2 Weeks from Today!

Six months have flown by. I can't believe in exactly 2 weeks I will be in Paris at the starting line. Training is tapering down and excitement is building for sure. This week my team had a final "Coaches Meeting" to discuss final logistics and training strategies. At the end of the event, each team member was given a certificate stating that we are "Marathon Ready".

I must admit that I am not sure I feel "marathon ready" quite yet. Despite my best efforts, I am still lacking endurance and speed. If you have been reading my blog, you will know that speed has always been my concern, yet, about half-way through the season (as mileage started creeping up), I decided to focus on endurance instead of speed. While I have made great progress with endurance (just completed 18 miles last weekend), I am still 8.2 miles short of the marathon distance and still painfully slow. Secretly, I wish I had one more month to train, but that is just not to be.

Instead of focusing on the pieces that are still lacking, I plan to spend the next few weeks thinking about the things I have accomplished. In 6 months, I have gone from coach-potato to a marathon participant. I have learned more about my body (what it likes/doesn't like, what it can/can't do, how much it can take) than I have in 39 years. I have stretched my endurance beyond all the limits I had put on it. I am probably in the best shape I have been in for years, despite the fact that I haven't lost any weight. And, I have proven that if I can do it, ANYONE can make a difference in their health and fitness level.

Looking back, there are 2 things, that I am most proud of: 1) raising awareness and money for such a great cause, in honor of heroes who had more courage than I can ever dream of 2) being an inspiration to others who may be nervous about taking their first step in fitness.

There is still a lot of planning to do over the next few weeks, but just like the past 6 months, I will take it day-by-day. String all those days together and I will be ready to rock on Apr 11th!

Until next time,
Lisa

1 Month to Go

I am so proud of my team. Not only are we running a Marathon, but we will be raising $110,000 to continue the great work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

GO TEAM!

37 Days and 18 Miles

Last weekend, I participated in the Charles Harris 10K Run for Leukemia. This short run fit very nicely into this week's "recovery" training schedule. Here I am, a week later, with another 16 miles of training under my belt and I am getting excited (and a little nervous) about tomorrow's 18-mile run. Not only is this another test of endurance, but it will be another practice run (fuel, hydration, gear) for the BIG EVENT.

Going into a long run, there are always two major unknowns: the amount of cooperation I can get from my sore ankle and whether my stomach decides to feel good or not. For better or worse, the ankle situation is here for the duration, but I am still struggling to figure out the stomach "thing". Last weekend, for example, I ate all the wrong things the night before the 10K, but I felt like a million dollars the next morning during the run. Something tells me that if I decided to repeat that again this weekend, it would most certainly cause performance-suicide during tomorrow's run.

All that aside, I am looking forward to a strong run tomorrow. It will probably take me about 4.5 hours to complete (or at least that is my goal), so it will be a good test of endurance. For the first time in a while, we will be running with all the other teams in training and plan to start off the day with a "silent mile" in honor of all the heroes who have and will fight blood cancers. Reflecting on the courage and determination of these brave people is sure to power me through.

Once the 18 miler is complete, there is only one more long training run (20 miles) before the marathon. The marathon is 37 days away and I am getting very excited. Thank you for continuing to be a part of this journey. Your support means the world.

Until next time,
Lisa