Friday, February 20, 2009
Is Spring Ever Coming???
I realize that it is the end of February and that means we are still in the winter season for another month. However, does it have to be this darn cold outside??????? I have to own up to the fact that I have little to no desire to get up at 7:00am tomorrow and go to the GTS to run in 20 degree weather. Can't I sleep in a little longer and go workout in my nice, heated gym instead???? I mean seriously! Who can find fault with that??? (This is where you all send me hateful comments to get my butt out of bed, suck it up and go run tomorrow morning with my team!!!)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Darn Cold . . .
I have been delinquent in blogging because early last week I came down with a cold :-( Not feeling well coupled with temperatures in the teens put a damper on my training, and by the middle of last week I was either at work or chilling on my couch. I skipped last Saturday's GTS so I could sleep in, go to the doctor and make sure it was only a cold, and try and get better. I unfortunately didn't start feeling better until this past Monday so my training ramped back up with a group run Wednesday night that left from the Big Peach in Brookhaven.
Wednesday brought storms so it was pretty dark by the time we gathered for our run. Thank goodness I had the good sense to purchase a reflector vest at the running store because I ended up really needing it later! My coach told me to ease back in with a 2 mile run which I figured would be easy enough. Everyone else was running at least 3 miles so I knew I was going to be on my own for part of the run. My turn around point was the water stop so even though I had a map with me I didn't pay attention to it as I figured a water stop was a much easier marker to look for. It probably would have been if there actually had been a water stop! I ran, and ran, and ran some more, and thought it must just seem like a long way because I wasn't feeling 100% yet. There finally came a point that looked like it might be my turn around so I asked some girls behind me and they confirmed that indeed, it was. They instructed me to keep going and take my next right. Please remind me never to ask them for directions again! I did this and ended up on the darkest possible side street that you could find in all of Brookhaven (hence my need for a reflector vest). Thank goodness we were running in a country club neighborhood or I might have feared for my life! I ended up running into some teammates as I had looped back around to the main road I had been running on and they instructed me which way to go (since at that point I was utterly lost) and I was on my way. It wasn't until I was what felt like almost "home" when I stopped and checked the map. It was then that I realized that I still had a ways to go and that I had definitely ran further than the 2 mile turn around point. I was still on my own since everyone else was on a different route which didn't help either!
I finally made it back to the starting point and pulled out the map to see where I went wrong. I realized that I actually ran a revised version of the 3 mile route so I ran somewhere around 3.25 instead! So much for "easing back in!!!" Oh well, I survived! I then met with Rebecca who is one of the fundraising advisors and discussed some fundraising strategies. She LOVES to talk (she said so herself so I don't mind calling her out) and talk she did! I grabbed a piece of pizza to reward myself for my run and headed on my way. I was a bit sore yesterday (Thursday), but I feel pretty good today.
I have another GTS tomorrow morning which I plan on attending unless its 45 degrees outside and raining, as I DO NOT need to get sick again! Wish me luck!
Wednesday brought storms so it was pretty dark by the time we gathered for our run. Thank goodness I had the good sense to purchase a reflector vest at the running store because I ended up really needing it later! My coach told me to ease back in with a 2 mile run which I figured would be easy enough. Everyone else was running at least 3 miles so I knew I was going to be on my own for part of the run. My turn around point was the water stop so even though I had a map with me I didn't pay attention to it as I figured a water stop was a much easier marker to look for. It probably would have been if there actually had been a water stop! I ran, and ran, and ran some more, and thought it must just seem like a long way because I wasn't feeling 100% yet. There finally came a point that looked like it might be my turn around so I asked some girls behind me and they confirmed that indeed, it was. They instructed me to keep going and take my next right. Please remind me never to ask them for directions again! I did this and ended up on the darkest possible side street that you could find in all of Brookhaven (hence my need for a reflector vest). Thank goodness we were running in a country club neighborhood or I might have feared for my life! I ended up running into some teammates as I had looped back around to the main road I had been running on and they instructed me which way to go (since at that point I was utterly lost) and I was on my way. It wasn't until I was what felt like almost "home" when I stopped and checked the map. It was then that I realized that I still had a ways to go and that I had definitely ran further than the 2 mile turn around point. I was still on my own since everyone else was on a different route which didn't help either!
I finally made it back to the starting point and pulled out the map to see where I went wrong. I realized that I actually ran a revised version of the 3 mile route so I ran somewhere around 3.25 instead! So much for "easing back in!!!" Oh well, I survived! I then met with Rebecca who is one of the fundraising advisors and discussed some fundraising strategies. She LOVES to talk (she said so herself so I don't mind calling her out) and talk she did! I grabbed a piece of pizza to reward myself for my run and headed on my way. I was a bit sore yesterday (Thursday), but I feel pretty good today.
I have another GTS tomorrow morning which I plan on attending unless its 45 degrees outside and raining, as I DO NOT need to get sick again! Wish me luck!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
3 Miles Down, 10.1 to Go!!!!
Yay! I managed to overcome a bull riding neck injury (thats a story for another time) and get up at 7:00am this morning to attend my first TnT Group Training Session (GTS). We had a coaches clinic from 8-9:00am that covered a variety of things including the lovely running topics of bloody nipples and peeing in the woods. After that we warmed up, stretched, and then headed on a 3 mile run. I've only been running 2 miles this past week so I was slightly nervous that the extra mile might be an issue, but I was dead wrong. The 3 miles was a breeze! I ran with the two girls I met Tuesday night, and another chick joined us also. I think that discussing the woman who just have octuplets while already having 6 kids really helped the time fly by. I can easily see Saturday GTSs becoming a free weekly therapy session ;-)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Get the Ball Rolling . . .
Hello, and welcome to my blog! I created this blog because A. a ton of my friends have a blog and I feel left out, and B. I decided to sign up for a half marathon while raising over $4,000, and I thought this might be a good way to share my journey with all of my "supporters" and also have something to look back on one day.
This year I made a New Years Resolution to better myself, mind, body and soul. This is no small task I might add ;-) However, through divine intervention a brochure arrived in my mail a few days after the New Year. The brochure is the whole reason for this blog. It was from Team in Training (which will be referred to as TnT going forward), and it advertised an incredible journey, a chance to meet amazing people, a chance to go beyond your limits, all while raising money to wipe cancer off the face of the planet. Enticing, isn't it? I thought so too! This was exactly what I was looking for! The half marathon in Seattle option peaked my interested immediately. I could lose the extra pounds I recently put on, keep myself out of trouble since alcohol and training for half marathons don't mix, and join a group of people who are making a difference.
My first step was to attend an informational meeting which occurred on January 14th. All of the TnT representatives seemed really cool, and they each had their own personal story about why they joined . . . obviously some were more emotional than others. At the end of the meeting I was totally jazzed to join and start training, but also freaking out a little bit. Signing up for 13.1 miles is not the same as a 2 or 3 mile run that I usually do on my own. The fundraising goal also scared me a bit. Four thousand dollars? In this economy? I slept on it and decided that this in deed was EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Nothing good in life comes easy. The bigger the challenge, the better the reward!
I was notified that my fundraising website was ready the following afternoon and I attacked that thing like it was the plague. I had Facebooked (I know thats not a word, but I'm sure you all know what I mean) over 100 people by that night soliciting donations. My first two donations came in immediately and I was stoked. The following days I spent compiling different lists of people and figuring out what other events I could organize to reach my fundraising goal. Within a week and a half I was at the $500 mark and feeling a little more confident that I could reach my goal.
Last night was the TnT kick-off meeting. All of the summer event participants gathered at the Holiday Inn in Dunwoody to meet each other, and to get pumped up for training to officially begin. I met one of my mentors, Andrew, who seemed really cool, and two of my teammates, Sarah and Bridget, who also seemed really cool. They had a little fashion show to showcase all of the cool TnT apparel you will receive through out training depending on which event you signed up for: marathon, adventure race, bicycle race, hiking, triathlon. Of course no cancer fundraising event is without tears and a few of those were shed as one veteran told their story. All in all, I am REALLY excited to start officially training and to get this show on the road. Saturday morning at 8:00am I will be freezing my tooshie off (per the weather forecast at the moment) on my first team run. Thank goodness its only going to be 2-3 miles and I ran 2 miles the other night to return a DVD so I know I'm good for at least the first few weeks!!!!
More to come as the adventure continues . . .
Oh yes . . . and my website in case you want to track my progress:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/rnrseatl09/aweaver1tv
And, before I forget, a very special shout-out and THANK YOU to everyone who has donated thus far!! It brightens my day SO MUCH to get a notification that I've received another donation!
This year I made a New Years Resolution to better myself, mind, body and soul. This is no small task I might add ;-) However, through divine intervention a brochure arrived in my mail a few days after the New Year. The brochure is the whole reason for this blog. It was from Team in Training (which will be referred to as TnT going forward), and it advertised an incredible journey, a chance to meet amazing people, a chance to go beyond your limits, all while raising money to wipe cancer off the face of the planet. Enticing, isn't it? I thought so too! This was exactly what I was looking for! The half marathon in Seattle option peaked my interested immediately. I could lose the extra pounds I recently put on, keep myself out of trouble since alcohol and training for half marathons don't mix, and join a group of people who are making a difference.
My first step was to attend an informational meeting which occurred on January 14th. All of the TnT representatives seemed really cool, and they each had their own personal story about why they joined . . . obviously some were more emotional than others. At the end of the meeting I was totally jazzed to join and start training, but also freaking out a little bit. Signing up for 13.1 miles is not the same as a 2 or 3 mile run that I usually do on my own. The fundraising goal also scared me a bit. Four thousand dollars? In this economy? I slept on it and decided that this in deed was EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Nothing good in life comes easy. The bigger the challenge, the better the reward!
I was notified that my fundraising website was ready the following afternoon and I attacked that thing like it was the plague. I had Facebooked (I know thats not a word, but I'm sure you all know what I mean) over 100 people by that night soliciting donations. My first two donations came in immediately and I was stoked. The following days I spent compiling different lists of people and figuring out what other events I could organize to reach my fundraising goal. Within a week and a half I was at the $500 mark and feeling a little more confident that I could reach my goal.
Last night was the TnT kick-off meeting. All of the summer event participants gathered at the Holiday Inn in Dunwoody to meet each other, and to get pumped up for training to officially begin. I met one of my mentors, Andrew, who seemed really cool, and two of my teammates, Sarah and Bridget, who also seemed really cool. They had a little fashion show to showcase all of the cool TnT apparel you will receive through out training depending on which event you signed up for: marathon, adventure race, bicycle race, hiking, triathlon. Of course no cancer fundraising event is without tears and a few of those were shed as one veteran told their story. All in all, I am REALLY excited to start officially training and to get this show on the road. Saturday morning at 8:00am I will be freezing my tooshie off (per the weather forecast at the moment) on my first team run. Thank goodness its only going to be 2-3 miles and I ran 2 miles the other night to return a DVD so I know I'm good for at least the first few weeks!!!!
More to come as the adventure continues . . .
Oh yes . . . and my website in case you want to track my progress:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/rnrseatl09/aweaver1tv
And, before I forget, a very special shout-out and THANK YOU to everyone who has donated thus far!! It brightens my day SO MUCH to get a notification that I've received another donation!
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