Week 3: rainy thoughts and 8 miles!

So week three went pretty well, despite fighting what has become a very nasty shin splint! My ice wrap has been getting a lot of use lately!

My Wednesday run was 4 miles in the rain. It's funny how in just a few short weeks, rain has gone from something I avoided at all costs to something I run in without a second thought! The rain and overall gloomy weather seemed appropriate though, as I had just heard about a friend of a friend's daughter losing her battle with leukemia, and a co-worker's son being diagnosed with cancer. I thought of both of them on my run.

My shin was not particularly happy but managed to hold out. Toward the end of my run, I had this moment where I started thinking about the sadness of the day and how the rain hitting me was a lot like tears. I pictured every drop hitting me to be a tear from a person who was affected by cancer, and realized that even adding them all together over the course of the run would come nowhere near the number of people battling cancer in the world right now. I let their tears help me get through the run and finished strong.

Saturday's run was almost 8.5 miles. I was nervous about my shin but gave it a shot, wearing a brace for support and trying to stay away from heel striking, and surprisingly got through with barely any pain at all!

We also started trying out some running fuel at our second water stop, with the option of gels or chews. I tried out the chews, thinking the texture might be less gross, but the ones they had were so chewy my jaw hurt! I'm definitely sucking it up and trying a gel next time.

Week four has not started well -- after a rough day, my two-mile recovery run involved exhaustion, pain and even blood! I had a ton of plans for around the house tonight but my body is telling me that just won't be possible. I can only hope the week will get better from here!

25 percent!

Rolling out of bed at 6:30 this morning came a little easier than it did last week. I'm hoping it's a trend, but knowing me, I'm not getting my hopes up! I will never be a morning person, even if I try to pretend for the next few months!

Today's route was almost 6.5 miles, which is just about 25 percent of the full marathon! My GPS app failed me again, this time for crashing about halfway through my run. I think my phone may have a tougher time getting through this marathon than I will.

Like last week, the mileage wasn't a big deal at all. Honestly, I think my mid-week runs were tougher, even though they were shorter. I've yet to find a teammate who runs at the same pace as me, but I'm still thinking that being part of a team helps to make the runs go better. I have water stops to look forward to, and friends at the end. When I'm on my own I have to be completely self-motivated because there's nobody looking out for me!

Next weekend's run will be on Saturday because the coaches need to be at the Fairfield Half Marathon on Sunday to support some of our team members. It'll be an 8-mile run, and our coach said we'll get an introduction to gels. I just started getting into Gatorade, so I'm swiftly transitioning into the serious stuff!

Thanks to my week 2 sponsor, Bertera Subaru of Hartford! My husband Blaine got a new Subaru Forester from them a few weeks ago and they were kind enough to make a donation when they heard about the cause.

Unofficial fundraising total is $956.52!

Why I do this

Every day, I talk about my marathon efforts to anyone and everyone around me, spreading the word about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Team In Training program. And yet, there are always people who look at me with that facial expression that could only mean one thing: they think I'm crazy.

Am I crazy? Quite possibly so, but I'd like to think I'm at least crazy with a purpose. The pain I'm feeling today as I continue to recover from my first long run is nothing compared to the pain of someone being treated for cancer. It's not going to kill me and can get better with some combination of ice, heat or Advil.

Runner's World magazine highlights Team In Training in their July issue, on newsstands now. The main article, which looks at Team In Training from the perspective of a participant from Oregon, truly resonated with me.

"Becoming a runner has let me understand cancer better," she finally says as we hit the turnaround and begin our descent. "If you have cancer, if someone you love has it, even if you're just a grunt like me--it's all a long march. It's not going to be over in a day. During the toughest miles, you find out you're all alone, but at the same time, you feel incredibly connected. You learn that you're capable of doing things you never could have imagined."

This is why I run.

20.6 percent!

Today's run ended up being 5.39 miles! The exact distance is courtesy of my GPS-tracking teammates, because I couldn't get my app to lock down my location this morning. There were five of us there to train for a full marathon, and while we all ran at very different speeds, just knowing there were others out on the road with me and a coach at the halfway point was motivating.

The distance itself was surprisingly easy. I used my heart rate monitor to ensure I was keeping a decent pace, and probably could have kept going. That was definitely an encouraging feeling! I'm proud of myself for surviving and for training myself well enough to be able to handle the challenge!

I am dealing with a little shin pain, which I fear is a recurrence of the shin splint I had a few months ago. I didn't feel anything until the last mile or so, and the pain was fairly mild, so I'm hoping I'll be fine with some icing and rest. I also learned today that asphalt is softer than concrete sidewalks, so I'm going to make sure I'm sticking to the road as much as possible from now on! On my run today, I had to cut to the sidewalk a few times for safety and definitely felt a difference.

So week 1 is complete! Thanks so much to my pre-training and week 1 supporters:

• The Green Teahouse
• Mom & Dad #2 (Blaine's parents)
• My brother, Joe Haefele
• Grandma Haefele
• Aunt Ann Haefele
• The Rocktaschel family
• Wayne and Julie Crawford
• Tricia Hamlin
• Doug Walters
• Sergey Katsev
• Brian Abraham
• All my CT friends who have "purchased" some of Ed Stuart's homemade wine
• Everyone who has bought some of my matcha (green tea) cookies

Unofficial total raised so far -- including this weekend's cookie sales -- is $756.52! You are amazing! ♥

Number jitters

This week was the official start of training, but until now, it didn't "feel" like the start. My runs this week were 3 miles, the same as I've been running for a few weeks now. The only thing the schedule did was make sure I didn't make any excuses to get out of a run. I even ran in 90+ degree heat (slowly, with lots of water)!

Tomorrow marks my first long run of 5 miles. The number scares me a little, even though I'm at the point now where I stop at 3 and feel like I could keep going. I'm sure I'll make it, but there's this small part of me that's somehow convinced that once I get to 3.5 miles, my body will explode/melt/disintegrate/spontaneously combust, because in my mind, I am not a runner.

And yet, all signs should tell me otherwise. I have a home screen on my phone dedicated to music and my GPS app for running. I have a heart rate monitor, an Armpocket, a Camelbak, running shoes, special insoles and a special way to wear my headphones so they don't fall out of my ears when I run (I wrap the cord up and behind my ears). Ten minutes ago, I realized I needed to wash a load of athletic wear — I have enough workout clothes to fill a washer. And tomorrow, I'm going to get up earlier than I would for work — on a Sunday — to run with my team. I'm already starting to get ready for bed on a Saturday night!

I'm not even through week one and this experience has already changed me. I am truly excited for the weeks ahead, and so very thankful for those who have already made a donation to support my efforts. Thank you so much for believing in me and in this cause. We are making a difference!

30:25

So yesterday was the first big day of the year: the Race for the Cure! Admittedly, I wasn't particularly thrilled with getting up even earlier than a typical workday on the weekend, but it was for a good cause with great friends. :)

Here we are, ready for the race!

I didn't think it was worth paying extra for a timing chip, so I just used the GPS app on my phone to get my approximate time. The end result: 30:25!

This is definitely faster than I usually run. I'm a competitive person, so I think I got caught up in the whole "race" thing! I was breathing pretty heavily toward the end, but at least I didn't need a medic. :)

I also started to learn the secret of drinking out of a paper cup while moving: squeezing the top. I had to have been hilarious to watch at the first water stop, when I got more water ON me than IN me, even when I slowed down!

Overall, the race really helped me feel good about where I'm currently at as a runner. And I love that I can now run 3 miles without being sore the next day!

This coming week, I have three, 3-mile runs to do on my own before my first long training run as a team on Sunday morning. I just saw that the coach made the meetup a half hour EARLIER, as if it wasn't early enough — I guess I should say goodbye to sleeping in for a while!

What a gorgeous day!

I'm definitely becoming more of an outdoor runner. The weather this evening was beautiful -- sunny yet somewhat cool, and a little breezy -- and I quickly realized it was perfect for my last run before the 5k! Hopefully the weather will be just as great on Saturday. I definitely felt a lot more motivated!

The reservoir trails were almost a little crowded today, probably because everyone felt as motivated as I did. I was passed by a few runners, which discouraged me a little bit at first. I had to take a moment and remind myself that back in January, I couldn't run a mile straight at ANY pace without a break, so slow or otherwise, I'm still doing well. Then I saw one of the passing runners taking a break every minute to walk and catch her breath, while I slowly caught up to and passed her. It's terrible of me to admit, but passing her later made me smile a little bit. I felt like the slow and steady turtle, winning the race. :)

Local friends, please mark your calendars for August 10th! I'm excited to announce that I'm partnering with Umi Sushi for a Tastes & Toasts event in Blue Back Square (West Hartford Center). For those unfamiliar, during the summer, the restaurants of Blue Back Square pair up with great charities every Wednesday night. For a $10 donation, you get great deals at Umi, Besito, The Counter, Fleming's, Moe's, Uncorked and Rizzuto's. The restaurants take turns "hosting" a charity, and Umi has agreed to pair up with LLS! And even better, there will be some great live music from Lipbone Redding in the courtyard right across from Umi!

Everyone who knows me is very well-aware that Umi is my absolute favorite restaurant in town, so I can't wait for what will be a wonderful evening. More details to come!

Last week of lazy!

I haven't posted in a while — I've been super-busy with other life stuff, but not quite so much on training. In some ways, it's on purpose, because it's my last week before marathon training starts, and I'm planning to run my first full official 5k on Saturday morning! I'll be participating in Hartford's Komen Race for the Cure.

Crossing the finish line on Saturday is going to mean a lot to me. I've only attempted one other race before, a few years ago, and walked almost half of it. I'm confident I can run the entire distance this time, which will prove to me that I'm in the best shape of my life and ready to take the next step!

Next week starts the real marathon training, which both excites and scares me a little. I'm fine with the mid-week runs, but even the first long run is more than I've ever done before. I'm trying not to think about it for now. :)