If a 90 year old woman can do it... so can I!

Here is an inspiring story about a 90 year old woman who will be participating in the Honolulu Marathon in a couple of weeks. WOWIE!!!

http://www.kitv.com/cnn-news/18048676/detail.html

If she can do it, then why can't I? I am in the middle of deciding if I should do the Spring Season of TNT next year and if so, do I want to train for another half marathon... or up the anti and try for a FULL!?!

2nd Half Marathon down, who knows how many to go!

First off, major apologies for not keeping up with my running blog. But, not to fear, that does not mean I haven't been running, because I have! And a whole lot of it! Running is kinda like Pringles, once you pop, you can't stop!So, to make a long running story short, I completed the Nike Women's half marathon last weekend with 20,000 runners. 5,000 of them were TNT runners from around the US. How cool is that? It was, for many reasons, a totally different experience than the Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon. At Nike there were a bazillion supporters along the whole course which def helped keep up my spirits, especially during the 1.5 mile section of ALL UPHILL running! Some of those supporters included my AWESOME parents, Justin (Jessica's boyfriend), and the twirly flag thing!


And, I had the oh-so-fabulous Jessica to run with!!! I was to grateful to run this event with Jessica because it was her very first half marathon and first season with TNT and I was the one who convinced her to sign up for it. SHE ROCKED!

I had this strange goal in my head the this half marathon would be easier than Avenue since I had "been around the block" before. Boy was I wrong. The hills were killer. The last 2 miles all I wanted to do was walk, but Jessica and I persevered and kicked the courses ass and ran with smiling faces all the way to the finish. Mainly we were smiling because it was over, but also because we DID THE DAMN THING!

And the piece de la resistance? A SEXAY Tiffany's necklace as a finishers medal passed out by a SEXAY SF fireman in a TUX!!!! Hummena Hummena.

Overall it was an awesome weekend spent with my best bud Jessica, my parents, and my Fall TNT TEAM FIRED UP! It was great to share this event with my fellow teammates and can't wait for more in the future.

My TNT season is not over yet so I promise I will be better about updating this thing.
If you are interested in more sexay footage of me in spandex, here are some links to photos from the race!

http://bobbyk.smugmug.com/gallery/6325663_LHJSE//398883209_cssdy

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizzie.keenan/NikeHalfMarathon#

Team Fired Up!

A new season, a new team name. Team Fired Up had it's first team run this morning and it was awesome! We ran along the Alameda coast, the same place we started last season. Except this time I ran 3 miles. Last time I ran/walked 2. That's not to say that 3 miles wasn't a little tough. I am def not in as good of shape now as I was when I ran the half marathon in May, but I am pretty sure I will get there a lot faster than last time.

The team was really pumped up and everyone ran really well. Thankfully we had 2 awesome things at the end of the run. 1) PB&J's and 2) Cameron, one of the team's honorees, was at the run to cheer us at the finish line.

After the run a bunch of us met up at a cafe in Alameda for HaHa's and fundraising talk.

Coach Al and Cameron

Cameron

Team Fired Up

Me and my mentee Heather

Yes... those are bunny ears :)

Over and out,
Lizzie

Hitting the pavement again...

That's right friends, one half marathon was not enough for Lizzie... If you haven't heard already, I have signed up to participate in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies Team in Training Program again to train for the San Francisco Nike Women's Half Marathon in October! Don't worry, I won't be hounding you for money again, instead of fundraising for the season, I will be mentoring 6-8 mentees and help them reach both their fundraising and training goals.

So, expect more stories of injuries from me, more photos, and hopefully more videos!!!

Over and Out,
Lizzie aka creator of Lizorade :)

Finally! Race Day!

I finally finished my race day video. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks again to everyone who gave their support to me during my training and support to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

It's coming!

I swear, a complete rundown of my race with a photo montage and video footage is coming soon! I've been busy busy busy this past week but promise to focus on it tonight!

Stay tuned!

GO TEAM!!!

I did it! I am still alive! And I am injury free!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was such an awesome weekend and I want to send a special thanks to my parents, sister, and Aaron for coming out and cheering me on and to my roomies for creating a welcome home table for me including funfetti cake :)

I am still pretty tired from all the excitement, running, and driving so you will have to wait another day for the full run down with photos and videos.

All I can really say at this point is... I can't wait for my next half marathon in October :)

Oh, and I decided full marathons are stupid and I really don't feel the need to do one. HaHa!

1 day 11 hours and 39 minutes!!!!

I can't believe this is it already! After 2 1/2 months of training I am finally here, packing for my race on Sunday! Earlier today I was filled with nerves but now I have calmed down and hopefully can stay calm up until Sunday morning. I have gone through my list twice now and have everything I could possibly need. NO I DONT! Shoot, almost forgot my pre-race warm clothes...

There, now I am packed!

The plan for tomorrow is to carpool with my TNT buddies Charlotte and Jessica to the race area near Humboldt Park. We will pick up our bibs and timing chips. BTW, I got a really cool bib number. Wait for it.... 3663! Doesn't it just look sexy? Though I have this strange feeling it is the numbers of the devil, or is that 9's? Anyways, after race pickup we will check into our hotel which is 40 miles from the race! Ugh. Then off to the oh-so-famous pasta party where I will meet up with my parents in their "East Bay Rocks" shirts and we will enjoy one last carbo load. Then I will attempt to sleep. Then I will run 13.1 miles. Holy Bajessus.

What I love so much about this event and running is that it is nothing like swim team. It's true. It is great because while it is a race, the only person I am racing against is myself and that is hellsa easy ;) In swim team I remember always getting super nervous about a race and freaking out before, during, and after, and always feeling defeated when I never got 1st place. But on Sunday, I get the fancy medal no matter how fast I go! What a deal!

Alright, that is all you will get for now. Think of my on Sunday morning around 10:30 and send me some happy vibes... that is when I will start hurting. Mile 7-8 are the hardest because that is when I tend to get bored listening to myself in my head. Maybe on Sunday I will start talking to the redwoods. I am sure they have some great stories... Ok, now its really time for bed.

Ciao Ciao,
Lizzie

The Ice Bath...

So after the 10 mile run a week and a half ago, it was recommended that we take ice baths to help heal our muscles faster. I thought this would be a video worthy event and enlisted my handy camera woman Burke to help record the event. This is what went down...

10 Miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes my friends, tis true, I ran 10 miles on Saturday. And with a smile on my face! DOUBLE DIGITS!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Ok, enough with the screaming. It was a pretty awesome feeling though, especially coming off of my knee issues. I took things really slow the first 2 miles and could still feel my knee a bit. But, after a good stretch at the 2 mile water stop my knee felt great and on I went for the next 8 miles!

13.1 miles doesn't seems as daunting anymore.

I want to send a shout out to Terri Dean for running with me most of the way. THANKS! There is definitely a benefit to have someone to talk to when running... otherwise you start to get lost in your own head and my head gets bored sometimes :)

This is a post-run, post-pb&j smile :)

T-Minus 10 days till the race! Oi! Oi! Oi!

$2700!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU LINDSAY !!!

I just wanted to send a HUGE shout out to my old roomie/England buddy/Clay Aiken fan Lindsay Feller for getting me to my fundraising goal of $2700 to find a cure for cancer!!! YOU ROCK!

Brenda Donato Rainbow Run

On Sunday my parents drove up to Walnut Creek to meet me for the 1st Annual Brenda Donato Rainbow 5k Fun run/walk. Brenda Donato is one of our honorees on the East Bay Team who we lost a year ago to a battle with Leukemia.

Brenda was diagnosed in February 2005 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She spent 3 months in the hospital before receiving an autologous stem-cell transplant (with her own stem-cells). After leaving the hospital, she became very active with Team In Training and completed the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in October 2005, the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon in January 2006 and the Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon in May 2006. Still feeling healthy, she began to train for the June 2006 Alaska half marathon.

On June 9, 2006, she found out that her cancer had returned. After using her own stem cells for a transplant in 2005 she would require a foreign donor's cells for another stem-cell transplant. Most fortunately, a 9 out of 10 match was found and Brenda had that transplant on September 20 2006.

While recovering, Brenda faced many physical and mental challenges. 110 days after her transplant, Brenda developed graft vs. host disease of the lungs. She bravely battled this new obstacle that reduced her lung capacity to 20% of normal. She passed away on April 14, 2007, surrounded by her loving family and friends.

Just 2 days before she passed away, she posted this final message:

Through these years I have absolutely NO regrets. I worked hard and played even harder.

I never said a swear word, always went to school on time, and won the PE award in high school. In fact, 3 days ago I just crawled up the stairs.

And now, I'm back in bed still hooked up, still using a commode, and wearing a purple t-shirt that says (in orange writing) "freakishly strong" while covered with a wonderful TNT blanket that was knitted for me just weeks ago. Now I peacefully await and end the battle that has attacked my 36-year-old body surrounded by my most beautiful family and friends. Surreal, but true, this is really happening.

We all wait. Me, my family and friends that are here now, and all of you. Even though you're not here with me physically (it would simply be impossible for all of you to fit in this room), I want you to know I feel you and know you're here. I love all of you.

Thank you for loving and supporting me. Please continue to pour it out on my three boys.

Brenda has a lot of history with the East Bay team and I was honored to take part in the celebration of her life on Sunday with my fellow teammates and parents.

Even though I was fresh off my knee boo-boo, I decided my knee felt strong enough to walk the 5k with my parents. We even had supportive hecklers behind us the whole way. Thanks Tori, Aiden, and Sarah!

3 more days!!!

3 more days to donate!!! That's right, with the race just around the corner, the last of the donations are to be sent in by April 17th. I am just short of my $2700 goal! If you haven't donated yet and still want to, now is the time. Just go here: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/tntgsfLKeenan

It is super easy, 100% tax-deductible, and you can sleep well at night knowing your $$ is going to help cure cancer. Every dollar counts!

I will even thank you in advance.... Can it get any better?

Watch out for escalators... they are out to get you!

Training has been going well. Last weekend we ran 5 miles. It was really cold out... but I guess I would rather it be cold and windy than hot and humid. Normally I participate in the Tuesday morning buddy run , but this past Tuesday waking up at 5:15am was too much for my body to handle, so I missed the run and went out on my own after work. My run wasn't so bad, until my shin started bothering me. Damn you shin splints!

On Wednesday I went out and got a proper shin splint wrap for my leg since, until then, I had only been using an ace bandage. I also started icing and stretching my calves and shins more so I don't have to deal with shin pain on race day... which is only 22 days away!!!! Eeep!

Thursday came along with a hard core morning workout at the track with Coach Al. It was a combination of hill running and circuit training (crunches, push-ups, supermans, and squats). OI OI OI! Or more appropriately, OW OW OW! It was rough, not going to lie. But I was pretty pleased with myself that I didn't pass out in the middle of it. Also, my new shin splint wrap seemed to work really well.

So, then we come to the end of my workday on Thursday... As usual I rush down to the Bart to catch my train to get home in time for German croissants at the Thursdays Farmers Market. But, as I stepped down the escalator... POW! Sharp pain in my left knee! I think to myself... NOOOOO, sharp pain is bad! Sharp pain means injury! As expected, panic set in. I could feel the pain in my knee as I walked home from Bart and knew things couldn't be good. I spent all night icing my knee and taking anti-inflammatory pills hoping that it would all be cured by the time I woke up in the morning. No such luck. I woke up with more knee pain. I could feel the creaking in my knee as I tried to move it around. Again panic set in and I had a mild meltdown when my roommate asked me why I was driving to work and not walking. All I could think of was that I wouldn't be able to run in my race, or maybe never even run again and all my hard word would be wasted!

Thankfully my doctors office gives same-day appointments so I was able to see a doctor by 9:30 in the morning. AND I GOT GOOD NEWS!!! I didn't break my knee in a million pieces like I feared. The doctor said my tendons and ligaments were all in order. She said likely I hyper extended my knee on the escalator and the cartilage in my knee was inflamed. She gave me some strong anti-inflammatory pills and told me to stay off my knee for a few days, then slowly get back into things like stationary bikes and swimming for a week. This means 1 week of no running. With only 3 weeks until the race, it isn't the greatest news, but I am ready to take on the set-back and push on! She also said my hamstrings were super tight and I should work on massaging my IT band which I have now been doing both of those twice a day and I can already feel the difference.

I do not like scares like that, but man oh man am I glad it wasn't a serious injury. I was surprised as it is that my knees had held up so well with all the running I have been doing... then to injure them on an escalator? Just by stepping down it? That is so something I would do.

Honoree: Louis Lai

Hi Everyone. I know I have spent a lot of time talking about myself and my training for the half marathon, so I wanted to take the time to introduce you to the people I am running for. My teams honorees. So to start things off, I would like to introduce you to Louis who is currently training with the team for the Avenue of the Giants Half and San Diego Full Marathon and let him tell you his story...

Diagnosis: Multiple Myeloma in August of 2004

Team in training does a tremendous job raising funds for research to find new cures for blood cancers. I would not be here today without the new treatments developed for Multiple Myeloma in the past 5 years.

I will be training with the team for the Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon or the Rock’n’Roll Marathon in San Diego.

I decided to become an honoree because it’s another chance to give back to the community that has helped me through my cancer ordeal, as well as give hope to cancer survivors currently in treatment.

I am motivated by my wife and my son. The opportunity to learn and experience new things, to enjoy and appreciate the people in my life, to be a positive influence people’s lives. It’s not often you get a 2^nd chance at life.

I love all types of food – Italian, Chinese, French, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Mexican… anything except hospital food. My favorite movie is “Old School.” With my free time, I like to sleep, play sports, watch movies, attend sporting events, go to museums, travel… most of all spend time with friends and family. If I could do anything in the world, I would travel around the world.

I was diagnosed in 2004 with Multiple Myeloma and after years of treatment (3 therapies, 2 of which were clinical trials, and 2 stem cell transplants) I achieved a complete remission.

I started my 1st treatment, a clinical trail for Velcade, 1 week after my diagnosis at the Alta Bates Cancer Center. After 5 cycles of Velcade, with limited response, my doctor took me off the treatment because I was suffering from severe neuropathy (numbness and pain in my legs and feet). I could not walk or stand without severe pain and had difficulty sleeping. After a brief break to recover from the neuropathy, I started my 2nd treatment, Thalidomide. After several cycles of Thalidomide, and having reached a partial remission, we decided to go ahead with a stem cell transplant in April 2005. I was the 500th bone marrow/stem cell transplant patient at Alta Bates Hospital. Although the procedure and recovery went much better than expected, the results did not last. 3 months post transplant, my Myeloma indicators started to rise and we knew I would have to undergo additional treatment. I started my 3rd treatment, a clinical trial for Revlimid, soon after. After several cycles of Revlimid, I had a complete response and discussed having a second stem cell transplant to consolidate and prolong my remission. In May 2006, I had my 2nd stem cell transplant at Alta Bates. Thankfully, the second transplant went as smoothly as the first.

I am one of the lucky survivors. There are so many other cancer patients who deserve to have the same result that I have. I would not be here today without the continued research into new treatments and cures for blood cancers.

** Latest update from Louis: 8 weeks into training and I continue to be inspired by the effort and dedication of everyone on the team. The Emerald 12k was amazing, especially seeing everyone from our team running strong from start to finish. I have thoroughly enjoyed training with and getting to know my teammates and can't wait to run the Avenue of the Giants.

Runner get's homeless on right track

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- At 5 a.m. on any given day, Anne Mahlum could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia -- with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning last spring, she stopped in her tracks.

"Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot."

Instead of continuing to pass them by, the veteran marathoner sprang into action so they could join her.

She contacted the shelter, got donations of running gear, and in July 2007 the "Back On My Feet" running club hit the streets.

The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.

Requirements for shelter residents to join are simple -- they must live in an affiliated facility and be clean and sober for 30 days. Members receive new shoes and running clothes, and teams run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6 a.m.

The runners are diverse -- doctors, janitors, students and shelter residents -- but such distinctions aren't apparent.

"All you can tell is who's the fastest," says Mahlum. "You can't tell who's homeless and who's not."

For Mahlum and others, Back On My Feet is more than a running club.

"We're a community of support, love, respect," she says.

Runners greet each other with hugs and words of encouragement. While members say they've lost weight, quit smoking and have more energy, Mahlum believes they're also learning important life skills such as discipline and goal-setting that can help them get on the road to self-sufficiency.

"Running really is a metaphor for life," she says. "There is always another mile. You just have to take it one step at a time."

That's something Mahlum herself has learned over the past 10 years as she's dealt with her father's alcoholism. Running has been her therapy, she says.

"I'm learning more about my life through all of this."

Back On My Feet also has a job training program for a partner. Three members are taking classes, learning computer and interview skills, while three others have found jobs.

Mike Solomon, an original member, is one of the group's success stories. A former crack user who spent his youth in and out of trouble on the streets of Wilmington, Delaware, Solomon is employed, in school and training to run a marathon in his hometown. He considers Back on My Feet part of his support group.

"Anne is helping people see the hero in themselves," says Solomon.

Mahlum aims to have Back On My Feet in 10 local shelters by the end of the year and expand beyond Philadelphia in 2009. She believes her approach could be part of a solution to homelessness.

"Do we need homes? Yes. We need jobs? Yes," she says. "But imagine if you didn't have anybody in your life who said, 'I'm really proud of you.' Back On My Feet does just that."

Link to article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/04/02/heroes.mahlum/index.html

GU ain't for fools!

Today we ran at the Alameda Harbor where we had our very first run with TNT. I feel a bit foolish now re-reading my first post about 2 miles... CAUSE I RAN 8 TODAY!!! And it wasn't even that hard. 6 felt worse, but I think the weather today was more conducive to optimal running. It was cloudy and cool out. None of that sun business. Also, today I had 2 GU's during my run. The first one I had was "Plain" flavored... there wasn't anything plain about. It tasted like sweet goo with no real specific flavoring. YUCK. At the 4 miles mark I sucked up a Chocolate Outrage GU.... MMMMMM it tasted like brownie mix. So while this GU business is weird and... gooey... it totally made a difference. Again there was a fabulous pile of PB&J's awaiting me at the end of the run. I think knowing they were there got my through my last mile.

Now for some pictures!!!!

Coach Al and his big smile!


Getting my run on.


Mama Lisa with the sexy man bag.

Charlotte, Me, Jessica, and Michelle


This is my post-run/post-pb&j smile.


... Maybe next year????

Maybe this is why I love running so much...

A New York Times article about getting a "runners high."

FUNdraising 411

Since my tea party was so successful, I put together a 5 step guide on how you too can throw a smashing fundraiser... ENJOY!

6 MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it? Me neither. This past Saturday I ran six miles. No stopping, no walking, no potty breaks. Just running. Now, I am not going to pretend that it was any kind of easy. The last 2 miles were rough. Running in the sun without any shade is no friend of mine. This was the first time my back and upper body were sore going into the end of the run. That's when I realized I was slouching and pulled myself up and kept going. When I turned the corner onto my last quarter mile, I saw my teammates waving me in! And as I came to the end of my run Aderra, Michelle and Charlotte were there cheering me on! It was awesome and it gave me the last boost of energy I needed! GO TEAM!

On Sunday I was in Sacramento for Easter and convinced my mom to go on a short run with me. I am trying to train her to be a part of a marathon relay in October (6 miles per person). She had told me she had gone running before, but would run a couple minutes, walk a couple of minutes, never a continuous run. I told her she wasn't allowed to walk on Sunday and she looked at me like I was crazy. So... who ran 2.1 miles? MY MOM! We even kept up a pace a little faster than what I usually run. GO MAMA! It's more about the keeping a pace than it is the raising.... of your speed! ;)

I swear there is some multimedia coming soon. Keep checking in!

Long overdue update...

Sorry, I have been pretty busy the past week and haven't had a chance to update until now. Let me fill you in....

- After my rough post-cold run weekend, I looked forward to Tuesday's buddy run last week to really get back into the swing of things. And it was awesome! We up-ed our buddy run mileage to about 3 and a half miles. It was the first run in all my training that I hit a moment where I felt like I really relaxed into the run and let my legs do their thing and I just went along for the ride.

- At track on Thursday we played a game called "You don't know diddly about marathon pace." The way it worked is we had to guess how fast we could run a fast mile. We had been running about a 13:30 pace at the buddy runs, so I guessed 12 minutes for my fast mile. Apparently... I don't know diddly! I ran a 10:23 mile! That was def a confidence booster for me. We then "ran" a mile switching from lunges, skipping, grapevining, and jogging. Who know skipping could make me sweat so much?

- Saturday was my big Tea Party Day... With the help of my mom, I hosted a tea party fundraiser in Sacramento. It was a hit! We had tea, food, a silent auction, and lots of fun. And... after all the donations were counted... wait for it... I raised enough to hit my fundraising goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- On Sunday my sister and I participated in the Saramento Shamrock'n 5k. It was my first official race... in life? I have been in run/walks before, but always walked. This time I was in it to run and run I did. It was awesome. The race wasn't terribly scenic, but at least I had my sister to talk to, and the end of the race was pretty cool because they announced our names as we ran into the stadium down on the field...kinda like real athletes do :)

- Another great buddy run this morning, 3.63 miles at a 13 minute pace.

All in all it has been an awesome week. It is such a relief to have the fundraising pressure behind me and focus all my energy on the running!

Tough run this weekend.

Alas, the cold I felt coming on Tuesday, came in and took over. I was sick all last week which meant no training for me :( It's funny how missing runs actually makes me MISS running!?! Friday night I was feeling a wee better so I headed to the gym after work to test my endurance. It was pretty good... I biked for a while then ran on the treadmill for a mile. After that I was pretty exhausted and headed home.

I woke up Saturday morning excited and ready to tackle Lake Chabot with the rest of the team. Everyone had been hyping up the beauty of Lake Chabot before the run and while in fact they were correct that it is a beautiful location... the hills!!!

So many hills! I must have some deep seated hatred of hills from childhood or a past life because they are definitely not my cup of tea. So, the run started off OK, tackled a couple of hills, posed for some action shots...

then by the time I hit the 1.5 mile mark I started feeling really exhausted. Thankfully Rebecca started running with me and had me talking a while, but by the time we hit the 3 mile mark I was completely wasted. I had stopped for a peepee break and realized I felt like I was going to pass out. I had to make the executive decision that I should stop and not push it any further. I think my cold had taken a lot more out of me than I realized. I was bummed out for a bit, feeling like I let myself down by not running my planned 6 miles, but then I was like, hey I was sick this week, its OK not to be back at 100% yet, and its best not to push myself too hard since I don't want to get sick again. So, after my momentary pity party of one I headed off to Bodega Bay to meet my family for the weekend for my mom's birthday. We spent today hiking which was a lot of fun, and now I feel like I am ready to take on this weeks training! Go Team Because We Can!!!

San Diego Run...

Watch below and follow along with Sarah and I as we run in San Diego...

Let's do the damn thing!

That's what Coach Al always says before a track workout or run... "Let's do the damn thing." It makes me giggle every time.

So the shin splints are all gone, calf feels great in the new new shoes. However, now I am trying to figure out a how to take care of a new aggravation... my left foot!

I went to San Diego this weekend for a wedding with my fundraising manager Sarah, and since she too is training for a half marathon, we set off on a run on Sunday morning. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, and we were in beautiful Escondido. As it turns out, the run that we chose had some CRAZY hills. It was all nice, fun, and flat for a while them BAMN! HILL! And anther HILL! But I made it, I took the hills slow and steady and finished the run without walking. 5.27 miles! It was awesome. HOWEVER... there always seems to be a however... after the run I noticed my left foot was sore. Oh wait, then it was too painful to put any weight on it. Shat!

When I got home from San Diego I started icing the foot. I had about 24 hours of panic, worrying I broke something. But, by the end of yesterday (Monday) my foot was already feeling better and today felt as good as new. So now I have to figure out what caused the foot pain to make sure it doesn't happen again. Hopefully it's just a tweak of the shoes that is needed.

And to top things off, now I think I may be getting a cold. Oi! Well, if that is the case, I'll stay at home, rest up, and focus on making some more entertaining videos ;)

On happier news, I sent in my recommitment paperwork today so I am official doing the damn thing! YAY!

Some more happy news... I hit 60% of my fundraising goal already! A huge thanks to everyone who has taken part in this great experience with me!

The leg...

Is on the up and up!

Tis' true. At yesterday's run I decided to wear my old shoes. On the way to the run I could feel my calf hurt again and I was nervous I wouldn't be able to run at all. After the majority of the runners started, Mama Lisa spent some time with us injured folks to help us out. She told me my calf pain was shin splints and wrapped my leg in an ace bandage. I figured I would try to run/walk 3 miles depending on the pain. The first mile my leg felt OK, but there was still a little pain... then going on the 2nd the pain went away! So I thought, wait a minute, maybe I will do all 5 miles today... and I did!!! I ran 5 miles and I think I probably could have gone further! At the end my leg felt great! So, my conclusion was: Ace bandage good, new shoes bad. Directly after the run I returned the old shoes, went to a new store and had much success. I found out from La Foot that the shoes I was originally given were very low on the supportive side and completely wrong for my feet as I am an over-pronator.

Now, having still not run on the new shoes, I can not give them any thumbs up yet, but hopefully I can soon enough.

Yay for no more shin splints!!!
Yay for 5 miles!!!
Yay for reaching 50% of my fundraising goal today!!!

The latest sports drink phenomenon...

Lizorade.

The shoes...

So I went to the doctor yesterday to get my calf checked out and he said he didn't think it was anything serious. I probably just pulled something to keep icing, etc. The news definitely cheered me up. Then this morning, as I was walking to work, I realized that the pain in my calf had gone! All day I enjoyed perfect calf walking. I had planned to go to the gym after work to do some low impact cardio to keep in shape and hopefully be ready for the run tomorrow. So I put on my new shoes, did the bike, did some leg machines and again still felt great...

Then I started to walk home... in my new shoes... PAIN! The calf pain was back. I was so confused. Then it hit me, maybe its my new shoes that are the problem. When I got home and put my old shoes on instantly they felt more supportive. When I walked I couldn't feel any pain, however when I tried running I did. But I think it is because my new shoes already agrivated my calf for the day.

So, the new plan is to ice tonight. Try to run in my old shoes tomorrow. If they feel good then I am taking the new shoes back to the store and will demand to get some new shoes more similar to my old ones. From previous trips to Fleet Feet in Sacramento, they have always put me in super supportive shoes. However, at Transports they said I had too much support in my shoe and I could go for a moderate supportive shoe. Shame on them.

Hopefully all will be mended tomorrow and I will be back on the training schedule.

On a happier note, I saw The Spirit of the Marathon documentary last night and it was so good! I got chills during the movie thinking about how that will be me in a few months... minus 13.1 miles... but close enough.

Injured...

I was hit by a huge blow to my new running ego this week when I hurt my right calf. I am not sure when it happened or how, but after Tuesday morning's run, I definitely felt a not good kind of pain in my calf. With some tips from Coach Mama Lisa, I have been icing it and soaking in Epsom salt baths every day. However, this morning I could still feel some pain, so I decided to make an appointment with a doctor to get it checked out before I hurt it anymore.

UGH! It is super frustrating to have to stop training just when I feel like I am making huge strides.

Hopefully it is nothing serious, and I just shocked my muscles from all the running... which they are not used to.

I will update more after my doctor's appointment today.

On more fun news, Liz and I are meeting up with TNT folks tonight to see "The Spirit of the Marathon" documentary tonight.

Week 2 in Review...

I am sorry for not updating more this week. I started like 3 other posts, but never got around to finishing them. Plus, I didn't really have anything exciting to say until now. Why you may ask? BECAUSE I RAN 4 MILES YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!

That's right folks, 4 big ones. My excitement over 2.91 miles seems so silly now. At the run yesterday, half marathoners were supposed to run 2-4 miles. I decided ahead of time that since I had already run almost 3 miles, that I should push myself to the max and go for 4. AND I DID IT! It was awesome. We went running at Pt. Isabel, on the coast near Richmond/El Cerritto. Gorgeous location along the water. I ran the whole way, no walking. I only stopped for a second at mile 2 to take my jacket off and tie it around my waist. I def felt the burn around mile 3, and went down to a slower pace, but I never stopped and couldn't be more please with myself. During the run I snacked on Sharkies which are electrolyte filled fruit snacks. I think these are now my second favorite running snack right after post-run PB&J's.
Here is what Liz and I looked like post run this week:

There is Liz, who doesn't seem to have the strength to open her gatorade...


And me, who is way cooler and stronger, enjoying my delicious beverage...



In other news, my running shoes started to fall apart on me yesterday as we were doing our stretches pre-run. I wasn't planning on getting new shoes until March but I had no choice now... my old shoes seemed to have the last laugh this time...



So, after the rather rude farewell from my old sneaks I went to Transports in Berkeley to upgrade to new and improved sneaks which I must say, are way bitchin'.


Hot, right? I gave my knee a rest today since it got a bit hot 'n bothered after the 4 miles yesterday, but will get out running in the new kicks tomorrow. Ha cha cha.

Now, while running 4 miles and purchasing new shoes are both pretty thrilling, there was even more exciting news this week...

After my co-worker Shannon saw my "promotional video," she sent it to her wife Chrissa. Chrissa was so pleased with the video that, get this, the money she planned on giving to Hillary Clinton's campaign is now going to go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Yipeeeee!!!!! This is extra delightful because I am a HUGE Barack Obama supporter :) Thanks Chrissa!

Ciao for now!

Week 1 in review

I can't really believe it has only been the first week of training. I have so much more to look forward to.

First, can I just say that I really like running? Isn't that weird?

So, there were many a huge milestones this week for me.

1) Thanks to my wonderful friends and family I have already raised $701 and am at 30% of my total fund raising goal!!!!! So I want to give a shout out to everyone who has donated, sent supportive notes my way, and to those who will hopefully donate in the future *winkwink*

2) In case you didn't read it in my previous blog, I RAN 2.91 MILES THIS WEEK!!!!!! Ya, so I am still pretty pleased with myself about that one. I am going to try to run the same distance tomorrow.

3) I debuted my first TNT video and everyone has found it fairly amusing thus far which was the goal. Good Morning America still hasn't called me asking me to be their next big YouTube star, but it's ok, I know they are busy with election results these days so I expect a call from them in the coming weeks ;)

4) I WON THE SPIRIT AWARD FOR MY TEAM THIS WEEK AND RECEIVED THE COOLEST HAT EVER AS MY TROPHY!!!!! (too bad I was late to the run today because I got lost and I missed the announcement of me winning. my bad.) BUT ITS STILL SUPPER AWESOME, THANKS TEAM BECAUSE WE CAN!!!!!!

5)I graduated from Marathon University today!

I endorse Lizzie Keenan for Team in Training.

If you watch a lot of TV like I do, you have probably been bombarded with presidential commercials lately. So, to be like those cool kids on TV... I too made an endorsement video for myself. Enjoy.

2.91 miles !?!?!

Today was our first Buddy Run. Every Tuesday morning about 6 of us are going to meet down by the Berkeley Marina at 6am for a run. I didn't have to many high expectations for myself today. I mean, how much can you run that early in the morning?


Apparently 2.91 miles! 2.91 miles of running, no walking. That blows my mind.

Equally as cool, we ran from Berkeley to Emeryville and back.

2 weeks ago I couldn't finish a mile without stopping to walk. Only 2 days ago I was still at just a mile before I stopped to break.

2.91 miles!

Just wait till I get to 13.1 miles. I assume I will be speechless by then. And for me... that is some serious business :)

Just one more time.... 2.91 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mileage today: 2.91 miles (ALL RUNNING)

Sore!

Yesterday was the real kick-off to training. We rendezvoused at the Alameda Bay Harbor at 8am. It was cold. No... it was very cold! We stood in 40 degree weather as we learned about things to look for in shoes, apparel, etc. Then for the warm-up and run! The run was beautiful. Even though it was cold running along the water, the view was worth it. And after about 3 minutes it didn't seem so cold anymore. It was a 2 mile run. Liz and I stayed together for the most part. We finished one mile, then on the way back ran most of it with a couple of fast walking breaks.

I think my favorite part of the whole run was the end where they had drinks and snacks for us. And what kind of snacks did they have??? PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES!!! Who know that is exactly what I wanted and needed after running? So good.

After the run my smaller group met with our mentor and another group at a cafe to get to know each other, get questions answered, and to warm up with some hot bevies. I really like my mentor, Rebecca, and the rest of my group. We are all fairly young, and if I do say so... pretty cool :)

I woke up today ridiculously sore. Coach Al told us yesterday that our bodies are his now. Why would he make me sore then? That isn't very nice.

I drove home to Sac last night to watch the SuperBowl with my parents and to meet with Sarah, my newly appointed personal fundraising manager. But before I can do any of that, I am going to go running this morning! Yay!

my mentor Rebecca
shoe clinic guy
Coach Al motivating runners on the trail

me, my kinda invisible foot, and Liz

Over and out,
Lizzie McSorelegs

P.S. Mileage over the weekend: 5.2 miles (at least half was running)

1st Traiing Day!

Good Morning! It is 6:45am, Saturday morning. Today is our first day training with our coaches. It is cold and a little rainy right now. I really really really want to stay in bed under my warm blankets.

Time to put on the spandex.

More to come... post training.

Dancing is part of the training...

Don't send a lame Starring You! eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Who ran a mile today?

Ya, that's right, it was me! I actually ran a mile without stopping... and under 12 minutes! I made my goal for the week, it is kinda hard to believe. Truthfully, I can't remember the last time I ran a mile without stopping or walking for part of it. Maybe back in middle school? Oi Vay! I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it today because I didn't work out as much as I wanted to this week due to the rain and general laziness so I didn't think I would be able to do it. But, the rain took a break this afternoon and I was determined to get out onto the track.

Yesterday was the Team in Training kick-off event. We met our mentor, coaches, teammates, etc. We got coupons for sports stores and our oh-so-cool team in training shirts :) There were, I would guess, about 700 people at the event. Marathoners, tri-athelites, and cyclists. Funnily enough they raffled off a bunch of sports related prizes and I won a complete bike fitting. I don't even know what that means. BUT, if one of you do, or know someone who would be into that, let me know and ill sell it for a donation :)

Seeing how American Idol can make me cry, you can bet I got pretty teary-eyed at the kick-off when we heard stories from the honorees on our team, and about past teammates that the East Bay team has lost to Leukemia. One of our coaches, Coach Al, told us we would be doing a lot of crying in the next 4 months. Jeez, tell me about it. But thats good. That's what helped get me to the end of my mile today. That is what will help get me to the end of 13.1 miles in May. I felt really good about making the choice to join Team in Training when we left yesterday. Not only am I doing something powerful for myself, I am going to be raising money and working hard for an exceptional organization.

Some of you may know already, but 2007 was not a great year for me and my family. First there was my crazy rash, my grandma and uncle's passing, other relatives being diagnosed with cancer, etc. This year is going to be different. This year I can feel a change a' comin. So cheers to completing a mile today, to getting healthy, to everyone staying healthy, to eventually running 13.1 miles, and last but not least... Obama in 2008! (hehe, you know I had to throw that in.)

P.S. I totally stocked up on some sexy spandex-y running clothes yesterday and I must admit I am pretty hot in them.
P.P.S. Goal for next weekend, which is also our first official training day, 1.5 miles.

Total mileage today: 2.5 miles (would have gone further but it started raining and I couldn't see through my fogged up glasses.)

First try at running...

Yesterday I went shopping for some supplies that Team in Training recommends runners to get. These included: Body Glide for all of my anti-chafing needs, some eyewear keeper on-er things (you know, so you can tighten your glasses onto your head which btw totally work and I kinda want to wear them all the time now even if they aren't as chique as I would hope), and some running socks NOT made out of cotton because as out coach Mama Lisa says: "Cotton is Rotten!"

Today was my first pre-training training. I tried to get myself to wake up yesterday to run, but laziness took over and I decided to sleep in. But today I told myself I couldn't chicken out any longer. I was going to run. As you can see above, the run didn't kill me, and I am still smiling. That is always a good sign.

My run/walk took place at the track near my house. I really wanted to see if I could run a mile without stopping, but ended up only making it .75 miles before I stopped for a breather. Pitiful, I know. So I walked the track a couple of times and tried running again, only .5 miles this time. I stayed out for an hour and ended up running 1.25 miles and walking 2.75 miles. Not too shabby, but I really do have a long road ahead of me. My goal for the week is to be able to run mile without stopping by next Sunday.


Over and out.

Today's mileage: 3 miles (walking and running)

It all starts here!

Welcome to my official training for a half marathon blog... OHHHH... AHHHHH.... (I know, it really is almost as good as fireworks.

If you are reading this you must know already that I pulled a crazy and registered to run a half marathon. The good news is I am running as a part of Team in Training which raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My sister did Team in Training a few years ago and ran a full marathon on Hawaii. I am going to participate in the Avenue of Giants Marathon in Humboldt. Yes, that's right, a marathon through the redwoods. It's way hot. Go here to check it out: http://www.theave.org/

I hope you will follow along on this journey of mine. It should be interesting. I will try to keep you updated as my training progresses. So far I made it through step one. I went to a TNT meeting last night and registered for the race with my roommate Liz. Training kickoff starts in about a week, so I have one week to pre-train so I am not too embarrassed with my lack of skills when things really get cookin'.

Oh, and Liz and I are working on cool marathon nicknames. Suggestions are welcome. Names on the list right now are Bam and Pow! You like?

Miles completed today... none? I did walk briskly to bart this morning to catch my train. Thats a start...