The Time Has Come

     I am just days away from my race, but I am many dollars away from my goal!  Please, please, help me to reach the $1300 goal for the students of Variety Child Learning Center.  This school has truly changed the course of my sons life!

How You Can Help!

It is very easy to help me reach this goal!  There are three ways to donate:

     1.   Donate online In section 4 write in "Variety of Miles"
     2.   Please make Checks out to Variety Child Learning Center and write "Variety of Miles" in the memo field.  Checks can be mailed to:

Variety Child Learning Center

Attn: Development
47 Humphrey Drive
Syosset, NY  11791 

     3.    Give checks made out to Variety Child Learning Center to me when you see me. ( But please let me know you have one for me!!)

9 + 1 =

10!!  That's right... 10!  That's how many miles were on the training schedule... TEN!!  I know that I am planning in just 3 short weeks to complete 13 miles, but the concept of 10 miles just feels monumental. 

I am blessed to have access to a beautiful bike path.  There are points along the way where I feel transported out of Long Island and to a world with no traffic!  There are wild flowers and swamps, thickets of trees and lakes.  There is one spot along the path that someone has turned a little bluff into a beautiful garden sanctuary.  Running this path has changed my run. I actually enjoy it more. 

Last week I deviated from my running schedule.  On Saturday I conquered the 9 miles, but there was a lot of walking and a lot of wishing the miles away. I was happy when I was done and I was happy with my overall time.  Then on Sunday was the Zombie Race. During the zombie experience I had an epic gravity failure that had me imitating superman down the side of a muddy hill. Thankfully I wasn't seriously injured besides the bruised ego. At the end of the day I was proudly sporting scrapes and scratches and the promise of some grotesque bruises, but I felt good.  A little ice on my bum knee, a cold beer and I'll be on my way... Or so I thought. 

By Tuesday morning I could put no weight on my right foot. My middle toe was very red and angry and swollen. My toe nail was black and crack 3/4ths of the way down. I couldn't help but gaze upon the toe with pride while I painfully attempted a shoe and sock.  The voice of reason stopped me and when office hours rolled around I was on the phone with the podiatrist. 

With most of the nail removed and a promise of quick pain relief to come I hobbled home.  Instead on Wednesday I was greater by continued pain an it was too late to cancel my appointment with Frank the trainer.. Bring on a boxing session with no shoes on!!!

Friday was the first day I could get a sock and shoe on my foot. This made me terrified of Saturday's run.  I had to just have faith that my 5 days off would be to a benefit. 

I was blessed to have incredible weather on Saturday, 68 and partly sunny. This weather makes it easy to settle into a run.  My three favorite boys dropped me at the trail head and I started off strong with an easy pace.  The boys meet between the 1 and 2 mile mark to wave an watch mommy go by.  I know that between mile 2 and 3 are two of the 5 uphill climbs on the route and they flew by with little notice. Continuing strong past the three mile mark I pushed off fueling as I was still in good shape. Miles 4, 5, and 6 passed almost as easily and when I hit the biggest hill of the whole route, I pushed to the top and kept going.  This was the first time that I hadn't needed a walk at the top of this very steep overpass.  I was beginning to start to struggle and keep myself from walking and between miles 7 and 8 my hip started to complain.  I was able to pull back the pace a little until and get comfortable again.  I knew as I got towards the end that I would have to do some doubling back to get the 10th mile in.  At 9.1 I was surprised by my boys running towards me!  I love when they find me on the trail because it gives me such a boost!  Ben was so excited to run with me that he made it half a mile!  

The last half mile was the hardest steps of the entire route.  My tank was empty and my motivation was sapped...  but... I finished it!  All 10 miles!  And my reward..... and ice bath!

     I think more important that the running this week was the decision that I have made to turn this run into a fundraiser.  I will be running to benefit the children of Variety Child Learning Center.  Please check out the info!

 A Variety of Miles Fundraiser

30 Days and Second Chances

With less the 30 days to go until race day, my nerves are starting to get to me and not without reason....  The last 30 days have seen 2 races, a lot of triumph and a little set back...

     Lets rewind a bit.  I got sidelined by sickness for almost a week and a half!  I was devastated when I was forced to deviate from the training plan.  I had promised myself that I wouldn't break from the schedule and here I was sitting out for a week and a half.  I worried about about losing fitness.  I worried that I wasnt building my mileage.  I was just all around worried.

     I was also had a race coming up...  the Discover Hicksville 5mile Race.  I knew that my focus had to be on getting healthy so that I wouldn't miss this race.  I was able to get 3 miles in a couple of days before hand and away we go!  The course was advertised as a "Flat" course.  I was excited for an easy race.

     They offered a free fun run, so the boys got to join in the fun! As soon as they said "GO!", Ben was GONE!!!  He ran the whole 1/4 mile by himself.  He made all the turns on the course and even waved to some of the people that were cheering!  The best part....  he got to the finish and STOPPED!  We had never told him what a
race was, but he instinctively knew what to do. He finished in less than 3mins and 40secs.  Alex didn't love the process as much.. he was more upset about the numbers pinned to his shirt and just couldn't get in to the running part of the race.  Both boys earned medals for their attempt.  For the next two weeks Ben kept asking, "We go race?"  I think I might have a natural runner on my hands.

     My race on the other hand, was not as easy.  The "flat course" was filled with little inclines and declines and there were lots of twists and turns.  It was hard to judge distance and pace.  It was also HOT!  It was a relatively small collection of runners and they were all FAST... I... am SLOW.  I really just didnt want to be last.  I started towards the middle of the pack so I wouldnt be in the way of the contenders, but not at the back because I didnt want to start last!  The end of the course was twisty with a hidden finish.  It was hard to judge from a distance what your finish time would be since you couldnt see the clock until the last 100 meters.  I was stoked when I rounded the corner and I was trudging towards a PR!  My previous best was 1:13:48.  I dug down and found more energy than I thought I had left and sprinted... pushing as much as I could to get to the finish as the seconds ticked away....   1:11:09!!!

      I was thrilled.. my legs were jelly.. and it was done!  However, sprinting and staring at the clock with a race photographer that isn't sitting at a good angle, makes for a not so pretty race picture...  But hey.. it was a PR!

      Back on track after the 5mile race it was time to shift my focus to getting ready for the longer distances.  It was on to 8miles, and 9miles!  Saturday long runs have become a family event with the boys dropping me off at the beginning of a local bike path and picking me up at the end, usually with dinner in hand!   I was able to push through 8miles and had a surprisingly wonderful 9mile run.  I felt in control.  I did walk a bunch, and I am ok with it.  I know that I will be walking during the 1/2 marathon, so I might as well prepare myself!

     This past weekend, I had my 2nd race.... the Zombie Race.. 3.12 miles of insane trails, 13 muddy and tough obstacles, and ZOMBIES waiting for you around every turn!  The whole experience was epic!  I was able to complete all but one obstacle (the old school rope climb).  One of the hills was so steep that there was a rope tied to a tree to give assistance.. there were walls, and mud pits, slides, and fire..  it was a great test of strength, endurance, and courage...  My unofficial goal was to finish in less time than I had the Spartan race (1:48) and we finished in 1:18!

 

     Now that I have wrestled with the Zombies, it is time to go back to the mundane..  next up... tomorrow: 10miles and next weekend, the NYC 10k!

     I think more important that the running this week was the decision that I have made to turn this run into a fundraiser.  I will be running to benefit the children of Variety Child Learning Center.  Please check out the info!

 A Variety of Miles Fundraiser

Bucket List Realized

A few months ago I was approached by a coworker to join her in running the Spartan Race.  Little did she know that this was a bucket list item.  I was honored but that she wanted to run with me. I didn't want to admit that I was terrified!!!!

I am no small girl. I have run a few 5k races in the past year, so I really wasn't worried about the distance.  But.....  There would be WALLS... 5, 6, 7, and 8 foot tall walls...  This girl, would have to find her way over many, many walls.... This would be a feat of epic proportions!

I did the best training that I could (taking into consideration my limited time). I worked on strengthening my upper body. I worked with my trainer using a TRX system.  I worked on body weight exercises. I didn't train as much as I wanted to, but I did as much as I could.

When it came down to the day of the race, I was very very anxious.  It was one of those do or die moments.  I knew that I was going to have to pull on strength from a very deep place and I was unsure if that place even existed within me.   I knew that I was going to have to rely on the team that I was running with!  There would be obstacles that I would fail if there wasn't a hand up or a cheering section standing with me!

 

Upon meeting this great group of people, I knew that I would make it through!  We were all there, joined by a common goal.  This team had come together to fight hunger on Long Island.  There are still so many people in the region feeling the impact of Hurricane Sandy.  We were there to become "Champions Against Hunger".

Very quickly it was time to line up in the corral... We got closer and closer to the start.  Every minute or so a group of  20 would line up and get released onto the course..soon there were no more people in front of me... I found myself standing at the start line..My inner monologue was waging its very own civil war.  In one moment I was building myself up...  I can do this.. I will succeed.. and in the next...  Are you crazy?.. Do you know where the closest hospital is?....

Once we crossed that start line, it became very surreal... the details jumble together and it felt like a total out of body experience...  There were walls.... Lots of walls...  But there were also feats of strength, lifting, carrying, moving... There were calisthenics... a weighted jump rope, a rowing machine...  Then there were the things that were just crazy!!!  I never thought that I would have to train for hopping up 4 flights of stairs with a rubber band holding my ankles together!!!

But sure enough... each obstacle was conquered... each mile was ticked away.. yes I needed the support of my team... I needed a scoot over a wall... I needed to be pushed to finish the box jumps at the end...  But.... 

I FINISHED..... I conquered the Spartan Race!  I finished in one hour and 48 minutes...  This was not a record setting time.. but there were over 300 people after me!!! 

 I am so thankful to everyone on the Fishbattlers Vs. Sandy team that stuck with me, that served as my strength when I had none, and cheered me on when I felt defeated.  I would not have this medal, and the bruises and body aches too, if it were not for all of you!!!

Below is a video that chronicles the event that was made by the marketing company Fishbat.  They were responsible for putting together the Spartan Race team and have become a driving force against hunger on Long Island.  Please take a couple of minutes to watch!!





See the rest of my Bucket List!!!