Zero Days Left! ING Here I Come!

WOOOOO-HOOOOOO!! It's here.

At this time tomorrow I will be trucking it on the streets of Atlanta, proudly sporting my purple on the race course - capital P, PURPLE, of course. For the last week, I've been so jittery with nervous energy - good energy. I feel like I've had 100 cups of coffee every day this week. As I sit here writing this, my leg is pumping up and down. Ok, so maybe I've had a few too many cups of java this morning, but I can't help it! I think I've stared a hole into the little purple race-day counter sitting here to the right. I remember loading the gadget on my blog back in November thinking - March is long way away!

I also remember walking into the TNT informational meeting that month, wondering what was really involved in this Team In Training thing. There wasn't a question whether I would do it. Back in early October I spent a wonderful weekend with Eve and amazing friends in the North Georgia mountains. It was the Thursday before Eve's wedding and we were gathering for her blessing way - a blessing celebration for the bride, and I think it had only been a few weeks since we first learned Eve had lymphoma. At a blessing way, it's traditional to give the bride a personal gift --not something that's purchased, but something that is meaningful to your relationship or symbolizes your friendship. My gift to her was completing this race in her honor. I would train for the ING, raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through TNT and share my journey with her.

Eve has been so open and raw in sharing this grueling and life-changing experience through her own blog and it's touched me beyond words, but most of all it helped me in my training, serving as a constant reminder to push through. I'm so thankful to know that Eve's journey is in a good place and she is cancer free!! So it's all this that I will take to the start of the race tomorrow and through to the end.

So, I'm ready to do this! I've gone through my mental and physical check lists. I'm staying at the Omni Hotel downtown tonight, so I can roll out of bed, meet my awesome TNT teammates and walk down to the finish line. I'm ready and my bags are packed. I've learned that your personal, tried-and-tested gear preferences and training rituals are really important. I've been warned this is not the week to try anything new! Contents include:

1. Purple TNT jersey, personalized with "I (heart) Eve"
2. Favorite Nike Dri-fit capri running pants
3. Favorite Saucony running shoes and Thorlo socks
4. Tested undergarment - yes, in purple
5. TNT cap to show Purple People pride (and who am I kidding, I need to hide race-day hair)
6. Not-too-tasty, but necessary, packets of Gu for electrolyte replenishment
7. Pre-race Elvis breakfast: bagel/peanut butter/banana
8. Anti-chafing agent (I have been warned, chafing = so not good)
9. Post-race anti-inflammatory/pain-relieving meds, creams, etc.
10. Big ol' dose of excitement and pride!

I want to first and foremost thank my coaches Ed and Marie and team mentors, Carol, Bruce and Beth, for their amazing support, guidance and inspiration! It takes a lot of hours and dedication to lead the team through months of training - in the worst weather, no less. Their encouragement has meant so much to me. Also, to my amazing friends, family, co-workers, as well as Eve and Michael's families, who supported me with their hearts and wallets!! You made my goal possible and I hope you know all your dollars are going to a great cause to fight blood cancers. To all those battling cancer and beating it - keep going, you have an army of people who love you and are pushing for you.

And thank you for following along - I hope all of you will consider joining the TNT program whever you are - you CAN do it! If you feel inspired, check out the TNT/LLS links to find out more.

Well, that's all folks! I'll be posting a post-race report!
Peace and love,
KC

Whew, I don't suck

This week it started to hit me. It's two weeks before the race...capital T-H-E, race. This is the culmination of my training since I began way back in November and I can't believe where I am. Thinking back, I didn't know how much hard work was before me. As they say, sometimes ignorance is bliss. It's like today...I really didn't think my bum knee would ever make it past a 10K, but lo and behold I did 10 miles! I'm not going to lie, there were times over the last few months when I thought - "Way to go, Karen, what have you gotten yourself into?" But I must say the mental, and not to mention, physical pay-off has been beyond great. Being goal-driven helps. I'm much more likely to stick to something once I have it in my sight...that, and a dose of huge motivation to help Eve and so many others kick cancer in the arse certainly helps.

So here I am today, sitting on my arse and resting after a hard run - the longest I've ever run, in fact. Today all the Atlanta-area TNT teams met at Chastain Park for a massive group run/training. It was energizing seeing the sea of purple power out there early this morning - friends and strangers high-fiving each other in solidarity, giving pats of encouragement and running their hearts out.

I'll be totally honest, though, I actually was pretty nervous about getting through 10 miles today. Did I mention I had never run that far -- ever? I only got up to 8 miles and I really needed this under my belt to feel I could do this half-marathon. I've struggled with knee pain for so long, that I had been having little twinges of panic -- what if I fail and don't/can't finish? How incredibly disappointed would I be if, after all this time and effort, let Eve and all my supporters down? I didn't sleep well last night and my stomach was turning on the drive to the park this morning. When I got there, it was cold but the sun was shining like crazy (very unusual lately) and we were on a beautifully scenic route. Because this was not our usual training location, we had turn-by-turn directions with no indication of the miles at each turn. This ended up being a god-send because I wasn't obsessing about how miles left to go. Luckily I was with three other awesome teammates which made the time pass easily. (Shout outs to Kristen, Jessie and Dale...woo-hoo! Here's a pic)

Don't get me wrong, I'll crawl across the finish line on March 21st if I have to, but I've learned that running is almost just as much a mental feat as it is a physical one. Needless to say - doing 10 was hard, but it feels so good to put it past me. All I can say is: I don't suck, and I can really do this.

Now, off to my reward -- a pedicure. I think I'll choose purple.

REEEE-LAAAXX

Hey ya'll, I'm back to reality...freezing cold weather and running my arse off. So, vacationing in Mexico at a beach front resort in February does NOT suck. Top that off with 5 other lovely ladies, endless hysterical conversations, and a steady stream of adult beverages at your beckon call. I'm not going to lie - it was pretty awesome. My BFF Amanda is getting hitched in June and this was her bachelorette extravaganza trip!

I'm a pretty efficient luggage packer - I have a "no-check" rule pretty much no matter the trip length. As I was getting ready to pack my carry-on, I laid out all my contents: 3 bathing suits - check; shorts/tank tops - check; flirty dresses - check; 3oz toiletry rations - check...and work-out clothes, um...what to do?? I am going to relax, veg and hang out with my awesome girls -- do I really want to be the only one working out?? The resort did have a gym after all...but ugh. Well, I decide that I would fold up my work-out gear into a little pile and decide in the morning, last minute. So needless to say the 5 inches of snow outside on the morning of my departure only left me wanting as much sun as possible, so I threw on my flip flops and used the extra space for another pair of sandals instead! Six days sans running wasn't going to kill me.

Of course when I arrived to meet the girls, they all said - "we thought since you've been training you were for sure going to workout, so we brought our stuff!" Figures. Well, I did end up working out...albiet vacation-style. Yoga with Javier was at 8:15am beach side -- which yes, is early for vacation, but we learned pretty quick we had to be strategic in gaining the best lounge chair position around the pool. If you waited after breakfast to stake your claim, your view was relegated to the kiddie pool - not my idea of people watching and WAY too far from the beverages. So, I would get up around 7:4am, grab towels at the pool hut and claim 6 sun loungers for the rest of the day. Next stop: a little downward dog with Javier on the beach --wait, that sounded bad -- I mean, relaxing yoga by the ocean. Then it was breakfast buffet, sun, more lounging, and of course...pre-lunch beverages. Then at 12:30pm it was time for Francisco and Christian's daily water "eh-roh-beeks" (use your best Mexican accent here). This is my kind of eh-roh-beeks. One gets very tan and very nice ab development working at a beach resort everyday...I'm just sayin'. After such a strenuous, exhausting water workout, it was all I could do to muster up the strength to work my way 20 feet to the swim-up bar and pick up my margarita glass - whew!

Ok, so before you kill me...I know not everyone is able to go on a beach vacation in February, but in all fairness I have resumed my normal butt-in-gear routine. I'm back running on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and strength training Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also ran the Charles Harris 10K Run for Leukemia this morming since I figured it would be a good post-vacation run and would give me some pre-race practice. It was good to get out there and feel the jitters of race day and the swarms of people. I tried mentally to get in the groove right from the start, but honestly it was so *freaking* cold and windy (in the 20s) I felt like it was only after mile 2 that I began to feel my legs and brain warm up. I didn't do horribly and ended up with a little over a 10 minute mile alternating running/walking. (Given my knee issues, I've been training all season according to the Jeff Galloway method). My team mates Carol and Kristen ran the race too and we had a little silliness post-race. Check us out:
Well good people...it's time to rest up this weekend and back to the grind on Monday. And oh, we're having our TNT Mardi Gras for a Cause fundraiser 6-8pm at Park Tavern Tuesday, March 2. Come out if you can for a night of fun, music and drinks to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. $20 bucks gets you a wristband for beer and wine and there's a silent auction too. I'll be there - will you??!

Snow and Mexico

Yee haw!! So the best news is that I made my fundraising goal this week!! THANK YOU to all of you who dontated in support of my goal - you have no idea how much it means to me. I have watched my little fundraising meter inch up every day and have been so excited, whether it was $13 or $100 - thank you for giving so generously to this cause. And to all of you who have been following along, sending notes/emails of encouragement too, you have no idea how much your thoughts have kept me going. This has been an amazing challenge - very hard, but extremely positive. I have a few weeks left to fundraise so I don't want to stop here!

Those of you in the ATL, mark your calendars - I want to invite you out for a drink at Park Tavern on Piedmont Park, March 2nd from 6-8pm. More details to come, but basically for a small cover, you can drink all you want during the two hours and all the money goes to the Team in Training hosts. Drink, have fun, and hang out for a good cause!

A little soreness in the knees this week and the crazy weather has disrupted training slightly; the Wed run and GTS today were cancelled, but I still managed to get some miles in most days. Well, tomorrow, I'm off to vacation in Mexico with by best girlfriends for some MUCH needed sunshine for the week - the goal will be to rest and rejuvinate. The only spandex I'll be wearing is in my swimsuit! The Snow-pocalypse sure is pretty but, man do I need some warm! The Purple Train moves on...and will be slightly more tan upon my return.

Hasta luego, amigos!

As The Treadmill Turns...

Chapter 1.
Tumultuous. Treacherous. Turbulent. Words that describe the toxic relationship with the big, gray Mr. T. He can be cold. Distant. Unyielding. Matter-of-fact and rigid; a total machine. For as many buttons as he has, he likes to push mine. But then he can be so deceptive; his big, strong arms outstretched for me to come closer: "Come on up here, Karen, I've been waiting for you. I knew you'd come back."

That's what I hear underneath the whirring and hum of his torso. I hate him. I need him; the frigid temperatures outside keep me coming back for more. What to do?

Confession. These days when I'm spending most of my time with Mr. T, I'm afraid to admit...I close my eyes and think of other machines. There, I said it. I shouldn't do it, but I can't help it. For so long I had this relationship with Mr. Elliptical - Eli I call him for short. I know he's mad at me for leaving him so suddenly, with no explanation, hardly even a good-bye. He tries to be a sly about it, but I see him looking at me from across the commercial-grade carpet.

"I thought we had a good thing going, Karen?," Eli silently mouths to me so Mr. T doesn't hear.

"I did too," I whisper under my breath, "But sometimes your goals change, you know? You have to get out there and get out of your comfort zone, stretch your legs, push yourself."

I thought it would be less painful with a clean break, at least for now. I told him we could be friends, and that didn't go over well.

"It just hurts because I see you everyday...you have to walk right past me to get to...him. What's he got that I don't have, huh? What!?!"

Snap, snap.
Ok, so clearly you can see the treadmill begets boredom for me and you're getting a peek into my efforts to self-entertain. Silly, I know. My mind drifts, as my legs are moving, but I'm going nowhere. Well, call it a lack of sunshine, or the spandex-overload cutting off the circulation to my brain.

I have been wearing a lot of spandex.

Well, I hope to add Triumphant to my list of descriptors. All this can only mean one thing - it's time I get a new iPod playlist, don't you think?

Kicking Cancer's A$$!

WOW - so, AMAZING news from my dear Evie!!! After her 7th or 8th round of chemo, it was time for a PET scan on Tuesday to see how the treatment was responding, and if the tumors were shrinking...so she called me last night to say - she's negative for malignancy! I could hear the elation and sheer joy in her voice and if I hadn't been driving on 2-85, I would have done a happy dance right then and there! I squeeled in excitment. I knew she was having the test on Tuesday and I just wanted to hold my breath ever since, so I was relieved to know it was good news. While she still will probably have to do a little more chemo to kill off any residual cancer cells, this is a HUGE milestone and I'm so happy for my lovely friend. She says she hasn't been this happy since her wedding day - so this is a pic of Eve and her awesome hubby Michael on their amazing day! And so it was...I remember the love and pure happiness that was present on this day - a beautiful weekend. Hard to believe she started chemo 3 or 4 days after this picture was taken.

But sadly though, in the last week I just learned of a person I know from my work circles who has cancer - non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had no idea, and I understand he was diagnosed around the same time as Eve in October. I've reached out to him through a letter, so I hope to hear more about how he's doing. It sounds as if maybe he's had a difficult time. Just another reminder that there still are so many people we need to constantly keep in our thoughts and keep supporting - through our friendship and love, volunteering or raising money. Through Eve's experience I've learned just how grueling this disease is, how awfully painful it can be. So, I will continue to do this thing for Eve and all the other people who are on their individual journeys. To all of you out there - I'm sending you good TNT vibes!

Well, my training continues - much more consistent than ever, which feels good. I'm trying to be careful with my right knee. Although I had surgery a few years ago, it still likes to remind me it's a bum knee. I'm up to about 4-5 miles, 3 to 4 times during the week and 5 miles on Saturday. Tomorrow morning is a big day - 8 miles with the group. Might not seem like much, but since a 10K is the longest I've run in a stretch, it's really setting in that I will be running 13 straight in less than 60 days! Ed keeps reassuring me that I'll make it - so why question the man? - he's done something like more than 115 marathons. Surely he wouldn't lead me astray. So all in all, it's going well. My definition for cold sure has changed, since now I think nothing of going out in 30-degree weather. I make the Wednesday night buddy runs and hit the treadmill, even though I really don't care for the machine. I think it's evil, actually, but more on that some other day.

Time to rest up for tomorrow - Purple Power, people, Purlpe Power!!

Who hit FFWD?

Wow, so I had a long hiatus, but some important dates went by that kept me away - in order of appearance - Christmas, a 5-day trip to Vegas with the hubby, New Years, my birthday...and who could forget "SNOW JAM 2010" for all you Atlantans! And after a brief head cold that put me out for a few days this week, I'm back and excited to update you on my progress!

First things first - I'm almost 50% to my fundraising goal, which is good. I have until the first part of March, but I know it will be be here before I know it. I'm hoping after the new year settles, I can gain a lot more momentum. I know the marathon of the holidays is a little crazy for folks - it was for me - but I'm still here! Thanks SO very much to all of you who have supported me so far.

So, with all these frigid temperatures outisde in the teens, I'll fully admit it's been challenging to want to complete my miles! But, I'm glad we'd been running for several weeks already in the cold. When it snowed and iced this week - shutting down the city - it didn't seem completely out of the question to go running. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still questioned whether I was crazy, but once I got going it wasn't so horrible. Besides the runny nose, it was very peaceful, actually. I went running in my neighborhood since the roads were too bad to go to the gym. I did a few miles under the crunch of the snow and it was beautiful. And like usual, just when I don't want to go out the most, I'm always glad afterward.

I also totally have to give a shout out to my Boston friend Emily who sent me the nicest prezzie! A runner herself, she sent me her favorite running piece. And she was right, it's the best garment I've acquired yet - an Under Armour, zip up, long-sleeve turquiose shirt (love the color!). It fits like a glove and it's a fab layering piece, so I can still wear a shirt underneath. I wore it out on my snow run and I kept toasty warm. THANKS EM! I added a pic for all you runners out there interested in getting one! I also share her love of Under Amour gear - I have four pairs of their capri running pants. And by the way, another great by-product of cold weather dressing: lots of layering with stretchy fabrics = less jiggle. Lord knows I can use less of that. Enough said!

My journey continues on and I can't think of a better way to start the year than with the TNT charge to help save lives one mile at a time. Yay!