Home Stretch

This is the face that will get me through the next week.

This is it. The final countdown. *cue music*

When I first decided to run this year, I thought I would try to set a new PB. I was going to train harder. I was going to be fierce.

The weather is just now starting to cooperate, though, and as such I’ve resigned myself to treadmill running. I don’t feel prepared.

Now, this is my own fault. I should have run more often. I should have MADE myself go to the gym. But you know what? While setting a new PB would have been nice, I’ve realized that’s not what this has been about.

This has been about healing and hope for me.

As I walked into the gym today, I thought back to the day I finally signed up.

I had been sick of crying. Sick of sleepless nights. Sick of constantly wanting to shut out everything around me.

To say I was in a bad place is putting it mildly. I had just lost one of the most important people in my life. I was grieving, All of this was normal.

But I was done with it. I wanted to be done with it and I didn’t know any way to cope except to throw myself into something. Those of you who know me might have realized that I’m sort of an all or nothing type of person. It was time to do it all.

That first run was such a relief. Signing up for the race was a relief. I was now obligated to do something. I had a purpose, and that was trying to prevent others from having to deal with everything I was dealing with.

The combination of physical exertion and the mental efforts of coordinating fundraising and working on this blog has done more for me than any therapist could have. I’ll never be fully healed, but I’m definitely mending.

Every time I run, I know that Lindsey is with me. I know that she’s proud of the money we’ve raised and all of our efforts. And I know that she’ll be with me on Sunday. She’s always with me. For that I am eternally grateful.

-Tish

Give aways and bloody feet

Here’s the giveaway item!

Fred’s Team has been amazingly supportive in our journey to the NYC Half. We got our shirts, which Matt posted about a couple weeks ago.

I also received 5 long sleeve tee shirts! You can see the picture of the front of the shirt above. The back of the shirt says, “Imagine a world without cancer.”

The shirts are super soft and comfy.

Want one? I knew you would!

Simply make a donation (http://tinyurl.np24fjs) of any size between now and the end of February and add “shirt giveaway” in the comments section. Your name will then be placed in a drawing to win a shirt! There will be at least one winner, but maybe more. The more people who enter, the more shirts I’ll be able to give away. We will mail the shirts out to the winners, so it’s okay if you don’t live in Connecticut.

Have you already donated, but still want to enter? No problem! Simply e-mail lindseyandtishrun@gmail.com and let us know your name. We’ll add you to the drawing.

Training

So yesterday was my longest training run yet. I went to the gym determined to run 7 miles. I slacked the last couple of weeks with my long runs and knew this would be a challenge. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t stop until I got there, even if it meant walking for part the workout.

I decided to follow Matt’s example and I ran the first .8 miles at 5mph and then switched to 6 mph for the last .2 miles. I did this for 5 miles, and it took me exactly an hour. I walked the first quarter mile as a warm up and did some other short (30 second or so) walks for water breaks.

After this, though, I felt ready to give up. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t, though, so I set it to 4mph and walked 2 more miles. My average pace was just under 13:00 miles. I’ve read that you’re to train at a minute per mile slower than your expected marathon pace, so that’s actually a good pace for me to maintain.

When I stepped off the treadmill, I realized how much my feet hurt. It felt like they were blistered to death. When I got home I went to take my shoes off and was terrified that they were going to be bleeding. Luckily, it was all in my head. The feet are fine. I think I need to grab a new pair of shoes, though. I love my shoes so much, so I’ll probably just grab another pair of the same.

Enter the giveaway by donating here and adding shirt giveaway in the comments!

What kind of shoes do you own? How often do you buy new running shoes?

World Cancer Day

Matt, Bridget, Mark and me being silly (as always)!

Today is World Cancer Day.  I’m not going to lie, I didn’t even know such a day existed!  It was actually the Chevy Superbowl ad that brought it to my attention, as I hope it did to many others.

February 19th is Lindsey’s birthday, so this month is definitely a time where I’m thinking of her more than usual.  Purple was her favorite color, so I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the #purpleyourprofile campaign.  The picture above is Bridget’s profile picture, with the purple color.  It is touching to scroll through my news feed and see so many purple pictures.  Each one is like a hug from Lindsey to me.

I was also reminded by WordPress that it is my anniversary with them!  That means that a year ago, I first started to blog (then at lindseyandtishrun.wordpress.com) about this crazy adventure.  That means that in the last year, I have helped to raise almost $9,000 towards cancer research.  I’m humbled to think about how many have helped me along the way, and how many are continuing to support me, both financially and emotionally.

If you haven’t donated yet, please consider making a donation to Fred’s Team.  We’re over 75% of the way towards our fundraising goal of $4,000.  The money goes to support cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and helps bring us closer to a time when we do not need a World Cancer Day.

Back Into the Swing and Bling!

My new bling!  Courtesy of Malloves Jewelers in Middletown and my lovely fiance.

So… It’s been a long time without a Tish post.  Thank goodness for Matt and his consistent efforts in his running, writing and fundraising.  He’s certainly keeping me motivated right now.

As you can probably tell from the above picture, I’ve had an exciting time lately!  Last Saturday, Mark and I went to Boston like we do every Martin Luther King weekend.  He proposed and now we are excitedly and anxiously planning a wedding for November! 

This sort of threw me out of my normal routine in a couple ways.

1) I could not do my long run that day as planned because we were out of town.  I considered bringing stuff to run at the hotel, but it didn’t look like we would have enough time.  And even if I had brought my things, they would have sat and collected dust because we had celebrating to do! 

2) My mind was now occupied with venues, dates, dresses and guest lists.  I know that it sounds crazy, but within a little over a week I already have a lot of the details set.  This was necessary because we want to get married in the fall and we don’t want to wait all the way until next year.  I had to get a move on fast before all the good venues are taken.  We’re looking at a place next week and hopefully we won’t have to continue looking after that!

My body is also fighting off a cold of sorts.  This has made running a bit harder, but it’s also just affected my energy and motivation.

Yesterday I decided enough was enough.  No more excuses.  No more whining.  Just grab your bag and go, already!

So I did!  And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I was able to do an extra rep of my strength training circuit routine and I added an extra 5 pounds to my weights.  I only ran 3 miles, and kept a fairly slow pace, but my breathing was good despite the chest congestion. 

The best part about it was there was a party at my gym!  They were having some sort of membership appreciation event and there was a DJ.  After I finished my run, there was wine, cheese, crackers and fruit.  I ended up having a glass of wine with a wonderful woman and afterwards was ready to hop back on my treadmill.  I then thought better of it, considering the glass of wine and instead went out for Japanese food with the fiance and his brother.

 

All in all, I think I’m ready to be back in the swing of things and I am already thinking about my workout for today.

 

 

 

#TBT, Mail Time and Scan Results

Lindsey and I sporting mustaches in Philadelphia in 2010.

I have a lot to write about tonight, but I thought I would start it off with one of my favorite memories with Lindsey and Bridget.

Throwback Thursday (aka #TBT)

In the summer of 2010, Lindsey and I took the train to visit Bridget in her new home: Philadelphia!  It was my first time to the City of Brotherly Love and we had an amazing time.  We did everything from riding a carousel, to visiting the art museum, to splashing in the fountains.  While at the art museum, Lindsey and I found a package of fake mustaches in the gift shop.  We thought they were hysterical and, therefore, obviously had to buy them.  We decided that when we got to the train station to go home, we would wear them and just act like it was a normal thing to be doing.  We went into the bathroom, and after much deliberation, decided which ones we would wear.

As we walked out of the bathroom, we found it difficult to contain our laughter, but as long as we didn’t look at one another for too long we were able to walk around with the furry stickers attached to our upper lips.  I remember going to order a slice of pizza to bring with on the train and trying to pretend like I wasn’t wearing a mustache.  The young man behind the counter was laughing, and made a comment about how nice it was.  I almost lost it at this point, but we kept them on until we boarded the train and found our seats.

The looks that people gave us were priceless, as were the memories that we created during that trip.

Updates!Now on to the other topics!

Training is going well.  I feel more confident in my running and have not been sore, even after my strength training (ST) days.  I plan to up my mileage on my short run days and also increase the number of reps I do for my ST.  One of the benefits of my Anytime Fitness membership is free consultations with a personal trainer every 30 days.  I am hoping to schedule my next consultation when I go in tomorrow and will then adjust my training with their advice.

Fundraising is also going well!  We are over halfway towards our goal of $4,000 thanks to the generosity of our family and friends (and some well placed e-mails).  There’s no time like the present to donate!

I got mail today!!!

Mail time!

Fred’s Team sent me official donation envelopes as well as a note from one of the coordinators encouraging our efforts.  These envelopes are pre-paid and allow donations via check or credit card.  I’m hoping to work with some local businesses to be able to make these available to anyone who cannot donate online or wishes to use checks.

We should be getting our training shirts any day now AND we are going to be sent a couple bonus shirts.  Why, you ask?  Basically, because we’re awesome!

Last year, Lindsey and I were the 4th highest ranking fundraising team.  Fred’s Team wants us to continue this great effort and as such, we will have a couple extra shirts to give out.  Want one of these wonderful additions to your workout wardrobe? (See Matt?  You’re not the only one who can use alliteration. :P) You’ll just have to wait and find out more!

Scanxiety No More

Mark had his appointments on Tuesday, and we were both relieved to know that there is no cause for concern on his Octreotide scans.  There were a couple areas to look out for, but nothing to indicate a need for chemotherapy or any further treatment than what he’s currently receiving.  Everything is “stable”, which is the best we could possibly hope for.

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and positive thoughts.  Keep them coming!

I run, but does that make me a runner?

 

When I was younger I used to think that running was stupid (insert Gasp and appalled looks now) and I thought that no one could be happy running. I would look at people who were running with curiosity and wonder. Why were they running? Are they having fun running? Are they being chased, and if so by why? I once watched a man run in a category 3 hurricane! From the safety of my apartment window I openly mocked him, citing at least a dozen reason why he is insane and should be locked up. As I matured (a term my friends and family will use loosely) I found myself making excuses for not running. “My knees are weak”, “I’m not built for running” and my greatest excuse of all “treadmills kill people who don’t know how to use them properly.”

Image by collegehumor on her blog {link to http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6812146/guy-stumbles-on-treadmill-loses-pants/}

However I here by renounce my previous mocking, excuses and previous chastises.

Today I hit a milestone in my running that I feel needs sharing. Before I tell that story, I need to tell you a different story. For a long time several of my friends had been taking Brazilian Ju Jujitsu classes. My friends would rant and rave about how wonderful these classes would make them feel. I went to one class and to be honest I didn’t “feel” anything however I chalked it up to not being for me ( are you seeing a pattern?) and went on my way. More and more my friends would try and convince me that I was missing out on something wonderful and that I was worse for not partaking in it. This takes me to my current story. I woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I have been having trouble sleeping and honestly didn’t think I was going to make it to the gym for my second four mile run.  Around 3 I decided that I needed to go and resigned myself to suffer through it.  After a brief stretch and warmup I fell in to my routine, run six tenths a mile walk the rest and repeat each mile till I finish. Some where around mile 2.9 I decided to test the waters of this running thing and just run, no stopping. So I did, run for an entire mile and around mile 3.7 something really weird happened. I was filled with an intense calm as though I could  run forever. I suddenly started running faster and faster. I pushed hard and kept moving. I went beyond the four miles I had planned to at a much higher rate then I had planned to. I had tunnel vision, blocking out virtually everything that was around me and locking in on a single point in the room ( strangely I was staring at the nozzle of a spray bottle full of disinfectant). I was wearing head phones and I cant honestly tell you what I was listening to. This is what Im assuming people call the “runners high” and I liked it a lot. I felt amazing after I finally stopped (4.35) running and the feeling lasted for several hours after.

 

It wasn’t till I got home and settled down for work that I lost my inner calm and felt the fury that is Sunday night. As every teacher knows Sunday is not a day of rest but catchup on all of the work we should have done Saturday. Thankfully the cats are disrupting my work buy sitting on the keyboard, climbing on back and all around preventing my work from progressing as it should have.

 

Wifi enjoys distracting me with licks

 

Porkchop enjoys sitting on the keys till i type nonsense.

“his old life lay behind in the mists, dark adventure lay in front.”  ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

 

Fundraising Challenge

Alright, so now’s the time when I talk about the money.

I know, I know. Hearing about our attempts at training was way more exciting, but bear with me. There’s a carrot at the end of this stick.

We have had several wonderful and generous donators add to our total. The page shows we have $850 and then we have an additional $100 hidden away in the depths of cyberspace (otherwise known as my runners page). Our fundraising goal is $4,000. We need to get cracking!

I thought I’d give you an added incentive.

For every $1 donated between now and noon (EST) tomorrow, I will run 100 feet. Doesn’t sound like much, but that means a $50 donation will yield about one mile of running. I was planning to go 5 miles tomorrow, which would require $264 in donations. Now, I doubt we’ll get too much more than that in the next 24 hours, but just in case… I WON’T run more than 6 miles tomorrow, as I don’t want to risk injury. I WILL run every foot that is promised, however. I might just have to do some of it on Sunday too (which is normally a Strength Training or Rest day for me).

So, get on it! Donate here and remember that every cent you donate brings us closer to a world without cancer (and makes me have to sweat more!).

-Tish

Out of the mouths of babes (oft times come gems)

SOoo… Its Thursday and after last nights run my legs feel like cook pasta noodles.  As  I was walking my class to lunch today I found myself stopping to check my lines every 30 or so feet just to give myself a chance to stretch.  This is my least favorite part of working out vigorously two days in a row,  the sore muscles and aching feet.   I am going back to the gym tonight and I know that the treadmill will be glaring at me from the moment I step in the door.  Silently sending sinister stares straight at this stylishly suited scholar.  It is a mountain that I must climb once more.

the title of the post is Out of the mouths of babes (oft times come gems) because of something one of my students said to me during expressive arts today.  I was stretching out my shoulder when the student asked me if I was sore from running the race.  we started discussing the race in detail.  The student wanted to know how long it would take, what was the distance and they were particularly interested in the finish line. Specifically what prize I would get when I finished.  the student was stunned when I told them that there was not prize at the end, just the satisfaction and  the knowledge that I did something that i had previously deemed impossible.  The student told me “Mister, no disrespect but you crazy, aint nobody making me run no 13 miles for less then $500.” While a cash prize would be wonderful in these economically tough times I feel as though it would defeat the purpose of charity and raising money.

looking at my watch and I am reminded of  the millions of things I still need to do before my head gets to hit the pillow tonight  and running is the farthest from my mind.  I think ill only do a mile and call it.

Matt

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

 

Ps.  I am teaching figurative language this week can you spot all of them?  (simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, hyperbole and Idiom.)

Salad!

I ran a 5k today. I walked the first 5 minutes to warm up and all in all it took me just under 40 minutes. Not my best time, but not my worst either.

The gym was busy! Everyone who made their New Year’s Resolution, “I will exercise more!” showed up. I came out of the changing room and someone was just hopping off a treadmill. I decided to hop right on without stretching. I have a feeling I’ll regret that tomorrow!

I’m proud of myself, though, because I ran two days in a row! I have gone to the gym two days in a row (or more) plenty of times, but I don’t usually run two days in a row.

Yesterday, the plan was to run a 5K and today would be a cross training day. However, when I got to the gym yesterday Zumba was going on and I just couldn’t resist! I only ended up running for a half hour and it was half hearted. I decided to switch my schedule around so that I cross train on Tuesdays. Especially since next Tuesday is Cardio Kickboxing!

When I got home from the gym, I decided to have a salad for dinner. If you know me, you know how crazy it is that I ran AND had a salad in the same night. AND it wasn’t under duress! I’m making baby steps towards being healthy. Maybe there will come a day where I don’t crave chocolate covered pretzels at all times. I doubt it, but maybe!

What’s your favorite post-run meal?

-Tish

“Long” Run Day

Post-run Selfie!

Usually, my long runs come in Saturday. The snow we had on Thursday pushed everything back a bit, though.
I only ran 4 miles, which for many is not a long run, but it’s the longest I’ve gone in months. My plan is to up the long runs by a mile each week until the race. This SHOULD bring me up to speed in time.
I felt really good about my run. I will admit that I am training on a treadmill, which makes it a LOT easier. I put the incline up in an attempt to simulate running outside, but I know that when I do my first outdoor run (when the weather is a bit nicer) I’ll be in for a shock.
I did a brisk walk for 5 minutes to warm up and then ran at about 5 miles an hour for the remainder of the time. I’m focusing on endurance with my long runs, not speed. It took me just under an hour (50 minutes) to do the 4 miles. My personal goal for next weekend is to do 5 miles in one hour, including my warm up and cool down.
Has anyone else out there trained for a major race like this using a treadmill? Any other advice for me?

-Tish