so 5 o'clock came very early. When I woke up it was pouring  down rain and lightning really bad. I really didn't want to run in the rain but knew I needed to get a run in somehow. I checked the radar (cause I am a big weather geek) and realized by the time 6:36 rolled around, it wouldn't be raining or storming anymore. Relief. Although I knew it was going to be humid (pronounced hooooomid) again today. Better than running in the rain!

We ran the Furman 5k course today and I have to say that was the longest 5k I've ever run. I have this huge thing about if there is a start and a finish, the finish line seems to be running away from me. I feel like if I just set out to run and had no particular distance to go, I could run for days. But when you give me a finish line, I freak out! So I am definitely going to have to work on that mental aspect. I don't really think it will work to my advantage in a race of 26.2 miles. I even said before we started that the course we were going to run seemed so far. Maybe that was my problem. I had negative thoughts from the beginning! I'll definitely check that at the car door next run!

The things I learned today are:

1) Furman's campus has hills.

2) Follow the painted white guy.

3) Not to use non stick spray when making scrambled eggs.

4) Naps are awesome. (Not that I didn't already know that, but my nap today just reiterated that fact.)

i can't walk, but i can still run!

I worked out yesterday with Tanya and man am I sore today! She kicked my butt, literally. My butt is so sore from the exercises she had me doing yesterday. I can barley walk. But I can still run! Yesterday afternoon I started stiffening up and was wondering how I would manage to get out of bed this morning to run. But I did! I didn't feel like I needed to take the day off since I took Tuesday and Thursday off and just worked out. And I had the desire to get a good run in, so I took off running down Main Street this morning.

The first couple of miles were tough because I was so sore. The hills were even worse because those muscles I use to run uphill are those I worked out yesterday. Probably looked a little funny trying to run. But I managed to get past the 2 mile mark and make my way over to Cleveland Park to finish out the run. It was pretty humid this morning too and made me have flashbacks of Savannah. The air was so thick! At least there aren't any sand gnats around here, or they would have been following me around like the plague. All in all though, it was a good run this morning and put me in a really good mood this morning.

I was reading my Runner's World magazine the other night and came across this story by Bart Yasso. It's a good read and provides a bit of inspiration. And for those who don't know, Bart Yasso is a columnist for Runner's World and is also a big time runner. He has done just about every marathon in the US and some 150 international events. He's just a bad ass runner and is even the creator of the Yasso 800s, which help you reach a goal time in your marathon. But anyway... check out his article The World According to Bart Yasso. And if you don't feel like reading the entire thing, definitely skip to the section entitled "A Taco Bell Nightmare" on page 4. It's hilarious! 

So that's it for today! I need to get working on my fundraising letters and all that other fun stuff! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

humid. (pronounced hoooomid.)

Man it's was humid this morning! I was definitely sweating some major bullets and my hair was super curly by the time I finished. I even woke up early this morning and got up and ready to go run before 8. I am definitely going to have to start getting up even earlier. Although it wasn't very hot, thank goodness for that, it was certainly not the best weather to run in. I actually felt pretty good though considering. I do not like the humidity.

I starting out running right by my house so that I could get a few more miles so I wouldn't have to run up that hill coming home. Much rather run down it when I am fresh than run up it when I am tired. So I did the usual route, all the way over to Cleveland Park and back. I had already stopped for Bama to get water once, because I knew today was going to be a day she would need it because it was so humid, and by the time we got over to Cleveland  Park, I knew she needed some more. The first time she didn't really drink much or get her feet wet, even though I told her. So about half way back from the Park, she started running out in front of me trying to get to our "watering spot." I felt so bad because even though we were running along the river, it is such a steep drop that there was no way I was going to be able to let her get in the water. I'm also going to have to start bringing water on my runs. I've been thinking about getting one of those backpacks for Bama, that way I don't have to carry anything and it tires her out a little faster. But I don't think she would like that very much.

It was actually a very quiet morning and by the time I had gotten down to the falls from my house, I had probably only seen one or two people out, which is very  uncommon. And Bama was being a good runner today, so I actually had a little bit of time to really take in the beautiful surroundings. It was so peaceful with the sound of the water and the quiet air. I wish I could have stayed in that moment forever. I was very thankful I was able to enjoy it and for once really realized this is why I enjoy running. I was able to reflect on some things and just enjoy my run today. I get so caught up in trying to run, run, run, that I forget why I enjoy it and why I am doing this. So I felt very refreshed by the end, not to mention soaking wet! 

yippee!

I got my first online donation! Thanks to the great Mr. Shawn Dunbar. What an awesome feeling. I don't think I can thank him enough. I still have so far to go though! I am going to be a fundraising nazi next week, though. I just have to get through this week of school and I will feel like a brand new person!

I ran a little over 4 miles this morning. I actually thought I was going to run more because I just ended up running to Cleveland Park and ran a little bit over there and headed back. On the way back I wanted to stop and let Bama play in the river, so I was trying to run as much as I could in Cleveland Park so I wouldn't have to tackle the hills downtown. But it didn't turn out to be as far as I thought. But still it was a good 4 miles and I was happy with that. 

Bama and I were just running along and I was off in La La Land and BAM! I ran right into Bama. She stopped to smell the flowers I guess and I wasn't paying any attention to her and I practically kicked her in the butt. She of course, jumped and looked at me like, "what the hell was that for? You were running slow, so I stopped to smell the flowers." If you know my dog, you know that her facial expressions can say a lot! So off we continued to run without another incident.

Running from Reedy River Park to Cleveland Park there is a model plane about halfway. On the way back I saw this little boy and his dad looking at the plane. They both seemed really engaged in the plane until I started to pass. I heard the little boy yell out in his best country accent, "I seen the puppy! Look! Look!" It was so cute and funny! I turned around and just smiled at him. It's so funny how some kids are so interested in dogs and others are so scared of them. But it definitely brightened up the end of my run.

Thanks again Shawn! For being the first person to donate, I will bring you back something special from San Francisco! Your donation really means a lot to me!

pat myself on the back.

For those of you who know me well, know I am not a morning person nor have I ever been in my life. But get this, I got up at 5:00 this morning. And I ran 5 miles. Yay for me! I actually feel like I have accomplished something huge. It was just about 4 months ago I couldn't get out of bed before 10 am. Although 5:00 was still early, I managed to crawl out of bed and eat a bowl of oatmeal and get in the car and meet my team.

We had our first team run this morning at 6:36. Although I think we started a little later than that because we all went around and introduced ourselves. It's actually quite inspiring to know that I'm not the only non-runner. We met at Furman and ran about 2 miles. I ran with Katie and Whitney and got to know them a little bit better. It was great to be able to run with someone and those 2 miles flew by! After that I continued and ran another 3 miles on my own. I think I would have paid someone to run with me at that point. It was so boring. But then again it was also nice to just run and not have to think about anything but what I wanted to think about (which wasn't much that early in the morning!). Bama usually occupies my thoughts by pulling me or stopping to mark her spot or running into me, you name it, I always seem to be concentrated on her. So it was a nice break. I'm actually really looking forward to next Saturday!

Now I'm off to finish up all of my school work! I will officially be finished with school next Thursday! I have a lot of work to do between now and then so wish me luck. That 10 page research paper is calling my name...

easy smeezy.

I had an easy 3.5 miles this morning. I was pretty tired when I woke up this morning, but I have finally gotten into the habit of running. It just makes my day so much better, so I pushed myself out of the bed and put on my running shoes. 

My trainer, Tanya, has told me to try and stay within a certain heart rate range, and not to go over 177. So I ran slow enough to stay right at 175-177 the entire time. I probably should have run further since it was at a pretty slow pace, but at the time I hit 3.5 miles, I was running uphill so it seemed like a good stopping point! I don't actually think I have ever said running 3.5 miles was easy! I am going to rest tomorrow because on Saturday I have to get up and meet my team at 6:36 to run! Although I am getting pretty good at getting up early in the morning, that still seems very early to me!

I went to the kick off meeting on Tuesday night. It was nice to see all of the people I will be training with, although I didn't really get to meet all of them. But I'm sure over the next 5 months I will have that opportunity. I am ready to start writing my letters and designing some postcards and other things to go along with my letters. I just have to get through this last week of school and then I will be able to concentrate on it a little more.

Thanks for all your support! I am getting really excited about the training and getting  to run with someone on Saturdays!

those damn hills.

I swear I ran up the same hill coming back as I did going out. I think they follow me around and it's like a treadmill, adjusts the incline so I'm always running uphill. I had a good run this morning. I ran 3 miles harder than I usually run. I need to get faster if I am ever going to make 26.2 miles in the allotted 6 hour time frame! And thinking about running for 6 hours makes me want to pull my hair out.

I started running my typical route today, along the Reedy River. It allows me to stop and let Bama get drinks of water or put her feet in to cool off. Although I think Bama could run longer and faster than I can, I get a bit nervous about pushing her too hard. So I like to make sure we can stop and get her water if she is getting too hot. I ended up getting behind another guy running and I was actually running faster than he was! He apparently didn't hear us coming up because he took up the entire sidewalk. I hate to run off into the grass because I don't want to twist my ankle and I don't want to yell out "excuse me!" So I ended up just turning around and running up this small hill to the road. I had no idea where I was going, but I figured that was best because I won't know how far I have run. I just ran back in the general direction I came from and soon everything looked very familiar. I actually ended up close to where I started, and had to run  up that damn hill again. I know it's good for me, but I just hate them because they fatigue me so much. But I have to say, they are a lot easier than they were 3 months ago! I had to walk up even the slightest incline. So that makes me feel like I am actually getting somewhere and in a lot better shape than I was.

I have my team meeting tonight and am excited about meeting everyone. I actually can't wait to get started on the actual training schedule and run with a group on Saturdays. I know it's going to be a lot easier to run and push myself more with others than I would by myself. So this is going to be an exciting week!

committed.

After a couple of weeks of debate, I finally committed to running a marathon and to raising $4100. When I went in to talk to Melody at Team in Training, she kept explaining the fundraising and that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. $4100, that's a lot of money to raise in 5 months! But I wasn't worried about raising the money, I was more worried whether or not I would kill over before I made it to mile 26. I think once I make it 26 miles, the .2 won't seem so hard. I might be wrong there, but I will find out in October.

Why am I doing this? Well I started out running back in January to get back into shape. I realized I had gotten way out of shape and basically just felt like crap. Since it was so friggin' cold, I probably only ran 2-3 times a week. I knew I couldn't do this alone and since I have always had someone hold me accountable for staying in shape and working out, I called Tanya at Reform Bodé. She has really helped me get my diet on track (I get to eat every 3-4 hours!) and has me working out a couple times a week. I can't tell you how much of a difference it has made. I have a renewed energy, as I call it, and that pushed me to commit to running 26.2 miles. I've always wanted to run in a marathon, but actually never thought I could do it. I've never been much of a runner when I was told to run, so trying to do it on my own is going to be a big test to myself. I've actually always enjoyed running, I've just always been slow, so I think that has held me back a little. I don't like to fail, so being in a competition where I know I am slow is not really my idea of fun. I don't want to be last.

When I found out about Team in Training, I thought this is going to be the perfect opportunity. I get to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma and run in the NIKE marathon, the one to run in if you are a woman. Well if you are a guy too I suppose. But it is catered to women and just sounds like a great time. All the reviews I have read in magazines and online have only had positive things to say. It's in San Francisco and has excellent views along the way. So if anything, I am taking my camera and I'm going to get some cool photos.

A week after I went off to college, my friend Ashley from high school was diagnosed with Leukemia. I remember the phone call from my mom like it was yesterday. I was watching a movie with my friends Sarah and Erin and I stepped outside my dorm room to talk to my mom. I was in tears by the time I went back in. Thank goodness for those two being there or I probably would have driven back home that night and never returned to Savannah. I called Ashley as soon as I could get myself under control. I can still hear her voice, "I'm going to be okay." I knew she was, but I just couldn't believe it, as I'm pretty sure she couldn't either. I always wanted to physically be there for her, but knew that her family was there and I needed to stay in Savannah and continue with school and soccer. So raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is something that I will be very passionate about. It's also not just about raising money, it's about creating an awareness about the blood cancers and helping to find a cure. In the meantime, I get to get into the shape of my life and hopefully make some new friends and really test myself physically and emotionally. I know this can't be easy or everyone would be doing it.

I am keeping this blog so that everyone can follow along as I train and raise money. I have a kick off meeting tomorrow night where I get to meet the others on my team and learn more about fundraising. As my dad has said, it's not like I am selling chocolate bars and my parents can cover the part I don't sell. I am really excited about this opportunity, although I don't really think it has all set in yet, but maybe that's a good thing.

Please check out my fundraising page, http://teamintraining.org/sc/nikesf08/lmerkt and by all means donate! Also make sure you bookmark this page so you can check out my progress as I get closer to San Francisco.