I will hopefully be on Staten Island ready to start the marathon one week from today. I have already started to pack a few things and get ready to leave for New York on Friday. I don't want to get too sappy, but with a week to go, I just wanted at least write one post about how much this has meant to me and why I decided to start in the first place. Training for this race has been so great and I can't begin to thank everyone for the support. I initially decided to sign up because I wanted to run a marathon to see if I could do it and loved watching my Dad run the NYC marathon in 2002. I decided to run for Fred's Team and raise money for Sloan-Kettering because of my Mom. Training for this race has helped me in some way stay connected to her and help to do something to contribute cancer research.
For those of you who didn't know my Mom, she was a great person with a great smile, a lot of fun to be around and a great sense of adventure. My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a sophomore in college and she was in treatment and remission, but then she eventually passed away my senior year from brain cancer. Both of my parents were such fighters through that time and also kept their sense of humor through it all. Even when you are 19 or 20, I don't think you realize how amazing your parents are and how lucky I am to have them. I definitely have realized that as I've gotten older and looking back, they were so strong through such a tough time. My Mom will have passed away 15 years ago in January which is a really long time. There are so many moments I wish I could have shared with her over that time, but over my long runs training for this I've thought about her a lot. And even though she hasn't been around for things in my life over the past few years, she has so much influenced the person I am. I also have gotten a chance to talk about her through raising money for Sloan-Kettering either because of people asking about her picture on my fundraising page or by sharing stories of why I'm running with other people on Fred's Team who seem to have a similar story.
When I'm running the marathon, I'm sure I will think about my Mom and how I wish she could see me run, but I know she is watching. I am so grateful for the family and friends that I have now and so glad they will be there to have a pasta dinner with me the night before and to cheer me on. I'm so thankful for all the generous donations from people in support of my run who have helped me to feel like I am making a small difference against a disease that often seems so unfair.
And I swear if any of my friends reading this think of saying something like "your Mom would be proud" when and if I finish, please don't! I will probably lose it and no one needs tears on a fun day like marathon day! So just say "way to go Lisa" and I'll know that my Mom would say the same. I will try and have a big smile on my face just for her as I cross the finish line.
Lisa
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Timing
Who's so glad that the snowstorm hit this weekend instead of next weekend? I AM!!!!! Can you imagine? I am about the stalk the weather report for the next week and so far it is looking ok for next Sunday....knock on wood.
Lisa
Lisa
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tale of Two Cities
So this week feels a little like the beginning of a Tale of Two Cities....It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I am so pumped for the marathon and then I had to put my cat Jasmine to sleep. It's so annoying how pets become a part of your life and routine and you get so attached. I got Jasmine the first weekend after I moved to CT after college in 1997. Donna and Kelley can tell you the story of the day we picked her up. It's pretty hilarious to hear them tell it and it gets more entertaining each year I think. They still aren't sure why I insisted on getting a Siamese cat and even more unbelievable that I paid $150 for her. Jasmine definitely made an impression on people who met her either because she hissed at them or sat on their lap without letting them pet her or just by having such a personality. To me she was my buddy waiting for me when I got home from work and would sit on my lap watching cheesy TV shows. She also was the pet I needed when I first moved out on my own after college and was missing my family.
She ended up not eating much over the past few days and seeming pretty weak on Sunday and Monday. When I took her to the vet yesterday, they ran tests and confirmed that she was in kidney failure. The most humane thing to do was to put her to sleep. I am glad that she only spent a few hours at the vet without too much pain, although she didn't like the IV. I was able to hang out with her at the end and the best part was that she was letting me pet her and lean on me although she was growling the entire time just to make sure we all knew she was still there and had her defiant personality intact.
It's a sad thing to put your pet to sleep and I never had to do that personally before. It is sad, but it was the best thing to do and she had a great life. Bye Jazzy.
Lisa
She ended up not eating much over the past few days and seeming pretty weak on Sunday and Monday. When I took her to the vet yesterday, they ran tests and confirmed that she was in kidney failure. The most humane thing to do was to put her to sleep. I am glad that she only spent a few hours at the vet without too much pain, although she didn't like the IV. I was able to hang out with her at the end and the best part was that she was letting me pet her and lean on me although she was growling the entire time just to make sure we all knew she was still there and had her defiant personality intact.
It's a sad thing to put your pet to sleep and I never had to do that personally before. It is sad, but it was the best thing to do and she had a great life. Bye Jazzy.
Lisa
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thank you - Reached my goal!
My fundraising goal for Sloan-Kettering for the NYC marathon was $5000. As of today, I've received $5,422 in donations towards Sloan-Kettering in support of my run. There really aren't words for how thankful and appreciative I am for everybody's generosity. I received my first donation on April 10th and over the past almost 7 months, I've received donations from my friends, family, coworkers, friends of family, and family of friends. Everyone has been so generous and I've heard so many stories from people along the way of connections people have had with Sloan-Kettering specifically or someone close to them who passed away from cancer.
Thank you to everyone!!
Lisa
Thank you to everyone!!
Lisa
Last long run in NYC before the marathon
I went down to NYC again this Saturday to do one last long run with Fred's Team before the marathon. Today we ran on the last 1/2 of the course which I really wanted to see before the big day. The weather was perfect for running and it was great. I met the other Fred's Team runners at 1st Avenue and 61st. We started by running over the Queensboro bridge to Queens and then back to Manhattan. Then we followed the course up 1st Avenue, into the Bronx for a bit, and back into Manhattan to finish in Central Park. It was "only" 13 miles today and I can't tell you how that actually feels like such a treat after running longer that that over the past few weeks.
It was so fun to run the course and try and picture what it will be like on race day with all of the crowds. Most of the Fred's Team runners had on their orange shirts so we were easy to recognize. About 5 or 6 times in the Bronx and then Manhattan, random people on the street let out a cheer saying "Go Fred's Team". It's not even the marathon day and there are people already cheering for us. One woman rolled down the window of her car and cheered out the window. How cool is that? I have to say that the second part of the course definitely has it's hills. There's no heartbreak hill like the Boston marathon, but running south on 5th Avenue for a few miles definitely has a gradual incline. There is also one hill just before the finish line just to stick it to you one last time. We finished the training run with a few of the Fred's Team coaches standing on the location of what will be the actual finish cheering with pom poms. It was great. They are already setting up the bleachers for the finish area too even though the race is still two weeks away.
My training schedule listed a 12 mile run for next weekend, but the coaches said I should actually only do 5. Only 5 miles...awesome. Looking forward to it.
When I got home, my Dad had gone to Dunkin Donuts and got my signature "post long run meal".
Boston Creme donut and an iced coffee. I have the best Dad in the world!
Lisa
It was so fun to run the course and try and picture what it will be like on race day with all of the crowds. Most of the Fred's Team runners had on their orange shirts so we were easy to recognize. About 5 or 6 times in the Bronx and then Manhattan, random people on the street let out a cheer saying "Go Fred's Team". It's not even the marathon day and there are people already cheering for us. One woman rolled down the window of her car and cheered out the window. How cool is that? I have to say that the second part of the course definitely has it's hills. There's no heartbreak hill like the Boston marathon, but running south on 5th Avenue for a few miles definitely has a gradual incline. There is also one hill just before the finish line just to stick it to you one last time. We finished the training run with a few of the Fred's Team coaches standing on the location of what will be the actual finish cheering with pom poms. It was great. They are already setting up the bleachers for the finish area too even though the race is still two weeks away.
My training schedule listed a 12 mile run for next weekend, but the coaches said I should actually only do 5. Only 5 miles...awesome. Looking forward to it.
When I got home, my Dad had gone to Dunkin Donuts and got my signature "post long run meal".
Boston Creme donut and an iced coffee. I have the best Dad in the world!
Lisa
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ask the Coaches Info
On Monday night, there was a session called "Ask the Coaches" for Fred's Team. It was a get together at MKSCC in NY, but for those who couldn't make it, we could call in. The coaches had a lot of information about what to expect and then everyone was able to ask questions. Here is some of the info I gathered from the call:
I am planning to go to NYC again this Saturday for a last training run there. For this run, we are going to go over the Queensboro bridge and back and then run the last 10 miles of the course ending in Central Park. It's a little over 13 miles total. I am dreading the drive again this weekend, but I just really want to know what to expect that second half of the race. Instead of actual crowds when I'm running this Saturday, I will just have to picture all the people cheering and pretend to hear the cowbells ringing and imagine how it will be two weeks later....
Lisa
- There are 775 people overall running in the marathon with Fred's Team this year. Most of them are first time marathoners.
- The bus leaves from the Hilton on the day of the marathon at 6:15AM and is one of the last buses to get over the bridge before it closes. We have a police escort to Staten Island.
- Race advice - Go out slow, run slow at the beginning, don't let your adrenaline kick in and make you sprint, don't try and weave through the crowd....I can't tell you how many times they said to go slow at the start. "If all the people around you are running crazy fast and weaving through the crowd, let them go". So I'm going to do my best to start slow.
- Start - Fred's team has our own baggage truck. Bring warm clothes to wear at the start and then pack and also bring throw away clothes to strip off as I run.
- Food - bring food to each at the start. Bagel and a banana probably.
- Fuel - bring 3-4 GU gels. They also said to make sure to drink water when taking the gel which I knew. But they also said not to drink Gatorade with the gel.
- Don't wear my fuel belt. There are water stops every mile and I don't need the extra weight.
- Chaffing - there was a lot of talk about preventing chaffing....enough said.
- Bring extra toilet paper for the start. I guess it can't hurt to have a little extra TP just in case they run out.
- Prep - make sure to hydrate for 3 days before. Sip Gatorade and or water during the day.
- Finish - a volunteer will pull me out at the finish after I get the heat sheet to go to the Fred's Team Cherry Hill tent at the end. They said that the volunteers will "take very good care of you". They said it could take up to an hour to get all the way through the finish before meeting up with my friends and family and that there are post race massages available for the Fred's Team runners at the Hilton.
I am planning to go to NYC again this Saturday for a last training run there. For this run, we are going to go over the Queensboro bridge and back and then run the last 10 miles of the course ending in Central Park. It's a little over 13 miles total. I am dreading the drive again this weekend, but I just really want to know what to expect that second half of the race. Instead of actual crowds when I'm running this Saturday, I will just have to picture all the people cheering and pretend to hear the cowbells ringing and imagine how it will be two weeks later....
Lisa
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Hills of Newton
Saturday was my last 18 mile run until the race. We ran 10 of those miles through the "rolling hills of Newton" on the course of the Newton Chilly Half Marathon. It was definitely a good workout and there was a lot of running up the rolling hills. It was a beautiful fall day though and the perfect temperature to run. I felt a little shaky again after mile 14 like I did after 20 last week. I had 1/2 a can of Coke before I finished up the last few miles and actually felt a ton better. I need to figure out how to take in more sugar, salt, or something towards the end of the run so I don't crash.
3 weeks to go! I am getting daily tips emails. They sure do know how to psych you up for the big day!
Lisa
3 weeks to go! I am getting daily tips emails. They sure do know how to psych you up for the big day!
Lisa
Monday, October 10, 2011
Columbus Day Weekend
It was a 4 day weekend for me this weekend and I managed to pack in a lot in just 4 days. My family was in town and Friday was a great day for a golf tournament. On Saturday I had my longest training run to date...20 miles. I'm so glad that's over and I can focus on tapering down to race day. On Saturday we also managed to squeeze in a tour on Fenway Park and lunch at the Top of the Hub. Did you know that there are a lot of stairs to walk up and down on the Fenway tour. You may not have noticed that unless you ran 20 miles in the morning. Here's a picture of my Dad in front of the scoreboard.
Today was the Tufts 10K for Women. It was my first time running it. Since I had to run 7 miles for my training run today, I figured a 10K would be a perfect way to get that in and have water stops along the way. It was a great race. Probably one of my most fun ever. I never thought running 6.2 miles would be a treat, but it is when you just ran 20 miles. Anyway, I was going to take it easy and see how I felt. It was 80 degrees today, so I didn't want to push it. But, when I started running and felt good, I decided to try and break an hour. That was my long shot goal. I almost did it too finishing in 1:00:48. A pace of 9:48 per mile and I finished 1793rd out of 7500 people. I'm pretty psyched about that. And I had a great cheering section of the Wells so that helped my finish too! At the first two water stops, they had run out of full cups, so I had to pour my own water which definitely slowed things down by the time I got a cup and some water. I'm convinced if it wasn't for that, I would have beaten an hour. Next year for sure!
Lisa
Running in Phoenix, AZ
So my conference was in Phoenix and I had my plan to keep up with my running schedule while I was out there. Well let's say I veered off the schedule a bit. Here was the plan:
Here's how it went:
OK well there may have been one other reason why I cut it short on Saturday.....I might have wiped out. Yep, had my first fall running. I wish I could say it was because I was running on a really rugged trail and slipped gracefully and fell. Nope. Tripped on a very flat, perfectly level sidewalk in a really embarrassing way. It was one of those slow motion falls. I must have been enjoying the scenery and all of a sudden tripped. I had my arms waving trying to regain my balance and couldn't pull it out. I fell on my right side, rolled off of the sidewalk and almost hit a cactus. Dirt flying everywhere. I stood up as quickly as I could and looked around to see if anyone saw. If anyone did, they weren't close enough for me to see them. I ended up with bruises on both my knees, my elbow, my shoulder and lots of dirt all over my pants. Oh and I was only a mile into the run. I won't say that the bruises were preventing me from finishing 16 miles, but I may not have needed much of an excuse to cut it short.
Anyway...after icing my knees and elbows, I am back in tip top shape and hope to never have to run long distances in the desert again.
Lisa
- Thursday 5 miles
- Saturday 16 miles
- Monday 8 miles
Here's how it went:
- Thursday - nothing
- Friday 3 miles
- Saturday 8 miles
- Monday - nothing
OK well there may have been one other reason why I cut it short on Saturday.....I might have wiped out. Yep, had my first fall running. I wish I could say it was because I was running on a really rugged trail and slipped gracefully and fell. Nope. Tripped on a very flat, perfectly level sidewalk in a really embarrassing way. It was one of those slow motion falls. I must have been enjoying the scenery and all of a sudden tripped. I had my arms waving trying to regain my balance and couldn't pull it out. I fell on my right side, rolled off of the sidewalk and almost hit a cactus. Dirt flying everywhere. I stood up as quickly as I could and looked around to see if anyone saw. If anyone did, they weren't close enough for me to see them. I ended up with bruises on both my knees, my elbow, my shoulder and lots of dirt all over my pants. Oh and I was only a mile into the run. I won't say that the bruises were preventing me from finishing 16 miles, but I may not have needed much of an excuse to cut it short.
Anyway...after icing my knees and elbows, I am back in tip top shape and hope to never have to run long distances in the desert again.
Lisa
Sedona, AZ
I am way behind on this blog so I'll do my best to catch up. I spent a few days in Arizona for a work conference and got to take a day off to spend in Sedona. I flew out on Thursday 9/29 and came back on the red eye on 10/3. On Friday, we drove out to Sedona for the day. It was beautiful. Loved the red rocks. We took a pink jeep tour which goes out on the rocks and is a great way to see the views. Here are two shots from the jeep ride.
A storm blew in when we were out on the jeep ride which was very exciting. It started pouring and the wind was crazy!
Lisa
Lisa
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