Team In Training

On Saturday April 19th at 10:30 am in Tacoma there is a Team in Training meeting. Team in Training is a fundraising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Basically they have volunteer coaches who train you over 4-5 months for walking or running half or full marathons, triathlons or other races. While you train they help set you up with a website where you raise money for research for blood cancers. If anyone wants to join me the meeting is at the Wheelock Library, room 2, 3722 N 26th St. So if you want to go, let me know!

31 March...Happy 5 months Moni!

I'm glad that all my classes are later so I can run in the morning. My run was kinda meh today. I ran from my apartment complex down 104th ave. The run I usually do around Kent goes from my complex down 240th street. The run down 240th is nice because it goes from the apartment complexes to beautiful suburbia with great views of the cascades. The run this morning...ehhh not so much. I ran down 104th forgetting that I'm not in Germany anymore and rush hour isn't at 9 am in this country. So it was like running behind a giant muffler the entire time. Where I live isn't the prettiest neighborhood but damn. I saw abandoned homes and graffiti everywhere. On part of the run there's this really busy bridge and there's no way to cross the street for 2 blocks. I saw the pedestrian path to cross it...this narrow path, mostly overgrown goes under the bridge. Creepy, I'm happy that I didn't have to cross the street. The sidewalks were overgrown and the whole run was kind of sad and creepy. Lots of houses falling apart and trashed lawns. So I mapped out another run on the route that I like around here. Trial and error I guess. Today was 4.5 miles and tomorrow is an easy 3. I think I'm gonna try to do the 7 miler this weekend. I know I can do fine on the half with skipping the 10 miler if I have to.

Iron Girl

I added a link to Iron Girl Seattle for the ladies. It looks like it will be lots of fun so check out the site. Oh and I checked out the site for Tacoma City Marathon last night. 10k can be walked if need be and strollers are allowed on 10k so if you want to bring Moni then that's cool. Have a great day!

This weekend's run

K guys...here's the deal. I mapped out two runs for next week to correspond with both training schedules. I don't know what Dad and I are doing seeing as we have drill. If we run from Mom's I already know how we're going to do it, but depending on how things turn out for drill weekend I might just do it on Friday up here in Kent. I mapped out two simple out and backs.

4 miles

• Start across the street from Mom's
• Turn left at Center Dr.
• Continue on Center Dr. until you reach Powerline Dr. (you might want to stay on the left side of Center Dr.)

7 miles

• Start across the street from Mom's and turn Left.
• Follow sidewalk down to where it turns into a bike path.
• Turn around at Hoffman Hill Blvd.
• Run to Center Dr.
  
• Cross Center Dr. and turn left
• Run until Center Drive ends and turn around
• Finish at Mom's

I think Neil and I are staying down with Mom (if that's cool) so we could do it that weekend but it will be tough. I might even suggest that half training does a 3 mile pace run and the 10k stick to the 4 mile plan. If we do the lesser training we'll all be able to run together. Laura, you can still make it but it's gonna be tough. We have about 6 weeks till the race and if we can get you up to 5 miles by then it shouldn't be bad. I just need to know how far you can run at a time. If you can do a two miler then we're in business. If you can't now then we'll have to just work harder. You can still do it! I talked to Neil and he said he'll coach you on form and how to pace yourself.

Oh yeah and if we do the 3 miler use the route that I posted earlier.
Much Love!

6 Miles

Today was a good run. Although I was really worried about Dad for the most of it. I love you Dad but your form today was scary. I took a few walk breaks but I ran at a good pace so I didn't really need them. My hill at the end was a tough one, but I enjoyed it. I'm a total glutton for punishment. My ankle was a little sore at first, then by 1 mile it was throbbing, a little after two it was a dull ache and by the end felt fine. Although I felt really bad about it, the week I took off seemed to make it a lot better. As usual I was super high on endorphins by mile 2:) I cannot believe the weather actually cleared up for our run! That was awesome! We can only hope that we're this lucky again but we probably won't be. The really tough long runs are coming up. Next week for the half training says a 7 miler. I'll map out a run going from Mom's. 10k training calls for a 4-miler. Great Job today. I'll see what I can do for mapping them out and post it in a bit. Much love!

Today's Run

When I got up this morning, I was alternately dreading and looking forward to my run this afternoon. This stubborn ankle is giving me problems, and even the brace is only partially helpful. I can walk OK, but the extremes of dorsiflexion and repeated impact are painful every step of the way. I took antiinflammatories and acetaminophen prior to leaving, which helped some.

Having said all that, I'm glad I went. Annetta ran her route with Lucy, and Megan and I did a course that rolled through residential neighborhoods and around one of the main roads in town, and finishes with a long hill back to the house, nearly a mile of upslope. Although the day was initially cloudy with scattered showers, the sun came out just as we started, and stayed out for the entire run. I did hurt for most of the run, and had to walk a few times, but even my cold didn't affect my endurance. Normally, I finish 6 miles a little faster than Megan, but this afternoon, she was well ahead of me, and I stopped at 5.3 miles instead of doing the last loop with Meggles.

Regardless of the hurt, I have to keep working the ankle and work on endurance, since the half marathon is on May 10th. I think we have at least one 10k and another run on the fort prior to the half. I have that damned thing about DNF: Dead Last Finish beats Did Not Finish, which beats Did Not Start.

Music during the run: Drunken Lullabies, by Flogging Molly. Nothing like raucous Irish punk/folk to keep you up.

Next week: stretching/pilates tomorrow, aerobic workout of some kind on Monday, maybe something low-impact like elliptical at the gym on Fort Lewis. No long run next weekend, unless we can do it during our Reserve drill.

I've added something...

I added some running links to the page. So there's links to local stores some of the races we will be running and links to the sites that have lists of upcoming races. There's also training links so play around and have fun. I'm really psyched to have a family run this weekend. I'm going to resend invites to the blog, I don't know if Neil and Laura got theirs. See you all tomorrow!!!

I know it's late but I'm motivated

So if everyone is running on Saturday...then we got two great options. We could go to the trail at Dad's which is marked for mileage or we could run in Dupont which is really runner friendly. I mapped out runs near Mom's that we could use. I mapped 2, 3, 4 and 6 miles. I'm not sure what the weather will be like, but it's the evergreen state so you can bet on rain. I'm suggesting that we run outside no matter what because we're not guaranteed to have nice weather on race day and it's best to know that the rain is easily dealt with. So you should probably dress in layers and have a hat with a visor or sunglasses.

All points start across the street from Mom's house.

2 Mile Run - Turn around point is Center Drive.

3 Mile Run - Left at Center Drive; Turn around point is 1 block past Kincaid St (or Ave)

4 Mile Run - Right at Palisade Blvd; Turn around point is 1 block past Tolmie Ave

6 Mile Run- Cross Palisade Blvd at Kittison St; Left at Haskell St (stay on right side of Haskell)
Right turn on to trail; Follow trail to wilmington; Left on to wilmington;
Run on footpath around state farm; Right onto wilmington; Right on to Center
Drive; Left onto McNeil; Go past Mom's onto bike path; Run on bike path to
Johnson Ave, cross street and finish at Mom's.

Don't forget to take walk breaks! There are water points about every two miles on races so that's a good way to pace yourself. You should also take walk breaks if your breathing is really labored or your legs feel really fatigued. If that little voice in your head starts saying things like "it's too far" or "I just wanna quit" don't listen to it!!! Don't forget to stretch and have fun above all else. See you Saturday. Oh and we need to hash out a time. I'm good after 10 am. Hugs and Kisses!

Caturday Saturday

Dad and I were talking about going for a family run on Saturday. Dad and I have to do six miles and I don't know how far you have to go Moms and Laura. We could make it ipod optional and practice our perfect pace. You should be able to have a conversation and run comfortably at the same time. Anywho... we could do this at the trail at Dad's or by Mom's house. Just let me know and I'll break out the google map thingie. Also, Run Fatboy Run comes out this weekend. I really want to go see it...so again let me know if your interested. Love you all!!!

I will get this party started!

Hey guys! I just want to introduce you to mine and Dad's brain child...the family running blog. I thought (read in Runner's World) that if we have a blog about our running we can support each other and hold each other accountable. You know what I mean, days when you feel like you just can't do it, well here's the encouragement. My run today was kinda bleh. The sky finally cleared up and when I got to the Green River Trail it was misting. But hey, what's a run in Washington without precipitation of some sort. Guess what happened when I got to the turn around point? Yes, amazingly, crazy, sideways, rain! So the last two miles were soggy, but as always I'm glad I did it. I have a two mile run tomorrow morning (yay!) and I'll do some pilates with that. I'm a quarter of the way done with my weekly mileage. Anyway, I hope everyone's running is going well. We're about 6 weeks from the race.