Taper Time!

Well, the season is drawing to close! It's been long, successful, busy, fulfilling, injury riddled and AMAZING! I reached my goal of $1000 and went over a bit but it's not too late to donate: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl09/awestwood, the team is trying to reach $1,000,000. Right now we are at $730,000.

I battled through shin splints and a cortisone injection in my foot this week, but those aches and pains are minimal compared to what a patient goes through when being treated with chemo and radiation. Especially children. Each time I think of Tyler and what his family went through as well as past honored teammates I strap on the sneaks and don't even think about the twinges of pain I'm surely just imagining.

Saturday's run was beautiful. It was at Seward Park on the shores of Lake Washington, the sun was shining, run start was a balmy 60F. My goal for the day was 18 miles if I was going to hope to complete the full marathon. So I set out at a brisk walk hoping against hope that my injuries would cooperate and allow me to do some running. This whole journey I've taken my cues and inspirations from the Universe! Starting with whether or not I should even do it. Each time I decided no, something happened to make me rethink and eventually I couldn't say no. Each time I thought I couldn't get the distance in I did! Since I started running 2 years ago I have not put this much distance in and I'm looking forward to another year of running and tri-training.

When I got to the top of the hill abutting the lake, the second team water-stop, I just took a minute and soaked in my surroundings. The sparkling lake was backdropped with an amazing view of Mt. Rainier to the south and in the way distance Mt. Baker. On the lake were rowers and yachters and it was just a breath-taking view. I was feeling strong and capable, and running of all things. As I hadn't "run" in weeks I didn't challenge myself beyond 1 minute walk/run intervals and it was working amazingly well. I got out to the point where the coaches told us to turn around before my half way point, which meant as long as I got back to the park with 40-45 minutes to spare I'd be very close to my 18 miles. I was exuberant! The trek back was feeling good and mind you I'm now 3-3.5 hours in and my body finally starts communicating to my mind. It was a good rehearsal for race day when I hit the wall at 20 or so miles. My legs started tightening up and you would have thought I'd stolen a couple off a mannequin by the time I finished (which I'm still feeling today with no doubt). The Universe sent me some company about 3 hours in and boy was that welcome. Great distraction that I most definately needed and it left me to reflect on my last 40 or so minutes. Which was my second trek around the park. My final distance was 17.7 miles and I still had two minutes to spare. I got a burger made by the amazing Skip and soaked waist deep in Lake Washington while chowing down. Having met my goal I'm now ready to start the tapering phase, allowing my body to heal and relax waiting for the big day!

I COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR WITHOUT YOUR DONATIONS & SUPPORT!

GO TEAM!

Very Delayed Training Update

Many apologies for the week's of no posting. But there's lotsa good news for this post!

1. The "Team" this summer has raised $667,420 to date! How amazingly awesome is that? 400+ of us recommitted to Seattle RNR and we'll be putting on shoes for the race. My goal of $1000 has unofficially been met, still waiting on a matching donation to go through. We need more funds though so you can still donate at my fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl09/awestwood.

2. Training in OK was amazing too. I got some awesome runs in of durations I never expected and almost met my 125 mile goal for the month. Unfortunately I seem to have overtrained and am now battling shinsplints. Coach Shelby says he can "dig it out" which worries me a little but I'm looking forward to finishing this marathon and hope to put in a reasonable time (for me that is).

I was riding my bike today and reflecting on this morning's mission moment delivered by Jackson. He lost his father to a blood disorder and was on an opposite coast from him during his illness. He joined Team in Training to do something positive to help other's like his dad. He related that when he got the call that his father passed away he laced up and headed out for a run. When he got to his run destination there was a "Team" there preparing for a training run, so he connected with them and mourned with "family" that morning. After having not trained with the team in several weeks I was eager to get back there this morning and Jackson's story really struck a cord with me. I personally have lost one person relatively close to me to a blood disorder. It more affected my mom than anyone else in the family as it was her best friend. When I joined TNT it was really for more selfish reasons. I needed a motivator to lose weight and I figured I could fundraise for a good cause at the same time. I figured if I was going to get something out of it I should give back. I did raise the money and didn't lose the weight but I finally realized today the many more things I did get. I've completed a marathon and not just one but two, also I've completed three half marathons and am now considering doing a triathlon. I've been known to be a "quitter" when things get tough. I think more than anyone I expected to quit running too. If you follow my training stats that would certainly seem the case. 2008 stunk as far as mileage goes. But 2009 was a bit of a renaissance for me. Training is great, I'm biking to work and I have an extended "family" that I don't think I really connected with until this year. It's been great seeing everyone on Saturday's and I'm really blessed with the new connections I've made: Stacey, Heather, Alexxx, Amy, Kim, Rebecca and getting to know Gerb better, just to name a few. The fellowship really centers a person and makes you realize why we do this. I've gained more than the $10,000 plus I've raised in friendship, fitness and motivation. I've learned that the only limitations I have are the ones I put on myself and over the years I've put "a Lot" of limitations on myself. So if you believe there's something you can't accomplish then you're probably right, but not for the reasons you think. You can accomplish whatever you set out too as long as you set out to accomplish it.

GO TEAM!

Wine, wine, wine, all you do is Brew...

So this week's run was in Columbia Valley Wine Country and we started from Redhook Brewery. Temps were okay at 45-50F and the rain managed to wait until the end of the run. One thing I forgot about this trail..it's abutted by a river and so there tends to be a lot of slugs, especially when it rains, which was apropos as I was feeling very sluggish today. As the fam was already at Grandma's for Easter I was home alone and the peace of the house plus the warm bed sure made it a challenge to rise at 545am on Saturday, but I did it and boy was I glad that I did...and why do you ask (I'm sure you were going to)? Because today the coaches and mentors planned something really cool. And had it not rained I would have tried to get some pics but alas was not in the cards...anywhoo, the really cool thing they did today was the Mission Mile. And what is this you ask? I'll tell you...for the first mile of our run today we walked in silence and on the trail was inscribed the names of all those we were running for. It was a bit overwhelming to see all the names on the trail and to think about the battles these people had to fight to survive and those that had to fight only to lose. It was a very humbling journey and made me feel lucky to be able to be there doing what I am doing to raise awareness and money. Speaking of money, I'm very close to my minimum goal of $1000. If you haven't had an opportunity yet to donate please go to my page at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl09/awestwood

Otherwise as far as training goes, lately has been really awesome. I've been managing to get good recovery runs in on Sundays. During the week I've been managing to get up before work on Tuesday and Thursday when I've been getting just over 4 miles in. It's really affected my energy and I'm looking forward to sticking with this for awhile. I get my hill workouts in on Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm hoping to get a good morning run in and then walk in the evening with Pam, one of our mentors. Wednesdays hopefully I can start getting a run in at lunch with the running club at work. Tuesdays I do yoga at lunch with the yoga club and its been great! Look forward to another long run with the team next Saturday, then we head out to Oklahoma for a two week visit.

Urban Running

So today we trekked into Seattle and started our run from Gasworks Park. I had never been there before and was eager to see it. As we started from the parking lot though, I had to do my sight seeing post run.

The day was absolutely amazingly beautiful. After nearly a week of rain which I think was contributing to my bad attitude (well along with the PMS) it was awesome to see the sunshine. Even though I was up before the sun, I had a beautiful drive in and was teezing fritties before we got started, it didn't take long to find a rhythm, settle in and enjoy the Pacific Northwest on a sunny day. The most amazing news was that our meager team of 600 has raised nearly $400,000 to date so we've nearly reached our goal of half a million. We're still not there though so if you've yet to make your donation it's not too late (http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl09/awestwood).

As for me personally, I'm experiencing my best season to date. The training is going amazingly well (I logged almost 75 miles last month, a new record) and I've started the weekday attempts at early rising to get my runs in pre-work so I have more energy during the day and more time in the evening with my family. So far I've managed to get one in, mostly because I couldn't fathom running first thing in the morning with dumping buckets of rain on me on Thursday. This week though, the goal is Tuesday am run (so I can yoga with my boss at lunch) and Thursday am run (so I can walk with one of the mentors in the pm). April's goal is 125 miles!

The fundraising though has also been fantastic! I'm bonding with my teammates on a new level and meeting some truly amazing people. This morning as I was running I encountered Stu. He came up behind me with the traditional "GO TEAM" and we proceeded to swap event histories and such. I asked him how many marathons he'd done and he told me a staggering 26. 26, I couldn't believe it! So you must assume he's a fellow in his mid 50's who got started early on but you'd be wrong. He's 76 and he didn't start running until he was 47. The guy left me in the dust. He was totally awesome and paced with me for awhile.

I've included some photos from today's run from the park and surrounding area. I didn't take my camera with me and I didn't have it in me to go back out on the course to take some shots but these are still pretty cool and hopefully entertaining.

GO TEAM!

Catching up with the pack

Well, I've been a bit remiss in my blogging concerning my training, mostly because I wanted it to be all sunshine and roses...now I'm realizing it's more like sunshine and rain (like the WA weather) or peaks & valleys may be a more apt description.

As far as running goes March has been amazing...my distance is picking up, the runs are starting to feel effortless and comfortable (only took 2 years). I attribute that to the weight loss but also to finally embracing what the running can do for me mentally. If I don't run for several days, I start to get anxious and tense, snappy and such. Two weeks ago I didn't blog because while the run was actually really great, my attitude pretty much bit it. The trail was nice, the team was great, the weather was decent, but wow, I had a bad attitude. I decided to blog about it after all simply because I imagine this must be what going through chemo is about. You may feel like the treatment went well and you had a good visit, but by the end of the day you're puking up your guts and feeling like a nuclear bomb went off inside of you. So I decided to shield the bad training days and just be completely honest about it all. That being said, this was a lazy week. I managed to get a great run in on Sunday last week that made up for the poopy Saturday run. I ran at lunch on Tuesday which was AWESOME! I'm hoping to do more of that this week. I intended to go on my long run this week...so prepared, everything laid out the night before...but I woke up at 4:30am which was an hour early, already in a mood and surprisingly (gasp) it was raining. So I turned off the alarm and decided a week to sleep in was in order...However, today the sun is shining and I'm looking forward to a good long run.

As for the fundraising, it's going great! We're at an official $700 and there is another $122 waiting to be deposited this week. That's more than 80% of our goal, but we're not there yet. We still need your help! Even if it's just $5, every little bit helps!

Peaceful Bliss

I encountered something much unexpected on this week's run...I had an epiphany. For two years I've been running and training with the TEAM, but I've always used my iPod, especially on the long runs. As the team is against iPods this season, I've been adhering to the request of no music or audiobooks and trying to enjoy the team. And today I did.

I just let my mind roam free and easy and my run was amazing! And for me to say that of today's run must mean it truly was because outside it was: 1) 40F degrees, 2) raining non-stop, and 3) on a gravelly trail. My socks were soaked through before the run even started and it took a good 20 minutes before I could feel my toes again. But once I got warmed up and hit my stride, I really didn't even realize I was trekking. The scenery was nice, typical Pacific Northwest but I was able to just reflect and occasionally visit with others when I got passed or came upon some walkers.

Our mission moment was short and sweet this morning, basically, "yes its wet & cold & rainy but you could be doing chemo instead." Nothing like a reality check right? But I did have a chance to think about why I was out at 645am on a rainy Saturday morning and the conclusion was because I could. And because I could and did, someone was getting their medication paid for, enduring a chemo treatment they might not have been able to afford or that might not have even been developed yet; a child was winning their battle and a family had a network of people that understood what they were going through. All because I was running in the rain and raising money in my sparetime.

So this week's blog is short and sweet, but very to the point. Without this Society and all it does to find new cures, aid patients in getting the ones that are available and provide support and a network to families, many more would succumb to blood cancers and their related illnesses. Many children would be without their parents, many parents would be without their children and many of us would not get to experience the joy that these people would bring to the world.

In this context think about what something as little as $5 would mean, can you spare it? Before you buy your next Monster or Red Bull or Mickey D's cheeseburger, think about what you could be doing to save someone's life. To give to the cause, please visit my website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl09/awestwood.

You could be the difference in the next great cure!

Runner's High

So today is the 6th official week of training and we have raised...wait for it...$221,000! Even in this time of economic uncertainty the charitable nature of the human race is not uncertain...we continue to break records.

The past two seasons I have participated I have really focused on the running, more so on the healing as last season ended up just being a "get through it" run. So I'm trying a new tactic this season, just lay back and enjoy the ride. The fellowship has been great, hanging out with old friends and making new ones.

I expected today's run to kinda suck as it was snowing on my drive in but once we decided to hit the trail, the rain and snow stopped so that we could get our 110 minutes in and there was the tease of sunshine in the distance. Unfortunately the sun was distant and as we were visiting and enjoying a fantastic "Breakfast by Skip" the snow picked up again.

I didn't plug in for today's run and just enjoyed the atmosphere and the sights...the company of the other TNT'ers and the beauty of Washington. I can't wait for next week's run.

This weeks mission moment was two part:

• Sara English - one of our captains, shared her personal story of Lymphoma with us. It is really enlightening when the person running alongside you turns to you and thanks you for being there because their life was saved due to the many funds raised by this organization.
• Another member shared her story of how a little boy was laying his mom to rest today because she was unable to fight off her blood cancer. There was a fair amount of tears going around the group as she read the letter that her 8 year old niece wrote to the little boy telling him how sorry she was that his mommy was gone.

I'm thankful for every week that I walk away from practice that I have the ability to be there and foment change. I had a runner's high today that I'm still riding hours later that didn't come from the physical run itself, but from the fellowship that I encountered today. It was 40F, snow/raining and on the water but we had 50 people show up to run together to show their committment and solidarity to raising money to support blood cancer research and patient services. So to those of you that have donated or have contributed in some other way, I say thank you and know that you personally are touching lives.

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