A New Day

Well, today is much better than yesterday. The Phillies won the World Series, I had a great night's sleep, and I had a good workout this morning. My training schedule called for 0-3 miles, so I did 2 on the treadmill at the gym. It went quickly as I upped the speed to an 8:57-minute mile pace and was distracted by all of the Phillies Phun coverage on the local morning news shows. It's such a great day in Philadelphia!

I am working on not trying to take on everything and taking some time for me at the end of the day. I feel like I'm constantly going, going, going between training, school, work, chores, etc. My very wise and understanding husband helped me realize that I have to take a break every now and then.

Tomorrow after work I'll be doing my 14-mile run that's scheduled for Saturday. I have to work at Homecoming on Saturday morning, so that's the only time I can do it. It'll be a new milestone for me. My to-date longest distance is 13.1 miles, so I'm excited! I'm going to forge a route from my office and down the Schuylkill River Path to the Art Museum, which should be nice. The weather's going to be perfect. I kind of wish I didn't have to work and could just go to the Phillies parade.

Wish me luck! Hopefully the Phillies will give me some inspiration tomorrow.

Ugh

That's how I'm feeling today. Ugh. So I'm not going to sully this blog with my complaints. I'm going to take my own advice and read some older posts to find some inspiration. It's a hard day to feel motivated. My 5 mile run this morning was cold, windy, and I was not feeling well. I did a 9:07-minute mile, but something was definitely missing/wrong. So enough about that. Now I shall remember the reason I'm doing this while trying to forget that I'm utterly exhausted.

GO PHILLIES!!!

There is a definite energy in the city today. I woke up to homemade fireworks going off at midnight last night, presumably not long after the Phil's big win. I slept really well after that and felt great for my 4-mile run this morning. Michael started with me. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing he's out there with me, even if I'm a little ahead, since it's so dark in the morning. When do we turn the clocks back already?

I did a 9-minute mile exactly for the 4 miles. I felt really good. I think this is my speed now, which is so awesome. I listened to Preston & Steve as usual while I ran, and their energy was super high also, and they were hysterical. It's so fun to be a Philly Phan today!

In other news, without a few offline donations being counted on my website, I believe I am within $100 of my goal for the marathon!! If that doesn't get me motivated, nothing will. Thanks, everyone!

GO PHILS!!!

Whirlwind Saturday

I had to do my 8-mile run without the team on Saturday morning, because I had to go into work for a few hours in the AM. This wasn't a big deal, however, because, as my coach said, it's only an 8-mile run this week. Only. Haha! I have to agree, though. A run of that distance isn't that big a deal anymore.

I went down Delaware Avenue all the way to South Philly and back. I was going about 8:30-8:40 min/mile for most of it. I did the standard 9:00 run/1:00 walk model, and it served me well. I'll do the whole marathon that way. I finished with an average 9-minute mile, even with the stops. I felt great. The rain held off until I was done, and little did I know I had created an awesome MP3 playlist that was exactly long enough for this distance.

Then I worked for a few hours, went directly to looking at a few houses, and then right to the La Salle fundraiser. I was totally exhausted by the end, but it was a fun time. Now me and Becca are off to try on bridesmaids dresses for Tara's big day!!!

"Let the children come to Me..." Luke 18:15-17

My mom organized a bake sale at her school, Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary, in Port Chester, NY today. She and her 8th graders worked for weeks to organize this event, which raised $250!!! I am so overwhelmed by the generosity, dedication, and love of these children. I think this blog would be best told in the words and pictures of the inspiring children of CCS-HRS.

"I think we'll raise a million dollars today." ~ a first-grader

"How much does it cost to cure cancer?" "I brought $5." ~ two wonderful CCS-RHS students

God bless you all. Mom, you continue to inspire me every day. I will run my heart out for all of you!

Wow, almost there!

Without counting the proceeds from last week's fundraiser, I have cracked $3,000!!! I'm almost there! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me so far. I am astounded by how generous everyone is.

I did 5 miles this morning in the COLD! Michael started with me, which is always the best. I was a little sluggish this morning, so having him by my side helped me get through that first mile. I cannot wait until we turn the clocks back, because I feel like I'm running in the middle of the night. It's so dark!

I did well this morning. I averaged a 9:15-min mile, and that was with a slower first mile. I felt a little pain in my right quad, which is totally weird, but it let up by the time I was done, and I feel fine now.

I have a test in Italian tonight, and I'm soooo exhausted. It's hard getting up, running, working, and then going to class. But as soon as I'm home, I'm kicking back and watching the Phillies. GO PHILS! I'm in my Phillies red today!

The Blessing of Friendship

I am still on a high from this weekend. It could not have been more wonderful.

Friday night's fundraiser was a huge success! I think we had about 20 people there, and in total, we raised over $350! A lot of that money came from tip jars I had on the bar. I really enjoyed bartending, and I think I got the hang of it by the end. The Field House totally hooked us up with a huge amount of food. Everyone seemed to have an amazing time. I just felt so blessed to have so many friends come out to support this. Our realtor and friend, Tim, and his girlfriend, Kim, Dave, Mike, Becca, my teammate Jeff and his wife, Nicole (and their infant Sophia!), Andrew and Joanne, Kristin and 4 of her friends, Jen and Lori, my hero Michael of course, and THEN Andy and Jess showed up!! I was so shocked when they walked in. I haven't seen them in over a year. Michael was in on the secret. I don't know how he kept that from me, but I'm so glad he did. Jen, Lori, Andy, Jess, and Kristin all stayed over. We had so much fun.

The next morning, I had to take Peter to get some shots at the vet (he was a trooper), and then we all had some breakfast and chilled. After Andy and Jess left, Jen, Lori, Michael, Kristin, and I went into the city and checked out the Reading Terminal Market. Then Lori had seen something about Eastern State Penitentiary, so we went there and did the tour. It was so much fun! Then everyone went home, and Michael and I crashed.

Sunday morning, I had to run 12 miles. Michael offered to come with me and run the beginning lap. We went to Cooper River, and we stuck together for most of the loop. Michael did a 5k! Then he waited in the car for another 90 minutes for me to finish. What a guy! I did really well. I averaged a 9:00-mile, and I finished in 1 hour, 56 minutes. That was the longest distance I've ever done alone or not in a race. It was a little boring, but being with Michael at the beginning really helped. And he seemed to like going out on a Sunday morning like that. I hope we'll do it again. We were like such yuppies getting up early to work out together. All we need is a Mini Cooper and a Jack Russell terrier, and we'd be set.

Then we went to Linda and Mike's for football and had an awesome time. We were seriously asleep at 8:30pm. What a fabulous weekend! I did a quick 2-miler this morning to keep my muscles from cramping up, and I feel great.

I sent out thank-you emails to my friends who came on Friday, and I got so many back saying that they were "inspired" by me. Are you kidding?! It's the other way around, people. I don't know how I would even come close to accomplishing any of this without my friends. I am the luckiest girl in the world. Thank you to all who have supported me throughout this journey.

In 82 days I will run 26.2 miles in honor of all of you!!

Like Peas in a Pod

This will be short, because Jen and Lori are here, and I'm having the best time ever with them! They arrived last night. We had a fun-filled night of wine, NKOTB, and laughs. Poor Michael had to work today. I just had to run 3 miles, which was a piece of cake. I did an 8:50-minute mile! I felt great.

My fundraiser is tonight!!! I'm so excited. Ok, off to hang with my wonderful friends. We're like peas in a pod. I love them, and it means the world to me that they came down to visit and support me! Hope to see some of you tonight!

He feels the need for speed

Reluctantly, Michael and I headed out at 6am this morning for a run. I say "reluctantly," because our darling kitties decided to keep us up a lot last night. They have gotten into the habit of starting to act up around 5:30am, which is SOOOO annoying, because I wake up at 5:45am every day. Can't I get my 15 minutes??

It was a great morning, cool and clear, but we were not feeling it. However, once we got going, I think we both felt better. About 3/4 through the first mile, Michael seemed like the speed wasn't perfect for him, so I said I'd go ahead. I've gotten a bit faster over the last few weeks, and he's been very busy with work, so he's missed a few runs with me. We were going about a 9:40 mile, and I didn't want to pressure him to go faster. So I go on ahead, start fiddling with my MP3 player, and then I hear the pitter-patter of New Balances behind me. Michael goes, "I decided to try to catch up." I was so impressed! I had already started going faster, and he stuck with me for the rest of the first mile. He looked great when I got home, so I think he had a good run.

I did 4 more miles after that in 45 minutes almost exactly, so I averaged a 9-minute mile. Nice! I felt fantastic. I wasn't tired or anything by the time I hit mile 2. It was a great morning. I even made a couple of green lights that usually annoy the heck out of me.

Jen and Lori are coming to visit tomorrow night, and I could not be more excited!! I'll have to get a 3-mile run in on Friday morning, but I'll just go after my kitties lovingly wake me up to feed them, and I'm taking a vacation day anyway. Then my fundraiser is Friday night!! I'm so excited for that.

On the training schedule, I'm supposed to do 12 miles this weekend. Since we have guests until Sat night, I'm going to do this on Sunday morning. Michael offered to come with me and do a longer run than usual. He rocks. We're going to do the run for 9 minutes, walk for a minute routine on Kelly Drive. I might do 3 miles with him and then do the loop (9 miles) to get my miles done. Then we're watching football and hanging with our buddies, the Gilberts. Should be an awesome weekend!

Wish me luck on Friday!

Trying to keep up

I will start by apologizing to the avid readers of "Making Mickey Proud" for not posting in a while. It's been a busy week, and I've spent a lot of my time running. I did 4 miles at the gym on Thursday, 7 miles on Saturday, and 4 again today.

The run at the gym was hysterical. I have a new MP3 player that my parents got me for my birthday. Of course I was fiddling with it, and I almost became one of those people on America's Funniest Home Videos who slips right off the treadmill! It must have been hard for the people around me not to laugh. I also fought with the new-fangled machine that only wanted to allow me to work out on it for 30 minutes. I spent the whole last mile upping the speed as it tried to make me "cool down." I've changed my mind again. Treadmills are for the birds.

Saturday's run was great. I did two loops at Cooper River alone, because I had little time to squeeze in breakfast with the Richardsons and then Reggie's wedding. It was a beautiful day, and I had an awesome playlist of Rihanna, Outkast, Kayne, etc. to get me through. I had a great pace of a little over a 9-minute mile.

Reggie's wedding was awesome. The reception was picnic-style with lots of German traditions, even lederhosen and a Tastykake cake (not really German, but definitely Philly-German). I was tired from my run, but that didn't stop me from dancing! (Photos courtesy Jeffrey Melodick)

This morning's run was a piece of cake. My abs are sore, which is super weird, but I think it's from the dancing and running. I did an average 8:53 minute mile. Whoa! I was impressed with that.

I'm getting a little stressed with all of the time I have to allot for running. My weekends are being consumed by the schedule, and weekends are already so busy as it is. But as always, when I'm feeling a little discouraged, someone wonderful in my life puts it all in perspective. Our Aunt Marcie connected me via email with her friend, who is also doing the Disney race with Team in Training in NY. We have become email buddies, and she really reminded me why I'm doing this and how important it is.

My event is Friday, and I cannot wait! Hope to see lots of friends there: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=AJSDHWFHDOMUACXWAVUI

Fall is in the air...

It was 51 degrees when I headed out at 6am this morning, and it stayed dark the whole time. I felt great. I took my coach's advice and did not dress like I felt before I walked outside. I have a tendency to overdress, because I'm perpetually cold. I wore a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and it was actually perfect. This was the first morning since last winter that I have felt my fingers go numb and then eventually come back once I got into mile 2.

I went out this morning after a blissful night of sleep. We had an event for work at the same bar where MY EVENT IS NEXT FRIDAY, OCT 17, THE FIELD HOUSE! http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=AJSDHWFHDOMUACXWAVUI I'm so excited for that, and I hope lots of people come out for it. Then when I got home kind of late, I did laundry and homework. I didn't get into bed until midnight, which is much later than usual for me. However, I slept really well. Our adorable cats definitely helped in that regard. Also, we read before bed, which actually got me much more relaxed than just watching TV. I might have to start a new habit.

I ran a 9:10 mile for 5 miles. I felt fantastic. I noticed how much the weather really makes a difference. I still feel good from the run this morning, and I had no soreness. Tomorrow calls for another 4 mile run, which might be a little tough, but this is an ease-down week to prevent overtraining.

At my event last night, I met my coworker's cousin, who is also a Team in Training alumni. I started saying how nervous I was getting about it, and he was really encouraging. I love TNT. Everyone involved is so nice and supportive. I just can't wrap my brain around 26.2 miles. I know my body can do it. We all can do just about anything if we really needed to. It's more my brain that's having trouble. What if I get bored? What if I get tired? What if I get sick? It excites me, but I'm definitely anxious. I'm hoping that I will feel better after I get some bigger distances under my belt. 14 miles on Halloween! Unfortunately, because of work, I have to do that one alone, but I think it'll be a good test. And hey, it's only 0.9 more miles than my personal best. Peace of cake... :)

One Year of Bliss

Today is our first wedding anniversary! We had such an amazing weekend in Long Beach Island. It was just what we needed and full of fun. We got home around noon today, so I did my 4-mile training run in the afternoon at home. It was a gorgeous day today. I was a little sore from Saturday's run and from walking all over LBI and Chowderfest, but overall, I felt great. I averaged a 9:04/mile, which is great! I got all of my information for the race weekend, and it got me so excited. I cannot wait!!

At the exact same time that I was running today, one year ago, Michael and I were saying "I do." What a fantastic year it's been. Can't write more, because there's still a few more hours of celebrating to be done. I love you, Michael. I am so lucky to be your wife.

Broad Street Run--it's nothing

This morning I did 10 miles, the equivalent of the Broad Street Run, which was my first official race in 2004. This was a piece of cake this morning. I ran with Gail, Jim, and Chris, the "lead pack," as our coach calls us. We did an exact 10 min mile the whole time. So we were doing about a 9 min mile with a 1 min walk break in intervals. It was great. It was cool this morning, so I wore my new underarmour long-sleeved shirt from my mother-in-law! It was perfect for this weather. I felt great, and it was just about as perfect a run as can be.

Now we're off to LBI for our anniversary weekend! I can't wait to show off the gorgeous bracelet my hubby got for me!

Belated Celebrating

Since I had work and class on my actual birthday, I took last night as an opportunity to celebrate with the hubby and our adorable kitties (they spent the whole night on the couch with us and didn't kill each other!). However, that made for a slow start this morning. I had to do 5 miles, and I'm proud of myself for powering through. The most important thing in distance running is staying consistent with training, so I'm trying really hard to stay on track. I averaged a 9:43 mile, but I'm fine with that. I don't care about my speed. I just want to make sure I'm feeling well and don't injure myself.

It is amazing though how much of my schedule is affected by my training. Weekend plans are dictated by how many miles I'm doing in the morning, even weeknights have to end earlier so that I can get my miles in before going to work the next morning. It's crazy. I have to allot at least an hour of my day to running 4 times a week. On Saturdays, it takes no less than 2 hours with traveling to NJ, waiting for everyone to get together and start, walk breaks, etc. And then 2-3 days a week I do weight training to keep my muscles strong and protect my knees and ankles.

However, I still love it. That hour in my mornings, especially when I'm alone, is so precious and really brings me back to center. No matter what, I feel great when I'm running. I could probably run with no music or anything, but I like the Preston & Steve morning show too much to do that. But it is like meditating at times. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't run.

The most important thing about this journey is that it's bigger than me. I can't imagine training for a race without a purpose behind it. When I'm feeling down on myself or struggling through a run, I "remember the reason," as they say in Team in Training, and I'm honestly amazed. It feels like everyone I know is aware of the race and my fundraising. I guess I had something to do with that, but it still astonishes me when someone asks me about my training. It makes me feel so great and so supported. Also, because of this, I get to tell our story, how leukemia almost took Michael away from all of us, how his family struggled through his sickness, how it affected everyone in his life, and how he won. I hope we can all help make that story possible for more people fighting these awful diseases.

On a lighter note, when I was walking up from the subway this morning, I saw a pair of crutches in a garbage can. It was at the bottom of the stairs. I was baffled. What on earth happened? Did someone decide they had had it with the crutches (they are a pain, I know)? Did they suddenly get healed like on a televangelist show? Bizarre!