Dark Morning

Wow, it's getting dark in the mornings now! I like that it's nice and cool and not 80 degrees at 6am, but I'm sad that soon it's going to be pitch black when I head out on my morning runs. This morning was beautiful. The clouds were purple with the sunrise. I ran through Northern Liberties and really, really wished I was just sitting at a nice BYOB and not running and then heading to work, but that's what the weekend is for.

I did a 9:12 mile today, which is much faster than I usually do. I'm really happy with my time lately. And Eastern Mountain Sports was having a sale yesterday, so I'm better stocked with running gear. I just need one more thing. A pair of these hot puppies (at right).

Next week, my Italian class starts, so I'll be adjusting my running schedule and doing 3 days a week. It'll be hard to have a 15-hour day with a run, work, then class twice a week, but I'm excited for the class, so I'll get used to it. I'm a Penn student, an Ivy Leaguer. Woo hoo!

A whole bunch of friends have signed up for my bartending fundraiser on October 17, which is very heartening. I think it's going to be a LOT of fun. I'm looking forward to some relaxed running this weekend and taking quite a few naps :)

Michelle Obama's Messing With My Routine

I thought the Olympics were bad, now I have Michelle Obama keeping me up late! Why do the interesting things for the convention have to begin at 10pm??

Needless to say, I was a little sluggish this morning. I did 4 miles at a good pace. It was a gorgeous morning, the first really cool one in a long time. I can't believe it's almost September. Michael did great this morning. His speed continues to improve. My favorite thing about running with him is when we start. I've got my Garmin all tuned up and ready to go, and I ask, "Are you ready?" and he always says, "I guess" with a sigh. Haha, it's so cute!

I was feeling the effects of running 4 times last week, as opposed to my usual 3. Get used to it, Therese! I was also given by our coaches a new abs routine to help "keep my alignment" while running, so I'm feeling sore from that.

I ran down Delaware Avenue and decided that I really want a boat. They looked so pretty in the marina with the sun coming up. And we could just walk down to our little boat and hang out on the Delaware. A girl can dream, right?

I cannot believe the generosity of my family and friends. We've raised almost $1,700!! Unbelievable. I wrote to some of my wedding vendors last week, and they made contributions also! How about that?? I had the best people for our wedding. I'm almost halfway there. WOW!

Thanks to everyone for their constant support!!

Me, a Bartender??

Please join me for my fundraiser, Therese's Celebrity Bartender Night, at The Field House on Friday, October 17 from 7-10pm!

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=AJSDHWFHDOMUACXWAVUI

Respond to the evite, and maybe we can have a pool going of how many glasses I will break. And we might have TWO celeb bartenders, if my awesome hubby wants to join in the fun. Anything can happen! Hope to see you there!

Running on 3 hours sleep

I woke up 20 minutes before I had to be at Cooper River this morning for my first run with the team. I only got 3 hours sleep, because we were out late for Joanne's bachelorette party last night, so it was a little rough. However, meeting new, great people from this year's team and seeing my buddies Jeff and Dawn kept me going. I was running with the "lead pack," as our coach calls it. I noticed at one point that we were doing an 8:45 mile. Phew! I got through it, went home, and have been vegging ever since. I was a good future sis-in-law and a good trainee this weekend. I'm exhausted!

Being a Chick Runner

The hubby's off camping for the weekend for his brother's bachelor party, so I've had a lovely morning getting up early and not tip-toeing around the house--haha! I went on a short, 3-mile run. My training schedule has a few small runs added in to the usual 3 runs a week that I'm used to, so I've been starting to add them into my routine. This morning was a little rough, because I did a lot of walking yesterday. West Philly is so huge! I am walking a lot more at my new job than I'm used to, but it was a gorgeous day, so I can't complain. I averaged a 9:10 mile! I was proud of that.

So being a woman and running alone in the city is precarious enough. I usually have my game face on, and I talk to no one. Only in NJ will I say good morning to people. On Frankford Ave, where all of my home runs usually begin, there are perpetually, let's say, "colorful" people hanging out around 6:00 am. Today was no different. So I had my game face on and stayed on sides of the street that aren't usually too populated. However, because of construction, I had to pass a couple of guys waiting on a corner. "Great," I think. One man is really overweight, sitting on his stoop. Usually I get some lewd comment thrown at me, which is followed by a dirty look or dramatic gesture on my part, but this guy seemed like he was saying something friendly, so I took my headphones off and asked him to repeat what he had just said to me. He said, "I wish I had your energy!" Then he gave me the thumbs up.

So I learned that while I should be safe, maybe I shouldn't always make assumptions. And let me tell you, that guy's comment got me through a sluggish morning.

Take that Mr. Bolt

This morning I did 5 miles. I averaged a 9:23 mile, and Michael was with me again for the first mile. I told you, he's getting faster! He asked what our pace was, and I looked at my Garmin and saw we were doing a 9:40 mile! Boys have it so easy.

It was a gorgeous morning. 65 degrees, the sun was just coming up. I ran to Old City and passed all of the art galleries and theaters. I can't believe the fall is around the corner. This morning it really felt like fall was in the air. I imagine training in the fall weather will be infinitely easier.

Saturday is Joanne's bachelorette party, and I'm really excited. I'll have to take it easy though, because we have a group run of 5 miles, which isn't bad, but it's at 8am on Sunday morning. This is an example of when my dedication will be tested--haha!

Here's one of my favorite pictures of my hero, my Michael, to keep me motivated!

What a Friend

Now these are the kind of things that keep me going, especially on mornings like today when I really didn't feel like going to the gym to do cross-training (darn gymnastics keeping me up again!). This is from my good friend, Michelle. She read my blog and wanted to write this comment.

"Therese, I am so proud and in total awe of you! I never would have gotten through my training with TNT last year without your support and encouragement, and now here you are, training for a full marathon! Having a baby has kept me from running for the last year, but seeing you train may just inspire me to get the sneakers out again. You are an inspiration to so many, not just me, and more importantly, you are truly making a difference in the world. I am proud to call you my friend. I love you and wish you luck! Love, Michelle"

Michelle was the one who introduced me to Team in Training. She has been one of my best friends since we met 11 years ago as college roommates. I never would have made it through my training last time without HER!

I posted this not only to say what an amazing person Michelle is, but also to show the impact that one person can have on the world. Without Michelle, I don't know if I'd ever have joined Team in Training. With Michelle, we raised over $5,000, and now I'm trying to raise almost $4,000 more for cancer research. One person can make a difference. And this is what's keeping me going.

Thank you, Michelle, for being such a wonderful friend. I don't know what I'd do without you!

Running with My Hero

Michael and I headed out at 6am this morning. It was a little rough getting up, since we were up late watching gymnastics and Nastia Liukin getting robbed! Bella Karolyi got me so fired up that I had a hard time getting to sleep. But those Olympians, especially the runners, make me just want to get out there and rock it!

Michael went much faster this morning as we ran together for the first mile. I'm telling you, in a few weeks, he's going to be waiting for me to catch up with him! I did a nice 4 miles on Delaware Avenue and watched the gorgeous sun come up. Delaware Avenue can be so beautiful, especially in the morning.

My knee was acting up a little after my 8-mile run on Saturday, but it felt good today. I'm averaging a little under a 9:30 mile, which I'm totally happy with. I'll slow it down for the longer distances, but this is a good place to start. I have to keep up with my teammate, Jeff. He's so much fun to talk to on runs, but he's fast!

My morning got even better when I saw the emails from some of my family and friends in response to my email and posting last night. I cannot believe the support I'm getting. It's so motivating. I hope everyone feels the impact we're making on the fight against cancer.

Have a blessed day!

And so it begins...

Thanks for visiting my blog! This will be my way of sharing all of the nitty-gritty details of my training and fundraising for Team in Training and the Walt Disney World full marathon on January 11, 2009. If you've found yourself here, you're probably one of my wonderful supporters, friends, or family members. Thank you for being behind me 110% as I try to make a contribution to the fight against blood cancers.

I am running this race in honor of my husband, Michael, as well as all of the millions of people who have been affected by leukemia and lymphoma. Lucky for us, Michael won his battle almost 17 years ago! However, I never want another person to have to go through what he went through.

I've committed to raising $3,800. Please consider making a donation to this cause. Every bit helps. http://pages.teamintraining.org/snj/wdw09/therese

I cannot believe how much we've raised already! I hope we can keep it going and surpass my goal!

On to the fun stuff...training...

This is not my first endurance event, but it's the longest one I've ever done. We have our plane tickets for Disney, leaving at 1:55 p.m. on January 8, 2009. There's no turning back now. I'm armed with my newest toy, a Garmin Forerunner, which tracks my location, heart rate, distance, calories, I think it may be able to do my laundry, but I haven't figured that out yet. It's been a good motivator...so far...

I attended the Team in Training Kick-Off last week, and it was awe-inspiring and fun as always. Then I got my training schedule...3 half-marathons before the actual marathon...a 20-mile run on December 20. I am eating my face off at Christmas Eve and Christmas. Seven fishes will not suffice. I'm a little nervous, but I'm mostly excited. I've kept up a 15-20 mile per week regiment for months getting ready for the real training. I'm committed to staying healthy. I have to start with new shoes. Thankfully, my faves, the Saucony Hurricane 10, just came out with a black and silver version. Oh yeah...

Mom, Dad, Danny, Michael, and I were in LBI this past weekend. I ran 8 miles on Saturday morning down Ocean Blvd. It was glorious. The mansions are spectacular, and I always had something to watch going by. The weather was perfect. I wish I could run there every day. I wish I could live there every day.

Tomorrow morning, at 6:00 a.m., I'll be taking my Garmin and my hubby out for a 4-miler. Michael's running with me now, which makes me happier than you can imagine. It's yet another fun thing to share with my favorite person in the world. I'm trying to get my time down to 9:00/mile on short runs. Gosh, I cannot believe that 4 miles seems "short" to me now. I remember when I started running in 2002, it took everything in me to go on a "long" jog--0.75 miles. I clocked it on my Saturn's odometer, and I was so proud of going that distance.

I'm feeling good and ready to really start. Thanks for reading, and come back often. I'm sure there will be stories of bloody toes, iced-down knees, and more to come!