Wow...The miles keep coming!

I can't believe how many miles we are putting in each week. 5 miles each day (or there abouts) and 13, 14, 16 + every Saturday! It makes those first few weeks seem like nothing.
On Sunday Nov. 16th Mike & I ran the Silver Strand 1/2 Marathon as part of our training. This was only our 2nd 1/2 marathon, and the 1st was 7 years ago. It started off going really well, but Mike was watching his knee. It had been bothering him since the 14 mile run. About 2 miles in to the run, we had to slow it down to take it easy on it. Since we were running right by the parking lot where our car was parked (about mile 5) Mike made the sad but wise choice to sit the rest of the race out. I continued on my own to the end and let me tell you, it was HOT about 90 on the coast!!! It was not the same not being with Mike at the finish line, but he was there snapping a few pictures and cheering me on!
This past Saturday was the run we have been looking forward to since day one...our Train Run! We caught the train at the Solana Beach station and took it up to Oceanside where we got off and began the 16 mile run back. Off we went on a thankfully much cooler run and before we knew it we had traversed one whole city, to Carlsbad! Mike ran until he needed to give his knee a break, 8 miles. Again, I pressed onward. The miles seemed to go by pretty smoothly until the last one...I began the mental battle of "boy, my feet hurt" or "my legs are tired" and "gee how much further do I really have?". Then out of nowhere a runner behind me just called out as he sprinted by "You're doing great! Keep going" He wasn't even part of the Team, but it made me smile and my stride even picked up a bit. As it turned out, I was only about 3/4 of a mile from finishing! That was the longest run I have ever done and I can hardly believe that in weeks Mike & I will run 18, then 20 and then 26.2!
After the run we joined some of the Team for pizza...We are always starving after our runs! One of the more seasoned runners made the comment that the first 15 to 18 miles of marathon running aren't so bad, but at some point it just becomes a matter of pain management! I can see that! I must say that we are finding that we are recovering much quicker after these long runs than we did earlier on, so our bodies must be getting stronger!

Personal Records!

Last Saturday, Mike and I ran 14 miles! It was the longest run either of us have ever completed. About 7 years ago we did a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) but never this far. Now were are in the Big League! The run was from Pacific Beach to a point in La Jolla and then back. IT was a very pretty and friendly run. We ran around part of Mission Bay and then along the boardwalk and continued up in to some beautiful neighborhoods that overlooked the ocean. People we super friendly and we asking about Team In Training and why we were running, as well as folks cheering "GO TEAM"! Over all it was a great run. This weekend we will be running in the Silver Strand 1/2 marathon instead of a regular training run. We received our practice purple shirts last weekend and can't wait to wear them on this run!

It seems so hard to believe that we will be in Florida in about 8 weeks. Everyone on the team who is heading down there is so excited! It seems that most of us really like Disney and are having some fun planning our free time at the various parks. I have not been since I was about 5 years old - and back then they only had the Magic Kingdom, and even then they were just finishing building Space Mountain!!! Mike has been there since Epcot, but hadn't spent too much time there. We are both looking forward to exploring the new parks and of course Disney World! It will be fun going with the group, as so many of them have been before and can show us the places that we must see. A couple of the group are planning a trip over to Kennedy Space Center, that might be a fun side trip too...so much to see and do, so little time and 26.2 mile to run right in the middle!

Lyndsay Update!

Lyndsay is home now and doing very well! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her and her mom & Dad, Lisa & Carl on Sunday. Although she goes to the infusion clinic 3 times a week right now to check her levels and often needs to get a boost of magnesium she love being home and able to move around more freely. They found a cute little place near the hospital and Lyndsay can even sit on the balcony and get some fresh air!

Double Digits!

This Saturday's run was in Encinitas, although a very different area than the last time we ran here. We met up a little park right on the beach. This was a special day in that the team was challenged to all wear our white TNT (Team In Training) shirts. If there were any that didn't their coaches would have to accept the "punishment". Well, it seems that we were the first team ever to all wear them, so the 2 head coaches had this wonderful purple hair coloring applied to their heads and had to run with very purple hair! It was quite a site!
Our run took us past some amazing beach homes, many of which were for sale. So Mike & I house shopped (wished) while we ran. Then we came along the PCH for a bit until we turned around at a camp ground - we ran through that on the way back instead of the road, just for some thing different, then it was back by our homes again. Once we got back to the park, Coach Ken had suggested that we all go for a waist deep dip in the ocean. It apparently is a great way to recover after a long run - the waves moving back & forth over your muscles, the salt water to help replenish your sodium and of course the cool temperature to help sooth the legs & feet. It really was nice, but reminded me of swimming in Maine when I was a girl. I used to come out of the water in July with my lips and fingers blue! The picture above is of the shells I discovered while out in the water.
Mike & I both agreed that so far this was both our favorite and our best run to date.

The last two runs

Well, obviously I have not been keeping up with my postings...so let me fix that!
Two weeks ago we ran 7 miles at 4S Ranch in North County. I have never been in an area that is up hill in every direction!! Needless to say it was a very long 7 miles. That being said, it was a great clinic on stretching. The team had me say a few words about why Mike and I chose to run. This was the weekend afterLyndsay had her bone marrow transplant. Which after 2 high doses of Chemo and 3 days of full body irradiation happened on September 18th without a hitch! Praise God! To read how she is doing check out the link to her blog in the upper right of the screen!
This past Sunday the team run was at Lake Miramar. This is a beautiful area with a 5 mile loop around a man made reservoir. Mike & I ran 8 miles and loved it. This weekend we will miss the team run as we will be in Philadelphia visiting family and attending a software training. I have a call into the Philly area Team In Training office and hope to be able to run with them on Sunday. If not, then my sister, Jessica has a great path that she runs and we will do our "Back down 6 miles" there.

UCSD Run

This past Saturday we ran at UCSD. This was a very fun run. The course was a bit hilly and very confusing. We missed a turn and ran a bit further than planned! So, what was going to be a 4 mile run turned into a 5 mile run! Oh well. We were joined early on by one of our teammates and then once we realised we missed the turn, we added another! We were so close to Lyndsay, who is back in the hospital (UCSD) to have her bone marrow transplant this week on the 18th!!!!
Later on I went over to see her. She is doing really well. Saturday and Sunday she was given doses of chemotherapy. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday she will undergo total body radiation in preparation for the transplant on Thursday. After her transplant she will be confined to her hospital room for 30 days, after that she will be limited to being at home, which I am sure will be a nice change. After 100 days, her restrictions will start to be lifted as the transplanted marrow has joined with her!