Running in the hot, I mean cold

Yesterday Ryan and I headed out to run in shorts and a tshirt, as the weather here felt like summer. Today, quite the opposite. Temperature, 39. No problem. We bundled up appropriately, headed down stairs and out the door. Then, like the scene from Cool Runnings when the Jaimaican bobsledderes arrive in Canada and hurry back in the airport to put on everything in their suitcases, Ryan and I hustled back upstairs to add a few more layers. I knew we had better hit the door running or I would for sure talk myself out of the Thursday morning run. Ryan ran with me today, thank goodness, because it sure is easy to convince yourself to walk, just a little, when you're out by yourself. At training they have repeatedly told us we are to eat to train, not train to eat, but I'm thinking that for today and tomorrow, we are training to eat :) Merry Christmas All!

White Rock Marathon

This past Sunday Ryan and I volunteered at the White Rock Marathon in Dallas to earn money towards our volunteer credit. We worked the 7.5 mile water stop on the half marathon course.

We got to the site at 7AM and by 7:15 there were about 12 of us there to volunteer. I was sure there were too many of us for the work that needed to be done; what could be so hard about handing out some water and gatorade? We set up three stations: one with gatorade and two with water and stacked the cups three layers high.

The first few runners came by around 8:30. No problem. Then a few more. Then a few more. Then a stampede, during which, we ran out of water. For the next half hour most of us stood stooped over the table; one putting out cups and the other filling them frantically, just to have them snatched up as fast as we could get them poured. I was a pourer. Not a good one. But fast. I paid the price for my careless approach to pouring when we left and my pants, shoes and socks were drenched. After the final runners/walkers came by a little after 10:30 we, the volunteers, probably set a new world record for fastest water stop clean up.

I really liked volunteering and so next time you're in town visiting, I'll make sure and sign you up to volunteer with me at an event so we can get double the volunteer credit. That's right. I will make you feel guilty then take advantage of your presence :) Your welcome.

i used to run

You know how people use the phrase "it's just like riding a bike"? Well, running is not just like riding a bike. I would have thought otherwise until about a month ago when I started training to run a marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (TNT). When Ryan decided to sign up, I thought, what the heck, I definitely have the motivation to fundraise for finding cures for blood cancers, and, no big deal, I used to be a runner.

I stopped running about three years ago when I just decided I didn't like it. I ran in junior high, high school, all through college, then, during my masters, I decided I actually didn't like it. I did however, think that all of this running practice would make the training a cinch.

I was incorrect. The fact that I "used to run" did not, I repeat, did not help me during those first workouts when I had to stop because I couldn't catch my breath, or keep the soreness out of my legs so it wouldn't hurt when I sat down, or walked, or moved. No, the runner that I once was must have crawled into the Goodwill bag of running clothes I donated years ago.

Now, after 4 weeks of training, my legs are feeling stronger and I don't complain near as frequently about aches and pains I feel from running.

Three weeks ago, at one of our Saturday trainings, we had our Honored Heroe's Breakfast. I thought I would faint as one of our honored heroes talked about the size of the needles used to do bone marrow biopsies. The parents of another one of our honored heroes spoke about life since their daughter, Emerson, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2, and again, just hearing about the procedures used in treatment, my head started to spin.

Even though my years of running experience failed me as training began, I'm grateful for inspiration... it's pretty easy to keep on running when I compare it with what cancer patients go through.

So, this should be the first post of many as I train to the run the Big D Marathon in April. Check back frequently to see how progress is going. I will soon include a link on the blog to my donation page, where you can donate online if you so choose.

Off to go run!