Now that the Budget is over life has returned to normal… I will play some catch up with this post and then finally get back to regular blogging this week (stay tuned for a fun post about this weekend!). Enjoy 🙂
What are your favorite post long run treats? I go for Chipotle every time
As I begin to prepare for Marathon training (revving up over the next week – YIKES) I wanted to take a minute to share with all of you (and remind myself) why this training cycle will be different than any of the ones before. Unlike previous training cycles where I had a personal goal, this time I am running for a reason that is bigger than myself. I am running as a part of Team in Training raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The money raised by myself and other members of our Team will continue to allow LLS to fund millions of dollars of research to help advance new treatments and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and provide critical education and support to cancer patients and their families. To date, my Team has raised over $200 K!
I will be running the Marathon this year in memory of a very special family friend, Erica who courageously battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for many years. Though I never met Erica, I know through stories from my Dad and her Dad, Eric, that she fought with courage and strength. I hope that in completing the Marathon this coming year I can carry Erica’s strength with me for the 26.2 miles to raise awareness and funds for LLS and the important research they do.
Every day when I am training this winter I want to remind myself that I am running for something that is bigger than me or one race. If the money I raise can help one person or family during their fight then it is worth it. I am so excited to be a part of Team in Training and to continue to learn more about the work that LLS does to fight blood cancer.
So I know I’m about a week late on my Thanksgiving post but it has been a busy busy week! Let’s start with Thursday (Thanksgiving), I woke up and had a relaxing morning with Jack before driving into the city to see the family. Mom and I had originally planned on doing a local Turkey Trot 5 mile race but our plans changed and we couldn’t make it. Instead we decided to go for a leisurely run long the Charles River. It was gorgeous out, a little chilly but PERFECT running weather. My Garmin couldn’t find satellites so we decided to go off feel. My guess is that we went about 2 miles at around 11 min/mile pace. It was so great to enjoy a run with my mom!
When we got back home there was a true team effort to get dinner on the table. It was a success 🙂
After Thanksgiving I went into full on Christmas decorating mode which included chopping down our very first Christmas tree. As you can see in the picture below, I should never be handed a saw…
After a few minutes of struggling we successfully cut the tree down and packed it on top of my Prius (quite the site to see) and headed back home. Milo was quite confused by the new addition to our living room, he spent quite some time exploring the tree on Saturday and Sunday while we decorated. below are some pictures of our decorations and Milo.
Now onto the present day…
Heading into this week of work I felt refreshed and ready to go. My first TNT meeting is on Saturday for a shoe and gear clinic, I couldn’t be more excited. I decided to set some goals for the week in anticipation of my meeting and thought it might be fun to share them here, enjoy!
Weekly Goals 12/1:
That is all for now, stay tuned for a weekend running update and a TNT meeting recap 🙂
Yesterday was my first race/long run since my injury in August. I had the best intentions to train for this race (as noted in the post a few weeks ago) but since then life sort of happened. I ended up getting in a few 4-5 mile runs each week before the race but I wasn’t able to get in a 10 miler like I had hoped. Given the lack of training I didn’t have high expectations for my performance and instead focused on having fun and enjoying Anne Marie’s company.
Race:
Anne Marie and I had a solid plan going in to the race, We were hoping to finish under 2 hours (9:15 ish average pace) but wanted to make sure we took it out slow. The Chilly 1/2 course is pretty hilly through the middle miles (6-12) so we wanted to make sure we had enough energy to make it through that section. We started slow, around 10 min/mile and slowly sped up through the first 6 miles to about 9:30. I was feeling great at mile 6 so I kept going and ended up hitting splits of 8:38-8:40 through the back half of the race to finish in just under 2 hours, 1:58. I was a few minutes off my PR (1:55) but was very happy with the finish. I also got a chance to see my friend Allie who was watching at mile 10, it was so great to see a friendly face during a difficult portion of the race!
I felt like I ran a smart race overall, though I wish I had taken my second GU around mile 10. I took the first one right around mile 6 and felt great but at mile 10 my stomach wasn’t feeling another GU and I hit a little wall through the last mile of the race. Next time, I will try to take a second GU even if I only get to eat 1/2 of it around mile 10 to help feel strong through the last three miles.
Overall we had a great day! The race was really well organized: started on time, plenty of bathrooms and tons of volunteers at the aid stations. I will definitely be coming back next year! Congrats to all the finishers yesterday!
My Day in Pictures:
Really looking forward to a few rest days before I start training for the Frosty 1/2 Marathon on December 14th.
Boston Update:
I got my first few emails from the LLS coaches and am very excited that our first TNT meeting is less than 1 month away! I have been making progress in my fundraising efforts, thanks to everyone who has donated! I’m hoping to get 1/2 way to my goal by Christmas. If you haven’t already, please consider donating at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston15/dclowes
Thanks 🙂
Dana Runs Boston 